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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.
Equine asthma: An appropriate, translational and comprehendible terminology? In their editorial in Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) almost a quarter of a
century ago, Hall and Stark [1] referred to the inability of clinicians, both
human and veterinary, to separate and recognise the different clinical
entities responsible for chronic diseases of the airways, with the
subsequent development of several different approaches to terminology,
as well as treatment. In relation to equine nonseptic lower airway disease,
and despite many attempts to identify the most appropriate nomenclature,
this challenge remains as topical today as it did then. ‘Equine asthma’ has
...
Comparison of DMRT3 genotypes among American Saddlebred horses with reference to gait. Horse owners choose whether or not to train American Saddlebred horses (ASHs) to perform the 4-beat gaits called rack and slow gait. The rack and slow gait are similar to ambling gaits shown to be associated with variation in the DMRT3 gene in other breeds but are trained rather than naturally occurring gaits. A premature stop codon in the DMRT3 gene (DMRT3_Ser301STOP) caused by the Ch23:g.22999655C>A SNP has an effect on the pattern of locomotion in horses and allows for the pacing gait and strong association with performance of ambling gaits in diverse breeds. We used horse show records to i...
Effects of two alfalfa preparations with different particle sizes on the gastric mucosa in weanlings: alfalfa chaff versus alfalfa pellets. Feeding alfalfa hay is often recommended for its buffering components, like protein and calcium, to prevent lesions of the gastric mucosa in horses. Until now, there has been no information regarding the influence of alfalfa particle size on the gastric mucosa. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of feeding two alfalfa preparations with different particle sizes (alfalfa chaff vs alfalfa pellets) in comparison with grass hay on the gastric mucosa in weanling horses. We hypothesized that feeding a high proportion of fine alfalfa particles would negatively impact gastric mucosa a...
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...
Cryptic Diversity of Malassezia pachydermatis from Healthy and Diseased Domestic Animals. Malassezia pachydermatis is part of the normal cutaneous microbiota of wild and domestic carnivores. However, under certain conditions this yeast can overproliferate and cause several diseases in its host, mainly otitis and dermatitis in dogs. The aim of this study was to conduct a molecular characterization of M. pachydermatis isolates from healthy and diseased domestic animals, in order to assess the molecular diversity and phylogenetic relationship within this species. The large subunit (LSU) and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of ribosomal RNA, chitin synthase 2 (CHS2) and β-tubulin...
Room temperature fluorescence and phosphorescence study on the interactions of iodide ions with single tryptophan containing serum albumins. In this study, the influence of heavy-atom perturbation, induced by the addition of iodide ions, on the fluorescence and phosphorescence decay parameters of some single tryptophan containing serum albumins isolated from: human (HSA), equine (ESA) and leporine (LSA) has been studied. The obtained results indicated that, there exist two distinct conformations of the proteins with different exposure to the quencher. In addition, the Stern-Volmer plots indicated saturation of iodide ions in the binding region. Therefore, to determine quenching parameter, we proposed alternative quenching model and...
Fascicles and the interfascicular matrix show adaptation for fatigue resistance in energy storing tendons. Tendon is composed of rope-like fascicles, bound together by interfascicular matrix (IFM). Our previous work shows that the IFM is critical for tendon function, facilitating sliding between fascicles to allow tendons to stretch. This function is particularly important in energy storing tendons, which experience extremely high strains during exercise, and therefore require the capacity for considerable inter-fascicular sliding and recoil. This capacity is not required in positional tendons. Whilst we have previously described the quasi-static properties of the IFM, the fatigue resistance of the...
Leaping eels electrify threats, supporting Humboldt’s account of a battle with horses. In March 1800, Alexander von Humboldt observed the extraordinary spectacle of native fisherman collecting electric eels (Electrophorus electricus) by "fishing with horses" [von Humboldt A (1807) Ann Phys 25:34-43]. The strategy was to herd horses into a pool containing electric eels, provoking the eels to attack by pressing themselves against the horses while discharging. Once the eels were exhausted, they could be safely collected. This legendary tale of South American adventures helped propel Humboldt to fame and has been recounted and illustrated in many publications, but subsequent investi...
Academia or practice? Amy Barstow's friends and family always knew she was destined for veterinary medicine. Her aim initially was clinical practice; however, an interest in equine lameness has led her into a PhD in equine biomechanics.
Common occurrence of Cryptosporidium hominis in horses and donkeys. Extensive genetic variation is observed within the genus Cryptosporidium and the distribution of Cryptosporidium species/genotypes in humans and animals appears to vary by geography and host species. To better understand the genetic diversity of Cryptosporidium spp. in horses and donkeys, we characterized five horse-derived and 82 donkey-derived Cryptosporidium isolates from five provinces or autonomous regions (Sichuan, Gansu, Henan, Inner Mongolia and Shandong) in China at the species/genotype and subtype levels. Three Cryptosporidium species/genotypes were identified based on the analysis o...
