The relationship between the environment and horses encompasses the study of how various environmental factors impact equine health, behavior, and performance. This includes examining the effects of climate, air quality, housing conditions, and pasture management on horses. Environmental factors can influence respiratory health, thermoregulation, and stress levels in horses. Research in this area often focuses on identifying optimal conditions for horse welfare and productivity, as well as the mitigation of adverse environmental impacts. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that investigate the interactions between environmental conditions and equine physiology, behavior, and overall health.
Pedersen PJ, Moeller SB, Flethøj M, Kanters JK, Buhl R, Klaerke DA.Irregularities in cardiac repolarization are known to predispose for arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in humans. The QT interval is a quantitative measurement of repolarization, and clinically, the QTc (QT interval corrected for heart rate) and Tpeak to Tend intervals (TpTe) are used as repolarization markers. To support the use of these markers in horses, we sought to describe the possible influence of the environment, time of day, day-to-day effects, T wave conformation, age, body weight (BW), and horse-to-horse variation on repolarization measurements. Methods: 12 Warmblood geldings, ag...
Schurink A, van der Meide NM, Savelkoul HF, Ducro BJ, Tijhaar E.Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is a common allergic skin disease in horses, caused by biting insects of the Culicoides spp. In The Netherlands, Culicoides spp. of the Obsoletus complex are the most important midges involved in IBH. The aim of the present study was to identify and quantify associations between several endogenous (host) and exogenous (environmental) factors and immunoglobulin E (IgE) reactivity against Obsoletus complex-derived whole body extract or seven recombinant allergens, measured by ELISA. Data from 143 Icelandic horses and 177 Shetland ponies were analysed using mult...
Holmquist JG, Schmidt-Gengenbach J, Ballenger EA.Assessments of vertebrate disturbance to plant and animal assemblages often contrast grazed versus ungrazed meadows or other larger areas of usage, and this approach can be powerful. Random sampling of such habitats carries the potential, however, for smaller, more intensely affected patches to be missed and for other responses that are only revealed at smaller scales to also escape detection. We instead sampled arthropod assemblages and vegetation structure at the patch scale (400-900 m(2) patches) within subalpine wet meadows of Yosemite National Park (USA), with the goal of determining if t...
Wespi B, Sieme H, Wedekind C, Burger D.Horses (Equus caballus) belong to the group of seasonally polyestrous mammals. Estrous cycles typically start with increasing daylight length after winter, but mares can differ greatly in the timing of onset of regular estrus cycles. Here, we test whether spatial proximity to a stallion also plays a role. Twenty-two anestrous mares were either exposed to one of two stallions (without direct physical contact) or not exposed (controls) under experimental conditions during two consecutive springs (February to April). Ovarian activity was monitored via transrectal ultrasound and stallion's direct ...
Dejmal M, Lisá L, Fišáková Nývltová M, Bajer A, Petr L, Kočár P, Kočárová R, Nejman L, Rybníček M, Sůvová Z, Culp R, Vavrčík H.A multi proxy approach was applied in the reconstruction of the architecture of Medieval horse stable architecture, the maintenance practices associated with that structure as well as horse alimentation at the beginning of 13th century in Central Europe. Finally, an interpretation of the local vegetation structure along Morava River, Czech Republic is presented. The investigated stable experienced two construction phases. The infill was well preserved and its composition reflects maintenance practices. The uppermost part of the infill was composed of fresh stabling, which accumulated within a ...
Middleton D, Pallister J, Klein R, Feng YR, Haining J, Arkinstall R, Frazer L, Huang JA, Edwards N, Wareing M, Elhay M, Hashmi Z, Bingham J, Yamada M....In recent years, the emergence of several highly pathogenic zoonotic diseases in humans has led to a renewed emphasis on the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health, otherwise known as One Health. For example, Hendra virus (HeV), a zoonotic paramyxovirus, was discovered in 1994, and since then, infections have occurred in 7 humans, each of whom had a strong epidemiologic link to similarly affected horses. As a consequence of these outbreaks, eradication of bat populations was discussed, despite their crucial environmental roles in pollination and reduction of the insect p...
