Serum Biomarker Analysis of Cardiac Stress in Working Horses Participating in Traditional Durbar Ceremonies in Katsina State, North West Nigeria

Durbar ceremonial horse riding in northern Nigeria subjects horses to intense short-duration physical exertion under extreme ambient temperatures, creating a unique cardiac and metabolic stress model that has not been analytically characterised. This study conducted a serum biomarker analysis of cardiac stress in horses participating in Durbar ceremonies in Katsina State, North West Nigeria, addressing a critical gap in Nigerian equine sports physiology literature. Forty horses were enrolled from three consecutive Durbar events. Serum cardiac troponin I, creatinine kinase-myocardial band isoenzyme, lactate dehydrogenase isoforms, and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide were measured at rest, immediately post-ceremony, and at two, six, and twenty-four hours post-ceremony. Heart rate was continuously recorded by wearable cardiac monitor. Cardiac troponin I was significantly elevated in twenty-six of forty horses immediately post-ceremony, with values remaining above baseline at six hours in eighteen animals. Creatinine kinase-myocardial band and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide showed parallel elevation patterns. Peak heart rates during the galloping phases exceeded 220 beats per minute. Horses with troponin I values more than three times baseline at six hours were significantly more likely to show echocardiographic wall motion abnormalities at twenty-four hours. These findings demonstrate significant transient myocardial stress in Durbar horses and highlight the need for veterinary cardiac screening protocols at ceremonial equine events in North West Nigeria. Keywords: cardiac biomarkers, Durbar horses, troponin I, exercise stress, Katsina State.