Retrograde maxillary nerve perineural injection: A tomographic and anatomical evaluation of the infraorbital canal and evaluation of needle type and size in equine cadavers. The aim of this study was to investigate a new approach for equine maxillary nerve blocks, which can facilitate several orofacial surgeries. Current techniques aim at the maxillary foramen and approach via the zygomatic arch, conferring the risk of injury to several delicate structures in the target area. To investigate the feasibility of a retrograde approach from the infraorbital foramen, an anatomic study of the infraorbital canal and its surrounding structures was performed on 13 cadaveric skulls using computed tomography and anatomical dissection. Measurements included canal length and vo...
Mitochondrial diversity in mountain horse population from the South-Eastern Europe. It is believed that population structure of mountain horse breeds is preserved from any genetic introgression, because of their geographical isolation and specific semi-wild life style of husbandry. Till date there are no molecular data for the Balkan horses. In this study we try to give information about some autochthonous mountain horse breeds from Bulgaria. A total of 121 horses from three different mountain massifs are presented: Stara Planina (the Balkan mountain), the Rhodopes and Rila-Pirin massif were genotyped according to mitochondrial D-loop region. The results showed huge diversity...
Culex Tarsalis Mosquitoes as Vectors of Highlands J Virus. Highlands J virus (HJV) is an alphavirus closely related to western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV) and eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV). HJV is an avian pathogen with the potential for disruption of poultry operations, but is not known to cause human or equine disease. HJV has only been identified in the eastern United States and is thought to have a transmission cycle similar to that of EEEV involving Culiseta melanura mosquitoes and birds. However, HJV is more genetically similar to WEEV and it remains unclear if it may be transmitted by Culex species mosquitoes like WEEV. Seven st...
Arterial pH and Blood Lactate Levels of Anesthetized Mongolian Khulan ( Equus hemionus hemionus) in the Mongolian Gobi Correlate with Induction Time. Research and conservation of wide-ranging wild equids in most cases necessitate capture and handling of individuals. For free-roaming Mongolian khulan ( Equus hemionus hemionus), also known as the khulan, capture involves a strenuous, high-speed chase, and physiologic responses have yet to be elucidated. We analyzed sequential arterial blood gas (ABG) samples as a proxy for respiratory and metabolic status of khulan during capture-related anesthesia. We recorded precise chase and induction times and monitored vital parameters and ABG from free-ranging khulan during anesthesia performed for GPS...
Analysis of competition performance in dressage and show jumping of Dutch Warmblood horses. Most Warmblood horse studbooks aim to improve the performance in dressage and show jumping. The Dutch Royal Warmblood Studbook (KWPN) includes the highest score achieved in competition by a horse to evaluate its genetic ability of performance. However, the records collected during competition are associated with some aspects that might affect the quality of the genetic evaluation based on these records. These aspects include the influence of rider, censoring and preselection of the data. The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of rider effect, censoring and preselection on the genetic...
Length of winter coat in horses depending on husbandry conditions. This paper analyzes changes in the length of coat on selected body areas in horses and ponies kept under different husbandry (stable) conditions during the winter-spring period. The study included 12 Małpolski geldings and 12 geldings of Felin ponies aged 10-15 years. Horses were kept in two stables (six horses and six ponies in each stable). The type of performance, husbandry conditions and feeding of the studied animals were comparable. As of December 1, samples of hair coat from the scapula, sternum, back and abdomen areas of both body sides were collected seven times. The lengths of 20 ra...
Alkaline phosphatase activity in airway fluid obtained by tracheal wash from adult horses. Collection of fluid from the lower respiratory tract (LRT) plays an important role in both the pathophysiological investigation and diagnosis of respiratory tract disease. Enzymes such as ALP are, among others, indicators of cell damage or death, type II pneumocyte proliferation, and neutrophil invasion, and have been useful as biomarkers of respiratory disease in other species. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine and compare tracheal wash (TW) ALP activity in healthy horses and horses with LRT inflammation (LRTI) determined by TW cytology profile. Methods: Tracheal washes we...
[New drugs for horses and production animals in 2015]. In 2015, four newly developed active pharmaceutical ingredients for horses and food-producing animals were released on the German market for veterinary drug products. These were the bisphosphonate Clodronic Acid (Osphos®), the 5-hydroxytryptamine (2A) receptor antagonist Ketanserin (Vulketan®), the aminoglycoside antibiotic Paromomycin (Parofor®) and the antibiotic Thiamphenicol (TAF Spray®) from the fenicole group. With Chlorphenamine, a temporary not available active ingredient was reapproved in a new drug. Furthermore, three veterinary drugs with a new formulation as well as one product...
