Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
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.
Assessment of genomic inbreeding in Polish Konik horses. The aim of this study was to assess the inbreeding coefficient of Polish Konik horses based on runs of homozygosity (ROH). Ninety six horses kept in 6 herds located across Poland were genotyped with the use of EquineSNP60 BeadChip (Illumina). SNP markers with a Minor Allele Frequency lower than 0.01 and SNPs assigned to chromosome X or Y were excluded from the study. A total of 50 708 SNPs were included for statistical analysis (SVS software, Golden Helix). The analysis showed that the population is in genetic equilibrium, with He and Ho estimates both equal to 0.3086. Seven categories of Runs...
The effects of Kinesio Taping on the trajectory of the forelimb and the muscle activity of the Musculus brachiocephalicus and the Musculus extensor carpi radialis in horses. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of Kinesio Taping on the trajectory of the forelimb and the muscle activity of the M. brachiocephalicus and the M. extensor carpi radialis in horses. 19 horses and ponies of different breeds (body weight: 496±117 kg), gender (8 mares, 10 geldings and 3 stallions) and ages (14.9±6.9 years old) were analysed without Kinesio Tape ("no tape"), with Kinesio Tape (muscle facilitation application on both muscles of both sides, "with tape") and immediately after Kinesio Taping ("post tape") through kinematic motion analysis and surface electromyogra...
Reproductive effects of arteriviruses: equine arteritis virus and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infections. Equine arteritis virus (EAV) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) are the most economically important members of the family Arteriviridae. EAV and PRRSV cause reproductive and respiratory disease in equids and swine, respectively and constitute a significant economic burden to equine and swine industries around the world. Furthermore, they both cause abortion in pregnant animals and establish persistent infection in their natural hosts, which fosters viral shedding in semen leading to sexual transmission. The primary focus of this article is to provide an update on t...
A conditioned reinforcer did not help to maintain an operant conditioning in the absence of a primary reinforcer in horses. The use of conditioned reinforcers is increasingly promoted in animal training. Surprisingly, the efficiency of their use remains to be demonstrated in horses. This study aimed to determine whether an auditory signal which had previously been associated with a food reward 288 times could be used as a conditioned reinforcer to replace the primary reinforcer in an unrelated operant conditioning procedure. Fourteen horses were divided into two groups of 7: No Reinforcement (NR) and Conditioned Reinforcement (CR). All horses underwent nine sessions of Pavlovian conditioning during which the word "...
Identification and expression analysis of cDNA encoding insulin-like growth factor 2 in horses. Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) is responsible for a broad range of physiological processes during fetal development and adulthood, but genomic analyses of IGF2 containing the 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions (UTRs) in equines have been limited. In this study, we characterized the IGF2 mRNA containing the UTRs, and determined its expression pattern in the fetal tissues of horses. The complete equine IGF2 mRNA sequence harboring another exon approximately 2.8 kb upstream from the canonical transcription start site was identified as a new transcript variant. As this upstream exon did not cont...
A missense variant in the coil1A domain of the keratin 25 gene is associated with the dominant curly hair coat trait (Crd) in horse. Curly horses present a variety of curl phenotypes that are associated with various degrees of curliness of coat, mane, tail and ear hairs. Their origin is still a matter of debate and several genetic hypotheses have been formulated to explain the diversity in phenotype, including the combination of autosomal dominant and recessive alleles. Our purpose was to map the autosomal dominant curly hair locus and identify the causal variant using genome-wide association study (GWAS) and whole-genome sequencing approaches. Results: A GWAS was performed using a Bayesian sparse linear mixed model, based ...
Occlusal Angles of Equine Incisors. The angulation of equine incisors is frequently used as a parameter for dental corrections. However, the term incisor angle is only vaguely defined, and no studies exist presenting a series of reliable measurements in individual incisors of multiple horses. The aim of this study was to establish an exact method to determine incisor angles and to test whether clinically accessible landmarks (facial crest and bars) are suitable to estimate incisor angles. Eighteen horses were used to create 3-dimensional (3D) reconstructions of the skulls from computed tomography (CT) data sets. Reference planes...
The biomechanical construction of the horse’s body and activity patterns of three important muscles of the trunk in the walk, trot and canter. The activity patterns of trunk muscles are commonly neglected, in spite of their importance for maintaining body shape. Analysis of the biomechanics of the trunk under static conditions has led to predictions of the activity patterns. These hypotheses are tested experimentally by surface electromyography (EMG). Five horses, with and without a rider, were examined in the walk, trot and canter. Footfall was synchronised with EMG by an accelerometer. Averages of ten consecutive cycles were calculated and compared by statistical methods. The start and stop times of the muscle activities of 5-10 un...
Evaluating the impact of domestication and captivity on the horse gut microbiome. The mammal gut microbiome, which includes host microbes and their respective genes, is now recognized as an essential second genome that provides critical functions to the host. In humans, studies have revealed that lifestyle strongly influences the composition and diversity of the gastrointestinal microbiome. We hypothesized that these trends in humans may be paralleled in mammals subjected to anthropogenic forces such as domestication and captivity, in which diets and natural life histories are often greatly modified. We investigated fecal microbiomes of Przewalski's horse (PH; Equus ferus p...
