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.
Côté GP.The non-muscle tropomyosins (TMs), isolated from such tissues as platelets, brain and thyroid, are structurally very similar to the muscle TMs, being composed of two highly alpha-helical subunits wound around each other to form a rod-like molecule. The non-muscle TMs are shorter than the muscle TMs; sequence analysis demonstrates that each subunit of equine platelet TM consists of 247 amino acids, 37 fewer than for skeletal muscle TM. The major differences in sequence between platelet and skeletal muscle TM are found near the amino and carboxyl terminal ends of the proteins. Probably as the re...
Marcum JA, Highsmith RF, Kline DL.Complete activation of purified horse plasminogen to plasmin was obtained with a 1:10 molar ratio of streptokinase to plasminogen after 5 min of incubation at 37 degrees C. At a 1:1 molar ratio, maximal activity did not appear until 15-30 min, while at a ratio of 6:1 complete activation was delayed for 120-180 min. Gel filtration studies of isotopically labeled streptokinase and horse plasminogen suggest that the delay was due to impaired formation of a streptokinase-plasminogen complex. The predominant streptokinase moiety within the streptokinase-plasmin complex which forms from the streptok...
Cloonan MJ, O'Neill BJ, Vale TG, Carter IW, Williams JE.The sera of 468 blood donors and 63 domestic animals, collected from the south coast of New South Wales, were tested for the presence of antibodies to Ross River virus. Antibodies were detected in 7% of human sera, 25% of cow sera and 65% of horse sera. Using the blood donors as 'human sentinels', seroconversions were demonstrated in two donors from the Nowra-Kiama region and from a patient in the same area; none of the three had been outside of the study area during the period of seroconversion or at the time of infection. Of the 15 seropositive horses, 6 (40%) had lived continuously since bi...
Meyers K, Reed S, Keck M, Clem M, Bayly W.Twenty-three horses with clinical signs of gastrointestinal disease were evaluated once or serially during the course of the disease for the presence or absence of circulating endotoxin-like substances (ET+ or ET-) and whether the horses were negative, positive, or very positive for serum fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products (FDP-, FDP+, or FDP++). In addition, platelet count, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and 1-stage prothrombin time (OSPT) were measured. When examined initially, 5 horses were ET-/FDP-, 8 were ET-/FDP+, 7 were ET+/FDP-, 3 were ET+/FDP+, and none was ET+/FDP+...
The Journal of hygieneDecember 1, 1982
Volume 89, Issue 3 529-538 doi: 10.1017/s0022172400071102
Corbel MJ, Brewer RA.Immunoelectrophoresis of ultrasonically disrupted Haemophilus equigenitalis (contagious equine metritis organism) cells against rabbit and equine antisera disclosed at least 11 precipitating antigens. Two of these, a polysaccharide and a lipopolysaccharide-protein complex, were of high molecular weight and located on the cell surface. The remaining antigens were intracellular and were small- to medium-sized proteins. The surface antigens were the most significant in relation to the serological response in infected horses. They also reacted with sera from apparently healthy cattle, but the reas...
Rubin CT, Lanyon LE.Rosette strain gauges were attached to the midshaft of the radius and tibia of two horses and two dogs, which ran on a treadmill through their entire range of speed and gait. The relative magnitudes of the principal strains on the opposite cortices of each bone remained constant through the stance phase of the stride, and their orientation varied by a maximum of only 14 degrees through the entire speed range. The maximum strain rate increased linearly with speed, but the peak strain magnitude was also dependent upon the gait used, increasing incrementally by up to 59% at the transition from wa...
Littlejohn A, Bowles F, Maluleka W.The percentage venous admixture was calculated in 21 clinically normal horses and ponies and in 13 horses and ponies with chronic obstructure pulmonary disease (COPD). The oxygen contents of pulmonary end-capillary blood, arterial and mixed venous blood were calculated from blood and respiratory gas values and substituted in the shunt equation. The mean percentage venous admixture of the COPD subjects was significantly greater than that of the normal subjects. It was concluded that a larger proportion of alveoli in the lungs of COPD subjects were hypoventilated than that of alveoli of the norm...
Zavy MT, Clark WR, Sharp DC, Roberts RM, Bazer FW.In Experiment 1, 40 gilts and 30 pony mares were used to characterize changes in glucose, fructose, ascorbic acid and glucosephosphate isomerase (GPI) enzymatic activity in uterine flushings collected either during the estrous cycle or early pregnancy. Total recoverable glucose was greater (P less than 0.01) in uterine flushings from pregnant gilts, but pregnancy status had no effect on total recoverable glucose in pony mare uterine flushings. Fructose was undetectable in uterine flushings from nonpregnant gilts and pony mares and pregnant gilts and pony mares prior to Day 14, but occurred in ...