Kampmann S, Hampson BA, Pollitt CC.Recent record rainfall in much of semi-arid Central Australia is the most likely reason for a feral horse population increase in excess of normal. Uncontrolled numbers of feral horses have habitat degradation and animal welfare implications. Objective: The aims of this study were to investigate the social structure of feral horses and assess their population growth rate following unseasonably high rainfall. Methods: The study area was 4000 km(2) of unmanaged, semi-arid country in Central Australia (latitude 24.50°S, longitude 132.10°E). Horses were identified by descriptive features from g...
Giguet-Covex C, Pansu J, Arnaud F, Rey PJ, Griggo C, Gielly L, Domaizon I, Coissac E, David F, Choler P, Poulenard J, Taberlet P.The reconstruction of human-driven, Earth-shaping dynamics is important for understanding past human/environment interactions and for helping human societies that currently face global changes. However, it is often challenging to distinguish the effects of the climate from human activities on environmental changes. Here we evaluate an approach based on DNA metabarcoding used on lake sediments to provide the first high-resolution reconstruction of plant cover and livestock farming history since the Neolithic Period. By comparing these data with a previous reconstruction of erosive event frequen...
Hendrickson SL.Life at high altitude results in physiological and metabolic challenges that put strong evolutionary pressure on performance due to oxidative stress, UV radiation and other factors dependent on the natural history of the species. To look for genes involved in altitude adaptation in a large herbivore, this study explored genome differentiation between a feral population of Andean horses introduced by the Spanish in the 1500s to the high Andes and their Iberian breed relatives. Results: Using allelic genetic models and Fst analyses of ~50 K single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the horse...
Cabrera-Guzmán E, Crossland MR, González-Bernal E, Shine R.Many invasive species exploit the disturbed habitats created by human activities. Understanding the effects of habitat disturbance on invasion success, and how disturbance interacts with other factors (such as biotic resistance to the invaders from the native fauna) may suggest new ways to reduce invader viability. In tropical Australia, commercial livestock production can facilitate invasion by the cane toad (Rhinella marina), because hoofprints left by cattle and horses around waterbody margins provide distinctive (cool, moist) microhabitats; nevertheless the same microhabitat can inhibit th...
Holmquist JG, Schmidt-Gengenbach J, Haultain SA.Grazing management necessarily emphasizes the most spatially extensive vegetation assemblages, but landscapes are mosaics, often with more mesic vegetation types embedded within a matrix of drier vegetation. Our primary objective was to contrast effects of equine grazing on both subalpine vegetation structure and associated arthropods in a drier reed grass (Calamagrostis muiriana) dominated habitat versus a wetter, more productive sedge habitat (Carex utriculata). A second objective was to compare reed grass and sedge as habitats for fauna, irrespective of grazing. All work was done in Sequoia...
van Beest FM, Uzal A, Vander Wal E, Laforge MP, Contasti AL, Colville D, McLoughlin PD.Density is a fundamental driver of many ecological processes including habitat selection. Theory on density-dependent habitat selection predicts that animals should be distributed relative to profitability of habitat, resulting in reduced specialization in selection (i.e. generalization) as density increases and competition intensifies. Despite mounting empirical support for density-dependent habitat selection using isodars to describe coarse-grained (interhabitat) animal movements, we know little of how density affects fine-grained resource selection of animals within habitats [e.g. using res...
Tozer SJ, Lambert SB, Strong CL, Field HE, Sloots TP, Nissen MD.Q fever is a vaccine-preventable disease; despite this, high annual notification numbers are still recorded in Australia. We have previously shown seroprevalence in Queensland metropolitan regions is approaching that of rural areas. This study investigated the presence of nucleic acid from Coxiella burnetii, the agent responsible for Q fever, in a number of animal and environmental samples collected throughout Queensland, to identify potential sources of human infection. Samples were collected from 129 geographical locations and included urine, faeces and whole blood from 22 different animal s...
