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Summary Reasons for performing study: Behavioural tests as well as observers' ratings have been used to study horses' temperament. However, the relationship between the ratings and the responses in behavioural tests has not yet been studied in detail. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to examine this relationship between ratings and responses. Methods: Eighteen mature Swedish Warmblood horses were subjected to 2 behavioural tests, one relating to novelty (novel object test) and one to handling (handling test). Subsequently, 16 of these horses were ridden by 16 equally experienced students, having no former experience with the horses. Immediately after each ride, the students scored the horse for10 temperamental traits using a line rating method. Results: It was shown that for each temperamental trait all 16 riders agreed on the ranking of the horses (0.212

Background: Sedation with α 2 -agonists in the horse is reported to be accompanied by impairment of arterial oxygenation. The present study was undertaken to investigate pulmonary gas exchange using the Multiple Inert Gas Elimination Technique (MIGET), during sedation with the α 2 -agonist detomidine alone and in combination with the opioid butorphanol.

The aim of this study was to study the physiological, especially thermoregulatory, responses during intense exercise in the clipped horse compared to the horse with winter coat. Six Standardbred trotters were studied before and after clipping. They performed an inclined incremental high intensity treadmill exercise test and were monitored during recovery. The clipped horse differed significantly (ANOVA) during exercise as compare to coated: less increase in central venous blood temperature, higher skin surface temperature, greater difference skin to ambient temperature and higher rate of nonevaporative heat loss. The clipped horse had significantly lower total cutaneous evaporative heat loss from walk to end of peak exercise and a shorter time for recovery for the respiratory rate using a paired t test. The clipped horse showed a tendency (P = 0.059) to decreased oxygen uptake during the stepwise increase in workload. We concluded that the clipped horse experienced less strain on the thermoregulatory system due to an enhanced heat loss. Some clipped horses in the study showed a more efficient power output; future studies with emphasis on respiration and oxygen demand are needed to explain this.

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