Not long ago Mr. A. Shorncliffe published the following remarkable article which unfortunately has not found the attention it deserves, least so on the part of those writers who consider the “last word” on such subjects their exclusive privilege:-
“I contend that a thorough study of horse breathing on the part of trainers and jockeys would revolutionise racing.
“If there is one characteristic which overshadows all others in racing men it is their ready acceptance of the superficial and obvious in everything connected with race riding. Every incident of a race, every condition of a horse in relation to racing, has its stereotyped formula of explanation. If a horse does not realize expectations an immediate half dozen nearly and timeworn phrases are glibly accepted as explanation, and when a horse wins a similar series of formulae gush forth from satisfied patrons, either to account for the failure of the beaten or the success of their own.
“The same terms have been in use since horses were first put to race, and most or all are based on fallacies. It is doubtful if many trainers or owners can be found to have really studied the scientific principles on which the running of a horse in a race depends. If they would so they would be surprised at the success which could follow, and some of the unaccountable running of the present day would receive explanation. In fact, many of the so-called cases of crooked running are just as inexplicable to owner and trainer as to everybody else. But many would not be inexplicable if all the facts in the light of real knowledge were examined.
“Space will not allow of discussion of any but one factor, namely, the aeration of horse´s lungs. With the characteristic impulsiveness of mankind in general it seems to have been hastily concluded that the physiology of the horse´s muscles and lungs during a race acts in the same way as ourselves. Races are run, instructions are given to jockeys and explanations after the race are based on this fallacy.
“Let me put facts boldly and briefly. When a man is running he breathes continuously and in increasing strength and speed. If he holds his breath for a second he inevitable prejudices his chances. To breathe continuously and with ease is imperative. This we all know from experience. Moreover, we find our muscles (even when our breathing is perfect) become fatigued and less effective as we pursue the exercise. Now, in neither of these fundamental facts are horses similar to ourselves.
“To take the muscle fatigue first, it is probably certain that horses do not suffer any fatigue or muscle pain when run over any of the distances usual in present day racing. We are left, therefore, with the fact that the breathing is the vital factor in the galloping horse. There again, our human analogy is wrong.
“A horse does not breathe continuously and regularly while galloping, in fact, it does not breathe at all. By that is meant that a horse does not reinflate its lungs in the continuous and imperative manner we adopt ourselves. The process in the horse is to fill the lungs to their greatest capacity at the very commencement of the gallop, and then not to reinflate until this lungful is exhausted. The horse has been evolved to do this in adaptation to the great speed of the gallop at which normal and regular intake of air is impossible.
“We see immediately how important this factor is and how far-reaching are its effects, especially when we try to make a horse carry out a race on our own method of breathing. A horse can only gallop so long as its lungs are charged with air, and it cannot refill them at the gallop. The question arises as to how long this supply will last.
“This depends, not on distance of ground covered nor on rate of speed, but on duration on time. No exact or vouched figures can be given, but it is probably certain the extreme time a horse can gallop at high speed (on a level track) on the one deep inspiration he took at the start of a race is that time taken on the average to cover a little more than nine furlongs. If gradients are galloped over, the necessity for reinflation comes very much earlier and it also follows that a “waiting” race run at a false time will cause a horse to need reinflation of its lungs before anything like nine furlongs have been covered. It is always to be remembered that time is the factor, not speed or distance.
“That is why it is usually observed that a horse is more exhausted (much to the astonishment of everyone concerned) after a slow-run race than one run at a break-neck speed. It follows from what has been said of muscle fatigue that if a horse can reinflate its lungs during a race it becomes again so fresh as it was at the starting post; in fact, the horse makes a fresh starting post at the point it refilled its lungs. Thus in slow-run races, where the so-called “wait and one final dash” policy is adopted, the animal which wins is the one which has managed so to evade the pulling and annoyance of the jockey as to refill its lungs.
“When a horse in sprint races is seen “to come from the clouds” and “finish as fresh as a daisy”, this is what has happened. The horse has in actual fact made a starting post a furlong from home with a well-filled lung. But five furlong races are usually run at speed throughout with forbids reinflation, and this is one reason why placings and form are perhaps a little more reliable in these races.
“In the longer races of one and a half miles or more fast or slow tactics do not affect the issue so much, as these races obviously cannot be run without reinflation by all the horses concerned. Again, it is often observed that a horse guilty of what appears a vicious act during a race, necessitating a temporary stoppage, very often wins in spite of the lost ground. This action on the part of the horse, looking very much like an attempt to kick, and resulting in vigorous tactics by the jockey, is nothing more than a determined effort by the horse to refill its lungs, with results which surprise everybody.