Norman TE, Chaffin MK, Bissett WT, Thompson JA.To determine risk factors associated with the development of nasopharyngeal cicatrix syndrome (NCS) in horses. Methods: Retrospective case-control study. Methods: 242 horses referred for endoscopic evaluation of the upper portion of the respiratory tract (121 horses with NCS and 121 control horses). Methods: Medical records of horses that had an endoscopic evaluation of the upper airway performed between January 2003 and December 2008 were reviewed. Signalment, housing management, and season of evaluation were recorded and reviewed for each horse. The associations between clinical signs and en...
Lavin TE, Nielsen BD, Zingsheim JN, O'Connor-Robison CI, Link JE, Hill GM, Shelton J.An experiment was conducted to study P digestibility in mature horses because of the growing environmental concerns regarding P runoff and previous equine research focused mostly on young and growing animals or used ponies as a model. Phytase supplementation of swine and poultry diets can result in greater phytate-P digestibility, leading to a decreased need for inorganic P supplementation and a decrease in P excreted to the environment; this, however, has not been demonstrated in the horse. Six mature Arabian geldings were fed 6 diets consisting of pelleted concentrate and alfalfa hay. The co...
Westermann S, Stanek C, Schramel JP, Ion A, Buchner HH.Current literature suggests that thermographic imaging of horses should be performed in a draught-free room. However, studies on the effect of airflow on determined temperature have not been published. Objective: To investigate effects of airflow on thermographically determined temperature of horses' forelimbs; to assess the relationship of wind velocity, rectal temperature, ambient temperature and humidity. Methods: Thermographic images were obtained for the forelimbs of 6 horses in a draught-free room. Three replicates (R) with defined wind velocities (R1, 0.5-1.0 m/s; R2, 1.3-2.6 m/s; a...
Girard TL, Bork EW, Nielsen SE, Alexander MJ.Public lands occupied by feral horses in North America are frequently managed for multiple uses with land use conflict occurring among feral horses, livestock, wildlife, and native grassland conservation. The factors affecting habitat use by horses is critical to understand where conflict may be greatest. We related horse presence and abundance to landscape attributes in a GIS to examine habitat preferences using 98 field plots sampled within a portion of the Rocky Mountain Forest Reserve of SW Alberta, Canada. Horse abundance was greatest in grassland and cut block habitats, and lowest in con...
Beschta RL, Donahue DL, DellaSala DA, Rhodes JJ, Karr JR, O'Brien MH, Fleischner TL, Deacon Williams C.Climate change affects public land ecosystems and services throughout the American West and these effects are projected to intensify. Even if greenhouse gas emissions are reduced, adaptation strategies for public lands are needed to reduce anthropogenic stressors of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and to help native species and ecosystems survive in an altered environment. Historical and contemporary livestock production-the most widespread and long-running commercial use of public lands-can alter vegetation, soils, hydrology, and wildlife species composition and abundances in ways that exa...
Contasti AL, Tissier EJ, Johnstone JF, McLoughlin PD.Fine-scale spatial variation in genetic relatedness and inbreeding occur across continuous distributions of several populations of vertebrates; however, the basis of observed variation is often left untested. Here we test the hypothesis that prior observations of spatial patterns in genetics for an island population of feral horses (Sable Island, Canada) were the result of spatial variation in population dynamics, itself based in spatial heterogeneity in underlying habitat quality. In order to assess how genetic and population structuring related to habitat, we used hierarchical cluster analys...
Sun L, Gong Z, Oberst EJ, Betancourt A, Adams AA, Horohov DW.While born with a limited production, foals' interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) expression increases after birth. The underlying mechanisms remain unknown. DNA methylation is considered to be involved. Therefore, the DNA methylation status of the Ifng promoter in CD4(+) cells from neonatal foal was determined using a methylation-specific PCR (MSP), and its relevance to IFN-γ mRNA expression was estimated. The effect of environment on the DNA methylation was also evaluated by comparing ponies that were kept in a barn versus those on pasture. The DNA in the Ifng promoter was hypermethylated and its deme...
