Rachel Alexandra Continued.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7za5GH86Jik&feature=related
Need the correct lead going into the Clubhouse turn or our horse is going to wind up going almost 3/4 mile on one lead part of it at speed--although in Exhibit A above, observe the expert job of ponying where the pony person permits Rachel enough shank for some left lead exercise at the outset. This is unusual since most of the ponys with too snug a hold force the horse to stay on the right for the whole warm up. First time on race day much of the field sees the left lead is when they finally switch onto the left in the race.
We'd like for performance and injury prevention to warm up on both leads, if possible, and in the exercise strengthen both leads equally for performance purposes. Equalization is crucial for injury avoidance purposes.
The vid shows the awareness of the rider, and likely the trainer, for the correct lead. This rider instead of just trying to get the left keeps working till he gets it. Same deal down the stretch, but will make the work in stretch a separate discussion.
So--the rider "knows" he need get the left and also need know how this is accomplished. Noting superior rider skill here, let's take a look at what happens from the get go.
Watch the outset of this vid. Rachel is on her left front but cross firing as she's pushing off with her right rear. Jock seems aware, which ain't that easy. On board you can see the front lead, but the rear you have to feel, and it's very subtle approaching pure guess work for me. Watching this, I can only surmise by a combo of feel, body position of horse and rider, tilt, bit, etc., this rider seems awesomely aware of which rear leg the horse is pushing with. We know this because every time she gets on the wrong rear the rider makes a correction.
He seems to want to want to get her onto the right, which is the natural ponying lead so that on release she'll be comfortably on the right and set up for a flying lead change to the left. But, Rachel is jumping around and the rider need constantly to make adjustments. Guarantee most riders would just let her go at this point without worrying about it. What happens on 3/2/2010 around that Clubhouse turn into the breeze at the 6f is expert riding at work.
Awareness is one thing the rider demonstrates. He also shows the technique. We can see that Rachel has been quite expertly trained likely by being broken by an extraordinarily knowledgeable rider. Rachel in this work seems totally tuned to the bit. She's jumping around but going straight forward. If this were you're truly on the horse the jumping around would probably involve ducking to the right and left, bucking etc., but this rider has got it all under control. That the horse is trained to this helps. She's reacting to the bit work by the rider.
The bit work is very subtle. How do you get a horse to change right to left on the race track? It's difficult to describe. I liken it to a Fiddler explaining to a violin player how the Fiddler does those licks on Ragtime Annie. My pop, a Fiddler, played them superbly but was unable to verbalize his technique. Getting leads is similar in this respect. Describe it as a "sweep" of simultaneous but logical gestures.
What's required is a shift of weight in the horse from one side to the other as well as a shift of legs. If you're a horse person you know horses have to adjust the legs their standing on to avoid falling over. This is very subtle for 4 legged creatures. When shoeing, on occasion, I've had a sleeping horse almost fall over due to mal position of his legs.
In lead changes it's a rhythemic thing orchestrated by the rider. The easy part of it is picking the horse's front up with the bit--u do this (for left lead) by pulling up slightly on the right rein. Simultaneously you'll notice in the vid how the rider shifts his weight at just the right moment, sweeps the rein motion across the horse's head to the left and the final part of it is a slight pull on the left rein in a forward direction. If the horse is paying attention the final rein pull completes the switch. In an exaggerated sense--in trying to switch to left lead--you'll see this rider cranking Rachel's head out to the right, switching his weight to the left, and pulling her forward with the left rein simultaneously. There's also some rider leg work involved. To get the left the rider can shift his right leg backward and give a little pressure inward onto the butt end simultaneous with technique at the front cranking the head to the right. Head right, butt left to get left lead. The front thus is going right and the rear leftward in attempt to change the body position of the horse. It is unknown to me with the irons jacked up that high the extent to which jocks can do any of this with leg pressure.
Training:
Mon. 10/24 3 time up and down the hill trot-gallop and some extra trot. called due to darkness.
Tues. 10/25 Another nice work. 4 time trot-gallop up and down the hill with last heat probably getting into low :14s. He's on verge. Near dark again, deer jumping around all over. Good grief.
