Performance

Athletic performance in horses refers to a horse's physical capacity to perform work, whether that means accelerating down the final stretch of a racetrack, clearing a technical jumping combination, or maintaining collection through a dressage test. Performance depends on how...

Oxygen is essential for sustaining life and fueling performance, especially in athletic horses. The ability to take in oxygen from the environment, deliver it through the bloodstream, and use it within the muscles is critical for energy production, movement, and...

Horse racing demands speed, precision, and safety—for both horses and riders. Inadequate racetrack surfaces are considered a risk factor for musculoskeletal and catastrophic injuries in horses at high speeds, making track design a crucial factor in preventing harm. To meet...

Equine nasal strips are non-invasive devices used to support respiratory function in horses during intense physical activity. Made from stiff, spring-loaded plastic with an adhesive backing, these strips are applied externally across the upper part of the horse's nose. Their...

Horses that are well-conditioned or physically fit are better able to perform their work. A fit horse has a reduced risk of injury and soreness and their increased strength allows them to work more effectively. Achieving peak performance in horses...

"In the womb," is how FEI dressage trainer and athlete Allie Schmidt jokingly describes the start of her equestrian career. Allie's mother has been an avid rider throughout her adult life and passed her passion for horses on to her...

Camille Bergeron isn't sitting back, but she is enjoying the ride. The Grand Prix dressage rider has a long list of early-career highlights, and over the past two years, an air of excitement has grown around Bergeron's development as an...

Ground pole exercises are a versatile and highly effective tool for equestrians seeking to improve their horse's fitness, coordination, and mental engagement. Moreover, they’re cost-effective and easy to set up, requiring minimal equipment and space. Whether you’re training a dressage...

Canadian showjumper Sean Jobin enjoys data-driven success - Sean Jobin's efficiency in the saddle jumps out. His cues are subtle and effective, his sightline is up and ahead, and his navigation of obstacles is confident and smooth. On course, as...

High performance horses are no different than the world's top human athletes. Like professional soccer players or Olympic swimmers, elite equine athletes need to be extremely fit to consistently perform strenuous physical activity and compete at the top of their...

Megan Shea has always been about horses. As a nine-year-old, her father took her to The Royal Winter Fair, Canada's premier indoor agricultural fair and equestrian event. She describes the feeling as she watched the horses on the show-lit ring...

Six-time Olympic dressage medalist Charlotte Dujardin voluntarily withdrew from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after a video emerged of Dujardin "making an error of judgment" during a coaching session years ago. The International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) initiated an...

It was a long shot, with the odds stacked squarely against them. After failing to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, Canada's Eventing Team was at risk of missing out on a team spot for Paris 2024. Missing the...

The 2024 Paris Olympics is the next major sporting event on every equestrian’s calendar. This competition will bring together 200 horse and rider combinations to compete in the disciplines of [...]

Eventing is one of three Olympic equestrian sports in the Paris 2024 Games. Eventers are the triathletes of the equestrian world. At Paris 2024, the world's best horses and riders will complete three phases of competition on the palace grounds...

Para equestrian is the only equestrian sport held at the Paralympics, including at the upcoming Paris 2024 Paralympics in September. Para equestrian athletes demonstrate precision and harmony with their equine counterparts as they perform different dressage movements in the Paralympic...

Kendal Lehari is passionate about all things horses. She has an unwavering drive to succeed and the tenacity to make things happen. From raising and training promising foals to re-training racehorses into top-level Eventing athletes, Kendal has the patience to...

Karl Slezak, a member of the Canadian Eventing Team, is one of those people who immediately makes you feel comfortable and eager to hear his story. His calm demeanour and friendly approach invite you into his life. And his life...

Mike Winter, a member of the Canadian Eventing Team and a world-class equestrian athlete, doesn’t want to talk about his successes, his equestrian business in England, or even much about his competition experience. Instead, Mike wants to focus on the...

Jumping is one of three equestrian sports featured in the Olympic Games. The speed and precision of show jumping make this sport a spectator favourite. Equestrian jumping events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will test the ability of the...

Photo: Cealy Tetley 2023 You might call it serendipity — when everything falls into place and something extraordinary happens. Lindsay Traisnel, a life-long equestrian and member of the Canadian National [...]

Dressage is one of three equestrian sports featured at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Known as the highest expression of horse training, dressage is an equestrian discipline that develops the horse's strength, balance, and rideability. In competition, dressage athletes perform movements...

Performance horses have higher energy and protein requirements than horses at maintenance (not exercising). Formulating diets to meet the requirements of horses in work should take into account their level of work and performance goals, as well as help mitigate...