The great cyclist trains with an eye on science, in that he completes a fitness test at regular intervals during training for the Tour de France. If Rachel had such tests, we would know in advance if she was ready to run or not.
Forget this past week, she very well have needed a race in her after powderpuff 6F breezes. The key is the Apple Blossom, wouldn't the owner/trainer like to know if she is ready?
”Armstrong's fitness testing facility was located a few miles north of Girona, on a hill near a golf course, where the road was exactly 1000 meters long, and rose 98 meters.
The most important number is watts at lactate threshold, as determined by power meter, heart rate monitor, and lactate testing strips. Threshold is how much power the rider can sustainably generate, without going into the red zone. Furthermore, this number is further crunched to watts per kilogram at threshold, taking into account the rider's current bodyweight.
6.7 watts/kg he enunciated, if you are near it, you can win. If you are not, you cannot.
---
Aiden O'Brien at Coolmore knows this, here is a quote from him regarding the great stayer Yeats:
"You ask most horses to go a mile and a half and that is the limit, but with this fellow his heart is only getting up to 180 beats at that stage."
John Magnier, the Coolmore Stud managing director, whose wife, Susan, owns the winner, described the satisfaction of winning the Irish St. Leger.
“Aidan has been training them differently this year, and this race has always been in mind for Yeats,” Magnier said.
---
That difference is heart rate/GPS/lactate monitoring -
For instance, we can determine, in a yearling, what the equivalent to Armstrong's 6.7 watts/kg is in order to predict likely future racing success.
I have already discovered, along with O'Brien, that a horse going a mile in 2:00 or better, keeping his heart rate below 200, is a stakes winner.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
It's the horse, stupid!
What a joke, NTRA Safety Accreditation of tracks to 'ensure' equine safety. A noble premise, I guess, but totally missing the mark in my opinion.
How about requiring the horse to pass a 'stress' test before being allowed to race?
Let's make the trainer prove his/her horse is fit to complete a 6 furlong breeze within 2 weeks of raceday, before being allowed to enter a faster, longer, more demanding event?
Take the Kentucky Derby for instance, 10 furlongs over dirt. The most elite equine athletes in the world should be able to first handle a 6 furlong breeze in the 2 weeks prior to the big day.
Your proposed starter better show us that he can breeze 6 furlongs at Churchill in a reasonable time, say 1:15 or better (from a gated start would be nice, but I know that is asking too much) AND demonstrate, via on-board heart rate monitor, a recovery heart rate of under 120bpm in the first 120 seconds after starting his gallop out. This data collection takes about 30 seconds.
You see, running several sub 13sec furlongs builds up an oxygen debt in a horse. When the breeze ends, the athlete has to pay that debt back through an elevated heart rate - the quicker that heart rate sinks back to below 120bpm, the faster the oxygen debt was repaid - the fitter/sounder the horse. Any pre-existing conditions that could lead to a fatal breakdown will be exposed via improper recovery heart rate.
You see, there already exists a precedent for using a heart rate monitor in conjunction with equine racing.
Many endurance races of 30 miles and over require the checking of an exercising horse’s heart rate during several checkpoints throughout the course.
Should the heart rate fall outside of the normal ranges, the horse is disqualified from the competition and immediately examined by trained personnel.
Watching a horse walk is not enough. We already have a ton of subjective opinions, it's time to add some objective numerical data to the picture.
How about requiring the horse to pass a 'stress' test before being allowed to race?
Let's make the trainer prove his/her horse is fit to complete a 6 furlong breeze within 2 weeks of raceday, before being allowed to enter a faster, longer, more demanding event?
Take the Kentucky Derby for instance, 10 furlongs over dirt. The most elite equine athletes in the world should be able to first handle a 6 furlong breeze in the 2 weeks prior to the big day.
Your proposed starter better show us that he can breeze 6 furlongs at Churchill in a reasonable time, say 1:15 or better (from a gated start would be nice, but I know that is asking too much) AND demonstrate, via on-board heart rate monitor, a recovery heart rate of under 120bpm in the first 120 seconds after starting his gallop out. This data collection takes about 30 seconds.
