EN
The aim of this study was to determine the mathematical model used to assess the severity of stress in horses intended for slaughter. The tests involved 60 Polish cold-blooded horses earmarked for slaughter, aged 4-10, including 29 males and 32 mares. Blood for tests was collected three times: I - directly before transport to the horse abattoir (at a time when the animals were still in their stalls); II - directly after unloading the animals from the transport semi-trailer, after a journey lasting approximately 8 hours; and III - after a 24-hour rest at the stable of the horse abattoir. Each horse marked for the experiment was described using the diagnostic features X₁, X₂, ... .., X₁₁, which is assigned by the results of blood analysis. The level of stress was defined as a variable Z, using the Krefft function. The value of the function was, respectively, in three consecutive tests Z1: 0.3548, Z2: 0.5591; Z3: 0.5940. The Krefft diagnostic function enables determining the severity of stress in the studied group of animals objectively and observing its dynamics.