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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.
Effect of season on individual stallion semen characteristics. Horses are long-day seasonal breeding animals, however, with modern stallion reproductive management it is important for collection of semen during periods that are not part of the traditional breeding season. This study was conducted to examine variation in the seminal characteristics of individual stallions in Avila, Spain during 1 year with a particular emphasis on sperm DNA fragmentation. Semen was collected twice per season from a total of 20 stallions. There was a marked seasonal effect on all seminal characteristics, with the greatest on progressive motility, % membrane integrity and le...
Is Whip Use Important to Thoroughbred Racing Integrity? What Stewards’ Reports Reveal about Fairness to Punters, Jockeys and Horses. The idea that whip use is critical to thoroughbred racing integrity is culturally entrenched but lacks empirical support. To test the longstanding beliefs that whip use aids steering, reduces interference, increases safety and improves finishing times, we conducted a mixed-method analysis of 126 race reports produced by official stewards of the British Horseracing Authority, representing 1178 jockeys and their horses. We compared reports from 67 "Hands and Heels" races, where whips are held but not used (whipping-free, WF), with 59 reports from case-matched races where whipping was permitted (...
Optimization of CASA-Mot Analysis of Donkey Sperm: Optimum Frame Rate and Values of Kinematic Variables for Different Counting Chamber and Fields. In order to optimize the donkey sperm motility analysis by the CASA (Computer Assisted Sperm Analysis)-Mot system, twelve ejaculates were collected from six jackasses. Capillary loaded chamber (CLC), ISASD4C depths 10 and 20 µm, ISASD4C Leja 20 and drop displacement chamber (DDC), Spermtrack (Spk) depths 10 and 20 µm were used. Sperm kinematic variables were evaluated using each chamber and a high-resolution camera capable of capturing a maximum of 500 frames/second (fps). The optimum frame rate (OFR) (defined according to curvilinear velocity-VCL) was dependent on chamber type. The highest ...
Genetic analysis of the endangered Cleveland Bay horse: A century of breeding characterised by pedigree and microsatellite data. The Cleveland Bay horse is one of the oldest equines in the United Kingdom, with pedigree data going back almost 300 years. The studbook is essentially closed and because of this, there are concerns about loss of genetic variation across generations. The breed is one of five equine breeds listed as "critical" (<300 registered adult breeding females) by the UK Rare Breeds Survival Trust in their annual Watchlist. Due to their critically endangered status, the current breadth of their genetic diversity is of concern, and assessment of this can lead to improved breed management strategies. Herein...
Hormone-responsive organoids from domestic mare and endangered Przewalski’s horse endometrium. The endometrium, the inner uterine lining, is composed of cell layers that come in direct contact with an embryo during early pregnancy and later with the fetal placenta. The endometrium is responsible for signals associated with normal reproductive cyclicity as well as maintenance of pregnancy. In the mare, functionally competent in vitro models of the endometrium have not been successful. Furthermore, the ability to study various reproductive processes in vitro may allow critical evaluation of signaling pathways involved in the reproductive diseases of animals that cannot be handled frequent...
Quantifying poor working equid welfare in Nepalese brick kilns using a welfare assessment tool. Across Asia the brick-kiln industry is expanding. In Nepal, urban dwelling has increased in recent years, raising requirement for low-cost, mass produced bricks to meet the population needs. Working equids (WEs) play a key role in non-mechanised kilns. Assessing the welfare of these equids is the starting point to addressing concerns. In line with One Welfare principles, the health and welfare of animals, people and the kiln environment are interlinked. In December 2019, 119 WEs were assessed in seven brick kilns in three districts of Nepal, using the Equid Assessment Research and Scoping tool...
Validation of the Equine Behaviour Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ): A New Survey Instrument for Exploring and Monitoring the Domestic Equine Triad. The Equine Behaviour Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ) was developed to obtain quantitative data on the domestic equine triad: training, management and behaviour. It can be taken repeatedly, thus collecting longitudinal data to enable evaluation of how changes in a horse's training and management are reflected in that horse's behaviour over time and how these changes can impact horse welfare in the longer term. Questionnaire validation and reliability were tested by determining (a) whether an owner's subjective ratings of their horse's problematic behaviours or undesirable tempera...
