Progress

With the new home made track our two three year olds for the first time are officially into serious race prep.

We're fairly excited about this around here, and the galloping progress just over the last few days.  It seems the formerly uneven ground on the mud flat left by the road crew has settled just in time to permit this, and also alleviate my concerns about having a concussive surface sufficient to develop bone toughness for dirt racing.

I walked the whole course yesterday.  It's plenty big enough for serious training, and I believe--knocking on wood--that we can take the horses pretty close to racing on this.

Time to start documenting actual race training.  The idea is daily "progress"--opening stages.

6/25:  #17 after warm up galloped 4 times to top of rise, each time a little faster until the last was a good open gallop.  The horse did much better than Mr. Nob, who is a little rusty, galloping wise, and is complaining about the new saddle.

#148  While we coaxed a little trot out of the big fellow, otherwise the horse was in protest mode--refusing rider aid or direction, including taking our rider sideways up a sharp rise, walking into dangerous depressions, etc--out of control.  We're a little too far along for this to be happening, and so, instead of thumping the horse, Nob decided, after working with the horse a good long while, to let it pass to another day.  #148 is too smart a horse for misbehavior mode to continue.  Will see what happens today.

Coming Along

"Coming along" my pleasing thought of today aboard #17 galloping up this mud flat toward the tree line.  Since it may be a while before the Cam Corder is replaced, this particular image +  written word will have to describe our work.

A field of 7-8 acres of grass going to the tree line begins at the top of the rise.  Thus far #17 is galloping just to top of rise, trotting back, repeat. It's a bit shorter on board than it looks like on the ground, and will see as whether enough speed can be got to make any progress on this course.

Speed this up and lengthen over next two weeks as horse gains confidence.  And then, hopefully, some breeze type spurts.

Mr. Nob did survive yet another #17 panic 180, this time without any injury. Occurred to me--time of day--might make a difference with these panics, i.e. galloping toward dusk when the lions are just starting to stir is other than the best idea, possibly, with these young horses.  Thus, despite scheduling difficulties at the office, we've started training in morn instead of eve.

#148, our giant poodle of a horse, what can be said? Nob states he's getting used to the rarefied air up there--to extent that's possible--and, since a fall from this height is inevitable, also that he has yet to figure how to negotiate this, except that in terms of riding gear we're looking to get a higher level of protection as soon as $$$ become available. Looking at ski slope vests as a possibility, and also those new equine air bag riding vests used by eventers.  Tack work aboard #148 was a little inconsistent through the injury, and then today more rain.  Hopefully we can get this horse into serious tack work soon.

Both horses look in very decent shape due to theri riderless speed work.  We'll transfer out of that to 100% tack with #17 this week.

Thurs. Mis.

News
1.  Kodak Playful Camcorder lost after one set of pictures.  Thought it was in shoeing box.  Instead it was in shopping bag that was thrown away.
2.  Mr. Nob injury--85% healed.  Nob says he should be back to 100% soon.
3.  Training:  Horses have been ridden last two days at the walk due to reintro and tonight--mud.  Doing well.  Passed riding Mon. and Tues due to 30 mph winds.  Just as well. Gave Nob time to heal.  Serious tack work should be up and going in a couple of days.

Sun. Misc.

The latest Kodak Playful Camcorder has arrived, and, surprise, after 5 stills it's out of memory.  Forgot to buy a memory card.  Next time we have 40 bucks, will buy one with more memory for longer vids.

We're on Plan B which is to build a little track on the farm and also hopefully ship out to a track once a week.  Both of those are delayed.  One by weather and finances; the other by Mr. Nob the rider's latest injured body part.

However:

 the above shows the mud flat left by the road crew we're the proposed track will go.  It's about 300 yards to the tree line.  Am visualizing fast sprints up the 15 degree incline to the trees; gallop back and repeat.  A little work yet to get to that point.

This vid shows the ground condition from above.  Mr. Farmer will disk the track part, and will see what we have. Vid fails to show uneveness of a lot of this surface.  Work to be done yet.

