Topic:Body Mass
Body mass in horses refers to the total weight of an individual horse, which is an important parameter in equine health and management. It influences various aspects of a horse's physiology, including metabolism, locomotion, and overall health status. Accurate assessment of body mass is essential for determining appropriate feeding regimens, medication dosages, and for evaluating growth and development in young horses. Body mass can be measured directly using scales or estimated using body condition scoring systems and weight tapes. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methods for assessing body mass, its impact on equine health and performance, and its role in the management of different horse breeds and disciplines.
Arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions in conscious laterally recumbent ponies. Six adult ponies were trained calmly to assume and maintain left lateral recumbency without the use of sedative or immobilising agents. During a 30 min recumbent period, pHa, arterial oxygen and carbon dioxide tensions (PaO2 and PaCO2) and heart and respiratory rates were monitored at regular intervals to evaluate ventilatory response. Overall, there were no statistically significant differences found between mean control and recumbent or final standing values. When lightweight ponies were compared to heavyweight ponies, only mean PaO2 at 10 mins recumbency was different. This information supp...
A report on the consumption, composition and nutritional adequacy of a mixture of lush green perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) fed ad libitum to Thoroughbred mares. Non-pregnant Thoroughbred mares were stabled and subjected to 2 trials, each 24 h in duration, to establish their total consumption of a mixture of freshly cut, lush green perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) in approximately equal proportions; and to compare the total intake of crude protein, calcium, phosphorus and mass of the grass mixture on a dry matter basis with their daily nutritional requirements. The body mass of each mare was calculated at the commencement of each trial. In the first trial 2 lactating mares with foals at foot, 65 days and 8 days of ...
Mortality rates and associated factors in equine colic operations – a retrospective study of 341 operations. A retrospective survey of 300 surgical treatments for colic involving 341 interventions was carried out to determine mortality rates and associated factors. These horses had been referred to the Ontario Veterinary College over the period September 1974 to February 1980. Data from the case records was collected and stored on a computer and statistical analysis was carried out using X(2) tests.Fifty percent (150/300) of the horses survived to be discharged from the hospital. Fifty-two horses were euthanized during the operation and another ten horses should have been; if these cases are excluded...
Bone strength in small mammals and bipedal birds: do safety factors change with body size? Measurements of the cross-sectional geometry and length of bones from animals of different sizes suggest that peak locomotory stresses might be as much as nine times greater in the limb bones of a 300 kg horse than those of a 0.10 kg chipmunk. To determine if the bones of larger animals are stronger than those of small animals, the bending strength of whole bone specimens from the limbs of small mammals and bipedal birds was measured and compared with published data for large mammalian cortical bone (horses and bovids). No significant difference (P greater than 0.2) was found in the failure st...
Ivermectin as an antiparasitic agent in horses. Ivermectin, described as 22,23-dihydroavermectin B1, was the compound chosen from the avermectin group of compounds for development as an antiparasitic agent in horses. A review of the literature indicates that parenteral administration in horses at 200 microgram/kg body mass is highly effective against the strongyles Strongylus vulgaris, Strongylus edentatus and triodontophorus spp., and adult and immature cyathostomes, including strains resistant to benzimidazole anthelmintics. Other nematodes controlled in horses include Oxyuris equi, Parascaris equorum, Trichostrongylus axei, and Habronema...
Energetics and mechanics of terrestrial locomotion. II. Kinetic energy changes of the limbs and body as a function of speed and body size in birds and mammals. This is the second paper in a series examining the link between energetics and mechanics of terrestrial locomotion. In this paper, the changes in the kinetic energy of the limbs and body relative to the centre of mass of an animal (EKE, tot) are measured as functions of speed and body size. High-speed films (light or X-ray) of four species of quadrupeds and four species of bipeds running on a treadmill were analysed to determine EKE, tot. A mass-specific power term, EKE, tot/Mb was calculated by adding all of the increments in EKE during an integral number of strides and dividing by the time i...
