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.
CLARKE EG.This research article explores the topic of doping racehorses, looking at the history of the practice, the reasons for it, various methods used, and the substances utilized. It also presents [...]
The proposed biological mechanisms for exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) are many and varied. Better knowledge of risk factors should lead to achievable measures to reduce the incidence. Objective: To identify risk factors associated with epistaxis following racing in UK Thoroughbreds, to gain possible insights into the pathogenesis of the condition and to investigate the association between epistaxis and race finishing position. Methods: The association of epistaxis occurring on UK racecourses between 1996 and 1998 with a wide range of race-, horse- and start-level variables was e...
The upper respiratory tract is a frequent cause of exercise intolerance in horses, particularly in racing horses. There are a myriad of laryngeal abnormalities that may restrict airflow at the rima glottidis. Careful endoscopic examination is a crucial part of the examination of any racing horse suffering from poor performance. There has recently been interest in spectrum analysis of respiratory sounds. It has been determined that laryngeal hemiplegia and dorsal displacement of the soft palate have unique sound patterns. Therefore, spectrum analysis of respiratory sounds may prove to be useful...
Scott D, Seabaugh K, Kim L, Magzamen S, Duncan C.Ambient air pollution contributes substantially to human morbidity and mortality, and athletes are recognised as a particularly vulnerable group. However, little is known about the impact of air pollution on equine athletes. Objective: To explore the relationship between air pollution exposure during the pre-competition training period and race day performance among Thoroughbred racehorses that competed on California racetracks. Methods: A retrospective longitudinal study. Methods: For each winning horse, pollutant exposure during the 21-day pre-competition training period was assigned using d...
Yilmaz İÇ, Güler T, Ekmen EG, Özçelik M.Boron plays significant roles in various biological systems, including mineral, lipid, and energy metabolism, immune and endocrine systems, and brain function. It has been suggested to enhance performance and may prevent conditions such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and arthritis. Despite these known benefits, its effects on growth performance and mineral metabolism in horses remain understudied, particularly in young animals like Purebred Arabian foals. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different doses of boron supplementation (0, 5, 10, and 15 mg/day ...
Eamon CM, van den Broek M, Garcia-Alamo K, De Bruyne C, Davis BL, Fallscheer M, Frostad S, Pajor E, Skotarek Loch S, Weller R, Chan ZYS, Pfau T.In Chuckwagon racing, teams of four Thoroughbred horses pull wagons at high speeds. Movement symmetry is a key locomotion metric linked to force production, racing direction, and lameness. Racehorse symmetry in trot during on-track warmups and cooldowns was assessed. Over 10 days, 60 horses (average 8 per day) were fitted with Global Navigation Satellite Systems combined with Inertial Measurement Unit (GNSS-IMU) sensors. Weight-bearing asymmetry was quantified using the minimum difference (MnD) in vertical trunk displacement between diagonal limb pairs, and push-off asymmetry was quantified us...
Marin F, Giraudet C, Gaulmin P, Moiroud C, De Azevedo E, Hatrisse C, Ben Mansour K, Martin P, Audigie F, Chateau H.Equine swimming is increasingly used for injury prevention and rehabilitation, but objective analysis of movement during swimming remains limited compared to land-based locomotion. Spatiotemporal parameters are essential for evaluating therapeutic outcomes, yet capturing these parameters is technically challenging due to difficulties in observing limb motion in water. Inertial sensors, already widely applied in equine science, offer a promising solution for measuring swimming kinematics objectively. The objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability of inertial sensors placed on equin...
Hartwigsen R, Grant CC, Botha T, van Vollenhoven E.Thoroughbred racehorses are at increased risk of injury during race preparations and trials, primarily due to intensive workloads that predispose them to musculoskeletal injuries. Evaluating clinical interventions to improve health and prevent injury is essential for addressing animal welfare concerns. This study investigated the medium-term effects of acupuncture on stride, speed and cardiac autonomic regulation (assessed via heart rate variability [HRV]), in Thoroughbred flat racehorses. This prospective, randomised, parallel-group study included an intervention and a control group. Thirty T...
