Topic:Athletic Horses
The topic of athletic horses encompasses the study and analysis of horses that are trained and conditioned for performance in various disciplines such as racing, show jumping, dressage, and eventing. These horses are subject to specialized training regimens and nutritional plans to optimize their physical capabilities and performance outcomes. Research in this area often focuses on aspects such as biomechanics, cardiovascular fitness, muscle physiology, and injury prevention. This topic includes a collection of peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the physiological adaptations, training methodologies, and health management practices associated with maintaining and enhancing the performance of athletic horses.
Exercise-Induced Cardiac Remodeling: Lessons from Humans, Horses, and Dogs. Physical activity is dependent upon the cardiovascular system adequately delivering blood to meet the metabolic and thermoregulatory demands of exercise. Animals who regularly exercise therefore require a well-adapted heart to support this delivery. The purpose of this review is to examine cardiac structure, and the potential for exercise-induced cardiac remodeling, in animals that regularly engage in strenuous activity. Specifically, we draw upon the literature that has studied the "athlete's heart" in humans, horses, and dogs, to enable the reader to compare and contrast cardiac remodeling i...
Supraglenoid tubercle fractures repair with transverse locking compression plates in 4 horses. To report on a series of 4 horses with supraglenoid tubercle fractures repaired with locking compression plates. Methods: Case series. Methods: Four horses ranging in age from 6 weeks to 20 months and weighing from 121 to 425 kg with supraglenoid tubercle fractures of 1 day to 6 weeks in duration. Methods: Supraglenoid tubercle fractures were reduced and stabilized with transversely positioned locking compression plate(s) with and without additional tension band wiring. Results: All fractures reached bony union. Two postoperative surgical site infections were managed with drainage and antibiot...
Association of low race performance with mtDNA haplogroup L3b of Australian thoroughbred horses. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) encodes the genes for respiratory chain sub-units that determine the efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria. The aim of this study was to determine if there were any haplogroups and variants in mtDNA that could be associated with athletic performance of Thoroughbred horses. The whole mitochondrial genomes of 53 maternally unrelated Australian Thoroughbred horses were sequenced and an association study was performed with the competition histories of 1123 horses within their maternal lineages. A horse mtDNA phylogenetic tree was constructed based on a t...
Long-term follow-up on recovery, return to use and sporting activity: a retrospective study of 236 operated colic horses in Finland (2006-2012). Surgical treatment of colic is expensive and complications may occur. Information on the prognosis and the use of the horse after surgery for colic is important for surgeons and owners. Current literature on return to athletic function after celiotomy is limited. The present study reviewed surgical cases of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Helsinki, Finland for 2006-2012. The aim was to follow the population of horses of different breeds for surgical findings, postsurgical complications, long-term recovery and prognosis. The findings and their influence on survival, return to previous or inte...
Thoracolumbar movement in sound horses trotting in straight lines in hand and on the lunge and the relationship with hind limb symmetry or asymmetry. Equine movement symmetry is changed when turning, which may induce alterations in thoracolumbosacral kinematics; however, this has not previously been investigated. Our objectives were to document thoracolumbar movement in subjectively sound horses comparing straight lines with circles on both reins and to relate these observations to the objectively determined symmetry/asymmetry of hindlimb gait. Fourteen non-lame horses were assessed prospectively in a non-random, cross-sectional survey. The horses were trotted in straight lines and lunged on both reins and inertial sensor data collected at ...
Ability of clinicopathologic variables and clinical examination findings to predict race elimination in endurance horses. OBJECTIVE To compare results of point-of-care laboratory testing with standard veterinary clinical examination findings at a single time point during endurance competition to identify horses at risk for elimination. ANIMALS 101 endurance horses participating in the 2013 Western States 160-km (100-mile) endurance ride. PROCEDURES At the 58-km checkpoint, blood samples were collected from all horses. Samples were analyzed for pH, Pco2, base excess, anion gap, PCV, and whole blood concentrations of sodium, potassium, chloride, total carbon dioxide, BUN, glucose, and bicarbonate. Corrected electro...
[Injuries during Equestrian Vaulting].