You see, running several sub 13sec furlongs builds up an oxygen debt in a horse. When the breeze ends, the athlete has to pay that debt back through an elevated heart rate - the quicker that heart rate sinks back to below 120bpm, the faster the oxygen debt was repaid - the fitter/sounder the horse. Any pre-existing conditions that could lead to a fatal breakdown will be exposed via improper recovery heart rate.
You see, there already exists a precedent for using a heart rate monitor in conjunction with equine racing.
Many endurance races of 30 miles and over require the checking of an exercising horse’s heart rate during several checkpoints throughout the course.
Should the heart rate fall outside of the normal ranges, the horse is disqualified from the competition and immediately examined by trained personnel.
Watching a horse walk is not enough. We already have a ton of subjective opinions, it's time to add some objective numerical data to the picture.
Rachel vs Zenyatta, who wins in April?
Those of you who know me, know my feelings that the science behind exercise physiology can both optimize training and selection of racing thoroughbreds, as well as objectively quantify things such as surface differences.
In the development of Tapeta, Sir Michael Dickinson, with the help of noted researcher George Pratt from MIT, that dirt surfaces are 50% tougher on horses than are synthetics, namely Tapeta.
It took me a few hundred heart rate/gallop speed charts here in KY between Churchill and Keeneland to come to the EXACT same conclusion.
So, let's think about how that impacts training. Here are the recent breezes from both superstars prepping for the big race at Oaklawn:
Zenyatta Track Dist. Time Surface Condition
2/26/2010 HOL 6F 1:13.20 All Weather Fast B
2/18/2010 HOL 6F 1:14.00 All Weather Fast B
2/11/2010 HOL 6F 1:13.80 All Weather Fast B
2/3/2010 HOL 5F 1:01.60 All Weather Fast B
1/25/2010 HOL 5F 1:00.20 All Weather Fast B
1/17/2010 HOL 5F 1:01.40 All Weather Fast B
1/6/2010 HOL 4F :48.00 All Weather Fast H
12/21/2009 HOL 4F :49.40 All Weather Fast B
12/7/2009 HOL 4F :50.40 All Weather Fast B
Rachel Alexandra
3/2/2010 FG 6F 1:13.60 Dirt Fast B
2/24/2010 FG 6F 1:14.00 Dirt Fast B
2/18/2010 FG 5F 1:00.20 Dirt Fast B
2/12/2010 FG 5F 1:03.80 Dirt Sloppy B
2/6/2010 FG 4F :50.60 Dirt Fast B
1/31/2010 FG 4F :52.00 Dirt Fast B
Source: drf.com
Both fabulously bred animals, but the large edge here goes to Rachel.
Everytime Zenyatta breezes 6F on artificial surface, she only gets what Rachel would accomplish going 4F on dirt, in terms of fitness/conditioning.
Remember this come post time at the Apple Blossom.
I see Rachel near the front, Zenyatta in her customary last position. Zenyatta will certainly pass many of them in the stretch, but Rachel will hold her off by a few lengths due to superior physiological conditioning these past several weeks.
That being said, dirt is much more likely to cause injury to Rachel during this prep time. No such thing as a free lunch.
In the development of Tapeta, Sir Michael Dickinson, with the help of noted researcher George Pratt from MIT, that dirt surfaces are 50% tougher on horses than are synthetics, namely Tapeta.
It took me a few hundred heart rate/gallop speed charts here in KY between Churchill and Keeneland to come to the EXACT same conclusion.
