Happy Thought for 15 November 2024

Have a Happy Thought:  

 

Racing horses in Hong Kong are living their best lives – in some pretty fancy apartments, including, in some cases, their own elevators! 

 

You see, land in Hong Kong is really valuable – a lot of people live on this island, and there’s only so much space to go around. (The current population density of Hong Kong in 2024 is 6,754 people per km2, while New Zealand’s is 19.0 people per km2. Auckland, the densest city in NZ, has a mere 2,970 people per km2.) So, at some point, you have to build up. And while we’re used to going up for office buildings and human apartment buildings, it still feels weird to me (and I’m betting to you, too), to consider doing the same for animals. 

 

But the Hong Kong Jockey Club, with limited space, has definitely gone up, with one three-story stable, and other jockey clubs having two-story stables. (I’ve heard rumours that there are horse elevators for these multi-story stables, but all I could find was reference to padded ramps - so the horse elevator will have to remain, for now, an urban myth.) 

Facilities - JC Equestrian Development - About HKJC - The Hong Kong ... 

Image: http://corporate.hkjc.com/corporate/english/jc-news-and-activities/jc-equestrian-development/public-riding-schools/pfl/pfl-intro/pfl-facilities.aspx 

 

And not just going up physically, we’re talking up in comfort, too! Even travel websites describe summers in Hong Kong as “hot, humid, and wet – and generally uncomfortable.” So not only do these horses live several stories off the ground, they also get air conditioning. 

StablesImage: air-conditioned stables.  https://corporate.hkjc.com/corporate/english/jc-news-and-activities/jc-equestrian-development/public-riding-schools/tm/tm-intro/tm-facilities.aspx 

 

Oh, and a private pool. (While these seem like unneeded luxuries, the air conditioning really is needed for horse welfare, and the pool is for rehabilitation.) 

 

 

Image: https://crc.hkjc.com/en/album.aspx?a=album-0200  

 

Of course, no relaxing day could end without a cup of coffee, so you can also visit the cafe. Unfortunately, I think the horse in this photo is only a statue and not indicating that you can actually bring your horse into the cafe with you. (You can however bring your dog – which is nice!) 

 Image: Stables Cafe, from https://member.hkjc.com/member/english/the-hilltop-in-the-valley/restaurants-and-bars/details.aspx?id=121SB0 

 

 

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Also posted to:    

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