Salivary cortisol levels in horses and their junior riders during show jumping
Salivary cortisol levels in horses and their junior riders during show jumping
The group of 22 warm-blooded half-breed horses (6 stallions, 6 mares, and 10 geldings) and their riders (12 women and10 men) who ended jumping competition for juniors, were selected for a study. The horses were aged from 7 to 17 years, while theriders were 15 to 18 years old. The saliva samples were collected before and after each jumping round. The cortisol concentration wasdetermined by using an immunoassay method. The following factors were considered: horses’ sex, age, and breeds, riders’ sex andage as well. In riders, significant correlation was found in the group of younger juniors (15–16 years old) between the level of cortisolconcentration before and after jumping round. High significant correlation coefficient was found due to influence of sex and age ofhorses on salivary cortisol concentration, but only for stallions and mares. Individual horses’ intensity of cortisol release in responseto participation in jumping competition is found to vary greatly. Therefore, the salivary cortisol test seems to be a useful and efficientmethod to evaluate the horses’ responses to competitions including the influence of the rider.
___
- 1. Cravana C, Giovani FD, Medica P, Fazio E, Ferlazzo A.
Cortisol response of therapeutic riding horses to hippotherapy
and horse riding sessions. In: Conference on Equine Sports
Medicine and Science; 2008. pp. 153-158. doi: 10.3920/978-90-
8686-643-4
- 2. Aardal E, Holm A-C. Cortisol in saliva-reference ranges
and relation to cortisol in serum. Clinical Chemistry and
Laboratory Medicine 1995; 33 (12): 927-932. doi: 10.1515/
cclm.1995.33.12.927
- 3. Marc M, Parvizi N, Ellendorff F, Kallweit E, Elsaesser F.
Plasma cortisol and ACTH concentrations in the warmblood
horse in response to a standardized treadmill exercise test
as physiological markers for evaluation of training status.
Journal of Animal Science 2000; 78 (7): 1936-1946. doi:
10.2527/2000.7871936x
- 4. Peeters M, Closson C, Beckers J-F, Vandenheede M. Rider and
horse salivary cortisol levels during competition and impact
on performance. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 2013;
33 (3): 155-160. doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2012.05.073
- 5. Peeters M, Sulon J, Serteyn D, Vandenheede M. Assessment of
stress level in horses during competition using salivary cortisol:
preliminary studies. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical
Applications and Research 2010; 5 (4): 216. doi: 10.1016/j.
jveb.2009.10.043
- 6. Schmidt A, Aurich J, Möstl E, Müller J, Aurich C. Changes
in cortisol release and heart rate and heart rate variability
during the initial training of 3-year-old sport horses.
Hormones and Behavior 2010; 58 (4): 628-636. doi: 10.1016/j.
yhbeh.2010.06.011
- 7. Schmidt A, Biau S, Möstl E, Becker-Birck M, Morillon B et
al. Changes in cortisol release and heart rate variability in
sport horses during long-distance road transport. Domestic
Animal Endocrinology 2010; 38 (3): 179-189. doi: 10.1016/j.
domaniend.2009.10.002
- 8. Desmecht D, Linden A, Amory H, Art T, Lekeux P. Relationship
of plasma lactate production to cortisol release following
completion of different types of sporting events in horses.
Veterinary Research Communications 1996; 20 (4): 371-379.
doi: 10.1007/BF00366544
- 9. Cartmill JA, Thompson Jr DL, Storer WA, Gentry LR, Huff
NK. Endocrine responses in mares and geldings with high
body condition scores grouped by high vs. low resting leptin
concentrations. Journal of Animal Science 2003; 81 (9): 2311-
2321. doi: 10.2527/2003.8192311x
- 10. Strzelec K, Kankofer M, Pietrzak S. Cortisol concentration in
the saliva of horses subjected to different kinds of exercise.
Acta Veterinaria Brno 2011; 80 (1): 101-105. doi: 10.2754/
avb201180010101
- 11. Barrou Z, Thomopoulos P, Luton JP. Assay of salivary cortisol.
An interesting method for exploring the adrenal cortex. Presse
Medicale (Paris, France: 1983) 1997; 26 (7): 329-331.
- 12. Franco C, Paris JJ, Wulfert E, Frye CA. Male gamblers have
significantly greater salivary cortisol before and after betting on
a horse race, than do female gamblers. Physiology & Behavior
2010; 99 (2): 225-229. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.08.002
- 13. Strzelec K, Kędzierski W, Bereznowski A, Janczarek I, Bocian
K et al.Salivary cortisol Levels in horses and their riders during
three-day-events. Bulletin of the Veterinary Institute in Pulawy
2013; 57 (2): 237-241. doi: 10.2478/bvip-2013-0042
- 14. Garwin AW, Koltyn KF, Morgan WP. Influence of acute
physical activity and relaxation on state anxiety and blood
lactate in untrained college males. International Journal of
Sports Medicine 1997; 28 (06): 470-476. doi: 10.1055/s-2007-
972666
- 15. Strzelec K. Cortisol concentration in saliva as an indicator of
the stress reaction in horses studied during different types of
utility. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Przyrodniczego w Lublinie
2013; (374): 87.
- 16. Fazio E, Medica P, Aronica V, Grasso L, Ferlazzo A. Circulating
β-endorphin, adrenocorticotrophic hormone and cortisol
levels of stallions before and after short road transport: stress
effect of different distances. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica
2008; 50 (1): 6. doi: 10.1186/1751-0147-50-6
- 17. Nogueira G de P, Barnabe RC, Bedran-de-Castro JC, Moreira
AF, Fernandes WRet al. Serum cortisol, lactate and creatinine
concentrations in Thoroughbred fillies of different ages and
states of training. Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Research
and Animal Science 2002; 39 (1): 54-57. doi: 10.1590/S1413-
95962002000100010
- 18. Ferlazzo A, Medica P, Cravana C, Fazio E. Endocrine changes
after experimental showjumping. Comparative Exercise
Physiology 2009; 6 (2): 59-66. doi: 10.1017/S1755254009990110
- 19. Möstl E, Palme R. Hormones as indicators of stress. Domestic
Animal Endocrinology 2002; 23 (1-2): 67-74. doi: 10.1016/
S0739-7240 (02)00146-7