If I Was a Horseman - by E. Abraham Ola

Animals need sunshine too:

If I was a horseman, I would know that a horse (or human) standing unnaturally still and stiff in a tight space like a racetrack stall for 23 hours per day is susceptible to arthritic conditions. I would know that horses need an hour afternoon walk in the sun to keep their limbs mobile and to receive some of the vital natural vitamin D that helps keep horses sound and healthy. I would provide small sun-yards for my racehorses so that weather permitting, they could spend a second hour in the sun each day, rather than spending 23 hours locked in far too small a stall while breathing virus- and bacteria-laden air.

Vitamin D Linked to Muscle Power

More on the sunshine vitamin and physical performance:

MANCHESTER, England, Feb. 5 -- Vitamin D may play a key role in muscle function in adolescent girls, researchers here said.

Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were significantly associated with muscle force and power in girls ages 12 to 14, Kate Ward, Ph.D., of the University of Manchester, and colleagues reported in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

"We know vitamin D deficiency can weaken the muscular and skeletal systems, but until now, little was known about the relationship of vitamin D with muscle power and force," Dr. Ward said.