Topic:Animal Science
Animal Science and horses encompass the study of equine biology, physiology, and management practices aimed at understanding and improving horse health, welfare, and performance. This field integrates various scientific disciplines, including genetics, nutrition, reproduction, and behavior, to address the needs of horses in diverse contexts such as sports, work, and companionship. Research in this area often focuses on optimizing feeding strategies, enhancing breeding programs, and developing effective health management protocols. Additionally, studies explore the genetic factors influencing traits such as athleticism and disease resistance, as well as the impact of environmental and management conditions on horse behavior and welfare. This page gathers peer-reviewed research and scholarly articles that investigate the scientific principles underpinning equine science and their practical applications in horse care and management.
The role of space availability and affiliation in shaping equine social distances and dynamics. Horses confined to enclosures with limited opportunities for spatial avoidance and escape experience heightened social stress and conflict. While forced proximity can pose welfare risks, voluntary social proximity is considered a positive indicator of well-being. To investigate the effects of space availability on spatiotemporal dynamics, social network structure and agonistic interactions, this study used ultra-wideband sensors to continuously (1 Hz) measure interindividual distances in 34 horses across three groups under paddock and field conditions. Interindividual distances increased in l...
Working equines: Assessment of welfare and management practices in and around Debre Markos District, Northwest Ethiopia. Working equines play a crucial role in human livelihoods globally, yet their management is often inadequate. Objective: To assess the welfare and management practices of working equines. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2022 to April 2023 in and around Debre Markos, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: Physical examination and structured interviews were used as data collection tools. A total of 384 equines (186 donkeys, 144 horses, and 54 mules) and their owners were selected through a purposive sampling method. Results: The results showed that 60.4% of the equines were use...
Genomic insights into the genetic diversity and genetic basis of body height in endangered Chinese Ningqiang ponies. Genetic diversity in livestock and poultry is critical for adapting production systems to future challenges. However, inadequate management practices, particularly in developing countries, have led to the extinction or near extinction of several species. Understanding the genetic composition and historical background of local breeds is essential for their effective conservation and sustainable use. This study compared the genomes of 30 newly sequenced Ningqiang ponies with those of 56 other ponies and 104 horses to investigate genetic diversity, genetic differentiation, and the genetic basis o...
Role of anti-Müllerian hormone in different reproductive aspects of female mammals: women, cow and mare. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is a dimeric glycoprotein belonging to the superfamily of the transforming growth factor-β. Due to the discovery of AMH functions, relative to the ovarian function, it is being postulated as being a highly important marker in studies on mammalian reproduction. Therefore, the objective of this review was to describe the role of this hormone in different reproductive aspects of female mammals, taking women, cows, and mares as reference species. The relationship between ovarian reserve and AMH was analysed, and it has been verified that there is a relationship betwe...
Three Novel KIT Polymorphisms Found in Horses with White Coat Color Phenotypes. This paper reports three novel KIT variants likely responsible for previously unexplained white patterning phenotypes observed in three groups of horses. White spots and markings may have substantial consequences on the value and health of domesticated horses. This study aims to elucidate the genetic mechanisms underlying depigmented coat colors to aid in producing prosperous herds. Aligned whole genome sequences were manually screened to identify three polymorphisms in a family of Anglo-Arabian horses (N = 7), a family of Warmblood horses (N = 5), and a single stock-type mare with unexplained...
How Nutrigenomics Impacts Equine Health – A Case Study of Vitamin E. Nutrigenomics defines the interaction between the nutrients in our food and the genes in our body. Examples from human medicine of diseases and associated genes include lactose intolerance (genetic variants in LCT lactase), hypercholesteremia (low density lipoprotein receptor, LDLR) and caffeine sensitivity (adenosine A2A receptor, ADORA2A). In horses, examples include Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis (HYPP), where clinical signs of disease are managed through maintaining a diet low in potassium and Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy Type 1 (PSSM1), where low starch and high fat diets are recommen...
Sperm Motility Evaluation in Stallion Fresh, Cooled and Frozen Semen Using a Portable Computer-Assisted Sperm Analysis System. Semen analysis is an important laboratory diagnostic test for stallions. Evaluation of sperm motility is integral to basic semen analysis and results are important for breeding management and clinical practice. Computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) allows objective sperm motility evaluation and increases analytical precision. The objective of the present study was to validate a portable CASA system (AndroScope). Fresh/cooled semen samples (33 ejaculates, 18 stallions) and frozen semen (40 ejaculates and one epididymal flush, 27 stallions) were evaluated using the AndroScope and the IVOS II C...
