Performance horses are equines specifically trained and conditioned for activities that require a high level of athleticism, such as racing, dressage, show jumping, and eventing. These horses undergo specialized training regimens to enhance their physical capabilities, including speed, endurance, agility, and strength. The management of performance horses often involves tailored nutrition plans, regular veterinary care, and specific conditioning programs to optimize their performance and minimize the risk of injury. This topic covers peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the physiology, training methodologies, health management, and performance outcomes of these horses in various competitive disciplines.
Best R, Standing R.When compared with other equestrian sports, Polo players engage in a high number of player-pony interactions. To ensure optimal performance of the player-pony dyad, an understanding of the workloads performed by each pony and the physiological cost placed on the rider are required. This investigation examined the relationship and interaction between Polo pony performance (speeds attained, distance covered, and movements performed) and the corresponding heart rate responses in Polo players, within and between games across a 16-goal Polo tournament. Descriptive statistics revealed Polo is played...
Parkes RSV, Pfau T, Weller R, Witte TH.During racing, injury is more likely to occur on a bend than on a straight segment of track. This study aimed to quantify the effects of galloping at training speeds on large radius curves on stride parameters and limb lean angle in order to assess estimated consequences for limb loading. Seven Thoroughbred horses were equipped with a sacrum-mounted inertial measurement unit with an integrated GPS, two hoof-mounted accelerometers and retro-reflective markers on the forelimbs. Horses galloped 2-4 circuits anticlockwise around an oval track and were filmed at 120 frames per second using an array...
Johnson SA, Donnell JR, Donnell AD, Frisbie DD.Similar to other high-level athletic disciplines, the western performance horse experiences a variety of orthopaedic conditions as a result of rigorous sport-specific physical demands. While musculoskeletal injury rates have been quantified in other equine disciplines, these data are lacking for the western performance athlete. Objective: To identify the most common anatomical regions of lameness in western performance horses being evaluated at the nation's largest sanctioned shows over a 10-year study period. Methods: Retrospective review of clinical records. Methods: Records of diagnostic an...
Ricard A, Dumont Saint Priest B, Chassier M, Sabbagh M, Danvy S.The aim was to assess the efficiency of gaits characteristics in improving jumping performance of sport horses and confront accelerometers and judge scores for this purpose. A sample of 1,477 young jumping horses were measured using accelerometers for walk, trot, and canter. Of these, 702 were genotyped with 541,175 SNPs after quality control. Dataset of 26,914 horses scored by judges in breeding shows for gaits and dataset of 142,682 horses that performed in jumping competitions were used. Analysis of accelerometric data defined three principal components from 64% to 89% of variability explai...
Tatarniuk DM, Hill JA, Modesto RB, Swor TM, Caston SS, Kersh KD.To report the outcome of horses used in western performance disciplines after deep branch lateral plantar neurectomy/fasciotomy surgery for hind limb proximal suspensory desmopathy (PSD). Methods: Retrospective analysis. Methods: Twenty-one client-owned horses. Methods: Medical records were reviewed (2009-2019) for horses involved in western performance disciplines that had been treated with deep branch lateral plantar neurectomy and plantar fasciotomy for lameness due to hind limb PSD. Follow-up was obtained by reexamination and/or verbal interviews with owners >2 years postoperatively. Res...
Mercier Q, Aftalion A.The objective of this work is to provide a mathematical analysis on how a Thoroughbred horse should regulate its speed over the course of a race to optimize performance. Because Thoroughbred horses are not capable of running the whole race at top speed, determining what pace to set and when to unleash the burst of speed is essential. Our model relies on mechanics, energetics (both aerobic and anaerobic) and motor control. It is a system of coupled ordinary differential equations on the velocity, the propulsive force and the anaerobic energy, that leads to an optimal control problem that we sol...
