Articles

Is Conformation in racehorses relevant?

The 2008 yearling sales have begun! Thousands of blue-blooded Thoroughbreds will have their conformation analyzed by trainers, owners and those conformation experts – bloodstock agents. Each catalogue is promoted with photographs of the current superstars sold at last year’s sale. However, does examining a horse’s conformation really give you a better idea as to whether you are looking at next year’s superstar?

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Comparing Cold Therapies and their Uses in Racehorses

How do commercial cooling systems compare with the more traditional cooling methods?

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The Importance of Warm-up and Cool-down in the racehorse

Human athletes pay great attention to detail when warming up and cooling down for competition. Research studies have shown that warming up prior to competition is an important factor in preparation to enhance performance and potentially reduce injury risk. Both the physiological and psychological benefits have been investigated, although human physiologists are divided in their opinions as to the benefits of warming up. When it comes to cooling down the research is more unified, showing that active cooling down is more beneficial than passive cooling down. There is limited research available into the benefits of the warm-up and the cool-down in horses and racing, and it is certainly an area that warrants further investigation.

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Current Research on Pelvic Asymmetry in Racehorses

Steeplechase racing in particular is a high risk sport for the horse. There is currently some fairly extensive research into racehorse injuries and fatalities on the racecourse, with previously published scientific reports on the subject being widely available. The racing industry is aware of the need for such reports, as the industry itself is very much in the public eye with regard to injury rates on the racecourse.

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Nasal Strips - increasing performance, reducing EIPH

Nasal strips’ future in Thoroughbred racing seemed limitless in the fall of 1999. Just two weeks after longshot Burrito won a race at Keeneland wearing one, 29 of the 101 horses competing in the 1999 Breeders’ Cup at Gulfstream Park November 6th had the 4-by-6-inch strip affixed 1.5 inches above their nostrils.

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Horsewalkers - should they be Round or Oval?

Horsewalkers (electro-mechanical devices that allow multiple horses to be exercised simultaneously in a controlled fashion) are used extensively in the management and training of horses. They permit controlled exercise of horses at walk and trot. They are less labour intensive than most other forms of controlled exercise, such as walking in-hand, lunging, riding, swimming or running horses on treadmills.

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Shockwave Therapy - uncovering new treatments

Doctors originally used shockwave therapy more than 20 years ago to disintegrate kidney stones in their patients, then learned that the therapy can also treat tendonitis, tennis elbow, heel spurs and other ailments.

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Reiki - Paul Peacock discovers the ancient Japanese healing method.

Many racing yards are turning to a number of alternative treatments in an attempt to either speed healing times, improve the life styles of individual thoroughbreds or respond to the wishes of owners who themselves have clear ideas and requirements for the care of their animals.

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Back Problems - how they can affect performance, and how to treat them

It is well documented that horses can suffer with back problems and they tell us by their actions. Sometimes the signs are blatant – for instance the horse stops jumping, or displays an obvious aversion to being saddled. Most of the time the signs are much more subtle. The animal may slightly change its way of moving in order to avoid pain and if untreated this becomes a chronic and long term problem, the slight change of gait becoming a progressive shortening of stride and a reduced level of performance.

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Inhalation therapy - treating airway problems in the racehorse

Physiologically speaking, one of the major limiting factors to racehorse performance is how efficiently the lungs can exchange gasses. Training maximises the potential of any athlete, equine or human, to continue functioning at full throttle while the metabolism changes to deal with an oxygen debt in the muscle tissues. Clearly any threat to the efficiency of the lungs will result in poor performance.

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Weighing Racehorses - how regular monitoring can provide vital information

AS racing has slowly embraced the technological era, so horsemen's lore has been reinforced or refuted by scientific advance. One area of increased awareness is the importance of monitoring the weight of the racehorse.

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Do horses suffer from jet-lag?

The consequences of jet lag for the equine athlete have become more relevant in recent times due to increased travel of performance horses across multiple time zones for international competition. The effects of jet lag are significantly more detrimental for the professional athlete hoping to perform optimally in a new time zone. Before defining the implications of jet lag for the horse, it is first necessary to understand the effects of light on any mammalian system.

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Physical Articles

Is Conformation in racehorses relevant?

Comparing Cold Therapies and their Uses in Racehorses

The Importance of Warm-up and Cool-down in the racehorse

Current Research on Pelvic Asymmetry in Racehorses

Nasal Strips - increasing performance, reducing EIPH

Horsewalkers - should they be Round or Oval?

Shockwave Therapy - uncovering new treatments

Reiki - Paul Peacock discovers the ancient Japanese healing method.

Back Problems - how they can affect performance, and how to treat them

Inhalation therapy - treating airway problems in the racehorse

Weighing Racehorses - how regular monitoring can provide vital information

Do horses suffer from jet-lag?