“But if, instead of allowing lung inflation to be an accident jockeys would make it a deliberate action the results would be surprising. It is very likely that the success of some great jockeys of the past and present time is due to an empirical use of the tactics of reinflation. They, perhaps, cannot explain the reason for their action, but constant trial and error has led them to adopt a certain “knack” or habit of easing their horses, and so bringing about reinflation.
“By allowing this process of refilling the lungs to go on at the proper time a horse may be galloped for two miles or more, and yet finish with amazing speed and quite undistressed. This has often been observed. It is certainly very unlikely to be due to any forethought on the part of the jockey, but rather to a combination which has allowed reinflation at the precise moments to gain a maximum effect.
“This method of breathing which the galloping horse adopts is the main factor determining the stayer power of the animal. Naturally, horses vary considerably in their lung capacity, their power of filling at the start of a race and their power of reinflation during a race without undue disadvantage. The capability of a horse to gallop over long distances –that is, its staying-power- does not primarily depend on muscularity, but on the above-named factors.
“Many horses even can only go five and six furlongs when run at high speed throughout, their lung capacity not being equal to the time of a slow run race. But many horses can get up to 1 ¼ miles without reinflation if they are allowed to take the race at their own speed –that is, at one “burst”. But with most horses it seems to be unfortunately the case that the distance they are run over is not the natural or best one indicated by their natural capabilities. It apparently seems to be accepted that by a course of training a sprinter can be made into a long-distance horse; in fact, that the horse can be moulded to run over any distance its connections decide to indulge in. How many thousands of good horses have been ruined by this process only those concerned can know. The fact is that it is probable that a horse´s lung capacity (and associated factors) can be increased very little if at all by training.
“Efforts to increase a horse´s distance by training lead to a ruined horse and one perhaps whose confidence and temper have been spoiled to such an extend even as to make it worthless over its previous best distance. The only way a non-stayer can be raced over a longer distance is to find its reinflation time, and then during the race ease up and allow this process to go on.
“Of course, they must be allowed to run their race in full-speed “bursts” and not “waited” with, as is often the case nowadays.”
The theory strikes me as being perfectly sound mainly for the reason that it does not rest on suppositions and any prepossesed observations. The claim that the horse fills the lungs to their utmost capacity at the very commencement of the gallop, and does not reinflate them continuously while galloping, can readily be established to be right or wrong. There can be no "if" and "but" about it. If the theory is right -personally, I am sure it is- the whole subject of speedn and stamina would have to be discussed from entirely different viewpoints.
“I contend that a thorough study of horse breathing on the part of trainers and jockeys would revolutionise racing.
“If there is one characteristic which overshadows all others in racing men it is their ready acceptance of the superficial and obvious in everything connected with race riding. Every incident of a race, every condition of a horse in relation to racing, has its stereotyped formula of explanation. If a horse does not realize expectations an immediate half dozen nearly and timeworn phrases are glibly accepted as explanation, and when a horse wins a similar series of formulae gush forth from satisfied patrons, either to account for the failure of the beaten or the success of their own.
“The same terms have been in use since horses were first put to race, and most or all are based on fallacies. It is doubtful if many trainers or owners can be found to have really studied the scientific principles on which the running of a horse in a race depends. If they would so they would be surprised at the success which could follow, and some of the unaccountable running of the present day would receive explanation. In fact, many of the so-called cases of crooked running are just as inexplicable to owner and trainer as to everybody else. But many would not be inexplicable if all the facts in the light of real knowledge were examined.
“Space will not allow of discussion of any but one factor, namely, the aeration of horse´s lungs. With the characteristic impulsiveness of mankind in general it seems to have been hastily concluded that the physiology of the horse´s muscles and lungs during a race acts in the same way as ourselves. Races are run, instructions are given to jockeys and explanations after the race are based on this fallacy.
“Let me put facts boldly and briefly. When a man is running he breathes continuously and in increasing strength and speed. If he holds his breath for a second he inevitable prejudices his chances. To breathe continuously and with ease is imperative. This we all know from experience. Moreover, we find our muscles (even when our breathing is perfect) become fatigued and less effective as we pursue the exercise. Now, in neither of these fundamental facts are horses similar to ourselves.
“To take the muscle fatigue first, it is probably certain that horses do not suffer any fatigue or muscle pain when run over any of the distances usual in present day racing. We are left, therefore, with the fact that the breathing is the vital factor in the galloping horse. There again, our human analogy is wrong.
“A horse does not breathe continuously and regularly while galloping, in fact, it does not breathe at all. By that is meant that a horse does not reinflate its lungs in the continuous and imperative manner we adopt ourselves. The process in the horse is to fill the lungs to their greatest capacity at the very commencement of the gallop, and then not to reinflate until this lungful is exhausted. The horse has been evolved to do this in adaptation to the great speed of the gallop at which normal and regular intake of air is impossible.
