From a video of Dasher on YouTube under my name sighthound.net
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Lure coursing discussion page!
Always read from the bottom and up.

Monday the 29th of March 2011
Earl writes:

Here is a web site with the type equipment used by about 90% of the clubs in the USA.
      http://www.injoy-1.com/    
The first page you see has a ladder with the standard height pulley we use on display on the upper ladder brace and a tall pulley some try to use with the fuzzy squawker on the lower brace. That does not work well as the squawker is too large and heavy to actually go around even the tall pulley without frequent partial hanging and snagging problems.
 
Click on the word 'Products' above the ladder. On the page that comes up click on the green 'Pulleys' button to see examples of the types we have available. Most people only use as many as needed of the Standard (STD) Corner Pulleys and as few (0 to 3) of the Hold Down type as possible on each course layout to keep the string going where it should for good visibility by the dogs and as low as possible to the ground for the safety of the dogs crossing ditches and uneven ground where the string and lure may leap too high above the ground. Yes, on some fields our courses do go down into and back up out of 1 to 1.5 meter deep by 2 meter wide ditches if the sides are not too steep.
 
If you click on the green 'Machines' button, the second description down the page with a small picture on the right is the machine I favor and use. It is the most often used by most clubs in the USA. The small picture is an older now outdated model. A good current picture of the actual current model is shown on that first web page at the bottom left side of the ladder.
 
I have attached to this note a couple of .jpg pictures of the fuzzy squawker lure we use for straight (200 meter) racing. The 3rd photo is the noise maker that is inside the fuzzy padded body. The wooden end on the rubber bellows holds the noise making reed, much like a ‘wood wind’ orchestra instrument. I have a couple to use when training my IGs. They really go crazy over the squawking furry flipping tail thing as it bounces along the ground. You can see the string on the nose used to attach the thing along with some plastic strips to a 2 meter string on the end of a 2 meter pole for puppy training or the end of the string of a lure machine for teen age and older dog training.
They also make outstanding emergency recall noisemakers for a run away IG or other sight hound. Most dogs will do the fastest recall you have ever seen when you hold the thing up and squawk it loudly.
 Earl
      Elmar Kennel
     Little Rock AR


I couldn’t find a squawker on the above website, but with a god deal of Google’ing, I found this:

www.gemgreyhounds.org/gem_store/squawkers.htm

I have ordered all 3 and will see what’s best! Watch this space!!!!

Wednesday the 23nd of March 2011
Earl in the USA has a good theory as to why Santi would not run Sunday the 20th, I find it very interesting, see here:

Earl writes: "In my opinion, from what can be seen on the video, it was partly a mistake of the starter person (Huntmaster) that caused Santi to decide not to run that day. The Huntmaster waited too long after the start of the lure to start the IGs.

The lure was farther away than it should have been for the little dogs before they were released by their owners/handlers. An experience courser like Santi would likely look at the distance and immediately calculate that he could not possibly catch up with that bunny at that distance. He would conserve his energy for the next opportunity more in his favor for him to have a higher chance of success as catching his supper. ALL predators that hunt by sight and speed (leopards, jackals, wolves, sighthounds, etc) will not take up the chase if they think the prey is too far away for a good chance of success. It is an instinctive survival skill to avoid pointlessly expending energy for little chance of food or reward.

I assume this huntmaster was more accustomed to starting the larger breeds and had a point picked out that she lets the lure travel to, then starts the dogs. It appears to me she didn't adjust that point closer to the dogs to adjust for the smaller height and size of the IGs.
The 'Tally Ho' point for the fastest breeds (whippets and greyhounds) must be adjusted FARTHER out because they accelerate and reach higher speeds than the other breeds. Just the same principal applies and the 'Tally Ho' point must be adjusted CLOSER for the smaller breeds due to their smaller size, height and distance of their 'line of vision'.
Whenever I an at a trial to help avoid this somewhat common problem; at some time not long before the first run of the day for IGs, I always casually mention in a nice way to the Huntmaster AND the Lure Operator "Remember these guys are shorter than all the other breeds and can't see as far over the grass as the larger hounds, so the lure needs to be kept a
little closer ahead of them". The good Lure Operators and Huntmasters already know this, but sometimes fall into a routine of doing the same thing the same way for every course. My reminder bumps their memory and helps them break that 'routine' mind set...."
Earl
Elmar Kennel
Little Rock AR

---

Tuesday the 22nd of March 2011
I have made a stupid mistake! Dasher did not of course, run at 43 km an hour (see below) - although he made the "hare" do so! Thanks Earl! See here what my friend Earl - who is an expert in Lure coursing with MANY years experience - has written to me after seeing the text below:

"The math is OK, except that it is not possible to calculate the speed of the dog from a lure course. Speed is calculated from distance divided by time and it is not possible to measure the distance a dog runs over a lure course as they turn and angle across never following the actual lure path, so one of your input figures is a variable, not an absolute value.
No one dog ever runs the same distance over the exact same course.
No two dogs ever run the same distance over the same course at the same time. You can calculate the average speed the lure runs the course, as it is a mechanical device on a controlled fixed path and it does run exactly the same distance every time. It correlates to the average speed the dogs are running only as a proportional relationship. The faster breeds push the Lure Operator to run the "bunny" at a faster average speed than the slower breeds."
Earl
Little Rock USA

Sunday the 20th of March 2011
The first Lure coursing of the year and the Weather experts had said warmer and sunny – instead we all froze in a cold mist!
See the video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2E1dVvy0-o
Svend says it’s the only job (predicting the weather) where you can constantly make SO MANY big mistakes and miss-inform people without being sacked for it! My fingers were so cold I couldn’t use the camera properly. Everyone suffered.
Dasher is going to try for his coursing licence and needs two clear runs with another IG. But Santi went on strike! One can see on the video linked below, he’d made up his mind not to run, right from the start. He can afford to be picky as he is Denmark’s best (and first ever) Lure coursing IG with many fine titles to his name and he has run in Europe and Sweden, plus he is a show Champion too!)
In the video, Dasher is wearing a Whippet track-racing jacket I have adjusted to fit, as I haven’t got a proper coursing set for him yet! (Santi's "mom" will sew for me!)
My friend Terri in Arkansas, USA has worked out his average speed for me as the video shows the seconds (I reckon 50 secs. from start of run to the green finishing posts?) and the distance was measured to 601 metres.

Svend and I felt our maths wasn't up to it after going mad with trying! Wonderful to have friends with mathematical minds! It's never been my strong point! Do see my best ever lure coursing video from august 2014:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUBeSC4L0Tg

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