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.
Sweeney CR, Whitlock RH, Meirs DA, Whitehead SC, Barningham SO.Complications associated with Streptococcus equi infection developed in 15 (20.3%) of 74 horses on one farm included death, guttural pouch empyema, purpura hemorrhagica, upper respiratory tract obstruction, pneumonia, pleuropneumonia, agalactia, mesenteric lymph node abscessation, and periorbital abscessation. Death was attributed to pneumonia in 3 horses and to upper respiratory tract obstruction in 2 horses. One horse was euthanatized because of severe purpura hemorrhagica.
López ML, de Souza W, Bustos-Obregón E.The structure, relative density, and distribution of anionic sites on the surface of epididymal and ejaculated spermatozoa were studied using polycationic ferritin (CF), colloidal iron hydroxide (CIH), various enzymatic treatments, methylation, and de-acetylation. Macro-molecules containing sugar residues, probably sialic acid, are part of the sperm membrane and show a characteristic distribution and density that is dependent of the sperm region and of its origin. Unlike the spermatozoa of other eutheria examined, the exposure of the stallion spermatozoa to neuraminidase treatment did not prod...
Meyers KM, Menard M, Wardrop KJ.This is a review of equine hemostasis and is divided into three sections. The initial portion describes the normal hemostatic system and includes platelet function, coagulation, fibrinolysis and control processes. The second phase is devoted to laboratory tests of hemostasis, and the last section provides information on specific alterations.
Dyer KR, Duncan ID.The intraneural course of nerve fibres in the equine recurrent laryngeal nerve was investigated by partially ligating the nerve at a proximal site, and 3-8 weeks later, tracing the course and spatial relationships of intact and degenerating fibres along the distal stump. This nerve was chosen because of its great length, the fact that it is a nonbranching motor nerve and because of debate about the course of abductor and adductor nerve fibres in the recurrent laryngeal nerve. Six ponies were used and in each the recurrent nerve was partially ligatured about 20 cm from the larynx, using a fine ...
Ravis WR, Duran SH, Pedersoli WM, Schumacher J.The pharmacokinetics of phenobarbital were determined in six mature horses after a single oral dose. Horses were administered a 5.5 mg/kg of body weight oral dose of phenobarbital tablets. Based on the combined evaluation of i.v. and oral results, phenobarbital displayed two-compartment pharmacokinetics in the horse with a terminal half-life of 19.0 +/- 4.4 (mean +/- SD) h. This half-life is considerably shorter than those reported for dogs and humans. The steady-state volume of distribution (Vdss/F) and the total body clearance (Clt/F) of phenobarbital were 0.753 +/- 0.115 l/kg and 27.9 +/- 9...
Wiśniewski E, Kuźma K.The normal level of plasma lysozyme of 9 Tarpane-like horses was 0.922pg/ml. This was
calculated from determinations performed 5 times in a period of 14 months. Observations on the
normal plasma level of lysozyme in the horse revealed marked variations in individual animals, as well
as in the whole group and in the mean values calculated for individual horses. The model for the
subsequent studies was an experimental fever evoked by the administration of E. colz LPS in a dose of
0.1 pg/kg body weight. Blood samples from the jugular vein were taken just before LPS injection, and
then for 8...
Winston S, Fiscus S, Hesterberg L, Matsushita T, Mildbrand M, Porter J, Teramoto Y.The development of three separate rapid ELISAs for detecting antibodies in host serum to three different viruses is described. These include: 1. A direct antigen assay using enzyme labelled anti-canine Ig for detecting antibodies to canine parvovirus, 2. A competitive ELISA using a feline infectious peritonitis virus-specific monoclonal antibody labelled with enzyme, and 3. A competitive ELISA using an equine infectious anemia virus-specific monoclonal antibody and enzyme labelled antigen, p. 26. The utility and benefits of each of the three approaches is emphasized.
Riggs MW.Currently recognized equine immune deficiency disorders include failure of passive colostral immunoglobulin transfer, combined immunodeficiency, selective IgM deficiency, transient hypogammaglobulinemia, and agammaglobulinemia. Additional equine immune deficiency disorders probably exist. Immune deficiency should be suspected in any horse experiencing persistent or recurrent infections that are not responsive to conventional therapy.
