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Animals
Special Issues
Conditioning Horses for Competitive Performance and Health
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Conditioning Horses for Competitive Performance and Health

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Equids".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2024) | Viewed by 12358

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Arno E. Lindner

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Arbeitsgruppe Pferd, Heinrich-Röttgen-Strasse 20, Jülich, Germany
Interests: training; sports; health management; exercise; recovery; performance diagnosis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Warwick Bayly

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6610, USA
Interests: internal medicine - large animal; equine exercise science
Prof. Dr. Kenneth McKeever

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
Interests: comparative exercise; cardiovascular physiology; ergogenic practices

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Conditioning can be defined as the process of preparing an athlete for competition so that they can compete at their best and avoid injuries and disease. Nowadays, more horses are getting older and develop age-dependent and “civilization” diseases. Managing the older horses through conditioning programs is likely to keep them healthy for longer, as is the case for humans.

Thus, this Special Issue shall be devoted to research on:

  • The conditioning of race and sport horses competing in all sports disciplines, and all other horses, to prevent them from diseases due to aging and “civilization”.
  • Managing the health of all horses with ailments produced due to a lack of movement and overfeeding (civilization diseases) through regular exercise.
  • The diagnosis and monitoring of the effect of conditioning programs.
  • Basic information on the possibilities and inconveniences of using physiological and biochemical variables to condition horses and monitor the effects of the conditioning programs.

Dr. Arno E. Lindner
Prof. Dr. Warwick Bayly
Prof. Dr. Kenneth H. McKeever
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • training
  • sports
  • health management
  • exercise
  • recovery
  • performance diagnosis

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 2018 KiB  
Article
Effect of a 14-Day Period of Heat Acclimation on Horses Using Heated Indoor Arenas in Preparation for Tokyo Olympic Games
by Carolien Munsters, Esther Siegers and Marianne Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan
Animals 2024, 14(4), 546; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14040546 - 6 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1907
Abstract
To optimise the performance and welfare of horses during equestrian competitions in hot climates, it is advised to acclimate them to the heat. The effects of training in a heated indoor arena were studied. Four Olympic horses (13.3 ± 2.2 years; three eventers, [...] Read more.
To optimise the performance and welfare of horses during equestrian competitions in hot climates, it is advised to acclimate them to the heat. The effects of training in a heated indoor arena were studied. Four Olympic horses (13.3 ± 2.2 years; three eventers, one para-dressage horse) were trained for 14 consecutive days in a heated indoor arena (32 ± 1 °C; 50–60% humidity) following their normal training schedule in preparation for the Tokyo Olympic games. Standardised exercise tests (SETs) were performed on Day 1 and Day 14, measuring heart rate (HR; bpm), plasma lactate concentration (LA; mmol/L), deep rectal temperature (Trec; °C), sweat loss (SL; L), and sweat composition (K+, Cl− and Na+ concentration). The data were analysed using linear mixed models. The Trec and HR were significantly decreased after acclimation (estimate: −0.106, 95% CI −0.134, −0.078; estimate: −4.067, 95% CI −7.535, −0.598, respectively). Furthermore, for all the horses, the time taken to reach their peak Trec and heat storage increased, while their LA concentrations decreased. The SL, Cl−, and Na+ concentrations decreased in three out of the four horses. Conclusions: Fourteen days of normal training in a heated indoor arena resulted in a reduction in cardiovascular and thermal strain. This is advantageous because it shows that elite sport horses can be acclimated while training as usual for a championship. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conditioning Horses for Competitive Performance and Health)
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Review

