Purpose:
To determine if Niagara Equissage use improves performance in thoroughbreds.
The manufacturer claims that use of their product will improve circulation, joint mobility, and respiratory conditions, in addition to:

1.       Relaxing muscles while releasing tension

2.       Improving pre exercise warm up and post exercise cool down

Method:
Science is clear in that heart rate before/during/after exercise is an accurate measure of exercise intensity.
Therefore, if heart rate drops for any given gallop speed - or gallop speed increases for any given heart rate, a positive conditioning effect is taking place.

Three methods of exercise were considered:
-Half mile breezes on the training track
-Traditional 2 mile gallops on the training track
-Actual 6 furlong races during the 2008-09 season.

For breezing and galloping, the mare was outfitted with heart rate and GPS sensors to objectively measure performance in terms of the relationship of heart rate to gallop speed.

In racing, the Beyer speed figure is used to grade performance that day. 2 races took place with no Equissage treatment, while 2 take place with treatments 20min before post time.

Results:
0.5 mile breeze:
                                no Equissage         with Equissage
time                        0:50.7                    0:50.3
RHR2                      147                         131 (heart rate recovery 2min after breeze)
RHR5                      111                         98   (heart rate recovery 5min after breeze)
total                       71%                        85.5%

2 mile gallop:
                                no Equissage         with Equissage
avg.pace                2:33                        2:27
avg. HR                   207                         196
feet per beat         10                            11 (feet traveled per each heart beat)

Races at 6F:
                                no Equissage         no Equissage         with Equissage      with Equissage
date                        11/11/08               12/5/08                 12/30/08                           1/24/09
Beyer                         34                           35                           50                                          49          
Finish                         7                              8                              1                                          1

Discussion:
Niagara Equissage treatments prior to a half mile breeze improved post workout recovery within the first 5 minutes from 71% to 85.5%.

Niagara Equissage treatments prior to a gallop allowed the mare to move a tick faster for the distance, while expending less energy - actually traveling one foot further per each heart beat, which is significant.

Niagara Equissage treatments 20 minutes before the post parade improved the Beyer figure by an average of 15 points.