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.
Science (New York, N.Y.)July 19, 1946
Volume 104, Issue 2690 53-54 doi: 10.1126/science.104.2690.53
Sulkin SE, Goth A, Zarafonetis C.Anesthesia, by ether, is effective in the treatment of western equine encephalomyelitis in mice. Of mice treated with deep ether anesthesia soon after the intracerebral injection of western equine virus, only 58 per cent developed the disease as compared with 92.4 per cent of control animals. When anesthesia was delayed the approximate length of the incubation period, 60 per cent of the animals developed the disease as compared with 92.4 per cent of the controls. In addition, ether anesthesia delays the development of central nervous system symptoms not only when administered soon after the in...
Rhodes AD, McCoy AM, Stewart MC, Gutierrez-Nibeyro SD.To evaluate postoperative racing performance of a population of Standardbred racehorses following arthroscopic removal of an osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) lesion of the femoropatellar joint. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: A total of 45 client-owned Standardbred racehorses. Methods: OCD lesions were measured and graded using the length of the subchondral bone defect from preoperative radiographs. Postoperative racing results were obtained from the United States Trotting Association, and follow-up owner surveys were conducted. A control group of contemporaneous paternal siblings free o...
Silva JA, Vasquetto A, Mouguelar H, Nader-MacÃas MEF, Pellegrino MS.Equine endometritis, a major cause of subfertility in mares, has a significant economic impact on horse breeding. In the face of rising antimicrobial resistance, the use of beneficial bacteria to prevent this disease is a non-antibiotic alternative which aligns with "One Health" principles. This study characterised vaginal autochthonous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from healthy mares. Out of the 25 presumptive LAB isolates obtained from 15 clinically healthy thoroughbred mares, 24 were confirmed. Surface properties were assessed (autoaggregation, hydrophobicity, biofilm formation, exopolysacchar...
Morrice-West AV, Wong ASM, Hitchens PL, Whitton RC.Musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) in racehorses are not typically spontaneous events, but develop gradually through cumulative cycles of loading over time. Stride characteristics can now be recorded with wearable technology, providing opportunity to quantify the skeletal impact of galloping over time. We estimated bone fatigue accumulation based on speed (m/s) and number of strides from n = 3168 race starts by n = 405 Thoroughbreds commencing racing in Tasmania, Australia between 2011 and 2016. The percentage bone fatigue accumulated was divided by various time periods (career, active car...
Martin-Pelaez S, Orsolini M, Verstraete M, de la Fuente A, Takahashi K, Meyers S, Dini P.Equine in vitro embryo production (IVP) offers a valuable opportunity to enhance the efficient utilization of genetically and economically valuable horses. In cases of subfertility, sudden death, emergency euthanasia, or limited sperm availability, IVP becomes the only viable option to produce offspring. Due to steadily improving success rates, IVP has become one of the most sought-after assisted reproductive techniques. The rising global demand has created a clear need for veterinarians and stallion owners to provide IVP-suitable sperm, where the selection of intact sperm for intracytoplasmic...
Hellige M, Schröder C, Seehusen F, Rohn K, Geburek F.Computed tomographic myelography (CTM) is diagnostic for extradural spinal cord compression but knowledge about vertebral ratios from transverse images in flexion and normal position of unaffected horses is lacking. Objective: To compare the ratios of the cross-sectional areas (CSAs) of the spinal cord, the vertebral canal and of the contrast enhanced dural tube on transverse CTM images at C3-C4 in neutral and flexed positions in unaffected Warmbloods. Methods: CTM was performed in 13 neurologically unaffected Warmbloods in neutral and flexed cervical vertebral column positions. Ratios were ca...
Melanie Catanchin CS, Bell J, Labens R, Quinn CT.Detomidine hydrochloride is an alpha adrenoceptor agonist that is commonly used in equine practice to provide sedation and analgesia for horses undergoing standing procedures. Reported effects following intravenous administration of detomidine in horses include bradycardia, bradyarrhythmias, transient hypertension, sweating, piloerection and dose-dependent sedation, ataxia and analgesia. This case report describes a novel response characterised by tachycardia and profound muscle tremors following the administration of intravenous detomidine to a horse undergoing a standing procedure.
Moghbeli Damane M, Ayatollahi Mehrgardi A, Esmailizadeh A, Momen M.Inbreeding is caused by mating between related individuals and is associated with reduced fitness and performance. Generally, in the horse population, inbreeding is caused by geographically restricted areas and intensive natural or artificial selection. For this reason, assessing accurate inbreeding is essential for developing and implementing effective breeding strategies aimed at preserving genetic diversity and reducing the harmful consequences of inbreeding. One of the most accurate approaches for assessing genomic inbreeding and autozygosity is through the analysis of runs of homozygosity...
