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Topic:Environment
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.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus outbreak in a Dutch equine referral clinic. In 2020 and 2022, nine cases of surgical site infections with a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were diagnosed in horses in an equine referral clinic. Sixteen isolates (horses, n=9; environment, n=3; and staff members, n=4) were analysed retrospectively using Nanopore whole-genome sequencing to investigate the relatedness of two suspected MRSA outbreaks (2020 and 2022). The MRSA isolates belonged to ST398 and ST612. ST398 genomes from 2020 and 2022 formed three phylogenetic clusters. The first ST398 cluster from 2020 consisted of isolates from five horses and one staff membe...
Modelling bluetongue and African horse sickness vector (Culicoides spp.) distribution in the Western Cape in South Africa using random forest machine learning. Culicoides biting midges exhibit a global spatial distribution and are the main vectors of several viruses of veterinary importance, including bluetongue (BT) and African horse sickness (AHS). Many environmental and anthropological factors contribute to their ability to live in a variety of habitats, which have the potential to change over the years as the climate changes. Therefore, as new habitats emerge, the risk for new introductions of these diseases of interest to occur increases. The aim of this study was to model distributions for two primary vectors for BT and AHS (Culicoides imicola ...
Environmental Conditions in Equine Indoor Arenas: A Descriptive Study. Indoor arenas do not always include mechanical ventilation or stirring fans and occupancy by horses and humans can be sporadic and inconsistent, which creates a challenging space for understanding and predicting variations in temperature, moisture, and airflow. To understand the interior environment within indoor arenas, monitoring was conducted at 15 facilities within 200 kilometres of Lexington, KY. Environmental monitoring of dry bulb temperature, relative humidity, dew point temperature, air speeds, and solar radiation took place over 7 days in the winter and summer to examine temporal var...
Hyalomma marginatum – an emerging tickborne disease vector for the UK? The tick Hyalomma marginatum is expanding its geographical range, reinforcing the need for surveillance and control to prevent the emergence of tickborne equine disease. Daniel Armstrong, policy adviser for exotic animal diseases at Defra, explains more.
Biodiversity and probiotic potential of yeasts isolated from sumbawa horse milk. The microbial composition of Sumbawa Horse Milk is influenced by various factors, including environmental elements that encompass geographical location, climate, and conditions specific to Sumbawa. This study aimed to determine the biodiversity and genetic diversity of the microbiome of Sumbawa Horse Milk, with an emphasis on yeast. Methods: The diversity and group of yeast isolates were evaluated by the sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) method using ME2F-EM15R (1) and ME2F-EM12R (2) primers. Molecular identification using 18 S rRNA primers was then carried out on nine selected i...
Environmental and Historical Determinants of African Horse Sickness: Insights from Predictive Modeling. African horse sickness (AHS) is a viral disease transmitted by arthropods that impacts Equidae, specifically horses and related species. Recognized as a notifiable disease by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), AHS is associated with a high mortality rate of 80%-90% in susceptible hosts and exhibits rapid transmission dynamics. Historical records document numerous instances of mass horse deaths attributed to AHS, with recent occurrences in Thailand and Malaysia in 2020 causing heightened concerns within the local horse industry. The lack of a comprehensive global perspective on th...
Stress Responses in Horses Housed in Different Stable Designs during Summer in a Tropical Savanna Climate. Single-confinement housing can pose welfare risks to domestic horses. This study investigated horses' stress responses when confined to single stalls in different stable designs in a tropical savanna region to address a gap in the literature. In total, 23 horses were assigned to a stable with a central corridor and solid external walls (A) (N = 8), a stable with one side corridor and solid external walls (B) (N = 6), or a stable with a central corridor and no solid external walls (C) (N = 9). Air velocity, relative humidity, air temperature, and noxious gases were measured inside the stables, ...
Inhalational anaesthetic agent consumption within a multidisciplinary veterinary teaching hospital: an environmental audit. Inhalational anaesthetic agents are routinely used in veterinary anaesthesia practices, yet their consumption contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact. We conducted a 55-day observational study at a veterinary teaching hospital in Switzerland, monitoring isoflurane and sevoflurane consumption across small, equine and farm animal clinics and analysed the resulting environmental impact. Results revealed that in total, 9.36 L of isoflurane and 1.27 L of sevoflurane were used to anaesthetise 409 animals across 1,489 h. Consumption rates varied among species...
Fungal aerosol and particulate matter in horse stables in Poland. Horses stay in different types of stables; especially during the cold season, they stay inside for most of the day. A stable is also a place where many people spend quite a lot of time either as employees who care for and train horses or as equine enthusiasts. Keeping horses in stables causes their constant exposure to high concentrations of particulate matter (PM) and molds in the air inside these facilities. The study was conducted in Udórz Stud Farm located in the southern region of Poland. It was carried out in two different types of stables: three runners and two box stables. The study c...
