BEHAVIORAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTIONS OF HORSES SUBMITTED TO THE WHOLE BODY VIBRATION

• Grant number: 21/10745-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: April 01, 2023
• End date: February 27, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Clinics and Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Guilherme de Camargo Ferraz
• Grantee: Nathali Adrielli Agassi de Sales
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/11327-2 - BEHAVIORAL REACTIONS OF EQUINES UNDERGOING RECOVERY USING WHOLE-BODY VIBRATION AFTER INTENSE EXERCISE, BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Vibrating platforms (VP) are devices capable of generating oscillations, being considered a form of passive exercise. Several benefits of using vibrating platforms have been described, such as increased muscle strength, improved physical performance and improved balance and functional mobility. VP have been studied and used in many applications in human beings, both as part of a physiotherapeutic and non-pharmacological protocol, or as an alternative or supplemental method to exercise. However, there are few studies in animals, including the equine species. The present study will aim to investigate behavioral responses and heart rate variability in horses submitted to the use of the vibrating platform as an adjuvant in training. For this, eight horses will be used, without defined breed, males and females, adults, and average weight of 400 kg. The horses will be divided into 4 experimental groups: control group (CG), which will not do any training; treadmill group (TG), which will only undergo training on a high-performance treadmill; vibrating platform group (GVP), which will only undergo training in VP; and group training (GTVP), which will undergo high-performance treadmill training associated with VP sessions. The experiment will be in a Latin square cross-over design conducted with 2 balanced 4x4 LS composed of 4 horses in 4 treatments, with training duration of 4 weeks and wash out of 6 weeks. Filming of the face and body of the horses will be carried out for behavioral assessment, and images of the orbital surface using an infrared thermographic camera before and after. Blood samples will also be taken to determine acute phase proteins and cortisol before and after each period of the experiment. The mixed linear model will be used for dependent variables whose model presents a residual distribution assumed as Gaussian with five fixed effects (LS sequence, treatments, periods, days and moments) and a random effect (horses). Normality will be analyzed using quantile-quantile graphs and Shapiro-Wilk test. For the variables that do not meet the normality requirement, a generalized mixed linear model will be used, adopting the most adjusted family for the dependent variable. Post-test multiple comparisons will be performed using the Bonferroni procedure. A 5% significance will be considered for all tests.