Do Horse Treadmills Improve Fitness in Race Horses?
The horseracing sport is one of the most exciting ones on the planet. Everyone who ever visited a race with horses knows how much more interesting it is when you’re watching live than doing the same on TV. Billions of people enjoy the horseracing sport around the planet, and millions bet on the winners.
The main stars in this sport are not humans, but horses. These thoroughbred animals are true athletes and they live a life just like human athletes. They spend most of their day training and eating the healthiest food possible. To enjoy the spotlight and the cameras mean complete dedication to their physique and strength.
Racehorses are not like usual horses you see in the fields when you walk outside the city. They only live in specialized facilities rather than standard stables. Yes, they are also called stables, but they are equipped with the latest modern technology to help them maximize sporting results. Learn more about horseracing on this link.
Treadmills are part of the modern technology
One piece of this modern technology, is without a doubt, the horse treadmill. If you ever used one for your personal training, you know how important it can be for gaining more muscle and maintaining the form. It’s the perfect cardio exercise that will keep your breath in moments of fatigue.
What treadmills do is help you push your heartbeat to its limits. With constant running on the tread, you get to exercise your heart to work faster and better. Everyday exercises will make it handle tough times and great pressure easily. If the normal heartbeat is between 60 and 80 beats while resting, the stressful moments will get it to 160 easily.
To handle this pressure, you need to push it to its limits regularly. That way it will be prepared to handle the pressure whenever it happens, which is why athletes can run, way longer and faster than an average person can.
Thoroughbred horses are biological perfection
It is the same with horses. The thoroughbred horses are having 40 beats per minute when resting. That is much lower than humans. This is why they can withhold extreme running conditions and achieve great speeds without health suffering.
Forcing a normal horse to run at the speeds of a racing one in most cases will result in death or severe injuries. They are not designed nor trained to do this, which is why these horses are considered true athletes.
Their entire body structure is full of muscles and they are completely designed for racing. Back in the day, these animals were not bred for racing, though. They were used as help for the army. Cavalry was an important part of the battles and these horses were able to withhold extreme conditions and help the army succeed.
Since today there are no battles with horses, all of them are used for racing. However, without proper training and exercise, they won’t be able to do anything. They’ll struggle on the race track, which is why their owners use horse treadmills and make them achieve perfection by running at least once per day.
How does the treadmill work?
Just like any other treadmill for people you know, these use the same method. There are a few differences, of course, but in general, it is the same technique.
The horse treadmills are made much bigger so they can fit the animal physique. They are made big enough so they can run on it without the worry that they might fall off or step on something that’s not part of the treadmill.
On the sides, there is a fence that will prevent the horse to run off. They are not like humans so they can freely stay on the lane. They’ll jump off the first second they get the chance, which is why the fence is a must. At the same time, they are much longer and faster, since racehorses can run tremendously fast and the treadmill must provide the accurate speed for the training.
Testing is also done on these machines
Every athlete must undergo serious medical examinations before they hit the arena. The doctors must be sure that this person can withstand the pressure and the fatigue without their hard to fail. It is the same with horses.
During the race, these animals are pressured to their limits and unless they are fully prepared, their hearts will fail and they’ll die. This is why testing must be done before they go out. See how this testing is done here: https://healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/A_E/Common-medical-tests-to-diagnose-heart-conditions.
The treadmill is the place where this testing can be done perfectly. Since they are inside the fence and have nowhere to go, it’s easy for doctors to set up all the required equipment and put them on the computer. While they run, the doctors measure their heart capacity and determine if they are ready or not.
Horse treadmills do improve fitness in races
In a conclusion, we must say that this fitness equipment does improve their capacity during the race. Based on the testing, doctors and owners know how much pressure horses can get, and at the same time, they get to be trained to perfection and to achieve the maximum of their power.
Everyone who owns thoroughbred horses and wants them to see win races should get one of these machines. They will provide absolute power to their favorite racing horses.