A survey of trainers on the use of swimming and other water-based exercise for Thoroughbred racehorses in Australia

We aimed to determine the extent of use of water-based exercise and to describe swimming training practices in Thoroughbred racehorses in Victoria, Australia. A convenience sample of 118 trainers were interviewed, information relating to swimming protocols, perceived benefits and contra-indications, and use of other water-based exercise recorded and descriptive data analyses performed. Water-based exercise was used by 85.6% (n=101) trainers: 82.2% (n=97) swimming, 25.4% (n=30) using a water walker, 13.6% (n=16) incorporating ridden trotting (‘surging’) exercise in chest deep water, and 1.7% (n=2) using an underwater treadmill. Common reasons (and trainer %) for swimming were training variety and mental ‘freshness’ (62.9%), part of the exercise regime on ‘slow’ days (61.9%) and fitness benefits (60.8%). These horses swam a median of 50-90 m (ranging from a minimum of 40-180 m to a maximum of 40-450 m), continuously or as intervals, after track work, once or twice daily a median 3 days/week (range 0.5-7). Swimming for 50 (range 40-120 m) to 90 m (range 40-200 m) before track work 7 days/week (range 3-7) was used by 43 of the 97 trainers (44.3%) to manage horses prone to exertional rhabdomyolysis. Swimming was used to replace fast work by three trainers who swam horses with limb injuries up to 270-450 m. Common reasons (and % trainers) for not swimming individual horses were demeanour/distress (73.2%), previous swim colic (35.1%) or exercise induced pulmonary haemorrhage (35.1%) although only five trainers had ever seen epistaxis after swimming exercise. Swimming is widely used in training Thoroughbred horses in Australia yet trainer opinions particularly on fitness benefits, contra-indications and protocols vary widely and need to be scientifically validated. Diversifying training activities is a common strategy for managing racehorses in training, yet a better understanding of the best use of swimming and other cross-training options is needed so that evidence-based recommendations can be made.