Location
Sydnor Performance Hall, Schewel Hall
Access Type
Campus Access Only
Presentation Type
Oral presentation
Entry Number
72
Start Date
4-16-2026 10:30 AM
End Date
4-16-2026 10:45 AM
School
School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Keywords
Horses, Stress, Cortisol, Behavior, Competition, Animal Behavior
Abstract
Stress in equine athletes looks very different from that in our human counterparts. There are behavioral signs of equine stress, such as flared nostrils, excess tail swishing, sweating, pawing, pacing, and many more. High levels of stress have been associated with weakened immune function in addition to the symptoms of ulcers, which include stomach perforation, chronic pain, and reduced performance. There are many methods to take cortisol sampling; however, the least invasive option is to do so via hair sampling. Cortisol is incorporated into hair, allowing identification of average cortisol levels over the last weeks or even months before the sample is taken. The university hosted seven collegiate competitions this fall, ranging from early October to late November. Hair samples were taken before the first competition, and then once the competition season was over. In addition to these measured levels, cameras were purchased for behavioral observations. This is to measure body language such as pawing, pacing, excessive yawning, bulging of the eyes, high head carriage, and many more. I predict my results will show an increased level of cortisol amongst these sampled horses and that the horses will have more of the clinical behaviors. I expect the horses sampled will have visible signs of stress due to the taxing nature of the season, so pinpointing their internal levels will confirm if these behaviors are due to stress. I expect the control group of horses to exhibit fewer clinical signs than the testing group. Determining which horses are the most stressed will prevent future injuries and long-lasting damage, thus ensuring the optimum health of the horses the university owns
Primary Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Jürgen Ziesmann
Primary Faculty Mentor(s) Department
Lynchburg Biology and Westover Honors
Additional Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Price Blair Dr. Allison Jablonski
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The Stress of Competition: Assessing Cortisol Levels in University-Owned Horses via Hair Sampling and Behavioral Observations
Sydnor Performance Hall, Schewel Hall
Stress in equine athletes looks very different from that in our human counterparts. There are behavioral signs of equine stress, such as flared nostrils, excess tail swishing, sweating, pawing, pacing, and many more. High levels of stress have been associated with weakened immune function in addition to the symptoms of ulcers, which include stomach perforation, chronic pain, and reduced performance. There are many methods to take cortisol sampling; however, the least invasive option is to do so via hair sampling. Cortisol is incorporated into hair, allowing identification of average cortisol levels over the last weeks or even months before the sample is taken. The university hosted seven collegiate competitions this fall, ranging from early October to late November. Hair samples were taken before the first competition, and then once the competition season was over. In addition to these measured levels, cameras were purchased for behavioral observations. This is to measure body language such as pawing, pacing, excessive yawning, bulging of the eyes, high head carriage, and many more. I predict my results will show an increased level of cortisol amongst these sampled horses and that the horses will have more of the clinical behaviors. I expect the horses sampled will have visible signs of stress due to the taxing nature of the season, so pinpointing their internal levels will confirm if these behaviors are due to stress. I expect the control group of horses to exhibit fewer clinical signs than the testing group. Determining which horses are the most stressed will prevent future injuries and long-lasting damage, thus ensuring the optimum health of the horses the university owns