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.
Allen WE, Newcombe JR.The condition of anoestrus in the mare is described and the various causes of this syndrome are discussed. A regimen for examining systematically the clinically anoestrus mare is proposed, and methods of treatment are suggested.
Pipers FS, Hamlin RL.Echocardiograms were obtained from 25 standing, clinically normal horses, using an ultrasonic recording device. The echobeam penetrated the right thoracic wall in the area of the 4th to 5th intercostal space, with a frequency of 2.5 mHz. Measurements of left ventricular wall thickness generated a mean value of 3.2 +/- 0.18 (SEM)cm, whereas the left ventricular chamber diameter in diastole was 9.3 +/- 0.30 cm and in systole was 5.7 +/- 0.23 cm. The aortic root dimensions had a mean of 7.7 cm, with a SEM of 0.16. Mitral valve closing slope (E-F) was calculated to be 17.7 +/- 0.87 mm/second, and ...
Webbon PM.The results of a survey are presented in which 589 limbs from 206 horses were dissected. In174 of the limbs lesions were found in either the superficial (131) or deep (43) digital flexor tendons. Changes occurring with age were also recorded. The sites of the abnormalities and their macroscopical appearance are described and the value of the results is considered in relation to the diagnosis and the treatment of clinical lesions.
Archer BG, Crawford TB, McGuire TC, Frazier ME.Equine infectious anemia (EIAV) is shown to have an associated RNA-instructed DNA polymerase similar in its cofactor requirements and reaction conditions to the RNA tumor virus DNA polymerases. Demonstrating this DNA polymerase activity requires a critical concentration of a nonionic detergent, all four deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates, and a divalent metal ion. The reaction is sensitive to RNase, and a substantial fraction of the FNA synthesized is complementary to viral RNA. The detection of a complex of tritium-labeled polymerase product DNA-template RNA, which sedimented at 60S to 70S, pr...
Thompson DL, Pickett BW, Berndtson WE, Voss JL, Mett TM.Stallions were subjected to a gradually increasing photoperiod beginning on October 15, 1973. The maximum artificial daylength (16 hr) was imposed on February 8, 1974, and maintained until October 6, 1974. Two ejaculates were collected from each of five treated and four control stallions weekly, with an interval of 24 hr between die paired ejaculates on the first and alternate weeks, and an interval of 1 hr on the second and alternate weeks. During summer, stallions subjected to the artificial photoperiod produced less (P<.05) gel-free semen and gel per ejaculate and had more (P<.05) spermatoz...
Ferguson JA, Reeves WC, Hardy JL.Serologic studies in 24 ponies indicated that prevaccination antibodies to Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (VEE) virus (strain TC-83) had no influence on hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) antibody stimulation by western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE) or eastern equine encephalomyelits (EEE)-WEE vaccines. However, studies of the effects of VEE neutralizing antibodies on neutralizing antibody stimulation by the heterologous alphavirus vaccines were inconclusive. The VEE, WEE, and EEE antibody responses were studied in 18 VEE-vaccinated (strain TC-83) animals (13 ponies and 5 horses) at 9 to 1...
Rico AG, Braun JP, Benard P, El Hassan AA, Cazieux A.In the horse, gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) was found to be mainly located in the kidneys, liver and pancreas. As renal lesions are followed by a urinary escape of enzyme, it can be assumed that if there are raised serum enzyme levels then the source will be chiefly from the liver and pancreas. In the blood, GGT can be measured either in plasma or serum. Its mean level in 58 horses was 12 U/L. This level was not affected by moderate dilution or slight haemolysis and its activity was only slightly decreased by storage at--30 degrees C. The relative hepatic specificity of this enzyme and its ...
Gay CC, McCarthy M, Reynolds WT, Carter J.A method using the Doppler ultrasound principle for indirect determination of arterial blood pressure in the horse is described. The method is simple and suitable for field situations. Validation studies show that systolic and diastolic blood pressure measurements bear a close relationship to true values obtained by direct measurement.
Slocombe JO, Rendano VT, Owen RR, Pennock PW, McCraw BM.Radiographs of the aorta and abdominal arteries were obtained from a normal anesthetized pony following catheterization of a femoral artery for nonselective, semiselective or selective arteriography. The arteries had smooth borders and regular diameters and the branches of the cranial mesenteric artery could be followed distally on the angiogram through to the smaller branches proximal to the bowel wall. Following arteriography, the pony walked normally and there were minimal alterations of the levels of serum muscle enzymes and blood lactate. The procedures for arteriography were repeated in ...
Hadlow WJ, Ward JK, Krinsky WL.Acute neurologic disease associated with intracranial migration of a first instar larva of a warble fly, Hypoderma bovis (Linnaeus), was observed in a 14-year-old Quarter Horse gelding in western Montana. The disease was characterized by incoordination of gait, circling to the left, head tilt to the right, partial paralysis of the right side of the face, and impaired vision in the right eye. Two and one-half hours after it was first noticed sick, the horse collapsed and was euthanized. Massive hemorrhage unaccompanied by necrosis or significant cellular response was present in the right side o...
