Longitudinal Training and Workload Assessment in Young Friesian Stallions in Relation to Fitness, Part 2-An Adapted Training Program.
Authors: Siegers Esther, van den Broek Jan, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan Marianne, Munsters Carolien
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Friesian stallions entering the traditional 70-day breeding acceptance test previously showed signs of overtraining, prompting researchers to investigate whether modifying the programme could improve both fitness outcomes and welfare. Working with 16 young stallions (mean age 3.4 ± 0.8 years), the team reduced training frequency and weekly cantering duration compared to the original protocol, whilst monitoring external workload during a 6-week preparation phase and throughout the test itself; standardised exercise tests conducted at weeks 1, 6, and 10 measured heart rate and blood lactate responses as fitness markers. The adapted programme resulted in meaningful improvements: horses demonstrated significantly lower heart rate and lactate concentrations by week 10 compared to week 1, indicating genuine fitness gains rather than the fatigue pattern observed previously, whilst the overall external workload increase was notably lower than the original regime. For professionals working with young performance or breeding stock, these findings underscore that progressive, carefully calibrated training schedules—rather than higher volume alone—yield better physiological adaptations and reduced injury risk. This evidence supports reassessing standardised testing protocols across breeds and disciplines, particularly where young animals face intense preparation demands over compressed timescales.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Reducing training intensity and frequency can paradoxically improve fitness outcomes in young horses—excessive workload during critical development periods leads to overtraining rather than conditioning
- •Monitor heart rate and lactate responses during standardized exercise tests to objectively assess whether young horses are adapting positively to training programs
- •Breeding stallion testing protocols should be individually tailored based on fitness responses rather than following rigid standardized programs that may compromise animal welfare
Key Findings
- •The adapted training program with reduced cantering frequency and duration resulted in lower external workload increase compared to the original program
- •Young Friesian stallions demonstrated improved fitness markers with lower heart rate and plasma lactate levels in SET-III versus SET-I after the modified training protocol
- •The original 70-day test was identified as too intense and caused reduced fitness, while the adapted program successfully improved performance and welfare