Lab Testing and Field Testing

Question 1

History of Exercise Testing

Answer 1

Stockholm, Sweden, 1960’s - the first horse treadmill was developed and used (Sune Persson)

Question 2

Lab Testing

Answer 2

Used mainly to assess performance issues with horses
Much more controlled setting, with variables that are easy to replicate, but it does not mirror real-life environments very accurately

Question 3

Field Testing

Answer 3

Used mainly to asses fitness, and form performance predictions for a horse
The setting more accurately replicates a real-life environment, however, the variables are much harder to control
Protocols for this testing should be well-defined and strictly maintained (ex. warm-up routines, rates/distances of acceleration, speed during exercise, etc.)

Question 4

Two forms of exercise testing

Answer 4

Clinical exercise tests - for individuals that present signs of poor performance or disease
Performance exercise tests - for healthy, relatively fit individuals, used as a basis for training others

Question 5

Equine Treadmill - Used

Answer 5

Used mostly in a lab setting, it is generally used for two types of tests:
Incremental - 1 min settings at 6, 8, 10 m/s, then increase speed every minute till fatigue; STAMINA
High-speed - rapid increase to 11-12 m/s until fatigue; SPEED

Question 6

Treadmill - Horse Considerations and Safety

Answer 6

The horse must be fit, sound, and accustomed to the treadmill before being used. It is suggested that a horse have ~3 days to get used to the treadmill (introducing the horse to the machine while it is not running, while it is running and the horse is near it, and while it is running and the horse walks on it)
Horses on the treadmill should be wearing protective boots, ensure that shoes are secure (or wear booties to protect hooves from heat/wear), and possibly be secured by a harness

Question 7

Treadmill - Operation

Answer 7

The treadmill should run at a 10% incline (6 degree slope) to most accurately match real-life scenarios.
The area with the treadmill should be climate-controlled, or at least have large fans, to ensure the horse does not over-heat during exercise.

Question 8

Treadmill - Handler Safety

Answer 8

It is best to operate with four people - two to handle the horse on the machine, one to operate the controls, and a fourth to act as a second set of hands on the floor, helping where needed.

Question 9

Treadmill - Injuries

Answer 9

The most common injury for horses on a treadmill include abrasions and overreaching injuries; serious injuries are no more common than they would be for race horses or eventing horses.

Question 10

VO2-Max

Answer 10

The measure of the amount of oxygen a horse takes in at a specific speed; generally, at 200 BPM

Question 11

Heart Rate

Answer 11

Normal - 20-40 BPM, Max - 220 BPM
V200 is the velocity the horse is travelling once the HR reaches 200
Velocity and VO2-Max are correlated enough that HR can be used to determine VO2-max

Question 12

Lactate (V4)

Answer 12

The velocity the horse is traveling once the concentration of lactate in the bloodstream reaches 4mmol/L
Used to predict fitness, not performance
Indicates when aerobic respiration turns to anaerobic respiration
Best representative of V4 is obtained after standardized, intense work outs (not incremental)

Question 13

Anaerobic Capacity

Answer 13

Measurement of post-exercise lactate concentration