Equids are members of the family Equidae, which includes modern horses, donkeys, and zebras, as well as extinct species. Equids are characterized by their long limbs, single-toed hooves, and herbivorous diet, which is primarily composed of grasses. Horses, specifically, have been domesticated for thousands of years and have played significant roles in agriculture, transportation, and sport. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various aspects of equids and horses, including their evolution, physiology, behavior, and interactions with humans. The collected works provide insights into the genetic diversity, adaptive traits, and conservation efforts related to equid species.
Bielińska K, Butkiewicz AF, Ziemak H, Zdun M.Due to the growing interest among veterinarians and the increasing market demands, the development of equine cardiology is necessary. Currently, veterinary medicine for companion animals needs to catch up to human medicine-equine medicine included. A common condition in older horses is aortic valve regurgitation resulting from fibrosis, while its more severe form occurs in younger horses or develops due to a bacterial infection. Mitral valve regurgitation, especially dangerous due to the possibility of sudden death, has a better prognosis if the horse has valve prolapse. Tricuspid valve regurg...
Grandgeorge M, Lerch N, Delarue A, Hausberger M.Equine-assisted intervention (EAI) studies deal with clients, whereas very few studies focused on the effects on animals. EAI equids are also submitted to management, which influences their welfare. Management and working conditions depend on human decisions and perception. We gathered information through a survey about facilities managers' strategies (n = 51) and obtained direct information on management and working practices and their consequences on equids' welfare through an observational study (n = eight facilities, 174 equids). Differences in managers' perceptions of good management prac...
This research investigates the human-horse bond, aiming to unveil the physiological mechanisms regulating interspecies interactions. We hypothesized observing a physiological synchronization in human-horse dynamics, akin to human interactions. Through time-frequency Granger causality analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) and behavioral data, this study reveals the establishment of bidirectional synchronization in HRV between humans and horses. The coupling directionality is influenced by behavior and familiarity. In exploration scenarios led by horses, bidirectional interactions occur, part...
Dwyer J, Roshier AL, Campbell M, Hill B, Freeman SL.Weaning represents one of the most stressful events in the life of a horse, and may have long-term impacts on behaviour. There are a range of approaches used to wean foals from mares, including abrupt and progressive separation methods. There is currently a lack of consensus on how stress and impact are measured. Objective: To conduct a scoping review to identify and chart measures of weaning-related stress on the mare and foal. Methods: Scoping review. Methods: The scoping review was conducted using the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews. Systematic searches were conducted in three scientif...
Mann DN, Hobert KT, Biddle AS, Crossley MS.Cyathostomins are common digestive tract parasites of grazing horses that spread through contact with horse feces. Horse feces are colonized by a variety of organisms, some of which could serve to reduce parasite loads in horse pastures. Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L.; Diptera: Stratiomyidae) larvae (BSFL) could be an ideal candidate for biological control of cyathostomins, due to their near-global distribution, low risk of pathogen transmission, ability to develop on a variety of nutrient-poor substrates (including horse manure), and dramatic effect on microbial communities that cyat...
Wang Z, Zeng S, Wang Y, Wang T, Qu H, Zhu Y, Li J.Reproductive disorders in donkeys present a significant challenge to their health and welfare, impacting their roles in agriculture, conservation, and companionship. With the development of large-scale donkey farming in recent years, reproductive disorders have become a limiting factor for the expansion of the donkey population. In general, donkeys suffer from a similar array of diseases like horses, but little is known about the specificities of donkey reproductive disorders. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the pathogenesis, distribution, presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and p...
Spriet M, Vandenberghe F.Scintigraphy and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) are both nuclear medicine imaging techniques, providing functional information of the imaged areas. Scintigraphy is a two-dimensional projected imaging technique that was introduced in equine imaging in the late 1970s. Scintigraphy allows imaging of large body parts and can cover multiple areas, remaining the only technique commonly used in horses for whole body imaging. PET is a cross-sectional imaging technique, first used in horses in 2015, allowing higher resolution three-dimensional functional imaging of the equine distal limb. This manu...
