Topic:Animal Species
The topic "Animal Species and Horses" explores the interactions and relationships between horses and various other animal species. This includes understanding the ecological roles horses play within their environments, as well as their interactions with domestic and wild animals. Research in this area may cover aspects such as competition for resources, symbiotic relationships, and behavioral influences between horses and other species. Studies may also investigate the impact of horses on biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that examine these interspecies relationships, focusing on the ecological, behavioral, and environmental implications of horses interacting with other animals.
Predicted genetic burden and frequency of phenotype-associated variants in the horse. Disease-causing variants have been identified for less than 20% of suspected equine genetic diseases. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) allows rapid identification of rare disease causal variants. However, interpreting the clinical variant consequence is confounded by the number of predicted deleterious variants that healthy individuals carry (predicted genetic burden). Estimation of the predicted genetic burden and baseline frequencies of known deleterious or phenotype associated variants within and across the major horse breeds have not been performed. We used WGS of 605 horses across 48 breeds ...
Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of an essential oil derived from fresh leaves of Melaleuca cajuputi Maton & Sm. ex R. Powell and Melaleuca leucadendra (L.) L. (cajuput oil) for use in all animal species (FEFANA asbl). Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of cajuput oil obtained from fresh leaves of Maton & Sm. ex R. Powell and (L.) L., when used as a sensory additive for all animal species. The FEEDAP Panel concluded that cajuput oil is safe up to the maximum proposed use levels in complete feed of 30 mg/kg for sows and dogs, 50 mg/kg for horses and ornamental fish, 40 mg/kg for salmon and 5 mg/kg for cats. For the other species, the ...
Equine Models of Temporomandibular Joint Osteoarthritis: A Review of Feasibility, Biomarkers, and Molecular Signaling. Osteoarthritis (OA) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) occurs spontaneously in humans and various animal species, including horses. In humans, obtaining tissue samples is challenging and clinical symptoms appear late in the disease progression. Therefore, genetically modified, induced, and naturally occurring animal models play a crucial role in understanding the pathogenesis and evaluating potential therapeutic interventions for TMJ OA. Among the naturally occurring models, the equine TMJ OA model is characterized by slow, age-related progression, a wide range of clinical examinations, and ...
Equine dermatitis outbreak associated with parapoxvirus. Parapoxviruses (PPV) cause skin and mucous membrane lesions in several animal species, and of the five recognized PPVs, at least three are zoonotic. Equine PPV (EqPPV) is the sixth one initially described in humans in the United States and later in a severely sick horse in Finland in 2013-2015. In 2021-2022, a large-scale pustulo-vesicular pastern dermatitis outbreak occurred in horses all over Finland. This study aimed at analysing the outbreak, identifying and describing the causative agent, describing clinical signs, and searching for risk factors. EqPPV was identified as a probable causati...
Evaluation of a smartphone electrocardiograph in healthy foals and comparison to standard base-apex electrocardiography. Smartphone-based technology for ECG recording has recently spread as a complementary tool for electrocardiographic screening and monitoring in adult horses and in other animal species. The present study aimed to assess the feasibility and accuracy of a smartphone-based ECG in healthy foals. This was a prospective observational study (authorization n. 45,865/2016) including 22 foals aged less than 21 days. A reference standard base-apex ECG (rECG) was acquired, and a smartphone ECG (sECG) was recorded immediately after by using a smartphone-based single lead electrocardiograph. All ECG tracings...
Serological Evidence of Hepatitis E Virus Infection in Brazilian Equines. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection has been demonstrated in various animal species; those recognized as potential zoonotic reservoirs pose a considerable risk to public health. In Brazil, HEV-3 is the only genotype identified in humans and swine nationwide, in a colony-breeding cynomolgus monkey and, recently, in bovines and capybara. There is no information regarding HEV exposure in the equine population in Brazil. This study aimed to investigate anti-HEV antibodies and viral RNA in serum samples from horses slaughtered for meat export and those bred for sport/reproduction purposes. We used a ...
Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of an essential oil obtained from the fruit of Coriandrum sativum L. (coriander oil) (FEFANA asbl). Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of an essential oil obtained from the fruit of L. (coriander oil), when used as a sensory additive in feed for all animal species. The EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) concluded that the use of coriander oil is safe up to the maximum proposed use levels of 30 mg/kg complete feed for piglets, pigs for fattening, sows, veal calves (milk replacer), cattle for fattening, sheep, goats and horses, salmonids, dogs and ornamental ...
