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Topic:Comparative Study

Comparative studies in equine research involve the systematic analysis of different horse breeds, management practices, or physiological responses to identify variations and similarities. These studies are instrumental in understanding how different factors influence health, performance, and behavior in horses. Common areas of comparison include genetic traits, nutritional requirements, disease resistance, and response to training. By evaluating these differences, researchers can develop targeted strategies for breeding, healthcare, and training. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that focus on the methodologies, findings, and implications of comparative studies in the context of equine science.
Validation of a handheld smartphone markerless gait-analysis tool using an estimated groundline in horses.
Equine veterinary journal    January 16, 2026   doi: 10.1002/evj.70149
Key K, Kirkegaard J, Berg K, Andresen KR, Skov Hansen S.A handheld smartphone-based computer vision algorithm (RealHorse® [RH]) offers accessible alternatives for equine gait analysis but requires validation against a gold-standard three-dimensional multicamera optical motion capture system (Qualisys® [QS]). Objective: To evaluate the accuracy and precision of RH in measuring vertical displacement signals (VDS) at the eye, withers, back and croup in horses trotting on a straight line and on a circle. Methods: Cross-sectional comparative validation study of a markerless computer vision algorithm. Methods: Fifty-nine horses were recorded while trot...
Comparative tensile properties of the equine vagina, penile sheath, and scrotum.
Journal of biomechanics    January 16, 2026   Volume 197 113169 doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2026.113169
Collins AE, Wayne JS, Ferrando CA, De Vita R.This experimental study characterizes the elastic behavior of male and female equine genital tissues using uniaxial tensile testing, with strain measurements obtained via digital image correlation. Dog-bone-shaped tissue specimens were excised from mares and geldings (n=23 from female specimens and n=42 from male specimens) with all specimens aligned along the circumferential direction (CD) of the vagina, penis, and scrotum. The results include load-displacement data, stress-strain data, and tangent moduli for the penile sheath, vaginal canal, and scrotum, with strain measured in both the CD a...
Comparative analysis of the organization and complexity of immunoglobulin light chain loci in equids.
Journal of animal science    January 9, 2026   Volume 104 skag001 doi: 10.1093/jas/skag001
Qiu Y, Lei Y, Yi X, Tang X, Zhang B, Wang S, Sun X.This study investigated three donkey breeds-Guanzhong, Jiami, and Northern Shaanxi-to characterize the structural organization and diversification mechanisms of the immunoglobulin light-chain (IgL) loci and to conduct both intra-breed and interspecies comparisons with horses. The donkey IGλ locus is located on chromosome 8 and arranged in a Vλ-(Jλ-Cλ)-Vλ configuration. It contains 7 Cλ genes, each preceded by a corresponding Jλ gene to form a Jλ-Cλ cluster. Upstream of this cluster, 156 Vλ genes were identified, including 29 potential functional genes; downstream, 98 Vλ genes were d...
Evaluating the Accuracy of a Vision-Based Algorithm for Groundline Estimation in Trotting Horses Using Multiple Camera Angles.
Veterinary medicine and science    December 30, 2025   Volume 12, Issue 1 e70739 doi: 10.1002/vms3.70739
Key K, Berg K, Kirkegaard J, Andresen KR, Hansen SS.Equine lameness diagnosis largely relies on subjective visual assessments, which can be biased. Although marker-based methods, force plates and inertial measurement units (IMUs) provide objective measurements, they require specialized setups. Vision-based algorithms offer a portable, markerless alternative, but their accuracy needs thorough testing. Objective: To evaluate a custom vision-based algorithm for estimating the groundline across multiple camera angles, including handheld use in horses trotting on a treadmill. Methods: Experimental comparative study. Methods: Eight Standardbred trott...
Comparing isoflurane and desflurane: A prospective randomised blinded clinical trial in horses undergoing elective surgery.
