Injury And Work Frequency

So, to achieve sufficient fracture resistance for racing, how often need our horse experience fast works? As posted previously most conventional trainers breeze/race their horses with sufficient speed and distance for appropriate bone remodelling for the particular workout. The question now becomes how often are these necessary, and by what methods can we obtain an answer.

In terms of methodology, may we begin with some assumptions. The unraced horse will have an insufficiently developed skeleton to stand up to racing The bony leg structures all the way through the stifle and shoulder will need to undergo a remodeling to a certain point for completely safe running. Thus, we'd like to locate the appropriate point of remodeling. I can even imagine the trainer taking his unraced but hopefully ready trainee to the diagnostic center to measure appropriate development of those cannons, sesamoids and carpals. Does the horse have sufficient bone development to race? "Yes sir, he passed...go on and get your gate card."

And so, in terms of bone development we have "getting there", but then since bone resorbs back to the untrained state without continued work, we also have "maintenance" after racing commences. So, next posts, how often does the horse need to work to get there, and then to maintain what has been achieved.

Training:
Sun. 4/6: Rod has his third day of riderless work after 3 day layoff last week. This time relatively fast in the soft grass of the Astride paddock. There were several spurts sufficient for the fast twitch muscle work I looked for. Thereafter we put 40 lbs astride on the horse and he was ground driven with lunge lines. Art was off with renewed chest swelling.