Draft horses are a type of horse bred primarily for heavy work, such as plowing and hauling, due to their large size and strength. They are characterized by their muscular build, calm temperament, and considerable pulling power. Common breeds of draft horses include the Belgian, Clydesdale, Percheron, and Shire. These horses have historically been used in agriculture, logging, and transportation before the advent of mechanized vehicles. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the breeding, physiology, and historical roles of draft horses, as well as their modern applications in various industries and recreational activities.
McCue ME, Valberg SJ, Lucio M, Mickelson JR.A missense mutation in the GYS1 gene was recently described in horses with polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM). Objective: The first objective was to determine the prevalence of the GYS1 mutation in horses with PSSM from diverse breeds. The second objective was to determine if the prevalence of the GYS1 mutation differed between horses diagnosed with PSSM based on grade 1 (typically amylase-sensitive) or grade 2 (typically amylase-resistant) polysaccharide. Methods: Eight hundred and thirty-one PSSM horses from 36 breeds. Methods: Horses with PSSM diagnosed by histopathology of skeletal mus...
Ishii M, Kobayashi S, Acosta TJ, Miki W, Yamanoi T, Matsui M, Miyake Y, Miyamoto A.The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between circulating oxytocin (OT) and PGF(2alpha) metabolite (PGFM) in mares at the third stage of labor and placental expulsion time in order to investigate a cause of retained placenta of which the incidence increase in a heavy draft mare. Blood was sampled every 5 min from foaling to expulsion of the placenta in 18 heavy draft mares to evaluate circulating OT and PGFM. The relationships between OT and PGFM concentration and recorded placental expulsion times were investigated. The results were as follows (1) The highest level of OT conce...
Larcher T, Herszberg B, Molon-Noblot S, Guigand L, Chaffaux S, Guerin G, Cherel Y.Gluteus medius muscle was sampled from 53 Cob Normand horses for histologic evaluation. Twenty horses (38%) exhibited amylase-resistant material in myocytes consistent with polysaccharide storage myopathy. Diameter of affected type II fibers was increased (67.7 +/- 21.4 microm) compared with normal ones (57.3 +/- 19.7 microm). Two groups were distinguished by quantitative study. The first group (n = 14; 26%) was characterized by a low percentage of fibers (m = 0.98%) containing aggregates occurring singly or in perifascicular clusters without myopathic changes. The second group (n = 6; 11%) wa...
McGowan CM, McGowan TW, Patterson-Kane JC.The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of equine polysaccharide storage myopathy (EPSM) in two populations of horses in the UK. Biopsy specimens from 94 horses presented to an abattoir (population 1), and 46 horses with neuromuscular disorders presented to a university referral hospital (population 2) were obtained over a period of 4years. Histological sections were examined by a veterinary pathologist for lesions including abnormal polysaccharide inclusions in myofibres. In population 1, a diagnosis of EPSM was made in 8% and non-specific myopathy in 33% of horses. In populatio...
Carmalt JL, Shoemaker RW, Wilson DG.The objective of this study was to determine if ligation of the common vaginal tunic could prevent or reduce the incidence of omental herniation and eventration in draught colts undergoing routine field castration. It was found that common vaginal tunic ligation, while not completely preventing omental herniation and evisceration, significantly reduced the incidence of these complications and should be considered in those males deemed at increased risk of significant post castration complications.
Tateo A, De Palo P, Ceci E, Centoducati P.To investigate rheological and chemical characteristics of the meat from Italian Heavy Draft horse, 24 foals (12 males and 12 females) were weaned at 6 mo, reared and fed in the same way, and slaughtered at 11 mo of age. The results obtained showed that there were no significant differences between the sexes but that the muscle type is a significant variation source. The rectus femoris muscle was lighter, and the biceps femoris had a lower a* index than longissimus dorsii, rectus femoris, and semimembranosus muscle. The most tender muscle was the semitendinosus, and the toughest even after coo...