Trophic rewilding by large herbivores reduces plant nitrogen and water limitation across seven sites irrespective of their edaphic conditions. Based on a growing understanding of the role of wild megafauna in the functioning of natural ecosystems, trophic rewilding by large herbivores is increasingly used as a nature-based solution to mitigate biodiversity loss and climate change in Europe and beyond. Despite the growing interest in implementing nature-based approaches to restore key non-productive ecosystem services, there is relatively little data available to assess the benefits and risks of rewilding projects. We therefore investigated the effects of year-round grazing by large ungulates on plant biomass characteristics and their...
A Systematic Literature Review of Mitochondrial DNA Analysis for Horse Genetic Diversity. This Systematic Literature Review (SLR) consolidates current research on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis in horses, focusing on genetic variation, maternal lineage tracing, and haplogroup identification. The article selection process screened 1380 articles, with 76 fulfilling the inclusion criteria. Data extraction covered sampling techniques, studied mtDNA regions, sequencing methods, and haplogroup identification. Following the methodology of the PRISMA guidelines, this review encompasses studies published since 2012, obtained from Scopus, PubMed, Research4Life, Web of Science, and Scienc...
Authenticity of domestic animal milk: An identification strategy by supercritical fluid chromatography quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Livestock milk is important for daily cooking and food production, but some lawless traders often adulterate the milk product using low-priced raw. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a simple, sensitive and accurate fingerprinting identification method to provide consumers with early warning of risks. Herein, we first systematically separated and authenticated the triacylglycerols composition of milks from holstein cattles, goats, mongolian horses, bactrian camels, yaks and buffaloes, which were less reported in domestic and international studies, using the SFC-Q-TOF-MS technique. Subsequently...
Tracking the Track: The Impact of Different Grazing Strategies on Managing Equine Obesity. Horses evolved to live in herds, continuously moving and foraging. Domestic horses often have limited social contact and movement, with high calorific intake, contributing to obesity. "Track grazing" is an increasingly popular management system, but evidence of its impact on weight management, behaviour, and welfare is limited. Horses (n = 19) resident at HorseWorld (UK) were observed July to October 2023, monitoring bodyweight (kg), Body Conditions Score (BCS), hoof health, behaviour, and welfare indicators. Horses on track grazing systems lost significantly more bodyweight (kg) (F(1,15) = 8....
Domestic Quarter Horse (Equus caballus) Milk Macronutrient Composition Analyses Within Micro Quantities from Two Different Geographical Locations. Microquantity laboratory procedures (<5 mL) are often used to analyze milk from non-bovid or less common species due to limited available samples and small sample sizes, unlike the large quantities of milk needed for macroquantity (~20 mL) assays standard in the commercial dairy industry. To better understand microquantity milk laboratory analyses, quarter horse () milk from North Carolina State University (females = 4, n = 43) and California Polytechnic State University (females = 4, n = 42) equine centers was compared to investigate differences in macronutrient composition from 4 to 130 d...
Multivariate analysis of morphometric traits of Malkangiri pony – a heritage germplasm of Odisha. The present study aimed to identify significant morphometric traits in Malkangiri ponies of Odisha through principal component analysis. The data were collected randomly from 200 ponies aged more than five years and 13 morphometric traits alongwith three indices were recorded. The mean height at wither, height at croup, body length, chest girth, punch girth, height at forearm, height at hock, fetlock to coronet, chest width, neck circumference, poll to wither, wither to croup and croup to head of the tail were 126.7 ± 0.39, 122.6 ± 0.29, 107.9 ± 0.2, 122 ± 0.31, 118.6 ±...
Thermal and non-thermal effects of microwave pretreatment on horse dung microbial communities used as inoculum for acidogenic fermentation. This study focuses on thermal and non-thermal effects of microwave pretreatment on horse dung as indigenous inoculum before xylose and wheat straw fermentation, emphasizing metabolite production and microbial community changes. Two horse dung microwave pretreatments (MW40°C and MW95°C) were compared with a conventional thermal pretreatment (Th95°C) and an unpretreated condition (Ctrl). Microwave heating pretreatment (MW95°C) leads to similar production as a conventional thermal pretreatment (Th95°C) for xylose and wheat straw fermentation while MW40°C treatment was similar to the control...