The Relationship between Intuitive Action Choices and Moral Reasoning on Animal Ethics Issues in Students of Veterinary Medicine and Other Relevant Professions. With growing understanding of animals' capabilities, and public and organizational pressures to improve animal welfare, moral action by veterinarians and other relevant professionals to address animal issues is increasingly important. Little is known about how their action choices relate to their moral reasoning on animal ethics issues. A moral judgment measure, the VetDIT, with three animal and three non-animal scenarios, was used to investigate the action choices of 619 students in five animal- and two non-animal-related professional programs in one Australian university, and how these relat...
Spatio-temporal analysis and visualisation of the anthrax epidemic situation in livestock in Kazakhstan over the period 1933-2016. An analysis of the anthrax epidemic situation among livestock animals in the Republic of Kazakhstan over the period 1933-2016 is presented. During this time, 4,064 anthrax outbreaks (mainly in cattle, small ruminants, pigs and horses) were recorded. They fall into five historical periods of increase and decrease in the annual anthrax incidence (1933-1953; 1954-1968; 1969-1983; 1984- 2001; and 2002-2016), which has been associated with changes in economic activity and veterinary surveillance. To evaluate the temporal trends of incidence variation for each of these time periods, the following me...
Surveillance and diagnosis of zoonotic foodborne parasites. Foodborne parasites are a source of human parasitic infection. Zoonotic infections of humans arise from a variety of domestic and wild animals, including sheep, goats, cattle, camels, horses, pigs, boars, bears, felines, canids, amphibians, reptiles, poultry, and aquatic animals such as fishes and shrimp. Therefore, the implementation of efficient, accessible, and controllable inspection policies for livestock, fisheries, slaughterhouses, and meat processing and packaging companies is highly recommended. In addition, more attention should be paid to the education of auditors from the quality c...
Seasonal changes in the sperm fatty acid composition of Shetland pony stallions. Spermatozoa contain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Cryopreservation damages sperm membranes and they become less functional after thawing. We analysed the lipid composition of spermatozoa from Shetland stallions (n = 15) collected monthly from January to June and hypothesized that sperm lipid patterns change with season. In addition, one ejaculate per month was submitted to cryopreservation. Content of saturated palmytic and stearic acid decreased from January to March (p < 0.001) while content of the PUFA docosapentaenoic (p < 0.001) and arachidonic acid (p < 0.05) and total PUFA...
Spontaneous attention-capture by auditory distractors as predictor of distractibility: a study of domestic horses (Equus caballus). Distractibility (i.e. individual distraction from his ongoing activity) is thoughts to affect daily life. The present study develops an easy way to assess inter-individual variations of distractibility of an animal model, the domestic horse. We developed the 'distractibility test' (DT), based on auditory stimuli, a major source of distraction in daily life. We hypothesized that the broadcast of unusual sounds would provide a reliable source of distraction and that the responses to these unusual sounds would yield a good estimation of a horse's level of distractibility. Validity of the DT was a...
Hair coat properties of donkeys, mules and horses in a temperate climate. There are clear differences between donkeys and horses in their evolutionary history, physiology, behaviour and husbandry needs. Donkeys are often kept in climates that they are not adapted to and as such may suffer impaired welfare unless protection from the elements is provided. Objective: To compare some of the hair coat properties of donkeys, mules and horses living outside, throughout the year, in the temperate climate of the UK. Methods: Longitudinal study. Methods: Hair samples were taken from 42 animals: 18 donkeys (4 females, 14 males), 16 horses (6 females, 10 males) and eight mules ...
Periocular Neoplasia in the Horse. Periocular neoplasia is common in horses. Treatment of the periocular skin and ocular adnexal structures can be technically challenging. Common neoplastic conditions, a treatment algorithm, surgical principles, and therapeutic modalities are reviewed. Regardless of the type of neoplasia found or the treatment that is applied, success is most likely when the neoplastic tumor is small.
The Equine Fundus. Fundus is an anatomic term referring to the portion of an organ opposite from its opening, and the fundus of the eye is the back portion of the posterior segment of the globe, including the optic nerve, retina, and choroid. Clinically, the fundus can be visualized by direct or indirect ophthalmoscopy. Understanding the normal anatomy and appearance of the equine fundus is crucial for differentiating normal variations from abnormalities. This article reviews the normal anatomy and appearance of the equine fundus and discusses basic and advanced examination techniques. It also discusses common f...
High intensity, short duration pulling in heavy horses: physiological effects of competition and rapid weight change. The Heavy Horse Pull is a competition where teams of two horses pull an increasingly heavy sled for a short distance. Similar to human wrestlers, some horses may undergo rapid weight change in order to enter a lower weight category. The objectives were to study the physiological effects of this practice as well as of the pulling competition in draft horses. Results: Fifty horses were divided into light-, middle- and heavyweight categories based on their arrival weights and competed 1-3 days after. Body weight was measured upon arrival and pre-competition. Blood was sampled for chemistry and h...
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...
