Service Animals in Horse Safety Areas

 

  1. PURPOSE

    Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (“DMTC”) welcomes individuals with disabilities and their service animals. DMTC is committed to providing individuals with disabilities full and equal access to its facilities while maintaining the safety of patrons, employees, participants, service animals, and horses.

    Because horses are present and may be moving unpredictably in certain portions of the facility, DMTC has established special safety requirements for service animals in designated Horse Safety Areas.

  2. SERVICE ANIMALS

    For purposes of this policy, a service animal is a dog that is individually trained to perform work or tasks for an individual with a disability.

    DMTC will permit service animals in areas open to the public in accordance with applicable federal and California law.

    DMTC will not require a person to provide documentation, certification, identification, or proof of training as a condition of entry for a service animal.

    When it is not readily apparent that a dog is a service animal, DMTC personnel may ask only:

    1. Is the dog required because of a disability?

    2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

    No questions concerning the nature or extent of the individual’s disability may be asked.

  3. HORSE SAFETY AREAS

    For purposes of this policy, Horse Safety Areas are portions of the facility that are open to the public and in which Thoroughbred racehorses and patrons may come into close proximity, creating legitimate safety risks that require service animals to be leashed or tethered for the protection of horses, patrons, participants, and the service animals themselves. Horse Safety Areas are not restricted areas; they remain fully open to individuals with disabilities and their service animals, subject only to the safety‑based leash requirement described in Section 4.

    Examples of Horse Safety Areas include, but are not limited to:  the Winners' Circle, the Paddock, Walkways, ramps, tunnels, gates and passageways leading to or from the Winners' Circle and Paddock, areas adjacent to the Winners' Circle and the Paddock where horses are being led, walked, loaded, unloaded or otherwise handled, and other areas DMTC may designate when necessary to address changing operational or safety concerns.  

    Reasonable notice of designated Horse Safety Areas will be provided through signs, maps, employee direction, or other appropriate means.

  4. LEASH REQUIREMENTS IN HORSE SAFETY AREAS

    All service animals entering or remaining in a Horse Safety Area must be secured by a leash, harness, or other appropriate tether and must remain under the handler’s control.

    This requirement is a safety measure adopted because of the actual and foreseeable risks associated with the close proximity of service animals, patrons, and Thoroughbred racehorses.

    A service animal must remain sufficiently close to its handler and under the handler’s control so that it cannot approach, chase, startle, interfere with, or otherwise come into the path of a horse or person handling a horse.

    The handler is responsible for maintaining control of the service animal at all times.

  5. OTHER PUBLIC AREAS

    In all other public areas, including the grandstand, restaurants, walkways and adjacent areas, service animals must be leashed or tethered unless the handler qualifies for the ADA leash exception.

    This requirement ensures the service animal remains under effective control and protects the safety of patrons in high‑traffic areas.

  6. LIMITED ADA EXCEPTION

    DMTC recognizes that federal law provides a limited exception to the leash requirement. If: 

    1. the individual’s disability prevents the individual from using a leash, harness, or other tether; or

    2. use of a leash, harness, or other tether would interfere with the service animal’s safe and effective performance of its work or tasks,

    the service animal may enter a Horse Safety Area without a physical tether only if the animal is otherwise under the handler’s effective control, such as through voice control, signals, or another effective means.

    The exception does not permit a service animal to roam freely, approach horses, interfere with racing or horse-handling activities, or otherwise create a safety risk.

  7. REQUEST FOR AN EXCEPTION

    A person who cannot comply with the leash requirement because of a disability or because a leash would interfere with the service animal’s work should inform DMTC personnel that an ADA exception is being requested.

    DMTC personnel shall not ask the individual to disclose the nature or extent of the individual’s disability.

    Personnel may ask only questions necessary to determine whether the service animal is otherwise under the handler’s effective control and whether the requested exception can be accommodated safely.  In this regard, the following questions may be asked:

    • Are you requesting an ADA leash exception? 

    • Is the dog otherwise under your effective control (voice, signals or other means)?

    • Can you demonstrate that the dog responds reliably to voice or signal commands?

    • Can you keep the dog close enough to avoid contact with horses or horse-handling personnel?

    DMTC will evaluate such requests consistent with applicable federal and California law.

  8. SAFETY OF HORSES AND PERSONS

    Nothing in this policy requires DMTC to permit a service animal to enter or remain in an area when the animal is not under the handler’s effective control or when the animal’s actual behavior presents a direct safety threat that cannot be eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level through reasonable modifications.

    If a service animal is not under control, DMTC personnel should first give the handler a reasonable opportunity to regain control of the animal when circumstances permit.

    If the handler is unable to regain control, DMTC may require that the service animal be removed from the affected area.

    If the service animal is properly excluded, DMTC will make reasonable efforts to permit the individual with a disability to access the applicable goods, services, facilities, or privileges without the service animal.

  9. TEMPORARY SAFETY CONDITIONS

    Because horse movement and racing operations may change from moment to moment, DMTC may temporarily restrict access to a particular portion of a Horse Safety Area when necessary to protect horses, patrons, employees, or participants.

    Such restrictions shall be based upon actual operational or safety conditions and shall be applied without discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

  10. ENFORCEMENT

    DMTC personnel shall enforce this policy consistently and courteously.

    Personnel should not confront or challenge an individual concerning the animal’s status unless necessary to determine whether the animal qualifies as a service animal or whether the animal is under effective control.

    Questions regarding disability, service-animal status, or requests for an exception to the leash requirement should be referred to a designated DMTC supervisor or ADA coordinator when practicable.

  11. EQUAL ACCESS

    Nothing in this policy is intended to deny or restrict an individual’s rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the California Disabled Persons Act, the Unruh Civil Rights Act, or any other applicable law.

    This policy shall be interpreted and administered to provide individuals with disabilities full and equal access while protecting the legitimate safety interests associated with Thoroughbred horses and racing operations.

 

Updated September 3, 2026