Retinol and cholecalciferol affect buserelin-induced estrous in anestrous mares. In winter anestrous, prolonged melatonin secretion inhibits gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). However, synthetic GnRH analogues such as buserelin can stimulate follicular development. We aimed to investigate clinical relationship between retinol, cholecalciferol, and buserelin for inducing estrous in anestrous mares (Equus caballus). We used a total of twenty-one anestrous mares, randomly divided into three groups of seven animals. Group A received retinol, cholecalciferol, and buserelin; group B received buserelin; and group C was control. Groups A, B, and C had 71.42% (n = 5; 95% CI...
Learning from eavesdropping on human-human encounters changes feeding location choice in horses (Equus Caballus). When animals observe human signals, they may learn from them. Such learning from humans has been reported for intentional communication between humans with animals, but animals might also learn socially by observing unintentional information transfer when eavesdropping on humans-human encounters. In this study, 12 of 17 horses significantly changed their preference for a feeding location after observing approval in a human-human interaction there, and horses kept in social housing adapted in a higher percentage of trials to human-human demonstrations than those in individual housing. This indi...
Cryoprotective effect of zinc and gold nanoparticles during cooling and freeze-thawing on Marwari stallion sperm parameters and reactive oxygen species production. Sperm cryopreservation is one of the most important procedures in the development of biotechnologies for assisted reproduction. Cryopreservation of stallion spermatozoa tends to cause plasma membrane damage due to the low ratio of cholesterol to phospholipids. Different substances and compounds can be added to semen extenders to improve sperm quality. Objective: To investigate the effect of supplementing semen extender with zinc nanoparticles (ZnONPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on cooled and frozen-thawed spermatozoa of Marwari stallion. Methods: A total of 20 ejaculates from four Marwari ...
Vaccination Status of Horses in Poland Based on an Internet Survey of the Horse Owners. Preventing the spread of infectious diseases in horses requires breaking the chain of infection through appropriate prophylaxis. In Poland, where the horse population reached 273,006 in 2023, vaccinations are voluntary and primarily the responsibility of horse owners, with mandatory influenza vaccinations limited to sport horses. This study aimed to evaluate the vaccination status of Polish horses against infectious diseases through a survey of 980 horse owners and an analysis of 123 horse passports from slaughterhouses. Survey participants represented all provinces, predominantly owning warmb...
Microbiome analysis reveals dynamic changes of gut microbiota in Guizhou horse and Dutch Warmblood horses. In recent years, the importance of gut microbiota in digestive absorption, metabolism, and immunity has garnered increasing attention. China possess abundant horse breed resources, particularly Guizhou horses, which play vital roles in local agriculture, tourism, and transportation. Despite this, there is a lack of comparative studies on the gut microbiota of native Guizhou horses (GZH) and imported Dutch Warmblood horses (WH). To address this gap, fecal samples were collected from both GZH and WH, and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing was utilized to analyze the differences in their gut mic...
Comparative analysis of proteomics and transcriptomics reveals novel mechanism underlying the antibacterial activity and immune-enhancing properties of horse milk. Horse milk is a highly valuable organic food that is a promising alternative to cow milk, exhibiting plenty of healthy and immune benefits to human. However, identification of proteins associated human wellness and underlying molecular mechanism in horse milk remain unclear. Unassigned: Label-free mass spectrometry-based protein quantification technology was employed to investigate protein composition of animal milk, including cow, goat, camel and horse milk. Prokaryotic expression and disk diffusion assay were applied to acquire and evaluate antimicrobial activity of candidate proteins. RAW2...
Genomic Patterns of Homozygosity and Genetic Diversity in the Rhenish German Draught Horse. The Rhenish German draught horse is an endangered German horse breed, originally used as working horse in agriculture. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the breed's genetic diversity using pedigree and genomic data in order to analyze classical and ancestral pedigree-based inbreeding, runs of homozygosity, ROH islands, and consensus ROH. Methods: We studied the genome-wide genotype data of 675 Rhenish German draught horses and collated pedigree-based inbreeding coefficients for these horses. The final dataset contained 64,737 autosomal SNPs. Results: The average number of ...
Enhancing equine welfare: a qualitative study on the impact of RAiSE (Recognizing Affective States in Equine) as an educational tool. The horse industry's growing focus on improving horse welfare stems from stakeholders' desires, increasing public scrutiny, and potential threats to its Social License to Operate. Correctly assessing equine affective states is crucial for enhancing horse welfare. However, horse owners often struggle with this assessment, especially those with limited consistent access to horses. To address this gap, RAiSE (Recognizing Affective State in Equine) was developed as an educational tool aimed at improving horse industry participants' ability to recognize these states. After development of the educat...
