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.
Kjellberg L, Morgan K.Interest in the use of open barns on Swedish horse farms is increasing as an alternative to keeping horses in box stalls and as a 2007 law requires phasing out of tie stalls. To provide adequate forage to satisfy welfare requirements for nutrition, gut health and behavioural needs, the use of automated feeding is also increasing. Studies on forage intake rate report wide variation but provide little information on how to introduce horses to an automatic forage station and on how forage intake rate varies in individual horses fed using an automatic forage station. This study documented the proc...
Kadivar A, Rashidzadeh H, Davoodian N, Nazari H, Dehghani Tafti R, Heidari Khoei H, Seidi Samani H, Modaresi J, Ahmadi E.Accurate diagnosis of foetal sex in pregnant mare is helpful for many breeders, both for private or commercial purposes. In this study, in order to pre-natal foetal sexing in equine, we used TaqMan duplex real-time PCR to detect the specific regions of SRY and TSPY genes on extracted cell-free foetal DNA from maternal blood. Peripheral blood samples from 50 pregnant Arabian mares with singleton foetuses were collected. Cell-free foetal DNA was extracted from maternal plasma, and duplex real-time PCR assays were performed with TaqMan probes and primers. Amplification of glyceraldehyde-3-phospha...
O'Brien TJ, Rosanowski SM, Mitchell KD, Carrick JB, Butt TD, Adkins AR.There is little consensus on factors associated with survival in foals with septic arthritis and limited data on long-term racing performance of Thoroughbred foals treated for septic arthritis. A more thorough understanding of short- and long-term outcome is necessary to help inform owners, and subsequently guide treatment. Objective: To investigate factors associated with survival, and to analyse racing performance of foals with septic arthritis compared with their maternal siblings. Methods: Retrospective cohort and a case-control study. Methods: Veterinary clinical records of Thoroughbred f...
Janczarek I, Stachurska A, Kędzierski W, Pawlak EW, Wilk I, Zyglewska K, Paszkowska A, Ryżak M, Wiśniewska A.The current predation threat of domestic horses is generally low, and horses do not know predators' frightening cues. We studied whether horses still recognise predation threats. The aim of the study was to analyse the emotional response of purebred Arabian horses (Arabian) and Polish Konik horses (Konik) to an Arabian panther (Panthera pardus nimr) (panther) growl and a grey wolf (Canis lupus) (wolf) howl. Panther vocalisation was known to Arabian ancestors, whereas ancestors of Konik knew wolf vocalisation. The response to the howls of golden jackals (Canis aureus) (jackal), which did not pr...
Stewart HL, Pitta D, Indugu N, Vecchiarelli B, Hennessy ML, Engiles JB, Southwood LL.Previous studies have identified alterations in the faecal microbiota of horses with colic; however, further work is needed to interpret these findings. Objective: To compare the faecal microbiota of horses presenting for colic at hospital admission, day 1 and day 3/discharge and with different colic duration and lesion locations. Methods: Prospective observational clinical study. Methods: Faecal samples were collected from 17 colic cases at hospital admission, on day 1 and on day 3 post-admission or at the time of hospital discharge if prior to 72Â hours. Faecal samples were extracted for gen...
Sage SE, Olive J, Lavoie JP.Age of complete ossification of equine occipital condyles has not been published. Consequently, clinical significance of occipital condyle defects on radiographs or CT scans of young horses remains unknown. The goals of this single-center, retrospective, cross-sectional study were to characterize incidental occipital condyle defects and to define the age of complete ossification. The margin of occipital condyles was classified as regular or with defect(s). Analyses were made on 121 horses, including 106 radiographic and 19 CT studies showing the occipital condyles of horses less than 5 years o...
Dixon PM, Kennedy R, Poll K, Barakzai S, Reardon RJM.There is little objective information concerning the intra- and post-operative complications or the long-term outcome of sinoscopic treatment of equine sinus disorders. Objective: To document the long-term outcome, including intra-operative complications, reasons for treatment failure and other complications, in horses undergoing standing sinoscopic treatment of sinus disorders. Methods: Retrospective clinical study. Methods: Records of sinus disease cases presented to The University of Edinburgh Veterinary School between January 2012 and July 2019 were reviewed. Follow-up information was obta...
