Effect of controlled exercise on libido in 2-yr-old stallions.

This research article investigates the impact of controlled exercise on the sexual drive of young Morgan stallions. The results indicate a noticeable decrease in libido amongst the stallions that partook in regular, forced exercises compared to those that were confined to their box stalls.

Research Design and Methodology

• The researchers employed a consecutive two-phase design using eight inexperienced 2-year-old Morgan stallions. These stallions were divided into two groups of four.
• The entire project took 16 weeks (Phase 1 and Phase 2), with semen collection occurring every 14 days. Libido scores were assigned during each collection, ranging from zero (minimum libido) to four (maximum libido).
• In Phase 1, one group of stallions was made to exercise daily for 16 weeks while the remaining group stayed confined in their stalls.
• In Phase 2, the previously exercised group was confined to their stalls while the non-exercised group from Phase 1 was put through the same daily exercise regimen.

Findings and Results

• The researchers found no significant differences between the exercised and non-exercised stallions during the 16 weeks of Phase 1.
• However, during Phase 2, exercised stallions had noticeably lower libido scores from the 10th week up to the 16th week as compared to stallions that did not exercise.
• The mean libido score for both groups was different at the end of the initial 16 weeks; exercised stallions had lower libido scores.
• By the 26th week, the average libido scores were similar for both groups, but by the 32nd week, exercised stallions again showed lower libido scores.

Conclusions

• The study suggests that regular, forced daily exercise can negatively impact the libido of 2-year-old Morgan stallions.
• In the later phases of the study, those that were exercised displayed decreasing libido over time compared to non-exercised stallions whose libido scores either remained relatively stable or rose slightly.