The Veterinary record    December 30, 2025   doi: 10.1002/vetr.70225
White K, Hird J, Taylor P.The recovery period is associated with the greatest risk of injury for horses undergoing anaesthesia. Recovery quality and duration can be influenced by the volatile agent. Methods: This prospective, randomised blinded clinical investigation recruited 101 healthy client-owned horses undergoing elective surgery at one UK equine hospital. Anaesthesia was standardised, and horses were randomly assigned to receive desflurane or isoflurane for maintenance. Horses were ventilated to normocapnia and received dobutamine to maintain mean arterial blood pressure above 60 mmHg. All the patients received ...
Comparison of body temperatures and pulse rate between athletic and non-athletic horses during the hot-humid condition.
International journal of biometeorology    December 24, 2025   Volume 70, Issue 1 1 doi: 10.1007/s00484-025-03106-z
Ake AS, Akinniyi OO.Clinical assessment of parameters that give indications of the health status and fitness of horses are very important in equine practice. The study aimed to compare the resting body temperatures at different anatomical sites and resting pulse rates of athletic and non-athletic horses. Eighteen horses were used for the study, comprising ten athletic and eight non-athletic horses. Measurements of environmental parameters, rectal temperature (RT), body surface temperature (BST) and pulse rate were recorded between 9 and 11 am twice with one week interval at the Ibadan Polo Club, Eleyele, Ibadan, ...
Head Injuries in the Wild West: A Comparison of Head Injuries in English and Western Collegiate Equestrian Athletes.
Clinical journal of sport medicine : official journal of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine    December 22, 2025   Volume 36, Issue 4 472-477 doi: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000001400
Picken LK, Crawford AE, McGwin G, Serrano D, Gould S.Compare incidence of head injury, number of falls, and helmet use between English and Western riders. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Online flyers. Methods: Competitive college equestrian athletes. Methods: This study assesses the difference in risk of head injury between the English and Western disciplines of riding. Methods: The difference in risk of head injury between the English and Western disciplines of riding. Results: Three hundred fifty-seven equestrian athletes between 18 and 24 years of age who ride competitively for their college or university's team participated in this...
Mitochondrial genome assembly of the Peruvian Paso horse through PacBio long-read sequencing.
Scientific reports    December 21, 2025   Volume 16, Issue 1 85 doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-29107-x
Saldaña CL, Justo S, Murga L, Vásquez HV, Maicelo JL, Arbizu CI, Bardales W.The complete mitochondrial genome of the Peruvian Paso Horse was assembled using PacBio HiFi long reads, resulting in a high-quality circular genome of 16,617 bp comprising 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs, and a control region. Nucleotide composition and gene structure were consistent with other equine mitogenomes. Codon usage analysis revealed a bias toward CUA (Leu), AUA and AUC (Ile), suggesting translational optimization. Thirty-five heteroplasmic variants were identified, predominantly located in RNA genes (12 S rRNA and tRNA-Phe), with allele frequencies between 0.10 and 0.6...
Comparative biomechanical analysis of equine accessory carpal bone fracture repair: Cortical screws in lag fashion versus X-plate technique.
Veterinary surgery : VS    December 21, 2025   Volume 55, Issue 3 620-630 doi: 10.1111/vsu.70071
Gernhardt J, Reuter T, Mählmann K, Schulze N, Lischer CJ.To compare the feasibility and biomechanical stability of two surgical techniques for fixation of vertical plane fractures of the accessory carpal bone (ACB). Methods: Randomized experimental ex vivo study. Methods: Eight equine accessory carpal bones were included in a control group. A total of 20 equine cadaveric forelimbs were randomly assigned into two groups (n = 10 per group). Methods: Vertical plane fractures were created palmar to the extensor sulcus using an oscillating saw. In Group 1 (CS), fractures were stabilized with two 4.5 mm cortical screws in lag fashion. In Group 2 (XP...
Assessment of core stability in equestrian riders.
