There are a variety of training methods used all over the world in order to prepare Thoroughbreds for their racing careers. Most trainers have unique schedules for each horse, depending on its needs. Different methods are popular depending on location and accessibility. For instance, beach training is a coming practice in coastal countries such as Australia and New Zealand who are able to gallop horses along the uniform beaches or work on the sand dunes. Some training facilities value treadmills, swimming pools or Equicizer's. All of these methods are typically used along with exercise on a race track.
A new training system called Kurtsystem has been developed over the course of 20 years, to train Thoroughbreds. This mechanical exercising unit was developed by Mehmet Kurt, a trainer based in Turkey. The system is composed of six to ten compartments and runs along a mile-long, covered, synthetic track. The horses are secured with loose reins to allow natural movement and are equipped with heart and respiratory monitors. Weights from twenty kilos to sixty kilos can be gradually added to the horse’s backs. The system can run at speeds up to thirty-five mph while the operator of the system travels in a unit behind the horses to control the entire system. The Kurt System is a way to include controlled exercise into a racehorse’s fitness regime. Controlled exercise is more likely to properly develop muscle, strengthen bones, tendons and ligaments, all of which can make a horse more resistant to injuries. Controlled exercise was also the same ideology behind the introduction of swimming pools and Equicizer's as training tools.
The Kurt System is an amazing way to collaborate track work with controlled exercise. The use of this system could be especially beneficial to begin training young horses. Newly backed Thoroughbreds can be especially unpredictable on the training track, resulting in improper self-carriage and muscle formations leading to eventual injury or an overall negative experience.
Video's of the Kurtsystem in motion can be viewed in a four-part interview:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Video's of the Kurtsystem in motion can be viewed in a four-part interview:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4