Need the correct lead going into the Clubhouse turn or our horse is going to wind up going almost 3/4 mile on one lead part of it at speed--although in Exhibit A above, observe the expert job of ponying where the pony person permits Rachel enough shank for some left lead exercise at the outset. This is unusual since most of the ponys with too snug a hold force the horse to stay on the right for the whole warm up. First time on race day much of the field sees the left lead is when they finally switch onto the left in the race.
We'd like for performance and injury prevention to warm up on both leads, if possible, and in the exercise strengthen both leads equally for performance purposes. Equalization is crucial for injury avoidance purposes.
The vid shows the awareness of the rider, and likely the trainer, for the correct lead. This rider instead of just trying to get the left keeps working till he gets it. Same deal down the stretch, but will make the work in stretch a separate discussion.
So--the rider "knows" he need get the left and also need know how this is accomplished. Noting superior rider skill here, let's take a look at what happens from the get go.
Watch the outset of this vid. Rachel is on her left front but cross firing as she's pushing off with her right rear. Jock seems aware, which ain't that easy. On board you can see the front lead, but the rear you have to feel, and it's very subtle approaching pure guess work for me. Watching this, I can only surmise by a combo of feel, body position of horse and rider, tilt, bit, etc., this rider seems awesomely aware of which rear leg the horse is pushing with. We know this because every time she gets on the wrong rear the rider makes a correction.
He seems to want to want to get her onto the right, which is the natural ponying lead so that on release she'll be comfortably on the right and set up for a flying lead change to the left. But, Rachel is jumping around and the rider need constantly to make adjustments. Guarantee most riders would just let her go at this point without worrying about it. What happens on 3/2/2010 around that Clubhouse turn into the breeze at the 6f is expert riding at work.
Awareness is one thing the rider demonstrates. He also shows the technique. We can see that Rachel has been quite expertly trained likely by being broken by an extraordinarily knowledgeable rider. Rachel in this work seems totally tuned to the bit. She's jumping around but going straight forward. If this were you're truly on the horse the jumping around would probably involve ducking to the right and left, bucking etc., but this rider has got it all under control. That the horse is trained to this helps. She's reacting to the bit work by the rider.
The bit work is very subtle. How do you get a horse to change right to left on the race track? It's difficult to describe. I liken it to a Fiddler explaining to a violin player how the Fiddler does those licks on Ragtime Annie. My pop, a Fiddler, played them superbly but was unable to verbalize his technique. Getting leads is similar in this respect. Describe it as a "sweep" of simultaneous but logical gestures.
What's required is a shift of weight in the horse from one side to the other as well as a shift of legs. If you're a horse person you know horses have to adjust the legs their standing on to avoid falling over. This is very subtle for 4 legged creatures. When shoeing, on occasion, I've had a sleeping horse almost fall over due to mal position of his legs.
In lead changes it's a rhythemic thing orchestrated by the rider. The easy part of it is picking the horse's front up with the bit--u do this (for left lead) by pulling up slightly on the right rein. Simultaneously you'll notice in the vid how the rider shifts his weight at just the right moment, sweeps the rein motion across the horse's head to the left and the final part of it is a slight pull on the left rein in a forward direction. If the horse is paying attention the final rein pull completes the switch. In an exaggerated sense--in trying to switch to left lead--you'll see this rider cranking Rachel's head out to the right, switching his weight to the left, and pulling her forward with the left rein simultaneously. There's also some rider leg work involved. To get the left the rider can shift his right leg backward and give a little pressure inward onto the butt end simultaneous with technique at the front cranking the head to the right. Head right, butt left to get left lead. The front thus is going right and the rear leftward in attempt to change the body position of the horse. It is unknown to me with the irons jacked up that high the extent to which jocks can do any of this with leg pressure.
Training:
Mon. 10/24 3 time up and down the hill trot-gallop and some extra trot. called due to darkness.
Tues. 10/25 Another nice work. 4 time trot-gallop up and down the hill with last heat probably getting into low :14s. He's on verge. Near dark again, deer jumping around all over. Good grief.
posted by rather rapid at
11:10 AM
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