Roach JM, Foote AK, Smith KC, Verheyen KL, de Mestre AM.Pregnancy loss after Day 70 of gestation manifests as abortion, stillbirth or perinatal death. While previous studies have reported the diagnoses of laboratory submissions, none have quantified the incidence and causes of abortions, stillbirths and perinatal mortality at a population level. Objective: To report the incidence and causes of pregnancy loss after Day 70 of gestation in a cohort of Thoroughbreds. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Outcomes of Day 70 pregnancies were collected from eight Thoroughbred farms over the 2013-2017 breeding seasons. Stud, veterinary and laborato...
Mokry A, Van de Water E, Politiek HT, van Doorn DA, Pille F, Oosterlinck M.Dynamic load distribution and landing patterns play an important role in equine orthopaedics. The aim of this study was to analyse dynamic load distribution and hoof landing patterns of sound Standardbreds. Twenty-four sound, unshod Standardbreds were walked and trotted over a pressure plate to obtain the peak vertical force (PVF), vertical impulse (VI) and stance time (ST) of both forelimbs. Asymmetry indices between both forelimbs were calculated and the dynamic medio-lateral and toe-heel load distribution of the forelimbs were compared between normal, toed-in and toed-out horses. The hoof l...
Ibrahim A, Ahmed AF.The exact contribution of the orbital lacrimal gland (OLG) is unknown and is still a subject of debate and inconsistency in literature. Currently, there are no detailed studies addressing the influence of the OLG removal on tear production in equines. This study aimed to address the influence of surgical excision of the OLG on aqueous tear production and ocular surface health in donkeys. The study was conducted on six clinically healthy donkeys with no ophthalmic abnormalities. In each donkey, the OLG of the left eye was surgically excised, whereas the right eye was served as a control. Extern...
Diaz-Jimenez M, Rota A, Dorado J, Consuegra C, Pereira B, Camillo F, Panzani D, Fanelli D, Tesi M, Monaco D, Hidalgo M.Sperm vitrification has been recently developed, but fertility trials have not been performed yet in equine species. In this study, a new warming technique for vitrified donkey semen was developed and the uterine inflammatory response and fertility were compared to conventional freezing. In Experiment 1, sperm was vitrified in straws and warmed in 3 ml of extender or in a water bath at: 37 °C/30 s; 43 °C/10 s; and 60 °C/5 s. Sperm motility, plasma and acrosome membranes and DNA integrity were compared between treatments. In Experiment 2, jennies were inseminated twice (500 Ã...
Mure S, Oishi K, Hirooka H.The objective of the present study was to develop a deterministic simulation model for evaluating the reproductive performance of Thoroughbred mares. As an application, the model was used to estimate the herd level asymptotic foaling percentage (AFP) for evaluating the performance of mares in stabilized mare herds using the convergent method for estimating a steady-state distribution of mares. In this model, it was assumed that the mares were mated only during the breeding season. The effects of early pregnancy loss and fetal loss on reproductive performance were investigated. The sensitivitie...
Robinson MA, Stefanovski D, You Y, Boston RC, Soma LR.Capsaicinoids deter horses from chewing on bandages and are applied topically to provide analgesia to musculoskeletal injuries. They are banned during competition due to their nerve blocking properties. The pharmacokinetics of oral (PO) and direct gastric administration via nasogastric tube (NG), or topical (TOP) administration of two capsaicinoid-containing products were investigated, and the withdrawal times required prior to competition were estimated. Capsaicin (CAP) and dihydrocapsaicin (DCAP) were quantified in plasma, and both compounds were best described by a delayed absorption two co...
Anis E, Ilha MRS, Engiles JB, Wilkes RP.Equine infectious disease outbreaks may have profound economic impact, resulting in losses of millions of dollars of revenue as a result of horse loss, quarantine, and cancelled events. Early and accurate diagnosis is essential to limit the spread of infectious diseases. However, laboratory detection of infectious agents, especially the simultaneous detection of multiple agents, can be challenging to the clinician and diagnostic laboratory. Next-generation sequencing (NGS), which allows millions of DNA templates to be sequenced simultaneously in a single reaction, is an ideal technology for co...
