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Topic:Equine Health
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.
Innervation of equine airways. Equine obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or heaves or recurrent airway obstruction, is a common equine pulmonary disease similar to human asthma and/or CODP. Since bronchospasm and inflammation are the key features in heaves, the purpose of this paper is to review the contribution of neural mechanism that may be relevant to this disease. Equine airway receive cholinergic and adrenergic innervation, as well as observed in many species. It was suggested that the autonomic neural control in asthma might be defective with an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory pathways, resulting in ex...
The mobile bag technique as a method for determining the degradation of four botanically diverse fibrous feedstuffs in the small intestine and total digestive tract of ponies. An in sacco mobile bag technique was used to determine the rate and extent of disappearance of unmolassed sugar-beet pulp, soyabean hulls, hay cubes and an oat hull-naked oats mixture (67:33, w/w) in the foregut and total digestive tract of ponies. Ponies were administered naso-gastrically polyester mesh bags containing 350 mg feed, in a Latin square design. Bags were collected at the ileo-caecal junction (small intestine bag, SIB) and in the faeces (faecal bag, FB) and their residues analysed for proximate constituents and NSP composition and content. DM disappearances from individual bags we...
Electromyographic activity of the hyoepiglotticus muscle and control of epiglottis position in horses. To determine whether the hyoepiglotticus muscle has respiratory-related electromyographic activity and whether electrical stimulation of this muscle changes the position and conformation of the epiglottis, thereby altering dimensions of the aditus laryngis. Methods: 6 Standardbred horses. Methods: Horses were anesthetized, and a bipolar fine-wire electrode was placed in the hyoepiglotticus muscle of each horse. Endoscopic images of the nasopharynx and larynx were recorded during electrical stimulation of the hyoepiglotticus muscle in standing, unsedated horses. Dorsoventral length and area of ...
Sound signature for identification and quantification of upper airway disease in horses. To investigate whether upper airway sounds of horses exercising with laryngeal hemiplegia and alar fold paralysis have distinct sound characteristics, compared with unaffected horses. Methods: 6 mature horses. Methods: Upper airway sounds were recorded in horses exercising on a high-speed treadmill at maximum heart rate (HR(MAX)) under 3 treatment conditions (ie, normal upper airway function [control condition], and after induction of left laryngeal hemiplegia or bilateral alar fold paralysis) in a randomized crossover design. Fundamental frequency, spectrograms using Gabor transform, and inte...
Plasma and synovial fluid endothelin-1 and nitric oxide concentrations in horses with and without joint disease. To compare plasma and synovial fluid endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nitric oxide (NO) concentrations in clinically normal horses and horses with joint disease. Methods: 36 horses with joint disease, and 15 horses without joint disease. Methods: Horses with joint disease were assigned to 1 of the 3 groups (ie, synovitis, degenerative joint disease [DJD], or joint sepsis groups) on the basis of findings on clinical and radiographic examination and synovial fluid analysis. Endothelin-1 and NO concentrations were measured in plasma from blood samples, collected from the jugular vein and ipsilateral cepha...
Effects of treatment with oxytocin, xylazine butorphanol, guaifenesin, acepromazine, and detomidine on esophageal manometric pressure in conscious horses. To compare effects of oxytocin, acepromazine maleate, xylazine hydrochloride-butorphanol tartrate, guaifenesin, and detomidine hydrochloride on esophageal manometric pressure in horses. Methods: 8 healthy adult horses. Methods: A nasogastric tube, modified with 3 polyethylene tubes that exited at the postpharyngeal area, thoracic inlet, and distal portion of the esophagus, was fitted for each horse. Amplitude, duration, and rate of propagation of pressure waveforms induced by swallows were measured at 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 minutes after administration of oxytocin, detomidine, acepromazine, xyl...
Localization and secretion of inhibins in the equine fetal ovaries. To clarify the source of inhibins in equine female fetuses, concentrations of immunoreactive (ir-) inhibin, inhibin pro-alphaC, and inhibin A in both fetal and maternal circulation and in fetal ovaries were measured. In addition, the localization of inhibin alpha and inhibin/activin beta(A), and beta(B) subunits and the expression of inhibin alpha(A) and inhibin/activin beta(A) subunit mRNA in fetal ovaries were investigated using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Concentrations of circulating ir-inhibin, inhibin pro-alphaC, and inhibin A were remarkably more elevated in the feta...
