Equine health encompasses the study and management of diseases, disorders, and overall well-being of horses. It involves understanding various physiological systems, preventive care, and treatment strategies to maintain optimal health in equine populations. Common areas of focus include nutrition, infectious diseases, orthopedic conditions, and reproductive health. Research in equine health aims to advance knowledge on diagnostic methods, therapeutic interventions, and management practices that improve horse welfare and performance. This page collects peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the diverse aspects of equine health, offering insights into current findings and advancements in the field.
Giguère S, Hernandez J, Gaskin J, Prescott JF, Takai S, Miller C.The performance of four enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) (ELISA-6939, ELISA-33701, ELISA-VapA, and ELISA-California) and an agar gel immunodiffusion test for diagnosis of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals was evaluated. Antibody concentrations of foals with culture-confirmed R. equi pneumonia (n = 41) were compared to those of age-matched pasturemates that remained clinically healthy during the entire breeding season (n = 24). For each serological assay evaluated, selection of a low cutoff resulted in high sensitivity but low specificity. Increasing the cutoff value resulted in be...
Hines SA, Stone DM, Hines MT, Alperin DC, Knowles DP, Norton LK, Hamilton MJ, Davis WC, McGuire TC.Rhodococcus equi is a gram-positive bacterium that infects alveolar macrophages and causes rhodococcal pneumonia in horses and humans. The virulence plasmid of R. equi appears to be required for both pathogenicity in the horse and the induction of protective immunity. An understanding of the mechanisms by which virulent R. equi circumvents protective host responses and by which bacteria are ultimately cleared is important for development of an effective vaccine. Six adult horses were challenged with either virulent R. equi or an avirulent, plasmid-cured derivative. By using a flow cytometric m...
De Clercq D, van Loon G, Nollet H, Delesalle C, Lefère L, Deprez P.Between 1999 and 2001, seven horses with fever, dysphagia and a history of chronic upper respiratory tract infection lasting between three weeks and three months were examined. They had been treated unsuccessfully with a variety of antibiotics for three to four weeks. A deep abscess in a retropharyngeal lymph node was diagnosed in each case by clinical examination, endoscopy and echographic examination of the retropharyngeal region. The infected retropharyngeal lymph node of each horse was punctured with a spinal needle under ultrasound guidance. Pus was aspirated from four of the horses, and ...
Huang X, Xuan X, Yokoyama N, Xu L, Suzuki H, Sugimoto C, Nagasawa H, Fujisaki K, Igarashi I.The gene encoding a truncated merozoite antigen-2 (EMA-2t) of Babesia equi was cloned and highly expressed in Escherichia coli as a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein (G-rEMA-2t). Both G-rEMA-2t and rEMA-2t (after the removal of glutathione S-transferase) had good antigenicity. Either Western blot analysis with rEMA-2t or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with G-rEMA-2t clearly discriminated the sera of horses experimentally infected with B. equi from sera of horses infected with Babesia caballi and healthy horses, although rEMA-2t was not suitable for ELISA, probably owing to it...
McGuigan MP, Wilson AM.A horse's legs are compressed during the stance phase, storing and then returning elastic strain energy in spring-like muscle-tendon units. The arrangement of the muscle-tendon units around the lever-like joints means that as the leg shortens the muscle-tendon units are stretched. The forelimb anatomy means that the leg can be conceptually divided into two springs: the proximal spring, from the scapula to the elbow, and the distal spring, from the elbow to the foot. In this paper we report the results of a series of experiments testing the hypothesis that there is minimal scope for muscle cont...
Bihr TP.A 5-month-old Morgan filly was presented to the Atlantic Veterinary College with a history of lethargy, fever, depression, anorexia, and dependent ventral edema. Diagnostic tests revealed severe inflammation, hypoproteinemia, and thickened small intestinal loops. Protein-losing enteropathy caused by Lawsonia intracellularis was diagnosed and treated successfully with erythromycin-rifampin.
