Effect of exercise on development of capillary supply and oxidative capacity in skeletal muscle of horses.

Objective: To determine whether postnatal development of oxidative capacity and capillary supply of skeletal muscle is affected by various movement regimens in horses.

Animals: 35 foals.

Procedures: Dutch Warmblood foals were allocated into 3 groups (box stall rest, box stall rest with training, and free pasture exercise).

The equine hind limb is actively stabilized during standing.

Horses spend much of their life standing, and they are believed to be able to keep their limbs straight without muscular effort. We tested the hypothesis that the stifle (knee) and hock (tarsal) joints could be stabilized merely with the help of a passive lock mechanism whereby the patella is secured behind a hook, formed by the medial femoral trochlea. In anaesthetized animals and isolated limbs the stifle and hock flex readily under compression.