14 May 2021
Association’s <em>Equine Veterinary Journal</em> provides free reading access to collection of articles on horses staying safe in hot and humid conditions ahead of summer games.
Vet Times
Job Title
Image © Christopher Elliott
BEVA’s publication the Equine Veterinary Journal has made access to a collection of articles on heat and humidity in equids free in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics.
The special collection, called Preparing for Tokyo Olympics, contains 11 relevant papers and a comprehensive foreword by its guest editor Christopher Elliott.
Mr Elliott – a Fédération Equestre Internationale vet, and diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation – said: “This is not the first time that extreme heat and humidity has challenged the viability of equestrian events at the Olympic Games. It is vital that we learn from the past to ensure the welfare of equine athletes in the future.”
The collection highlights groundbreaking research that followed the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, and another concerted effort was required to provide guidance ahead of the Atlanta and Beijing games. Temperatures in Tokyo are likely to reach more than 105°F (41°C).
Mr Elliott continued: “This work revolutionised our understanding of managing equine athletes in hot and humid conditions. It optimised identification and management of heat stress, and allowed practical solutions to cooling methods to be established, enabling the successful running of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.”
The special collection is free to read, but downloads will stay behind the paywall. It can be viewed online now.
