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.
Port CD, Ketels KV, Coffin DL, Kane P.Normal lung architecture of the rat, mouse, hamster, horse, and human was compared to that of emphysematous lungs from the same species by utilizing a light microscope and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results obtained by SEM examination of normal and emphysematous lungs corresponded to those obtained with the light microscope. However, the SEM provided a view of alveoli and airway morphology not obtainable with the light microscope. Because of the variability in pore size and number of pores per alveolus, a pore-to-alveolus ratio was determined with the SEM on the normal lungs of ...
Schroeder E, Wollmer A, Kubicki J, Ohlenbusch HD.The effect of proton concentration upon the subunit dissociation of horse methemoglobin has been investigated at two ionic strengths by light scattering photometry at 700 nm. Differential refractometry revealed a slight but systematic decrease of the specific refractive index increment with decreasing protein concentration for solutions in dialytic equilibrium with the solvent. In the pH range 4.8-7.2 the dissociation can be described by a simple equilibrium between tetramers and dimers. The dissociation constant Kd of the met derivative is found to be very similar to those of the O2- and CO-l...
Bowen JM, Gaboury C, Bousquet D.A case of uterine torsion is described and its correction under general anaesthesia by a method described by Schaffer for the cow. The degree of torsion was 180 degrees and in a clockwise direction. After correction the foal was found to be alive and in anterior presentation and ventral position; it was born normally 84 days later.
Atkins DT, Harms PG, Sorensen AM, Fleeger JL.5alpha-pregnane-3,20-dione was isolated from pooled pregnant mare serum using Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography and identified by the use of radioimmunoassay, gas-liquid chromatography and gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses. 5beta-pregnane-3,20-dione was not cross-reactive with the radioimmunoassay system and was not detected by gas-liquid chromatography. Peripheral blood levels of progesterone and 5alphs-pregnane-3,20-dione were determined by radioimmunoassay in four Quarter Horse mares for the first 150 days of gestation. Progesterone and 5alpha-pregnane-3,20-dione decli...
Lyons ET, Drudge JH, Tolliver SC.Eyes from 114 (30.3%) of 376 dead horses, examined from 3 April 1975 to 3 April 1976, were naturally infected with adult Thelazia lacrymalis; 1 horse was also infected with 1 male Thelazia skrijabini. Adult T. lacrymalis from dead horses were successfully transferred mechanically to the eyes of 3 of 4 Shetland ponies raised helminth-free. Larvae from gravid female T. lacrymalis underwent development in experimentally infected, laboratory-raised face flies (Musca autumnalis) and third-stage larvae ranging from 1.82 to 2.94 mm in total length were recovered at 12 to 15 days postexposure. A total...
Verberne LR, Mirck MH.A comparative study of the literature of the past ten years showed that vaccination of horses and ponies against influenza is best done using adjuvant-containing vaccines. Comparable results may probably be obtained by twice inoculating an aquenous vaccine. There are no drawbacks to the use of aluminium-hydroxide as an adjuvant when mineral oil is used as an adjuvant, the first and second vaccinations do not present any problems.
Barrowman PR.To establish the ability of Trypanosoma equiperdum to cross the blood-brain-barrier in the horse, a susceptible stallion was infected via the cerebrospinal fluid of the subarachnoid space by lumbosacral puncture. Cerebrospinal fluid with low detectable levels of trypanosomes removed from a dourine-infected mare by lumbosacral puncture was used for infecting the animal. The parasite was detected in blood smears of the recipient 13 days after infection and the subsequent parasitaemia and clinical course of the disease followed that of naturally infected horses.
Dorn CR, Priester WA.Four hundred sixty-nine oral-pharyngeal malignancies diagnosed in dogs, cats, horses, and cattle and submitted to the Viterinary Medical Data Program between March 1, 1964, and Dec 31, 1974, were analyzed. Of these cases, 84% were in dogs. The most frequent oral-pharyngeal cancer in dogs was melanoma; in cats and horses, it was squamous cell carcinoma. In dogs, the risk of developing melanoma increased more with age than did the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma and fibrosarcoma. Male dogs had significantly greater risk of developing fibrosarcomas and melanomas than did female dogs. T...
Skarda RT, Muir WW, Milne DW, Gabel AA.Five healthy, mature, previously trained Standardbred horses were given no exercise (left in a stall) for 4 months, then jogged (slow exercise) for 3 weeks, and placed in a 6-week training period. Cardiac variables were measured at the beginning of training and after 14, 20, 35, and 42 days of training before and at 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 minutes after a 1.8-km (in 3:12 +/- 2 seconds) standard, submaximal exercise test on a deep 0.53-km track. There was no significant change during the 6-week conditioning period in the following variables at rest or at any of the times observed during recovery...
