Cardiac morphologic changes induced by a 10-week water treadmill training for show jumping horses: A preliminary evaluation.

Water treadmill training improves cardiac function and efficiency in jumping horses.

This preliminary study evaluated cardiac adaptations in six trained show jumping horses following a 10-week water treadmill (WT) training program (20 minutes, twice weekly, water at carpus height). Transthoracic echocardiography revealed significant cardiac structural and functional improvements post-training, including increased interventricular septal thickness at end-diastole (2.56 to 2.79 cm), posterior wall thickness at systole (4.21 to 4.48 cm), ejection fraction (75.0% to 78.6%), fractional shortening (46.8% to 50.2%), and cardiac output (16.7 to 21.3 L/min), with decreased left ventricular internal diameter at systole and reduced cardiac troponin I levels. Performance testing during a show jumping field test demonstrated improved energy efficiency, with decreased cost of transport and increased achievable speeds (12.9 to 17.0 km/h). These findings suggest WT training induces beneficial cardiac remodeling and enhances myocardial contractility and overall cardiac efficiency in jumping horses, potentially improving athletic performance while maintaining cardiac health.

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