Safety and efficacy of feed additives consisting of essential oils from the fruit and stems of Foeniculum vulgare Mill. ssp. vulgare: Bitter fennel oil for use in all animal species and sweet fennel oil for use in dogs and cats (FEFANA asbl). Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of essential oils from fruit and stems of Mill. (bitter fennel oil and sweet fennel oil), when used as sensory additives (flavourings). For long-living and reproductive animals, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) considered of low concern the use of bitter fennel oil (with a content of estragole up to 6.1%) at the proposed use level in complete feed: 0.6 mg/kg for laying hens and rabbits, 1.0 mg/kg for sows and dairy cows, ...
Analytical Validation of Two Assays for Equine Ceruloplasmin Ferroxidase Activity Assessment. Ceruloplasmin (Cp) assessment in biological samples exploits the oxidase activity of this enzyme against several substrates, such as -phenylenediamine (-P), -dianisidine (-D) and, most recently, ammonium iron(II) sulfate (AIS). Once developed in humans, these assays are often used in veterinary medicine without appropriately optimizing in the animal species of interest. In this study, two assays using AIS and -D as substrates have been compared and validated for Cp oxidase activity assessment in horse's plasma. The optimization of the assays was performed mainly by varying the buffer pH as wel...
Distribution of equine and food animal emergency caseload by time of day, day of week, time of year, holiday, and phase of moon at an academic ambulatory and referral hospital. Determine the association of time of day, day of week, time of year, holiday, and phase of moon on academic ambulatory and hospital emergency caseload for equine and food animal species. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Large animal teaching hospital emergency service. Methods: Equine and food animals. Methods: None. Results: The hospital database was searched for after-hours on-farm and in-hospital emergencies seen from 2014 to 2020. Variables included date and time of admission, species (equine or food/fiber animal [FA]), and hospital service (field or in-hospital). The association of ...
Analysis of the Usage Context of an mHealth Application for Equestrians. One possibility to support veterinarians in times of a vet shortage is by providing animal owners with a technical decision support for deciding whether their animal needs to be seen by a vet. As the first step in the user-centered development of such an mHealth application for equestrians, an analysis of the context of use was done. Methods: The analysis was carried out by reviewing existing literature and conducting an online survey with 100 participants. Results: Characteristics of the user group and the usage context are presented using an adaptation of the four layers of diversity. Many e...
Fine-scale collective movements reveal present, past and future dynamics of a multilevel society in Przewalski’s horses. Studying animal societies needs detailed observation of many individuals, but technological advances offer new opportunities in this field. Here, we present a state-of-the-art drone observation of a multilevel herd of Przewalski's horses, consisting of harems (one-male, multifemale groups). We track, in high spatio-temporal resolution, the movements of 238 individually identified horses on drone videos, and combine movement analyses with demographic data from two decades of population monitoring. Analysis of collective movements reveals how the structure of the herd's social network is related...
Epidemiological survey and risk factors associated with Paslahepevirus balayani in equines in Europe. (HEV) is an important emerging zoonotic virus in Europe. Although domestic pigs and wild boar are the main reservoirs of this pathogen, susceptibility to this virus has been confirmed in a growing number of animal species, including equines. However, their role in the epidemiology of this virus remains poorly understood. Our aim was to assess HEV circulation and identify potential risk factors associated with exposure in equid species in different European countries. A total of 596 equines, including 496 horses, 63 donkeys and 37 mules/hinnies bred in four European countries (Spain, Italy, Un...
CKM intron: an appropriate marker for the determination of the genetic relationships among horse populations and breeds. To date, the origins, domestication, and genetic structure of Chinese Mongolian horses (CMH) are poorly understood. Furthermore, there have been sparse reports on the genetic differences between CMH and Thoroughbred. In order to determine their genetic structure, understand their genetic relationships, and explore their domestication processes, we performed an extensive survey of creatine kinase (muscle isoenzyme; variations among six populations of indigenous CMH, cultivated Sanhe horses, and imported Thoroughbred. Twenty-three single-nucleotide polymorphisms were found among the 343 horse s...
