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Topic:Equine Health
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.
Influence of Exercise, Age, Body weight, and Growth on the Development of Tarsal Osteoarthritis in Young Mangalarga Marchador Horses. In this study, the effect of early exercise, age, body weight (BW), and growth on the articular cartilage and subchondral bones of the tarsocrural joints was evaluated in 40 young Mangalarga Marchador horses allowed free choice exercise in pasture. Twenty of the horses had additional controlled exercise 3 days per week from a mean age of 30 ± 20 days until 36 months. The training program consisted of an increasing number of 15-minute gallop sprints in an oval paddock with a concrete floor covered by a thick layer of sand. BW, withers height (WH), and neck circumference were measured and bo...
Genetic variability and history of a native Finnish horse breed. The Finnhorse was established as a breed more than 110 years ago by combining local Finnish landraces. Since its foundation, the breed has experienced both strong directional selection, especially for size and colour, and severe population bottlenecks that are connected with its initial foundation and subsequent changes in agricultural and forestry practices. Here, we used sequences of the mitochondrial control region and genomic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to estimate the genetic diversity and differentiation of the four Finnhorse breeding sections: trotters, pony-sized horses, dr...
Case Study: How Horses Helped a Teenager with Autism Make Friends and Learn How to Work. I was born in 1947 and had autism with speech delay until age four. I am now a college professor of animal science. Horse activities enabled me to make friends through a shared interest in horses. This paper describes the benefits that I experienced from working with horses and my friendships and work skills. A close friendship developed with another student through both riding and horse craft projects. Keeping employment is a serious problem for many people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The responsibility of caring for horses and cleaning stalls every day taught me good work skills. My...
A genomic prediction model for racecourse starts in the Thoroughbred horse. Durability traits in Thoroughbred horses are heritable, economically valuable and may affect horse welfare. The aims of this study were to test the hypotheses that (i) durability traits are heritable and (ii) genetic data may be used to predict a horse's potential to have a racecourse start. Heritability for the phenotype 'number of 2- and 3-year-old starts' was estimated to be = 0.11 ± 0.02 (n = 4499). A genome-wide association study identified SNP contributions to the trait. The neurotrimin (NTM), opioid-binding protein/cell adhesion molecule like (OPCML) and prolylcarboxypeptidase ...
The Impact of Equine-Assisted Therapy on Equine Behavioral and Physiological Responses. Equine-assisted therapies (EATs) have been widely used in the treatment of patients with mental or physical conditions. However, studies on the influence of equine-assisted therapy (EAT) on equine welfare are very recent, and the need for further research is often highlighted. The aim of this study was to investigate whether EAT creates negative or positive emotions in horses, and the influence of patients' expectations (one group of patients had physical and psychological expectations and one group of patients had only psychological expectations) on horses' emotional responses. Fifty-eight pa...
Clinical efficacy of bronchodilators in equine asthma: Looking for minimal important difference. Airway obstruction is the main trait of severe equine asthma that affects respiratory function and elicits detrimental effects on clinical presentation. Only few and underpowered clinical studies have investigated the impact of improvement in lung function induced by bronchodilators on the clinical signs of asthma-affected horses. Objective: To identify the minimal important difference (MID) in lung function elicited by bronchodilator leading to a meaningful improvement in clinical signs. Methods: Pairwise meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis. Methods: Literature searches were performed ...
Steroids in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy and at parturition in the mare. Historically, studies on the endocrinology of pregnancy and parturition in horses have made major contributions of relevance to mammals in general. Recent use of liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, measuring multiple steroid hormones simultaneously in blood, foetal and placental tissues throughout normal gestation, and in mares with experimentally induced placentitis, has advanced our current understanding of many of the unusual strategies seen during gestation and at foaling. This includes the stimulation of luteal steroidogeneisis by equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) from the endometr...
Equine viral arteritis: not just a reproductive disease. Following the recent confirmation of cases of equine viral arteritis in stallions in south-west England, James Crabtree of Equine Reproductive Services (UK) discusses the disease and its potential routes of spread into and around the UK.
