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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.
The Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine (CTVM) pulling its weight in the field of draught animal research. Draught animal research carried out by scientists at the Centre for Topical Veterinary Medicine (CTVM) in Edinburgh and overseas is reviewed and the major findings are reported. The remit for the work has been to provide basic information on draught animals which can be applied by researchers and extension workers to their own geographic situations. Instrumentation is described which has been designed and manufactured to assist in the measurement of draught animal performance, particularly work output and energy consumption. Energy requirements of cattle, buffaloes and equids for work and ways...
Cloning and analysis of the cDNA for the common alpha-subunit of the donkey pituitary glycoprotein hormones. Reverse transcription-PCR was used to clone the coding region of the donkey (Equus asinus) glycoprotein hormone alpha-subunit transcript from pituitary gland RNA. The donkey alpha-subunit sequence demonstrated considerable identity with the horse (97% at the nucleotide level), confirming the very close evolutionary linkage between these two species. The predicted amino acid sequence revealed that the donkey alpha-subunit has the same unusual C-terminus as the horse alpha-subunit, when compared with all other mammalian alpha-subunits, including a Tyr-His transposition between positions 87 and 9...
Phospholipid composition of erythrocyte membranes and plasma of mammalian blood including Australian marsupials; quantitative 31P NMR analysis using detergent. The phospholipid classes of erythrocyte membranes and plasma from several domestic animals and marsupials were quantified by 31P NMR using detergents. Washed erythrocyte samples were thoroughly haemolysed by tip-sonication and dissolved in sodium cholate; plasma samples were dissolved in Triton X-100. The species studied were: common wombat (Vombatus ursinus), black-striped wallaby (Macropus dorsalis), bandicoot (Isoodon macrocarpus), Eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), Tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii), sheep (Ovis aries), goat (Capra hircus), cattle (Bos taurus), horse (Equus caballu...
Dense microspheres in normal horse brain. Here were report eosinophilic globular bodies referred to as dense microspheres (DMS), in the brains of normal horse in relation to the ageing process. The characteristic structures of DMS found in the horse were in similar to those previously reported in the human. The DMS were found predominantly in the neuropil of the cerebral cortex, and were shown histochemically to have a proteinaceous content. Electron microscopy showed that the DMS consisted of homogeneous electron-dense material bound by a single membrane and that they were found within the neuronal processes. In addition, immature or...
Lack of acid-resistant trypsin inhibitor in mare’s colostrum: short communication. Mare's colostrum was collected and examined for the presence of trypsin inhibitors. It was found to contain a low level of trypsin inhibitor which could be denatured by 2.5% trichloroacetic acid and, therefore, it clearly differs from the acid-resistant colostral inhibitor of Artiodactyla and Carnivora. This finding is exceptional for a species that concentrates IgG in the colostrum and whose newborn absorbs colostral proteins non-selectively by the gut. It appears that the presence of colostral trypsin inhibitor is not essential for the transmission of maternal immunity via the colostrum and ...
Expression of major histocompatibility complex antigen and timing of invasion by equine chorionic girdle cells cultured on Matrigel. Chorionic girdle cells are a highly invasive subpopulation of trophoblastic cells of the horse conceptus that adhere to the uterine epithelium and begin to invade the endometrium on Days 34-36 (Day 0 = day of ovulation). Just prior to and during invasion (Days 32-36), chorionic girdle cells express high levels of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I, but expression of this antigen decreases by Days 40-45 and is lost by Day 55. The mechanisms involved in the control of chorionic girdle cell invasion and altered MHCI expression over time are not known. The objective of this study, therefore,...
Factors affecting motion characteristics of frozen-thawed stallion spermatozoa. Five experiments were conducted to evaluate damage incurred in each processing step for cryopreservation of stallion spermatozoa. In Experiment 1, semen was centrifuged for 9 centrifugation times and the percentage of spermatozoa recovered after each treatment was calculated and spermatozoal motion characteristics analysed. Recovery of spermatozoa was > or = 80% when spermatozoa were centrifuged for > or = 10 min. Experiment 2 evaluated spermatozoa cryopreserved at 5 different concentrations in each of 2 extenders (skim milk-egg yolk-glycerol, SM-EYG; and lactose-EDTA, LAC). In SM-EYG, T...
Recovery rate and quality of embryos from mares inseminated at the first post-partum oestrus. The pregnancy rate is lower in mares inseminated at the first post-partum (p.p.) oestrus (40-50%) compared with pregnancy rates in subsequent oestrous cycles (55-65%). The causes of the lowered pregnancy rate are not fully understood. The aim of the present study was to examine if embryonic defects could be one of the reasons for lowered pregnancy rate. A total of 23 p.p. and 14 non-lactating control mares were flushed 7 days after detection of ovulation. Embryo recovery rate was 48% and 71% in p.p. and control mares, respectively (p = 0.16). Embryos were photographed, measured, graded and sta...
