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We were lucky enough to meet Christophe and Miguel Clément, trainers at Saratoga Park, New York. They told us about their experience with Equimetre and how they integrate it into their daily work with horses
Why did they integrate Equimetre and data collection into their daily training routine? Who initiated the idea?
Find out all the answers in this interview!
Could you please introduce yourselves?
Christophe Clément: My name is Christophe Clément. I am using EQUIMETRE with my son, I’m still in the learning phase, but I am really happy about it. Indeed, my brother in France, Nicolas Clément, used it and was very positive about it.
Miguel Clément:I am Miguel Clément. I have been working with my dad in the States, at Saratoga Park, New York. We have been using EQUIMETRE, since, I believe, November 2022.
What do you find most appealing about it? What’s the main advantage for you?
Miguel Clément: It is a tool that helps better assess your work, so how your horses’ level of fitness should be used and incorporated. It’s accurate and it’s very reliable.
Can you share an instance where the data from Equimetre influenced a decision or provided insight?
Miguel Clément: There have been many times we actually used it as reference points. For example, it is accurate for distance. A lot of times in New York, we’re not sure of the turf configuration. We have to make extreme choices, either 5,5 on the grass or -16. And there are two polar opposites. So it is quite straightforward if you have a miler or a sprinter. But when you have horses that run in between, you know horses that run six furlongs, seven furlongs, it is not as obvious which way you go. You know, your turf works here. You always bring around the cones, so you are racing maybe 30, 40, 50 feet off the rail. So having a device on them to actually measure their own internal splits instead of around the cones just gives you a better idea.
Christophe Clément: I think it has been very useful mostly, in our case, with horses who were getting to a race from a long layoff or like younger horses unraced, especially two years old.
Miguel Clément: You are going to be two years old, and you are not quite sure of yourself. You have one that outworked the other one during training. It could mean one is mediocre, or the other is exceptionally good or bad. It is nice to have little tools, that like always assist you.
How do you manage data collection and decide which horses wear the device?
Miguel Clément: For any important race, the horses get preference for the device, either the two years old or the unraced horses. I think the more feedback you get before the debut, the better it is. There has been times, I am not sure of ourselves when two races take place. The trick is to get them to the races as quickly as you possibly can, because the quickly you get them to the races, the easy the level of competition tends to be. I am convinced that the two years old races in May, are weaker than the two years old races we have in July, and that those races in hand would be weaker than the two years old races you have in September and October. The quickly you get them to the races, the weaker they are. Try to get them to the races as quickly as you can, as long as they are fit enough. Sometimes it is just used to confirm what you already previously believed, and sometimes it makes you think and challenges you to have an open mind.
Christophe Clément: New does not always mean that it is not the right thing. Just keep trying different new things, and some of it will work and some of it will not work.
Looking ahead, what improvements or features would you like to see in the product?
Miguel Clement: I’d love to see enhanced feedback on surface analysis. Understanding whether a horse is more suited to turf, dirt, or all-weather conditions would be a game-changer. It’s another variable we deal with daily, and having a tool that could provide insights into surface preference would be invaluable.
Key words: Equimetre, Arioneo, data, horses, testimonial, Clement, welfare, analysis
Photo: https://clementstable.com/