Friday, April 27, 2012

Benefits of early training

Race0002

New research suggests that exercise early in life benefits musculoskeletal health. It may even have a positive impact on the future racing careers of Thoroughbred horses.

A study, published in the Equine Veterinary Journal, looked at the association of two-year-old training milestones with career length and racing success in a sample of 4683 Thoroughbred horses in New Zealand.

The study found that horses that raced as two-year-olds had significantly more race starts during their careers from three-years-old onwards than those that raced first as three-year-olds or older. Horses that raced as two-year-olds had significantly longer racing careers.

Horses registered with a trainer, trialled or raced as two-year-olds were more likely to have won or been placed in a race than those that achieved these milestones as three-year-olds or older. In addition, horses that first trialled and raced as two-year-olds had greater total earnings than those that first trialled or raced at a later age.

Read more at equinescienceupdate.com

No comments: