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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.
Endocrine and paracrine control of sperm production in stallions. The specific nature and relative contribution of the major hormones involved in regulation of reproductive function of the stallion are not well defined nor have paracrine or autocrine factors been identified. Over the last 12 years, our laboratory has been engaged in characterizing the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis (HPT) in stallions. A number of endocrine factors and mechanisms important for normal reproductive function have been investigated. Studies investigating poor fertility in stallions suggest that a closer look at the testicular level is warranted. For a complete understandi...
Assessment of sperm quality: a flow cytometric approach. For many years, scientists have sought to develop laboratory assays that accurately predict the fertilizing capacity of a semen sample. This goal, however, has proven elusive and will most likely be very difficult to achieve, due to the complex nature of the problem. Part of the problem results from the many attributes that a spermatozoon must possess to fertilize an egg, and how laboratory assays can evaluate all of these attributes simultaneously. The percentage of motile sperm in a sample is most commonly used to evaluate semen quality. This assay, however, is not highly correlated with the...
The cream dilution gene, responsible for the palomino and buckskin coat colours, maps to horse chromosome 21. The colour locus historically referred to as C in the horse is linked to microsatellites markers on horse chromosome 21. Preliminary results demonstrated linkage of Ccr, thought to be the cream dilution variant of the C locus, to HTG10. An analysis of horse chromosome 21 using additional families confirmed and established a group of markers linked to Ccr. This work also improved the resolution of previously reported linkage maps for this chromosome. Linkage analysis unambiguously produced the map order: SGCV16-(19.1 cM)-HTG10-(3.8 cM)-LEX60/COR73-(1.3 cM)-COR68-(4.5 cM)- Ccr-(11.9 cM)-LEX31. C...
Microsatellite diversity, pedigree relatedness and the contributions of founder lineages to thoroughbred horses. The thoroughbred (TB) horse is one of the oldest breeds of domestic animals, with pedigree records spanning three centuries. Because the population is essentially closed, there is concern about loss of genetic variation. Here we report two parallel analyses. In the first, genetic variation in the current population is measured using data from 13 microsatellite loci in 211 horses with relationships calculated based on allele sharing. In the second analysis, pedigree information is used to calculate genetic relationships between animals based on shared ancestry. These two measures of relationshi...
Point mutation of neu oncogene in animal peripheral nerve sheath tumors. Thirty-four peripheral nerve sheath tumors of four domesticated animal species were characterized and assayed for point mutation of the neu oncogene. Based on their morphoimmunophenotype, 32 tumors were classified as schwannomas. Schwannoma morphology was characterized by the presence of Antoni type A and B pattern and immunoreactivity for S-100 protein and vimentin. Two anaplastic and metastatic tumors originating from spinal cord root, immunonegative for S-100 protein and positive for vimentin, were classified as malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs). Four malignant schwannomas a...
Characterisation of tryptase and a granzyme H-like chymase isolated from equine mastocytoma tissue. Mast cell proteinases are important inflammatory mediators in man and other species, but until now there has been no investigation of the nature of equine mast cell proteinases. These studies describe the purification and characterisation of two proteolytic components from equine mastocytoma tissue, detected using chromogenic substrates for trypsin and chymotrypsin. Following chromatographic purification, the trypsin-like component was found to be equine mast cell tryptase by N-terminal amino acid sequencing, showing a close similarity with human tryptase-beta (85% identity over 20 residues). ...
Elevated extrahepatic expression and secretion of mammary-associated serum amyloid A 3 (M-SAA3) into colostrum. Mammary-associated serum amyloid A 3 (M-SAA3) was secreted at highly elevated levels in bovine, equine and ovine colostrum and found at lower levels in milk 4 days postparturition. N-terminal sequencing of the mature M-SAA3 protein from all the three species revealed a conserved four amino acid motif (TFLK) within the first eight residues. This motif has not been reported to be present in any of the hepatically-produced acute phase SAA (A-SAA) isoforms. Cloning of the bovine M-Saa3 cDNA from mammary gland epithelial cells revealed an open reading frame that encoded a precursor protein of 131 a...
