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.
Dempsey JA.In summary, we have shown that the design of the pulmonary system from the architectural capacities of the lung parenchyma and respiratory muscles to the remarkable, multi-level neural integration of breathing pattern and respiratory muscle recruitment is clearly intended for the exercising state. Furthermore, the system shows remarkable capability for true adaptation, both phylogenetically and even within only a few generations within a species, when preservation of the organism's ability to survive and function is at stake. At the same time there are limits to the system's homeostatic capabi...
Pan LG, Forster HV, Bisgard GE, Murphy CL, Lowry TF.We investigated arterial PCO2 (PaCO2) and pH (pHa) responses in ponies during 6-min periods of high-intensity treadmill exercise. Seven normal, seven carotid body-denervated (2 wk-4 yr) (CBD), and five chronic (1-2 yr) lung (hilar nerve)-denervated (HND) ponies were studied during three levels of constant load exercise (7 mph-11%, 7 mph-16%, and 7 mph-22% grade). Mean pHa for each group of ponies became alkaline in the first 60 s (between 7.45 and 7.52) (P less than 0.05) at all work loads. At 6 min pHa was at or above rest at 7 mph-11%, moderately acidic at 7 mph-16% (7.32-7.35), and markedly...
Yovich JV, McIlwraith CW.Arthroscopic surgery for osteochondral fractures of the proximal phalanx was performed on 74 fetlock joints of 63 horses for a total of 87 fractures during a 2-year period. The medial dorsal proximal aspect of the proximal phalanx of the forelimbs was most commonly involved (59 fractures), followed by the lateral aspect (26 fractures), and 2 fractures occurred in the fetlock joint of the right hindlimb. At surgery, 82 fragments were removed and 5 fragments that had healed or were embedded in the joint capsule were not removed. Of the fragments removed, 15 were fixed firmly to the proximal phal...
Tschudi P.The use of the ECG to separate the different phases of the heart cycle registering other physiological signals, to evaluate the fitness and state of training of a horse and to detect a pregnancy of a mare is reported and illustrated in this text.
Kalinskiĭ MI, Kamenetskaia OV, Skorik LG, Tishchenko GN.The paper deals with possibility to regulate in a proper direction the acid-base state in race horse blood administering carbostimulin at rest and under physical exercises. The preparation is shown to favour an increase in alkaline blood reserves in race hours at rest and to prevent acidotic changes caused by physical exercises. The results obtained show a promising use of carbostimulin for the directed correction of the acid-base state of blood in race horses aimed at increasing the efficiency of the training process.
Hodgson DR, Rose RJ, Dimauro J, Allen JR.Biopsy samples were obtained from the middle gluteal muscle of 10 Thoroughbred horses undergoing a commercial race-training program. Samples were obtained before the program began and again after 6 and 12 weeks of training. All horses had raced at least once by the 12th week of training. Serial sections of muscle were examined histochemically for myosin adenosinetriphosphatase after either acid (pH 4.3 and 4.6) or alkaline (pH 10.3) preincubation, and then muscle fibers were identified as types I, IIA, IIB, or IIC. The oxidative capacity of individual fibers was assessed, using the reduced nic...
De Waal A, Littlejohn A, Potgieter GM, Van der Berg J, Minnaar PI, Smith A.An apparatus was designed to collect four consecutive blood samples from exercising horses. The collection of each sample was controlled by valves activated by radiotelemetry signals transmitted by an observer. Using the device, venous blood samples were collected from ten thoroughbred racehorses before, during and after a 400 m training gallop. Blood glucose increased markedly post-exercise. Both phosphorus and potassium concentrations increased during exercise, decreased post-exercise and recovered to pre-exercise levels within 120 minutes. The system was modified to collect anaerobic sample...
Gelberg HB, Zachary JF, Everitt JI, Jensen RC, Smetzer DL.We reviewed case records, necropsy reports, and histologic sections from 25 Thoroughbred racehorses that died suddenly at 3 Chicago racetracks. These were young horses ranging in age from 2 to 5 years. There were more females (n = 16) than males (n = 9), and the incidence of death increased slightly in the spring and summer. Twenty-one of the 25 horses died while racing or training. Only 8 of the 25 horses (32%) had lesions sufficient to account for the death. In 6 of those 8 cases, death was caused by massive thoracic or abdominal hemorrhage. The site or nature of the vascular defect in these...
