Long-Distance Riding: Keep Horses Healthy

Despite the thrill and personal fulfillment endurance riding brings to thousands of horse enthusiasts each year, the grueling miles covered during a competition can be taxing for both horse and rider. Because of this, eliminations from competition are common, frequently for reasons related to irregular gaits or metabolism.

“Knowing what those reasons are and helping your horse compete and complete successfully are of paramount importance,” said Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., a nutrition advisor for Kentucky Equine Research.

In other words, preparation may prevent poor performance.

Data collected from 2004 to 2015 during 151 international events, which included 6,326 starters, revealed the following information:

• Just over half of all riders (3,495) completed the event, leaving 44.8% of horses retired or eliminated during the ride;
• Reasons for those eliminations included irregular gait in 73% of horses and metabolic reasons in 22%. The remaining 5% were classified as other or unknown; and
• The number of eliminations due to metabolic reasons decreased over the study period, but the gait abnormality eliminations remained stable and the total number of eliminations did not change after 2007.

The researchers stated “training, nutrition, previous injuries, and treatments are likely to contribute to problems occurring during the ride, and investigation of these factors would be desirable.”

 “For these athletes, proper nutrition is vital to support their metabolism and musculoskeletal health. Focus on providing adequate calories, electrolyte supplements, and joint health products,” said Whitehouse.

^*Di Battista, C., M. Conte, M. Pepe, et al. 2019. Epidemiology and risk factors for eliminations from Fédération Equestre Internationale endurance rides between 2004-2015 in Italy. Preventive Veterinary Medicine. 170:104737.