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.
Kozhanova N, Sarsembayeva N, Lozowicka B, Kozhanov Z.The quality of food, especially animal-based food, is crucial for human health. However, the quality of milk and other animal products has become an acute cause for concern in Kazakhstan. Technogenic dispersion of heavy metals (HMs) causes adverse effects on living organisms and creates unfavorable conditions for the existence of humans, animals, and plants. The purpose of this study was to analyze the content of several HMs in samples of soil, horse feed (hay, mixed feed, and bran), mare's milk, and manure to assess bioaccumulation and possible adverse effects on the bodies of horses. An addi...
Giannetto C, Fazio F, Nava V, Arfuso F, Piccione G, Coelho C, Gugliandolo E, Licata P.The objective of this study was to evaluate the biomarkers of exposure to boron, nickel, arsenic, and antimony in an industrial region, evaluating the bioaccumulation in biological substrates and the correlation with biomarkers such as hematological parameters. Through indication of the accumulation of some minerals in the horse's biological substrates reflects environmental pollution. Moreover, an additional aim of the study was to show whether these contaminants have an influence on the hematological parameters in horses. Blood, serum, mane, and tail samples from 20 horses from an industrial...
Li HP, Wang NP, Dai YT.Human activity intensity is mostly used to quantify the degree of human influence on natural systems, with obvious spatial variability. With Lashihai watershed in Yunnan Province as an example, we used SPOT remote sensing images to update land use data, and obtained a comprehensive index of land use intensity after gridding by assigning weights to different land types, which was considered as the basic human activity intensity. The local tourism activities (horseback riding and boating) were also included. The horseback riding and boating were spatially quantified according to the location of ...
Takai S, Sudo M, Sakai M, Suzuki K, Sasaki Y, Kakuda T, Suzuki Y.Rhodococcus equi was isolated from the gastrointestinal contents of earthworms (family Megascolecidae) and their surrounding soil collected from pastures of two horse-breeding farms in Aomori Prefecture, outdoor pig pens, forest in Towada campus, orange groves and forest where wild boars (Sus scrofa) are established in Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture. The number of R. equi in the lower gastrointestinal contents of 23 earthworms collected from our campus was significantly larger than that of the upper gastrointestinal content. The mean numbers of R. equi from the gastrointestinal contents of earthw...
McGill S, Hayes M, Tumlin K, Coleman R.Equine farms are building both stables for the horses to live in and additional facilities to train and work horses (Kidd et al., 1997). For many of these farms, an outdoor arena that has an all-weather footing is the first working facility built. During inclement weather the ability to train in the outdoor arenas is inhibited, which in turn means the trainers, riders, and farms lose income as money is only made when horses are working, training, and competing. Indoor arenas allow for horses to continue to be worked no matter the weather conditions. The equine industry contributes a total of $...
Boyce P, Bhattacharyya J, Linklater W.Conservation issues are often complicated by sociopolitical controversies that reflect competing philosophies and values regarding natural systems, animals, and people. Effective conservation outcomes require managers to engage myriad influences (social, cultural, political, and economic, as well as ecological). The contribution of conservation scientists who generate the information on which solutions rely is constrained if they are unable to acknowledge how personal values and disciplinary paradigms influence their research and conclusions. Conservation challenges involving controversial spe...
Tumlin K, Liu S, Park JH.The foundation of healthy workplace design is an understanding of work practices. Volunteers comprise the majority of the workforce in care centers using horses to address human health issues. Documentation is lacking on protections for worker well-being in equestrian microenvironments which are known to have the potential for dust exposures. Climate acts as a master variable in equestrian facility design and ventilation usage to address dust and temperature concerns. Using climate as an independent variable, our objective was to characterize space usage, safety, environmental control, and org...
