Horse training involves the systematic process of teaching horses specific behaviors and skills to enhance their performance and manageability. This process encompasses a variety of techniques and methods tailored to the individual horse's temperament, age, and intended use, such as riding, racing, or working. Training regimens aim to develop desired traits such as obedience, agility, and endurance while ensuring the horse's physical and mental well-being. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various aspects of horse training, including methodologies, behavioral outcomes, and the impact on equine welfare and performance.
Clarke KL, Reardon R, Russell T.To determine if arthroscopic surgery performed on weanlings/yearlings with trochlear ridge OCD of the femur (stifle OCD), or intermediate ridge of the tibia (tarsal OCD) detected on routine presale radiographs affects future racing performance. Methods: Retrospective case control study. Methods: Thoroughbred weanlings and yearlings. Methods: Stifle (N = 37; 22 male, 15 female) and tarsal (N = 35; 22 male, 13 female) OCD cases were identified. Outcome measures relating to racing performance (number of race starts, wins, places, and prize money earned, from races in their 2- and 3-year-old racin...
Holmes JM, Mirams M, Mackie EJ, Whitton RC.Bone is repaired by remodelling, a process influenced by its loading environment. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a change in loading environment on bone remodelling by quantifying bone resorption and formation activity in the metacarpal subchondral bone in Thoroughbred racehorses. Sections of the palmar metacarpal condyles of horses in race training (n = 24) or resting from training (n = 24) were examined with light microscopy and back scattered scanning electron microscopy (BSEM). Bone area fraction, osteoid perimeter and eroded bone surface were measured withi...
Yu CH, Kim UR, Kwon TK.In this study, we assessed indoor horse riding exercise's effects on basal physical exercise and activities of daily living (ADL) function using horse riding equipment, involving elderly test subjects (in their sixties). The participants were 20 people with no impediment to activity. They participated in experiments that lasted 60 min per day, 3 days per week, over 8 weeks, using the "SRider" (Rider Co. and Chonbuk National University Korea).We measured trunk flexion, sit-up, whole-body reaction, leg strength, and maximal oxygen uptake as basal physical fitness parameters. Also, 3-m gait, sing...
Preston SA, Riggs CM, Singleton MD, Troedsson MH.Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) is reported as a performance limiting condition in racehorses, yet few longitudinal studies characterising EIPH have been reported. Objective: To characterise EIPH during training and racing in the absence of prophylactic medication with furosemide among horses imported to Hong Kong during 2007-2012. Methods: Retrospective descriptive study of clinical endoscopy, EIPH status, and racing records. Methods: Thoroughbred geldings (n = 822) imported from New Zealand between 2007 and 2012 were retrospectively assigned to 4 groups: diagnosed with EIPH via...
Carmalt JL, Borg H, Näslund H, Waldner C.Proximal palmar/plantar osteochondral fragmentation of the first phalanx is a frequent radiographic finding in Standardbred horses. These lesions are routinely removed prior to the onset of a racing career with no evidence to support the timing of this surgical intervention. Objective: To determine whether horses racing before surgery slowed as they approached surgery date and whether they speeded up after surgery. To investigate the factors affecting whether a horse raced after surgery and compare the performance of horses that did and did not race before surgery. Methods: A retrospective stu...
Park KD, Kim H, Hwang JY, Lee CK, Do KT, Kim HS, Yang YM, Kwon YJ, Kim J, Kim HJ, Song KD, Oh JD, Kim H, Cho BW, Cho S, Lee HK.Copy number variations (CNVs), important genetic factors for study of human diseases, may have as large of an effect on phenotype as do single nucleotide polymorphisms. Indeed, it is widely accepted that CNVs are associated with differential disease susceptibility. However, the relationships between CNVs and gene expression have not been characterized in the horse. In this study, we investigated the effects of copy number deletion in the blood and muscle transcriptomes of Thoroughbred racing horses. We identified a total of 1,246 CNVs of deletion polymorphisms using DNA re-sequencing data from...
