Browsing by Author "Shields, Erin"

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    High intensity, short duration pulling in heavy horses: physiological effects of competition and rapid weight change
    (2017-11-07) Greco-Otto, Persephone; Massie, Shannon; Shields, Erin; Roy, Marie-France; Pajor, Edmond; Léguillette, Renaud
    Abstract Background The Heavy Horse Pull is a competition where teams of two horses pull an increasingly heavy sled for a short distance. Similar to human wrestlers, some horses may undergo rapid weight change in order to enter a lower weight category. The objectives were to study the physiological effects of this practice as well as of the pulling competition in draft horses. Results Fifty horses were divided into light-, middle- and heavyweight categories based on their arrival weights and competed 1–3 days after. Body weight was measured upon arrival and pre-competition. Blood was sampled for chemistry and high sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hscTnT) at arrival, pre- and post-competition in 34, 26 and 20 horses, respectively. Body weight increased significantly between arrival and pre-competition for light (7.2% (Median: 62.8Kg (41.7–77.0)) and middle (8.6% (Median: 80.5Kg (62.7–90.9)) weight categories. Change in body weight was correlated (r = 0.69, p = 0.002) with competition ranking for middleweights. The ratios of weight pulled to team body weight were 2.7 (1.9–2.8), 2.6 (2.5–2.6) and 2.4 (2.2–2.5) for the lightweights, middleweights and heavyweights, respectively. Blood chemistry indicated hemoconcentration on arrival in the middleweight and lightweight horses. Hemoconcentration was not seen on arrival in some horses with marked rapid weight change. Overall, no chemistry parameter changed between pre- and post-competition. The hscTnT stayed within normal range post-competition. Conclusions While horses arrived to the event with indications of hemoconcentration, they appeared to have sufficient time to rehydrate prior to competition, and the effects of the competition were reversible within 3 h.
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    'High-sensitivity' Cardiac Troponin-T Assay Use in Horses: Analytical and Biological Validation, Post-Race Kinetics and Sampling Guidelines
    (2016) Shields, Erin; Léguillette, Renaud; Seiden-Long, Isolde; Scott, Mike; Caulkett, Nigel
    ’High-sensitivity’ cardiac troponin assays are now the standard in human cardiology, but validation and exercise-kinetics in horses have not been investigated. Objectives: Appropriately validate the hscTnT assay for use in horses, establish reference intervals, determine biological variation, explore race-induced hscTnT release kinetics, provide clinical sampling guidelines, and create model for sub-clinical cardiomyopathy. Methods/Results: Analytical performance of the assay in horses is verified. Reference intervals: upper 95th and 99th percentile of the hscTnT population distribution were 6.8 and 16.2ng/L in Non-Competition Horses, and 14.0 and 23.2ng/L in Racing-Thoroughbreds. Biological variation not appreciated due to number of horses below assay detection level. Racing-exercise caused peak hscTnT levels at 2-6h post-race, may approach 99th percentile URL, but declined by 12-24h. Clinician guidelines: normal horses should have declining levels by 12-24h and single values during this time-period should be <99th percentile URL:23.2ng/L. Occult sodium monensin cardiomyopathy model induced hscTnT elevations and ultrastructural cardiac changes.