Tobin T, Tai CY, O'Leary J, Sturma L, Arnett S.It has recently been suggested that procaine penicillin existed in solution in vitro and in vivo as a "procaine - penicillin" complex rather than as dissociated ions. In vivo, this complexed procaine was considered unavailable for hydrolysis by plasma esterases or for interaction with pharmacologic receptors for procaine. When procaine penicillin was intramuscularly given to horses, about 90% of the procaine in blood drawn from these horses was split at the same rate as authentic procaine or procaine penicillin added to equine blood in vitro. In vitro, procaine and procaine penicillin partitio...
Allen WE.Seven Welsh pony mares (9 pregnancies) received either 50 mg, 100 mg or 150 mg progesterone on alternate days, starting on day 21 of gestation. All but 2 pregnancies failed following prostaglandin administration on day 27. Although both mares were receiving the 150 mg progesterone dose rate, this treatment was not consistently successful in preventing pregnancy failure after prostaglandin administration.
Mason DK, Kwok HW.Haematological and biochemical values were determined in 2 groups of flat-race horses, which were trained on the same track in Hong Kong. The first group comprised 217 horses (435 blood samples) from various training strings. The second group, 66 horses (309 blood samples) were from one string kept under similar managemental conditions, but given salts by stomach tube 8 hours before blood sampling. Both groups were sub-divided to show the efs, thus confirming work by other authors. The lower haematological values in the group of horses given salts were discussed and the effect of water retenti...
Castles JJ, Gershwin ME, Saito W, Ardans A, Osburn B.Previous studies of human congenital immunodeficiency states and in vitro observations of lymphocyte response to mitogens have implicated two purine salvage pathway enzymes, andenosine deaminase (ADA) and nucleoside phosphorylase (NP), as critical in the normal maturation and/or function of the immune system. Based on this information, ADA and NP activities were examined in a variety of congenital and acquired animal models of dysimmunity. The animals studied herein included: congenitally athymic (nude) mice; congenitally asplenic mice; congenitally athymic-asplenic mice; motheaten mice; New Z...
Allison CJ.A chronic wasting disease in a 16 month old Welsh pony filly is described. The animal died 26 days after the onset of illness which commenced with a sub-acute colic and was characterised by progressive loss of appetite and weight. Post-mortem examination revealed a total invagination of the caecum into the colon and it seemed logical to assume this invagination occurred at the start of the illness. A review of the literature showed that total caecal invagination produces 2 distinct clincal syndromes. It can occur either as an acute illness characterised by severe colic and death after about 10...
Liberg P, Magnusson LE, Schougaard H.Synovial fluid and blood were collected from 18 clinically healthy brood mares in resting conidition. The following parameters were analysed: total leucocytes, glucose, alkaline phosphatase (AP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total protein, albumin, total globulin, albumin/globulin ratio and electrophoretic protein picture. The serum/synovia ratios were calculated for all parameters. It was considered to be of greater diagnostic value to compare these serum/synovia ratios rather than to look at the individual concentrations in synovia. The results obtained did not materially differ from those i...
Moss MS.A review is presented of published and some unpublished work dealing with aspects of drug clearance from horses. This work includes plasma half-lives and urinary clearance times for specified drugs, as well as a consideration of more general factors likely to influence these values. The review is presented primarily as a guide to the veterinary surgeon in practice, to assist in the drug therapy of horses without contravening the Rules of Racing relating to doping.
Bonaduce A, Compagnucci M, Bonaduce D, Arpenti C, Martone F.The virological and serological studies previously carried out on arboviruses in Italy are reviewed. The presence of antibodies to 11 arboviruses was investigated in the serum of various domestic animals (100 horses, 107 pigs, 102 sheep, 205 goats, 100 cattle and 200 dogs) from some areas of Puglia. The techniques are described. The results, given in tables and discussed in detail, support the hypothesis that in this region also there are arboviruses circulating, particularly those of group B.
Mullaney TP, Brown CM, Watson GL, Brandt LA.An apparently new and emerging fatal hepatic disease affecting foals is described. Characteristics included evidence of hepatic failure, marked biliary hyperplasia, hepatocellular necrosis and occasionally fibrosis. Generally, the features of the disease appear to differ markedly from other hepatic diseases of neonatal foals.
Yu MH, Kasem S, Yoshizaki N, Pagamjav O, Yamaguchi T, Ohya K, Fukushi H.EUL47 is a major component of the tegument of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1). To determine its function, we used Red/ET cloning to delete its gene (gene 13) from EHV-1 strain Ab4p inserted into a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC), yielding Ab4pattBΔ13. We also examined the reverted virus (Ab4pattB13R). Ab4pattBΔ13 replicated in rabbit kidney (RK)-13 cells, indicating that ORF13 is dispensable for virus replication in cell culture. Its intracellular and extracellular titers were about 10- and 100-fold lower than those of the revertant and parent strains, respectively. In addition, the plaqu...
