So she's already noticed the issue herself.
With that thought, Makoto nodded and explained patiently:
"Even among Uma Musume, your physical strength is exceptional—but that strength makes it harder for you to control your movements precisely. That's why other trainers see you as only suited for short-distance races."
"To use a simple analogy, let's say someone else's punch hits like one ton, while yours hits like ten tons. With enough training, obviously your punch would be far stronger. But without sufficient practice, you'd have a harder time controlling it."
"My punch…? Ten tons is exaggerating a bit, Trainer..."
Kitasan raised her fist and stared at it for a moment, laughing sheepishly. Then she quickly nodded again.
"But I think I understand your point. How exactly should I train, then?"
"As long as you get what I mean, that's good."
Makoto acknowledged her understanding approvingly, then continued calmly:
"Strength control is complicated because many factors are involved. That's why I called it a surface-level problem."
"The specific factor I want to address today is your gait and running form."
He grabbed the training ground fence and lightly lifted himself, demonstrating the movements.
"Over the past few days, while reviewing your training videos, I noticed your gait is quite chaotic, your rhythm almost completely inconsistent."
"In most cases, the gait Uma Musume use in races is called the 'gallop.'"
"To simplify, it goes front leg down, back leg down, front leg again, back leg again, then a brief airborne phase—and repeats."
As he spoke, he slowly demonstrated the standard galloping gait used by Uma Musume during races.
"Counting from each airborne phase, one cycle of the 'gallop' involves four distinct footfalls, making it a 'four-beat' rhythm."
"But during your training, you haven't only been using a gallop. You've also mixed in a 'canter.'"
"Front leg, back leg, front leg, airborne—that's the 'three-beat' rhythm of a 'canter.'"
"These two gaits have entirely different rhythms. Usually, Uma Musume who mix these will either lose their rhythm, slow down, or more likely both."
"But you, Kita…"
Makoto released the fence, dropping back onto the ground after demonstrating the canter, shaking his head with a wry smile.
"You've actually managed to maintain decent speed despite mixing three-beat and four-beat rhythms chaotically. Should I call you a genius or… just a genius?"
Kitasan froze for a moment, then scratched her head again, chuckling shyly.
"Ehehe, Trainer, you really don't have to praise me that much..."
…She didn't realize I was being sarcastic?
Feeling slightly deflated, Makoto massaged his forehead briefly before refocusing.
Extreme acrobatics involved a considerable amount of martial arts and combat knowledge, demanding a thorough understanding of human physiology and injuries.
Applying this knowledge to training Uma Musume might not immediately elevate him to number one in the industry, but it certainly gave him some unique insights. Considering this world's current timeline was roughly a decade behind his former one, many of his methods would be considered advanced.
The overall standard in the Japanese Uma Musume industry wasn't very high yet, giving him plenty of room to innovate.
Take strength control, for example.
If any of the trainers at Tracen Academy truly understood how to fully harness Kitasan Black's raw potential, she would already have become famous—and certainly wouldn't have been left for him to train.
The fact that this hadn't happened, and that Kitasan was labeled "only suitable for short-distance races" in official assessments, showed clearly that other trainers had overlooked her true potential.
But Makoto also recognized his own shortcomings.
Between this life and his previous one, he had practically no experience interacting with girls Kitasan's age. Also, being an acrobatics performer wasn't the same as being a coach. If he wanted to fully realize Kitasan's incredible talent and help her become a first-class Uma Musume, he'd have to learn patiently and gain experience along the way.
Given Kitasan's straightforward, somewhat clumsy personality, perhaps it'd be better to speak more directly rather than expecting her to grasp sarcasm.
"I wasn't actually praising you. Remember, I started by saying your gait is a complete mess. Mixing these two rhythms really isn't good."
Having decided on this approach, Makoto directly stated his thoughts. Seeing Kitasan's proud expression instantly stiffen, he quickly softened his tone, adding reassuringly:
"But don't worry. Since I identified the problem, I naturally have a way to fix it."
"Come with me."
Taking the stopwatch and tablet from Kitasan's hands, Makoto turned toward the school building area.
Kitasan hurriedly followed, glancing back toward the track in confusion.
"Trainer, we're… not continuing training here?"
Scrolling through his tablet, Makoto replied casually:
"No, not for now."
"You already have basic training classes, which I'll also be attending from now on. So, right now, I'm arranging some special training for you."
Tracen Academy's schedule was similar to other schools. Classes typically ran until three or four in the afternoon, including both academic subjects like Japanese literature and math, as well as Uma Musume-specific lessons such as racing history and strategy.
Outdoor activities included basic physical training like running and swimming. After signing a contract with a trainer, each Uma Musume received personalized training sessions following afternoon classes.
Now was precisely that training time. The grounds were full of Uma Musume hard at work in their own specialized routines. On the way toward the academic buildings, they passed numerous tracks and training areas bustling with activity.
Instead of entering the main school building, Makoto led Kitasan into the large dance studio in the multipurpose hall.
The dance studio was spacious enough to accommodate over a hundred students simultaneously, though currently there were only about thirty Uma Musume inside, divided into three groups of roughly ten, each group practicing different dance routines under the guidance of their teachers.
Just as Makoto stepped into the studio, intending to greet one of the instructors, Kitasan whispered excitedly:
"Oh! It's Crown-chan…"
Surprised by her sudden enthusiasm, Makoto glanced at Kitasan—who was covering her mouth, eyes shining with admiration—and then followed her gaze toward one particular Uma Musume among those practicing dance.
The girl had long black hair and deep emerald eyes. As she gracefully moved through her steps, she wore a faint, confident smile.
Judging by the elegant precision of her movements, she clearly had the highest dance skill among those present.
"Crown… Satono Crown?"
Connecting Kitasan's earlier comment with the appearance of the girl, Makoto quickly recalled a particular student's data profile.
"You mean the eldest daughter of the Satono family?"
"Yeah! I'm in the same class as her and her younger sister! Oh, and I'm even roommates with Dia-chan!"
Excitement once again made Kitasan's voice grow louder unconsciously.
"Crown-chan's amazing! She already debuted last year and won both her races! She's really incredible!"