Developing an Equine Athlete.
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Athlete? My horse? Yes, the horse you use is an athlete! Donna Witt Preskitt of the 5W Ranch, Underwater Treadmill, through her “whole-horse” program can build an athlete “possessing the natural or acquired traits of strength, agility, and endurance that are necessary in competitive contexts,”[1] such as western pleasure, dressage, hunter jumper, cutting, working cow horse, barrel racing, halter, track racing, reining, etc.
Under the guidance of the late Don Witt, a Military Hall-of-Fame Biochemist, with extensive training in test and evaluation. His tutelage and directive in the understanding of processes, cause and effect, and data evaluation, has enabled Donna Witt Preskitt, current owner, manager, and strength-conditioning specialist, of the 5W Ranch, to develop a unique program centered around the “whole horse.” Combining her 25+ years of experience in several equine industries, the knowledge of five generations of horsemen, and nutritional education gained through daily trial and testing, and consultations and training with Purina Mills, Donna incorporates this considerable knowledge base with an unerring belief in the “whole horse” as an individual, to build an equine athlete.
At the heart of the “whole-horse” program is the use of the custom-designed, state-of-the-art Underwater Treadmill, which is a permanent, in-ground structure built to Donna’s exact, proven specifications. Horses are exercised on the Underwater Treadmill (no swimming involved!). It incorporates 20 whirlpool jets in an indoor, climate-controlled environment for year-round operation. The pool is 54 feet long with a 12 foot stainless steel treadmill. The flooring is a steady, cushioned surface with all wall and rail corners rounded for the safety of the horses. Handlers and horses are protected by rounded, smooth steel railing that allows full access to horses at all times. The operational machinery is located in an underground, sound-proof storage unit.
In conjunction with The SpookLess Sound Conditioning Program (www.spookless.com), which conditions horses to a variety of unusual and distracting sounds, Donna, with a remarkable intuition for evaluating equine behavior, employs time-tested techniques for modifying the behavior not only of the troubled horse and the young horse, but as a routine part of the “whole horse” concept.
Daily “free-play” is an essential belief of the 5W Ranch. Not only does it provide psychological health for stalled horses, the natural movement of the horse at play – jumping, bucking, rearing, kicking, etc. – aligns and properly maintains the skeletal structure of the horse. A crucial, and strongly-emphasized component of the 5W Ranch’s “whole-horse” program is nutrition. Carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and water are the four components essential to nutrition. In performance, the ratio of these four substances in the diet is imperative for success. The stresses of exercise break down the equine body. Rest and nutrition help build their bodies back up and make them stronger. An improper diet can make an equine athlete prone to injury; it can delay or cause an inadequate repair process, lack of energy, muscle fatigue, low energy, lack of muscle growth and strength development. The type of diet prescribed for the equine athlete will depend on the discipline in which they will participate or, in the case of rehabilitation, the degree to which they are injured.
Upon arrival at the 5W Ranch, each horse is carefully analyzed to determine its current fitness level, the type of discipline for which it is to be fit and strengthened, the genetic bloodlines, talent potential, medical history, past or present injuries, and, if applicable, performance history. Donna is fond of saying, “Although we can’t change the genetic make-up, we can certainly improve the horse and make sure they achieve their full potential.” An individualized program is then developed for each horse (right down to measurement charts!), whether healing an injury or achieving peak performance in its chosen discipline. She practices, and demands of her staff, a strict “hands-on” approach to all horses in her care. As the program proceeds, re-analysis is a daily factor.
The 5W Ranch can fit, condition and strength-train the equine athlete by “changing the physiological variables of an athlete to deal with the stresses of their specific [discipline], helping them perform better and protect them from injury.” [2] By manipulating the principles of fitting, conditioning and strength-training effectively, “to maximize an athlete’s performance,” Donna can build a champion equine athlete.
The “whole horse” program involves the practice of Exercise Physiology, which is the “extensive, complex and constantly changing science dealing with” and utilizing:
* cardiovascular endurance, [transporting blood to tissues, bringing oxygen and nutrients to working muscles];
* pulmonary function [“waste removal and oxygen delivery are key to an athlete’s performance];
* muscular endurance, muscle fiber types;
* the energy systems [the ability to use energy efficiently will influence performance];
* thermoregulation strength [ability to maintain a constant internal body temperature];
* the knowledge of how the body produces energy;
* how it regulates heat;
* how environments affect the body and performance; and
* various muscle types and their function – especially skeletal muscle and its role in performance.