So, let's think about how that impacts training. Here are the recent breezes from both superstars prepping for the big race at Oaklawn:
Zenyatta Track Dist. Time Surface Condition
2/26/2010 HOL 6F 1:13.20 All Weather Fast B
2/18/2010 HOL 6F 1:14.00 All Weather Fast B
2/11/2010 HOL 6F 1:13.80 All Weather Fast B
2/3/2010 HOL 5F 1:01.60 All Weather Fast B
1/25/2010 HOL 5F 1:00.20 All Weather Fast B
1/17/2010 HOL 5F 1:01.40 All Weather Fast B
1/6/2010 HOL 4F :48.00 All Weather Fast H
12/21/2009 HOL 4F :49.40 All Weather Fast B
12/7/2009 HOL 4F :50.40 All Weather Fast B
Rachel Alexandra
3/2/2010 FG 6F 1:13.60 Dirt Fast B
2/24/2010 FG 6F 1:14.00 Dirt Fast B
2/18/2010 FG 5F 1:00.20 Dirt Fast B
2/12/2010 FG 5F 1:03.80 Dirt Sloppy B
2/6/2010 FG 4F :50.60 Dirt Fast B
1/31/2010 FG 4F :52.00 Dirt Fast B
Source: drf.com
Both fabulously bred animals, but the large edge here goes to Rachel.
Everytime Zenyatta breezes 6F on artificial surface, she only gets what Rachel would accomplish going 4F on dirt, in terms of fitness/conditioning.
Remember this come post time at the Apple Blossom.
I see Rachel near the front, Zenyatta in her customary last position. Zenyatta will certainly pass many of them in the stretch, but Rachel will hold her off by a few lengths due to superior physiological conditioning these past several weeks.
That being said, dirt is much more likely to cause injury to Rachel during this prep time. No such thing as a free lunch.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
11 Stakes Wins in One Year-
Damascus, a prototypical iron horse.
The intervals between his races during his 3 year old year were:
2 weeks
3 weeks
1 week
2 weeks
3 weeks
3 weeks
10 days
3 weeks
1 week
3 weeks
1 week
16 days
26 days
28 days
2 weeks
And he got stronger as the campaign wore on. I have no specific info, but horses during those days were often breezed 1 mile in between races that were a week or so apart.
Today's superstars rarely make 11 starts in a career. Who is to blame: breeders, trainers, or the economic model? I blame the latter, you are crazy to race for $750k purses when you can head to the breeding shed and make that in 6 months with no injury risk.
But, the above shows that horses get stronger if trained/raced properly. They are not inherently fragile. If given the correct exercise stimulus, then allowed to recover properly - they grow stronger. They are living organisms built of cells that follow the laws of science.
Run an automobile with a 200HP engine at 210HP, and you blow the engine.
Run a horse with a 200HP engine at 210HP, he grows into a 210HP engine. Now you can run him at 220HP safely, etc.
Problem is, you have to quantify both how big an engine he is now, and what his next workout should be in terms of speed/duration/frequency. Quantification is done by collecting data: both from the workout AND his physiologcal response to said workout.
That takes extra work and attention to detail. If you are happy with your current strike percentage, then I am happy for you. If not, you must do something different in order to expect different results in the future.
Look back to the days of the iron horse for lessons and put them into practice in today's environment for a true edge on the competition.
The intervals between his races during his 3 year old year were:
2 weeks
3 weeks
1 week
2 weeks
3 weeks
3 weeks
10 days
3 weeks
1 week
3 weeks
1 week
16 days
26 days
28 days
2 weeks
And he got stronger as the campaign wore on. I have no specific info, but horses during those days were often breezed 1 mile in between races that were a week or so apart.
Today's superstars rarely make 11 starts in a career. Who is to blame: breeders, trainers, or the economic model? I blame the latter, you are crazy to race for $750k purses when you can head to the breeding shed and make that in 6 months with no injury risk.
But, the above shows that horses get stronger if trained/raced properly. They are not inherently fragile. If given the correct exercise stimulus, then allowed to recover properly - they grow stronger. They are living organisms built of cells that follow the laws of science.
Run an automobile with a 200HP engine at 210HP, and you blow the engine.
Run a horse with a 200HP engine at 210HP, he grows into a 210HP engine. Now you can run him at 220HP safely, etc.
Problem is, you have to quantify both how big an engine he is now, and what his next workout should be in terms of speed/duration/frequency. Quantification is done by collecting data: both from the workout AND his physiologcal response to said workout.
