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.
Ainsworth DM, Appleton JA, Eicker SW, Luce R, Julia Flaminio M, Antczak DF.The effect of strenuous exercise on the mRNA concentrations of interleukin-12p35 subunit (IL-12p35), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in equine pulmonary and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was investigated. We hypothesized that strenuous exercise would suppress the expression of IL-12p35, IFN-gamma and augment the expression of IL-4. Eleven horses were randomly divided into two groups, a stall-confined control group (n=5) and an exercise-conditioned treatment group (n=6). Bronchoalveolar and PBMCs were obtained from horses in the treatment group prior to the co...
Hobo S, Yoshihara T, Oikawa M, Jones JH.An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for equine surfactant proteins SP-A and SP-D in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Anti-equine SP-A or SP-D monoclonal antibodies (mAb) were produced by hybridoma technology, purified by the antibody purification reagent, and analysed by Western blotting analysis. The immunoreaction (two-site sandwich ELISA) with a mAb, peroxidase-labelled mAb and BALF sample was carried out simultaneously and analytical recovery and precision were assayed. Six mAb for SP-A and four mAb for SP-D were successfully cloned in limiting dilution to monocl...
Benarafa C, Collins ME, Hamblin AS, Cunningham FM.The chemokine eotaxin is involved in the recruitment of eosinophils and T helper 2 lymphocytes in human allergic diseases, and drugs that block its activity, including eotaxin receptor (CCR3) antagonists, are being developed. The authors have recently cloned the horse ortholog of eotaxin and shown that it can induce equine eosinophil migration and activation in vitro. Moreover, eotaxin mRNA expression was upregulated in cultured horse dermal fibroblasts exposed to equine interleukin-4, suggesting a possible source of this eosinophil chemoattractant in equine skin. The results of this study sho...
Kearns CF, McKeever KH, Abe T.Locomotion requires skeletal muscle to sustain and generate force. A muscle's force potential is proportional to its weight. Since the larger the muscle the larger its potential power output, a better understanding of the proportion of skeletal muscle a horse possesses may lead to a better understanding of horse performance. Several techniques exist to assess body composition, which include dual energy X-ray absorption, underwater (hydrostatic) weighing, derivation from total body water, bio-electric impedance, air displacement, body condition scoring, cadaver dissection and ultrasound. The re...
Daly P, Doyle S.Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infection is of significant animal welfare and economic importance. Yet, no standardised molecular techniques are available for diagnosis or confirmation of viral infection. The purpose of this study was to develop a standardised and quantitative assay system for the reliable detection of EHV-1 infection which was capable of eliminating the likelihood of false negative results. A region within the EHV-1 glycoprotein B gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cloned and subjected to site-directed mutagenesis to generate a control plasmid, amplifiable b...
Ferrell EA, Gavin PR, Tucker RL, Sellon DC, Hines MT.Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was used as a neurodiagnostic modality in the assessment of 12 horses with neurologic disease localized cranial to the foramen magnum. This retrospective study included a mixed population of horse breeds and consisted of three foals and nine adult horses. MR sequences of the head and central nervous system of each horse were acquired. Routine MR sequences included transverse T1 weighted (T1wt), T2 weighted (T2wt), and proton density images. Additional imaging sequences were obtained on a patient-dependent basis. Eight neurologic related diseases were diagnosed. ...
Schoenborn WC, Rick MC, Hornof WJ.A 6-year-old Thoroughbred gelding presented with a left forelimb lameness. The results of lameness examination, radiography, nuclear scintigraphy, and computed tomography are presented. Based on the diagnostic imaging, subchondral fractures and osteochondritis dissecans lesions of the proximal articular surface of the proximal phalanx were diagnosed. A brief discussion of osteochondritis dissecans is presented.
