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Topic:Equids
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.
First confirmed report of equine coital exanthema in Uruguayan horses. Equine Coital Exanthema (ECE) is a contagious venereal disease caused by Equid alphaherpesvirus 3 (EHV‑3). Although ECE is self-limiting, it causes significant economic losses to the global equine industry due to the temporary segregation of affected mares and stallions from breeding activities. This report describes the epidemiological, clinical, histological, and molecular findings from an outbreak of ECE in Uruguayan horses. Seven days following the introduction of a stallion, five mares developed extensive papular and vesicular dermatitis in the vaginal and perineal regions. The stallion...
Long-Read Sequencing for Species-Level Resolution of the Equine Gut Microbiota Reveals the Need for Improved Databases. Differences in gut microbiota composition related to diet have been reported in horses, but characterization of specific microbial taxa remains limited, particularly at the species level. The objective of this study was to use long-read sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene to provide additional taxonomic insight into the intestinal microbiota in horses. Fecal samples were collected from 12 horses on pasture and from 6 of them after switching to a hay diet. Sequencing yielded low read counts per sample, and the analysis failed to detect statistical differences in alpha- and beta-diversity among diet...
Detection of papillomavirus DNA in uterine flushing samples from healthy mares reveals diverse genotypes with differing host ranges. A molecular study to assess the presence of some papillomaviruses was performed on 105 uterine flushing samples of healthy mares using real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and digital PCR (dPCR). Bovine, equine, and ovine papillomavirus DNA was detected in 27 uterine flushing samples through dPCR (~ 25.71%); qPCR was able to detect 18 positive samples (~ 17.14%). Differences between the two molecular protocols were significant as shown by McNemar's test (p˂ 0.005). EcPV DNA was detected in 10 samples by dPCR (~ 9.52%) of uterine flushing samples. qPCR detected EcPV DN...
[Retrospective evaluation of equine blood cultures sampled between 2022 and 2024]. In this study, the results of equine blood cultures sampled during the period from 2022 to 2024 were evaluated. Samples were submitted as routine samples by veterinary practices to a veterinary diagnostic laboratory in Germany. The study focused mainly on the differentiation of the bacterial isolates. In order to place the results in a clinical context, the study was complemented by a questionnaire sent to the practices enquiring for sepsis-associated clinical signs. Unassigned: The study was carried out retrospectively. A total of 199 blood culture samples submitted by practices located in Ge...
Heavy metals in horses: A review of the toxicity, clinical consequences and expected safe tissue concentrations. Trace elements arsenic, cadmium, lead, chromium, mercury, nickel, and zinc are high-density, naturally occurring metals notable for their toxicity and environmental persistence. Cadmium and mercury are particularly concerning due to their capacity for bioaccumulation and biomagnification within the food chain. Dispersed through both anthropogenic and natural sources, these elements pose significant threats to ecosystems and animal health. In equines, they induce oxidative stress by disrupting mitochondrial function, generating reactive oxygen species, and inhibiting antioxidant enzymes, leadin...
A novel flowable calcium silicate cement for endodontic therapy in equine teeth. Equine endodontic treatment for apical infections is performed infrequently due to anatomical and accessibility challenges of equine cheek teeth. However, the alternative of extraction is not without risk and lifelong implications for the horse. Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), a calcium silicate cement (CSC), has been used successfully in human dentistry for decades. MTA and other CSCs demonstrate excellent biocompatibility with favourable antimicrobial and physicochemical properties. These characteristics may support their application as an alternative filling material when used in equine e...
Inter-individual variability in equine antibody responses to African snake venoms follows heavy-tailed distributions with implications for antivenom production. Variability in the antibody response of horses used for snake antivenom manufacture is well recognized, yet its statistical structure and implications for industrial productivity remain poorly characterized. In this study, we quantified antivenom antibody titers by ELISA in a cohort of 14 horses immunized with venoms from the clinically most important snakes in sub-Saharan Africa. To integrate antibody levels with plasma availability, we calculated the Cumulative Plasma Productivity (CPP) by converting individual plasma volumes into titer-corrected equivalents and sequentially pooling these vo...