Sibthorpe PEM, Fitzgerald DM, Sillence MN, de Laat MA.Equine insulin dysregulation (ID) is a significant metabolic problem because the hyperinsulinaemia that develops increases the animal's risk of developing laminitis, a debilitating foot condition. The role of gastrointestinal factors, such as incretin hormones, in the pathogenesis of ID and hyperinsulinaemia in horses is poorly understood, particularly in comparison to other species. Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) is an intestinotrophic peptide released from L cells in the gastrointestinal tract and is implicated in metabolic dysfunction in other species. The aim of this study in vitro was to...
Campos AS, Franco AC, Godinho FM, Huff R, Candido DS, da Cruz Cardoso J, Hua X, Claro IM, Morais P, Franceschina C, de Lima Bermann T, Dos Santos FM....Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV) is a mosquitoborne virus that reemerged in December 2023 in Argentina and Uruguay, causing a major outbreak. We investigated the outbreak using epidemiologic, entomological, and genomic analyses, focusing on WEEV circulation near the Argentina‒Uruguay border in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. During November 2023‒April 2024, the outbreak in Argentina and Uruguay resulted in 217 human cases, 12 of which were fatal, and 2,548 equine cases. We determined cases on the basis of laboratory and clinical epidemiologic criteria. We characterized 3 fatal equ...
Bekele D, Dessalegn B, Tadesse B, Abey SL.Strangles, caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies equi, is a highly infectious disease of equines causing major health issues and financial losses. The aim of the study was to detect the presence of the SeM gene in Streptococcus equi isolated from equine suspected of having strangles. A cross-sectional study design was conducted from July to December 2022 in five districts of the central Gondar zone, Ethiopia. One-hundred sixty swab samples were taken from animals that had been clinically suspected. The SeM gene was detected using polymerase chain reaction, and the antimicrobial susceptibilit...
Medeiros BB, Barcelos KMC, Andrade MO, Cristina da Paz Carvalho M, Miranda VR, de Oliveira Maia K, Reinhardt S, Patterson Rosa L.The genetic diversity of Breton horses in Brazil is a critical concern, mainly due to the small population size and low number of births per year. Given that the inbreeding was overlooked by breeders for multiple generations, we estimated the genetic diversity of this population utilizing pedigree-based measures of population diversity. A total of 1394 six-generation pedigrees representing the full population of registered Breton horses in Brazil defined a total population (TP, = 2679), with horses born between 2000 and 2022, reproductively active and alive, as reported by the breed assoc...
Kovács S, Bodó G, Tóth FZ, Néder L, Bakos Z.Potential arrhythmias recorded by cardiac monitors using the built-in human algorithm are as follows: total number of episodes, ventricular tachycardia, asystole, bradycardia, atrial tachycardia, atrial fibrillation and the percentage of time spent in atrial tachycardia or atrial fibrillation. Long-term use of an insertable cardiac monitor (loop recorder) has been reported in one horse earlier, but its accurate role as a diagnostic tool is still unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the long-term applicability of the Reveal XT cardiac monitor for recording cardiac arrhythmia...
Guyo M, Tareke M, Tonamo A, Bediye D, Defar G.This study was conducted to evaluate morphometric traits of horse ecotypes reared in four districts of the Bale highlands, southeastern Ethiopia. Twenty-seven morphometric traits were measured from 500 horses (294 males and 206 females) of both sexes. Data were analyzed using SAS 2012. This study revealed that certain traits, such as head length, loin length, bi-ischial width, and sternum height of horses were similar. However, significant differences ( < 0.0001, < 0.01, < 0.05) were observed in other traits across the districts. All traits were affected by age ( < 0.05) except rump width an...
Hedberg Alm Y, Tydén E, Martin F, Lernå J, Halvarsson P.Selective anthelmintic treatment, advocated due to evolving anthelmintic resistance, has been associated with an increase in Strongylus vulgaris prevalence. Reverting to routine interval anthelmintic treatments is not viable and therefore, identifying other management factors correlated with S. vulgaris infection is vital. Objective: To investigate possible risk factors associated with the presence of S. vulgaris infection in resident horses on Swedish horse establishments. Methods: Internet-based questionnaire survey. Methods: A questionnaire, created using the internet-based survey platform ...
