Cooling a horse after intensive exercise under hot conditions is commonly recommended. The study aimed to analyze changes in the rectal and surface temperature of the horses subjected to various water cooling treatments. This followed medium-intensity exercise performed by leisure horses under moderate air temperature. The experiment involved a control group without water application, and three variants of water cooling applied to 19 warmblood geldings after medium-intensity effort. Cooling of lower, upper, and lower and upper body parts was performed. In each variant, the rectal and body surface temperatures were measured five times: before; immediately after; and 10, 20, and 30 min after effort. Using water cooling under the studied conditions did not influence a post-exercise decrease in the rectal temperature. The decrease in body surface temperature depended on the used variant of cooling down the horse. Cooling the limbs by pouring water several times changed the surface body temperature from 34.2 ± 0.37 °C to 32.0 ± 0.32 °C and was more efficient than the repeated application of cool water on both the upper and lower body parts, leading to a temperature change from 34.6 ± 0.26 °C to 33.2 ± 0.36 °C. Thus, the application of cold water on the limbs only is sufficient for cooling the horse after medium-intensity exercise under moderate air temperature (about 24 °C).
We tested the hypothesis that social defensive responses to the vocalisation of a predator still exist in horses. The recordings of a grey wolf, an Arabian leopard and a golden jackal were played to 20 Konik polski and Arabian mares. Durations of grazing, standing still, standing alert and the number of steps in walk and trot/canter were measured. In one-minute scans, the distances of the focal horse from the reference horse (DIST-RH) and from the nearest loudspeaker (DIST-LS) were approximated. The vocalisation of a leopard aroused the Arabians more than the Koniks (less grazing, stand-still and walk, more stand-alert and trotting/cantering). Koniks showed more relaxed behaviours to the leopard vocalisation (more grazing, stand-still and walk), but high alertness to the wolf playback (stand-alert, trotting/cantering). Spatial formation of the herd of Koniks showed tight grouping (lower DIST-RH) and maintaining distance from the potential threat (DIST-LS) in response to the wolf howling, while the Arabians approached the loudspeakers in linear herd formation when the leopard growls were played. Adult horses responded to potential predation by changing spatial group formations. This ability to apply a social strategy may be one of the explanations for the least number of horses among all hunted farm animal species.
This study aimed to assess the impact of various types of warm-up on the metacarpal and metatarsal surface temperature in jumping sport horses in comparison to leisure horses, which work usually less intensively. Six clinically healthy sport geldings, contestants in showjumping competitions, and six geldings used for leisure riding were included in the study. The experiment was conducted for four consecutive days, during which the horses were warmed up by walking and trotting for various durations. Images were taken with a FLUKE Ti9 thermal imager to determine the resting, post-effort, and recovery temperature of the dorsal and plantar surface of the metacarpus and metatarsus of the four limbs. The obtained data were analysed with SmartView 4.1. software. The increase of measured rectal and surface temperatures was proportional to the warm-up duration. The surface temperature increase in the distal limb parts in jumping sport horses was greater than in horses used for leisure. The plantar surface was also warmer than the dorsal surface of the metacarpal/metatarsal areas, with a forelimb being warmer than a hind limb. Elevated temperatures after warm-up persist for 30 min in the recovery period, especially in jumping sport horses compared to leisure horses. Thus, the warming up effect is achieved earlier and lasts longer in heavily trained horses than in non-performance horses.
This study assessed the effect of access to pasture, lactation number, and foals’ sex on the nutritional value of milk (79 samples) from nine mares. The following were analysed: content of dry matter, protein, fat, lactose, and ash; percentages of α-lactalbumin (α-La), β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg), serum albumin (SA), immunoglobulins (Ig), lactoferrin (Lf), and lysozyme (Lz) in the total protein; and the fatty acid profile. Mares without access to pastures were shown to produce milk with a higher dry matter content, including fat, lactose, and ash; higher percentages of β-Lg, α-La, Ig, and Lf; and a better fatty acid profile. The milk from mares with access to pasture contained more protein, including higher percentages of SA and Lz. Milk from mares in lactations 4–6 had the highest fat and protein concentrations and the lowest lactose concentration. The α-La level was highest in lactation 1, Lf in lactations 2–3, and Lz in lactations 4–6. Milk from mares in lactations 4–6 had the best fatty acid profile (the lowest concentration of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and the highest concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids(MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)). Milk from mothers of female offspring had higher dry matter, fat, and protein concentrations, a higher share of lysozyme, and a better fatty acid profile.
Background It is not clear, if modern Konik Polski horses have retained the ability to identify sounds in terms of danger. The aim of the study was to identify differences in their behaviour in response to the reproduction of volcanic eruption and sea storm sounds, assumed to be unfamiliar to these horses, as compared to their response to a thunderclap sound, considered by the horses as potentially dangerous. The study included 13 adult mares of the Konik Polski breed, kept under a free-range system. Their behavioural responses to the reproduction of the three natural sounds with an intensity of over 50 dB, were registered. They were analysed distance of each horse to the central point of the pasture and to the exit from the enclosure, and time and/or frequencies of elements of behaviour categorised as: increased anxiety (walking, trotting and cantering), vigilance (snoring, vocalisation, high head position, high tail position, sticking together), foraging (time of grazing), comfort (playing, examining the surroundings, sniffing), maintenance of hygiene (rubbing against objects, auto- or allogrooming, rolling) and resting. The obtained data were analysed by the Dwass, Steel and Critchlow-Fligner method using the SAS program. Results Most of analysed elements increased in response to reproduced sounds and decreased after sounds were stop playing (p < 0.05), however, they were no significant differences in general response to each studied sound. Conclusions The responses of horses to similar sounds of both known and unknown origins, i.e. the sound of a thunderstorm, sea storm and volcanic eruption, are similar. The sound stimuli applied were not too stressful for the horses.
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