That takes extra work and attention to detail. If you are happy with your current strike percentage, then I am happy for you. If not, you must do something different in order to expect different results in the future.
Look back to the days of the iron horse for lessons and put them into practice in today's environment for a true edge on the competition.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Equine Exercise Psychology
"Indeed, genetic alone is not the determining factor for success or failure.
But, rather it is the mind of the horse that is in complete control of the will, and thus performance, on and off the racetrack.
This makes it very clear that while physical ability is important, the mental capacity of the equine controls the physical output of the athlete. "
-Kerry M Thomas
www.thomasherdingtechnique.com
This guy is fantastic, talked to him at length earlier this week and he really has a handle on an area of performance that NO ONE actively trains to improve. Please check it out.
But, rather it is the mind of the horse that is in complete control of the will, and thus performance, on and off the racetrack.
This makes it very clear that while physical ability is important, the mental capacity of the equine controls the physical output of the athlete. "
-Kerry M Thomas
www.thomasherdingtechnique.com
This guy is fantastic, talked to him at length earlier this week and he really has a handle on an area of performance that NO ONE actively trains to improve. Please check it out.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
'Backyard' Training facility
After my trip last week, I am giving serious thought to leasing a local farm with 70 acres, a house, and a few barns to do some 'experimentation' on my own.
There will be no formal training track per se, as I will ship 1x-2x a week to a nearby facility for speedwork, but I will have several gallops of varying lengths and inclines, in addition to a host of other 'toys' designed to improve conditioning.
I am not a horseman, I am an equine exercise physiologist - so I will have someone else in charge of all farrier, vet, and horsemanship stuff - yet I will prescribe and monitor all training variables based on heart rate/GPS data as well as blood lactate levels, following the laws of exercise physiology.
Let's call this Feedback Based Training, where each individual athlete determines his/her own level of progress. No longer will all speedwork be regimented into half mile breezes every Thursday, for instance.
Also:
- horses will work left hand turns and right hand turns equally to develop balance
- horses will warm up and cool down extensively
- training hours will be from 6am to 6pm when weather permits
- horses will be turned out frequently, especially after racing, to speed recovery
- nutrition will be monitored to the calorie
- owners will be provided with all data indicating progress/development
- as little veterinary interference as possible, unsound horses will not run/train
Should be fun! - I will no doubt publish any and all findings in this space for you to review and/or comment on. I hope to be up and operational within late 2010 - should all go well.
Training in Argentina
Just got back into the US from a trip to South America for a client, what a fantastic experience! (that is me on the left in the above pic, along with local contact Juan Manuel)
We visited a few tracks and a private training center in and around Buenos Aires - with most work being at San Isidro. Early in the week was spent at an amazing farm nearly 4 hours south of the city.
Much more info to come in future posts, but for now here are some of the main differences I saw in their training programs:
- San Isidro had 2500 stalls and 5, yes 5 dirt training tracks, arranged in concentric circles where you can stand 10' away from a horse breezing on the rail
- Trackside barns are owned by the owners, no stall rent to pay.
- Barns are all U-shaped, where horses can see each other, and the courtyard, all day long.
- Horses are hand walked to swimming pool in afternoons, which is nice as it was over 100 every day last week.
- Grooms are in attendance 24 hours a day, different shifts of course, but always someone attending to horses.
- Many gallops are done in bareback fashion, near a 2 minute lick, with tack only being used on official breeze days.
- In general, 14 days prior to a race the horse is worked the race distance, and again 7 days before race he/she is blown out half the race distance
- Horses often breeze strongly an eighth or so in front of the grandstand during the post parade, roughly 10 mins before entering the gate - THIS IS MY FAVORITE PART AS THE SPLEEN IS EMPTIED AND ACTS AS A NATURAL BLOOD DOPING PERFORMANCE ENHANCER.
- Horses may stand in the starting gate for a few minutes before the race, this stinks in my opinion.
- For my client, the race rider (who is a top 10 jock), gallops and breezes as many as he can manage every morning - and is very active in providing feedback
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