Variation in salivary cortisol responses in yearling Thoroughbred racehorses during their first year of training.

ABSTRACT: Thoroughbred horses are bred for competitive racing and undergo intense training regimes. The maintenance of physical soundness and desirable behavioural characteristics are critical to the longevity of a racing career. Horses intended for Flat racing generally enter training as yearlings and undergo introductory training prior to exercise conditioning for racing. This period requires rapid adjustment to a novel environment. As a prey animal, a horse's 'fight-or-flight' response is highly adapted, in which a well-understood component of this response, the hypothalamic-pituitary-axis, is activated in response to a stress stimulus, releasing cortisol. In the Thoroughbred, a significant difference in salivary cortisol concentrations between pre- and post-first time ridden (i.e., first backing

SUBMITTER: Holtby AR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10079128 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature