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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.
Nature helps: food addition of micronized coconut and onion reduced worm load in horses and sheep and increased body weight in sheep. Intense laboratory tests on experimentally infected mice and rats had shown that a mixture of micronized onions and coconut pulp decreases substantially (until disappearance) the worm load (trematodes, cestodes and nematodes) after oral uptake. As a consequence, feeding experiments of naturally infected sheep had been done in Egypt, in Saudi Arabia, and in Germany, which showed that treated animals grow up much better than untreated ones. The mean gain of body weight per animal was up to 6 kg within 4 weeks compared to untreated ones. These experiments were repeated again in the present study ...
Linking social environment and stress physiology in feral mares (Equus caballus): group transfers elevate fecal cortisol levels. Feral horses (Equus caballus) have a complex social structure, the stability of which is important to their overall health. Behavioral and demographic research has shown that decreases in group (or band) stability reduce female fitness, but the potential effects on the physiological stress response have not been demonstrated. To fully understand how band stability affects group-member fitness, we need to understand not only behavioral and demographic, but also physiological consequences of decreases to that stability. We studied group changes in feral mares (an activity that induces instabilit...
A multigene approach for comparing genealogy of Betacoronavirus from cattle and horses. Gastroenteritis is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among young and newborn animals and is often caused by multiple intestinal infections, with rotavirus and bovine coronavirus (BCoV) being the main viral causes in cattle. Given that BCoV is better studied than equine coronaviruses and given the possibility of interspecies transmission of these viruses, this research was designed to compare the partial sequences of the spike glycoprotein (S), hemagglutinin-esterase protein (HE), and nucleoprotein (N) genes from coronaviruses from adult cattle with winter dysentery, calves w...
Genetic analysis of kinematic traits at the trot in Lusitano horse subpopulations with different types of training. The possibility of using quantitative kinematic traits as indirect selection criteria for sport performance could be beneficial to perform an early genetic evaluation of the animals. The genetic parameters for objectively measured kinematic traits under field conditions have been estimated for the first time, in order to potentially use these traits as indicators of gait quality in future selection of the Lusitano breed. The repeatability within three different types of training (dressage, bullfighting and untrained) was also discussed. A total of 176 males (4 to 14 years old) were recorded at...
Movement initiation in groups of feral horses. Herds of ungulates, flocks of birds, swarms of insects and schools of fish move in coordinated groups. Computer models show that only one or very few animals are needed to initiate and direct movement. To investigate initiation mechanisms further, we studied two ways in which movement can be initiated in feral horses: herding, and departure from the group. We examined traits affecting the likelihood of a horse initiating movement i.e. social rank, affiliative relationships, spatial position, and social network. We also investigated whether group members join a movement in dominance rank order....
The interacting effects of ungulate hoofprints and predatory native ants on metamorph cane toads in tropical Australia. Many invasive species exploit the disturbed habitats created by human activities. Understanding the effects of habitat disturbance on invasion success, and how disturbance interacts with other factors (such as biotic resistance to the invaders from the native fauna) may suggest new ways to reduce invader viability. In tropical Australia, commercial livestock production can facilitate invasion by the cane toad (Rhinella marina), because hoofprints left by cattle and horses around waterbody margins provide distinctive (cool, moist) microhabitats; nevertheless the same microhabitat can inhibit th...
Patterns of livestock predation by carnivores: human-wildlife conflict in northwest Yunnan, China. Alleviating human-carnivore conflict is central to large carnivore conservation and is often of economic importance, where people coexist with carnivores. In this article, we report on the patterns of predation and economic losses from wild carnivores preying on livestock in three villages of northern Baima Xueshan Nature Reserve, northwest Yunnan during a 2-year period between January 2010 and December 2011. We analyzed claims from 149 households that 258 head of livestock were predated. Wolves (Canis lupus) were responsible for 79.1 % of livestock predation; Asiatic black bears (Selenarctos ...
