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Thoroughbred
Breaking and Training
About The Middleburg Training Center
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Welcome
to the Middleburg Training Center |
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Aerial
view of the Middleburg Training Center |
Originally built by the late
philanthropist, Paul Mellon, as his private training
track, the Middleburg Training Center is situated in
a picturesque setting of northern Virginia, about 75
miles west of Washington DC. The facility consists
of a 7/8th mile dirt/sand training track
with a short chute and starting gate, eleven
20-stall barns, tack rooms, grooms’ quarters,
paddocks, grass gallop, and National Hunt fences for
training steeplechasers. A veterinary clinic is
located on the grounds.
The facility and grounds provide a low
stress, uncrowded atmosphere conducive to breaking
yearlings or for giving racetrack-soured older
horses a rejuvenating change. Horses with chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease often benefit from the
paddock turnout and open areas for hacking.
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Horses
having a relaxing walk back to the barn
after galloping |
A quiet
hack |
Horses train year-round at the
Middleburg Training Center. Sure, there can be a few
icy days in the winter when horses stay in their
stalls, but there are just as many lost training
days in Aiken or Camden training centers due to
heavy rain and muddy conditions.
Breaking yearlings
New yearlings come to the training
center each year after the summer and fall sales
held in KY, FL, or MD. Homebred yearlings often
arrive later and, yet, need the most work
because they have not been handled as much and
have not been exposed to differing environments
and so take longer to settle in. The decision of
when to start breaking a yearling varies on the
basis of factors such as actual age (early vs
late foaling date), maturity (growthy vs more
finished off), pedigree (degree of precocity of
dam/sire and their offspring), and intended goal
(pinhooking as 2yo-in training vs racing). Frank
can help you decide the appropriate time to
start your yearling. Sometimes new horse owners
assume that they are doing the best for their
young “racehorse-to-be” by delaying its breaking
until the start of their 2-year-old calendar
year; however, research has shown that
controlled exercise improves bone density more
so than free-choice turnout. In addition, it is
never too early to start exposing these
youngsters (who can be similar to rowdy
teenagers) to a routine, and getting them used
to the fact that they are going to have a job in
life.
Brief comments on breaking
By Frank Zureick
Introduction to tack
Introducing a yearling to tack is a basic
step-by-step process, starting with the bit,
then the saddle pad. The saddle is added and
then the girth. The girth is tightened as the
horse accepts it and the rider begins to lie
across the horse’s back. The next step is that
the rider places a leg on either side and the
horse is led in circles in both directions in
his stall. The speed with which a particular
horse advances is totally dependent on how
readily he/she accepts each step. Some horses,
those that have been well handled or have gone
through the sales, progress easily and don’t
seem to mind any of it. Others can be quite
apprehensive. At this stage, it is very
important to be patient and let each individual
progress at their own pace. Forcing the issue or
skipping over steps at this stage will cause
delays and temperament issues later on.
Introduction to a rider
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A yearling's first
walk outside the shedrow |
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Frank on a
youngster during the early stage of
breaking |
Once a horse is accepting a rider’s weight and
is moving forward willingly, the “real” breaking
begins. With a strong show background, I believe
that a properly “broke” horse means that it
carries itself in a balanced frame, responds to
the rider’s leg, and has a soft, educated mouth.
This is achieved by hacking and flat work. We
ride the young horses around the farm or the
grounds of the training center, and intersperse
circles, figure-8s, single file riding, and
side-by-side riding. We hack around paddocks
containing other horses and up to barns of other
trainers. This teaches them their lessons and
keeps their minds fresh and interested.
Introduction to the track
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Frank galloping a
horse at the training track |
We always send the young horses to the track
with a quiet, older horse. Again, at this stage,
each individual progresses at its own rate. Both
physical AND mental soundness must be maintained
in order to move to the next level.
Horses must learn to pay attention to their own
rider, despite lots of things going on around
them, eg, horses galloping by them, other horses
walking in the opposite direction, owners
snapping pictures! etc.
Introduction to the starting
gate
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Early gate
schooling is important! |
The gate is another
simple series of steps. It is critical here to
proceed at an individual’s own pace, because a
relaxed acceptance of the gate is of utmost
importance. Breaking from a gate at speed is the
LAST thing taught---and usually accomplished
quite easily, so that is not the focus here.
Problems encountered at the gate can take a long
time to correct and a great deal of effort to
rectify. With starting gates, horses seem to
have minds like elephants---they never forget a
bad experience!
Introduction to breezing
We introduce breezing
when the horse is easily galloping 2 miles. The
breezes start at an 1/8th of a mile, thus
not requiring a top level of “galloping fitness”.
We want to start the speed work early—at very short
distances---to start the remodeling of the shins
that is required to avoid “bucked shins”. Galloping,
alone, has no beneficial effect in preventing bucked
shins.
