Study maps exercise bloodwork shifts in Colombian Creole horses
Bottom line
A new study in Animals examined how 76 athletic Colombian Creole Horses responded to exercise across different gait modalities, measuring venous blood gas, electrolyte, and metabolic markers before and immediately after work. The researchers found a pattern consistent with moderate anaerobic effort: small declines in pH, carbon dioxide pressure, and bicarbonate, alongside increases in lactate, glucose, and creatinine, while sodium, potassium, calcium, and chloride stayed relatively stable. Sex and geographic origin didn't meaningfully change those responses, but gait modality did, with horses performing trocha showing larger acid-base shifts than horses in other gaits. (mdpi.com)
Why it matters: For equine veterinarians and sports-medicine teams, the study adds breed- and gait-specific reference points for interpreting post-exercise bloodwork in Colombian Creole Horses, a population that has been less well characterized than other equine athletes. That matters because exercise-related acidosis and lactate increases are expected in working horses, but the magnitude can vary with locomotor mechanics and respiratory demand. Earlier equine exercise literature has established that work changes acid-base balance, and related work in Colombian Criollo horses has already suggested these gaited disciplines are generally submaximal but physiologically distinct. This new paper sharpens that picture by suggesting gait, more than sex or region, may be the more clinically useful lens when assessing training load, recovery, and performance complaints in this breed. (mdpi.com)
What to watch: Expect follow-up work on how these biomarkers track with performance, airway disease, conditioning status, and recovery timing in specific Colombian Creole gait disciplines. (mdpi.com)
Key facts
- Study type
- Exercise physiology study
- Journal
- Animals
- Sample size
- 76 athletic Colombian Creole Horses
- Design
- Blood samples collected at rest and immediately after exercise
- Measured markers
- Venous blood gas, electrolytes, and metabolic markers
- Main finding
- Exercise caused mild acid-base disturbance and increased anaerobic metabolism
- Key results
- pH down 0.01, pCO2 down 2.39 mmHg, bicarbonate down 1.7 mmol/L, lactate up 2.96 mmol/L
- Gait finding
- Trocha showed greater pCO2 and bicarbonate reductions than other gaits
- Other subgroup findings
- Sex and geographic origin did not meaningfully change responses
A newly published Animals study offers a closer look at how exercise changes acid-base balance, electrolytes, and metabolic markers in Colombian Creole Horses, a breed widely used in athletic competition but still underrepresented in exercise-physiology research. In 76 athletic horses, investigators found that exercise produced the expected physiologic pattern of mild acid-base disturbance and increased anaerobic metabolism, but with one important nuance: gait modality appeared to influence the magnitude of some responses, especially in horses performing trocha. (mdpi.com)
That finding builds on a long-standing understanding in equine sports medicine that exercise alters fluid balance, electrolytes, and acid-base status, with lactate and bicarbonate shifts helping clinicians gauge workload and metabolic stress. It also fits with prior work suggesting Colombian Criollo and Colombian paso-type horses are not physiologically identical across gait categories. Earlier studies have described gait-related differences in kinematics, work intensity, and respiratory mechanics, while a recent Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine paper characterized trot, trocha, and paso fino exercise in Colombian Criollo horses as submaximal, but still physiologically meaningful. (sciencedirect.com)
In the new study, blood samples were collected from the jugular vein at rest and immediately after exercise. The authors reported a mild mean drop in pH of 0.01, a decrease in pCO2 of 2.39 mmHg, and a decrease in bicarbonate of 1.7 mmol/L, alongside a lactate increase of 2.96 mmol/L. Glucose and creatinine also rose modestly, while measured electrolytes remained comparatively stable. The authors interpreted that pattern as evidence of exercise-associated metabolic acidosis and anaerobic metabolism, with preserved electrolyte regulation in trained horses. (mdpi.com)
The subgroup analysis is what makes the paper especially useful. Differences by sex and geographic origin were minimal, which may simplify how clinicians think about baseline interpretation in this population. Gait modality, however, was associated with significant differences in acid-base response: horses performing trocha had greater reductions in pCO2 and bicarbonate than horses in other gaits. That aligns with the broader idea that stride mechanics, locomotor-respiratory coupling, and discipline-specific demands can shape how horses ventilate and buffer during work. (mdpi.com)
Outside commentary specific to this paper was limited at the time of review, but the result is consistent with the wider equine exercise literature. Reviews on equine acid-base physiology describe these shifts as normal consequences of exertion, especially when anaerobic metabolism contributes to workload. Related recent work in Colombian Criollo horses has also shown that respiratory function can influence exercise response; in one 2026 study, horses with upper airway obstruction had higher post-exercise lactate concentrations than controls during standardized testing, underscoring how performance interpretation in this breed may depend on both gait and airway health. (sciencedirect.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this study helps move post-exercise bloodwork in Colombian Creole Horses from general equine assumptions toward more discipline-specific interpretation. If trocha horses predictably show larger acid-base shifts, clinicians evaluating poor performance, delayed recovery, or training intolerance may need to weigh gait modality before labeling a result abnormal. The relatively stable electrolyte findings are also useful, suggesting that in conditioned horses, immediate post-exercise electrolyte derangements may be less prominent than acid-base and lactate changes, at least under the study conditions. That could help refine field diagnostics, conditioning plans, and conversations with pet parents and trainers about what constitutes a normal response to work. (mdpi.com)
The paper also highlights how much remains to be mapped in this breed. The study used immediate pre- and post-exercise sampling, which is clinically practical, but it leaves open questions about recovery curves, repeated bouts of work, environmental effects, hydration status, and how these biomarkers relate to competition outcomes. Because the horses were athletic and trained, the findings may not translate directly to less conditioned animals or horses with underlying disease. Those are important boundaries for practitioners applying the data in the field. (mdpi.com)
What to watch: The next logical step is prospective work linking gait-specific biomarker changes to performance metrics, respiratory disease, and recovery intervals, which could eventually support more tailored training, screening, and return-to-work decisions in Colombian Creole equine practice. (mdpi.com)