Measurement of Endurance of Untrained Five-Year-Old and Six-Year-Old Horses Raised in Multi-age Herds on Pasture.

The study aims to evaluate the endurance of horses aged five and six that have been raised in multiage herds on a pasture, particularly those that started being ridden in their fifth year, and then compares their endurance to foreign horses and those raised under different conditions.

Research Methodology

• The horses in the study were subjected to a standardized exercise test (SET), which then calculated the velocity run under conditions inducing a 4mmol/L blood lactate concentration (LA) and the velocity run under conditions eliciting a heart rate of 180 beats/min.
• This test involved up to five consecutive intervals at increasingly quicker speeds until each horse’s blood lactate concentration rose above 4mmol/L. The level of blood lactate after every interval was plotted against speed to establish a relationship, and the average heart rate during these intervals was also plotted against speed to derive a different relationship.

Areas of Examination

• The primary focal points of the study were the horses’ endurance velocities, and how these changed within a year. The measurements were taken in September and July from five-year-old horses to track the development.
• The endurance capabilities of five and six-year-old horses raised in the same conditions were compared.
• A comparison was drawn between groups of six-year-old horses in consecutive years.
• The study also involved a comparison between six-year-old horses and foreign horses.

Key Findings

• Interestingly, there were no changes observed in any of the measured variables within a year, according to the repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA).
• No significant differences were observed between five-year-olds and six-year-olds, or between six-year-old groups from consecutive years.
• The only substantial difference was that foreign horses demonstrated higher v and v values than the six-year-olds.
• The study found that no significant relationship existed between v and v.

Conclusion

• The conclusion drawn from this study is that spending one additional year on a multi-age pasture does not enhance the endurance variables of five-year-old horses. This suggests that the endurance thresholds of such horses are established by the age of five and further training would be required to elevate these capabilities.