Folia medica Cracoviensia    December 17, 2025   Volume 65, Issue 3 71-83 doi: 10.24425/fmc.2025.156685
Skwierawska Z, Trybulec B, Jagielski P, Wodka-Natkaniec E.Core stability allows to control and properly perform movements of all body. Optimal core stability level depends on deep muscles capacity and neuromuscular control. Poor core stability is a risk factor for injury, especially during physical activity. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in core stability between sport and recreational horse riders and people, who don't do any sports. We hypothesized that horse riders demonstrate better core stability performance. Methods: 75 people aged 15-30 (20 recreational horse riders, 20 sport horse riders and 35 non-horse ...
Differential Energy Metabolism in Skeletal Muscle Tissues of Yili Horses Based on Targeted Metabolomics and Transcriptomics Analysis.
Biology    November 30, 2025   Volume 14, Issue 12 1713 doi: 10.3390/biology14121713
Li X, Meng C, Xue Y, Shen Z, Ren W, Zeng Y, Meng J.Skeletal muscle is the largest organ system in mammals. To investigate the differences in energy metabolism across various skeletal muscles in Yili horses, this study examined muscle fiber type distributions through immunohistochemical staining of muscles, including the splenius, triceps brachii, longissimus dorsi, and gluteus medius. The splenius and gluteus medius muscles, which exhibited the greatest differences in the proportion of slow-twitch fiber area, were selected for further comparison of differential metabolites and transcriptomic expression profiles between slow-twitch and fast-twi...
Comparison between SNP array and imputed data to estimate population structure and ROH hotspots in horse breeds.
BMC genomics    November 29, 2025   Volume 26, Issue 1 1086 doi: 10.1186/s12864-025-12256-8
Chessari G, Reich P, Criscione A, Falker-Gieske C, Mastrangelo S, Tumino S, Bordonaro S, Marletta D, Tetens J.Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays are commonly used for studying the genomic structure and diversity of livestock breeds, but whole-genome sequencing (WGS) provides higher-resolution genomic data. Genotype imputation has become a standard practice for increasing the genomic resolution of association studies. This work aimed to extend imputation to biodiversity analyses, comparing SNP array data before and after imputation. A 40 k SNP dataset of 281 horses from 12 breeds (DS) was imputed to sequence-level using a reference panel of 327 sequenced individuals, generating approximately 9...
Naloxone supplementation during vitrification of equine in vitro matured oocytes after overnight holding: insights from a comparative study with the bovine model.
Theriogenology    November 29, 2025   Volume 252 117776 doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2025.117776
Gugole PM, Zannoni A, Iacono E, Merlo B.Cryopreservation of equine mature oocytes remains a major challenge in assisted reproduction, mainly due to the limited availability of material and logistical constraints requiring a holding phase. To address these issues, this study evaluated whether naloxone (NX), an opioid receptor antagonist with reported antioxidant properties, could improve vitrification outcomes and whether bovine oocytes could serve as a suitable preliminary and supportive model. Two experiments were conducted. In experiment 1, immature (bGV) and mature (bMII) bovine oocytes were vitrified without (VIT) or with NX (VI...
A SLC45A2 mutation is strongly associated with the cream dilution in Baroque donkeys.
Tierarztliche Praxis. Ausgabe G, Grosstiere/Nutztiere    November 28, 2025   Volume 53, Issue 6 372-378 doi: 10.1055/a-2712-8607
Ludwig A, Biermann R, Frölich K, Jandowsky A, Langner C, Lieckfeldt D, Tschann K, Reissmann M.Domestic Baroque donkeys are popular animals in many European parks and zoos. Although their cream coat color is very charismatic, the underlying genetics is still undiscovered. Addressing this question, a candidate approach was used to search for the causative mutation.Considering the knowledge from domestic horses, the () was identified as the most promising candidate. Samples from 77 domesticated donkeys, 11 wild equids, 1 mule and 2 domestic horses were included in comparison. All exons and the flanking intron sequences of the were sequenced (2774bp).Sequence comparison revealed that a m...
A systematic review on the effect of individual characteristics and management practices on equine cognition.
