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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.
Genomic comparison of bovine papillomavirus 1 isolates from bovine, equine and asinine lesional tissue samples. Several attempts have been made to categorize equid- and bovid-specific bovine papillomavirus 1 (BPV1) isolates based on sequence tags. This study includes newly determined sequence information from 33 BPV1 isolates of equine, asinine and bovine origin and investigates sequence bias due to host species. Twenty of the viral genomes were sequenced over their entire length and a further thirteen were sequenced, including flanking sequences, at two specific sites, the LCR and the E5 ORF. Alignment and analyses of the sequences did not reveal statistically significant site differences between the s...
Motivation and Prior Animal Experience of Newly Enrolled Veterinary Nursing Students at two Irish Third-Level Institutions. Veterinary nurses report an intrinsic desire to work with animals. However, this motivation may be eroded by poor working conditions and low pay, resulting in the exit of experienced veterinary nurses from clinical practice. This study sought to quantify the level of animal-handling experience students possessed at the start of their training and to explore the factors motivating them to enter veterinary nurse training in two Irish third-level institutions. The authors had noted a tendency for veterinary nursing students to possess limited animal-handling skills, despite their obvious motivati...
Variation in MUTYH expression in Arabian horses with Cerebellar Abiotrophy. Cerebellar Abiotrophy (CA) is a neurodegenerative disease in Arabian horses affecting the cerebellum, more specifically the Purkinje neurons. Although CA occurs in several domestic species, CA in Arabian horses is unique in that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) has been associated with the disease. Total RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on CA-affected horses to address the molecular mechanism underlying the disease. This research expands upon the RNA-seq work by measuring the impact of the CA-associated SNP on the candidate gene MutY homolog (MUTYH) and its regulation, isoform-spec...
Dermoscopic analysis of the skin of healthy warmblood horses: a descriptive study of 34 cases in Italy. Dermoscopy is a diagnostic tool that has been introduced into small animal dermatology for the evaluation of hair and the skin surface. To the best of the authors' knowledge, the use of this technique on horses and the dermoscopic appearance of equine hair and skin have yet to be reported. Objective: To assess the feasibility of dermoscopy, and to describe hair and skin surface features of healthy warmblood horses. Methods: Thirty four client-owned, healthy adult horses. Methods: Six body regions (head, neck, dorsal thorax, ventral thorax, croup and mane) were examined with a smartphone-attach...
Coat colour adaptation of post-glacial horses to increasing forest vegetation. Wild horses unexpectedly survived terminal Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions until eventual European extirpation in the twentieth century. This survival is tied to either their occurrence in cryptic open habitats or their adaptation to forests. Our niche modelling inferred an increasing presence of horses in post-glacial forests, and our analysis of ancient DNA suggested significant selection for black phenotypes as indicating adaptation to forests.
A fast, low-cost and efficient method for the diagnosis of sperm DNA fragmentation in several species. Sperm DNA fragmentation is a condition that interferes directly in the reproductive efficiency. Currently, there are several methods for assessing the sperm DNA integrity, such as Alkaline Comet, TUNEL and Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay. However, many of these techniques are laborious and require high-precision equipment. Thus, the development of new techniques can optimize the evaluation of sperm DNA damage. Therefore, the aim of this study was to standardize the toluidine blue (TB) stain technique for the analysis of DNA fragmentation of dog, cat, bull, stallion and ram spermatozoa. For thi...
Using partial least squares regression as a predictive tool in describing equine third metacarpal bone shape. Population variance in bone shape is an important consideration when applying the results of subject-specific computational models to a population. In this letter, we demonstrate the ability of partial least squares regression to provide an improved shape prediction of the equine third metacarpal epiphysis, using two easily obtained measurements.
High Occurrence of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Horses at Slaughterhouses Compared with Those for Recreational Activities: A Professional and Food Safety Concern? The epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in horses and its zoonotic potential is poorly understood. The objective of this study is to provide data on the prevalence and genetic characteristics of MRSA isolated from horses on farms, at racecourses, and at slaughterhouses in Italy, using standard and molecular methods. In addition, we report the prevalence of MRSA in horse handlers. Among 388 horses tested by nasal swabs, 27 (7%) were positive for MRSA ST398 (t011, t899, t1255) and ST1 (t127). The prevalence of MRSA in horses tested at slaughterhouses was significan...