Correa MG, Magalhães JF, Guedes JRB, Carvalho AM, Alberto do Lago L, Gobesso AAO, Ferreira BN, de Almeida Manzano de Campos FP, Campos R, Faleiros RR.Although racehorses represent a dominant segment in equine industry, there are growing concerns regarding injury prevention, with hoof conformation increasingly recognized as a contributing factor. Objective: To morphologically and radiographically evaluate the forelimb digits of racehorses at the São Paulo Jockey Club in order to determine the prevalence of dorsopalmar hoof distortions and to compare morphological and radiographic methods for assessing the hoof-pastern axis. Methods: The forelimb digits of 59 thoroughbred horses aged 3 to 4 years were evaluated using standardized photographi...
Sobotková E, Kuřitková D, Zeliszewska-Duk P, Mikule V.The aim of the research was to assess how the selected factors could influence the performance of the best horses in dressage, jumping and eventing competitions. The research was based on the Studbook Rankings published by the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses from 2019 to 2024. Our analysis shows a statistically significant effect of each of the observed factors in at least one discipline. The leading factor in all disciplines was studbook affiliation. The Belgian warmblood, German Sport Horse, Hanoverian, Royal Dutch Sport Horse, Oldenburg and Westphalian studbooks are represented a...
Wolframm IA, Everding M, Savulchyk V, Borssen J, Gudden DDM.In equestrian circles, horse-rider harmony is understood intuitively, yet clear criteria are lacking. This study examined how different equestrians conceptualized and visually assessed harmony and how this influenced scoring. Qualitative interviews were combined with eye tracking technology. Thirty equestrians assessed five videos of horse-rider combinations performing in dressage, showjumping, eventing, working equitation and Icelandic riding, with eye movements being recorded using a mounted eye tracker. Verbal definitions were analyzed using thematic analysis, revealing three overarching th...
Siemieniuch-Tartanus M, Tomczyk-Wrona I, Tobolski D.Performance testing is a critical tool for achieving genetic progress, yet its long-term effectiveness in primitive breeds under conservation programs is poorly documented. The Konik Polski horse breeding program aims to improve utility while preserving primitive characteristics. Unassigned: This retrospective study analyzed a 25-year longitudinal dataset ( = 1,608) from the official Field Performance Test to quantify genetic trends in gait efficiency, using nonparametric methods to assess the effects of test type, year, and age on stride length and speed at the walk and trot. To estimate he...
McDonald S, Verheyen KLP, Chang YM, Allen SE.Limited literature is available about the career outcomes of horses sustaining a long-term injury (LTI) in a jump race. Methods: All Thoroughbreds that sustained an LTI, defined as any non-fatal musculoskeletal injury requiring a minimum 90-day break from racing, in a British jump race between May 2018 and April 2023 were followed up for at least 24 months and outcomes described. Pre-injury racing performance was compared between horses that did and did not return to racing, and post-injury racing performance was compared between horses that sustained tendon/ligament injuries and fractures. R...
Ter Woort F, Dubois G, O'Connor S, van Erck-Westergren E.Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (pAF) occurs sporadically in horses and has been implicated in poor performance. Diagnosis in large numbers of horses has previously relied on post-exercise ECGs. Objective: Describe pAF-like bursts detected during exercise and determine their effect on speed, stride, and racing performance. Methods: Retrospective case control study, evaluating records of exercising ECG consultations referred to a specialist practice to identify horses with pAF-like bursts. Controls were selected from the same population as racehorses with normal exercising ECGs. Results: Eleven ...
Louis AT, Treesa Louis A, Mikkola A.Effective rider-horse coordination is essential for performance and welfare, yet objective, field-based quantification of rider-saddle synchronization across gaits remains limited. Objective: To quantify dynamic synchronization between rider motion and saddle motion (as a proxy for horse trunk oscillations) across walk, trot, and canter using a minimal inertial measurement unit (IMU) setup, and to determine whether synchronization differs between rider body segments. Methods: Two experienced riders (8-20 years riding experience) rode their own or familiar warmblood horses (n = 2; age 6-14 year...
