Environmental stressors encompass a range of external factors that can impact the health and well-being of horses. These stressors include temperature extremes, humidity, air quality, noise, and changes in habitat or management practices. Horses may exhibit physiological and behavioral responses to these stressors, which can affect their overall health, performance, and welfare. Research in this area focuses on understanding how environmental variables influence equine physiology and behavior, as well as identifying management strategies to mitigate negative effects. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the effects of environmental stressors on horses, examining their impact on health, performance, and welfare.
Tesarowski DB, Viel L, McDonell WN.To evaluate the degree of reproducibility in clinical variables, blood gas measurements, and lung function variables, and the changes in these variables caused by exposure to moldy hay in naturally sensitized and control horses. Methods: The magnitude of variation in arterial blood gas and pulmonary function measurements were evaluated in a model of naturally acquired heaves. Horses with heaves and similarly aged control horses were studied prior to moldy hay challenge and again after the horses with heaves manifested clinical signs of airway obstruction. This cycle of testing was repeated 3 t...
Marlin DJ, Scott CM, Schroter RC, Mills PC, Harris RC, Harris PA, Orme CE, Roberts CA, Marr CM, Dyson SJ, Barrelet F.The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of different environmental conditions on physiological response to exercise. Four winter acclimatised, nonheat acclimated horses of different breeds were exercised at 20 degrees C/40% RH (CD), 30 degrees C/40% RH (HD) and 30 degrees C/80% RH (HH). The exercise test was designed to represent the structure and intensity of a One star Speed and Endurance test (competition exercise test [CET]). All 4 horses were able to complete the full CET (60 min + 30 min active recovery) in CD and HD, but only one horse completed the CET in HH. Two horse...
Mills PC, Smith NC, Casas I, Harris P, Harris RC, Marlin DJ.The effects of prolonged variable-intensity and short-term high-intensity exercise on indices of oxidative stress and iron homeostasis were compared in six fit horses under cool [20 degrees C, 40% relative humidity (RH)] or hot/humid (30 degrees C, 80% RH) environmental conditions. The exercise protocols were designed to simulate equine competition, including racing (intense exercise) or the speed and endurance phase of a 3-day event (prolonged exercise). Increased plasma concentrations of lipid hydroperoxides and haemolysate concentrations of oxidised glutathione (GSSG) were measured within 3...
Le Bars J, Le Bars P.Successful investigation and prevention of mycotoxic problems requires close collaboration between scientists from several disciplines ranging from agronomists and technologists required during production of food and feeds, to toxicologists and pathologists examining the effects of mycotoxins on animals and man. Zootoxic metabolites following fungal infection result from four general mechanisms: (i) secondary fungal metabolism (mycotoxins, eg, aflatoxins); (ii) bioconversion of vegetal compounds (eg, dicoumarol); (iii) plant reactions (phytoalexins, eg, coumestrol); and (iv) plant-fungus assoc...
McConaghy FF, Hales JR, Rose RJ, Hodgson DR.Five horses were exercised on a treadmill [to central blood temperature (Tcore) approximately 42.5 degrees C]. Three of those horses were heated at rest in a climate room (53 degrees C, 90% relative humidity) (to Tcore approximately 41.5 degrees C). Temperatures were measured in the rectum, hypothalamus (Thyp), cerebrum, and cavernous sinus (Tsinus), on the skin of the head and midside, and Tcore. When Tcore increased above 38.5 degrees C, Thyp remained 0.6 +/- 0.1 degree C (SE) lower during heat exposure and 1 +/- 0.2 degrees C lower during exercise. During heat exposure, Tsinus was 2.2 +/- 0...
Harris PA, Marlin DJ, Scott CM, Harris RC, Mills PC, Michell AR, Orme CE, Roberts CA, Schroter RC, Marr CM.Four horses (H, J, N and M) undertook a simulated competition exercise test (CET), designed to simulate physiological and metabolic stresses of the Speed and Endurance (S & E) test of a 3-day-event, under 3 different environmental conditions: 20 degrees C/40% relative humidity (RH) (cool, dry [CD] 2 sessions); 30 degrees C/40% RH (hot, dry [HD]) and 30 degrees C/80% RH (hot, humid [HH]) (Marlin et al. 1995a). Venous blood samples for electrolyte and total protein (TP) determinations were collected from indwelling catheters at predetermined time points throughout each CET and initial 30 min...