The role of nonlinear coupling in Human-Horse Interaction: A preliminary study. This study focuses on the analysis of human-horse dynamic interaction using cardiovascular information exclusively. Specifically, the Information Theoretic Learning (ITL) approach has been applied to a Human-Horse Interaction paradigm, therefore accounting for the nonlinear information of the heart-heart interplay between humans and horses. Heartbeat dynamics was gathered from humans and horses during three experimental conditions: absence of interaction, visual-olfactory interaction, and brooming. Cross Information Potential, Cross Correntropy, and Correntropy Coefficient were computed to qua...
Effect of transportation on the sympatho-adrenal system responses in horses. The objective of current study was to evaluate the effect of transportation stress on the circulating adrenaline (A), noradrenaline (NA) and dopamine (DA) responses of stallions, according to the different distances. Forty-two stallions were studied before and after road transportation of 100, 200 and 300km, for a period of 1-3h. An increase in plasma A after 100km (P<0.001) was observed. A similar result was seen in plasma NA after 100km (P<0.001), and 300km (P<0.001). Increases in plasma DA after 100 and 200km (P<0.0001) were observed, with a decrease after 300km (P<0.0001). S...
Equine disease surveillance: quarterly summary. of surveillance testing, April to June 2017International disease occurrence in the second quarter of 2017These are among matters discussed in the most recent quarterly equine disease surveillance report, prepared by Defra, the Animal Health Trust and the British Equine Veterinary Association.
Effects of inbreeding and other systematic effects on fertility of Black Forest Draught horses in Germany. The Black Forest Draught horse (BFDH) is an endangered German coldblood breed with its origin in the area of the Black Forest in South Germany. In this retrospective study, the influence of the inbreeding coefficient on foaling rates was investigated using records from ten breeding seasons. Due to the small population size of BFDH, the level of inbreeding is increasing and may have an effect on foaling rates.The data of the present study included all coverings reported for 1024 BFDH mares in the years 2001-2009. These mares were covered by 32 BFDH stallions from the State Stud Marbach. Data fr...
Relationship between carcass traits, prime cuts and carcass grading from foals slaughtered at the age of 13 and 26 months and supplemented with standard and linseed-rich feed. In order to improve foal carcass quality, it is necessary in particular to improve the carcass dressing percentage and tissue composition. Thus, it is important to establish relationships between grading systems and these parameters. This research was conducted to study the effect of slaughter age (13 v. 26 months) and finishing feed (standard v. linseed feed) on carcass characteristics such as subcutaneous fat colour plus classification of foals for the degree of fatness and conformation. For this study, 46 foals of crossbred genotype (Galician Mountain×Burguete) were used. Finishing feed di...
Abundance and species composition of Culicoides spp. biting midges near cattle and horse in South-Eastern Poland. The aim of the study was to estimate and compare the distribution of Culicoides biting midges species at farms with different main hosts - cattle and horse. Culicoides spp. are known vectors of arboviruses including African horse sickness virus (AHSV), bluetongue virus (BTV) and Schmallenberg virus (SBV). The latter two have been already reported in Polish ruminants recently, while AHSV remains absent, however the risk of its emergence has been increasing in the recent years. In order to establish the activity of potential AHSV vector at vicinity of horses, an OVI midge trap has been placed at...
Transmission of henipaviruses. The genus Henipavirus has expanded rapidly in geographic range, number of species, and host range. Hendra and Nipah virus are two henipaviruses known to cause severe disease in humans with a high case-fatality rate. Pteropid spp. bats are the natural reservoir of Hendra and Nipah virus. From these bats, virus can be transmitted to an amplifying host, horses and pigs, and from these hosts to humans, or the virus can be transmitted directly to humans. Although the main route of shedding varies between host species, close contact is required for transmission in all hosts. Understanding the transm...
Contributions to the knowledge of hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in Colombia. The known tick fauna of Colombia includes 58 species (15 Argasidae and 43 Ixodidae). To add to the knowledge of the biology of ticks in Colombia, hard ticks (Ixodidae) were collected from domestic animals or vegetation during 2014-2016 in 10 of Colombia's Departments. Ticks were identified to species through morphological examinations. Taxonomic identification was confirmed for some specimens by molecular methods, including phylogenetic analyses inferred from three tick genes (cytochrome c oxidase, 16S rDNA, second internal transcribed spacer). A total of 1745 tick specimens encompassing 8 spe...