Cohen ND, Kuskie KR, Smith JL, Slovis NM, Brown SE, Stepusin RS, Chaffin MK, Takai S, Carter CN.To determine whether the concentration of airborne virulent Rhodococcus equi varied by location (stall vs paddock) and month on horse farms. Methods: Air samples from stalls and paddocks used to house mares and foals on 30 horse breeding farms in central Kentucky. Methods: Air samples from 1 stall and 1 paddock were obtained monthly from each farm from January through June 2009. Concentrations of airborne virulent R equi were determined via a modified colony immunoblot assay. Random-effects logistic regression was used to determine the association of the presence of airborne virulent R equi wi...
Hampson BA, de Laat MA, Mills PC, Pollitt CC.To better understand the morphology of, and the effect of different travel patterns and varying substrate environments on, the feral horse foot to better manage the feet of domestic horses. Methods: The left forefeet of 20 adult feral horses from each of five geographically separated populations in Australia (n = 100) were investigated. Populations were selected on the basis of substrate hardness under foot and the amount of travel typical for the population. Feet were radiographed and photographed and 40 morphometric measurements of each foot were obtained. Results: Of the 40 parameters, 37 d...
Desgorces FD, Berthelot G, Charmantier A, Tafflet M, Schaal K, Jarne P, Toussaint JF.Running speed in animals depends on both genetic and environmental conditions. Maximal speeds were here analysed in horses, dogs and humans using data sets on the 10 best performers covering more than a century of races. This includes a variety of distances in humans (200-1500 m). Speed has been progressing fast in the three species, and this has been followed by a plateau. Based on a Gompertz model, the current best performances reach 97.4% of maximal velocity in greyhounds to 100.3 in humans. Further analysis based on a subset of individuals and using an 'animal model' shows that running spe...
Liccardi G, Emenius G, Merritt AS, Salzillo A, D'Amato M, D'Amato G.Most studies on the sensitization to horse allergens in populations without professional exposure have been carried out in geographical areas where the rate of horse ownership is high and horse riding is popular. Very few studies have been carried out in populations living in large urban areas. This gap in the literature probably reflects the widespread view that prevalence of horse-related allergy is low in urban populations because the latter are not regularly exposed to horses. On the contrary, we suggest that urban areas constitute a model useful to study potential modalities of exposure a...
Warmuth V, Eriksson A, Bower MA, Barker G, Barrett E, Hanks BK, Li S, Lomitashvili D, Ochir-Goryaeva M, Sizonov GV, Soyonov V, Manica A.Despite decades of research across multiple disciplines, the early history of horse domestication remains poorly understood. On the basis of current evidence from archaeology, mitochondrial DNA, and Y-chromosomal sequencing, a number of different domestication scenarios have been proposed, ranging from the spread of domestic horses out of a restricted primary area of domestication to the domestication of numerous distinct wild horse populations. In this paper, we reconstruct both the population genetic structure of the extinct wild progenitor of domestic horses, Equus ferus, and the origin and...
Komar S, Miskewitz R, Westendorf M, Williams CA.Our objective in this study is to compare 4 of the most common bedding materials used by equine operations on the chemical and physical characteristics of composted equine stall waste. Twelve Standardbred horses were adapted to the barn and surrounding environment for 2 wk before the start of the study. Groups of 3 horses were bedded on 1 of 4 different bedding types (wood shavings, pelletized wood materials, long straw, and pelletized straw) for 16 h per day for 18 d. Stalls were cleaned by trained staff daily, and all contents removed were weighed and stored separately by bedding material on...
