The following User Agreement ("Agreement") governs the use of the Thoroughbred Village Communities (Service) including participation in its message boards/forums or chat rooms. Please read the rules contained in this Agreement carefully.

By using these forums, you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of this agreement. Continued access of the Service by you will constitute your acceptance of any changes or revisions to the Agreement. Thoroughbred Village wants to provide a place where members can go and exchange ideas, opinions and comments. In order to make this service enjoyable for all who visit, it is necessary that you agree to abide by all the rules, whether listed below or posted at various places on Thoroughbred Village. Failure to do so could result in terminating your ability to access the Service and the termination of your rights of access will be at Thoroughbred Village's sole discretion. If you have any questions regarding this Agreement, please feel free to contact us by email at info@thoroughbredvillage.com.au.

1. COMMENTS BY USERS ARE NOT ENDORSED BY THOROUGHBRED VILLAGE. Thoroughbred Village does not necessarily endorse, support, sanction, encourage, verify, or agree with the comments, opinions, or statements posted on bulletin boards or otherwise contained in the Service. Any information or material placed on-line, including advice and opinions, are the views and responsibility of those who post the statements, and does not necessarily represent the views of Thoroughbred Village.

2. YOU MAY NOT POST OR TRANSMIT ON THE SERVICE any defamatory, inaccurate, harassing, abusive, obscene, profane, vulgar, sexually explicit, threatening, or illegal material, or any material containing blatant expressions of bigotry, racism, or hate. Thoroughbred Village reserves the right at in our sole discretion (but not obligated) to edit, review or refuse to post any material that is submitted for display on our service. This site is accessible to Internet users of all ages. Appropriate language is mandatory.

3. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE SERVICE IS NOT VETERINARY ADVICE and any information or materials posted on the Service are intended for general informational purposes only, and should not be construed as veterinary advice, veterinary opinion, diagnosis or treatment. Any information posted on the Service is not a substitute for veterinary attention. See your veterinary-care professional for veterinary advice and treatment.

4. YOU AGREE TO NOT PLACE ANY MATERIAL ON THE SERVICE that is junk mail, advertising, or soliciting of a product or Web site unless first approved by Thoroughbred Village administration. (Please note that for a limited time only, advertising of business products is permitted on the Trading Post message board). You agree to not place any material on the service that is invasive of another's privacy or encourages conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or that otherwise violates any local, state, national or international law or regulation. You agree to use the Service only for lawful purposes and you acknowledge that your failure to do so may subject you to civil and criminal liability.

5. YOU AGREE NOT TO POST ANY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL TO THE SERVICE.

6. YOU AGREE NOT TO USE IN ANY WAY ANY MATERIAL THAT THE SERVICE CONTAINS except as permitted by law. You may not rebroadcast, re transmit, or redistribute any material of the Service without permission of the Service.

7. YOU AGREE THAT YOU USE THIS SERVICE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

10. YOU AGREE THAT THE SERVICE HAS THE RIGHT TO TERMINATE YOUR ABILITY TO ACCESS THE SERVICE, for any reason, without notice.

RULES OF NETIQUETTE Please remember the following Internet Rules of Netiquette when participating on Thoroughbred Village message boards and chat.

ALL CAPS: People new to the Internet may think that typing in ALL CAPS will show that they are making a point. Netiquette says that using all capitals is SHOUTING. Please refrain from using all capital letters unless it is part of a quote or title that should be capitalized.

Spamming: Spamming is the practice of reposting the same note or similar notes on many forums. We request that our users refrain from such postings. Thoroughbred Village may occasionally post announcements or site-related material on multiple forums.

Flaming: Flaming is the practice of attacking people on a personal level. Name calling, assuming character flaws, poking fun, and nasty comments are all considered flaming and are not tolerated on Thoroughbred Village.

Never forget that the person reading your post or chat comment is, indeed, a person, with feelings that can be hurt. On the other side of the coin, remember not to post "flame-bait." Be patient, apologize and move forward. Remember, we were all new to the Internet at one time.

If you have posted a question/comment asking for points of view, opinions, ideas, support or feedback, please be prepared to read something with which you may may not agree. A site like ours involves many points of view, different cultures and personal circumstances. Do not reply with a flame. It is very easy to ignore what you don't agree with, or begin a healthy discussion involving different points of view. Again, please give suggestions with kind consideration in mind. Choice of words is important. Our moderators will reply with a different viewpoint or official statement if they feel that poor or unsafe advice has been given. In some cases, notes or discussions may be removed.

Anonymity: Thoroughbred Village respects the individual's right to privacy. Many members prefer to remain anonymous on Thoroughbred Village. It may be because they do not wish to represent the company or organization for whom they work, or simply that they do not wish their position or reputation to be taken into account in their views expressed. Thoroughbred Village respects and encourages anonymity. We believe that any focus should be on the views expressed, not the person who expressed them. Members are welcome to use pseudonyms, nicknames or unique handles. A "User Profile" facility is available to protect the use of specific nicknames. Under no circumstances should any person reveal the identity of another person on the Thoroughbred Village forums. Such behaviour is grounds for immediate dismissal from the forum.

Thoroughbred Village may remove notes inviting our users to participate in outside competitions or surveys. Thoroughbred Village may also remove notes which include links to Web sites which conflict with Thoroughbred Village's values or endorsements. We welcome posts from users who contribute positively to the Thoroughbred Village environment through support and conversation, but we cannot allow instructions on how to access other sites or other message boards. Links to personal sites are generally okay, but each link will be handled individually. Some approved links may be posted by Thoroughbred Village.

When participating in our interactive areas, please remember that this site is accessible to Internet users of all ages. Thoroughbred Village reserves the right to delete any note or entire string of notes that contain postings which do not abide by Internet Rules of Netiquette, but is not obligated to do so.

Dispute resolution on Thoroughbred Village.

Thoroughbred Village is committed to the goals of supporting, informing, educating, and providing an on-line community for the Australian thoroughbred horse racing industry. The village "Mayor" is responsible for ensuring the discussion boards operate smoothly and in a way that is consistent with these goals. Users of Thoroughbred Village are welcomed and encouraged to direct questions to the Mayor regarding the day-to-day activities on the board. If there are any difficulties, problems, or other issues resulting from these questions, it is the responsibility of both the Mayor and the user to work together to resolve them. Our village Mayor can be contacted by e-mail: info@thoroughbredvillage.com.au