Pastoret V, Carstanjen B, Lejeune JP, Farnir F, Remy B, Reginster JY, Serteyn D, Gabriel A.The first aim of this study was to establish a profile of age-related normal serum concentrations of osteocalcin (OC) in Ardenner horses. For this first part, blood samples from 49 healthy Ardenner horses were collected. The second aim was to study two biochemical markers of bone metabolism, OC and a carboxy-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX-I), in 30 young Ardenner horses during 1 year. Amongst them, 17 showed lesions of juvenile degenerative joint disease in the distal forelimbs. A specific radioimmunoassay for equine OC was used to measure the serum concentration of...
van Brantegem L, de Cock HE, Affolter VK, Duchateau L, Hoogewijs MK, Govaere J, Ferraro GL, Ducatelle R.Chronic progressive lymphoedema (CPL) is a recently recognised disease of the lymphatic system characterised by lesions in the skin of the lower legs in several draught horse breeds, including the Belgian Draught hourse. Clinical signs slowly progress and result in severe disfigurement of the limbs. Ideally, supportive treatment should be started early in the disease process. However early diagnosis and monitoring progression of CPL is still a challenge. Objective: Elastin changes, characterised by morphological alterations as well as increased desmosine levels, in the skin of the distal limbs...
Hansen M, Knorr C, Hall AJ, Broad TE, Brenig B.The solute carrier family 26, member 2 (SLC26A2) gene belongs to a family of multifunctional anion exchangers. Mutations in the human SLC26A2 gene are associated with autosomal recessively inherited chondrodysplasias. Hence, we postulate that the equine SLC26A2 could be a candidate gene for conformational traits in horses. An equine BAC clone harboring the SLC26A2 gene was isolated. The complete 142,625 bp insert sequence of this clone was determined by transposon sequencing. Together with the SLC26A2 gene the BAC clone contains four genes, i.e. the macrophage colony stimulating factor 1 recep...
Wittwer C, Hamann H, Rosenberger E, Distl O.Heritabilities were estimated for osteochondrosis (OC) in fetlock and hock joints and palmar/plantar osseous fragments in fetlock joints of South German Coldblood (SGC) horses using Residual Maximum Likelihood (REML) under a linear animal model. The analyses were based on the results of a standardized radiographic examination of 167 SGC horses with a mean age of 14 months. The heritabilities linearly estimated and transformed onto the liability scale were for OC in fetlock joints 0.16 and for OC in hock joints 0.04. Considering fetlock and hock OC together, results in a heritability of 0.17. P...
Lefebvre D, Lips D, Odberg FO, Giffroy JM.Routinely performed painful procedures are of increasing interest and, in 2001 (Royal Order, May 17), Belgium prohibited docking in several vertebrates including horses. In 2004, opponents to this decision submitted a Bill (Doc51 0969/001) to Parliament, intending to obtain derogation for Belgian draught horses, which were traditionally docked. The Animal Welfare Council of Belgium, an official body advising the Minister of Public Health, was asked to evaluate this complex question, including biological, ethical and socio-economic aspects, on the basis of the available peer-reviewed studies. I...
Furr M.Diagnosis of neuro-inflammatory conditions in the horse can be challenging. Current methods include evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for inflammation and determination of specific antibody status. The antibody index (AI) and Goldman-Witmer coefficient (C-value) can be used to aid in the interpretation. Objective: The null hypothesis to be tested was that the Al and C-values do not change in horses with neuroinflammation. Methods: Twelve horses of various ages (3-17 years) and breeds (Thoroughbred, Thoroughbred cross, draft, and Arabian) were included in the study. Methods: The study was...
Aberle KS, Hamann H, Drögemüller C, Distl O.We analysed a 610-bp mitochondrial (mt)DNA D-loop fragment in a sample of German draught horse breeds and compared the polymorphic sites with sequences from Arabian, Hanoverian, Exmoor, Icelandic, Sorraia and Przewalski's Horses as well as with Suffolk, Shire and Belgian horses. In a total of 65 horses, 70 polymorphic sites representing 47 haplotypes were observed. The average percentage of polymorphic sites was 11.5% for the mtDNA fragment analysed. In the nine different draught horse breeds including South German, Mecklenburg, Saxon Thuringa coldblood, Rhenisch German, Schleswig Draught Hors...
Mömke S, Distl O.The mammalian ATP2A2 gene encodes a P-type cation pump located in the sarcoplasmic or endoplasmic reticula of muscle cells. We isolated one bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone containing the equine ATP2A2 gene and determined the complete coding sequence of this gene. Cloning and characterization of the equine ATP2A2 gene revealed that the equine ATP2A2 gene consists of 20 exons. In total, 32 horses out of 16 breeds were analyzed for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). A mutation scan for SNPs included ten exons and their flanking introns. We detected in total 17 SNPs, 14 of which w...