Fortier J, Goachet AG, Julliand V, Deley G.In humans, cardiorespiratory responses are widely evaluated from field incremental exercise tests. On the contrary, equine exercise physiology faces a huge lack of oxygen consumption measurements (VO2) in field conditions due to technical concerns. The aim of this study was to test the effects of two incremental continuous field tests on cardiorespiratory responses in Standardbred trotters. The two protocols were realized at trot and ended when horses galloped. The tests started at 4.2 m/s (T1) and 6.4 m/s (T2), with speed increments of 1.4 m/s every 3 min for T1 and 0.8 m/s every 2 min for T2...
Greve L, Dyson S.No previous studies have investigated interrelationships between saddle fit/management, equine thoracolumbar asymmetries, rider and horse health. Objective: To assess associations between data obtained by clinical assessment and those provided by riders via a questionnaire. Methods: Clinical assessment of a convenience sample of horses and riders compared with a Web-based questionnaire survey (n = 205). Methods: Horse thoracolumbar asymmetries at predetermined sites, the presence of lameness (in hand and/or ridden), saddle slip, saddle fit/management and rider straightness were assessed. Kappa...
Björnsdóttir S, Frey R, Kristjansson T, Lundström T.Oral lesions related to the use of the bit and bridle are reported to be common findings in horses worldwide and represent an important animal welfare issue. In order to provide an overview of bit-related lesions in Icelandic competition horses, a field examination of the rostral part of the oral cavity was performed in 424 competition horses coming to the two major national horse events in Iceland in 2012. Records from repeated examination of 77 horses prior to the finals were used to assess potential risk factors. Results: Mild lesions were recorded in 152 horses (36%) prior to the prelimina...
Dorey NR, Conover AM, Udell MA.The ability of many domesticated animals to follow human pointing gestures to locate hidden food has led to scientific debate on the relative importance of domestication and individual experience on the origins and development of this capacity. To further explore this question, we examined the influence of different prior training histories/methods on the ability of horses (Equus ferus caballus) to follow a momentary distal point. Ten horses previously trained using one of two methods (Parelli™ natural horsemanship or traditional horse training) were tested using a standard object choice tas...
Kienapfel K, Link Y, König V Borstel U.Much controversy exists among riders, and in particular among those practicing dressage, regarding what can be considered an "appropriate" Head-Neck-Position (HNP). The objective was to assess the prevalence of different HNPs in the field, the behavioural reactions of horses during warm-up and competition rides in relation to HNP and the relation between HNP and marks achieved in the competition. Horses (n = 171) were selected during dressage competitions according to their HNP (3 categories based on the degree of flexion), and their behaviour was recorded during 3 minutes each of riding i...
Munsters CC, van Iwaarden A, van Weeren R, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.Regular exercise testing in Warmblood sport horses may, as in racing, potentially help to characterise fitness indices in different disciplines and at various competition levels and assist in understanding when a horse is 'fit to compete'. In this review an overview is given of the current state of the art of exercise testing in the Olympic disciplines of eventing, show jumping and dressage, and areas for further development are defined. In event horses, a simple four-step incremental exercise test measuring heart rate (HR), lactate concentration (LA) and velocity (V) is most often used. In dr...
Posta J, Rudiné Mezei A, Mihók S, Mészáros G.The aim of this study was to analyse the duration of the competitive life of jumping horses in Hungary to assess the potential for genetic evaluation and to get information about the risk factors affecting jumping performance of sport horses. The data set included lifetime performance in jumping competitions for 8475 horses born from 1992 onwards with records between 1996 and 2011 (32.7% were right-censored). Longevity was measured as the number of years spent in the competition. Discrete time survival model included fixed effects of gender, age at first competition, and the time-dependent eff...
Petrazzini MEM.Once believed to be a human prerogative, the capacity to discriminate between quantities now has also been reported in several vertebrates. To date, only two studies investigated numerical abilities in horses (Equus caballus) but reported contrasting data. To assess whether horses can be trained to discriminate between quantities, I have set up a new experimental protocol using operant conditioning. One adult female was trained to discriminate between 1 and 4 (Test 1) in three different conditions: non-controlled continuous variables (numerical and continuous quantities that co-vary with numbe...
Slack J, Boston RC, Soma LR, Reef VB.Cardiac arrhythmias are a recognised but poorly characterised problem in the Standardbred racehorse. Frequency data could aid the development of cardiac arrhythmia screening programmes. Objective: To characterise the occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias in Standardbreds prior to racing and in the late post race period using a handheld, noncontinuous recording device. Methods: Prospective, observational study, convenience sampling. Methods: Noncontinuous electrocardiographic recordings were obtained over a 12 week period from Standardbred horses competing at a single racetrack. Electrocardiograms ...