Abraham G, Broddet OE, Ungemach FR.In this study, beta-adrenoceptors of intact equine lymphocytes were identified and subclassified by (-)-[125I]-iodocyanopindolol (ICYP) binding. ICYP binding to intact equine lymphocytes was rapid, saturable (maximal number of binding sites 320 +/- 20 ICYP binding sites/cell, n = 12) and of high affinity (KD value for ICYP 14.4 +/- 1.7 pmol/l, n = 12). Binding was stereospecific as shown by the 10 times greater potency of (-)-propranolol to inhibit binding than its (+)-isomer. Beta-adrenoceptor agonists inhibited ICYP binding with an order of potency: (-)-isoprenaline >(-)-adrenaline >(-...
Guan F, Uboh CE, Soma LR, You Y, Liu Y, Li X.Androgenic and anabolic steroids (AASs) are a class of chemical substances closely related to testosterone in molecular structure. They can be abused to enhance performances in human and equine athletes, and are banned by the sports authorities. To assist with method development for doping analyses of AASs, investigations were conducted to correlate their product ion profiles with the molecular structures. Although very similar in chemical structure, AASs generated noticeably different product ion profiles from collision-induced dissociation (CID). On the basis of both outlines of the product ...
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Dusemund B, Fašmon Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B....Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of vitamin K1 (phytomenadione) produced by chemical synthesis when used as a nutritional additive in complementary feed of horses at a maximum supplemental level of 14 mg vitamin K1/horse per day. The use of vitamin K1 is safe when used as a feed additive for horses under the proposed conditions of use. The use of vitamin K1 in nutrition of horses under the proposed co...
Anna C, Martyna P, Marcin S, Dawid W.Free-ranging grazers are increasingly being introduced to areas of high natural value, such as wetlands. There is also growing attention that has been paid to the historical role of herbivores in shaping ecosystems and landscapes. Even though studies on the grazing of free-range horses were carried out in different regions and climates, still little is known about their habitat selection on heterogeneous marshy areas in the temperate region of Europe. The aim of this study was to investigate the habitat use by contemporary Konik horses during the growing season on the basis of three-year GPS d...
Van Leeuwen W.Two trotter stud farms were visited on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during 1972 and 1973. A total of 356 mares were bored on these farms during these breeding seasons. There were 194 nursing, 113 barren, and 49 maiden mares. Of the 356 mares, 78 (21.9%) had functional disorders of the ovaries at one time or another. The functional disorders consisted of: 27 anoestrous mares after early embryonic death, 20 with low ovarian activity, 19 with multifollicular ovaries, and 12 mares with persistent corpora lutea. The following therapies were used: (a) 1000 I.U. PMSG i.v. + 10 mg stilboestrol i.m...
Baragli P, Tedeschi D, Gatta D, Martelli F, Sighieri C.The aim of the present study was to test a constant blood withdrawal method (CBWM) to collect blood samples from horses during treadmill exercise. CBWM was performed in 4 Standardbreds and 5 Haflinger horses. A peristaltic pump was used to control blood aspiration from an i.v. catheter via an extension line. Blood was collected using an automatic fractions collector, with a constant delay time between the drawing of blood and sample collection. Blood withdrawal using CBWM was made during a treadmill standardised exercise test (SET). A blood flow of 12 m/min was used and samples collected every...
Schönert S, Reher M, Gruber AD, Carstanjen B.This case report describes the use of a subcutaneously applied 4.7-mg deslorelin acetate implant in a three-year-old Arabian crossbred stallion showing unwanted strong male behaviour. Following deslorelin acetate implantation the stallion showed a short transitional increase in male behaviour. A 'gelding-like' behaviour was noted 15 days (D15) after treatment. The horse was surgically castrated at the owners request at D52 after treatment. Serum testosterone, oestradiol-17β and oestrone sulphate values decreased after deslorelin acetate implantation, but serum LH and FSH levels remained uncha...
Seither RL, Brown OR, Babu BV.Rat, cow and foal lung extracts contained an inhibitor for the liver NAD biosynthetic-pathway enzyme, nicotinatemononucleotide pyrophosphorylase (carboxylating) [EC 2.4.2.19]. The inhibitor was not dialyzable, was labile at 100 degrees C, was retained by a 30,000 dalton pore size Amicon membrane and, when partially purified by precipitation at 40-100% ammonium sulfate, inhibited the enzyme stoichiometrically. Lung reportedly does not contain nicotinate-mononucleotide pyrophosphorylase or make NAD de novo. However, the inhibitor would mask detection of the enzyme in lung extracts. We detected a...