Use of Infrared Thermography to Assess Body Temperature as a Physiological Stress Indicator in Horses during Ridden and Lunging Sessions

Abstract

Equitation is a cause of physiological stress in the equine athlete, and personality is a factor generally associated with the different responses of equines to stressors. This study explored ocular temperature, measured via infrared thermography, associated with personality and stress in horses submitted to dressage exercising in riding lessons, ridden training and lunging. Infrared thermograms of 16 horses were taken before and after sessions using an FLIR F4 camera (FLIR Systems AB, Sweden) to determine maximum eye surface IRT temperature (IRTmax), and total training time was registered (T). A novel-stimulus test was conducted for personality assessment, and the ridden behavior was scored (mRBS). The results showed that T was statistically different (p ˂ 0.001) between modalities, but no differences were found in any IRTmax tests. Statistical correlations were found between mRBS and personality groups, sex and age (all p < 0.001). Additionally—and with caution, given the sample—no association was found between mRBS and post-workout IRT readings and modality, or between pre-workout IRT readings and personality groups. We conclude that trained horses show little stress when working in a familiar environment and when the workout plan is submaximal. The personality test was adequate and positively correlated with ridden behavior.

Association between Infrared Thermography, Blood Count and Creatine Kinase in the Evaluation of the Welfare of Vaquejada Horses

“…An example of the new processes incorporated is infrared thermography (IRT), which has been shown to be simple and can be used in various conditions, provided that they meet the specifications for use [16]. The IRT has good accuracy in its measurements and is accepted in the scientific community as an effective methodology to assess animal health and welfare [17] [18]. Thus, the combination of thermography with different hematological biomarkers may improve the identification of physiological changes in stress responses and the quality of animal health [19] [20] [21] [22].…”

Functions of Representative Terpenoids and Their Biosynthesis Mechanisms in Medicinal Plants

“…Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in antitumor activity, cardiovascular activity, and atherogenesis [33][34][35][36]. Ginkgolide can cross the blood-brain barrier, activating the nuclear factor E2-associated factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway and upregulating the expression of oxidative stress-related proteins heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and Nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) to reduce the cellular damage caused by oxidative stress [31].…”

The Postural and Body Surface Temperature Response of Leisure Horses to Lunging with Selected Lunging Aids

“…Riding and lunging are crucial elements of a horse’s daily routine, designed to provide the necessary quantity and quality of exercise [ 1 ]. Exercise necessitates efficient cooperation among all the physiological systems [ 2 ], making both forms of training essential for enhancing the horse’s fitness, performance, and overall physical condition.…”

“…As exercise intensity increases, the metabolic heat production influenced by muscle metabolism and blood circulation [ 40 , 41 ] rises, necessitating increased heat loss [ 39 , 42 ]. Soroko et al used infrared thermography to describe variation in back temperature distribution throughout the training cycle [ 43 ], Simon et al studied temperatures of limbs in treadmill training sessions [ 44 ], Martins and Silva compared the eye temperature between lunging and ridden workout [ 1 ], and other authors assessed the effect of head and neck position during lunging on surface temperature in the distal limb region [ 12 ], head and neck region [ 35 ], and multiple regions representing almost the entire surface of the horse’s body [ 45 ]. However, in the most recent study, Martins and Silva [ 1 ] emphasized the need for more conclusive research on horses’ work on the lunge to better understand its effects on the horse’s body.…”