Henderson B, Diaz M, Martins C, Kenney D, Baird JD, Arroyo LG.Medical records of 20 horses with a confirmed diagnosis of valvular endocarditis at the Ontario Veterinary College between January 1, 1993 and February 3, 2020 were reviewed. The diagnosis was based on physical examination findings, complete blood (cell) count (CBC), serum biochemistry, echocardiography, blood culture, and post-mortem findings. Common presenting signs included tachycardia, pyrexia, weight loss, lameness/joint distension, and a heart murmur. Clinicopathological findings included leukocytosis, anemia, hypoalbuminemia, hyperglobulinemia, and elevated inflammatory markers. Culture...
Pye J, Galuppo L, Whitcomb MB, Clothier K, Byrne B.A 12-year-old Warmblood mare was referred for evaluation of behavioral changes not explained by general physical examination or lameness evaluation. Transrectal ultrasound examination was performed to determine if the behavioral changes were related to ovarian abnormalities, and a large abscess was found near the base of the cecum. Laparoscopic-guided aspiration and lavage of the abscess cavity followed by injection of benzyl penicillin G was carried out. Culture of the lavage sample yielded subspecies , an organism not previously reported as an etiological agent in abdominal abscesses in hor...
Sears K, Knowles D, Dinkel K, Mshelia PW, Onzere C, Silva M, Fry L.Control of , the primary cause of equine theileriosis, is largely reliant on acaracide use and chemosterilization with imidocarb dipropionate (ID). However, it is currently unknown if ID is effective against , the recently identified second causative agent of equine theileriosis, or if the drug maintains effectiveness against in the presence of co-infection. The purpose of this study was to address these questions using ID treatment of the following three groups of horses: (1) five infected horses; (2) three - infected horses; and (3) three - infected horses. Clearance was first evaluated u...
Wilsher S, Omar H, Ismer A, Allen T, Wernery U, Joseph M, Mawhinney I, Florea L, Thurston L, Duquesne F, Petry S.Three horse mares inadvertently inseminated with semen from a Tayorella asinigenitalis-positive Jack donkey developed severe, purulent endometritis whereas two Jenny donkeys mated naturally to the same Jack donkey did not develop clinical signs of infection. Objective: To isolate and identify the causative agent. Methods: Case report. Methods: Endometrial swabs from the infected mares were cultured on selective and non-selective media under aerobic and microaerophilic conditions. Isolates were subjected to Gram staining, oxidase and catalase tests, the Monotayl Latex Agglutination test and PCR...
Cassimeris L, Engiles JB, Galantino-Homer H.Supporting Limb Laminitis (SLL) is a painful and crippling secondary complication of orthopedic injuries and infections in horses, often resulting in euthanasia. SLL causes structural alterations and inflammation of the interdigitating layers of specialized epidermal and dermal tissues, the lamellae, which suspend the equine distal phalanx from the hoof capsule. Activation of the interleukin-17A (IL-17A)-dependent inflammatory pathway is an epidermal stress response that contributes to physiologic cutaneous wound healing as well as pathological skin conditions. As a first test of the hypothesi...
Thorringer NW, Jensen RB.Total collection of faeces is considered the golden standard for estimating apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) in horses. However, the evaluation of individual feedstuffs is limited and determination of nutrient digestibility in different segments of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is excluded. The rationale for performing this study was that the mobile bag technique (MBT) can provide information on individual feedstuffs' degradation, and the use of fistulated animals does provide additionally information regarding degradation in individual segments of the GIT. Recommendations for usin...
Springer A, Glass A, Topp AK, Strube C.Ticks transmit a variety of pathogens affecting both human and animal health. In temperate and cold regions of Europe (Western, Central, Eastern, and Northern Europe), the most relevant zoonotic tick-borne pathogens are tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Borrelia spp. and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. More rarely, Rickettsia spp., Neoehrlichia mikurensis, and zoonotic Babesia spp. are identified as a cause of human disease. Domestic animals may also be clinically affected by these pathogens, and, furthermore, can be regarded as sentinel hosts for their occurrence in a certain area, or even pla...