Tomberg C, Petagna M, de Selliers de Moranville LA.Spontaneous eye blinks are brief closures of both eyelids. The spontaneous eye blink rate (SEBR) exceeds physiological corneal needs and is modulated by emotions and cognitive states, including vigilance and attention, in humans. In several animal species, the SEBR is modulated by stress and antipredator vigilance, which may limit the loss of visual information due to spontaneous eye closing. Here, we investigated whether the SEBR is modulated by attention in the domestic horse (Equus caballus). Our data supported previous studies indicating a tonic SEBR specific to each individual. We also fo...
Al Mheiri FG, Joseph M, Joseph S, Alqassim M, Kinne J, Wernery U.This article describes the development of the pathogenic dimorphic fungus Histoplasma capsulatum var. farciminosum (HCF), which is the causative agent of Equine epizootic lymphangitis (EEL), from the mycelial form in the soil to the yeast form in the horse. In this study, the stages and morphology of HCF were identified through histopathological analysis and culture with various samples collected in Ethiopia from 15 horses showing clinical signs of EEL. In equids, especially cart horses in Ethiopia, poor-quality harnesses cause cutaneous wounds, which often attract flies facilitating the trans...
Bonilla Lemos Pizzi GL, Holz K, Kowalski ÉA, Fonseca Ribeiro P, Blake R, Ferreira Martins C.The esbarrada and volta sobre patas manoeuvres are critical in Criollo horse equestrian activities, yet their kinematics remain largely unexplored. This observational study aimed to kinematically describe the manoeuvres in Criollo breed horses and explore the relationship between static goniometry and dynamics. A 2D kinematic analysis was conducted on 31 Criollo horses performing the manoeuvres using high-speed cameras. Joint angles were measured using static goniometry and analysed in relation to dynamic performance. The esbarrada covered a distance of 4.28 ± 0.99 m in 1.15 ± 0.11 s at a ve...
Uprety T, Soni S, Sreenivasan C, Hause BM, Naveed A, Ni S, Graves AJ, Morrow JK, Meade N, Mellits KH, Adam E, Kennedy MA, Wang D, Li F.Equine rotavirus species A (ERVA) G3P[12] and G14P[12] are two dominant genotypes that cause foal diarrhoea with a significant economic impact on the global equine industry. ERVA can also serve as a source of novel (equine-like) rotavirus species A (RVA) reassortants with zoonotic potential as those identified previously in 2013-2019 when equine G3-like RVA was responsible for worldwide outbreaks of severe gastroenteritis and hospitalizations in children. One hurdle to ERVA research is that the standard cell culture system optimized for human rotavirus replication is not efficient for isolatin...
Sävilammi T, Alakangas RR, Häyrynen T, Uusi-Heikkilä S.Gastrointestinal disorders are common and debilitating in horses, but their diagnosis is often difficult and invasive. Fecal samples offer a non-invasive alternative to assessing the gastrointestinal health of horses by providing information about the gut microbiota and inflammation. In this study, we used 16S sequencing to compare the fecal bacterial diversity and composition of 27 healthy horses and 49 horses diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We also measured fecal calprotectin concentration, a marker of intestinal inflammation, in healthy horses and horses with IBD. We found ...
Armstrong D.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.
Flores JEM, Terrazas A, Lara Sagahon AV, Aleman M.Parasympathetic tone activity (PTA) in response to nociceptive stimulus in conscious non-sedated horses is unknown. Objective: Study PTA, heart rate (HR), and horse grimace scale (HGS) at rest and during mechanical nociceptive stimulation. Methods: Ninety healthy young adult horses (females, males): 30 each of Friesians, Quarter Horses, and Warmbloods. Methods: Prospective control study. The study consisted of habituation to equipment (Day 1), baseline recordings (Days 2 and 3), and nociceptive testing applying mild pressure to the metacarpus (Day 4). Parasympathetic tone, HR, and HGS were rec...