Telomere-to-telomere Genome Assembly of Equus kiang (Tibetan wild donkey). The Tibetan wild donkey (Equus kiang) is an endemic equid species inhabiting the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, exhibiting remarkable chromosomal diversity within the Equus genus. Here we present a chromosome-level, telomere-to-telomere genome assembly for E. kiang generated using Illumina short reads, PacBio HiFi long reads, and Hi-C sequencing data. The final assembly spans 4.02 Gb and comprises 27 pseudochromosomes. Specifically, 8 chromosomes are gapless, 8 chromosomes have one gap, 7 chromosomes have 2-4 gaps, and the remaining 4 chromosomes have five or more gaps. Benchmarking Universal Single...
Quantitative evaluation of behavioral and physiological adaptation during retraining of retired Thoroughbred racehorses. Retired Thoroughbred racehorses commonly transition into riding roles, yet outward behavioral calmness may not fully reflect internal physiological regulation, with implications for safety. Objective: To quantify behavioral and autonomic adaptation across repeated startle exposures and assess concordance between behavioral and physiological indicators. Methods: Twelve retired Thoroughbreds underwent standardized plastic-bag startle trials conducted across three sessions (T1-T3), each including pre-training (Before) and post-training (After) phases, with three repeated exposures at 5-minute int...
Global prevalence and epidemiological determinants of African horse sickness: A systematic review and meta-analysis. African horse sickness (AHS) is a highly fatal, vector-borne viral disease of equids with substantial economic and animal health impacts, particularly in endemic regions. Despite numerous epidemiological studies, reported prevalence estimates remain highly variable, and a comprehensive quantitative synthesis is lacking. This study aimed to systematically evaluate and synthesize the global prevalence of AHS and to identify sources of epidemiological heterogeneity. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, with the protocol registered in the Open Scie...
Feasibility study of microbubble enhanced echocardiography in normal horses. Intrapulmonary shunting, a contributor to hypoxemia in both anesthetized and spontaneously breathing horses, may occur in association with pulmonary disease, general inhalation anesthesia, or systemic inflammation. In human medicine, transthoracic microbubble-enhanced echocardiography is a widely used method to detect intrapulmonary right-to-left shunting, especially in hepatopulmonary syndrome. This study aimed to adapt and evaluate the feasibility of this technique in horses, laying the groundwork for future clinical applications. Twelve healthy horses underwent two treatments: (1) infusion ...
The effect of form on equine salt intake. Sodium and chloride are required nutrients and are typically met using sodium chloride (salt) via compressed blocks. The objective of this study was to compare salt intake using block or loose salt. Sixteen mature horses were blocked by housing style and assigned to block salt or loose salt (form) for four 7-day periods. Salt intake was measured by weight at the end of each period and was not affected by form (P = 0.070) or period (P = 0.902). There was an effect of horse (P < 0.001). Horses consumed between 2 and 135 g of salt daily, however; over half of the horses in the study di...
Accuracy of large language model-based artificial intelligence tools for equine topics. Artificial intelligence (AI) platforms are becoming increasingly popular as resources for equine information. However, these platforms generate responses from a wide range of sources and do not always distinguish between fact and opinion. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the accuracy and quality of AI-generated answers to equine-related questions. Researchers hypothesized that AI platforms could answer basic equine questions effectively but would perform poorly on complex topics or questions. Methods: Forty questions were written covering general horse care, facilities mana...
Influence of Housing and Fecal Egg Count on Cytokine Profiles (IL-4 and IL-13) in Equines. Strongyles are parasitic roundworms that cause significant gastrointestinal infections in equines, primarily through contact with infected soil. Worldwide, strongylosis affects nearly 90% of horse populations. Objective: The objectives of our study were to determine if there was a relationship between fecal egg count (FEC) and housing types on interleukin IL-4 and IL-13. Methods: Horses (N=25) were separated into two groups based on housing conditions: pasture (housed on pasture 24/7; PS, N=13) and semi-intensive (housed in stalls with turnout overnight; SI, N=12). Within each housing group, t...
