Influence of Stretching Exercises, Warm-Up, or Cool-Down on the Physical Performance of Mangalarga Marchador Horses.
Authors: Farinelli Fabíola, de Rezende Adalgiza Souza Carneiro, Fonseca Mayara Gonçalves, Lana Ângela Maria Quintão, Leme Fabíola de Oliveira Paes, Klein Bárbara de Oliveira Nacif, Silva Rafael Henrique Prado, de Abreu Anderson Pereira, Damazio Manoella de Jesus, Melo Marília Martins
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Training protocols for Mangalarga Marchador horses have historically relied on empirical methods rather than evidence-based practice, despite their popularity in Brazilian equestrian competition and the physical demands of their distinctive four-beat gait. Researchers assessed six conditioned geldings across six randomised 50-minute marcha tests conducted weekly, comparing the effects of five supplementary interventions (warm-up, cool-down, stretching, or combinations thereof) against a baseline control, measuring physiological markers including heart rate, blood lactate, glucose, creatine kinase, temperature, and cortisol before and after each test. Both warm-up and pre-exercise stretching protocols demonstrated measurable benefits on performance indicators, with notably favourable effects on heart rate recovery and blood lactate clearance compared to testing without preparation. Cool-down periods alone showed minimal performance benefits within the study parameters. For practitioners working with these horses—particularly farriers assessing movement quality, veterinarians monitoring cardiovascular adaptation, and trainers designing competition schedules—these findings support the incorporation of structured 10-minute warm-up or stretching routines before marcha tests to optimise physiological efficiency and reduce post-exercise metabolic stress. The research provides the first systematic evaluation of training management practices in this breed and suggests that standardising preparatory protocols could improve both performance outcomes and recovery profiles in competition horses.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Include 10 minutes of warm-up or stretching before marcha competitions to optimize cardiovascular response and lactate metabolism in Mangalarga Marchador horses
- •Warm-up appears as effective as more complex combined protocols, offering a practical, time-efficient preparation strategy for competition
- •Monitor heart rate and lactate as indicators of training response; horses with proper warm-up showed improved metabolic management during extended marcha tests
Key Findings
- •Warm-up protocols resulted in beneficial effects on heart rate and blood lactate levels during 50-minute marcha tests
- •Stretching before exercise demonstrated positive effects on HR and lactate responses similar to warm-up protocols
- •Combined stretching, warm-up, and cool-down protocols were evaluated but warm-up alone appeared sufficient for performance benefits
- •Cool-down alone without warm-up did not show significant performance advantages in this study