My Kingdom for a Horse

June 8th, 2008 Posted in Invention, Culture, Sports

This notion of fate, the insignificant event tipping a larger outcome, involves man’s relationship to the horse. Without this animal the man is in deep trouble. Yet at one time in our human story none of us had one. And now in our era of the combustion engine, electricity and atomic energy he is no longer our boon companion. Once the horse, as part of the natural world, was beyond the conscious control of our pre-literate ancestors and he is almost beyond our conscious need now.

But the taming of the horse was a human discovery and invention. At one time the horse was wild, at another he was part of our domestic establishment. Now he is an entertaining noble beast. Our conceptual and physical control was a giant leap that changed our way of living. We multiplied our suzerainty over that part of nature necessary for our survival. The human over the horse is a cultural event and a significant but now diminishing part of our civilization.

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Yesterday, June 7, 2008, in the Belmont Racetrack on the eastern border of New York City a three year old thoroughbred horse named Big Brown lost a race that he was odds on favorite to win and lost his chance to join the short list of Triple-Crown winners that hasn’t been extended for thirty years. Themes repeated and associated with the horse: fate and power.

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The horse figure is so dense, it gallops off in all directions. Think of the man-horse combo, the centaur of Greek mythology. I like the story of the totemic link, the image of the centaur who assists the human female in her fertility quest, the half-wild lover. The tiger who the vast majority of women think they have dated/married is more probably a centaur. A better deal, two for one, the wild passion and the cultural patina.

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The horse-racing industry and the social forms it takes are significant modern topics. The game is a simple race where small athletic men ride a small herd of horses each of whom strives to cross the finish line first and win the prize.

There is an oval track up to one and a half miles in circumference on one side of which are stands where over 100,000 spectators can congregate.

The audience is stratified socially by the comfort and service available: (1) The enclosed club-house with restaurant, air conditioning, exclusive betting windows, cleaner bathrooms. (2) The stands with reserve seats at higher level and therefore with a better view of the field (3) The standing room next to the track whose only amenities are some barrels for throw-away trash and losing tickets.

The audience in the democratic American mode sorts itself out by the fees it is willing to pay but the symbolism is stark: the blue collar manual and craft employees who work for wages are on their feet; the white collar gang and professionals who work for salaries and fees are seated; and the wealthy and powerful executives, legislators, politicians, and high-rolling investors are dining and drinking at cloth covered tables. We sort ourself, not really troubled by the differences we see as style of life choices. There might be moments of discomfort when one wanders into an unaccustomed section but these are unofficial.

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The breeding, care, feeding and training of the horses are the tasks around which the core of the institution forms. The trainers. jockeys, and assorted others setup and present the displays that are the races. The crew are itinerant and follow the circuit from track to track through the year. It is a definite and distinctive way of life, the taste of which is found in the autobiographies and memoirs of owners, trainers and jocks.

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The gambling which interests me because it was my father’s avocation is closely associated with the sport. There is talk of improving the breed but it all feeds back to winning and taking home some money. The cuts in the pool for taxes and administration increase the certainty of the average bettor losing. On the face the random betting odds are unfair. One wins less and loses more. As usual the house is sure to win in the long run and its short run take is pretty certain as well.

The informed, energetic, and hardworking gambler can win by understanding the true odds if he has the patience to wait out and bet heavily against the spotted error of the majority. It is a full time job.

Probably for most of us it makes more sense to ride a horse than to bet on him.

Say hello to the next horse you meet.