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Background Capacitive resistive electric transfer (CRET), a radiofrequency at 448 kHz, resulted in increased superficial and deep temperature and hemoglobin saturation, faster elimination of metabolic and inflammatory products and enhanced sport performance in humans. This research aims to investigate whether the application of CRET affects the locomotor pattern in horses and to assess whether an accumulative effect appears when two CRET sessions are applied two consecutive days. Methods Nine horses were subjected to two CRET sessions applied in both right and left sides of neck, shoulder, back and croup. The horses were exercised on a treadmill, at walk and at trot, before CRET application and at 2, 6 and 12 h after. A second CRET session was applied next day, and the animals were evaluated again at the same times (i.e. at 26, 30 and 36 h after the first session). Between 5 and 7 days later, the same horses were subjected to a sham procedure and they were evaluated in the same times as in the CRET experiment. During treadmill exercise, locomotor parameters were measured with a triaxial accelerometer fixed in the pectoral region and in the sacrum midline. Results The sham procedure did not affect any of the accelerometric variables studied. CRET applications resulted in greater total powers, which resulted in absolute increased dorsoventral, mediolateral and longitudinal powers. However, a reduction in dorsoventral power expressed as a percentage of total power was found. Stride regularity increased. The greater total power resulted in longer stride length and because the velocity was kept fixed on the treadmill, stride frequency decreased. An accumulative effect of CRET application was only found in stride length and frequency. Conclusions It appears that CRET is a useful technique to enhance power and to elongate the stride at defined walk and trot velocities. The effect of these changes on performance should be studied for horses competing in different sport disciplines.

\"An experienced horseman and clinician provides a collection of yoga-inspired exercises to use in schooling the horse with the goal of better promoting suppleness, bendability, flexibility, and core strength. This leads to a healthier horse that is better physically prepared to perform his best\"-- Provided by publisher.

Objective To observe the effect of horse-riding squat exercise plus Governor Vessel-regulating Tuina (Chinese therapeutic massage) therapy on static balance function in patients with stroke. Methods A total of 176 stroke patients were enrolled as the study subjects and divided into four groups by the random number table method, namely horse-riding squat + Tuina group, horse-riding squat group, Tuina group, and control group, with 44 cases in each group. The control group was treated with rehabilitation balance training. The horse-riding squat + Tuina group, horse-riding squat group, and Tuina group were treated with additional horse-riding squat exercise plus Tuina, horse-riding squat exercise, and Tuina treatment, respectively. Four weeks of treatment was regarded as one treatment course. After 1 treatment course, the balance function of the four groups was compared. Results After treatment, the ellipse area of motion and the length of motion in all four groups were reduced, and the intra-group differences were all statistically significant ( P <0.05). The difference in the ellipse area of motion before and after treatment in the horse-riding squat + Tuina group and the horse-riding squat group was larger than that in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant ( P <0.05). The difference in the ellipse area of motion before and after treatment in the horse-riding squat + Tuina group was larger than that in the Tuina group, and the difference was statistically significant ( P <0.05). The difference in the length of motion before and after treatment in the horse-riding squat + Tuina group, the horse-riding squat group, and the Tuina group was greater than that in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant ( P <0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the pairwise comparison between the horse-riding squat + Tuina group, the horse-riding squat group, and the Tuina group ( P >0.05). Conclusion Horse-riding squat exercise plus Governor Vessel-regulating Tuina therapy can effectively improve the static balance function in patients with stroke. Training the affected lower limb weight-bearing exercise, adjusting the center of gravity distribution, and promoting the mutual balance and coordination between muscle groups may be the mechanism of improving the static balance function.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of Tuina (Chinese therapeutic massage) manipulation plus horse-riding squat exercise in treating knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and optimize the combining protocol. Methods Based on a 2×2 factorial design, 120 eligible KOA patients were randomized into a manipulation group (group A 1 B 2 ), a manipulation plus horse-riding squat group (group A 1 B 1 ), a sitting knee-adjustment group (group A 2 B 2 group), and a sitting knee-adjustment plus horse-riding squat group (group A 2 B 1 ), with 30 cases in each group. The intervention was conducted three times a week, lasting for four weeks. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) was taken as the major measure for efficacy evaluation (including three component scores, pain, stiffness, and daily function, and total score). Results The three component scores (pain, stiffness, and daily function) and the total score of WOMAC showed significant differences after the intervention in the four groups ( P <0.05). There were significant inter-group differences in the WOMAC stiffness score amongst the four groups after the intervention ( P <0.05). In group A 1 B 1 , the step length, stride, walking speed, and knee joint flexion angle changed significantly after treatment ( P <0.05). After the intervention, the step length changed significantly in group A 1 B 2 ( P <0.05), and the walking speed changed significantly in group A 2 B 1 ( P <0.05). There were no significant differences in the step length, stride, walking speed, or knee joint flexion angle among the four groups ( P >0.05). The extensor peak torque at 180 °/s changed significantly in group A 1 B 2 after treatment ( P <0.05). Neither the intra-group nor the inter-group comparisons of the four groups revealed significant differences in the other isokinetic muscle strength parameters ( P >0.05). The main effect of manipulation showed significant in affecting the WOMAC pain and total scores ( P <0.05). The main effect of horse-riding squat exercise showed significant in affecting the WOMAC pain and stiffness scores ( P <0.05). Conclusion The four treatment protocols all can improve the symptoms of KOA, for instance, relieving pain and stiffness, and enhancing daily function. Group A 2 B 1 produces the most eminent effect in relieving joint stiffness. The main effects of both manipulation and horse-riding squat exercise are significant in reducing pain. Besides, the main effect of horse-riding squat exercise is significant in relieving joint stiffness.

