Hostname: page-component-669899f699-vbsjw Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-04-25T00:12:17.930Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Physiological variables of horses after road transport

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 May 2009

E. Fazio ,
P. Medica ,
C. Cravana ,
E. Giacoppo  and
A. Ferlazzo
E. Fazio*
Affiliation:
Department of Morphology, Biochemistry, Physiology and Animal Production – Unit of Veterinary Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
P. Medica
Affiliation:
Department of Morphology, Biochemistry, Physiology and Animal Production – Unit of Veterinary Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
C. Cravana
Affiliation:
Department of Morphology, Biochemistry, Physiology and Animal Production – Unit of Veterinary Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
E. Giacoppo
Affiliation:
Department of Morphology, Biochemistry, Physiology and Animal Production – Unit of Veterinary Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
A. Ferlazzo
Affiliation:
Department of Morphology, Biochemistry, Physiology and Animal Production – Unit of Veterinary Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

In order to investigate the effects of short road transport stress on total and free iodothyronines, body weight (BW), rectal temperature and heart rate (HR) changes, 126 healthy stallions were studied in basal conditions, before and after transport. A total of 60 Thoroughbred and 66 crossbred stallions aged 4 to 15 years with previous travelling experience were transported by road in a commercial trailer for a period of about 3 to 4 h (distance under 300 km). Blood samples and functional variables were collected in each horse box, one week before loading and transport in basal conditions (control samples), one week later immediately before loading (pre-samples) and again after transport and unloading (about 3 to 4 h) in each new horse box, within 30 min of their arrival at the breeding stations (post-samples). Compared to the before-transport values, increases in circulating T3, T4 and fT4 levels (P < 0.01) were observed after transport, irrespective of breed, but not for fT3 levels. Lower T4 and fT4 levels were observed in basal II (at 1100 h) (P < 0.01) than in basal I (at 0800 h) conditions and before transport. Thoroughbreds showed higher fT3 (P < 0.05) and fT4 (P < 0.01) levels after transport than crossbred stallions. No significant differences were observed for T3 and T4. Compared to the before-transport values, significant increases in rectal temperature (P < 0.01) and HR (P < 0.05) were observed after transport. No differences were observed between basal I, II and before values for functional variables. Significant correlations between T3 and rectal temperature, BW and HR were found. The results indicate that short road transport induces a preferential release of T3, T4 and fT4 hormones from the thyroid gland in relation to different breed, and an increase in rectal temperature and HR. No significant changes in BW were observed. No differences were observed in relation to different ages. The data obtained suggest that the stallion’s thyroid hormones and functional variables may play an important role in assessing the effects of transport stress and a horse’s coping strategy.

