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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.
Studying the Shape Variations of the Back, the Neck, and the Mandibular Angle of Horses Depending on Specific Feeding Postures Using Geometric Morphometrics. The effects of specific feeding positions upon the horse's shape variations of the back and neck postures as well as the variations of the mandibular angle have never been objectively studied. For this reason, geometric morphometrics was applied. Six horses, aged 14 ± 8 years (mean ± standard deviation, SD), were video-recorded while using three different feeding positions: on the ground-control position (CP); neck held 15 ± 3° below withers height with low hay net position (LP); neck held 15 ± 3° above withers height with high hay net position (HP). Data were analyzed using principal co...
Genetic Variation in the Glycoprotein B Sequence of Equid Herpesvirus 5 among Horses of Various Breeds at Polish National Studs. Equid herpesvirus 5 (EHV-5) is one of two γ-herpesviruses that commonly infect horses worldwide. The objective of the study was to estimate the genetic variability within EHV-5 viruses circulating among horses in Poland. Partial glycoprotein B (gB) sequences from 92 Polish horses from 13 studs throughout Poland were compared to each other and to three EHV-5 sequences from other countries. Despite the overall high level of conservation, considerable variability was observed around the putative furin cleavage site. Based on phylogenetic analysis, the viruses clustered within two major lineages ...
Influence of full-time housing in vector-protected facilities on equine cortisol levels, heart rate, and behavior during the African horse sickness outbreak in Thailand. Horses were provided full-time housing in unfamiliar vector-protected facilities during the African horse sickness (AHS) outbreak in Thailand. This study aimed to investigate the impact of this housing arrangement on the equine stress response. Nine healthy horses were housed in both a traditional barn and a vector-protected barn. Equine behavior and stress response data were collected in association with the housing environment and time of day. The mean behavioral score of horses housed in the vector-protected barn was lower at night than during the day. In addition, the horses' mean heart ra...
Determination of Positional Parameters of the Distal Phalanx Within the Hoof Capsule in Sound Colombian Paso Horses. The economic relevance, populational importance and expansion of the Colombian Paso Horse to other latitudes calls for a growth in studies based on this type of horse. Lack of written reports about the relationship of the distal phalanx (DP) within the hoof in this gaited horse makes it important to establish a baseline to determine hoof health and possible alterations. The purpose of this study was to report, for the first time, the positional parameters of the distal phalanx, and its relationship within the hoof in sound Colombian Paso Horses. A latero-medial radiographic image of each dig...
A Commentary on the Contemporary Issues Confronting Animal Assisted and Equine Assisted Interactions. The field of human-animal interactions and, more specifically, animal-assisted interventions and equine assisted interactions (equine assisted interactions have significantly evolved over the past half century. The primary purpose of this paper is to provide a brief commentary of both fields and the challenges they are presently experiencing as they move forward in their future. More specifically within this commentary, attention will be given to highlighting some of the directions taken in both fields, including clarifying their terminology as it applies to scope of practices, trends in resea...
First Case of Autochthonous Equine Theileriosis in Austria. A 23-year-old pregnant warmblood mare from Güssing, Eastern Austria, presented with apathy, anemia, fever, tachycardia and tachypnoea, and a severely elevated serum amyloid A concentration. The horse had a poor body condition and showed thoracic and pericardial effusions, and later dependent edema and icteric mucous membranes. Blood smear and molecular analyses revealed an infection with . Upon treatment with imidocarb diproprionate, the mare improved clinically, parasites were undetectable in blood smears, and 19 days after hospitalization the horse was discharged from hospital. However, 89 ...
Towards an untargeted mass spectrometric approach for improved screening in equine antidoping. The emergence of novel doping agents is a continuous issue for analysts who aim to maintain the integrity of horseracing together with the well-being and safety of the animals and riders involved. Untargeted mass spectrometric analysis presents a potential improvement for antidoping as it enables the detection of compounds being indirectly affected by an administered drug. In this study, liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry was used to investigate a 12-horse administration study of the synthetic opioid, butorphanol. A mass spectrometric workflow capable of detecting metaboli...
