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Topic:Exercise
Exercise in horses encompasses the physical activities that horses engage in, either through natural behaviors or structured training programs. These activities impact a horse's musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems, influencing overall health and performance. Exercise can vary in intensity, duration, and frequency, and its effects are studied to understand conditioning, endurance, and recovery processes in equines. Research in this field often focuses on the physiological adaptations to different types of exercise, the prevention of exercise-related injuries, and the optimization of training regimens for various equestrian disciplines. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the physiological, biomechanical, and health-related aspects of exercise in horses.
Effect of a tart cherry juice blend on exercise-induced muscle damage in horses. To evaluate whether administering a tart cherry juice blend (TCJB) prior to exercise would reduce skeletal and cardiac muscle damage by decreasing the inflammatory and oxidative stress response to exercise in horses. Methods: 6 horses. Methods: Horses were randomly allocated into 2 groups in a crossover study with a 2-week washout period and orally administered either TCJB or a placebo solution (1.42 L, twice daily) in a double-masked protocol for 2 weeks prior to a stepwise incremental exercise protocol. Horses were tested for serum activities of creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase...
Role of the hypoglossal nerve in equine nasopharyngeal stability. The equine upper airway is highly adapted to provide the extremely high oxygen demand associated with strenuous aerobic exercise in this species. The tongue musculature, innervated by the hypoglossal nerve, plays an important role in airway stability in humans who also have a highly adapted upper airway to allow speech. The role of the hypoglossal nerve in stabilizing the equine upper airway has not been established. Isolated tongues from eight mature horses were dissected to determine the distal anatomy and branching of the equine hypoglossal nerve. Using this information, a peripheral nerve ...
Overtrained horses alter their resting pulsatile growth hormone secretion. The influence of intensified and reduced training on nocturnal growth hormone (GH) secretion and elimination dynamics was studied in young (1.5 yr) Standardbred geldings to detect potential markers indicative for early overtraining. Ten horses trained on a treadmill for 32 wk in age-, breed-, and gender-matched fixed pairs. Training was divided into four phases (4, 18, 6, and 4 wk, respectively): 1) habituation to high-speed treadmill trotting, 2) normal training, in which speed and duration of training sessions were gradually increased, 3) in this phase, the horses were divided into 2 groups:...
A genome scan for positive selection in thoroughbred horses. Thoroughbred horses have been selected for exceptional racing performance resulting in system-wide structural and functional adaptations contributing to elite athletic phenotypes. Because selection has been recent and intense in a closed population that stems from a small number of founder animals Thoroughbreds represent a unique population within which to identify genomic contributions to exercise-related traits. Employing a population genetics-based hitchhiking mapping approach we performed a genome scan using 394 autosomal and X chromosome microsatellite loci and identified positively selec...
Influence of different exercise regimes on the proximal hoof circumference in young Thoroughbred horses. Most lameness in horses relates to foot problems and may be associated with changes in hoof shape, but there is a lack of information on the influence of normal exercise on hoof shape. Objective: To investigate the effect of training on proximal hoof circumference in young Thoroughbred racehorses being prepared for racing. Methods: Thirty-seven young Thoroughbred racehorses were included in this study. Front hoof circumference immediately below the coronary band was measured weekly with a measuring tape in all horses present at the stable. Most horses accomplished a minimum of 2 training perio...
Ex vivo calibration and validation of in vivo equine bone strain measures. Data are required to confirm that strain gauges recording high bone strains in Thoroughbred racehorses provide an accurate record of bone strain. Objective: To test the accuracy and reliability of very high in vivo strain recordings made during fast exercise in Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Strains were recorded during exercise from rosette gauges implanted onto the mid-shaft dorsal cortex of each third metacarpal bone (MC3) in 6 yearling and 6 mature Thoroughbreds in a previous experiment. Bulk elastic modulus (E(US)) was calculated from ultrasound speed and single photon absorptiometry m...
Influence of different head-neck positions on vertical ground reaction forces, linear and time parameters in the unridden horse walking and trotting on a treadmill. It is believed that the head-neck position (HNP) has specific effects on the loading pattern of the equine locomotor system, but very few quantitative data are available. Objective: To quantify the effects of 6 different HNPs on forelimb-hindlimb loading and underlying temporal changes. Methods: Vertical ground reaction forces of each limb and interlimb coordination were measured in 7 high level dressage horses walking and trotting on an instrumented treadmill in 6 predetermined HNPs: HNP1--unrestrained; HNP2--elevated neck, bridge of the nose in front of the vertical; HNP3--elevated neck, bri...