Comparison of the cardiopulmonary effects of anesthesia maintained by continuous infusion of romifidine, guaifenesin, and ketamine with anesthesia maintained by inhalation of halothane in horses. To compare cardiopulmonary responses during anesthesia maintained with halothane and responses during anesthesia maintained by use of a total intravenous anesthetic (TIVA) regimen in horses. Methods: 7 healthy adult horses (1 female, 6 geldings). Methods: Each horse was anesthetized twice. Romifidine was administered IV, and anesthesia was induced by IV administration of ketamine. Anesthesia was maintained for 75 minutes by administration of halothane (HA) or IV infusion of romifidine, guaifenesin, and ketamine (TIVA). The order for TIVA or HA was randomized. Cardiopulmonary variables were mea...
Myoplasmic calcium regulation in myotubes from horses with recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis. To determine whether alterations in myoplasmic calcium regulation can be identified in muscle cell cultures (myotubes) and intact muscle fiber bundles derived from Thoroughbreds affected with recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER). Methods: 6 related Thoroughbreds with RER and 8 clinically normal (control) Thoroughbred or crossbred horses. Methods: Myotube cell cultures were grown from satellite cells obtained from muscle biopsy specimens of RER-affected and control horses. Fura-2 fluorescence was used to measure resting myoplasmic calcium concentration as well as caffeine- and 4-chloro-m-c...
In vitro effects of oxytocin, acepromazine, detomidine, xylazine, butorphanol, terbutaline, isoproterenol, and dantrolene on smooth and skeletal muscles of the equine esophagus. To characterize the in vitro effects of oxytocin, acepromazine, xylazine, butorphanol, detomidine, dantrolene, isoproterenol, and terbutaline on skeletal and smooth muscle from the equine esophagus. Methods: 14 adult horses without digestive tract disease. Methods: Circular and longitudinal strips from the skeletal and smooth muscle of the esophagus were suspended in tissue baths, connected to force-displacement transducers interfaced with a physiograph, and electrical field stimulation was applied. Cumulative concentration-response curves were generated for oxytocin, acepromazine, xylazine, d...
Short-term effect of therapeutic shoeing on severity of lameness in horses with chronic laminitis. To evaluate the short-term effects of 4 therapeutic shoeing systems on lameness and voluntary limb-load distribution in horses with chronic laminitis. Methods: 10 horses with chronic laminitis. Methods: A clinical trial was conducted that used a concurrent control, crossover design to evaluate the relative effectiveness of a standard flat shoe, fullered egg-bar shoe, heart-bar shoe, and modified equine digital support system to alleviate chronic lameness in horses. Therapeutic success was assessed during a 7-day period by use of subjective (Obel grade and clinical score) and objective (force-p...
Effects of analgesia of the distal interphalangeal joint and navicular bursa on experimental lameness caused by solar pain in horses. It has been hypothesized that pain originating from the dorsal margin of the sole of the hoof in horses can be attenuated by analgesia of either the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint, or of the navicular bursa (NB). To test this hypothesis, an experimental lameness was induced in the toe region of the left forelimb in six adult horses. After this, both synovial structures were blocked and the effects on the lameness were semi-quantitatively scored. Lameness was induced by creating pressure on the dorsal margin of the sole with the help of set-screws that were screwed into a nut, welded to the...
Equid herpesvirus (EHV-1) live vaccine strain C147: efficacy against respiratory diseases following EHV types 1 and 4 challenges. The temperature sensitive and host range mutant clone 147 of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) was assessed for its ability to protect conventional, susceptible adult horses against respiratory infection by EHV-1 and equine herpesvirus 4 (EHV-4). Intranasal (IN) vaccination with 5.2 log(10) TCID(50) did not cause adverse clinical reactions although a limited virus shedding and viraemia (leukocytes) was observed in 11 of 15 and 10 of 15 vaccinated horses respectively. All 15 vaccinated horses showed a significant seroresponse to both EHV-1 and EHV-4 for virus neutralising (VN) antibody. None of 14 c...
The influence of ageing and exercise on tendon growth and degeneration–hypotheses for the initiation and prevention of strain-induced tendinopathies. Strain-induced tendinopathy is a common injury in both human and equine athletes, with increasing incidence associated with greater involvement in sport and an increasingly aged population. This paper reviews our studies on the abundant non-collagenous protein, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), in equine tendons. Its variation between tendon type and site, age and exercise has provided an insight into how age and exercise influence tendon growth and maturation. Tendons can be broadly divided into two types, reflecting their different matrix composition and function: the energy-storin...
Pharmacodynamics and enantioselective pharmacokinetics of racemic carprofen in the horse. Carprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug of the 2-arylpropionate subclass. It contains a single chiral centre and exists in two enantiomeric forms. In this study rac-carprofen, at two dosages, 0.7 and 4.0 mg/kg, and placebo were administered i.v. to six New Forest horses in a three period cross-over study. The concentration-time profiles were established for R(-) and S(+)-carprofen for plasma and both inflamed (exudate) and noninflamed (transudate) tissue cage fluids. R(-)-carprofen was the predominant enantiomer in all three fluids, as indicated by plasma area under the curve (AUC) ...
