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.
ROBERTS SR.The research article explores the origin or causation (etiology) of an ancient horse disease known as equine periodic ophthalmia, where clinical and pathological investigations have yet to yield conclusive results. […]
BOYD WL, BOYD JW.Boyd, William L. (Ohio State University, Columbus) and Josephine W. Boyd. Viability of coliform bacteria in antarctic soil. J. Bacteriol. 85:1121-1123. 1963.-The distribution of coliform bacteria in soils of Ross Island and the nearby mainland was studied. None was found in almost all of the samples collected, including some from the Adelie penguin rookeries at Cape Royds and Cape Crozier and in soil at the McMurdo Base which had been recently contaminated by human sewage. Samples of pony manure left from previous expeditions were also negative, with one exception where Escherichia coli were p...
DARLINGTON RW, RANDALL CC.Equine abortion virus was purified from the plasma of infected golden Syrian hamsters by differential centrifugation and nuclease treatment. The preparations were essentially free of nonviral elements on electron microscopic examination, and sedimentation in sucrose and potassium tartrate density gradients resulted in a single visible band. Electron microscopy of this band showed it to be composed of viral particles, and injection into hamsters resulted in infection and death of the animals. The viral particles had a sedimentation coefficient of approximately 2200 S and a hydrated density of 1...
Hall LQ, Senior JE, Walker RG. A technique involving thoracotomy for the implantation of polythene catheters through the left atrium into the pulmonary veins has been used in 2 ponies. In both animals the catheters enabled blood samples to be obtained from the pulmonary veins for more than 5 weeks. Post mortem examination after termination of the experiment showed the procedure and catheters produced the minimum of adverse effects.
Brownlow MA.Cells in the peritoneal fluid from 179 horses were examined in Giemsa stained preparations using light microscopy. Mononuclear phagocytes were a common cell type observed in normal fluids. In the absence of stimulation they were morphologically similar to the peripheral blood monocyte and the unstimulated mesothelial cell. In acute inflammatory effusions their proportion decreased significantly but, as the condition resolved, monocytes began to migrate into the cavity gradually becoming more numerous, transforming into larger macrophages and assuming an increasing phagocytic role. They were of...
Spengler MI, Rasia M.The aggregation capacity of human erythrocytes lies between that of the non-aggregating bovine erythrocytes and the remarkably aggregating equine ones. As the ability to aggregate is attributed to cell factors and the composition of the plasma proteins, the role that plasma proteins play in the aggregation process in these three species was studied. Washed erythrocytes were suspended in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; pH 7.4, 300 mOsm/L) plus polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in a suitable concentration to obtain an average intensity of aggregation (control media). The superimposed effect of replacin...
Choi TLS, Wong JKY, Kwok WH, Curl P, Mechie S, Wan TSM.Methylstenbolone (2,17α-dimethyl-5α-androst-1-en-17β-ol-3-one) is a synthetic anabolic and androgenic steroid (AAS) sold as an oral 'nutritional supplement' under the brand names 'Ultradrol', 'M-Sten' and 'Methyl-Sten'. Like other AASs, methylstenbolone is a prohibited substance in both human and equine sports. This paper describes the studies of the in vitro and in vivo metabolism of methylstenbolone in horses using LC/HRMS, GC/MS and GC/MS/MS. Phase I in vitro metabolic study of methylstenbolone was performed using homogenised horse liver. Hydroxylation was the only biotransformation obse...
Bachmann M, Glatter M, Bochnia M, Wensch-Dorendorf M, Greef JM, Breves G, Zeyner A.Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin may modulate hindgut fermentation. It was tested if digesta batch cultures taken from horses adapted to FOS and inulin show different fermentation compared with such taken from nonsupplemented horses. Six horses received 0.15 g FOS and inulin/kg body weight/d via Jerusalem artichoke meal (JAM) upon a hay-based diet; six horses received corncob meal without grains (CMG) as placebo. The horses were euthanized after 20 days. Digesta samples were taken from stomach, cecum, ventral colon ascendens (VCA), and colon transversum (CT). Digesta batch cultures we...
Buchanan AM, Davis DC, Pedersen NC, Beaman BL.L-phase (CWD) broth and plate media were used in parallel with conventional microbiological media during a 3-year period for culturing synovial and pleural fluids of animals. Two kinds of recoveries were obtained where parallel conventional methods were negative: (1) parent or normal bacteria, in very low numbers; and (2) Type B CWD variants in equally low numbers. Organisms in group 1 were: Streptococcus zooepidemicus from horses (2x); beta-hemolytic streptococci, Lancefield Gp. G (2x); Staphylococcus aureus; Actinobacillus, and Actinomyces viscosus. Group 2 consisted of Bacteroides sp., Prop...
Cerqueira VD, Riet-Correa G, Barbosa JD, Duarte MD, Oliveira CM, de Oliveira CA, Tokarnia C, Lee ST, Riet-Correa F.In the Amazon region of northern Brazil, Panicum maximum cultivars Mombaça, Tanzânia, and Massai cause severe colic and death in horses and mules. The disease occurs in the rainy season, when sprouting pastures are grazed by equidae. In the 8 separate disease outbreaks studied, a total of 52 out of 153 equidae were affected, including 19 that died (10 mules and 9 horses). Clinical signs were colic and abdominal dilatation, with a clinical manifestation period of 12 hr to 4 days. Serum activities of gamma-glutamyl transferase and aspartate aminotransferase were within reference intervals; how...
