Journal of animal science.
Publisher:
American Society of Animal Science
Frequency: Monthly,
Country: United States
Language: English
Author(s):
American Society of Animal Science., American Society of Animal Production.
Start Year:1942 -
ISSN:
0021-8812 (Print)
1525-3163 (Electronic)
0021-8812 (Linking)
1525-3163 (Electronic)
0021-8812 (Linking)
Impact Factor
3.3
| NLM ID: | 8003002 |
| (DNLM): | J12580000(s) |
| (OCoLC): | 01782370 |
| Coden: | JANSAG |
| Classification: | W1 JO536H |
The effect of oxidative stress during exercise in the horse. Oxidative stress is an imbalance of the oxidant-to-antioxidant ratio in the body. Increases in oxidative stress and changes in antioxidant status have been shown during endurance and intense exercise and eventing competition in horses. Antioxidants include vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and proteins that must be synthesized in the body or obtained from the diet. Therefore, exercise level and diet are both factors that play a role in influencing the oxidative stress and antioxidant status of the equine athlete. Along with exercise intensity and duration, diet, age, and training program can also a...
Influence of oral glucosamine supplementation in young horses challenged with intra-articular lipopolysaccharide. Fourteen yearling Quarter horses (351 to 470 kg) were utilized in a randomized complete block design to evaluate potential of glucosamine hydrochloride (HCl) to mitigate intra-articular inflammation following a single inflammatory insult. Horses were blocked by BW, age, and sex, and randomly assigned to treatments for a 98-d experiment. Treatments consisted of a control diet (CON; = 7) fed 1% BW per d (as-fed) of concentrate only or a treatment diet ( = 7) of concentrate top dressed with 30 mg/kg BW glucosamine HCl (99.6% purity; GLU30) offered at 12 h intervals. Horses were maintained in indi...
Dietary selenium and prolonged exercise alter gene expression and activity of antioxidant enzymes in equine skeletal muscle. Untrained Thoroughbred horses (6 mares and 6 geldings; 11 yr [SE 1] and 565 kg [SE 11]) were used to evaluate antioxidant gene expression and enzyme activity in blood and skeletal muscle in response to prolonged exercise after receiving 2 levels of dietary selenium for 36 d: 0.1 (CON; = 6) or 0.3 mg/kg DM (SEL; = 6). Horses were individually fed 1.6% BW coastal bermudagrass hay, 0.4% BW whole oats, and a mineral/vitamin premix containing no Se. Sodium selenite was added to achieve either 0.1 or 0.3 mg Se/kg DM in the total diet. On d 35, horses underwent 2 h of submaximal exercise in a free-st...
HORSE SPECIES SYMPOSIUM: Can the microbiome of the horse be altered to improve digestion? Intensive management practices in the horse industry present a unique challenge to the microbiome of the large intestine. Common management practices such as high-concentrate diets, low forage quality, meal feeding, and confinement housing have an impact on intestinal function, specifically large intestinal fermentation. The microbiome of the equine large intestine is a complex and diverse ecosystem, and disruption of microbiota and their environment can lead to increased incidence of gastrointestinal disorder. Digestion in the horse can be improved through a variety of approaches such as feed...
HORSE SPECIES SYMPOSIUM: The microbiome of the horse hindgut: History and current knowledge. In the early 1990s, the equine hindgut microbial ecosystem looked like a "black box." Its vital role in hydrolyzing and fermenting fiber, thus providing energy to the host, was recognized. Although there was a critical lack of information on the hindgut microbes, their role in preventing intestinal diseases was suggested. Traditionally, the microbes of the horse hindgut were studied using culture-dependent techniques. More recently, culture-independent methods have been used and provided further insight. This review presents the history and updated knowledge regarding the microbes that live in...
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AND WELL-BEING SYMPOSIUM: Interaction between coping style/personality, stress, and welfare: Relevance for domestic farm animals. This paper will argue that understanding animal welfare and the individual vulnerability to stress-related disease requires a fundamental understanding of functional individual variation as it occurs in nature as well as the underlying neurobiology and neuroendocrinology. Ecological studies in feral populations of mice, fish, and birds start to recognize the functional significance of phenotypes that individually differ in their behavioral and neuroendocrine response to environmental challenge. Recent studies indicate that the individual variation within a species may buffer the species for st...
Effect of time and weather on preference, frequency, and duration of shade use by horses. The Federation of Animal Science Societies (FASS) recommends providing access to shade for horses in hot, sunny weather at equine facilities. Previously, we found that healthy, mature domestic horses use shade with behavioral and physiological benefits during those weather conditions. The objective of this study was to characterize preference, frequency, and duration of shade use by healthy, mature horses in a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holding facility during hot, sunny weather. The study took place at the BLM's Palomino Valley Wild Horse and Burro Center in Reno, NV, from Aug. 10 to Oct...
