Correlation between Ocular and Rectal Temperature with Intra Ocular Pressure in Horse during Exercise.
Authors: Aragona Francesca, Di Pietro Simona, Arfuso Francesca, Fazio Francesco, Piccione Giuseppe, Giudice Elisabetta, Giannetto Claudia
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Ocular Temperature and Intraocular Pressure During Exercise in Horses Understanding how a horse's body responds to exercise requires monitoring multiple physiological markers, yet the relationship between core temperature and intraocular pressure (IOP) remains relatively unexplored in clinical practice. Researchers measured ocular temperature, rectal temperature, and IOP in 14 healthy saddle horses before and after jumping exercise sessions conducted in morning (09:00–10:00) and afternoon (19:00–20:00) time slots, using two-way repeated-measures ANOVA and Bland-Altman agreement analysis to evaluate correlations across conditions. Exercise produced statistically significant increases in IOP (p = 0.0001), whilst both rectal and ocular temperatures were significantly influenced by both time of day and exercise (p = 0.0001), with good agreement demonstrated between rectal and ocular temperature measurements. The study found positive correlation between elevated body temperature and IOP changes during work, suggesting these variables may function as useful indicators of athletic fitness status during performance. For practitioners, this implies that non-invasive ocular temperature measurement—already available through infrared thermography—could potentially complement traditional fitness assessment protocols, though further validation in larger populations and across different exercise intensities would strengthen clinical application.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Ocular temperature and intraocular pressure may serve as measurable indicators of athletic fitness and exercise response in performance horses
- •Time of day affects body temperature responses to exercise in horses, suggesting training schedules should consider circadian effects
- •Non-invasive ocular thermography could be a useful field tool for monitoring physical stress and fitness status during training
Key Findings
- •Intraocular pressure showed statistically significant increase after exercise (p = 0.0001)
- •Rectal and ocular temperature were influenced by time of day and exercise conditions (p = 0.0001)
- •Bland-Altman testing confirmed agreement between rectal and ocular temperature measurements
- •Correlation exists between increased body temperatures and intraocular pressure variations during exercise