Massie SL, Bezugley RJ, McDonald KJ, Leguillette R.The prevalence and severity of cardiac arrhythmias in healthy racehorses undergoing competition is not well defined. The aim was to characterize arrhythmias in Thoroughbreds participating in official Chuckwagon races and to determine normal beat-to-beat (R-R) variability during supramaximal exercise. Electrocardiograph (ECG) recordings were obtained during pre-race, race, and active-recovery from 82 clinically healthy Thoroughbreds. ECG recordings were analyzed for arrhythmias and mean percent R-R deviation. Plasma lactate and high-sensitivity troponin (hs-cTnT) were also measured. Fifty-two E...
Morrice-West AV, Hitchens PL, Walmsley EA, Stevenson MA, Wong ASM, Whitton RC.With each stride, galloping horses generate large skeletal loads which influence bone physiology, and may contribute to musculoskeletal injury. Horse speed and stride characteristics are related, but the usefulness of using horse speed and distance travelled as a proxy for stride characteristics is unknown. Objective: We aimed to determine stride characteristics, their variance and their relationship with speed in horses performing maximally. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of archived data. Methods: Stride characteristics obtained using GPS and inertial sensors in Thoroughbred...
Kvist L, Honka J, Niskanen M, Liedes O, Aspi J.Selection by breeders modifies the morphology, behaviour and performance of domesticated species. Here, we examined signs of selection in Finnhorse, the only native horse breed in Finland. We first searched divergent genomic regions between Finnhorses and other breeds, as well as between different breeding sections of the Finnhorse with data from Illumina Equine SNP70 BeadChip, and then studied several of the detected regions in more detail. We found altogether 35 common outlier SNPs between Finnhorses and other breeds using two different selection tests. Many of the SNPs were located close to...
Buhl R, Nissen SD, Winther MLK, Poulsen SK, Hopster-Iversen C, Jespersen T, Sanders P, Carstensen H, Hesselkilde EM.Limited information is available on paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) in the horse. Indeed, undiagnosed PAF could result in poor performance. Due to the intermittent occurrence, PAF is difficult to diagnose. However, implanting a small ECG device (implantable loop recorder, ILR) subcutaneously, allows the continuous and automatic detection of PAF. Objective: The aim was to investigate the potential of ILRs as a tool for diagnosing PAF in horses with poor performance. Methods: Prospective field study. Methods: Twelve racing Standardbred trotters with intermittent reduced performance (mean ag...
Demarie S, Galvani C, Billat VL.The aim of the present study was to quantify the impact of training restrictions, due to COVID-19 sanitary emergency, on physical and emotional strain of horse-riding Eventing competitions before and after eight weeks of lockdown. Performance was assessed by the penalty points attained, anxiety by the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2, strain by the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) method. Moreover, Heart Rate was continuously monitored for fifty-four female national level Eventing horse-riders. Lockdown decreased performance outcome of horse-riders in Eventing competitions up to six wee...
Pourmohammad R, Mohri M, Seifi HA, Sardari K.Limited information existed on performance tests in Iranian Arab horses. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate time related changes of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and oxidative/antioxidant biomarkers in the serum of Arabian horses before and after regular training. Methods: Blood samples were collected from jugular vein of 25 Arabian horses before exercise; 5 h and 18 h after exercise and used to measure the cTnI, ANP, malondialdehyde (MDA), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) ...
Reef VB, Davidson EJ, Slack J, Stefanovski D.Cardiac arrhythmias are common in horses during exercise, especially immediately post-exercise. The objectives of this study were to: (1) describe the frequency and type of cardiac arrhythmias detected in horses during incremental high-speed treadmill exercise testing (ITET); (2) determine if arterial blood gas (ABG) changes at peak and immediately post-exercise were associated with arrhythmias; and (3) determine whether upper or lower airway disease was associated with exercising cardiac arrhythmias. Horses (n = 368) presenting for an ITET underwent resting and exercising upper airway endosco...
Bailey SR, Forbes G, Selvadurai N, McLarney K, Jones S, Steel CM.The administration of alkalinising agents including bicarbonate is of concern to racing authorities because resultant alkalosis may enhance performance and interfere with the detection of drugs in post-race urine. A threshold for total carbon dioxide (TCO ) of 36.0 mmol/L in plasma (with action limit of 37.0 mmol/L) has been set. Serial dosing of sodium bicarbonate has gained popularity in human athletes but has not been studied in horses previously. Sodium bicarbonate (200 g per horse) and 60 g of an electrolyte-vitamin complex was administered in 2-L water via nasogastric intubation to five ...