Bagge J, MacLeod JN, Berg LC. Bone marrow (BM)- and adipose tissue (AT)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are used increasingly for autologous cell therapy in equine practice to treat musculoskeletal and other injuries. Current recommendations often call for 10-100 million MSCs per treatment, necessitating the expansion of primary cells in culture prior to therapeutic use. Of concern, human and rodent studies have shown a decline of both MSC recovery from sampled tissue and proliferative capacity with increasing donor age. This may be problematic for applications of autologous cell-based therapies in the important eq...
Kimble KM, Gomez G, Szule JA, Dubey JP, Buchanan B, Porter BF.An adult American Quarter Horse gelding with a history of weight loss presented with an acute onset of colic, fever, soft faeces and elevated liver enzymes. At necropsy, there were gastric mucosal masses and evidence of caecal necrosis. Histologically, the masses were lymph nodes with granulomatous inflammation and areas of liquefactive necrosis. Within and surrounding necrotic areas were free and intrahistiocytic clusters of protozoal tachyzoites. Similar but milder inflammation was evident in the spleen, lungs and liver. Necrotizing typhlitis was also evident. Immunolabelling for Toxoplasma ...
Gittel C, Schulz-Kornas E, Sandbaumhüter FA, Theurillat R, Vervuert I, Larenza Menzies MP, Thormann W, Braun C.To evaluate the pharmacokinetics and selected pharmacodynamic effects of a commercially available l-methadone/fenpipramide combination administered to isoflurane anaesthetized ponies. Methods: Prospective single-group interventional study. Methods: A group of six healthy adult research ponies (four mares, two geldings). Methods: Ponies were sedated with intravenous (IV) detomidine (0.02 mg kg) and butorphanol (0.01 mg kg) for an unrelated study. Additional IV detomidine (0.004 mg kg) was administered 85 minutes later, followed by induction of anaesthesia using IV diazepam (0.05 mg kg) and keta...
Shnaiderman-Torban A, Navon-Venezia S, Paitan Y, Archer H, Abu Ahmad W, Bonder D, Hanael E, Nissan I, Zizelski Valenci G, Weese SJ, Steinman A.We aimed to investigate the prevalence, molecular epidemiology and prevalence factors for Extended Spectrum β-Lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBL-E) shedding by race horses. A cross-sectional study was performed involving fecal samples collected from 169 Thoroughbred horses that were housed at a large racing facility in Ontario, Canada. Samples were enriched, plated on selective plates, sub-cultured to obtain pure cultures and ESBL production was confirmed. Bacterial species were identified and antibiotic susceptibility profiles were assessed. E. coli sequence types (ST) and ESBL gen...
Wilson A, Pinchbeck G, Dean R, McGowan C.Vaccination is integral to preventive healthcare. Despite numerous guidelines on equine vaccination, evidence of current vaccination practices is lacking. Objective: To describe current vaccination practices advised by vets treating horses in the United Kingdom (UK) and compare practices with manufacturer datasheets and current guidelines. Methods: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed using email addresses acquired through professional registration listings and social media, targeting vets who treat horses in the UK. The questionnaire collected demographic d...
Gehlen H, Schwarz B, Bartmann C, Gernhardt J, Stöckle SD.Appropriate medical care for donkeys is challenging despite being important working animals in non-industrialized countries and pets in first world countries. Although the same principles of diagnosis and therapy as in horses are commonly applied, there are differences in reference values and physiologic reaction to dynamic tests. However, donkeys seem to suffer from typical equine diseases, such as metabolic syndrome and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Asinine metabolic syndrome (AMS) comprises obesity, insulin dysregulation, and laminitis. The principles of diagnosis are simila...
Brown KA, Davidson EJ, Johnson AL, Wulster KB, Ortved K.Standing cone beam computed tomography (CT) provides cross-sectional imaging of the caudal cervical articular process joints (CAPJs) in the sedated horse, though the clinical implications of osteoarthritis (OA) identified on CT in this location are unknown. Increases in concentrations of intra-synovial cytokines could lend support to the clinical significance of CAPJ OA identified on this imaging modality. Objective: Investigate the presence and concentration of intra-synovial inflammatory cytokines in CAPJs with and without standing cone beam CT evidence of OA using an equine specific multipl...
