El estrés en los équidos

Abstract

Horses are specially sensitive to stress. A strong answer to stress induces an increase in the concentrations of plasmatic cortisol. It mobilizes energy at short term, but the cortisol production in the long term contributes to exhaustion of muscles, hypertension and alterations of fertility and immune system. This chronic stress reaction alters the concentrations of plasmatic cortisol depending on the causing stimulus and the affected specie. In this paper, a bibliographic revision is done on this subject: stress caused by transport (depending on climatic, duration and transport conditions). Stress related to sport is also studied (taking into account factors such as age, undergone effort during exercise and environmental conditions). Finally, the relation between stress and illness is also studied, taking into account the effect of each disease and the influence of the clinical progress on the concentration of plasmatic cortisol.