McCue ME, Ribeiro WP, Valberg SJ.Controversy exists as to the prevalence of polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) in breeds of horses and its impact on performance. Objective: To determine 1) the prevalence of PSSM in horses that presented with a neuromuscular disorder, as well as breed, sex and age distributions and clinical signs 2) effect of diagnostic criteria on prevalence, breed distribution and age of horses diagnosed with PSSM. Methods: Fresh frozen biopsies (n = 1426) submitted to the Neuromuscular Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Minnesota were searched to identify horses diagnosed with PSSM. Horses with ...
Mömke S, Distl O.Chronic pastern dermatitis predominantly affects draft horses, and this condition is characterized by hyperkeratotic-hyperplastic dermal alterations. Chronic pastern dermatitis resembles the acral-hemorrhagic phenotype of Darier-White disease in humans. The ATP2A2 gene has been shown to be responsible for human Darier-White. Thus, we chose ATP2A2 on equine chromosome 8 (ECA8) as candidate for chronic pastern dermatitis in coldblood horses. A linkage analysis was performed in 10 paternal half-sib families consisting of 85 German coldblood horses using a microsatellite closely linked to ATP2A2, ...
Lejeune JP, Serteyn D, Gangl M, Schneider N, Deby-Dupont G, Deberg M, Henrotin Y.Several breeds of draft horses suffer from degenerative digital osteoarthropathy, resulting in a reduced active lifespan. A group of 30 Ardenner horses was followed, in standardized conditions, from 15 to 28 months of age to detect the early manifestations of the disease. The severity of the disease was assessed according to a personal grading system including clinical and radiographic items. Coll 2-1, a peptide of the helical region of type II collagen, and its nitrated form (Coll 2-1 NO(2)) were assayed in blood plasma collected at 452 +/- 18 days, 504 +/- 20 days, 558 +/- 18 days, 613 +/- 1...
Olds AM, Stewart AA, Freeman DE, Schaeffer DJ.To determine the rate of development of septic arthritis after elective arthroscopy and evaluate associations between various factors and development of this complication in horses. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 682 horses that underwent arthroscopic procedures at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital from 1994 to 2003. Methods: Information pertaining to signalment, joints treated, whether antimicrobials were administered, and development of postoperative septic arthritis was collected from medical records. Horses with a primary problem of septic arthritis or w...
Iwańczyk E, Juras R, Cholewiński G, Cothran EG.In this study a wide range of genetic markers (12 microsatellites, 7 blood-group loci, 10 blood-protein loci) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were used to assess genetic diversity in Polish Heavy horses. Three random samples were sequenced for 421 bp of the mitochondrial D-loop region, but no clear phylogenetic patterns were seen in mtDNA variation. Both heterozygosity and diversity levels are fairly high in Polish Heavy horses. In phylogenetic analysis the draught horses form a distinct cluster that pairs with the true pony breeds. Within this 'cold-blooded' group, the Polish Heavy Horse cluste...
Wittwer C, Hamann H, Rosenberger E, Distl O.This study aimed to quantify the factors associated with the prevalence of the radiological signs of osteochondrosis (OC) and osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) in South German Coldblood (SGC) horses. The prevalence of OC and OCD in fetlock and hock joints was analysed in 167 young coldblood horses with a mean age of 14 months. The presence of at least one osteochondrotic lesion (OC) in fetlock or hock joints was documented for 61.7% of the horses and 26.9% of the horses had osseus fragments. Osteochondrotic findings at the dorsal aspect of the sagittal ridge of the third metacarpal/metatarsal bo...
Druml T, Curik I, Baumung R, Aberle K, Distl O, Sölkner J.All over Europe, the number of draught horses has decreased drastically during the last 50 years. As a prerequisite for efficient management decisions, we analysed the conservation status in Austrian (Noriker Carinthia - NC, Noriker Salzburg - NS), Croatian (Croatian Coldblood - C, Posavina horse - P) and German (Altmaerkisch Coldblood - A, Black Forest horse - BF, Mecklenburg Coldblood - M, Rhenish German Draught horse - R, Saxon Thuringa Coldblood - ST, Schleswig Draught horse - Sch, South German Coldblood - SG) draught horses (434) using multilocus genotypic information from 30 (effectively...
McGahern AM, Edwards CJ, Bower MA, Heffernan A, Park SD, Brophy PO, Bradley DG, MacHugh DE, Hill EW.Equine mitochondrial DNA sequence variation was investigated in three indigenous Irish horse populations (Irish Draught Horse, Kerry Bog Pony and Connemara Pony) and, for context, in 69 other horse populations. There was no evidence of Irish Draught Horse or Connemara Pony sequence clustering, although the majority of Irish Draught Horse sequences (47%) were assigned to haplogroup D. Conversely, 31% of the Kerry Bog Pony sequences were assigned to the rare haplogroup E. In addition to the extant population analyses, ancient DNA sequences were generated from three out of four Irish archaeologic...