Mo PM, Picard J, Gummow B.Fungi are ubiquitous in the environment and part of the commensal microflora on the conjunctiva of equine eyes. North Queensland, being tropical, presents an ideal environment for fungi growth. When the cornea is injured, fungi can invade the corneal stroma, resulting in keratomycosis. The objectives of this study were to determine the fungal species specific to the eyes of horses in the Townsville region; to investigate the potential risk factors associated with the presence of fungi; and to test their susceptibility to antifungals to create an empirical guide for treatment. The eyes of forty...
Giannetto C, Arfuso F, Giudice E, Di Pietro S, Piccione G.Recent studies evidenced that the circadian rhythm of Per2 is involved in adaptive thermogenesis by the modulating transcription of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1). For this purpose, we investigated the linkage between the daily rhythm of Per2 and UCP1 in ruminant and non-ruminant mammalian species. Five clinically healthy, not pregnant, and not lactating Maltese female goats and five clinically healthy, not pregnant, and not lactating Italian Saddle horses were enrolled in the study. All animals were housed under natural photoperiod (sunrise 05:05, sunset 20:55) and environmental temperature and ...
Holmquist JG, Schmidt-Gengenbach J, Haultain SA.Grazing management necessarily emphasizes the most spatially extensive vegetation assemblages, but landscapes are mosaics, often with more mesic vegetation types embedded within a matrix of drier vegetation. Our primary objective was to contrast effects of equine grazing on both subalpine vegetation structure and associated arthropods in a drier reed grass (Calamagrostis muiriana) dominated habitat versus a wetter, more productive sedge habitat (Carex utriculata). A second objective was to compare reed grass and sedge as habitats for fauna, irrespective of grazing. All work was done in Sequoia...
Weiland K, Alge K, Mautner A, Bauer A, Bismarck A.Nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) has key applications in composites, water filters and as emulsifiers. The affinity of NFC to water is a challenge, as it negatively influences its integrity. Lignin, a major component of plant biomass, is a natural hydrophobiser. Anaerobic digestion (AD) of biomass to produce biomethane allows to up-concentrate lignin in the fermentation residue containing lignocellulosic fibres. Horse manure was used as substrate for biogas production from which nanolignocellulose fibres (LCNF) were extracted. A biogas yield of 207 L kg with a methane concentration of 65 % was...
Da Lio L, Castello P, Gianfelice G, Cavalli R, Canu P.We investigated the exploitation of horse manure for energy recovery by combustion. First, the impact of the waste origin and management (storage conditions) was evaluated in terms of elemental analysis, moisture content, heating value, and ash melting temperature. Besides some carbon loss over the time, horse manure origin and management policy do not impact its profitable exploitation by combustion. More relevant, the ignition tests disproved the current industrial opinion that combustion of manure alone is difficult, without the addition of auxiliary fuel, like wood shavings. It has been de...
Forbes AB.Ivermectin and abamectin are two members of the group of parasiticides known as the avermectins; ivermectin was first registered as an injectable treatment for cattle in 1981. Since then, abamectin has been registered for cattle and ivermectin for horses. The relative popularity of the avermectins amongst farmers and veterinarians can be attributed to their spectrum of activity, convenience, wide margin of safety and the improved health and performance of stock following their use. Patterns of use in grazing animals apply equally to the avermectins as to other antiparasitics, particularly anth...
Rebecca PH, Linda P.Although the number of small-scale farms is increasing in North America and Europe, few studies have been conducted to better understand environmental management in this sector. We investigate this issue by examining environmental management on horse farms from both the perspective of the "expert" extension educator and horse farm operator. We conducted a Delphi survey and follow-up interviews with extension educators in Indiana and Kentucky. We also conducted interviews and farm assessments with 15 horse farm operators in the two states. Our results suggest a disconnection between the percept...
Dovc P, Susnik S, Snoj A.Management of breeding- and free-living populations, traditionally based on phenotypic traits, relays more and more on availability of reliable information about the basic population genetic parameters as heterozygosity, mean number of alleles per locus, percentage of polymorphic loci, population structuring, genetic distances and others. Therefore, the application of molecular markers, revealing a great deal of phenotypically hidden information, becomes inevitable for population analysis. Conservation geneticists use this information for implementation of appropriate management policies. Appl...
