Holding some plans in his heart, Doctor Kokobu slowly shifted the topic:
"…What I mentioned earlier, the 'Sasa Needle Therapy', is also known as 'Bamboo Needle' or 'Uma Musume Acupuncture'."
"Through the example I gave, you should understand—if fortune smiles, this therapy can bring excellent effects for an Uma Musume. But if misfortune strikes… and in truth, most of the time it is misfortune—it could mean the end of a Uma Musume's career, or even her very life."
"I, along with a portion of other equine physicians, do not approve of this treatment. We have negotiated many times with the URA Association to abolish it. But with those old men in URA…" He sighed and shook his head, speaking with utmost seriousness:
"In any case, whatever happens, one must be cautious—extremely cautious—with this therapy. You cannot be too careful."
"And to avoid ever reaching that point, one must pay attention to all aspects of a Uma Musume's condition in daily life."
Hmm. I already understood how unreliable "Sasa Needle Therapy" is, as well as the great importance of good conditioning for horse girls.
Silently agreeing, Kitahara nodded without speaking, keeping the same earnest attitude he had shown while listening to Doctor Kokobu's guidance before.
Seeing this, the doctor's expression grew gentler. "I also know that I cannot oppose just for the sake of opposition. So, in order to replace the Sasa Needle treatment, I have been researching another system."
"This system, put simply, isn't complicated—it's about devoting more effort to caring for them before they fall ill."
"Hot spring baths, nutrition, rest, massage, as well as methods like foam rollers, rubber tennis balls, fascia blades… These combined form a therapeutic system. In fact, it's quite mainstream internationally now, but…"
Suddenly, his expression turned troubled.
"Such a complete regimen requires not only adequate expertise, but also professional equipment and facilities. The cost of implementing it all is enormous. Even the Central branch does not have such a comprehensive system."
"Furthermore, compared to prevention, most people place more faith in tangible treatments. They believe that when an Uma Musume is injured or sick, treating her is what truly matters."
"But if you can prevent illness from the start, why wait for tragedy to strike? Alas…"
Kitahara deeply agreed. He too felt that prevention was more important than treatment.
He humbly said, "If I say anything wrong, I hope you'll correct me, Doctor."
"Just call me Uncle Kokobu. I was close with your uncle, so it's perfectly reasonable for you to call me uncle too." The doctor nodded with a smile.
It was clear he valued him greatly. Kitahara straightened up, speaking earnestly.
"It is said that King Wen of Wei once asked Bian Que, 'Which of your brothers has the best medical skill?' Bian Que replied without hesitation: the eldest is the best, the second is next, and he himself is the worst."
"The reason he gave was this: the eldest treats before illness arises, the second treats at the onset, while he himself treats only after the illness becomes severe."
Kitahara's eyes showed regret. "And because of this, people believed Bian Hong could treat nothing, Bian Yan only small ailments, while Bian Que—though the least skilled, yet producing the most visible effects—became the most famous."
Doctor Kokobu also shook his head with a bitter smile. "You're right. Most people's vision is that short-sighted. They only see therapies like the Sasa Needle creating 'miracles,' or how surgery, injections, and medicine can restore an Uma Musume's health. But they never consider that with proper prevention from the beginning, she wouldn't need to suffer at all."
Then he fell silent. After a long pause, he looked straight at Kitahara with solemn eyes.
"Kitahara, since you understand prevention, and already have some medical knowledge, I want to ask you—would you be willing to learn my system of prevention?"
"If you're willing, I will sort it all out and teach you everything. As for some of the necessary equipment, I can try to provide or lend it to you."
Kitahara froze, then was overwhelmed with joy.
He had never imagined that simply bringing Oguri Cap and Belno Light to a check-up would actually earn him a whole new skill set!
Though calling it a "skill" wasn't quite accurate—more like a training method. Because in his previous world, "prevention" had long been a well-established, systematic discipline within sports science.
And this was exactly what Kitahara lacked most.
Before crossing over, he was not a professional athlete. While his ranch and club experience gave him some knowledge of horse care, training Uma Musume was fundamentally different. In fact, it was closer to training human athletes.
Since he had been unfamiliar with professional training, and his predecessor had only local-level knowledge, Kitahara had to cram desperately for months just to keep up with Oguri Cap's needs.
He had long wanted to find an opportunity to learn more professional training knowledge.
He originally planned to study seriously under his uncle after transferring to Central, but unexpectedly, this hospital visit led to Doctor Kokobu taking a liking to him and offering direct guidance.
After a full day of conversation, Kitahara was convinced that—even in all of Japan—Doctor Kokobu was among the rare few with such rich experience and advanced ideas. Many of his views were on par with international best practices.
Kitahara had complete confidence in his expertise.
Without much hesitation, he nodded firmly.
"Thank you, Uncle Kokobu. I'm willing to learn! No matter how difficult, I'll study hard!"
Doctor Kokobu nodded in satisfaction. "In truth, I should be thanking you."
On his refined yet aging face appeared a trace of melancholy. "Over these years, I've poured untold effort into these methods. I've spoken to the URA Association, to your Sixth Uncle, to old men like Nesei…"
"Musaka and Nesei can at least accept my ideas, but the URA is full of stubborn old fools. Add to that the influence of entrenched family traditions, and… sigh."
He broke off, shaking his head, then changed the subject. "Anyway, my wish is simply for Uma Musume to shine on the racetrack. That wish, I believe, is no less sincere than any trainer's. It was this very wish that made me a physician for Uma Musume."
"Give me some time. I'll carefully prepare the whole system and contact you by phone."
(End of Chapter)