Maturational alterations in gap junction expression and associated collagen synthesis in response to tendon function. Energy-storing tendons including the equine superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) contribute to energetic efficiency of locomotion at high-speed gaits, but consequently operate close to their physiological strain limits. Significant evidence of exercise-induced microdamage has been found in the SDFT which appears not to exhibit functional adaptation; the degenerative changes have not been repaired by the tendon fibroblasts (tenocytes), and are proposed to accumulate and predispose the tendon to rupture during normal athletic activity. The anatomically opposing common digital extensor tendon...
Oral acetate supplementation after prolonged moderate intensity exercise enhances early muscle glycogen resynthesis in horses. Oral acetate supplementation enhances glycogen synthesis in some mammals. However, while acetate is a significant energy source for skeletal muscle at rest in horses, its effects on glycogen resynthesis are unknown. We hypothesized that administration of an oral sodium acetate-acetic acid solution with a typical grain and hay meal after glycogen-depleting exercise would result in a rapid appearance of acetate in blood with rapid uptake by skeletal muscle. It was further hypothesized that acetate taken up by muscle would be converted to acetyl CoA (and acetylcarnitine), which would be metaboliz...
Influence of early conditioning exercise on the development of gross cartilage defects and swelling behavior of cartilage extracellular matrix in the equine midcarpal joint. To investigate the influence of early conditioning exercise on the development of gross cartilage defects and swelling behavior of cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) in the midcarpal joint of horses. Methods: 12 Thoroughbreds. Methods: 6 horses underwent early conditioning exercise from birth to 18 months of age (CONDEX group), and 6 horses were used as control animals (PASTEX group). The horses were euthanized at 18 months of age, and the midcarpal joints were harvested. Gross defects of the cartilage surface were classified and mapped. Opposing surfaces of the third and radial carpal bones...
Scintigraphic and radiographic appearance of the sacroiliac region in horses with gait abnormalities or poor performance. Nuclear bone scintigraphy is commonly used in the diagnosis of sacroiliac disease in horses. The aim of the present retrospective study was to determine if there was an association between radiopharmaceutical uptake pattern and radiographic appearance of the sacroiliac region in horses. Seventy-nine horses undergoing bone scintigraphy with Tc-99 m-HDP and radiography of the pelvis because of lameness or poor performance were studied. Subjective and semiquantitative methods were used to characterize and compare radiopharmaceutical uptake between horses. Ventrodorsal radiographs of the region we...
Online detection of an emotional response of a horse during physical activity. The objective of this research was to develop a non-invasive method to detect an emotional response of a horse to novelty during physical activity. Two horses performed 20 trials each, in which the horse's heart rate (HR) and physical activity were continuously measured. The relationship between the horse's physical activity and HR was described by a mathematical model allowing online decomposition of the horse's HR into a physical component and a component containing information about its emotional state. Exposure to the novel object resulted in an increase in the emotional component of HR, w...
Exercise during training is associated with racing performance in Thoroughbreds. This study aimed to determine the effects of exercise on racecourse performance in horses racing on the flat. Daily exercise and race records were obtained over a 2-year period for a cohort of racehorses in training for which injury data were also available. Multivariable regression techniques were used to investigate associations between canter, training gallop and race distances accumulated in the 30 days prior to each race and the odds of winning the race, earning prize money and the amount of prize money won. Higher cumulative high-speed (gallop+race) distances were associated with increas...
The influence of different saddle pads on force and pressure changes beneath saddles with excessively wide trees. This study was performed to investigate the forces and pressure distribution under different saddle pads when an excessively wide saddle is used. Eighteen sound horses were ridden on a treadmill at walk and trot. The horses were equipped with a dressage saddle with an excessively wide saddle tree and four different pads (gel, leather, foam and reindeer-fur) used sequentially. For comparison, one measurement was made without a saddle pad. A pressure mat under the pad was used for the collection of kinetic data. Kinematics from the right fore-hoof were required to synchronise the data with the s...
