Superficial skin temperature recovery of distal limbs of thoroughbred racehorses after training in a racetrack in different seasons.

The research article investigates how the skin temperature of a racehorse’s distal limbs (the lower part of the leg) behaves post-training across different seasons, providing evidence that recovery to normal skin temperature can take more than 180 minutes post-exercise.

Objective of the Study

• The study aimed to explore the superficial skin temperature recovery of the distal limbs (lower part of the leg including the areas around the ankle and wrist or fetlock, cannon, and either carpus or tarsus) of Thoroughbred racehorses after training in different seasons – summer and winter.

Methodology

• The study involved both male and female Thoroughbred racehorses undergoing light training in summer, and light and intense training in winter.
• Two groups were made: Exercise group (EG) – horses which were exercised as per trainers’ guidelines and Control group (CG) – horses which were kept inside their stalls without exercise.
• Thermographic images of the front and hind limbs of horses were captured before exercise and 45, 60, 120, and 180 minutes post-exercise.
• These images were then analyzed using the Flir Tools® program.
• Temperature data from different stages for each group were statistically analyzed using Anova for repeated measurements, and each stage of EG was compared against CG using the Student T test.

Results

• The results showed that, in the control group, horses maintained a steady temperature during winter, however, their temperature increased during summer at 45 minutes until 180 minutes (P < 0,01).
• In the exercise group, temperatures increased following exercises and remained higher at 180 minutes post-exercise compared to before exercise (P < 0,0001), observed for most of the regions during winter and summer.
• The temperatures of the horses in the exercise group were higher than the control group at most time points after the exercise.
• There was a positive correlation between all regions’ temperature and the atmospheric temperature for the control group during summer (P = 0,003, r = 0,9622), and this was also observed for the front fetlock and carpal regions for the exercise group (P = 0.035, r = 0,8166).

Conclusion

• The study concluded that, after race exercise in natural conditions, the skin temperature of a racehorse could take more than 180 minutes to return to pre-training or basal values.