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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.
Removing movement artifacts from equine ECG recordings acquired with textile electrodes. This study reports on the implementation of a novel system to detect and reduce movement artifact (MA) contribution in electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings acquired from horses in free movement conditions. The system comprises both integrated textile electrodes for ECG acquisition and one triaxial accelerometer for movement monitoring. Here, ECG and physical activity are continuously acquired from seven horses through the wearable system and a model that integrates cardiovascular and movement information to estimate the MA contribution is implemented. Moreover, in this study we propose a new alg...
A Rare Case of Gastric Myiasis in a Lion Caused by Gasterophilus intestinalis (Diptera: Gasterophilidae)-Case Report. Myiasis is the infection caused by a variety of dipterous (fly) larvae in vertebrate's tissue (man and domestic or wild animals). Species of Gasterophilus are obligate parasite of horses, donkeys, zebras, elephants and rhinoceroses. There are records worldwide, but mostly, in tropical and subtropical regions. This case report describes a type of gastric myiasis caused by G. intestinalis in an old lion in a zoo in Sistan, southeast Iran. Myiasis in lions is rarely reported and this is the first report of gastric myiasis in lion.
Rapid Microfluidic Assay for the Detection of Botulinum Neurotoxin in Animal Sera. Potent Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) represent a threat to public health and safety. Botulism is a disease caused by BoNT intoxication that results in muscle paralysis that can be fatal. Sensitive assays capable of detecting BoNTs from different substrates and settings are essential to limit foodborne contamination and morbidity. In this report, we describe a rapid 96-well microfluidic double sandwich immunoassay for the sensitive detection of BoNT-A from animal sera. This BoNT microfluidic assay requires only 5 μL of serum, provides results in 75 min using a standard fluorescence microplate ...
The incidence and species composition of Gasterophilus (Diptera, Gasterophilidae) causing equine myiasis in northern Xinjiang, China. A survey was conducted on the detection of the larval Gasterophilus species in 90 equines via necropsy or after administering oral ivermectin in Xinjian, China, from 2008 to 2013. All 90 (100%) equines were infested by larval Gasterophilus, and 3723second instar larvae (L2) and 63,778 third instar larvae (L3) were collected from faecal samples and the digestive tract, a ratio of L2:L3=1:17. Over 84.45% of the animals contained ≤1500 larvae and 7.78% had >2000 larvae. The highest totals of L2 and L 3 larvae in any one animal were 1208 in Mongolian wild ass (Equus hemionus hemionus), 2491 in P...
Genotyping and Coat Colour Detection of Ancient Horses from Buryatia. From genetic point of view, differences between ancient and modern horses can be reconstructed by using the phylogeographic analysis of mitochondrial genomes and by studying phenotypically important nuclear loci. The variety of modern horse coat colors resulted from artificial selection indicates a high degree of domestication. We have conducted the phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA extracted from bone samples of six ancient horses from Tsaramburial in the Republic of Buryatia, and established that they belong to a haplogroup E by Achilli’s classification. This haplogroup is found a...
Dimensions of 65 Extracted Equine First Premolar Teeth. The equine first premolar ("wolf tooth," Triadan number 05) is frequently extracted, and although extracted teeth have been observed to vary greatly in size, published data describing tooth dimensions are limited. Total length, root length, crown height, and crown width were measured in 65 extracted wolf teeth. Dimensions, expressed as median (range) mm, were total length: 21 (12-34), root length: 13.2 (0-19.6), crown height: 7 (2-20), and crown width: 7 (2.6-16). Root length exceeded crown height in 61 of the 65 teeth. Crown height and crown width were either not correlated or poorly correlat...
Experience of using hippotherapy in complex effects on muscle spirals in children with spastic forms of cerebral palsy. Matters of physical and medical rehabilitation of children with organic lesions of the nervous system, in particular, with cerebral palsy, are actual in countries around the world. Hippotherapy is neurophysiologically oriented therapy using horses. Determine whether a combination of hippotherapy as a method of rehabilitation in the aftermath of outpatient comprehensive impact on MS on a stationary phase; Study of the effect of hippotherapy as securing and preparation method for learning new postures and movements in children with spastic cerebral palsy forms; The study of the possible optimiza...
Investigating attentional processes in depressive-like domestic horses (Equus caballus). Some captive/domestic animals respond to confinement by becoming inactive and unresponsive to external stimuli. Human inactivity is one of the behavioural markers of clinical depression, a mental disorder diagnosed by the co-occurrence of symptoms including deficit in selective attention. Some riding horses display 'withdrawn' states of inactivity and low responsiveness to stimuli that resemble the reduced engagement with their environment of some depressed patients. We hypothesized that 'withdrawn' horses experience a depressive-like state and evaluated their level of attention by confronting...
