Description of a Field Exercise Test in Cross‐Bred Quarter Horses in Venezuela: Preliminary V200 and V170 Values

Introduction Field exercise tests (FET) can assist design of individualized training programs. Although FETs have been used in other breeds, there are limited reports for Quarter horses (QH) and cross-bred QH which are widely used in traditional Venezuelan equestrian activities. The aim of this study was to describe the implementation of an FET in cross-bred Quarter horses in Venezuela. Methods Six horses (3 stallions and 3 mares) performed a FET consisting of a four-step incremental increase in speed (91 ± 10; 136 ± 3; 271 ± 20; 439 ± 43 m/min). Each cycle lasted 3 to 5 min with 3 minutes of rest between each. Environmental temperature was 32°C. Heart rate and speed were recorded (Polar Equine RS800CX®) and the speed to reach a heart rate of 200 and 170 beats/min was calculated by linear regression. The rate of heart rate decline was determined 5 minutes after the last step. Linear regression analysis, descriptive statistics and an unpaired t- test (Graph Pad Prism 5.0) were utilized to identify gender differences (P<0.05). Results Gender did not influence the results. V200 and V170 were slightly higher in stallions (617 ± 98 and 465 ± 66 m/min, respectively) than in mares (511 ± 60 and 387 ± 60 m/min, respectively). The rate of heart rate decline was slightly more rapid in mares (25 ± 7 beats/min) compared to stallions (13 ± 5 beats/min). Conclusions Although a low number of horses were evaluated, these preliminary data suggest that gender has limited influence on fitness of cross-bred Quarter horses used in local Venezuelan equestrian activities under tropical environmental conditions. The mean V200 and V170 values obtained were lower than those reported for Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds, but similar to those reported in young racing Quarter horses. Ethical Animal Research The study was approved by the Faculty of Veterinary Science, Central University of Venezuela Ethical Research Committee. Sources of funding: “San Antonio Farm” owned by Perez family and CDCH-UCV (PG-11-8095-2011). Competing interests: none.