Recent News for Conditioning
Article
Foal Exercise Influences Final Muscoloskeletal System
December 22, 2000
Keeping a foal in a stall around-the-clock might keep his coat shiny and his body free of nicks and bumps from roughhousing with peers in the pasture, but in the long run, that could cause him serious problems as an active adult. P. René van... Read More
Article
Blood Builders (Hematinics)
December 01, 2000
Administration of hematinics (also known as "blood builders") to horses, either in the form of dietary supplements or as injectable compounds, is commonly practiced by owners, trainers, and veterinarians. The general objective in using these... Read More
Article
Fat Burning
November 01, 2000
For the most part, the word "fat" has bad connotations in our society today--fat often is used to describe an overweight or obese state. When we think of dietary fat and the proportion of calories in our diet that is derived from various sources... Read More
Article
Stress Testing
October 01, 2000
For a horse to perform well as an athlete, all body systems must be in good working order. When one or more system "breaks down," the horse is no longer able to perform to its potential, and the owner, rider, and trainer will notice a decline in... Read More
Article
Wind Soundness Exam Studies
October 01, 2000
Thoroughbred yearlings sold at public auction here and abroad often are subject to endoscopic examination of their upper respiratory tracts. Veterinarians and potential buyers are looking for evidence of deformities that could affect the ability... Read More
Article
What Causes Poor Exercise Performance?
September 01, 2000
A huge amount of time, effort, and money often are invested in the preparation of horses for various athletic events, including Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing, three-day eventing, steeplechasing, dressage, hunter-jumper events, reining,... Read More
Article
Rehydration Research
September 01, 2000
As you untack from your lengthy trail ride, which consisted of several gallops, your mare stretches longingly toward the nearby water trough. You notice she is still hot and breathing hard. Do you let her take a sip, or are you putting her healt... Read More
Article
Performance Boosters
August 01, 2000
They purport to "Increase power." "Delay fatigue." "Increase stamina." "Build muscle." "Reduce recovery time." "Extensive research has proven..." Doubtless, most of you have seen and read advertisements for nutritional supplements in... Read More
Article
Pre-Exercise Feeding
May 01, 2000
When and what should I feed my horse before exercise? This question is very familiar to equine nutritionists, and generally sparks considerable debate about feeding management of horses prior to competition. While it generally is agreed that... Read More
Article
Fluids And Electrolytes
April 01, 2000
With the summer months approaching, it is time for a refresher on the impact of the warmer environmental conditions on your horse. Warmer temperatures and high relative humidity place added stress on horses during exercise because of their... Read More
Article
Peak Fitness
March 01, 2000
In the last issue we considered some of the adaptations that occur in horses during training. To recap, we know that improvements in cardiovascular and muscle function occur quite... Read More
Article
Spring Tuning (Athletic Conditioning)
February 01, 2000
Most will agree that thorough preparation of a horse is key to success in athletic competition. With spring hopefully just around the corner, this is an opportune time to discuss conditioning. Of course, the nature of a conditioning program will... Read More
Article
Reconditioning After Lay-Up
September 01, 1999
A small-animal orthopedic veterinarian once told me, "The athlete that heals slowly heals best." In other words, although some physical therapy might be recommended as the body heals, the body’s soft and hard tissues need to recover wholly from... Read More
Article
Gait Analysis
September 01, 1999
Ever since the 1880s, when Edweard Muybridge set up a series of cameras to capture the character of footfalls of a racehorse, we’ve been fascinated by how horses move. No doubt you’ve seen that early sequence of photos, which demonstrated that... Read More
Article
Feeding Racehorses
August 01, 1999
On several occasions in the past year or two, we’ve discussed in this series the intricacies of feeding young horses for optimum growth. We’ve also walked you through the pertinent points of fueling the high-performance equine athlete, for... Read More
Article
Cool Aid: Beating the Heat With Working Horses
July 01, 1999
Anyone who has worked or played in high heat knows how exhausting it can be. High, fluid-sapping desert heat can drain you in no time as you sweat away volumes of fluids and electrolytes. Then there’s the suppressive, sweaty,... Read More
Article
Bone Formation With Exercise
June 01, 1999
Strong bones are essential if a horse is to perform successfully and still remain sound. Bones that are weakened by disease, injury, or inappropriate training regimens can result in catastrophic injury, as anyone involved with racing well knows.... Read More
Article
Exercise Equipment
March 01, 1999
Like busy professionals everywhere, horse people often find there just aren't enough hours in the day. What with stalls to be mucked, arenas to be harrowed, fields to be bush-hogged or mowed, fencing to be repaired, hay to be baled, tack repairs... Read More
Article
Indoor Exercise In Winter
December 01, 1998
Training programs often are affected by cold, rainy weather or deep snow during the winter, but the primary concern when planning a wintertime workout is the footing that your horse will encounter. Although winter weather brings... Read More
Article
Endurance Riding: A Humane Use of the Equine Athlete
November 01, 1998
The growing interest in endurance riding has encouraged participants with different levels of prior horse experience to become involved with the sport. However, if equine athletes are asked to perform over distances for which they have not been appro... Read More
Article
Older Horses at Work
October 01, 1998
The aging process takes its toll on all working horses, but the rate of attrition can vary significantly. In this, horses are similar to humans. We all have met the person who is barely past middle age and because of mental, emotional, or physical... Read More
Article
Stretching for the Horse
August 01, 1998
Certainly, muscles that have become contracted due to injury could benefit from gentle stretching exercises, but what about the apparently healthy horse? We often see horses stretching themselves in their stalls. A good roll in the dust can give the ... Read More
Article
Feeding the High-Octane Horse
August 01, 1998
But because forages are not high-energy feeds, the athletic horse's diet needs to be supplemented in order to provide enough energy for him to perform at peak capacity. Traditionally, this is done by feeding grains, which are rich in carbohydrates... Read More
Article
Determining Conditioning
July 01, 1998
Among the animals we call "livestock," horses are unique because they are the only ones we regard as athletes. Unlike other animals that are bred for better milk production or tastier flesh, horses are bred for athletic performance, each type... Read More
Article
Cooling Overheated Horses
July 01, 1998
Q: With summer upon us, I am concerned about exercising my horse in hot weather. What can I do to make sure my horse is properly cooled out? Are there steps I can take before, during, and after exercise? ... Read More
