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Topic:Clinical Study
Clinical studies in equine research involve the systematic investigation of health and disease in horses through structured scientific methods. These studies aim to evaluate the safety and efficacy of treatments, understand disease mechanisms, and improve veterinary care practices. Clinical studies can include randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and case-control studies. They may focus on various aspects such as pharmacokinetics, therapeutic interventions, and diagnostic techniques. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the design, implementation, and findings of clinical studies in equine medicine, providing insights into their impact on horse health and veterinary practices.
A radiographic technique to assess the longitudinal balance in front hooves. The aim of this study was to validate a radiographic technique to measure objectively the longitudinal hoof balance in the horse. Ten left third phalanges (P3) obtained from front hooves and 19 left front hooves were used in order to assess the reliability of the radiographic technique and to identify any effect of rotation or alignment of specimens or distance between the X-ray machine and the radiographic cassette, in measuring P3s structures and balance related parameters. A rotational support was made to hold specimens in order to standardise some of the conditions of X-raying. The main ax...
Myosin heavy chain-based fibre types in red cell hyper- and normovolaemic Standardbred trotters. An assumed link between red cell hypervolaemia, an excessive amount of training and impaired performance of hypervolaemic horses has led to a theory that the muscle fibres could be affected. Myosin heavy chain (MHC)-based fibre type composition in gluteus medius muscle of red blood cell normo- (NV) and hypervolaemic (HV) Standardbred trotters was evaluated using immunohistochemistry. Muscle biopsies were obtained from 13 NV and 16 HV horses. Serial transverse sections were cut and reacted with antibodies against different isoforms of the myosin heavy chains MHCI, MHCIIA and MHCIIX. Sections we...
Right ventricular pressure dynamics during exercise: relationship to stress echocardiography. Thorough evaluation of myocardial function remains difficult to evaluate under exercising conditions. This study described right ventricular (RV) pressure dynamics during and immediately following exercise. Nine Thoroughbreds without evidence of cardiac disease completed treadmill exercise at 110% of the speed necessary to elicit VO2max while RV pressures were recorded. RV pressure dynamics were calculated at rest, maximal speed and at 10 s intervals for 2 min after exercise. Stress echocardiography was performed at rest and within 120 s after exercise. Mean dP/dtmax and dP/dtmin values were s...
Evaluation of three ancillary treatments in the management of equine grass sickness. Brotizolam, acetylcysteine and aloe vera gel were evaluated as ancillary treatments for 29 cases of equine grass sickness. None of the treatments had any significant beneficial effect on the survival of the horses. However, 11 of 13 horses with mild chronic grass sickness survived solely with intensive nursing care.
Do regional variations in flexor tendons predispose to site-specific injuries? Partial rupture occurs most often to the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) of the forelimb at the mid-metacarpal level. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the mid-metacarpal region of the SDFT has the smallest cross sectional area (CSA) and a similar collagen content to other regions and, therefore, represents a weak point in the tendon. The SDFT was collected from the forelimbs of 9 horses. Each tendon was marked at 7 different levels from the origin of the accessory ligament to the phalangeal region. The CSA, water content and collagen content was measured at each level. The...
Comparison between glycerol and ethylene glycol for the cryopreservation of equine spermatozoa: semen quality assessment with standard analyses and with the hypoosmotic swelling test. The aims of this study were to compare glycerol (G) at customary concentrations and ethylene glycol (EG) as cryoprotectants for stallion semen in a skimmed milk (SM) extender, to test different EG concentrations and to compare the results of manual and computerized analysis with the hypoosmotic swelling (HOS) test. Ejaculates from two stallions were collected over 3 weeks (6 ejaculates per stallion), diluted in a SM based extender, divided into 4 fractions, centrifuged and diluted again to a concentration of 100 x 10(6) mL(-1) progressive motile spermatozoa (PMS) in addition with the cryoprote...
Biomechanical implications of uphill training on the aetiology of tendinitis. It has been reported that a small decrease in the strain in the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) occurs if the toe is raised during walking. Although walking on a slope appears similar to raising the toe, it is unclear whether uphill exercise decreases the strain in the SDFT. Because the force or strain on tendons is one of the important factors leading to tendon stress injury, we hypothesised that reducing the force in the SDFT during exercise may prevent tendinitis. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of treadmill inclination on the force in the SDFT in the walking...