The young horses will go through a series of these
1/8th mile breezes, progressing from
13-second eighths to 11-second eighths. This
accomplishes 4 goals. First, though they are “bred
to race”, most young Thoroughbreds have to be taught
that they have “gears” faster than a gallop. Some
catch on immediately; others take several breezes.
This usually has no bearing on their subsequent
talent. Once again, each progresses at its own pace.
Second, the short breezes achieve
what I call “speed fitness”—for lack of a better
term—quicker than the long, slow gallops and the
“two-minute licks” that other trainers employ. Speed
work requires a different exercise that requires a
different effort, both in terms of cardiovascular
and muscular work. The best way to prepare a young
horse for this effort is to do it—albeit in small
doses. I have found that no matter how long a young
horse has been galloping, the first time that they
do an 1/8 at speed, they pull up blowing. My wife
will explain to me that it is the difference between
aerobic and anaerobic mechanisms sustaining the
exercise. You have to train both (aerobic and
anaerobic).
I have found that by implementing
these short, quick works early in a horse’s
training, they progress much more rapidly in their
later breezes. That is, by the time they have done
six or seven 1/8th-mile breezes, they are
galloping out 3/8ths in about 38 seconds. The
difference in that and a horse that works 3/8ths in
38 seconds is that our horses are only “being asked
to run” the first 1/8th and are doing the
last quarter in what is comfortable for them. This
reduces the chance of injury. Injuries most often
occur when a horse is starting to tire---when they
get “muscle-tired” (no matter how “wind-fit” they
may be).
The third reason for introducing
short breezes early is that these early works are
very easy for the horse and are basically over quick
enough that it leaves the horse “wanting more”. This
gives them the mental outlook of being proud of
themselves. You can tell that they find it “fun” and
it results in a good attitude, in contrast to the
white-eyed, wild look and nervousness that develops
when a horse is being asked to do more than they
were ready for (by breezing too far their first
time).
Lastly, and probably most important,
is that the short, quick breezes achieve remodeling
of the dorsal cortex (front of the bone) of the
cannon bones (shins). The cortex thickens and the
bone density increases (strengthening the bone) with
speed work. The trainer needs to walk a fine line
between exposing a horse to enough speed work that
the bone remodeling starts without overdoing it and
getting microfractures (bucked shins) or a saucer
fracture. So, the short, frequent speed works cause
just enough cyclic forces (engineers will know what
that is) to appropriately stress the bone and cause
the body to lay down thicker bone and get the shins
ready for the strain of racing!
Long gallops and 2-minute licks
increase a horse’s cardiovascular (wind fitness),
but they do not train the horse’s muscles for
anaerobic (speed work) exercise and they do NOT get
the front of the shins ready to accept the strain of
racing. Though pin firing and blistering had long
been thought to help minimize the chance of a horse
developing bucked shins by increasing the blood
supply to the area, they do not. One problem is that
the blood supply has been shown (via microscopic
observation) to increase only within the upper skin
layers. No effect on the cortex was seen when bone
tissues were evaluated under a microscope after such
procedures. The lack of a confirmatory, beneficial
effect of pin firing may be the reason this
procedure has not been taught in veterinary schools
for more than 25-30 years, and is not used in human
athletes to minimize their own problems with “shin
splints”. If it legitimately worked, you can bet
that Olympic hopefuls would have all been “fired”.
So, don’t waste your money on pin firing cannon
bones.
Too often someone will talk about the
good foundation on a horse and be referring to the
fact that the horse galloped for multiple miles for
multiple months. The problem is that by the time
that horse first breezes, his cardiovascular fitness
will have progressed far beyond what his bones and
muscles are really ready to do at speed. Training
must involve conditioning of the horse’s
cardiovascular AND musculoskeletal systems as well
as the horse’s mind, and it’s important to keep all
in sync!
Common potential medical issues with young horses in
training
Allergies Like people, horses are
susceptible to development of a variety of types of
allergies. Unfortunately, it is more difficult for a
horse to avoid hay, straw, and grasses than it is
for humans! Dust, mold, and poor ventilation all
increase the problem. Racetrack stabling, with
inadequate turnout and crowded conditions, is
notoriously unforgiving. Training centers are often
a better choice for horses prone to allergies.
“Ankles”
Young
horses in training often go through a stage of
increased fluid filling in their front ankles which
is attributable to synovitis, an inflammation of the
synovial lining of the joint capsule. If not lame
and if there is no reaction to fetlock flexion,
anti-inflammatories and backing down a little on
training for awhile is all that is needed. Sometimes
the joints will need to be injected, but x-rays
should probably then be taken to ensure that there
is not a bone chip present.