Human and Animal Motion Tracking Using Inertial Sensors. Motion is key to health and wellbeing, something we are particularly aware of in times of lockdowns and restrictions on movement. Considering the motion of humans and animals as a biomarker of the performance of the neuro-musculoskeletal system, its analysis covers a large array of research fields, such as sports, equine science and clinical applications, but also innovative methods and workplace analysis. In this Special Issue of Sensors, we focused on human and animal motion-tracking using inertial sensors. Ten research and two review papers, mainly on human movement, but also on the locomot...
Factors Affecting Embryo Recovery Rate, Quality, and Diameter in Andalusian Donkey Jennies. Embryo transfer and the vitrification of embryos could be used for the conservation and recovery of endangered donkey breeds. It is important to develop techniques that optimize recovery rates and the cryotolerance of donkey embryos. This study evaluates factors affecting the recovery rate, quality, and diameter of embryos obtained from donor jennies as a starting point for the use of vitrification and embryo transfer in the conservation of the Andalusian donkey. A total of 100 embryos were recovered out of 124 estrous cycles (80.6%). The donor jenny affected the rates of positive flushings (P...
Induced pluripotent stem cells from farm animals. The development of the induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) technology has revolutionized the world on the establishment of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) across a great variety of animal species. Generation of iPSCs from domesticated animals would provide unrestricted cell resources for the study of embryonic development and cell differentiation of these species, for screening and establishing desired traits for sustainable agricultural production, and as veterinary and preclinical therapeutic tools for animal and human diseases. Induced PSCs from domesticated animals thus harbor enormous sc...
An investigation into factors influencing basal eye temperature in the domestic horse (Equus caballus) when measured using infrared thermography in field conditions. Infrared thermography (IRT) is a popular technology used for the detection of thermal changes given its non-invasive nature and lack of direct contact with the individual. Accordingly, the maximal eye temperature (MaxET) measured with IRT has been extensively applied in equine research. However, there is little information available about the potential limitations of the MaxET in field studies. Thus, the aims of this study were to 1) quantify the individual variation of MaxET in field conditions and the effects of individual, breed, body size (height at withers), eye side, sex and age, 2) dete...
The nonparasitic phase of Dermacentor nitens under field conditions in southeastern Brazil. Dermacentor nitens is a one-host tick that uses domestic equids as main hosts. Herein, the nonparasitic phase of D. nitens was evaluated under field conditions in Pirassununga, São Paulo state, Southeastern Brazil. By exposing engorged females of D. nitens to field conditions (grass plots) for 24 consecutive months, this tick species was able to complete its nonparasitic phase by producing host-seeking larvae in the pasture throughout the year. Preoviposition and egg incubation periods were longer during autumn and winter months than during the other months. The number of larvae generated by ...
“HerdGPS-Preprocessor”-A Tool to Preprocess Herd Animal GPS Data; Applied to Evaluate Contact Structures in Loose-Housing Horses. Sensors delivering information on the position of farm animals have been widely used in precision livestock farming. Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors are already known from applications in military, private and commercial environments, and their application in animal science is increasing. However, as trade-offs between sensor cost, battery life and sensor weight have to be made, GPS based studies scheduling long data collection periods and including a high number of animals, have to deal with problems like high hardware costs and data disruption during recharging of sensors. Furthermor...
Genetic inbreeding depression load for morphological traits and defects in the Pura Raza Española horse. Inbreeding is caused by mating between related individuals and is associated with reduced fitness and performance (inbreeding depression). Several studies have detected heterogeneity in inbreeding depression among founder individuals. Recently, a procedure was developed to predict hidden inbreeding depression load that is associated with founders using the Mendelian sampling of non-founders. The objectives of this study were to: (1) analyse the population structure and general inbreeding, and (2) test this recent approach for predicting hidden inbreeding depression load for four morphological ...
