Physiological variables of horses after road transport.
Abstract: In order to investigate the effects of short road transport stress on total and free iodothyronines, body weight (BW), rectal temperature and heart rate (HR) changes, 126 healthy stallions were studied in basal conditions, before and after transport. A total of 60 Thoroughbred and 66 crossbred stallions aged 4 to 15 years with previous travelling experience were transported by road in a commercial trailer for a period of about 3 to 4 h (distance under 300 km). Blood samples and functional variables were collected in each horse box, one week before loading and transport in basal conditions (control samples), one week later immediately before loading (pre-samples) and again after transport and unloading (about 3 to 4 h) in each new horse box, within 30 min of their arrival at the breeding stations (post-samples). Compared to the before-transport values, increases in circulating T3, T4 and fT4 levels (P < 0.01) were observed after transport, irrespective of breed, but not for fT3 levels. Lower T4 and fT4 levels were observed in basal II (at 1100 h) (P < 0.01) than in basal I (at 0800 h) conditions and before transport. Thoroughbreds showed higher fT3 (P < 0.05) and fT4 (P < 0.01) levels after transport than crossbred stallions. No significant differences were observed for T3 and T4. Compared to the before-transport values, significant increases in rectal temperature (P < 0.01) and HR (P < 0.05) were observed after transport. No differences were observed between basal I, II and before values for functional variables. Significant correlations between T3 and rectal temperature, BW and HR were found. The results indicate that short road transport induces a preferential release of T3, T4 and fT4 hormones from the thyroid gland in relation to different breed, and an increase in rectal temperature and HR. No significant changes in BW were observed. No differences were observed in relation to different ages. The data obtained suggest that the stallion's thyroid hormones and functional variables may play an important role in assessing the effects of transport stress and a horse's coping strategy.
Publication Date: 2009-09-01 PubMed ID: 22444908DOI: 10.1017/S1751731109004777Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research article explores the physiological changes in horses, specifically thyroid hormone levels, body weight, rectal temperature, and heart rate, due to the stress of short road transport.
Study Design and Sampling
- The study involved 126 healthy stallions, with a mixture of Thoroughbred and crossbred horses aged between 4 to 15 years.
- Each horse had previous travelling experience and underwent a road journey of approximately 3 to 4 hours, covering a distance under 300 km.
- Data collected included blood samples and functional variables from each horse, taken one week before transport (basal condition control samples), just before transport (pre-samples), and after arrival at the destination (post-samples).
Key Findings
- Following transport, the horses showed increases in circulating thyroid hormones T3, T4, and fT4, but not fT3. This increase was regardless of breed.
- Lower T4 and fT4 levels were observed at 11:00 (basal II condition) than 08:00 (basal I condition) and before transport.
- Among breeds, Thoroughbreds exhibited higher fT3 and fT4 levels after transport than the crossbred stallions. No significant differences were found in T3 and T4 levels between the breeds.
- The physiological stress of transport was also reflected in significant increases in rectal temperature and heart rate after transport.
- No significant changes in body weight were observed due to transportation, and no differences were found related to the horses’ ages.
Implications
- These results point to distinct physiological responses in horses as a result of short road transport. The stress of transportation provokes a release of specific thyroid hormones and causes an increase in rectal temperature and heart rate.
- The study suggests that these physiological variables and thyroid hormones can play a crucial role in evaluating transport stress in horses and their coping strategies.
Cite This Article
APA
Fazio E, Medica P, Cravana C, Giacoppo E, Ferlazzo A.
(2009).
Physiological variables of horses after road transport.
Animal, 3(9), 1313-1318.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731109004777 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Morphology, Biochemistry, Physiology and Animal Production - Unit of Veterinary Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy.
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Dai F, Riva MG, Dalla Costa E, Pascuzzo R, Chapman A, Minero M. Application of QBA to Assess the Emotional State of Horses during the Loading Phase of Transport.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Dec 19;12(24).
- Fazio E, Medica P, Cravana C, Ferlazzo AA. Pituitary-adrenocortical adjustments to transport stress in horses with previous different handling and transport conditions.. Vet World 2016 Aug;9(8):856-61.
- Niedźwiedź A, Kubiak K, Nicpoń J. Plasma total antioxidant status in horses after 8-hours of road transportation.. Acta Vet Scand 2013 Aug 14;55(1):58.
- Schapiro SJ, Lambeth SP, Jacobsen KR, Williams LE, Nehete BN, Nehete PN. Physiological and Welfare Consequences of Transport, Relocation, and Acclimatization of Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2012 Mar 1;137(3-4):183-193.
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