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.
Wanstrath MA, Bauck AG, Smith AD, Freeman DE.To assess the safety and efficacy of a method for digitally enlarging the caudal aspect of the epiploic foramen (EF). Methods: Healthy horses and clinical cases of EF entrapment (EFE). Methods: Fourteen healthy horses and three clinical cases. Methods: Through a ventral midline celiotomy under general anesthesia, the EF was enlarged by digital separation of the caudal attachments of the caudate lobe of the liver from right dorsal colon, right kidney, gastropancreatic fold, and pancreas. Healthy horses were euthanized under anesthesia, and the enlarged EF was measured at necropsy. Results: The ...
Garner C, Stephen C, Pant SD, Ghorashi SA.Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) is one of the causative agents of equine endometritis. In this study, a panel of different bacterial species, and colonies derived from bacteriological cultures of 38 clinical samples, were subjected to Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assay and PCR, followed by high-resolution melt (HRM) curve analysis. All clinical samples were genotyped into three distinct groups based on HRM curve analysis. Differences in melting curve profiles were a reflection of DNA variation in sorD gene which was confirmed by DNA sequencing. A mat...
Maney JK, Dzikiti BT, Escobar A, Knych HK, Bennett RC.Morphine is the prototypical μ-opioid receptor agonist used to provide analgesia in veterinary species. Its effects are well-described in horses but not donkeys. Objective: To determine the antinociceptive effects of two doses of morphine in donkeys. To describe preliminary pharmacokinetic parameters of morphine in donkeys. Methods: In vivo experiment. Methods: Eight adult castrated male donkeys were given intravenous (IV) 0.9% saline, morphine 0.1 mg/kg bwt (LDM), or morphine 0.5 mg/kg bwt (HDM) in a randomised order with a minimum 1-week washout period. Mechanical nociceptive thresholds (...
Padoan E, Ferraresso S, Pegolo S, Barnini C, Castagnaro M, Bargelloni L.Mild equine asthma (MEA) and severe equine asthma (SEA) are two of the most frequent equine airway inflammatory diseases, but knowledge about their pathogenesis is limited. The goal of this study was to investigate gene expression differences in the respiratory tract of MEA- and SEA-affected horses and their relationship with clinical signs. Methods: Clinical examination and endoscopy were performed in 8 SEA- and 10 MEA-affected horses and 7 healthy controls. Cytological and microbiological analyses of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were performed. Gene expression profiling of BAL fluid wa...
Vigolo V, Gautier C, Falomo ME, Aurich C.The use of microfluidic technology is increasing in artificial reproduction technologies: With a small amount of semen, it allows for the selection of sperm with the best characteristics of kinetics, morphology and chromatin integrity. The ZyMot Multi (850 μl) is the most popular device of ZyMot Fertility Inc. To date, it was proven to be a valid instrument for sperm selection for in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection in men. The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of the ZyMot Multi (850 μl) for stallion semen. Frozen-thawed semen from 15 stallions that were...
Anderson K, Morrice-West AV, Walmsley EA, Fisher AD, Whitton RC, Hitchens PL.Musculoskeletal injuries are observed in Thoroughbred racehorses and may become catastrophic. Currently, there are limited methods for early detection of such injuries. Most injuries develop gradually due to accumulated damage, providing the opportunity for early detection. Horses experiencing pain or lameness may exhibit changes in behaviour so the development of an objective, real-time system monitoring horse behaviour may enable detection of bone injuries before catastrophic failure. Objective: To determine whether intensive observational methods of assessing horse behaviour can be replaced...
Viljanto M, Cutler C, Taylor P, Habershon-Butcher J, Gray B.MK-0677 (ibutamoren) is an orally active non-peptide growth hormone secretagogue that binds to the ghrelin receptor stimulating the secretion of endogenous growth hormone. It is one of the most prevalent performance-enhancing compounds currently available online and is potentially subject to abuse both in human and equine sports. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether it could be detected in equine hair following oral administration of MK-0677 mesylate to a Thoroughbred racehorse. MK-0677 and its O-dealkylated metabolite were extracted using an existing method for prohibited s...
