Assessment of Performance: Treadmill Versus Field Techniques

Despite this truism those associated with racing and performance horses often seek methods for assessment of performance potential and causes of poor performance. As part of these types of assessments veterinarians and equine scientists have developed a variety of mechanisms to assess performance generally referred to under the umbrella term ‘clinical exercise testing’. Generally, there are two broad forms of clinical exercise testing: 1. Procedures conducted in hospital/laboratory based around treadmills and 2. In-field testing techniques.

Treadmill Testing
Treadmills have been used as a means to exercise horses for well over a century. However, it was not until the 1960’s that the use of treadmills for exercise testing became more common. By the 1980’s high speed treadmills were more common and by the 21st century they are being mass produced, such that many stud farms, training establishments and veterinary hospitals have them. As a result methods for the assessment of performance have been developed and the applicability of these to the ‘real’ world have been assessed. From a broad perspective clinical exercise testing in the laboratory/hospital setting usually involves many of the following steps:  [...]