Getting A Warmup

Ok, so none of the horses, ponies, jockeys, trainers, racing secretary, or stewards are plugged into warm ups or they're physically incapable, or too tired, ignorant, drunk or spaced out to perform them. Pretty grim stuff! How do we get our horses warmed up?

Until the culture of warming up changes, as I saw in that one Japanese race, we're left with doing what we can in a particular situation. As noted, appropriate warm up for max performance and injury prevention are specific physiological parameters to arrive at instead of any particular exercise schematic, and we can get to or get close these in a number of ways. The flighty, nervous Groovin' Wind at the Woodlands on the first two days warmed up with slowly accelarating gallops instead of the stop-start farm warm ups--less than ideal, but it'll do under the circumstances.

Please note, however, that whatever warm up protocol is chosen, the horse may survive without getting max performance, but we need to get as close to max injury prevention as the conditions allow.

Here are some things I've done over the years:
1. Scout the pony riders. Pick out the athletes, humans and horses.
2. To get 'em, bribe 'em. Pay double and triple. If you want to stay on the track, it's a necessary expense.
3. With sufficiently greased palms pony riders tend to be fairly pliable. Instruct them on the warm up you want. Generally they'll give it a try.
4. Inform the jock of the warm up protocol. They'll ignore you, but this will prevent surprise. Avoid boring the jock with any complexities or reasoning, lest they decide you're crazy.
5. The aim is to train your horse to warm up without pony.. Regardless of speed, the poniles warm up is infitinitely more effective than the pony warm up. Of course, you'll have to train you rider too.

For trainers it's easier yet. Bill O'Gorman notes the desirability of training your own stable lads and lassies, hard as these are to find these days. But, this is the way to go, even at the expense of some riding talent. You may lose a race this way on occasion due to a better ride, but you'll increase the chances of keeping your horse on the track geometrically. If you keep 'em running, they'll win.

After you train your rider, then you train your horse. Horses get gate cards. They should also get a warm up card. How many horses would that save. By my estimate: countless. Ivers said "it'll all be cleaned up one day". Let's hope.

One more thing to get out about warming up. I've ranted and raved about the inadequacy of conventional warm ups for months? Are they really that bad? Next Post.

Training:
Tues. night rains cancel Aylward's breeze. Wind is off Wednesday. Art has recovered. As suspected the injury must have been a hoof bruise.