Thornton JR.Current knowledge and understanding of the hormonal response to exercise are limited, whether in relation to horses, humans, or other species. The changes in plasma concentration of some hormones occur early in exercise, apparently owing to a neuronal stimulation, whereas others, being pituitary dependent, require hormonal stimulation. Also, although it is possible to observe changes in plasma concentrations of hormones, the mechanism by which this is achieved is not always understood, and unless the nonprotein-bound, or active, form of the hormone is also determined, changes in plasma concent...
Thornton JR.In the athletic horse, an exercise test may be required to measure the adaptation of the animal to a specific training program; to modify the training program in response to the progress achieved; to investigate the reasons for failure to perform at the expected level; and to form part of an overall clinical examination of a horse with a specific disability. This article includes information on the scope and form of an exercise test, the parameters measured during the test and their interpretation, treadmill and track tests, and the clinical applications of exercise tests.
Lovell DK.Through the study of equine exercise physiology, one can learn more about what happens to the body of the performance horse during all forms of exercise. Better understanding of skeletal, joint, tendon, and ligament adaptations to loading and stress may allow adjustments to be made in training techniques to reduce the incidence of injury. The information obtained from exercise research may also facilitate the investigation of questions such as the following: What makes one horse perform better than another? How can one bring out the optimal performance in each horse? How can one tell when a ho...
Bayly WM.A training program is designed with the aim of developing the specific physiologic capabilities required to perform a certain type of exercise. Such capabilities involve the psychologic familiarity with, and acceptance of, the required tasks, the development of the neuromuscular coordination to perform these tasks optimally, and the utilization of energy by the working muscles. This article presents some basic principles for the design of training programs and offers ideas on how these principles may be applied to the conditioning of horses.
Rose RJ, Allen JR.Hematology has been widely used in attempts to provide information about disease states, performance problems, and fitness in performance horses. However, owing to factors such as the temperament of the horse and time of collection and feeding, considerable variation in the hemograms can be found. This article reviews some of the hematologic responses to exercise and training.
Robinson NE.The primary function of the equine respiratory system is the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide at a rate that is matched to metabolism. Gas exchange requires ventilation, distribution of gas within the lung, perfusion of blood through pulmonary capillaries, matching of ventilation and blood flow, diffusion of gases between air and blood, and transport of gases to and from the muscles. In this article, the author reviews what is known about each of these processes in the resting and exercising horse.
Hodgson DR.This article provides an overview of the characteristics of skeletal muscle, with an emphasis on equine skeletal muscle. A discussion of many of the adaptive processes that can occur in this tissue in response to altered states of physical activity is also included.
Evans DL.The cardiovascular system provides the link between pulmonary ventilation and oxygen usage at the cellular level. During exercise, efficient delivery of oxygen to working skeletal and cardiac muscles is vital for maintenance of ATP production by aerobic mechanisms. The equine cardiovascular response to increased demand for oxygen delivery during exercise contributes largely to the over 35-fold increases in oxygen uptake that occur during submaximal exercise. Cardiac output during exercise increases greatly owing to the relatively high heart rates that are achieved during exercise. Heart rate i...
Bove AA.Myocardial blood flow is the major determinant of oxygen delivery to the myocardium, since oxygen extraction by the myocardium is near maximum in the resting state. Regulation of flow during exercise depends on local metabolic factors and, to a small extent, on autonomic tone. Maximum flow of 5-6 times resting has been measured in reactive hyperemia experiments. In strenuous exercise, myocardial oxygen delivery appears to be adequate and flow reserve seems capable of handling the increased oxygen demand. No evidence of myocardial failure in normal hearts due to excess exercise has been present...
Bixby-Hammett DM.In brief: In a two-year study of the estimated 13,428,000 hours of horse activities by 18,408 US Pony Clubs (USPC) members aged 6 to 21 in scheduled supervised programs, there were 64 accidents resulting in 88 injuries in 16 areas of the body. The head/face was the area most often injured (27.27%), and bruise/abrasion was the most common type of injury (28.26%). Cross-country riding was the most dangerous event (42.31%). Unexpected actions of the horse caused many accidents-25% occurred when the horse bucked and threw the rider, 23.08% when the horse refused a jump, and 17.31% when the horse f...