Marunova E, Hernlund E, Persson-Sjödin E.Head and pelvis vertical movement asymmetries in horses are often evaluated under different conditions yet better understanding is required of how these asymmetries are altered by factors such as surface type or circle size. This study investigated how stride duration, surface and lungeing in circles of different sizes influenced objectively measured head and pelvis movement asymmetries in riding horses in full training. Movement asymmetries were recorded with body mounted accelerometers and were based on the differences between the two vertical displacement minima or maxima of head (HDmin, HD...
McGill S, Coleman R, Hayes M.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...
Manning H, Sampson S.Antimicrobial prophylaxis for elective orthopaedic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in equids is a topic of debate among practitioners and can have negative detrimental effects on patients if used unnecessarily. Objective: To describe the complications with elective orthopaedic MRI of horses, mules, and donkeys under general anaesthesia without the use of peri-anaesthetic antimicrobial prophylaxis at a single large tertiary referral centre. We hypothesised that horses, mules, and donkeys undergoing general anaesthesia for elective orthopaedic MRI, without antimicrobial prophylaxis, will not be...
Cocco R, Sechi S, Rizzo M, Arrigo F, Giannetto C, Piccione G, Arfuso F.Due to the paucity of information on circus management effects on the welfare of horses, this study investigated the plasma concentrations of noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin, known to be indices of mental status, as well as the reactive oxygen metabolites (d-Roms) and the biological antioxidant potential (BAP), likely to denote the oxidant/antioxidant equilibrium of organisms, in horses managed in different Italian circuses. For the study, 56 circus horses of different breeds and ages were enrolled and divided into six groups according to the horses' management (circus management, groups...
Mendoza FJ, Pérez-Écija A, Kappmeyer LS, Suarez CE, Bastos RG.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a global tick-borne disease of equids caused by the intraerythrocytic apicomplexan parasites and , and the more recently discovered . These parasites can be transmitted by several tick species, including , , and , but iatrogenic and vertical transmission are also common. Clinical signs of EP include poor performance, fever, icterus, abortions, among others, and peracute or acute forms of infection are associated with high mortality in non-endemic areas. EP is a reportable disease and represents an important barrier for the international trade of horses and other e...
Gallacher K, Woolford L, Santos LC, Serpa PBS, Len J, Gilbert RO, Kind KL.Endometrial health is vital for the reproductive efficiency of broodmares and accurate diagnostic testing is crucial for directing the best treatment options and outcomes. Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is an endoscopic technique for obtaining in-vivo, real-time microscopic imaging of tissues using a fiber optic probe. CLE relies on induced tissue fluorescence and fluorescein sodium, given intravenously, is the contrast agent most used in human medicine. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of CLE for imaging equine endometrium and determine a standard dose of fluorescein sodium ...
Kim K, Xu T, Kannan Villalan A, Chi T, Yu X, Jin M, Wu R, Ni G, Sui S, Wang Z, Wang X.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...
Aoun R, Takawira C, Lopez MJ.To provide an overview of available research about effects of horseshoes on equine kinetics and kinematics. Methods: The terms, "horse/equine," "hoof," "shoes/horseshoes," "kinetics," and "kinematics" were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Center for Agriculture and Bioscience International, and United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Library for manuscripts from first availability to 2024. Independent reviewers used preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines to map and extract evidence-based data from sources. Metrics included partici...
Herbst C, Hartmann KS, Brown DO, Malinowski K.To stay up-to-date with the demographics, interests, and needs of the equine community, equine extension programs commonly conduct so called "needs assessment surveys". The main goals of the 2022 Rutgers Equine Science Center (ESC) needs assessment survey were to: 1) characterize the equine community, 2) identify information sources used by the equine community, 3) assess the usefulness of selected equine-related services and programs, and 4) determine the perceived importance of selected equine-related issues. An anonymous online survey was distributed through the Rutgers ESC's email list, a ...