Marr CM, Franklin S, Garrod G, Wylie C, Smith L, Dukes-McEwan J, Bright J, Allen K.Exercise-associated cardiac rhythm disturbances are common, but there is a lack of evidence-based criteria on which to distinguish clinically relevant rhythm disturbances from those that are not. Objective: To describe and characterise rhythm disturbances during clinical exercise testing; to explore potential risk factors for these rhythm disturbances and to determine whether they influenced future racing. Methods: Retrospective cohort using a convenience sample. Methods: Medical records were reviewed from two clinical services to identify horses with poor performance and/or respiratory noise ...
Gillon A, Ho ENM, Chan GHM, Kauff A, Hughes G, Lund RA, Ashley Z, Wan TSM, Heather AK.Altrenogest is a commonly used progestogen for the suppression of oestrus and associated distracting behaviours that interfere with training and performance of female racehorses. The steroid is derived from 19-nor testosterone and is structurally similar to the anabolic androgenic steroid, trenbolone. In this study, the relative androgen potency of altrenogest was determined by a kidney (HEK293) cell androgen bioassay. The HEK293 bioassay shows that in its pure form, altrenogest has a high relative potency compared with testosterone but is not as strong as β-trenbolone. Our results also show ...
Velloso Alvarez A, Boone LH, Braim AP, Taintor JS, Caldwell F, Wright JC, Wooldridge AA.There are several non-steroidal intra-articular therapeutics (NSIATs) available for use by equine practitioners for the treatment of performance-limiting joint-related pathology. Information is limited on perceived clinical efficacy, recommended treatment protocols, and associated complications. Our objective with this cross-sectional survey was to investigate the current clinical usage of NSIATs by equine practitioners. An electronic cross-sectional convenience survey inquiring about the use of steroidal and NSIATS (platelet-rich plasma, autologous conditioned serum, autologous protein soluti...
MacKechnie-Guire R, Fisher M, Pfau T.Using a half pad beneath a saddle can be beneficial for improving saddle fit. However, there is a paucity of evidence on half pad use when used beneath a correctly fitted saddle. The aim was to quantify the effect that three different half pads have on pressure distribution beneath a saddle fitted following industry guidelines. Twelve nonlame horses were ridden by experienced riders in sitting trot and canter on each rein (three repeats). Saddle fit, with a high-withered cotton saddle cloth (control) compared with three half pads (viscoelastic gel, wool, and medical-grade, closed-cell foam), w...
Cheung HW, Wong KS, Lin VYC, Wan TSM, Ho ENM.The misuse of genetic manipulation technology to enhance athletic performance is termed gene doping which is prohibited in human sports, horseracing, and equestrian sports. Although many qPCR assays have been developed, most assays employ genomic DNA (gDNA) from humans, non-human primates, and mice as a background and they may not be applicable for testing horse samples. This study aimed to develop a qPCR assay for the detection of human erythropoietin (hEPO) transgene in horse blood cells where the viral vectors used in gene therapy can reside for months. For the detection of hEPO transgene, ...
Denham J, Hulme A.Sodium bicarbonate administration in the hours prior to exercise has been used as a performance-enhancing substance in horses since the late 1980s. Although sodium bicarbonate administration to racehorses 24 hours before racing is a banned practice in most racing industries, whether or not it improves running performance in racehorses is currently unclear. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to establish whether or not acute sodium bicarbonate administration improves running performance in trained Standardbred and Thoroughbred horses. Seven randomized controlled trials, in...
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...
Ryan KD, Brodine J, Pothast J, McGoldrick A.Horseracing is among the most popular and increasingly lucrative industry sports in the nation. The average jockey must control a thoroughbred horse 10 times their weight that may act unpredictably whether at rest or full gallop resulting in falls, kicks, or even biting injuries. Despite the risks, jockeys do not have access to the same quality of medical care that is standard in similarly profitable sports organizations. Beyond the mental and physical demands of training and performance endured by any professional athlete, jockeys are confronted with health challenges unique to their sport. I...