Transmission of Anaplasma phagocytophila (human granulocytic ehrlichiosis agent) in horses using experimentally infected ticks (Ixodes scapularis). Most human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) studies carried out in horses use needle inoculation of infected leucocytes or cell cultures. This route of inoculation does not accurately reflect natural infection of the tick-borne agent. To investigate whether tick transmission influences the course of granulocytic ehrlichiosis in the horse model, experimental transmission through infected laboratory-reared Ixodes scapularis ticks was attempted into two healthy horses. One additional horse served as negative control and was exposed to uninfected ticks. Eleven days after exposure to nymphal or adul...
Chemotherapy of surra in horses and mules with diminazene aceturate. During June-July 2000, an outbreak of surra occurred on an equine breeding farm in Khonkaen Province, Thailand. Forty-two percent of pregnant mares aborted or gave stillbirth and 40% (19/47) of horses and 10% (1/10) of mules died from surra. In August 2000 Trypanosoma evansi were detected in the remaining animals (28 horses and nine mules) on the farm by blood smear and/or the haematocrit centrifuge technique. All animals were treated with diminazene aceturate at 3.5 mg/kg body weight by intramuscular injection on days 0 and 41 of the study. Blood samples of eight randomly selected horses and ...
[Diagnostic validity of palpation in horses with back problems]. There is a regularly high proportion of x-ray findings indicating a pathological deterioration of the equine vertebral column which do not correlate with the clinical symptoms. Therefore, palpation remains one of the most important clinical examination methods to determine whether or not a horse is suffering from back pain. The aim of this study was to check the validity of palpation results of horses with an assumed back problem. The palpation results of 167 horses were evaluated in retrospect: If the palpation proceeds under following conditions, positive palpation results agree with an prim...
Microscopic localization of active gelatinases in equine osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) cartilage. To investigate the relationship between matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity and osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) in the equine joint. Methods: Equine articular cartilage was obtained from normal (N = 8) and osteochondrotic (OCD) (N = 6) femoropatellar joints from horses at necropsy. The activity of gelatinase MMPs was determined in sections of cartilage by in situ gelatin zymography. Results: Gelatinase activity was markedly increased in articular cartilage obtained from OCD samples and was particularly prominent in the deep cartilage zone. Activity was only seen in the pericellular area of...
Incidence and risk factors for exertional rhabdomyolysis in thoroughbred racehorses in the United Kingdom. Telephone surveys of 34 racing yards with 1276 horses in training were made to establish the overall incidence of exertional rhabdomyolysis in the previous year. A case-control study was used to investigate the risk factors for the syndrome in 12 yards selected on the basis of the routine confirmation of diagnoses by the evaluation of the serum activities of creatine kinase and aspartate aminotransferase. The overall incidence of the syndrome was 6.7 per cent and 80 per cent of the trainers had at least one affected horse. In 74 per cent of the affected horses it frequently recurred, with an a...
Surgical management of urolithiasis. The surgical management of urinary calculus disease has changed dramatically in the past two decades. Minimally invasive options have made open stone surgery nearly obsolete. The development of shock wave lithotripsy, percutaneous nephrostolithotomy techniques and intracorporeal lithotripsy devices has conferred unprecedented management tools for upper tract stones. Moreover, transfusion rates, hospital costs, and convalescence periods have been markedly reduced when compared to open surgery. Likewise, the advent of fiberoptic technology has resulted in miniaturization of ureteroscopes making ...
Detection of inhaled salbutamol in equine urine by ELISA and GC/MS2. Salbutamol is a beta-adrenergic agonist that is used in the treatment of asthma in humans and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in horses. Because of its stimulating and growth promoting properties, it is prohibited by horse racing authorities. Recently a number of adapters (eg Equinehaler) have been designed, allowing the use of metered dose inhalers (MDI) approved for human use. However, information on detection times of salbutamol after administration of salbutamol in therapeutic doses by inhalation is lacking. In this study, 2 mg salbutamol (Ventolin) was administered to four standardb...
In vivo effect of epidermal growth factor, interleukin-1beta, and interleukin-1RA on equine preovulatory follicles. Paracrine factors have significant effects during folliculogenesis. Because of various morphological features, the mare is a convenient model to study in vivo the effects of factors involved in periovulatory events. In the present work, epidermal growth factor (EGF; experiment 1, n = 49 mares) and interleukin-1beta and interleukin-1RA (IL-1beta and IL-1RA, respectively; experiment 2, n = 80 mares) were injected intrafollicularly to evaluate the influence of these factors on in vivo maturation of equine preovulatory follicles. A transvaginal ultrasound-guided injection was performed when the di...