Barrera G, Albiach-Serrano A, Guillén-Salazar F.Studies have shown that horses are sensitive to human attentional cues. Also, there is some evidence that they might be able to infer the knowledge state of a human and communicate intentionally with us. However, this ability is not fully characterized and certain behaviors, like gaze, asymmetric ears position or vocalizations, which could work as attention-getting behaviors, have been scarcely studied in this context. The aim of the present study was to assess whether horses' gaze toward a person, asymmetric ears position and vocalizations are subject to audience effects and adjust to human a...
Seck M, Carder G, Wathan J, Randau M, Fletcher K, Proops L.The role that working equids play in both rural and urban communities in low and middle-income countries is invaluable. They contribute to daily tasks such as carrying food, water and people, support income generation, and are of social and cultural importance. Despite their importance, global standards of working equid welfare are low. Many variables can impact the welfare status of animals under human care, but often specific factors are explored in isolation. Factors can include, but are not limited to an owner's socioeconomic status and their attitudes and beliefs towards animals. In this ...
Huangsaksri O, Wonghanchao T, Sanigavatee K, Poochipakorn C, Sukhong P, Chanda M.Lunging is a training technique commonly performed in a round pen or on a lunge line. This study investigated the effort intensity, autonomic responses, and method agreement in applying different lunging protocols to untrained ponies. Sixteen untrained ponies (aged 13.6 ± 6.3 years and weighing 358 ± 47.4 kg) were studied. Each pony underwent the same research-focused lunging program on a lunge line and, subsequently, in a round pen with a two-day interval between sessions. The heart rate variability (HRV) and effort intensity, indicated as a percentage of maximum heart rate (%HRmax), were d...
Share ER, Mastellar SL, Suagee-Bedore JK, Eastridge ML.The measurement of fecal cortisol/corticosterone metabolites (FCMs) is often used to quantify the stress response. The sampling method is relatively non-invasive, reduces concern for elevation of cortisol from the sampling method, and has been shown to measure cortisol more consistently without the daily diurnal rhythm observed in blood. Commercial ELISA (enzyme-linked immunoassay) kits offer benefits over previously validated immunoassay methods but lack validation. The objective of this study was to evaluate a commercial ELISA kit (Arbor Assays DetectX Cortisol ELISA kit, K003-H1, Ann Arbor,...
Steuer A, Fritzler J, Boggan S, Daniel I, Cowles B, Penn C, Goldstein R, Lin D.Current methods for obtaining fecal egg counts in horses are often inaccurate and variable depending on the analyst's skill and experience. Automated digital scanning of fecal sample slides integrated with analysis by an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm is a viable, emerging alternative that can mitigate operator variation compared to conventional methods in companion animal fecal parasite diagnostics. Vetscan Imagyst is a novel fecal parasite detection system that uploads the scanned image to the cloud where proprietary software analyzes captured images for diagnostic recognition by a d...
Li S, Li L, Sun Y, Khan MZ, Yu Y, Ruan L, Chen L, Zhao J, Jia J, Li Y, Wang C, Wang T.Equid herpesvirus type 8 (EqHV-8) is known to cause respiratory disease and miscarriage in horses and donkeys, which is a major problem for the equine farming industry. However, there are currently limited vaccines or drugs available to effectively treat EqHV-8 infection. Therefore, it is crucial to develop new antiviral approaches to prevent potential pandemics caused by EqHV-8. This study evaluates the antiviral and antioxidant effects of cepharanthine against EqHV-8 by employing both in vitro assays and in vivo mouse models to assess its therapeutic efficacy. To assess the effectiveness of ...
Thomson P, Garrido D, Santibáñez R, Lara F.The gut microbiome plays a critical role in maintaining horse health, influencing digestion, immunity, and overall well-being. However, in certain conditions like colic, there is evidence of significant alterations in the microbial community. To analyze the composition of the fecal microbiome and the enriched predicted metabolic functions of horses with colic compared to a control group, 14 horses with colic and 14 control horses were recruited. From a stool sample, DNA extraction was carried out for subsequent 16S rRNA metagenomic analysis. The composition of the microbiome was analyzed from ...