Hanousek K, Salavati M, Dunkel B.Limited research has been undertaken to determine the impact of horse age, sex, and number of riders on horse performance in British Eventing (BE) horse trials. Improved understanding of this can aid professionals in planning a competition horse's career. To investigate the impact of age, sex, and number of riders on the peak performance of horses at each of the main levels of BE competitions. The best score from each horse competing in BE horse trials in the years 2008-2018 was recorded, and principal component and hierarchical cluster analysis was performed. Basic data analysis was used to i...
Arfuso F, Giannetto C, Giudice E, Fazio F, Panzera F, Piccione G.The aim of this study was to assess whether acid-base profile exhibits changes in regularly trained show jumping horses undergoing increasing exercise workloads. Seven female Italian saddle horses were subjected to three different physical exercise trials of increasing workload identified as three exercise phases (EPs). During EPI horses were subjected to a standardized exercise test consisting of 15 minutes of treadmill, during EPII horses were subjected to a show jumping test (height, 0.9-1.1 m; course length, 300 m), during EPIII horses underwent two jumping sessions carried out over two...
O'Brien C, Marr N, Thorpe C.The forelimb superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) is an energy-storing tendon that is highly susceptible to injury during activities such as galloping and jumping, such that it is one of the most commonly reported causes of lameness in the performance horse. This review outlines the biomechanical and biothermal effects of strain on the SDFT and how these contribute to the accumulation of microdamage. The effect of age-related alterations on strain response and subsequent injury risk is also considered. Given that tendon is a slowly healing and poorly regenerative tissue, prompt detection o...
Wilkins CA, Nankervis K, Protheroe L, Draper SB.Static assessment and grouping of riders by competition level are prevalent in equestrian coaching practice and research. This study explored sagittal pelvic tilt in 35 competitive dressage riders to analyse the relationship between static and dynamic postures and assess the interaction of competition level. Riders were assessed using optical motion capture on a riding simulator at halt and in walk, trot, and left and right canter. Mean, minimum and maximum pelvic tilt, and range of motion (ROM) were measured as the pitch rotation of a rigid body formed by markers placed on the rider's left/ri...
Elmeua González M, Šarabon N.Equestrian sports have been a source of numerous studies throughout the past two decades, however, few scientists have focused on the biomechanical effects, including muscle activation, that the horse has on the rider. Because equitation is a sport of two (the horse-human dyad), we believe there is a need to fill in the knowledge gap in human biomechanics during riding. To investigate the differences between novice and advanced riders at a neuromuscular level we characterized the motor output of a set of riders' key muscles during horse riding. Six recreational riders (24 ± 7 years) and nine ...
Ishii H, Leung GN, Yamashita S, Yamada M, Kushiro A, Kasashima Y, Okada J, Kawasaki K, Kijima-Suda I.GW1516 is a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-δ agonist in the class of hormones and metabolic modulators. The use of GW1516 is banned in both horseracing and equestrian competitions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first metabolic study of GW1516 in horses. Methods: After protein precipitation of pre- and post-administration plasma GW1516 samples, the supernatants were analyzed using liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization Q-Exactive high-resolution mass spectrometry to detect GW1516 and its metabolites. Monoisotopic ions of GW1516 and its metabolites were monitored ...
Ekici S, Ozmen O.The active roles of microribonucleic acids (miRNAs) in gene regulation have made miRNAs a key point for the scientific world in the study of physiological processes. Although saliva includes the largest number of miRNAs, there is no miRNA study in saliva on horses has been found. Our study is the first study on miRNAs isolation from saliva in horses. In the present study, saliva was studied in Arabian racehorses to better understand the molecular mechanisms of expression levels that are effective in lipid metabolism of miRNAs and their target genes during the race. Identification of lipid meta...