Behavioral and Physiological Differences between Working Horses and Chilean Rodeo Horses in a Handling Test. Non-invasive measures are preferred when assessing animal welfare. Differences in behavioral and physiological responses toward a stressor could be the result of the selection of horses for specific uses. Behavioral and physiological responses of working and Chilean rodeo horses subjected to a handling test were assessed. Five behaviors, number of attempts, and the time to cross a bridge were video recorded and analyzed with the Observer XT software. Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV), to assess the physiological response to the novel stimulus, were registered with a Polar Equine...
Periovulatory administration of firocoxib did not alter ovulation rates and mitigated post-breeding inflammatory response in mares. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a therapeutic option for the treatment of inflammation. However, negative effects of non-selective NSAIDs for treatment of mares with endometritis have been described, including delayed uterine clearance and impairment of ovulations. Firocoxib is a specific cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor and has the ability to act in the uterus of mares. We investigated the effects of firocoxib on ovulation rate, numbers of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs), and COX-2 protein levels in the endometrial tissue of susceptible mares after insemination. Two ...
Effect of proinflammatory cytokines on endometrial collagen and metallopeptidase expression during the course of equine endometrosis. Equine endometrosis (endometrial fibrosis) is a degenerative chronic process that occurs in the uterus of the mare and disturbs proper endometrial function. Fibrosis is attributed to excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) components. The turnover of ECM is mediated by matrix metallopeptidases (MMP). Previously, it was shown that cytokines modulate MMP expression in other tissues and may regulate fibrosis indirectly by attracting inflammatory cells to the site of inflammation and directly on various tissues. However, the regulation of MMP expression in equine endometrosis is still r...
Genome-Wide Homozygosity Patterns and Evidence for Selection in a Set of European and Near Eastern Horse Breeds. Intensive artificial and natural selection have shaped substantial variation among European horse breeds. Whereas most equine selection signature studies employ divergent genetic population structures in order to derive specific inter-breed targets of selection, we screened a total of 1476 horses originating from 12 breeds for the loss of genetic diversity by runs of homozygosity (ROH) utilizing a 670,000 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping array. Overlapping homozygous regions (ROH islands) indicating signatures of selection were identified by breed and similarities/dissimilaritie...
In vitro evaluation of the knot-holding capacity and security, weight, and volume of forwarder knots tied with size-3 polyglactin 910 suture exposed to air, balanced electrolyte solution, or equine abdominal fat. To evaluate the effect of exposure to a balanced electrolyte solution (BES), or equine abdominal fat on the knot-holding capacity (KHC), relative knot security (RKS), weight, and volume of forwarder knots versus surgeon's knots. Methods: 315 knots tied and tested in vitro. Methods: United States Pharmacopeia size-3 polyglactin 910 suture exposed to air (dry [control]), equine abdominal fat (fat-exposed), or BES (BES-exposed) was used to tie forwarder knots with 2, 3, and 4 throws and surgeon's knots with 5, 6, 7, and 8 throws. A universal materials testing machine was used to test the tensile ...
Validation of a portable device (iSperm® ) for the assessment of stallion sperm motility and concentration. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of a novel, portable device (iSperm Equine for assessing concentration and motility of stallion semen). In the first experiment, semen concentration was determined by the iSperm Equine (Aidmics Biotechnology), Androvision (Minitube) and NucleoCounter SP-100™ (ChemoMetec). The total motility and progressive motility were determined by the iSperm Equine and the Androvision using the manufacturer's guidelines. Frozen/thawed semen samples (n = 33) at various dilutions were analysed for concentration and motility with the above-mentioned ...
Effects of blood-derived products and sodium hyaluronate on equine synovial fluid cells and on synovial fluid from osteochondrotic joints of horses after arthroscopy and administration of treatment. To compare effects of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein (IRAP), autologous processed plasma (APP), and sodium hyaluronate treatments on synovial fluid cells in vitro and on synovial fluid obtained from osteochondrotic joints of horses. Methods: Synovial fluid cells from 8 healthy equine tibiotarsal joints (in vitro experiment) and synovial fluid samples from 40 tibiotarsal joints of 25 horses with osteochondrosis dissecans (in vivo experiment). Methods: Effects of various treatments on concentrations of prostaglandin (PG) E2, interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necr...