McCoy AM, Ralston SL, McCue ME.Osteochondrosis (OC) is commonly diagnosed in young Standardbred racehorses but its effect on performance when surgically treated at a young age is still incompletely understood. This is especially true for Standardbred pacers, which are underrepresented in the existing literature. Objective: To characterise the short- (2-year-old) and long-term (through 5-year-old) racing performance in Standardbred pacers and trotters after early surgical intervention (<17 months of age) for tarsal OC. Methods: Retrospective clinical study. Methods: The study population consisted of related, age-matched Stan...
Knight PK, Hamilton NA.To compare handedness of whip use by Australian jockeys in Melbourne (where racing is counterclockwise) and Sydney (where racing is clockwise). Methods: Photographs of finishes of Thoroughbred horse races in Melbourne and Sydney were examined. Where whip use was clearly visible, the venue, the hand in which the whip was held and the names of the jockey and the horse were determined. Comparisons of whip hand use between cities were made using the Chi-squared test. Results: A total of 771 identifications were made, 328 from Melbourne and 443 from Sydney, representing 78 jockeys and 506 horses. R...
Gim JA, Ayarpadikannan S, Eo J, Kwon YJ, Choi Y, Lee HK, Park KD, Yang YM, Cho BW, Kim HS.Physical exercise induces gene expression changes that trigger glucose metabolism pathways in organisms. In the present study, we monitored the expression levels of LDHA (lactate dehydrogenase) and GYS1 (glycogen synthase 1) in the blood, to confirm the roles of these genes in exercise physiology. LDHA and GYS1 are related to glucose metabolism and fatigue recovery, and these processes could elicit economically important traits in racehorses. We collected blood samples from three retired thoroughbred racehorses, pre-exercise and immediately after 30 min of exercise. We extracted total RNA and ...
Thomson PC, Hayek AR, Jones B, Evans DL, McGreevy PD.Significant proportions of horses leave the Australian Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing industries, which has ramifications for both the economic sustainability and the public perception of racing. The aim of this study was to quantify potential horse wastage, describe the destinations of exiting horses and identify risk factors for horses going to these destinations. Methods: Questionnaires were sent to 1258 selected Thoroughbred and 981 Standardbred trainers, with response rates of 30% and 32%, respectively. The survey investigated the role of various risk factors for wastage, including ...
MacKinnon MC, Bonder D, Boston RC, Ross MW.There is limited information regarding the impact of training track surface on the occurrence of stress fractures. Objective: To evaluate the impact of training track surface on the proportion of long bone and pelvic stress fractures associated with lameness in Thoroughbred horses in flat race training undergoing nuclear scintigraphic examination. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Scintigraphic examinations of Thoroughbred flat racehorses were evaluated from 2 hospitals (hospital A [Toronto Equine Hospital], 2003-2009, and hospital B [George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals, Scho...
Jönsson L, Egenvall A, Roepstorff L, Näsholm A, Dalin G, Philipsson J.To determine associations of health status and conformation with competition longevity and lifetime performance in young Swedish Warmblood riding horses. Methods: Cohort study and genetic analysis. Methods: 8,238 horses. Methods: Horses were examined for health, conformation, and performance from 1983 to 2005, when they were 4 to 5 years old, and competition results from 1983 to 2012 were evaluated. Associations between conformation, health, and talent scores of young horses and longevity (years in competition) and lifetime performance were analyzed. Odds ratios of competing later in life amon...
Hu AJ, Bramlage LR.To assess postoperative probability of racing, career longevity, and convalescent time in Thoroughbred racehorses with moderate to severe superficial digital flexor tendonitis (SDFT) in the forelimbs treated by desmotomy of the accessory ligament of the superficial digital flexor tendon (ie, superior check ligament desmotomy [SCLD]). Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 332 Thoroughbred racehorses with SDFT consecutively treated by means of SCLD. Methods: Medical records and racing records were reviewed to assess return to racing, number of races completed, time to first race, and life...