Loci impacting polymorphic gait in the Tennessee Walking Horse. Following domestication, man selected the horse primarily for the purpose of transportation rather than consumption; this selective strategy created divergent traits for locomotion. At intermediate speeds, beyond the flat walk, the horse can perform a range of diagonal and lateral 2-beat or 4-beat gait patterns. The Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH) is the only U.S. breed able to perform an even-timed 4-beat gait (the "running-walk") at intermediate speeds; however, within the breed, there is remaining variation in gait type. To investigate the contribution of genetics to this unique trait, blood ...
Identification of genes with nonsynonymous SNP in Jeju horse by whole-genome resequencing reveals a functional role for immune response. Jeju horse (Natural Monument number 347) is a breed of horse that has experienced long-term isolation and domestication in Jeju Island, South Korea. We evaluated genetic features of this breed, including SNP, by whole-genome resequencing using an Illumina HiSeq 2000. A total of 5,986,852 SNP were identified in 4 Jeju horses and were divided into homozygous and heterozygous SNP (2,357,099 and 3,629,753 SNP, respectively). It revealed that 63.8% of these SNP resided in intergenic regions. Immune response genes with nonsynonymous SNP were overrepresented in Jeju horses as evidenced by Gene Ontolo...
Body composition assessment in horses using bioimpedance spectroscopy. Assessment of equine body composition using objective measurements is difficult owing to the large size of the animals and the costs involved. Bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy (BIS), a technique widely used for the assessment of body composition in humans, was investigated for practicality of use in horses. BIS uses algorithms that require values for the apparent resistivities of body fluids and body proportion factors (Kb), currently not available for horses. Aims of the present study were to derive resistivity coefficients and body proportion factors and to validate their use for predict...
The effect of oral and intravenous dextrose on C-peptide secretion in ponies. Managing equine hyperinsulinemia is crucial for preventing laminitis, but our understanding of the mechanisms involved in insulin dysregulation in this species is incomplete. C-peptide is co-secreted with insulin but is resistant to hepatic metabolism and can be used to study insulin dysregulation. This study examined C-peptide secretion in serial blood samples collected after oral and i.v. dextrose (0.75 g/kg) administration to 9 ponies (BCS, 7.1 ± 0.5). The ponies were designated as hyperinsulinemic (HI) or normoinsulinemic (NI) responders before the study, using oral glucose tests and fast...
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis in Welsh pony embryos after biopsy and cryopreservation. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis and embryo cryopreservation are important tools to improve genetic management in equine species with marked consequences on the economic value, health, biodiversity, and preservation of the animals. This study aimed to develop a biopsy method at the blastocyst stage that provides viable genotyped cryopreserved Welsh pony embryos. Embryos were collected at d 6.75 to 7 after ovulation. Biopsies were performed with either a microblade or a micropipette. After biopsy, embryos were cryopreserved. The survival rate of biopsied embryos was evaluated on fresh and cryo...
Muscle growth in young horses: Effects of age, cytokines, and growth factors. Success as equine athletes requires proper muscle growth in young horses. Muscle hypertrophy occurs through protein synthesis and the contribution of muscle satellite cells, which can be stimulated or inhibited by cytokines and growth factors present during exercise and growth. The hypotheses of this study were that 1) the LM area in young horses would increase over 1 yr, and 2) specific cytokines and growth factors (IL-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α, IGF-I, and fibroblast growth factor [FGF]-2) would alter proliferation and differentiation of satellite cells isolated from young hor...
Phosphorus digestibility and phytate degradation by yearlings and mature horses. Inorganic P is often added to growing horse diets because organic P, or phytate-P, is believed to have lower digestibility. If horses can efficiently digest organic P, then the need for inorganic P may be reduced. Much of the P in grain-based concentrates fed to growing horses is in the form of phytate-P. Little is known about the ability of growing horses to degrade phytate-P or whether horse age affects mineral digestion in horses. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of age on P, Ca, and Mg digestibility as well as phytate-P degradation. Four yearling geldings and 4 mature ...
Shade use by small groups of domestic horses in a hot, sunny environment. Horses in the United States are commonly managed in outside pens or pastures in small groups. Limited research on shade use by domestic horses housed singly in individual pens has shown benefits and a preference for using available shade. The objective of this study was to examine the amount of shade use and the behavioral and physiological responses of small groups of horses when housed with access to shade (SH) and without access to shade (SUN). Thirty-six horses were randomized into 3 consecutive trials using 3 horses per group and 4 groups per trial. Groups experienced 5 d in each treatmen...
