As in humans, some horses suffer from stress, which can have serious consequences. consequences. Notably on their physical condition, emotional but also physiological. In this article we will look at how we can detect the main signals that indicate the presence of stress in your horse. We'll explain what to do when your horse shows signs of anxiety or fear on competition day. Finally, we'll detail how using a Seaver connected sensor can m犀利士 esure and detect his horse's stress. 

What are the effects of stress on the horse's health and performance?

In the competition horse, stress can generate an immediate loss of performance by affecting its ability to concentration. It can lead to stiffness and contractions unusual. This will make it difficult for the rider or ultimately reduce the chances of performance.

Stress can be necessary and beneficial to both horse and rider. adrenaline It can be beneficial to both horse and rider. The horse is then said to be " alert". His senses are heightened and he pays particular attention to the environment in which he is riding and the work he is doing. new environment The horse's senses are heightened and it pays particular attention to the environment in which it moves and the work that is required of it.

This changes when the level of stress is too high or the horse is particularly sensitive. Stress then becomes a negative factor and negative which must be detected and treated.

When a horse experiences stress on a regular basis and over relatively long periods of time (hours, half days, days), it is very common for the horse to develop signs of ulcers, weight loss or various tics. These pathologies take different forms but all have immediate and long term consequences on thephysical integrity of the horse athlete.

How to detect stress in a horse?

In human athletes, stress is not easy to measure. However, humans have the ability to speak and the capacity to analyse, which allows them to identify and measure their emotions. If stress is a impalpable emotion and difficult to measure If stress is a problem for humans, it is even more difficult to measure it for horses.

Various research studies have shown a correlation between the stress in a horse and its cortisol levels.

The concentrations of faecal cortisol and plasma were found to be indicators of discomfort and well-being equine. Thus, the analysis of a saliva sampling or blood Thus, the analysis of one or more of these samples can provide an accurate indication of the degree of stress experienced by a horse at a given time. The sample must be taken at the time of the stressful event and within a short time.

This method represents a number of constraints (availability, sending the analysis, response time, etc.). The cost is such that it is obviously not possible to undertake it on a regular basis.

Others factorssuch as physiologicalOthers, such as the "horse", allow a "reading" of the horse. emotional"of the horse. The latter will identify anxiety, stress, fear or discomfort.

The development of behavioural problems (tics), uunusual heavy sweating or occasional lack of appetite (the horse refuses to eat its ration) are important markers of anxiety and stress.

L'increased heart rate is also a factor that reflects the horse's anxiety. Stress is easily recognised by analysing the horse's heart rate. When the intensity of the work demanded of the horse does not increase (the pace is maintained, no particular effort is required) and there is either a sudden and significant increase in the heart rate, the horse will not be able to keep up. a spike in heart rate, or a sudden and important increase, this peak marks a stressful event.

What to do before the competition?

To reduce the horse's feeling of discomfort or stress, it is necessary to desensitize. This means getting him used to the elements to which he will be subjected and constrained on the day of the competition.

This habituation or desensitisation starts with getting the horse used to travel regularly and for short, comfortable rides. You can decide totaking the horse for a walk in a new placeto change the meadowto going to work in a different setting for one session. This way your horse will be used to riding in a van or truck. This will be done for a short time and with a pleasant end result.

In the same way, the soundsthe musicthe sub-base or banners coloured or the paddocks are all unusual and potentially worrying elements for your horse.

If you have the opportunity, don't hesitate to take your horse outside your usual structure. This will enable him犀利士 progressively accustom to discovering new environments. These are often noisier and more hectic than he is used to on a daily basis.

D-Day - managing the horse's stress on the day of the competition

• The role of the rider

The attitude of the rider is essential in front of and with a stressed horse.

The rider must be in the same mood as the other days in order to become a true benchmark for the horse. A stressed rider becomes a real stress catalyst for his horse.

In addition, many complementary foods are now available on the market to anticipate and inhibit the feeling of stress in the horse. These supplements non-dopants promote the relaxation and the calm. They are an additional tool to enable the horse to experience competition in a more relaxed manner.

Thanks to its remote electrodethe Seaver sensor provides real-time the heart rate of a horse of a horse. You can therefore continue to monitor the evolution heart heart rate during your warm-up. You can check your horse's heart rate at regular intervals on your app. To find out more about our heart rate feature: https://seaverhorse.com/comprendre-la-fonctionnalite-seaver-frequence-cardiaque/

A measurement at rest (in the cubicle) with your Seaver connected belt and on your Seaver app will allow you to better analyse and interpret the developments of heart rate of your horse during exercise or in its various movements (transport...).

On the above heart rate graph obtained with our Seaver strap, we see at the very beginning of the trigger (around 2min) a unusual peak while the mare is walking at a fairly slow speed. Her heart rate is around 100 bpm increases rapidly to reach 150 bpm and then drops back down. This peak marks a stressful event for the mare; here the passage of a motorbike at high speed a few metres from the quarry.

When your horse is stressed and you see a "stressful" situation, take a few moments to let him abnormal increase in heart rate, take a few moments to let him blowing and let him analyze and understand the environment in which he finds himself. You can leave him talk or the petting to remind them that you are a trusted reference point for them.

It is essential to be able to detect episodes of stress in order to provide the best possible solution to prevent the appearance of various disorders or pathologies (colic, bleeding, loss of condition etc).

See you soon for a new article 🙂

The Seaver Team