Dwyer RM, Garber LP, Traub-Dargatz JL, Meade BJ, Powell D, Pavlick MP, Kane AJ.To identify factors associated with excessive proportions of early fetal losses associated with mare reproductive loss syndrome in central Kentucky during 2001. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: Questionnaires were used to collect information on farm-, pasture-, and individual animal-level factors purportedly associated with mare reproductive loss syndrome. Data were collected for 133 farms (97 with excessive proportions of early feta losses and 36 control farms) representing 6,576 mares. Results: Factors significantly associated with an increased risk of excessive early fetal losses were ...
Kohama M, Nio J, Hashimoto Y, Iwanaga T.The intimal lining cells of the synovium in joints have been studied morphologically and histochemically and shown to consist of macrophagic cells (type A) and fibroblast-like cells (type B). It is believed that the structure of the synovium in the tendon sheath is similar to that in the joint, but there have been only a few morphological studies of the tendon sheath. The present study revealed the cellular architecture of synovium in the tendon sheath of horses by histochemistry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Like the joint, the inner surface of the tendon sheath was covered with a c...
Turner RM, McDonnell SM.Significant amounts of alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity have been found in semen plasma from numerous species. In species in which the majority of semen plasma AP (SPAP) activity originates from the epididymis and testicle, SPAP activity can be used clinically as a marker to differentiate testicular origin azoospermia or oligospermia from ejaculatory failure. Information on SPAP activity in stallions to date has been limited. In this study, a standard clinical chemistry analyzer was used to determine AP activity in pre-ejaculatory fluid and ejaculates from groups of normal stallions. Additio...
Aurich JE, Kranski S, Parvizi N, Aurich C.This study investigated the regulation of growth hormone (GH) release in stallions and tested the hypothesis that the somatotrophic axis influences testicular function. Basal plasma GH concentrations, effects of an experimental decrease of GH release on testicular function and an opioidergic regulation of GH release were investigated in Shetland stallions (n=6). No seasonal variations in plasma GH concentrations were found over a 12-month period. Treatment with the somatostatin analogue octreotid (100mg twice daily over 10 days) caused a decrease in semen motility from 38.7+/-8.4% progressivel...
Zekas LJ, Forrest LJ.The purpose of this study was to describe ultrasonographic changes of the equine palmar metacarpal area attributed to the infiltration of local anesthetic solution and to determine whether these changes were noted immediately or at 24 h. The palmar metacarpal region of one forelimb in each of six horses was examined ultrasonographically with a 10-MHz linear array transducer and a 7.5-MHz curvilinear transducer. Transverse and longitudinal images were recorded at 5-cm intervals distal to the accessory carpal bone. High and low palmar and palmar metacarpal nerve blocks were performed with a 2% m...
O'Connor SJ, Fowden AL, Holdstock N, Giussani DA, Forhead AJ.Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) has an active role in the control of blood pressure and body fluid homeostasis both before and after birth. This study investigated the ontogeny of pulmonary and renal ACE concentrations in fetal and neonatal horses. Fetal pulmonary ACE concentration increased from 250 days towards term (c. 335 days). Newborn foals showed significantly higher mean concentrations of pulmonary ACE (4.40 +/- 0.62 nmol min(-1) mg protein(-1)) than both fetuses during late gestation (1.23 +/- 0.51 nmol min(-1) mg protein(-1)) and animals aged 1 day to 2 weeks of postnatal age (0....
Nebbia C, Dacasto M, Rossetto Giaccherino A, Giuliano Albo A, Carletti M.The apoprotein expression and the catalytic activities of cytochrome P450s involved in the biotransformation of xenobiotics were investigated in horse liver microsomes and compared with those of food producing (cattle, pigs, broiler chicks, and rabbits) and laboratory species (rats). Western blot analysis revealed the presence of proteins immunorelated to rat CYP 1A, CYP 2B, CYP 2E, and CYP 3A subfamilies in hepatic microsomes from horses and from any other examined species. With the exception of the N-demethylation of N-nitrosodimethylamine in broiler chicks, all the recorded interspecies dif...
