Treatment of a severe distal forelimb wound presenting with extensive laceration and distal interphalangeal joint luxation in a donkey

in Pferdeheilkunde (2012), 28(2), 160-166

Measurement of oxygen consumption and cardio-respiratory parameters in ridden horse

in Pferdeheilkunde (2006, August), 22(5), 619-624

This study aimed at testing the feasibility of using the Cosmed K4 b2® portable telemetric gas analysis system to record metabolic parameters in ridden exercising horses. Adaptation of the Cosmed K4 b2® ... [more ▼]

This study aimed at testing the feasibility of using the Cosmed K4 b2® portable telemetric gas analysis system to record metabolic parameters in ridden exercising horses. Adaptation of the Cosmed K4 b2® to horses’ specificities included the design of an airtight face-mask (Equimask®) adapted to a hackamore bridle to allow ridding the horse. The portable system enables the recording of tidal volume (VT), respiratory rate (RR), minute expired volume (VE), pulmonary oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide delivery (VCO2), heart rate (HR) and speed. Four saddle horses equipped with the system completed 3 treadmill tests (TT1 to TT3) and 1 field test (FT) consisting of galloping phases at incremental speeds. Horses were sampled for blood lactate (LA) during the tests. The successive treadmill tests showed the influence of stress on measurements: with horses becoming accustomed to treadmill, LA and HR were reduced between TT1 and TT3. As VO2 is related to cardiovascular function, influence of stress resulted in higher VO2 in TT1 vs. TT3. The VO2 reached at maximal speed during treadmill tests was lower than the expected maximal aerobic power (VO2max) for trained saddle horses. During FT, the VO2 reached at the final gallop was lower than the VO2 recorded during any of the treadmill tests thus reflecting the increasing difficulty to reach VO2max with ridden horses in field conditions. This study demonstrated that cardiorespiratory parameters may be obtained in ridden horses during a field trial and opens new perspectives in the follow-up of sport horses in real field conditions. [less ▲]

New perspective for field measurement of cardiorespiratory parameters in exercising horses

in Pferdeheilkunde (2006)

This study aimed at testing the feasibility of using the Cosmed K4 b(2(R)) portable telemetric gas analysis system to record metabolic parameters in ridden exercising horses. Adaptation of the Cosmed K4 b ... [more ▼]

This study aimed at testing the feasibility of using the Cosmed K4 b(2(R)) portable telemetric gas analysis system to record metabolic parameters in ridden exercising horses. Adaptation of the Cosmed K4 b(2(R)) to horses' specificities included the design of on airtight face-mask (Equimask(R)) adapted to a hackamore bridle to allow ridding the horse. The portable system enables the recording of tidal volume (VT), respiratory rate (RR), minute expired volume (VE), pulmonary oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide delivery (VCO2), heart rate (HR) and speed. Four saddle horses equipped with the system completed 3 treadmill tests (TT1 to 73) and 1 field test (FT) consisting of galloping phases at incremental speeds. Horses were sampled for blood lactate (LA) during the tests. The successive treadmill tests showed the influence of stress on measurements: with horses becoming accustomed to treadmill, LA and HR were reduced between TT1 and TT3. As VO2 is related to cardiovascular function, influence of stress resulted in higher VO2 in TT1 vs. TT3. The VO2 reached at maximal speed during treadmill tests was lower than the expected maximal aerobic power (VO2max) for trained saddle horses. During FT, the VO2 reached at the final gallop was lower than the VO2 recorded during any of the tread Mill tests thus reflecting the increasing difficulty to reach VO2max with ridden horses in field conditions. This study demonstrated that cardiorespiratory parameters may be obtained in ridden horses during a field trial and opens new perspectives in the follow-up of sport horses in real field conditions. [less ▲]

Oxidative stress in equine medicine - Current knowledge

in Pferdeheilkunde (2002), 18(6), 569-573

Oxidative stress has become of increasing interest in research and human medicine. Oxidants or reactive oxygen species are generated by metabolic reactions and play an important role for the immune ... [more ▼]

Oxidative stress has become of increasing interest in research and human medicine. Oxidants or reactive oxygen species are generated by metabolic reactions and play an important role for the immune defence and the "redox-regulation" of gene expression, In physiological conditions, different categories of antioxidants maintain the equilibrium between the pro-oxidant burden and the endogenous antioxidant defence. However, when an imbalance between oxidants and antioxidants in favour of oxidants occurs, oxidative stress might induce irreversible lesions that can be evidenced and characterised by oxidant markers. In equine medicine, it has been shown that oxidative stress is occurring in lower airway disease and equine motor neuron disease. Moreover, adopted antioxicants therapy appears to have a beneficial effect on the antioxidant-oxidant imbalance. Exercise-induced oxidative stress and its impact on animal welfare and performance are also under investigation in equine sports medicine, Oxidative stress has been demonstrated to cepend on exercise type, intensity and duration. It might be modulated by training and/or adopted antioxidant therapy, aiming to maintain the antioxidant-oxidant equilibrium and thereby to improve animal welfare. [less ▲]