Tsuzuki N, Endo Y, Kikkawa L, Korosue K, Kaneko Y, Kitauchi A, Katamoto H, Hidaka Y, Hagio M, Torisu S.The performance of horses undergoing regular intense exercise is adversely affected by oxidative stress. Thus, it is important to increase antioxidant production in horses in order to reduce oxidative stress. Ozonated autohemotherapy (OAHT) reportedly promotes antioxidant production. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of OAHT on antioxidant capacity. Ten Thoroughbred horses were used in this study. After the OAHT, we collected serum samples and measured biological antioxidant potential (BAP). We found that BAP began to increase after the OAHT and was significantly higher in the OAHT grou...
Jeffcott LB, Hickman J.This paper describes the surgical treatment of 14 horses exhibiting chronic back pain attributed to impaction and overriding of the dorsal spines in the thoracolumbar region. The technique involved the resection of the summits of one or more dorsal spines following midline division of the supraspinous ligament. All the horses returned to full work after a convalescent period of at least four months, and 12 of them showed considerable improvement in their form and performance. A post-surgical complication encountered in one case was the development of new bone on the edge of a resected spine. T...
García-Ballesteros S, Varona L, Valera M, Gutiérrez JP, Cervantes I.Ranking trait was used as a selection criterion for competition horses to estimate racing performance. In the literature the most common approaches to estimate breeding values are the linear or threshold statistical models. However, recent studies have shown that a Thurstonian approach was able to fix the race effect (competitive level of the horses that participate in the same race), thus suggesting a better prediction accuracy of breeding values for ranking trait. The aim of this study was to compare the predictability of linear, threshold and Thurstonian approaches for genetic evaluation of...
Kinnunen S, Hyyppä S, Oksala N, Laaksonen DE, Hannila ML, Sen CK, Atalay M.Heat shock protein (HSP) expression is an adaptive mechanism against the disruption of cell homeostasis during exercise. Several antioxidant supplementation strategies have been used to enhance tissue protection. In this study, we examined the effects of a redox modulator, alpha-lipoic acid (LA) on HSP responses in six standardbred trotters following intense aerobic exercise. DL-LA supplementation (25 mg kg(-1) d(-1)) for five weeks increased the resting levels of HSP90 (1.02+/-0.155 in control and 1.26+/-0.090 after supplementation in arbitrary units) and the recovery levels of inducible HSP7...
Elmeua González M, Šarabon N.Equestrian sports have been a source of numerous studies throughout the past two decades, however, few scientists have focused on the biomechanical effects, including muscle activation, that the horse has on the rider. Because equitation is a sport of two (the horse-human dyad), we believe there is a need to fill in the knowledge gap in human biomechanics during riding. To investigate the differences between novice and advanced riders at a neuromuscular level we characterized the motor output of a set of riders' key muscles during horse riding. Six recreational riders (24 ± 7 years) and nine ...
Pearson RA, Vall E.Use of animal power generally enables farmers in sub-Saharan Africa to increase agricultural production and improve the quality of life. Effective use of working animals depends on an understanding of the capabilities of the animals for work, their husbandry requirements and the factors which can influence their performance. These issues are reviewed in this paper in the context of the use of animal power in agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa. The type of animal used for work determines power available to the farmer. The performance of donkeys, horses and cattle have been compared in work tests...
Rovere G, Ducro BJ, van Arendonk JA, Norberg E, Madsen P.Sport performance in dressage and show jumping are two important traits in the breeding goals of many studbooks. To determine the optimum selection scheme for jumping and dressage, knowledge is needed on the genetic correlation between both disciplines and between traits measured early in life and performance in competition in each discipline. This study aimed to estimate genetic parameters to support decision-making on specialization of breeding horses for dressage and show jumping in Dutch warmblood horses. Genetic correlations between performance of horses in dressage and show jumping were ...
Freestone JF, Wolfsheimer KJ, Kamerling SG, Church G, Hamra J, Bagwell C.Nine Thoroughbred horses were assessed to determine the normal response of insulin, glucose, cortisol, plasma potassium (K) and erythrocyte K through conditioning and to exercise over 400 and 1,000 m. In addition, adrenaline, noradrenaline, cortisol, plasma K, erythrocyte K and L-lactate concentrations were evaluated in response to maximal exercise with and without the administration of acepromazine. Conditioning caused no obvious trends in plasma K, erythrocyte K, insulin or glucose concentration. Serum cortisol increased (P less than 0.05) from the initial sample at Week 1 to Weeks 4 and 5 (...
