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.
Greatorex JC.The clinical manifestations, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of "verminous aneurysm" formation at the root of the cranial mesenteric artery and coeliac artery resulting from Strongylus vulgaris larvae migration are described. Forty-nine of 57 cases were successfully treated with low molecular weight dextran (dextran 70).
Knight HD, Costner GC.During the summer and fall of 1973, a few horses, goats, and cattle in the Napa Valley of California became intoxicated by bromide via the ingestion of volunteer oat hay that had been cut from a field treated with methyl bromide, a soil fumigant. The bromide content of the hay ranged from 6,00 to 8,400 ppm. Signs of intoxication were lethargy, weakness, and ataxia. Animals experimentally fed the contaminated hay developed signs of intoxication between the 7th and 9th days.
Dyson DA, Smith GR.When incorporated in solid medium at a concentration of 15 per cent, the defibrinated blood of certain horses strongly suppressed the growth of some, but not all, strains of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp mycoides so that many colonies failed to develop to a visible size. Blood from a single rabbit was tested and found to exert a similar effect. There was striking variation in the degree of inhibition produced by different samples of horse blood and, of five strains of the organism examined, the T1 vaccine strain was the most susceptible. The results suggested that the effect was not due to antibod...
Snow DH.Using adrenergic agonists and antagonists this study has demonstrated that adrenaline induced sweating is mediated via beta2-adrenoreceptors in the horse.
Farrell RK, Hilbert BJ.Methods of equine identification including signalment, blood typing tattooing and freeze marking are discussed. A new system of individually identifying horses with an unalterable freeze mark is proposed. Unalterable numerical and alphabetical symbols have been developed to apply a registration number to the animal.
Rumbaugh GE.Physical, neurologic, and clinicopathologic findings in a 3-year-old female Morgan horse with anorexia and nasal discharge suggested suppurative meningitis. Necropsy findings substantiated the tentative diagnosis. Actinomyces sp was cultured from a meningeal abscess surrounding the pituitary gland and from resolving lung abscesses.
Buening GM, Perryman LE, McGuire TC.Serum concentrations of immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) can be determined in the horse with a satisfactory degree of accuracy, using commercially available reagents. Selected lots of anti-human IgM can be used in precipitation tests to detect and quantitate equine IgM. Commercially available anti-equine IgG tended to overestimate the amount of IgG in single radial immunodiffusion tests. Even with these limitations, commercial reagents can be used to differentiate immunodeficiency disorders of foals, including combined immunodeficiency and failure of passive transfer of colost...
O'Sullivan BM, Goodwin JA.On 6 properties in south-western Queensland an outbreak of nervous disease occurred horses due to ingestion of Swainsonia (Darling pea). Loss of condition, depression, hyperaesthesia and hyperexcitability were seen in affected horses. At autopsy of 2 horses generalised c ytoplasmic vacuolation was seen in the neurones of the central nervous system and in the liver, adrenal and thyroid. The clinical and pathological features were similar to those described in horses suffering from Swainsona poisoning in Australia and Astragalus and Oxytropis in North America.
Mirck MH.Patent S. westeri infection is particularly common in unweaned foals (61.2 per cent). It is much less common in foals which have been weaned (15.4 per cent). Examination of the faeces of ten artificially reared foals (free from worms) did not supply any evidence of possible prenatal (intra-uterine) helminth infection. In one Shetland pony mare, larvae of S. westeri were found to be present in the milk on the tenth, twenty-fourth and thirty-second day after parturition. Larvae were not detected in the milk of the other mares but all foals showed patent S. westeri infection within from thirteen ...
Dixon PM, Brown R.Equine blood containing different levels of methaemoglobin was stored under varying conditions and the methaemoglobin content was monitored during the storage period. Only under aerobic storage at 4 degrees C did the methaemoglobin content of all samples appear to remain stable.
Hillidge CJ, Lees P.The effects of thiopentone-halothane and thiopentone-ether anaesthesia on left ventricular isotonic function were assessed in Welsh Mountain ponies from measurements of left ventricular stroke work, minute work, stroke power, mean ejection rate and tension-time index.
All of these variables were affected similarly during anaesthesia, an initial marked reduction being followed by a progressive return towards control levels in the later stages of anaesthesia. Quantitative differences between the effects of each agent were evident, the depression which occurred during halothane anaesthesia bei...
Leegaard J, Roth A.Case history, skin tests and RAST were compared in a group (n = 40) of children with a history suggesting allergy to horses and in a group (n = 43) in whom there was no suspicion of hypersensitivity to horses. There was an agreement of 91% between case history and prick test. The same magnitude of agreement was found between case history and RAST (89%), and the agreement between RAST and prick test was 90%. The results of this investigation are clearly in contrast to earlier earlier reports, in that there was a very good correlation between prick test, RAST and case history. The results sugges...
Parkes RD, Blackmore DJ.Equine placental extracts show phosphatase activity with a pH optimum between 4.5 and 6. The enzyme shows heat stability to 45 degrees C and electrophoresis on cellulose acetate demonstrates the presence of two bands of activity. Histochemistry confirms the presence of phosphatase activity in the placental villi. Assay of plasma samples from pregnant mares showed no increase in phosphatase activity through pregnancy under conditions of test.
