Comparison between specific and nonspecific tests for evaluating the physical fitness of show jumping horses

Abstract

Show jumping is a century-old Olympic sport performed worldwide. However, despite the prominence of this sport, there is currently no satisfactory evaluation of the physical fitness of its horses. Our study compared two standardised exercise tests (specific and nonspecific for show jumpers) to determine the importance of a show jumping specific evaluation test. Sixteen horses were divided into two performance groups (high and low performance), and all horses performed standardised exercise tests without jumps (SET1) and with jumps (SET2). Heart rate, blood lactate, glucose, blood gas, haematological parameters, and plasma ions were measured before and after the tests, and performance indices were calculated. Both exercise tests (SET1 and SET2) resulted in changes in nearly all measured variables that were expected, based on other studies, for the duration and nature of the exercise performed. Differences between the two performance groups were observed for lactate and glucose, as well as some blood gas variables and performance indicators. These differences might have been the result of better cardiovascular and metabolic adaptation of the high performance group to the show jumping exercises. For the SET1, differences between groups were mainly noted for variables related to aerobic capacity, which suggests that this measurement is important for the evaluation of equine performance in show jumping. The SET2 was capable of detecting different horse performance levels that could not be detected by the SET1, which indicates that a specific test for show jumping (that includes jumping movements) could provide important information for the evaluation of show jumpers. Based on our findings, we recommend that the SET2 be included in future protocols for evaluating jumping horses.

Monitoring Performance in Show Jumping Horses: Validity of Non-specific and Discipline-specific Field Exercise Tests for a Practicable Assessment of Aerobic Performance

“…For show jumpers, however, there is no clear evidence for a direct relationship between aerobic fitness and jumping performance. Soares et al (2016) observed that while horses competing at higher level exhibited significantly higher V 140 values, V 180 , V La2 , V La3 , and V La4 were not different between performance groups. Also in the present study, there was no significant correlation between V 140 , V 170 , V La2 , or V La4 and jumping performance and a significant association between penalty scores and post-exercise lactate values in response to show jumping competitions was only present in horses competing at 140 cm level competitions.…”

“…However, these restrictive training regimens may entail a loss in physical fitness that is reflected by higher lactate values in response to showjumping competitions. Even though horses with low physical fitness but excellent jumping technique and experience may achieve relatively high levels of performance (Soares et al, 2016), those horses may be also more prone to injuries, especially if their excellent jumping technique allows them to compete at a relatively high level despite their lack of fitness. In eventing horses it has been shown that horses with a higher aerobic capacity were less likely to get injured during preparation for the European Championship than horses with lower aerobic capacity (Munsters et al, 2013).…”

“…Only very few studies investigated exercise tests specifically designed for show jumpers (Munk et al, 2013;Soares et al, 2016). Munk et al (2013) showed that a non-specific incremental exercise test as well as two kinds of discipline-specific tests, one standardized show-jumping course and one test including several rounds over 16 in-and-out jumps (maximal height of 85 cm) were suitable to monitor the horses' response to different kinds of training programs.…”

“…Munk et al (2013) showed that a non-specific incremental exercise test as well as two kinds of discipline-specific tests, one standardized show-jumping course and one test including several rounds over 16 in-and-out jumps (maximal height of 85 cm) were suitable to monitor the horses' response to different kinds of training programs. Soares et al (2016) showed that heart rate and blood lactate concentration in response to a specific exercise test including jumps were more appropriate to distinguish between horses assigned to different performance groups than heart rate and lactate in response to a non-specific exercise test.…”

Differential Expression of Monocarboxylate Transporter 1 and Ancillary Protein CD147 in Red Blood Cells of Show Jumping Horses

“…The BH horses belong to the Brazilian Army and are stabled in Resende, RJ, Brazil. They were also used in a recently published study [8]. The EW horses belong to the Brazilian elite Equestrian Society (Sociedade Hípica Paulista).…”