Structural and oxidative enzyme characteristics of the diaphragm. During exercise, the horse can achieve oxygen uptakes and ventilations in excess of 200 ml/kg/min and 1800 l/min, respectively. Whether the diaphragm has the capacity to contribute substantially to inspiratory effort in the exercising horse is not known. To investigate the potential for the horse diaphragm to generate tension, lung displacement and sustain ventilatory function, we measured diaphragm thickness, muscle length and oxidative enzyme activity (citrate synthase) within the ventral, medial and dorsal costal and crural diaphragm. In the diaphragms of 6 mature horses (5 Thoroughbreds, o...
Evidence of an association between inflammatory airway disease and EIPH in young Thoroughbreds during training. In an epidemiological study of risk factors for exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) in young Thoroughbreds in the UK, in which 148 horses contributed 1614 horse-months of data, there were 64 (4%) episodes of endoscopically visible tracheal bleeding and 824 (51%) episodes of increased quantities of haemosiderophages in tracheal washes. There were increases in prevalence and risk of EIPH by both definitions with age from or = 4 years, season of sampling from winter (Nov-Jan) to autumn (Aug-Oct) and several different measures of airway inflammation, including tracheal mucus, neutrophil...
Three-dimensional kinematics of the tarsal joint at the trot. The tarsal joint is a common site of injury for many sport horses. Understanding the biomechanics of this complex joint begins with developing a clear picture of the kinematics during normal locomotion. This study describes the 3D kinematics of the tarsal joint by measuring the motion of the tibia and third metatarsus in 4 sound Quarter Horses with targets attached directly to the bones via steel pins. The objective was to determine if the tarsus had significant motion outside the tarsocrural joint. Two Steinmann pins were inserted into the lateral side of the right hindlimb and marker triads ...
Movements of thoracic and abdominal compartments during ventilation at rest and during exercise. The present investigation utilised simultaneous measurements of chest (Ch) and abdominal (Ab) circumferences and respiratory airflow to test the hypothesis that Ch circumferential expansion contributes proportionally little to tidal volume in the running Thoroughbred. During exercise, there were only small changes in Ch and Ab circumference and no increase with increasing tidal volume. At rest, walk and trot, the flow, Ch and Ab signals were in phase. However, during canter and gallop, the Ch and Ab changes were 180 degrees out of phase with each other and both were out of phase with airflow. ...
Exercise-induced pulmonary perfusion redistribution in heaves. This study aimed to compare exercise-induced pulmonary perfusion redistribution in healthy vs. 'heavey' horses using scintigraphy, a minimally invasive technique. Six healthy (A) and 5 'heavey' horses in remission (B(I)) and during clinical signs of disease (B(II)) were investigated. Dimensions of the exercising pulmonary perfusion (QE) images were expressed in percent of the resting perfusion (QR) images. Computed QE to QR ratios (QE/QR) images enabled the definition of the region more perfused at exercise than at rest (R1). In all groups, exercise induced a major enlargement of the Q image b...
Effect of instillation into lung of autologous blood on pulmonary function and tracheobronchial wash cytology. This study aimed at measuring the functional consequences and the pulmonary cytology changes following a simulation of pulmonary haemorrhage. Pulmonary function tests including lobeline-induced hyperventilation, cytology of tracheo-bronchial wash (TBW) and thoracic radiographs were performed before, as well as 1, 7, 14 and 28 days after, the instillation of 300 ml of blood into the lungs of 4 horses deemed free of exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (Group 1). Control data (Group 2) were obtained by instilling the same volume of saline into the lungs of the same horses in a crossover design...
Effects of mild forelimb lameness on exercise performance. Mild lameness is considered a performance-limiting problem that may escape detection until it worsens, and is considered the primary reason for reduced racing performance. The kinematics changes associated with a lame horse at the trot have been demonstrated previously, but the metabolic cost of these alterations in their gait have not been demonstrated. Six fit Thoroughbred horses with an established VO2max participated in 4 trials using a randomised cross-over design study, separated by 10-14 days. The horses were tested with one of 4 trial conditions: lead forelimb lameness (LL); off-lead f...