Thieme K, Mesquita L, Lieberth S, Dancker C, Doherr MG, Eule JC.There is limited knowledge regarding the safety and accuracy of ultrasound-guided retrobulbar nerve blocks in horses. The aim of this study was to compare these parameters between blind and ultrasound-guided injection techniques for the dorsal retrobulbar nerve block in horses. Methods: Equine cadaver heads were used to inject the retrobulbar space with contrast medium (CM). Injections were performed either blindly based on anatomic landmarks (blind group, n = 44) or under ultrasonographic guidance (US-group, n = 44), equally divided between an experienced and unexperienced operator. Needl...
Li Y, Liu Y, Wang M, Lin X, Li Y, Yang T, Feng M, Ling Y, Zhao C.The Chakouyi horse is an ancient Chinese indigenous horse breed distributed in Gansu Province in northwestern China, and is also one of the key breeds protected by the government. However, the origin of the Chakouyi horse remains unclear. As it is distributed in a key region of the Silk Road, it was speculated that the origin of the Chakouyi horse might involve the foreign horse breeds found along this ancient commercial artery. In this study, whole-genome resequencing data of 12 horse breeds, including both indigenous and foreign horses, were applied to reveal the genetic relationships betwee...
Dai F, Riva MG, Dalla Costa E, Pascuzzo R, Chapman A, Minero M.To identify feasible indicators to evaluate animals' emotional states as a parameter to assess animal welfare, the present study aimed at investigating the accuracy of free choice profiling (FCP) and fixed list (FL) approach of Qualitative Behaviour Assessment (QBA) in horses during the loading phase of transport. A total of 13 stakeholders were trained to score 2 different sets of videos of mixed breed horses loaded for road transport, using both FCP and FL, in 2 sessions. Generalized Procustes Analysis (GPA) consensus profile explained a higher percentage of variation (80.8%) than the mean o...
Chaucheyras-Durand F, Sacy A, Karges K, Apper E.Horses are large non-ruminant herbivores and rely on microbial fermentation for energy, with more than half of their maintenance energy requirement coming from microbial fermentation occurring in their enlarged caecum and colon. To achieve that, the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) of horses harbors a broad range of various microorganisms, differing in each GIT segment, which are essential for efficient utilization of feed, especially to use nutrients that are not or little degraded by endogenous enzymes. In addition, like in other animal species, the GIT microbiota is in permanent interplay with...
Stoeckle SD, Timmermann D, Merle R, Gehlen H.Laminitic horses commonly suffer from an endocrine disease such as equine metabolic syndrome. Hyperinsulinemia is considered a key factor in the pathogenesis of laminitis. Since insulin also affects protein turnover in the body, the resting plasma amino acid concentrations of obese horses that were presented for a combined glucose insulin test (CGIT) were determined. In total, 25 obese horses and two lean horses with recurrent laminitis underwent a CGIT. Of these, five were not insulin dysregulated (obese), 14 were insulin dysregulated (ID), and eight were insulin-dysregulated and laminitic (I...
Bonilla-Aldana DK, Castaño-Betancourt KJ, Ortega-Martínez JM, Ulloque-Badaracco JR, Hernandez-Bustamante EA, Benites-Zapata VA, Rodriguez-Morales AJ.In a broad sense, are a group of microorganisms that can be transmitted mechanically or biologically to animals and humans. Rickettsioses are associated with hematic manifestations. Its prevalence in humans, dogs and other animals has been widely explored, but not in equine species. To determine the prevalence of infection in horses. A systematic review of the literature was carried out in five databases for the proportion of horses infected with , defined by molecular and immunological techniques. A meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model to calculate the pooled prevalence ...
Sedykh SE, Purvinsh LV, Burkova EE, Dmitrenok PS, Ryabchikova EI, Nevinsky GA.Exosomes are nanovesicles with a 40-150 nm diameter and are essential for communication between cells. Literature data suggest that exosomes obtained from different sources (cell cultures, blood plasma, urea, saliva, tears, spinal fluid, milk) using a series of centrifugations and ultracentrifugations contain hundreds and thousands of different protein and nucleic acid molecules. However, most of these proteins are not an intrinsic part of exosomes; instead, they co-isolate with exosomes. Using consecutive ultracentrifugation, gel filtration, and affinity chromatography on anti-CD9- and anti-C...