Polymorphism and preadaptation of horses (Equus) of the mountains surrounding Lake Baikal in Pleistocene. The first data on polymorphism and preadaptation of the Pleistocene horses in the mountains surrounding Lake Baikal are presented. It has been shown that disregard of intraspecific polymorphism leads to unreasonable ignoring of their diversity, phylogenetically false constructions, and incorrect interpretation of natural environment.
Effects of different animal manures on attraction and reproductive behaviors of common house fly, Musca domestica L. Insects rely mainly on their well-developed and highly sophisticated olfactory system to discriminate volatile cues released from host and nonhost substances, mates, oviposition substrates, and food sources. Onset of first mating, mating duration, and onset of first oviposition, oviposition period, fecundity (number of eggs laid by a female), and longevity of freshly emerged Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae) adults were observed in the presence of different animal manures: cow, horse, donkey, poultry, and an artificial diet. The M. domestica adults exposed to horse manure showed a delay i...
Distribution of coat-color-associated alleles in the domestic horse population and Przewalski’s horse. Considering the hidden mode of inheritance of some coat-color-associated alleles, we investigated the presence/absence of coat-color-associated alleles in 1093 domestic horses of 55 breeds and 20 specimens of Przewalski's horse. For coat-color genotyping, allele specific PCR, pyrosequencing and Li-Cor analyses were conducted on 12 coat-color-associated alleles of five genes. Our data provide deep insight into the distribution of coat-color-associated alleles within breeds. We found that the alleles for the basic colorations (bay, black, and chestnut) are widely distributed and occur in nearly ...
Isolation and molecular identification of Mycoplasma equigenitalium from equine genital tracts in northern India. Although Mycoplasma equigenitalium has been implicated in equine reproductive problems, its prevalence is largely unexplored due to the lack of specific diagnostic tests. To address this limitation, the authors developed and optimized species-specific primer pairs that target M. eguigenitalium rpoB (RNA polymerase B subunit) gene sequences. The specificity of the PCR assay developed in this study was determined using 12 field isolates including the type strain of M. equigenitalium and other Mycoplasma species. In the field study, a total of 122 mare and stallion samples comprising of 50 clinic...
Conformation Traits and Gaits in the Icelandic Horse are Associated with Genetic Variants in Myostatin (MSTN). Many genes are known to have an influence on conformation and performance traits; however, the role of one gene, Myostatin (MSTN), has been highlighted in recent studies on horses. Myostatin acts as a repressor in the development and regulation of differentiation and proliferative growth of skeletal muscle. Several studies have examined the link between MSTN, conformation, and performance in racing breeds, but no studies have investigated the relationship in Icelandic horses. Icelandic horses, a highly unique breed, are known both for their robust and compact conformation as well as their addi...
Effective population sizes in cattle, sheep, horses, pigs and goats estimated from census and herdbook data. Accurate measures of effective population sizes (Ne ) in livestock require good quality data and specialized skills for their computation and analysis. Ne can be estimated by Wright's equation Ne =4MF/(M+ F) (M, F being sires and dams, respectively), but this requires assumptions which are often not met. Total census sizes Nc of livestock breeds are collated globally. This paper investigates whether estimates of Ne can be made from Nc ; this would facilitate conservation monitoring. Some Ne methodologies avoid the assumptions of Wright's equation and permit measurement, rather than estimation,...
A survey of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) of companion animals in Australia. Ticks are among the most important vectors of pathogens affecting companion animals, and also cause health problems such as tick paralysis, anaemia, dermatitis, and secondary infections. Twenty ixodid species have previously been recorded on dogs, cats, and horses in Australia, including Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Ixodes holocyclus and Haemaphysalis longicornis, which transmit tick-borne diseases. A survey of hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) was conducted during 2012-2015 to investigate tick species that infest dogs, cats, and horses in Australia. Individual tick specimens were collected from dogs,...
Transposable Element Targeting by piRNAs in Laurasiatherians with Distinct Transposable Element Histories. PIWI proteins and PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are part of a cellular pathway that has evolved to protect genomes against the proliferation of transposable elements (TEs). PIWIs and piRNAs assemble into complexes that are involved in epigenetic and post-transcriptional repression of TEs. Most of our understanding of the mechanisms of piRNA-mediated TE silencing comes from fruit fly and mouse models. However, even in these well-studied animals it is unclear how piRNA responses relate to variable TE expression and whether the strength of the piRNA response affects TE content over time. Here, w...
Genome-wide association mapping of heritable temperament variation in the Tennessee Walking Horse. Temperament is a key criterion in the selection of horses for both leisure and competitive riding to ensure optimal performance and safety. The Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH) is described as a calm, docile breed and is often used as a trail, show and pleasure horse. However, among horse owners and caretakers, there are anecdotes supporting familial and disciplinal typical behaviors and personalities. To investigate the contribution of genetics to temperament, we collected a behavior questionnaire, brief training history and identifying information for 276 TWH, as well as blood or hair samples f...