Keywords

horseiodothyroninesrectal temperatureheart ratetransport
Type
Full Paper
Information
animal , Volume 3 , Issue 9 , September 2009 , pp. 1313 - 1318
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Baucus, KL, Ralston, SL, Nockels, CF, McKinnon, AO, Squires, EL 1990a. Effects of transportation on early embryonic death in mares. Journal of Animal Science 68, 345–351.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baucus, KL, Squires, EL, Ralston, SL, McKinnon, AO, Nett, TM 1990b. Effect of transportation on the estrous cycle and concentrations of hormones in mares. Journal of Animal Science 68, 419–426.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bird, JA, Clarke, L, Symonds, ME 1998. Influence of thyrotrophin-releasing hormone on thermoregulation in newborn lambs. Biology of the Neonate 73, 52–59.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chen, CL, Riley, AM 1981. Serum thyroxine and triiodothyronine concentrations in neonatal foals and mature horses. American Journal of Veterinary Research 42, 1415–1417.Google ScholarPubMed
Duckett, WM, Manning, JP, Weston, PG 1989. Thyroid hormone periodicity in healthy adult geldings. Equine Veterinary Journal 21, 123–125.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fazio, E, Ferlazzo, A 2003. Evaluation of stress during transport. Veterinary Research Communications 27, 519–524.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fazio, E, Medica, P, Alberghina, D, Cavaleri, S, Ferlazzo, A 2005. Effect of long-distance road transport on thyroid and adrenal function and haematocrit values in Limousin cattle: influence of body weight decrease. Veterinary Research Communications 29, 713–719.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fazio, E, Medica, P, Cravana, C, Messineo, C, Ferlazzo, A 2007. Total and free iodothyronine levels of growing Thoroughbred foals: effects of weaning and gender. Livestock Science 110, 207–213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flisińska-Bojanowska, A, Komosa, M, Gill, J 1991. Influence of pregnancy on diurnal and seasonal changes in cortisol, T3 and T4 levels in the mare blood serum. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology (A) 98, 23–30.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
González, O, González, E, Sánchez, C, Pinto, J, González, I, Enríquez, O, Martínez, R, Filgueira, G, White, A 1998. Effect of exercise on erythrocyte β-adrenergic receptors and plasma concentrations of catecholamines and thyroid hormones in Thoroughbred horses. Equine Veterinary Journal 30, 72–78.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Greene, HM, Cogger, EA, Miltenberger, TL, Koch, AK, Bray, RE, Wickler, SJ 2002. Metabolic and osmoregulatory function at low and high (3800 m) altitude. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 34, 545–550.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gutierrez, CV, Riddle, WT, Bramlage, LR 2002. Serum thyroxine concentrations and pregnancy rates 15 to 16 days after ovulation in broodmares. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 220, 64–66.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Helmreich, DL, Crouch, M, Dorr, NP, Parfitt, DB 2006. Peripheral triiodothyronine (T3) levels during escapable and inescapable footshock. Physiology and Behavior 87, 114–119.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Irvine, CHG, Evans, MJ 1975. Postnatal changes in total and free thyroxine and triiodothyronine in foal serum. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility Supplement 23, 709–715.Google Scholar
Larsen, PR, Silva, JE, Kaplan, MM 1981. Relationships between circulating and intracellular hormones: physiological and clinical implications. Endocrine Reviews 2, 87–102.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leadon, DP 1994. Studies of the effects of transporting horses: better to arrive than to travel. Equine Veterinary Journal 26, 346–347.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Malinowski, K, Christensen, RA, Hafs, HD, Scanes, CG 1996. Age and breed differences in thyroid hormones, insulin-like growth factors (IGF)-I and IGF binding proteins in female horses. Journal of Animal Science 74, 1936–1942.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McGuire, MA, Beede, DK, Collier, RJ, Buonomo, FC, DeLorenzo, MA, Wilcox, CJ, Huntington, GB, Reynolds, CK 1991. Effects of acute thermal stress and amount of feed intake on concentrations of somatotropin, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF-II, and thyroid hormones in plasma of lactating Holstein cows. Journal of Animal Science 69, 2050–2056.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meredith, TB, Dobrinski, I 2004. Thyroid function and pregnancy status in broodmares. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 224, 892–894.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Messer, NT, Johnson, PJ, Refsal, KJ, Nachreiner, RF, Ganjam, VK, Krause, GF 1995. Effect of food deprivation on baseline iodothyronine and cortisol concentrations in healthy, adult horses. American Journal of Veterinary Research 56, 116–121.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morris, DD, Garcia, M 1983. Thyroid-stimulating hormone: response test in healthy horses, and effect of phenylbutazone on equine thyroid hormones. American Journal of Veterinary Research 44, 503–507.Google ScholarPubMed
Peeters, RP, Debaveye, Y, Fliers, E, Visser, TJ 2006. Changes within the thyroid axis during critical illness. Critical Care Clinics 22, 41–55.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Powell, DM, Lawrence, LM, Fitzgerald, BP, Danielsen, K, Parker, A, Siciliano, P, Crum, A 2000. Effect of short-term feed restriction and calorie source on hormonal and metabolic responses in geldings receiving a small meal. Journal of Animal Science 78, 3107–3113.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rammerstorfer, C, Potter, GD, Brumbaugh, GW, Gibbs, PG, Varner, DD, Rammerstorfer, EH 2001. Physiologic responses of acclimatized or non-acclimatized mature reining horses to heat stress: I. heart rate, respiration rate, lactate, rectal temperature, cortisol and packed cell volume. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 21, 431–438.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schantz, SL, Widholm, JJ 2001. Cognitive effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in animals. Environmental Health Perspective 109, 1197–1206.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, BL, Jones, JH, Carlson, GP, Pascoe, JR 1994. Body position and direction preferences in horses during road transport. Equine Veterinary Journal 26, 374–377.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stull, CL 1999. Responses of horses to trailer design, duration, and floor area during commercial transportation to slaughter. Journal of Animal Science 77, 2925–2933.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stull, CL, Rodiek, AV 2000. Physiological responses of horses to 24 hours of transportation using a commercial van during summer conditions. Journal of Animal Science 78, 1458–1466.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stull, CL, Spier, SJ, Aldridge, BM, Blanchard, M, Stott, JL 2004. Immunological response to long-term transport stress in mature horses and effects of adaptogenic dietary supplementation as an immunomodulator. Equine Veterinary Journal 36, 583–589.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Suwannachot, P, Verkleij, CB, Kocsis, S, Enzerink, E, Everts, ME 2000. Prolonged food restriction and mild exercise in Shetland ponies: effects on weight gain, thyroid hormone concentrations and muscle Na+, K+ -ATPase. The Journal of Endocrinology 167, 321–329.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Waran, NK, Cuddeford, D 1995. Effects of loading and transport on the heart rate and behaviour of horses. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 43, 71–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waran, NK, Robertson, V, Cuddeford, D, Kokoszko, A, Marlin, DJ 1996. Effects of transporting horses facing either forwards or backwards on their behaviour and heart rate. The Veterinary Record 139, 7–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed