More Leads
Decided to finish following the horse around the race track and then possibly a closer look at the Rachel Alexandra training and performances. I'd watched some Havre Degrace work over the weekend in contrast. From what shows there is a remarkable difference in the quality of the training. As an aside, was Havre moving all that well at the trot?
The posts have followed the horse from entrance onto the race track and into the gallop on the Clubhouse turn with view to doing a simple 2m gallop 5f to 5f. I'd noted necessity that the rider on track entrance correctly assess ground conditions, the necessity of starting the trot on the correct diagonal to get the left lead into the turn--and in contrast what a lead changing disaster this work would be on failure of this fundamental requirement--and also the techniques to bring this about. A little more on technique later.
And, then my stumbling onto that perfect 3/2/10 RA video demonstrating all this although off the pony. Mainly I was impressed that, for once, seeing total rider awareness to the same extent that I always have with my own horses compared to the normal obliviousness u see on the race track regarding lead changing.
Our horse is now successfully into the turn at the 7f on the left lead, exactly as planned. The trainer is at the rail watching the proceedings, or, more correctly monitoring the proceedings for purpose of assessing this work and planning the next--notice the contrast with the trainer that leaves all this up to the rider and is back in the shed row mucking stalls as all this happens--what is the concern at this point?
For our trainer technique to this point has been correct. The thoughts then transfer to the warm up before the work. Please note that my own horse would normally conduct a bigger warm up than what is being done here--ie. track entrance at the 3/16th and commencing the speed at the 5f which is a total of a little more than 1/2 mile with 2.5f gallop before commencing the speed. This is insufficient warm up for maximum performance and also what I call "acquisition" for the horse, which means what the horse will get out of the work physiologically.
Avoid the many details of this, which requires a book because we are thinking both performance and injury prevention. A short summation would be that in terms of injury we'd like to extent possible to maximize fracture resistance got from the work, AND we sure as heck want to avoid commencing speed without proper warm up and stretching of tendons and ligaments and even muscle. In terms of performance we'd want a good strong maximum gallop through the whole work with heart rate, lung capacities, blood vessel dilation, etc. etc. to be fully engaged before the speed starts.
None of this is going to happen maximally with the minimal warm up of this work such as it is done by most trainers. Yet, somehow these animals respond and do. Normal view of this animal galloping around the Clubhouse turn would be for the jock to be in slow mode to about the 6f at which point he'll slowly let out a presumably eager horse into the 2m gallop.
How does this feel "on board" for the rider, and what is going through the rider's mind at this point, next post.
Training:
Fri. 10/28 4 times up and down the hill trot gallop with about 100 yds of near :14s on 4th heat.
Sat: 10/29 4 x up and down hill trot gallop with half of last heat probably in near :14 flat. Next w/o should be a big w/o.
Sun. 10/30: off.
The posts have followed the horse from entrance onto the race track and into the gallop on the Clubhouse turn with view to doing a simple 2m gallop 5f to 5f. I'd noted necessity that the rider on track entrance correctly assess ground conditions, the necessity of starting the trot on the correct diagonal to get the left lead into the turn--and in contrast what a lead changing disaster this work would be on failure of this fundamental requirement--and also the techniques to bring this about. A little more on technique later.
And, then my stumbling onto that perfect 3/2/10 RA video demonstrating all this although off the pony. Mainly I was impressed that, for once, seeing total rider awareness to the same extent that I always have with my own horses compared to the normal obliviousness u see on the race track regarding lead changing.
Our horse is now successfully into the turn at the 7f on the left lead, exactly as planned. The trainer is at the rail watching the proceedings, or, more correctly monitoring the proceedings for purpose of assessing this work and planning the next--notice the contrast with the trainer that leaves all this up to the rider and is back in the shed row mucking stalls as all this happens--what is the concern at this point?
For our trainer technique to this point has been correct. The thoughts then transfer to the warm up before the work. Please note that my own horse would normally conduct a bigger warm up than what is being done here--ie. track entrance at the 3/16th and commencing the speed at the 5f which is a total of a little more than 1/2 mile with 2.5f gallop before commencing the speed. This is insufficient warm up for maximum performance and also what I call "acquisition" for the horse, which means what the horse will get out of the work physiologically.
Avoid the many details of this, which requires a book because we are thinking both performance and injury prevention. A short summation would be that in terms of injury we'd like to extent possible to maximize fracture resistance got from the work, AND we sure as heck want to avoid commencing speed without proper warm up and stretching of tendons and ligaments and even muscle. In terms of performance we'd want a good strong maximum gallop through the whole work with heart rate, lung capacities, blood vessel dilation, etc. etc. to be fully engaged before the speed starts.
None of this is going to happen maximally with the minimal warm up of this work such as it is done by most trainers. Yet, somehow these animals respond and do. Normal view of this animal galloping around the Clubhouse turn would be for the jock to be in slow mode to about the 6f at which point he'll slowly let out a presumably eager horse into the 2m gallop.
How does this feel "on board" for the rider, and what is going through the rider's mind at this point, next post.
Training:
Fri. 10/28 4 times up and down the hill trot gallop with about 100 yds of near :14s on 4th heat.
Sat: 10/29 4 x up and down hill trot gallop with half of last heat probably in near :14 flat. Next w/o should be a big w/o.
Sun. 10/30: off.
posted by rather rapid at
11:33 AM
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