“Bucked shins” Dorsal metacarpal
osteitis occurs when the front of the cannon bone
experiences stress that causes microfractures in the
cortex. The enlargement that is seen with “bucked
shins” is attributable to the laying down of new
bone by the body in an attempt to stabilize the
microscopic fractures. Sometimes before this
happens, the horse has signs of dorsal metacarpal
periosteitis, which is when just the outer lining of
the bone has become inflamed. Any enlargement seen
over the cannon bone at this earlier stage is
usually confined to the soft tissues. Anti-inflammatories
and rest until it’s “cooled out” (and no longer
sore!), followed by a controlled return to exercise
often will induce the bone to go ahead and remodel,
thicken, and strengthen. Occasionally, a complete
thickness cortical fracture will occur (saucer
fracture), which requires surgical treatment. One
note of caution: do not make a young horse train on
sore shins, hoping to work them through it! That can
sour young horses to training, especially fillies.
“Splints”
You
may hear it said that a horse “popped a splint”.
This means that a hard bump has appeared on the
(usually) inside of the cannon bone of a front leg.
It is most often the result of the splint bone
pulling away from the cannon bone because the
interosseous ligament that binds them closely
together has torn or become inflamed. It can occur
from the horse slipping while running or jumping or
from circling. Faulty conformation, eg, offset
knees, can predispose to it as well. It may or may
not cause a mild (but usually temporary) lameness.
Ice, rest, and anti-inflammatories are usually
sufficient treatment. When a splint occurs on the
outside of the leg, it is most often the result of
trauma such as a kick, and results in a fracture of
the splint bone. The fractured end may need to be
removed surgically.
Upper respiratory dysfunctions
Pharyngitis
Dorsal displacement of the soft palate
Entrapped epiglottis
Laryngeal hemiplegia
A variety of upper respiratory tract
ailments can affect a horse’s tolerance to exercise.
Some conditions are transient, some
correctable/manageable, some medically treatable,
and others surgically treatable. Some can be
extremely frustrating to treat successfully and
cause “retirement” of the horse from racing. It is
very important to differentiate and properly
diagnose these conditions.
Upward fixation of the patella
This is when the patella (knee cap) over the stifle
becomes temporarily locked, preventing flexion of
the hind leg. It looks like the horse has a little
“hitch” to its movement. Young horses usually grow
out of this condition. Strengthening the
hindquarters by trotting up hills can be of benefit.
Viral respiratory diseases
Influenza and rhinopneumonitis (EHV 4/1) are
frequent pathogens of young horses in training.
These viruses are very contagious. Vaccination every
2-3 months is useful but does not fully protect
against infection. Though frustrating for owners and
trainers because of lost training time, REST is key
when a horse first shows clinical signs; rest can
shorten the disease course and discourage the
disease from progressing to pneumonia. Initial
clinical signs generally include malaise, loss of
appetite, fever, nasal discharge, and/or cough. A
new strain of EHV has neurologic consequences and is
quite serious.
Race Training
We can train and race your horse
directly from the Middleburg Training Center.
Gate
cards can be obtained and works can be posted---both
are requirements to enter a horse for a race. We
can “ship-in” to race at various midatlantic
tracks.
We
can also train a horse to get ready to go to another
trainer stabled at a racetrack, if you prefer. Many
Maryland-track trainers know that they can depend on
Frank to have a horse readied the way they want it,
and Frank is more than willing to keep another
trainer in the loop so that they know exactly what
they are getting when the horse comes to them.
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Post parade at Pimlico |
Country Life Farm's
Citiblock |
Steeplechase training
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Schooling hurdles |
Uh oh! Simon Hobson on
Bencivenga |
Steeplechasing can be a lucrative
alternative for a horse that isn’t producing in flat
races or has gone through its conditions. It also
can be an avenue for an older horse that has lost a
step in speed. The addition of jumping, added
distance, and hills on certain courses can turn an
“also-ran” into a money-maker. Horses also can
successfully switch back and forth from
steeplechasing to flat racing on the turf.
Frank’s early background in hunters/jumpers allows
him to properly start horses over jumps, while
conditioning them for these longer races and
preparing them for the gallops up and down hills.
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Steeplechase horses
out for a hack |
Frank
only trains for hurdle racing and not timber
racing. If he finds that a horse you sent him might
be better suited for timber racing, he will discuss
it with you and provide suggestions for trainers.
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Earn My Keep wins
allowance hurdle at Saratoga |
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A partners-owned
horse, Stall Swapper, wins at
Philadelphia Park |
Nearby facilities we use
Animal
Swim Center
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Swimming rehab |
Piedmont Equine Associates/Clinic
Marion DuPont
Scott Equine Medical Center at Morven Park
Virginia Equine
Imaging
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It’s been known for more
than 25 years that toe grabs are not
healthy for a horse’s ankles! |
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