Cutmore CM, Snow DH, Newsholme EA.The effect of physical training on the in vitro activities of key enzymes that provide quantitative information on the maximum capacities of anaerobic and aerobic metabolism has been investigated in the gluteal muscle of the horse. Training had no effect on the activities of 6-phosphofructokinase or creatine kinase, suggesting that there was no effect on the capacity of anaerobic metabolism in this muscle. However, the activities of hexokinase and citrate synthase were increased, indicating that training increased the capacity of aerobic metabolism. For comparative purposes, muscle fibre compo...
Jann HW, Cook WR.Monopolar electrosurgical cutting was used to correct epiglottal entrapment in 5 horses. The operations were carried out in the conscious animal, using topical anesthesia. The procedure required the use of a coagulation electrode designed specifically for electrosurgery, introduced through the instrument channel of a fiberoptic endoscope. The results were satisfactory and serious complications were not encountered. In 2 horses, excessive submucosal swelling developed at the site of the surgical wound, and the tumefaction took several weeks to subside in one of these horses. In both horses, the...
Physick-Sheard PW.The quality of the overall response to exercise in the horse is very similar to that seen in man and laboratory animals; differences are mainly quantitative and persist when relative body weight is taken into account. The apparently greater flow capacity of the equine muscle bed during maximal whole-body exercise implicates the extent of central circulatory adaptations as the limiting factor in performance but implies a role for increase in arteriolar capacitance/muscle capillarity as an appropriate response to intense endurance training. The blood oxygen-carrying capacity of the horse is ofte...
Hodgson DR, Rose RJ, DiMauro J, Allen JR.The effects of training on skeletal muscle composition were studied in four Standardbred geldings given a seven week submaximal treadmill training programme. Before the start of training, muscle biopsies were collected from the left middle gluteal muscle for the determination of muscle fibre types, oxidative capacity and capillary numbers using histochemical techniques. The concentrations of citrate synthase, 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HAD), lactate dehydrogenase and total muscle glycogen were measured using fluorometric methods. Muscle biopsy samples were repeated after one, three, five...
Parks CM, Manohar M.In recent years, increasing attention has been focused on the physiological responses of the horse to maximal exercise. Cardiovascular response in near maximally exercised galloping ponies (heart rate 225 +/- 7 beats/min; whole body oxygen consumption 122 +/- 12 ml/min/kg) comprised a marked increase in blood flow to the cerebellum, myocardium, diaphragm and the working muscles, while renal blood flow decreased precipitously. Cerebral and brainstem perfusion did not vary from resting values. Transmural homogeneity of myocardial blood flow persisted during near maximal exercise. It was reported...
McDonnell SM, Kenney RM, Meckley PE, Garcia MC.Sexual behavior dysfunction unaccompanied by detectable physical or endocrine abnormality is an important cause of reproductive failure among domestic stallions. Several authors have suggested that such dysfunction may be psychogenic, related to negative experience associated with intense handling and training. An experimental model of experience-related dysfunction was developed by exposing pony stallions to erection-contingent aversive conditioning. This resulted in rapid, specific suppression of sexual arousal and response similar to spontaneously occurring dysfunction. Subsequently, treatm...
Prescott JF.A proposal for the development of Canadian veterinary education and of the organization of the profession is described. There should be one veterinary school with four branches (the current colleges). A student would train at any college in comparative medicine for two and one-half years and then train for 12 months or more in a specialty taught at one or more colleges. These specialties are general veterinary practice, poultry practice, public health and regulatory medicine, ruminant practice, swine practice, equine practice, small animal practice, fish medicine, fur-bearing and exotic animal...
Fazio F, Ferrantelli V, Piccione G, Caola G.In the athletic horse, the efficiency of physical exercise during activity is strictly
connected to several organic–functional characteristics. Among these, cardiovascular
function takes a primary role in determining the quality of performance. The morphological and functional changes occurring in the cardiovascular system during physical
exercise are due to the increasing demand required to deal with intense muscular
activity. Thus, the cardiovascular physiological response to physical exercise is characterized both by transitory modifications and adjustments that are similar in both
t...
Christley RM, Evans DL, Hodgson DR, Rose RJ.We investigated and compared arterial blood gas and ventilatory changes during rapid acceleration sprint and during incremental treadmill exercise. Seven clinically normal racehorses completed standardised incremental exercise tests and rapid acceleration tests at speeds calculated to elicit 115% VO2max. Arterial oxygen tension decreased (P < 0.001) between 15 s (mean +/- s.d. 103.8 +/- 14.3 mmHg) and 30 s (85.0 +/- 7.7 mmHg) after the onset of rapid acceleration exercise, but did not change significantly during the remainder of the sprint. This was accompanied by an increase in PaCO2 of 5....
