Avaliação do bem-estar de equinos da cavalaria da Polícia Militar do Paraná e do Jockey Club do Paraná: indicadores clínicos, etológicos e ritmo circadiano do cortisol

Abstract

The aim was to evaluate the welfare of horses from the Paraná Jockey Club and of the Military Calvary of Paraná State using clinical, behavior and cortisol circadian rhythm analysis (CCR). Sixty horses, 30 from each place, were allotted in two experimental groups. For CCR evaluation, blood samples were taken at 08:00 AM and 5:00 PM time points. CCR was considered abnormal when the ratio between values (difference/higher value) was less than 0.30. Despite high incidence of abnormal behavior (36.7% e 26.6% respectively) detected by ethologic analysis, clinical findings were normal, the horses had good to excellent general condition, good corporal score, rare lesions and absence of colic reports in the last 12 months in both groups. There were differences in the physical exam variables between groups, showing better corporal conditions in the Jockey Club horses; however, ethologic and endocrinologic results were the same. Mean cortisol blood levels and CCR ratio were among reference values in both groups, but there were an overall incidence of abnormal CCR ratio was 40%. There was also an association between abnormal CCR and occurrence of abnormal behavior. Horses with abnormal CCR had 7.5 more chances (IC=2.2 a 25.9, P=0.0008) to show abnormal behavior than normal ones. Despite evidences of chronic stress, horses from the present study showed better welfare conditions when compared with those reported for other stable horses in previous national studies.