White SL, Williamson LH, Maykuth PL, Cole SP, Andrews FM.The exercise intensity of horses competing in 3-day combined training events at 3 different levels of competition (CCI, n = 7; CCI, n = 11; CCI, n = 23) was investigated. Environmental conditions during all events were cool with 100% cloud cover. Heart rates were continuously recorded at 5 s intervals by a heart rate monitor. Mean +/- s.d. heart rate for all horses during each phase were: Phase A = 118 +/- 11 beats/min, Phase B = 179 +/- 22.7 beats/min, Phase C = 129 +/- 13.9 beats/min and Phase D = 174 +/- 19.6 beats/min. Mean +/- s.d. heart rates on Phase A and C were significantly different...
Schroter RC, Marlin DJ.There is a need to determine objectively the environmental heat load imposed on horses competing to an international standard in 3-day-events in environments where there is likely to be a high level of radiation added to high ambient temperatures and relative humidity; the presently used FEI 'Comfort Index' is severely limited in its applicability. It is proposed that the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) Index be used. This index was originally established for man exercising strenuously under harsh climatic conditions with high solar radiation levels. It may be defined as: WBGT = 0.7Twb + 0.3...
Ladefoged O, Stürup S.A case of copper deficiency or molybdenum toxicosis in cattle, sheep and horses after heavy pollution of a pasture with fly ash is described. If the pastures had not been grazed by cattle and sheep as well as the horses, it would have been difficult to identify the reason for the intoxication in the horses. It is argued that molybdenum intoxication, although seldom seen in non-ruminants, was the cause of the deaths of the horses. It is suggested that the bioavailability of molybdenum in fly ash is high and therefore can cause equine intoxication.
Komar N, Spielman A.The 20th century emergence in Massachusetts of zoonotic eastern encephalitis was interpreted in terms of recorded environmental change. The main mosquito vector of the infection, Cs. melanura, appears to have been scarce in eastern North America before the 1930s. Its relative scarcity resulted from destruction of the swamps that had been lumbered or drained for farming in the 18th and 19th centuries. When swamps matured once again early in the 1900s, the formation of subsurface pools of water beneath mature trees would have increased the availability of breeding sites for this mosquito. Transm...
Szabo EA, Pemberton JM, Gibson AM, Thomas RJ, Pascoe RR, Desmarchelier PM.PCR for the detection of botulinum neurotoxin gene types A to E was used in the investigation of a case of equine botulism. Samples from a foal diagnosed with toxicoinfectious botulism in 1985 were reanalyzed by PCR and the mouse bioassay in conjunction with an environmental survey. Neurotoxin B was detected by mouse bioassay in culture enrichments of serum, spleen, feces, and intestinal contents. PCR results compared well with mouse bioassay results, detecting type B neurotoxin genes in these samples and also in a liver sample. Other neurotoxin types were not detected by either test. Clostrid...
Ward NI, Savage JM.The elemental (Br, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, V, and Zn) content of blood and wool or hair from animals (sheep, horses and alpacas) exposed to motor vehicle emissions alongside the London Orbital (M25) motorway is reported. Elemental values were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) quality control assessment using flameless atomic absorption spectroscopy (for Pb, correlation coefficients of whole blood r = +0.87, and hair r = +0.82), and replicate (n = 10) analysis of the international reference material IAEA A13 Animal Blood. For Pb very good agreement was obta...
Lund RJ, Guthrie AJ, Killeen VM.Stables housing more than 20 horses in training were surveyed in the Pretoria, Witwatersrand, Vereeniging area of South Africa. Most racehorses were kept in loose boxes, bedded on straw or sawdust and remained indoors while the stables were cleaned. The average floor area was 13 m2 and airspace was 55 m3 per animal. The average predicted minimum air change rate by natural convection in calm winds was 7.0 air changes per hour, which was reduced to 2.2 when the doors and shutters were closed. The survey showed that many of the stables had been built without due consideration to factors that migh...
Letson GW, Bailey RE, Pearson J, Tsai TF.An Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) outbreak in 1989 led to nine human and 196 equine cases, chiefly in coastal Atlantic and Gulf Coast counties. In the past two decades, EEE age-specific incidence and mortality rates have declined compared with earlier years. Analysis of rainfall patterns in areas where human EEE cases occurred between 1983 and 1989 revealed an association between occurrence of human cases and excess rainfall. The association was stronger with data from local weather stations than from statewide rainfall averages and the predictive models were best when applied to northern s...