Cox AH, Amador JA.Historically, much of the New England landscape was converted to pasture for grazing animals and harvesting hay. Both consumer demand for local sustainably produced food, and the number of small farms is increasing in RI, highlighting the importance of characterizing the effects livestock have on the quality of pasture soils. To assess how livestock affect pasture on Charlton and Canton soils series in RI, we examined soil quality in farms raising beef cattle (Bos taurus), sheep (Ovis aries), and horses (Equus ferus caballus), using hayed pastures as a control. We sampled three pastures per li...
Kolm G, Helsberg A, Gemeiner M.The effect of factors including the horses' farm environment, their sex and age and whether they suffered from summer seasonal recurrent dermatitis (sweet itch) on the concentrations of zinc in the plasma, whole blood and blood cells of 104 Icelandic horses was investigated. Its concentration in plasma varied significantly between farms (P<0.01), but its concentration in blood and blood cells was not influenced by any of the variables. The concentration of zinc in the blood cells was 10.5 times greater than in plasma, but its concentration in plasma was not correlated with its concentration in...
Madelin TM, Clarke AF, Mair TS.Sera from 54 two- to three-year-old Thoroughbred horses from an English racing stable were examined for precipitins to antigen extracts prepared from 18 species of moulds (fungi and thermophilic actinomycetes) isolated from the same stable. Twenty-seven horses exhibited serum precipitins to one or more antigens; sixteen of the mould antigens elicited positive reactions in sera from one or more horses. Significantly more precipitins occurred in sera of those horses stabled in a barn than among those stabled in individual boxes. This indicated a possible association between type of housing, leve...
Oehme FW.Animals are constantly exposed to a wide variety of foreign chemicals, many of which are potentially toxic and some of which result in the clinical poisonings. Pesticides are applied on or around animals for the control of insects and rodents. These chemicals may be placed in areas without regard for accessibility to household pets and domestic livestock. Insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides are routinely and haphazardly applied to animal and environmental surfaces alike with apparent disregard for differences in absorptive capability. Fortunately, newer herbicides and fungicides are relat...
Julien MA, Rivals F, Serangeli J, Bocherens H, Conard NJ.It is often difficult to differentiate between archaeological bonebeds formed by one event such as a mass kill of a single herd, and those formed by multiple events that occurred over a longer period of time. The application of high temporal resolution studies such as intra-tooth isotopic profiles on archaeological mammal cohorts offers new possibilities for exploring this issue, allowing investigators to decipher between single and multiple accumulation events. We examined (18)O and (13)C isotopic variations from the enamel carbonate of 23 horse third molars from the Middle Pleistocene archae...
Cabrera-Guzmán E, Crossland MR, González-Bernal E, Shine R.Many invasive species exploit the disturbed habitats created by human activities. Understanding the effects of habitat disturbance on invasion success, and how disturbance interacts with other factors (such as biotic resistance to the invaders from the native fauna) may suggest new ways to reduce invader viability. In tropical Australia, commercial livestock production can facilitate invasion by the cane toad (Rhinella marina), because hoofprints left by cattle and horses around waterbody margins provide distinctive (cool, moist) microhabitats; nevertheless the same microhabitat can inhibit th...
Vasanthkumar P, Senthilkumar N, Rao KS, Metwally ASM, Fattah IM, Shaafi T, Murugan VS.The consumption of a significant quantity of energy in buildings has been linked to the emergence of environmental problems that can have unfavourable effects on people. The prediction of energy consumption is widely regarded as an effective method for the conservation of energy and the improvement of decision-making processes for the purpose of lowering energy use. When it comes to the generation of positive results in prediction tasks, the Machine Learning (ML) technique can be considered the most appropriate and applicable strategy. This article presents a Modified Wild Horse Optimization w...
