Animal Studies Bibliography  Helmer, James. 1991. The horse in
backstretch culture. Qualitative Sociology 14(2): 175-195.
[Background info. is provided about horseracing terms and the
organization of the racing stable, a small corporation.] The
backstretch, the backstage of the racetrack, has the
characteristics of a total institution because the people who
work there spend almost all of their time there, often living
there in dorms or mobile homes. Grooms and trainers, the workers
of the backstretch, are made socially invisible' by the fact
that their long hours and the presence of all basic services
within the backstretch make it unnecessary for them to leave.
Residents keep few possessions, are separated from mainstream
culture and uninterested in politics, and often find a close-
knit community in the backstretch that they didn't have
elsewhere while still being able to live a life full of travel.
The backstretch evidences small-town life, with public areas
serving as social centers. The division of labor