The following is part of our ongoing series, The Best Thing About Racing. Want to submit your own answer? Email garyking@thetdn.comWhen speaking of a passion, it is a collection of things that contributes to the whole and feeds your passion. For me, the ingredient which makes racing so special is the connection people have through the horse.Likely, all of you who attend racing at the track have paused and smiled as you watch the crowd of children gather around the pony riders or outriders. The joy in these children's eyes and emotion shared with their parents, to be able to get close enough to pet and stroke the horse's necks and noses are so uplifting. Unintended, this joy occurs because the horses stand idly in a group just long enough and frequently enough between races to allow the children to grow their interest and courage to pursue the opportunity. And it is natural for this to occur with the pony riders and outriders for their role is as a calming influence for the racehorse and thus they have a demeanor to share their horse with the child.Our mother, Alice Chandler, often said: 'You let a horse breathe on you and you will fall in love forever..' We know this firsthand at Mill Ridge because of Horse Country, and the experience with our tours. We allow our visitors to get close to the horse, grow comfortable, and feed them carrots. Their response is much like what you see with the children on the track. Accompanied with passionate and caring tour guides, who also touch on the history and lead our visitors as they drive their cars in a caravan through the farm and experience the beauty of the land and the herds gathered at different ages and stages in the fields. They are awestruck with the experience of 'being in the locker room' and learning and appreciating where it all begins. The response, per Tripadvisor, 'Mill Ridge/Horse Country tour is rated as the #1 Lexington experience! After sharing our tours for ten years, no more than 20 visitors/session, twice a day, we are approaching 80k visitors, all who have been touched by their connection through the horse.I cite these two examples with the hope that racetracks and others will continue and grow naturally our fan base through their experience with the horse and making them accessible to the public. Keeneland and Saratoga have expanded on this connection with morning at the track and a visit to farms in the Saratoga area. Hong Kong, too, has recognized this and expanding on the access and experience with the horse.We have an opportunity as an industry that really does not require much financial commitment or imagination. My hope is by simply citing these few examples, those in a position of leadership will seize on the opportunity that stands before them and integrate the connection of the horse into their organization.The post Best Thing About Racing: Connection with the Horse appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.