Nes N, Lømo OM, Bjerkås I.In 4 female foals of the Norwegian horse breed, "Fjord Horse", congenital arthrogryposis of the limbs are described. The disorder was mainly limited to the hind limbs and associated with polydactylia and partly with brachygnathia superior and cleft palate. The defective foals were paternal halfsisters of 4 normal foals (1 female + 3 males), sired by the stallion "Bingo" 1804, which was phenotypically quite normal. The disorder being lethal, is possibly caused by a sex-limited or a strongly sex-influenced dominant gene.
Campbell TM, Studdert MJ, Blackney MH.Some kinetic data on the inactivation of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV1) and equine rhinovirus type 1 (ERhV1) by betapropiolactone (BPL) and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation are reported. 0.25% BPL at 37 degrees C for 1 h reduced the titre of EHV1 by greater than 10(3 . 4) and of ERhV1 by greater than 10(4 . 1) TCID50/ml. UV irradiation (334 microW/cm2) produced similar reductions in titre after 2 min. These data were used as a basis for inactivating EHV1 and ERhV1 by the combined action of BPL and UV irradiation. Viruses were exposed to 0.1% BPL for 1 h at 4 degrees C with constant stirring, fol...
Roberts MC, Seawright AA, Ng JC, Norman PD.Chronic mercuric chloride intoxication in an aged horse given 0.8 mg Hg/kg/day for 14 weeks was manifest by signs of progressive respiratory difficulty and renal disease. The effects were not self-limiting after mercury was withdrawn, and the animal was destroyed six weeks later. Renal function changes included heavy glycosuria, modest proteinuria, phosphaturia, reduced urine osmolality, gradually increasing urine production, reduced glomerular filtration rate, and terminally, azotemia. The condition bore similarities to the Fanconi syndrome in man. Urinary gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, alkal...
Skarda RT, Muir WW.A new technique for producing segmental subarachnoid analgesia in adult horses without causing complete loss of locomotor control is described. A 17-gauge Huber point (Tuohy) needle was used to place a catheter with a stylet into the subarachnoid space at the lumbosacral intervertebral space in 13 adult horses (weighing 500 +/- 60 kg, representing both sexes) and to advance the catheter craniad to the thoracolumbar area. The position of the catheter was confirmed radiographically. A 2% mepivacaine hydrochloride solution (1.5 ml, 30 mg) was injected through the catheter at a rate of 0.5 ml/60 s...
Thurmon JC, Neff-Davis C, Davis LE, Stoker RA, Benson GJ, Lock TF.The effects of intravenous xylazine (1.1 mg/kg) were studied in six thoroughbred horses (five mares and a stallion). Plasma glucose concentration increased to 168% of control at 45 min and decreased to 112% of control at 180 min. Insulin had decreased to 31% of control at 15 min. Thereafter, insulin concentration increased, reaching its highest concentration at 150 min. The mechanism for these changes is not fully understood and further investigation is indicated.
Derksen FJ, Slocombe RF, Robinson NE.In standing sedated ponies, we measured dynamic lung compliance (Cdyn) and pulmonary resistance (RL) during IV infusion of various doses of histamine; this was done in a given pony 3 times at 1-week intervals between experiments. Histamine doses causing a decrease in Cdyn of 50% and 75% and an increase in RL of 300% and 600% (ED50Cdyn, ED75Cdyn, ED300RL and ED600RL, respectively) were interpolated from the histamine dose-response curves. We also measured respiratory frequency, tidal volume, minute ventilation, functional residual capacity, arterial oxygen tension, arterial carbon dioxide tensi...
Yovich JV, Hilbert BJ, McGill CA.Nineteen cases of fracture of the distal phalanx in horses are reviewed. This represented 1.1% of the total number of horses seen at Murdoch University Veterinary Hospital (MUVH) over a 32-month period. All horses were managed conservatively. Eight horses made a complete recovery. Three are being trained again and are not lame. Four horses made a limited recovery. Two horses are still resting and one horse was killed humanely when it still showed lameness after 2 years. One horse was killed humanely after the fracture was first diagnosed.
Heizmann CW, Berchtold MW, Rowlerson AM.The physiological role of the Ca2+-binding protein parvalbumin in skeletal muscle has been investigated by measuring the parvalbumin content by HPLC in a variety of mammalian muscles, including man, and comparing the results with the respective muscle relaxation properties and fiber type compositions. The parvalbumin concentrations were highest in the skeletal muscles of the smallest animal investigated (mouse, gastrocnemius: 4.9 g/kg), which has the highest relaxation speed, and lowest in the larger animals (horse, deep gluteal muscle: less than or equal to 0.001 g/kg) and man (vastus, tricep...
