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Watcher
02-19-2009, 10:26 PM
I can only assume it's been done before in the past, and that it doesn't work, but more information would be appreciated.

Do any trainers work their horses out in a manner more comparable to human conditioning? For example: resistance training (having the horse run with added resistance), weight training (having the horse train over shorter distances with more weight), or establishing a good anaerobic base (having them run at slower speeds over much greater distances)?

Have there been or do you think we'll see technological advances in the sport? Less wind resistance jockey silks, optimum jockey positions on top of a horse?

Might be dumb, but being a former collegiate athlete, it got me thinking.

WinterTriangle
02-20-2009, 06:22 AM
I was always intrigued by the Japanese training methods, which I learned about when Casino Drive came here---mostly lots of "power-walking" to build stamina, and at their training courses, mulched hills that horses would walk up and down.

Do training facilities here have swimming pools where the horses swim-in-place? I know they have them in Japan but I don't know if we only use them for rehab....

Nacumi
02-20-2009, 08:39 AM
Watcher,
There are many non-track based trainers (ours, among them) who use the cross-training methods you describe to put good "bottoms" on horses. Since we focus on long distance and turf, in particular, a regular week's training regimen includes long jogs over hill and dale, 2 mile plus gallops on dirt, hacks through the woods, over jumps, jogs on an equiciser (if the ground's bad), and, as we get closer to racing, speed works including dirt and turf breezes. Sometimes, the Equiciser works include adding tack. We have used a pool to swim horses in the past, though it's not a regular part of their regimen. Keeping horses happy and not bored every time they get tacked up is a huge part of the mental conditioning.
Believe it or not, aerodynamic, fitted, wind resistant silks were invented years ago, but the market didn't take to them. I'd love to see them put into general use, along with more aerodynamic helmets. Unfortunately, you still have to have some talent in the irons, including good hands, no matter how they're dressed!

OTM Al
02-20-2009, 09:36 AM
Afleet Alex was trained like a marathoner. When he was prepping for the Belmont, most of the competition might go out and trot around the track once before heading back in. When they watched him start his second lap at a good steady clip, he tore the heart out of the trainers of the competition. He was probably the most versitile distance wise we've had in a while as he could sprint competitively and also run all day.

robert99
02-20-2009, 04:12 PM
I can only assume it's been done before in the past, and that it doesn't work, but more information would be appreciated.

Do any trainers work their horses out in a manner more comparable to human conditioning? For example: resistance training (having the horse run with added resistance), weight training (having the horse train over shorter distances with more weight), or establishing a good anaerobic base (having them run at slower speeds over much greater distances)?

Have there been or do you think we'll see technological advances in the sport? Less wind resistance jockey silks, optimum jockey positions on top of a horse?

Might be dumb, but being a former collegiate athlete, it got me thinking.


Training a horse on the gallops with extra lead in the saddle has been used for a very long time in UK. Interval training is common and gallops are often stiffly uphill. Horse walkers and equine pools are also used. I would have thought the US jockey style, crouch held over the withers, is already at an optimum. Veterinary testing to ensure a horse is at its physical optimum has also advanced a lot in recent years. So has shoeing technology.