Choke Points: What Factors Limit Performance In The Equine Athlete

Pagan, J.D. 1998. Choke points: What factors limit performance in the equine athlete. In: J.D. Pagan (Ed.) Advances in Equine Nutrition. pp. 125-128. Nottingham University Press. Nottingham, United Kingdom.

A number of physiological systems in the horse work in unison to provide fuels and oxygen to the working muscle and to remove waste products that are produced from its metabolism. All of these systems function together to produce efficient movement of the horse’s limbs and body.

Each of these systems can be viewed as a link in a chain. If any particular link is weak, then the performance of the whole animal suffers. The study of equine exercise physiology therefore entails methodically evaluating each physiological system to assess its role in limiting performance.

 

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