Rickettsia amblyommatis isolated from Amblyomma mixtum (Acari: Ixodida) from two sites in Panama. Rickettsia amblyommatis is widely distributed in the Americas, and has been reported to infect different species of ticks within its distribution. In Panama, R. amblyommatis is the most common Rickettsia and its presence was molecularly detected in nine species of ticks and one flea species. This work described the isolation of R. amblyommatis in Vero cells by shell vial technique, from Amblyomma mixtum ticks collected from a captive tapir from Gamboa (Colon province), and a horse from El Valle de Antón (Cocle province). These represent the first isolations of R. amblyommatis in Panama.
Improving gait classification in horses by using inertial measurement unit (IMU) generated data and machine learning. For centuries humans have been fascinated by the natural beauty of horses in motion and their different gaits. Gait classification (GC) is commonly performed through visual assessment and reliable, automated methods for real-time objective GC in horses are warranted. In this study, we used a full body network of wireless, high sampling-rate sensors combined with machine learning to fully automatically classify gait. Using data from 120 horses of four different domestic breeds, equipped with seven motion sensors, we included 7576 strides from eight different gaits. GC was trained using several ...
Does size matter? Examining the possible mechanisms of multi-stallion groups in horse societies. In some feral horse populations, adult females are either associated with a single male or multiple males (stallions). However, little is known on why such groups with more than one male exist, considering that stallions fight to monopolize females. Body size is often an important determinant of male fighting ability and/or dominance rank and, consequently, reproductive success. Stallions may, therefore, vary in "quality" which could be a differentiating factor between single-stallion and multi-stallion males. We observed feral Garrano horses in Northern Portugal and examined the relationship ...
Radiographic parameters of the digit in a cohort population of Amiata donkeys. The most common musculoskeletal conditions reported in donkeys are related to the foot. Radiographic examinations are clinically important in the diagnosis of foot abnormalities and are commonly used. However, few studies have been conducted to establish the normal radiographic appearance of a donkey's foot. To determine the radiographic features of the front digit in healthy Amiata donkeys. Radiographic examinations were performed on 56 forefeet of 28 Amiata donkeys. Three radiographic views of each front foot were taken: lateromedial, dorsopalmar and dorso-65°proximal/palmarodistal oblique....
The Horse Gut Microbiome Responds in a Highly Individualized Manner to Forage Lignification. Although contributions of the equine gut microbiome to forage utilization are well recognized, the impact of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) lignification on the equine gut microbiome remains unknown; thus, we characterized microbial communities in the equine gut when feeding reduced lignin (RL) and conventional (CON) alfalfa hays to adult stock-type horses. Dietary treatments were fed to six horses in a crossover study. Experimental periods consisted of a 9-day dietary adaptation phase followed by a 5-day total fecal collection phase, during which horses were housed in individual box stalls and ...
Causes and consequences of an unusually male-biased adult sex ratio in an unmanaged feral horse population. The adult sex ratio (ASR) is important within ecology due to its predicted effects on behaviour, demography and evolution, but research examining the causes and consequences of ASR bias have lagged behind the studies of sex ratios at earlier life stages. Although ungulate ASR is relatively well-studied, exceptions to the usual female-biased ASR challenge our understanding of the underlying drivers of biased ASR and provide an opportunity to better understand its consequences. Some feral ungulate populations, including multiple horse populations, exhibit unusually male-biased ASR. For example, ...
Fertilizing capacity of vitrified stallion sperm assessed utilizing heterologous IVF after different semen warming procedures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fertilizing capacity of frozen or vitrified stallion sperm after assessing different warming procedures. In Experiment 1, different warming procedures were compared after sperm vitrification: immersion in extender at 43 °C (C), or in a water bath at 37 °C/30 s (W37), 43 °C/10 s (W43) or 60 °C/5 s (W60). With the W60 treatment, there were greater values (P < 0.05) for VCL (83.93 ± 3.6 μm/s) and ALH (3.00 ± 0.2 μm) than freezing and with the C group, and greater values (P < 0.001) for PM (35.33 ± 2.5 %) than with the W43 treatment. In Experiment...
