Age and Hydration of Competing Horses Influence the Outcome of Elite 160 km Endurance Rides.
Authors: Bollinger Lena, Bartel Alexander, Küper Alina, Weber Corinna, Gehlen Heidrun
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Age and Hydration as Pre-Ride Risk Factors in Elite Endurance Competition Pre-competition blood work may help identify horses at elevated risk of elimination before they start a 160 km endurance ride, according to research from the 2016 World Equestrian Games in Samorin. Researchers analysed blood samples from 49 competing horses, stratifying outcomes into finishers, lameness eliminations, and metabolic eliminations using multinomial logistic regression. Elevated hematocrit levels—indicating dehydration—emerged as a significant risk factor, with each 1% increase raising the odds of metabolic elimination by 34% and lameness elimination by 26%, whilst increased pre-ride potassium levels also correlated with lameness risk (odds ratio 4.21). Perhaps most striking was the finding that all eight-year-old horses in the cohort were eliminated, with survival analysis revealing significantly higher hazard for elimination in this age group. For practitioners involved in pre-ride assessment and conditioning, these findings suggest that evaluating hydration status and age-related capacity alongside standard veterinary screening could inform more informed entry decisions, whilst the marked age effect warrants consideration by the FEI regarding qualification criteria for elite 160 km events.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Check pre-ride hematocrit and potassium levels before 160 km endurance events—elevated values are strong predictors of elimination risk; horses with high hematocrit may be dehydrated despite appearing ready
- •Question the entry of 8-year-old horses in elite 160 km rides given the 100% elimination rate in this study; consider age-appropriate ride distances
- •Prioritize pre-ride hydration assessment and adjustment strategies, as dehydration (reflected in hematocrit) is a modifiable risk factor
Key Findings
- •A 1% increase in pre-ride hematocrit was associated with 26% higher odds of lameness elimination and 34% higher odds of metabolic elimination
- •Each 1 mmol/l increase in potassium correlated with 4.21 times higher odds of lameness elimination
- •Eight-year-old horses had a 100% elimination rate with significantly higher hazard for elimination compared to other age groups
- •Pre-ride hydration and age status can be used to assess elimination risk before competition