Abstract
Show jumping is a highly specialized equestrian discipline that requires technical skill but also power and fitness. Monitoring the horses’ aerobic performance is therefore essential in order to verify whether the training has induced the desired cardiovascular and muscular adaptations. This study therefore aimed at evaluating the validity of non-specific and discipline-specific field exercise tests for objective evaluation of aerobic performance in show jumpers. For this purpose, data obtained from horses competing at Junior and Young Rider level during show jumping competitions as well as field exercise tests were retrospectively analyzed. The effect of the level of difficulty, the horses’ age, the penalty score and the horses’ previous level of performance on blood lactate concentrations after show jumping competitions (100 observations in 49 horses) was evaluated by linear mixed effects models (horse as random effect). Estimated marginal means significantly increased from 140 (4.1 mmol/L) to 150 cm (5.2 mmol/L) classes (P = 0.02). Furthermore, post-exercise lactate values significantly increased with the horses’ age (P = 0.001). Another group of 12 horses performed a standardized incremental field exercise test on a track (SETtrack), a standardized show jumping course (SETcourse) and a standardized grid exercise (SETgrid) each on three consecutive days. Indices of aerobic performance, derived from the SETtrack [velocity at a heart rate of 140 bpm (V140) and at a lactate concentration of 2 mmol/L (VLa2)] were highly correlated with heart rate (V140: r = −0.75, P = 0.005; VLa2: r =−0.66, P = 0.02) and lactate (V140: r = −0.73, P = 0.02; VLa2: r = −0.72, P = 0.02) in response to SETcourse as well as heart rate during SETgrid (V140: r = −0.73, P = 0.02; VLa2: r = −0.76, P = 0.01). Subjective rating of muscular fatigue was significantly correlated to the mean heart rate during SETcourse (r = −0.64, P = 0.05) and SETgrid (r = −0.74, P = 0.02) but not to the aerobic indices calculated from SETtrack. Besides non-specific incremental field tests, performance monitoring in show jumpers should therefore also include discipline-specific tests that more closely reflect the internal load induced by show jumping competitions.
Highlights
In contrast to disciplines in which success is either primarily based on endurance or speed (Thoroughbred racehorses or Standardbred trotters), the requirements for a show jumping horse are more complex in that show jumping requires a combination of speed, power, strength endurance and technical skills
Pairwise comparisons between classes revealed a significant increase in blood lactate concentration between 140 and 150 cm classes (P = 0.02) but not between 140 and 145 cm (P = 0.14) and between 145 and 150 cm classes (P = 0.25)
There was a significant increase in post-exercise blood lactate concentration with increasing penalty scores for horses competing in 140 cm classes (P = 0.02) but not for horses competing in 145 cm (P = 0.22) and 150 cm classes (P = 0.31)
Summary
In contrast to disciplines in which success is either primarily based on endurance (endurance horses) or speed (Thoroughbred racehorses or Standardbred trotters), the requirements for a show jumping horse are more complex in that show jumping requires a combination of speed, power, strength endurance and technical skills. Show jumpers need to be able to generate the explosive power that is required to clear demanding obstacles but at the same time are required to complete multiple courses at the same or over consecutive days which requires the ability to recover quickly between successive bouts of exercise. At Junior (U18) and Young Rider (U21) European Championship level, the horses have to complete up to three competitions (Qualification, Team Final, and Individual Final) throughout 3– 4 days. The first qualifying competition consists of one round, the Team Final of two rounds over 500–600 m at speeds of 375 m/min for Juniors and 400 m/min for Young Riders with 12–14 obstacles at maximum heights of 140 cm for Juniors and 150 cm for Young Riders. In the Team and the Individual Final, the horses have to complete an additional jump-off over a reduced course of 6 obstacles in case of equality of penalties from the first two rounds (FEI Jumping Rules, 2021)
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