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25 pages, 2379 KiB  
Review
Warm-Up Strategies and Effects on Performance in Racing Horses and Sport Horses Competing in Olympic Disciplines
by Thibault Frippiat and Dominique-Marie Votion
Animals 2024, 14(6), 945; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14060945 - 19 Mar 2024
Viewed by 3296
Abstract
Warm-up is a standard component of exercise preparation, intended to lower the risk of injury and improve performance. Comprehensive evidence-based guidelines per discipline are missing. This scoping review aimed to describe the physiological effects and strategies of active warm-up in horses according to [...] Read more.
Warm-up is a standard component of exercise preparation, intended to lower the risk of injury and improve performance. Comprehensive evidence-based guidelines per discipline are missing. This scoping review aimed to describe the physiological effects and strategies of active warm-up in horses according to different equestrian disciplines. The search strategies identified 479 papers for review. After application of selection criteria, 23 articles published from 1996 to January 2024 were included of which 12 discussed the effects of warm-up on physiological parameters and 11 discussed warm-up strategies in different disciplines. As shown in humans, warm-up enhanced aerobic capacity and increased blood and muscle temperatures, independently from its intensity. Riders emphasized the importance of warm-up to prepare horses for physical work and to increase their reactiveness to aids. A canter or trot was the preferred gait in elite or non-elite dressage horses, respectively, while the walk was in show jumping horses. Warm-up duration and intensity increased with increasing competitive level, but a longer and/or more intensive warm-up did not affect the final score. Dressage riders warmed up their horses for a longer time compared to show jumping riders. Future studies should objectively establish the most profitable warm-up strategies per equestrian discipline and level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conditioning Horses for Competitive Performance and Health)
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15 pages, 330 KiB  
Review
Effect of Exercise Conditioning on Countering the Effects of Obesity and Insulin Resistance in Horses—A Review
by Shannon Pratt-Phillips
Animals 2024, 14(5), 727; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14050727 - 26 Feb 2024
Viewed by 2441
Abstract
Obesity is an important health concern in horses, along with humans and companion animals. Adipose tissue is an inflammatory organ that alters the insulin-signaling cascade, ultimately causing insulin dysregulation and impaired glucose metabolism. These disruptions can increase the risk of metabolic disease and [...] Read more.
Obesity is an important health concern in horses, along with humans and companion animals. Adipose tissue is an inflammatory organ that alters the insulin-signaling cascade, ultimately causing insulin dysregulation and impaired glucose metabolism. These disruptions can increase the risk of metabolic disease and laminitis in horses and may also impact energy metabolism during exercise. A single bout of exercise, along with chronic exercise conditioning, increases insulin sensitivity and glucose disposal via both contraction- and insulin-mediated glucose uptake pathways. Regular exercise also increases calorie expenditure, which can facilitate weight (as body fat) loss. This paper explores the metabolic pathways affected by adiposity, as well as discusses the impact of exercise on insulin metabolism in horses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conditioning Horses for Competitive Performance and Health)

Other

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11 pages, 880 KiB  
Commentary
The Emerging Role of Hypoxic Training for the Equine Athlete
by Allan Davie, Rosalind Beavers, Kristýna Hargitaiová and Joshua Denham
Animals 2023, 13(17), 2799; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13172799 - 3 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2157
Abstract
This paper provides a comprehensive discussion on the physiological impacts of hypoxic training, its benefits to endurance performance, and a rationale for utilizing it to improve performance in the equine athlete. All exercise-induced training adaptations are governed by genetics. Exercise prescriptions can be [...] Read more.
This paper provides a comprehensive discussion on the physiological impacts of hypoxic training, its benefits to endurance performance, and a rationale for utilizing it to improve performance in the equine athlete. All exercise-induced training adaptations are governed by genetics. Exercise prescriptions can be tailored to elicit the desired physiological adaptations. Although the application of hypoxic stimuli on its own is not ideal to promote favorable molecular responses, exercise training under hypoxic conditions provides an optimal environment for maximizing physiological adaptations to enhance endurance performance. The combination of exercise training and hypoxia increases the activity of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway compared to training under normoxic conditions. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) is known as a master regulator of the expression of genes since over 100 genes are responsive to HIF-1α. For instance, HIF-1-inducible genes include those critical to erythropoiesis, angiogenesis, glucose metabolism, mitochondrial biogenesis, and glucose transport, all of which are intergral in physiological adaptations for endurance performance. Further, hypoxic training could conceivably have a role in equine rehabilitation when high-impact training is contraindicated but a quality training stimulus is desired. This is achievable through purpose-built equine motorized treadmills inside commercial hypoxic chambers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conditioning Horses for Competitive Performance and Health)
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