It’s no secret that elite athletes who want an edge over their competition train at altitude. Seven of the last eight Tour de France winners, six of the last eight Ironman champions, the US Speed Skating team, the US Air Force and Harvard University are just a few of the folks that train in our backyard here in Colorado — at altitude.

Horses who do high altitude training show a significant increase in stamina compared to horses that do not. At sea level air contains 20.9% oxygen but at 8,000 feet this is reduced by over 25%. This reduced level of oxygen stimulates physiological changes that improve oxygen-carrying capacity and increases energy, speed, strength, endurance and recovery. Improving the amount of oxygen delivered to the working muscle by increasing the number of red blood cells and processing it in the most efficient manner creates a performance advantage.