Bird J, Larsen M, Nansen P, Kraglund HO, Grønvold J, Henriksen SA, Wolstrup J.Two sets of dung-derived organisms from soil routinely fertilized with manure (MA) and soil chemically fertilized (CH) were cultured separately in the laboratory. Baermannized organisms from these cultures were added to 20 g of faeces from strongyle-infected horses to form three treatment groups: (i) no soil organisms; (ii) low inoculum of soil organisms containing all organisms present in a suspension of approximately 100 adult female free-living nematodes; and (iii) high inoculum containing those soil organisms present with approximately 1000 adult female free-living nematodes. Three studies...
Sinclair CD, Webel SK, Douthit TL, Murray LW, Jager AL, Grieger DM, Kouba JM.The objective of these studies was to investigate the efficacy of an intravaginal triptorelin acetate (TA) gel as an ovulation-inducing agent in mares. In Exp. 1, 24 mares were blocked using a combination of parity and age and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups: 5 mL TA gel (TA5), 10 mL TA gel (TA10), or 5 mL vehicle gel only (CON). Following the appearance of a follicle ≥ 25 mm, a blood sample was obtained for measurement of LH from each mare every 24 h until treatment administration. When a follicle ≥ 35 mm was observed, treatments were administered intravaginally. Following tr...
Bize I, Driscoll DM.Preservation of stallion sperm forward motility was studied using a video recording system in semen diluted with media of different ionic strength and sodium content. After 8 hr of incubation at room temperature, semen diluted in a low ionic strength media containing sucrose displayed 65 +/- 9% motility with 68 +/- 3% of the motile sperm showing forward motility (diameter of head trajectory greater than or equal to 80 microns). In contrast, sperm populations diluted and incubated with a normal ionic strength media containing sodium had 56 +/- 7% motile sperm of which only 36 +/- 7% displayed f...
Skarda RT, Muir WW.To examine effects of atipamezole on detomidine midsacral subarachnoidally-induced analgesia, cardiovascular and respiratory activity, head ptosis, and position of pelvic limbs in healthy mares. Methods: 10 healthy mares. Methods: Using a randomized, blinded, crossover study design, mares received detomidine (0.03 mg/kg of body weight, diluted in 3 ml of CSF) midsacral subarachnoidally, followed by atipamezole (0.1 mg/kg [test]) or sterile saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (control), i.v. 61 minutes later and saline solution (3 ml, midsacral subarachnoidally) on a separate occasion, at least 2 weeks...
Schatzmann U, Jossfck H, Stauffer JL, Goossens L.The effect of three alpha 2-agonistic sedatives, Detomidine (0.04 mg/kg), Romifidine (0.08 mg/kg) Xylazine (1.1 mg/kg) and placebo (NaCl), on intrauterine pressure was investigated with an intrauterine balloon model in four non-pregnant warmblood mares. Within 6.0 (+/- 2.2) min mean pressure increases of 9.80 (+/- 3.74), 6.88 (+/- 3.95) and 13.95 (+/- 5.19) mmHg were recorded for Detomidine, Romifidine and Xylazine, respectively. Placebo had no significant effect. The mean duration of pressure increase was 30.0 (+/- 5.10), 17.67 (+/- 9.87) and 19.50 (+/- 13.78) min for Detomidine, Romifidine a...
McClure SR, Chaffin MK, Beaver BV.Self-mutilative behavior, a form of stereotypic behavior, can be a serious problem in stallion management. An 11-year-old Quarter Horse stallion was referred for evaluation of repeated episodes of self-mutilation and aggressive behavior. Historically, this behavior worsened when the horse was isolated from other animals and confined to a stall for long periods. Observations of the stallion revealed episodes of self-mutilation and other forms of stereotypic behavior precipitated by stressful situations. Modification of this behavior was achieved by environmental and nutritional management and p...
Fintl C, Ihler CF.D(+)-xylose absorption tests are commonly performed when investigating suspected small intestinal malabsorption in the horse. The test involves the administration of a D(+)-xylose solution via a nasogastric tube followed by serial blood sampling to determine its rate of absorption. In some horses, nasogastric intubation cannot be safely performed without prior administration of a sedative. Due to its short duration of action, the α(2) agonist xylazine is commonly used for this purpose. However, α(2) agonists have also been reported to influence the rate of gastric emptying as well as small i...
Stefancíková A, Derdáková M, Stepánová G, Pet'ko B, Szestáková E, Skardová I, Cisláková L.Geographically different strains of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (B. burgdorferi sensu stricto Ir 105, B. burgdorferi s.s. + B. afzelii V 123, B. garinii Ir 112 - isolates from eastern Slovakia, B. garinii K24 - isolate from western Slovakia and B. burgdorferi s.s. B 31 - American strain) were compared as antigens for serological study of Lyme borreliosis by IgG ELISA on a group of horses from eastern Slovakia. In a set of 101 horse serum samples, positivity with the use of Ir 105 strain was 53 (52.4%), with V 123 51 (51.49%), with Ir 112 48 (47.5%), with K 24 47 (46.5%) and with B 31 only ...