Release question

I have been taking pictures at a Horse track for the last couple of year to build up part of my portfolio. I have never sold any of them but have submitted them for editorial purposes. I had someone recently contact me inquiring about purchasing a print for their home. I have read the Law in Plain English for Photogs but I am still a bit unclear as to whether I would need a release from the Owner of the horse and the excercise rider since this isn't commercial I wanted to find out if anyone had any experience with selling prints like this. I see the same types of images of races both horse and Car/Nascar and Indy races and I know a few of the photogs and know they don't have releases but yet they still sell. Is it illegal without a release if it isn't going to be used for commercial reasons in any way?
Thanks

Anyone ??

Selling prints doesn't require a release. As long as you took the picture somewhere that you were allowed to be shooting you are fine.

You don't need a release to sell a small number of prints... I've heard an edition limited to no more than 200 prints from any given image is considered by the courts to be a reasonable number... but I haven't been able to confirm this number. Certainly, one or two or five or ten prints for personal usage would not be an issue. Do be sure to include your copyright notice on the print, and perhaps a statement that it's for personal use only and may not be copied in any way. Even so, I've had prints scanned in violation of my copyright and the images used a variety of ways, but thankfully no blatant commercial usage I'm aware of, that might cause issues with the "model"!

I agree with Stocky, the main issue is whether or not you had permission to shoot there. However, that's unlikely to be a problem. The track owner/management probably will never become aware of your photograph unless they are personal friends with the person who buys the print from you and happen to see it hanging on their wall. Or, there might even be "implied permission" to photograph... If a lot of people do so on a regular basis and there is no stated policy saying they can't, or even if there is a policy, but it's not normally enforced.

thanks for the replies