Martin-Pelaez S, Fuente A, Takahashi K, Perez IT, Orozco J, Okada CTC, Neto CR, Meyers S, Dini P.Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is the current clinical practice for the in vitro production of equine embryos. The use of conventional fertilization methods such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), has historically been associated with poor success in horses. However, recent improvements have led to better outcomes with IVF, though only when using fresh semen, which limits its use in clinical practice. IVF remains in its infancy in equine reproduction, and several unknowns remain about the technique. One significant gap in knowledge concerns the morphokinetics of IVF embryos and how they...
Asti V, Ablondi M, Molle A, Zanotti A, Vasini M, Sabbioni A.The shift of the horse breeding sector from agricultural to leisure and sports purposes led to a decrease in local breeds' population size due to the loss of their original breeding purposes. Most of the Italian breeds must adapt to modern market demands, and gait traits are suitable phenotypes to help this process. Inertial measurement unit (IMU) technology can be used to objectively assess them. This work aims to investigate on IMU recorded data (i) the influence of environmental factors and biometric measurements, (ii) their repeatability, (iii) the correlation with judge evaluations, and (...
Hall C, Kay R.Quality of life is dependent upon the extent to which behavioural needs are met, and the balance between pleasant and unpleasant lifetime experiences. In Part II of this systematic review, articles (n = 109) relating to horse-human interactions were reviewed to identify behavioural evidence of their positive or negative impact on the horse. The number of articles (n = 22) relating to the recognition of pain in horses, indicated the importance of identifying health issues, which are also likely to increase the aversiveness of interactions. These and articles relating to emotional reactivity tes...
Tasnim Y, Stanley C, Rahman MK, Awosile B.We aim to detect beta-lactamase-producing Citrobacter sedlakii from horses and compare the genomic characteristics with isolates from humans. Results: We characterized phenotypically and genotypically nine C. sedlakii isolates from the feces of horses and then compared them to human-derived isolates using whole genome sequencing and phylogenomic methods. Seven isolates (7/9) were ampicillin-resistant, while at least one isolate was resistant to ceftriaxone, gentamicin, meropenem, and streptomycin. All nine isolates were carriers of the chromosomal-mediated blaSED-1 beta-lactamase gene, which...
Ahlawat S, Sharma U, Niranjan SK, Chhabra P, Arora R, Sharma R, Singh KV, Vijh RK, Mehta SC.This study explored the maternal genetic diversity of six indigenous Indian horse and pony breeds (Bhutia, Kathiawari, Manipuri, Marwari, Spiti, and Zanskari) using comprehensive mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) analysis. Blood samples from 53 horses across diverse agro-climatic zones of India were analyzed, revealing 36 distinct haplotypes, with a haplotype diversity of 0.889 and nucleotide diversity of 0.00347. These indices suggest significant maternal genetic diversity in Indian equines. A median-joining (MJ) network, based on the hypervariable region of the D-loop along with sequences of...
Nassar AFC, Chiebao DP, Fava CD, Miyashiro S, Castro V, Ogata RA, Yamamora JM, Monteiro CAS, Monteiro EJB.Glanders is a zoonotic disease of equids caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei, responsible for considerable economic loss. This study aimed to describe the clinical manifestations, pathological findings, and also bacteriological and molecular methods for agent detection in naturally infected animals (16 adult horses and one fetus) detected by serological survey from three glanders outbreaks. Of the 16 horses, 6 (37.5%) did not show clinical signs. After necropsy,samples of organs, lymph nodes, lesions and secretions were collectedfor histopathology, bacterial isolation, and PCR. The cli...
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two styles of classical music, based on different tempos (BPM), on the physiological and blood parameters of horses during social isolation and restriction of movements. First experiment was carried out using nine horses of no defined breed, distributed in Control, Slow-tempo music and Moderate-tempo music .For social isolation and restriction of movement, the animals were housed daily in individual stalls for two hours and exposed to the stimuli for 60 min, and eye temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate were assessed. The second exp...
