Like any leading two-legged athlete, the world’s finest on four legs demand the best treatment.
Hopping in an ice bath, however, is not quite so easy.
So how do you keep horses in top condition at big events? CNN speaks to a champion Olympic rider and the physiotherapist behind one of the world’s best equestrian teams.
Hot, hot heat
The strangest-looking technology is above your head: the solarium.
These overhead heat lamps look like a horse enjoying a private disco, but they make a big difference.
“You stand your horse under the lights on a cold day and they get the warmth,” explains British rider Laura Tomlinson, who won individual bronze and team gold in dressage at the London 2012 Olympics.
“It gives them the equivalent of sunshine in the winter, when they don’t get much outdoor time.”
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Tomlinson, as a dressage rider, is associated with a sport which requires the utmost precision, patience and balance from horses.
Less emphasis is placed on raw speed, power and endurance, so why put horses through the car wash of a water treadmill, a ceiling-mounted blow-dry, lasers, ultrasound, magnets and more?
“If you think of a horse as an athlete, you’re asking them to do a lot of weight-bearing exercises,” says Tomlinson, making the point that every horse competes with a hefty human being on board.
“Anything you can do to help a horse’s muscles recover after a hard session is good, and you’re dealing with much bigger muscle groups than in a human.”
Marquis says it’s like trying to get the best out of any athlete.
“It’s our responsibility that we make these horses feel as good as possible so they can do their jobs, and that we take care of them.”
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