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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.
Effects of crude protein intake from grass silage-only diets on the equine colon ecosystem after an abrupt feed change. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of CP intake from 2 grass silage-only diets, differing in CP concentration, fed at similar DMI on the equine colon ecosystem after an abrupt feed change between the diets. Four adult right ventral colon-fistulated geldings were fed one silage-only diet high in CP (HP, 873 g of CP/d) and one diet providing recommended intakes (RP, 615 g of CP/d). An adaptation period of 15 d on either the HP or the RP diet was followed by 2 experimental periods when the diets were fed for 22 d each in a crossover design. Colon samples were taken before a...
Genetic analysis of the Hispano-Breton heavy horse. Hispano-Breton (HB) is a horse breed with a recent mixed ancestry. It was developed in the 1930s by crossing local mares with Breton draught horses imported from France. Nowadays it is considered to be in a vulnerable situation due to census decline. To genetically characterize the breed and to set up the basis for a conservation programme, we have employed two types of molecular markers: a 347-bp D-loop mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) fragment and 13 microsatellite loci. A representative sample of 53 HB individuals was analysed together with a sample of 40 Pura Raza Española horses for comparison....
Report of the 3rd Havemeyer workshop on allergic diseases of the Horse, Hólar, Iceland, June 2007. Allergic diseases occur in most mammals, although some species such as humans, dogs and horses seem to be more prone to develop allergies than others. In horses, insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), an allergic dermatitis caused by bites of midges, and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), a hyperreactivity to stable born dust and allergens, are the two most prevalent allergic diseases. Allergic diseases involve the interaction of three major factors: (i) genetic constitution, (ii) exposure to allergens, and (iii) a dysregulation of the immune response determined by (i) and (ii). However, other e...
[Phytomass utilization and deposition of feces by ungulates on steppe pastures of eastern Mongolia]. The amount of phytomass removed by a complex of livestock (horses, cattle, sheep, and goats) and wild ungulates (Mongolian gazelle Procapra gutturosa Pall.) grazing in plain and mountain pastures of eastern Mongolia has been estimated by taking account of feces deposited by these animals. The results show that at an animal density of up to 30 head/km2, the total annual amount of feces reaches 140 kg/ha (dry weight), with the greater part (up to 90 kg/ha) being deposited by horses. The contribution of Mongolian gazelles in some pastures reaches 20-40 kg/ha per year. Decomposition of feces proce...
Comparative bone histology of adult horses (Equus caballus) and cows (Bos taurus). Bone microstructure of domestic herbivores is still not completely understood. Indeed, works focused on the bone histology of numerous Mammalian species frequently led to misunderstandings because of the high number of variations such as the kind of bone, section orientation, species, breed and age. Moreover, attempts to identify the species in archaeozoological studies by a mere qualitative approach have not been encouraging and in recent years quantitative methods, based on image processing and statistical analysis, have appeared. The present study was undertaken to determine whether morphom...
Walk-run classification of symmetrical gaits in the horse: a multidimensional approach. Walking and running are two mechanisms for minimizing energy expenditure during terrestrial locomotion. Duty factor, dimensionless speed, existence of an aerial phase, percentage recovery (PR) or phase shift of mechanical energy and shape of the vertical ground reaction force profile have been used to discriminate between walking and running. Although these criteria work well for the classification of most quadrupedal gaits, they result in conflicting evidence for some gaits, such as the tölt (a symmetrical, four-beat gait used by Icelandic horses). We use established pattern recognition meth...
Differential gene expression of TRPM1, the potential cause of congenital stationary night blindness and coat spotting patterns (LP) in the Appaloosa horse (Equus caballus). The appaloosa coat spotting pattern in horses is caused by a single incomplete dominant gene (LP). Homozygosity for LP (LP/LP) is directly associated with congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) in Appaloosa horses. LP maps to a 6-cM region on ECA1. We investigated the relative expression of two functional candidate genes located in this LP candidate region (TRPM1 and OCA2), as well as three other linked loci (TJP1, MTMR10, and OTUD7A) by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. No large differences were found for expression levels of TJP1, MTMR10, OTUD7A, and OCA2. However, TRPM1 (Transient Recept...
Clinical pathology of the foal. The neonatal foal is in a period of transition between fetal and extrauterine life. The clinicopathologic findings in this period often reflect the in utero environment; thus, results need to be interpreted with the knowledge of changes that intrauterine life may produce. These changes can also assist the veterinarian in identifying a foal at high risk for developing clinical problems. The veterinarian should also be aware of the normal variations in clinicopathologic findings that occur as the foal matures. As with results from all diagnostic testing, the clinicopathologic results need to be ...
Seasonality of reproduction in mammals: intimate regulatory mechanisms and practical implications. Farm mammals generally express seasonal variations in their production traits, thus inducing changing availability of fresh derived animal products (meat, milk and cheese) or performances (horses). This is due to a more or less marked seasonal birth distribution in sheep and goats, in horses but not cattle. Birth peak occurs at the end of winter-early spring, the most favourable period for the progeny to survive. Most species show seasonal variations in their ovulation frequency (presence or absence of ovulation), spermatogenic activity (from moderate decrease to complete absence of sperm prod...
Somatic cell nuclear transfer in horses. The cloning of equids was achieved in 2003, several years after the birth of Dolly the sheep and also after the cloning of numerous other laboratory and farm animal species. The delay was because of the limited development in the horse of more classical-assisted reproductive techniques required for successful cloning, such as oocyte maturation and in vitro embryo production. When these technologies were developed, the application of cloning also became possible and cloned horse offspring were obtained. This review summarizes the main technical procedures that are required for cloning equids an...