Pregnancy disruption in artificially inseminated domestic horse mares as a counterstrategy against potential infanticide. In a previous study, we suggested that the common practice of transporting a mare for mating and then bringing her back to an environment that also contains males that did not sire the fetus may be a major cause of high percentages of pregnancy disruption in domestic horses. In this study, we tested whether disruption of pregnancies induced by AI occurs as frequently as after mating with a strange stallion away from home and is affected by the same factors in the home social environment. Based on 77 records, the probability of pregnancy disruption after AI depended on the social environment in...
Should we use the single nucleotide polymorphism linked to in genomic evaluation of French trotter? An A/C mutation responsible for the ability to pace in horses was recently discovered in the gene. It has also been proven that allele C has a negative effect on trotters' performances. However, in French trotters (FT), the frequency of allele A is only 77% due to an unexpected positive effect of allele C in late-career FT performances. Here we set out to ascertain whether the genotype at SNP (linked to ) should be used to compute EBV for FT. We used the genotypes of 630 horses, with 41,711 SNP retained. The pedigree comprised 5,699 horses. Qualification status (trotters need to complete a 2,0...
Evaluation of methodological aspects of digestibility measurements in ponies fed different grass hays. Methodological aspects of digestibility measurements of feedstuffs for equines were studied in four Welsh pony geldings consuming four grass-hay diets in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Diets contained either a low (L), medium (M), high (H), or very high (VH) ADF content (264, 314, 375, or 396 g·kg DM, respectively). Diets were supplemented with minerals, vitamins, and TiO (3.9 g Ti·d). Daily feces excreted were collected quantitatively over 10 consecutive days and analyzed for moisture, ash, ADL, AIA, and titanium (Ti). Minimum duration of total fecal collection (TFC) required for an accurate...
The effect of a limit-fed diet and slow-feed hay nets on morphometric measurements and postprandial metabolite and hormone patterns in adult horses. Modern horse management systems tend to limit a horse's opportunity to forage, rely on meal feeding, and may contribute to the increase in equine obesity. The use of slow-feed hay nets represents an opportunity to extend foraging time while feeding a restricted diet. The objectives of this study were to determine if limit feeding combined with a slow-feed hay net would affect morphometric measurements and postprandial metabolite and hormone patterns in overweight adult horses. Eight adult Quarter horses (BW 563 kg ± 4.6 kg; BCS 7.2 ± 0.3) were used in a randomized complete block design, with...
Equine endometrial gene expression changes during and after maternal recognition of pregnancy. The mechanism for maternal recognition of pregnancy (MRP) in horses is unknown. To maintain a pregnancy, a mobile conceptus must be recognized by the uterus before d 14 postovulation (PO). This recognition prevents endometrial secretion of PGF2α on d14 through 16, which would otherwise initiate luteolysis. The objective of this study was to evaluate gene expression in the endometrium of pregnant and nonpregnant mares during and after MRP to identify possible genes involved during this time. Twelve normally cycling mares were used in a crossover design and randomly assigned to a specific colle...
HORSE SPECIES SYMPOSIUM: Nutritional programming and the impact on mare and foal performance. Many environmental factors can alter the phenotype of offspring when applied during critical periods of early development. In most domestic species, maternal nutrition influences fetal development and the fetus is sensitive to the nutrition of the dam during pregnancy. Many experimental models have been explored including both under- and overnutrition of the dam. Both nutritional strategies have yielded potential consequences including altered glucose tolerance, pancreatic endocrine function, insulin sensitivity, body composition, and colostrum quality. Although the impact of maternal nutritio...
A comparison of the physiological response to tölt and trot in the Icelandic horse. This study compared the effect of ridden tölt and trot at 3 speeds on physiological responses in trained adult (15.3 ± 1.6 yr) Icelandic horses. The experiment had a crossover design with 8 horses, 2 treatments (incremental exercise test in tölt and trot), and 2 riders. Each horse performed 2 tests per day (1 gait with 2 riders, minimum 4.5 h between) on 2 separate days, with 1 d of rest in between. The exercise test consisted of three 642-m phases at 3.0 m/s (Speed), 4.0 m/s (Speed), and 5.0 m/s (Speed) and was performed outdoors on a 300-m oval gravel riding track in northern Iceland in M...