Genome-Wide Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism-Based Genomic Diversity and Runs of Homozygosity for Selection Signatures in Equine Breeds. The horse, one of the most domesticated animals, has been used for several purposes, like transportation, hunting, in sport, or for agriculture-related works. Kathiawari, Marwari, Manipuri, Zanskari, Bhutia, Spiti, and Thoroughbred are the main breeds of horses, particularly due to their agroclimatic adaptation and role in any kind of strong physical activity, and these characteristics are majorly governed by genetic factors. The genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship of these Indian equine breeds using microsatellite markers have been reported, but further studies exploring the SNP d...
Habitat use by semi-feral Konik horses on wetlands-three-year GPS study. Free-ranging grazers are increasingly being introduced to areas of high natural value, such as wetlands. There is also growing attention that has been paid to the historical role of herbivores in shaping ecosystems and landscapes. Even though studies on the grazing of free-range horses were carried out in different regions and climates, still little is known about their habitat selection on heterogeneous marshy areas in the temperate region of Europe. The aim of this study was to investigate the habitat use by contemporary Konik horses during the growing season on the basis of three-year GPS d...
The Characteristics, Distribution, Function, and Origin of Alternative Lateral Horse Gaits. This article traces the characteristics, origin, distribution, and function of alternative lateral horse gaits, i.e., intermediate speed lateral-sequence gaits. Such alternative lateral gaits (running walk, rack, broken pace, hard pace, and broken trot) are prized by equestrians today for their comfort and have been found in select horse breeds for hundreds of years and even exhibited in fossil equid trackways. After exploring the evolution and development of alternative lateral gaits via fossil equid trackways, human art, and historical writings, the functional and genetic factors that led to...
Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of an essential oil derived from the fruit of Illicium verum Hook.f. (star anise oil) for use in all animal species (FEFANA asbl). Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of star anise oil from the fruit (without or with the presence of plant leaves) of Illicium verum Hook.f., when used as a sensory additive in feed and water for drinking for all animal species. For long-living and reproductive animals, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) considered of low concern the use of the additive in complete feed at 0.6 mg/kg for laying hens and rabbits, 1.0 mg/kg for sows and dairy cows, 1.6 mg/kg f...
Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of an essential oil derived from Eucalyptus globulus Labill. (eucalyptus oil) for all animal species (FEFANA asbl). Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of an essential oil from the leaves and twigs of Eucalyptus globulus Labill. (eucalyptus oil) when used as a sensory additive in feed and water for drinking for all animal species. The FEEDAP Panel concluded that the use of eucalyptus oil is safe at the following concentrations in complete feed: 12 mg/kg for chickens for fattening, 18 mg/kg for laying hens, 16 mg/kg for turkeys for fattening, 22 mg/kg for piglets, 26 mg/kg for pigs for fattening, 32 mg/kg for ...
Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of an essential oil derived from the aerial parts of Cymbopogon flexuosus (Nees ex Steud.) Will. Watson (lemongrass oil) for use in all animal species (FEFANA asbl). Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of lemongrass oil obtained from the aerial parts of Cymbopogon flexuosus (Nees ex Steud.) Will. Watson when used as a sensory additive for all animal species. The FEEDAP Panel concluded that lemongrass oil is safe up to the maximum proposed use levels in complete feed of 125 mg/kg for salmonids; 100 mg/kg for sows and horses; 75 mg/kg for veal calves (milk replacer), cattle for fattening,...
Mitochondrial DNA sequencing of Kehilan and Hamdani horses from Saudi Arabia. The Arabian horse breed is well known for its purity and played a key role in the genetic improvement of other horses worldwide. The mitochondrial genome plays a vital role in maternal inheritance and it's helpful to evaluate its genetic diversity and conservation. It has higher mutation rates than nuclear DNA in vertebrates and therefore reveals phylogenetic relationships and haplotypes. In this study, the mitochondrial genome mutations in two Saudi horse strains, Kehilan and Hamdani demonstrated various changes in the gene and amino acid levels and included two other Saudi horses (Hadban and...
AgAnimalGenomes: browsers for viewing and manually annotating farm animal genomes. Current genome sequencing technologies have made it possible to generate highly contiguous genome assemblies for non-model animal species. Despite advances in genome assembly methods, there is still room for improvement in the delineation of specific gene features in the genomes. Here we present genome visualization and annotation tools to support seven livestock species (bovine, chicken, goat, horse, pig, sheep, and water buffalo), available in a new resource called AgAnimalGenomes. In addition to supporting the manual refinement of gene models, these browsers provide visualization tracks for...
