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Effects of exercise on maternal and foetal heart rate in pregnant mares

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

RC Causey ,
RA Lehnhard ,
KA Finucane  and
TM Oliver
RC Causey*
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and the Maine Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04 469-5735, USA
RA Lehnhard
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and the Maine Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04 469-5735, USA Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04 469-5766, USA
KA Finucane
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and the Maine Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04 469-5735, USA
TM Oliver
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and the Maine Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04 469-5735, USA
*
*robert.causey@umit.maine.edu
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Abstract

Pregnant mares are often removed from work during gestation. However, little is known about the effects of exercise on the pregnant mare and her foetus. In the present study, maternal and foetal heart rates were monitored by electrocardiography before and after exercise in four equine pregnancies (days 250–285). Exercise consisted of lungeing mares in 20 m circles for 5, 10 and 20 min. Following exercise, significant increases in maternal heart rate were detected (P<0.0001) but not in foetal heart rate (P = 0.4331). All mares gave birth to normal foals uneventfully. While these findings suggest that moderate exercise of the pregnant mare does not appear to be harmful to the equine foetus, data are insufficient to draw conclusions. A larger, more controlled study is necessary.

Keywords

equinefoetusexerciseelectrocardiographypregnancy
Type
Short Communication
Information
Equine and Comparative Exercise Physiology , Volume 2 , Issue 4 , November 2005 , pp. 225 - 228
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005

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