Methods · 8 min
Designing a standardized step test
Repeatable protocols are what make results comparable. Here is a practical field template.
5 August 2026
A step test asks the horse to work at gradually rising speeds, with a blood sample after each stage. Its value comes from doing it the same way every time.
A field template
- Warm-up: 10 to 15 minutes of walk and trot.
- Four or five stages of about 1,000 to 1,600 m each, with speed rising 50 to 100 m/min per stage.
- Record average speed (GPS) and heart rate over the last part of each stage.
- Take a blood sample within about 60 seconds of finishing each stage.
- Recovery samples at 5, 15 and 30 minutes.
Keep things the same
Use the same surface, a similar time of day, the same feeding routine and the same rider where you can. Write down temperature and ground conditions, because both affect results.
Treadmill or track?
A treadmill gives the tightest control and suits clinics. A track test is more sport-specific and easier for most yards. Either works, as long as you don't mix the two when comparing tests.
Ready to put the numbers to work?
Log your horse's step tests and recovery checks, and get VLa2, VLa4 and clear training zones on one curve.