Chiaradia E, Gaiti A, Scaringi L, Cornacchione P, Marconi P, Avellini L.To better define the species-specific antioxidant systems and to ascertain the influence of the intracellular redox status on the immune system of different animal species, we determined lymphocyte glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) activity, plasmatic glutathione levels (GSH) and the effect of H2O2 on the responsiveness of lymphocytes to proliferative stimuli. Among the three species considered, sheep presented the lowest plasmatic GSH and the highest lymphocyte GSHPx activity. On the contrary, dogs showed an inverted pattern (high GSH - low GSHPx). Horses displayed intermediate values for both p...
Squires EL, Carnevale EM, McCue PM, Bruemmer JE.Recent studies demonstrated that zwitterionic buffers could be used for satisfactory storage of equine embryos at 5 degrees C. The success of freezing embryos is dependent upon size and stage of development. Morulae and blastocysts <300 microm can be slowly cooled or vitrified with acceptable pregnancy rates after transfer. The majority of equine embryos are collected from single ovulating mares, as there is no commercially available product for superovulation in equine. However, pituitary extract, rich in FSH, can be used to increase embryo recovery three- to four-fold. Similar to human medic...
Gonçalves S, Julliand V, Leblond A.Many factors have been identified as risk factors for colic in horses in several epidemiological studies. The aim of our paper was to review the results of 12 epidemiological studies, in order to assess the impact of each risk factor for colic. According to the literature, the factors that increase the risk of colic are feeding practices (type and quality of food, type and changes of feeding), the intrinsic factors of horses (sex, age and breed), management (type and changes of housing and activity), medical history (a previous colic, administration of a medical treatment) and parasite control...
Anzai T, Wada R, Okuda T, Aoki T.The effectiveness of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a field application test for the eradication of contagious equine metritis (CEM) was evaluated. Seven-thousands five-hundred and thirty-four genital swabs were collected from 4,026 Thoroughbred broodmares and stallions in Japan to test "high risk" horses as well as for general surveillance testing from 1998 to 2001. Bacterial isolation as well as PCR testing of original specimens and cultured specimens was performed for detection of Taylorella equigenitalis from genital swabs. As a result, T. equigenitalis was detected in 12 mares and...
Long CR, Walker SC, Tang RT, Westhusin ME.As advanced reproductive technologies become more efficient and repeatable in livestock and laboratory species, new opportunities will evolve to apply these techniques to alternative and non-traditional species. This will result in new markets requiring unique business models that address issues of animal welfare and consumer acceptance on a much different level than the livestock sector. Advanced reproductive technologies and genetic engineering will be applied to each species in innovative ways to provide breeders more alternatives for the preservation and propagation of elite animals in eac...
Walesby HA, Ragle CA, Booth LC.A 12-year-old stallion was evaluated because of pollakiuria; endoscopy of the urinary tract during general anesthesia revealed that the urinary bladder was intact. After recovery, the stallion developed clinical and biochemical signs of bladder rupture, which was confirmed by endoscopy. Cystoplasty in adult stallions represents a unique surgical dilemma; the large distance between the incision site and the bladder necessitates the repair be accomplished under maximum tension with minimal exposure. Because traditional surgical approaches through ventral midline or paramedian incisions provide l...
Matera MG, Amorena M, Lucisano A.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...
Moore-Colyer MJ, Hyslop JJ, Longland AC, Cí·¯ord D.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...
Holcombe SJ, Cornelisse CJ, Berney C, Robinson NE.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 ...
Cable CS, Ducharme NG, Hackett RP, Erb HN, Mitchell LM, Soderholm LV.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...
de la Calle J, Burba DJ, Ramaswamy CM, Hosgood G, Williams J, LeBlanc C, Moore RM.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...
Wooldridge AA, Eades SC, Hosgood GL, Moore RM.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...
Tanaka Y, Taniyama H, Tsunoda N, Herath CB, Nakai R, Shinbo H, Nagamine N, Nambo Y, Nagata S, Watanabe G, Groome NP, Taya K.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...
McMurphy RM, Young LE, Marlin DJ, Walsh K.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...
Lentz LR, Valberg SJ, Herold LV, Onan GW, Mickelson JR, Gallant EM.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...
Wooldridge AA, Eades SC, Hosgood GL, Moore RM.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...
