A Field Study of Post‐Exercise Values of Blood Biochemical Constituents in Jumping Horses: Relationship with Score, Individual and Event

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Abstract
The variability of the post-exercise values (PEV) of blood lactate and of some other blood constituents were studied in 8 healthy and fit jumpers through 5 national competitions of equal difficulty. The effects of factors such as the individual, performance and competition on these PEV were analysed. Venous blood was sampled immediately after the 5 show-jumping contests and was analysed for packed cell volume (PCV), blood lactate, blood glucose (GLU), total plasma protein (TPP), bicarbonate (HCO3-), sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), chloride (Cl-), calcium (Ca2+), serum activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine phosphokinase (CPK), glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase (GOT) and gamma glutamyl transferase (.gamma.GT). PEV of these 13 blood parameters were analysed using a fixed linear model which included the effect of horse, score and competition and their respective interactions. The analysis of the influence of each of the 3 fixed variables showed that (1) there was no relationship between the PEV variations and the score; (2) there were significant (P < 0.05) variations induced by the competition in Na+, Ca2+, TPP, LDH and GLU, and (3) there were significant interindividual variations as regards Ca2+, TPP, CPK, .gamma.GT and PCV with P < 0.05, LDH with P < 0.01 and blood lactate with P < 0.001. This wide variability of PEV between individuals led us to conclude that the use of the PEV of some blood parameters in the medical follow-up of jumping horses in field conditions necessitates not only regular blood analyses immediately after standardized exercises, but also that the PEV relating to each horse should be compared to each other and not to mean values.