Moraes BSS, Curcio BR, Müller V, Bruhn FRP, Santos IPOD, Danielski JNS, Nogueira CEW.The aim of this study was (i) to evaluate the relationship of climatic factors with gestational length (GL) and (ii) to evaluate the relationship of sire, foal gender and maternal factors with GL in mares. Retrospective data from 470 gestations of 202 respective mares were collected from a Criollo breeding farm in the southern hemisphere. GL was considered as the interval between ovulation and parturition. Climatic and environmental data (temperature, relative humidity, daily sunshine hours, precipitation, temperature humidity index - THI) were obtained daily and the mean values for foaling mo...
de Oliveira-Filho EF, Fischer C, Berneck BS, Carneiro IO, Kühne A, de Almeida Campos AC, Ribas JRL, Netto EM, Franke CR, Ulbert S, Drexler JF.Among 713 equids sampled in northeastern Brazil during 2013-2018, West Nile virus seroprevalence was 4.5% (95% CI 3.1%-6.3%). Mathematical modeling substantiated higher seroprevalence adjacent to an avian migratory route and in areas characterized by forest loss, implying increased risk for zoonotic infections in disturbed areas.
Seabra JC, Dittrich JR, Vale MMD.Researchers believe that the development and prevalence of abnormal behaviors in horses may be caused by several environmental and biological factors, and the literature offers numerous reports that discuss the causes and effects of stereotypies in these animals. In this light, this study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the scientific literature, summarizing the main risk factors associated with the development of abnormal behaviors in horses. The searches were conducted over the course of four years in Portuguese, Spanish, and English. The publications reviewed were ...
Brownlow MA, Brotherhood JR.Exertional heat illness (EHI) is a syndrome that occurs when metabolic heat production from muscular contraction exceeds the rate at which it can be dissipated. Core body temperature rises to critical levels, causing hyperthermia and central nervous system dysfunction. Best practice for the prevention of EHI centres around early detection, rapid response and aggressive cooling. Advance planning enables risk mitigation measures. The more that is known about EHI in horses, the better prepared those in the positions of responsibility can be to anticipate events in which the risk of EHI may be ele...
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 ...
Turner TA.Barbiturate overdose as a method of euthanasia is becoming unacceptable. This has made alternative methods of euthanasia very important. Gunshot or captive bolt euthanasia is among methods that are acceptable, but they may not be esthetically acceptable. This has led to the use of other methods of euthanasia. Inducing anesthesia prior to euthanasia offers an easier method of control. Adjunctive techniques using intravenous potassium or magnesium salts administered intravenously and intracardiac administration of potassium chloride or intrathecal lidocaine offer alternatives that work well and ...
Paz GSD, Camargo GG, Cury JE, Apolonio EVP, Garces HG, Prado ACD, Chechi JL, Oliveira AL, Watanabe MJ, Bagagli E, Bosco SMG.Pythiosis is a disease caused by the oomycete Pythium insidiosum, mainly reported in equines, dogs and humans and directly transmitted through contaminant zoospores in aquatic environments. We report the first outbreak of equine pythiosis in five equines. Wound samples were submitted for diagnostic testing including mycological culture and nested PCR. Treatment approaches consisted of conventional and alternative therapies. Microbiological analyses were performed using water samples from the riverbanks close to where the animals had grazed. All animals were positive for P. insidiosum cultures...
We evaluated the influences of workload intensity, bath handling and environmental conditions in the rolling behaviour of horses and mules. For this purpose, animals were observed after being exposed to different levels of workload and the rolling behaviour was recorded and described. During all testing procedures, the weather condition (temperature and humidity) was registered by a Black globe and Wet Bulb apparatus. Horses frequently rolled after intense exercise and after bath handling, independently of the weather condition. Mules frequently rolled after control (no exercise) and intense e...
Lundgren EJ, Ramp D, Stromberg JC, Wu J, Nieto NC, Sluk M, Moeller KT, Wallach AD.Megafauna play important roles in the biosphere, yet little is known about how they shape dryland ecosystems. We report on an overlooked form of ecosystem engineering by donkeys and horses. In the deserts of North America, digging of ≤2-meter wells to groundwater by feral equids increased the density of water features, reduced distances between waters, and, at times, provided the only water present. Vertebrate richness and activity were higher at equid wells than at adjacent dry sites, and, by mimicking flood disturbance, equid wells became nurseries for riparian trees. Our results suggest t...