Domestic horses (Equus caballus) prefer to approach humans displaying a submissive body posture rather than a dominant body posture. Signals of dominance and submissiveness are central to conspecific communication in many species. For domestic animals, sensitivities to these signals in humans may also be beneficial. We presented domestic horses with a free choice between two unfamiliar humans, one adopting a submissive and the other a dominant body posture, with vocal and facial cues absent. Horses had previously been given food rewards by both human demonstrators, adopting neutral postures, to encourage approach behaviour. Across four counterbalanced test trials, horses showed a significant preference for approaching the s...
Acute and Chronic Exercise in Animal Models. Numerous animal cardiac exercise models using animal subjects have been established to uncover the cardiovascular physiological mechanism of exercise or to determine the effects of exercise on cardiovascular health and disease. In most cases, animal-based cardiovascular exercise modalities include treadmill running, swimming, and voluntary wheel running with a series of intensities, times, and durations. Those used animals include small rodents (e.g., mice and rats) and large animals (e.g., rabbits, dogs, goats, sheep, pigs, and horses). Depending on the research goal, each experimental protoc...
To pace or not to pace: a pilot study of four- and five-gaited Icelandic horses homozygous for the DMRT3 ‘Gait Keeper’ mutation. The Icelandic horse is a breed known mainly for its ability to perform the ambling four-beat gait 'tölt' and the lateral two-beat gait pace. The natural ability of the breed to perform these alternative gaits is highly desired by breeders. Therefore, the discovery that a nonsense mutation (C>A) in the DMRT3 gene was the main genetic factor for horses' ability to perform gaits in addition to walk, trot and canter was of great interest. Although several studies have demonstrated that homozygosity for the DMRT3 mutation is important for the ability to pace, only about 70% of the homozygous mutan...
Is shade for horses a comfort resource or a minimum requirement? Shade or shelter as protection from extremes of weather is required for horses at agricultural research and teaching facilities and is recommended or required by many states, professional organizations, and industry groups. The focus of this paper is the recent research on the responses of horses to hot, sunny weather, which has begun to provide scientific evidence that characterizes how and when shade is used and any benefits shade confers on horses. These behavioral and physiological findings support provision of shade as a resource for thermal comfort and the expression of normal behavior t...
Comparison of McMaster and Mini-FLOTAC fecal egg counting techniques in cattle and horses. The aim of this study was to compare two fecal egg count (FEC) techniques; McMaster (McM) and Mini-FLOTAC (mF), for the detection of cattle and horse gastrointestinal nematode eggs, in different locations. Experiment 1: feces were collected from 16 cattle and FEC was performed individually, using mF with the sensitivity of 5 eggs per gram of feces (EPG) and McM with a sensitivity of 50 EPG at Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária de Minas Gerais - EPAMIG and the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases of the University of Parana - LDP/UFPR. Experiment 2: Fecal samples from 30 horses were analyzed with mF...
Morphological integration in the appendicular skeleton of two domestic taxa: the horse and donkey. Organisms are organized into suites of anatomical structures that typically covary when developmentally or functionally related, and this morphological integration plays a determinant role in evolutionary processes. Artificial selection on domestic species causes strong morphological changes over short time spans, frequently resulting in a wide and exaggerated phenotypic diversity. This raises the question of whether integration constrains the morphological diversification of domestic species and how natural and artificial selection may impact integration patterns. Here, we study the morpholog...
Impact of supplementation of semen extender with antioxidants on the quality of chilled or cryopreserved Arabian stallion spermatozoa. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of supplementation of semen extender with various non-enzymatic antioxidants on the quality of cooled or cryopreserved Arabian stallion spermatozoa. Semen collected from four pure Arabian stallions was centrifuged at 600g for 15 min. Spermatozoa were then diluted in INRA-82 extender supplemented with bovine serum albumin (BSA; 0, 10, 15 and 20 mg/mL) or trehalose (0, 75, 100 and 150 mM) or zinc sulphate (0, 100, 150 and 200 μM). The diluted semen was then either cooled at 5 °C or cryopreserved in 0.5-ml plastic straws. After cooli...
