Effect of Physical Exercise in Hemogasometric and Electrolytic Profiles of Young Mangalarga Marchador Horses Beginning Training for Gait Competitions.
Authors: Nogueira Willian A, Ferreira Padilha Felipe G, Angelo Luiz Michele, da Silva Salomão Nielly, Monteiro Fonseca Ana B, Reis Ferreira Ana M
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Young Mangalarga Marchador horses undergoing gait competition training exhibit measurable physiological responses to submaximal exercise, with significant changes in cardiovascular parameters, blood gases, and metabolic markers—findings that underscore the importance of monitoring training adaptation in gaited breeds. Researchers evaluated six young horses (aged 3.5–5 years, mean 435 kg bodyweight) with six months of training experience, collecting venous blood samples alongside heart rate and rectal temperature measurements before and immediately after standardised gait tests. Physical effort significantly elevated heart rate and rectal temperature whilst increasing oxygen pressure and saturation, alongside rises in blood calcium and glucose levels (all p ≤ 0.046), yet notably did not trigger dehydration or lactate accumulation indicative of anaerobic fatigue. These results suggest that appropriately trained young gaited horses adapt well to the submaximal demands of competition-level training, maintaining metabolic homeostasis without entering a fatigued state. For practitioners managing gaited horses in training, these findings validate that structured conditioning programmes produce measurable physiological maturation, though the modest sample size warrants further investigation into how individual variation and training intensity might influence these adaptive responses across different gaited breeds.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Young Mangalarga Marchador horses can safely tolerate submaximal gait training efforts after 6 months of conditioning without excessive fatigue or dehydration markers
- •Monitor heart rate and temperature responses as practical field indicators of exercise intensity; these young horses showed appropriate cardiovascular adaptation
- •Horses in this age group receiving consistent training develop adequate fitness for competition preparation without signs of overtraining or metabolic distress
Key Findings
- •Physical exercise significantly increased heart rate (p≤0.027), rectal temperature (p≤0.028), and pO2 (p≤0.027) in young Mangalarga Marchador horses
- •Oxygen saturation (sO2), calcium (Ca2+), and glucose levels were significantly elevated post-exercise (p≤0.046, p≤0.046, and p≤0.028 respectively)
- •Young horses with 6 months training showed no signs of dehydration or fatigue following submaximal effort gait testing, indicating adequate conditioning
- •Young gaited horses (3.5-5 years old) demonstrated good physiological adaptation to training-level exercise without entering a state of exhaustion