Sullivan SL, Anderson GA, Morley PS, Hinchcliff KW.Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) is associated with impaired short-term race performance but consequences to long-term race performance of Thoroughbred racehorses are unknown. Knowledge of effects of EIPH on performance over a prolonged time would inform the need for management and treatment of this disorder. Objective: To determine the relationship between EIPH detected on a single occasion and long-term athletic performance in Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Prospective, longitudinal, observational epidemiological study conducted from 2003 to 2012. Methods: Seven hundred and f...
Harris PA, Marlin DJ, Gray J.In order to investigate the effect of age, sex and month on the response of plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and creatine kinase (CK) to exercise, blood samples were collected once a month between March and September from a group of 40 2- and 3-year-old (2yo and 3yo) thoroughbred racehorses (kept under the same managemental regimen) at rest before exercise (PRE) and at 2 (2H) and 24 h (24H) post-exercise. The absolute change in activities between the 2H and PRE samples (2H delta) and the 24H and PRE samples (24H delta) was also calculated. Age had a significant effect on all measured an...
Ichibangase T, Imai K.To extend the applicability of the fluorogenic derivatization-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (FD-LC-MS/MS) method, which consists of fluorogenic derivatization (FD), separation by liquid chromatography (LC), and identification by LC-tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) proteomic analysis, we applied it to Thoroughbred horse muscle. With the optimization of the protein extraction and separation procedure, reproducible chromatograms were obtained and the changes in protein expressions during exercise were able to be analyzed. To quantify the changed protein expressi...
Schaer BL, Ryan CT, Boston RC, Nunamaker DM.There is a need to determine accelerations acting on the equine hoof under field conditions in order to better assess the risks for orthopaedic health associated with shoeing practices and/or surface conditions. Objective: To measure the acceleration profiles generated in Thoroughbred racehorses exercising at high speeds over dirt racetracks and specifically to evaluate the effect of a toe grab shoe compared to a flat racing plate, using a newly developed wireless data acquisition system (WDAS). Methods: Four Thoroughbred racehorses in training and racing were used. Based on previous trials, e...
Potenza KN, Huggons NA, Jones ARE, Rosanowski SM, McIlwraith CW.Rehabilitation of horses using underwater treadmill therapy has been shown to improve joint range of motion, joint mobility, stride length and proprioceptive parameters with experimental studies. However, studies investigating the prognosis and return to function following rehabilitation are lacking. Methods: A retrospective study of Thoroughbred racehorses treated with arthroscopic surgery for osteochondral fragments of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) or metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joints or carpal joints undergoing conventional rehabilitation or underwater treadmill assisted rehabilitation at th...
Petrazzini MEM.Once believed to be a human prerogative, the capacity to discriminate between quantities now has also been reported in several vertebrates. To date, only two studies investigated numerical abilities in horses (Equus caballus) but reported contrasting data. To assess whether horses can be trained to discriminate between quantities, I have set up a new experimental protocol using operant conditioning. One adult female was trained to discriminate between 1 and 4 (Test 1) in three different conditions: non-controlled continuous variables (numerical and continuous quantities that co-vary with numbe...
Christley RM, Hodgson DR, Evans DL, Rose RJ.To compare the development of exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia in horses before and after training, and to determine whether increases in maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) following training results in a greater degree of exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia. Methods: 13 three- to five-year-old. Standardbred geldings without clinical signs of respiratory or cardiovascular disorders. Methods: Horses were rested for 4 months prior to commencing a 16-week training program. Arterial blood was collected from the transverse facial artery during standardized exercise tests performed before and after 8...
Raidal SL, Love DN, Bailey GD, Rose RJ.The effect of strenuous exercise on the functional capacity of pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAM) and bronchoalveolar lavage-derived lymphocytes was determined in eight horses prior to and after 7 weeks of training. Strenuous exercise had no effect on the total cell count or the percentage of live cells in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples prior to or following training. However, training was associated with a significant increase in the total cell count of pre-exercise BAL samples and a significant reduction in the percentage of live cells in post-exercise samples. Strenuous exercise was...
