Revisiting Preston Burch

Returning once again to an important training question:

How frequently do we work (breeze) our horses?  Burch's training book fairly consistently uses an every three day pattern with instructions that the trainer decides or improvises the two off days.

This thought was reinforced in the RR stable once again (as it has many times before) due to our riderless fast work since February 25.

Of late we've worked the horses riderless fast every three days, and Days 1 & 2 horses have mostly been off due to weather with some walking under tack.

The result of this--will try to describe what occurred on 3-30 that also included another significant setback for #148.

#148 front right heel bulb injury on 3/29:

Much improved.  Crack on right is troubling except above the scar tissue is newly growing horn.

#148 right heel bulb injury on 3/30

10th time since Oct. #148 has severely raked this same area.  I am about to go Scott Blasi on this talented MFing idiot!

Luckily without tissue tears, punctures or lameness.  Tore off some scab tissue. Decision made to go ahead and work the horse 3/30.

Our pattern has been to go fast riderless every 3 days since 2/25.  On 3/27 we got the most explosive work of the year--full speed and some sub :12s type work.

On this day-3/30- we also had our camera person, and I told her this all but assured they'd fail to cooperate or run fast.  This is indeed happened as horses neither worked on desired path or ever got out of a gallop.  They kept shying away from the camera person slowing themselves in process.

What shows in heat #2 below is that the horses are enjoying and into their work totally on the every three day schedule.  They're energetic, playful, and outrunning their good trainer who must himself run 6f to complete every heat-

Heat #2 where horses first gallop to the starting point, trainer way behind, and then turn into pond and run through an area strown with boulders.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI6GiaQu3kI&feature=youtu.be

Ms. Camera person noted after 4 x 2f with fastest heat being the warm up--"they're starting to tuck up".Indeed they are, and will get some vids of this shortly. Preston Burch had something with that every 3 day fast work schedule--my opinion.