Scientific Approach to Sports Horse Performance and Breeding

The 200 delegates attending the Teagasc National Equine Conference heard from a range of national and international speakers on how to develop and move the sports horse industry forward. This major equine conference took place in Portlaoise on Tuesday, 23 October 2007.

Addressing the conference, Norman Storey, Teagasc equine specialist said: “A stronger link between the horse breeder and the sport disciplines is needed, if the sports horse industry is to continue to develop. Competition riders depend on the breeder to produce horses that will successfully compete. But to achieve this, meaningful information needs to be supplied to the breeder in a structured way.”

Breeders who have used Estimated Breeding Values when planning their breeding programme have been rewarded in the market place. He said: “The Irish Horse Board’s Estimated Breeding Values (EBV) show that foals from stallions with EBVs for show jumping ability above 120, are sold for an average of €1,000 more than foals by stallions with EBVs below 100. Foals out of high EBV mares achieve, on average, €2,000 more than foals out of low EBV mares.”

Specialist equipment and technology to identify weaknesses at an early age may be able to prevent injury in horses. Russell Guire from Centaur Biomechanics Ltd, UK, told the conference that a horse’s career can easily be jeopardised by injury, but using specialist equipment (Equianalysis Gait Analysis) to analyse a horse’s gait, asymmetries or weaknesses can be identified at an early age, and preventative measures can then be employed.

Currently, the assessment of equine locomotion and lameness is carried out visually and cannot be reliably or consistently quantified. He said: “The objective measurement of lameness and changes in locomotion are the missing pieces of information needed to make decisions relating to equine health and performance.”

Qualified farrier, Mark Aikens said he engages in a proactive approach to shoeing performance horses, as foot imbalance will result in impaired performance and lameness. He uses Equianalysis Gait Analysis to eliminate any subjectivity when attempting to optimise a horse’s performance through shoeing.

Data collected from Equianalysis screening, such as length of stride, hock and knee flexion, provides objective and quantifiable information used to help de-stress a particular joint and ensure that the shoe protects the foot and provides a foundation for the whole limb. Data and images can be stored on each individual horse and be reviewed historically by vets, farriers, physiotherapists and trainers.

Teagasc equine specialist Wendy Conlon spoke about the Young Breeders Competition, a relatively new addition to the calendar of Irish events. It is a concept which has been a part of the mindset of studbooks in Germany for the past twenty years. In 2005, with the support of Teagasc and the Irish Horse Board, the first Irish team competed. Both organisations are working hard to increase awareness and interest in the competition.

The competition itself encompasses theory test, showing mares in hand on the triangle, evaluating horses loose on their movement and loose over a fence, as well as evaluating mares in hand for their conformation and movement.