Cortisol Levels in Horses in Selected Biological Samples

This study investigated cortisol levels in horses to assess long-term stress, using hair samples from 36 healthy warmblood geldings. The horses were divided into six groups based on management conditions, including leisure, sport, active stable, herd, and police horses. Cortisol was extracted from hair and measured using the ELISA method. Results showed the highest cortisol levels in police horses, particularly municipal ones, while sport horses had the lowest levels. Leisure horses had generally low cortisol levels, and herd-kept horses showed high variability, indicating the influence of social dynamics. The study concludes that horse management affects cortisol levels, making hair cortisol a valuable tool for evaluating equine welfare.