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Thermoregulation in wet Shetland ponies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 November 2021

M.E. Booth ,
R.A. Pearson  and
D. Cuddeford
M.E. Booth
Affiliation:
Dept. of Vet. Clinical Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RG, U.K.
R.A. Pearson
Affiliation:
Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush
D. Cuddeford
Affiliation:
Dept. of Vet. Clinical Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RG, U.K.
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Extract

Understanding the influence of the weather on the energy requirements of horses living outdoors during winter is essential when estimating feed requirements. Measurements of heat production from live horses have only been made at different air temperatures. The influences of other weather parameters, such as precipitation and wind speed, which are known to increase the rate of heat loss in other domestic stock, have not been researched for horses. The aim of this study was to measure the effect of wetting the upper body surface of Shetland ponies in winter coat on their rate of heat production (W/kg) and on their skin and body temperatures (°C ).

Two mature Shetland pony stallions (178 and 200 kg liveweight) in full winter coat (coat parameters over the back; mean depth 2.38 cm; mean length 3.25 cm; mean density 79.25 mg/cm2), and in good body condition (condition score 2; Pollock, 1980), were housed at ambient temperature (range 2 - 9.5 °C) in an open-sided shed and fed meadow hay at maintenance energy requirements (NRC, 1989).

Type
Programme
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science , Volume 1998 , 1998 , pp. 126
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 1998

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References

Brouwer, E. 1965. Report of the subcommittee on constants and factors. Energy Metabolism; Proceedings of the Third Symposium on the Energy Metabolism of Farm Animals (Editor, Blaxter, K.L.) EAAP Publication 11. Academic Press.Google Scholar
NRC 1989. Nutrient requirements of horses. 5th revised edition. Google Scholar
Pollock, J.I. 1980. Behavioural ecology and body condition changes in New Forest ponies. RSPCA Scientific Publications No. 6. Google Scholar