Sportverletzung Sportschaden : Organ der Gesellschaft fur Orthopadisch-Traumatologische Sportmedizin
Background: Vaulting is the least studied equestrian sports regarding the occurrence of injuries. As its sequences of motion do not compare to riding, vaulting must be assessed separately. Material and Methods: This retrospective, questionnaire-aided survey was aimed to gain insight into the overall frequency of injuries among equestrian vaulters. The second part of the study looked into the knee injuries that occurred. Survey forms were sent to 60 vaulting and equestrian clubs all over Germany, making for a response rate of 63 %. Results: 95 % of 624 responding athletes were female. The p... Validation of distal limb mounted inertial measurement unit sensors for stride detection in Warmblood horses at walk and trot. Inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor-based techniques are becoming more popular in horses as a tool for objective locomotor assessment. Objective: To describe, evaluate and validate a method of stride detection and quantification at walk and trot using distal limb mounted IMU sensors. Methods: Prospective validation study comparing IMU sensors and motion capture with force plate data. Methods: A total of seven Warmblood horses equipped with metacarpal/metatarsal IMU sensors and reflective markers for motion capture were hand walked and trotted over a force plate. Using four custom built algo...
Intense Exercise and Aerobic Conditioning Associated with Chromium or L-Carnitine Supplementation Modified the Fecal Microbiota of Fillies. Recent studies performed in humans and rats have reported that exercise can alter the intestinal microbiota. Athletic horses perform intense exercise regularly, but studies characterizing horse microbiome during aerobic conditioning programs are still limited. Evidence has indicated that this microbial community is involved in the metabolic homeostasis of the host. Research on ergogenic substances using new sequencing technologies have been limited to the intestinal microbiota and there is a considerable demand for scientific studies that verify the effectiveness of these supplements in horses...
HORSE SPECIES SYMPOSIUM: Biomechanics of the exercising horse. In spite of having large height and body mass, horses are cursorial animals with an extensive gait repertoire and considerable athletic abilities. The limbs have evolved so that the heavy musculature is confined to the proximal limbs while the distal limbs are light in weight with a single functional digit and long, lightweight tendons to move and support the distal joints. These adaptations reduce the moment of inertia and decrease the energy expended to protract and retract the limbs during locomotion. There is a division of labor between the forelimbs, which have a pillar-like construction ...
The effect of oxidative stress during exercise in the horse. Oxidative stress is an imbalance of the oxidant-to-antioxidant ratio in the body. Increases in oxidative stress and changes in antioxidant status have been shown during endurance and intense exercise and eventing competition in horses. Antioxidants include vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and proteins that must be synthesized in the body or obtained from the diet. Therefore, exercise level and diet are both factors that play a role in influencing the oxidative stress and antioxidant status of the equine athlete. Along with exercise intensity and duration, diet, age, and training program can also a...
Appropriate threshold levels of cardiac beat-to-beat variation in semi-automatic analysis of equine ECG recordings. Although premature beats are a matter of concern in horses, the interpretation of equine ECG recordings is complicated by a lack of standardized analysis criteria and a limited knowledge of the normal beat-to-beat variation of equine cardiac rhythm. The purpose of this study was to determine the appropriate threshold levels of maximum acceptable deviation of RR intervals in equine ECG analysis, and to evaluate a novel two-step timing algorithm by quantifying the frequency of arrhythmias in a cohort of healthy adult endurance horses. Results: Beat-to-beat variation differed considerably with he...
Reliability of breath by breath spirometry and relative flow-time indices for pulmonary function testing in horses. Respiratory problems are common in horses, and are often diagnosed as a cause of poor athletic performance. Reliable, accurate and sensitive spirometric tests of airway function in resting horses would assist with the diagnosis of limitations to breathing and facilitate investigations of the effects of various treatments on breathing capacity. The evaluation of respiratory function in horses is challenging and suitable procedures are not widely available to equine practitioners. The determination of relative flow or flow-time measures is used in paediatric patients where compliance may limit c...
Structural and functional characteristics of the thoracolumbar multifidus muscle in horses. The multifidus muscle fascicles of horses attach to vertebral spinous processes after crossing between one to six metameres. The fascicles within one or two metameres are difficult to distinguish in horses. A vertebral motion segment is anatomically formed by two adjacent vertebrae and the interposed soft tissue structures, and excessive mobility of a vertebral motion segment frequently causes osteoarthropathies in sport horses. The importance of the equine multifidus muscle as a vertebral motion segment stabilizer has been demonstrated; however, there is scant documentation of the structure a...