“We see immediately how important this factor is and how far-reaching are its effects, especially when we try to make a horse carry out a race on our own method of breathing. A horse can only gallop so long as its lungs are charged with air, and it cannot refill them at the gallop. The question arises as to how long this supply will last.
“This depends, not on distance of ground covered nor on rate of speed, but on duration on time. No exact or vouched figures can be given, but it is probably certain the extreme time a horse can gallop at high speed (on a level track) on the one deep inspiration he took at the start of a race is that time taken on the average to cover a little more than nine furlongs. If gradients are galloped over, the necessity for reinflation comes very much earlier and it also follows that a “waiting” race run at a false time will cause a horse to need reinflation of its lungs before anything like nine furlongs have been covered. It is always to be remembered that time is the factor, not speed or distance.
“That is why it is usually observed that a horse is more exhausted (much to the astonishment of everyone concerned) after a slow-run race than one run at a break-neck speed. It follows from what has been said of muscle fatigue that if a horse can reinflate its lungs during a race it becomes again so fresh as it was at the starting post; in fact, the horse makes a fresh starting post at the point it refilled its lungs. Thus in slow-run races, where the so-called “wait and one final dash” policy is adopted, the animal which wins is the one which has managed so to evade the pulling and annoyance of the jockey as to refill its lungs.
“When a horse in sprint races is seen “to come from the clouds” and “finish as fresh as a daisy”, this is what has happened. The horse has in actual fact made a starting post a furlong from home with a well-filled lung. But five furlong races are usually run at speed throughout with forbids reinflation, and this is one reason why placings and form are perhaps a little more reliable in these races.
“In the longer races of one and a half miles or more fast or slow tactics do not affect the issue so much, as these races obviously cannot be run without reinflation by all the horses concerned. Again, it is often observed that a horse guilty of what appears a vicious act during a race, necessitating a temporary stoppage, very often wins in spite of the lost ground. This action on the part of the horse, looking very much like an attempt to kick, and resulting in vigorous tactics by the jockey, is nothing more than a determined effort by the horse to refill its lungs, with results which surprise everybody.
“But if, instead of allowing lung inflation to be an accident jockeys would make it a deliberate action the results would be surprising. It is very likely that the success of some great jockeys of the past and present time is due to an empirical use of the tactics of reinflation. They, perhaps, cannot explain the reason for their action, but constant trial and error has led them to adopt a certain “knack” or habit of easing their horses, and so bringing about reinflation.
“By allowing this process of refilling the lungs to go on at the proper time a horse may be galloped for two miles or more, and yet finish with amazing speed and quite undistressed. This has often been observed. It is certainly very unlikely to be due to any forethought on the part of the jockey, but rather to a combination which has allowed reinflation at the precise moments to gain a maximum effect.
“This method of breathing which the galloping horse adopts is the main factor determining the stayer power of the animal. Naturally, horses vary considerably in their lung capacity, their power of filling at the start of a race and their power of reinflation during a race without undue disadvantage. The capability of a horse to gallop over long distances –that is, its staying-power- does not primarily depend on muscularity, but on the above-named factors.
“Many horses even can only go five and six furlongs when run at high speed throughout, their lung capacity not being equal to the time of a slow run race. But many horses can get up to 1 ¼ miles without reinflation if they are allowed to take the race at their own speed –that is, at one “burst”. But with most horses it seems to be unfortunately the case that the distance they are run over is not the natural or best one indicated by their natural capabilities. It apparently seems to be accepted that by a course of training a sprinter can be made into a long-distance horse; in fact, that the horse can be moulded to run over any distance its connections decide to indulge in. How many thousands of good horses have been ruined by this process only those concerned can know. The fact is that it is probable that a horse´s lung capacity (and associated factors) can be increased very little if at all by training.
“Efforts to increase a horse´s distance by training lead to a ruined horse and one perhaps whose confidence and temper have been spoiled to such an extend even as to make it worthless over its previous best distance. The only way a non-stayer can be raced over a longer distance is to find its reinflation time, and then during the race ease up and allow this process to go on.
“Of course, they must be allowed to run their race in full-speed “bursts” and not “waited” with, as is often the case nowadays.”
The theory strikes me as being perfectly sound mainly for the reason that it does not rest on suppositions and any prepossesed observations. The claim that the horse fills the lungs to their utmost capacity at the very commencement of the gallop, and does not reinflate them continuously while galloping, can readily be established to be right or wrong. There can be no "if" and "but" about it. If the theory is right -personally, I am sure it is- the whole subject of speedn and stamina would have to be discussed from entirely different viewpoints.
Friedrich Becker
Me pregunto: Con toda la tecnología moderna a nuestro servicio, hemos avanzado tanto en desentrañar y avanzar en un mayor conocimiento de lo que analizaban BECKER y SHORNCLIFFE allá a mediados de la década del treinta del siglo pasado?
Fernando
