Does Muscle Development of Sport Horses Using Water Treadmill Exercise as Part of a Long-Term Training Programme...

Area of Science:

• Equine sports science
• Animal rehabilitation
• Exercise physiology

Background:

• Water treadmill (WT) exercise is increasingly utilized for equine training and rehabilitation.
• Limited research exists on the long-term effects of low-water WT exercise on equine muscle development (MD).

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare muscle development (MD) changes over 40 weeks in sport horses using low-water WT exercise versus a control group.
• To identify specific muscle groups affected by regular WT exercise in low water.

Main Methods:

• A 40-week comparative study involving two groups of sport horses: WT group (n=55) and control group (n=28).
• Subjective muscle development assessments were conducted at baseline (week 0), week 20, and week 40.
• Utilized an adapted, previously published method for subjective MD evaluations.

Main Results:

• The WT group showed significant MD increases in neck, pelvis, and hindlimb adductor/abductor muscles between weeks 0 and 20.
• Over 40 weeks, the WT group exhibited increased MD in neck, thoracic, thoracic trapezius, lumbar, pelvis, quadriceps, hindlimb adductor/abductor, and hamstring muscles.
• Thoracic musculature specifically increased between weeks 20 and 40 (p ≤ 0.001).
• No significant MD changes were observed in the control group throughout the study period.

Conclusions:

• Regular low-water WT exercise promotes significant muscle development in sport horses.
• The exercise particularly enhances musculature involved in movements characteristic of WT exercise, including core and hindlimb.
• WT exercise, under veterinary guidance, can be a valuable component of equine rehabilitation and training programs to improve muscle mass.