Mott RO, Hawthorne SJ, McBride SD.Measuring animal stress is fundamentally important for assessing animal emotional state and welfare. Conventional methods of quantifying stress (cortisol levels, heart rate/heart rate variability) require specialist equipment and are not instantly available. Spontaneous blink rate (SBR) has previously been used to measure stress responses in humans and may provide a non-invasive method for measuring stress in other animal species. Here we investigated the use of SBR as a measure of stress in the domestic horse. SBR was measured before and during a low-stress event (sham clipping) and compared ...
Ivens PA, Matthews D, Webb K, Newton JR, Steward K, Waller AS, Robinson C, Slater JD.Strangles is the most commonly diagnosed and important infectious disease of horses worldwide. Very little is known about the temporo-spatial and molecular epidemiology of strangles. The disease is not notifiable in the UK and there are few published data on the geographical locations of outbreaks. Objective: To investigate whether typing of a surface protein (SeM) of Streptococcus equi ssp. equi (S. equi), the causative agent of strangles, is a useful epidemiological tool. Methods: The variable region of the SeM gene was amplified from 145 isolates of S. equi by PCR and sequenced. Different S...
Johnson L, Thompson DL.Testes from 47 adult (4-20 years) stallions obtained in November-January (non-breeding season) and 41 adult stallions obtained in May-July (breeding season) were perfused with glutaraldehyde, placed in osmium and embedded in Epon 812. Percentage Leydig cell cytoplasm or nuclei in the testis was determined by point counting of 0.5 micron sections under bright-field microscopy. Testes from 6 randomly selected horses per season were processed for electron microscopy. The volume (ml) of SER/testis was calculated from the % SER in the cytoplasm % Leydig cell cytoplasm, and parenchymal volume. Numbe...
Roberts V.Trigeminal-mediated headshaking is a little-understood neuropathic facial pain condition of the horse. The condition may affect around 1% of the equine population to a degree of severity sufficient to require veterinary attention. As a pain condition, this represents a significant welfare issue. Horses are usually more severely affected at exercise which can leave them unable to perform, or even dangerous to ride and handle. With little known about the condition and variable response to treatments, severely affected horses are often euthanized. This review article considers the literature on t...
Christensen L, Camitz L, Illigen KE, Hansen M, Sarvaa R, Conaghan PG.Polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAAG) is a non-toxic, non-degradable synthetic product, used for years in the augmentation of soft tissues. Preliminary results in animals and humans have suggested long-lasting beneficial effects on symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA). The aim of this histopathological study was to investigate whether intra-articular injection of PAAG is integrated into synovial tissue in normal and OA animal joints, and if this integration is sustained. (A) A prospective, controlled, longitudinal study of normal knee joints injected with PAAG was performed in 10 rabbits, following the an...
Pillet E, Labbe C, Batellier F, Duchamp G, Beaumal V, Anton M, Desherces S, Schmitt E, Magistrini M.Egg yolk is normally used as a protective agent to freeze semen of equine and other species. However, addition of egg yolk in extenders is not without disadvantages and the demand to find cryoprotective alternatives is strong. The objective of this study was to test the cryoprotective capacities of liposomes composed of egg yolk phospholipids. Two experiments were conducted: 1) the first to determine the optimal composition and concentration of liposomes to preserve post-thaw motility and membrane integrity of spermatozoa; 2) the second to assess in vivo the cryoprotective capacities of these ...
Spizziri BE, Fox MH, Bruemmer JE, Squires EL, Graham JK.Irreversible damage occurs to spermatozoal membranes, during the phase transition, when spermatozoa are cooled from room temperature to 5 degrees C. Some of this damage can be ameliorated by adding cholesterol to the membrane, thereby altering membrane lipid composition. Adding cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrins (CLCs) to stallion spermatozoa prior to freezing, increases cell cryosurvival. However, the fertilizing potential of CLC-treated stallion spermatozoa is unknown. To address this, experiments were conducted which evaluated the ability of CLC-treated stallion spermatozoa to capacitate, acr...
Bjørnstad G, Røed KH.Assignment tests have been utilized to investigate population classification, measure genetic diversity and to solve forensic questions. Using microsatellite data from 26 loci genotyped in eight horse breeds we examined how population differentiation, number of scored loci, number of scored animals per breed and loci variability affected individual assignment precision applying log likelihood methods. We found that both genetic differentiation and number of scored loci were highly important for recognizing the breed of origin. When comparing two and two breeds, a proportion of 95% of the most ...