Blood volume and rate of growth in Standardbred foals. Blood volume and parameters of body size were studied in 45 Standardbred foals during their first 400 days of life. Bodily dimensions, including body weight (bwt), depth of chest, girth and length (distance from point of shoulder to caudal aspect of croup), increased curvilinearly with age. There was a much faster growth rate noted for the first 100 days of life. Bwt could be predicted from girth and length much more precisely than from age alone. The total blood volume increased proportionately with age and, consequently, the plasma and red cell volumes as functions of bwt were high at birth ...
Anthelmintic efficacy fenbendazole paste in equines. A single oral dose of fenbendazole (FBZ) paste at 7,5 mg/kg body mass was given to 5 horses. It was highly effective against adults of the following genera: Cyathostomum, Cylicostephanus, Cylicondontophorus, Poteriostomum, Cylicocyclus, Triodontophorus, Oesophagodontus (and other genera belonging to the subfamily Cyathostominae). Similarly, high efficacy was obtained against the adults of the following species: Oxyuris equi, Strongylus vulgaris, Strongylus equinus and Probstmayria vivipara. These results were confirmed in 12 horses and in addition FBZ at 7,5 mg/kg was highly effective against ...
Anthelmintic efficiency of fenbendazole in equines. A single oral dose of fenbendazole (FBZ) at 10mg/kg body mass was given to 5 donkeys. A further 5 donkeys were dosed with a medicated lick (1 mg FBZ/g lick) until the oral consumption was 10mg/kg body mass. In both trials FBZ was highly effective against adults of the following genera: Cyathostomum, Cylicocyelus, Cylicostephanus, Cylicodontophorus, Poteriostomum, Cabellonema, Craterostomum and Triodontophorus; similarly high efficiency was obtained against the following species: Habronema majus, Habronema musca, Strongylus vulgaris and Oxyuris equi and worms identified as belonging to the subf...
Absorption, excretion and tissue distribution of stable zinc and 65zinc in ponies. Absorption excretion and tissue distribution of stable Zn and 65Zn in mature ponies were studied in three experiments. In the first experiment, the metabolism of stable, dietary Zn and intravenously administered 65Zn was studied in three ponies in a 3 X 3 Latin square design. The ponies were fed a corn and beet pulp diet containing 35 mg Zn/kg or the same diet with 250 or 520 mg of supplemental Zn as ZnO. The ponies absorbed and retained more stable Zn when fed 250 mg of supplemental Zn that when fed the basal diet alone or the basal diet plus 520 mg of supplemental Zn. The ponies retained mor...
[The effect of inbreeding on the manifestations of some physiological traits in the Kladrub Black Horse strain]. Inbreeding was used in the regeneration process in the breeding of the Kladrub Black Horse. Inbreeding rate is realized in practice, as related to the manifestation of the selected characteristics of this unique horse population. The evaluation of the effect of inbreeding on conception rate and fertility did not demonstrate any differences between the group of inbred mares and non-inbred mares. The study was conducted in mares used for breeding for 10 years. The results provide evidence that inbreeding causes no depression in this characteristics in the Kladrub Black Horse which would otherwis...
The anthelmintic activity and toxicity of 2,2-dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate (dichlorvos) in equines. Dichlorvos in a special slow release formulation at 31 mg/kg body mass in equines was highly effective against all adult strongyles and Oxyuris equi, Parascaris equorum, Probstmayria vivipara and bots of Gasterophilus spp. It has no effect on 4th stage larvae of Trichonema ssp. nor the stomach worms Draschia megastoma and Habronema spp. Doses of dichlorovos 10 and 20 times the therapeutic dose (310 and 620 mg/kg body mass) caused transient clinical signs but these disappeared 96 hours after dosing.