Blood glutathione status and activity of glutathione-metabolizing antioxidant enzymes in erythrocytes of young trotters in basic training. The aim of this study was to evaluate response of blood glutathione status and activity of glutathione-metabolizing antioxidant enzymes in erythrocytes of young trotters in basic training. Nine untrained trotters (aged 16-20 months) were exposed to a 4-month training program based on exercises at low-to-moderate intensity. The conditioning consisted of breaking the horses and running them on distances varying from 4 to 40 km a week. The workloads were increased on a 3-week basis. Exercise intensity was monitored by measuring heart rate and blood lactate. Blood samples were collected at rest, b...
Association of growth, feeding practices and exercise conditions with the prevalence of Developmental Orthopaedic Disease in limbs of French foals at weaning. Developmental Orthopaedic Disease (DOD) in limb joints of horses is frequent and is a common cause of pain and lameness. DOD is a multifactorial disease involving genetics, growth, feeding practices and exercise conditions leading to joint injuries. However, there is no clear understanding of the contribution of each factor. The aim of this cohort study was to assess the adjusted effects of breed and gender, growth, feeding practices and exercise conditions on the prevalence of DOD in the limbs of foals at weaning and on the prevalence restricted to osteochondrosis (OC). Twenty-one farms in No...
The effects of short intensive exercise on plasma free amino acids in standardbred trotters. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of short intense exercise on plasma amino acid concentrations in trotters and to test the repeatability of plasma amino acids concentration in samples obtained on two independent days under field conditions. Plasma amino acid concentrations were analysed in blood samples of 36 standardbred trotters before and after intense exercise over a distance of 2000 m. Sampling was repeated in 20 horses after 35 days. Exercise intensity was estimated from post-exercise lactate levels. Horses were divided in two groups according to a cut-off lactate conc...
Optimal diet of horses with chronic exertional myopathies. Chronic exertional rhabdomyolysis represents a syndrome of recurrent exercise-associated muscle damage in horses that arises from a variety of etiologies. Major advances have been made in the understanding of the pathophysiology of this disease, and causative genetic defects have been recently identified for two conditions-polysaccharide storage myopathy of quarter horses, paints, warm bloods, and draft breeds. Dietary management in combination with a regular exercise regimen comprises the most effective means for control of clinical signs.
Effect of poll flexion and dynamic laryngeal collapse on tracheal pressure in Norwegian Coldblooded Trotter racehorses. Dynamic laryngeal collapse (DLC) associated with poll flexion is a newly diagnosed upper respiratory tract obstructive disorder that causes poor racing performance. Objective: To determine if Norwegian Coldblooded Trotters (NCTs) affected with DLC associated with poll flexion differ from normal, elite NCTs based on simple airway mechanics measurements. Methods: Five normal elite NCTs and 6 NCTs diagnosed previously with DLC underwent treadmill videoendoscopy while tracheal pressures were measured continuously. Alternating head positions were used such that horses were exercised with free head ...
Sandwich ELISA system for cartilage oligomeric matrix protein in equine synovial fluid and serum. Measurement of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) in serum has potential for diagnosis of equine osteoarthritis (OA), but clinical use is currently limited by the lack of specificity of an inhibition ELISA as well as by baseline increases due to exercise. Improved methods for ELISA with increased antigen specificity and sensitivity are therefore required for reliable measurement. Objective: Measurement of the serum level of COMP by sandwich ELISA allows identification of horses with OA. Methods: New monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were elicited against equine cartilage COMP, their epitope...
Feeding management of elite endurance horses. This article reviews the principles of feeding management for endurance horses. The amount and type of dietary energy (calories) are key considerations in dietary management, because (1) there is evidence that the body condition score, an indicator of overall energy balance, influences endurance exercise performance, and (2) the source of dietary energy (ie, carbohydrate versus fat calories) impacts health, metabolism, and athletic performance. Optimal performance is also dependent on provision of adequate feed, water, and electrolytes on race day.
Efficacy of thermal cautery for intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate as compared to conservatively treated horses: results from 78 treadmill diagnosed horses. Previously, objective comparisons of surgical procedures to relieve dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) have been limited by the presumptive basis of the diagnostic measures applied. Objective: To assess and compare the efficacy of thermal cautery surgery to conservatively treated controls in racehorses definitively diagnosed with idiopathic intermittent DDSP. Objective: Both conservative and surgical treatments have a beneficial result on racing performance in racehorses affected with DDSP. Methods: Race records were obtained for Thoroughbred racehorses definitively diagnosed with D...