Effect of short-term exercise training on insulin sensitivity in obese and lean mares. Twelve untrained aged mares were used to determine whether 7 days of light exercise improved peripheral tissue insulin sensitivity. Mares were divided into obese-exercised (n = 3), obese-sedentary (n = 3), lean-exercised (n = 3) and lean-sedentary (n = 3) groups. The exercised groups were worked at a trot to a heart rate (HR) of not more than 140 beats/min for 30 min in a round pen. Each group was subjected to 3 euglycaemic hyperinsulinaemic clamps: prior to exercise (P), 24 h following the seventh exercise training session (E) and 9 days postexercise training (PE). Prior to exercise training,...
Antioxidant supplementation and pulmonary function at rest and exercise. Antioxidants have been implicated in the reduction and prevention of oxidative stress during exercise. We hypothesised that a dietary supplement containing a mixture of natural antioxidants together with vitamins E, C and selenium, given for 4 weeks, would increase the systemic and pulmonary antioxidant capacity leading to a reduction in markers of oxidative damage and an improvement in pulmonary function during exercise. In 6 healthy horses studied, the antioxidant supplement significantly increased plasma concentrations of ascorbic acid (from mean +/- s.d. 16 +/- 7 to 23 +/- 4 micromol/l; P ...
EIPH: postrace endoscopic evaluation of Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds. The incidence and severity of exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) in the 2 most commonly raced horse breeds, Thoroughbreds (TB) and Standardbreds (STD), were studied, with particular interest in the possible influence of frusemide (F) and/or the breed (or running gait) on EIPH. The appearance of blood within the trachea was semi-quantified using a published 5-point system, with zero assigned when no blood was observed, and numbers 1-4 assigned with increasing amounts of blood. Considering each endoscopic examination as a separate event, approximately 75% of the postrace endoscopic ex...
Effect of body incline on cardiac performance. Maximal cardiac performance is improved in man during upright compared to supine exercise. Whether cardiac performance in quadrupeds is dependent upon body position is unknown. Therefore, we undertook the present investigation to determine if peak cardiac output (Qpeak) would be influenced by body inclination in the Thoroughbred horse. To test the hypothesis, four Thoroughbred horses performed an incremental exercise protocol (speed increased by 1 m/s/min to fatigue) on both a level (L) and inclined (I: 6 degrees) treadmill. Specifically, we hypothesised that Qpeak would be increased on the in...
Effect of dorsal displacement of the soft palate on ventilation and airflow during high-intensity exercise. Dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) is one of the most common obstructive conditions of the upper respiratory tract in the racehorse. The present study was conducted to determine the effects of intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) on ventilation and respiratory airflow during high intensity exercise. Videoendoscopic recordings were made of the nasopharynx and larynx simultaneously with measurements of airflow and respiratory gas exchange, during high-speed treadmill exercise in 9 horses with confirmed intermittent DDSP admitted for clinical investigation of poor...
Effect of glucosamine on interleukin-1-conditioned articular cartilage. Glucosamine inhibits recombinant human interleukin-1 stimulated cartilage degradation in equine cartilage explants. Recently, recombinant equine interleukin-1 has been cloned and purified. Therefore, the objective of this study was to characterise the effects of glucosamine on indices of cartilage degradation in recombinant equine IL-1beta-stimulated equine articular cartilage explants. Cartilage discs were harvested from the weight-bearing region of the articular surface of the antebrachiocarpal and middle carpal joints of horses (age 2-8 years) and cultured under standard conditions. Explant...
Evaluation of the i-STAT hand-held chemical analyser during treadmill and endurance exercise. This study examined the accuracy and precision of a hand-held, chemical analyser, i-STAT, in measuring selected blood constituents which may be of use in the diagnosis and management of metabolic disorders found in exercising horses. Venous blood samples were taken from 3 Thoroughbred geldings, fit and trained to exercise on a treadmill, both before and after exercise at a speed sufficient to elicit VO2max. The samples were analysed both with the i-STAT and with in-house analysers to compare the values of pH, partial pressure of oxygen (PO2), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PCO2), bicarbon...
Comparison of the effects of two GnRH antagonists on LH and FSH secretion, follicular growth and ovulation in the mare. The effects of two GnRH antagonists were tested in order to delay and/or synchronise ovulation in mares. Five mares received Antarelix (0.01 mg.kg(-1)), 5 mares received Cetrorelix (the same dose), 5 mares (control mares) received the vehicle intravenously, twice daily, for 8 days from the day the largest follicle reached 22 mm following prostaglandin administration. Ovulation was postponed in all mares injected with Antarelix (19.4 +/- 1.2 days after the beginning of the treatment) and in 2/5 mares injected with Cetrorelix (20 +/- 1 days) vs. 6.2 +/- 0.4 days in control mares. During the trea...
