Topic:Climate
The topic of climate and horses explores the interactions between environmental conditions and equine health, behavior, and performance. Climate factors, including temperature, humidity, and precipitation, can influence various aspects of horse physiology and management. Research in this area investigates how different climate conditions affect horses' thermoregulation, hydration, and susceptibility to heat stress or cold-related issues. Additionally, studies examine the impact of climate on pasture quality, availability of feed resources, and the prevalence of climate-sensitive diseases. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that analyze the effects of climate on horses, focusing on adaptation strategies, welfare considerations, and implications for equine management practices.
Genetic and phenotypic insights into thermal load and racing performance of Quarter Horses. Thermal load is a major welfare and performance concern for athletic horses, as physical exertion increases internal heat production. Although several phenotypic strategies have been developed to mitigate its effects, the genetic basis of thermal tolerance in horses remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to (1) evaluate the influence of thermal indices on the racing performance of Brazilian Quarter Horses, and (2) investigate the genetic basis of thermal tolerance through the estimation of genetic parameters across temperature gradients. We analyzed 21,857 racing-time (RT) records from 5...
True Prevalence and Seroprevalence of Piroplasmosis in Horses in Southwestern Europe. Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is an endemic parasitic disease in southern European countries, such as Spain. Andalusia, the most southwestern region of Europe, is the community with the highest number of registered horses and farms in Spain and one of the main international exporters of Andalusian (Spanish Purebred) horses worldwide. Considering the current expansion of this disease and the possible effect of climate change on its prevalence, studying the EP prevalence in this region is compelling. Molecular (PCR) and serological methods (cELISA and IFAT) were used to study the true and apparent p...
Targeting the Risk of Diptera-Borne Zoonoses by a Sentinel Equestrian Centers Program. Diptera-borne diseases pose a major threat to global health, and their distribution is constantly changing due to climate change, globalization, and environmental changes. To improve the knowledge of dipteran species and their distribution in equine facilities, CDC-UV and oviposition traps were placed, and the dipping technique was performed in 16 equestrian centers of Northwest (NW) Spain (Galicia and Castilla y León Autonomous Communities) between July and November 2023. A questionnaire was distributed among the horse owners to obtain additional information. Four genera of culicids, (51.8%...
Global prevalence and risk factors of equine infectious anemia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a lentiviral disease affecting members of the Equidae family, with global distribution and significant implications for animal health and biosecurity. Despite numerous individual reports, a comprehensive synthesis of its global prevalence and risk factors remains lacking. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the global prevalence of EIA, identify diagnostic trends, and evaluate factors associated with heterogeneity across studies. Unassigned: A systematic search was conducted in six major databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web ...
Sustainability insights from Late Pleistocene climate change and horse migration patterns. Climate affects habitat, food availability, and the movement and sustainability of all life. In this work, we apply Indigenous and Western scientific methods, including genomics and isotope profiling, on fossils from across Beringia to explore the effect of climate change on horses. We find that Late Pleistocene horses from Alaska and northern Yukon are related to populations from Eurasia and crossed the Bering land bridge multiple times during the last glacial interval. We also find deeply divergent lineages north and south of the American ice sheets that genetically influenced populations ac...
Modeling climate change effects on some biochemical parameters in horse. Changes in the global climate pose a severe threat to human and animal welfare and productivity. Total proteins (TP), globulins (GLOB), albumins (ALB), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and creatinine (CREA) were evaluated during a three-year monitoring period (2021-23) on 16 Thoroughbred retired mares from the regional Golkoy Breeding Farm in Kastamonu- Turkey. The following thermal and hygrometric parameters were gathered: ambient temperature (AT), relative...
West Nile Virus: An Update Focusing on Southern Europe. West Nile Virus (WNV) is a zoonotic, vector-borne pathogen affecting humans and animals, particularly in Europe. The virus is primarily transmitted through mosquitoes that infect birds, which serve as the main reservoirs. Humans and horses are incidental hosts. This review focuses on the epidemiology of WNV in southern Europe, particularly its increasing prevalence. Methods included an extensive literature review and analysis of recent outbreaks. WNV is largely asymptomatic in humans, but a small percentage can develop West Nile neuroinvasive disease (WNND), leading to severe neurological symp...
