IS THAT THE $64,000 QUESTION OR IS IT THE "IMPOSSIBLE DREAM"

UNFORTUNATELY FOR MOST OF US IT GENERALLY IS A VERY EXPENSIVE DREAM. HOWEVER FOR THOSE OF US THAT HAVE CONTACTED THAT TERMINAL ILLNESS CALLED "HARNESS RACING" THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO DO IS FIND THE RIGHT HORSE AND THEN YOUR HALFWAY THERE.

AS SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE ONCE SAID "IT'S HARD TO TRAIN A GOOD HORSE BAD." ALTHOUGH I'M SURE MOST OF US HAVE HAD A GOOD SHOT AT IT AT SOMETIME OR ANOTHER.

IF WE DREAM ON AND BY CHANCE THE RIGHT HORSE TURNS UP, NOW WE DO HAVE A PROBLEM OR TWO. FOR INSTANCE HOW DO WE FEED SO AS WE DON'T DENY OUR BUDDING CHAMPION ANYTHING BY WAY OF NUTRITION AND AT THE SAME TIME DON'T FEED TOO MUCH IN CASE HE OR SHE GETS TOO FAT.

HOW DO WE TRAIN TO GO AS FAST AS WE CAN, BUT AT THE SAME TIME GO SLOW SO AS YOU CAN MAKE HIM A GOOD RACE HORSE. HOW HARD DO WE WORK TO GET REALLY FIT, BUT NOT HARD ENOUGH TO MAKE HIM OR HER LAME.

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN BEING UNDERTRAINED AND OVERTRAINED////

TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH I'M NOT SURE I KNOW THE ANSWER TO ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS, HOWEVER I DO BELIEVE IN THE "KISS" SYNDROME.

e.g. Keep it simple stupid.

I AM OF THE OPINION THAT IT TAKES APPROXIMATELY ONE HUNDRED (100) DAYS TO GET AN UNFIT HORSE FIT ENOUGH TO DO HIS OR HER BEST, IF EVERYTHING GOES O.K. THE AMOUNT OF WORK AND TYPE OF WORK WILL DEPEND ON THE INDIVIDUAL HORSE.

THE FIRST THIRD OF YOUR PREPARATION IS GETTING TO KNOW YOU, EASY WORK LOAD, TAKING CARE OF YOUR WORMING PROGRAMME, CHECK FOR TEETH PROBLEMS ETC.,

THE SECOND THIRD OF YOUR PREPARATION WE GET A LITTLE MORE SERIOUS WITH SOME LONG STRONG PACEWORK, GETTING YOUR GEAR RIGHT AND BUILDING THE FOUNDATIONS FOR YOUR RACING PROGRAMME.

THE FINAL THIRD OF YOUR PREPARATION IS CRITICAL IN AS MUCH AS YOU NEED TO GET TO WHERE YOUR GOING AND IN FACT THERE IS VERY LITTLE MARGIN FOR ERROR IF OUR HORSE IS GOING TO RACE TO ITS FULL POTENTIAL.

BY HAVING A FEEL FOR YOUR HORSES, UNDERSTANDING THEM AND WORKING WITH THEM, NOT AGAINST THEM WILL GO A LONG WAY TO