Sellke L, Patan-Zugaj B, Ludewig E, Cimrman R, Witter K.Different measuring techniques have been used to objectify the classification of hoof shape. The MicroScribe is a novel tool that might prove useful for measuring hooves without prior reconstruction or compensation of projection artefacts. The aim of this study was to compare biometric data of the equine hoof collected by the MicroScribe tool and measurements collected directly from hooves, scaled photographs and radiographs, from photogrammetry models and computed tomography datasets. The suitability of MicroScribe generated data to differentiate individual hoof conformations was tested. A to...
Freccero F, Di Maio C, Mariella J, Lanci A, Castagnetti C, Hallowell G.Different methods to measure tissue perfusion are available in equine neonatology, but they are not representative of microvascular derangements. Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of the sidestream dark-field (SDF) capillaroscopy to visualize the capillary microvasculature in conscious newborn foals, the differences between two imaging sites and times of measurements, and the measurements' reproducibility. Methods: Seventeen healthy newborn foals were enrolled. Three sites at the upper and lower lip mucosa were assessed by SDF, using a hand-held capiscope, at 24 h and at 4-5 days after bi...
Marchand WR, Smith J, Hoopes KH, Osborne M, Andersen SJ, Bell K, Nazarenko E, Macneill R, Joubert K.Pilot assessment of an equine-assisted services intervention for Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Methods: Prospective cohort. Methods: A large Veterans Administration healthcare system. Methods: Two sessions of instruction in horsemanship skills and two sessions of trail rides. Methods: Safety and feasibility of recruitment, retention, providing the intervention, and measuring outcomes, as well as acceptability of the intervention to the population studied were the main outcome measures. Results: There were no injuries among the 18 participants, 6 staff, or 11 equines over the 3 m...
Sanches GL, Ribeiro LMF, Motta AP, Petrucci LBDV, Gobbi FP, Quirino CR, Di Filippo PA.This study aimed to compare the antinociceptive effects of tramadol 5% and lidocaine 2% on mental nerve block in horses of the Brazilian Pony breed. Eight adult non-pregnant mares were used in this study. The ponies were tranquilized with acepromazine (5 µg kg, IV), and the infiltration of the mental foramen was performed in Treatment 1- tramadol 5% (T, 150 mg) or Treatment 2- lidocaine 2% (L, 60 mg), both at a total dose of 3 ml in each foramen. Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), systolic arterial pressure (SAP), diastolic arterial pressure (DAP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), rectal te...
Martín-Cuervo M, Gracia-Calvo LA, Macías-García B, Ezquerra LJ, Barrera R.Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is a very common finding in critically ill patients. To accurately identify patients with SIRS and those who need intensive care, several markers have been evaluated, including cortisol, WBC or lactate. It is widely known that a stress leukogram includes eosinopenia as one of its main markers (neutrophilia, eosinopenia, lymphopenia and mild monocytes). It is known that cortisol concentration in plasma is the main stress biomarker and is strongly correlated with the severity of disease in horses. However, it is not possible to measure this paramete...
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Fašmon Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B, Pechová A....Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of a tincture from the roots of (Oliv.) Diels (dong quai tincture) when used as a sensory additive in feed for horses, dogs and cats and in water for drinking for poultry species. The EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) concluded that the additive is safe for horses and dogs at the maximum proposed use level of 123 and 481 mg/kg complete feed, respectively. For cats, the calculated safe concentration is 184 mg/kg complete fe...
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Fašmon Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B, Pechová A....Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of a tincture from the fruit (pericarps and seeds) of Hook f. (star anise tincture) when used as a sensory feed additive for all animal species. The product is a ■■■■■ solution, with a dry matter content of approximately 1.86%. The product contained on average 0.2588% polyphenols (of which 0.0229% were flavonoids, including 0.0036% rutin), anethole (0.018%) and estragole (0.00039%). The Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP)...
Thompson K, Taylor J, Mendez D, Chicken C, Carrick J, Durrheim DN.There are almost 9,500 full-time employees in Australia's thoroughbred horse breeding industry. During foaling, they can be exposed to bodily fluids and mucous membranes which may present risks for zoonotic disease. These risks can be mitigated through personal biosecurity strategies. The aim of this study was to identify which personal biosecurity strategies were more or less likely to be adopted by workers. Seventeen participants representing 14 thoroughbred breeding farms and three equine veterinary practices in Australia's largest thoroughbred breeding region trialed up to 16 stakeholder-n...