Herd RP, Stinner BR, Purrington FF.Environmental consequences of treating horses with recommended dosages of ivermectin paste were studied in two controlled experiments with 29 horses in Ohio. In 1988, dung dispersal rates were measured by changes in dry weight over time of 48 copromes (300 g) formed from feces taken from four treatment and four control horses 3 days post ivermectin treatment. There was delayed dispersal of copromes from horses treated with ivermectin in June, resulting in significantly heavier ivermectin copromes compared with those of control horses by September. There was no difference in ivermectin or contr...
Woods PS, Robinson NE, Swanson MC, Reed CE, Broadstone RV, Derksen FJ.Airborne dust concentration (ADC) was measured in 2 different horse management systems using an Andersen cascade impactor in the box-stall, and a personal Marple cascade impactor attached to the halter to measure ADC in the breathing zone. The levels of aeroallergens implicated in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were measured by radioallergosorbent-inhibition immunoassay. A conventional management system (System C) utilising hay feed and straw bedding, and a recommended environment (System R) utilising wood shaving bedding and a complete pelleted diet were studied. In the stall, total an...
Ullrey DE.Selenium was discovered 174 yr ago but, until 1957, was given little notice by biologists or was vilified as an agent that caused toxicity in grazing ruminants and horses in the northern Great Plains. After its status as an essential nutrient was established, Se received intense scrutiny, and hundreds of papers have been published dealing with its metabolic functions and the consequences of a Se deficiency. Because regions of Se deficiency are so extensive in the United States, great efforts have been made to gain Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Se supplementation of animal die...
Rubes J, Borkovec L, Horínová Z, Urbanová J, Proroková I, Kulíková L.Cytogenetic examinations were carried out in 13 cattle farms, two herds of horses, one stag farm and 13 pig farms in areas with different levels of environmental contamination. The frequency of aberrant cells per 100 mitoses was 3.67 +/- 1.89 in pigs (n = 260) and 4.16 +/- 2.4 in herbivores (n = 497). This is a significant difference (p < 0.01). Ten times higher frequencies of chromatid exchanges were found in pigs. The examined herds were classified into three groups by the level of environmental contamination (satisfactory, impaired and severely impaired environment). Significant differen...
Sanada Y, Noda H, Nagahata H.Serological survey of Rhodococcus equi infection in horses in Hokkaido was performed using ELISA. Of 2,879 horse sera, 318 (11.0%) gave antibody-positive (OD greater than or equal to 0.3) reactions. The antibody-positive rate of female was significantly higher (p less than 0.01) than that of male, and no statistical difference between Anglo-Arab and thoroughbred was detected in the antibody-positive rate. The maximum antibody-positive rate (27.1%) was shown at 14 years of age. The antibody-positive rates on the 160 farms were found to vary widely from 0 to 78.9%. A significant difference (p le...
Kerkvliet NI, Wagner SL, Schmotzer WB, Hackett M, Schrader WK, Hultgren B.Investigations into the cause of health problems on a horse-breeding farm led to the discovery of high concentrations (630 to 9,810 mg/kg of bedding) of pentachlorophenol in wood shavings used as bedding for horses over a period of 2 to 4 years. Toxicologic signs in the horses were characteristic of toxic effects associated with exposure of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans. Tissue residue analysis confirmed presence of toxic polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofuran isomers known to be in pentachlorophenol, substantiating the bioavailability of polychlorinated dibenz...
McClure SR, Chaffin MK, Beaver BV.Self-mutilative behavior, a form of stereotypic behavior, can be a serious problem in stallion management. An 11-year-old Quarter Horse stallion was referred for evaluation of repeated episodes of self-mutilation and aggressive behavior. Historically, this behavior worsened when the horse was isolated from other animals and confined to a stall for long periods. Observations of the stallion revealed episodes of self-mutilation and other forms of stereotypic behavior precipitated by stressful situations. Modification of this behavior was achieved by environmental and nutritional management and p...
Olenchock SA, Murphy SA, Mull JC, Lewis DM.Various work environments in agriculture naturally contain gram-negative bacteria and their endotoxins, which are heat stable, lipopolysaccharide-protein complexes that are integral parts of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria (1). Respiratory exposure to endotoxin-containing dusts has been associated with both an acute decline in pulmonary function (2) and chronic lung disease (3) in cotton dust-exposed subjects. Endotoxins can profoundly affect both humoral and cellular mediation systems in humans and experimental animals (4). One biologically active humoral system that is associate...
