title: Pituitary-adrenocortical adjustments to transport stress in horses with previous different handling and transport conditions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The changes of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis response to a long distance transportation results in increase of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol levels. The purpose of the study was to quantify the level of short-term road transport stress on circulating ACTH and cortisol concentrations, related to the effect of previous handling and transport experience of horses.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed on 56 healthy horses after short-term road transport of 30 km. The horses were divided into four groups, Groups A, B, C, and D, with respect to the handling quality: Good (Groups A and B), bad (Group D), and minimal handling (Group C) conditions. According to the previous transport, experience horses were divided as follows: Horses of Groups A and D had been experienced long-distance transportation before; horses of Groups B and C had been limited experience of transportation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One-way RM-ANOVA showed significant effects of transport on ACTH changes in Groups B and C and on cortisol changes in both Groups A and B. Groups A and B showed lower baseline ACTH and cortisol values than Groups C and D; Groups A and B showed lower post-transport ACTH values than Groups C and D. Groups A, B, and C showed lower post-transport cortisol values than Group D. Only Groups A and B horses have shown an adequate capacity of stress response to transportation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The previous transport experience and quality of handling could influence the HPA axis physiological responses of horses after short-term road transport.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fazio
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Medica
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cravana
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Polo Universitario Annunziata, 98168 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: And A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ferlazzo
keywords: adrenocorticotropic hormone; cortisol; horse; previous transport experience; social context; transport stress