Comparison of various types of inert gas components on efficacy of an alveolar recruitment maneuver in dorsally recumbent anesthetized horses. To assess effects of nitrogen and helium on efficacy of an alveolar recruitment maneuver (ARM) for improving pulmonary mechanics and oxygen exchange in anesthetized horses. Methods: 6 healthy adult horses. Methods: Horses were anesthetized twice in a randomized crossover study. Isoflurane-anesthetized horses in dorsal recumbency were ventilated with 30% oxygen and 70% nitrogen (treatment N) or heliox (30% oxygen and 70% helium; treatment H) as carrier gas. After 60 minutes, an ARM was performed. Optimal positive end-expiratory pressure was identified and maintained for 120 minutes. Throughout ...
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of olopatadine following administration via nasogastric tube to healthy horses. To investigate the pharmacokinetics and antihistaminic effects (pharmacodynamics) of olopatadine in a small population of healthy horses after administration via nasogastric tube. Methods: 4 healthy adult Thoroughbreds. Methods: Olopatadine (0.1 mg/kg, once) was administered via nasogastric tube. Blood samples were collected at predetermined time points for pharmacokinetic analyses of the drug in plasma. Olopatadine effects were investigated by measurement of cutaneous wheals induced by ID histamine injection (0.1 mL [10 μg]/injection) at predetermined time points. Inhibition effect ratios we...
Effect of delayed plasma centrifugation on equine adrenocorticotropic hormone concentration. Plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentration is used in the diagnosis of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) in horses. We enrolled 10 horses, 5 PPID-positive and 5 PPID-negative, in our study, September 20-22, 2016. On day 0, 5 mL of whole blood was collected into each of 6 EDTA tubes and immediately placed in a refrigerator at 7°C. One tube was centrifuged within 15 min of collection, followed by centrifugation of one tube from each horse at 4, 8, 12, 24, and 36 h following collection. At each time, centrifuged plasma was pipetted into 1.5-mL polypropylene tubes and stor...
Antimicrobial stewardship in equine practice. Antimicrobial stewardship involves the judicious use of antimicrobials balanced against the requirement to treat the presenting clinical condition. The same mandate and principles as discussed in human medicine and other veterinary disciplines are relevant to equine practice. This brief review will focus on available resources for equine practitioners, emerging perspectives on antimicrobial use and stewardship, and opportunities for more effective antimicrobial use in equine practice. There is a need for improved client education, availability of faster and more accurate techniques for identif...
Intra-articular anaesthesia of the equine stifle improves foot lameness. Equine diagnostic anaesthesia can be a useful tool in challenging lameness examinations. However, anaesthetics diffuse over time leading to nonspecific desensitisation of periarticular structures. Nerves that convey sensation from the distal limb to the central nervous system pass in close proximity to the caudal stifle joint capsule. Therefore, diffusion of intra-articular (IA) anaesthetics could cause inadvertent desensitisation of the distal limb resulting in a false diagnosis of stifle lameness. Objective: To determine if IA stifle anaesthesia can alleviate lameness originating in the dist...
Seroprevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi infections in horses: first report from Northern Bulgaria – Short communication. Lyme borreliosis, granulocytic anaplasmosis and monocytic ehrlichiosis are well studied in humans and dogs. In horses, these diseases are not widely investigated and limited information is available about their occurrence. The purpose of this study was to present the first ELISA-based report on the seroprevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi in horses from Northern Bulgaria. A total of 192 horses were investigated from three regions in Northern Bulgaria (Northwestern, North-Central and Northeastern Bulgaria). All equine sera were tested for A. phagocyto...
