Wed. Misc.

Sept. 20 bone post concerned my memory regarding "frequency" and certain processes. I was to review my own blog to finalize these and come to some conclusions. A week later I am just starting this. Meanwhile, suddenly we have two days in KCMO without rain creating the illusion that all is well again in horse land.

I have formed a fairly strong decision to in fact transition to St. Louis that includes a "plan" to get it done, step #1 of which occurred this morning. The plan requires an income once the move is completed, and to solve this I have come up with the idea of a satellite office in St. Louis that will start up while my KC office is still open. Will see how this goes.

Our training:

Sun. Sept. 26. First day back after week off due to weather. We let 'em go at their own speed which was about 85%. On a brisk day: 4 x 2f riderless.

Mon. Sept. 27 Plan is riderless slow. The horses had other ideas and took off on their own in play racing at about 80% speed. 3 x 4f riderless. I stopped it after 3 since the goal is that Big Rod enjoy what he's doing. Wanted to avoid pushing it. Walked under tack then for 10 min.

Tues. Sept. 28: Off

Mon. Misc.

I'm back after another week of constant rain. 13 of 25 days of rain as of 9/25 in Sept. and 12 inches of water or more, certainly an all time monthly record since I've been at this farm since 1993 in the last three weeks. When we think weather is unable to get worse it does.

At any rate, when the farm is a lake for weeks at a time this dampens the enthusiasm as well as the training, and hence the awol of the blog last week. Somebody asked me who is the gentleman in the photo last post. This is the governor of Nevada who was hospitalized after falling off a horse last week. Reportedly breaking a two year old.

We've been without training since Monday. It looks like we now have a break from rain coming and we started up again last night.

Training:

Sun. 9/26. Numerous problems including a horse escape and lost shoe keeps us from starting till it's nearly dark. Passed on tack work. Horses surprised me with a spirited effort in brisk weather. We just let them go on their own: riderless 4 x 2f very snappy + the warm up and warm down.

Training

It's official. 5 inches of rain in North KC last week. Flash flood warning for tomorrow. We soldier on.

Mon. 9/20: After two days off to water--3 x 1 mile riderless at their own speed over difficult ground conditions. Horses alternately trot/galloped with a F of fast stuff here and there + walked under tack for 10 min. This went well. We're encouraged as horse is calm today instead of looking for trouble.

Defining Frequency

Two possibilities:

1. What is minimal speed work frequency necessary for fracture resistance (FR)?

2. What is optimal speed work frequency necessary for fracture resistance(FR)?

We can look at this in terms of the whole bone, or examine each process and calculate how long that process will last before it is undone by inactivity.

The list of processes again. I have inserted number of days of the "effect":

(3-8 days)bone glue protein-- increases in volume and buttressing effect.

(3-8 days)density increases due to contraction of atomic structures in the mineral lattice.

(4-6 days)fibrils(and osteons) move or align into ideal directions.

(4-6 days) fibrils adherence increases density and calcification

(More the better)On going calcification (as a constant)

Anything else that may be happening

For this post I have listed the "days" to my best memory. In past posts on those subjects the number of "days" was considered but never considered in depth. Next few days my intent is to reconsider those posts that assigned days--consider whether additional thought is required given subsequent posts--and then arrive at some final conclusions. The above numbers may change. And hopefully there'll be some info on frequency calculations shortly.

Training:

Each time we begin a new sunny day all seems well with the world and the deluge of rain in this area is temporarily forgotten.

Reality then comes in the form of muddy paddocks that are under water, and 9 days of rain out of the 20 so far in September. For us, the few dry weeks between 7/27 and 9/3 are history, and the horses due to weather are quickly losing everything that was accomplished. Depressing for a horse trainer. My thoughts last month with the dry weeks were to try to enter Rodney's 5 year old year from here in KC, perhaps
racing at Tulsa and then Lincoln.

Now we're right back into every other day rain, and it's other than in small amounts. 2 inches fell Sat. when the photos were taken, and the farm has had probably 4 rains of an inch or more for Sept. so far.

I'm again seriously considering a move, possibly to St. Louis.

Fri 9/17: After a week of water were we walked under tack a couple of days, on this day the horses did riderless play in the mud--probably 7 x 2f at there own speed, which was snappy.

Sat: 9/18: Raining hard as I get to the farm. Off.

Sat.9/19: Off after a 2 inch rain.

A Frequency Formula

Intro by noting what evidence exists to determine a formula for fracture resistance (FR). Evidence may be direct such as what actually occurs within the bone structure or it may be circumstantial evidence such as data and statistics on equine injury. The stats in one sense may be very influential since understanding of exercise and bone structure is complicated and largely uninvestigated at this point.