Lenasi T, Rogelj I, Dovc P.Here we report the entire cDNA sequences for equine alphaS1-, beta- and kappa-casein. Based on interspecies comparison, nine exons were found in equine beta-casein and five in kappa-casein. In equine alphaS1-casein cDNA the exon 5 was missing, which resulted in the total of 18 exons instead of 19 theoretically possible exons in alphaS1-casein cDNA. Comparison of DNA sequences representing exon 5 in other species with corresponding equine genomic region confirmed the presence of cryptic exon in horse genomic DNA. Equine alphaS1-casein mRNA was present in three forms in the lactating mammary gla...
Barker SC.Hendra virus is a new virus of the family Paramyxoviridae. This virus was first detected in Queensland, Australia, in 1994; although, it seems that the virus has infected fruit-eating bats (flying-foxes) for a very long time. At least 2 humans and 15 horses have been killed by this virus since it first emerged as a virus that may infect mammals other than flying-foxes. Hendra virus is thought to have moved from flying-foxes to horses, and then from horses to people. There is a reasonably strong hypothesis for horse-to-human transmission: transmission of virus via nasal discharge, saliva and/or...
Pedersen HG, Watson ED, Telfer EE.Follicular atresia has been examined previously by various biochemical and histological methods. The aim of this study was to compare, for the first time, detection of granulosa cell apoptosis by biochemical DNA analysis and microscopic examination of fresh granulosa cell morphology with the established method of detecting atresia by histology in equine follicles. DNA extracted from granulosa cells was examined by staining with ethidium bromide and end-labelling with [(32)P]dideoxy-ATP, which labels the free 3'-end of DNA fragments. In 25 of 26 follicles (96%) there was agreement between end-l...
Richardson DW, Dodge GR.To assess the effects of glucocorticoids on the expression of multiple matrix-related genes in normal and cytokine-treated cultured equine articular chondrocytes in a phenotypically correct suspension culture. Methods: Articular cartilage harvested from the joints of 15 foals, 7 yearling horses, and 16 adult horses. Methods: Glucocorticoids (dexamethasone, prednisolone, triamcinolone) at 10(-10) to 10(-4) M. Methods: Equine articular chondrocytes maintained in suspension cultures were treated with glucocorticoids with and without human recombinant interleukin 1-beta (IL1-beta) and tumor necros...
Manohar M, Goetz TE.It has been reported that pulmonary injury (i.e. capillary stress failure) evoked histamine release from airway inflammatory/mast cells contributes to exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia (EIAH) and that pre-exercise inhalation of nedocromil sodium mitigated EIAH in human subjects 'Med. Sci. Sports Exercise 29, (1997) 10-16'. Because exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage due to capillary stress failure is routinely observed in racehorses, we examined whether nedocromil inhalation would similarly benefit EIAH and desaturation of hemoglobin in horses. Two sets of experiments, namely, placebo stud...
Richet G.P. Rayer (1795-1867) had never thoroughly published his experimental studies on the contagion of glanders. His recently un-earthed hand written papers allow us to depict his experimental approach and its results. He was not the first who transmitted glanders from a patient to horses or donkeys. But he did it systematically with glander secretions from acute and chronic cases. Whatever was the disease of the donors the transmitted forms were unpredictably either chronic or acute. His conclusion was that the two forms were two symptomatic aspects of a unique disease. Clinically dormant states we...
Kreusch S, Schwedler S, Tautkus B, Cumme GA, Horn A.An UV spectrophotometric method for protein determination using microplates is described. Using the SPECTRAmax PLUS reader, the UVStar 96- and 384-well microplates and a 96 or 384 parallel channel liquid handling technique, large-scale determinations can be performed with intraassay precision better than 3% CV (coefficient of variation) in the range from 1 to 8000 microg of protein/ml, measuring at 205, 215, and 280 nm and using different volume-dependent light-path lengths. Since the absorbance coefficient at 205 nm is found to be 30 ml/(mgxcm) for eight different proteins with a CV of 5.6% o...