Lejeune JP, Schneider N, Caudron I, Duvivier DH, Serteyn D.Ossification of collateral cartilages is a common radiographic finding in draught horses and indication of a high frequency of interphalangeal osteo-arthropathy have been found in Ardenner horses. This study first aimed at following the evolution of the digits of the forelimbs on radiographic images in a group of 32 Ardenner horses from weaning to 852 +/- 19 days and, secondly, at evaluating the clinical significance of the observed radiographic changes. At 250 +/- 21 days, only 23% of the horses presented a small separate ossification centre of collateral cartilages above the level of the dis...
Brakenhoff JE, Holcombe SJ, Hauptman JG, Smith HK, Nickels FA, Caron JP.(1) To determine the effect of age, height, weight, breed, sex, and specific use on the prevalence of idiopathic left laryngeal hemiplegia (ILH) in a population of draft performance horses; (2) to determine the association between tracheal mucus and laryngeal dysfunction, and the prevalence of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) in a population of draft performance horses. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Draft horses competing at the 2005 Michigan Great Lakes Draft Horse Show. Methods: Endoscopic examinations were performed on horses competing at the 2005 Michigan Great Lakes Draft...
Young AE, Bower LP, Affolter VK, De Cock HE, Ferraro GL, Bannasch DL.Chronic progressive lymphedema (CPL) is a debilitating condition identified in Clydesdales, Shires and Belgian draft horses and results in progressive swelling of the lower legs associated with the development of thick skin folds, ulcerations, fibrosis and marked hyperkeratosis. The result is severe discomfort and recurrent secondary infection, often requiring euthanasia. Due to the delayed onset, many horses are bred prior to diagnosis. CPL has only been documented in three related draft horse breeds, suggesting a genetic cause. Determining the molecular basis would enable owners to test hors...
De Cock HE, Affolter VK, Farver TB, Van Brantegem L, Scheuch B, Ferraro GL.Chronic progressive lymphedema in Clydesdale and Shire draft horses causes severe disability of the limbs which leads to premature death of these horses. Since appropriate function of lymph vessels is dependent on the presence of viable elastin fibers, the goal of this study was to document differences in skin elastin fibers in affected horse breeds, compared to a nonaffected draft horse breed. Results: Biochemical analysis of cutaneous desmosine, a cross-linking amino acid found only in elastin, was used to measure elastin in the skin from 110 draft horses. This included 7 normal, 38 mildly a...
Osman SA, Hanafy A, Amer SE.At Kafr El-Sheikh province, Egypt, out of 117 examined drafting horses, mites were detected in 20 (17.09%) horses. The recovered mites were 14 Chorioptes, four Psoroptes and two Sarcoptes whereas mites were not detected in four cases clinically showed typical mange lesions. Interestingly, neither the age nor the sex of the examined horses had a clear influence on the prevalence of the infection. Clinical signs observed in mange infested horses were in the form of irregular skin lesions, severe itching and sometimes biting of affected skin areas and decrease feed consumption. The skin lesions m...
Rothenbuhler R, Hawkins JF, Adams SB, Lescun TB, Weil AB, Glickman LT, Fessler JF, Glickman NG.To determine whether heavy (> or = 680 kg [> or = 1,500 lb]) draft horses undergoing surgical treatment for acute signs of abdominal pain were at a greater risk for anesthetic and postoperative complications and lower postoperative survival rates than light ( 1 year) follow-up information was available was 50%. Conclusions: Draft horses weighing > 680 kg that underwent surgery because of acute signs of abdominal pain had longer durations of anesthesia, more postoperative complications, and higher mortality rates than draft horses weighing < 680 kg.
Valentine BA, Flint TH, Fischer KA.Serial sections of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded muscle biopsy specimens from 28 Quarter Horse, Paint, and draft-related breeds, aged 0.5-23 years, were treated with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) stain for glycogen and were immunostained to detect ubiquitin expression. On the basis of findings in PAS-stained sections, a diagnosis of equine polysaccharide storage myopathy (EPSSM) was made in 22 horses aged 2-23 years (mean, 9.4 years); samples from 6 horses aged 0.5-15 years (mean, 7.3 years) had a normal PAS staining pattern, with no relevant lesions. Ubiquitin expression was detected in all ...