Mitchell D, de Gannes R, Sugden EA.THE ABILITY OF PROSTAGLANDIN (PG)F2a and its synthetic analogues to induce luteolysis in the mare has been adequately demonstrated (3, 6). This luteolytic effect has been utilized in the treatment of several forms of cyclic dysfunction encountered in horse breeding. It has been shown that a high proportion of Thoroughbred mares with persistent luteal function (prolonged diestrus) treated with PCF2a analogues will come into estrus within four days of treatment and that they will ovulate normally (4, 10). Thus PG treatment of mares which exhibit aberrant estrous cycles during the breeding season...
Murray MD, Snowdon WA.The distributions of the following feral animals are given -- cattle, buffalo, pig, goat, deer, camel, horse, donkey, fox, dog and cat -- and the native dingo. The possible role these and the native rodents, marsupials and monotremes would play should an exotic disease of livestock enter Australia is discussed. It is considered that feral animals would be important in creating foci from which the disease would spread.
The Journal of hygieneDecember 1, 1976
Volume 77, Issue 3 401-408 doi: 10.1017/s0022172400055789
Platt H, Atherton JG, Orskov I.An account is given of K. pneumoniae capsule types occurring in horses, with particular reference to strains originating from the genital tract in the mare and the external genitalia of the stallion. A survey of the prevalence of K. pneumoniae and E. aerogenes strains in the preputial flora of healthy stallions is described. The majority of horses were found to be carriers of these organisms. The cultural characteristics of these preputial strains are described and compared with those of K. pneumoniae strains associated with epidemic metritis in mares. The epidemiological significance of certa...
Stewart F, Allen WR, Moor RM.Specific radioreceptor assays for FSH and LH, which employ tissue receptors from rat testis and highly purified human FSH (LER 1575-C) and LH (Hartree IRC-2, 24/6/69) as standards, have been developed to determine the FSH-like and LH-like activities in pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG). Measurements of FSH and LH concentrations in the serum of six pregnant Pony mares showed that the ratio of these two activities did not vary significantly between mares and remained constant between days 40 and 80 of gestation with a value of 1-45 +/- 0-04 (S.E.M.). The FSH:LH ratio of PMSG produced by cu...
Dyke TM, Sams RA, Hinchcliff KW.To measure renal clearance of antipyrine and urinary excretion of antipyrine (AP) metabolites in horses by use of validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods. Methods: 8 Standardbred mares. Methods: HPLC methods for measurement of AP in equine plasma and AP and its metabolites in equine urine were validated. Antipyrine (20 mg/kg of body weight) was administered i.v., and blood samples and urine specimens were collected over 24 hours. Results: Median plasma clearance of AP in horses was 6.2 ml/min/kg, of which < 2% could be attributed to renal clearance. Urinary excretion...
Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Cornelissen BP, Laan TT, Enzerink E, Ensink JM.Rectal tears occur incidentally and often have a poor prognosis. Early recognition of the problem and adequate therapy determine the outcome. The history, clinical examination, therapy, and outcome of two horses with grade IIIb and grade IV rectal tears are discussed.
Llewellyn HR.A tentative diagnosis of a fistula between the tendon sheaths of the right extensor carpi radialis and the intercarpal joint was confirmed by positive contrast radiography following injection of sodium diatrizoate into the joint. Surgical removal of a tag of synovial membrane and repair of the fistula was carried out. Post surgical treatment included mild exercise to prevent adhesions within the sheath. A month following discharge, contrast radiography revealed no communication between joint and tendon sheath. At this time mild distension of the sheath was relieved by aspiration and it did not...
Tutunaru A, Dupont J, Gougnard A, Ida K, Serteyn D, Sandersen C.To the authors' knowledge, there are no reports describing the use of cis-atracurium in the horse. To describe the onset time and the duration of the neuromuscular blockade (NMB) of three different doses of cis-atracurium in horses and to determine the appropriate dose needed maintain a NMB. Retrospective study. Horses which received cis-atracurium as part of a balanced anaesthetic protocol at the Equine Teaching Hospital of the University of Liège between March 2014 and June 2017 were included in this study. A train-of-four (TOF) stimulation pattern was used to assess the NMB. The cis-atracu...
Hildebrand S.In summary, neuromuscular blocking agents can be used safely and to advantage in equine anesthesia. Muscle-relaxant use in equine anesthesia has been helped by the development of new relaxants such as atracurium, which has a reliable and reproducible duration of action. There are certain cases that benefit particularly by the use of relaxants but their use is not limited to these cases. These cases involve horses that experience persistent movement and hypotension during anesthesia, are undergoing ophthalmic or abdominal surgery or fracture repair, or are severely ill. Horses receiving muscle ...
