The Athletic Horse: Principles and Practice of Equine Sports Medicine

by David R. Hodgson BVSc, PhD, FACSM, DACVIM, Catherine M. McGowan BVSc, MACVSc, DEIM, DECEIM, PhD, FHEA, MRCVS, Kenneth H. McKeever MS, PhD

Overview

Showing how to maximize performance in horses, The Athletic Horse: Principles and Practice of Equine Sports Medicine, 2nd Edition describes sports training regimens and how to reduce musculoskeletal injuries. Practical coverage addresses the anatomical and physiological basis of equine exercise and performance, centering on evaluation, imaging, pharmacology, and training recommendations for sports such as racing and show jumping. Now in full color, this edition includes new rehabilitation techniques, the latest imaging techniques, and the best methods for equine transportation. Written by expert educators Dr. David Hodgson, Dr. Catherine McGowan, and Dr. Kenneth McKeever, with a panel of highly qualified contributing authors.

• Expert international contributors provide cutting-edge equine information from the top countries in performance-horse research: the U.S., Australia, U.K., South Africa, and Canada.
• The latest nutritional guidelines maximize the performance of the equine athlete.
• Extensive reference lists at the end of each chapter provide up-to-date resources for further research and study.

• NEW full-color photographs depict external clinical signs, allowing more accurate clinical recognition.
• NEW and improved imaging techniques maximize your ability to assess equine performance.
• UPDATED drug information is presented as it applies to treatment and to new regulations for drug use in the equine athlete.
• NEW advances in methods of transporting equine athletes ensure that the amount of stress on the athlete is kept to a minimum.
• NEW rehabilitation techniques help to prepare the equine athlete for a return to the job.
• Two NEW authors, Dr. Catherine McGowan and Dr. Kenneth McKeever, are highly recognized experts in the field.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780721600758
Publisher:	Elsevier Health Sciences
Publication date:	06/06/2013
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	408
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

David Hodgson is recognized as one of the premier experts in all of equine medicine. He is a prolific writer, educator, and practitioner who lectures around the world.

Catherine McGowan is a professor at The University of Queensland. She has written numerous articles for veterinary publications and spends a good portion of her time researching topics that include endocrinology and laminitis, ulcer disease, myopathies and aged horse health, the application of physiotherapy to animals, equine musculoskeletal disease (especially sacroiliac disease and back pain), and canine respiratory disease.

Kenneth McKeever has a PhD in animal physiology and has researched many aspects of the equine athlete, including the basic physiology. He is the author of numerous publications in Veterinary Medicine journals as well as specialized science journals.

Table of Contents

Section I: Structure Considerations in Equine Sports Medicine
1. An Overview of Performance and Sports Medicine
2. Comparative Aspects of Exercise Physiology
Section II: Physiology of Exercise and Performance
3. Energetic Considerations of Exercise 
4. Nutrition of the Performance Horse
5. Hematology and Biochemistry
6. Physiology of Acid-Base Balance and Fluid Shifts with Exercise
7. Endocrine and Immune Responses to Exercise and Training
8. Thermoregulation
9. The Respiratory System: Anatomy, Physiology, and Adaptations to Exercise and Training
10. Transport of Horses
11. The Cardiovascular System: Anatomy, Physiology, and Adaptations to Exercise and Training
12. Muscle: Anatomy, Physiology, and Adaptations to Exercise and Training
13. Tendon, Ligament, Bone, and Cartilage: Anatomy, Physiology, and Adaptations to Exercise and Training
14. Age and Disuse in Athletes: Effects of Detraining, Spelling, Injury, and Age
Section III: Biomechanics/Kinematics and Performance
15. Conformation
16. The Biomechanics of Equine Locomotion
17. Kinematics of the Equine Back and Pelvis
18. Functional Biomechanics: The Effect of the Rider and Track
Section IV: Practical Exercise Physiology
19. Training Regimens: Physiologic Adaptations to Training
20. Training Tthe Thoroughbred Racehorse
21. Training Standardbred Trotters and Pacers
22. Training Endurance Horses
23. Training the Event Horse
24. Dressage Tests, Movements, and Training: A Primer 
25. Training Show Jumpers
26. Training the Working Horse
27. Training the Racing Quarterhorse
28. Evaluation of Performance Potential
29. Clinical Exercise Testing and Investigation of Poor Performance

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Understand the exercise physiology of the Equine athlete and how to maximize performance.

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Matthew C Stewart, BVSc, PhD, FACVSc, DACVSMR (University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine)
Description: Not surprisingly, equine exercise physiology has progressed dramatically since the previous edition was published two decades ago and this edition is a much-needed and updated reference for this field.
Purpose: This is a comprehensive presentation of equine sports medicine, exercise physiology, biomechanics/kinematics, and training practices, including the scientific basis of equine physiology as it relates to athletic performance and more practical aspects including training programs for specific equine disciplines. The book represents the collective input from 25 contributors, along with the three editors, and is an outstanding addition to the equine exercise physiology field.
Audience: The editors are experts in equine exercise physiology and have assembled an impressive team of equally experienced contributors to provide comprehensive coverage of the science related to the equine athlete. This book will be a very useful resource for equine veterinarians, students in veterinary medicine and animal science programs, and performance horse trainers. Sections II and III, which address the scientific bases of exercise physiology and biomechanics, also will be of interest to comparative exercise physiologists, regardless of their interest in performance horse activities.
Features: The book thoroughly covers the science that underlies exercise physiology, including energy utilization, nutrition, hematology, acid-base physiology, endocrine and immune responses to exercise, cardiovascular, respiratory and musculoskeletal responses. Comparative findings from human and canine exercise physiology research are included to emphasize the similarities and differences between horses and these other model species, and to provide guidance in areas where data from equine studies are lacking. Section II focuses on the biomechanics and kinematics of performance horses, including conformational issues and the interactions between the rider and track surfaces and performance horses. Section III addresses the more practical aspects of training performance horse physiology, covering a number of the more popular equine athletic disciplines. As might be expected because nine authors contributed to this section, there is considerable variability in the scholarly tone and citation support in these chapters. However, these chapters provide invaluable discipline-specific information from experts in these diverse competitions.
Assessment: This is an excellent book on both the underlying scientific bases of equine exercise and the training applications. It will be a valuable resource for veterinarians and horse owners with an interest in performance horse disciplines.

Doody's Review Service

This new textbook has the potential to fill a niche for information that bridges equine exercise physiology, clinical veterinary medicine, and the needs of the equine athlete owners and trainers. The authors rightly suggest that an understanding of the morphology and function of the major body systems involved in exercise together with recent research data should help practitioners and trainers produce fitter equine athletes with a reduction in musculoskeletal injuries. This text will be useful for veterinary practitioners involved with most aspects of equine athletic activities. The book is presented in clear text in two columns per page. The illustrations are an appropriate mixture of tables, figures, and black-and-white photographs. This text is strong in the content of the first section where structure and function are explained. It is less successful in the clinical sections. It is, however, a strong addition to the growing library of books on equine exercise physiology, clinics, and pathophysiology

Gordon J. Baker