Gottlieb M.Muscle fibre recruitment was investigated during draught loaded exercise by studying glycogen depletion patterns from histochemical stains of muscle biopsies from the gluteus and semitendinosus muscles. Three Standardbred trotters performed several intervals of draught loaded exercise on a treadmill with 34 kp at a trot (7 m/sec) and with 34 and 80 kp, respectively at a walk (2m/sec). Exercise was continued until the horses were unwilling to continue. Glycogen depletion was seen in all three fibre types when trotting with 34 kp for 5 or 10 mins. When an equal weight resistance was pulled at a ...
Goto A, Tagami M, Kato F, Suzuki T, Yamaga T, Murase H, Sato F, Tsogtgerel M, Niikura T, Moriyama T, Chiba A, Watanabe KI, Tsuzuki N, Nambo Y.We performed a standing hand-assisted laparoscopic ovariectomy in a draft mare that presented with high serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level and had an enlarged single cystic ovary. Histopathological examination revealed no tumor cell proliferation in the ovary, but the presence of a large ovarian cyst was confirmed. In the diagnosis of abnormal ovaries in mares, a comprehensive assessment should be performed, including the monitoring of ovarian morphology and biomarkers over time, to determine the disease prognosis and treatment plan. The case of this mare with a nonneoplastic abnormal o...
Geiser DR.Chemical restraint in the standing horse is used for a variety of procedures in veterinary medicine. The choice of agent depends on the physical status, temperament, and size of the patient; the procedure to be performed; and safety for the patient, veterinarian, and owner. The combination of certain agents may provide more desirable restraint and analgesia than does the use of individual agents. The use of analgesics in the horse is not without side effects, some of which may be detrimental to the patient's condition. Analgesics should be chosen with these untoward effects in mind. Draft bree...
Valentine BA, Habecker PL, Patterson JS, Njaa BL, Shapiro J, Holshuh HJ, Bildfell RJ, Bird KE.Skeletal muscle samples from 38 draft horse-related animals 1-23 years of age were evaluated for evidence of aggregates of glycogen and complex polysaccharide characteristic of equine polysaccharide storage myopathy (EPSSM). Cardiac muscle from 12 of these horses was also examined. Antemortem serum levels of creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) from 9 horses with EPSSM and 5 horses without EPSSM were compared. Skeletal muscle from 17 horses contained inclusions of periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive, amylase-resistant complex polysaccharide. Similar inclusions were also pr...
Muirhead T, McClure JT, Bourque A, Pack L.A lesion in the cervical region of a 14-month-old Belgian gelding with severe ataxia was suspected. Necropsy revealed symmetric focal cartilage defects compatible with osteochondrosis of the occipital condyles and atlanto-occipital dysplasia. To our knowledge this is the first equine report of symmetrical osteochondrosis of the occipital condyles causing neurologic signs.
Cymbaluk NF, Bristol FM, Christensen DA.Plasma ceruloplasmin activities and plasma Cu and Zn concentrations were determined in 215 clinically normal equids of various ages and breeds. Newborn foals, regardless of breed, were hypocupremic, compared with adolescent and mature horses. The mean plasma Cu concentration of newborn Standardbred-Thoroughbred (STD-TB) foals was 2.9 mumol/L, which was about one-sixth of plasma Cu concentrations of mature horses. Newborn draft-cross foals had higher (4.6 mumol/L) plasma Cu concentrations than did newborn STD-TB foals, but plasma Cu content was only one-fifth of the dams' concentrations. Draft-...
Rothenbuhler R, Hawkins JF, Adams SB, Lescun TB, Weil AB, Glickman LT, Fessler JF, Glickman NG.To determine whether heavy (> or = 680 kg [> or = 1,500 lb]) draft horses undergoing surgical treatment for acute signs of abdominal pain were at a greater risk for anesthetic and postoperative complications and lower postoperative survival rates than light ( 1 year) follow-up information was available was 50%. Conclusions: Draft horses weighing > 680 kg that underwent surgery because of acute signs of abdominal pain had longer durations of anesthesia, more postoperative complications, and higher mortality rates than draft horses weighing < 680 kg.
Hanson CM, Kline KH, Foreman JH.Heart scores (the arithmetic mean of the QRS durations of the three bipolar limb leads for 10 cycles) and heart weights were determined from five draft type horses and five racing type horses, and evaluated for relationships between heart score and heart size within and between the two different types of horses. Horses were killed using a captive bolt gun, and actual heart weights were recorded using an electronic digital scale. The linear regression equation for heart weight versus heart score had a significant (P < 0.05) negative slope for racing types. The regression coefficients for heart ...
