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.
Visutakul P, Bell ET, Loraine JA, Fisher RB.Human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG), pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) and human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) were incubated with varying concentrations of urea at different temperatures for different times.
The luteinizing hormone (LH) activity of HCG was progressively destroyed with increasing concentrations of urea. The degree of inactivation was greater at higher temperatures but the time of incubation did not affect the results.
The follicle-stimulating activity of PMSG was reduced at high urea concentrations; the time of incubation was without effect.
Under the experime...
Loy RG, Swan SM.Progesterone in oil solution injected into mares intramuscularly in midcycle blocked estrus and ovulation at levels of 100 mg. per day or higher. Fifty milligrams per day prevented estrus but not ovulation. The interval from end of treatment to estrus appeared to depend upon dosage, and the effects on subsequent cyclic patterns were confounded by season of the year. Neither 50 nor 100 mg. per day stopped estrus or blocked ovulation when treatment was started on day 1 of estrus. Injection of 100 mg. per day of progesterone in oil delayed postpartum estrus and ovulation, but 50 mg. per day did n...
Aguilera R, Becchi M, Mateus L, Popot MA, Bonnaire Y, Casabianca H, Hatton CK.A gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry method for confirmation of hydrocortisone abuse in horseracing and equine sports is proposed. Urinary hydrocortisone was converted to a bismethylenedioxy derivative which presents good gas chromatographic properties and brings an extra carbon contribution of only two carbon atoms. Synthetic hydrocortisone has a different 13C abundance from that of natural urinary horse hydrocortisone and the difference is significant, therefore exogenous and endogenous hydrocortisone can be distinguished.
Ionita JC, Poncet PA, Doherr MG, Steiger A.The quality of husbandry of Franches-Montagnes horses (FM) in Switzerland is evaluated on the basis of an investigation carried out in 2002 by the Swiss FM breeding federation. Questionnaires were sent to 3500 of its members and the results include data from 968 breeding enterprises, housing a total of 3965 FM: 46.1% were breeding mares (61.0% with foal at foot), 26.5% young stock, 1.3% stallions and 26.0% non breeding stock (74.6% of which were pleasure horses and 25.4% working horses). 57.6% of the FM were housed in individual boxes with or without permanent outdoor access, 25.4% were hold i...
Olson CT, Keller WC, Gerken DF, Reed SM.Of 10 horses in a heavily overgrazed pasture, 4 died within 1 week. Clinical signs included muscle tremors, ataxia, reluctance to walk, heavy sweating, and myoglobinuria. Serum creatine kinase, aspartate transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase activities were high. Histopathologic findings were nonspecific. On the basis of clinical signs, clinicopathologic findings, nonspecific histopathologic findings, the condition of the pasture, the identification of numerous white snakeroot plants from which trematone was extracted, and evidence that these plants had been heavily browsed, it was believed t...
Sun L, Adams AA, Page AE, Betancourt A, Horohov DW.While interferon-gamma (IFNγ) plays an important role in protection against viral and intracellular bacterial infections, its production in neonates is deficient. Exposure to environmental antigens can promote the maturation of the immune system of neonatal humans and mice. We hypothesize that exposure to high level of microbial components would increase the production of IFNγ in neonatal foals. To test this hypothesis, one group of foals was placed into stalls three times a week for 8 weeks. A second group of foals remained on pasture. Air samples were collected from the barn and pasture fo...
Watson ED.Incubation of equine neutrophils with povidone-iodine solutions of greater than or equal to 0.2 per cent resulted in total inhibition of migration under agarose. This was caused by the cytotoxic effects of the solutions as shown by pyknosis and cell lysis. Lower concentrations of povidone-iodine, however, did not adversely affect neutrophil viability or locomotion.
Shivers CA, Liu IK.Sera and follicular fluid from mares previously determined as having antibodies to the zona pellucida were exposed to porcine ovarian oocytes before insemination with boar spermatozoa in vitro. There was a dramatic decline in the number of spermatozoa bound to zonae compared to treatments with sera and follicular fluid from mares negative for zona antibodies. These data suggest that antibodies reactive with the zona pellucida may be responsible for reduced or even complete infertility in some mares. In a group of 50 randomly selected mares tested for antizona antibodies, 2 pregnant mares were ...
Le Goff D, Hannan J, Maboundou JC, Ayrault-Jarrier M.Equine plasma lipoproteins were fractionated into VLDL, LDL-1, LDL-2 and HDL by density gradient ultracentrifugation. From each lipoprotein fraction, five apo C like peptides of approx. M(r) 1400, 10000, 9500, 9000 and 8000 were detected by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. After partial purification by Sephadex G-75, one fraction, showing a strong activation of lipoprotein lipase, was further purified by Mono Q anion exchange column. Two of the apo C like peptides (M(r) 10000 and 8000) activated the bovine milk lipoprotein lipase in vitro; only one (M(r) 9500) inhibited the lipolytic ac...
Abaturov BD, Dmitriev IA, Jargalsaikhan L, Omarov KZ.The amount of phytomass removed by a complex of livestock (horses, cattle, sheep, and goats) and wild ungulates (Mongolian gazelle Procapra gutturosa Pall.) grazing in plain and mountain pastures of eastern Mongolia has been estimated by taking account of feces deposited by these animals. The results show that at an animal density of up to 30 head/km2, the total annual amount of feces reaches 140 kg/ha (dry weight), with the greater part (up to 90 kg/ha) being deposited by horses. The contribution of Mongolian gazelles in some pastures reaches 20-40 kg/ha per year. Decomposition of feces proce...
Barasa A, Dazia S, Canavese B, Modica R.The dental pulp of 34 horses aged between 4 months and 20 years has been studied on India ink injected and on paraffin embedded specimens. The pulp dimensions of the first and especially of the second dentition decrease with age. This reduction is accompanied by pronounced changes of structure; the mucous connective tissue becomes a dense, irregular connective tissue. The vessels are numerous and make a network particularly rich at the margins of the pulp; they diminish with advancing age. The reduction of the pulp volume and the regression of its vascular network are particularly pronounced a...
Eichhorn W.Infections and clinical diseases caused by equine 2 influenza A viruses are observed worldwide. The frequency of these outbreaks supports the hypothesis that antigenic variation of the surface proteins may play an important role. For the demonstration of these variations, monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) were prepared. They are directed against the hemagglutinin or the neuraminidase of the prototype strain a/eq/Miami/1/63. In hemagglutination-inhibition assays with Mabs two reaction patterns were observed: four Mabs inhibited 14 out of 17 strains tested. Another Mab recognized the hemagglutinin of...