Papini L, de Preux M, Pauwels F, Missotten J, Van der Vekens E.(1) Background: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is increasingly used in equine practice to diagnose musculoskeletal injuries, including fractures in the distal limb. However, limited detail in the thick cortical bone of the metacarpus/metatarsus hinders accurate diagnosis. In human medicine, the addition of aluminum filters (AF) enhanced image quality while reducing radiation exposure. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of AF on image quality in CBCT scans of equine distal limbs. (2) Methods: Adult equine cadaver limbs were scanned with a mobile CBCT unit using varying tube currents ...
Khan MZ, Ji Y, Fan X, Liu Y, Liu W, Wang C.Equine herpesvirus (EHV) infections represent a significant global veterinary and economic challenge affecting both horses and donkeys across all inhabited continents. This narrative review comprehensively examines the nine distinct EHV species (EHV-1 through EHV-9), their taxonomic classification within Alphaherpesvirinae and Gammaherpesvirinae subfamilies, and their diverse host tropism patterns. The complex molecular pathogenesis involves sophisticated viral glycoproteins (gK, gB, gC, gH, gM, gL, gG, gD, gI, gE) that orchestrate cellular invasion, immune evasion, and intercellular transmiss...
Mitlyng N, Hobbs KJ, Cooper BL, Sheats MK.Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is frequently used in equine research to model clinical endotoxemia; however, there is no standardized protocol for inducing cytokine production in equine whole blood. To address this knowledge gap, the goal of this study was to compare the cytokine responses elicited by three different LPS stimulation protocols. Whole blood was collected from six healthy horses (aged 5-30 years; mixed breeds and genders) from the North Carolina State University teaching herd (IACUC #23-412). Sixty milliliters of heparinized blood were aseptically drawn and divided into 15 mL aliquots....
Björnsdóttir S, Sigurðardóttir ÓG, Oddsdóttir C, Reynisdóttir I, Hanche-Olsen S, Gröndahl G.Acquired equine polyneuropathy is a neuromuscular syndrome characterized by digital extensor dysfunction, primarily affecting the pelvic limbs, with consistent, repeated knuckling. Despite being recognized as an emerging disease in Scandinavia since 1995, the aetiology remains unknown, and cases have been limited to Norway, Sweden, and Finland. Methods: On a combined breeding and training farm in Iceland, 30 out of 145 horses (21%) presented with acute pelvic weakness, pelvic limb digital extensor dysfunction, knuckling and/or recumbency, from May to August 2019. The affected horses, aged 2-9Â...
François AC, Taminiau B, Renaud B, Gonza-Quito IE, Massey C, Hyde C, Piercy RJ, Douny C, Scippo ML, Daube G, Gustin P, Delcenserie V, Votion DM.Hypoglycin A is a plant-derived protoxin that causes atypical myopathy in equids. In atypical myopathy-affected horses, metabolomic and microbiome studies have reported alterations in metabolic markers and faecal microbiota composition, pointing to a potential disruption of microbial homeostasis. However, in vivo observations are strongly confounded by host-related factors, underscoring the need for controlled in vitro approaches. To address this, we used an in vitro static batch fermentation model simulating the equine colon to investigate the direct effects of hypoglycin A on microbiota comp...
Horses maintained under traditional management systems and dependent on natural forages are often exposed to seasonal and compositional variations that can affect metabolic homeostasis. This study examined associations between forage nutrient composition and metabolic-morphometric indicators in horses from four agroecologically distinct regions of northwestern Romania. Eighty-eight horses managed under semi-extensive rural conditions underwent clinical examination, body condition scoring (BCS), cresty neck scoring (CNS), and fasting blood sampling. Forage samples ( = 34) from daily rations wer...
Meng C, Wang J, Zeng Y, Yao X, Meng J.This study investigated the effects of varying proline supplementation doses in weaned foals. Twenty-eight weaned foals (approximately 5 months of age; body weight: 54.45 ± 11.33 kg; with an equal number of males and females) were randomly assigned to one of four groups-a control group, a low-dose group (20 mg/kg·d), a medium-dose group (40 mg/kg·d), and a high-dose group (60 mg/kg·d)- receiving continuous supplementation for 60 days. Blood samples were collected periodically for the analysis of hormones, antioxidants, immune parameters, and plasma amino acids. Concurrently, fecal 16S rRNA...
