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Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation
Summary of full report
by David L. Evans
Department of Animal Science
University of Sydney
February 2000
RIRDC Publication No 00/1
RIRDC Project No. US-77A
A horse trainer has an extremely difficult task, regardless of whether the job is to prepare a racehorse, event, endurance or other type of performance horse. Firstly, the trainer may be asked to make judgements concerning the racing or performance potential of a young horse, usually with little or no information available except breeding, or bloodlines. The trainer may have to speculate about whether the horse in question is likely to be able to run very fast over 1200 or 3200 metres, or be able to gallop and jump skilfully, or compete over long distances in an endurance ride. Not surprisingly, visual appraisal and assessment of the appropriateness of the horse’s breeding may have limited capacity to predict future performance. The trainer must then prepare the horse to perform, and to realise its full potential. The horse must be kept healthy, and ideally not be undertrained or overtrained. It should be presented at competition with no muscle, skeletal, respiratory or other body system disease that could reduce or limit performance. As well, the horse must be keen to compete on the day, and be unlikely to behave in a manner that will limit performance.
Over the last 40 years there has been much research on the exercise physiology of equine athletes, including racehorses, event horses and endurance horses. Many new industry participants have more formal education in equine science, and there is an increased interest in the applications of research results in the horse training industries. However, the results of this research have not been comprehensively assembled in a format that is accessible to most industry participants. It is hoped that this book will address that problem.
The presentation of information concerning training of horses and assessment of fitnessin a format suitable for use by industry participants will contribute to adoption of new technologies. Adoption of new techniques in training, fitness assessment, and techniques for routine monitoring of horses in training should lead to fitter horses with lower rates of injury and fatigue. Industry wastage rates are very high, and many horses never win a race. Research results do provide some guidelines in use of techniques to increase fitness and reduce ill health in athletic horses. Both of these factors are important in any attempts by horse trainers to improve performance and reduce industry wastage rates. Most information on research and fitness assessment is found in scientific journals, and is inaccessible to most industry participants. Likewise, interpretation of the results of many studies can be difficult.
This book attempts to present
the results of many studies in a readable format, and concentrates on aspects
of training and fitness assessment. It concentrates on the principles of
training and fitness assessment. Many of the principles are common in training
programs for all equine athletic competitions. There are many gaps in our
knowledge, and more studies of normal horses in their commercial training
environments are required. Successful conduct of those studies will necessitate
cooperation between trainers and scientists, and this is not always easy
within the constraints of a busy training establishment. However, my perception
is that horse trainers and owners are seeking more information. It is my
hope that this review of many scientific studies, coupled with a few personal
comments, will assist all horse trainers who are interested in adopting
new methods that are soundly based on evidence, rather than on hearsay,
hope or tradition.
 
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