Barker SA.Advances in analytical technology now make it feasible to detect and confirm exceptionally low concentrations (pg to fg/mL) of drugs and their metabolites in equine biological fluids. These new capabilities complicate the regulatory interpretation of drug positives and bring into question the fair application of medication rules. Such approaches and policies are further complicated by the possibility that drug positives may arise from contamination of the equine environment on the backstretch of the race track. This manuscript provides data demonstrating that the general environment of the bac...
Ferreira PFA, Xavier JF, Nunes JF, Fonseca IP, de Mattos de Oliveira Coelho S, Soares de Souza MM, da Silva Coelho I.Livestock waste is widely used in agriculture. Although they provide benefits to the soil, and consequently to plants, they have the potential to contaminate the environment, as they contain pathogenic microorganisms and determinants of antimicrobial resistance, if not properly managed. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effect of composting horse bedding and poultry litter in organic and conventional production systems on the occurrence of bacteria in the Enterobacteriales order and to identify their antimicrobial resistance profiles. Bacterial strains were isolated from Salmonella-Sh...
Miraglia N, Costantini M, Polidori M, Meineri G, Peiretti PG.In the Molise region (Italy), some autochthonous populations are still bred and, between them, some wild horses named 'Pentro horses.' The breeding area is a natural pasture. It is 2200 ha extended including a broad plane surrounded by wooden hills. The aim of this research was to determine the nutritional characteristics of this area over a 2-year period to improve the management of the herd and to define the stocking rate in relation to the forage production in terms of production and quality. The forage samples were collected over two successive years during the grazing period (May to Octob...
Peretich AL, Abbott LL, Andrews FM, Dhar MS.To determine whether expression of mRNA for sodium-potassium adenosine-triphosphatase (NAKA) and sodium-hydrogen exchanger (NHE) in samples of the nonglandular portion of the equine gastric mucosa was altered by exposure to volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in an acidic environment. Methods: 10 horses (5 or = 12 years old). Methods: Samples of the nonglandular portion of the gastric mucosa were collected and exposed in Ussing chambers to Ringer's solution (control samples), Ringer's solution containing a mixture of VFAs (pH, 1.5 or 4.0), or Ringer's solution containing acetic acid (pH, 1.5 or 4.0)....
Moinardeau C, Mesléard F, Dutoit T.Extensive grazing by domestic herbivores is a widespread management practice used since the 80s in many European agro-ecosystems such as semi-natural grasslands to maintain open habitats and to enhance biodiversity. Such grazing systems have principally been tested in cultural ecosystems of high nature value threatened by grazing abandonment. However, there have been few case studies of grazing management in very anthropized ecosystems, such as the new ecosystems created by urban or industrial conversions. In Southern France, the Rhône channeling for navigation and electricity production gene...
Dejmal M, Lisá L, Fišáková Nývltová M, Bajer A, Petr L, Kočár P, Kočárová R, Nejman L, Rybníček M, Sůvová Z, Culp R, Vavrčík H.A multi proxy approach was applied in the reconstruction of the architecture of Medieval horse stable architecture, the maintenance practices associated with that structure as well as horse alimentation at the beginning of 13th century in Central Europe. Finally, an interpretation of the local vegetation structure along Morava River, Czech Republic is presented. The investigated stable experienced two construction phases. The infill was well preserved and its composition reflects maintenance practices. The uppermost part of the infill was composed of fresh stabling, which accumulated within a ...
Sweeney CR, McDonnell S, Russell GE, Terzich M.To evaluate the effectiveness of altering the pH of manure with sodium bisulfate, thereby decreasing ammonia concentration and fly population in a horse barn environment. Methods: 4 mixed-breed pony stallions. Methods: The 4-week study was scheduled with 2 weeks of treatment (with 2 application rates) and 2 weeks with no treatment (control weeks). During treatment weeks, sodium bisulfate was applied daily to the top of the bedding and straw, then spread on top. Ponies were kept in the stalls 24 hours a day during the 7-day test period and stall cleaning was not done. On day 7 of each week, amm...