Diversity and ecology survey of mosquitoes potential vectors in Belgian equestrian farms: A threat prevention of mosquito-borne equine arboviruses. Emergence of West Nile Virus was recently recorded in several European countries, which can lead to severe health problems in horse populations. Europe is also at risk of introduction of mosquito-borne equine alphavirus from Americas. Prevention of these arboviruses requires a clear understanding of transmission cycles, especially their vectors. To characterize mosquito fauna, their ecology and identify potential vectors of equine arboviruses in Belgium, entomological surveys of six equestrian farms located in the Wolloon Region were conducted during 2011-2012. The harvest of mosquitoes was ba...
Epidemiological survey in Łęczyńsko-Włodawskie Lake District of eastern Poland reveals new evidence of zoonotic potential of Giardia intestinalis. Faecal samples from 297 farm animals were collected from 18 households in distinct sites of the Łęczyńsko-Włodawskie Lake District of eastern Poland. They included samples from 86 cattle (Bos taurus), 84 pigs (Sus scrofa f. domestica), 81 sheep (Ovis aries), 10 horses (Equus caballus), and 36 dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). The samples were examined for the presence of Giardia intestinalis by the Direct Fluorescence Assay (DFA) and semi-nested PCR. All amplicons were sequenced on both strands. By DFA, cysts of Giardia spp. were detected in 66 of 297 faecal samples (22.2%). Positive specimen...
Effect of repeated therapeutic horse riding sessions on the trunk movement of the rider. To assess the rider's movement during walking the horse in repeated therapeutic horse riding sessions and to determine the relationship between movements of the horse's back and the rider's trunk. Methods: A total of 12 healthy females (age: 23.3±2.8 years; height: 167.3±4.2 cm; weight: 59.2±5.3 kg) participated in 10 therapeutic horse riding sessions. Two English Thoroughbreds with similar body constitution (aged 19 and 14 years) were used in the experiment. Nine markers were placed on the rider's body and the horse's back, and four video cameras with a 25 Hz frequency were used. Colle...
Seasonal microbiological quality of air in veterinary practices in Poland. Numerous studies focused on the bioaerosols in the areas of industry, agriculture and animal husbandry, concerning both residential and public buildings, have been conducted continuously for many years. The aim of the present work was to determine the concentration and composition of mesophilic bacterial flora in the air of selected medical and veterinary clinics located in the cities and in the countryside. Air sampling was carried out in 2011-2013 in 44 veterinary practices in autumn-winter and spring-summer seasons. The concentration of bacteria ranged from 39 - 5,034 cfu/m(3) , with higher...
Regulatory mutations in TBX3 disrupt asymmetric hair pigmentation that underlies Dun camouflage color in horses. Dun is a wild-type coat color in horses characterized by pigment dilution with a striking pattern of dark areas termed primitive markings. Here we show that pigment dilution in Dun horses is due to radially asymmetric deposition of pigment in the growing hair caused by localized expression of the T-box 3 (TBX3) transcription factor in hair follicles, which in turn determines the distribution of hair follicle melanocytes. Most domestic horses are non-dun, a more intensely pigmented phenotype caused by regulatory mutations impairing TBX3 expression in the hair follicle, resulting in a more circu...
Three-dimensional anatomy. After her final year studying veterinary medicine at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and before starting an internship, Vicky Simons took on the job of creating a life-size equine anatomical model 'anatohorse' (also known as Geoff).
The complete mitochondrial genome of Hequ horse. The complete mitochondrial genome of Hequ horse was determined in this study. The mitogenome is 16 656 bp in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and a D-loop region. The overall base composition of the H-strand is 32.20% for A, 28.55% for C, 13.38% for G and 25.86% for T. Tree constructed using MEGA 6 with Maximum-likelihood (ML) methods demonstrated that Hequ horse was clustered in subfamily Equidae.
Effect of vacuum packing and temperature on survival and hatching of strongyle eggs in faecal samples. Strongyle eggs of helminths of livestock usually hatch within a few hours or days after deposition with faeces. This poses a problem when faecal sampling is performed in the field. As oxygen is needed for embryonic development, it is recommended to reduce air supply during transport and refrigerate. The present study therefore investigated the combined effect of vacuum packing and temperature on survival of strongyle eggs and their subsequent ability to hatch and develop into L3. Fresh faecal samples were collected from calves infected with Cooperia oncophora, pigs infected with Oesophagostomu...