The blog has taken probably too close a look at internal mechanics of bone, and too little note of statistics. The aim was to attempt at the outset an understanding of what may be happening within bone.

In this regard--see last post--a list of probable processes is compiled with an effort to understand each process. What may be concluded from the list follows.

I'll avoid relating again possible error and weaknesses in terms of compiling the list since this has been done ad nauseum. Suffice to say the list was logically compiled based on available info. Though many aspects of bone response to exercise are poorly understood, I am guessing the list itself is fairly near the mark in most aspects. There is some confidence in this observation because conclusions that follow also fairly well comport with trainer injury stats that I'd previously compiled.

So, what may we conclude? First, again, the list:

bone glue protein-- increases in volume and buttressing effect.

density increases due to contraction of atomic structures in the mineral lattice.

fibrils(and osteons) move or align into ideal directions.

fibrils adherence increases density and calcification

On going calcification (as a constant)

Anything else that may be happening

Added to the list: the concepts of bounce back and rearrangement. All the above will post race tend to bounce back to pre-race configuration unless the bounce back effect is stopped by subsequent speed work that will reinforce nano structure rearrangement caused by the speed work.

Each individual aspect of the list has been looked at to determine at what point rearrangement needs to be reinforced with new speed work. The question is: at what point do the race effects peter out, unless we do new speed work. Will itemize and conclude, next post.

Calculating Minimum Frequency

In terms of minimal frequency of speed work for fracture resistance (FR), we'd like a "number". The question is how often!

Numbers imply mathematics, and the thought to reduce numerous chaotic processes operating withing the nano structures of bone at speed to a mathematical formula. And the caveat that the word "chaotic" is used in the scientific sense--see below.

As I have looked at bone in terms of equine speed work standing out for special notice is the large number of factors involved in determining FR. These include chemistry, physics, structure, and also "chaos" in the manner that scientists calculate random chance and probability. Chaos (which your blogger has yet to study) seems to imply a large number of independent factors randomly and purposefully coalescing to achieve some result. In a scientific sense there are reasons why your car will arrive at the stop light in the exact same sequence two days in a row.

In terms of bone we look at two situations: The first finds bone materials interacting over time without external stimulus. The second adds the factor of concussive forces resulting from a horse race.

Even in the first situation where nothing external operates and bone just lays there, over time there are going to be changes due to the physical/chemical properties of the nano structures. When we add the concussive effects of equine speed work, we get dramatic additional changes.

On this blog the changes have been summarized into what I will call "the list", as follows:

bone glue protein increases in volume and buttressing effect.

density increases due to contraction of atomic structures in the mineral lattice.

fibrils(and osteons) move or align into ideal directions.

fibrils adherence increases density and calcification

On going calcification (as a constant)

Anything else that may be happening

Since the last post I added to the list the final uninvestigated catchall category to include what I may have missed.

With this list summary some mathematical generalization of frequency is possible, next post.

Training:

It's 9/18. 3/4 of the month so far has been mud. Last night we were able to recommence after a week of constant rain.

Fri 9/17: riderless play conducted in the mudded paddock about 2f at a pop. After the 5 days off the horses were allowed to go at their own speed. Much of it was snappy. Back on track, hopefully.

Listing The Bone "Effects" Of Speed Work

My list from last post of processes operating in the cannon bone over the course of several days following equine speed work:

bone glue protein increases in volume and buttressing effect.

denseness increases due to contraction of atomic structures of the mineral lattice.

fibrils(and osteons) moved or aligned into ideal directions.

fibrils adhere to increase density and calcification

On going calcification (as a constant)

To this list we add the concepts of rearrangement and bounce back that have been discussed extensively. The force of the speed work will operate on bone nano structures to rearrange materials which post race by inertia and other forces will bounce back to pre-race position unless reinforced by subsequent speed work.

Seems rather neat: Force of speed work + list = rearrangement to greater FR. Rearrangement x frequency (of speed work) = rate of bounce back. Less bounce back is good. More bounce back is bad. And therefore more frequency is good, less, bad. Less bounce back over time will cause permanent beneficial rearrangement.

With the processes identified and explained, at least to the extent possible, can it now be calculated how often we must do speed work to minimally achieve FR. I believe so, next post.

Training: The water deluge is back. Another week of training lost due to constant rain. The best we've been able to do this week i walk under tack, which has been done about 15 min per day. Hopefully tonight things will be dry enough to recommence.

Calcification As A Constant!