Animal cognition    November 26, 2025   Volume 28, Issue 1 96 doi: 10.1007/s10071-025-02016-2
Equine cognition is relevant to the many roles that horses serve in society, such as leisure riding, competitions, or even animal-assisted therapy. Equine cognitive abilities have been explored in recent years. However, gaining an overview of horse cognition is challenging due to the broad range of abilities studied and the diverse methodologies employed. In addition, the subjects of existing equine cognition studies vary greatly in contextual factors such as their breed, age, sex, and management conditions - each of which may influence test performance in the following cognitive categories: D...
Comparative Analysis of the Stallion Field Performance Test at Different Training Stages and Horse Age.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    November 13, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 22 3289 doi: 10.3390/ani15223289
Lewczuk D, Borowska A, Andruszkiewicz J, Bagnicka E.Breeding value estimations of Warmblood horses in Poland are based on field performance, but the amount of stallions' data is still insufficient (334 horses). The first study's aim is to compare stallions' results in different stages and evaluate the overall ability using both stages. The effects on preselection (first stage free movement) and performance tests (second stage under rider) were analyzed separately and together as the overall ability. Spearman correlations were evaluated. The second aim was to evaluate the training period on the results. Due to the pandemic and lack of tests, hor...
Transcriptomic profiling reveals similarities between equine IVF and ICSI embryos.
Theriogenology    November 8, 2025   Volume 251 117749 doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2025.117749
Broothaers K, Jouneau A, Angel-Velez D, De Coster T, Festuccia N, Archilla C, Calderari S, Jouneau L, Van den Branden E, Peere S, Polfliet E....In vitro production of equine embryos has been performed using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for the last two decades. Since 2022, a repeatable protocol for conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) provides a successful alternative. However, little is known about the influence of the fertilization method on embryo quality and the transcriptomic profile. In this study, we aimed to examine differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between ICSI and IVF embryos in the horse. Therefore, ten equine sibling blastocysts, produced in vitro by either ICSI or IVF from three different mares, were s...
Reliability, agreement and variability of a markerless computer vision algorithm for equine gait analysis under field conditions.
Equine veterinary journal    November 4, 2025   doi: 10.1111/evj.70109
Key K, Berg K, Kirkegaard J, Andresen KR, Skov Hansen S.Computer vision-based algorithms offer accessible alternatives for equine gait analysis but require thorough assessment under diverse conditions. Objective: To evaluate a proprietary vision-based algorithm's reliability in measuring vertical displacement signals (VDS) at the eye, withers and croup, alongside groundline estimation, for horses trotting on straight lines and circles under field conditions. Methods: Cross-sectional comparative study evaluating agreement, variability and reliability of a markerless computer vision algorithm. Methods: We obtained 67 handheld iPhone recordings from 3...
Cellular interactions and gene expression analysis of two equine-derived bone graft materials: an in vitro study.
Minerva dental and oral science    October 28, 2025   Volume 74, Issue 6 355-371 doi: 10.23736/S2724-6329.25.05209-X
DI Stefano DA, Coccoluto L, Panina-Bordignon P, Brambilla E, Ruffini F, Murtaj V, Orlando F, Colombo M, Frigerio C, DI Bona A, Recupero D, Morroni M....Bone grafting is a surgical procedure that involves the use of bone tissue or bone substitutes to repair damaged bone. In dentistry and maxillofacial surgery, bone graft substitutes from various sources are commonly used. Given their critical role in clinical outcomes, it is essential to thoroughly investigate the biological and mechanical properties of these materials. Methods: In this in vitro study, we evaluated the biological properties of two equine-derived bone graft substitutes in comparison to β-tricalcium phosphate. The materials included one equine-derived graft containing hydrolyze...
Ultrasound-guided versus blind intercostal nerve injection in equine cadavers.
Veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia    October 23, 2025   Volume 53, Issue 1 101147 doi: 10.1016/j.vaa.2025.10.003
Serighelli-Júnior G, Strugava L, de Oliveira Franco JD, Kulik K, Dornbusch PT, Machado M, Moreno JCD.To describe the detailed anatomy of the equine thoracoabdominal region and to compare the accuracy of ultrasound-guided versus blind intercostal nerve injection techniques, targeting the thoracic intercostal nerves (T12-T18) in equine cadavers. Methods: Randomized, blinded, cadaveric study. Methods: Eight fresh adult equine cadavers. Methods: Eight horse cadavers were used: one in phase I (436 kg; 4 years old) for anatomic landmarks identification and seven in phase II [420 (317-560 kg); 16 (3-22 years old) [median (minimum-maximum)] for comparative study. In phase I, dissections were performe...
Intraocular Tumors in Horses: Diagnosis, Tumor Classification, Oncologic Assessment and Therapy.
Veterinary sciences    October 17, 2025   Volume 12, Issue 10 1006 doi: 10.3390/vetsci12101006
Ostendarp C, Barton AK.Intraocular neoplasia in horses is rare and only few case reports and small case series exist. Intraocular neoplasia has various clinical signs and includes important differential diagnoses in ocular disease. This narrative review of the current literature aims to provide a clinically relevant overview and classification of intraocular tumors in horses and adds a comparative oncological perspective concerning diagnosis, treatment and future considerations. The available clinical and imaging examination techniques allow for a reliable and differentiated investigation of the tumor, even in the s...
Lectin Microarray-based Glycomics and Machine Learning Identify Shared Osteoarthritis Biomarkers in Humans, Dogs, and Horses.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology    October 17, 2025   2025.10.16.682971 doi: 10.1101/2025.10.16.682971
Peralta AG, Raeisimakiani P, Hayashi K, Mahal LK, Reesink HL.Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a common sequela to joint injury in both humans and companion animal species such as horses and dogs. Despite the increasing prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA) in humans, investigation of glycosylation changes associated with OA remains in its infancy. Recent advances, such as lectin microarray analysis, now enable detailed glycan profiling in complex biofluids such as synovial fluid. Using lectin microarray technology, this study characterized glycosylation patterns in synovial fluid samples from healthy and OA-affected joints in horses, dogs, and humans...
Correction: Prices for veterinary care of dogs, cats and horses in selected countries in Europe.
Frontiers in veterinary science    October 17, 2025   Volume 12 1694780 doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1694780
Egenvall A, Höglund OV, Hoffman R, Valle PS, Andersen PH, Lönnell C, Byström A, Bonnett BN.[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1403483.].
What if Horses Were Humans? Comparing Rein Tension and Bit Pressures to Human Pressure Pain Thresholds.
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI    October 15, 2025   Volume 15, Issue 20 2989 doi: 10.3390/ani15202989
Musial F, Weiss T.Bit pressure and rein tension-induced mouth pain in horses have recently become a significant welfare concern, fueling debates within the equestrian community and beyond. Evidence indicates that bits can cause pain-related behaviors and even oral lesions. Although studying pressure-induced pain in animals is challenging, the similarities in the physiology of pain processing (nociception) across mammals suggest that it is reasonable to assume that pain perception in humans and horses is principally comparable. Therefore, we compared human pressure pain detection thresholds (PPDTs) to reported r...
Comparative analysis of 3 qPCR primer-probe sets for the detection of equid alphaherpesvirus 1. Kambayashi Y, Bannai H, Nemoto M, Kawanishi N, Niwa H, Tsujimura K.With the revision of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Terrestrial Manual on equine rhinopneumonitis in 2024, 3 recommended qPCR primer-probe sets were added for the detection of equid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EqAHV1; formerly equine herpesvirus 1 [EHV1]; family , taxon species ), also known as equine abortion virus. We compared the sensitivity and specificity of the 3 qPCR primer-probe sets to determine the most reliable set. Sets gB1H and gB1P, which target the glycoprotein B () gene of EqAHV1, detected all 10 copies and even lower copy numbers. In contrast, set gC1 (ISO 17025-accre...
Comparison of Oocyte Collection Yield Between Conventional Follicle Scraping and Ultrasound-Guided Follicle Aspiration in Postmortem Excised Horse Ovaries.