Relationships between body dimensions, body weight, age, gender, breed and echocardiographic dimensions in young endurance horses. The heart's physiological adaptation to aerobic training leads to an increase in heart chamber size, and is referred to as the Athlete's heart. However, heart dimensions are also related to body weight (BWT), body size, growth and (in some species) breed. There are few published data on the relationships between heart dimensions and growth or aerobic training in Arabian and Arabian-related endurance horses. Therefore the objective of the present study was to describe the influence of body dimensions (body length (BL), thoracic circumference (TC), withers height (WH)), BWT, age, gender, breed (...
[Heart disease in sports horses: Current recommendations of the 2014 ACVIM / ECEIM consensus statement]. Heart murmurs and arrhythmias are common in horses. Assessment of their clinical relevance concerning health, performance, safety and longevity of sports horses is of highest importance. A comprehensive cardiovascular examination is crucial for diagnosis and assessment of the severity of disease. Recently, an expert panel of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) and the European College of Equine Internal Medicine (ECEIM) developed a consensus statement containing recommendations for sports horses with heart disease. This article summarizes the most relevant recommendati...
Evaluation of the Tekscan F-SCAN system for measurement of the kicking force in horses. The incidence of fractures after a kick, coupled with marked soft tissue trauma at the site of injury, suggests that the force of a kick from the hind limb of a horse is enormous. The goal of this study was to measure this force and to investigate whether the Tekscan F-SCAN in-shoe pressure measuring system is suitable for quantification of the impact strength of a kick from a horse. The system was tested in 6 horses that had undergone clinical examination and gait analysis. The sensor-shoe combination was attached to each hind foot and the horse was stimulated to kick against a wall. The F-SC...
Effects of racetrack surface and nail placement on movement between heels of the hoof and horseshoes of racehorses. OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of racetrack surface and shoe characteristics on formation of wear grooves in the horseshoes of racehorses. SAMPLES 1,121 horseshoes from 242 Thoroughbred racehorses collected during routine horseshoeing procedures at 4 racetracks with dirt or synthetic surfaces. PROCEDURES Data for 1,014 horseshoes from 233 racehorses were analyzed. Horseshoes were photographed, and length and width of grooves formed at the heels of the solar surface of horseshoes were measured on the photographs. Effects of racetrack, racetrack surface, and shoe characteristics (eg, shoe si...
The kinematics and kinetics of riding a racehorse: A quantitative comparison of a training simulator and real horses. Movement of a racehorse simulator differs to that of a real horse, but the effects of these differences on jockey technique have not been evaluated. We quantified and compared the kinematics and kinetics of jockeys during gallop riding on a simulator and real horses. Inertial measurement units were attached mid-shaft to the long bones of six jockeys and the sacrum of the horse or simulator. Instrumented stirrups were used to measure force. Data were collected during galloping on a synthetic gallop or while riding a racehorse simulator. Jockey kinematics varied more on a real horse compared to ...
How realistic is a racehorse simulator? Race jockey training is demanding and technical. Increased horse care costs and demands on time have led to greater availability and use of racehorse simulators during training. Little is known about the accuracy of the simulated movement and therefore how effective they are for developing the desired technique. We quantified and compared sacral rotation and displacement vectors for a racehorse simulator and a real galloping horse. A single inertial measurement unit was placed on the sacrum of six horses (horse) during a training gallop along an all-weather seven furlong gallop and on the high...
The effect of calcium and vitamin D supplementation on bone health of male Jockeys. Engagement in high volumes of physical activity coupled with energy restriction during periods of musculoskeletal development may compromise bone health. Jockeys limit caloric intakes on a weekly basis often from their mid-to-late teens. The aim of this study was to establish whether calcium and vitamin D supplementation would improve bone turnover markers (BTM) and non-weight bearing bone properties of young male jockeys. Methods: A six-month randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial with two groups of apprentice male jockeys was conducted. Methods: Participants (age 20.18±3.23yea...
Cardio-metabolic responses during horse riding at three different speeds. The purpose of the present investigation was to study the metabolic demand and cardiovascular response during a typical horse riding session. Methods: To this aim, 19 (9 male, 10 female) riders, regularly participating in competitions, were enrolled. They underwent a preliminary, incremental exercise test on a cycle-ergometer to assess their anaerobic threshold (AT) and VO2max. Then, participants underwent a riding training session, which comprised periods of walking, trotting, and cantering for a total of 20 min. Oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), and heart rate (HR) were...
