The Rest of the World

Mandella and Lukas, goes without saying, provide only a small glimpse at injuries related to conventional training. I particularly featured Lukas since over the possible range of variations in conventional training his 22 days out of 30 track work probably rates near the top. Mandella at probably 15-17 track days a month provides example of typical conventional training carried to it's apex by conscientious application.

For purposes of discussion I'd like to refresh on exactly what I'm talking about using the term "conventional training". Specifically we're talking about an exercise prescription that involves variations in volume, distance, speed and frequency as it pertains to slow and fast work. Lukas provides the pattern of frequent track work at open gallop speed, slower breezing and frequent racing. At the other end of the scale are trainers who gallop maybe once or twice a week, pony once, breeze only when required to stay eligible, and just race. Between these two extremes lie all the possible variations from every other day galloping you tend to see in the east, to less frequent galloping and more loping in the Midwest, and so on.

The reader might observe that this is a rather wide range of exercise to be calling all of it "conventional". Sort of true until you compare Lukas on down to other available training methods such as Preston Burch, T.J. Smith (Aus), Wittingham and Frankel (far more consistent speed work), or an experimental program such as Tom Ivers. In comparison to the listed, Lukas training is "soft" training as is Joe Thomas at Eureka Downs. From Lukas on to Joe its all soft next to Burch, T.J. Smith, Ivers and even Wittingham and Frankel. Hence Lukas, Joe and all in between I group together as conventional soft trainers.

For Lukas and Mandella I estimated for their stables a 50% career ending injury rate per year with margin of error of 10% depending on the year. Truly horrific stats!

Is this small sample consistent with the injury rate for the remainder of the conventional training world? To answer this question I'll have to seguay away from close exam of individual trainers to make some observations at large. Can we in any effective way make some generalizations about the injury rate of the conventional training establishment, and how is this to be done?--Next Post.

Today's Training: Note, we've suspend Burch training till the weather turns.
1/31/07 weak pasture romp. all we could get given ground conditions.
2/1/07 attempted a pasture romp and horses refused galloping on bumpy frozen ground. aborted after 7 min.
2/2/07: temps were milder than I expected, but, passed on training due to other commitments. Polar bear weather tonight and tomorrow. Hope I can catch the barn cats.