Iron is unquestionably an essential element of physical performance for horses, just as it is for many other animals, including humans. Although post-exercise equine iron deficiency is not a common problem, recent studies showed that equine athletes...
Objectives: Training is essential for enhancing equine athletic performance, but the genetic mechanisms that regulate athletic performance are unknown. Therefore, this paper aims to identify candidate genes and metabolic pathways for the effects of t...
The objective of this study was to evaluate the levels and the potential bioaccumulation of vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and bismuth (Bi) in horses from the industrial risk area of Sicily...
The current study aimed to investigate whether peripheral modulators of serotoninergic function and neurohumoral factors’ changes in athletic horses during an official jumping competition, and to evaluate their relationship with the physical performa...
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of pre-exercise L-citrulline supplementation on the athletic performance of Yili speed-racing horses during a high-intensity exercise. On the 20th day of the experiment, blood samples were colle...
The aim of the present study was the evaluation of the bioaccumulation of cadmium (Cd), Zinc (Zn), Chrome (Cr), Lead (Pb), Iron (Fe) and Copper (Cu), in the blood, serum, tail and mane of horses from the industrialized area of Milazzo (Messina, Sicil...
This study aimed to evaluate the changes in serum oxidant and antioxidant parameters together with the serum values of homocysteine (Hcy) and muscle enzymes including creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (L...
This study aimed to assess the effect of exercise on serum electrophoretic protein pattern, C-reactive protein (CRP) and platelet aggregation in horses subjected to a jumping exercise. The possible relationship between acute-phase reactions and plate...
Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) is a worldwide disease of the stomach that can be found in different categories of horses. Different clinical signs may be present, but a large number of horses are asymptomatic. The aim of this study was to ident...
The evaluation of the performance levels in athletic horses is of major importance to prevent sports injuries. Raman spectroscopy is an innovative technique that allows for a rapid evaluation of biomolecules in biological fluids. It also permits qual...
The core objective of racehorse breeding is to enhance the speed and endurance of the horses. The Grassland-Thoroughbred is an emerging horse breed developed in northern China in recent years, characterized by excellent speed performance, enduring st...
Selection and training practices for jumping horses have not yet been validated using objective performance analyses. This study aimed to quantify the differences and relationships between movement and muscle activation strategies in horses with vary...
Low back pain (LBP) is the most common overuse musculoskeletal injury suffered by child equestrian athletes (CEA). Despite this, little is known about the risk factors related to LBP in these athletes, and very limited research has been conducted on...
Professional thoroughbred racing jockeys repeatedly work close to physiological capacity during races, whilst maintaining low body weights, on a daily basis with no off-season. The effects of this on their career length is unknown. The aim of this st...
The objectives of this study were to quantify the external workload of thoroughbred racing jockeys in relation to their experience and racing performance. The number of rides of 786 jockeys and apprentices who rode in 407,948 flat and 13,648 jumps ra...
Colombian Paso horses (CPs) excel in gait competitions due to their endurance, speed, and precision, which demand a high level of cardiorespiratory fitness. However, their training regimes often lack scientific support, and few studies have linked ph...
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...
This study follows a previously defined framework to investigate the impact of impairment on performance in Para dressage athletes. Twenty-one elite Para dressage athletes (grades I to V) and eleven non-disabled dressage athletes (competing at Prix S...
The effect of lactate minimum speed (LMS)-guided training on horses’ homeostasis is still unknown. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of an LMS-guided training program on the fluid, electrolyte and acid-base status of horses. Ten unt...
Cardiac arrhythmias resulting in sudden cardiac death (SCD) are an important cause of racehorse fatalities. The objective of this study was to determine risk factors for SCD in Thoroughbreds by evaluating a sample with a policy of mandatory post-mort...
24 May 2022
The aim of the study was to analyse the fitness level of young horse riders before and after 12 weeks of training restrictions instituted due to the COVID-19 emergency. Anthropometrical measure assessment and an eight-items fitness test battery were...
Copy number variation (CNV) is an important source of genetic variation. However, studies utilizing whole-genome sequencing to investigate CNVs in horse populations and their effects on traits remain relatively limited. This study aims to address the...
Vaquejada (VQ) is a traditional Brazilian sport demanding high performance from Quarter Horse (QH) athletes. This study aimed to identify modifications in hematological, biochemical, inflammatory, and oxidative stress biomarkers associated with VQ tr...
Domestic horses routinely participate in vigorous and various athletic activities. This enables the horse to serve as a model for studying athletic physiology and immunology in other species, including humans. For instance, as a model of physical eff...
Left dorsal displacement of the large colon (LDDLC) is a common cause of colic in horses and it is frequently associated with recurrent episodes, with significant implications for horse management, athletic performance, and owner satisfaction. Laparo...
