Unveiling Equine Exercise Physiology for Peak Performance and Optimal Health
A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Equids".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 742
Special Issue Editors
Interests: equine; internal medicine; sports medicine; respiratory medicine; equine asthma
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The horse is a remarkable athlete, capable of extraordinary achievements across a wide variety of disciplines, from sprinting at speeds of up to 70 km/h in short gallop races (1,000 m) to long-distance endurance rides (up to 160 km in a day). Horses also demonstrate exceptional technical skills, jumping high obstacles over challenging show jumping courses, performing elegant movements like piaffe and passage in dressage, or executing explosive actions in Western competitions, such as spins and sliding stops.
Achieving such remarkable feats can subject the horse’s physical and mental capacities to significant stress. Mismanagement of stress can lead to a decline in athletic performance and, in worst case scenarios, injury. As a result, a comprehensive understanding of equine physiology is essential not only for enhancing performance but also for safeguarding the horse’s health. In today’s world, this responsibility extends beyond the athlete and their handlers. Public perception of animal welfare in sports is increasingly influential, placing heightened scrutiny on the ethical treatment of sport horses. To maintain the social license to operate, it is crucial that the industry prioritizes transparency, education, and welfare.
While there are numerous studies and publications investigating equine exercise physiology, the integration of new technologies—such as GPS, heart rate monitors, inertial sensors, and AI-driven movement analysis—offers transformative tools for veterinarians and trainers. These innovations help fine-tune training regimens, enable early detection of potential health issues, and contribute to injury prevention, all of which are vital to the welfare of sport horses.
This Special Issue brings together research on all aspects of equine sports medicine, examining the respiratory, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and gastrointestinal systems, along with behavioral studies. Its goal is to not only advance our understanding of equine exercise physiology but also to increase awareness of animal welfare, thereby ensuring the responsible management of sport horses in line with the growing expectations of the public.
Dr. Luca Stucchi
Dr. Emmanuelle Van Erck
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- equine sports medicine
- equine exercise physiology
- horse performance
- horse welfare
- social license to operate
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