Doxey DL, Gilmour JS, Milne EM.Local weather patterns associated with 15 outbreaks of equine grass sickness in eastern Scotland were studied. The majority showed a trend toward cooler drier weather associated with irregular ground frosts. This would not preclude the hypothesis that fungi might be connected with the aetiology of grass sickness.
Rapp HJ, Weiss R, Bockisch FJ, Becker M, Stechele M.Using the direct sedimentation method, the air pollution with fungal spores was measured in indoor riding arenas and compared to horse stables, outside riding arenas and covered sport courts. Depending on the location of indoor arenas and stables, the presence of "dust-nests", the number of horses ridden, and the moisture of the tread layer, an air pollution was measured which was equivalent to that in stables except at times of feeding and straw-giving. Outside and in sport arenas a low air pollution was found. Recommendations are given, regarding optimum air hygiene especially for horses wit...
Sillence MN, Holt K, Li FI, Harris PA, Coyle M, Fitzgerald DM.Ecdysterone controls moulting and reproduction in insects, crustaceans, and helminths. It is also produced by many plants, probably as an insect deterrent. The steroid is not made by vertebrates but has anabolic effects in mammals and could be useful for treating sarcopenia in aged horses. However, ecdysterone is banned in horseracing and equestrian sports, and with no limit of reporting, the risk of unintended exposure to this naturally occurring prohibited substance is a concern. To explore this risk, pasture plants and hay samples were analysed for ecdysterone content, as well as samples of...
Dersch K, Kreuder A, Wang C, Troy J.Surgical site infections (SSI) are a common postoperative complication of equine orthopedic surgery and often increase morbidity and mortality. Objective: This study aimed to determine if covering surgical instruments during surgery decreased bacterial environmental air contamination during early opening of surgical packs (EOSP). The authors hypothesized that covering instruments with sterile surgical towels would reduce the total number of bacterial colonies to which the instruments were exposed. Methods: Blood agar plates (BAP) were allocated into two groups (non-covered vs. covered with a s...
Foreman JH, Waldsmith JK, Lalum RB.Three-day event horses are subject to various external environmental stresses including changes in ambient temperature, humidity, altitude, and test severity. Considerable research on the adverse effects of increased heat and humidity preceded the 1996 Olympic Summer Games in Atlanta, Georgia USA, but no research has been done previously on the effects of altitude on 3-day eventing. Physical and venous blood gas data were collected on horses (n = 24) competing in the High Prairie Preliminary (CCN*) and Intermediate (CCN**) 3-day events and Preliminary Horse Trials in Parker, Colorado (1900 m a...
Harris PA, Marlin DJ, Scott CM, Harris RC, Mills PC, Michell AR, Orme CE, Roberts CA, Schroter RC, Marr CM.Four horses (H, J, N and M) undertook a simulated competition exercise test (CET), designed to simulate physiological and metabolic stresses of the Speed and Endurance (S & E) test of a 3-day-event, under 3 different environmental conditions: 20 degrees C/40% relative humidity (RH) (cool, dry [CD] 2 sessions); 30 degrees C/40% RH (hot, dry [HD]) and 30 degrees C/80% RH (hot, humid [HH]) (Marlin et al. 1995a). Venous blood samples for electrolyte and total protein (TP) determinations were collected from indwelling catheters at predetermined time points throughout each CET and initial 30 min...
Ostrowski SR, Gunter EW, Matte TD.During the course of an investigation into community lead poisoning near a secondary lead smelter in Jamaica, blood lead and zinc protoporphyrin levels were measured in 8 exposed and 6 (3 Jamaican, 3 US) unexposed donkeys and mules. The blood lead levels of 6 animals in the contaminated area ranged from 7.5 to 33 micrograms/dl (mean = 17.6 micrograms/dl), compared to 1.8 and 2.4 in unexposed Jamaican animals. More striking was the difference in zinc protoporphyrin levels; all 8 exposed donkeys and mules had values between 900 and 1890 micrograms/dl, compared with a range of 34-46 micrograms/dl...