A Nordic survey of management practices and owners’ attitudes towards keeping horses in groups. Keeping horses in groups is widely recommended but limited information is available about how this is implemented in practice. The aim of this survey was to describe how horses are kept in the Nordic countries in relation to sex, age, breed, and equestrian discipline and to assess owners' attitudes toward keeping horses in groups. Horse owners in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden were approached using a web-based questionnaire, which was translated into 4 languages and distributed online via equestrian forums, organizations, and social media. The number of respondents was 3,229, taking care...
HORSE SPECIES SYMPOSIUM: Glucocorticoid programming of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and metabolic function: Animal studies from mouse to horse. Adrenal glucocorticoids, such as cortisol, are essential for normal fetal development and for maintaining homeostasis in adults. Developmental studies in humans and other animals have shown that exposure to excess glucocorticoids during critical windows of perinatal development can program permanent changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function and metabolic function, with adverse implications for the long-term health of the exposed offspring. The current review compares the programming of postnatal HPA axis function and glucose homeostasis among different species overexposed p...
Postprandial glucose, insulin, and glucagon-like peptide-1 responses of different equine breeds adapted to meals containing micronized maize. The enteroinsular axis is a complex system that includes the release of incretin hormones from the gut to promote the absorption and utilization of glucose after a meal. The insulinogenic effect of incretin hormones such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) remains poorly characterized in the horse. The aim of this study was to compare postprandial glucose, insulin, and GLP-1 responses of different equine breeds adapted to twice-daily meals containing micronized maize. Four Standardbred horses, 4 mixed-breed ponies, and 4 Andalusian cross horses in moderate BCS (5.5 ± 0.2 out of 9) were fed mea...
Daytime shelter use of individually kept horses during Swedish summer. In Sweden, no provision for summer shelter to protect horses from heat and insects is required, although access to shelter for horses kept outdoors 24 h during winter is a requirement. This study investigated horses' daytime shelter-seeking behavior in relation to weather conditions and insect activity during a 2-wk period in summer. Eight Warmblood riding horses had access to 2 shelters of different design to test which shelter design is preferred by horses. Furthermore, rectal and skin temperatures and insect-defensive behavior were measured to test whether horses would benefit from the prov...
Daily methane production pattern of Welsh ponies fed a roughage diet with or without a cereal mixture. Methane production from Welsh ponies fed 2 isoenergetic diets (NE basis) at maintenance was studied in a crossover design with 4 mature geldings (230 ± 10.5 kg BW, mean ± SE). Treatments included a roughage-only (R) diet (5.1 kg DM/d) or a roughage plus cereal mix (RC) diet (2.5 kg DM hay/d plus 1.1 kg DM cereal mix/d). For both diets, the same grass hay was used (898 g DM/kg and 4.5 MJ NE/kg DM) and a commercial cereal mix was used in the RC diet (890 g DM/kg and 9.6 MJ NE/kg DM). Ponies were housed in pairs in climate-controlled respiration chambers. Carbon dioxide production (CO2), oxygen...
HORSE SPECIES SYMPOSIUM: Advances in equine stem cell biology. The Horse Species Symposium titled “Advances in Equine Stem Cell Biology” was held at the Joint Annual Meeting of the American Dairy Science Association, American Society of Animal Science, and Canadian Society of Animal Science in Kansas City, MO, July 20 to 24, 2014. The purpose of the symposium was to discuss recent research findings related to equine stem cell use in chondrocytes, muscle satellite cells, and bone. The symposium comprised 3 invited presentations.
The symposium began with the invited presentation by J. N. MacLeod (University of Kentucky, Lexington), who discussed the ...
HORSE SPECIES SYMPOSIUM: Use of mesenchymal stem cells in fracture repair in horses. Equine bone fractures are often catastrophic, potentially fatal, and costly to repair. Traditional methods of healing fractures have limited success, long recovery periods, and a high rate of reinjury. Current research in the equine industry has demonstrated that stem cell therapy is a promising novel therapy to improve fracture healing and reduce the incidence of reinjury; however, reports of success in horses have been variable and limited. Stem cells can be derived from embryonic, fetal, and adult tissue. Based on the ease of collection, opportunity for autologous cells, and proven success ...
Quantification of sodium pentobarbital residues from equine mortality compost piles. Sodium pentobarbital, a euthanasia drug, can persist in animal carcasses following euthanasia and can cause secondary toxicosis to animals that consume the remains. This experiment was conducted to observe the effects of composting on euthanized horse carcass degradation and sodium pentobarbital residues in compost material up to 367 d. Six separate compost bins were constructed on pastureland. Three bins served as the control while 3 served as the treatment. The carbonaceous material, or bulking agent, consisted of hardwood chips mixed with yard waste wetted to approximately 50% moisture cont...