Forino S, Cameron L, Stones N, Freeman M.The ideal equestrian body image (BI) is a smaller physique and riders feel body shape (BS) influences subjective judge scoring within dressage competitions. The aims were to identify perceptions of equestrian coaches and dressage judges of rider body shape (BS), identify perceptions of appropriate horse-rider matching and establish the impact of BS on perceived rider ability. An online survey (GoogleFormsTM) was shared, respondents (n = 265, coaches = 174 judges = 91) viewed images of twelve riders of different BS (Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and Endomorph) mounted on three horses of different...
Möller I, Thomas A, Wingender A, Machnik M, Schänzer W, Thevis M.Erythropoietin (EPO) and its recombinant analogues are suspected to be illicitly administered to horses for performance enhancing purposes and, consequently, prohibited in equine sports. Recently, a new erythropoiesis-stimulating agent, peginesatide (Omontys, formerly referred to as Hematide), belonging to the upcoming class of EPO-mimetic peptides, received approval for the treatment of anaemia in humans with chronic kidney disease on dialysis. As the pegylated dimeric peptide of approximately 45 kDa without sequence homology to EPO is not detectable by conventional EPO detection assays, spec...
Quirk KS.There are myriad problems that can arise when training the novice stallion for natural service. Many problems can be avoided by proper early training of the novice stallion. In the final analysis, common sense should prevail. The major ally of common sense is patience. One should keep in mind that the goal is to have a stallion behave in a disciplined manner, allowing for his expression of libido and effective mounting, intromission, and ejaculation. This is accomplished through judicious training and, as with any training process, takes some time and work. Proper training will help circumvent...
van der Mey GJ, Bos H.The study of the literature on a preliminary performance test for saddle horses (stallions) is concerned with European countries. Interest is found to be increasing in the various countries. Performance of the test in the Netherlands (since 1966) is described and the various criteria of evaluation are discussed in detail. The intensity of selection based on this test is referred to. In 1974, it was 78 per cent in the Netherlands. Part of studies on the relationship between some results of testing are reviewed. The traction test shows a very low coefficient of correlation with the other parts o...
Knych HK, Wilson WD, Vale A, Kass PH, Steffey EP, Jones JH, Arthur RM.Although controversial, due to its reported effectiveness in attenuating bleeding associated with exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), furosemide is currently a permitted race day medication in most North American racing jurisdictions. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of furosemide in reducing the presence and severity of EIPH when administered 24 hr prior to strenuous treadmill exercise. Eight exercised Thoroughbred horses received saline or 250 mg of furosemide either 4 or 24 hr prior to high-speed treadmill exercise in a balanced 3-way cross-over design. Bl...
Riber C, Cuesta I, Muñoz A, Gata J, Trigo P, Castejón FM.Fatigue during endurance rides might induce changes in gait pattern that could be difficult to distinguish from subtle lameness. Objective: To assess changes in gait pattern en route, in fore(FL) and hindlimbs (HL) and establish differences between excellent (EP) and good performers (GP). Methods: Seventy-five sound and fit horses that completed endurance rides of 80 km were filmed at trot in the vet-gates (VGs) prior to competitions (VGO), and at 29 km (VG1), 59 km (VG2) and 80 km (VG3). Mean gait velocity (V), stride length (SL), duration (SD) and frequency (SF) were measured. Also, stance (...
Kallings P, Johnston C, Drevemo S.An often discussed and controversial issue is the effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the NSAID flunixin on the movement pattern and performance capacity of Standardbred trotters using a standardised track model. Five adult Standardbred horses in training trotted at 2 occasions with a 2 week interval on the same oval dirt track. Before each occasion the horses were either injected with flunixin meglumine (Finadyne) or normal saline solution i.m. 4 h before the performance test (double blind crossover...
Snow DH, Guy PS.Training and detraining had little effect on the activity of glycogen synthase, hexokinase, glycerol 3-phosphate dehydrogenase or total protein. The activity of 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase increased markedly during training. After 5 weeks of detraining, the activity of 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase was returning to pre-training values, whilst by 10-week detraining, the levels were increasing again.
Costa MF, Davies HM, Anderson GA, Slocombe RF.Studies in man have shown a correlation between Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) genetic polymorphisms, ACE activity in the blood and superior athletic performance in sports requiring endurance. It has been hypothesised that the same correlation occurs in horses. There is no information in the literature concerning the effects of training on ACE activity in equine plasma. Objective: Exercise training influences the activity of circulating ACE and the response observed is dependent on the exercise protocol. Methods: Thirteen horses of mixed breeds were randomly allocated 2 different traini...