Weber JM, Parkhouse WS, Dobson GP, Harman JC, Snow DH, Hochachka PW.Plasma lactate turnover rate of Thoroughbred racehorses was measured by bolus injection of [U-14C]lactate at rest and two levels of submaximal treadmill exercise (3-4 m/s trot, 6% incline, and 6.5 m/s horizontal canter). Our goals were 1) to determine the relative effects of changes in cardiac output and in plasma lactate concentration on turnover rate [using cardiac output data from Weber et al. (28)] and 2) to assess the importance of lactate as a metabolic fuel in a trained animal athlete. Lactate turnover rates were 9.3 mumol.min-1.kg-1 (rest), 75.9 mumol.min-1.kg-1 at the beginning of the...
Beech J.The clinical signs and endocrinologic abnormalities that characterize horses with pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal dysfunction are described. Laboratory tests and hormonal assays useful for evaluating horses with suspected endocrinopathies are discussed.
Stadler P.The anterior enteritis syndrome in the horse is reviewed with reference to the aetiology, pathogenesis, clinical findings, laboratory findings, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and post mortem findings.
Ammer H, Henschen A.The major stallion protamine was isolated from sperm cell nuclei by extraction with 6M guanidine/5% mercaptoethanol, alkylation with 4-vinylpyridine and subsequent reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The primary structure of stallion protamine was determined by N-terminal sequencing of the intact protein and of the fragments obtained from thermolysin cleavage of the S-pyridylethylated and from endoproteinase Lys-C cleavage of the S-aminoethylated protein. Stallion protamine consists of 49 amino-acid residues and shows 49% identity with all other sequenced mammalian type 1 pr...
Dart AJ, Pascoe RR.This study presents a treatment method for a horse suffering from a bilateral mandibular fracture using an intraoral acrylic splint. The approach, first developed by Collahan and Pascoe (1983), uses […]
Illera JC, Hamlin RL, Illera M.Bipolar and unipolar limb leads and unipolar thoracic lead ECG were obtained from 100 male crossbred horses. P-wave morphologic features were classified according to positivity negativity and monopolarity dipolarity, and the percentage of horses that had P waves of a given morphologic class in each lead was calculated. P-Wave morphologic features of 4 precordial leads were most uniform, with greater than 80% of the horses having a single configuration.
Engelking LR, Paradis MR.This article addresses clinical problems that present in equine liver disease. It also discusses the variety of laboratory tests available to the clinician that can differentiate the type and degree of liver dysfunction. This is followed by a more specific discussion regarding unique features of equine bilirubin and bile acid metabolism.
Burgess EC, Mattison M.Infection with Borrelia burgdorferi was associated with encephalitis in a horse. The horse lived in an area of Wisconsin endemic for B burgdorferi infection. Borrelia burgdorferi was isolated from the brain, but rabies virus was not detected in the brain. Serum obtained from the horse had a B burgdorferi antibody titer of 1:2,048, but was negative for antibodies to eastern and western encephalomyelitis.
Sugiura T, Matsumura T, Fukunaga Y, Hirasawa K.A sero-epizootiological study was conducted on horses which showed clinical pyrexia at two training centers, each of which maintained 1, 200 to 2, 100 racehorses for training, of the Japan Racing Association. It continued from 1980 to 1985 to clarify the cause of pyrexia, so that measures might be considered for the prevention of infectious disease. A total of 3, 849 horses were found to be affected with pyrexia for the 6 years. Of them, 2, 852 horses were tested to equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), equine rhinovirus type 1 (ERhV-1), rotavirus and equine adenovirus (EAdV) by collecting paired...
McEntee M.A cutaneous mass (1.5 cm in diameter) was removed from the head of a horse and was diagnosed histologically as eumycotic mycetoma. Immunofluorescence, performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue, identified Pseudallescheria boydii as the etiologic agent. Findings from earlier reports of eumycotic mycetoma were compared with those of this horse.
de Waal DT, van Heerden J, Potgieter FT.Serologically negative horses, as determined with the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFA), were infected with Babesia equi and 60 days later with Babesia caballi. The only clinical signs of disease observed in these animals were a febrile reaction and slight icterus. Haematological changes included a drop in haematocrit and haemoglobin concentration, as well as lowered platelet counts. The serum concentrations of albumin, iron and phosphorus were lowered. Mildly elevated serum bilirubin and fibrinogen concentrations were observed. Antibody titres were determined with the IFA and complemen...
Ignatchenko AP, Bogomaz VI, Tugaĭ VA, Chuĭko AA.Biospecific sorbents for affinity chromatography of proteolytic enzymes have been synthesized by attaching cyclopeptide antibiotic gramicidin S to organo-silica supports. It is shown possible to attach gramicidin S to the organo-silica supports using glutaric aldehyde, p-benzoquinone, soluble and insoluble carbodiimides. The sorbents prepared by these methods were successfully applied for the purification of the crude pepsin from horse gastric juice and proteolytic complex produced by Acremonium chrysogenum.
Craig DR, Pankowski RL, Car BD, Hackett RP, Erb HN.Several surgical alternatives have been described for the management of cecal impaction in the horse, but none has met with consistently successful results. This study was done to evaluate a surgical bypass of the cecum by anastomosis of the ileum to the right ventral colon (ileocolostomy). A ventral midline celiotomy was performed on nine adult ponies (155-350 kg) and a mechanically stapled 10 cm side-to-side ileocolostomy was created. In five ponies a complete cecal bypass (CCB) was created by transecting the ileum distal to the anastomosis. In the other four, an incomplete cecal bypass (ICB...
Snow DH, Gash SP, Cornelius J.The effects of oral administration of high doses of ascorbic acid on plasma concentrations were investigated in both experimental Thoroughbred horses and those within racing stables. A single oral dose (20 g) did not result in any increase in plasma concentrations. However, daily administration of either 4.5 g or 20 g doses resulted in significant increases in plasma concentrations. Monthly variations in plasma ascorbate concentrations were found in both supplemented (20 g daily) and unsupplemented stables. It is concluded that oral supplementation with ascorbic acid is a satisfactory route to...
Pascoe DR, Pascoe RR, Hughes JP, Stabenfeldt GH, Kindahl H.One hundred mares carrying twin conceptuses between gestation days (GD) 12 and 30 were assigned to 4 groups. Group-1 mares (n = 20) were given a placebo (sterile saline solution, IV, and sesame oil, IM). Group-2 mares (n = 32) were given a single dose of progesterone (625 mg, IM) in sesame oil. Group-3 mares (n = 28) were given multiple progesterone treatments (625 mg, IM) at 6-day intervals until GD 42. Group-4 mares (n = 20) were given a single treatment of flunixin meglumine (500 mg, IV) and progesterone (625 mg, IM). Each group was further assigned to equal subgroups A and B according to t...
Parker JE, Fibini SL, Car BD, Erb HN.An ischemic bowel model was used to stimulate adhesion formation in eight ponies. Heparin (40 USP u/kg) or saline was administered intravenously at surgery and was continued subcutaneously every 12 hours for 48 hours to evaluate the efficacy of heparin in preventing intraabdominal adhesions. Ponies were euthanatized after 6 weeks, and postmortem examinations were performed. A statistically significant difference was found between the heparin-treated and the control groups. Adhesions developed in three of four control ponies, and adhesions did not develop in three of four heparin-treated ponies...
Kuttler KL, Zaugg JL, Gipson CA.The therapeutic efficacies of imidocarb and parvaquone were tested against Babesia equi of European origin in carrier horses and for induced acute infections in splenectomized ponies. Imidocarb, at a dosage of 4 mg/kg of body weight, given IM at 72-hour intervals 4 times, was ineffective in eliminating B equi-carrier infection in 9 mature geldings. A single IM administration of 4 mg/kg was not therapeutic in acutely infected splenectomized ponies. When given at 3 different dosages and treatment schedules, parvaquone was ineffective in clearing carrier infection. Parvaquone given IM once at a d...
Somm F, Suárez Sánchez-Andrade J, Martens A, Zedler ST, Klopfenstein MD, Boswell JC, Bladon BM, Lischer CJ, Richardson DW, Auer JA, Fürst AE....To report on technical aspects and outcomes after scapulohumeral arthrodesis (SHA) with a locking compression plate (LCP) in small equids. Methods: Retrospective multicenter case series. Methods: Client-owned Shetland Ponies, Miniature Shetlands, and American Miniature Horses (n = 15). Methods: Inclusion criteria were completed SHA with an LCP to treat scapulohumeral osteoarthritis/subluxation and availability of postoperative radiographs. Contributing surgeons completed a questionnaire to collect data. All radiographs were reviewed for this study. Follow-up information was obtained via re-a...
