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Archives animal breeding2019; 62(1); 205-213; doi: 10.5194/aab-62-205-2019

Exercise-induced changes in skin temperature and blood parameters in horses.

Abstract: The aim of the study was to assess the effects of training on haematological and biochemical blood parameters as well as on the changes in body surface temperature in horses. In order to identify the predictive value of surface temperature measurements as a marker of animal's performance, their correlations with blood parameters were investigated. The study was carried out on nine horses divided into two groups: routinely ridden and never ridden. Infrared thermography was used to assess surface temperature changes beforeย (BT) and just after trainingย (JAT) on a treadmill. Seven regions of interestย (ROIs) located on the neck, shoulder, elbow, back, chest, gluteus and quarter were analysed. The blood samples were takenย BT, JAT and 30โ€ฏmin after trainingย (30AT). Haematological parameters including white blood cells, lymphocytesย (LYMs), monocytesย (MONOs), granulocytesย (GRAs), eosinophilsย (EOSs), haematocritย (HCT) and plateletsย (PLTs) as well as biochemical parameters such as glucoseย (GLUC), urea, , and , and creatine phosphokinaseย (CPK) were analysed. Our results indicated a significant increase in surface temperature JAT ( ) in the neck, shoulder, elbow, gluteus and quarter in routinely ridden horses. Significant changes in EOS ( ) and HCT ( ) in the case of the never-ridden and routinely ridden group, respectively, were found between the times of blood collection. In addition, there was a significant effect of the horse group and the time of blood collection on the CPK activity ( to ) and urea concentrations ( to ). In the routinely ridden horses, there were significant correlations between the changes in MONO ( ), GRA ( ), PLT ( ), HCT ( ), GLUC ( ) and urea ( ) and the total ROI temperature changes. Moreover, significant correlations between the changes in MONO ( , EOS ( ), GLUC ( ), urea ( ), ( ) and ( ) and the total ROI temperature changes were found in never-ridden horses. Different changes in body surface temperature and blood parameters in routinely ridden and never-ridden horses could be associated with different conditioning and performance. A significantly higher surface temperature in routinely ridden horses, as well as the dynamics of changes in HCT, CPK and urea after training indicate better performance of these horses. Significant correlations between MONO, GLUC, and urea and a total ROI surface temperature as well as a negative correlation between MONO and the total ROI temperature in never-ridden horses indicated poor performance.
Copyright: ยฉ 2019 Maria Soroko et al.
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Publication Date: 2019-04-16 PubMed ID: 31807631PubMed Central: PMC6852865DOI: 10.5194/aab-62-205-2019Google 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 article examines the effects of exercise on horses’ body surface temperature and various blood parameters, with the goal of determining if surface temperature measurements can predict a horse’s performance. Different changes in these factors were observed in horses that are regularly ridden compared to those that are not.

Methods and Metrics

  • The study involved nine horses split into two groups: horses that were regularly ridden and those that were not.
  • The researchers applied infrared thermography to measure changes in the horses’ body surface temperature before, immediately after, and 30 minutes after training on a treadmill.
  • Specific points on the horses’ bodies – the neck, shoulder, elbow, back, chest, gluteus, and quartered – were analyzed.
  • Blood samples were also collected at these same points in time, with various hematological parameters (like white blood cells, platelets) and biochemical parameters (like glucose and creatine phosphokinase) analyzed.

Findings

  • In regularly ridden horses, significant increases in surface temperature were observed immediately post-training in several body areas.
  • Changes in some blood parameters were significantly different between the two groups, such as eosinophils and hematocrit.
  • The time of blood collection and the group the horse belonged to had a visible impact on some blood metrics, such as creatine phosphokinase activity and urea concentrations.

Correlations and Performance Indicators

  • Among regularly ridden horses, there were significant correlations between the changes in several blood parameters, including monocytes, hematocrit, glucose, and urea, and the total changes in surface temperature across the body areas assessed.
  • These correlations also existed in horses that were not regularly ridden, although a negative correlation was found with monocytes – suggesting poorer performance in these animals.
  • Overall, a higher surface temperature in regularly ridden horses, as well as the dynamics of the changes in hematocrit, creatine phosphokinase and urea after training, are indicators of better performance.

Cite This Article

APA
Soroko M, ลšpitalniak-Bajerska K, Zaborski D, Poลบniak B, Dudek K, Janczarek I. (2019). Exercise-induced changes in skin temperature and blood parameters in horses. Arch Anim Breed, 62(1), 205-213. https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-62-205-2019

Publication

Archives animal breeding
ISSN: 2363-9822
NlmUniqueID: 101701238
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 62
Issue: 1
Pages: 205-213

Researcher Affiliations

Soroko, Maria
  • Department of Horse Breeding and Equestrian Studies, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocล‚aw, 50-375, Poland.
ลšpitalniak-Bajerska, Kinga
  • Department of Environmental Hygiene and Animal Welfare, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocล‚aw, 50-375, Poland.
Zaborski, Daniel
  • Department of Ruminants Science, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin, 71-270, Poland.
Poลบniak, Bล‚aลผej
  • Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocล‚aw, 50-375, Poland.
Dudek, Krzysztof
  • Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Technology, Wrocล‚aw, 50-370, Poland.
Janczarek, Iwona
  • Department of Horse Breeding and Use, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, 20-950, Poland.

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