Does Conditioning Equine Athletes on Water Treadmills improve Fitness? Yes! Equine water treadmills were initially designed for rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries but are now also widely used for conditioning sport horses. High-intensity exercise is important in improving fitness in horses however, strenuous ground exercise can cause excessive strain and overload of lower limb structures, resulting in injuries. A recent study by North American researchers investigated the effect of an 18-day water treadmill conditioning programme on peak oxygen consumption (V̇O2peak). Peak (sometimes referred to as maximal) oxygen uptake is considered to be the single best measure of skeletal muscle aerobic capacity and cardiovascular fitness. Check out “Gundy Park Equine Rehabilitation and Fitness Centre“ on Facebook to read all of their findings and how they went about the study! ••• #gundypark #gundyparkequine #equinerehabilitation #equinefitness #horsefitness #watertreadmill