Towards the elimination of excessive cobalt supplementation in racing horses: A pharmacological review. Cobalt is an essential trace element for many vital physiological functions. Cobalt is also known to stabilise hypoxia-inducible transcription factors leading to increased expression of erythropoietin which activates production of red blood cells. This implies that cobalt can be used to enhance aerobic performance in racing horses. If this becomes a pervasive practice, the welfare of racing animals would be at risk because cobalt is associated with cardiovascular, haematological, thyroid gland and reproductive toxicity as observed in laboratory animals and humans. It is expected that similar e...
Characterization of equine CSN1S2 variants considering genetics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. Currently, research interest is increasing in horse milk composition and its effect on human health. Despite previously published studies describing the presence of intra- and interbreed variability of equine milk components, no investigations have focused on the genetic background of this variation. Among horse caseins and the genes encoding them, least is known about the structure and expression of the α-S2 casein gene, CSN1S2. Herein, based on direct sequencing of the equine CSN1S2 coding sequence, we describe the presence of 51-bp insertion-deletion (in/del) polymorphism, which significan...
Methods for the cultivation of ciliated protozoa from the large intestine of horses. This paper describes cultivation methods for ciliates from the digestive tract of horses. Members of three different genera were successfully grown in vitro for short periods of time. However, only cells belonging to the genus Blepharocorys, which resides in the horse's large intestine, were maintained for longer periods. This Blepharocorys culture was successfully grown in vitro after inoculation of freshly excreted horse faeces in culture medium containing a population of bacteria. The ciliates survived for over six months, and the density of their population varied between 1.7 × 10(3) and ...
Efficacy of a single-formula acupuncture treatment for horses with palmar heel pain. Acupuncture is used without strong scientific evidence to treat many diseases of the horse, including palmar heel pain. Research is needed to provide evidence for the application of these treatments. Within the confines of our study, acupuncture did not reliably modulate palmar heel pain in horses. Efficacité d’un traitement d’acupuncture à formule simple pour les chevaux souffrant de douleur du talon palmaire. L’acupuncture est utilisée, en l’absence de solides preuves scientifiques, pour traiter plusieurs affections des chevaux, y compris la douleur du talon palmaire. De la recher...
Efficacy and effects of various anti-crib devices on behaviour and physiology of crib-biting horses. Crib-biting is a common oral stereotypy. Although most treatments involve prevention, the efficacy of various anti-crib devices, including surgically implanted gingival rings, has thus far not been empirically tested. Objective: Demonstrate the effect that 2 anti-crib collars, muzzle and gingival rings have on crib-biting, other maintenance behaviours, and cortisol levels in established crib-biting horses. Methods: Randomised, crossover clinical trial. Methods: In Experiment I, 2 anti-crib collars and a muzzle were used on 8 established crib-biting horses; horses wore each of 3 devices for 7 d...
Substitution of egg yolk by a cyclodextrin-cholesterol complex allows a reduction of the glycerol concentration into the freezing medium of equine sperm. The aim of this work was to completely replace the egg yolk a classical diluent for freezing equine semen by a cyclodextrin-cholesterol complex. At the same time, the reduction in the glycerol content used for cryopreservation and the incubation time between sperm and the freezing media were evaluated. Horse ejaculates were frozen with four different freezing extenders: a frozen reference medium (IF) containing egg yolk and 2.5% glycerol and media without egg yolk but supplemented with 1.5 mg 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin cholesterol (HPβCD-C) complex and containing either 1% (G1), 2% (G...
Analysis of breed effects on semen traits in light horse, warmblood, and draught horse breeds. In the present study, systematic effects on semen quality traits were investigated in 381 stallions representing 22 breeds. All stallions were used for AI either at the Lower Saxon National Stud Celle or the North Rhine-Westphalian National Stud Warendorf. A total of 71,078 fresh semen reports of the years 2001 to 2014 were edited for analysis of gel-free volume, sperm concentration, total number of sperm, progressive motility, and total number of progressively motile sperm. Breed differences were studied for warmblood and light horse breeds of both national studs (model I) and for warmblood b...
Testicular Characteristics and the Block to Spermatogenesis in Mature Hinny. Most hinnies (female donkey×male horse) and mules (female horse×male donkey) are sterile with few reports of equine fertile hybrids. The main cause of this sterility is thought to be a meiotic block to spermatogenesis and oogenesis. This study compared the developmental features of the testes and a histological analyses of spermatogenesis in a male hinny with those of a normal, fertile stallion and Jack donkey. Hinny testes showed a thicker tunica albuginea, fewer blood vessels and more connective tissue in the testis parenchyma than those of the stallion and Jack donkey. Although the mean n...
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 ...
