Equine
The
Lily
Ford
Centre
Project Information
Background Information on the Project
With the introduction of sophisticated electronic variable voltage, variable frequency controllers it has been possible to control the speed of the induction motor, allowing the direct drive of a roller on a treadmill large enough to exercise and test equine athletes. Physiological testing of these animals requires similar principles already in use in human sports science. (95% of human D.N.A. is found in horses).
It is an astonishing fact that the worldwide billion dollar thoroughbred industry has little applied research and development in its central technology. i.e. exercise physiology, the science of building equine athletes. Basic academic research in equine exercise has existed since the ‘60s, most of it performed in Europe. Now belatedly equine researchers have slowly come to the same conclusions that human scientists had reached by 1970. Applied research is still essentially non- existent in the racehorse industry with the exception of what is occurring in Scandinavia. International conferences on equine exercise physiology are now being regularly held. To date, I have not found any evidence that New Zealand has contributed.
The third International Conference on equine physiology reinforced the opinion that high-speed treadmills have come of age, enabling research and the building of race level fitness in the thoroughbred horse. Up until this date most of the high speed treadmills have been mainly placed in universities and research institutions, but with the increasing difficulty of transporting horses to training tracks and the high cost of developing training facilities close to main cities, high speed treadmills (along with the new technologies available for the development of these machines) have become cost effective for many trainers. Overseas experience has demonstrated that high-speed treadmills are safer than most racetrack conditions.
Experience has shown that with current means, it is difficult to define equine athletic qualities. The breeders of “Sunline,” the high stakes winning mare, experienced difficulty in convincing people of the quality of their horse. The current owners originally accepting her on a lease/buy basis. I am confident in the near future we will be close to predicting the athletic qualities of such a horse, whose career almost stalled because of lack of interest and had this occurred Sunline probably would have been undiscovered and remained in the broodmare paddock.
As the science develops the ability to test for physiological markers of quality will emerge as they have in the human athlete. However, we need the tools now to be able to train, test and measure these horses, and this requires the development of direct drive high- speed treadmills in New Zealand.
The poor results on N.Z. athletes at the Olympic Games left the nation stunned. The majority of the successful Australian athletes were assessed by exercise physiologists many years ago, and vast sums of money spent on those with the best attitudes and profiles as demonstrated by modern technology employed by these physiologists. New Zealand has developed a small number of human physiological laboratories and they work closely with our young athletes.
It is inconceivable that the same technology would not be used with the equine industry as the human and equine have 95% of the genetic code in common. A lot of the basics of human physiology were first worked out using rats, dogs and cats which have 96 -99% of the human genome.
If one examines the record of the top sales earners at Karaka over the last ten years it becomes obvious that few of these horses go anywhere near paying for themselves. I believe it is only a matter of time before overseas buyers will want more for their money and will demand physiological tests on these horses before they begin to consider a possible purchase.
The new rich of the developed countries are the young technocrats. It is unlikely that they would purchase anything in the future that does not stand the scrutiny they expect in their own industries. Whether we like it or not technology is here to stay and the countries not developing it are rapidly falling behind.
In a few years the discerning overseas buyers will place the N.Z. industry in an embarrassing situation when they request a physiological profile on their prospective purchase. This will soon be available in competing countries who have developed their technological resources. Would you purchase a motor vehicle without a reputable assessment ? To make matters worse the scientists in competing countries are only at the early stages of developing reliable reports and newer technology around the corner will compound the problem if we do not develop the necessary resources.
Young trainers and veterinary personnel need to be conversant with the science if they are to join the rest of the world.
For this we need to develop high speed treadmills.
A high-speed direct drive treadmill can be used for the following :-
1. Physiological testing of athletic performance, and as a research tool.
2. As a training device for professional trainers.
It has several advantages
· No weather restriction
· Greatly reduced impact to legs
· Strict control at all times
· Control of speed and distance
· Smooth surface, no uneven footing
· Horse is less distracted
· Horses tend to work willingly on a treadmill
· Horse does its interval training in a straight line
· Better cardiovascular, respiratory work.
· More horses can be worked in a shorter period of time than by riding
· Conditioning can be started at 6 months of age
· Observations and filming of horse gait
3. As a diagnostic tool
· Direct laryngoscopy for recurrent larynged palsy whilst running
· Diagnosis of lameness, in association with pressure plates and video camera recording and the associated use of diagnostic movement software which is developing at a rapid pace.
· Poor performance testing, using physiological equipment.
e.g. Cardiac arrhythmias, lung diffusion problems, and all the reasons associated with a reduction in the estimated VO2 max.
Footbridge,
in association with Neil Moore of N.C.M. Engineering, is in the final
stages of developing a direct drive high speed treadmill. Testing with horses will commence after we are satisfied the
apparatus is thoroughly tested. Footbridge
Health Ltd was granted a New Zealand Enterprise Award on 29 March 2001
“to assist with the development of a high speed direct drive treadmill
capable of testing thoroughbred and standardbred horses at the top of
their athletic capabilities”.
This will go toward the
development of electronic equipment and the testing of horses in
association with Neville Monaghan of Anvil Lodge.
N.C.M.
Engineering
The Performance Laboratory under construction: Click to view
