Measuring the heat loss in horses in different seasons by infrared thermography.

The research studied the differences in heat loss among various types of horses at different temperatures and seasons to improve their housing and care conditions. It identified that light, warmblood, and coldblood horses dissipated more heat at lower temperatures, while ponies had similar heat dissipation rates at both moderately cold and extreme cold temperatures.

Study Design and Methodology

• The study involved a total of 18 horses divided into groups based on their type. These were light (L), warmblood (W), coldblood (C), and pony (P).
• Infrared thermography, a technique that uses a special camera to detect heat patterns and blood flow in body tissues, was used to take images of the horses at various temperatures.
• The temperatures in which data was collected were 15 degrees C, 2 degrees C (all types), -8 degrees C (L, W, C), and -12 degrees C (P).
• Heat loss was calculated from different parts of the body namely the neck, trunk, and inner surfaces of the front and hind legs.

Key Findings

• Heat loss was found to be similar in all horse types at 15 degrees C.
• For L, W, and C type horses, they dissipated more heat at 2 degrees C than at 15 degrees C (p < .001), and higher heat loss was found from the neck and trunk areas specifically at -8 degrees C than at 2 degrees C (p < .05).
• Ponies did not show variation in heat dissipation at different temperatures and exhibited similar heat loss at both 2 degrees C and -12 degrees C.
• At 2 degrees C, coldblood and pony types were found to lose less heat from the neck and trunk areas compared to the light type horse (p < .05).
• At -8 degrees C, the heat loss in light and warmblood horses was greater than in coldblood horses (p < .05).

Implications

• These findings underline the importance of considering the horse breed and its tolerance to cold temperatures when planning their housing and care conditions.
• Understanding the variations in heat loss among different horse types could assist in designing appropriate strategies to maintain body temperature and overall health of the horses, especially in colder climates or seasons.
• Further research could delve deeper into the specific physiological mechanisms behind this differential heat loss in different horse types for more customized care and management strategies.