Chanda M, Srikuea R, Cherdchutam W, Chairoungdua A, Piyachaturawat P.The match play patterns in equestrian polo are unique and require specific training programs to ensure sport performance. The effect of commonly used exercise training regimens on the adaptation of skeletal muscle is unclear. The present study investigated the modulating effects of the classic training regimen, comprised of aerobic exercise training with increasing exercise intensities and varying duration combined with match play, on the properties of muscle in polo ponies. Nine healthy adult female polo ponies were subjected to four consecutive subsets of 1 year classic training regimen incl...
Fraipont A, Van Erck E, Ramery E, Fortier G, Lekeux P, Art T.A field test and a standardized treadmill test were used to assess fitness in endurance horses. These tests discriminated horses of different race levels: horses participating in races of 120 km and more showed higher values of VLA4 (velocity at which blood lactate reached 4 mmol/L) and V200 (velocity at which heart rates reached 200 beats per min) than horses of lower race levels. Un test sur le terrain et un test sur tapis roulant ont été utilisés pour évaluer la condition physique des chevaux d’endurance. Ces tests ont séparé les chevaux de différents niveaux de course : les cheva...
Quiney LE, Ireland JL, Dyson SJ.Skeletal scintigraphy is an established imaging modality, however, its validity as a diagnostic test in lame or poorly performing sports horses has not been determined. The objective of this retrospective cross-sectional analytical study was to determine the accuracy of skeletal scintigraphy as an indiscriminate screening test in sports horses. All sports horses that underwent scintigraphic examination between March 2008 and December 2014 for which a definitive diagnosis was reached were included. Examinations were evaluated blindly. Characteristics of increased radiopharmaceutical uptake were...
Piccolo L, Kienapfel K.Too much rein tension while riding may compromise the welfare of the horse. But who generates the tension on the reins-the horse or the rider? The primary aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the maximum rein tension that horses voluntarily maintain without a rider compared to rein tension with a rider. A secondary aim was to evaluate conflict behaviours in relation to rein tension. Thirteen horses were used, all fitted with customised "Animon" rein tension sensors (25 Hz, up to 600 N range), free-moving with side reins set in dressage competition frame with the noseline on the vertical. Re...
Matsuura A, Sakuma S, Irimajiri M, Hodate K.The aim of this study was to determine the loading capacity of a trotting Taishuh pony by gait analysis using a motion analysis system. Seven Taishuh Ponies (5 mares and 2 geldings) and their rider were fitted with a marker (70 mm in diameter placed on their chest) and recorded by 2 high-resolution digital DVD cameras (at a sampling frequency of 60 Hz) as they were trotting along a straight course. Each horse performed 7 tests: 1 test with a loaded weight of 70 kg, 5 tests with random loaded weights between 80 kg and 120 kg, and a final test with a loaded weight of 70 kg again. Three-dimension...
MacKechnie-Guire R, Pfau T.High-level dressage horses regularly perform advanced movements, requiring coordination and force transmission between front and hind limbs across the thoracolumbosacral region. This study aimed at quantifying kinematic differences in dressage horses when ridden in sitting trot-i.e. with additional load applied in the thoracolumbar region-compared with trotting in-hand. Inertial sensors were glued on to the midline of the thoracic (T) and lumbar (L) spine at T5, T13, T18, L3 and middle of the left and right tubera sacrale of ten elite dressage horses (Mean±SD), age 11±1 years, height 1.70±0...
Crispe EJ, Lester GD, Secombe CJ, Perera DI.Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) is commonly implicated as a cause of poor athletic performance but there is limited and conflicting evidence for this association. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine if EIPH, based on endoscopic examination after racing, is associated with a variety of novel and established performance parameters. Methods: Prospective, observational cross-sectional study. Methods: Thoroughbred racehorses competing between 2012 and 2015 were examined on-course no earlier than 30 min after racing. Examinations were recorded and graded blindly by experi...
