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Fitness

Posted: Fri Mar 25, 2016 5:09 pm
by The Steward
Fitness
How do you know if your horse is fit enough to run? Now the trainer Mary Weather will tell you as you train your horses. Select the Jog feature to check the fitness level. When a horse has not exercised for a while or has exercised very little, Mary Weather will say the horse “Needs Training.” If the horse is getting close to race-ready fitness, she will say the horse is “Training Well.” When the horse has reached optimal fitness, she will say "Fully fit."

How much work does a horse need to be fit?
We estimated it takes 5 weeks for a horse to be optimally fit with 2 gallops per week, plus one workout during the fifth week.

How do I maintain fitness? How long does it last?
Either by racing regularly - then no more work needs to be done - or by continuing to gallop a few times a week or workout once a week like you normally would while training a horse not yet racing. Once a horse is fit, you can go about your normal program without worrying about losing fitness. Horses can only lose their fitness by sitting idle with no exercise for a while (the “while” depends on how hard the horse was working. If they were getting workouts, you have about a week before the fitness fades. If you are racing, you have 2 weeks. Just a single gallop gets you several days of fitness).

Can horses race without being fit?
Absolutely. Racing gives the horse much more fitness than a gallop or workout, so racing a horse that isn’t fit will only get you to optimal fitness faster.