Climate change impact on blood haemogram in the horse: a three-year preliminary study. The global climatic changes pose a substantial threat to the well-being and productivity of both humans and animals. Unassigned: This study examined the impact of climate changes during different seasons over a 3-year monitoring period (2021-2023) on various blood parameters including, white blood cells (WBC), neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes, hematocrit (HCT), hemoglobin (HGB), red blood cells (RBC), platelets (PLT), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH). The study focused on 25 Tho...
Seasonal dynamics of gastrointestinal helminths in naturally infected horses in Brazil. Helminthiasis in horse breeding stands out due to the damage caused by this infection, which is mainly controlled by anthelmintic drugs. Knowing the population dynamics of helminths in a given region is therefore essential, as environmental conditions have a major impact on the development of these parasites in pastures. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of seasonality on helminths. It was carried out between October and September of the years 2015/2016, 2018/2019 and 2021/2022. A total of 147 animals were used, 64 females and 83 males, all from the same herd. Fecal samples wer...
Biochar captures ammonium and nitrate in easily extractable and strongly retained form without stimulating greenhouse gas emissions during composting. During composting of organic waste, nitrogen is lost through gaseous forms and ion leaching. Biochar has been shown to capture mineral nitrogen (N: NH and NO ) from compost, which we hypothesize reduces NO formation. However, associating N captured by biochar with the dynamics of NO and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during composting remains unstudied and was the aim of this work. We composted (outdoor for 148 days) together kitchen scraps (43.3% dw, where dw is dry weight), horse manure (40.9% dw), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L) straw (15.8% dw) without (Control) or with biochar (Bc,...
Modelling the Influence of Climate and Vector Control Interventions on Arbovirus Transmission. Most mathematical models that assess the vectorial capacity of disease-transmitting insects typically focus on the influence of climatic factors to predict variations across different times and locations, or examine the impact of vector control interventions to forecast their potential effectiveness. We combine features of existing models to develop a novel model for vectorial capacity that considers both climate and vector control. This model considers how vector control tools affect vectors at each stage of their feeding cycle, and incorporates host availability and preference. Applying this...
Influence of climatic changes on respiratory health in a teaching herd of outdoor-housed horses. Horses maintained outdoors may experience a lower-allergenic environment compared to their stabled counterparts. This study hypothesizes that climatic changes in southern Brazil can influence respiratory status. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the lower airways of 17 horses from a teaching herd in southern Brazil, maintained outdoors, during winter, spring, and summer. Except for one mare with a history of severe asthma, all horses were considered healthy and underwent a physical examination. Airway endoscopic evaluation included scoring for tracheal mucus (0-5) and bronchial septum thic...
Spatiotemporal analysis of equine infectious anemia and prediction of risk areas in Europe. Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) is a vector-borne persistent viral infection in equine animals. The EIA is characterized by recurrent fever, thrombocytopenia, depression, anemia, rapid weight loss, and lower body edema. Control of EIA is achieved through the elimination or isolation of infected animals, resulting in significant economic losses. In recent years, many countries in Europe have experienced outbreaks of EIA, which could potentially develop into a new wave of epidemic and pose a significant threat to the healthy development of the equine industry. This study utilized spatiotemporal a...
Selection signatures for high altitude adaptation in livestock: A review. High altitude adapted livestock species (cattle, yak, goat, sheep, and horse) has critical role in the human socioeconomic sphere and acts as good source of animal source products including milk, meat, and leather, among other things. These species sustain production and reproduction even in harsh environments on account of adaptation resulting from continued evolution of beneficial traits. Selection pressure leads to various adaptive strategies in livestock whose footprints are evident at the different genomic sites as the "Selection Signature". Scrutiny of these signatures provides us crucia...
Pro-Environmental Transformation of the Equine Sector-Facilitators and Challenges. To improve horse welfare and ensure a sustainable equestrian future, we need to understand human behavior in relation to the challenges of the sector. The purpose of this paper is to map and analyze how individuals within the equine sector in Sweden and Norway define the environmental challenges they are faced with and how these are related to questions about horse welfare. A mixed-methods parallel design was used. The data consist of survey answers and semi-structured interviews. The survey, responded to by 697 Swedish and Norwegian participants, ensured statistical validity and power through...