Tetzke TA, Ismail S, Mikuckis G, Evans JW.From a group of 11 cyclic mares, blood samples were collected at 3-min intervals for 2 h and at 15-min intervals for an additional 6 h during four stages of the oestrous cycle. Mean plasma oxytocin concentrations (pg/ml, LSM +/- se) were greater on Day 15 after ovulation (169.9 +/- 17.6) than on Day 0 (82.6 +/- 17.6; P less than 0.01), Day 3 (97.2 +/- 20.4, P less than 0.01) and Day 7 after ovulation (104.0 +/- 25.0, P less than 0.05). Oxytocin was secreted in a pulsatile manner throughout the oestrous cycle, with short (0-29 min), medium (30-89 min) and long (greater than 90 min) duration rhy...
McDonnell SM.Despite the suboptimal aspects of domestic breeding conditions compared with the natural conditions under which their reproductive behavior evolved, most domestic stallions can adapt to management and breeding programs. Most respond adequately or quickly learn to safely abide the restraint and direction of a human handler, and can adapt to changes in methods of breeding for semen collection. If not, the problems can range from inadequate or variable sexual interest and response to overenthusiastic or aggressive response beyond the ability of the handlers to safely direct and control. This arti...
Norton JL, Nolen-Walston RD, Underwood C, Boston R, Slack J, Dallap BL.Central venous pressure (CVP) is a used as an estimation of intravascular volume status in various species. Techniques for measuring CVP in horses have been described, but the repeatability of these readings at a single time point or over time has not been established. Objective: That CVP measurements in healthy adult horses would be repeatable at each time point, that these readings would be reproducible over time, and that alteration in head position relative to the heart would alter CVP. Methods: Ten healthy adult research horses. Methods: In an experimental study, horses were instrumented ...
Johnson PJ, Allhands RV, Baker GJ, Boero MJ, Foreman JH, Hyyppa T, Huhn JC.Incomplete linear tibial fractures were identified in two horses with the aid of scintigraphy. Both horses were treated successfully by strict stall confinement, and both returned to normal athletic activity. Scintigraphy can be used to facilitate the generally difficult diagnosis of incomplete tibial fractures.
Brinsko SP, Ball BA.The equine oviduct is the site of fertilisation and location of embryonic development during the first 5 or 6 days. It therefore has an important influence on mare fertility. Although histopathological changes have been described previously, there is limited information regarding lymphocyte subtypes present in the mucosa of the normal equine oviduct. Objective: To characterise the distribution of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and B lymphocytes in the equine oviduct from inseminated mares during oestrus and dioestrus, and from noninseminated mares during the immediate post ovulatory period. Methods: Oviduct...
Staufenbiel L, Müller AE, Gehlen H.Objective measurements of the mineral supply in horses are rarely performed. As a result, incorrect elements or an improper amount of elements are provided. The analysis of feces could represent a novel method to evaluate the nutritive supply. The prerequisite is a knowledge of methodological factors influencing the mineral concentration in the fecal samples. Within the scope of this investigation, the effects of different kinds of mineral supply and the influence of the sampling location on the concentration of minerals in equine feces samples were analyzed. Additionally, the methodical error...
Hubbell JA, Hinchcliff KW, Muir WW, Robertson JT, Sams RA, Schmall LM.To determine the effects of walking, standing, or standing with a splint on 1 forelimb on rate of recuperation of horses after a brief, intense bout of exercise. Methods: 6 adult Thoroughbreds (435 to 542 kg). Methods: Horses were preconditioned by exercise on a treadmill to establish a uniform level of fitness. Once fit, the treadmill speed causing each horse to exercise at 120% of its maximal oxygen consumption was determined and was used in simulated races at 14-day intervals. Horses were instrumented for collection of arterial and mixed venous blood samples for measurement of acid-base sta...
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B, Pechová A, Petkova M....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 (Rupr. & Maxim.) Maxim. (taiga root tincture) when used as a sensory additive in feed for dogs, cats and horses. The Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) concluded that the additive is safe for dogs, cats and horses at the maximum proposed use level of 460.7, 489.5 and 140.7 mg/kg complete feed, respectively. The additive was considered safe for consumers when used at the proposed conditions of us...
Randleff-Rasmussen PK, Mosca M, Knoerr F, Pin D, Desjardins I.Mycetoma is a chronic, proliferative lesion of cutaneous/subcutaneous tissue characterized by draining tracts and granules in the discharge caused by actinomycetes (actinomycetoma) or filamentous fungi (eumycotic mycetoma). Objective: This case report describes the unusual finding of a cutaneous mycetoma of the lateral wing of the right nostril in a gelding. Methods: A 16-year-old Fjord gelding with suspected pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) was presented for evaluation of a nonpainful, firm and raised mass involving the lateral wing of the right nostril and the lip. Results: Cytol...
Jahnke HD.Driving a harnessed horse team requires conformity of horses, driver and vehicle, if one of the three components is in disorder, animal welfare as well as the safety of man and animals are at the - stake. This paper deals with a first testing of a graduated draft power device in order to obtain detached performance readings of the horses.
Kraft W.Clinical symptoms of hepatopathies are not specific and must be verified by further investigation. Laboratory diagnosis is a very useful method to decide if liver disease is present or not. In individual cases laboratory methods can give hints as to the aetiology of the illness. If necessary, biopsy, angiography or/and cholecystography can be carried out for further clarification of the diagnosis.