Correlation of Articular Cartilage Thickness Measurements Made with Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Magnetic Resonance Arthrography, and Computed Tomographic Arthrography with Gross Articular Cartilage Thickness in the Equine Metacarpophalangeal Joint. Osteoarthritis of the metacarpophalangeal joint is common cause of lameness in equine athletes, and is hallmarked by articular cartilage damage. An accurate, noninvasive method for measuring cartilage thickness would be beneficial to screen for cartilage injury and allow for prompt initiation of interventional therapy. The objective of this methods comparison study was to compare computed tomographic arthrography (CTA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) measurements of articular cartilage thickness with gross measurements in the metacarpophalangeal joi...
Exercise and Rehabilitation of Older Horses. An increasing percentage of the equine population is more than 15 years old, many performing various athletic activities into their 20s. Studies of aged humans have led to a fine tuning of exercise prescription to promote fitness while preventing adverse and potentially dangerous effects of excessive exercise. However, limited data exist regarding the exercise capacity of aged horses. This article presents an overview of published studies on aging-induced decreases in physiologic function and exercise capacity in the horse. The information presented can be used as a guide for exercise prescrip...
An investigation into the prevalence and impact of breast pain, bra issues and breast size on female horse riders. For female horse riders, breast pain, bra issues and breast size may be important concerns which have yet to be considered. This study aimed to establish the prevalence of breast pain and bra issues in female horse riders and explores the impact of breast size on breast pain and bra issues. A 6-part, 32 question online survey was completed by 1324 females who participated in horse riding activities. Descriptive and chi-squared (χ) analyses were utilised; data for 1265 participants were included in the final analysis. Breast pain was experienced by 40% of all participants and this was signific...
Nociceptive and sympathetic innervations in the abaxial part of the cranial horn of the equine medial meniscus: an immunohistochemical approach. In athletic horses, diseases leading to lameness are of great importance due to the loss of performance and the resultant economic concerns. Although stifle lesions are frequent in the hindlimb, due to the large size and complexity of the joint, and although meniscal tears have been identified as the most common soft tissue injuries in this joint, little is known about the mechanism that causes the painful sensation and thus the lameness. The aim of our study was to highlight any peripheral fibres involved in meniscal nociception in five macroscopically sound cranial horns of the equine medial...
Studies on exercise physiology of the racehorse performed in Japan during the period from the 1930s to the 1970s: respiration and heart rate during exercise and the effect of exercise on blood characteristics. After publication of the epic report on equine exercise physiology by Matsuba and Shimamura in 1933, papers on exercise physiology of the racehorse in Japan began appearing in scientific journals and increased in number. In 1944, respiration during exercise at a walk, trot, and canter was measured by recording expiratory sounds with a microphone attached near the nostril. Respiratory frequency during cantering was synchronized with stride frequency, and expiratory sounds were found to occur during the stance phase of the trailing forelimb. Development of a radiotelemetry system in 1964 for ele...
Left Ventricular Function After Prolonged Exercise in Equine Endurance Athletes. Prolonged exercise in human athletes is associated with transient impairment of left ventricular (LV) function, known as cardiac fatigue. Cardiac effects of prolonged exercise in horses remain unknown. Objective: To investigate the effects of prolonged exercise on LV systolic and diastolic function in horses. Methods: Twenty-six horses competing in 120-160 km endurance rides. Methods: Cross-sectional field study. Echocardiography was performed before and after rides, and the following morning, and included two-dimensional echocardiography, anatomical M-mode, pulsed-wave tissue Doppler imaging...
Exercising arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in horses: Review of the literature and comparative aspects. Arrhythmias are common in equine athletes during and immediately after exercise. Many of these rhythm variations are not clinically relevant. In horses, a link between different exercising arrhythmias and poor performance or between exercising arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD) is strongly suspected but not fully understood or proven. SCD during races or competitions is rare, but has catastrophic consequences for the safety of the human partner and public perceptions of welfare during equestrian sports. This review summarises current knowledge of equine exercise arrhythmias and their i...
Effects of Age, Exercise Duration, and Test Conditions on Heart Rate Variability in Young Endurance Horses. Although cardiac recovery is an important criterion for ranking horses in endurance competitions, heart rate variability (HRV) has hardly ever been studied in the context of this equestrian discipline. In the present study, we sought to determine whether HRV is affected by parameters such as age, exercise duration and test site. Accordingly, HRV might be used to select endurance horses with the fastest cardiac recovery. The main objective of the present study was to determine the effects of age, exercise duration, and test site on HRV variables at rest and during exercise and recovery in young...