Ter Woort F, Stefanovski D, Reef VB.Hyperthyroidism is a predisposing factor for atrial fibrillation (AF) in humans. The relationship between high thyroid hormone (TH) and AF in horses has not been evaluated. Objective: The aim of this study is to identify whether (1) high TH concentrations were present in horses with AF, (2) other cardiovascular effects were observed in horses with high TH and AF, and (3) TH status affected recurrence rate. Methods: Twenty-three horses presented with naturally occurring AF. Methods: Prospective case-control clinical study. Thyroid hormone concentration was measured in horses presenting with AF....
Rezai A, Underwood JL, Jalali GR, Mathias S, Allen WR, Mowbray JF.Recurrent spontaneous abortion occurs in 1 in 500 random matings and usually results in abortion of all pregnancies. If absence of antibody to a paternally derived antigen caused abortion, the woman would be expected to make antibody to the other paternal antigen and abort only half her pregnancies. Methods: Microvesicles were prepared from equine placentae. Acid-eluted IgG antibody was eluted from the polymorphic R80K antigen and used to type the residual R80K antigen on vesicles or on peripheral blood leucocytes. Results: In several equine sibships all the half-sibs had the same paternal R80...
Tabar-Rodriguez JJ, Cruz AM, Monteith G, Gordon K, Hurtig MB.OBJECTIVE-To use quantitative ultrasonography to evaluate the association between the speed of sound (SOS) at 9 sites in the third metacarpal bone (MCIII) of racing Thoroughbreds with workload accumulation and the effect that MCIII failure has on this association. ANIMALS-Sixty-two 2- and 3-year-old Thoroughbreds in racing condition. PROCEDURES-Cumulative work index (CWI) was used to calculate total workload (CWI(total)) and also 3 independent CWIs for the various gaits (ie, trot [CWI(trot)], gallop [CWI(gallop)], and race [CWI(race)]) used during training and racing. Speed of sound was monito...
Amin TM, Sirs JA, Allen BV, Colles CM.A preliminary investigation has been undertaken of blood rheology in horses and ponies, its variation in navicular disease and the changes following treatment with warfarin. Erythrocyte flexibility, measured by a centrifuge packing technique, is higher in horses (30 per cent min-1) than in ponies (23.8 per cent min-1). There are corresponding differences in blood viscosity. The high erythrocyte flexibility in horses is caused by an unknown factor present in plasma. The erythrocyte flexibility in horses with navicular disease is even higher, at 38.5 per cent min-1. Treatment with warfarin reduc...
Ek N.Studies of transferrin (Tf) concentration in sera of sick horses were carried out using Mancini’s immunodiffusion technique. Relative values against a chosen reference serum were determined for a total of 112 horses. Horses with acute infections had Tf values significantly below the normal. The lowest individual Tf value in this group (46%) was found in a six-months-old foal with temperature 41°C and watery diarrhoea. Horses suffering from acute laminitis also had decreased Tf values. The lowest value in the whole material (45%) was found in a horse belonging to this group. There was a posi...
Appel G, Briese A, von Holleben K, von Mickwitz G, von Wenzlawowicz M.It is reported on the fatal accident of a horse due to a cross-beam too low above the door of the stable, in which the animal suffered several skull fractures and a tear of the musculus longus capitis from the base of the skull. The aim of this article is, to supply a contribution to the establishment of minimal requirements for the housing of horses, in this case for the request of the minimum height of stable doors and ceilings as well as for constructions on horse transporters. On the grounds of this example, the natural behaviour of horses is discussed at the hand of the literature and the...
Hawkins JF, Fessler JF.To evaluate efficacy of debridement for treatment of supraspinous bursitis in horses and to evaluate the outcome. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 10 horses with clinical signs of supraspinous bursitis. Methods: Medical records were reviewed for signalment, anamnesis, results of physical and radiographic examination, microbial culture results of supraspinous bursa tissue or exudate, Brucella abortus titers, type of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory therapies, surgical technique, complications of the surgical procedure, and findings on histologic examination of excised nuchal ligament a...
Derksen FJ, Scott JS, Slocombe RF, Robinson NE.We determined the effect of IV administered beta 2-adrenergic receptor agonist clenbuterol on pulmonary function and on the response to histamine in 12 healthy ponies. Measurements were made at base line and after saline solution or clenbuterol was administered IV at a dosage of 0.2, 0.8, or 1.6 micrograms/kg. The dosage of clenbuterol used in each study was unknown to the investigators until all the data had been analyzed. Intravenous administration of saline solution or clenbuterol did not alter base-line pulmonary function significantly. Aerosol histamine administration significantly decrea...