The Trainer

My next interview was with Joe Geiss, a race horse trainer fo 15 years.  Basically, he shared the same views as owner Bill Harris.  He felt that the human and horse relationship in horse racing is treated like a business.  The horse is well cared for and treated like an athlete however, their lives are scheduled and there is not much time due to travel and training to develop a strong bond.  He believes he runs a "clean barn", meaning there is no drugging to improve performance or mask injuries.  He states, “Illegal drugging runs rampart in the horse industry due to the inability of drug tests to detect certain drugs.”  His love and respect for horses has led him to his profession as a trainer, however, he avoids getting too attached to his horses because many things can happen it is a dangerous sport in which he has little control of the fate of a race horse.