Taylor D, Hood DM, Wagner IP.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...
Sardari K, Kazemi H, Mohri M.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...
Barton MD, Embury DH.Pyogranulomatous pneumonia was induced in Thoroughbred foals by intranasal challenge with freeze-dried cultures of Rhodococcus equi (previously Corynebacterium equi). The incubation period was about 18 days and clinical signs were not seen for a further week. There were marked seasonal and individual foal differences in responses to infection. Elevations in serum caeruloplasmin oxidase activity and copper concentrations appeared to be sensitive indicators of infection. Serum zinc concentrations and serum alpha-mannosidase and alkaline phosphatase activities fell in the more severely infected f...
Alberghina D, Piccione G, Amorini AM, D'Urso S, Longo S, Picardi M, Tavazzi B, Lazzarino G.This study was designed to examine the influence of sub-maximal exercise on purine and pyrimidine catabolism in horses. Ten horses were initially trained for 12 weeks at the end of which they underwent a standardized exercise test (SET); venous blood samples were taken at rest, 5 and 30 min after the SET. Six untrained healthy horses, from which a blood withdrawal was taken at rest, were used as the control group. Samples were analyzed by HPLC for the simultaneous determination of uric acid, uridine, β-pseudouridine and creatinine in plasma. Glucose and lactate were measured in blood. Trained...
Yarbrough TB, Langer DL, Snyder JR, Gardner IA, O'Brien TR.Medical records of 245 horses that had been evaluated by use of abdominal radiography between January 1990 and December 1992 were reviewed. One hundred forty-one horses subsequently had a postmortem examination or surgical exploration performed for definitive lesion diagnosis. The signalment, diagnosis, site, and number of enteroliths were obtained from the medical records. Radiographs were evaluated individually by 3 reviewers for the presence of enteroliths, preferred diagnostic view, evidence of large colon tympany, and film quality. Of the 141 cases reviewed, 66.7% (94/141) had confirmed e...
Edens LM, Morris DD, Prasse KW, Anver MR.Protein C is a vitamin K-dependent serine protease with anticoagulant and profibrinolytic activity which is synthesized in the liver. Decreased protein C activity was detected in a Thoroughbred colt with clinical and histopathologic evidence of recurrent venous thrombosis. Although protein C activity was reduced, protein C antigen concentration was normal. Consumptive coagulopathies produce a decrease in both the functional and antigenic concentrations of protein C, thus a defect in protein C synthesis was suspected. Inhibition of gamma-carboxylation secondary to vitamin K antagonism results i...
Rawlinson JE, Bass L, Campoy L, Broman A, Prytherch B.To characterize the anatomy of the mental foramen and determine associations with age, weight, sex and breed. Methods: Retrospective descriptive study. Methods: Forty-one horses, 0.6-25.2 years and weighing 136-820 kg. Methods: Computed tomography (CT) studies of equine heads performed over 5 years were evaluated in multiplanar and three-dimensional reconstruction. Measurements obtained were positioning of the foramen along the mandible, foramen height and width, foramen-canal angulation and rostral canal mineralization. Exploratory statistical analyses investigated associations between measu...
Minder HP, Merritt AM, Chalupa W.Feces from 13 healthy horses and 8 horses with chronic diarrhea were subjected to an in vetro fermentation procedure that had been developed for rumen fluid. Fermentations were conducted over 6 hours in a closed system, with and without an essential amino acid (EAA) mixture being added to the basic starch-buffer medium. The addition of EAA caused no significant difference in results of fermentation of feces from healthy horses. For diarrheic animals, there was a significant (P less than 0.01) increase in gas and total volatile fatty acids production whether EAA were present or not, and alpha-a...
Laan TT, Westermann CM, Dijkstra AV, van Nieuwstadt RA, Fink-Gremmels J.Healthy horses received aerosolised, intranasal or oral doses of 3 mg of fluticasone propionate evenly divided over morning and evening treatments for seven days. The bioavailability of the drug was determined in terms of the suppression of the endogenous cortisol concentrations in the horses during the period of treatment. The horses which received the aerosolised drug had significantly lower concentrations of endogenous cortisol on days 5 and 8 than the horses which received aerosolised placebo. The horses which received nasal and oral doses of fluticasone propionate showed no significant ch...