Ishii M, Aoki T, Yamakawa K, Magata F, Gojo C, Ito K, Kayano M, Nambo Y.The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between the placental retention time (PRT) and the reproductive performance following mating at the foal heat in Thoroughbreds. For this purpose, we interviewed 292 farmers over a period of 3 years with questionnaires evaluating foaling, expulsion of placenta and reproductive performance at the foal heat in 1,432 mares. The obtained data were later compared with a previous study of heavy draft mares. The average of the PRT of the 1,432 Thoroughbred mares was 58 ± 88 min (mean ± SD). The mean PRT of Thoroughbreds was significantly shorter ...
Gabriel A, Jolly S, Detilleux J, Dessy-Doize C, Collin B, Reginster JY.Navicular bones from the 4 limbs of 95 horses, classified in 9 categories, were studied. The anatomical bases were established for the morphometry of the navicular bone and its variations according to the category of horse, after corrections were made for front or rear limb, sex, weight, size and age. In ponies, navicular bone measurements were smallest for light ponies and regularly increased with body size, but in horses, navicular bone dimensions were smallest for the athletic halfbred, intermediate for draft horse, thoroughbreds and sedentary halfbreds and largest for heavy halfbreds. The ...
Bazzano M, Zhu C, Laus F, Giambattista AD, Laghi L.The application of the 'omics' studies in the field of animal reproduction has been aimed at identifying novel biomarkers of fertility since the last few years. When assessing reproductive efficiency in horses, breed should also be taken into account as it can influence semen quality and fertility. Considering the growing interest in metabolomic analysis to evaluate male fertility, we aimed to investigate the metabolomic profile of seminal plasma in two different horse breeds. Twelve healthy stallions, n.6 American Quarter Horse (AQH) and n.6 Italian Draft Horse (IDH) stallions, regularly used...
Cymbaluk NF, Laarveld B.The effects of dam parity, age at weaning, and preweaning diet were examined in the ontogeny of serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentrations in foals. Foals born to 13 primiparous and 19 multiparous draft-cross mares were weighed and bled near birth. About one-half of the foals in each group were weaned early (about 13 wk old); the remaining foals were weaned late (about 16 wk of age). Pooled values for serum IGF-I concentrations between birth and 17 wk of age were higher (P < 0.065) for foals born to multiparous (386 ng/ml) than to primiparous mares (237.5 ng/ml). Colts (378 n...
Doreau M, Boulot S, Barlet JP, Patureau-Mirand P.The yields and composition of milk from nursing mares were studied during the first two months of lactation in 11 mares of heavy breeds (784 kg). Daily yield increased from 21.7 to 24.6 kg between weeks 1 and 8 of lactation. Fat, protein, gross energy and Ca concentrations significantly decreased when lactose content increased during this period. Individual variations were higher for yield than for composition. Casein, whey protein and non-protein N (56, 34 and 10% of crude protein, respectively) and amino acid composition did not vary between weeks 1 and 8 of lactation.
Hackett ES, Leise BS.Upper respiratory tract (URT) endoscopy at rest is commonly used to evaluate competition draught horses with URT conditions. Overground endoscopy might be preferred for draught horse URT evaluation as it allows the horses to be driven with harness, overcheck and cart-load under similar conditions to those experienced in the show ring where airway conditions are most prominent. Objective: To describe the exercising URT findings of competition draught horses with abnormal respiratory noise and/or poor performance. Methods: Case series. Methods: Medical records of competition draught horses under...
Lejeune JP, Serteyn D, Gangl M, Schneider N, Deby-Dupont G, Deberg M, Henrotin Y.Several breeds of draft horses suffer from degenerative digital osteoarthropathy, resulting in a reduced active lifespan. A group of 30 Ardenner horses was followed, in standardized conditions, from 15 to 28 months of age to detect the early manifestations of the disease. The severity of the disease was assessed according to a personal grading system including clinical and radiographic items. Coll 2-1, a peptide of the helical region of type II collagen, and its nitrated form (Coll 2-1 NO(2)) were assayed in blood plasma collected at 452 +/- 18 days, 504 +/- 20 days, 558 +/- 18 days, 613 +/- 1...