Qi T, Ai J, Sun Y, Ma H, Kang M, You X, Li J.Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the obligate intracellular protozoan parasite which is widely prevalent in humans and animals worldwide. The diagnosis of toxoplasmosis and distinguishing acute or chronic infections have utmost importance for humans and animals. The SAG1, GRA7, and BAG1 proteins were used in the present study to develop the serological rSAG1-ELISA, rGRA7-ELISA and rBAG1-ELISA methods for the testing of specific IgG and IgM antibodies and differentiating acute or chronic toxoplasmosis in 3733 animals, including Tibetan sheep, yaks, pigs, cows, cattle, horses, ch...
Mariappan V, Vellasamy KM, Anpalagar RR, Lim YM, Zainal Abidin N, Subramaniam S, Nathan S.The One Health concept was initiated to promote the integration of human, animal, and environmental ecosystems into healthcare to ensure effective control and the sustainable governance of multifaceted health matters. Climate change, deforestation, and rigorous farming disrupt the environment, which serves as the natural habitat for many animals and microbes, increasing the likelihood of disease transmission between humans and animals. Melioidosis (neglected tropical diseases) and glanders are of humans and animals caused by the gram-negative bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei and its close re...
Rosa MVD, Rosa M, Botteon PTL.This study aimed to evaluate the use of equine amniotic membrane (EAM), frozen indirectly using liquid nitrogen and stored between -10° and -24°C, in the treatment of equine skin lesions. Six healthy female horses, aged 3-10 years, were included in this study. EAM was collected from previously evaluated healthy parturient mares. Wounds were surgically created at the distal ends of the forelimbs. One limb was chosen for treatment, and the contralateral limb was chosen as the control. Pain sensitivity, presence of granulation tissue, secretions, and bleeding after debridement during cleaning w...
Gomez DE, Wong D, MacNicol J, Dembek K.The fecal bacterial microbiota of normal foals and foals with enterocolitis has been characterized using next-generation sequencing technology; however, there are no reports investigating the gut microbiota in foals hospitalized for other perinatal diseases. Objective: To describe and compare the fecal bacterial microbiota in healthy and sick foals using next-generation sequencing techniques. Methods: Hospitalized (17) and healthy foals (21). Methods: Case-control study. Fecal samples were collected from healthy and sick foals on admission. Sick foals were further divided into sick nonseptic (...
Peraza J, Hector RC, Lee S, Terhaar HM, Knych HK, Wotman KL.Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is increasingly used to treat painful conditions in horses but its ocular penetration has not been studied. Objective: To determine whether orally administered acetaminophen penetrates the aqueous humour of the normal equine eye and report an aqueous humour:serum acetaminophen concentration ratio in horses. Methods: In vivo experiment. Methods: Six privately owned horses with normal ophthalmic examinations weighing 568 ± 65 kg (mean ± standard deviation) and aged 11 ± 4 years were given 20 mg/kg acetaminophen orally every 12 h for a total of s...
Spoormakers TJP, St George L, Smit IH, Hobbs SJ, Brommer H, Clayton HM, Roy SH, Richards J, Serra Bragança FM.The inter-relationship between equine thoracolumbar motion and muscle activation during normal locomotion and lameness is poorly understood. Objective: To compare thoracolumbar and pelvic kinematics and longissimus dorsi (longissimus) activity of trotting horses between baseline and induced forelimb (iFL) and hindlimb (iHL) lameness. Methods: Controlled experimental cross-over study. Methods: Three-dimensional kinematic data from the thoracolumbar vertebrae and pelvis, and bilateral surface electromyography (sEMG) data from longissimus at T14 and L1, were collected synchronously from clinicall...
Strootmann T, Spitzbarth I, Della Tommasa S, Brehm W, Köller G, Troillet A.Research and provision of data on macrophages by cytological synovial fluid analysis and light microscopy in horses with septic arthritis MATERIAL AND METHODS: Records of 167 synovial fluid samples were evaluated and subdivided into different groups: (1) non-septic, (2) haematogenous septic arthritis in foals and (3) traumatic/iatrogenic septic arthritis. The effect of joint lavage on synovial fluid cytology and on the occurrence of macrophage phenotypes was investigated. Results: Regardless of aetiology and age of the horse, macrophage concentrations in synovial sepsis are decreased to a medi...