Lindberg A, Robinson NE, Näsman-Glaser B, Jensen-Waern M, Lindgren JA.To determine the ex vivo leukotriene (LT) biosynthesis in peripheral blood neutrophils (PBNs) and inflammatory cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) obtained from horses affected with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Methods: 6 RAO-affected and 6 control horses. Methods: Before and 6, 24, and 48 hours after stabling, disease severity was determined subjectively by clinical and mucus scores and measurement of the maximal change in pleural pressure (deltaPpl(max)); PBNs were isolated and BALF samples were examined cytologically. The PBN and BALF cells were activated with a calcium iono...
Kagawa Y, Hirayama K, Tagami M, Tsunoda N, Yoshino T, Matsui T, Furuoka H, Taniyama H.Histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations were made on four female horses aged 9-12 years with pulmonary granular cell tumours (GCTs). The tumours, which were multiple, of varying size, firm and off-white in colour, surrounded the bronchi and bronchioles. Metastatic lesions were not detected. The tumour cells had abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm filled with prominent coarse eosinophilic granules. Immunohistochemically, these tumour cells reacted uniformly with vimentin and S100 antibodies. Most were immunolabelled by antibodies against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), myelin...
Fürst A, Galuppo LD, Judy CE, Auer J, Snyder JR.The incidence of fractures after a kick, coupled with marked soft tissue trauma at the site of injury, suggests that the force of a kick from the hind limb of a horse is enormous. The goal of this study was to measure this force and to investigate whether the Tekscan F-SCAN in-shoe pressure measuring system is suitable for quantification of the impact strength of a kick from a horse. The system was tested in 6 horses that had undergone clinical examination and gait analysis. The sensor-shoe combination was attached to each hind foot and the horse was stimulated to kick against a wall. The F-SC...
Soma LR, Birks EK, Uboh CE, May L, Teleis D, Martini J.Seven hundred and eighty-eight Standardbred pacers competing in 8378 races at one racetrack were analysed to determine the effects of the administration of prerace frusemide on racing times (RT). Frusemide was administered i.v. 4 h before the race to pacers diagnosed with exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH). Of the pacers, starting in the 1997 racing season, 32.5% received prerace frusemide. This study demonstrated that administration of frusemide prior to racing significantly decreased RT. There was an overall significant decrease (P<0.00001) in RT of 0.67 s. The overall RT for h...
Bergren AL, Abuja GA, Bubeck KA, Spoormakers TJP, García-López JM.No large retrospective case series describing the treatment and outcomes following diagnosis of cranial nuchal bursitis have been published. Objective: To describe the clinical presentation, diagnostic techniques, treatment and outcome of horses suffering from cranial nuchal bursitis and to determine their outcome after medical or surgical treatment. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Medical records (1990-2014) of two referral centres were reviewed for signalment, diagnostic features, method of treatment (medical, surgical or both) and outcome. Results: The median age of horses was ...
Duvivier DH, Votion D, Vandenput S, Lekeux P.Inhalation therapy plays an increasing role in the management of equine respiratory disorders. This alternative to systematic treatment permits a high concentration of medication to act locally while minimizing side effects and residues. In human medicine, literature in this field is prolific and continuously renewed, whereas in veterinary medicine, applications of aerosol therapy are less extensive. This review considers the principles of action of the different types of devices used for inhalation, i.e., nebulization, metered-dose inhalation and dry powder inhalation, describes the technical...
Mykkänen AK, Hyytiäinen HK, McGowan CM.A 2-week-old Estonian Draft foal presented with signs of severe generalised tetanus, recumbency and inability to drink. The suspected source of infection was the umbilicus. Medical treatment was administered, including tetanus antitoxin, antimicrobial therapy and phenobarbital to control tetanic spasms. In addition, an intensive physiotherapy program was carried out during the recovery period. Techniques designed for syndromes involving upper motor neuron spasticity in humans were applied. Exercises aimed at weight-bearing and mobility were executed with the help of a walking-frame. The foal m...