Motion pattern of the toelt of Icelandic horses at different speeds. The toelt of the Icelandic horse is a symmetric 4-beat gait, with alternating single and double support phases. By definition, the duration of the diagonal and ipsilateral stance phases should be similar. The aim of this study was to investigate the stride characteristics of horses ridden at toelt, and to compare these to previous descriptions of this gait. The kinematics of 23 Icelandic horses was measured using the Expert Vision System. Mature and sound horses, used for pleasure riding and/or competitions, were ridden at toelt at 3 different speeds. For each horse, 10 strides were measured a...
Changes due to age in the kinematics of trotting Andalusian foals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of growth on biokinematic characteristics at the trot in a group of 9 Andalusian foals from age 12 to 36 months in order to identify which stride variables change or remain invariable. Biokinematic analysis was performed by using a computer-assisted videography system (25 Hz frame rate). An increase in stride length as well as the fore- and hindlimb stride duration was found. A tendency to increase flexion of the shoulder, elbow and carpal joints was observed while the forelimb fetlock increased its maximal extension. In the hindlimb, most o...
Determination of hoof mass and centre of mass from morphological measurements. Determination of net joint moments and powers requires accurate measurements of mass and centre of mass (COM) for the limb segments. The objective of this research was to develop regression equations for calculating mass and COM of the hoof segment that are applicable over a wide range of hoof morphologies. Ninety-one hooves (mean +/- s.d. 0.99 +/- 0.50 kg) were weighed and the 3-dimensional COM determined using a mass balance technique. Ten morphological variables were measured and used as independent variables in linear regressions with dependent variables of mass and centre of mass. The reg...
Effects of age and recombinant equine somatotropin (eST) administration on immune function in female horses. Aging has been associated with declines in somatotropin and IGF-I levels as well as declines in immune function. To determine the effects of age and whether ST administration could reverse immunosenescence in horses, eight young and eight aged female standardbred horses were given 10 mg/d recombinant equine somatotropin (eST) or vehicle buffer for 49 d. Plasma IGF-I concentrations in both age groups were higher in eST-treated animals (P < 0.001), and higher in young eST-treated mares than in aged eST-treated mares during wk 4 to 7 (P < 0.001). There was a trend toward lower monocyte and ...
Components of variation of surface hoof strain with time. The relative contribution of a number of random and fixed variables to variation in surface strain magnitudes on the hoof capsule was assessed for healthy feet under normal conditions. Principal strains were recorded in vivo from 5 rosette gauges glued around the circumference of the right forefeet of 4 horses on 4 occasions over a 9 month period. Recordings were made at every other trimming and reshoeing. During each session, gauges were positioned with a template for repeatability. Strains were recorded at the trot and canter (at consistent speeds), for straight motion and turns, and before ...
Three-dimensional kinematics of the equine spine during canter. Most research on equine kinematics has previously been performed in the walking and/or trotting animal. This is also true for the few studies on the kinematics of the equine back. These studies have, for the major part, focused on the flexion-extension movement in the sagittal plane. However, vertebrae can rotate in 3 dimensions. This study was designed to determine all 3 rotations in various segments of the vertebral column of a cantering horse. Five Dutch Warmblood horses were measured during treadmill canter (7.3 m/s). Steinmann pins were inserted into the dorsal spinous processes of 8 thor...
Quantification of hoof deformation using optical motion capture. Deformation of the hoof capsule occurs during stance phase as a result of loading by the distal phalanx. The objective of this study was to evaluate optical motion capture as a technique for measuring hoof deformation during locomotion, and to quantify the deformation of the dorsal wall during stance phase. The front left feet of 3 clinically sound horses were used for this study. The hoof wall was cleaned and 9 retroreflective markers were glued to the lateral and dorsal hoof wall, and shoe. Each horse was trotted in a straight line at constant speed while marker positions during stance phase...
Relationships between third metacarpal bone parameters and surface strains. The relationships were explored between measurements of bone quality, size (quantity) and shape, and strain data collected during treadmill exercise at 4 and 12 m/s from the third metacarpal bones of 6 yearling and 6 mature Thoroughbred racehorses. Peak strains in yearling and mature Thoroughbred horses during exercise were related to the size and shape of the third metacarpal bone. The peak strains were significantly lower in horses with a greater cross-sectional area of bone and with a greater proportion of the bone in the dorsal cortex. There was no consistent relationship between peak stra...