Excessive degradation of type II collagen in articular cartilage in equine osteochondrosis. Articular osteochondrosis (OCD) occurs in both man and animals. The etiology remains to be determined. Studies of OCD lesions in animals may provide clues as to its pathogenesis. The aim of our study was to determine whether there was evidence for increased degradation namely proteoglycan (PG) release and type II collagen cleavage in articular cartilage harvested from OCD lesions. We examined ex vivo explants at post-mortem from equine OCD lesions and macroscopically normal site and age matched cartilage. These were cultured over a 10 day period in serum-free medium. Type II collagen cleavage ...
[Colic surgery in the horse: a retrospective study of 272 patients]. In the period from January 1995 until December 2000, 272 horses underwent a laparotomy for gastrointestinal disorders. The results of these surgeries were evaluated. From these 272 patients 176 (= 65%) were discharged in good health from the hospital. When the patients that were euthanized immediately after the start of the surgery, because of a fatal deterioration, were not taken into account, the short time survival rate was 77%. Strangulated small and large intestinal obstructions (48%) had a lower short time survival rate than non-strangulated obstructions (87%). Fatal postoperative compli...
Clenbuterol diminishes aerobic performance in horses. The purpose of this 8-wk study was to examine the effect of therapeutic levels of clenbuterol on aerobic performance and hemodynamics associated with exercise. Methods: Twenty-three unfit Standardbred mares were divided into four experimental groups, clenbuterol (2.4 microg x kg(-1) body weight twice daily) plus exercise (20 min at 50% O2max; CLENEX; N = 6), clenbuterol only (CLEN; N = 6), exercise only (EX; N = 5), and control (CON; N = 6). All horses performed an incremental exercise test (GXT) to measure maximal oxygen consumption (O2max), blood lactate concentration, total plasma protein c...
The impact of a low dose, low volume, multi-site immunization on the production of therapeutic antivenoms in Thailand. Therapeutic antivenom against snakes was first produced by Albert Calmette in 1894. Since then antivenoms have saved the life of countless snakebite victims. However, there are still many problems associated with antivenom production, for example variable percentage of responder horses, low neutralizing potency of antivenom, the large amount of snake venom needed for immunization and the difficulties encountered in producing potent polyvalent antivenoms. These problems have led to shortage and high cost of antivenom and, in some cases, failure of treatment. In 1997, a new immunization protocol...
Intravenous lidocaine and small-intestinal size, abdominal fluid, and outcome after colic surgery in horses. Twenty-eight horses with the diagnosis of an intestinal disorder requiring surgical intervention were randomly assigned to lidocaine (n = 13) or saline (control, n = 15) treatment groups. After induction of anesthesia, treated horses received a loading dose of 2% lidocaine (0.65 mg/kg) intravenously, followed by a continuous rate of infusion of 1% lidocaine (0.025 mg/kg/min) until the discontinuation of anesthesia. Upon recovery from anesthesia, a 2nd loading dose of 2% lidocaine (1.3 mg/kg) was administered, followed by an infusion of 1% lidocaine (0.05 mg/kg/min) for 24 hours postoperatively...
Treatment with pergolide or cyproheptadine of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (equine Cushing’s disease). Medical records of 27 horses (including 13 ponies) treated with pergolide or cyproheptadine for pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction were reviewed to determine the effect of treatment on plasma ACTH, insulin, and glucose concentrations and clinical signs. Prior to treatment, the most common clinical signs were laminitis, hirsutism, and abnormal body fat distribution. The median pergolide dose was 3.0 microg/kg p.o. q24h (range, 1.7-5.5 microg/kg). All horses treated with cyproheptadine were given 0.25 mg/kg p.o. q24h. After pergolide treatment, ACTH concentrations (n = 20; median = 30.4 pg/ml...
Temporohyoid osteoarthropathy in 33 horses (1993-2000). A retrospective study of the medical records of 33 horses was performed to determine the clinical and diagnostic abnormalities associated with temporohyoid osteoarthropathy. Data collected from medical records included signalment, presenting complaints, history, physical examination findings, laboratory data, results of diagnostic imaging studies, and treatments. Follow-up information was obtained from a review of case records; by telephone conversation with the owner, veterinarian, or trainer; or by both methods. Of 33 horses with temporohyoid osteoarthropathy, 29 presented with facial nerve ...
