Recent News for Conditioning
Article
Recharge Your Horse's Batteries
June 01, 2002
For horses engaged in regular conditioning and competition, an important consideration for overall health and fitness is the speed of recovery following hard workouts and competition exercise. A bout of exercise burns body fuel, results in loss... Read More
Article
Investigating Poor Performance
May 01, 2002
For a horse to perform well as an athlete, all body systems must be in good working order. When one or more systems "breaks down," the horse is no longer able to perform up to his potential, and the owner, rider, and trainer will likely notice a ... Read More
Article
Is Your Horse Fit for the Task?
April 01, 2002
Regardless of whether your horse is used for high-level competition or weekend trail riding, it's important that he be fit for the task. "Fitness" is a rather vague expression, but in general terms it can be defined as the ability to complete th... Read More
Article
Combat Stiffness
April 01, 2002
Day after day, you battle with your horse to get the correct left bend. Or maybe the trouble comes when you ask him to pick up the right lead, push off his hind end, or stretch out into a longer stride. Instead of a willing response, all you get... Read More
Article
Priming Equine Energy Systems
March 01, 2002
Last month, this column covered some of the basics in developing a physical conditioning program (see "Getting Your Horse in Shape" in the February 2002 issue of The Horse, article Quick Find #3263 at www.TheHorse.com). The... Read More
Article
Getting Your Horse in Shape
February 01, 2002
As spring approaches, visions of green grass, budding trees, and active wildlife might seem just around the corner for some. But for many of us, spring is but a dream, for we must endure a few more weeks of cold, snow, and ice-covered terrain.... Read More
Article
Strategic Layoffs
January 01, 2002
Many equestrian sports are seasonal, with a competition season alternating with an off season. Even in sports that continue year-round, most trainers schedule a break from competition, which gives the horse a chance to recover mentally and... Read More
Article
Turnout Time for Warmblood Foals
December 01, 2001
I am being told by "professionals" that warmblood foals should be turned out a limited amount of time. The "professionals" were a farrier (who shoes Olympic-quality horses) and a respected veterinarian. Their reasoning is that warmblood babies grow... Read More
Article
EIPH: Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage
November 01, 2001
Perhaps the most widely recognized of all disorders affecting racehorses is "bleeding," or exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH). We now know that most racehorses bleed at some time during their careers. In fact, many horses might bleed... Read More
Article
Physical Therapy for Horses
October 10, 2001
The role of the equine sports therapist can be compared to that of the athletic trainer or sports therapist in human sports medicine. The job of these specialists is considered adjunctive to that of the sports medicine physician or orthopedist. ... Read More
Article
Training Young Horses
September 18, 2001
Dr. E.E. Watson was a veterinarian of some repute for many years in the Midwest during the middle decades of the 20th Century. He not only treated racehorses, but he bred them, owned them, and trained them. One year in the late 1950s, he had a... Read More
Article
Feeding the Endurance Horse
September 01, 2001
The nutritional needs of the endurance horse are somewhat unique compared to horses used for other athletic disciplines. The metabolic demands of endurance racing (including competitive trail riding and ride and tie events) are high, requiring... Read More
Article
Cross-Training For Horses
August 01, 2001
To add variety to conditioning programs, human athletes often undertake exercise sessions that are not specific to their athletic disciplines. For example, long-distance runners might cycle on a stationary bike once or twice a week, swim, or... Read More
Article
British Study Looks At Training and Injury
August 01, 2001
Racehorse owners might one day be able to handicap a horse's risk of injury. A new study in its early stages at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in the United Kingdom is monitoring a group of two-year-olds with the intention of using the data... Read More
Article
Chilling Out After Exercise
July 01, 2001
The mid-summer heat brings added challenges in managing the athletic horse. Regardless of whether your horse is competing in a show, trail ride, or high-level three-day event, hot weather places additional demands on his body. You need to be... Read More
Article
Dehydration Alert
July 01, 2001
When horses are working hard, especially in hot weather, they are particularly prone to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. The official term for one symptom of these problems is a mouthful: synchronous diaphragmatic flutter... Read More
Article
Young Foal Exercise
June 01, 2001
When do I start my foal on an exercise program? My champion show jumper just gave birth to a foal a couple of weeks ago, and I want to give him every advantage possible since I have plans for him to be m... Read More
Article
MSM Helps Sore Muscles
June 01, 2001
A recent study performed by Ron Riegel, DVM, on 30 racing Standardbreds confirms that the popular nutraceutical supplement MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) can have far-reaching effects on the ability of equine muscle tissue to rebound from exercise... Read More
Article
Sales Prepping Yearlings
May 01, 2001
As spring moves into summer, the primary focus of activity on many breeding farms is preparation of yearlings for sale. There isn't much scientific research on exercising horses at that young age, yet many farms are using forced exercise to make... Read More
Article
Warming Up to the Task
April 01, 2001
In human athletics, undertaking some type of preliminary exercise or warm-up before vigorous exercise generally is regarded as being a beneficial and important part of the overall preparation for training and competition. Although there is often... Read More
Article
Girth Strap Tightness
April 01, 2001
Every time you saddle a horse, you tighten a girth. But how tight should you make that girth? Just enough to keep the saddle on? With space to slip a hand under the girth? As tight as it will go? Furthermore, how well does a horse breathe with this... Read More
Article
Shaping Up Your Overweight Horse
February 01, 2001
When preparing a horse for athletic events and sporting activities, whatever the discipline or level of difficulty, an important consideration is finding the horse's "ideal" body weight. This concept is well recognized in human athletics. For... Read More
Article
Yearling Radiographic Studies
February 01, 2001
Radiographs of a yearling’s legs offer a unique glance into the horse’s athletic future, according to Albert Kane, DVM, MPVM, PhD, Post-Doctoral Fellow in Biomedical Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Colorado State University... Read More
Article
Effects of Warm-Up On Performance
January 05, 2001
From Equine Disease Quarterly, a publication funded by Underwriters At Lloyd's of London, Brokers, And Their Kentucky Agents Warm-up exercise enhances blood flow to the active muscles and increases muscle temperature.... Read More
Article
Young Horses in Training and Injury Risks
January 01, 2001
Everyone involved in the racing industry knows that one of the major problems in training horses is keeping them free from injury. Bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments are placed under considerable strain during training and racing,... Read More
