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Energetic requirements and physiological adaptation of draught horses to ploughing work

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

R. Pérez ,
S. Valenzuela ,
V. Merino ,
I. Cabezas ,
M. García ,
R. Bou  and
P. Ortiz
R. Pérez
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad de Concepción, Campus Chillán, Casilla 537, Chillán, Chile
S. Valenzuela
Affiliation:
Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Agronomia, Universidad de Concepción, Campus Chillán, Casilla 537, Chillán, Chile
V. Merino
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad de Concepción, Campus Chillán, Casilla 537, Chillán, Chile
I. Cabezas
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad de Concepción, Campus Chillán, Casilla 537, Chillán, Chile
M. García
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad de Concepción, Campus Chillán, Casilla 537, Chillán, Chile
R. Bou
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad de Concepción, Campus Chillán, Casilla 537, Chillán, Chile
P. Ortiz
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciencias Clínicas, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad de Concepción, Campus Chillán, Casilla 537, Chillán, Chile
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Abstract

Five Chilean crossbred draught horses were used to study variation in work performance and biochemical and physiological parameters whilst working with a mould board plough (36 kg) for 6 h/day. The draught force, distance travelled, work done and the estimated extra energy for work were determined for each horse. The results showed that the horses used only 68·0 (s.e. 1·9)% of the total available working time ploughing a mean area of 3283 (s.e. 168) m2 with a mean depth and width of furrow of 12·6 and 22·3 cm, respectively. Estimated daily energy expenditure by the horses during work was 2·24 (s.e. 0·02) times maintenance requirements. The small changes observed in the physiological variables: heart rate, respiratory rate, packed cell volume, haemoglobin concentration and enzyme activity of creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase and aspartate amino transferase, showed that the horses were exercised under submaximal conditions. However, the significant increase in blood cortisol concentrations showed that horses experienced some degree of stress during ploughing work. The significant increase in blood triglycerides concentration observed after each period of work seems to demonstrate that fat mobilization is an important metabolic pathway as an energy supply for the working muscles during prolonged and low speed draught work.

Keywords

energy consumptionhorsesphysiological functionswork
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 63 , Issue 2 , October 1996 , pp. 343 - 351
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1996

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