Harrison AP, Elbrønd VS, Riis-Olesen K, Bartels EM.Multi-frequency BIA (mfBIA) equipment has been shown to be a non-invasive and reliable method to assess a muscle as a whole or at fibre level. In the equine world this may be the future method of assessment of training condition or of muscle injury. The aim of this study was to test if mfBIA reliably can be used to assess the condition of a horse's muscles in connection with health assessment, injury and both training and re-training. mfBIA measurements was carried out on 10 'hobby' horses and 5 selected cases with known anamnesis. Impedance, resistance, reactance, phase angle, centre frequenc...
Krueger K, Schwarz S, Marr I, Farmer K.For centuries, a goal of training in many equestrian disciplines has been to straighten the horse, which is considered a key element in achieving its responsiveness and suppleness. However, laterality is a naturally occurring phenomenon in horses and encompasses body asymmetry, motor laterality and sensory laterality. Furthermore, forcibly counterbalancing motor laterality has been considered a cause of psychological imbalance in humans. Perhaps asymmetry and laterality should rather be accepted, with a focus on training psychological and physical balance, coordination and equal strength on bo...
Buhl R, Ersbøll AK, Eriksen L, Koch J.To evaluate the incidence and development of valvular regurgitation and its effect on racing performance in Standardbred trotters from 2 to 3.5 years of age. Methods: Longitudinal observational study. Methods: 103 horses. Methods: Horses were examined via echocardiographic imaging 4 times at 6-month intervals. Two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiographic examinations were performed in each horse, and color Doppler imaging was used to detect and evaluate regurgitant blood flow at each valve. Results: For all cardiac valves, the frequency of valvular regurgitation increased significantly during ...
Jørgensen HS, Proschowsky H, Falk-Rønne J, Willeberg P, Hesselholt M.A retrospective cohort study was made of the racing performance of trotters which had been subjected routinely to radiography before they started training and racing. Sixty-one per cent (148) of the 243 horses, foaled in 3 consecutive years, had one or more abnormal findings categorised into 5 relevant groups based on radiography, of which osteochondrosis (OCD) was the most specific diagnosis. Parameters used to reflect racing performance were: proportion of horses starting in races, number of starts per year, earnings per year, earnings per start and racing longevity. No significant associati...
Egenvall A, Clayton HM, Eisersiö M, Roepstorff L, Byström A.In dressage, the performance of transitions between gaits and halts is an integral part of riding sessions. The study aimed to evaluate rein tension before, during and after the transitions between different gaits and the transitions into halts. The kinematic (inertial measurement units) data for the head and croup, and rein tension data, were collected (128 Hz) from six professional riders each riding three of their own horses, training levels varying from basic to advanced, during normal training sessions. The activities were categorised into gaits, halts and transitions based on video evalu...
Casella S, Vazzana I, Giudice E, Fazio F, Piccione G.The changes of cortisol, red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR) and rectal temperature (RT) were evaluated after a reining training session in eight Quarter Horses. All parameters were measured before exercise (T0), immediately after exercise (T1), 1 h after exercise (T2), 2 h after exercise (T3) and 24 h after exercise (T4). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures, followed Bonferroni's post hoc test, showed a significant effect of the reining training session (P < 0.0001) on cortisol, RBC, Hb, Hct, HR, RR and RT. Si...
Murray R, Mackechnie-Guire R, Fisher M, Fairfax V.Back pain is frequently recognized in racehorses, but saddle fit and design are rarely assessed. In sport horses, relationships between horse-saddle interaction, back pain, and altered kinematics are established, but few studies investigating horse-saddle interaction in racehorses exist. We hypothesized that reducing pressures under saddles at thoracic (T) vertebrae 10-13 in galloping racehorses is associated with improved limb and lumbosacral kinematics. The objectives of the study were to (1) determine pressure magnitude/distribution under 3 frequently used race-exercise saddles and a saddle...
Cheetham J, Riordan AS, Mohammed HO, McIlwraith CW, Fortier LA.There is no consensus on objective outcome measures that can be used to determine if a medical or surgical treatment affects race performance. Objective: To determine the association between 2 commonly used outcome measures (total starts and total earnings) and age, sex, gait and race surface. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using the race performance data for all Thoroughbred horses age 2, 3, 4 and 5 years racing in the United States, and Standardbred horses of the same ages racing in the United States and Canada during the year 2006. Median earnings and starts were determined ...