Dayaram A, Seeber PA, Greenwood AD.Equine herpesviruses (EHV) are a major health concern for domestic and wild equids and represent one of the most economically important disease agents of horses. Most known EHVs are transmitted directly between individuals as a result of direct exposure to exudates and aerosols. However, accumulating evidence suggests that environmental transmission may play a role including air, water, and fomites. Here, we reviewed studies on environmental stability and transmission of EHVs, which may influence viral dynamics and the use of environmental samples for monitoring EHV shedding.
Lopes KFC, Delai RM, Fazoli KGZ, Rey LMR, Lopes-Mori FMR, Benitez ADN, Borges Neto A, Bernardes JC, Caldart ET, Mitsuka-Breganó R, Navarro IT....The presence of DNA and anti- spp. antibodies in the serum of 112 healthy horses was investigated by evaluating the physical examination, from a rural society located in the north central region of Paraná. The antigens of , , and were used to perform the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, where it was possible to detect the reaction in 27.67% of the samples. These were also subjected to the real-time quantitative PCR, which confirmed the presence of spp. DNA in 67.34% of the tested samples. The results show that the tested animals were previously exposed to the protozoan. Thus, the...
Janczarek I, Stachurska A, Wilk I, Wiśniewska A, Różańska-Boczula M, Kaczmarek B, Łuszczyński J, Kędzierski W.The horse's welfare and, consequently, the emotional arousal may be connected with stressful environmental conditions. This study aimed to determine whether horses show behavioural or physiological symptoms of thermal discomfort and if their behaviour and cardiac parameters are related to freely chosen insolated (IS), shaded (SH), or water sprayed (with a mist curtain (MC)) areas in a paddock under heat conditions (29-32 °C, 42.0 ± 1.5% humidity). Twelve adult horses freely moving in the paddock were studied during a 45 min solitary turnout. Six cardiac variables, locomotor, and non-locomoto...
Mach N, Lansade L, Bars-Cortina D, Dhorne-Pollet S, Foury A, Moisan MP, Ruet A.Elite horse athletes that live in individual boxes and train and compete for hours experience long-term physical and mental stress that compromises animal welfare and alters the gut microbiota. We therefore assessed if a temporary period out to pasture with conspecifics could improve animal welfare and in turn, favorably affect intestinal microbiota composition. A total of 27 athletes were monitored before and after a period of 1.5 months out to pasture, and their fecal microbiota and behavior profiles were compared to those of 18 horses kept in individual boxes. The overall diversity and mic...
Walsh ML, Meason-Smith C, Arnold C, Suchodolski JS, Scott EM.The eye is host to myriad bacterial, fungal, and viral organisms that likely influence ocular surface physiology in normal and diseased states. The ocular surface mycobiota of horses has not yet been described using NGS techniques. This study aimed to characterize the ocular surface fungal microbiota (mycobiota) in healthy horses in 2 environmental conditions (stalled versus pasture). Conjunctival swabs of both eyes were obtained from 7 adult stallions stabled in an open-air pavilion and 5 adult mares living on pasture. Genomic DNA was extracted from ocular surface swabs and sequenced using pr...
Lochner HL, Martinson KL, Bianco AW, Hutchinson ML, Wilson ML, Johnston LJ, Dentzman KE.Challenges associated with burial, rendering, and cremation have forced horse owners to seek alternative mortality disposal methods. While equine mortality composting has been successfully demonstrated, industry-wide adoption has been limited. Therefore, evaluation of horse owners' and veterinarians' perceptions and experience with mortality composting is needed. Two surveys were developed to evaluate industry practices and decisive factors regarding equine euthanasia and mortality disposal methods. Each survey was designed for a separate audience: horse owners or veterinarians serving equines...
Daly AE, Deible CG, Lamb CE, Santacaterina SM, Marzolf NL, Page AE, Horohov DW, Wood PL, Werre SR, Chapman SE, Christmann U.To evaluate surfactant protein D (SP-D) concentrations in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from young healthy horses on pasture or housed in a typical barn. Methods: 20 young healthy horses. Methods: Horses were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups (pasture, n = 10; barn, 10), and serum and BALF samples were collected for SP-D determination at baseline (all horses on pasture) and 2 weeks and 4 weeks after the barn group of horses was relocated from the pasture to the barn. Other evaluations included physical and tracheoscopic examinations. Findings were compared within and between g...
