Dependence of speed qualities and elemental status on the mercury level in the mane hair of purebred riding horses

Abstract

Abstract To assess the influence of the level of mercury in the hair from the mane on athletic performance and elemental status of horses, a study was carried out on purebred horse breed stallions. Age at the time of sampling of hair 5-7 years. The elemental composition of biosubstrates was determined by 25 indicators, by atomic emission and mass spectrometry (AES-ICP and MS-ICP). The assessment of the speed qualities of stallions was carried out in sports competitions according to the time of passing a distance of 2400 meters. It was found that the effect of the level of mercury in the hair from the mane on the speed qualities of stallions (r = −0.57). Moreover, if stallions with a mercury concentration of less than 0.0018 mg/kg spent 158.6 ± 3.5 seconds to overcome the distance, then at a level of 0.0767-0.304 mg/kg, on average 15 seconds longer. Comparison of the groups with the boundaries of the reference intervals of the concentrations of chemical elements in the mane showed that the high agility of the horses was associated with a relatively smaller number of elements exceeding the boundaries of the intervals, so if there were four of them in group I: K, Na, I, Sn, then in II and III groups of them were eight Ca, K, Na, I, Zn, Pb, Sn, Hg and Ca, Cu, Zn, B, Si, Li, Sn, Hg, respectively. It was revealed that the elemental composition of the hair of the mane is closely related to the sports results of thoroughbred riding horses, and for some of them the changes exceeded 250% (Si). It was concluded that it is necessary to study the concentrations of Hg and Si in the hair from the main during preparation for the competition, for their further correction.