ABSTRACT. The fitness of 8 Andalusian horses between 3 and 4 years of age was analysed. The animals were subjected to an exercise test on a sandy track consisting of 2 stages of different intensities. The first stage was of submaximal intensity at 4 speeds which increased progressively (4.17, 5.56, 6.94 and 8.33 m/sec.) covering a distance of 1,000 m in each level. Between each of these speeds, the horses rested for 2 min. The second stage was a maximal speed test over the same distance carried out 2 min after the ending of the maximal phase. Data of heart rate, plasma lactate concentration, velocity, PCV and pH in the blood were obtained. Maximum heart rate, maximum velocity, V LA2 , V LA4 , peak lactate, minimum pH and maximum PCV were considered functional indexes. A principal component enabled us to segregate horses according to their fitness and in relation to the information provided by the trainers in charge of these horses. The most discriminant variables in order to segregate horses were pHmin, V LA4 , HRmax, V LA2 and Vmax. Differences between horses in relation to PCVmax were not found. The influence of each one of these functional indexes on the test exercise tolerance was discussed. -KEY WORDS: equine exercise, fitness, functional index.

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Powdered plant coagulant obtained from the cardoon flowers (Cynara cardunculus) was compared with calf rennet for the manufacture of traditional raw goats' milk cheese, by determining differences in the profiles of the amino acids throughout the ripening period. Derivatisation with o-phtaldialdehyde and a C 18 column were used for chromatographic separations. In order to establish the relationships between the different variables and to detect the most important causes of variability, principal component analysis was applied to the free amino acids data, which reduced to two dimensions where cheese samples from 2 to 60 days and cheeses from 90 to 120 days were distributed dependently of ripening time and coagulant used. Leu, Val, Lys, Gly, Tyr and Asp were correlated with PC1, which separated the samples according to their ripening time. Arg, His, Trp, Ser and Thr were correlated with PC2, which separated the samples according to the coagulant used.

Using simple techniques, the neutrophil function, in its phagocytosis and oxidative metabolism stages, was evaluated in horses. This was done before and after moderate exercise at the aerobic-anaerobic threshold (standardized heart rate 150 beats/min and lactate level of 3.07 +/- 0.21 mmol/L). The objective was to determine whether regular training and moderate exercise improved the neutrophil function. A group of 19 horses was used; 11 of these were untrained and the remainder trained for national jumping events. The exercise test consisted of a 5 min trot followed by a 3 min gallop on a long lunge. Blood samples were taken for analysis before, immediately after and 15 min after exercise. The results showed that (a) there is a difference in the internalization of particles (PI, PP and PE) by neutrophils from trained and untrained horses at a single time point during active recovery, and PP is higher in trained horses immediately after exercise; and (b) oxidative metabolism is significantly lower in untrained animals before and 1 min after exercise. The moderate exercise at the aerobic-anaerobic threshold did not have any influence on the peripheral blood neutrophil function of the phagocytosis and oxidative metabolism of particles.

The novel aim of this study was to describe the reference values of different haematological and biochemical parameters in the Spanish purebred horse (Andalusian, SPB) in each of the stages of a programmed exercise on a treadmill system, and to establish heritability and genetic correlations for these haematological and biochemical parameters. For this, 94 young SPB male horses (4.22 6 2.27 years old) were used. An increasing intensity exercise test at 4, 5, 6 and 7 m/s was carried out on a treadmill (6% inclination). Total red blood cells, total white blood cells, neutrophils and lymphocytes counts; haematocrit, haemoglobin, lactate, uric acid, creatinine and total plasma proteins concentrations and aspartate transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine-quinase activities were determined. To conclude: (i) the reference values for each parameter were determined for each of the exercise test stages (ii) all the parameters analysed manifested a medium-high heritability and a high repeatability. These results will, in the near future, determine the measuring guidelines for improving the SPB horse's athletic ability on an objective treadmill system and for selecting these animals in response to those parameters.

Nine three-day event horses were divided into two groups. In Group A (4 horses), prior to the start of training, horses were subjected to standardized exercise test (SET) A: after a warm-up of 5 min walking and 6 min trotting, horses were galloped at 400 m, 500 m, 600 m, and 700 m/min over 1000 m with 5 min walking in between. In Group B (5 horses), after four months of training, horses were subjected to SET B: after a warm up of 5 min walking and 20 min trotting, horses were galloped at 400 m, 500 m, and 600 m/min over 1000 m with 5 min walking in between. For the SET of Group A, six physiological indices (V150, V200, VLA2, VLA4, HRLA2, HRLA4) were determined. Among these, VLA4 is an important index, being the exercise intensity needed to improve both aerobic and anaerobic capacities. At the conclusion of SET A, since blood lactate levels exceeded 4 mmol/l the final gallop at 700 m/min was eliminated. Two horses in Group B required a more intense exercise to realize blood lactate levels of 4 mmol/l. Increasing the exercises intensity of SET B can be accomplished by shortening the walking interval between galloping exercises, and this would decrease the risk of musculoskeletal injury.

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