Evans-Clay M, Porch N, Maguire G, Weston MA.Beaches are under increasing pressure from a wide range of anthropogenic threats, including human trampling, vehicular crushing, and horse riding/training. The impacts of horses on beaches are unknown. We index the relative abundance, diversity and assemblage composition of beach invertebrates at paired sites with and without horses at nine beaches (locations) across Victoria, Australia. Horses were more common at sites where they were allowed and sites (horse versus no horse) within beaches were well matched, having similar slope, seaweed coverage, human and dog activity-attributes which vari...
Du G, Feng W, Cai H, Ma Z, Liu X, Yuan C, Shi J, Zhang B.Composting has been a rational method to dispose of horse or wildlife animal manures, especially in the developed cities with horse clubs and wildlife parks. However, few studies have focused on the mechanism and improvement methods for composting the horse or wildlife animal manures. In this study, we investigated the effect of exogenous compound enzymes on thermophilic composting, which could potentially support the management of horse and wildlife animal manures. With the presence of exogenous enzymes, the duration of high temperature (> 60 °C) was significantly prolonged (p <...
Stothart MR, Greuel RJ, Gavriliuc S, Henry A, Wilson AJ, McLoughlin PD, Poissant J.Studies of microbiome variation in wildlife often emphasize host physiology and diet as proximate selective pressures acting on host-associated microbiota. In contrast, microbial dispersal and ecological drift are more rarely considered. Using amplicon sequencing, we characterized the bacterial microbiome of adult female (n = 86) Sable Island horses (Nova Scotia, Canada) as part of a detailed individual-based study of this feral population. Using data on sampling date, horse location, age, parental status, and local habitat variables, we contrasted the ability of spatiotemporal, life history...
Myćka G, Musiał AD, Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, Piórkowska K, Ropka-Molik K.The gene encodes peroxisomal acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1, the first enzyme in the fatty acid β-oxidation pathway, which could be significant for organisms exposed to long periods of starvation and harsh living conditions. We hypothesized that variations within , revealed by RNA Sequencing (RNA-Seq), might be based on adaptation to living conditions and had resulted from selection pressure. There were five different horse breeds used in this study, representing various utility types: Arabian, Thoroughbred, Polish Konik, draft horses, and Hucul. The single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) located i...
Škerlová J, Ismail A, Lindström H, Sjödin B, Mannervik B, Stenmark P.Organotin compounds are highly toxic environmental pollutants with neurotoxic and endocrine-disrupting effects. They are potent inhibitors of glutathione transferases (GSTs), thus impeding their detoxication and antioxidant functions. Several GSTs, including equine GST A3-3 (EcaGST A3-3), exhibit steroid double-bond isomerase activity and are involved in the biosynthesis of testosterone and progesterone. We have performed enzyme kinetics analyses of the inhibition of EcaGST A3-3 by organotin compounds. We have also solved crystal structures of EcaGST A3-3 in complexes with glutathione, and wit...
Jansson A, Lindgren G, Velie BD, Solé M.Infrared thermography (IRT) is a popular technology used for the detection of thermal changes given its non-invasive nature and lack of direct contact with the individual. Accordingly, the maximal eye temperature (MaxET) measured with IRT has been extensively applied in equine research. However, there is little information available about the potential limitations of the MaxET in field studies. Thus, the aims of this study were to 1) quantify the individual variation of MaxET in field conditions and the effects of individual, breed, body size (height at withers), eye side, sex and age, 2) dete...
Van Cleemput J, Poelaert KCK, Laval K, Impens F, Van den Broeck W, Gevaert K, Nauwynck HJ.Pollens are well-known triggers of respiratory allergies and asthma. The pollen burden in today's ambient air is constantly increasing due to rising climate change and air pollution. How pollens interact with the respiratory mucosa remains largely unknown due to a lack of representative model systems. We here demonstrate how pollen proteases of Kentucky bluegrass, white birch and hazel selectively destroy integrity and anchorage of columnar respiratory epithelial cells, but not of basal cells, in both ex vivo respiratory mucosal explants and in vitro primary equine respiratory epithelial cells...
