APPLICATION: Warming balm to prepare and recover after exercise

Like any athlete, the horse’s body requires a rigorous warm-up before any effort, followed by a supervised recovery. Before dealing with equine nutrition and the care to be applied before and after exercise, it is necessary to understand the functioning of a horse’s body and muscles during physical effort.

As in humans, horse muscles are made up of different muscle fibers that work differently and use different energies: glycogen (glucose), lipids. Some fibers use oxygen, so they work aerobically. These fibers completely or almost completely degrade lipids or carbohydrates, without generating waste in the body. These fibers are popular for prolonged or walking efforts. Other fibers, on the other hand, work anaerobically, without oxygen or very little. Very high in carbohydrates, they allow a very rapid contraction of the muscle, and are therefore responsible for short-term powerful efforts. In the absence of oxygen, the combustion of carbohydrates cannot be complete, so waste products are released into the muscle cells: lactic acid.

Thanks to this muscle diversity, the muscle is able to make different efforts in terms of endurance, intensity, duration, etc. Each equine breed also shows a characteristic muscle fibre composition, clearly guiding the choice of discipline for the horse.

ADAPT THE FEED RATION ACCORDING TO THE ACTIVITY

The diversity of the horse’s muscle fibers allows for efforts of different intensities and durations. As they work differently, it is important to adapt the horse’s diet according to its activity.

At a walk, the muscle fibers used work aerobically and use fat. For moderate and long-term effort, other fibers are also used, they always work aerobically and use fats and sugars. Beyond a threshold, for intense and/or prolonged effort, the glycogen (glucose) present in the body will be very strongly used by the muscle fibers operating in anaerobic mode. The nutritional advice for an active horse is therefore to make sure to provide a source of starch in its diet. Starch, which is easily digested into glucose, allows blood sugar levels to rise quickly and significantly. Lipid intake should also be integrated into the daily diet, in order to limit the use of glycogen stocks.

Passing a threshold of intensity, the use of glycogen in anaerobic form considerably increases the energy allowing the body to make this effort. This energy production releases lactic acid into the body, which is responsible for the onset of muscle fatigue: lactic acid. This acid is necessary for the proper functioning of muscles, but it can be harmful and feared at high concentrations and lead to pain and a lack of oxygenation of the tissues. As you can see, the goal of training is to push this threshold back as far as possible, to increase aerobic capacity.

PREPARING THE HORSE FOR THE EFFORT

Lactic acid is normally eliminated after a few minutes after exercise. However, in large quantities, the lactic acid level may remain high, which causes muscle pain or cramps, or even more severe symptoms. It is therefore essential to accompany the horse in its effort.

In preparation for an effort, the warm-up allows the horses’ body temperature to be raised, to accelerate the blood rate, thus preparing the body and the muscles to provide the energy necessary for the effort. This warm-up takes place in a relaxing arena for show jumping, CCE and endurance, or during heats for horse racing. During your club sessions, the effort must be progressive at the beginning of the lesson. With a proper warm-up, all the muscles will be stimulated. The body will thus be protected from muscle sequelae: tendonitis, tears, cramps, strains, and other pathologies. To complete the warm-ups, we have designed our warming balms to be used in massage to accelerate the rise in temperature and specifically prepare the tendons and muscles for exercise.

FACILITATE RECOVERY AFTER EXERCISE

As riders, trainers and owners, we can support the horse’s body after exercise, promoting the elimination of lactic acid and thus avoiding muscle disorders. The intense activity should be followed by a recovery phase lasting several minutes: at a walk or at a trot with long reins. This recovery prevents lactic acid from being stored and triggers the return to aerobic functioning in the body. Massages are also a key phase of recovery. In addition to preserving the human-horse relationship, post-exertion massages are essential to:

• Blood circulation
• Circulation of the lymphatic system
• Muscle tone and joint mobility
• Elimination of toxins after exercise

Through their warming action, our balms with or without harpagophytum dilate the blood vessels, thus activating blood circulation in soft and tendon tissues. The elimination of toxins from the horse’s body is clearly stimulated, and thus avoids aches, cramps, and other muscle disorders.

After intense sessions or competitions, it takes at least 48-72 hours for the horse’s muscle to fully recover, so it is also important not to do sessions too close together over a week.