In a study to determine the effects of exercising in cold temperatures on horses' airway passages, the horses work out on an EquiGym treadmill located in the Comparative Exercise Physiology Laboratory at Oklahoma State University. This high-speed treadmill is used for research and clinical purposes.
Fitness, a secondary benefit
Walking, trotting, and cantering on treadmill keeps horses fit in study of effects of cold air on airway passages.
“With the assistance of animal sciences undergraduate students, we put the horses through their paces, so to speak,” explains Dr. Sabrina Cummings. “Each horse will walk for 5 minutes, trot for 5 minutes then canter for 5 minutes. This is followed by a 5-minute walk and then another 5-minute canter.”
Cummings continues saying that the workout routine keeps the horses fit. On challenge days, it’s a little more complicated.
“On challenge days, the horses are hooked to an air chiller that will supply them with air as they exercise,” says Cummings. “The air temperature will vary from warm to cold to determine if cold air causes inflammation in airway passages.”
She explains that the air would not be as cold as a human would experience exercising outdoors in cold temperatures, for example cross country skiing, but it will be cold enough to determine if it causes inflammation. The horses serve as a human model in this study.
“We are more interested in the after effects rather than seeing if the horses perform better or worse under different air temperatures,” she adds.
There are eight horses participating in the study at this time. Each horse has to be trained to run on the treadmill starting with a walk and gradually building to a full canter. One horse in particular, excels on the treadmill.
According to Dr. Cummings, Deodar is a 14 year old Thoroughbred that loves running on the treadmill. He is a retired race horse that served as a stud horse until last year at OSU’s Veterinary Medicine Ranch located west of Stillwater.
Approximately two weeks remain until this phase of the study is complete. At that point, the horses, having been in training for 4 months, will be turned out for a month to rest and relax before starting another study.