Toribio RE, Kohn CW, Sams RA, Capen CC, Rosol TJ.Abnormalities in calcium (Ca(2+)) homeostasis are reported in horses with several pathological conditions; however, there is little information on Ca(2+) regulation in horses. The objectives of the present study were to determine the Ca(2+) set-point in healthy horses, to determine whether the Ca(2+)/parathyroid hormone (PTH) response curves were characterized by hysteresis, and to determine if the order of experimentally induced hypocalcemia or hypercalcemia had an effect on PTH secretion. The Ca(2+) set-point and hysteresis were determined in 12 healthy horses by infusing Na(2)EDTA and calci...
Mariat D, Taourit S, Guérin G.In horses, basic colours such as bay or chestnut may be partially diluted to buckskin and palomino, or extremely diluted to cream, a nearly white colour with pink skin and blue eyes. This dilution is expected to be controlled by one gene and we used both candidate gene and positional cloning strategies to identify the "cream mutation". A horse panel including reference colours was established and typed for different markers within or in the neighbourhood of two candidate genes. Our data suggest that the causal mutation, a G to A transition, is localised in exon 2 of the MATP gene leading to an...
Rochette F, Engelen M, Vanden Bossche H.The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of antifungal agents currently in use in veterinary medicine. The practical applications and the therapeutic regimens that have proved successful in the treatment and prevention of fungal infections in dogs and cats, cattle and sheep, horse, pig, poultry and other birds, rodents, rabbits and fur animals are summarized.
Greenhaff PL, Snow DH, Harris RC, Roberts CA.Two studies were undertaken in an attempt to investigate the optimal dose, route and time course required to 'bicarbonate load' the Thoroughbred. During the first study a test solution of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) and a control solution of water were administered via a nasogastric tube to six horses. Blood acid-base status was determined immediately prior to and for 24 h following intubation. During the second study a standardised feed was given to four horses, with and without NaHCO3 supplementation. This was followed by a further trial involving the addition of glucose and NaHCO3 to a stan...
Lucke VM, Lane JG.The clinical and pathological aspects of two cases of C-cell (parafollicular cell) tumours of the thyroid are described. Both the horse and the pony presented with a paralaryngeal mass and a history of constant gulping. Ultrastructural examination of the tumours demonstrated that they were composed of C-cells containing typical, membrane-bound secretory granules. The pony is alive and well three years after surgery and the horse has raced successfully following removal of the tumour.
Easley KJ, Stashak TS, Smith FW, Van Slyke G.Thirty-six superficial digital flexor tendons from nine fresh equine cadavers were transected and sutured with size 2 monofilament nylon. Nine tendons were repaired with each of four suture patterns: single-locking loop, double-locking loop, triple-locking loop, or three-loop pulley. The times required for application, tensile strengths, resistance to distraction (gap), and modes of failure were analyzed. The mean times required were: single-locking loop, 3 mins, 15 secs; double-locking loop, 4 mins, 15 secs; triple-locking loop, 10 mins, 50 secs; and three-loop pulley, 4 mins. The double-lock...
McCarthy RN, Hutchins DR.A retrospective analysis of 74 cases that underwent surgery for colic was undertaken to determine short and long term survival rates and the incidence of post-operative complications. In 28 cases colic was related to small intestinal lesions and in 46 cases to large intestinal lesions. Pre-operative packed cell volume and heart rate were found to be inversely related to short-term survival. Twenty-five horses (34%) recovered from surgery and were discharged. Of 18 of these cases with available histories, 6 subsequently had one or more episodes of colic since surgery of which 5 eventually died ...
