Training Protocol for Marcha Test in Mangalarga Marchador Horses

Introduction Mangalarga Marchador (MM) is the most important Brazilian horse breed. Functional evaluation of MM horses is performed in marcha competitions, where horses must perform 4‐gaited exercise at 13 km/h for 70 min. The aim of this work was to test a training protocol to prepare MM horses for marcha competition. Methods Eight untrained MM mares, in randomized blocks with Split plots, were trained for 84 days. Three days/week horses were ridden for one hour (10 min walk, then an individual amount of marcha exercise at 13 km/h established in a previous test, then walk to complete one hour total exercise time). Two days/week, horses walked for one hour. Before training and every 21 days a marcha test (MT) was performed, totaling 5 tests in the experimental period. During the MT, mares were exercised at 13 km/h using a heart rate monitor. Every 10 min heart rate (HR) and blood lactate concentration [La] were recorded. The MT was stopped at 70 min of exercise, or if HR was ≥150 bpm and [La] was ≥4 mmol/L, or if Marcha Time was reached. Blood samples for hemogram, lactate, glucose, triglyceride and CK, LDH, AST determination were collected. Individual time used for training was 10 min less than the exercising time in the previous MT. Regression was used to analyze the results. Results From MT 1 to 4, the positive effect of training was shown on HR, [La] and marcha time (from 9.52 min to 70.5 min, CV = 26.41). There was not an increase in marcha time on test 5. Conclusions MM mares trained for 63 days with the described protocol are ready to compete in marcha competition. Ethical Animal Research The study was approved by the Ethical Animal (CETEA) of the UFMG with the 255/11 protocol. Sources of funding: CNPq, CAPES, FAPEMIG, ABCCMM, Haras Catuni e Rações Total. Competing interests: none.