Control of Karoo paralysis ticks through vegetation management. Karoo paralysis, caused by feeding Ixodes rubicundus females, is a major disease of small stock in South Africa. Control methods currently practised are almost exclusively chemical based. To limit overdependance on chemicals, vegetation management was investigated as a possible method for control, to be incorporated in an integrated tick management system. Laboratory and field experiments were conducted to determine, firstly, the extent of vertical migration and survival of ticks on long and short copper rods which simulated grasses as questing substrates; secondly, the infestation burdens of ...
Are kinematics of the walk related to the locomotion of a warmblood horse at the trot? In purchase examinations or at studbook selection sales the locomotor apparatus of horses is judged both at walk and trot. To evaluate whether kinematics of the walk are related to the locomotion at the trot, fore and hind limb movements of a group of 24 26-month-old warmbloods were recorded at walk and trot on a treadmill (1.6 and 4 m/s) using a modified CODA-3 gait analysis system. The intralimb coordination patterns at walk and trot were compared, and temporal and spatial variables of these gaits were related. Stride and stance durations (s) were shorter at the trot, while the stance distan...
[The history of neurectomy in horses with navicular disease]. The genetic predisposition to navicular disease is proven nowadays, but otherwise, etiology and pathogenesis are still unclear. Causal therapy isn't possible and because of the poor prognosis, neurectomy is still of bearing. This operation was performed already 200 years ago, but in the middle of the last century, critical voices have been raised in regard to the surgical procedure and its indication both for medical reasons and breeding. Clear instructions for exclusion of diseased animals from breeding are also older than one hundred years. These facts call for ethic considerations which con...
Effects of storage on serum ionized calcium and pH from horses with normal and abnormal ionized calcium concentrations. It has been previously shown that Ca(I) concentration is stable in serum collected from healthy horses for 10 days if stored at 40 degrees C. This may not be true for horses with abnormal Ca(I) concentrations. Thus the stability of ionized calcium (Ca(I)) concentration and pH measurement in serum from horses with both normal and abnormal Ca(I) concentrations stored for various times at 40 degrees C and -10 degrees C was evaluated. Our results indicated that serum Ca(I) concentration was stable throughout 7 days of cold or frozen storage, after being received by the Clinical Chemistry Laborator...
Ixodes pacificus (Acari: Ixodidae) as a vector of Ehrlichia equi (Rickettsiales: Ehrlichieae). Ehrlichia equi, a rickettsia described from horses in California 30 yr ago, causes equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis throughout the Americas and possibly Europe. Here, we report experimental transmission of E. equi from infected to susceptible horses through bites of western blacklegged ticks, Ixodes pacificus (Cooley & Kohls). In preliminary field studies, only I. pacificus consistently infested horses and vegetation at 3 locations with contemporary cases of equine ehrlichosis, and in particular, I. pacificus was the only species found attached to all of the infected horses. Exposure to bi...
Regulatory aspects of fumonisins with respect to animal feed. Animal derived residues in foods. The fumonisins are a recently discovered class of mycotoxins produced primarily by Fusarium (F.) moniliforme and F. proliferatum. Fumonisins present in mycotoxin-contaminated feed have been identified as the causative agent of equine leukoencephalomalacia and porcine pulmonary edema. To prevent these diseases, FDA has utilized informal guidance levels for fumonisins in feed and initiated a surveillance program for fumonisins in feed corn and corn by-products during FY 93 and 94. Natural contaminants present in animal feed can enter the human food supply as residues present in animal tissues an...
Neutron anatomy. The familiar extremes of crystalline material are single-crystals and random powders. In between these two extremes are polycrystalline aggregates, not randomly arranged but possessing some preferred orientation and this is the form taken by constructional materials, be they steel girders or the bones of a human or animal skeleton. The details of the preferred orientation determine the ability of the material to withstand stress in any direction. In the case of bone the crucial factor is the orientation of the c-axes of the mineral content-the crystals of the hexagonal hydroxyapatite- and this...
Demonstration of three DRB loci in a domestic horse family. Single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) gel electrophoresis and DNA sequencing were used to characterize the second exon of the horse DRB homologue as well as to identify eight new DRB alleles. The SSCP gels presented a complex pattern, with phenotypes exhibiting between 4 and 13 bands. The DRB SSCP patterns were studied for two families (6 to 13 bands per pattern). For both families, the patterns showed simple Mendelian inheritance. The polymerase chain reaction products from two individuals possessing homozygous major histocompatibility complex (MHC) alleles by descent were cloned a...