An epiphany is a sudden intuitive perception or insight. Believe I have identified probably the major processes that contribute to FR. These follow:

bone glue protein: the buttressing effect of increases in volume.

mineral lattice contraction: that occurs at the atomic level.

fibril realignment in ideal directions for strength

fibril adherence which increases density.

The above omits any role for calcification, over which I fretted for a number of posts.

My thoughts about calcium receptors triggered what I believe the correct conclusions. The idea behind the effect of calcium receptors (if they exist in bone--that is probable but uncertain) is that they would draw calcium salts to weak areas and calcify (strengthen) them.

Taking this to its logical end consider: even if in final analysis the effect of bone calcification (the work of the osteocytes, osteoblasts/clasts) is a longer term process-say 90 days--that is unnecessary to consider in terms of a day to day exercise schematic, we still recognize increases in calcification as highly desirable to increase bone strength and FR.

We then proceed logically to the next step--since any increase in calcification is helpful, and since calcification is an ongoing process, and since calcification may indeed be stimulated in terms of rate by the various effects of heavy exercise on large equine bones, and since possibly receptors would draw the calcium salts to the place where needed, thus, therefore: every bit of exercise will help this process, i.e. ongoing calcification is a daily "given", and therefore in this regard, the more speed work we do the better!!!!

And, this leads to understanding that calcification is a constant. In a mathematical formula a constant is a necessary but unchanging part of the equation. C = pi r 2 or the area of a circle equals pi x radius squared is an example where pi is a constant distance equalling 3.6032 on in to infinity or something like that.

In terms of a minimum formula for FR calcification, then, becomes the constant for the sole reason that since as much of it we can get the better, and that any exercise will stimulate it, it largely becomes irrelevant to the formulas. And so, to summarize what I now believe a complete list of bone processes that need to be considered for FR:

bone glue protein increases in volume and buttressing effect.

denseness increases due to contraction of atomic structures of the mineral lattice.

fibrils are moved or aligned into ideal directions.

fibrils adhere to increase density and calcification

On going calcification as a constant

Training: Separate post later.

Bones continued

Had to review were I was. May I say so--there's pretty good stuff on this blog between about 6/17-July 2 concerning fracture resistance. Get my head into it again, rereading. I ran out of time. Meanwhile, some things I've been meaning to get on here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=g5PyIVVKoWU&feature=related

Training: KC Chiefs get rained on on national TV. Surprise? Around here of late it's a surprise when it fails to rain. Another deluge yesterday bracketing 10 days where we've had about 5 days of voluminous rain. Horses were off. Tues: very wet. Horse wallked under tack for 15 min.

Back To Bone: Calcium Receptors

Sept. 13 now. Time flies since August 30, date of the last bone post here. Refer to that post for my personal catch up. I'd been reconsidering calcification in bone strength after having previously thought calification is more a long term instead of day to day concern for fracture resistance (FR).

Then, a little epiphany involving the possible role of calcium receptors. The thought occurred that these would be strung around the nano areas between bone cells, between osteons, and in more vacant bone cell structures such as trabecular bone at the cannon bone ends and center. Might e.g. bone cell density in trabecular bone increase in response to exercise as calcium receptors there draw in calcium salts? This would fill in weak spots and increase FR.

This qualifies as another large can of worms in trying to reach a conclusion as to how frequently to do speed work for FR. And indeed, researching calcium receptors it appears such were discovered about 1994 and one article which I found and then lost reports that calcium receptors might be located within the structural elements of bone tissue regards the idea of finding medication that might strengthen osteoperotic bone by drawing calcium to the receptors.

Problems though. By 2004 they were still unable to find actual calcium receptors within bone tissue. Experiments showed bone acting as if there were calcium receptors there, but seeing or locating the actual receptors remains elusive.

Since calcium receptors are all over the mammalian body, in the blood stream, muscle cells, etc., and are regulated by parathyroid hormone it seems logical and obvious they are also within bone tissue, osteoblasts, osteocytes, etc. where exercise might stimulate them to increase calcium density. There's a reason those hard body training types beat themselves on the head with sticks, and possibly this may have to do merely with calcium receptors being activated by such trauma and increasing density.

For purposes here I will have to leave this to speculation as follows: if there are calcium receptors within bone tissue then it seems obvious that the more frequently we do speed work that might stimulate these receptors the more FR will be achieved.

This seems a rather neat conclusion, but it is completely logical and presumably will one day be confirmed.

Training:

Fri. 9/10: just beat 2 inches of rain with a slow gallop riderless w/o. They went 32 times around all told--trot, slow gallop. Nice timing on the weather, if I do say so.

Sat. 9/11 Accuweather claims we got .6 inches. More like 1.5 inches here at the farm. Off.