How does the 5W Ranch’s program differ from the conventional methods of fitting and conditioning practiced by the equine industry? Emphasizing the role of the Underwater Treadmill and her philosophy of the “whole horse” to build an equine athlete, Donna identifies the following areas of concentration as the most significant differences:
* Promotes early range of motion in young horses by correct movement in a low-impact environment;
* Tightens tendons ligaments and joint capsules and increases tensile strength – at 40% to 45% less body weight;
* Provides sufficient concussion to promote bone density and encourage muscle development (especially in young horses) through contact with the moving treadmill and resistance against the water. With conventional methods, each step a horse takes, three to seven times the weight of its body is thrust on the joints. These same steps taken in water, coupled with water’s natural buoyancy, gently lifts the pressure off the joints. “Bones become denser and more compact and the tendency of the periosteum of the cannon bones becoming inflamed is greatly reduced and can be virtually eliminated with the aid of the [Underwater] treadmill;”[3]
* Improves cardiovascular strength and endurance;
* Increases flexibility in muscles;
* Increases blood circulation.
The heated water, maintained at an ambient temperature, increases and aids in blood circulation which delivers more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and tissues, building more muscle; Builds and strengthens lean and better muscle by use of the continual resistance against the water. The buoyancy of the water displaces 40% to 45% of the body weight, thus significantly reducing concussion on joints and tissue; Controls totally the intensity and duration of an Underwater Treadmill conditioning session. It is a full-body workout. The horse is worked in correct position and form – every single time! Each step is precise, while preserving the horse’s natural way of going. Coordination and patterns of movement are improved, as well as balance;
Continuous control of muscle movement. Every stride is performed in a straight line pattern for the entire time of the workout. The result is balanced muscle development. With conventional methods, this control is lacking. (The horse can balk, stop, buck, set back, slow or speed up. Because the horse is not being worked in an even, straight, consistent pattern, muscles will be developed unevenly and result in an unbalanced horse.)
But, it takes time to manipulate all the physiology. It is not an overnight process or “quick fix.” An equine athlete must be trained and conditioned to deal with the stresses of exercise, [and failing] to train for the stresses of exercise will result in fatigue or injuries.[4] A fatigued athlete will not perform well, not be successful and be vulnerable to injury. Donna’s “whole horse” program is designed according to the components of movement and utilizes different energy systems, strengths, endurance, nutrition and the skills required to participate successfully in a particular discipline.
The Underwater Treadmill as a tool in therapy and the treatment of injuries is well documented. The Horse magazine noted, “In an underwater treadmill, the buoyancy of the water reduces the horse’s weight so there is less strain on supporting structures of the legs – bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments. Many people incorporate the underwater treadmill into a rehabilitation program for an injured horse. It will provide conditioning of the cardiovascular and muscular systems while unloading the limbs….Evidence indicates that horses which would be unable to exercise are able to work in an underwater treadmill without deterioration of the primary problem…” The 5W Ranch’s program goes one step further by individualizing a program to maintain the fitness and condition of an injured athlete, thereby reducing not only the recovery time (by an estimated 50%), but reducing the time off from competition.
Donna asserts that, “We’re offering the industry a choice. We fit the ’whole horse’ - the body, mind and spirit. How many horses showing today will be showing tomorrow? Will they be sound with good minds? When all is said and done, we are about the horse. That is our goal, our focus and our dream. There is nothing else.”
Located on the shore of the Coosa River/Lake Neely Henry, in Alabama, the 5W Ranch Underwater Treadmill facility offers a fully-enclosed, heated, 30+ stall barn with large, airy 12’ x 14’ stalls, indoor exercise/riding arena, outdoor, fully-lighted show-size arena, and lush paddocks running beside the Lake. Full camper hook-ups and nice local motels are available for those guests and clients wishing to stay overnight. The facility is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Veterinarian, farrier, massage and animal husbandry/nutritional services are available. Please visit our website at www.5wranch.com, Telephone: 256-892-2542.
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