Aoki T, Kimura Y, Oya A, Chiba A, Ishii M, Nambo Y.Heavy draft mares potentially have a higher risk of suffering from postpartum fever (PF) than light breed mares. The purpose of this study was to compare hematological and biochemical features between clinically healthy mares (n=40) and PF-affected mares (n=16). Mares were classified as having PF when their rectal temperature rose to >38.5°C within 96 hr of foaling. The numbers of leukocytes, lymphocytes, and neutrophils and the serum magnesium level were significantly lower in PF-affected mares. The serum SAA and NEFA levels were significantly higher in PF-affected mares. Strong inflammation...
Aberle K, Wrede J, Distl O.Gene contributions of foreign populations as well as coefficients of inbreeding and relationship were calculated in 1918 South German Coldblood horses registered in Bavaria in 2003. Based on nearly complete 8-generation-pedigrees (index of pedigree completeness: 76%) the mean coefficient of inbreeding was 23%. After considering missing pedigree data, the mean coefficient of inbreeding was 3%. The rates of inbreeding per generation in the current population amount to about 0.43% over the last eight generations and to about 0.15% in the forthcoming generation. In the total current population, th...
Valentine BA, Credille KM, Lavoie JP, Fatone S, Guard C, Cummings JF, Cooper BJ.A severe myopathy leading to death or euthanasia was identified in 4 Belgian and 4 Percheron draught horses age 2-21 years. Clinical signs ranged from overt weakness and muscle atrophy in 2 horses age 2 and 3 years, to recumbency with inability to rise in 6 horses age 4-21 years. In 5 horses there was mild to severe increases in muscle enzyme levels. Clinical diagnoses included equine motor neuron disease (2 horses), post anaesthetic myopathy (2 horses), exertional myopathy (2 horses), myopathy due to unknown (one horse), and equine protozoal myelitis (one horse). Characteristic histopathology...
Pérez R, Recabarren SE, Mora G, Jara C, Quijada G, Hetz E.In order to establish the relationship between draught force and cardiorespiratory responses to exercise heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), arterial and venous blood gases, pH, hemoglobin concentration and temperature were measured in five draught horses during rest, immediately after exercise and 30 min post-exercise under field conditions. A wagon equipped with an odometer and a hydraulic dynamometer was used for measuring distance and draught force. The wagon was loaded with 946 kg for the low load, 1,979 kg for the medium load and 2,994 kg for the high load, and drawn for a distance o...
Robles M, Peugnet PM, Valentino SA, Dubois C, Dahirel M, Aubrière MC, Reigner F, Serteyn D, Wimel L, Tarrade A, Chavatte-Palmer P.Ponies and sometimes draft horses are often used as experimental models for horses although size and metabolic parameters are known to vary between horse breeds. So far, there is little information about differences of placental structure and no information about differences of placental function between breeds. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in placental size, structure and function at birth in relation to foal size and weight in ponies, Saddlebred and draft horses. Pony, Saddlebred and draft horse pregnancies were obtained by artificial insemination over 2 successive br...
Stover KK, Williams SH.In mammals, chewing cycle duration (CCD) increases with various measures of size, scaling with body mass(0.13-0.28) and jaw length(0.55). Proposed explanations for these scaling relationships include the allometry of body size, basal metabolic rate and tooth size, on the one hand, and pendular mechanics treating the jaw as a gravity-driven pendulum, on the other. Little is known, however, about the relationship between CCD and size within species. Recent research in dogs demonstrates altogether different scaling exponents and weaker correlations. This research suggests that breed-specific grow...
Harada K, Kanemitsu S, Akioka K, Fujita K, Nishi Y, Taura Y, Sasaki N.Fifty-four slaughtered horses were classified into groups having adipose tissue in the crest of the neck with or without hemorrhage (AH and NH groups, respectively). Blood biochemical tests (Alb, TP, T-bil, GOT, GPT, LDH, T-cho, and BUN) and an epidemiological survey (age, gender, weight, origin, breed, BCS, CNS, and hoof disease) were performed. T-bil tended to be high, while the other parameters were normal. Weight, BCS, and CNS were higher in the AH group (P<0.05). GOT was lower in the AH group (P<0.05). It was suspected that the horses in the AH group had lipomatosis. It was assumed ...