Follicle development in mares. The mare provides a unique experimental model for studying follicle development in monovular species. Development of antral follicles in horses is characterized by the periodic growth of follicular waves which often involve the selection of a single dominant follicle. If properly stimulated, the dominant follicle will complete development and eventually ovulate a fertile oocyte. Regulation of follicular wave emergence and follicle selection involves an interplay between circulating gonadotropins and follicular factors that ensures that individual follicles are properly stimulated to grow (or t...
A cis-acting regulatory mutation causes premature hair graying and susceptibility to melanoma in the horse. In horses, graying with age is an autosomal dominant trait associated with a high incidence of melanoma and vitiligo-like depigmentation. Here we show that the Gray phenotype is caused by a 4.6-kb duplication in intron 6 of STX17 (syntaxin-17) that constitutes a cis-acting regulatory mutation. Both STX17 and the neighboring NR4A3 gene are overexpressed in melanomas from Gray horses. Gray horses carrying a loss-of-function mutation in ASIP (agouti signaling protein) had a higher incidence of melanoma, implying that increased melanocortin-1 receptor signaling promotes melanoma development in Gra...
Characterization and quantification of fluoxymesterone metabolite in horse urine by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Fluoxymesterone, an anabolic steroid with the 17alpha-methyl,17beta-hydroxy group, has been developed as an oral formulation for therapeutic purposes. However, it is also used illegally in racehorses to enhance racing performance. In this study, we detected 9alpha-fluoro-17,17-dimethyl-18-norandrostane-4,13-dien-11beta-ol-3-one by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), which has not been reported as a fluoxymesterone metabolite so far in horse. It was synthesized for use as a reference standard, and characterized on the basis of (1)H NMR and (13)C NMR spectra, as well as GC/MS EI mass s...
Allergen-specific IgE in Icelandic horses with insect bite hypersensitivity and healthy controls, assessed by FcepsilonR1alpha-based serology. Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) and atopy can both be causes of pruritus in horses and are associated with allergen-specific IgE to biting insects and environmental allergens respectively. Information with respect to differences in IgE levels in diseased and healthy animals is crucial in enabling an understanding of the clinical relevance of results of allergen-specific IgE tests. The aim of this study was (i) to evaluate and compare levels of allergen-specific IgE, using an ELISA method, in Icelandic horses, with and without IBH, from Iceland and Sweden respectively; (ii) to investigate pa...
Seasonal variations in daily rhythms of activity in athletic horses. Circadian rhythms reflect extensive programming of biological activity that meets and exploits the challenges and opportunities offered by the periodic nature of the environment. In the present investigation, we recorded the total activity of athletic horses kept at four different times of the year (vernal equinox, summer solstice, autumn equinox and winter solstice), to evaluate the presence of seasonal variations of daily activity rhythms. Athletic Thoroughbred horses were kept in individual boxes with paddock. Digitally integrated measure of total activity of each mare was continuously reco...
Genetic diversity and admixture analysis of Sanfratellano and three other Italian horse breeds assessed by microsatellite markers. Sanfratellano is a native Sicilian horse breed, mainly reared in the north east of the Island, developed in the 19th century from local dams and sires with a restricted introgression of Oriental, African and, more recently, Maremmano stallions. In this study, the genetic relationships and admixture among Sanfratellano, the other two Sicilian autochthonous breeds and Maremmano breed were assessed using a set of microsatellites. The main goals were to infer the impact of Maremmano breed in the current Sanfratellano horse and to provide genetic information useful to improve the selection strategi...
Boots on horses: limb protection or hyperflexion training aids in the showjumping horse. Showjumping riders regularly employ various schooling strategies to control the horse's jump stride kinematics (JSK). Strategies include plyometric training regimes with fences of different heights and widths set at specific distances. Gymnastic grids teach the horse to jump cleanly. Rapping, once used almost routinely, is no longer in vogue. However, the use of performance enhancing (PE) boots on the distal hind limbs to alter equine JSK has become popular. There are two broad categories of PE boots: weighted and pressure. Some riders use so-called weighted boots on the horses' hind limbs dur...
Innovative use of an automated horse walker when breaking in young horses. There is an inherent element of risk associated with "backing" and riding the previously unbroken horse. If training proceeds too quickly, conflict behaviors may result from the simultaneous application of too many cues. Automated horse walkers (AHW) facilitate the exercising of several horses concurrently at walk or trot for warm-up, cool-down, fitness programs, and rehabilitation purposes. The objective of this study was to investigate if backing the horse within the AHW was an appropriate training method. Ten horses (3-year-olds) took part in this study. They began training within the AHW w...
Evaluating the addition of positive reinforcement for learning a frightening task: a pilot study with horses. Horse training often relies upon negative reinforcement (NR). This study tested the hypothesis that adding positive reinforcement (PR) to NR would enhance learning in horses (n = 34) being taught to walk over a tarp (novel/typically frightening task). Subjects were Arabians, and the same person handled all of them. This person handled half "traditionally" (NR only)--that is, halter/lead were pulled; when horse stepped forward, pressure was released; process repeated until criterion met (horse crossed the tarp with little/no obvious anxiety). The same person handled the other half traditionally...
Does horse temperament influence horse-rider cooperation? Cooperation between rider and horse is of major importance in equitation. A balanced team of horse and rider improves (sport) performances and welfare aspects by decreasing stress, frustration, risks of injuries, and accidents. Important features affecting the cooperation are the physical skills, knowledge, and personality of the rider on one hand and the temperament, experience, and physical abilities of the horse on the other. A study with 16 riders and 16 warm-blood riding horses tested the effect of personality of riders and temperament of horses on cooperation between riders and horses. M...
