Date Presented

Spring 5-5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

First Advisor

Dr. Jurgen Ziesmann

Second Advisor

Dr. Price Blair

Third Advisor

Dr. Allison B. Jablonski

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 and participated in nine total, 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. The results showed that it was quite variable between each specific horse whether their cortisol levels increased. The number of times each horse competed, horse age, and the number of times used in lessons were all examined as correlative factors. Behavioral observations found that 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.

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