Mine That Bird - training at altitude (again)

[ScrapingThePaint]

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/ ... new-mexico

Excerpt:

Mine That Bird had a van ride from Saratoga Springs, N.Y., to Newark. N.J., and then a four-and-a-half-hour flight from Newark to El Paso, Texas, Sept. 1. The gelding spent the night at a training facility near Sunland Park and was vanned to Ruidoso Downs Sept. 2.

“Everything went really well. It was smooth. The entire (flight) crew was very professional,” said trainer Chip Woolley. “I like the idea of training at altitude. He’ll be galloping every day.”

Ruidoso Downs is at a 6,900-foot altitude.

How many days/weeks of altitude training are needed in order to get a positive effect on stamina, lung capacity, oxygenation, etc.?

[Moonwalker]

When I moved to Colorado Springs (6000+ feet above sea level) from Louisville (approx. 400 feet above sea level),
it took 2-3 weeks to acclimate. I'm told it makes a change in one's blood -- an increase in red blood cells (? something like that, not a dr. here.) It might be my imagination, but I know when I go back to Kentucky and Indiana for visits, I feel more energetic, like I've come from the planet Krypton to Earth, LOL.

The Olympic training center is here in Colorado Springs, so there might be some truth to this. Smart move taking "the Bird" back to a higher altitude. They might have to go easy with him for a while and make sure he gets plenty of water until he adjusts, so he doesn't get sick.

Altitude sickness is miserable -- I had it for a bit when I first moved here.
Trying to unload a truck and move furniture to a third floor apartment in a much higher altitude than I was used to was a nightmare! But now I can walk mountain trails with ease.

Mary MMM

[Kermit]

Yep, it builds extra red blood cells to get extra O2 needed at altitude. When you go back down to much lower, they are still there for a couple of weeks.
Must mean something, my heart Dr. told me to get the hell out of Colorado Springs and head for the flats.

Kermit, breathing well in Dallas

[PrivateSmiles]

As a past resident of Colorado Springs I definitely agree on all that has been said about the affects of altitude. Going down to sea level for a brief while (week or even more) you feel like you can jump over houses.

[ScrapingThePaint]

So Bird has about a month to pump up the red blood cells before shipping to Oak Tree for the Goodwood. Competitive edge for the Goodwood, maybe?

Then, unless he returns to Ruidoso in the interim, he will have another 4 weeks to come back down to earth (so to speak) for the BCC.