Davie A, Beavers R, Hargitaiová K, Denham J.This paper provides a comprehensive discussion on the physiological impacts of hypoxic training, its benefits to endurance performance, and a rationale for utilizing it to improve performance in the equine athlete. All exercise-induced training adaptations are governed by genetics. Exercise prescriptions can be tailored to elicit the desired physiological adaptations. Although the application of hypoxic stimuli on its own is not ideal to promote favorable molecular responses, exercise training under hypoxic conditions provides an optimal environment for maximizing physiological adaptations to ...
Sad EP, Hess TM, Santos HA, Lessa DAB, Botteon PTL.Equine asthma is an airway disease that affects a large number of horses annually leading to considerable economic losses in the horse industry. Despite advances in research in this area, there is still a lack of information on its etiology and molecular characterization in pasture associated asthma. The objective of the current study was to characterize the inflammatory disease of lower airways in horses maintained on pasture through cytologic and immunologic profile during the summer in a tropical environment by analysis of the gene expression of Th1 cytokines (IFN- λ, IL-8), Th2 cytokines ...
Guo L, Yu X, Thair A, Rideout A, Collins A, Wang ZJ, Hore M.The objective of this study was to develop a robust machine-learning approach for efficient detection and grading of sesamoiditis in horses using radiographs, specifically in data-limited conditions. Methods: A dataset of 255 dorsolateral-palmaromedial oblique (DLPMO) and dorsomedial-palmarolateral oblique (DMPLO) equine radiographs were retrospectively acquired from Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. These images were anonymized and classified into 3 categories of sesamoiditis severity (normal, mild, and moderate). Methods: This study was conducted from February 1, 2023, to August 31, 2023. Tw...
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B, Pechová A, Petkova M....Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of essential oils from fruit and stems of Mill. (bitter fennel oil and sweet fennel oil), when used as sensory additives (flavourings). For long-living and reproductive animals, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) considered of low concern the use of bitter fennel oil (with a content of estragole up to 6.1%) at the proposed use level in complete feed: 0.6 mg/kg for laying hens and rabbits, 1.0 mg/kg for sows and dairy cows, ...
Genchi M, Kramer L, Valentini G, Allievi G, Ciuca L, Vismarra A.Numerous biting and nuisance insects are a noted cause of discomfort and stress to horses. Pyrethrins and pyrethroids have been used for many years in numerous formulations for the control of insect pests in animals, humans and environment. There are, however, few studies reporting their field efficacy in horses. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the repellent activity of a spray formulation based on prallethrin and permethrin synergized with piperonyl butoxide (BRONCO® Equine Fly Spray, Farnam Companies, Inc., USA) against annoying and harmful insects for horses in field condition...
Goma AA, Uddin J, Kieson E.Lateralised behavioural responses to environmental stressors have become more frequently used as indicators of social welfare in animals. These lateralised behavioural responses are under the control of asymmetrical brain functions as part of the primary functions of most vertebrates and assist in primary social and survival functions. Lateralised behavioural responses originating from the left hemisphere are responsible for processing familiar conditions, while the right hemisphere is responsible for responding to novel stimuli in the environment. The forced lateralisation and side preference...
Riccio AV, Costa BK, Alonso MA, Affonso FJ, França DS, Nichi M, Belli CB, McLean AK, Boakari YL, Fernandes CB.After parturition, a rapid transition occurs from the intrauterine to the extrauterine milieu, exposing neonates to physiological circumstances characterized by oxidative conditions that instigate the generation of reactive oxygen species. These free radicals play pivotal roles in physiological processes; however, an imbalance between their production and the removal of antioxidants can result in severe cellular damage. The main objective of this study was to compare the oxidative and antioxidant profiles in mule and horse neonates immediately post-parturition, as well as at subsequent time po...