Natural grazing by horses and cattle promotes bird diversity in a restored European alluvial grassland. A challenge in grassland conservation is to maintain both the openness and the heterogeneity of the habitat to support the diversity of their animal communities, including birds-a taxon that is known to be sensitive to disturbance. An increasingly used management tool in European grassland conservation, especially in rewilding projects, is grazing by large herbivores such as horses and cattle. These grazers are believed to create and maintain patchy landscapes that promote diversity and richness of other species, but their influence on birds is often debated by conservationists, who raise conc...
The Most Common Environmental Risk Factors for Equine Asthma-A Narrative Review. Equine asthma is a popular subject of research. Many factors influencing the methods used to improve the welfare of asthmatic horses remain unclear. This study reviews scientific articles published after 2000 to collect the most important information on the terminology, symptoms, and potential environmental factors influencing the development and course of equine asthma. Our work highlights the impact of environmental factors on the severity of equine asthma and why these factors should be controlled to improve treatment outcomes. The present article provides horse owners and veterinarians wit...
Application of remote sensing to understand the role of Galician feral horses in the biomass reduction of a shrub-grassland-dominated landscape. Galician forests in northwestern Spain are subject to frequent wildfires with high environmental and economic costs. In addition, due to the consequences of climate change, these fires are becoming more virulent, occurring throughout the year, and taking place in populated areas, in some cases involving the loss of human life. Therefore, forest fire prevention is even more relevant than mitigating its consequences. Given the costs involved in forestry work, alternative measures to reduce fuel load and create vegetation gaps are needed. One involves grazing by an endemic species of feral horses...
Fluctuations in equine cutaneous pH and transepidermal water loss with time of day and ambient conditions. Cutaneous pH and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) are commonly utilized measures in dermatological research as they provide information concerning barrier function. The importance of dermal health has become more evident in recent years. Accordingly, the aim of this work was to identify natural fluctuations in the biophysical parameters of healthy equine skin. Cutaneous pH and TEWL was collected on nine mares at 6:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 6:00 PM daily for five days on the nose, withers, girth area, mid-back, and base of tail. Ambient temperature and humidity were measured at each collection. Stat...
A survey of general road transportation: How and why horses are transported in the U.S. Horses are regularly transported in the United States (U.S.); however, how, and why horses travel by road has not been explored. Consequently, an online nationwide survey was conducted to understand 1) the most common reasons for travel; 2) the types of journeys undertaken when being transported by road in the U.S. and 3) the general management practices when transporting for 3 hours or less. Responses were collected from 1294 participants with at least one response from every state in the continental U.S. The most common survey taker was a female (93.9%), adult amateur (81.2%), horse owner (6...
Welfare and stress assessment of tourism carriage horses under real working conditions in Sicily. Animal welfare has become an increasingly important concern regarding equids working as carriage animals. In the present study, the changes in the markers of stress and inflammatory responses as a result of the work performed by tourism carriage horses under real working conditions in Sicily (Italy) were investigated. Twenty-two Standardbreds performed a normal working day in the carriage tourism business during the months of May, June and July 2022, consisting of one day of work for each month. Blood samples were collected in the stables at rest before the tour route (Pre; 07.00 AM) and withi...
An archaeozoological dataset for 3000 years of animal management in the Netherlands. This paper presents an archaeozoological dataset listing numbers of identified fragments for domestic cattle, sheep/goat, pig and horse from archaeological sites in the Netherlands dating from the Bronze Age to the Early Medieval period (c. 2000 BC - AD 1050) [1]. In addition to fragment numbers per species, the geo-referenced dataset includes chronological information, site descriptions, and bibliographic references. Data were collected from tables listing numbers of bone fragments per animal species as found in published and unpublished reports. Number of identified bone fragments per animal...
The balance of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids in canine, feline, and equine nutrition: exploring sources and the significance of alpha-linolenic acid. Both n-6 and n-3 fatty acids (FA) have numerous significant physiological roles for mammals. The interplay between these families of FA is of interest in companion animal nutrition due to the influence of the n-6:n-3 FA ratio on the modulation of the inflammatory response in disease management and treatment. As both human and animal diets have shifted to greater consumption of vegetable oils rich in n-6 FA, the supplementation of n-3 FA to canine, feline, and equine diets has been advocated for. Although fish oils are commonly added to supply the long-chain n-3 FA eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), ...
Salivary analysis to unveil the paradigma of stress of domestic horses reared in the wild. Horse welfare is the product of multiple factors, including behavioral and physiological adjustments to cope with stressful situation regarding environment and housing condition. Collectively, it is supposed that a horse kept in the wild has a lower level of stress than other housing system, and the aim of the present study was to investigate the level of stress in domestic horses reared in the wild and then moved to human controlled housing, through saliva analysis. Twelve clinically healthy Catria (Italian local breed) mares, usually reared in the wild, were moved into collective paddocks fo...