Wilcox A, Barnum S, Wademan C, Corbin R, Escobar E, Hodzic E, Schumacher S, Pusterla N.Actively shedding healthy horses have been indicated as a possible source of respiratory pathogen outbreak, transmission, and spread. Using nasal swabs from clinically healthy sport horses submitted for qPCR testing after an outbreak of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) myeloencephalopathy (EHM) in the spring of 2022, this study aimed to identify the rate of clinically healthy horses shedding common and less characterized respiratory pathogens within the sport horse population to better understand their role in outbreaks. Swabs were collected during a required quarantine and testing period, accordi...
Hardy J, Bertone AL, Muir WW.We measured regional blood flow in synovial tissue of the antebrachiocarpal, midcarpal, and metacarpophalangeal joints of six normal adult anesthetized horses by using 15-microns-diameter polystyrene colored microspheres. The midcarpal fibrous capsule and synovial membrane blood flows (SMBF) were compared, and the effect of increased intra-articular pressure (30 and 60 mmHg) on midcarpal SMBF was investigated. Dorsal, medial palmar, and lateral palmar midcarpal SMBF measured 108 +/- 36, 61 +/- 12, and 50 +/- 11 microliters.min-1.g-1, respectively. Antebrachiocarpal, dorsal, and palmar metacarp...
de Parades V, Bouchard D, Janier M, Berger A.Pilonidal disease is a frequent suppurative condition that occurs twice as often in men as in women, usually between the ages of 15 and 30. Pilonidal disease is located beneath the skin of the sacro-coccygeal region. It presents acutely as an abscess under tension while the chronic form gives rise to intermittent discharge from pilonidal sinus(es). Diagnosis is clinical and usually straightforward. In the large majority of cases, treatment is surgical but there is no consensus as to the 'ideal' technique. Acute abscess must be evacuated and an off-midline incision seems preferable. Excision is...
Widders PR, Stokes CR, David JS, Bourne FJ.Antibody in serum, uterine and vaginal secretions was measured following local immunisation and experimental infection with the organism of contagious equine metritis (Taylorella equigenitalis). Intrauterine immunisation with killed T equigenitalis stimulated a systemic IgG titre and a uterine IgA and IgM response. Subsequent challenge with the organism, however, resulted in a characteristic metritis in both control and vaccinated mares. Antibody in serum and secretions was increased following challenge infection, dwarfing the response to immunisation. The local response was restricted to the ...
Rombach N, Stubbs NC, Clayton HM.To determine the gross morphology of the multifidus, longus colli, and longus thoracis muscles in the cervical and cranial thoracic portions of the equine vertebral column. Methods: 15 horse cadavers. Methods: The vertebral column was removed intact from the first cervical vertebra (C1) to the seventh thoracic vertebra (T7). After removing the superficial musculature, detailed anatomic dissections of the multifidus, longus colli, and longus thoracis muscles were performed. Results: The multifidus cervicis muscle consisted of 5 bundles/level arranged in lateral, medial, and deep layers from C2 ...
Craig NM, Munguia NS, Trujillo AD, Wilkes R, Dorr M, Marsella R.Preliminary evidence supports a role for IL-31 in equine insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) and pruritus. Our studies investigated IL-31 and IL-31 receptor-α (IL-31RA) transcription in leukocytes from normal and IBH horses in response to Culicoides nubeculosus. 19 normal and 15 IBH horses were recruited in the summer of 2019 (low-dose study) and 8 normal and 10 IBH horses in the winter of 2022 to 2023 (high-dose study). Normal horses had no history or signs of allergic skin disease, while IBH horses had a history and clinical signs compatible with IBH. Pruritus was scored using a visual analo...
Gomez DE, Wong D, MacNicol J, Dembek K.The fecal bacterial microbiota of normal foals and foals with enterocolitis has been characterized using next-generation sequencing technology; however, there are no reports investigating the gut microbiota in foals hospitalized for other perinatal diseases. Objective: To describe and compare the fecal bacterial microbiota in healthy and sick foals using next-generation sequencing techniques. Methods: Hospitalized (17) and healthy foals (21). Methods: Case-control study. Fecal samples were collected from healthy and sick foals on admission. Sick foals were further divided into sick nonseptic (...
Delbeke FT, Debackere M.A gas chromatographic method to measure urinary levels of the central nervous system stimulant fencamfamine and some of its metabolites is described. When 100 mg fencamfamine was given orally to four horses the parent drug could not be detected in the urine. After enzymatic hydrolysis of the urine the major human metabolite, N-desethylated fencamfamine, only accounted for 1% of the dose in 12 h. The major equine metabolites were conjugated parahydroxylated compounds representing 18% of the dose. With regard to horse doping control and analysis, the injudicious use of human doping routine metho...
Tekin N, Wöckener A, Klug E.The effect of a skim milk extender and a glycine-containing extender on sperm motility and acrosome morphology of stallion semen was examined. There was no difference concerning acrosome morphology. After 24 hours of preservation motility of the ejaculates diluted with glycine extender was significantly superior to those handled with skim milk extender. Storage at 5 degrees C in all cases gave better results than storage at room temperature. Skim milk extender is an appropriate diluent when the semen is used for al on the day of its collection, whereas the glycine-containing extender offers th...
Dill SG.Acupuncture is best known for its application to various musculoskeletal pain-producing diseases. Acupuncture is, however, used for a large variety of internal medical diseases in humans and other animals. This chapter reviews some of the published literature on the use of acupuncture in gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, describes acupuncture points useful for a variety of GI diseases, briefly reviews how traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treats GI disease, and gives some case examples of how acupuncture can be used in GI diseases.
