Pre-Ride Biomarkers and Endurance Horse Welfare: Analyzing the Impact of the Elimination of Superoxide Dismutase, δ-Aminolevulinic-Dehydratase, Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances, Iron, and Serum Amyloid A Levels in Elite 160 km Endurance Rides.

Authors: Bollinger Lena, Bartel Alexander, Weber Corinna, Gehlen Heidrun

Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI

DOI: 10.3390/ani13101670 PubMed: 37238102Log in to save

Summary

# Editorial Summary Elimination during elite 160 km endurance rides remains a significant welfare concern, yet identifying at-risk horses before competition begins has proven challenging. Researchers examined blood samples from 49 horses competing in the 2016 World Endurance Championship, measuring five oxidative stress and inflammatory markers—superoxide dismutase (SOD), δ-aminolevulinic-dehydratase (ALAD), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), iron, and serum amyloid A (SAA)—to determine which could predict race elimination. Elevated pre-ride SOD emerged as a statistically significant risk factor for lameness-related elimination (p = 0.011), whilst the other four biomarkers showed no predictive value for either metabolic or lameness withdrawals. For practitioners involved in conditioning elite endurance horses, this finding suggests that elevated SOD levels warrant consideration as a pre-competition screening tool; horses presenting with high SOD might benefit from additional recovery time or modified conditioning protocols before competing, potentially reducing the high elimination rates that compromise both welfare and completion statistics in this demanding discipline.

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Practical Takeaways

•Request pre-ride SOD testing for horses competing in 160 km endurance events; elevated levels may warrant veterinary evaluation before competition to prevent lameness-related elimination
•Current standard biomarkers (ALAD, TBARS, iron, SAA) do not reliably predict elimination risk and should not be used as sole pre-ride screening tools
•Pre-ride laboratory screening using SOD may help identify at-risk horses, potentially improving welfare outcomes and completion rates in elite endurance competition

Key Findings

•Elevated pre-ride superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were associated with lameness elimination (p = 0.011) in 160 km endurance rides
•ALAD, TBARS, iron, and SAA levels showed no statistically significant impact on race outcome or elimination rates
•Pre-ride biomarker assessment may identify horses at risk of elimination before competition
•Among 49 elite endurance horses, horses were categorized as finishers, lame eliminations, or metabolically eliminated horses

Conditions Studied

lameness elimination in endurance ridesmetabolic elimination in endurance ridesexercise-induced oxidative stress

Related References

Age and Hydration of Competing Horses Influence the Outcome of Elite 160 km Endurance Rides.

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