Sun 9/12: Speed work day. Last speed work was Wed. and so this would be 3 slow days since Wed. Interesting in terms of performance. The horses only did one slow gallop and had 2 off days due to rain. The lack of conditioning showed. Ground surface was alternately hard in spots deep muddy in spots and so the horses were unable due to slipping and sliding to go very fast. It went about 75% speed: 2 x 7f. The last 2f of each heat big Rod was sucking air. There's lesson in that for performance, when I get to it. Skipped tack. Rider awol.

Sat. Misc.

Training:

Tues. 9/7 Off after yesterday's speed work. + it's wet.

Wed. 9/8: Three days of rain coming and so we decide on speed work again. 1st the tack work which was 1 mile-trot gallop that included 2 spooks and a serious stumble. Chas Brantly "this horse will spook at anything". It's a problem. The horse needs to gallop in company. Thereafter 2 x 5f riderless all out where big Rod looks impressive. To see that freight train of a horse with his athleticism motoring around there at speed gives pause for thought. The breathing problems at the trot are totally missing at the speed gallop. Rod has superior breathing at speed. And, lazy Rod is more and more becoming history.

Thurs. 9/9 Off after yesterday's speed work.

Fri. 9/10: just beat 2 inches of rain with a slow gallop riderless w/o. They went 32 times around all told--trot, slow gallop. Nice timing on the weather, if I do say so.

Tues. Misc.

Our Arch by the broodmare Colt looks just like this one.

Training:

Sat. 9/4: 1 mile trot-walk aborted gallop due to something caught in throat + riderless 2 miles slow.

Sun: 9/5: Mile of trot gallop + riderless 2 miles medium gallop at snappy pace.

Mon. 9/6: The sun was still out when the horse was mounted. By the time we walked to the start trotting point the sky opened up and 30 mph winds. aborted. 3 x 4 f riderless at 90% speed steady. Decent work. Horse has gained 50 lbs in the last week.

A Problematic Racing Prospect

I have figured out the phone camera thing. They advertise 5 mega pixel. Cost $300.00. And indeed on the phone's screen these photos show as 5 mega pixel sharp. The rub comes in when you down load to the computer. 5 mega pixels then become 2. Oh well, till we can afford another. Smart shoppers.

With the sun still out and a low key w/o scheduled--first galloping since last Tues. due to rain--good day for some vids. And, we figured out how to make the sun go behind the clouds. We just turn on the camera, and, ooops, no sun.

Readers will know our good horse has taken to propping and bolting. Our rider Mr. Nob, shown, handles this by doing only what he believes can be done in safety. Thus you'll see the below is very tentative. Hopefully we'll show a much stronger work later in the week.

Despite lack of sun, looking close you can see what this horse does at the trot. He holds his head way up so he can get air. The start of the gallop looks clumsy because it is. At that point the horse stops breathing entirely and the only way you can get him to catch his breath is to completely let go of the rein and allow him to lift his head forward. This removes one of the three points of contact for the rider and basically leaves the rider dangling only on his legs with no arms available for balance. Once the horse gets to galloping and regains his breathing he's fine, and the rider smooths out. I'm worrying about this horse breathing coming out of the gate.

Sun Misc.

Catch up this blog after a week of distractions. Plecher has turned Quality Road into one of his stall babies. There's little left of the Jimmie Jerkens QR with muscles out of the ears(shown at left).

The optimal proportions for the horse are still there, and we could predict QR would run away from the Woodward Field solely due weight carrying. None of the field except QR previously carried anywhere near 126 lbs. Combined with the size of QR and that horses this big are unaffected by weights in their running, this was as close to a walkover race as it gets merely due to weights although there were other reasons. The justifiable second choice Convocation, a little fellow that would be much affected by 126 lbs slowed his long stretch run due to the impost.

So, the Twin Spires account goes up $.70 with $2 win-show bets on QR. Interesting to confine betting to sure things as I've done recently. About 7 winning tickets in a row now and the account is up from $12 to $17.00 within a month.

Training:

Sat. 9/4: 2 miles riderless slow + mile of trot-walk. This was aborted. Horse had something caught in his throat.

Fri. 9/3: light mud. 5 x 2f all out riderless. Nice work + 1 mile walk under tack.

Thurs. 9/2. Second off day due to mud.

Wed. 9/1 Normal off day. 2 inches of rain.

Tues. 8/31: Anticipating the rain we do our fast riderless work but just fun stuff for the horses. They're into it and we get maybe the best riderless to date--6 x 2f with warm ups and warm downs all out.

Mon. 8/30: 2 miles riderless slow + 1 mile trot-gallop slow. Horse is doing better.