Equine musculoskeletal development and performance: impact of the production system and early training
Chris W. Rogers A C , Charlotte F. Bolwell A , Erica K. Gee A and Sarah M. Rosanowski B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Equine Research Centre, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
B Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, SAR.
C Corresponding author. Email: c.w.rogers@massey.ac.nz
Associate Professor Chris Rogers has a joint appointment across the School of Veterinary Science and the School of Agriculture and Environment at Massey University, New Zealand. Chris has a research focus on Equine production, an eclectic mix of Veterinary science, Equine science, Agriculture production systems and Sport Science. The common theme across these disciplines is a focus on the effect of environmental and training stimuli on tissue development and career length in both racing and sport horses. To date, Chris has published over 160 peer-reviewed articles and is on the editorial boards of five of the leading Veterinary and Animal science journals. |
Charlotte Bolwell is a Senior Lecturer at Massey University in New Zealand. Charlotte’s research utilises her expertise in veterinary epidemiology to address fundamental questions with respect to the health, production, performance and welfare of horses. Charlotte has published over 60 peer-reviewed papers and is currently involved in projects related to race-day injuries, and the social, economic and welfare challenges surrounding jumps racing. |
Erica Gee is a Senior Lecturer in Equine Science at Massey University, Palmerston North. Erica is a veterinarian and registered specialist in equine reproduction. Her research interests are in the fields of equine nutrition, reproduction and health, collaborating with animal scientists, epidemiologists and other veterinarians. |
Sarah Rosanowski is an Assistant Professor at the Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Science, City University of Hong Kong. Her main interests are the prevention of racehorse injuries, evidence-based veterinary medicine and equine welfare. She is currently involved in projects focusing on injury surveillance, the interaction between surface and injury, using machine learning tools for predicting race-day injury, and prognosis following veterinary interventions. Her research is interdisciplinary, involving collaborative work at the interface between clinicians, epidemiologists, computer, social and welfare scientists and economists. To date, Sarah has published over 40 peer-reviewed papers and is involved in racing industry projects in the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, the USA, Australia and New Zealand. |
Animal Production Science 60(18) 2069-2079 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN17685
Submitted: 11 October 2017 Accepted: 2 June 2019 Published: 19 May 2020
Journal compilation © CSIRO 2020 Open Access CC BY-NC-ND
Abstract
The welfare debate around horse racing appears to be focussed on musculoskeletal injury and the racing of 2-year-olds. Much of this debate appears contrary to the evolutionary history of the horse as a cursorial animal and the capability of the equine musculoskeletal system to respond to the demands of race training. Epidemiological studies have reported that 2-year-old racehorses have a longer time period from entering training to the first race and a greater number of lost training days than older horses. However, this is, in part, due to the time taken to learn to train and the impact of dorsal metacarpal disease, which is due to loading of naïve as opposed to immature tissue. Across several racing jurisdictions and codes, it has been demonstrated that horses that train and race as 2-year-olds have longer, more successful, careers than those that start racing later in life. This positive trend has also been observed with horses starting in equestrian sport at an early age. The literature on the growth and development of the horse indicates that the musculoskeletal system is primed for activity and loading from an early age. Additional exercise for the young horse has a positive rather the negative effect, with many tissues having a sensitive period for ‘priming’ when the horse is a juvenile. This implies that under many modern management systems, the challenge to horse welfare is not ‘too much exercise too soon’ but ‘too little too late’. The current limitation in our understanding is the lack of knowledge of what is the correct exercise dose to optimise the musculoskeletal system. Modern management systems invariably provide too little exercise, but is the exercise data from feral horses the ‘gold standard’, or more a reflection of what the horse is capable of if resources such as food and water are limited? Further research is required to refine our understanding of the optimal exercise levels required and development of greater precision in identifying the sensitive periods for priming the musculoskeletal system.
Additional keywords: horse, lameness, racehorse, racing, welfare.
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