ance and horsemen became proficient in 
     
     the weekly project. Today this ritual has 
     
     become obsolete and only a memory 
     
     because of the emergence of the lighter 
     
    
   
   
    
     plastic hobbles and harness. 
     
     explained, “All you need now is a water- 
     
     hose because everything is plastic. The 
     
     new plastic harness with the sensible 
     
     quick hitch is also much safer. The new 
     
     bikes with the wheel disc are also much 
     
     lighter and fit the horse much better.” 
     
    
   
   
    
     Barney 
     
    
   
   
    
     I asked Barney what he thought was the 
     
     most positive change in standardbred rac- 
     
     ing since his involvement over 40 years 
     
     ago. He answered this question without 
     
     hesitation, “Without a doubt, it would 
     
     have to be the removal of the hub rail 
     
     and replacing it with the pylons. It 
     
     makes you wonder why we didn’t do it 
     
     much sooner. It could have eliminated so 
     
     many serious accidents. Now, if a horse 
     
     jumps in front of you or falls down dur— 
     
     ing a race, you might have a chance to 
     
     take your horse to the center-field if nec— 
     
     essary.” This horseman believed that 
     
     other changes like racing different dis— 
     
     tances other than a mile from time to time 
     
     can be positive. In fact, the Meadow— 
     
     lands experimented with this practice. 
     
     Barney also believed that it was fine to 
     
     experiment with the passing lane but that 
     
     experiment has not worked. How many 
     
     racetracks still use the passing lane? 
     
    
   
   
    
     Like all athletes, this horseman with the 
     
     checkered blue and white driving colors 
     
     loved the competition involved in a race. 
     
     He explained, “You think about it quite a 
     
    
   
   
    
     82 
     
    
   
   
    
     Behind the Gate 
     
    
   
   
    
     bit on race days. It’s just on your mind. 
     
     I enjoy training, especialy colts, but it 
     
     doesn’t compare to 1 big race." 
     
     Competition was what he enjoyed most 
     
     about horse racing. Wha‘ he liked least 
     
     about the game was racing in the mud. 
     
     He was emphatic, “I hate racing in the 
     
     mud. I can't stand it. The mud aprons 
     
     help a little but I don’t ike it and the 
     
     horses don‘t like it either. On a sloppy or 
     
     muddy track, drivers oftei change their 
     
     strategy. In the mud, most drivers and 
     
     horses like to be on the font. You and 
     
     your horse don’t get the mud from the 
     
     horses’ feet kicked up on your face.” If 
     
     you have ever examined :losely a horse 
     
     and driver leaving the trark after having 
     
     raced in the mud, you vill understand 
     
     and appreciate Barney’s scntiment. 
     
    
   
   
    
     You don’t have to spelk to Barney 
     
     McGuigan very long to ealize that he 
     
     loved horses. I asked lim to explain 
     
     why he loved horses. H< thought for a 
     
     moment and responded, “I lia‘ve been 
     
     around horses since I was a kid and it 
     
     just got in my blood. I love the animal 
     
     and I believe that we dtn’t give them 
     
     enough credit for their inelligence. For 
     
     example, somehow they know that a 
     
     race night for them is di‘ferent. They 
     
     seem to know they are gong to compete, 
     
     and like humans, some lite to compete 
     
     more than others. I belieze they some- 
     
     how know when they begin a race and 
     
     visit the Winners’ Circle. It may sound 
     
     strange but I believe this.“ 
     
    
   
   
    
     Barney also felt strongly alout things we