Wells AE, Blache D.In many equestrian pursuits such as dressage and show-jumping, it is important that the horse exhibits the same level of balance when ridden to the left as when ridden to the right in canter - that is, to show no motor bias. It is a long-held belief within such disciplines that to reduce bias that exists in horses and thus to enhance symmetry of performance to the left and right, the horse needs to be worked equally in both directions, although there is a lack of scientific evidence of this influencing bias. There also is little compelling evidence for either the existence or absence of motor ...
Leleu C, Gloria E, Renault G, Barrey E.The aim of this study was to describe the correlation between the phases of the limb cycle of trotters on the track and specific points on the acceleration curves obtained from a new gait analysis system. We compared kinematic data obtained by video image analysis and 3-dimensional acceleration recordings made on 3 French trotters in training. They trotted on a race track at speeds of 8.33, 10 and 11.66 m/s, with a final stretch at maximum speed. Their locomotion was recorded with a synchronised video camera at a frame frequency of 200 Hz and with the Equimétrix gait analysis system. The gait...
Tidswell HK, Innes JF, Avery NC, Clegg PD, Barr AR, Vaughan-Thomas A, Wakley G, Tarlton JF.Fatigue fracture of cuboidal bones occurs in the human foot as well as the equine carpus. The racehorse provides a naturally-occurring model to study the effects of high-intensity exercise on the morphology and metabolism of cuboidal bones. We studied both the mineral and the collagenous matrix of the third (C(3)) and radial (C(r)) carpal bones of raced and non-raced Thoroughbred (TB) horses. We hypothesised that racehorses would show increases in the mineral component of these bones and post-translational modifications of the collagenous matrix alongside changes in markers of collagen remodel...
Hartmann E, Christensen JW, Keeling LJ.The intensity with which a horse responds to separation from its group and subsequently to being alone is relevant for both horse and handler safety. Identification of training methods that may reduce responses to separation would be useful in practice. Objective: To investigate whether the initial presence of a familiar companion horse modifies responses to separation from the group, lowers stress levels (as measured by heart rate) and increases training efficiency. Objective: Habituation to separation proceeds more quickly if the horse is first trained with a companion, and heart rate is low...
Wilson J, De Donato M, Appelbaum B, Garcia CT, Peters S.Overtraining syndrome (OTS) is the reduction in performance due to excess training and lack of proper recovery, which can lead to a chronic deprivation of energy and reduction in the repair of damage that can accumulate over time. Here, the effect of acute, intense physical exercise on the expression of innate and adaptive immune genes in 12 racing-bred American Quarter Horses, after resting for 3 days and immediately after intense exercise for 1.8 miles were compared. The expression of 84 genes related to innate and adaptive immune responses was analyzed. Significant variation among individua...
Munsters CC, van den Broek J, van Weeren R, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.The aim of this study was to monitor the fitness level of young Friesian horses and to assess whether fitness data are predictive for final performance score and whether familial aggregation of response to training could be detected. Sixty-six young Friesian horses, the offspring of six different stallions (A, B, C, D, E and F), underwent a 7-week performance test. The horses were given a performance score for their ability for dressage (in weeks 5 and 7; 0-110 points) and were evaluated for fitness using standardised exercise tests (SETs) at the beginning (week 2, SET-I) and the end (week 6, ...
Kiely M, Warrington G, McGoldrick A, Cullen S.Kiely, M, Warrington, G, McGoldrick, A, and Cullen, S. Physical preparation strategies of professional jockeys. J Strength Cond Res 36(11): 3184-3189, 2022-Professional horse racing is a physically demanding sport. The aim of the study was to examine the physical preparation strategies of jockeys for racing. A questionnaire was developed and validated which comprised of 4 sections; (a) background information, (b) making weight and current associated exercise habits, (c) current physical activity practices, and (d) jockey perceptions of strength and conditioning (S&C) and current practices....
Püschel V, Michaelsen U, Giensch M, Lockemann U, Meenen NM, Hessler C.To reduce the number of equine-related injuries, knowledge about causes of accidents is of great importance. In the present study the causes of equine-related accidents were evaluated by a questionnaire survey. Based on our results options for prevention of equine-related accidents were formulated. Methods: The working-group "safer riding, Hamburg" and the "German riding association (FN)" created a questionnaire to evaluate causes of equine-related accidents. This questionnaire was published in the print media "Cavallo" and "St. Georg" as well as on the online portal www.hamburger-ag-reitersic...