The use of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry in animals. The use of dual-energy absorptiometry (DXA) to measure bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) is widespread in humans and has been adapted to animals because of the need to examine bone and body composition in longitudinal studies. In this review, the indications and techniques for DXA in small-sized animals (rodents, cats, and rabbits) and large-sized animals (dogs, swine, nonhuman primates, sheep, and horses) are discussed. Now that software has been developed for measuring BMD in small laboratory animals, the most frequent use of DXA in animals is in rats. An ultrahigh-re...
[Reproductive medicine in transition: new developments in embryo transfer]. Successful application of embryo transfer (ET) has become common practice in cattle, horses, sheep, goats and a variety of other species held in captivity. Yet in cattle only has the technique been established commercially. In 1994 more than 100,000 bovine embryos have been transferred in European countries. Important progress in transvaginal ovum pick up (OPU), in vitro production (IVP) and cryopreservation have further improved the applicability of ET. Direct transfer simplifies the procedure considerably allowing individual transfers and eliminating the need of synchronizing recipients. In ...
Leukoencephalomalacia and hemorrhage in the brain of rabbits gavaged with mycotoxin fumonisin B1. Two of five pregnant rabbits gavaged with purified fumonisin B1 at 1.75 mg/kg/day died, one after 9 and one after 13 doses. Microscopic examination revealed focal small hemorrhages in cerebral white matter in both animals, with malacia and hemorrhage also present in the hippocampus of one. The lesions were bilateral. Both animals also had marked degeneration of renal tubule epithelium and of hepatocytes. Apoptosis was the dominant degenerative change in kidney and liver. Fumonisin is known to cause leukoencephalomalacia and hemorrhage in equines, but CNS changes associated with exposure to fum...
Species differences in the concentration of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter, in whole blood and plasma. Various concentrations of acetylcholine (ACh) were detected in samples of bovine, goat, horse, porcine, rat and sheep blood and plasma using a specific, sensitive radioimmunoassay. The ACh levels in whole blood in bovine and horse samples were about 40- and ten-fold higher, respectively, than in humans, but levels comparable to those in humans were measured in porcine samples. Goat, rat and sheep samples had lower whole blood ACh concentrations than those of humans. When plasma samples were assayed, the ACh contents of bovine and porcine plasma were found to be about two- to five-fold those of...
Recovery of horses from dysautonomia (grass sickness). The outcome for 35 horses with chronic dysautonomia which were kept in the hospital at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and subsequently returned to their owners is recorded. They constituted 42.7 per cent of the 82 chronic cases seen between 1991 and 1994; the other 47 horses were euthanased while in hospital. Of the 35 animals returned to their owners four died and 27 were available for follow up; of these 27, 12 were working competitively and six were being trained for future competitive work. It takes at least a year before it is clear whether a horse can compete successfully ...
Electrolyte and acid-base disturbances in the horse. Laboratory electrolyte and acid-base analyses are important for the characterization and assessment of the severity of disorders of fluid balance, and they enable the veterinarian to institute appropriate corrective therapeutic interventions. Abnormalities of electrolytes or acid-base rarely define the diagnosis, but certain diseases are characterized by predictable trends in these parameters. Important clinical situations in which assessment of electrolyte and acid-base status should be regarded as important to the equine practitioner include diarrhea, severe colic, peritonitis, pleuritis, dy...
Cloning of a DNA repeat element from horse: DNA sequence and chromosomal localization. A DNA repeat element, revealed initially by digestion of horse DNA with TaqI, was cloned and characterized by Southern and in situ hybridization studies and nucleotide sequencing. The clone, e4/1, consisted of 32 tandem reiteration of a unit repeat of 21-22 bp, and produced multilocus DNA fingerprinting profiles that were useful for parentage analysis in horses. The tandem repeat element was shown by in situ hybridization to be localized in the centromeres of the acrocentric but not metacentric classes of horse chromosomes.
Eimeria leuckarti (Flesh, 1883) Reichenow, 1940 from Equus caballus in Italy. Fecal examinations of horses (Equus caballus) from studs in the province of Udine (Friuli Venezia Giulia region, east-northern Italy), carried out during two periods of the year 1993, revealed coccidian oocysts in six foals, two stallions and one mare. The species was identified as Eimeria leuckarti. This species was reported only once in Italy, more than 20 years ago (1972). For this reason, the prevalence of the parasite and the description of immature and sporulated oocysts are given.