Nano-Encapsulated Vitamin E Enhances Cryo-Resistance of Stallion Spermatozoa: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Sperm Quality, Kinematic Parameters, Antioxidant Capacity, Microbiota and Ultrastructure. This experiment explores the comparative ability of vitamin E (VE) and its nano-emulsion (VEN) in enhancing cryo-resistance of stallion spermatozoa by examining semen quality, kinematic variables, acrosome integrity, apoptosis, antioxidant capacity, ultra-structural alterations and microbiota of cryopreserved stallion sperm. Semen from five stallions (8-10 years) was cryopreserved with 0.1 or 1 mM of VE or VEN; and a non-additive group served as the control. The VEN particles ranged in size from 72 to 172 nm, with a mean diameter of 287 nm. Supplementation with VE (1 mM) or VEN (0.1 ...
miRNA Sequencing and Differential Analysis of Testis in 1-Year-Old and 2-Year-Old Kazakh Horses. The represents a significant genetic resource within China's population, characterized by notable resilience and an ability to thrive on coarse forage. Nevertheless, a decline in its numbers has been observed recently, making the improvement of its reproductive performance crucial for the preservation of this breed and the advancement of the related industry. In this study, testicular tissues from 1-year-old (pre-pubertal) and 2-year-old (post-pubertal) were analyzed. miRNA sequencing was conducted on tissues from these age groups, followed by bioinformatics analyses to elucidate the functi...
In vitro cultivation of Trypanosoma equiperdum: Comparison of in vitro and in vivo antigens for an ethical and sustainable serological diagnosis of Dourine. The protozoan Trypanosoma equiperdum is the causative agent of Dourine, a contagious sexually transmitted disease of equines that can manifest itself in chronic or acute form. Dourine has serious veterinary and economic implications, as there are no vaccines available for prevention and the management of the disease requires the culling of infected animals, together with rigorous sanitary control measures. This study compares the traditional production of T. equiperdum antigen grown in vivo, with an in vitro cultivation methodology developed to eliminate the use of animals. The in vitro and in...
Machine Learning-Based Genome-Wide Association Study Reveals Genetic Loci Associated with Body Measurement Traits in Yili Horses. Body measurement traits are key indicators for evaluating growth performance, production potential, and breeding value in Yili horses. However, studies investigating the association between body measurement traits and mutation loci in Yili horses remain limited. In this study, 255 adult Yili mares were used as the study population, including 152 speed-type and 103 meat-type individuals. Whole-genome resequencing was performed, and four phenotypic traits and body weight were measured. A mixed linear model (MLM)-based genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted using GEMMA (v 0.98.5), inc...
Measuring Chuckwagon Racehorse Movement Asymmetry Before and After Racing Using Wearable GNSS-IMUs: A Preliminary Study. In Chuckwagon racing, teams of four Thoroughbred horses pull wagons at high speeds. Movement symmetry is a key locomotion metric linked to force production, racing direction, and lameness. Racehorse symmetry in trot during on-track warmups and cooldowns was assessed. Over 10 days, 60 horses (average 8 per day) were fitted with Global Navigation Satellite Systems combined with Inertial Measurement Unit (GNSS-IMU) sensors. Weight-bearing asymmetry was quantified using the minimum difference (MnD) in vertical trunk displacement between diagonal limb pairs, and push-off asymmetry was quantified us...
Monitoring horse behaviour with deep learning models. Detailed analysis of stabled horse behaviour can reveal accurate information about its well-being. Advances in deep learning now allow these behaviours to be tracked without being invasive through the use of video data. This study evaluated a convolutional neural network for recognising standing, lying, and drinking behaviours in a horse housed in a wooden stall and recorded continuously over 29 consecutive days. Model predictions were compared with manually annotated ground truth data. Standing was detected with high precision (97.5%) and high recall (89.2%). Lying behaviour was classified wi...
Pasture Intake of Whole-Day Stocked Thoroughbred Foals With Growth. We investigated the changes in the forage and nutrient intake of thoroughbred foals on pastures with whole-day stocking with age. Twelve thoroughbred foals were used and were allowed to graze on a pasture for 21 h/day from June to September. All foals were weaned just before 5 months of age. The pasture intake of the foals was measured using the double-indicator method. During the suckling period, the total voluntary dry matter intake (VDMI) of the pasture for foals was higher at 4 months (2.1 kgDM/day) than at 2 months (1.3 kgDM/day). However, VDMI of pastures per body weight (%BW) for foal...
Is managing horses ‘as wild’ beneficial for dung beetle assemblages and their associated ecological functions? In Europe, where livestock has largely replaced wild ungulates over the centuries, dung beetle assemblages have become largely dependent on livestock farming. The radical changes in livestock farming practices during the 20th century have therefore had a profound impact on these assemblages. Trophic rewilding with large herbivores is an important focus in European rewilding projects, and dung beetle assemblages appear to be good indicators of the success of rewilding. By comparing the composition of dung beetle assemblages and the rate of dung disappearance in three neighboring grassland habit...