Scott JS, Garon H, Broadstone RV, Derksen FJ, Robinson NE.We examined the response of five ponies with recurrent airway obstruction (principals) and five age- and gender-matched controls to the aerosol alpha-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine after blockade with propranolol and atropine. Measurements were made with principal ponies in clinical remission (period A) and during acute airway obstruction (period B). The blockade had no effect on base-line pulmonary mechanics in control ponies during periods A and B or in the principal ponies during period A. However, in the principal ponies during period B, blockade increased dynamic compliance (Cdyn) and d...
Spoormakers TJP, Graat EAM, Serra Bragança FM, Weeren PRV, Brommer H.Lameness assessment in horses is still predominantly performed using subjective methods. Visual assessment is known to have moderate to good intra-rater agreement but relatively poor inter-rater agreement. Little is known about inter- and intra-rater agreement on the evaluation of back motion, for which no objective measurement technique in a clinical setting is available thus far. To describe inter- and intra-rater agreement of visual evaluation of equine back mobility. Rater reliability study using a fully crossed design in which all horses are rated by all observers. This data is compared w...
Bergadano A, Lauber R, Zbinden A, Schatzmann U, Moens Y.Blood/gas partition coefficients (lambda(b/g)) for volatile agents in horse blood are reported for halothane but not for isoflurane and sevoflurane. We measured the lambda(b/g) of halothane, isoflurane and sevoflurane in the blood of fasted horses. The correlation with age, weight and some haematological and biochemical variables was studied. The temperature correction factor for isoflurane solubility was calculated. Methods: Twenty-four horses were randomly allocated to halothane (n=8), isoflurane (n=8) or sevoflurane (n=8). Blood samples were taken after 10 h' fasting. Calculation of lambda(...
Wilsterman S, Hackett ES, Rao S, Hackett TB.To investigate a technique of central venous pressure (CVP) measurement using a newly developed catheter in healthy adult horses. Methods: Prospective experimental study. Methods: University research facility. Methods: Twenty healthy adult horses. Methods: An equine central venous catheter was inserted into the jugular vein to a length of approximately 80 cm from the mid-cervical region in an attempt to catheterize the pulmonary artery. Pulmonary arterial catheterization was confirmed by echocardiography. Insertion distance and pressure were measured at this location with a disposable manomete...
Kang HW, Lee EY, Lee KK, Ko MK, Park JY, Kim YH, Lee K, Choi EJ, Kim J, So B, Park CK, Jeoung HY.Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is an important pathogen in horses. It affects horses worldwide and causes substantial economic losses. In this study, for the first time, we characterized EHV-1 isolates from South Korea at the molecular level. We then aimed to determine the genetic divergences of these isolates by comparing them to sequences in databases. In total, 338 horse samples were collected, and 12 EHV-1 were isolated. We performed ORF30, ORF33, ORF68, and ORF34 genetic analysis and carried out multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) of 12 isolated EHV-1. All isolated viruses were confirmed as ...
Reisbig NA, Pifko J, Lanovaz JL, Weishaupt MA, Carmalt JL.Although the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the major contact point between the reins in the riders' hand, the bit in the mouth, and the rest of the horse under saddle, the role of inflammation of this joint on equine locomotion and rein tension is unknown. Unassigned: To determine the effect of acute TMJ inflammation on rein-tension and horse movement when horses were long-reined on a treadmill. Unassigned: A randomized, controlled, cross-over design. Unassigned: Five horses were trained by one clinician to walk and trot on a treadmill wearing long-reining equipment instrumented with a rein...
Sandberg K, Juneja RK.Evidence for close linkage between the structural loci for albumin and Gc protein in the horse was presented. A recombination frequency (c) of 0.009 +/- 0.006 (95% confidence limits: 0.001 less than c less than 0.032) was estimated. These results were based on a study of a large sire family comprising 223 offspring from informative matings. No evidence of linkage disequilibrium was observed in one horse population studied.