Bugislaus AE, Roehe R, Willms F, Kalm E.In a genetic analysis of German trotters, the performance trait racing time per km was analysed by using a random regression model on six different age classes (2-, 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-year-old and older trotters; the age class of 3-year-old trotters was additionally divided by birth months of horses into two seasons). The best-fitting random regression model for the trait racing time per km on six age classes included as fixed effects sex, race track, condition of race track (fitted as second-order polynomial on age), distance of race and each driver (fitted as first-order polynomial on age) as ...
Tomlinson JE, Redding WR, Sage A.Ultrasonographic examination of the tarsus was performed on four clinically and radiographically normal limbs of adult horses. Particular attention was paid to the articular cartilage surfaces of the trochlear ridges of the talus and the distal intermediate ridge of the tibia. Two separate measurements of articular cartilage thickness were acquired from a longitudinal view at each site. Anatomy was confirmed with post mortem dissection. Ultrasonography was found to be a practical method for imaging the articular cartilage over the trochlear ridges of the talus and distal intermediate ridge of ...
Hinrichs K, Cochran SL, Schelling SH, Steckel RR.A granulosa-theca cell tumor was found in an ovary that had an ovulation fossa and normal ovarian tissue. The ovary was removed from a mare with a history of ovarian enlargement and behavioral changes. The affected ovary had a multicystic appearance on ultrasonographic examination performed before surgery, and an ovulation fossa was not palpable on examination per rectum. However, during surgery, the affected ovary was found to be within normal size limits, with an enlargement on 1 pole, and to contain an ovulation fossa. Atrophy of the infundibulum of the affected ovary helped to confirm the ...
Morreale RJ, Wilkie DA, Gemensky-Metzler AJ, Weisbrode SE, Willis MA.To determine the acute histologic effects of semiconductor diode laser transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (TSCP) on the normal equine eye. Methods: Part 1: eight eyes of four horses. Part 2: 10 eyes of five horses. Methods: Part 1: TSCP was performed on four eyes at 4 mm and four eyes at 6 mm posterior to the limbus with 15 sites treated in four quadrants at 1800 mW for 1500 ms. The globes were sectioned transversely or sagitally to examine all quadrants and histologic sections were taken every 1 mm for the entire globe. Part 2: Based on the results from Part 1, TSCP was performed at 20 sites ...
Voss JL, Sullivan JJ, Pickett BW, Parker WG, Burwash LD, Larson LL.Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of HCG on duration of oestrus, dioestrus, the length of the oestrous cycle, the time of ovulation and fertility in non-lactating mares. In the first experiment, the injection of HCG was repeated for three successive cycles. Mares injected with 2000 i.u. HCG on Day 2 of oestrus during their first cycle had a shorter oestrus and ovulated sooner than untreated control mares, but in the third cycle, treated mares had a longer oestrus and ovulated longer after the onset of oestrus than controls. In the second experiment, one intramuscular inje...
Pickles K.Horses with trigeminal mediated headshaking (TMHS) have a decreased activation threshold of the trigeminal nerve and clinical signs are suspected to be a manifestation of trigeminal neuralgia. Electrical nerve stimulation (ENS) is used for management of neuralgia in humans and appears to work via gate control theory. Use of an equine specific percutaneous ENS program in over 130 TMHS horses has resulted in approximately 50% success return to previous work. Electroacupuncture may also be useful in the management TMHS. Optimization of ENS procedures for TMHS is likely to require a greater unders...
Boy MG, Zhang C, Antczak DF, Hamir AN, Whitlock RH.A 10-month-old Arabian foal was evaluated for a suspected immunoglobulin (Ig) M deficiency. Decreased to nondetectable concentrations of IgM, IgA, and IgG (T), and a normal concentration of IgG, were present. Results of in vitro testing of the blood lymphocyte blastogenesis showed a weak response to the B-cell mitogen, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), but normal responses to T-cell mitogens. Results of postmortem examination showed synovitis of the left tibiotarsal and both scapulohumeral joints. Atrophy and edema of the lymph nodes and lymphocyte depletion in the thymus and spleen were seen. A subac...
