Blog Review

(Note to Valerie on the Hardspun comment--the link to Brisnet on HS pps had disappeared by the time I saw your comment. Might be interesting to put several Grade I horses pps after a nice race and see whether there's any consistency in the training--txs for your comment!)

Sitting here today mulling the late disappointing breezes of my horse Groovin' Wind, and thought I might review briefly what I'm blogging about.

We started off last October with the new Vision and Verse-Nipsit-Desposit Ticket yearling with the intention of training for the Derby. I set about on the blog explaining the training that we we're planning Preston Burch style training for the youngster. Thereafter the posts set on their merry way in an effort to document why we were avoiding conventional type training and going with Burch training instead.

I looked at various conventional trainers, determined that conventional training for us at our level simply is non-competitive with these top outfits, and am presently on the subject that encompasses the primary problem with conventional training, which is that it injures horses.

I've covered various subjects with regard to this including shoeing, track surfaces, and then a lengthy section commencing last April on warm ups. The time involved in covering the warm up both reflects the importance I attach to warming up, and also what happens when you post a few paragraphs a day on a subject that takes a whole chapter.

Anyone that's read the blog knows that our youngster went astray in several ways starting with the weather early in the year--as someone complaining about the hay crop in Oklahoma posted on Pedigree Forum--the wettest and coldest spring we've had in many a year--in terms of serious training we were basically out of commission until start of May.

This was followed by a series of hoof problems and abscesses for the youngster, and then, maybe the biggest problem, he just failed to grow much over 15'2", which makes him just a bit small for our 6'1.5" rider Mr. Nob.

The blog thus slowly shifted away from Art to our Burch training guinea pig Groovin' Wind, a twelve year old horse who has always trained well. We'll see how Wind's work comes out at the Woodlands, since we've just engaged a jockey. Error here. Should have done that two weeks ago.

Now I plan to commence a section as to how conventional training causes injuries. It's been a while since I've considered that in detail, and so I'll put it together slowly as I go along.

Training:
Wind came out of his breeze well yesterday. Stone cold legs last night. Of course, you'd say he hardly ran fast enough to hurt himself. I've been expert so far at dodging bad weather. There's been a serious rain shower including yesterday each time after the last three breezes. Phew(!) for we're unable here to get rained out at all and make it to the races. Art rested yesterday amid the mud after his hard riderless work the day before.