Taylor BM, Chaffin MK, Hoffmann AR, Edwards JF, Arenas-Gamboa AM.Prolonged exposure to water, known as immersion foot syndrome in humans, is a phenomenon first described in soldiers during World War I and characterized by dermal ischemic necrosis. In this report, we describe the pathologic findings of a condition resembling immersion foot syndrome in 5 horses and 1 donkey with prolonged floodwater exposure during Hurricane Harvey. At necropsy, all animals had dermal defects ventral to a sharply demarcated "water line" along the lateral trunk. In 5 animals, histologic examination revealed moderate to severe perivascular dermatitis with vasculitis and coagula...
Lambert MS, Ozbay G, Richards GP.We evaluated the quality of seawater and ribbed mussels (Gukensia demissa) at six sites along the West Coast of Assateague Island National Seashore (ASIS), a barrier island popular with tourists and fishermen. Parameters evaluated were summertime temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, total phosphorus, total ammonia nitrogen, and nitrite levels for seawater and total heterotrophic plate counts and total Vibrionaceae levels for the ribbed mussels. Approximately 150 feral horses (Equus caballus) are located on ASIS and, combined with agricultural runoff from animals and croplands, local wi...
Carlos-Pinedo S, Wang Z.Long-term sustainable biogas production requires different raw material alternatives, especially when reducing the most desirable organic substrate, food waste, which has been set as a goal in the 2030 Agenda. In Sweden, horse manure (HM) is generated in large quantities, and due to its physical and chemical characteristics, it has the potential to be used as a raw material to produce biogas through anaerobic digestion (AD). In order to investigate the challenges that HM digestion can impose in terms of methane yield and/or digestate quality, the modified ORganic WAste REsearch (ORWARE) AD mod...
Hampson BA, de Laat MA, Mills PC, Pollitt CC.To determine the effect of various environmental conditions on the degree of hydration in hoof wall horn tissue from feral horses and investigate the effect of short-term foot soaking on moisture content in hoof wall and sole tissue in domestic horses. Methods: 40 feral horses from 3 environments (wet and boggy [n = 10], partially flooded [20], and constantly dry desert [10]) and 6 nonferal Quarter Horses. Methods: The percentage of moisture content of hoof wall samples from feral horses was measured in vitro. In a separate evaluation, the percentage of moisture content of hoof wall and sole t...
Luckie C, Whitney C, Benoit M, Taddei L, Sukta A, Peterson J, Schwope D, Gaensslen RE, Negrusz A.Cocaine (COC) is a highly addictive plant alkaloid expressing strong psychostimulatory effect. It has no medical use in equine veterinary practice. The contamination of the environment with cocaine such as its presence on the US paper currency has been reported few times. There are anecdotal reports of low benzoylecgonine (BE) concentrations (usually much less than 100 ng/mL) being found in urine of race horses. In order to protect horsemen against harsh penalties associated with the presence of trace amounts of BE in horse urine as a result of environmental contamination, in February 2005 the...
Stachurska A, Wałkuska G, Chałabis-Mazurek A, Jaworski Z, Cebera M.The objective of the study was to determine if there were differences in Cr, Mn, Cu, Cd, Pb and Ni levels in coat hair and hoof horn between Polish Konik horses maintained in stabled and reserve systems in Roztocze National Park in Poland. Summer and winter feeding seasons (seasons of the year in case of hooves) and age of horses were taken into account. 107 samples of hair and hooves, as well as all kinds of feed and sources of water available for the horses were examined. The results of the study indicate that the concentration of the elements in the coat hair, hoof horn, feeds and water is ...
Bartolome J, Penuelas J, Filella I, Llusia J, Broncano MJ, Plaixats J.Plants usually emit large amount and varieties of volatiles after being damaged by herbivores. However, analytical methods for measuring herbivore-induced volatiles do not normally monitor the whole range of volatiles and the response to large herbivores such as large mammals is much less studied than the response to other herbivores such as insects. In this paper we present the results of using a highly sensitive proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) technique that allows simultaneous monitoring of leaf volatiles in the pptv range. The resulting mass scans in air over Mediterran...
Rapp HJ, Weiss R, Bockisch FJ, Becker M, Stechele M.Using the direct sedimentation method, the air pollution with fungal spores was measured in indoor riding arenas and compared to horse stables, outside riding arenas and covered sport courts. Depending on the location of indoor arenas and stables, the presence of "dust-nests", the number of horses ridden, and the moisture of the tread layer, an air pollution was measured which was equivalent to that in stables except at times of feeding and straw-giving. Outside and in sport arenas a low air pollution was found. Recommendations are given, regarding optimum air hygiene especially for horses wit...