Reproduction in domestic animals = Zuchthygiene    October 6, 2025   Volume 60, Issue 10 e70133 doi: 10.1111/rda.70133
Thomé C, Márquez-Moya A, Sala-Ayala L, Carreras-Vico N, Cuervo-Arango J.Post-mortem oocyte collection serves to preserve the genetic material of valuable mares and to obtain recipient oocytes for cloning purposes. Therefore, the number of oocytes retrieved per ovary is a critical factor in increasing the likelihood of obtaining a viable embryo. This study evaluated the efficiency of two post-mortem oocyte retrieval techniques: follicular scraping (Scraping) and ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration (OPU). The comparison was based on several parameters, including the number of follicles aspirated per ovary, oocyte recovery rate (ORR), number of oocytes obtained p...
Comparative analysis of miRNA expression in Yili horses pre- and post-5000-m race.
Frontiers in genetics    October 1, 2025   Volume 16 1676558 doi: 10.3389/fgene.2025.1676558
Ma S, Ren W, Li Z, Li L, Wang R, Su Y, Huang Q, Dehaxi S, Wang J.Equine athletic performance is modulated by both genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. As dynamic regulators of gene expression, MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a central role in the physiological response to exercise-induced stress18. This study focused on the top three elite Yili horses from a 5000-m race, collecting peripheral blood samples pre-race (group B) and post-race (group A). A longitudinal comparative analysis integrating miRNA omics profiling and target gene functional enrichment was performed. Nineteen miRNAs exhibited significant differential expression (10 upregulated, 9 downregulated), w...
BCG Immunotherapy in Equine Sarcoid Treatment: Mechanisms, Clinical Efficacy, and Challenges in Veterinary Oncology.
Viruses    September 29, 2025   Volume 17, Issue 10 1322 doi: 10.3390/v17101322
Monteiro MM, de Castro ELA, Pereira AJM, Thiesen R, Thiesen RMC, Salvarani FM.Equine sarcoids are the most common dermatological neoplasm in horses worldwide, associated with bovine papillomavirus (BPV) infection and characterized by high recurrence rates after conventional therapies. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunotherapy has historically been used for sarcoid treatment, yet its role in contemporary veterinary oncology remains debated. This narrative review critically examines the immunological mechanisms, clinical efficacy, and limitations of BCG in equine sarcoid therapy, while integrating insights from comparative oncology and One Health perspectives. A syste...
Horses (Equus caballus) successfully solve an object choice task using a human pointing gesture and a physical marker: A partial replication of Proops et al. (2010).
Journal of comparative psychology (Washington, D.C. : 1983)    September 29, 2025   doi: 10.1037/com0000429
Dumičić I, Ostojić L.Like other domesticated species, most notably dogs, horses have been reported to follow human gestures and successfully use them to gain rewards in an object choice task. Empirical support for the hypothesis that a domain-general mechanism may underlie this ability comes from studies in which horses have successfully solved the task by using not just a human pointing gesture but also an arbitrary physical cue, namely a wooden marker. Here, we replicated the two conditions in which these two cues were used by Proops et al. (2010) with two critical changes: first, we positioned the marker out of...
Autologous Cancer Vaccines: A Precision Immunotherapy Strategy for Veterinary Cancer Patients.
Anticancer research    September 27, 2025   Volume 45, Issue 10 4115-4130 doi: 10.21873/anticanres.17766
Greenberg CB, Suckow MA, Clauson RM, Kalinauskas AE, Lucroy MD.Precision medicine is a therapeutic strategy to provide treatment that is tailored to a specific patient based on factors unique to that individual, such as the genetic makeup or the environment. Autologous cancer vaccines (ACVs) are ideal for a precision medicine approach because they incorporate antigens specific to the patient's tumor and provide an elegant solution to identifying and selecting relevant immunogenic neoantigens. ACVs are an appealing option for veterinary medicine because they are cancer-type and species agnostic. Over the past 50 years, many innovative ACVs have been evalua...