Kimura Y, Aoki T, Chiba A, Nambo Y.Dystocia is often lethal for neonatal foals; however, its clinicopathological features remain largely unknown. We investigated the effect of dystocia on the foal blood profile. Venous blood samples were collected from 35 foals (5 Percheron and 30 crossbreds between Percheron, Belgian, and Breton heavy draft horses) at 0 hr, 1 hr, 12 hr and 1 day after birth. Dystocia was defined as prolonged labor >30 min with strong fetal traction with or without fetal displacement. The dystocia group (n=13) showed lower mean values for pH (P<0.01), bicarbonate (P<0.01), total carbon dioxide (P<0....
Mykkänen AK, Hyytiäinen HK, McGowan CM.A 2-week-old Estonian Draft foal presented with signs of severe generalised tetanus, recumbency and inability to drink. The suspected source of infection was the umbilicus. Medical treatment was administered, including tetanus antitoxin, antimicrobial therapy and phenobarbital to control tetanic spasms. In addition, an intensive physiotherapy program was carried out during the recovery period. Techniques designed for syndromes involving upper motor neuron spasticity in humans were applied. Exercises aimed at weight-bearing and mobility were executed with the help of a walking-frame. The foal m...
Doreau M, Boulot S, Martin-Rosset W, Robelin J.The milk and nutrient intakes of 21 nursing foals of heavy breeds (adult weight: 800 kg) were determined at 1, 4 and 8 weeks of age. Lactose intake increased (P is less than 0.01) from 1 300 g/day at 1 week of age to 1 800 g/d at 8 weeks; fat decreased (P is less than 0.01) from 400 g/d to 300 g/d and protein did not vary (600 g/d). Energy and nitrogen intakes did not depend on the source of energy in the mother's diet. Milk, energy and nitrogen intakes were well related (r = 0.74 to 0.81) with foal growth between 1 and 4 weeks, but not between 4 and 8 weeks. The composition of weight gain sho...
Furr M.Diagnosis of neuro-inflammatory conditions in the horse can be challenging. Current methods include evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for inflammation and determination of specific antibody status. The antibody index (AI) and Goldman-Witmer coefficient (C-value) can be used to aid in the interpretation. Objective: The null hypothesis to be tested was that the Al and C-values do not change in horses with neuroinflammation. Methods: Twelve horses of various ages (3-17 years) and breeds (Thoroughbred, Thoroughbred cross, draft, and Arabian) were included in the study. Methods: The study was...
Riley CB, Scott WM, Caron JP, Fretz PB, Bailey JV, Barber SM.The clinical features, radiographic findings, treatment, and outcome in 51 draft horses with osteochondritis dessicans (OCD) or subchondral cystic lesions (SC) are reported. Clydesdale and Percheron were the most commonly affected breeds, and affected animals represented only 5% of the hospital population of draft horses. Horses were most frequently affected in the tibiotarsal joints and 73% (24 of 33 cases) of the horses with tibiotarsal effusion were affected bilaterally. Osteochondritis dessicans of the distal intermediate ridge was the most common lesion found in the tibiotarsal joint. The...
Hiraga A, Sugano S.Although the total number of horses raised in Japan dramatically decreased after World War II, because draft horses were still used for farm work in paddy fields and on farms during the period of the 1950s and 1960s, a performance test for selecting better draft horses was needed. In order to determine the most suitable size of draft horses for Japanese farm conditions, the working power of horses weighing from 185 to 622 kg was evaluated by performing an endurance test, several kinds of working power tests, and maximum pulling power tests. Oxygen consumption during draft exercise was measured...
Sato K, Miyake M, Yoshikawa T, Kambegawa A.Concentrations of progesterone and oestrogens were determined by radioimmunoassay in the peripheral blood of 22 Percheron and Breton breed mares from the 6th day of oestrus to the 150th day of pregnancy. Periodical variation patterns for the mean values of oestrone, oestradiol 17beta and total oestrogens in the cycling mares were found, with two peaks on the third day before and the 15th day after ovulation, and one depression on the 6th day of oestrus. In pregnant mares, the concentrations of oestrone and oestradiol 17beta increased rapidly (P less than 0.05) after Day 105 of gestation. Proge...
Lefebvre D, Lips D, Odberg FO, Giffroy JM.Routinely performed painful procedures are of increasing interest and, in 2001 (Royal Order, May 17), Belgium prohibited docking in several vertebrates including horses. In 2004, opponents to this decision submitted a Bill (Doc51 0969/001) to Parliament, intending to obtain derogation for Belgian draught horses, which were traditionally docked. The Animal Welfare Council of Belgium, an official body advising the Minister of Public Health, was asked to evaluate this complex question, including biological, ethical and socio-economic aspects, on the basis of the available peer-reviewed studies. I...
