Encinitas, CA
Some trainers are consistently able to improve a horse after a claim. Can you give some examples of how you improve your new claims and some of the methods you use?
Dutrow:
It doesn\'t necessarily have to be claim because I do the same for any new horse that comes into my barn. One thing I concentrate on is how they push off and the next thing is how they hit the ground up front. I have a very good hind end specialist in my vet, Dr. Steve Allday, and have a blacksmith who makes sure they hit the ground. I try a lot of different things to get them to push off the right way. If they do that and hit the ground, that is half of the battle. A lot of trainers don\'t have the right people getting on their horses, so they don\'t know they are not pushing off the right way. I have very good people getting on my horses. But there are a whole lot of things that go into it. We also give them the best hay, the best straw, and the best grain.
I tried some of that grain for breakfast one day, and they couldn\'t catch me till after lunch.
The best hay, the best grain and nightly visits from Victor Conte!