The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

re: The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

dad1225 — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 21:22:45 GMT

I'v ben thinking ther was a better way to go about this for a long time.What trainers use this methed for ther 2 year olds?

re: The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

Bellwether — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:14:03 GMT

GREAT $TUFF...$OUND$ LIKE A WINNER TO ME...EARLY FALL START FORE 2yo's RACE N IS OK ALSO...ty...

re: The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

Springsmom83 — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:05:16 GMT

I never knew that this was actually being studied, but I have always thought that this is the way that I would train a horse if I could. It really seems more old school. And of course in old school training the trainers had fewer horses under their care and each horse received more time so this type of program worked. Horses raced as they were trained so racing more frequently was essentially another work out.

As far as waiting and letting the horse mature, bone remodeling occurs most effectively while the young horse is still growing. By waiting, your 4 year old will have bone appropriate to his age, but the horse that was trained at a younger age will have heavier, denser bone at 4 than the one that was "allowed to mature naturally". Look at the difference between the pasture raised versus the one in training.

re: The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

JAJ — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 23:14:54 GMT

If you wait until they are 4 before they are asked for speed they will never develop the bone they need and you risk breaking them down at 4. A horse in a field until he is 4 is a breakdown just waiting to happen. It has nothing to do with money.

re: The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

marsha from MN — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 21:44:07 GMT

Excellent article... it is time to educate trainers and owners!!!

re: The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

Drake — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 15:29:02 GMT

Did you read the article, M? The entire article talked of the importance of building bone to withstand racing.

One of the most horrific accidents in racing was that of an unraced 4yo filly who broke down and died on the track one morning, killing her exercise rider in the process. The filly was trained by Allen Jerkens.

What you are suggesting will result in more fillies like the one above, which is opposite of the high moral ground that you think you're taking.

re: The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

Jasmine — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:30:13 GMT

M: Except that half the point is that the bone density they load up as two-year-olds stays with them throughout their lives. When horses trained like this turn four, they will still have higher bone densities than their peers. Plus, this type of training is most effective when the skeleton is still developing, so it's actually better for the horse to train this way very young.

This sort of research has been done on humans for thirty years, with the results always the same. I say it's about time racehorses got this kind of special attention. Bravo David Nunamaker, John Fisher, and Rick Arthur!

re: The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

Rachel — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:25:31 GMT

sherpa...good observation on Sheppard.

How to get 4 year-old bone density? Be allowed to grow up to be 4.

Don't use calcium-leaching lasix constantly.

I've thought for awhile the amount of babies breaking down was a result of lasix and over-supplementation. (babies being any horse under 5, the age a horse becomes a full-grown adult)

PS They tried something like this in German Shepherd Dogs, they ended up with grossly enlarged joints, and exactly the opposite results in many, many dogs. You can read about it.

Over supplementing vitamins, etc often has exactly the opposite of the desired effect...check it out.

re: The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

christy tate — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:11:14 GMT

think maybe by using said findings there will be more horses racing longer? that would be nice.

re: The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

Bill — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 20:48:57 GMT

Forgot to address:

I also think its clear that dirt elicited the most superior bone development, compared to a softer surface such as wood chip - even when traditional legging up was the exercise method.

Progressive overload, specificity, and all other precepts of exercise science are equally valuable on either surface. For instance, if you wish to contest the American classics on dirt, you are best suited to prep on the same surface.

We've only seen one (Pioneer of the Nile) run in the money at Churchill after prepping exculsively on synthetics out West. Dozens of others have failed.

Baffert seemed to get it this year by sending Lucky to Arkansas at least once prior to coming to KY in April.

re: The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

Bill — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 20:42:37 GMT

I believe the crux of this study to show that young horses with developing bone structure benefit from this type of exercise.

Surely, if you are NEVER going to race, there is no reason to introduce 13 second furlongs at such a young age.

Similarly, the young horse is best suited to develop in parallel strong ligaments and tendons, lessening the chance for future soft tissue injury.

Problem is, most trainers of 2 year olds follow no such protocol, they gallop them at a 2:30 lick or slower to build 'bottom' - which is proven here to be inadequate to skeletal development.

At the age of 2, cardiovascular needs should take a backseat to bone. Bone is the foundation on which all other later training depends upon to remain sound.

I love Tom Ivers, but I believe his super long gallops without speedwork to be in direct contrast with this method.

But, if he had xrays and to back up his methods, I would be much more willing to listen.

Sheppard by all accounts seems to be fantastic, I have no problem with slower gallops in company, as long as 13-15sec furlongs are introduced early, and gradually, as dictated by the Nunamaker/Fisher protocol.

re: The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

goodwin — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 20:34:14 GMT

Yes, so I guess it is best to try to maximize the survival of the young horses as it is, because you are not going to get them to move the Kentucky Derby to a race for 4 year olds.

And the Europeans have fewer catastrophes, don't they? I think varied surfaces during horse formative years is essential for a healthy horse. It never ceases to amaze me that most times a poor horse is asked to deal with mud when he's breaking from the gate in a 6 furlong maiden race - why not give them schooling way before the inevitable?

re: The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

Larry Ensor — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 18:08:04 GMT

M, studies have shown conclusively that it important to start with racehorses as 2 year olds regardless if in the end they run at 2,3,4 or 5. The quality and amount of bone laid down does not get better with age. It diminishes expediently with age. It's not always about the money. But it does cost money to do the right thing.

re: The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

Linda — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:19:14 GMT

I have always thought we should give horses more time to develop before racing them. I still do. We need to start racing as 3 year olds. No more 2 yr.old races. If this limits the sport to less horses and less racetracks, sobeit. The idea should be to ACCOMMODATE RACING TO THE HORSE - not the other way around.

re: The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 13:22:43 GMT

...or you could wait until the colt is actually four years old to expect it to "have the bone density of a 4-year-old". I don't get it; what's wrong with waiting and letting the animal mature?

Oh, that's right! There's $$$ to be made. Silly me.

re: The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

GeeGees — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 10:46:50 GMT

An interesting concept. But as pointed out it goes against the grain and horsemen are the hardest to get to change. Would be interesting to try though.

re: The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

Tesio — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:26:00 GMT

Tom Ivers critiqued both the classical and Nunnamaker techniques in The Fit Racehorse II and found both wanting. What is your opinion of Ivers' protocol?

re: The Ideal 2 Year Old Training Program

sherpa — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 03:10:22 GMT

I'm not a breeder or trainer; but I love horses and worry so much about running 2yos when their bones are still forming; so I really appreciate your educational article on this topic.

I'd be interested to know your opinion on the "European" method of long gallops over terrain in company, such as trainer Jonathan Sheppard practices in PA. Was that style of training included in Dr. Nunamaker's studies? Do your conclusions as to the relative value of training methods vis healthy bone growth apply to both dirt and grass? or would you say that the physiological benefit of "progressive overload" is most applicable to one or the other surface (or synthetics, for that matter)?

Thank you for an interesting and informative blog!