Jensen BB.Studies of methanogenic bacteria present in monogastric animals are still scarce. Methanogens have been isolated from faeces of rat, horse, pig, monkey, baboon, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, giant panda, goose, turkey and chicken. The predominant methanogen in all except the chicken and turkey is species of Methanobrevibacterium. The chicken and turkey harbour species of Methanogenium. In pig the population of methanogenic bacteria is more than 30 times as dense in the distal colon as in the caecum. This finding is in agreement with the finding that the rate of methane production is much higher in...
Rosenthal FS, Gruntman A, Couetil LL.Measurements of total, respirable, and real-time airborne particulate were obtained in 12 horse barns in summer and winter. Respirable and total particulate concentrations were measured gravimetrically; real-time particulate was measured with an aerosol photometer. Total particulate (TP) ranged from nondetectable (ND) to 2.1 mg/m3 and from ND to 1.2 mg/m3 for winter and summer sampling, respectively. Respirable particulate (RP) ranged from ND to 0.2 mg/m3 and from ND to 0.7 mg/m3 for winter and summer measurements, respectively. The mean respirable fraction of particulate for summer and winter...
Costa LR, Johnson JR, Baur ME, Beadle RE.To describe the seasonal pattern of clinical exacerbation of summer pasture-associated recurrent airway obstruction (SPA-RAO) in relation to climate and aeroallergens in horses. Methods: 19 horses with SPA-RAO and 10 nonaffected horses. Methods: Daily examinations were performed on all horses while they were kept on pasture for 3 years. Onset and progression of clinical exacerbation based on a clinical score of respiratory effort were evaluated in relation to changes in maximum temperature, minimum temperature, mean temperature, maximum dew-point temperature, minimum dew-point temperature, and...
Guo R, Zhang S, Chen J, Shen W, Zhang G, Wang J, Zhang F, Pan Q, Xie T, Ai D, Dong J, Suo J, Sun Y, Liu S.Donkeys' gut microbe is critical for their health and adaptation to the environment. Little research has been conducted on the donkey gut microbiome compared with other domestic animals. The Tibetan Plateau is an extreme environment. In this study, 6 Qinghai donkeys (QH) from the Tibetan Plateau and 6 Dezhou donkeys (DZ) were investigated, and the contents of 4 parts-stomach, small intestine, cecum, and rectum-were collected. 16S rRNA sequencing and metagenomic sequencing were used to analyze the composition and diversity of gut microbial communities in donkeys. The results showed that the flo...
Grzyb J, Podstawski Z, Bulski K.Keeping horses in good condition requires providing them with living conditions that meet welfare requirements. These animals should be accommodated with suitable space, access to high nutritional fodder and water, and a suitable microclimate in their shelters. When it comes to the environment in the stables, a serious problem is created by particulate matter (PM), which consists of bacteria. PM concentration may be responsible for developing multiple lower respiratory tract diseases in horses, including allergies and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). In turn, these ailments may lead to decr...
Seeber PA, Quintard B, Sicks F, Dehnhard M, Greenwood AD, Franz M.Equine Herpesviruses (EHV) are common and often latent pathogens of equids which can cause fatalities when transmitted to non-equids. Stress and elevated glucocorticoids have been associated with EHV reactivation in domestic horses, but little is known about the correlation between stress and viral reactivation in wild equids. We investigated the effect of an environmental stressor (social group restructuring following a translocation event) on EHV reactivation in captive Grévy's zebras (). A mare was translocated by road transport from Zoo Mulhouse, France, to join a resident group of three ...
Jaskulak M, Rorat A, Grobelak A, Kacprzak M.The aim of the study was to evaluate sensitivity and potential applications of selected biomarkers in phytoremediation under complex heavy metal contamination in Sinapis alba L., Robinia pseudoacacia L. and Lupinus luteus L as a potential tools in effective phytoremediation management. The toxicity assessment was conducted using selected measurement endpoints, both classical and advanced, i.e., germination index, roots length, guaiacol peroxidase activity (GPX), chlorophyll and protein content, the amount of total phenolic compounds (TPC) and level of expression of one of the ribulose-bisphosp...