Effect of walking velocity on forelimb kinematics and kinetics. A database of biomechanical variables obtained from normal horses walking at a range of velocities is needed for comparison with the variables obtained from lame horses in which velocity cannot be predetermined. The objective was to investigate velocity-dependent changes in selected kinematic variables, ground reaction forces (GRF) and net joint energies in the forelimb and to develop statistical equations to calculate expected values of these variables for horses walking at different velocities. Five sound horses walked at a range of velocities (0.82 to 1.91 m/s) over a force plate. Kinematic...
Ribose supplementation in maximally exercising Thoroughbreds. A diverse group of studies, which are equine exclusive, indicate that ribose administered to myocardial and skeletal muscle tissue stimulates ATP production and recovery. This study investigated the effects of ribose supplementation on blood and muscle metabolites and performance in Thoroughbred geldings performing a maximal treadmill standardised exercise test (SET). In Experiment 1, 6 conditioned Thoroughbred geldings performed a baseline SET and horses were assigned to one of 2 experimental treatment groups, placebo or ribose, based on VO2max. The placebo treatment group received 0.07 g glu...
Gas exchange during intense exercise in Standardbreds with earlier Rhodococcus equi pneumonia. It is not known if pulmonary function and gas exchange during exercise are altered after pyogranulomatous pneumonia caused by Rhodococcus equi infection in the foal. The aim was to evaluate whether pulmonary gas exchange during high intensity exercise was altered in mature Standardbreds with a history of R. equi pneumonia as foals. In 7 foals, R. equi pneumonia was confirmed and treated. At age 3 years, when these horses were subjected to professional training, an inclined treadmill exercise test including 4 speeds was performed. Samples were collected when a steady state in VO2 was obtained. ...
Effect of training on age-related changes in plasma insulin and glucose. The purpose of the study was to determine whether 12 weeks of exercise training would affect plasma glucose and plasma insulin concentrations in young and older Standardbred mares. Eighteen healthy, unfit mares representing 3 age groups were used: young (Y = 6.8 +/- 0.4 years; n = 6), middle-aged (MA = 15.2 +/- 0.4; n = 6), and old (O = 27.0 +/- 0.2; n = 6). Pre- and post-training incremental exercise tests (GXT) were performed to measure plasma glucose and insulin concentration from immediately after, until 120 min postexercise. Training consisted of exercise 3 days/week (weeks 1-8) and 4 day...
Dorsal metacarpal cortex ultrasound speed and bone size and shape. In Thoroughbred racehorses, the dorsal cortex (DC) of the third metacarpal bone (MC3) enlarges when horses are first exposed to fast exercise speeds. It is now possible to measure ultrasound speed through 3 to 5 mm depths of bone around the bone shaft using Sunlight Medical's 'Omnisense' machine. The aim of this experiment was to determine whether the ultrasound speed measured in the surface 3-5 mm of the midshaft dorsal cortex of MC3 could be related directly to the midshaft shape and size of the MC3s of young Thoroughbred racehorses at the same stage of training. Sixteen 2-year-old and sixte...
Effect of sodium bicarbonate administration on metabolic responses to maximal exercise. Administration of bicarbonate has been shown to cause metabolic alkalosis both in man and in horses and is, therefore, thought to increase the buffering capacity of the body and thereby delay the onset of fatigue. However, results regarding the influence of sodium bicarbonate loading on performance both in human athletes and in horses are conflicting. The aim of this study was, therefore, to investigate the metabolic response to a standardised treadmill exercise test to fatigue, in horses given bicarbonate (0.6 g/kg bwt), in comparison to horses given placebo (water). Five Standardbred trotter...
Effects of different volumes of autologous blood instilled into the airways of horses on pulmonary function during treadmill exercise. Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage has been associated with reduced performance in racing horses. However, it is unclear what volume of blood loss into the lungs impairs performance. The purpose of the present study was to determine the minimal volume of autologous Horses blood instilled into the airways that significantly affects performance and pulmonary function in exercising horses. Six Thoroughbred horses performed 2 exercise bouts on each of 4 treatment test days. Each exercise bout consisted of a 2 min warm-up at 4 m/s followed by running at a speed equivalent to 115% VO2max, until ...