In Stallion Spermatozoa, Superoxide Dismutase (Cu-Zn) (SOD1) and the Aldo-Keto-Reductase Family 1 Member b (AKR1B1) Are the Proteins Most Significantly Reduced by Cryopreservation. Although cryopreservation is widely used in animal breeding, the technique is still suboptimal. The population of spermatozoa surviving the procedure experiences changes attributed to alteration in their redox regulation. In order to expand our knowledge regarding this particular aspect, the proteome in fresh and frozen thawed aliquots of equine spermatozoa was studied to identify the proteins most severely affected by the procedure. If alteration of redox regulation is a major factor explaining cryodamage, proteins participating in redox regulation should be principally affected. Using a spli...
EquiSim: An Open-Source Articulatable Statistical Model of the Equine Distal Limb. Most digital models of the equine distal limb that are available in the community are static and/or subject specific; hence, they have limited applications in veterinary research. In this paper, we present an articulatable model of the entire equine distal limb based on statistical shape modeling. The model describes the inter-subject variability in bone geometry while maintaining proper jointspace distances to support model articulation toward different poses. Shape variation modes are explained in terms of common biometrics in order to ease model interpretation from a veterinary point of vie...
The impact of temperature on the life cycle of Gasterophilus pecorum in northwest China. The departure of the mature larvae of the horse stomach bot fly from the host indicates the beginning of a new infection period. Gasterophilus pecorum is the dominant bot fly species in the desert steppe of the Kalamaili Nature Reserve (KNR) of northwest China as a result of its particular biological characteristics. The population dynamics of G. pecorum were studied to elucidate the population development of this species in the arid desert steppe. Methods: Larvae in the freshly excreted feces of tracked Przewalski's horses (Equus przewalskii) were collected and recorded. The larval pupation e...
Effect of Feed Intake on Water Consumption in Horses: Relevance to Maintenance Fluid Therapy. Maintenance fluid therapy is challenging in horses that cannot drink or are denied feed and water because of concerns about gastrointestinal tract function and patency. Intravenous fluid delivery to meet water needs based on current recommendations for maintenance requirements were obtained in fed horses and therefore might not apply to horses that are not being fed. This is a critical flaw because of the interdependence between intestinal tract water and extracellular water to support digestion while preserving water balance, a concept explained by the enterosystemic cycle. Because horses dri...
Evaluation of key miRNAs during early pregnancy in Kazakh horse using RNA sequencing. miRNA has an important role in cell differentiation, biological development, and physiology. Milk production is an important quantitative trait in livestock and miRNA plays a role in the amount of milk produced. Methods: The role of regulatory miRNAs involved in equine milk production is not fully understood. We constructed two miRNA libraries for Kazakh horse milk production from higher-producing (H group) and lower-producing (L group) individuals, and used RNA-Seq technology to identify the differentially expressed miRNAs between the two milk phenotypes of Kazakh horses. Results: A total of ...
A review of current knowledge of myeloproliferative disorders in the horse. Myeloid disorders are conditions being characterized by abnormal proliferation and development of myeloid lineage including granulocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils), monocytes, erythroids, and megakaryocytes precursor cells. Myeloid leukemia, based on clinical presentation and proliferative rate of neoplastic cells, is divided into acute (AML) and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). The most commonly myeloid leukemia reported in horses are AML-M4 (myelomonocytic) and AML-M5 (monocytic). Isolated cases of AML-M6B (acute erythroid leukemia), and chronic granulocytic leukemia have al...
Equine Discomfort Ethogram. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in and need for a comprehensive ethogram of discomfort behavior of horses, particularly for use in recognizing physical discomfort in domestically managed horses. A clear understanding of the physical discomfort behavior of horses among caretakers, trainers, and professional health care personnel is important to animal welfare and caretaker safety. This is particularly relevant to pain management for hospitalized equine patients. Various pain scale rubrics have been published, typically incorporating only a few classically cited pain behaviors...
