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The Benefits of Equine Breathing for Endurance Horses

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by Clare Hobsley

As an endurance rider you are probably interested in issues such as reducing the length of the recovery period, dehydration, tying up, keeping your horse calm at the start of races or rides, improving recovery rates from injury and of course improving stamina and endurance.

A new simple and holistic technique addresses all these concerns and is enjoyed by horses. Equine Breathing is based on accepted principles of physiology. You can for example ask your vet about the Bohr effect and how it can be harnessed to increase respiratory efficiency.

It is a surprise to many people that changing the breathing pattern has an immediate and significant effect on blood chemistry and the physiology of the whole organism. But measurements show that over-breathing for as little as one minute can reduce the amount of oxygen in the brain by 40% and this is just one of many effects on the body as a whole.

Over-breathing triggers are common in our horses' lives and there is no biofeedback mechanism to restore normal breathing once chronic over-breathing sets in, so many horses over-breathe. Horses that over-breathe are compromised in terms of their physiological functioning and therefore do not perform at their potential.

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