Latham CM, Wagner AL, Urschel KL.The objective of this study was to examine markers of whole-body and muscle protein metabolism in aged horses fed a diet typical for North American aged horses, supplemented with amino acids. In a replicated Latin square design, six aged horses (20 ± 1.1 years) were studied while receiving each of three isocaloric, isonitrogenous diets, a control treatment concentrate (CON; 100 mg/kg BW day lysine, 84 mg kg day threonine, 51 mg kg day methionine), LYS/THR (134 mg kg BW day lysine, 110 mg kg BW day threonine, 52 mg kg BW day methionine) and LYS/THR/MET (132 mg kg BW da...
Bell RJ, Dart AJ, Smith CL.Ingestion of foreign bodies is uncommon in horses when compared with indiscriminate grazers such as cattle. This case report describes the diagnosis and treatment of a cervical abscess in a Thoroughbred racehorse thought to be associated with ingestion of wire. Radiographic and ultrasonographic examination provided a diagnosis, and conservative treatment of the lesion with antimicrobials initially allowed the lesion to localise closer to the skin for safer surgical exploration. Intra-operative ultrasonographic imaging facilitated surgical access, removal of the foreign body, and drainage. Whil...
Karatt TK, Sathiq MA, Laya S, Ajeebsanu MPM, Karakka Kal AK, Subhahar MB, Perwad Z.Recently, there has been a report suggesting that ecdysteroids can enhance sports performance, making them relevant substances in doping control. Hence, it is imperative to examine the analytical characteristics of ecdysteroids in biological samples to identify their misuse in competitive sports. Methods: To assess the doping of ecdysteroids such as ecdysone, ecdysterone, ponasterone A, turkesterone, and ajugasterone C, a fast and sensitive extraction and detection method was developed, optimized, and validated using equine urine and plasma. Different extraction techniques, namely, solid-phase...
Berry CR, O'Brien TR, Madigan JE, Hager DA.Clinical records and thoracic radiographs of 19 horses with a confirmed pathologic diagnosis of silicosis were reviewed. These horses had histories of varying degrees of chronic weight loss, exercise intolerance, and respiratory distress. At the time of presentation, two horses were asymptomatic. Ten horses were geldings and nine were female. The mean age of the 19 horses was 10.7 +/- 5.5 years. Fourteen horses were identified as being from the Monterey-Carmel Peninsula of midcoastal California. An abnormal, structured interstitial pulmonary pattern was identified on thoracic radiographs in ea...
Keller GA, Nielsen BD, Vergara-Hernandez FB, Robison CI.Keeping horses outdoors on pasture full-time with free access to shelter holds numerous advantages over housing in stalls, promoting both better mental and physical health. One reason for these benefits is the potential for increased physical activity in horses outdoors on pasture versus those confined to stalls. However, it is not guaranteed the horse will take advantage of this opportunity for greater movement. For this reason, it is important to understand the various reasons why horse activity patterns change. The objective of this study was to investigate how various weather factors - inc...
Gharbi M, Drissi G, Darghouth MA.A preliminary study was carried out to examine the population dynamics of ticks on 24 pure Arabian horses. The horses were monitored monthly over one year in the Ghardimaou region of north-west Tunisia. A total of 120 adult ticks were collected and identified, leading to the estimation of different parasitological indicators. The ticks belonged to a single genus (Hyalomma) and three species: H. scupense (59%), H. marginatum (28%) and H. excavatum (13%) (p < 0.001). The mean infestation prevalence was 29.5%; the highest prevalence was observed for H. scupense (41.7%) (p 0.05), but the propo...
Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Klein WR, Misdorp W.Dermatophytosis is the most common equine skin disease. Mycotic-like lesions that do not disappear are suspected of being sarcoids. The clinical symptoms and therapeutic interventions for both affections are discussed. A short review of the differential diagnoses is presented.
