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Comparison of body temperatures and pulse rate between athletic and non-athletic horses during the hot-humid
Ayodele Stephen Ake1, Olumide Odunayo Akinniyi2
1Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Abstract:
Clinical assessment of parameters that give indications of the health status and fitness of horses are very important in equine practice. The study aimed to compare the resting body temperatures at different anatomical sites and resting pulse rates of athletic and non-athletic horses. Eighteen horses were used for the study, comprising ten athletic and eight non-athletic horses. Measurements of environmental parameters, rectal temperature (RT), body surface temperature (BST) and pulse rate were recorded between 9 and 11 am twice with one week interval at the Ibadan Polo Club, Eleyele, Ibadan, Oyo State. The environmental parameters were slightly above the established thermoneutral zone for horses. The RT (37.7 ± 0.22 ℃) and BST values obtained in the athletic horses were not significantly (P ˃ 0.05) different from the RT (37.6 ± 0.26 ℃) and BST values recorded in the non-athletic horses. The pulse rate recorded in the athletic horses (35.2 ± 4.79 beats/minute) was significantly (P ˂ 0.05) lower than that obtained in the non-athletic horses (39.6 ± 3.44 beats/minute), with a p-value of 0.004. The mean bias differences of the base of the tail temperatures of athletic and non-athletic horses are 0.55 ± 0.35 °C and 0.31 ± 0.41 °C, respectively and were the closest to RT values in both groups. In conclusion, the resting pulse rate obtained in the athletic horses was significantly lower compared with the non-athletic horses, which is a very important indicator of the health status and physical fitness of the horses. The base of the tail temperature, using infrared thermometer is reliable and closest to the core body temperature.
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