Donkeys are often kept, especially in industrialized countries, as companion animals. Donkeys have greater digestive efficiency and tend to expend less energy than horses or ponies, which contributes to obesity in nonworking donkeys. Obesity in all equine species increases risk of chronic health conditions such as laminitis and insulin resistance. Previous studies in horses and ponies have documented obesity's potential effects on glucose-insulin dynamics with lower insulin sensitivity and higher insulin responses to glucose. However, limited studies on obesity and its health impacts in donkeys exist, so these effects on glucoseinsulin dynamics have not been fully studied. Twenty-four donkeys were selected according to initial body condition score (BCS) and divided into three categories with eight donkeys in each: thin, moderate, and obese. A frequently sampled glucose-insulin tolerance test was performed with subsequent MINMOD analysis to determine the effects of BCS on glucose-insulin dynamics. Basal insulin was highest in obese donkeys when compared with moderate and thin donkeys (P ¼ .02 and P ¼ .01, respectively). There was an overall trend across groups for BCS to lower insulin sensitivity (P ¼ .06). No other effect was found. Body condition score seems to affect donkeys in a similar manner to horses and ponies as higher BCS was associated with higher basal insulin and may lower insulin sensitivity. Higher basal insulin concentrations in obese donkeys could negatively influence health and contribute to serious, chronic conditions.

Arena polo is surging in popularity, but limited information exists on the physiological demands of polo. The goal of this study was to document the oxygen consumption (VO 2 ), ventilation (VE), and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) in conjunction with heart rate (HR) involved in arena polo to better inform players of the physical requirements of participation. Cardiorespiratory responses were measured using a portable telemetric oxygen analyzer coupled with a heart rate monitor on five female arena polo players. Peak aerobic capacity of each player was determined on a treadmill in a laboratory setting. Data were recorded on each player during designated sessions which included a prescribed and free-choice warm-up, mock gameplay (Chukker), and five-minute recovery. Descriptive statistics for each variable (Mean ± SE) were calculated for each period. A one-way ANOVA with repeated measures was performed to determine differences among periods. Chukker produced the highest cardiorespiratory responses out of all the periods (P < .001) with 89 ± 1% HR peak and 62 ± 2% VO 2peak, except for RER which was highest during recovery (0.88 ± 0.01, P < .001). As evidenced by this study, arena polo constitutes intense exercise comparable to traditional sports above warm-up and recovery. K E Y W O R D Sequestrian sports, heart rate, oxygen consumption, player fitness, polo | 251 PRITCHARD eT Al.

Because leg injuries produce welfare concerns and impact production for broilers, numerous interventions have been suggested as potential solutions. One mineral which may affect bone quality is silicon. The objective of this study was to determine if supplementing bioavailable silicon could affect bone morphology, mineralization, and strength without negatively influencing welfare and meat quality. Male broilers were raised from d 1 after hatching until 42 d of age and randomly assigned to treatment groups for silicon supplementation in water: Control (no supplement, C; n = 125), Normal (0.011 ml supplement/kg bodyweight, N; n = 125) and High (0.063 ml supplement/kg bodyweight, H; n = 125). Toe damage, footpad dermatitis, hock burn, and keel blisters were assessed on d 42. Blood samples were collected from wing veins for serum osteocalcin, pyridinoline cross-links, and mineral analysis. Clinical QCT scans and analysis were conducted immediately before four-point bending tests of tibias. Texture analysis was performed on cooked fillets. Silicon supplementation tended to increase daily water consumption in N and H as compared to C (P = 0.07). Footpad dermatitis and hock burn scores were higher in H than in N or C (P < 0.05 for both comparisons). Supplementation altered serum minerals (P < 0.001), but bone density, morphology, and strength measures were similar among groups. The highest level of supplementation in the current study on a kg bodyweight basis was above recommended intakes but below previous amounts demonstrating silicon’s positive influence on bone, indicating that previously suggested minimum thresholds need to be reevaluated. Factors such as growth rate and mechanical loading likely play a greater role in developing bone quality than trying to supplement on top of good basic nutrition alone.

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