Martin de Bustamante M, Plummer C, MacNicol J, Gomez D.Sample storage conditions are an important factor in fecal microbiota analyses in general. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of sample storage at room temperature on the equine fecal microbiota composition. Fecal samples were collected from 11 healthy horses. Each sample was divided into 7 sealed aliquots. One aliquot was immediately frozen at -80 °C; the remaining aliquots were stored at room temperature (21 to 22 °C) with one transferred to the freezer at each of the following time points: 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. The Illumina MiSeq sequencer was used for high-th...
Giontella A, Pieramati C, Silvestrelli M, Sarti FM.The Maremmano is an autochthonous Italian horse breed, which probably descended from the native horses of the Etruscans (VI century B.C.); the Studbook was acknowledged in 1980, and it includes 12 368 horses born from that year up to 2015. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the selection program on the genetic variability of the Maremmano population; the analysis was performed using both the 'Endog v 4.8' program available at http://webs.ucm.es/info/prodanim/html/JP_Web.htm and in-house software on official pedigree data. Four Reference Populations were considered, and the mos...
McGowan C.Clinical pathology is frequently used in racehorses to screen for "fitness" to race and to screen for disease that may affect performance. The role of clinical pathology in exercise testing of racehorses is important, especially in the area of blood lactate responses to exercise. This article discusses the use of resting and dynamic clinical pathology in the racehorse, especially in respect to investigation of the state of training (or fitness) and detection of subclinical performance-limiting disease.
May SA, Wyn-Jones G.The use of markers placed over the tuber coxae on each side of a horse to aid identification of the relative movement of these structures at the trot, for teaching and research purposes, is described. In each case of hindleg lameness studied, the tuber coxae on the lame side showed a consistent increase in vertical displacement relative to that of the contralateral limb, and a characteristic pattern of movement throughout the stride irrespective of the site or cause of pain.
Angelone M, Conti V, Biacca C, Battaglia B, Pecorari L, Piana F, Gnudi G, Leonardi F, Ramoni R, Basini G, Dotti S, Renzi S, Ferrari M, Grolli S.Laminitis, a highly debilitating disease of the foot in ungulates, is characterized by pathological changes of the complex lamellar structures that maintain the appendicular skeleton within the hoof. Laminitis is a multifactorial disease that involves perturbation of the vascular, hematological, and inflammatory homeostasis of the foot. Interestingly, the pathogenesis of the disease resembles what is observed in metabolic syndromes and sepsis-induced organ failure in humans and animals. We hypothesized that local administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) mi...
Ducro BJ, Bovenhuis H, Back W.Warmblood horse studbooks aim to breed horses with a conformation that will enable elite future performance, but reduce the risk of injuries and lameness. Negative conformational traits, such as asymmetrical or 'uneven' forefeet would possibly diminish performance. Objective: To assess the prevalence and heritability of uneven feet and its genetic relationship to other conformation traits as well as to sporting performance later in life in Warmblood riding horses. Methods: The databases of the Royal Dutch Warmblood Studbook (KWPN, n = 44,840 horses) and Royal Dutch Equestrian Sports Federation...
Ramsey DT, Ewart SL, Render JA, Cook CS, Latimer CA.OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and describe ocular abnormalities in a cross-section of the population of Rocky Mountain Horses. Design: Prospective study. Animals: Five-hundred and fourteen Rocky Mountain Horses. Procedure: Ophthalmic examinations were performed using a slit-lamp biomicroscope and an indirect ophthalmoscope. Intraocular pressures were measured by applanation tonometry. Eyes from six horses were obtained for histologic examination. RESULTS: Cysts of the posterior iris, ciliary body, and peripheral retina were detected most frequently (249 horses), and were always located...
Sharma AK, Paramasivam M, Srinivasan A, Yadav MP, Singh TP.Lactoferrin is a monomeric glycoprotein with a molecular mass of approximately 80 kDa. The three-dimensional structure of mare diferric lactoferrin (mlf) has been determined at 2.6 A resolution. The protein crystallizes in the space group P 212121with a=85.2 A, b=99.5 A, c=103.1 A with a solvent content of 55 % (v/v). The structure was solved by the molecular replacement method using human diferric lactoferrin as the model. The structure has been refined using XPLOR to a final R -factor of 0.194 for all data in the 15-2.6 A resolution range. The amino acid sequence of mlf was determined using ...