[Estimation of milk production in the nursing mare by labeling the body water of the foal]. Female milk production was related to offspring water turnover, estimated by a tracer method (fig. 1). After deuterium oxide was injected into the blood of the offspring, we measured the decrease of its concentration in time. Milk intake was calculated by equations taking into account the weight gain of the offspring. The reliability of this method was checked in 28 bottle-fed lambs with known milk intake; the correlation between the actual intakes and our estimates was 0.98 with an error means of 5.6 p. 100. The error on the mean of 28 lambs was 0.5 p. 100 (table 1). The milk production of 6 ...
The growth of the transverse sectional area (TSA) of M. semitendinosus in the dog and horse and its relation to athletic ability in the two species. The acceleration capacity of an animal determines its length of stride and hence influences its maximum running speed (GuNN, 1975 a). This is related to the potential force of its propulsive muscles relative to its live-weight. Intensive selection over the generations has produced the Greyhound and Thoroughbred horse, breeds renowned for their ability to run at greater speeds than other members of their species (CLARKE, 1965; WENTWORTH, 1957). This study describes the relationship of TSA of m. semitendinosus (represen-tative of the propulsive muscles of the hindlimb (GUNN, 1975 b) to live-weig...
Anthelmintic efficiency of fenbendazole in equines. A single oral dose of fenbendazole (FBZ) at 10 mg/kg body mass was given to 5 donkeys. A further 5 donkeys were dosed with a medicated lick (1 mg FBZ/g lick) until the oral consumption was 10 mg/kg body mass. In both trials FBZ was highly effective against adults of the following genera: Cyathostomum, Cylicocyclus, Cylicostephanus, Cylicodontophorus, Poteriostomum, Cabellonema, Craterostomum and Triodontophorus; similarly high efficiency was obtained against the following species: Habronema majus, Habronema musca, Strongylus vulgaris and Oxyuris equi and worms identified as belonging to the su...
Radiographic evidence of impaired pulmonary function in laterally recumbent anaesthetised horses. Studies in conscious and anaesthetised ponies demonstrated that starvation, anaesthesia and changes in body position influence the radiographic appearance of the lungs in the lateral and dorsoventral views. Radiographic appearances could not be closely correlated with blood gas values, but they suggested that the volume of the lowermost lung of the laterally recumbent animal is greatly reduced.
Body composition of the horse. Seventeen horses were dissected and their organs and tissues weighed. The results of these dissections are presented together with comparisons of the data with that already available in the literature. Predictive equations for organs and tissue weights are also given which were derived by comparison of linear and allometric regression models using 4 different body weight indices.
The mean fibre area of the semitendinosus, diaphragm and pectoralis transversus muscles in differing types of horse and dog. The mean fibre areas of samples from m. semitendinosus, m. diaphragma and m. pectoralis transversus of thoroughbred horses and greyhounds have been compared with those in similar samples from other members of their species. Athletes (greyhounds and thoroughbreds) have larger fibres in the semitendinosus and diaphragm than their fellows. However, the mean area of pectoralis transversus is similar in the two types of animal within each species. During growth the mean fibre areas increase to a greater extent in athletes than in non-athletes. Detraining adult greyhounds for a period of one year di...
Studies on the livestock of southern Darfur, Sudan VI. Notes on equines. Equines have been largely ignored in modern scientific literature on domestic animals, probably because they are not providers of meat and milk. Their contribution to the economy in the Sudan, however, is considerable and they are the principal means of transport both as baggage and as riding animals. They also play an important role in the supply of fuel and the distribution of domestic water in the larger villages and towns. Information on population structure is provided and descriptions, with particular reference to withers height and weight, are given of two types of donkey and of the hor...
Plasma volume and extracellular fluid volume in horses at rest and following exercise. Plasma volume and extracellular fluid volume were determined in horses at rest and immediately after a standardized exercise test. Exercising during training demonstrated no detectable effect on plasma or extracellular fluid volume determinations when compared with resting values. An explanation of this finding and an argument for the proper analysis of plasma and extravascular fluid volumes are presented.