Voulgaris DA, Hofmeister EH.To identify anesthesia-related variables which may independently predict time to standing in horses anesthetized with ketamine/diazepam/isoflurane. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Three hundred and eighty-one horses. Methods: Case records were searched for the years 2000-2003 and 381 horses older than 12 months which weighed at least 200 kg were identified. Data were extracted from the records, and only horses that were anesthetized with xylazine, ketamine, diazepam and isoflurane were included in the analysis. Multiple linear regression was used to relate time to standing with de...
Davis E.Donkeys and mules have been critical to the development of human civilization, since being domesticated some 6000Â years ago. However, they suffer from being undervalued or ignored by development agencies and animal protection nongovernmental organizations. Where they are recognized as affecting agriculture and the economy it is often because they are seen as being either invasive pests or an anachronism in the developing countries of the twenty-first century. Even in the wealthier societies of the world, donkeys suffer from ignorance about their proper management or a booming industry in heal...
Guo R, Zhang S, Chen J, Shen W, Zhang G, Wang J, Zhang F, Pan Q, Xie T, Ai D, Dong J, Suo J, Sun Y, Liu S.Donkeys' gut microbe is critical for their health and adaptation to the environment. Little research has been conducted on the donkey gut microbiome compared with other domestic animals. The Tibetan Plateau is an extreme environment. In this study, 6 Qinghai donkeys (QH) from the Tibetan Plateau and 6 Dezhou donkeys (DZ) were investigated, and the contents of 4 parts-stomach, small intestine, cecum, and rectum-were collected. 16S rRNA sequencing and metagenomic sequencing were used to analyze the composition and diversity of gut microbial communities in donkeys. The results showed that the flo...
Cordes DO, Perry BD, Rikihisa Y, Chickering WR.Potomac horse fever was reproduced in 15 ponies by transfusion of whole blood originally from two natural cases and subsequently from ponies infected by the transfusions. Incubation periods varied from 9 to 15 days. Affected ponies developed varying degrees of fever, diarrhea, anorexia, depression, and leukopenia. Eleven affected ponies were killed, three died in the acute phase of the disease, and one did not show clinical signs. The most consistent post-mortem findings were fluid contents in the cecum and large colon, and areas of hyperemia (of inconstant degree and distribution) in mucosae ...
Andersson L, Sandberg K.In the present study an extensive amount of data, comprising more than 30,000 offspring in total, was analyzed to evaluate the influence of age and sex on the recombination frequency in the K-PGD segment of the equine linkage group (LG) I and the influence of age, breed and sex on recombination in the Al-Es segment of LG II. A highly significant sex difference is reported for both segments. Male and female recombination values in the K-PGD segment were estimated at 25.8 +/- 0.8 and 33.3 +/- 2.5%, respectively. Similarly, recombination was less frequent in the male (36.6 +/- 0.7%) than in the f...
Haussler KK.A thorough knowledge of equine spinal anatomy, biomechanics, and potential pathology is required to understand the principles and theories behind chiropractic and to apply its techniques properly. Chiropractic provides additional diagnostic and therapeutic means that may help equine practitioners to identify and treat the primary cause of lameness or poor performance. Specialized training in the evaluation and treatment of vertebral joint dysfunction and neuromusculoskeletal disorders places chiropractic in the forefront of conservative treatment of spinal-related disorders. Nevertheless, limi...
Vatistas NJ, Sifferman RL, Holste J, Cox JL, Pinalto G, Schultz KT.Gastric ulceration is a prevalent condition of racehorses. A number of models of gastric ulceration have been described, but none mimic the conditions of a horse in training. The objectives of this study were to determine whether gastric ulcers could be induced and maintained in a group of horses in simulated race training. In addition, serum cortisol was measured on a weekly basis to investigate the possibility that stress may be important in the pathogenesis of gastric ulceration. Thirty horses used in the trial were fed Bermuda grass hay and 6 kg of a concentrate diet, and exercised 6 days/...