Barton MH, Williamson L, Jacks S, Norton N.To compare physiologic, hematologic, and selected serum and plasma biochemical variables obtained from horses competing in 48-, 83-, or 159-km endurance rides before competition and at the same cumulative distance points. Methods: 83 horses. Methods: Weight and rectal temperature measurements and blood samples were obtained from horses before, during, and after 1 of 3 rides conducted on the same day. Plasma protein (PP), lactate, WBC, serum electrolyte, and calcium concentrations; PCV; and creatine kinase (CK) activity were determined. Assessments were made to determine whether any differences...
Greve L, Dyson S.Major back dimension changes over time have been observed in some horses, the speed of which may be influenced by work type, skeletal maturity, nutrition and saddle fit. Currently, there are no longitudinal data quantifying changes in back dimensions. The objectives of this study were to quantify back dimension changes over time, to identify the effects of horse, saddle and rider on these dimensions, and to determine their association with season, weight, work and saddle management. A prospective, longitudinal study was performed, using stratified random sampling within a convenience sample of...
Staiger EA, Almén MS, Promerová M, Brooks S, Cothran EG, Imsland F, Jäderkvist Fegraeus K, Lindgren G, Mehrabani Yeganeh H, Mikko S, Vega-Pla JL....A previous study revealed a strong association between the DMRT3:Ser301STOP mutation in horses and alternate gaits as well as performance in harness racing. Several follow-up studies have confirmed a high frequency of the mutation in gaited horse breeds and an effect on gait quality. The aim of this study was to determine when and where the mutation arose, to identify additional potential causal mutations and to determine the coalescence time for contemporary haplotypes carrying the stop mutation. We utilized sequences from 89 horses representing 26 breeds to identify 102 SNPs encompassing the...
Pira E, Vacca GM, Dettori ML, Piras G, Moro M, Paschino P, Pazzola M.One hundred and eighty Anglo-Arabian horses running 1239 races were sampled for the present study. DNA was extracted from the blood and myostatin gene, MSTN, was genotyped. Moreover, prizes won and places were achieved for the 1239 races to perform association analyses between the different genotypes and sport traits. Two SNPs already reported in previous studies regarding the Thoroughbred breed, rs69472472 and rs397152648, were revealed as polymorphic. The linkage disequilibrium analysis investigating the haplotype structure of MSTN did not evidence any association block. Polymorphism at SNP ...
Marlin DJ, Allen JC.Knowledge of the competitive demands of different sports or activities is important for designing appropriate training programmes to ensure that animals reach a sufficient level of fitness to reduce the risk of overexertion and injury or illness and to achieve the best possible performance in relation to an individual's genetic potential. Whilst the physiological demands of many equestrian sports have been described, to the best of our knowledge the cardiovascular demands of polo have not. The aims of the present study were therefore to record heart rate during and after competitive polo games...
Priest DT, Cheetham J, Regner AL, Mitchell L, Soderholm LV, Tamzali Y, Ducharme NG.Examination of the equine upper airway during racing has not previously been documented. Objective: To describe the feasibility and appearance of the upper airways by overground respiratory endoscopic examination during racing conditions. Methods: Overground videoendoscopic examinations were performed on 46 Standardbred racehorses during qualifying races. Examined horses' speeds were recorded throughout the race with a portable GPS device. Results: The procedure did not interfere with performance as there were no significant differences in race times between races in which horses were examined...
Art T, Franck T, Gangl M, Votion D, Kohnen S, Deby-Dupont G, Serteyn D.In man, exercise of any type has been shown to induce neutrophil degranulation and respiratory burst activity, as well as an increase in plasma myeloperoxidase (MPO), a specific enzyme of neutrophil azurophilic granules with a strong oxidative activity. Until now, it is not known whether this is the same in horses. Objective: To study whether degranulation of blood neutrophils may be induced by exercise by measuring the total concentration of MPO and assess the possible influence of type of competition on this exercise-induced adjustment. Methods: Blood was sampled before, and 30 min after, th...