Noncontact infrared thermometer measurements offer a reasonable alternative to rectal temperature measurement in afebrile horses. To assess the repeatability of infrared thermometer temperature readings and evaluate the correlation between digital rectal temperature and infrared thermometer temperatures taken at different locations in healthy afebrile horses. Methods: 101 afebrile horses ≥ 1 year old. Methods: Digital rectal temperatures and infrared temperatures from the eye, gingiva, neck, axilla, and perineum were obtained in a climate-controlled environment and at 2 outdoor ambient temperatures (study period, November 1, 2021, to April 30, 2023). Results: Infrared temperature measurements were well tolerated by hor...
Vesicular Stomatitis Virus. Vesicular stomatitis (VS) is a vector-borne livestock disease caused by either VS New Jersey virus or VS Indiana virus. The disease circulates endemically in northern South America, Central America, and Mexico and only occasionally causes outbreaks in the United States. During the past 20 years, VS outbreaks in the southwestern and Rocky Mountain regions occurred periodically with incursion years followed by virus overwintering and subsequent expansion outbreak years. Regulatory response by animal health officials prevents spread from lesioned animals and manages trade impacts. Recent US outb...
Modeling Climate Change Effects on Genetic Diversity of an Endangered Horse Breed Using Canonical Correlations. The historical increase in the occurrence of extreme weather events in Spain during the last thirty years makes it a perfect location for the evaluation of climate change. Modeling the effects of climate change on domestic animals' genetic diversity may help to anticipate challenging situations. However, animal populations' short life cycle and patent lack of historical information during extended periods of time drastically compromise the evaluation of climate change effects. Locally adapted breeds' gene pool is the base for their improved resilience and plasticity in response to climate chan...
Bacterial diversity in semen from stallions in three European countries evaluated by 16S sequencing. The microbiome plays a significant role in shaping the health and functioning of the systems it inhabits. The seminal microbiome of stallions has implications for the health of the reproductive tract, sperm quality during preservation and antibiotic use in semen extenders. Diverse bacteria are present on the external genital tract and a mix of commensal microorganisms populates various parts of the reproductive tract, influencing the seminal bacterial content. Other sources of bacteria include the environment, semen collection equipment, and personnel. The bacterial load can adversely affect s...
Genome-wide search reveals the uniqueness of DNA regions associated with coat color and innate immunity in Hokkaido Native Horse. Hokkaido Native Horse (HKD) is a horse breed native to Hokkaido in Japan known for the traits such as coat color with no white spots and adaptability to the local cold climate. To examine whether those traits of HKD are conferred at the DNA level, we attempted to identify fixed DNA regions in HKD individuals, that is, the selection signatures of HKD. A comparison of genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism genotypes in 58 HKD individuals by principal component analysis, and cluster analysis between breeds, including HKD, and within the HKD individuals indicated the genetic independence of HK...
Severely Asthmatic Horses Residing in a Mediterranean Climate Shed a Significantly Lower Number of Parasite Eggs Compared to Healthy Farm Mates. The relationship between helminth infection and allergic diseases has long intrigued the scientific community. This interaction was previously studied in a horse family with high incidence of severe equine asthma and in non-related severely asthmatic horses from equine hospital referrals in Switzerland. Our aim was to determine if this interaction would also be observed in a group of non-related client-owned severely asthmatic horses living in a Mediterranean climate and recruited through a first-opinion veterinarian group. Fecal samples from severe equine asthma-affected and healthy horses li...
Is leishmaniasis the new emerging zoonosis in the world? Leishmania is a genus of parasitic protozoa that causes a disease called leishmaniasis. Leishmaniasis is transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female sandflies. There are several different species of Leishmania that can cause various forms of the disease, and the symptoms can range from mild to severe, depending on species of Leishmania involved and the immune response of the host. Leishmania parasites have a variety of reservoirs, including humans, domestic animals, horses, rodents, wild animals, birds, and reptiles. Leishmaniasis is endemic of 90 countries, mainly in South Amer...
Dietary Transitions Toward Sustainable Horse Feeding. Sustainability is the balancing act of optimizing the use of current resources without compromising the current or future environment. Within the agriculture sector the primary focus of sustainability has been to reduce environmental pollution, specifically greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions, nitrogen emissions, and leaching. For the equine industry the first step towards sustainability is the documentation and critique of current feeding and management practices to permit modifications to enable the industry meet social and legislative obligations. As a monogastric hindgut fermenter on a per k...