Rose RJ, Allen JR, Brock KA, Clark CR, Hodgson DR, Stewart JH.Five standardbred geldings received intravenous clenbuterol hydrochloride and saline in a crossover experiment to evaluate the effects of clenbuterol on certain cardiorespiratory parameters during and after treadmill exercise. The exercise test consisted of four steps. Step 1 at a speed of 76 m per minute, step 2 at 129 m per minute, step 3 at 190 m per minute and step 4 at 236 m per minute. The duration of each step was two minutes, except step 4 which was four minutes. The treadmill was set at a grade of 19 per cent. Before exercise, 30 minutes after clenbuterol or saline administration, art...
Ferreira C, Palhares MS, de Melo UP, Chiarini-Garcia H, Maranhão RPA, Gheller VA, Leme FOP.To determine the effect of the inclusion method on the histomorphometric evaluation of the gastrointestinal mucosa of horses, jejunum samples were collected using flank laparotomy. Sixteen mixed breed healthy adult horses, including four males and 12 females, aged 4-14 years with an average body weight of 248.40 ± 2.28 kg, were used. Jejunal biopsies were collected and analyzed by light microscopy using two methods: group 1 comprised biopsies fixed using 10% neutral formalin and embedded in paraffin; biopsies in group 2 were fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde in 0.1 M phosphate buffer pH 7.2, follo...
Foreman JH, Bayly WM, Grant BD, Gollnick PD.Ten healthy sedentary male Thoroughbreds with previous race training experience were studied for 14 weeks. Horses were trained for 9 weeks, using a program designed after those used commonly in the United States. Horses were trained conventionally by slow trotting (250 m/min) for 2 weeks and galloping (390 to 450 m/min) for 4 weeks, followed by 3 weeks of galloping (440 to 480 m/min) and intermittent sprinting exercises (breezes) at distances between 600 and 1,000 m (900 to 950 m/min). The horses were then pasture rested for 5 weeks. A standardized exercise test (SET) involving an 800-m gallop...
Blue MG.In a retrospective study of selected cases, abdominal colic in 30 horses was attributed to enterolith obstructions of the large intestine. Obstructions caused by "true" enteroliths were confined to horses more than four years old. Prominent clinical features were recurrent mild abdominal pain, inappetance, gaseous distension and minimal intestinal motility. The various aspects of the clinical syndrome, including diagnostic problems and clinical management, are discussed. Most obstructing enteroliths were found near the beginning of the small colon and most horses contained only a single major ...
Ponthier J, Franck T, Detilleux J, Mottart E, Serteyn D, Deleuze S.Despite improvement of techniques, semen of 20% of stallions remains unfreezable. Recent studies focused on the impact of reactive oxygen species and oxidant enzymes on semen characteristics. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is a pro-oxidant enzyme contained in and released by neutrophils during degranulation or after cell lysis. It is responsible for the formation of hypochlorous acid, a strong oxidant agent, which could damage spermatozoa. The aim of this study was to determine the relation between MPO concentration and characteristics of frozen semen from stallions. Thirty-five straws from different s...
Gronert GA, Fung DL, Jones JH, Shafer SL, Hildebrand SV, Disbrow EA.We investigated the effects of body size on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the renally cleared muscle relaxant metocurine. We hypothesized that pharmacokinetics of the drug would change allometrically in proportion to physiological time [infinity Mb0.25, where Mb is body mass] and that pharmacodynamics would be independent of size because of the highly conserved structure of the acetylcholine receptor. Metocurine effects during general anesthesia were examined in 17 rats, 8 cats, 6 dogs, 5 pigs, 7 sheep, and 12 horses. Allometric analysis demonstrated size dependence for pharmaco...
Nagel C, Aurich J, Palm F, Aurich C.Heart rate (HR) is an important parameter of fetal well-being. In horses, HR and heart rate variability (HRV) can be determined by fetomaternal electrocardiography (ECG) from mid-pregnancy to foaling. Normal values for physiological parameters in larger breeds are often used as reference values in ponies. However, HR increases with decreasing size of the animal and in ponies is higher than in warmblood horses. It is not known if fetal HR is affected by breed and if values obtained in larger breeds can be used to assess Shetland fetuses. We have determined fetomaternal beat-to-beat (RR) interva...