Horses display remarkable aerobic capabilities, attaining during muscular exercise a maximal rate of oxygen consumption about 30-fold higher than the resting value, and 2.5-fold higher than that of other mammals of similar body mass. Under these circumstances an enormous mechanical burden is expected to impinge on the equine respiratory pump and regulatory mechanisms aiming to minimize this load may play an important role in determining the adequacy of the respiratory system to the metabolic requirements. The behaviour of the respiratory system has been investigated in horses at rest and during treadmill locomotion at different velocities and gaits. During exercise hyperpnoea, horses exhibit a significant reduction in the lung viscous resistance not observed in other mammals, such as dogs and humans. Therefore, the exercise-dependent increase in the rate of mechanical work of breathing is lower in the horse than in other mammals. This increase in the equine airway patency during exercise appeared to be mainly determined by the pattern of laryngeal movements. In fact, during exercise, the laryngeal cross-sectional area, determined with a video-endoscopic imaging technique at the level of rima glottidis (CSArg), undergoes during inspiration an increase averaging up to over 4 times the resting expiratory values. Although a significant linear correlation was found between CSArg and minute ventilation (VE), the laryngeal activation contributes to increase lung conductance only when CSArg is narrower than the tracheal section. It appears therefore that in exercising horses pulmonary resistive features are finely controlled to reduce the mechanical load supported by the respiratory muscles and to counterbalance the increase in the ventilatory energetic requirements inherent in the remarkably enhanced aerobic performance observed in this species.

Quantity and variety of environmental antigens, age, diet, vaccine protocols, exercising practice and mucosal cytokine microenvironment are factors that influence serum immunoglobulin (Ig) levels. IgA, IgG, IgG(T) and IgM were quantified in 60 horses, which were classified into two groups, ‘intensive’ or ‘relaxed’, according to sanitary standards of the facilities and physical exercise to which animals were subjected to. The ‘intensive’ group presented lower means for all isotypes, but only IgA presented a significant (P < 0.0064) difference when compared to the ‘relaxed’ group. This suggests that mucosal immunity found in the ’intensive’ group is lower when compared to the ‘relaxed’ group. Our data suggest that athlete horses may be less poised to mount an effective mucosal immunity response to environmental challenges and should not be considered by the same perspectives as a free-ranging horse.

This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Athletics and Military Training Mousikê Paideia and the Symposium Education, Literacy, and Classical Athens Enkyklios Paideia Families, Friends, and the State Education as a Problem Conclusion Further Reading

Exercise intensity is prone to be self-regulated in horses exercising freely. The main drivers include social, feeding and escape behaviors, as well as the operant conditioning. We hypothesized that self-regulated exercise intensity may increase due to the presence of another horse exercising ahead. Seven horses were assigned to a 2x2 crossover trial following treadmill familiarization. Video images of a trotting horse were displayed on the wall in front of the experimental unit (Visual), which was positioned in the treadmill. Physiological and behavioral markers were further compared with a control visual stimulus (Co), comprising a racetrack image without horses. Horses were sampled during a constant load exercise test (1) at rest (baseline), (2) after the warm-up (0 – 10 th minute) and (3) after visual stimulation or control (10 th – 12 th minutes of the SET) to quantify plasma lactate and glucose concentration, heart rate, head angle, as well as behavioral markers. Following visual stimulation, heart rate (130.8 ± 27.8 b.p.m.) was higher than control (84.7 ± 15.1 b.p.m., P = .017), as was plasma lactate (Visual ‐ 5.28 ± 1.48 mg/dl; Co -3.27 ± 1.24 mg/dl, P = .042) and head angle (Visual ‐ 36.43 ± 3.69°; Co -25.14 ± 4.88°, P = .003). The prevalence of “ears forward” behavior was also higher following Visual (100% - 7/7) than Co (14% - 1/7, P = .004). These results suggest that visual stimulus (1) was safe and well tolerated and (2) prompted the anaerobic lactic pathways and shifted the behavior to a vigilant state. In conclusion, horses were able to perceive and adapt to a social environment. Our findings validate the use of social facilitation of trotting to encourage horses to move forward avoiding the use of the whip.

Background Data about efficacy of different training modalities during rehabilitation of horses with back pain is scarce. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of water treadmill training, lunging and dry treadmill training in horses with back pain. Materials and methods Eighteen warmblood riding horses referred with confirmed clinical signs of back pain including abnormal responses to passive mobilisation were randomized into three groups to participate in a 6-week water treadmill training, lunging or dry treadmill program under otherwise identical conditions. Two clinicians, one blinded to the program, performed a structured clinical examination of the back at three time-points (baseline, week 3, week 6). Mechanical nociceptive thresholds were determined with pressure algometry. Results Visual muscle development scores for the lumbar region ( p  = 0.001) and palpation sensitivity scores along the thoracic and lumbar region significantly improved at week 6, compared to baseline ( p  < 0.001). No differences in mechanical nociceptive thresholds were detected between water treadmill training, lunging and dry treadmill training at any time-point ( p  > 0.05). At week 3 and 6 of all programs mechanical nociceptive thresholds significantly increased at the level of the 10th to 18th thoracic (T18) and 3rd lumbar vertebra (L3) compared to baseline. Discussion/Main limitations Small group size, lack of control group with ridden rehabilitation exercise. Conclusions Different training programs without a rider could be beneficial for horses with back pain. Water treadmill training seems equivalent to dry treadmill training and lunging to increase mechanical nociceptive thresholds in the region with main saddle contact.