"On The Muscle"--And Richard Mandella

The trainer I know most about is Richard Mandella. Through Ross Staaden I know a bunch about Tommie Smith and D. Wayne Lukas. I've read Burch and Ivers, and am about to read Stephens. I'll even read Whittingham after i save $54.00 for Hovdey's book. But, due to that great documentary, "On the Muscle" DVD, everybody knows how Richard Mandella trains horses.

For those yet to see it, "On the Muscle" films the Mandella stable at Hollywood Park and Santa Anita over the course of three years training several horses including Pleasantly Perfect and The Tin Man. Let's call this just a great sports story. And, the DVD is so well done, and filmed, and the humans in it so appealing that I find it very entertaining as well as informative.

I've now done posts on Burch and Ivers, trainers with fairly extreme methods. I've chosen next to focus on Mandella for a specific reason. In choosing the Burch style for my yearling Y, one may presume that I have considered and rejected other methods of training. It is significant that Mandella, as I see him, represents (along with a few others) what might be described as the current epitome or culmination of training success as it's possible these days. Anyone that wins four breeder's cup races in one day deserves a little attention with respect to our Y. Mandella, at first blush, would seem a trainer a little backyard guy as myself might want to emulate.

First, perhaps it's wise to place Mandella's training. In a general sense let's use that word "conventional" to describe what Mandella does. On that DVD I would dare anyone to find anything risky in Mandella's training. The Mandella modus operandi appears to be that sort of consensus of modern training that seems to have developed on the West Coast, with variations, of course. But, I think Mandella sits right in the middle of where much of the training establishment aspires to be. And so, it is helpful to identify this training, describe it, and discuss the pros and cons as they apply to my yearling.

This may take several posts, but, in describing Mandella, for whom I have significant respect after watching this DVD, believe we also look at the average training establishment as it now operates, and at least gives a basis of comparison of training methods from which we may choose.

Of course, for the present we're completely dedicated to P. Burch training, and today, on a sunny, crispier, windy day with the horses completely hepped, the training of our Y:

12/17: rest.
12/18: slow gallop: 4 x 6f astride.
Tues 12/19/06: this is a Burch fast day. Would prefer the Astride, but until the Astride paddock (where i have control) is finished, i want certainty that today we "will" get speed. So, the choice is riderless work with two other horses in our paddock. Riderless speed work is much less strenuous than breezing under tack. But, it does accomplish fast twitch muscle work and cardiovascular conditioning at speed. We ended up with the following after a few warm up heats: 6 x 1f at near max speed with about 1 min. rest between heats. Since the horses are rolled into and out of heats, the top speed part lasts maybe 1/2f. The horse was strong, fast as the oldsters, and maybe faster in bursts.
WHAT'S UP BOSS?: After 30 min. rest, I got back up on the horse. This is the third day under tack, and the goal is to get in a little walking. Having done zero ground work we are hardly bit or bridle wise. Ground work can be of value, but, i've discovered you can do the same thing with rider up. We managed walking about 10 yards before Y stopped to scratch his nose and inquired why i kept tugging on that thing in his mouth and hitting him with a stick. A rational discourse, for the present, to be sure.