Genomic regions and candidate genes associated with forehead whorl positioning in Thoroughbred horses. Previous studies have examined the relationship between hair characteristics and temperament traits in various animals. A partial genetic association has been suggested in humans because whorl formation and neurological development occur simultaneously during the fetal period. In the horse industry, anecdotal evidence suggests a link between the forehead whorl position and temperament. In our previous study, the heritability of forehead whorl positioning was h=0.653, indicating significant genetic contributions in thoroughbreds. Therefore, in this study, we designed a genome-wide association s...
Regulatory Mechanisms of Yili Horses During an 80 km Race Based on Transcriptomics and Metabolomics Analyses. Equine endurance exercise induces physiological changes that alter metabolism and molecular pathways to maintain balance after intense physical activity. However, the specific regulatory mechanisms remain under debate. Identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differential metabolites (DMs) associated with equine endurance is essential for elucidating these regulatory mechanisms. This study collected blood samples from six Yili horses before and after an 80 km race and conducted transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses, yielding 722 DEGs and 256 DMs. These DEGs were primarily enri...
Standardized body condition scoring system for tropical farm animals (large ruminants, small ruminants, and equines). In tropical regions, subject to significant fluctuations in feedstuffs, the body condition score (BCS) is a relevant indicator for monitoring body reserves status of farm animals. However, the most used BCS grids comes from temperate conditions and still not adapted for tropical species, which limits adoption and usefulness. The current work presents for the first time an original, low-cost, standardized BCS assessment system, suited to a large spectrum of tropical farm animals (zebu and/or crossbred cattle, buffaloes, camel, sheep, goats, horses and donkeys). Based on a rigorous set of unifor...
The neurobiological basis of emotions and their connection to facial expressions in non-human mammals: insights in nonverbal communication. Recognizing that nonhuman animals are sentient beings has increased interest in studying their emotional state. Similar to humans, research has shown that some nonhuman mammals can modify facial expressions by contraction/relaxation of facial muscles according to their affective state. From a neurophysiological perspective, emotions are processed in several brain structures, mainly from the limbic system, such as the hypothalamus, hypophysis, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. The converged pathways between the amygdala, the motor cortex, and its projections to the facial nerve cont...
Exercise as a welfare strategy? Insights from horse (Equus caballus) owners in the UK. Obesity and its comorbidities (e.g. laminitis) are identified as major welfare issues among domestic equids in the United Kingdom (UK) and abroad. Weight-management typically focuses on restricting consumption (e.g. limiting pasture grazing), often facilitated through stabling. This leads to social isolation, prompting other welfare issues. Increased exercise may be a preferable solution for equine obesity, if viable. The aims of this study were to explore horse (Equus caballus) owner perceptions regarding the importance of exercise, and to investigate how exercise provision related to welfare...
Detection of mare parturition through balanced multi-scale feature fusion based on improved Libra RCNN. Once a mare experiences parturition abnormalities, the outcome between a live foal and a stillborn can change rapidly. Automated detection of mare parturition and timely human intervention is crucial to reducing risks during mare and foal parturition. This paper addresses the challenges of manual monitoring of parturition in large-scale equine facilities due to the unpredictability of mare parturition timing, proposing an algorithm for detecting mare parturition through a balanced multi-scale feature fusion based on an improved Libra RCNN. Initially, a ResNet101 backbone network incorporating ...
Results of the “test-freeze” approach in a commercial program of stallion sperm cryopreservation and the relationship between pre-freeze sperm quality and “freezability.”. In the current study, we report the effect of different commercially available semen freezing extenders utilized for the "test-freeze" procedure for 13 years (2010-2023) as part of a commercial program of stallion sperm cryopreservation. Ejaculates obtained from sexually active and healthy stallions (n = 124) were cryopreserved using up to five commercially available semen freezing extenders (Lactose-EDTA [LE], MFR5, CryoMax LE [CMLE], CryoMax MFR5 [CMMFR5] or BotuCrio [BC]). Post-thaw sperm motility (total motility - TM [%]; progressive motility - PM [%]; and curvilinear velocity - VCL [μm...
Genetic Evaluation of Barrel Racing Performance in Quarter Horses. Barrel racing is a competitive timed rodeo event that challenges horses and riders to complete a cloverleaf pattern around three barrels in the fastest time possible. In this study, we aimed to estimate the genetic parameters of barrel racing time (BRT) and evaluate the most suitable statistical model for its analysis. We compared a repeatability model and three random regression models (RRM) to analyse the longitudinal BRT data in Brazilian Quarter Horses. A total of 356,877 BRT records from 14,108 horses that competed in various events held across Brazil between 2010 and 2024 were analysed. ...