Baghdadi HBA, Abdelsalam M, Attia MM.Strongylus vulgaris, a devastating parasitic nematode in equids, causes life-threatening verminous aneurysms that are challenging to diagnose early. This study pioneered integrating nanotechnology into an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (i-ELISA) system to enhance the sensitivity and specificity for detecting S. vulgaris larval antigens in equine serum samples, with PCR confirmation of the species. A conventional i-ELISA and an innovative nano-based ELISA were developed using excretory-secretory antigens from adult S. vulgaris worms. The nano-ELISA incorporated gold nanoparticles (1...
Torcivia C, McDonnell SM.Gastric ulcer disease and other potentially painful gastric conditions are among the most common afflictions adversely affecting the welfare of domestic equids. A large percentage of affected animals may not display the classic signs of gastric disease, such as unexplained weight loss, poor hair coat, and inappetence until the disease becomes severe. As a clinical service within our equine referral hospital, we routinely evaluate 24-h video recorded samples of horses to assist clinicians in identifying subtle discomfort and potential sources or to scan for infrequent neurologic or cardiac-rela...
Nielsen SS, Alvarez J, Boklund A, Dippel S, Dorea F, Figuerola J, Herskin M, Miranda Chueca MA, Nannoni E, Nonno R, Riber A, Stahl K, Stegeman JA....The objective of this Scientific Opinion is to assess the hazards and welfare consequences associated with the slaughter of horses for human consumption. The entire slaughter procedure, from arrival at the slaughterhouse until death, is divided into three phases: Phase 1 - pre-stunning, Phase 2 - stunning and Phase 3 - bleeding. Phase 1 includes the following processes (in chronological order): (a) arrival, (b) unloading of the animals from the vehicle, (c) lairage, (d) handling and moving to the stunning area and (e) restraint before application of the stunning method. Phase 2 encompasses the...
Nielsen SS, Alvarez J, Boklund A, Dippel S, Dorea F, Figuerola J, Herskin M, Miranda Chueca MA, Nannoni E, Nonno R, Riber A, Stahl K, Stegeman JA....Horses of different ages may have to be killed on-farm for purposes other than slaughter (where slaughter is defined as killing for human consumption) either individually (i.e. on-farm killing of unproductive, injured or terminally ill animals) or on a large-scale (i.e. depopulation for disease control purposes and other situations, such as environmental contamination, disaster management, etc.). The purpose of this opinion is to assess the hazards and welfare consequences associated with the on-farm killing of horses. The killing procedure is divided into Phase 1 (pre-killing), which includes...
Fiedler JM, Ayre ML, Rosanowski S, Slater JD.Organisations for which sentient animals are central to the business model need to demonstrate the safeguarding of animal welfare and well-being. This requires providing positive experiences for animals which is critical to maintaining the social licence to operate. A cross-sectional survey captured the attitudes of experienced horse sector participants regarding sentience, welfare and well-being. Almost all respondents (99.9%; n = 676/677), believed horses were sentient. Analysis of open-ended responses identified two themes: (1) Sentience is a pathway to understanding the mental state, welfa...
François AC, Cesarini C, Taminiau B, Renaud B, Kruse CJ, Boemer F, van Loon G, Palmers K, Daube G, Wouters CP, Lecoq L, Gustin P, Votion DM.Hypoglycin A and methylenecyclopropylglycine are protoxins responsible for atypical myopathy in equids. These protoxins are converted into toxins that inhibit fatty acid β-oxidation, leading to blood accumulation of acylcarnitines and toxin conjugates, such as methylenecyclopropylacetyl-carnitine. The enzymes involved in this activation are also present in some prokaryotic cells, raising questions about the potential role of intestinal microbiota in the development of intoxication. Differences have been noted between the faecal microbiota of cograzers and atypical myopathy-affected horses. Ho...
Haussler KK, le Jeune SS, MacKechnie-Guire R, Latif SN, Clayton HM.The defining characteristic of laterality is the dominance of one side of the brain controlling specific functions of paired organs or on one side of the body. Structural and functional asymmetries are ubiquitous in horses and range from anatomical features (e.g., the length of long bones) to the gathering of sensory information (e.g., which eye is used to observe unfamiliar scenes) and motor functions (e.g., left-right differences in locomotion). There is a common tendency to assign observed structural or functional asymmetries to lateralization, which often involves more than a simple left-r...
