Total blood volume in the normally performing Standardbred trotter: age and sex variations.
Abstract: The purposes of this study were to elucidate the influences of age and sex on the mass specific blood volume parameters: total blood volume (TBV/BW, ml/kg), plasma volume (PV/ BW, ml/kg), total red cell volume (CV/BW, ml/kg) and maximal packed cell volume (PCV, l/l, i.e. after total mobilisation of the splenic red cell reservoir) and to establish reference values for these in normally performing Standardbred trotting race horses. In total 205 horses were studied. They were all, according to their owners and/or trainers, performing satisfactorily in racing or training for shortly impending racing. Blood volume determination was done with the Evans blue dye dilution technique after exercise induced emptying of the spleen. Both age and sex were found to influence variation of these parameters significantly, with the possible exception of PV/BW, whereas the primary variation appeared to be in CV/BW. It was concluded that taking age and sex dependent variations into consideration will render prediction of normal values for the blood volume parameters in the athletic Standardbred trotter more reliable and the detection of abnormal deviations more precise if five age and sex groups are used for comparisons.
Publication Date: 1996-03-01 PubMed ID: 8693833DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0442.1996.tb00428.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The research study examines how age and gender influence blood volume parameters – total blood volume, plasma volume, and red cell volume – in Standardbred trotting racehorses. The aim is to understand these relationships better and establish reference values for healthy racehorses.
Study Overview
- This study aimed to understand the influence of age and sex on mass-specific blood volume parameters in Standardbred trotting racehorses. The parameters studied were total blood volume (TBV/BW), plasma volume (PV/BW), total red cell volume (CV/BW), and maximal packed cell volume (PCV).
- The motivation for this research is to determine the normal ranges for these parameters and discover if anomalies can be detected more precisely by accounting for age and sex influences.
- A total of 205 performing racehorses were chosen for this study. Performance was based on owners’ and trainers’ satisfaction with the horse’s racing or training progress.
Methodology
- The researchers chose the Evans Blue Dye Dilution Technique for the blood volume determination part of the study. This technique was applied after exercising the horse to empty the spleen.
- This technique enabled the researchers to measure the above parameters accurately and determine their relationship with age and sex.
Findings
- The results indicated significant variations in the blood volume parameters, mostly in CV/BW, based on age and sex. However, the only parameter where this variability might not be significant is PV/BW.
- Therefore, the study suggests that these age and sex variations need to be considered when predicting normal blood volume parameters in racehorses.
Implications
- The study concluded that considering age and sex variations will make predictions for normal blood volume parameters more reliable in Standardbred trotters.
- The detection of abnormal fluctuations will also become more precise if five age and sex groups are used for comparisons.
- Thus, these findings could potentially enhance the monitoring and management of health in Standardbred trotting racehorses in a sex- and age-specific manner.
Cite This Article
APA
Persson SG, Funkquist P, Nyman G.
(1996).
Total blood volume in the normally performing Standardbred trotter: age and sex variations.
Zentralbl Veterinarmed A, 43(1), 57-64.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0442.1996.tb00428.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
MeSH Terms
- Aging / blood
- Aging / physiology
- Animals
- Blood Cell Count / veterinary
- Blood Volume / physiology
- Body Weight / physiology
- Erythrocyte Indices
- Female
- Horses / blood
- Horses / physiology
- Male
- Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
- Reference Values
- Sex Characteristics
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Manteca Vilanova X, Beaver B, Uldahl M, Turner PV. Recommendations for Ensuring Good Welfare of Horses Used for Industrial Blood, Serum, or Urine Production. Animals (Basel) 2021 May 20;11(5).
- Stefánsdóttir GJ, Ragnarsson S, Gunnarsson V, Jansson A. Physiological response to a breed evaluation field test in Icelandic horses. Animal 2014 Mar;8(3):431-9.
- Muir WW, Yiew XT, Bateman SW, Hahn RG. Volume kinetics of lactated Ringer's solution in adult horses. Equine Vet J 2026 Jan;58(1):220-229.
- Connysson M, Jansson A. Starch Allowance and Muscle Enzyme Activity in Healthy Standardbred Trotters Trained by Professional Trainers. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl) 2025 Sep;109(5):1130-1137.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
