Methods for evaluating the ubiquitous presentation of “poor performance” in equine athletes have improved in the past few years, enabling veterinarians to better explain why a horse might not be performing at its previous level, explained David R. Hodgson, BVSc, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, FACSM, a professor and head of the department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. Hodgson presented on this subject at the 10th International Congress of World Equine Veterinary Association.

“There are currently two broad forms of clinical exercise testing procedures for evaluation of poor performance in athletic horses: treadmill-based procedures and in-field techniques,” explained Hodgson.

High-speed treadmills have been used in laboratory and hospital settings for clinical exercise testing since the 1980s