Leishmaniosis is a vector-borne and zoonotic disease with major sanitary implications at global scale. In Europe, Leishmania infantum is the only endemic etiologic agent, which has been previously reported in a wide range of mammal. However, the information about the role of equids in the L. infantum epidemiology is limited. We aimed to assess the seroprevalence and identify potential risk factors associated with L. infantum seropositivity in equine populations across several European countries. A total of 1364 equids, including 1005 horses, 240 donkeys and 119 mules/hinnies from Spain, Italy,...
Du W, Sun Q, Hu S, Yu P, Kan S, Zhang W.Mitochondria are semi-autonomous organelles that play a crucial role in the energy budget of animal cells and are closely related to the locomotor abilities of animals. Equidae is renowned for including two domesticated species with distinct purposes: the endurance-oriented donkey and the power-driven horse, making it an ideal system for studying the relationship between mitochondria and locomotor abilities. In this study, to cover the genetic diversity of donkeys, we sequenced and assembled six new mitochondrial genomes from China. Meanwhile, we downloaded the published mitochondrial genomes ...
Sheahan BJ, Schubert AG, Schubert W, Sheats MK, Schnabel LV, Gilbertie JM.Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) play a significant role in response to a variety of infectious and inflammatory stimuli in human and veterinary medicine. Although entrapment of bacteria can be an important function of NETs, the exuberant release of DNA and other intracellular molecules has also been negatively implicated in the pathogenesis of different diseases. Thus, NET formation must be tightly controlled and represents an opportunity for therapeutic interventions. Horses are particularly sensitive to bacterial stimuli that have previously been shown to cause NETs in other species, b...
Verhaar N, Geburek F.Clinical intestinal viability assessment is associated with significant limitations, and there is an undisputable need for ancillary diagnostics during colic surgery. Human and companion animal surgeons struggle with similar intraoperative issues, yet there is little exchange between specialists. Therefore, this narrative review aimed to create an overview of real-time ancillary diagnostics with the potential for intraoperative intestinal viability assessment in horses. Most real-time ancillary diagnostics can be classified as either tissue perfusion or oxygenation assessments. Intestinal perf...
Qiu Y, Jiang J, Yi X, Wang S, Sun X.This study investigated the immunoglobulins (IG) gene locus structure and expression diversity in local Chinese horse and donkey breeds, including Ningqiang, Guanzhong horses, and varieties such as Guanzhong, Jiami, and Northern Shaanxi donkey using genome alignment and high-throughput sequencing. The aim was to expand understanding of IG expression patterns in horses, donkeys, and their different breeds. The results revealed that the donkey IGH locus contains 117 VH genes (23 functional), 44 DH genes, and 8 JH genes, arranged in a VH-DH-JH sequence on chromosome 7, spanning approximately 1189...
Vall E, Blanchard M, Sib O, Cormary B, González-García E.In tropical regions, subject to significant fluctuations in feedstuffs, the body condition score (BCS) is a relevant indicator for monitoring body reserves status of farm animals. However, the most used BCS grids comes from temperate conditions and still not adapted for tropical species, which limits adoption and usefulness. The current work presents for the first time an original, low-cost, standardized BCS assessment system, suited to a large spectrum of tropical farm animals (zebu and/or crossbred cattle, buffaloes, camel, sheep, goats, horses and donkeys). Based on a rigorous set of unifor...
Buono F, Castaldo E, Veneziano V, Veronesi F, Roncoroni C, Scarcelli S, Sgroi G, Matthews JB, Piantedosi D.Grazing horses are exposed to various intestinal helminths, with tapeworms being of major concern due to their potential pathogenicity. Few regional data are available in Italy on tapeworm infections in horses; therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Anoplocephala spp. eggs over a nine-year period (2014-2023) in 12,056 faecal samples from horses living in all 18 continental Italian regions. Coprological examinations were performed using the Proudman and Edwards (1992) method using Sheather's sugar solution as the floatation medium. An overall prevalence of 3.7 % ...