Stallones L, McManus P, McGreevy P.As society debates the use of animals in sport, entertainment, and leisure, there is an increasing focus on the welfare, social, and ecological impacts of such activities on the animals, human participants, people close to them, and the physical environment. This article introduces the "Enhanced One Welfare Framework" to reveal significant costs and benefits associated with Thoroughbred breeding and racing globally. In addition, relative to calls to ban horseracing and similar activities as part of sustainability approaches that focus chiefly on animals, the "Enhanced One Welfare Framework" is...
Nardoni S, Mancianti F, Sgorbini M, Taccini F, Corazza M.Fungal agents are responsible for a variety of respiratory diseases both in humans and animals. The nature and seasonal variations of fungi have been investigated in many environments with wide ranging results. The aims of the present report were (i) to evaluate the quality and magnitude of exposure to airborne fungi in three differently structured equine stalls (open air, partially and completely enclosed buildings) during a one-year period, using an air sampling technique and (ii) to compare the distribution and frequency of fungal species, with regards to these different environments. Air s...
Saklou NT, Burgess BA, Ashton LV, Morley PS, Goehring LS.Equid herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is ubiquitous in equine populations causing respiratory disease, and complications including late-term abortion and neurological disease. Eradication of EHV-1 from housing environments that typically contain unsealed wood and porous bedding materials can be challenging. However, consideration should be given to take advantage of the viral envelope's susceptibility to environmental conditions. Objective: To determine environmental persistence of EHV-1 on materials and in environmental conditions commonly found in equine facilities. We hypothesised that environme...
Piscator M.Cadmium exposure, metabolism, and effects are described especially in relation to dietary intakes. Data on dietary intakes in several countries have been complied from studies using the duplicate diet method or fecal analysis. These two methods seem to give more accurate data than estimates based on cadmium concentrations in food classes and food consumption (composite method). The present data on absorption and retention of ingested cadmium indicate that normally less than 5% is ingested, but absorption may increase in women who have iron deficiency. Earlier estimates of the critical concentr...
Webster AJ, Clarke AF, Madelin TM, Wathes CM.The concentration of fungal spores, the main constituents of respirable dust in stables, is determined by rates of release from fodder and bedding and rate of clearance, principally by ventilation. This paper outlines the principles that govern the application of natural ventilation to the control of air hygiene in barns and individual boxes for horses. When release rates are low, ventilation rates over four air changes per hour are satisfactory. Ventilation was satisfactory in individual boxes but usually unsatisfactory in barns and specific recommendations are made for improvement. Prelimina...
Deluca TH, Patterson Iv WA , Freimund WA, Cole DN./ Various types of recreational traffic impact hiking trails uniquely and cause different levels of trail degradation; however, trail head restrictions are applied similarly across all types of packstock. The purpose of this study was to assess the relative physical impact of hikers, llamas, and horses on recreational trails. Horse, llama, and hiker traffic were applied to 56 separate plots on an existing trail at Lubrecht Experimental Forest in western Montana. The traffic was applied to plots at intensities of 250 and 1000 passes along with a no-traffic control under both prewetted and dry t...
Espunyes J, Lurgi M, Büntgen U, Bartolomé J, Calleja JA, Gálvez-Cerón A, Peñuelas J, Claramunt-López B, Serrano E.Changes in land-use and climate affect the distribution and diversity of plant and animal species at different spatiotemporal scales. The extent to which species-specific phenotypic plasticity and biotic interactions mediate organismal adaptation to changing environments, however, remains poorly understood. Woody plant expansion is threatening the extent of alpine grasslands worldwide, and evaluating and predicting its effects on herbivores is of crucial importance. Here, we explore the impact of shrubification on the feeding efficiency of Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra p. pyrenaica), as well as ...