Lactoferrin expression and secretion in the stallion epididymis. Lactoferrin is one of the most abundant proteins secreted by the stallion epididymis, but its cellular localization and regulation remain unknown. This study was designed to address the following objectives: (1) identify the epididymal cell types producing lactoferrin in pre-pubertal, peri-pubertal and post-pubertal animals; (2) demonstrate that lactoferrin binds to stallion sperm; and (3) determine if testosterone and estradiol regulate lactoferrin secretion in vitro. Using an immunohistochemical method, lactoferrin was localized in the cytoplasm of principal cells in the corpus and cauda of ...
The effects of age, rank and neophobia on social learning in horses. Social learning is said to meet the demands of complex environments in which individuals compete over resources and cooperate to share resources. Horses (Equus caballus) were thought to lack social learning skills because they feed on homogenously distributed resources with few reasons for conflict. However, the horse's social environment is complex, which raises the possibility that its capacity for social transfer of feeding behaviour has been underestimated. We conducted a social learning experiment using 30 socially kept horses of different ages. Five horses, one from each group, were chos...
Culture conditions for equine bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and expression of key transcription factors during their differentiation into osteoblasts. The use of equine bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) is a novel method to improve fracture healing in horses. However, additional research is needed to identify optimal culture conditions and to determine the mechanisms involved in regulating BMSC differentiation into osteoblasts. The objectives of the experiments were to determine: 1) if autologous or commercial serum is better for proliferation and differentiation of equine BMSC into osteoblasts, and 2) the expression of key transcription factors during the differentiation of equine BMSC into osteoblasts. Equine BMSC were isolated fro...
A demographic survey of unwanted horses in Ireland in 2011 and totals for 2012 and a comparison with 2010. This report compiles the available information on unwanted horses in Ireland for 2011 and 2012 and builds upon the previous report for the period 2005 to 2010. Similar trends are present in the high value responsible ownership category and the practicing veterinary profession although extensively involved in horse welfare, euthanises a small proportion of Ireland's unwanted horses. Welfare groups have limited resources and a limited ability to deal with such an extensive problem, which has involved very large numbers of horses. Local authorities continue to have to devote significant efforts a...
Identification of a core bacterial community within the large intestine of the horse. The horse has a rich and complex microbial community within its gastrointestinal tract that plays a central role in both health and disease. The horse receives much of its dietary energy through microbial hydrolysis and fermentation of fiber predominantly in the large intestine/hindgut. The presence of a possible core bacterial community in the equine large intestine was investigated in this study. Samples were taken from the terminal ileum and 7 regions of the large intestine from ten animals, DNA extracted and the V1-V2 regions of 16SrDNA 454-pyrosequenced. A specific group of OTUs clustered...
Reduced-size microchips for identification of horses: response to implantation and readability during a six-month period. In this study, readability of reduced-size microchips in horses and the response to implantation were analysed. It was hypothesised that small microchips can be implanted stress-free but are less readable than larger microchips. Adult mares (n=40) were implanted with a reduced-size microchip (10.9×1.6 mm) at the left side of the neck (size of conventional microchips 11.4×2.2 mm). Microchips were identified with three different scanners (A, B, C) immediately, and at 6, 12 and 28 weeks after implantation. Twelve out of the 40 mares were submitted to microchip implantation and control treatment...
Evidence for a retroviral insertion in TRPM1 as the cause of congenital stationary night blindness and leopard complex spotting in the horse. Leopard complex spotting is a group of white spotting patterns in horses caused by an incompletely dominant gene (LP) where homozygotes (LP/LP) are also affected with congenital stationary night blindness. Previous studies implicated Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel, Subfamily M, Member 1 (TRPM1) as the best candidate gene for both CSNB and LP. RNA-Seq data pinpointed a 1378 bp insertion in intron 1 of TRPM1 as the potential cause. This insertion, a long terminal repeat (LTR) of an endogenous retrovirus, was completely associated with LP, testing 511 horses (χ(2)=1022.00, p<<...