Does social motivation mitigate fear caused by a sudden sound in horses? Living in a herd has multiple advantages for social species and is a primary survival strategy for prey. The presence of conspecifics, identified as a social buffer, may mitigate the individual stress response. Social isolation is, therefore, particularly stressful for horses, which are gregarious animals. However, they are not equally vulnerable to separation from the group. We tested whether more and less socially dependent horses and independent individuals would differ in their responses to novel and sudden sounds occurring in two contexts: non-social and social motivation. Twenty warmbloo...
Ancient DNA reveals an early adoption of horse culture by Native Americans. Native Americans of the Plains and Rocky Mountains are renowned for their horsemanship. Taylor et al. recently used ancient DNA and other bioarcheological approaches to document how horses dispersed throughout America and transformed Native American societies following their introduction by the Spanish in 1519, well before the arrival of European settlers.
Relationship Between Selenium, Copper, Zinc and Their Biomarkers in Blood and Skeletal Muscle Tissue in Adult Horses From Southern Chile. Microminerals are necessary for all bodily functions. In animal species, selenium (Se), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) all form part of antioxidant enzymes. Micromineral deficiencies, particularly Se, are well recognized in large animal species in Chile. Glutathion peroxidase (GPx) is a widely used biomarker for Se nutritional status and to diagnose Se deficiency in horses. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a Cu and Zn-dependant antioxidant enzyme, although it is not commonly used as a proxy for the nutritional status of these minerals. Ceruloplasmin (CP) is used as a biomarker of Cu nutritional status...
Two Novel Variants in MITF and PAX3 Associated With Splashed White Phenotypes in Horses. Mutations causing depigmentation are relatively common in Equus caballus (horse). Over 40 alleles in multiple genes are associated with increased white spotting (as of February 2023). The splashed white phenotype, a coat spotting pattern described as appearing like the horse has been splashed with white paint, was previously associated with variants in the PAX3 and MITF genes. Both genes encode transcription factors known to control melanocyte migration and pigmentation. We report two novel mutations, a stop-gain mutation in PAX3 (XM_005610643.3:c.927C>T, ECA6:11,196,181, EquCab3.0) and a m...
Fusion of visible and thermal images improves automated detection and classification of animals for drone surveys. Visible and thermal images acquired from drones (unoccupied aircraft systems) have substantially improved animal monitoring. Combining complementary information from both image types provides a powerful approach for automating detection and classification of multiple animal species to augment drone surveys. We compared eight image fusion methods using thermal and visible drone images combined with two supervised deep learning models, to evaluate the detection and classification of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), domestic cow (Bos taurus), and domestic horse (Equus caballus). We cla...
Molecular Detection of Animal Trypanosomes in Different Animal Species in the Visayas Region of the Philippines. Animal trypanosomosis is one of the most important parasitic diseases significantly affecting the Philippine economy. It is considered by the government to be the second most important disease of livestock after fasciolosis. A PCR-based molecular survey for trypanosomes in different animals in Bohol, Philippines, was performed to assess the prevalence of trypanosomosis in the area during the rainy and dry season. Methods: A total of 269 blood samples were collected in two batches in rainy and dry season from different animal species in Ubay Stock Farm in Ubay, Bohol, the Philippines, including...
Characteristic of Przewalski horses population from Askania-Nova reserve based on genetic markers. Przewalski horses are considered the last living population of wild horses, however, they are secondarily feral offspring of herds domesticated ~ 5000 years ago by the Botai culture. After Przewalski horses were almost extinct at the beginning of the twentieth century, their population is about 2500 individuals worldwide, with one of the largest breeding centers in Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve (Ukraine). The research aimed to establish the maternal variation of Przewalski horses population maintained in Askania-Nova Reserve based on mitochondrial DNA hypervariable 1 and hypervariable 2 r...
Ex vivo analysis of ultraviolet radiation transmission through ocular media and retina in select species. The aim of this study was to assess the transmission of the ultraviolet (UV) radiation (200-400 nm) through intact enucleated globes of different species (dogs, cats, pigs, rabbits, horses, and humans) using spectrophotometry. Globes of cats (n = 6), dogs (n = 18), pigs (n = 10), rabbits (n = 6), horses (n = 10), and humans (n = 4) were analyzed. A 5-10 mm circular area of sclera and choroid from the posterior aspect of the globe was removed under a surgical microscope, leaving the retina intact in all species except the horse. Glass coverslips were added in horses and rabbits du...