Guruge KS, Manage PM, Yamanaka N, Miyazaki S, Taniyasu S, Yamashita N.The persistent metabolites of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) which have been detected in the tissues of both humans and wildlife, and human contamination by PFCs suggest differences in the exposure patterns to these compounds. However, studies focused on identifying human exposure pathways to PFCs are scarce. To provide a preliminary assessment of PFCs in farm animals such as chicken, cattle, pigs, goats and horses, blood and liver samples were collected from various regions in Japan. Additionally, dog sera samples representing pet animals were also employed for analysis. Perfluorooctane sulf...
Couëtil LL, Chilcoat CD, DeNicola DB, Clark SP, Glickman NW, Glickman LT.To determine whether administration of glucocorticoids provides additional benefits to environmental management of horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Methods: 28 horses with RAO. Methods: Horses were classified as having mild, moderate, or severe RAO. Within each category, horses were randomly assigned to receive inhaled fluticasone propionate, inhaled control substance, or oral administration of prednisone. During the 4-week study, horses were maintained outdoors and fed a pelleted feed. Clinical scores, pulmonary function, results of cytologic examination of bronchoalveolar lava...
Younes M, Robert C, Barrey E, Cottin F.Although cardiac recovery is an important criterion for ranking horses in endurance competitions, heart rate variability (HRV) has hardly ever been studied in the context of this equestrian discipline. In the present study, we sought to determine whether HRV is affected by parameters such as age, exercise duration and test site. Accordingly, HRV might be used to select endurance horses with the fastest cardiac recovery. The main objective of the present study was to determine the effects of age, exercise duration, and test site on HRV variables at rest and during exercise and recovery in young...
Elfman L, Brannstrom J, Smedje G.Integrating horse stables with built-up areas may lead to conflicts. Dispersion of horse allergen may become a health risk for allergic people. The aim was to measure the dispersion of horse allergen around a stable, considering wind speed and direction and vegetation. The disturbance of staff at a workplace nearby a stable was investigated. Methods: Air sampling was performed around a stable (32 horses) at distances of 50-500 m in all directions. Sampling was done with a pump and an IOM sampler. Samples were collected at 50 points during all seasons. Horse allergen levels were determined usin...
Weese JS, Staempfli HR, Prescott JF.An environmental survey of a veterinary teaching hospital for the presence of Clostridium difficile was performed using contact plates and cycloserine-cefoxitin-fructose with 0.1% sodium taurocholate agar. Clostridium difficile was isolated from 24 of 381 sites (6.3%). Growth was obtained from 4.5% (9/202) of sites sampled in the Large Animal Clinic, from 8.1% (13/160) of sites within the Small Animal Clinic, and from 20% (2/10) of sites sampled elsewhere. Fourteen of 21 strains tested produced toxins in vitro. A geographic association was found with areas in the large animal clinic where noso...
Zakari FO, Ayo JO, Rekwot PI, Kawu MU.The review examines the role of blood in homeostasis, diagnosis and treatment of disease as influenced by meteorological stress factors, age, sex and physical activity of the donkeys. Haematological parameters play a crucial role in clinical diagnosis of infectious and parasitic diseases, in assessing the responses of donkeys to treatment and in prevention of diseases. The changes in blood values are important in evaluating the responses of the animals to various physiologic conditions. In conclusion, haematological values of donkeys are largely influenced by age, sex, physical factors of the ...
Moriarty EM, Downing M, Bellamy J, Gilpin BJ.To determine the concentration of Campylobacter spp. as well as faecal indicator bacteria; faecal coliforms, Escherichia coli and enterococci in the faeces of healthy adult horses in a sample of properties in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. Methods: The faeces of healthy adult horses (n=59), including ponies, pleasure horses and Thoroughbreds, were collected from eight properties around Christchurch, New Zealand. The faeces were analysed for concentrations of Campylobacter spp and faecal indicator bacteria; faecal coliforms, Escherichia coli and enterococci. The presence of other animals...
de Oliveira-Filho EF, Fischer C, Berneck BS, Carneiro IO, Kühne A, de Almeida Campos AC, Ribas JRL, Netto EM, Franke CR, Ulbert S, Drexler JF.Among 713 equids sampled in northeastern Brazil during 2013-2018, West Nile virus seroprevalence was 4.5% (95% CI 3.1%-6.3%). Mathematical modeling substantiated higher seroprevalence adjacent to an avian migratory route and in areas characterized by forest loss, implying increased risk for zoonotic infections in disturbed areas.