Hidalgo M, RodrÃguez I, Dorado J, Soler C.This work used semen samples collected from 12 stallions and assessed for sperm morphometry by the Sperm Class Analyzer (SCA) computer-assisted system. A discriminant analysis was performed on the morphometric data from that sperm to obtain a classification matrix for sperm head shape. Thereafter, we defined six types of sperm head shape. Classification of sperm head by this method obtained a globally correct assignment of 90.1%. Moreover, significant differences (p<0.05) were found between animals for all the sperm head morphometric parameters assessed.
Venter GJ, Paweska JT.Previously reported virus recovery rates from Culicoides (Avaritia) imicola Kieffer and Culicoides (Avaritia) bolitinos Meiswinkel (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) orally infected with vaccine strain of African horse sickness virus serotype 7 (AHSV-7) were compared with results obtained from concurrently conducted oral infections with five recent AHSV-7 isolates from naturally infected horses from various localities in South Africa. Culicoides were fed sheep bloods spiked with 10(7.6) TCID(50)/mL of a live-attenuated vaccine strain AHSV-7, and with five field isolates in which virus titre in the blo...
Salim B, Bakheit MA, Sugimoto C.Equine trypanosomosis (ET) is a protozoan disease affecting equines in many parts of the world. We examined 509 samples collected from geographically distinct regions in eastern, central and western Sudan to estimate the endemicity of ET using the generic ITS1-PCR diagnostic methods. Results revealed that horses and donkeys were infected by Trypanosoma brucei subgroup, Trypanosoma vivax, Trypanosoma simiae and Trypanosoma congolense. The prevalence of Trypanosoma spp. was higher in horses (12.7%, n=393) than in donkeys (3.4%, n=116). The highest prevalence was observed in South Darfur State (1...
Hoagwood K, Vincent A, Acri M, Morrissey M, Seibel L, Guo F, Flores C, Seag D, Peth Pierce R, Horwitz S.Reining in Anxiety (RiA) is a therapeutic program for youth with mild to moderate anxiety delivered in a therapeutic riding setting by Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors. RiA was developed after a review of the evidence base for youth anxiety, is manualized, and includes five core CBT components: in vivo exposure, cognitive restructuring, youth psychoeducation, relaxation, and caregiver psychoeducation about anxiety. This study extended findings from a prior RCT that examined (1) the feasibility of collecting saliva samples from horses and children to measure stress (cortisol) and relaxa...
Parker RA, Clegg PD, Taylor SE.To investigate the effects of commonly used antibiotics on cell viability and gene expression of equine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) in vitro. Methods: Bone marrow-derived MSC were cultured in media containing gentamicin, amikacin, penicillin, enrofloxacin or ceftiofur at concentrations of 50, 100, 200 and 500 µg/ml. The alamarBlue fluorescence assay was used to assess cell viability over 48 h. After 5 days the cells were released and lysed prior to RNA extraction and reverse transcription. RNA levels were assessed using spectrophotometry and quantitative PCR was used...
Goodwin D, Davidson HP, Harris P.The restricted access to pasture experienced by many competition horses has been linked to the exhibition of stereotypic and redirected behaviour patterns. It has been suggested that racehorses provided with more than one source of forage are less likely to perform these patterns; however, the reasons for this are currently unclear. To investigate this in 4 replicated trials, up to 12 horses were introduced into each of 2 identical stables containing a single forage, or 6 forages for 5 min. To detect novelty effects, in the first and third trials the single forage was hay. In the second and fo...
Gacem S, Valverde A, Catalán J, Yánez Ortiz I, Soler C, Miró J.This study aimed to characterize the sperm kinematic values with high frames per second, to define the subpopulation structure of a horse and a donkey and compare them. A total of 57 fresh semen ejaculates (26 Spanish and 16 Arabian horse breeds and 10 donkeys) were collected and subsequently analyzed for kinematic parameters using the Computer-aided sperm motility analysis ISAS®v1.2 system and using a Spermtrack® 10-μm depth counting chamber. Sequences were recorded at 250 frames per second, and eight kinematic parameters were automatically evaluated. All kinematic parameters showed signif...
