Elephant racing enough to accommodate nine participating elephants. Elephants are entered into the races from many villages. Two mahuts or jockeys ride on each elephant - one to steer it and another to goad it to race fast. A musical instrument made of horns of the elephants is blown first to assemble the elephants at the starting gate, then another sound is blown to signal the elephants to take the starting line and be set for the race, and with the third blow of the horn, the race is signaled. The elephants generally race at a speed of 25 mph with the
Patara Elephant Farm health and behavior by caring for an elephant. These activities include feeding the elephant, checking its health, bathing it, learning how to communicate with it, and ride it. All visitors, including children and people with disabilities, are welcomed. Through these interactions, Patara hopes that visitors will develop a trusting relationship with their elephant. The program costs around $200 per person, and the groups are small, with a maximum of twelve visitors per day The program cost is needed since Patara does not receive any of its funding from the Thai government. When visitors first arrive at the farm, they are