Varandas M, Lozano J, AgrÃcola R, Gomes L, Rosa T, Magalhães M, Lamas L, Rinaldi L, Oliveira M, Paz-Silva A, Madeira de Carvalho L.The diagnosis of gastrointestinal (GI) strongyle infections in equids is still mainly performed using quantitative coprological techniques, like the McMaster (McM), but more sensitive and precise techniques, like FLOTAC (FL) and Mini-FLOTAC (MF), have been proposed over the past 20 years. The present study aimed to compare the analytical performance of these three methods in the diagnosis of strongyle infections in horses. Between October 2023 and June 2024, 32 fecal samples were processed using the McM, FL and MF techniques to identify strongyles' eggs, estimate their shedding (eggs per gram ...
Donnelly CG, Peng S, Pflieger L, Manfredi J, Coleman M, Rappaport N, Price ND, Finno CJ.Metabolic syndrome (MetS)-encompassing obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and hypertension-is prevalent in both humans and horses, offering a unique opportunity to explore shared pathophysiological mechanisms across species in a controlled model organism. In this first report from the Pioneer 100 Horse Health Project (P100HHP), we conducted a longitudinal, multi-omic analysis of 108 deeply phenotyped horses to interrogate individual health trajectories for precision insights into MetS. We identified two primary metabotypes: one characterized by elevated unsaturated triglycerides (TGs) ...
Littiere TO, da Costa GB, de Sales NAA, de Carvalho JRG, Rodriguez IDM, Ramos GV, de Lacerda-Neto JC, Ferraz GC.Maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) and its predictive thresholds, including the lactate threshold (LT), are widely used to estimate endurance capacity, prescribe training, and assess the effects of training. The human literature identified approximately twenty-five methods to predict the MLSS. This communication compares the concordance between the two D methods and the MLSS. Under laboratory conditions, ten teaching horses underwent a submaximal graded exercise test (GXT) on a treadmill to obtain their lactate-velocity curves (LVC). They performed three to five 30-min continuous running sess...
Mohtasebi S, Ahn S, Karimi M, Saberi M, Gilleard JS, Poissant J.Strongyles pose significant health concerns for equids globally. Strongyles, comprising over 60 species, can lead to severe morbidity and mortality, with Strongylus vulgaris posing higher risks due to its migratory behaviour. Routine diagnostic methods, such as faecal egg counts, lack species-level resolution, while traditional morphological techniques require advanced expertise. DNA metabarcoding offers a high-throughput alternative. Objective: To characterise the diversity of strongyles infecting horses in northern Iran and evaluate how age, sex, diagnostic methods and host population influe...
Chapple AR, Daglish J, Stover SM, Slipchenko N, Phillips KL.Stress fracture is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in racing Thoroughbreds. Nuclear scintigraphy is the imaging modality of choice for investigating unlocalised stress-related bone remodelling in horses. Stress fractures of the caudal lumbar vertebral column have been previously described in both racing Quarter horses and racing Thoroughbreds post-mortem. There is a lack of literature describing the imaging appearance of vertebral stress fractures in racehorses ante-mortem. Objective: To describe: (1) ante-mortem scintigraphic appearance of presumed thoracolumbar vertebral stress...
Stäubli T, Theiss F, Bischofberger A.A total of 48 horses with unilateral (n = 44) or bilateral (n = 4) overstrain-induced complete rupture of the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) in the forelimbs were retrospectively analysed. A telephone questionnaire, carried out an average of 5,9 years post-injury, served as a long-term follow-up in 25 horses. The mortality rate associated with SDF tendonitis was 12,0 % (3/25). Superficial digital flexor tendonitis did not recur in 76,0 % (19/25) of the horses, but at least one subsequent episode occurred in 24,0 % (6/25). The results of this study indicate that it is reasonable...
Jonkhart M, Serra Bragança FM, Smit IH, Brommer H, Suskens JJM.Flexion tests are commonly used in equine locomotion examinations to identify underlying locomotor issues, yet their neuromuscular effects remain poorly understood. Response variability raises concerns about their clinical value in lameness assessments and pre-purchase evaluations. Objective: Primarily, to investigate the effect of full-limb flexion tests on static (flexed position) and dynamic (subsequent trot-up) muscle activity. Secondarily, to assess their effect on locomotion asymmetry during trotting. Methods: In vivo experiments. Methods: Sixteen warmblood horses were randomly assigned ...
