This well presented and illustrated book is aimed at people who are involved in training, managing, or working with different types of horses. According to the publishers, this book is the first to be aimed specifically at the equine science degree, as well as veterinary students. The book is formatted in the style of a manual that provides easy use for studying and reviewing subjects in equine exercise physiology. At the end of each chapter, there is a list of key points to remember, which is very useful. The book clearly aims to fill the gap between very basic books for laypersons and expensive technical and scientific books for researchers and veterinary clinicians.
Both authors are well known in their specific field of expertise and they complement each other in the different parts of the book. There are 3 major parts covering 21 chapters followed by an extensive recent bibliogra phy. Part I “The Raw Materials,” 6 chapters in all, covers the basics of the subject, including the pertinent vocabulary and definitions, as well as the basic biochemical aspects of different metabolic pathways used by the exercising horse in 2 introductory chapters, and then skillfully overviews anatomy and basic physi ology of the 4 major organ systems involved in exercise: muscles, connective tissue, respiratory system, and cardiovascular system in the following 4 chapters. The use of illustrations and diagrams is excellent to clarify and emphasize important aspects of anatomy and phys iology. Difficult physiologic concepts, such as the physics of basic lung function, are clearly and simply explained by using graphic illustrations. Part II “Exercise and Training Responses” consists of 7 chapters. The first 4 deal mainly with systemic responses to exercise and adaptations to different types of workloads used in the training of horses. This part is also very well done. The last 3 chapters of Part II cover aspects of physiologic stress and fatigue, thermoregulation, and an introduction to bio mechanics. The chapter on thermoregulation is excellent, except for fluid loss, electrolyte imbalance, and body deficit of electrolytes induced by sweating, which is a touch confusing to the reader and could be strengthened considerably in a future edition. Part III, supposedly the “core of the book” entitled “Applications of Exercise Physiology,” has 8 chapters (14 to 21). Chapter 14 gives a very basic overview of the different types of equestrian sports including sections on the physiological and biomechanical demands of the particular disciplines such as eventing, endurance, and racing, etc. The equestrian sports discussed are very much focused on a United Kingdom perspective, which is quite different from the North American situation. Chapter 15 “Training principles” is excellent and covers very succinctly the basics of training, the frequency and intensity thereof, and the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches to training. Chapters 16 to 19 deal with training facilities, including treadmills, water treadmills, and swimming pools; practical training; scientific exercise testing; and indicators of good and poor performance. Chapters 20 and 21, which are considerably weaker, try to address aspects of feeding the performance horse and aspects of trans porting sport horses.
In summary, this book is a very useful and thorough source of information for trainers, interested horse lovers, veterinarians, and veterinary students interested in the subject of equine exercise physiology. The book reads well and easily and the price is right.