| Though horses are born to run, there are many that | | | | In horses, there have been some extreme cases |
| experience the painful problem of having cramps | | | | which leave horses unable to run ever again. If |
| while trying to change speeds. When a horse | | | | horses are caused to constantly over-exert |
| quickens his gait pace to a gallop, cramping has been | | | | themselves, they could suffer from acidosis, which |
| an especially difficult problem to deal with. Horses are | | | | cuts off oxygen flow so severely that long-term |
| interesting in their running style because they link | | | | fatigue can occur. In some cases, permanent muscle |
| their breathing to the rhythm of their hoof beats. | | | | damage has occurred. This has prompted many |
| When horses run, they just don't bring in enough | | | | within the horse world to question training methods |
| oxygen to support their muscles, which constantly | | | | among horses and how much activity they are put |
| tire because of the natural existence of lactic acid | | | | through. |
| that causes pain and cramping. Recently, there have | | | | Scientists put a number of horses through some |
| been new findings in the industry that are allowing | | | | extensive testing. They placed horses on a treadmill |
| horses to break through this problem and improve | | | | and gave each one a different treatment out of |
| their performance. | | | | three available treatments. The first group of horses |
| Much of the research has centered on how athletes | | | | was given the chance to naturally recover from their |
| recover from CO2 buildup in the body. Cramping is a | | | | exercise period. The second group was given |
| huge problem is a number of highly physical sports, | | | | carbonic anhydrase inhibitor a few days before they |
| so scientists are looking to find links between the | | | | were put through the exercise program. The third |
| recovery of athletes and the way in which horses | | | | group was granted that same inhibitor just a few |
| handle their strenuous activity. | | | | minutes before hopping on the treadmill. The horses |
| When exercising, both people and horses don't get | | | | were also outfitted with CO2 masks, which collected |
| nearly enough oxygen and because of that, produce | | | | the gas. Scientists used special methods to follow the |
| large amounts of lactic acid and CO2. In order to | | | | gas's progression through the body. |
| recover from this, CO2 has to make its way through | | | | Scientists continue to work hard to try to come up |
| the bloodstream and leave out through the lungs. | | | | with new ways to keep horses in top physical |
| Lactic acid, on the other hand, has to be neutralized | | | | condition. Their findings were somewhat incomplete, |
| in the body. | | | | though they did discover that when the carbon |
| Scientists have found that recovering from lactic acid | | | | dioxide left the cells in a timely fashion, normal |
| buildup is a momentary response and it becomes | | | | function was reached much more quickly. Future |
| much more efficient if the body has all of its | | | | testing has been planned to discover more ways to |
| systems working at the highest level. Without that | | | | improve the recovery time of these horses and allow |
| high level ability, the body struggles, though. | | | | for greater performance in activity. |