Warwick Farm horse trainers call for action on road safety measures

Horse trainers in Warwick Farm say more needs to be done to improve safety for horses and their handlers as the area becomes busier and more industrialised.

Horse trainer Ron Leemon wants a safer environment created for horses and their handlers.

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Liverpool Council will investigate ways to minimise truck movements at Warwick Farm as concerns grow over the safety of horse trainers and their horses.

For Ron Leemon, the issue has been ongoing, worsened by the area’s industrialisation and population growth in recent years.

The 70-year-old horse trainer has lived and operated his business R.T. Leemon Racing at Warwick Farm since 1978 and said action needs to be taken before a tragedy occurs.

Mr Leemon at his Warwick Farm stables in 2014. Picture: Brett Costello

Mr Leemon and his peers have been campaigning for years to reduce traffic flow in the horse training precinct, near Manning and Munday streets.

Trainers typically walk their horses from their stables to Warwick Farm Racecourse from 3.30am to 9am and 1.30pm to 5.30pm.

But with more cars and trucks on the roads, it has become a risky exercise for horses and their handlers.

“It’s an accident waiting to happen,” Mr Leemon said.

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He said racehorses were “highly flighty animals” and any noise could disturb them, causing agitation. The horses could then potentially kick out or run off.

“People who are driving their cars don’t stop and allow the animals to pass over the road,” he said.

He wants action on a bypass road for trucks travelling through Warwick Farm and a safer environment created for horses and trainers.

Liverpool Council resolved last week to hold a community meeting about the future of the Warwick Farm equine precinct; one of a number of resolutions to address the community’s concerns.