Casella S, Giannetto C, Giudice E, Piccione G.The objective of the present study was to evaluate the platelet response to different workload in athletic horse and the influence of hydrocortisone on this response. For this purpose, six Sella Italiana gelding athletic horses, ranging in age from 8 to 10 years and clinically healthy, were subjected to four different exercises: horse-walker, treadmill, obstacle course of 1.00 m and obstacle course of 1.25 m. From all the horses, citrated plasma samples were collected at rest, immediately after exercise and 30 min after the end of the exercise to assess the maximum degree of platelet aggregati...
Foreman JH, Waldsmith JK, Lalum RB.Three-day event horses are subject to various external environmental stresses including changes in ambient temperature, humidity, altitude, and test severity. Considerable research on the adverse effects of increased heat and humidity preceded the 1996 Olympic Summer Games in Atlanta, Georgia USA, but no research has been done previously on the effects of altitude on 3-day eventing. Physical and venous blood gas data were collected on horses (n = 24) competing in the High Prairie Preliminary (CCN*) and Intermediate (CCN**) 3-day events and Preliminary Horse Trials in Parker, Colorado (1900 m a...
Hodgson DR.This article provides an overview of the characteristics of skeletal muscle, with an emphasis on equine skeletal muscle. A discussion of many of the adaptive processes that can occur in this tissue in response to altered states of physical activity is also included.
Kallings P, Ingvast-Larsson C, Persson S, Appelgren LE, Förster HJ, Rominger KL.To evaluate the effects of clenbuterol on cardio-respiratory parameters and blood lactate relation to exercise tolerance, experimental horses performed standardized exercise tests on a high-speed treadmill before and after administration of the drug. Clenbuterol was administered in feed to six healthy Standardbreds at a dose rate of 0.8 micrograms/kg b.wt twice daily for 5.5 days. Each horse was tested twice, without and with a respiratory mask, during two consecutive days. One week elapsed between the baseline tests without drug and the tests with clenbuterol treatment (each horse served as i...
Kotsiubenko AA.The indexes of standardized deviations by the measured characters (probits) are expedient to be used for distribution of horses according to classes M-, M0 and M+, under these conditions one can select individuals M0 for to rise their capacity for work and expressivity of the type of breed.
Lucas JM, Ross MW, Richardson DW.A retrospective study of 176 Standardbred horses that had arthroscopic surgery for carpal chip fractures over a 7 year period was done in order to determine fracture location and post operative performance. Chip fractures of the proximal third carpal bone and the distal radiocarpal bone occurred with equal frequency (49.2 and 49.6% respectively), and chip fractures involving the antebrachiocarpal joint were rare. Trotters had significantly more third carpal bone lesions than radiocarpal bone lesions when compared to pacers (P = 0.0304). Seventy-four per cent of horses made at least one start f...
Cotrel C, Leleu C, Courouce-Malblanc A.A close relationship between limb and respiratory rhythms has been shown in clinically healthy galloping horses due to mechanical constraints in the thoracic region. This synchronisation leads to a 1/1 ratio between stride frequency (SF) and respiratory frequency (RF) during galloping. Very little is known about locomotor-respiratory coupling (LRC) during fast trot. Objective: To investigate stride and respiratory rates during a standardised exercise test on the track in Standardbred Trotters. Methods: Forty-four French trotters age 2-10 years performed a standardised exercise test consisting ...
Tabar-Rodriguez JJ, Cruz AM, Monteith G, Gordon K, Hurtig MB.OBJECTIVE-To use quantitative ultrasonography to evaluate the association between the speed of sound (SOS) at 9 sites in the third metacarpal bone (MCIII) of racing Thoroughbreds with workload accumulation and the effect that MCIII failure has on this association. ANIMALS-Sixty-two 2- and 3-year-old Thoroughbreds in racing condition. PROCEDURES-Cumulative work index (CWI) was used to calculate total workload (CWI(total)) and also 3 independent CWIs for the various gaits (ie, trot [CWI(trot)], gallop [CWI(gallop)], and race [CWI(race)]) used during training and racing. Speed of sound was monito...