Mr. Nob on Sunday claims a sudden healing of his hip injury, and will get back up this eve or Mon. and see how it goes.  We missed six days of tack work some of which would have been scotched anyway by the constant rain.  Horses have continued their riderless work.  While we still  need all the serious tack work, conditioning wise they're ready to roll. Happy Fathers Day to all Fathers!

Plan B And Mr. Nob's Latest Injury

The question of how long our good rider Mr. Nob's balky left hip would hold out took a set back three days ago when #17 took one of his patented 180s and then for good measure did another so the horse could turn around and see what he'd spooked at.  While Nob handled this maneuver with somewhat surprising skill the torque on the hip left Nob barely able to walk two hours later.

Unable to ride due to rain on Tues, and so Nob got back on #17 last night thinking the injury had healed enough to give it a try.  Had to abort due to pain.  Will report on this further.  We're thinking part of this might be weather related.

Two weeks ago I went to Oklahoma to check out Harmony Training Center and was ready to ship out there until they demanded a $1000 deposit.  This hatched Plan B which was to build a little track right here on our acreage in Mo.  Naturally, just as we're ready to get started it has yet to stop raining.  9 of the 12 days of June so far, and several inches.

Since 2/3 of our ground is basically on a mud flat left by a road crew it has been a tough go in terms of tack work, although the horses have kept right on with their riderless speed work.  They've been so energetic that over the weekend they worked 3 out of 4 days.  And, we've been able to ride until Nob's injury on the 1/3 pasture portion of the course, and making good progress.

We'll see how Nob does this eve, although it rained severely again over night.  Trip to Prairie Meadows planned to determine the possibility of shipping there.

http://www.hrtv.com/videos/chrome-grabbed-a-quarter-in-belmont/?VideoCategoryId=0

Chrome Post Script

CA Chrome was great while it lasted lasted; boorish owner Coburn predictable/regrettable even if we applaud the humble origins. No one ever said you have to be Jesus Christ to own a horse.

Art Sherman and his grace with the media--something I hope I could emulate if I get to age 77; although Sherman's questionable training formulas otherwise.  From the trainer's point of view should we question whether galloping two quick miles the day before the race and taking the horse to the track on race morning the way to prepare for a 1.5 mile race? What happened to glycogen loading and conserving energy? Sherman's post Derby two mile a day slow training may have turned Chromes fast twitchers to mush, although that's just speculation, since the likely direct cause of the performance was the injured heel bulb--an injury that we're familiar with around here right at the moment.

Otherwise--my opinion--keep TC schedule just the way it is.  One more little observation that I picked up in looking at the PPs pre-and post race--the winner, Tonalist did two breezes from May 10 to the race. Chrome did one.  Tonalist looked just a little stronger in the stretch.

Belmont

Interesting race coming, possibly?  I have yet to look at this closely, although I believe CA Chrome and Ride On Curlin will be right there at the end.  Lots interesting in the training that show of all of them.  Pletcher's horses are always a threat.  Let's say that Chrome will have earned it if he wins.  Great field of horses!

Will post on our training next.  We're going with Plan B.  Training in KC and shipping out to training center a few times a month.  Lot's going on. Both horses doing well.  Mr. Nob is getting used to the "height" and being up there when he gets on #148.

Plan B

To catch up blog:

Camcorder is lost. Shopping among the large number of pocket camcorder choices, new, used, etc.

turns out that Harmony wants almost a $1000 deposit in addition to their $150/mo. stalls.  This follows maybe the worst financial month--May--since my office opened back in 1978.  So, nearly a deal breaker. We have very little hard cash these days.

Plan B will involve shipping to Harmony 2 days a week, and building a track in KC, the idea being to keep the office open instead of shutting off all income by moving to Harmony.  This seems doable with some questions, and will post on those as we go.

Training--#148 is trotting; #17 is galloping, and both continue to do every three day riderless speed work.  The horses are in condition. Now it's getting them there.

First trip to Harmony.  Shooting for mid June alignment of stars.