Feeding grape seed extract to horses: effects on health, intake and digestion. A feeding trial involving four Thoroughbred race horses was undertaken to establish whether inclusion of grape seed extract (GSE) in the diet of horses undergoing mild exercise had any effects on their general health, intake and digestion. Supplementation with GSE had no effect on either feed or water intake of the horses and the supplement was readily palatable to the horses at all levels of inclusion. Feeding GSE caused no adverse effects in terms of animal health (temperature, pulse and respirations rates), and there were some positive effects related to a presumed alteration in fermentatio...
Ultrasonographic assessment of laryngohyoid position as a predictor of dorsal displacement of the soft palate in horses. Dorsal displacement of the soft palate is an important cause of poor performance in racehorses, yet its etiology is not fully understood. Diagnosis requires treadmill videoendoscopy, which is not widely available. The relationship of the larynx, the hyoid apparatus, and the remainder of the skull may be important in predisposing horses to dorsal displacement of the soft palate. We hypothesized that this relationship could be accurately assessed in unsedated horses through ultrasonographic examination. Fifty-six racehorses presented for evaluation of poor performance were subjected to treadmill...
Effect of loading on the organization of the collagen fibril network in juvenile equine articular cartilage. We investigated the effects of exercise-induced loading on the collagen network of equine articular cartilage. Collagen fibril architecture at a site (1) subjected to intermittent high-intensity loading was compared with that of an adjacent site (2) sustaining continuous low-level load. From horses exposed to forced exercise (CONDEX group) or not (PASTEX group), the spatial parallelism of fibrils and the orientation angle between fibrils and the surface at depths 9 microm apart through cartilage from surface to tidemark were determined using polarized light microscopy, and expressed as paralle...
Malignant hyperthermia associated with ryanodine receptor 1 (C7360G) mutation in Quarter Horses. Anesthetic-induced malignant hyperthermia (MH) has been documented in Quarter Horses with a single point mutation in the ryanodine receptor 1 gene (RyR1) at nucleotide C7360G, generating a R2454G amino acid substitution. However, there have been no reports of nonanesthetic manifestations of MH in horses with the C7360G mutation. Objective: To describe clinical manifestations of Quarter Horses with the C7360G mutation. Methods: Eleven Quarter Horses with the RyR1 C7360G mutation. Methods: This prospective study included horses with suspected MH, undetermined etiology of sudden death, death with...
Thyroid function in anhidrotic horses. This study was performed to determine whether anhidrotic horses have altered thyroid function compared with horses that sweat normally. Objective: Anhidrotic horses have normal thyroid function. Methods: Ten client-owned horses with clinical signs of anhidrosis were paired with 10 horses living in the same environment that had normal sweat production. Methods: Horses were diagnosed as having normal sweat production or being anhidrotic based on responses to intradermal injections of terbutaline and physiologic responses to lunging exercise. Control horses were selected from the same environment...
Clinical trials using a telemetric endoscope for use during over-ground exercise: a preliminary study. Dynamic collapse of the upper respiratory tract (URT) is a common cause of poor performance in horses. These conditions occur predominantly during strenuous exercise when the URT is unable to maintain dilation in the face of high inspiratory pressures. In most cases, these disorders cannot be accurately diagnosed during a resting endoscopic examination. To date, a definitive diagnosis of dynamic URT obstructions has been possible only by performing an endoscopic examination during high-speed treadmill exercise. However, recent technological advances now enable URT endoscopy to be performed whi...
Days lost from training by two- and three-year-old Thoroughbred horses: a survey of seven UK training yards. The first major epidemiological study of injury incidence in the UK flat racing Thoroughbred (TB), published in 1985, found lameness to be the single largest reason for days when horses failed to train. It was considered advisable to ascertain if progress has been made in reducing the problem of musculoskeletal injuries in the intervening period. Objective: To quantify injury incidence and days lost from training by 2- and 3-year-old TBs in UK training yards during 2002 and 2003. Methods: One-hundred-and-eighty-two yearling TBs were recruited at the end of 2001 and daily training and injury re...
