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Ashley Hartley (L) and Ivy Jones harness Earls Little Dude. Dude is a
five year old trotting gelding,
housed in the Dan Perdue Stables at the
Darke County Fairgrounds. The pair are groomers learning the
business
of harness horses. CNO Photos by George Starks
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New young faces
learning an old trade
Perdue stables grooming groomers
By George Starks
GREENVILLE- Harness horse racing in Darke County has been on the scene
for many years and Dan Perdue is a name well associated with the sport.
Recently, the Perdue Stables brought on two new faces in Ashley Hartley
and Ivy Jones as groomers.
Jones, a graduate of Greenville High School began learning the art less
than a year ago, while Hartley, a graduate of Union County High School
in Liberty, Indiana, has been doing it off and on for 10 years bur for
a year and a half solid.
While both are nursing assistants by trade, the two roomies decided
they needed a change of scenery.
For Jones, being around the animals had an appeal all of its own.
“I’ve always been an animal lover, I like animals a lot,” said the 33
year old Jones. “My friend Ashley moved in with me and she’s kinda
messed with it throughout the years, so she started working out here
part-time and I started coming out here with her, helping to feed them.
I found it to be really relaxing. It’s somewhat therapeutic. The more I
came out and got to know Dan, he offered me a job a couple of days a
week. I told him I would enjoy that. So I started doing it a couple
days a week and eventually, he asked me to come on full time. I’ve
worked with people at nursing homes and this is by far my favorite job.”
Being around the horses since June of 2014, Jones has realized that
there’s more to it than what meets the eye.
“I never realized how operational it was and what a big thing it was,”
said Jones. “I lived right out here by the fairgrounds and never knew
about it. I enjoy being around the animals and I think what blows me
away is that they are these big, one-thousand pound, muscle machines
and they don’t even know it. They are like big, scaredy butts. It
amazes me just how very gentle they can be. They have their days when
they are not in a good mood and they will let you know it so you have
to stay focused. For the most part, they are super, massive, muscle
machines and they don’t even know it.”
Despite being new to the scene, the routine never changes from day to
day.
“We come out here every day and we brush them down and bathe them,”
Jones pointed out. “They have to be fed but you don’t do them all the
same way. Each horse has its own routine. They each have their own
personality and as time goes by, you learn those personalities.”
While Jones is the new person on the block, Hartley has been with
Perdue before.
“I was with Dan about 10 years ago,” said the 30 year old Hartley. “I
left here for a while then I came back. I had a horse when I was
growing up (a quarter horse) but I like the outdoors and the
environment.”
Currently there are 16 horses in the stables but it comes with an added
responsibility.
“We have eight foals in the stables,” said Jones. “There are seven on
my side of the barn and one on the other side where Ashley works.”
“I have seven horses on my side of the barn” Hartley pointed out. “We
actually have two foals and a colt but the foals have to be broken to
the harness. The foals are more energetic but I really don’t treat them
any different that I would a six year old gelding. The older ones know
the routine while the younger ones are learning the world. They are
more unpredictable but you have to build that trust.”
With the spring matinee happening on May 17, the two are working hard
to get their horses ready for the upcoming racing season.
Hartley has her license to go to other track while Jones is looking to
obtain hers.
“I want to be able to go to these other tracks and experience it,” said
Jones. “I’ve yet to go to the casino but I’m ready. It’s never a dull
moment. I could see myself doing this for a while.”
Jones ended by saying her and Ashley are looking to get a horse if
their own and eventually race them in Florida.
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Hartley and Jones lead Section Line HL, a two year old pacing colt, out
of the stables for its daily workout.
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