Training Thoroughbred Horses [Hardcover]

Alex Bower (Author), Preston M. Burch (Author, Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1992

The training secrets of Hall-of-Fame trainer, Preston Burch, are once again available in his classic book, Training Thoroughbred Horses. In it he explains how to select, train and campaign horses of all aptitudes to become tough, competitive winners. Burch will teach you how to select yearlings with potential, break and train impressionable young horses, select training regimens to condition horses as individuals, select races which will improve the horse, and how to pick the jockey which is best suited for the animal. You will learn how to feed simple rations that turn into strength and stamina, manage your racing stable so horses remain calm yet fit and how to win more races by understanding the condition book.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Born in 1884 to Hall of Fame Trainer William P. Burch, Preston Burch grew up surrounded by the best trainers racing has ever seen, including James Rowe Sr., Sam Hildreth and Green B. Morris. From them, Burch studied and adopted the best to create his unique style of training. He became almost legendary for getting the best out of every horse in his charge. Burch won nearly every major race and captured nearly every award, title and accolade that racing can bestow. In 1963 he was elected into the Hall of Fame.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

From the Preface: Horses which can't stay the distance are being dropped into shorter and shorter races. The race cards of most tracks consist primarily of sprints. Even these short races are proving to be too grueling for today's finest Thoroughbreds. It's possible that the problem lies not in the quality of horseflesh we have today, but in the manner that we care for and develop it. We have become accustomed to applying quick fixes and instant solutions to complicated problems. Perhaps we need to look back forty years to see how tough, sound racehorses are trained, fed, conditioned and care for; back to an age when Master Horsemen built champions from the ground up, day by day, mile by mile. No trainer epitomizes the Master Horseman better than Preston Burch.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 119 pages
• Publisher: Russell Meerdink Company (July 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 092934619X
• ISBN-13: 978-0929346199
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #78,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Animal Care & Pets > Horses > Showing & Training
  • #24 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Animals > Horses
  • #26 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Horses > Racing

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, November 25, 2000

By 

fblaw6 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Training Thoroughbred Horses (Hardcover)

Impossible that present day horses would beat any horse trained by Preston Burch. Just read the exercise prescriptions in this book and be blown away. I certainly was. Here is carefully controlled training by a trainer understanding that his horses are participating in an athletic event. This is a book about conditioning equine athletes and also contains every other aspect of training and caring for thoroughbred race horses in a well written book by an individual who apparently understood the great care required. I held off reading this fearing it was dated, but what a pleasant surprise to find the extreme if succinct comprehensiveness here, every aspect is covered by a fellow who tried to do everything correctly. This is Ivers before Ivers, and one does wonder whatever happened to trainers like Max Hirsch and Preston Burch.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Preston Burch, where are you?, December 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Training Thoroughbred Horses (Hardcover)

If every owner had a trainer like Preston Burch, there would be a lot more owners.

This is a cornerstone book for a racing library. There is a large amount of fundamental training information in this simply written little book.

The sections on conditioning schedules are invaluable. The degree of conditioning Burch afforded his horses is probably unmatched today.

Read this book, and then end it to your trainer (if he can read).

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you are just starting in this business...read this book., February 19, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Training Thoroughbred Horses (Hardcover)

If you are just starting out in this business, you should read this book. Preston Burch gives you a simple, direct and enlightening understanding of thoroughbred horses. This book may have been published almost 50 years ago but in every advancement man has made we constantly find ourselves going back to old knowledge and wisdom.