Mon. Misc.

The bone post should appear shortly. I'll take note of the the exercise rider at Philadelphia Park who lost his balance Sunday and fell off the horse. But, in the process, one foot was caught in a stirrup and he was dragged dangling by one leg down the track apparently upside down, and he was killed. What happened to this fellow would be every rider's worst nightmare ranking right in there with falling and having the horse land on top of you. And, it's so dammed unnecessary!

R.I.P. to the rider, whoever he was. We know and fully consider the risks every time we throw the leg up. "No Fear", as Mike Smith has stamped on his exercise helmet in that Mandela DVD. This one has me again considering safety stirrups that release, such as these clumsy contraptions are available.. I've always avoided them because they add about 2.5 lbs to my rider weight whereas my plastic stirrups weigh a few ounces. But, thinking about this, and I've considered it plenty, how easily your foot can get caught, oh my...and also how pissed I am that the stirrup manufacturers continue to fail to make a true racing safety stirrup that would have prevented this death.

Training:

Sat. 5/29: 30f intermittent riderless which marks the end of significant riderless work providing the weather holds. We'll do a few riderless bursts every three or 4 days that will qualify as speed work till we can get the galloping going. The horse was then trot-walked for about 10 min. still spooking at everything and a few strides of gallop.

Sun. 5/30: 15 min walk-trot-and a few strides of gallop. Thunder, lightening but the rain held off we were unable to do much galloping with our spook ball.

Mon. 5/31: Horses were sent on several riderless spurts of speed of about 1-2 f each. Probably 5 in all. Then 15 min walk, trot, gallop. Was almost dark for the tack work, and this restricted the galloping on spook ball Rod.