Müller C.During the last years, trotting races met with massive criticism, because some of the numerous items of equipment were not to be reconciled with animal protection. In March 1998, the Trotting Association (HVT), as well as the list of authorized equipment. The so-called "positive list" includes harnesses, bridles, bits, auxiliary reins, driving reins, whips and other aids, among other things brushing boots, ear-muffs and head-pole. Especially criticized items are submitted to an assessment according to the present animal protection law. Moreover, possibilities are shown to make positive conditi...
Peitzmeier MD, Koontz ZD, Lynch TM, Hughes FE, Slone DE.This retrospective study provides long-term results of medial patellar ligament (MPL) desmoplasty in horses with intermittent upward fixation of the patella (UFP) that were treated at a single referral hospital over a 7-year period. Follow-up interviews were conducted with owners, trainers, or referring veterinarians using a standardized questionnaire. Overall, 71% of horses returned to their intended use with only 18% at a higher level. Recurrence of UFP was noted in 33% of cases. Satisfaction with the procedure was generally low, with only 50% of owners being completely satisfied. Further in...
Zakopal J, Kubícek K, Koprivová M, Kepková K.A study was performed to examine microclimate in 14 stables belonging to 10 horsemen's teams and clubs; five of these houses were new-built. In five race-horse stables housing 16 horses each, on an average, where the optimum air temperature ranged from 10 degrees C to 12 degrees C, measurements and examinations were performed in the winter period and the following results were obtained: space per 1 horse housed 42.9 plus or minus 8.7 m-3, relative air humidity 74.3 plus or minus 3.8%, CO2 concentration 0.175 plus or minus 0.027%, NH3 concentration 0.00135 plus or minus 0.00044%. A large majori...
Brown K, Stefanovski D, Davidson E.Decline in high speed treadmill (HSTM) exercise testing may be attributed to the rise of over-ground endoscopy and telemetric electrocardiography, in addition to concerns of adverse events during treadmill exercise resulting in injury or inadequate testing. Objective: To describe adverse events occurring during HSTM exercise tests at a single institution and determine their effect on likelihood of completing diagnostic HSTM exercise testing. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Pearson's chi-square test was used to determine if a significant difference in frequencies of adverse events...
Padilha FGF, El-Jaick KB, de Castro L, Dos Santos Moreira A, de Almeida FQ, Ferreira AMR.The aim of this study was to look for mutations in the equine gene and to identify sequence variants that might be associated with the phenotype and performance of Brazilian sport horses training for events in a tropical climate. Among 17 such horses direct DNA sequencing and mutation analysis of the exon 15 and the intron-exon boundaries of revealed 2 new sequence variants in the intron 14-15, designated c.1681-86G > A and c.1681-129delA. Wild-type/deletion heterozygotes (A/del) had a lower mean subcutaneous fat layer in the region of the gluteus medius, as measured by ultrasonography, tha...
Butler CL, Houpt KA.The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of pawing behavior in a population of Standardbred racehorses and the relationship of pawing frequency to time of day. Standardbreds (n=41) were observed using instantaneous scan sampling twice daily, in the morning before training and in the afternoon after training. A majority of the horses, twenty-four (58.5%) of the 41 horses showed pawing behavior at least once (median=7, interquartile range=2-15). After training, there were a median of 4 (interquartile range 1-11) observations of pawing or 11.2% of total observations. In the m...
Scott CM, Marlin DJ, Schroter RC.Modification of a ventilated capsule technique for the measurement of sweating rate (SR) is described for application in an exercising horse. The plastic capsule was sealed against the coat of the horse. Dry air was blown through the capsule over the skin and the change in absolute humidity (g/m3) between air entering and leaving the capsule was used to calculate SR. The effect of flow rate on the response characteristics of the system was investigated and measured over a range of sweating rates in a group of horses completing a short exercise test. Repeatability of SR measurements made at 2 s...
O'Sullivan CB, Dart AJ, Malikides N, Rawlinson RJ, Hutchins DR, Hodgson DR.To evaluate nonsurgical management of type II fractures of the distal phalanx in Standardbred horses. Methods: Retrospective study of 48 affected horses. Results: Most fractures occurred on the lateral palmar process of the left forelimb or the medial palmar process of the right forelimb; 81% of horses were considered sound enough to return to training and 63% raced. Of those returning to racing, 41% competed in > 10 races, 37% in 2 to 10 races and 22% in only 1 race. There was no difference in performance before and after fracture. Twenty-four of 25 horses had a bar shoe fitted for > 50...