New World camelids are sentinels for the presence of Borna disease virus. Borna disease (BD), a frequently fatal neurologic disorder caused by Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1), has been observed for decades in horses, sheep, and other mammals in certain regions of Europe. The bicoloured white-toothed shrew (Crocidura leucodon) was identified as a persistently infected species involved in virus transmission. Recently, BoDV-1 attracted attention as a cause of fatal encephalitis in humans. Here, we report investigations on BoDV-1-infected llamas from a farm in a BD endemic area of Switzerland, and alpacas from holdings in a region of Germany where BD was last seen in the...
Current genetic conservation of Chinese indigenous horses revealed with Y-chromosomal and mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms. To investigate the genetic diversity of Chinese indigenous horses and determine the genetic status of extant horse breeds, novel Y chromosomal microsatellite markers and known Y chromosomal SNPs and mtDNA loop sequences, were employed to study the genetic diversity levels of 13 Chinese indigenous horse populations and four introduced breeds. Sixteen Y-chromosomal microsatellite markers, including seven newly identified loci, were used in the genotyping. The results showed that 4 out of the 16 loci were highly polymorphic in Chinese indigenous horse populations, in which the polymorphisms of 3 ...
Nonlinear Models to Describe the Testicular Size Growth Curve of Mangalarga Marchador Stallions. This study aimed to describe the testicular growth curve in Mangalarga Marchador stallions fitting nonlinear models to data of total scrotal width (TSW) and testicular volume (TV). A cross-sectional study was conducted with 120 stallions, aging from 1.75 to 21.93 years. The parameters of nonlinear models (Brody, Gompertz, Hill, Logistic I and II, Meloun I and II, Michaelis-Menten, Mitscherlich, and von-Bertalanffy) were estimated by Gauss-Newton iterative process. Goodness of fit was evaluated by the corrected Akaike (AICc) and Bayesian (BIC) information criteria, adjusted R, error sum of squa...
Ethanol-Soluble Carbohydrates of Cool-Season Grasses: Prediction of Concentration by Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) and Evaluation of Effects of Cultivar and Management. Ethanol-soluble carbohydrates (ESCs) of cool-season grasses include mono- and disaccharides and sometimes short-chain fructans, which may exacerbate the risk of pasture-associated laminitis. A calibration for prediction of ESC concentrations by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) was developed from 323 samples of four cool-season grass species (orchardgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, and perennial ryegrass) across 10 cultivars collected in central Kentucky in the morning and afternoon over two growing seasons. The calibration, which had accuracy above 95%, was used to predict ...
An Accurate Image Analysis Method for Estimating Body Measurements in Horses. This study proposes a standardized image analysis method for assessing horse conformation. A total of 34 adult American Quarter Horses (mean age = 6.7 ± 2.9 years, body weight = 489 ± 44 kg) were used. Reference angular measurements were performed using a digital goniometer, and reference linear measurements were determined using a standard measuring tape. For image analysis, photographs from the animal's left profile were taken at a distance of 3 m using eight markers to facilitate visualization. Images were processed using ImageJ software. Reference and estimated values showed great ac...
Interspecific two-dimensional visual discrimination of faces in horses (Equus caballus). In social animals, recognizing conspecifics and distinguishing them from other animal species is certainly important. We hypothesize, as demonstrated in other species of ungulates, that horses are able to discriminate between the faces of conspecifics and the faces of other domestic species (cattle, sheep, donkeys and pigs). Our hypothesis was tested by studying inter-and intra-specific visual discrimination abilities in horses through a two-way instrumental conditioning task (discrimination and reversal learning), using two-dimensional images of faces as discriminative stimuli and food as a p...
The Safety and Efficacy in Horses of Certain Nutraceuticals that Claim to Have Health Benefits. Equine nutraceuticals are promoted as useful therapies to help optimize health and athletic performance, often without the benefit of independent research to support product efficacy and safety. This review focuses on 4 main categories of equine supplements that are frequently used as nutraceuticals: (i) supplements to support metabolic health, (ii) gastric support products, (iii) common ingredients that are included in supplements designed to support hoof health, and (iv) supplements to support joint health.
