Muscular tension as an indicator of acute stress in horses

Abstract

All species experience stress -a disruption in the body's homeostasis provoked by mental, emotional, or physical strain resulting in physiological and behavioral responses to the stimuli. We often think of stress as something needing to be eliminated or minimized. In reality, stress can be positive, eustress, or negative, distress. Distress, stress that is damaging or unpleasant, is often what people think of when the word stress is used.

Association between Infrared Thermography, Blood Count and Creatine Kinase in the Evaluation of the Welfare of Vaquejada Horses

“…The bridge of the nose (place of action noseband), The corner of the mouth (place of action of the bridle), and the jaw (muscular region of the impact of the jaw under pressure) are related to the steering harness and are used to evaluate the action of the rider in these structures and the stress level in the region [33] [34]. The neck regions (reflecting the movement of the animal on the competition track), barrel/costal arches, and flank (reflecting the action of the spurs) [34] are more associated with the rider's mount, which is widely used for evaluations of well-being during competitions.…”

Biomarkers of Stress and Inflammation in Assessing the Quality of Welfare of Conditioned Vaquejada Horses

“…The characterization of the well-being of athletic horses has been determined through invasive and non-invasive methodologies. Recent approaches aim to better understand the processes involved in the acute and chronic stress of these animals through the evaluation of different biomarkers [1]- [5]. Equestrian sports that derive from rural activities of different countries, such as those developed in cattle farms, can benefit from such methodologies as they can provide new insights into metabolism during and after the physical activity in this large group of athletes.…”