Everett JB, Schumacher J, Doherty TJ, Black RA, Amelse LL, Krawczel P, Coetzee JF, Whitlock BK.OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of stacked wedge pads and chains applied to the forefeet of Tennessee Walking Horses on behavioral and biochemical indicators of pain, stress, and inflamation. ANIMALS 20 Tennessee Walking Horses. PROCEDURES Horses were randomly assigned to 2 treatment groups: keg shoes (control; n = 10) or stacked wedge pads and exercise with chains (10). Ten days before treatment application, an accelerometer was attached at the left metatarsus of each horse to record daily activity. Horses were exercised for 20 minutes daily, beginning on day -7. On day 0, exercise ceased,...
Benton HP, Esquivel AV, Rice AD, Giri SN.Pirfenidone is under investigation as an anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic agent in several organs including lung. Since important features of arthritic conditions include inflammation and long-term damage to articular cartilage, we have investigated whether PD can suppress chondrocyte responses to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interleukin 1 (IL-1); modulators that induce a cascade of inflammatory responses that lead to articular joint tissue damage. PD (0 - 5microM) showed no effect on cell number or viability when incubated with high density primary equine chondrocyte cultures for...
Rech R, Barros C.This article focuses on the gross examination of the brain and spinal cord and outlines the main lesions and neuroanatomic location related to neurologic diseases in horses.
Tull TM, Woodie JB, Ruggles AJ, Reimer JR, Embertson RM, Hopper SA, Bramlage LR.Few studies have evaluated the athletic prognosis of foals affected by gastrocnemius disruption. Objective: To examine the diagnosis and management of gastrocnemius disruption in Thoroughbred (TB) foals, determine short-term survival rate and assess future racing performance. The hypothesis was that Thoroughbred foals with gastrocnemius disruption are able to perform as racehorses comparably to their age matched maternal siblings. Methods: The medical records of foals diagnosed with gastrocnemius muscle disruption were reviewed. Information on training and racing was acquired from published wo...
Inoue Y, Matsui A, Asai Y, Aoki F, Yoshimoto K, Matsui T, Yano H.We studied the response of biochemical markers of bone metabolism to exercise intensity in horses. Four horses were walked on a mechanical walker for one week (pre-exercise). Then they performed low-speed exercise on a high-speed treadmill in the first week and medium-speed exercise in the second week and high-speed exercise in the third week of training. We measured two indices of bone resorption, serum hydroxyproline concentration and the urinary deoxypyridinoline/creatinine ratio, and serum osteocalcin (OC) concentration as an index of bone formation. Both indices of bone resorption gradual...
Wilkes EJA, Cowling A, Woodgate RG, Hughes KJ.Faecal egg counts (FEC) are used widely for monitoring of parasite infection in animals, treatment decision-making and estimation of anthelmintic efficacy. When a single count or sample mean is used as a point estimate of the expectation of the egg distribution over some time interval, the variability in the egg density is not accounted for. Although variability, including quantifying sources, of egg count data has been described, the spatiotemporal distribution of nematode eggs in faeces is not well understood. We believe that statistical inference about the mean egg count for treatment decis...
Derisoud E, Auclair-Ronzaud J, Palmer E, Robles M, Chavatte-Palmer P.Although puberty can occur as early as 14-15months of age, depending on breed and use, the reproductive career of mares may continue to advanced ages. Once mares are used as broodmares, they will usually produce foals once a year until they become unfertile, and their productivity can be enhanced and/or prolonged through embryo technologies. There is a general consensus that old mares are less fertile, but maternal age and parity are confounding factors because nulliparous mares are usually younger and older mares are multiparous in most studies. This review shows that age critically affects c...
