Workload of official contests, net cost of transport, and metabolic power of Mangalarga Marchador horses of marcha batida or picada gaits.
Abstract: This study aimed to characterize the maximum heart rate (HR) and the intensity of official marcha contests (OMC) and to compare the cost of transport (COT) and metabolic power (Pmet) of Mangalarga Marchador (MM) horses of marcha batida (MB) and marcha picada (MP) gaits. Twenty-two MM horses participated in this study. The experiment was conducted in 3 phases: 1) maximum effort test (MET), 2) OMC, and 3) standardized marcha test (SMT). To characterize the HR, 19 horses (14 MB and 5 MP) underwent a MET. Of those, 13 (9 MB and 4 MP) were monitored during the OMC, which consisted of 4 stages: marcha, walk, functional trial, and rest. The average heart rate (HR) in each stage of the OMC was related to the HR to determine their relative intensity. The SMT was performed with 14 horses (9 MB and 5 MP), of which 11 had already participated in the previous stages. The COT and Pmet were calculated from the HR values obtained during the SMT. Blood samples were collected to analyze plasma lactate concentration ([Lac]). One-way ANOVA or 1-way repeated-measures ANOVA followed by the Tukey's test ( < 0.05) were used to analyze the results. The average HR was 211 ± 11 and 214 ± 11 beats/min (bpm) for the MB and MP groups, respectively, with no difference ( = 0.7066) between them. The [Lac] increased as a result of the MET ( < 0.05), with no difference between groups ( > 0.05). This indicated that horses of both groups had the same physical fitness levels. The OMC stages defined in our study differed ( < 0.05) regarding the relative intensity of the HR, except for the walk and standing stages, which were similar ( = 0.0875). The MP group presented greater COT ( = 0.0247) and Pmet ( = 0.0193). It can be concluded that the mean HR of MM horses (MB and MP) is 212 ± 11 bpm. The OMC of the MM breed can be characterized as an effort of intermittent and submaximal intensity. In addition, the locomotion of the MB horses is probably more energetically efficient than that of MP horses.
Publication Date: 2017-07-21 PubMed ID: 28727062DOI: 10.2527/jas.2016.1270Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This study examines the heart rates, metabolic power, and transport costs of Mangalarga Marchador horses performing two different types of gaits. The research found that both groups of horses displayed similar heart rates, but the group moving in a particular gait, known as Marcha Picada, demonstrated higher transport costs and metabolic power.
Research Methodology
- The study involved 22 Mangalarga Marchador horses who were put through three phases of testing: a maximum effort test, an official marcha contest, and a standardized marcha test.
- In the maximum effort test, heart rates of 19 horses were studied.
- For the official marcha contest, 13 horses’ heart rates were monitored over four stages: marcha, walk, functional trial, and rest. The average heart rates at each stage of the contest were compared to determine their relative intensity.
- In the standardized marcha test, heart rates, cost of transport, and metabolic power of 14 horses were observed.
- Blood samples were collected throughout to evaluate lactate concentration, an important indicator of physical exertion.
Findings
- The average heart rates measured were 211 beats per minute (bpm) for the Marcha Batida group and 214 bpm for the Marcha Picada group, showing no statistically significant difference.
- Regardless of the gait style, lactate concentration increased following the maximum effort test, suggesting that horses from both groups had similar physical fitness levels.
- The study found differences in the perceived intensity of the heart rate during different stages of the official marcha contest, excluding the stages of walking and standing, which yielded similar results.
- The Marcha Picada group showed greater cost of transport and metabolic power, indicating that this gait may be more energetically demanding than the Marcha Batida gait.
Conclusion
- The researchers concluded that the average heart rate for Mangalarga Marchador horses, regardless of the gait style, is approximately 212 bpm.
- The official marcha contest is characterized as a process of interrupted, submaximal effort for this breed of horses.
- They also suggest that the Marcha Batida gait could be more energetically efficient compared to the Marcha Picada gait.
Cite This Article
APA
Lage J, Fonseca MG, de Barros GGM, Feringer-Júnior WH, Pereira GT, Ferraz GC.
(2017).
Workload of official contests, net cost of transport, and metabolic power of Mangalarga Marchador horses of marcha batida or picada gaits.
J Anim Sci, 95(6), 2488-2495.
https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2016.1270 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Energy Metabolism
- Female
- Gait
- Heart Rate / physiology
- Horses / physiology
- Lactic Acid / blood
- Male
- Physical Conditioning, Animal
- Rest
- Time Factors
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Bussiman F, Alves AAC, Richter J, Hidalgo J, Veroneze R, Oliveira T. Supervised Machine Learning Techniques for Breeding Value Prediction in Horses: An Example Using Gait Visual Scores. Animals (Basel) 2024 Sep 20;14(18).
- Coelho CS, Sodre TDRP, Sousa LN, Siqueira RF, Manso Filho HC, Aragona F, Fazio F. How Much Energy Vaquejada Horses Spend in a Field Simulation Test?. Animals (Basel) 2021 Nov 30;11(12).
- Trindade PHE, Hartmann E, Keeling LJ, Andersen PH, Ferraz GC, Paranhos da Costa MJR. Effect of work on body language of ranch horses in Brazil. PLoS One 2020;15(1):e0228130.
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