Yamada K, Araki M, Tokushige H, Fujiki R, Sakai S, Tateno O, Mashita S, Kusano K.Equine scintigraphy has been legally permitted in Japan since 2009; however, it has not yet been a routine modality for horses. One reason is the legal regulations concerning the disposal of contaminated bedding. However, overseas, the bedding after scintigraphy can be disposed following radioactivity decay, but this is not allowed in Japan. Therefore, beddings are required to stored permanently in a controlled area, implying that large amounts of beddings such as straw would be kept untreated, which is quite unpractical. This may cause a hospital owner to hesitate to construct an equine scint...
Brewer K, Machin J, Maylin G, Fenger C, Morales-Briceño A, Tobin T.Gabapentin, 1-(Aminomethyl)cyclohexaneacetic acid, MW 171.240, is a frequently prescribed high dose human medication that is also used recreationally. Gabapentin is orally absorbed; the dose can be 3,000 mg/day and it is excreted essentially unchanged in urine. Gabapentin is stable in the environment and routinely detected in urban wastewater. Gabapentin randomly transfers from humans to racing horses and is at times detected at pharmacologically ineffective / trace level concentrations in equine plasma and urine. In Ohio racing between January 2019 and July 2020,18 Gabapentin identifications...
Jurjanz S, Collas C, Quish C, Younge B, Feidt C.Data on soil ingestion in horses are lacking in contrast to other free-range animals. The importance of soil as a vector for environmental pollutants to food is less relevant in horses but several disorders secondary to soil ingestion, such as sand colic or enteritis have been reported. Therefore, soil ingestion has been studied on Irish sport horses grazing at three offered levels of daily herbage: 2, 3 and 4% of their body weight. Soil ingestion was estimated by the faecal recovery of a soil natural marker. Horses had 4.5, 4.1 and 3.7% of soil in their total intake respectively for the 2, 3 ...
Walencik-Łata A, Kozłowska B, Mietelski JW, Szufa K, Freire FD, Souza SO.This study aimed at assessing the incorporation of radionuclides in animals in the proximity of the uranium mine in Caetité, Brazil. In 2014, samples of bovine and equine teeth and skull bones were collected and their contents of natural and artificial isotopes were assessed using nuclear spectrometry techniques. Gamma ray emission from Ra and K isotopes was determined using high-purity germanium (HPGe) spectrometry, Sr radioactivity was measured with liquid scintillation, and U, Th, Po and Pu radioactivity was assessed with alpha-spectrometry. Prior to the measurements, sample dissolutions a...
McClure SR, Chaffin MK, Beaver BV.Self-mutilative behavior, a form of stereotypic behavior, can be a serious problem in stallion management. An 11-year-old Quarter Horse stallion was referred for evaluation of repeated episodes of self-mutilation and aggressive behavior. Historically, this behavior worsened when the horse was isolated from other animals and confined to a stall for long periods. Observations of the stallion revealed episodes of self-mutilation and other forms of stereotypic behavior precipitated by stressful situations. Modification of this behavior was achieved by environmental and nutritional management and p...
Wong JW, Selvam A, Zhao Z, Karthikeyana OP, Yu SM, Law AC, Chung PC.Abattoir blood meal is rich in nitrogen and its potential as a co-composting material for horse stable bedding waste was evaluated at two C/N ratios -32 (LBM, low blood meal) and 16 (HBM, high blood meal) - to improve the nutrient contents of the final compost. The mix was composted for 7 days in a 10 tonne/day in-vessel composter and cured aerobically. After 56 days ofcomposting, the ammoniacal-N, CO2 evolution rate and C/N ratio of both LBM and HBM were within the guideline values; however, delayed decomposition and lower seed germination index were observed with HBM. In addition, HBM result...
van Weeren PR, Denoix JM.Juvenile osteochondral conditions (JOCC) have a major impact on the equine industry and include many musculoskeletal disorders of the young horse, of which osteochondrosis (OC) is the most prominent. The Breeding, Osteochondral Status and Athletic Career (BOSAC) project is the first large, comprehensive, longitudinal field study on the subject conducted in three breeds of performance horses (Thoroughbreds, Standardbred Trotters and Warmbloods) that were monitored in their natural environment where they were reared under common field conditions. The BOSAC study used a radiographic protocol desi...