Sant C, d'Abadie R, Pargass I, Basu AK, Asgarali Z, Charles RA, Georges KC.Equine piroplasmosis caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi is endemic in Trinidad and Tobago. Transmission occurs by ticks of the family Ixodidae. T. equi can also be transmitted transplacentally; however transplacental transmission of B. caballi is unknown. This study aims to investigate transplacental transmission of equine piroplasmosis from thoroughbred mares naturally infected via the tick vector. Whole blood and serum samples were collected from 117 mares in the fifth month of pregnancy. Blood samples were also collected from each of their foals (89 in total) within the first 36h ...
Uzal FA, Arroyo LG, Navarro MA, Gomez DE, Asín J, Henderson E.Enteritis, colitis, and enterocolitis are considered some of the most common causes of disease and death in horses. Determining the etiology of these conditions is challenging, among other reasons because different causes produce similar clinical signs and lesions, and also because some agents of colitis can be present in the intestine of normal animals. We review here the main bacterial and viral causes of enterocolitis of horses, including Salmonella spp., Clostridium perfringens type A NetF-positive, C. perfringens type C, Clostridioides difficile, Clostridium piliforme, Paeniclostridium so...
Davis HA, Stanton MB, Thungrat K, Boothe DM.To describe bacteria isolated from reproductive tracts of mares and to examine the extent and patterns of resistance to antimicrobials commonly used for treatment of endometritis. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 8,296 uterine swab, lavage, or biopsy samples obtained between January 2003 and December 2008 from 7,665 horses in central Florida. Methods: Results of bacterial culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were obtained for uterine swab, lavage, and biopsy samples collected from mares undergoing a routine breeding examination or examined because of a reproductive diso...
Wada S, Hobo S, Niwa H.To describe the number of cases, etiologies, healing times, and results of microbial culture and susceptibility testing of corneal ulcers in thoroughbred racehorses in Japan. Methods: Retrospective study of the medical records of racehorses belonging to the Japan Racing Association (JRA) from 1997 to 2008. Results: A total of 2846 horses suffered ulcerative keratitis. These horses accounted for 90.5% of all the corneal problems and 54.9% of the entire number of horses with ocular diseases. Running in races was the cause in 64.3% of the cases. The mean healing time of the ulcers developed in ra...
Armstrong RB, Essén-Gustavsson B, Hoppeler H, Jones JH, Kayar SR, Laughlin MH, Lindholm A, Longworth KE, Taylor CR, Weibel ER.The purpose of this study was to describe the relationships between 16 physiological, biochemical, and morphological variables presumed to relate to the oxidative capacity in quadriceps muscles or muscle parts in Standardbred horses. The variables included O2 delivery (blood flow) and mean capillary transit time (MTT) during treadmill locomotion at whole animal maximal O2 consumption (VO2max, 134 +/- 2 ml.min-1 x kg-1), capillary density and capillary-to-fiber ratio, myoglobin concentration, oxidative enzyme activities, glycolytic enzyme activities, fiber type populations, and fiber size. Thes...
Crawley JA, Chapman SN, Lummaa V, Lynsdale CL.Parasite infection status, intensity and resistance have traditionally been quantified via flotation techniques, but the need for immediate analysis following defecation imposes limitations and has led to the use of several faecal storage techniques. However, their effect on nematode egg counts has not been systematically validated and is often generalised across taxa despite evidence of differences between species. Here, we take the domestic horse Equus ferus caballus as a model to examine the impact of commonly used storage techniques on egg recovery: 1) high and low concentrations of ethano...
Andersson LS, Wilbe M, Viluma A, Cothran G, Ekesten B, Ewart S, Lindgren G.Equine Multiple Congenital Ocular Anomalies (MCOA) syndrome is a heritable eye disorder mainly affecting silver colored horses. Clinically, the disease manifests in two distinct classes depending on the horse genotype. Horses homozygous for the mutant allele present with a wide range of ocular defects, such as iris stromal hypoplasia, abnormal pectinate ligaments, megaloglobus, iridociliary cysts and cataracts. The phenotype of heterozygous horses is less severe and predominantly includes iridociliary cysts, which occasionally extend into the temporal retina. In order to determine the genetic ...
Mambelli LI, Winter GH, Kerkis A, Malschitzky E, Mattos RC, Kerkis I.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), because of their immunomodulation and trophic activities, in addition to their capacity to regenerate damaged tissues, have potential for treatment of many diseases. The success of stem cell therapies depends, in part, on the method of cell delivery, which should provide wide cell distribution and homing in to injured sites. The objective of the present study was to developing a novel strategy for delivery of MSCs into the uterus of mares with endometrosis (degenerative alteration of uterine glands and surrounding stroma). Endometrosis was confirmed in all mares ...