Langsetmo I, Weigle GE, Fedde MR, Erickson HH, Barstow TJ, Poole DC.The horse is a superb athlete, achieving a maximal O2 uptake (approximately 160 ml . min-1 . kg-1) approaching twice that of the fittest humans. Although equine O2 uptake (VO2) kinetics are reportedly fast, they have not been precisely characterized, nor has their exercise intensity dependence been elucidated. To address these issues, adult male horses underwent incremental treadmill testing to determine their lactate threshold (Tlac) and peak VO2 (VO2 peak), and kinetic features of their VO2 response to "square-wave" work forcings were resolved using exercise transitions from 3 m/s to a below...
Nielsen BD, Turner KK, Ventura BA, Woodward AD, O'Connor CI.While Quarter Horses are recognised as the fastest breed of horse, direct comparisons to race times with other breeds can be misleading. Quarter Horse races begin when the starting gates open. Thoroughbred and Arabian races begin a short distance from the gates after horses have started running. This study compared speeds of these breeds as they accelerate from the starting gates and during the middle and end of races. Objective: To compare racing speeds of the 3 breeds, and to compare speeds during various segments of the races. Methods: Video tapes of races were obtained from a local track. ...
Rose RJ, Arnold KS, Church S, Paris R.Blood samples were taken from 20 horses competing in a 100 km endurance ride and plasma concentrations of sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate and protein measured. Measurements were performed on samples taken before the ride (pre-ride), at the mid point and end of the ride and after a 30 min recovery period (post-ride). Sweat samples were collected from 6 horses competing in the endurance ride and 14 horses competing in a 3-day event competition and sweat concentrations of sodium, potassium and chloride measured. There were substantial decreases in plasma electrolyte concentrations, which...
Munsters CC, van den Broek J, van Weeren R, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.Little is known about wastage in riding horses and the factors like fitness and workload that may reduce injuries and maximise welfare. To evaluate fitness, workload and reasons for premature training ends (PTEs) and temporary training breaks (TTBs) during a nine week training period, two groups of riding horses were used: Group A consisting of 58 horses used for student equitation courses (32 with training prior to admission and 26 without) and Group B consisting of 26 horses owned by two riding schools (school-I and school-II). To assess fitness, all horses performed a standardised exercise ...
Jose-Cunilleras E, Young LE, Newton JR, Marlin DJ.The prevalence and severity of cardiac arrhythmias during exercise in athletic horses presented for poor performance is not well described. Objective: To describe prevalence and severity of ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias immediately before, during and immediately after standardised incremental treadmill exercise tests (IET) to fatigue in Thoroughbred horses during investigation of poor performance. Methods: The electrocardiograms (ECG) of 88 Thoroughbred racehorses, judged to be free of significant heart disease or arrhythmia at rest, were used. A modified base-apex ECG was recor...
Setterbo JJ, Fyhrie PB, Hubbard M, Upadhyaya SK, Stover SM.Racetrack surface is a risk factor for Thoroughbred racehorse injury and death that can be engineered and managed. To investigate the relationship between surface and injury, the mechanical behaviour of dirt and synthetic track surfaces must be quantified. Objective: To compare dynamic properties of a dirt and a synthetic surface in situ using a track-testing device designed to simulate equine hoof impact; and to determine the effects of impact velocity, impact angle and repeated impact on dynamic surface behaviour. Methods: A track-testing device measured force and displacement during impact ...
O'Hara V, Cowan A, Riddell D, Massey C, Martin J, Piercy RJ.Horse racing is a popular and financially important industry worldwide and researchers and horse owners are interested in genetic and training influences that maximise athletic performance. An association has been found between the presence of a short interspersed nuclear element (SINE) mutation in the myostatin (MSTN) gene promoter and optimal race distance in Thoroughbred horses. There is previous laboratory evidence that this mutation reduces MSTN expression in a cell culture model and influences skeletal muscle fibre type proportions in horses. Manipulating MSTN expression has been propose...