Klewitz J, Struebing C, Rohn K, Goergens A, Martinsson G, Orgies F, Probst J, Hollinshead F, Bollwein H, Sieme H.Color Doppler sonography has become routine for the evaluation of high-risk pregnancies in human medicine. Previous studies documenting uterine blood flow parameters in the pregnant mare have found a decrease in peripheral blood flow resistance in the first pregnancy weeks and an increase in uterine blood flow, especially in the last trimester of pregnancy. However, these studies involved only a small number of mares. No naturally occurring pregnancy abnormalities occurred that would allow blood flow changes to be retrospectively examined and analyzed. The objective of the present study was to...
Love CC, Kenney RM.The relationship between fertility and susceptibility of sperm DNA to denaturation was determined in a group of 84 actively breeding, clinically fertile stallions. Susceptibility of DNA to denaturation was determined using the sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA). The SCSA measures, mean of alpha-t (mean alpha t), standard deviation of alpha-t (SD alpha t), and the COMP of alpha-t (cells outside the main population)] were significantly correlated with the percentage seasonal pregnancy rate (SPR; mean alpha t, r = -0.24, P < or = 0.05; % COMP alpha t, r = -0.27, P < or = 0.05); percentage pre...
Whitlock F, Grewar J, Newton R.During 2019, an epidemic of equine influenza (EI) occurred in Europe. Objective: To describe the epidemiology of the 2019 EI epidemic within Great Britain (GB). Methods: Retrospective descriptive study of laboratory confirmed EI cases. Methods: Epidemiological data were obtained from veterinary surgeons referring samples for EI virus testing. Where available, data on confirmed cases and their wider resident population on EI-infected premises were collated and described. On a national level, spatial and temporal representations, consisting of choropleth maps and epidemic curves, described the s...
Hanot P, Herrel A, Guintard C, Cornette R.Organisms are organized into suites of anatomical structures that typically covary when developmentally or functionally related, and this morphological integration plays a determinant role in evolutionary processes. Artificial selection on domestic species causes strong morphological changes over short time spans, frequently resulting in a wide and exaggerated phenotypic diversity. This raises the question of whether integration constrains the morphological diversification of domestic species and how natural and artificial selection may impact integration patterns. Here, we study the morpholog...
Tassone S, Renna M, Barbera S, Valle E, Fortina R.Successful studies on in vitro digestibility measurement of feedstuffs with fecal inoculum have been reported for horses, whereas data on donkeys are currently lacking. In this study, we evaluated the use of the Daisy Incubator for in vitro digestibility measurement of feedstuffs using donkey feces as source of microbial inoculum. The method was tested using seven feedstuffs commonly used in donkey diets (alfalfa, bromegrass, ryegrass, and timothy hays; wheat bran and wheat straw; barley grains). Feces were obtained from four female donkeys, and incubations were carried out at 1-week interva...
Choi YK, Kang MS, Yoo HS, Lee DY, Lee HC, Kim DY.Acute hemorrhagic myonecrosis accompanied by severe inter- and intrafascicular edema and hemorrhage of the right gluteal area was diagnosed in a 13-year-old male thoroughbred horse. Once the muscular and fascicular changes were subsided, the horse then developed acute respiratory problem. Histologically, the lung had diffuse severe hemorrhage with mild neutrophilic infiltration. The cause of death was acute respiratory failure that is believed to occur secondary to toxaemic event. Alpha and beta2 toxin secreting Clostiridum perfringens type A was isolated from the muscle and lung. The diagnosi...
Dowdall SM, Proudman CJ, Klei TR, Mair T, Matthews JB.Cyathostomins are the most common parasitic nematodes of horses. Larval stages, which inhabit the intestinal wall, are particularly pathogenic and can cause severe colitis and colic. Despite their clinical importance, diagnostic techniques for the prepatent stages do not exist. A method that could estimate mucosal infection intensity would have a major impact on the control and diagnosis of cyathostominosis. Here, serum IgG(T) responses to two larval antigen complexes of 25 and 20 kDa were quantified in horses with experimental infections, natural infections and in horses that presented with c...
Timoney PJ.In an era of increasing globalization, the risk of spread of infectious diseases in humans and animals, including equids, has never been greater. International movement of equids and trade in semen are the most important factors responsible for the dissemination of various equine pathogens. Other factors that can or do have the potential to influence the global distribution of equine infectious diseases include: multinational trade agreements, emergent diseases, mutation of pathogens, climate related phenomena, migration of amplifying/reservoir hosts or vectors, availability of new vectors, va...