Honnas DH, Fiske-Jackson AR, Fulkerson CV, Wilhite DR.An injury of a tendon or ligament of the equine foot is frequently a cause of lameness. The optimal radiographic projections delineating the entheses of five commonly injured tendons and ligaments of the foot should be described. Methods: The entheses of the collateral ligaments of the distal interphalangeal joint, the collateral sesamoidean ligaments of the navicular bone, the deep digital flexor tendon, the common digital extensor tendon and the distal sesamoidean impar ligament were isolated from a thoracic foot of three cadavers. Three standard radiographic projections (60-degree, dorsopro...
Khalil WA, Mostafa HE, Derbala MK, Alfattah MA, Alhujaili W, Hassan MAE, El-Harairy MA, Abdelnour SA.Encapsulating natural antioxidants presents a robust strategy to neutralize oxidative stress, thereby improving semen preservation. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of butylated hydroxytoluene nanoparticles (BHT-NPs) in improving stallion semen preservation by investigating sperm quality, redox balance, semen bacteriology, apoptosis, ultrastructure, and acrosome status of chilled stallion semen preserved at 4 °C for 72 h. This in vitro experiment was evidenced by molecular docking analysis. Twenty-five ejaculates from five stallions were collected and extended with 0 (BH...
Sheridan L, Hutton P, Noble G, Nobari B.Dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiome is a precursor to hindgut acidosis. As microbial diversity and fermentation are influenced by diet, including a postbiotic could help maintain healthy gastrointestinal microbes and reduce acidosis risk. Objective: It was hypothesised that including a postbiotic in batch culture would reduce the degree of pH decline and lactate accumulation during fermentation. Methods: In vitro batch cultures with faecal inoculant were prepared with either low starch (LS) or high glucose (G) substrate to represent normal and acidic fermentation. Saccharomyces cerevisiae d...
Pekkarinen HM, Simola U, Niinistö KE, Syrjä PES.Equine inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is challenging to diagnose and treat. Although the number of horses examined due to suspicion of IBD is increasing, the different treatments in clinical patients and their responses are not well documented. We sought to characterize the demography, signs, clinical and rectal biopsy findings, and treatment response in Finnish horses suspected to have IBD. Horses undergoing clinical examination due to suspected IBD in 2022 and with a good-quality rectal biopsy were selected for the study. General information, signs, clinical and histological findings, and ...
McAdams ZL, Campbell EJ, Dorfmeyer RA, Turner G, Shaffer S, Ford T, Lawson J, Terry J, Raju M, Coghill L, Cresci L, Lascola K, Pridgen T....Horses and other equids are reliant on the gut microbiome for health, and studies have reported associations between certain clinical conditions and features of the fecal microbiome. However, research to date on the equine fecal microbiome has often relied on small sample sizes collected from single and relatively localized geographic regions. Previous work also largely employs single timepoint analyses, or horses selected based on limited health criteria. Results: To address these limitations and expand our understanding of the core microbiome in health, and the changes associated with advers...
Rangel A, Sellon DC, Sanz MG, Pinnell E, Pietras ZM, Villarino NF.Pharmacokinetics (PK) of intramuscular (IM) and subcutaneous (SC) ketamine in horses has not been described. This study aimed to evaluate the PK and safety of ketamine and its metabolites after a single SC or IM administration. In Phase 1, two horses received 0.5 or 1 mg/kg of ketamine via SC and IM routes. In Phase 2, eight horses received 0.5 mg/kg IM. Plasma or serum concentrations of ketamine and major metabolites were determined by a validated liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method at baseline and selected intervals post-administration. Subcutaneous administration resulted in ...
Willems T, Dias ABM, Dedecker L, Matamalas SS, De Lange L, de Beauregard T.Nephrosplenic space entrapment (NSE) has reported recurrence rates of 8%‒23%, and closure of the nephrosplenic space (NSS) has been shown to lower the incidence. Described techniques for nephrosplenic space closure (NSC) with concurrent left dorsal displacement (LDD) of the colon at the time of surgery consist of reducing the displaced colon prior to closure. Methods: A retrospective study was performed to evaluate the medical records of horse undergoing NSC between 2017 and 2024. A total of 18 horses with LDD at time of NSC and 21 without displacement at time of NSC were evaluated. Short- a...
Curry O, Everett A, Pearson G, Dwyer C, Duncan J.Despite the availability of several equine pain assessment tools, their use in equine veterinary practice appears limited compared to small animal practice. This study explores potential barriers to equine pain assessment, as reported by staff at a single UK equine teaching hospital. Methods: Nine hospital staff members were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Key themes were identified through reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Participants acknowledged the importance of pain assessment, yet highlighted limitations in current methods and their inconsistent use. Key challenges inc...