B-Scan Biometry and Color Doppler Ultrasound Imaging of the Eye in Clinically Normal Donkeys (Equus asinus): Effect of Laterality, Maturity and Gender. Despite the extensive research on ocular ultrasonography, there is paucity of information regarding ocular biometry and color Doppler imaging of the donkey's eye. This study establishes B-scan ocular biometry and color Doppler ultrasonographic reference values in normal donkeys and describes effect of laterality, maturity and gender on ocular biometry and vasculature. Forty (80 eyes) clinically normal immature and mature donkeys of both sexes were included. Transpalpebral ocular ultrasonography was made using a 12-MHz linear transducer. Biometric ocular measurements were made including the ant...
Transcriptome study underling difference of milk yield during peak lactation of Kazakh horse. This study was designed to provide a basis for further understanding of the mechanism of lactation based on mRNA expression differences in milk fat between different milk yields in Kazakh horses. Total RNA was extracted from the milk fat during the peak of lactation period. A total of 310 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by comparative transcriptome analysis of the high-yield and low-yield group. These DEGs regulate lactation by participated in AMPK signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, ErbB signaling pathway, VEGF signaling pathway. In addition, we performed quantita...
Isolation of Mammalian Mesoangioblasts: A Subset of Pericytes with Myogenic Potential. Mesoangioblasts (MABs) are vessel-associated stem cells that express pericyte markers and are originally isolated from the embryonic dorsal aorta. From postnatal small vessels of skeletal muscle and heart, it is possible to isolate cells with similar characteristics to embryonic MABs. Adult MABs have the capacity to self-renew and to differentiate into cell types of mesodermal lineages upon proper culture conditions. To date, the origin of MABs and the relationship with other muscle stem cells are still debated. Recently, in a phase I-II clinical trial, intra-arterial HLA-matched MABs were pro...
Animal Interaction Affecting Core Deficit Domains Among Children with Autism: A Meta-Analysis. Animal-assisted intervention (AAI) has garnered public interest and has been implemented for youth with autism spectrum disorders-a practice supported by anecdotal evidence. While investigations of AAI for children with autism have been conducted, the extant literature is characterized by significant variability in methodology and practice. The present meta-analysis examines the aggregated effects of equine AAI on adaptive functioning among children with autism. Results indicated that interacting with an equine specifically during AAI produced small-to-medium effects (g = 0.40) on the adap...
Effects of continuous passage on the immunomodulatory properties of equine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in vitro. The immunomodulatory properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been studied extensively due to their increasing clinical application for tissue regeneration and repair following culture expansion. We have studied the effect of continuous passage on the immunomodulatory capacity of equine bone marrow-derived MSCs (BM-MSCs). Equine BM-MSCs were isolated and culture expanded to passage three, six, and nine (P3, P6, P9). Immunomodulatory properties of each passage were assessed using a T cell proliferation assay and cytokine synthesis following stimulation with interferon gamma (IFN-γ). Re...
The Safety, Tolerability and Efficacy of Probiotic Bacteria for Equine Use. Probiotic bacteria are used widely as nutritional supplements and treatment interventions in the management of livestock and companion animals. The aim of this review is to summarize the current evidence reporting on the safety, tolerability and efficacy of probiotic bacteria use in horses. An online search of five databases for studies reporting on the use of probiotic bacteria use in horses which were either healthy or had a gastrointestinal or extraintestinal disease was conducted. A total of 18 articles were eligible for full review. No clear benefits were identified to support supplementa...
DNA fragmentation and morphometric studies in sperm of stallions supplemented with maca (Lepidium meyenii). The reproductive performances of livestock play an essential role in the economic management of the farm. The improvement of semen quantity and quality through the use of food supplements that lack substances which are forbidden in animal feeding, or that may have detrimental effects, is an important goal. Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a plant that has been used for centuries in the Andes for nutrition and fertility enhancement in humans and animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of food supplementation of stallions with maca during the breeding season on spermatozoa parameter...