Additional Evidence Fails to Associate Variation in KCNE4 With Equine Anhidrosis. A prior genome-wide association (GWA; N = 200) including Thoroughbreds and stock horses implicated chromosome 6 (NC_009149.3) in owner-reported equine anhidrosis. A missense variant in KCNE4 (NC_009149.3:g.11813731A>G) was proposed as a risk allele, although its association with anhidrosis was not reported. Variant annotation and protein modelling in the original study suggested the G allele conferred risk. We reported no association of the G allele with anhidrosis in 50 horses phenotyped by an intradermal terbutaline sweat test (ITST); all horses produced sweat regardless of genotype. ...
Membrane and mitochondrial antioxidants improve post-thaw functional quality of stallion spermatozoa. Cryopreservation of stallion semen induces oxidative stress that compromises sperm motility, membrane integrity, and mitochondrial function. Given the high mitochondrial reliance of equine spermatozoa and their susceptibility to oxidative damage, compartment-specific antioxidant strategies may improve post-thaw functional resilience. This study evaluated the effects of astaxanthin, a membrane-active carotenoid, and MitoTEMPO, a mitochondria-targeted superoxide scavenger, on the functional and oxidative status of frozen-thawed stallion spermatozoa. Ejaculates from nine stallions were cryopreser...
Piezosurgical partial ostectomy of the incisive bone for an ossifying fibroma removal in a 4-year-old Warmblood gelding. Ossifying fibromas are uncommon in horses and complete surgical excision with premaxillectomy, maxillectomy or mandibulectomy is recommended. Piezosurgery has been previously used in equines only in one study. Objective: To report a case of ossifying fibroma treated with piezosurgery and to describe its follow-up. Methods: Clinical case report. Methods: A 4-year-old Zangersheide gelding was presented for a mass occupying the space of tooth 202. Histology confirmed the diagnosis of ossifying fibroma, which was removed by resection of soft tissues and a slice of the premaxilla with a piezotome. ...
Ertugliflozin decreases the insulin spike in non-insulin dysregulated standardbred horses following intra-articular triamcinolone administration. Horses with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) are at an increased risk of laminitis following corticosteroid use. Ertugliflozin reduces hyperinsulinemia in horses with EMS, and therefore may be a management option to reduce the insulin spike seen post corticosteroid use. It was hypothesised that oral ertugliflozin, administered before and after intra-articular (IA) triamcinolone acetonide (TA), will significantly lower the insulin response in comparison to placebo. A randomised, blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover design was performed on eight adult standardbred geldings with no history of la...
Assessment of acute and chronic pain in working horses and donkeys in Egypt and the influence of observer training. Pain assessment can support monitoring welfare in working equids. Objective: To assess agreement of structured pain scores before and after training observers and to assess differences in pain scores between working equids with or without acute or chronic pain and to compare them to non-working equids. Methods: In part 1, eleven veterinarians and nine technicians performed pain scores before and after training. Agreement with reference scores was analyzed with Intra Class Correlation (ICC) analysis. In part 2, pain assessments were performed in 96 donkeys (n=40 fit-to-work, n=21 acute pain, n=...
Germline Pathogenic Variant in the APC Gene Suggestive of Gardner Syndrome in a Pony. A 12-year-old pony mare was presented for evaluation of dental disease and nasal discharge. At presentation, clinical signs included bilateral nasal discharge, cutaneous masses, and numerous hard enlargements involving the bones of the skull, maxilla, mandible, and cervical vertebrae. Oral exam revealed advanced dental disease with hard enlargements adjacent to and between numerous cheek teeth. Radiographs and computed tomography confirmed the presence of severe dental disease and proliferative bone lesions disseminated along the skull, hyoid apparatus, and cranial cervical vertebrae. The bony...
Equine sentinels and one health: a comprehensive serological survey of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in southeastern and Central Europe. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is the widespread tick-borne viral disease affecting humans with endemic circulation across Africa, Asia, Eastern and Southern Europe. Climate change, global travel, and animal trade have accelerated the expansion of spp., the primary tick vectors of CCHF, into previously non-endemic areas, including the Czech Republic. To assess the current distribution of CCHF in equids across Southeastern and Central Europe, we screened serum samples from horses and donkeys from Bulgaria ( = 579), Romania ( = 1,534), and the Czech Republic ( = 576) by the ...
