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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2021; 11(4); 995; doi: 10.3390/ani11040995

Speed and Blood Parameters Differ between Arabian and Žemaitukai Horses during Endurance Racing.

Abstract: Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) has described equine endurance racing as the second largest discipline in the world, above which is only show jumping. The Žemaitukai is an ancient indigenous Lithuanian horse breed known since the 6th or 7th century. The Arabian horse breed is one of the oldest human-developed horse breeds in the world. Compared with other race horse breeds, the muscle tissue of Arabian horses is characterized by significant differences in structure-a predominance of oxidative fiber type I is observed in Arabians, making them the prevailing breed in endurance racing. The Arabian horses are recognized as the leading breed in endurance competitions. Speed, pace, and total time in the race strategy have been extensively studied in human sports, and in contrast, this strategy appears to have been virtually ignored in equestrian sport, despite the potential for contributing to performance optimization. In relation to speed and total time in the race, there are limited data on postrace physical, biochemical, and blood gas parameters of endurance horses. Thus, this study was carried out to investigate the effects of speed on the blood parameters of the Arabian and Žemaitukai horses during an endurance race. Blood samples were taken before and immediately after the exercise. Biochemical and blood gas indicators were analyzed. The study showed significant increases in mean blood gasometrical indicators, such as partial carbon dioxide pressure (8.09-15.18%, < 0.001); base excess in the extracellular fluid (14.01%, < 0.001 in the Arabian horses and 172.01% in the Žemaitukai breed, = 0.006); decreases of the blood electrolyte ionized calcium (4.38-8.72%, < 0.001) and the hematocrit and hemoglobin values (20.05-20.12%, < 0.001 in the Arabian horses and 6.22-6.23% in the Žemaitukai breed, = 0.003-0.004); and decreases in the base excess in the blood values (29.24-39.38%, < 0.001) and lactate (13.45-31.97%, < 0.001) in the blood of both breeds in the post-competition horses. Significant increases after competition were determined for the values of creatinine (21.34-30.82%, = 0.001-0.004), total bilirubin (50.84-56.24%, PH < 0.001), and albumin (2.63-4.48%, = 0.048-0.001) for both breeds. For the faster Arabian horse breed, recovering after racing took half the time that the local Žemaitukai breed did.
Publication Date: 2021-04-01 PubMed ID: 33916255PubMed Central: PMC8066114DOI: 10.3390/ani11040995Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

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The research article discusses how the speed and blood parameters vary between Arabian and Žemaitukai horses during an endurance race. The study provides a comparative analysis of prevalent physiological changes in the two breeds post-competition.

Objective of the Study

The main aim of the study is to investigate the influence of speed on the blood parameters of Arabian and Žemaitukai horses in an endurance race. The researchers intended to provide more data on postrace physical, biochemical, and blood gas indicators due to the limited available research.

Methodology

  • Blood samples were taken from both Arabian and Žemaitukai horses before and immediately after an endurance race.
  • The collected samples were then analyzed for various biochemical and blood gas indicators.

Key Findings

The researchers found significant changes in blood gasometrical indicators, blood electrolyte ionized calcium, hematocrit and hemoglobin values, base excess in the blood values, lactate, creatinine, total bilirubin, and albumin in the blood of both Arabian and Žemaitukai horses post-race.

  • Post-competition, there were significant increases in mean blood gasometrical indicators, with an increase in partial carbon dioxide pressure and base excess in the extracellular fluid.
  • Decreases were observed in blood electrolyte ionized calcium, hematocrit and hemoglobin values, base excess in the blood values, and lactate.
  • The post-race blood of the horses also showed increases in creatinine, total bilirubin, and albumin values.

Conclusion

The study concluded that the Arabian horse breed, which has a significantly different muscle tissue structure, recovered much faster from the race compared to the local Žemaitukai breed. The Arabian horses took half the recovery time post-race, underscoring their predominance in endurance racing.

Cite This Article

APA
Poškienė I, Gruodytė R, Autukaitė J, Juozaitienė V, Antanaitis R. (2021). Speed and Blood Parameters Differ between Arabian and Žemaitukai Horses during Endurance Racing. Animals (Basel), 11(4), 995. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11040995

Publication

ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 4
PII: 995

Researcher Affiliations

Poškienė, Indrė
  • Large Animal Clinic, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės St. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania.
Gruodytė, Renata
  • Large Animal Clinic, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės St. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania.
Autukaitė, Jurgita
  • Large Animal Clinic, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės St. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania.
Juozaitienė, Vida
  • Department of Animal Breeding, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės St. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania.
Antanaitis, Ramūnas
  • Large Animal Clinic, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės St. 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Önder H, Şen U, Piwczyński D, Kolenda M, Drewka M, Abacı SH, Takma Ç. Comparison of Random Regression Models with Different Order Legendre Polynomials for Genetic Parameter Estimation on Race Completion Speed of Arabian Horses.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Sep 30;12(19).
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