Great Piece: Equine Athlete Psychology

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by Riot

Can you copy here what he wrote about those two?

Yes, as can you. I'll do it, even though I know you are baiting me and think you'll make me look more foolish than I already am.

Trinniberg:

Trinniberg shows no interest at all in the group dynamic, and that could be a problem in a 20-horse field. He runs as fast as he can for as long as he can. He shows very little interpretation of stimulus behind him or even to the side.

I don’t see any indicators that he has enough of a group dynamic to manage a herd over a distance. This is not a drag race. This is a distance race.

Bodemeister:

Bodemeister’s patterns of motion are completely different than any horse in this field or any horse I’ve seen so far. His comfort zone is being alone. That’s not normal in horses.

His sweet spot is a forward distance focus, and he doesn’t need a target. His target is open space. That’s where he does his best. He has a fascinating emotional conformation profile. It’s like he’s looking forever in front of him, yet he has very good stimulus interpretation around him. He engages quickly.

Bodemeister will not be as prone to individual battles for space as some of these other horses. He doesn’t care. He just wants to be free of all of it, and his comfort zone is to move forward and away. Bodemeister knows what is behind him, but he doesn’t lock onto it.

At this point in his development, I think Bodemeister is better at being chased than he is at chasing or moving in a group. Being pushed from behind made him go faster in Arkansas. That puts him somewhat at the mercy of race dynamics. To win this Derby, I think he will have to get out and go. I would not want to see him tangled up in Derby traffic competing for space. That’s not his sweet spot psychologically.