Guimarães AM, Bruhn FRP, Ribeiro MJM, Rosa MHF, de Mello Garcia A, da Rocha CMBM, de Assis Rocha I.Theileria equi, a protozoon in the phylum Apicomplexa, is the causative agent of equine theileriosis. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of IgG antibodies against T. equi, by using the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) reaction and correlating the serostatus with some epidemiological variables relating to the way in which Mangalarga Marchador horses are raised in southern Minas Gerais, Brazil. In this study, 506 horses were used, all clinically healthy, on 53 horse farms distributed across 27 municipalities in southern Minas Gerais. The statistical te...
Logan NL, McCue PM, Alonso MA, Squires EL.Superovulation could potentially increase embryo recovery for immediate transfer or cryopreservation. The objectives were to evaluate the effect of pretreatment with progesterone and estradiol (P+E) on follicular response to eFSH and compare doses of eFSH and ovulatory agents on follicular development and ovulation in mares. In Experiment 1, 40 mares were assigned to one of four treatment groups. Group 1 consisted of untreated controls. Group 2 mares were administered eFSH without pretreatment with P+E. Group 3 mares were administered P+E for 10 days starting in mid-diestrus followed by eFSH t...
Byars TD, Dainis CM, Seltzer KL, Rantanen NW.The formation of cranial thoracic masses (CTM) as a sequel to infectious pleuropneumonia is described. Using ultrasound, masses were diagnosed subjectively as abscesses or loculations. Eight of 99 cases with pleuropneumonia had CTM. Clinical signs associated with the presence of a CTM included increased heart rate, jugular distention, forelimb 'pointing' and caudal displacement of the heart. Techniques used for diagnostic ultrasonographic examination of the cranial thorax are described. Five of the eight horses with CTM responded to conservative medical management; the other three required per...
Chase JP, Beard WL, Bertone AL, Goltz K.Peritonitis was induced in 12 horses by median celiotomy and 1 hour of small intestinal ischemia. Six horses had primary closure of the incision, whereas six horses had a plastic mesh sutured to the ventral abdominal wall leaving the abdomen open for ventral drainage. The mesh was removed after 5 days and the abdominal wall was closed by apposition of the linea alba and subcutaneous tissues and approximation ef the skin edges. Peritoneal fluid was collected and analyzed for nucleated cell count and total protein concentration on days 0 and 5. Serum biochemical profiles, serum electrolyte conce...
Andersen C, Tnibar A.Medial patellar ligament splitting (MPLS) has been shown to be a highly effective and minimally invasive treatment for upward fixation of the patella (UFP) in horses. However, long-term follow-up results of this procedure have not previously been reported. Objective: To evaluate the long-term resolution of UFP following MPLS and provide information on complications and recurrence. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Data were collected from horses that underwent MPLS between 1999 and 2013. All cases had a confirmed diagnosis of UFP that had not responded to conservative therapy. Data ...
Brünisholz HP, Schwarzwald CC, Bettschart-Wolfensberger R, Ringer SK.The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of pentastarch on colloid osmotic pressure (COP) and cardiopulmonary function during and up to 24 h after anaesthesia in horses. Twenty-five systemically healthy horses were anaesthetised using isoflurane-medetomidine balanced anaesthesia. Twelve were assigned to treatment with hydroxyethyl starch (HES) (H group) and 13 to no HES (NH group). In the H group, 6 mL/kg of pentastarch 10% HES (200/0.5) was infused over 1 h starting 30 min after induction of anaesthesia. Horses of the NH group received an equal amount of lactated Ringer's so...
Ma X, Wang C, Zhang B, Xia L, Su Y.Strangles is a highly prevalent, extremely contagious, and occasionally lethal infectious disease affecting horses worldwide. Prophylactic antibiotics are ineffective in prevention of disease but are recommended for exposed horses at the first sign of fever and any horse obviously ill from strangles or with complications and there is an urgent need of a cost-effective, safe, efficacious vaccine. In the present study, we sought to develop effective vaccines by fusing the Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S. equi) antigen SeM with the flagellin of Salmonella abortus equi FljB. We also explored...
Martínez-Boví R, Plaza-Dávila M, Cuervo-Arango J.The use of flunixin-meglumine (a potent non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) during the critical period of intrafollicular prostaglandin production before ovulation (24 and 36 h after hCG treatment) results in a high rate of ovulatory failure and formation of haemorrhagic anovulatory follicles (HAF) in the mare. Dexamethasone is commonly used to prevent persistent mating-induced endometritis in susceptible mares, but the effect on ovulation blockage within the pre-ovulatory critical window of intrafollicular prostaglandins production following hCG administration has not been determined. Six ...