Effect of hay steaming on forage nutritive values and dry matter intake by horses. Management strategies for horses with respiratory disease include soaking hay before feeding. Hay steaming is an alternative to this practice; however, little is known about its impact on forage nutritive values or intake. The objective was to determine the effect of steaming on forage nutritive value and intake by horses. Two alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)-orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) mixed hays were evaluated: a low moldy (NM) and moderately moldy (MM) hay. Six mature horses were used in a 10 d crossover design. Three horses were assigned to each hay type and treatments were switched o...
The influence of age on serum concentrations of cardiac troponin I: results in rats, monkeys, and commercial sera. Cardiac troponins serve as serum biomarkers of myocardial injury. The current study examined the influence of age on serum concentrations of cardiac troponin I (cTnI). An ultrasensitive immunoassay was used to monitor cTnI concentrations in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and Erythrocebus patas monkeys of different ages. The mean cTnI concentrations were highest in 10-day-old rats compared to 25-, 40-, and 80-day-old SD rats. Cardiomyocyte remodeling was apparent in hearts from 10-day-old SD rats as evident by hypercellularity, irregularly shaped nuclei, and moderate numbers of myocytes undergoing mi...
Physiological, behavioral, and serological responses of horses to shaded or unshaded pens in a hot, sunny environment. Housing recommendations for horses invariably include providing access to shade on hot, sunny days, but the potential benefits have not been scientifically studied. This experiment measured physiological, behavioral, and serological responses of horses confined individually to completely shaded (SH) or completely unshaded (SUN) drylot pens during the summer in Davis, CA. Twelve healthy adult horses in a crossover design experienced both treatments for 5 d each. Rectal temperature, respiration rate, skin temperature, and sweat scores were recorded hourly from 1230 to 1730 h daily. Observations ...
Identification and characterization of platelet α2-adrenoceptors and imidazoline receptors in rats, rabbits, cats, dogs, cattle, and horses. This study aimed to pharmacologically identify and characterize α2-adrenoceptors and imidazoline (I) receptors (I1- and I2-subtype) on canine, feline, bovine, equine, murine, and leporine platelet membranes. Saturation binding studies with both (3)H-yohimbine and (3)H-clonidine showed that α2-adrenoceptors were expressed on canine, leporine, feline, and murine platelets but not on bovine and equine platelets. In competition studies, the rank order of affinity of 6 compounds for canine platelet α2-adrenoceptors was similar to that of potency at α2A-subtype reported in human platelets. Satur...
Ancient trade routes shaped the genetic structure of horses in eastern Eurasia. Animal exchange networks have been shown to play an important role in determining gene flow among domestic animal populations. The Silk Road is one of the oldest continuous exchange networks in human history, yet its effectiveness in facilitating animal exchange across large geographical distances and topographically challenging landscapes has never been explicitly studied. Horses are known to have been traded along the Silk Roads; however, extensive movement of horses in connection with other human activities may have obscured the genetic signature of the Silk Roads. To investigate the role o...
Localization of alkali-labile sites in donkey (Equus asinus) and stallion (Equus caballus) spermatozoa. The presence of constitutive alkali-labile sites (ALS) has been investigated using a protocol of DNA breakage detection-fluorescence in situ hybridization and comet assay in spermatozoa of donkey (Equus asinus) and stallion (Equus caballus). These results were compared with those obtained using a similar experimental approach using somatic cells. The relative abundance of ALS was of the order of four times more in spermatozoa than in somatic cells. Alkali-labile sites showed a tendency to cluster localized at the equatorial-distal regions of the sperm. The amount of hybridized signal in the AL...
Papillomavirus-associated diseases. This article reviews various aspects of 3 clinical disorders associated with papillomavirus in horses commonly known as classical viral papillomatosis, genital papillomas/papillomatosis, and aural plaques. Classical papillomatosis is usually asymptomatic and spontaneously resolves within 1 to 9 months; therefore, treatment is often not required. Genital papillomas/papillomatosis have not been reported to spontaneously resolve, and there is increasing evidence that genital papillomas may evolve to in situ or invasive squamous cell carcinomas. Horses with aural plaques may be asymptomatic or may...
