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Home / Equine Research Bank / Asian-Australas J Anim Sci / Changes in Salivary Cortisol Concentration in Horses during ...
Asian-Australasian journal of animal sciences2016; 29(5); 747-752; doi: 10.5713/ajas.16.0009

Changes in Salivary Cortisol Concentration in Horses during Different Types of Exercise.

Abstract: This study aimed to estimate the change of stress level in horses based on cortisol concentration levels in their saliva. A total of 61 horses were divided into the following three groups: i) tourist riding experience (TR, n = 23); ii) resting group (RR, n = 14); and iii) horse-riding education (ER, n = 24). The saliva samples of TR and ER groups were taken using plain cotton Salivettes four times a day: at 07:00 (basal), 11:00 (Exercise 1, after 1-hour exercise in the morning), 14:00 (Exercise 2, after 1-hour exercise in the afternoon), and 16:00 (Exercise 3, after 1-hour exercise in the afternoon). The saliva samples of RR were measured at the same time. The samples were analyzed using the SAS program general linear model procedure. In a percentage relative to the base value, cortisol levels in Exercise 3 were confirmed to decrease in all groups as compared to the basal value percentage in the following sequence: ER>TR>RR. The highest peak was confirmed in Exercise 2 (approximately 131%) of RR group and the lowest peak appeared in Exercise 3 (approximately 52%) of ER group. Therefore, resting without any particular exercise can also increase the stress level of horses. Thus, it is better to exercise, as exercise can reduce the stress level, even in cases when riders are clumsy or lack appropriate horse-riding experience. The results of the present study are useful to equestrian center owners and educational riding instructors in that they provide a meaningful insight into a better horse management.
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Publication Date: 2016-03-04 PubMed ID: 26954193PubMed Central: PMC4852239DOI: 10.5713/ajas.16.0009Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research paper is a study on the changes in stress levels in horses, as reflected by the cortisol concentration in their saliva, during different types of exercises.

Objective and Methods

  • The study aimed to ascertain any potential changes in stress levels in horses through the concentration levels of cortisol in their saliva during various activities. The parameter for gauging stress was the level of cortisol, a hormone generally associated with stress, present in their saliva.
  • 61 horses were the subjects of the experiment, and they were divided into three groups – the tourists’ riding group (TR, 23 horses), the resting group (RR, 14 horses), and the horse-riding education group (ER, 24 horses).
  • Saliva samples were taken from the TR and ER groups four times a day at given timings. Meanwhile, the RR group’s saliva samples were also collected at these same intervals.
  • The SAS program general linear model procedure was used to perform statistical analysis on the data collected from the horse saliva samples.

Results

  • The study found that cortisol levels dropped in Exercise 3 in all groups compared to the basal value. The ER group experienced the most significant reduction, followed by the TR group, and finally the RR group.
  • The resting group, RR, experienced the highest peak of cortisol levels during Exercise 2, reaching approximately 131% of the reference value. In contrast, the lowest peak cortisol result was seen, in the ER group, during Exercise 3, falling to about 52% of the base value.
  • These results showed that periods of rest, with no specific exercise, could cause stress levels in horses to heighten.

Implications and Conclusions

  • The study suggests that exercise, irrespective of how proper or skillful, helps in reducing the stress levels in horses. Therefore, even if riders lack an adequate horse-riding experience or are clumsy, it would still be more beneficial for the horse’s stress level to be exercised than to be at rest.
  • The study findings can be advantageous for owners of equestrian centers and instructors of riding education, as the insights gained can inform and improve their approach towards horse management.

Cite This Article

APA
Kang OD, Lee WS. (2016). Changes in Salivary Cortisol Concentration in Horses during Different Types of Exercise. Asian-Australas J Anim Sci, 29(5), 747-752. https://doi.org/10.5713/ajas.16.0009

Publication

Asian-Australasian journal of animal sciences
ISSN: 1011-2367
NlmUniqueID: 9884245
Country: Korea (South)
Language: English
Volume: 29
Issue: 5
Pages: 747-752

Researcher Affiliations

Kang, Ok-Deuk
  • Department of Hippotherapy Welfare, SungDuk C.University, Yeongcheon 38801, Korea.
Lee, Wang-Shik
  • Division of Biotechnology, Jeju National University, Jeju 690-756, Korea.

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Citations

This article has been cited 11 times.
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