Alfredson H, Hedberg G, Bergström E, Nordström P, Lorentzon R.To evaluate whether the type of weight-bearing loading subjected to the skeleton during horseback-riding was associated with differences in bone mass and muscle strength of the thigh, we investigated bone mass and isokinetic muscle strength in 20 female horse riders (age 17.9 +/- 0.6 years) who were riding 7.0 +/- 3.4 hours/week, and 20 nonactive females (age 17.8 +/- 1.1 years). The groups were matched according to age, weight, and height. Areal bone mineral density was measured in total body, head, lumbar spine, right femoral neck, Ward's triangle, and trochanter, the whole dominant and nond...
Misumi K, Sakamoto H, Shimizu R.To investigate the validity of swimming training, the following matters were considered: 1) changes in the performance capacity, 2) changes in the constitution and 3) frequency of locomotor diseases. These were evaluated during a training program including both conventional exercise on a track and swimming. In this study, 24 two-year-old thoroughbred horses were studied, and divided into the following three groups: Group A, trained by only running; Group B, trained by running plus a gradual increase in swimming; Group C, trained by running plus constant swimming. As a result of standardized ex...
Ringhofer M, Trösch M, Lansade L, Yamamoto S.When interacting with humans, domesticated species may respond to communicative gestures, such as pointing. However, it is currently unknown, except for in dogs, if species comprehend the communicative nature of such cues. Here, we investigated whether horses could follow the pointing of a human informant by evaluating the credibility of the information about the food-hiding place provided by the pointing of two informants. Using an object-choice task, we manipulated the attentional state of the two informants during food-hiding events and differentiated their knowledge about the location of t...
McLean AN.Overshadowing is a process known in behavioral science that occurs when two stimuli of different strengths are applied simultaneously to a nonhuman animal. Typically, the stronger stimulus overshadows the weaker one, resulting in attenuation of the weaker stimulus. This phenomenon explains ways in which the decreased responsiveness and consequent conflict behaviors (and possibly learned helplessness and wastage) in some performance horses can result from the application of two concurrent aversive stimuli. Despite some adverse consequences in the context of ridden horses, overshadowing can have...
Spier SJ, Berger Pusterla J, Villarroel A, Pusterla N.Behavioural reactions to selected handling procedures were compared between conditioned, or imprint-trained, and untrained foals raised on the same farm. Nineteen randomly chosen healthy foals were imprint trained at birth and 24 h later (Group A). Twenty-one similar foals that were not imprint-trained served as age-matched controls (Group B). Training began within 10 min of birth and consisted of touch desensitization by gentle rubbing. Each tactile stimulus was repeated 30-50 times over 45-60 min, until the foal no longer resisted the procedure and appeared relaxed. The procedure was then re...
Park KD, Kim H, Hwang JY, Lee CK, Do KT, Kim HS, Yang YM, Kwon YJ, Kim J, Kim HJ, Song KD, Oh JD, Kim H, Cho BW, Cho S, Lee HK.Copy number variations (CNVs), important genetic factors for study of human diseases, may have as large of an effect on phenotype as do single nucleotide polymorphisms. Indeed, it is widely accepted that CNVs are associated with differential disease susceptibility. However, the relationships between CNVs and gene expression have not been characterized in the horse. In this study, we investigated the effects of copy number deletion in the blood and muscle transcriptomes of Thoroughbred racing horses. We identified a total of 1,246 CNVs of deletion polymorphisms using DNA re-sequencing data from...
Geor RJ, McCutcheon LJ.The large metabolic heat load generated as a consequence of muscular work requires activation of thermoregulatory mechanisms in order to prevent an excessive and potentially dangerous rise in body temperature during exercise. Although the horse has highly efficient heat dissipatory mechanisms, there are a number of circumstances in which the thermoregulatory system may be overwhelmed, resulting in the development of critical hyperthermia. The risk for development of life-threatening hyperthermia is greatest when (1) the horse is inadequately conditioned for the required level of physical perfo...