Long-term serological surveillance for West Nile and Usutu virus in horses in south-West Spain. West Nile virus (WNV) is a re-emerging zoonotic pathogen with increasing incidence in Europe, producing a recent outbreak in 2020 in Spain with 77 human cases and eight fatalities. However, the factors explaining the observed changes in the incidence of WNV in Europe are not completely understood. Longitudinal monitoring of WNV in wild animals across Europe is a useful approach to understand the eco-epidemiology of WNV in the wild and the risk of spillover into humans. However, such studies are very scarce up to now. Here, we analysed the occurrence of WNV and Usutu virus (USUV) antibodies in ...
West Nile virus: The current situation in Egypt. Due to climatic changes, arthropod-borne viruses have become a global health concern. In Egypt, West Nile virus (WNV) was initially detected in humans in 1950 and then in 1951, 1954, 1968, and 1989. Although WNV infection has been recorded in numerous Middle Eastern countries, its prevalence among the equine population in Egypt is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the current situation of vector-borne WNV in Egypt, estimate its seroprevalence, and assess the associated risk factors. Unassigned: We screened 1100 sera samples and nasal swabs from the same equids, 156 mosquito pools, and 3...
Evaluation of thermoregulation of horses (Equus caballus) submitted to two methods of post-exercise cooling, in hot and humid climate conditions, in the Eastern Amazon. In Brazil, the study on equine thermoregulation has not shown considerable advances, moreover, in the Amazon, this is a little explored aspect. This study aims to evaluate the thermoregulation of horses submitted to two methods of post-exercise cooling, in the climatic conditions of the Eastern Amazon. The experiment was conducted at Centro Hipico, Ananindeua, Para, for 15 days. Ten male horses, castrated of the Brazilian breed, aged 13 years and with an average weight of 482.3 kg were used. Equestrianism, which was exercised with pre-established protocol in the arena and track, for 30 min. Af...
Awareness and control measures for gastrointestinal parasites in donkeys in Maseru district, Lesotho. Parasitic infection is one of the major problems in equines which negatively influence their health. It hinders working performance of equines. This study was conducted to evaluate donkey owners' knowledge and control measures on prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites (GIPs) in three agro-ecological zones (AEZs) of Maseru district. A total of 144 donkey owners were selected for individual interviews through a stratified random sampling. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to analyze data. The significance (p <0.05) of different AEZs was tested using a post-hoc cell-wise ad...
Risk factors for, and prediction of, exertional heat illness in Thoroughbred racehorses at British racecourses. The development of exertional heat illness (EHI) is a health, welfare and performance concern for racehorses. However, there has been limited multivariable assessment of the possible risk factors for EHI in racehorses, despite such information being vital for regulators to effectively manage the condition. Consequently, this study aimed to identify the risk factors associated with the occurrence of EHI in Thoroughbred racehorses and assess the ability of the risk factor model to predict the occurrence of EHI in racehorses to assist in early identification. Runners at British racecourses record...
West Nile Virus diffusion in temperate regions and climate change. A systematic review. West Nile virus (WNV) is a member of the Japanese encephalitis serocomplex, which was first described in 1937 as neurotropic virus in Uganda in 1937. Subsequently, WNV was identified in the rest of the old-world and from 1999 in North America. Birds are the primary hosts, and WNV is maintained in a bird-mosquito-bird cycle, with pigs as amplifying hosts and humans and horses as incidental hosts. WNV transmission is warranted by mosquitoes, usually of the spp., with a tendency to spill over when mosquitoes' populations build up. Other types of transmissions have been described in endemic areas...
Seasonality does not influence cortisol or testosterone production, or seminal quality of stallions located at low latitudes. The effects of seasonality on the reproduction of stallions vary based on the latitude. Although previous studies have shown the influence of seasonality in raw semen quality in south-eastern Brazil, data regarding the influence of seasonality in cooled and frozen stored semen in Brazil is limited. Therefore, in this study, we have analysed if seasonality influences the hormone production (i.e., cortisol and testosterone), spermatogenesis, and quality of fresh, cooled, and frozen semen of stallions in central Brazil, and established the season most suitable for semen cryopreservation in a lati...