Date of Graduation

Summer 2011

Degree

Master of Natural and Applied Science in Agriculture

Department

College of Agriculture

Committee Chair

Gary Webb

Abstract

Ten horses were assigned into two treatment groups. Horses were fed either ergot alkaloid containing (E+) or ergot alkaloid free (E-) fescue seed added to a grain based ration. After 5 weeks, seed treatments were switched between groups for the second 5 weeks. Diets contained 8.2% seed resulting in intakes of 275 ppb ergotamine and 132 ppb ergovaline for the E+ diet. In weeks 3, 5, 8, and 10, horses were subjected to standardized exercise tests (SETs). During the aerobic SET, horses walked 4, trotted 10, and loped 11 minutes. To reach target heart rates, speeds averaged 2.36 m/s (trot) and 4.09 m/s (lope). Significant horse effects were found on respiration rates at 1, 5, 10, and 30 minutes post-SET; heart rates at rest, during the SET, end of SET and 1, 5, and 10 minutes post-SET; and rectal temperatures at the end of SET and 1, 5, 10, and 30 minutes post-SET (P < 0.05). Treatment effects were observed on respiration rates at 30 minutes post-SET with higher rates in horses on E +; heart rates at rest, during the SET, end of SET, and 1 minute post-SET with lower rates in horses on E +; and rectal temperatures at 1 minute and 30 minutes post-SET with higher temperatures in horses on E + (P < 0.05).

Keywords

horse, fescue, exercise, aerobic, ergotamine

Subject Categories

Agriculture

Copyright

© Kelsie Lynn Minton

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