Santana ML, Bignardi AB.Heat stress is an increasingly important challenge for the performance and welfare of equine athletes, particularly in competitions conducted across diverse climatic conditions. Understanding the genetic basis of performance responses to increasing thermal load is therefore essential to support robust genetic evaluation and sustainable selection strategies. The objective of this study was to evaluate barrel racing performance of Brazilian Quarter Horses across thermal environments defined by two widely used indicators, the temperature-humidity index (THI) and the wet bulb globe temperature (WB...
Haughan J, Cathcart J, Tomlinson JE.Horses in racing and race training can develop high gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) syndrome (HGS), or increased GGT without overt evidence of primary liver disease. Current evidence points toward overtraining and a response to oxidative stress, but the etiology is incompletely understood. Evidence for an association of HGS with poor performance is mixed. Without a clear understanding of the etiology, the only evidence-based treatment option is rest or reduced training intensity. More research is needed to determine whether HGS is a physiologic adaptation, perhaps indicative of overtraining b...
Graczyk Z, Kapraun P, McCoy AM.To determine the prevalence of ununited plantar eminence (UPE) of the first phalanx (P1) in North American Standardbreds and evaluate its association with early racing performance. Methods: Retrospective cohort study with matched sibling controls. Methods: Imaging records from 1897 yearling Standardbred horses. Methods: Screening images were reviewed for the presence of UPE and other orthopedic abnormalities. Sex, age, sire, gait, and racing performance data were obtained from the United States Trotting Association. Affected horses were compared with unaffected siblings using non-parametric te...
Huang Q, Yao X, Yang X, Wang T, Li X, Shan D, Su Y, Wang J.The global horse racing industry relies heavily on elite breeding. Therefore, a molecular understanding of athletic traits is crucial for the industry's advancement. This study utilized Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of 869 publications in the Web of Science Core Collection (2011-2025), decoding the academic landscape and evolutionary trajectory of equine genetics. The results indicate a significant upward trend in academic output since 2019, with the United States, South Korea, and the United Kingdom emerging as the primary contributors...
Chang X, Peng J, Zhang Z, Zhai M, Chu H, Yao R, Luo P, Yao X, Ren W, Zeng Y.This study integrated echocardiography with widely targeted metabolomics to decipher how plasma metabolic dynamics couple with cardiac geometry in Yili horses during incremental treadmill exercise. Nine speed-type horses underwent a graded exercise test (6% incline; 0 to 9 m/s). Jugular venous blood samples collected at rest (0 m/s) and at 3, 5, 7, and 9 m/s were profiled by LC-MS, and Pearson correlation analysis was applied to relate differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) to twenty echocardiographic structural indices. A core set of 314 shared DEMs (124 upregulated, 190 downregulated) w...
Williams JM, Henshall C, Waran N, Randle H.Understanding how horses experience their lives is essential for improving their welfare, particularly in high-performance industries such as horseracing. Quality of Life (QoL) frameworks highlight the balance between positive and negative experiences over time, yet there is limited evidence on how racing professionals assess horse emotions and QoL, especially positive emotional states. This study reports findings from an international online survey of 230 racing industry participants. It explored confidence in assessing racehorse emotions, the perceived importance of emotional state for perfo...
de Siqueira RF, Brito LA, de Figueiredo IM, Dos Santos ACR, Dos Anjos LS.Lineage-based selection is central to the Quarter Horse industry and is often justified by the assumption that morphology determines locomotor function. However, objective evidence linking static conformation to discipline-specific locomotor behaviour under standardised conditions remains limited. Objective: To investigate whether morphological differences among Quarter Horse disciplines are associated with distinct locomotor patterns or whether locomotor function converges across disciplines despite morphological variation. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Barrel racing, reining, and ranch ...
