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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Track Surfaces Used for Ridden Workouts and Alternatives to ...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2018; 8(12); 221; doi: 10.3390/ani8120221

Track Surfaces Used for Ridden Workouts and Alternatives to Ridden Exercise for Thoroughbred Horses in Race Training.

Abstract: Little is known about the types of surfaces used during training of Thoroughbred racehorses or methods of exercise used in addition to ridden track-work. Our aims were to (1) describe the types of surfaces used in the training of Thoroughbred racehorses and to (2) identify alternative approaches used to exercise horses in addition to, or in place of, ridden overground track-work. Information regarding surface and alternative exercise methods was collected as part of an in-person survey of training practices of 66 registered Thoroughbred trainers in Victoria, Australia. Sand and synthetic surfaces were used by 97% and 36% of trainers respectively for slow-workouts, with galloping on turf training tracks used in training regimens by 82% and synthetic by 58% of trainers. Of those trainers utilising turf tracks, only 34% of gallop training was completed on turf despite turf being the predominant racing surface. Almost 90% of trainers used alternatives to ridden exercise. There is substantial variation in training surface used and alternative types of exercise undertaken by Victorian trainers. Future research should focus on how such practices relate to injury risk, particularly as it relates to the importance of musculoskeletal adaptation to specific race-day surfaces.
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Publication Date: 2018-11-26 PubMed ID: 30486234PubMed Central: PMC6316526DOI: 10.3390/ani8120221Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article investigates the types of training surfaces and alternative exercise methods used by Thoroughbred racehorse trainers in Victoria, Australia, revealing a wide variation in practices.

Training surfaces for Thoroughbred racehorses

  • In this investigation, the researchers conducted an in-person survey, gathering data from 66 registered Thoroughbred trainers in Victoria, Australia on the types of surfaces used for training.
  • It was found that 97% of trainers used sand surfaces for slow workouts, while 36% used synthetic surfaces.
  • For galloping workouts, on the other hand, 82% of trainers used turf training tracks, and 58% used synthetic tracks.
  • The research highlighted an interesting contrast: while turf is the predominant racing surface, only 34% of gallop training was performed on turf surfaces.

Alternative exercise methods

  • The study also aimed to identify the extent of non-ridden exercise methods incorporated by trainers.
  • The survey results indicated that almost 90% of the trainers implemented alternative methods to traditional ridden exercise during training.
  • However, the specific types of these alternative methods were not detailed in the research abstract.

Implications and future directions

  • The findings demonstrate that there is a notable variation in the types of training surfaces used and the alternative forms of exercise implemented by racehorse trainers in Victoria.
  • The authors stress the importance of future research investigating the potential correlations between these practices and injury risk in Thoroughbred racehorses.
  • This is particularly crucial given the noted discrepancy in the use of turf surfaces in training and racing, as musculoskeletal adaptations to specific surfaces could greatly impact race performance and injury likelihood.

Cite This Article

APA
Morrice-West AV, Hitchens PL, Walmsley EA, Whitton RC. (2018). Track Surfaces Used for Ridden Workouts and Alternatives to Ridden Exercise for Thoroughbred Horses in Race Training. Animals (Basel), 8(12), 221. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani8120221

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 8
Issue: 12
PII: 221

Researcher Affiliations

Morrice-West, Ashleigh V
  • U-Vet Equine Centre, Melbourne Veterinary School, University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Hwy, Werribee VIC 3030, Australia. a.morrice@student.unimelb.edu.au.
Hitchens, Peta L
  • U-Vet Equine Centre, Melbourne Veterinary School, University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Hwy, Werribee VIC 3030, Australia. peta.hitchens@unimelb.edu.au.
Walmsley, Elizabeth A
  • U-Vet Equine Centre, Melbourne Veterinary School, University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Hwy, Werribee VIC 3030, Australia. eawa@unimelb.edu.au.
Whitton, R Chris
  • U-Vet Equine Centre, Melbourne Veterinary School, University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Hwy, Werribee VIC 3030, Australia. cwhitton@unimelb.edu.au.

Grant Funding

  • N/A / The University of Melbourne, Racing Victoria Limited and the Victorian Racing Industry Fund of the Victorian State Government.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 7 times.
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  2. Logan AA, Nielsen BD, Robison CI, Hallock DB, Manfredi JM, Hiney KM, Buskirk DD, Popovich JM Jr. Impact of Gait and Diameter during Circular Exercise on Front Hoof Area, Vertical Force, and Pressure in Mature Horses. Animals (Basel) 2021 Dec 17;11(12).
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  3. Crawford KL, Finnane A, Greer RM, Barnes TS, Phillips CJC, Woldeyohannes SM, Bishop EL, Perkins NR, Ahern BJ. Survival Analysis of Training Methodologies and Other Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Injury in 2-Year-Old Thoroughbred Racehorses in Queensland, Australia. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:698298.
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  4. Crawford KL, Finnane A, Greer RM, Phillips CJC, Bishop EL, Woldeyohannes SM, Perkins NR, Ahern BJ. A Prospective Study of Training Methods for Two-Year-Old Thoroughbred Racehorses in Queensland, Australia, and Analysis of the Differences in Training Methods between Trainers of Varying Stable Sizes. Animals (Basel) 2021 Mar 25;11(4).
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  5. Crawford KL, Ahern BJ, Perkins NR, Phillips CJC, Finnane A. The Effect of Combined Training and Racing High-Speed Exercise History on Musculoskeletal Injuries in Thoroughbred Racehorses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Current Literature. Animals (Basel) 2020 Nov 11;10(11).
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