Hartung J, Klinckmann G, Adrian U.Dust in horse barns is assumed to contribute to pulmonary disease, it is attempted to reduce the airborne dust by soaking or sprinkling the hay before feeding. Both means cause considerable efforts and increase the relative humidity of the air. This is why a commercial dust-binding agent (Revesto pur) was used in a pilot investigation which was carried out during 2 weeks - one week for control and one week using the agent - in a private horse barn where three horses were regularly stable. The airborne dust was measured by a continuously working instrument. Once a day (7.00 a.m.) the number of ...
Geburek F, Deegen E, Hewicker-Trautwein M, Ohnesorge B.Verrucous pastern dermatitis is a chronic hyperplastic dermatopathy of the feet of horses which is characterized by a greasy, odorous coating of the skin and, in advanced stages, by clearly demarcated calluses and wart-like proliferations. The disease occurs almost exclusively in cold-blooded and other heavy horses, with certain breeds affected most frequently. It is considered a distinct disease entity within the framework of pastern dermatitis syndrome. There is no consensus in the literature about relationship of the disease to the sex and age of the horse. Horses with a high cannon circumf...
de Jesús Tello-Pasos A, González-Pech PG, Blanco-Molina JM.The aim of this observational study was to describe the characteristics of circuits performed by horses used in carriage tourism in a tropical city and discuss their implications as a challenge for animal welfare. The tourism circuit of 33 Criollo horses (400 ± 50 kg) was followed by using the GPS from August 31 to December 2nd, 2018, in the rainfall summer season. The environmental temperature, humidity, and accumulated rainfall were obtained from a local meteorological station. The distance and number of trips, the number of people transported, and the time taken for working and resting ac...
Inácio CT, Magalhães AMT, Souza PO, Chalk PM, Urquiaga S.Variations in the relative isotopic abundance of C and N (δC and δN) were measured during the composting of different agricultural wastes using bench-scale bioreactors. Different mixtures of agricultural wastes (horse bedding manure + legume residues; dairy manure + jatropha mill cake; dairy manure + sugarcane residues; dairy manure alone) were used for aerobic-thermophilic composting. No significant differences were found between the δC values of the feedstock and the final compost, except for dairy manure + sugarcane residues (from initial ratio of -13.6 ± 0.2 ‰ t...
van Grevenhof EM, Gezelle Meerburg ARD, van Dierendonck MC, van den Belt AJM, van Schaik B, Meeus P, Back W.Osteochondrosis (OC) is a common, clinically important joint disorder in which endochondral ossification is focally disturbed. Reduced blood supply to growing cartilage is considered an important cause of the condition, which has both genetic and environmental origins. Housing conditions can influence cartilage injury through peak-pressure changes during limb sliding. Additionally, circulatory perturbation can cause the avascular necrosis of cartilage. In this study, we evaluated the type and frequency of limb sliding during standing up and the occurrence of OC in foals aged up to 12 months o...
Delvescovo B, Mullen KR, Eicker SW, Ivanek R, Ainsworth DM.Previously we described a clustering of dysphagic foal cases on a Pennsylvania (PA) Standardbred farm which was associated with exposure of pregnant mares to high concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the well water. The effect of dysphagia on future athleticism was uncertain. Objective: To determine if, as adults, dysphagic foals were less likely to race and if athleticism (age of first race, Speed Index and Earnings Per Start Index) differed from that of healthy foals that raced as adults. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Methods: All foals born during the study peri...
Anna C, Martyna P, Marcin S, Dawid W.Free-ranging grazers are increasingly being introduced to areas of high natural value, such as wetlands. There is also growing attention that has been paid to the historical role of herbivores in shaping ecosystems and landscapes. Even though studies on the grazing of free-range horses were carried out in different regions and climates, still little is known about their habitat selection on heterogeneous marshy areas in the temperate region of Europe. The aim of this study was to investigate the habitat use by contemporary Konik horses during the growing season on the basis of three-year GPS d...
Kagan IA.Temperate grasses contain both water- and ethanol-soluble carbohydrates. Water-soluble carbohydrates (WSCs) of temperate grasses include glucose, fructose, sucrose, and fructans (fructose-based polymers) of varying lengths. Ethanol-soluble carbohydrates (ESCs) consist of glucose, fructose, sucrose, and shorter fructans. WSCs and ESCs have been implicated in equine pasture-associated laminitis and other metabolic disorders. In this paper, the peer-reviewed literature of the past decade was summarized for selected factors influencing concentrations and composition of WSCs and ESCs in temperate g...