Adjunct Extraction Techniques in Equine Dentistry. Adjunct extraction techniques are used when the shape or integrity of the tooth, the shape or size of the patient's oral cavity, the location of the tooth, or the location of the proximal teeth prevents or complicates standard oral extraction. Techniques described and discussed include partial coronectomy, tooth sectioning, minimally invasive buccotomy, transbuccal screw extraction, and commissurotomy.
Variability analyses of the maternal lineage of horses and donkeys. Equid breeds originating from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa are believed to have genetically contributed to the formation of breeds and ecotypes from Brazil. The country has numerous breeds and ecotypes of horses and donkeys but there are no extensive studies on maternal genetic diversity and their origins. This study reports the results of the first genetic analysis of all horse and donkey breeds/ecotypes from Brazil based on sequences of the mitochondrial DNA control region (D-loop) whose main objective was to characterize the genetic variation in these animals. These analyses will ...
Identification of a New Equid Herpesvirus 1 DNA Polymerase (ORF30) Genotype with the Isolation of a C2254/H752 Strain in French Horses Showing no Major Impact on the Strain Behaviour. Equid herpesvirus 1 is one of the most common viral pathogens in the horse population and is associated with respiratory disease, abortion and still-birth, neonatal death and neurological disease. A single point mutation in the DNA polymerase gene (ORF30: A2254G, N752D) has been widely associated with neuropathogenicity of strains, although this association has not been exclusive. This study describes the fortuitous isolation of a strain carrying a new genotype C (H) from an outbreak in France that lasted several weeks in 2018 and involved 82 horses, two of which showed neurological signs of d...
Horse welfare at slaughter: A novel approach to analyse bruised carcasses based on severity, damage patterns and their association with pre-slaughter risk factors. The study presents a novel veterinary forensic approach to analyse the bruising of horse carcasses, based on the nature of the bruises and how they are grouped in certain anatomical areas. Data on pre-slaughter logistics was obtained for 113 journeys with horses that travelled from Mexico and the USA to a Mexican abattoir. We found that carcass bruising was a highly prevalent problem (79% of carcasses had bruising) and was especially problematic in journeys lasting longer than 12 h, independently of the animal's country of origin, sex, age, lairage time or vehicle type. Multivariable logistic...
Evaluating Stress in Riding Horses: Part One-Behavior Assessment and Serum Cortisol. Stress can impact the health and well-being of animals negatively. Behavioral and physiological changes, particularly serum cortisol, offer objective and easy-to-use methods of evaluating stress in horses. However, limited studies support a positive relationship between changes in stress-related serum cortisol concentrations and stress-related behaviors in horses. This study assessed differences in stress-related behaviors and serum cortisol concentrations in horses used in a therapeutic riding program (TRH) or university riding program (UNI). Riders were grouped by disability type (TRH) or by...
Relative Traffic Tolerance of Warm-Season Grasses and Suitability for Grazing by Equine. Warm season wear-tolerant turfgrasses, such as those used on golf courses and athletic fields, may be valuable forages on equine operations because of their potential to remain viable during heavy hoof traffic. Crabgrass may also be suitable as it thrives in conditions where other grasses have limited success. The objective of this study was to assess the relative traffic tolerance and nutritional composition of five warm-season (WS) turfgrass cultivars of bermudagrass and zoysiagrass and one WS forage-type crabgrass. All cultivars were established by seed in replicated monoculture plots. Simu...
Integrin alpha-v/beta3 expression in equine lungs and jejunum. Integrin alpha-v/beta3 (αvβ3) recognizes arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) sequences and has important functions in cell adhesion, signaling, and survival. However, the expression of integrin αvβ3 in the equine lungs and jejunum is not well understood. The objective of this study was to explore the hitherto unknown expression of integrin αvβ3 in the lungs and jejuna of the horse using light and electron immunocytochemistry. Immunohistochemistry showed integrin αvβ3 on the epithelium, the immune cells in Peyer's patches, the smooth muscle, and the endothelium of equine jejuna. In equ...