Histological characteristics of induced acute peptic injury in equine gastric squamous epithelium. The objective of the study reported here was to characterise the microscopic appearance of peptic-injured equine gastric squamous epithelium in relation to the duration of peptic injury. Erosions and ulcers were induced in equine gastric squamous epithelium using a feed deprivation protocol that results in prolonged increased gastric acidity. Specimens of normal gastric mucosa and mucosa with lesions created after 48 and 96 h of feed deprivation were compared for characteristics associated with angiogenesis and mucosal proliferation. Fifteen mature horses, 9 geldings and 6 mares, age 3-20 year...
Acupuncture for general veterinary practice. Since the International Society of Veterinary Acupuncture (IVAS) was founded in 1974, acupuncture (AP) has received greater acceptance by veterinary professionals throughout the world. This article introduces some important animal diseases that respond well to AP therapy. These include resuscitation of small animals, treatment of anoestrous gilts and sows, bovine reproductive disease, canine vertebral problems and equine backpain, etc. Conventional medicine considers these to be difficult cases to treat. Veterinarians have become more aware of the benefits of AP especially for those diseases, ...
Application of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and TaqMan PCR techniques to the detection and identification of Rhodococcus coprophilus in faecal samples. Rhodococcus coprophilus, a natural inhabitant of herbivore faeces, has been suggested as a good indicator of animal (as opposed to human) faecal contamination of aquatic environments. However, conventional detection methods limit its use for this as they require up to 21 days to obtain a result. In this paper an optimised method for extracting R. coprophilus DNA from faecal samples is described. PCR and 5'-nuclease (TaqMan) PCR methods were developed to allow the detection and enumeration of R. coprophilus in faecal samples within 2-3 days. Both PCR methods targeted the 16S rRNA gene, producin...
Molecular and functional characterization of genes encoding horse MHC class I antigens. Sequence and functional analyses were undertaken on two cDNAs and a genomic clone encoding horse major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. All of the clones were isolated from a single horse that is homozygous for all known horse MHC class I and class II antigens. The two cDNAs (clones 8-9 and 1-29) were isolated from a lymphocyte library and encode polymorphic MHC antigens from two loci. The genomic cosmid clone, isolated from a sperm library, contains the 8-9 gene. All three genes were expressed in mouse L-cells and were recognized by alloantisera and, for the cDNAs, by allor...
Traumatic myiasis of horses caused by Wohlfahrtia magnifica. A survey was carried out in three stud farms with grazing animals, in order to gather data on the prevalence and clinical manifestation of, and the fly species involved in, traumatic myiasis of horses in Hungary. This parasitic disease was recorded in each farm. On the whole, 9.0% (14) of the inspected horses were infested with fly larvae. The affected horses had one infested lesion only, located at the mucosa of the vulva or the vaginal vestibule. The clinical symptoms depended on the age of infestation. Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) was the only myiasis-causing fly species i...
Osmotic tolerance of equine spermatozoa and the effects of soluble cryoprotectants on equine sperm motility, viability, and mitochondrial membrane potential. Osmotic stress attributed to differences in the relative permeability of cryoprotectants, such as glycerol and water, appears to be an important factor in cryodamage. The objective of this study was to characterize the osmotic tolerance of equine spermatozoa, and to evaluate the effects of addition and removal of cryoprotectants from equine spermatozoa on their motility, and membrane and acrosomal integrity, as well as their mitochondrial membrane potential. Equine spermatozoa had a limited osmotic tolerance to anisosmotic conditions. Although the addition of increasing concentrations of glyce...
[Horse-related occupational injuries 1992-1999]. Occupational injuries are notifiable in Denmark. Hitherto, occupational injuries caused by riding and horse handling have not been reported. Methods: This retrospective study comprises all cases reported to the National Working Environment Authority during the period 1992-1999. Results: There were 634 occupational accidents, and 43% of the victims were below the age of 25 years with a four-in-one female preponderance. In contrast, there were only three cases of occupational disease. Conclusions: Occupational diseases ought to be much more common than suggested by these few reported cases. Resp...
The isolation and identification of steroidal sapogenins in switchgrass. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has been reported to be hepatotoxic, causing photosensitization in lambs and horses. In this study we show the presence of steroidal saponins in two samples of switchgrass that has been implicated in the poisonings of sheep and horses. After hydrolysis of the saponins, diosgenin was determined to be the major sapogenin in both switchgrass samples. We also confirmed the presence of diosgenin in kleingrass after hydrolysis of saponins extracted from it.
