Injuries and Training: My Intro

Excellent racing yesterday and more to come! Someone please inform me how far, fast and frequently in their training that Invasor and Scat Daddy are galloping and breezing. I want to know! It's been a while since I've seen horses running as strongly gate to wire as yesterday. My Derby pick, Stormello, just looked weaker today from the get go. You can tell a little by the depth of the head bob. And, Discreet Cat, I'll avoid even getting started on the training of that one. I feel sorry for the horse. Whose getting the boot first, Alberto Gonzales or Simon Crisford, who understands about as much as training an athlete as my fat secretary.

I'm ready to launch into my section relating injuries to training just when the injury rate on the Derby trail is lower than I'm able to remember. Notable by their absence are Zito, Baffert and Lukas replaced by a new crew that by all accounts better understand what they're doing. Coincidence or nice training? We'll see how they hold up as we go.

It's unknown to me really how I'll proceed with this subject. This after all is a blog instead of a scientific study. If someone put a gun to my head I'm sure I'd instantaneously recall all my prior studies, observation and experience in the field of human and equine sports medicine. But, the truth is that after you first internalize these subjects and believe you understand what's happening, you go on cruise control. In the daily training I know instinctively what to do and what to avoid, but, I'd probably pause if someone at this point in my career wanted a scientific explanation. Can I even name the parts of a horse. I can, but would have to think about it.

So, what I propose to do here, for any reader who happens by, is stumble along and paste this subject together. What will I be talking about in general? I previously posted about Ravel's condylar injury. The question is, how's this happen. What are the mechanics, causes, and physical action that results in a spot on the X-ray on the condylar aspect? It's fascinating as you think about it!

At some point in Ravel's activity, in that particular area of bone, the daily stress that produces a soft spot in the bone consisting merely of an excess of water between the bone cells failed to resolve itself in the rest period and became larger with the next bout of exercise, and so on, until the beginnings of a fracture line developed. That's one possible scenario, and this is the sort of thing on which I'll be posting. Were did they screw up with this horse?

Today's training: Nob took little Art to Prairie Meadows today and breezed him out of the gate 6f. Galloped out well. 1:12 and change. Our Derby hopes still alive and well. See below.




(Got ya!)