SWIMMING is common practice in the training and rehabilitation programmes of thoroughbred racehorses.

While it is considered that swimming provides a good workout for horses that are unable to gallop due to injuries, it is a very difficult job for anyone to perform.

Mark Collins has been doing the job of swimming horses at Caymanas Park for over 30 years now and while the job comes with long hours, the Gregory Park, St Catherine native said he loves what he does and takes pride in his work.

“Swimming horses is not an easy job to do. There are risks involved in swimming horses. At least every job you do, there are risks. For swimming horses, you can get damaged or even lose your lives as well.

“It is also a very hard and tiring job to do as I have to get out of my bed by 4:00 am in the mornings and sometimes earlier than that to take the horses to the sea.

“But I enjoy what I do and I take pride in my work,” Collins told the Supreme Racing Guide.

Collins then shared his analysis of swimming horses in the sea.

“While swimming is primarily used as a means of trying to take care of horses recovering from lameness and back pain, it is also useful not only to improve a horse’s welfare, but it helps the trainers to bring down the number of days lost to injury while getting some benefits from this very expensive training tool,” explained Collins.

Collins, who, in addition, to being a swimmer of horses has been working as a licensed groom for 20 years. He was among several individuals who received special awards on the United Racehorse Trainers Association of Jamaica Race Day on Saturday (November 17, 2018) for their contribution to the racing industry.

“I feel really good to have received this award. It is mean so much to me knowing that love has been shown and I have been recognised for my hard work I have been putting in the sport.

“I have been in racing from a very long time. I wanted at first to become a jockey but that didn’t work out for me. I then began to swim horses with Patrick Fong before he became a trainer and before I became a groom.

“I have no regrets choosing this path of profession and I am pretty much happy where I am, said Collins.

During his career as a groom, Collins has had a number of successes.

“I can remember my first winner. It was with a horse by the name of French Bill over the five-furlongs straight course.

“The best horse that I have groomed was the Richard Azan trained Neftenga. Neftenga was a brilliant racehorse, he would give you the best at all times. I won the Caribbean Sprint Cup with Neftenga as well,” Collins said.

Juggling grooming and swimming horse would be a very difficult task for many, but for Collins it is something that is just in his blood.

“The job of swimming horses is difficult and tiring to be honest but this is something that I am used to; it is something that I enjoy doing; and it is something that I love to do,” he said with a look of satisfaction on his race.