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- Title
The Postural and Body Surface Temperature Response of Leisure Horses to Lunging with Selected Lunging Aids.
- Authors
Maśko, Małgorzata; Sikorska, Urszula; Borowska, Marta; Zdrojkowski, Łukasz; Jasiński, Tomasz; Domino, Małgorzata
- Abstract
Simple Summary: Incorporating lunging into a horse's daily routine proves valuable for enhancing fitness and physical condition. During lunging, horses may either work with a freely moving head (FMH) or with lunging aids (LAs) designed to assist horses in developing a particular skill or exercise. Evaluating the effectiveness of lunging poses a significant challenge for horse owners, riders, trainers, and veterinarians. This study employs non-contact technologies such as geometric morphometrics and infrared thermography to assess lunging efficiency concerning different head and neck positions. The research aims to determine if changes in a horse's posture correspond to increased metabolic activity, indicated by body surface temperature. Thirteen horses included in the study were lunged using various aids, including chambon (CH), rubber band (RB), triangle side reins (TRs), and without aids (FMH). Images were taken both in visible light and in infrared. Lunging with FMH resulted in a lifted head and lowered back, TRs and RB caused the opposite, while CH induced no posture changes. Horses that lunged with FMH exhibited lower temperatures over a larger area. In contrast, CH led to moderate temperatures over a smaller region. RB resulted in moderate to high temperatures over a broader surface, while TRs led to higher temperatures over a smaller area. The methods proposed in this study offer a means to evaluate the efficiency of lunging in horses. Incorporating lunging into a horse's daily routine aims to enhance fitness, physical condition, and specific skills or exercises when using lunging aids (LAs). To assess the effectiveness of lunging, non-contact technologies like geometric morphometrics and infrared thermography can be employed. This study seeks to evaluate lunging efficiency based on the horse's posture and surface temperature when lunging with different head and neck positions. The study aims to determine if changes in a horse's posture correspond to increased metabolic activity, as indicated by body surface temperature. Thirteen horses included in the study were lunged with chambon (CH), rubber band (RB), and triangle side reins (TRs) as well as with a freely moving head (FMH). Images were taken in visible light and infrared. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to analyze horse posture changes and a Pixel-Counting Protocol (PCP) was used to quantify surface temperature patterns. The horses' posture exhibited contrasting changes, reflected by a changing centroid shape (p < 0.0001) but not size (p > 0.05) when lunged with RB and TRs, but not CH. Different (p < 0.0001) surface temperature patterns were observed during lunging. FMH lunging resulted in lower temperatures over a larger surface, CH induced moderate temperatures on a smaller area, RB caused moderate to high temperatures across a broader surface, and TRs led to higher temperatures over a smaller region. The studied lunging cases returned different (p < 0.0001) surface temperature patterns. Lunging with FMH returned lower temperatures over a larger surface, CH moderate temperatures on a smaller area, RB moderate to high temperatures across a broader surface, and TRs higher temperatures over a smaller region. The proposed methods can be applied to evaluate the efficiency of lunging in horses.
- Subjects
SURFACE temperature; BODY temperature; HORSES; HORSE owners; PRINCIPAL components analysis; HORSE paces, gaits, etc.
- Publication
Animals (2076-2615), 2024, Vol 14, Issue 1, p22
- ISSN
2076-2615
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/ani14010022