Evaluation of fitness parameters in relation to racing results in 245 Standardbred trotter horses submitted for poor performance examination: A retrospective study.
Authors: Lo Feudo Chiara Maria, Stucchi Luca, Stancari Giovanni, Conturba Bianca, Bozzola Chiara, Zucca Enrica, Ferrucci Francesco
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary Researchers retrospectively analysed treadmill exercise test results from 245 poorly performing Standardbred trotters to determine whether fitness parameters could predict racing performance and career longevity, correlating measured physiological variables with racing records across three time periods (3 months pre-examination, 6 months post-examination, and lifetime career data). Maximum speed and aerobic threshold speed emerged as the strongest predictors of racing outcomes across all evaluation periods, whilst maximum blood lactate concentration and maximum haematocrit also demonstrated significant associations with career results; notably, in 2-year-old horses, only maximum haematocrit and minimum pH correlated with performance, suggesting these values may reflect innate athletic potential in younger animals. Racing results obtained after examination proved more predictive of lifetime career success than pre-examination data, indicating that treadmill testing can identify genuine improvements in fitness status. For equine professionals managing underperforming trotters, these findings support the clinical utility of standardised treadmill testing in objectively quantifying fitness and career prognosis, though the variation in predictive parameters across age groups suggests that test interpretation should account for developmental stage and that multiple fitness indices warrant assessment rather than reliance on single variables.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Treadmill testing can help identify why individual horses are underperforming, with maximum speed and aerobic threshold being the most useful fitness markers to assess
- •For young (2-year-old) trotters, hematocrit and blood pH may be more informative early predictors of racing potential than other fitness parameters
- •Post-examination racing performance is a stronger predictor of long-term career success than pre-examination results, suggesting fitness testing can reveal what a horse is capable of achieving
Key Findings
- •Maximum speed and aerobic threshold speed were most strongly correlated with racing results across all time periods (3 months pre-, 6 months post-, and lifetime)
- •Maximum blood lactate concentration and maximum hematocrit predicted career outcomes in the overall population
- •In 2-year-olds specifically, only maximum hematocrit and minimum pH correlated with racing results, suggesting these reflect individual potential
- •Racing results in the 6 months after treadmill testing were more predictive of lifetime career than results before testing