Overdistance/Underdistance And Injury Prevention

Longer horse races equate closely to the human 880 yard run where the world record, if recollection serves, is around 1 min. 44 sec. set by Jim Ryan way back before the race converted to 880 meters. The human 880 runners have extensive training programs featuring Tom Ivers like 3 month stages and workout techniques such as fartleks, intervals, heat multiples, over and under distance workouts, cross training etc. In terms of distance, if the runner is working on speed he might do a 660 yd dash a few ticks faster than racing speed, or, if he's working on stamina, a 1000 yd. run a few ticks slower than racing speed.

For our horses, unlike the humans, we must discuss every training technique in terms of performance and injury prevention. Essentially for whatever small brain aneurysm consideration of varying human workouts will cause with so many variables available, this is doubled for equines. And, we have the additional thought, for horses, what might work for performance, e.g. multiple heats, would increase our fear of causing injury.

So, how do we approach "varying" workouts, particularly here in terms of distance. Does it make sense, as Bill Pressey recently commented, and I have been considering, to do two workouts a week, one very short and fast, and one long and slow. Certainly we can affect performance in this manner, but we need to consider first the injury causing effects of this or any protocol.

I have already suggested--after due thought on the question--with regard to the simple formula proposed for FR minimums:

4f in :12.5 sec/f every 7 days

that we are unable to compromise this in any respect and still get FR--i.e. whatever the horse does, it needs to get the 4f in :12.5 in the same workout at least once a week. Failure to abide by this imo increases FR risk, and the more weeks this is violated the greater the risk. Put another way--mile workouts in :13s do very little to nothing for racing FR. Check out Trainer Neil Drysdale's injury record and you'll probably get the point.

And so, at the most basic level, my advice is do the minimum by the formula at least once a week. But, as we're considering the possibilities, and want to get a little creative with our horse, why would the following fail to have a weekly FR effect:

Tues: 3f in :35.5
Sun: 8f in :13.5

Would the combo produce FR? Would the combo in addition to racing every 3 weeks 1 1/8 mile produce FR? Next post.

Training:
Weather returns to KC with an inch of rain on top of half a foot of snow.
Sat. 2/26: riderless. managed to get 1.5 miles continuous with some spurts over the snow.
Sun 2/27 Off. Too much water.