Biological response to Przewalski’s horse reintroduction in native desert grasslands: a case study on the spatial analysis of ticks. Reintroduction represents an effective strategy for the conservation of endangered wildlife, yet it might inadvertently impact the native ecosystems. This investigation assesses the impact of reintroducing endangered Przewalski's horses into the desert grassland ecosystem of the Kalamaili Nature Reserve (KNR), particularly its effect on the spatial distribution of ticks. In a 25 km core area of Przewalski's horse distribution, we set up 441 tick sampling sites across diverse habitats, including water sources, donkey trails, and grasslands, recording horse feces and characteristics to analyze t...
A laser-Engraved Wearable Electrochemical Sensing Patch for Heat Stress Precise Individual Management of Horse. In point-of-care diagnostics, the continuous monitoring of sweat constituents provides a window into individual's physiological state. For species like horses, with abundant sweat glands, sweat composition can serve as an early health indicator. Considering the salience of such metrics in the domain of high-value animal breeding, a sophisticated wearable sensor patch tailored is introduced for the dynamic assessment of equine sweat, offering insights into pH, potassium ion (K), and temperature profiles during episodes of heat stress and under normal physiological conditions. The device integra...
Nutritional Quality and Socio-Ecological Benefits of Mare Milk Produced under Grazing Management. This review discusses the scientific evidence that supports the nutritional value of mare milk and how its properties are essentially achieved when mares are managed under grazing conditions. Mare milk's similarity with the chemical composition of human milk makes this food and its derived products not only suitable for human consumption but also an interesting food regarding human health. The contribution of horse breeding under grazing management to other socio-ecological benefits generated by equine farms is also highlighted. Both the high added value of mare milk and the socio-ecological b...
Why the racing industry and equestrian disciplines need to implement population pharmacokinetics: To learn, explain, summarize, harmonize, and individualize. Population pharmacokinetics (POP PK) is a powerful pharmacokinetic tool, which measures quantitatively, and explains the variability in drug exposure and drug effect between individuals. POP PK uses an observational (nonexperimental) approach; it is conducted in the target population living in its normal environment (e.g., farm and race-track). The strength of the POP PK approach lies in its greater relevance for the population studied in its different natural environments than experimental studies carried out in more or less biased laboratory conditions. In clinical settings, it is commonly n...
The Easiest Becomes the Rule: Beliefs, Knowledge and Attitudes of Equine Practitioners and Enthusiasts Regarding Horse Welfare. Inadequate management conditions can impair the welfare of captive-bred horses. Understanding individuals' viewpoints and the factors influencing their decisions about adopting or avoiding certain practices may provide insights into their motivations and decision-making processes. This is particularly relevant in the equestrian community, where equine practitioners and enthusiasts often engage in harmful practices. We explored the beliefs, knowledge, and attitudes of equine practitioners and enthusiasts about horse welfare and the barriers that prevent them from employing better management pra...
Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of a tincture derived from the dried fruit of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. (omicha tincture) for poultry, horses, dogs and cats (FEFANA asbl). Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of a tincture from the dried fruit of (Turcz.) Baill. (omicha tincture), when used as a sensory additive in feed for horses, cats, dogs, and in feed and in water for drinking for poultry. The product is a water/ethanol (55:45 v/v) solution, with a dry matter content of not more than 4% (w/w) and a content of 0.01%-0.15% (w/w) for the sum of schisandrin and deoxyschisandrin. The Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) concluded that omic...
Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of a dry extract obtained from the leaves of Ginkgo biloba L. (ginkgo extract) for horses, dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs (FEFANA asbl). Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of a feed additive obtained from the dried leaves of L. (ginkgo extract) when used as a sensory additive in feed for horses, dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs. Ginkgo extract contains ≥ 24% total flavonoids, ≥ 6% total terpene lactones and ≤ 1 mg/kg ginkgolic acids. The EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) concluded that ginkgo extract is safe for the target species at the following concentrations in complete fee...
Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of an essential oil derived from fresh leaves of Melaleuca cajuputi Maton & Sm. ex R. Powell and Melaleuca leucadendra (L.) L. (cajuput oil) for use in all animal species (FEFANA asbl). Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of cajuput oil obtained from fresh leaves of Maton & Sm. ex R. Powell and (L.) L., when used as a sensory additive for all animal species. The FEEDAP Panel concluded that cajuput oil is safe up to the maximum proposed use levels in complete feed of 30 mg/kg for sows and dogs, 50 mg/kg for horses and ornamental fish, 40 mg/kg for salmon and 5 mg/kg for cats. For the other species, ...
Equine bone marrow MSC-derived extracellular vesicles mitigate the inflammatory effects of interleukin-1β on navicular tissues in vitro. Safe, efficacious therapy for treating degenerate deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) and navicular bone fibrocartilage (NBF) in navicular horses is critically necessary. While archetypal orthobiologic therapies for navicular disease are used empirically, their safety and efficacy are unknown. Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (EV) may overcome several limitations of current orthobiologic therapies. Objective: To (1) characterise cytokine and growth factor profiles of equine bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BM-MSC)-derived extracellular vesicles (BM-EV) and (2) evaluate the ...
