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BMC veterinary research2017; 13(1); 317; doi: 10.1186/s12917-017-1243-9

High intensity, short duration pulling in heavy horses: physiological effects of competition and rapid weight change.

Abstract: The Heavy Horse Pull is a competition where teams of two horses pull an increasingly heavy sled for a short distance. Similar to human wrestlers, some horses may undergo rapid weight change in order to enter a lower weight category. The objectives were to study the physiological effects of this practice as well as of the pulling competition in draft horses. Results: Fifty horses were divided into light-, middle- and heavyweight categories based on their arrival weights and competed 1-3 days after. Body weight was measured upon arrival and pre-competition. Blood was sampled for chemistry and high sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hscTnT) at arrival, pre- and post-competition in 34, 26 and 20 horses, respectively. Body weight increased significantly between arrival and pre-competition for light (7.2% (Median: 62.8Kg (41.7-77.0)) and middle (8.6% (Median: 80.5Kg (62.7-90.9)) weight categories. Change in body weight was correlated (r = 0.69, p = 0.002) with competition ranking for middleweights. The ratios of weight pulled to team body weight were 2.7 (1.9-2.8), 2.6 (2.5-2.6) and 2.4 (2.2-2.5) for the lightweights, middleweights and heavyweights, respectively. Blood chemistry indicated hemoconcentration on arrival in the middleweight and lightweight horses. Hemoconcentration was not seen on arrival in some horses with marked rapid weight change. Overall, no chemistry parameter changed between pre- and post-competition. The hscTnT stayed within normal range post-competition. Conclusions: While horses arrived to the event with indications of hemoconcentration, they appeared to have sufficient time to rehydrate prior to competition, and the effects of the competition were reversible within 3 h.
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Publication Date: 2017-11-07 PubMed ID: 29116001PubMed Central: PMC5688808DOI: 10.1186/s12917-017-1243-9Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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The research focuses on the physiological impact of competition and rapid weight change in horses participating in the Heavy Horse Pull, a competition where two horses pull increasingly heavy sleds for short distances. The study found that horses undergoing rapid weight change to fit into lower weight categories, similar to human wrestlers, showed hemoconcentration upon arrival, but had ample time to rehydrate before competition. The effects of the competition were reversible within 3 hours.

Study Design and Methodology

  • The study involved fifty horses, divided into light-, middle-, and heavyweight categories based on their arrival weights. These horses competed 1-3 days after their arrival.
  • The body weight of the horses was measured upon arrival and before the competition.
  • The researchers took blood samples to test for blood chemistry and high sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hscTnT) at three different stages – upon arrival, pre-competition, and post-competition. This was done for 34, 26 and 20 horses, respectively.
  • The team calculated the ratios of weight pulled to team body weight for all weight categories.

Findings of the Study

  • The body weight of horses in the light and middle-weight categories increased significantly between arrival and pre-competition, by 7.2% and 8.6%, respectively.
  • The change in body weight was correlated with competition ranking in middleweight horses, indicating a significant relationship between weight change and competition performance.
  • There was evidence of hemoconcentration, a higher concentration of blood cells due to loss of plasma, on arrival in the middleweight and lightweight horses. However, this was not observed in some horses with marked rapid weight change.
  • Importantly, no change in any chemistry parameter was observed between pre- and post-competition measurements.
  • The hscTnT, an indicator for heart damage, stayed within the normal range post-competition, implying no negative cardiac impact of the competition.

Conclusions Drawn from the Study

  • Even though some horses arrived at the event displaying signs of hemoconcentration, they had sufficient time to rehydrate before the competition began.
  • The effects of the intense pulling competition were reversible within three hours, suggesting no permanent physiological damage to the horses from participating in the event.

Cite This Article

APA
Greco-Otto P, Massie S, Shields E, Roy MF, Pajor E, Léguillette R. (2017). High intensity, short duration pulling in heavy horses: physiological effects of competition and rapid weight change. BMC Vet Res, 13(1), 317. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-017-1243-9

Publication

BMC veterinary research
ISSN: 1746-6148
NlmUniqueID: 101249759
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 1
Pages: 317
PII: 317

Researcher Affiliations

Greco-Otto, Persephone
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
Massie, Shannon
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
Shields, Erin
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
Roy, Marie-France
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
Pajor, Edmond
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
Léguillette, Renaud
  • Department of Veterinary Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada. rleguill@ucalgary.ca.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Body Weight / physiology
  • Dehydration / physiopathology
  • Electrolytes / blood
  • Horses / blood
  • Horses / physiology
  • Physical Exertion / physiology
  • Troponin T / blood
  • Water-Electrolyte Balance

Conflict of Interest Statement

AUTHORS INFORMATION: PGO: Bsc – PhD student. SM: BScKin, CEP, MSc. ES: HBSc., DC, DVM, Resident ACVSMR (Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation) – MSc. MFR: PhD, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM. EP: BSc, MSc, PhD – Anderson-Chisholm Chair in Animal Care and Welfare, Professor UCVM. RL: MSc., PhD, DMV, Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ACVSMR (Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation) – Associate Professor UCVM. ETHICS APPROVAL: This study was approved by the University of Calgary Veterinary Sciences Animal Care Committee (#AC15–0044). CONSENT FOR PUBLICATION: Not applicable. COMPETING INTERESTS: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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Citations

This article has been cited 3 times.
  1. Bukhari SSUH, Parkes RSV. Assessing the impact of draught load pulling on welfare in equids. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1214015.
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  2. Greco-Otto P, Léguillette R. Assessment of body fluids and blood parameters associated with rapid weight change in heavy horses. Can Vet J 2019 Jul;60(7):721-724.
    pubmed: 31281188
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