Nielsen MK.Clinically important equine parasites are ubiquitous in managed horse populations. The traditional approach to parasite control is frequent administration of anthelmintics to all horses on a farm. However, increasing levels of anthelmintic resistance is forcing horse owners and veterinarians to shift this control paradigm. Treatment regimens involving routine deworming of all horses throughout the year are now being replaced by more sustainable approaches, which take in to account the importance of maintaining adequate parasite refugia. The selective therapy principle has been recommended for ...
Greve L, Pfau T, Dyson S.Equine movement symmetry is changed when turning, which may induce alterations in thoracolumbosacral kinematics; however, this has not previously been investigated. Our objectives were to document thoracolumbar movement in subjectively sound horses comparing straight lines with circles on both reins and to relate these observations to the objectively determined symmetry/asymmetry of hindlimb gait. Fourteen non-lame horses were assessed prospectively in a non-random, cross-sectional survey. The horses were trotted in straight lines and lunged on both reins and inertial sensor data collected at ...
Nieto JE, MacDonald MH, Braim AE, Aleman M.Horses are exquisitely sensitive to bacterial endotoxin and endotoxaemia is common in colic cases. In this study, gene expression of inflammatory cytokines was characterised in the blood of healthy horses following i.v. administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Six horses received an LPS infusion and 6 controls received an equivalent volume of saline. Gene expression of genes encoding interleukin (IL)-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was quantified by real-time PCR. Gene expression of all inflammatory cytokines was upregulated following administratio...
Gibb Z, Butler TJ, Morris LH, Maxwell WM, Grupen CG.Excessive reactive oxygen species generation during sex sorting and cryopreservation of stallion sperm leads to DNA fragmentation, lipid peroxidation, and motility loss. In this study we investigated whether antioxidant supplementation during sex sorting and cryopreservation could ameliorate the effects of reactive oxygen species on stallion sperm. In experiment 1, the postthaw characteristics of stallion sperm (N = 9) cryopreserved in the presence or absence of catalase (200 U/mL), cysteine (0.2 mg/mL), or quercetin (0.15 mM) was examined. Motility and acrosome integrity were assessed at 0, 1...
Nieri-Bastos FA, Lopes MG, Cançado PH, Rossa GA, Faccini JL, Gennari SM, Labruna MB.Adult ticks of the species Amblyomma parvum were collected from the vegetation in the Pantanal biome (state of Mato Grosso do Sul) and from horses in the Cerrado biome (state of Piauí) in Brazil. The ticks were individually tested for rickettsial infection via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting three rickettsial genes, gltA, ompA and ompB. Overall, 63.5% (40/63) and 66.7% (2/3) of A. parvum ticks from Pantanal and Cerrado, respectively, contained rickettsial DNA, which were all confirmed by DNA sequencing to be 100% identical to the corresponding fragments of the gltA, ompA and ompB ge...
Stradaioli G, Sylla L, Zelli R, Chiodi P, Monaci M.The effect of orally administered l-carnitine on the quality of semen obtained from stallions with different semen qualities was investigated. Four stallions with proven fertility (high motility group, HM) and with normal seminal characteristics (>50% progressive motility and > 80 x 10(6) spermatozoa/ml), and four questionable breeders (low motility group, LM) with <50% of sperm progressive motility and < 80 x 10(6) spermatozoa/ml, received p.o. 20 g of l-carnitine for 60 days. Blood and semen samples were collected before treatment (T0) and after 30 (T1) and 60 days (T2). Semen ev...
Li F, Su J, Chahan B, Guo Q, Wang T, Yu Z, Guo Y, Li N, Feng Y, Xiao L.Few studies have been conducted on the distribution of Cryptosporidium species and subtypes in equine animals. In this study, 878 stool specimens were collected during 2015-2019 from 551 donkeys and 327 horses in Shandong, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia, China and screened for Cryptosporidium spp. by PCR analysis of the small subunit rRNA gene. The Cryptosporidium species presented were identified by sequence analysis of the PCR products and subtyped by sequence analysis of the 60 kDa glycoprotein gene. The infection rates of Cryptosporidium spp. in horses and donkeys were 3.1% (10/327) and 14...
