Estimation of Physical Fitness in Sport Horses by a Scoring System with Functional Indexes

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The following lines represent a summary of the article entitled “Estimation of Physical Fitness in Sport Horses by a Scoring System with Functional Indexes”, which was written in Spanish under the title “Estimación Del Estado De Forma Física En Caballos De Deporte Mediante Índices De Funcionalidad”. This article was written by Ana Muñoz Juzado, Milagros Benito Hernández, Raquel Gómez Lucas, Sabina Rovira Cardete and Katiuska Satué Ambrojo, and published in Revista Científica, FCV-LUZ / Vol. XV, Nº 3, 217 – 226, 2005

“This research aims to describe an objective method, using indexes of cardiovascular and metabolic functions, to score horses according to their fitness level. A total of 45 adult male Andalusian horses were studied. They performed a field exercise test, preceded by a warming-up period at a trot (4 m/s) for 1,000 m. The exercise test was composed of 4 workloads at 5, 6, 7, and 8 m/s, covering 1.000 m in each speed. Heart rate (HR) was monitorized throughout the test and venous blood samples were withdrawn at rest, after warming-up, after each workload and at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 15, and 30 minutes of an active recuperation. Haemoglobin concentration (HB) and packed cell volume (PCV) were determined in blood, and lactate concentrations (LA) were measured in plasma. The markers of aerobic potential have been: HBo’ and PCVo’ (HB and PCV at 8 m/s), V150 and VLA2 (velocities at 150 bpm and 2 mmol/L of LA, respectively), HRLA2 (HR at 2 mmol/L of LA) and LA150 (LA at 150 bpm). The markers of glycolytic-mixed potential have been: HRmax (maximum HR), HRo’ (HR at 8 m/s), LAmax (maximum LA), LAo’ (LA at 8 m/s), V200 and VLA4 (velocities at 200 bpm and 4 mmol/L of LA), HRLA4 (HR at 4 mmol/L of LA) and LA200 (LA at 200 bpm). The best indexes to segregate horses according to fitness have been: VLA2, LA150 and PCVo’ (oxidative potential) and HRo’, VLA4 and V200 (glycolytic-mixed potential). VLA2, VLA4 and V200 were positively correlated and HRo’, PCVo’ and LA150, negatively correlated to physical fitness.”

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Estimación Del Estado De Forma Física En Caballos De Deporte Mediante Índices De Funcionalidad