Prevalence of endocrine disease in sport horses has been sparsely reported. They often compete well into their teenage years; thus, diagnosis and control of endocrine disease could be important to maintain performance and optimise health and welfare....
The article aimed to review the current literature analysing the complexity of an exercise-induced acute phase response in athletic horses undergoing intense training and endurance competitions. Since the endurance discipline demands physical fitness...
Injuries to the locomotor system are a common problem in athletic horses. Veterinarians address these injuries using appropriate medical, surgical, and pharmacological treatments. During or after recovery from the initial injury, horses may be treate...
Horses engaged in strenuous exercise display physiological responses that approach the upper functional limits of key organ systems, in particular their cardiorespiratory systems. Maximum athletic performance is therefore vulnerable to factors that d...
Background/Objectives: Human-driven selection has shaped modern horse breeds into highly specialized athletes, particularly in racing. Arabian horses, renowned for their endurance, provide an excellent model for studying molecular adaptations to exer...
In the present study, data related to the metabolomics of saliva and serum in trained standardbred horses are provided for the first time. Metabolomic analysis allows to analyze all the metabolites within selected biofluids, providing a better unders...
Low back pain (LBP) is a prevailing affliction among recreational and professional horse riders. It lowers performance and distracts from the development of the athlete. A lower incidence of LBP has been observed in the professional riding population...
Mild–moderate equine asthma (MEA) is a common disease of young racehorses characterized by inflammation of the lower airways diagnosed by cytological examination of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and it is considered an important cause of...
P wave indices are used as non-invasive electrocardiographic markers of atrial remodelling in humans. Few studies have investigated their use in animals. The aim of this study was to measure P wave duration and P wave dispersion (Pd) in healthy stand...
There is ample research describing the increased risk of health concerns associated with equine obesity, including insulin dysregulation and laminitis. For athletes, the negative effect of weight carriage is well documented in racing thoroughbreds (i...
In athletic horses, prolonged and intense training gives rise to an imbalance between the production of free radicals and antioxidant molecules, leading to oxidative stress. Considering the relation between exercise and oxidative stress in horses, th...
Across many equestrian disciplines the median competition career of a horse is relatively short. One of the major reasons for short career length is musculoskeletal injury and a consistent variable is the trainer effect. There are significant opportu...
Anatomical variations of the caudal ventral lamina of the sixth cervical vertebra (C6), referred to as equine caudal cervical morphologic variations (ECCMV), and radiographic modelling of the caudal cervical articular process joints (APJ) are commonl...
Within the lay literature, and social media in particular, there is often debate about the age at which a horse should be started and introduced to racing or sport. To optimize the welfare and longevity of horses in racing and sport, it is important...
Physical activity has an influence on a variety of processes in an athlete’s organism including the immune system. Unfortunately, there is a lack of studies regarding racehorse immune cells, especially when the horse model is compared to human...
With the growing popularity of equestrian sports, the incidence of athletic injuries in horses has also risen. Among these injuries, proximal sesamoid bone fracture (PSBF) and flexor tendinitis are particularly common in the forelimbs of sport horses...
Training not only enhances the athletic performance of horses but also improves cardiac structure and function, strengthens cardiovascular adaptability, and reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, the consequences of training on equine...
Water treadmill (WT) exercise is gaining popularity among equine athletes as it allows for increased workload through the resistance posed by water. However, the effect of an artificial river (AR), which further increases this resistance, on equine f...
Equine veterinarians face a range of challenges when attending competition horses. Athletic goals may significantly impact veterinary decision making, and the veterinarian’s work can be complicated by reputational considerations and rival opini...
Like most mammalian, polyphasic sleep, equine sleep can be divided into two phases: the REM (rapid eye movement) phase and the NREM (non-rapid eye movement) phase. For this study, a randomized crossover experiment was conducted using ten purebred Lus...
In a recent study, in which more than a thousand racehorses were evaluated, three potential blood markers were selected. It was concluded that insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), and matrix metalloproteina...
Ferulic acid is a bioactive phenolic compound with potential benefits for skeletal muscle health. In this study, Mongolian horses were used as experimental subjects and were orally administered ferulic acid at doses of 5, 10, or 15 g per horse per da...
This study aims to analyze the whole-genome DNA methylation differences in Yili horses before and after racing, with the goal of identifying differentially methylated genes associated with racing performance and exploring the epigenetic mechanisms un...
This study aimed to evaluate the oral supplementation of astaxanthin (ATX) on inflammatory markers in 3-year-old Arabian racehorses. Despite the recognized antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of ATX observed in vitro in rodent models and in...
Myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) are localized, hypersensitive areas in muscles that can cause pain and reduced performance. This study aimed to compare the prevalence and location of MTrPs in show-jumping and dressage horses. A secondary objective...
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