Maisonpierre IN, Sutton MA, Harris P, Menzies-Gow N, Weller R, Pfau T.Accelerometry is an accepted means of quantifying human physical activity. Quantitative physical activity tracking could be beneficial for studies into equine health and disease prevention, for example in relation to obesity management. Objective: Validate accelerometer use in grazing horses, determine between-day repeatability, and assess the effects of pasture size on time budget (i.e. duration in each activity category). Methods: Proof of concept. Methods: Accelerometers (ActiGraph) were positioned at the poll. Horses underwent 5 min of observed activity in three categories: standing, graz...
Batellier F, Vidament M, Fauquant J, Duchamp G, Arnaud G, Yvon JM, Magistrini M.In the horse industry, milk or milk-based extenders are used routinely for dilution and storage of semen cooled to 4-8 degrees C. Although artificial insemination (AI) with chilled and transported semen has been in use for several years, pregnancy rates are still low and variable related to variable semen quality of stallions. Over the years, a variety of extenders have been proposed for cooling, storage and transport of stallion semen. Fractionation of milk by microfiltration, ultrafiltration, diafiltration and freeze-drying techniques has allowed preparation of purified milk fractions in ord...
Jäderkvist K, Andersson LS, Johansson AM, Árnason T, Mikko S, Eriksson S, Andersson L, Lindgren G.In a previous study it was shown that a nonsense mutation in the DMRT3 gene alters the pattern of locomotion in horses and that this mutation has a strong positive impact on trotting performance of Standardbreds. One aim of this study was to test if racing performance and trotting technique in the Nordic (Coldblood) trotters are also influenced by the DMRT3 genotype. Another aim was to further investigate the effect of the mutation on performance in Standardbreds, by using a within-family analysis and genotype-phenotype correlations in a larger horse material than in the previous study. We gen...
Robin M, Page P, Archer D, Baylis M.African horse sickness (AHS) is an arboviral disease of equids transmitted by Culicoides biting midges. The virus is endemic in parts of sub-Saharan Africa and official AHS disease-free status can be obtained from the World Organization for Animal Health on fulfilment of a number of criteria. AHS is associated with case fatality rates of up to 95%, making an outbreak among naïve horses both a welfare and economic disaster. The worldwide distributions of similar vector-borne diseases (particularly bluetongue disease of ruminants) are changing rapidly, probably due to a combination of globalisa...
Santos M, Fuente M, Garcia-Iturralde R, Herran R, Lopez-Sanroman J, Tendillo FJ.Recovery from inhalant anaesthesia in the horse is a critical and difficult period to manage; however, several factors could help to obtain a calm recovery period including choice of anaesthetic and analgesic procedure used and the conditions under which anaesthetic maintenance and recovery occur. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the quality of recovery in horses administered saline, xylazine, detomidine or romifidine during recovery from isoflurane anaesthesia. Methods: Six mature and healthy horses were premedicated with i.v. xylazine and butorphanol, and an...
Henninger W, Frame EM, Willmann M, Simhofer H, Malleczek D, Kneissl SM, Mayrhofer E.Sinusitis is a common disorder in horses and may result from trauma, dental diseases, or space-occupying lesions. Radiography can only provide a limited amount of information. Computed tomography (CT) has been documented as an alternative imaging method. Eighteen horses (mostly Warmblood) with signs of chronic sinusitis were examined preoperatively with CT to assist in diagnosis of the underlying cause. There was a group of common CT features in horses with dental disease and sinusitis. The first molar was the most frequently affected maxillary cheek tooth. Hypoattenuation of the cementum, des...
Hlastala MP, Bernard SL, Erickson HH, Fedde MR, Gaughan EM, McMurphy R, Emery MJ, Polissar N, Glenny RW.Recent studies using microspheres in dogs, pigs and goats have demonstrated considerable heterogeneity of pulmonary perfusion within isogravitational planes. These studies demonstrate a minimal role of gravity in determining pulmonary blood flow distribution. To test whether a gravitational gradient would be more apparent in an animal with large vertical lung height, we measured perfusion heterogeneity in horses (vertical lung height = approximately 55 cm). Four unanesthetized Thoroughbred geldings (422-500 kg) were studied awake in the standing position with fluorescent microspheres injected ...
