Transcript:

[0:00]

Hi everyone, welcome back to Mad Barn Academy — and if you’re new here, welcome! We hope to earn your subscription today. Our video today will be discussing the key benefits of exercise in horses. Do horses actually need regular exercise? When regular exercise isn’t feasible, does turnout suffice? Well, let’s chat through some of these questions and talk about why exercise is such an important facet of equine management.

[0:27]

Horses evolved as nomads, which means they’re designed to be on the move continuously. It’s estimated that wild horses will cover about 11 miles per day in search of food and water, and their activity level throughout the day isn’t necessarily intense — they’re mostly walking from place to place, with intermittent increases in their activity periodically. But they are active nonetheless.

[0:57]

In contrast, our domestic horses move around much less due to modern management practices. These horses generally have more limited turnout space and are confined to a stall more often. For example, domestic horses housed on a large field will still cover only about 5 miles per day on average, and not surprisingly, horses housed in an even smaller field are going to cover a fraction of that — less than a mile per day. In some cases, horses have little to no access to turnout and may only be exercised during their training sessions each day. These numbers really highlight the importance of regular, structured exercise for our domestic horses.

[1:46]

So one question you may have — and a question we frequently encounter — is: does turnout count as exercise? No, turnout is not considered a form of exercise, but rather a maintenance activity. Horses that are not in work but receive turnout would still be considered at maintenance when we talk about calculating their nutritional needs. When we talk about exercise, we are talking about forced exercise — activities under saddle, while driving, or in-hand; exercises such as lunging, round penning, ponying, or treadmill work, etc. Nonetheless, when regular exercise is not feasible, regular turnout can still provide many of the benefits we’re going to discuss — so it’s still an important part of your horse’s management.

[2:39]

So what are some of the benefits of exercise? Exercise really does impact the whole body and the mind — ranging from athletic performance, metabolic health, digestive health, and stress relief. I’ve listed the key benefits of exercise here, and we’ll talk through each of these bullet points in more detail.

[3:02]

Regular exercise promotes heart and respiratory health, which is important for all horses, but particularly for our athletes and performance horses. Exercise promotes cardiovascular and respiratory adaptations that improve performance and recovery — just like in people. These adaptations include improved circulation and oxygenation of the tissues, decreased blood pressure, lowered heart rate (both at rest and during exercise), improved cardiac efficiency, increased lung volume, and improved oxygen exchange in the lungs.

[3:44]

Regular exercise also promotes neuromuscular health and function. Exercise is required for building muscle mass and muscle strength — muscles are really a “use it or lose it” type of organ. Exercise stimulates muscle hypertrophy and enhances nerve–muscle interactions, which improve coordination, efficiency of movement, and force of movement — ultimately building muscle strength. Along the same lines, exercise targeting the communications between nerves and muscles improves motor control and core strength. Dynamic exercises challenge the neuromuscular system, building balance, coordination, gait quality, posture, core strength, flexibility, and fine motor control.

[4:47]

As we’d expect, exercise is important for maintaining strong bones and joints. Regular exercise increases bone density in all horses, and appropriate turnout and exercise aid in bone development for growing horses. It also helps maintain bone strength and integrity as horses age, which is especially important for seniors. Exercise increases blood flow to the joints, strengthens connective tissues, and — through regular movement and conditioning — reduces the incidence of exercise-related injury by stimulating muscle, soft tissue, and bone to remodel in accordance with the level of exercise, so they can handle the stresses and strains of increased activity.

[5:41]

Regular exercise also makes muscles more efficient in energy production. Muscle cells adapt by increasing mitochondrial density and function to improve energy production. Mitochondria are the organelles that produce ATP — the energy source for movement. With exercise, muscle cells become more efficient in using energy substrates. While muscles preferentially use glucose, with training they can adapt to using other energy sources, like fats.

[6:36]

Exercise supports metabolic health by reducing the risk of insulin resistance. Insulin sensitivity increases with exercise because muscle cells prefer to use glucose, and insulin is what signals cells to uptake glucose from the bloodstream. This is particularly important for horses with a diagnosis of equine metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, which is why exercise is recommended as a management factor for these horses.

[7:11]

Exercise — and even regular turnout — can reduce the risk of digestive imbalance and colic by promoting nutrient digestion and GI motility. Any type of activity enhances the digestibility of fiber, protein, and carbohydrates, positively impacting microbial activity in the hindgut and improving fiber fermentation. Normal activity also promotes transit of feed through the GI tract, reducing the incidence of certain types of colic, like impactions.

[8:01]

Lastly, exercise and turnout are important for mental health. Increased stall confinement can lead to stress, which may manifest as changes in attitude or performance. Some horses may even develop stereotypic behaviors — like stall walking, cribbing, pacing, or weaving — to cope with stress.

[8:30]

Okay, so let’s wrap up with a few key takeaways. If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of exercise in horses — as well as information about types of exercise, exercise recovery, and nutrition for exercising horses — be sure to check out our blog article written by our high-performance nutritionist, Jessica. It’s an excellent and comprehensive resource. I’ve included a link in the description below.

[9:07]

The three main takeaways from today are:
1) Regular exercise is important for the health, well-being, and optimal performance of our equine companions and athletes.
2) While turnout is not considered true exercise, it can still have many of the same benefits we discussed — so it’s an important part of your horse’s management.
3) Regular exercise benefits the whole body and mind, targeting multiple body systems — cardiorespiratory health, musculoskeletal health, metabolic health, digestive health, etc.

[9:54]

Here are the references for today. Thanks for listening — I really appreciate you taking the time to watch this video. Don’t forget to like and subscribe, explore the videos on our channel, and check out the additional links I’ve provided in the description below. Thanks so much — until next time!