Hargreaves BJ, Kronfeld DS, Naylor JR.Thermoregulation may limit exercise performance under hot and humid conditions. This study compared heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), rectal temperature (Tr), packed cell volume (PCV) and total plasma protein concentration (TPP) during a submaximal incremental field exercise test under high vs. low ambient temperature and relative humidity. Ten horses were tested 3 times in summer (July) and 3 times in autumn (September). Heart rate was measured continuously, the other variables at rest and immediately after 4 min at 3.5, 4.5 and 7.0 m/s, separated by 3 min rest intervals, and after 5 an...
Miskovic M, Couëtil LL, Thompson CA.The effects of long-term environmental management on airway obstruction and inflammation in horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) are unknown. Objective: Horses with RAO maintained in low-dust environments have persistent airway obstruction and neutrophilic inflammation. Methods: Study horses were treated for RAO and then maintained in low-dust environments with no medical management. Horses were classified into 3 groups by years after diagnosis: 1 year (time 1, n = 9), 2-3 years (time 2, n = 7), and 5-6 years (time 3, n = 8). The comparison groups were age-matched healthy horses. Met...
Hampson BA, de Laat MA, Mills PC, Walsh DM, Pollitt CC.It has been proposed that the feral horse foot is a benchmark model for foot health in horses. However, the foot health of feral horses has not been formally investigated. Objective: To investigate the foot health of Australian feral horses and determine if foot health is affected by environmental factors, such as substrate properties and distance travelled. Methods: Twenty adult feral horses from five populations (n = 100) were investigated. Populations were selected on the basis of substrate hardness and the amount of travel typical for the population. Feet were radiographed and photographed...
Ahmadnejad F, Otarod V, Fathnia A, Ahmadabadi A, Fallah MH, Zavareh A, Miandehi N, Durand B, Sabatier P.Geographic distribution of West Nile virus (WNV) is heterogeneous in Iran by a high circulation in the southern-western areas. The objective of our study was to determine environmental and climatic factors associated with the risk of WNV equine seropositivity in Iran. Methods: Serological data were obtained from a serosurvey conducted in equine population in 260 districts in Iran. The climate and environmental parameters included in the models were distance to the nearest wetland area, type of stable, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), annual mean temperature, humidity and precipit...
Sandoval-Castellanos E, Wutke S, Gonzalez-Salazar C, Ludwig A.Wild horses unexpectedly survived terminal Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions until eventual European extirpation in the twentieth century. This survival is tied to either their occurrence in cryptic open habitats or their adaptation to forests. Our niche modelling inferred an increasing presence of horses in post-glacial forests, and our analysis of ancient DNA suggested significant selection for black phenotypes as indicating adaptation to forests.
Liu SH, Hu DF, Li K.Oviposition site selection is an important aspect of the behavioural ecology of insects. A comparison of the habitats used by a species enhances our understanding of their adaptation to altered environments. We collected data on the oviposition behaviours of Gasterophilus pecorum (Diptera: Gasterophilidae) in its habitat in Kalamaili Nature Reserve (KNR), Xinjiang, China between March and October 2014. We found 91 quadrats were used by G. pecorum for oviposition. Examining 13 ecological factors using the t-test, chi-square test, and principal component analysis showed that G. pecorum's oviposi...
Durham AE, Hall YS, Kulp L, Underwood C.Streptococcus equi represents a common hazard to equids worldwide. Environmental contamination with bacteria shed from an infected horse may represent a significant source of contagion and further knowledge of ex vivo bacterial survival under different conditions is important for disinfection and isolation protocols. Objective: To determine the potential duration of survival and vigour of growth of S. equi inoculated onto surfaces relevant to equine veterinary practice and stabling in summer and winter. Methods: Repeat sampling of environmental inocula of S. equi. Methods: Cultures of S. equi ...