Serological responses of Australian horses using a commercial duplex indirect ELISA following vaccination against strangles. To determine the nature of serological responses in Australian horses using a commercial duplex indirect ELISA (iELISA) following vaccination against strangles. Methods: A group (n = 19) of client-owned horses from five properties were recruited to receive a primary course of a Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (S. equi) extract vaccine. Serological responses were determined by duplex iELISA incorporating S. equi-specific fragments of two cell wall proteins, SEQ2190 and SeM (antigens (Ag) A and C, respectively). Methods: The horses were administered a primary strangles vaccination course. Blood w...
No polymorphisms in the coding region of the prion-like protein gene in Thoroughbred racehorses. Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative diseases characterised by the accumulation of an abnormal prion protein isoform (PrP), which is converted from the normal prion protein (PrP). Prion diseases have been reported in an extensive number of species but not in horses up to now; therefore, horses are known to be a species resistant to prion diseases. The prion-like protein gene () is closely located downstream of the prion protein gene () and the prion-like protein (Doppel) is a homologue with PrP. Previous studies have shown that an association between prion diseases and polymorphisms of t...
Ex vivo investigation of the effect of the transverse arytenoid ligament on abduction of the arytenoid cartilage when performing equine laryngoplasty. To investigate the effect of the transverse arytenoid ligament (TAL) on abduction of the arytenoid cartilage when performing laryngoplasty. Modified prosthetic laryngoplasty was performed on right and left sides of 13 cadaver larynges. Increasing force was sequentially applied to the left arytenoid cartilage at 3 N intervals from 0-24 N, when the force on the right arytenoid cartilage was either 0 or 24 N, before and after TAL transection. Digital photographs of the rostral aspect of the larynx were used to determine the left arytenoid abduction angles for these given force combinations and ...
Use of a cervical stent for long-term treatment of pyometra in the mare: A report of three cases. An effective long-term treatment is necessary for mares with pyometra, because the condition tends to recur. In many affected animals, several conformational or anatomical anomalies contribute to impaired uterine clearance. Ovariohysterectomy is the surgical procedure of choice. Conservative therapy consists of draining and flushing the uterus, and systemic anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial treatment. Uterine secretions tend to accumulate again after local treatment, especially in mares with poor vaginal conformation or cervical adhesions. Herein, we describe three cases in which a cervical ...
Physics of animal health: on the mechano-biology of hoof growth and form. Global inequalities in economic access and agriculture productivity imply that a large number of developing countries rely on working equids for transport/agriculture/mining. Therefore, the understanding of hoof conditions/shape variations affecting equids' ability to work is still a persistent concern. To bridge this gap, using a multi-scale interdisciplinary approach, we provide a bio-physical model predicting the shape of equids' hooves as a function of physical and biological parameters. In particular, we show (i) where the hoof growth stress originates from, (ii) why the hoof growth rate ...
Animal behaviour in a human world: A crowdsourcing study on horses that open door and gate mechanisms. Anecdotal reports of horses opening fastened doors and gates are an intriguing way of exploring the possible scope of horses' problem-solving capacities. The species' natural environment has no analogues of the mechanisms involved. Scientific studies on the topic are missing, because the rate of occurrence is too low for exploration under controlled conditions. Therefore, we compiled from lay persons case reports of horses opening closed doors and gates. Additionally, we collected video documentations at the internet platform YouTube, taking care to select raw data footage of unedited, clearly...
Effects of positive end-expiratory pressure alone or an open-lung approach on recruited lung volumes and respiratory mechanics of mechanically ventilated horses. To evaluate the effects of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) alone and PEEP preceded by lung recruitment manoeuvre (LRM) on lung volumes and respiratory system mechanics in healthy horses undergoing general anaesthesia. Methods: Controlled, prospective clinical study. Methods: A group of 15 horses undergoing arthroscopy. Methods: Following anaesthetic induction, initial ventilatory settings were: tidal volume 15 mL kg, inspiratory:expiratory ratio 1:2, respiratory rate to maintain end-tidal CO between 5.3-6.6 kPa (40-50 mmHg). The following settings were implemented sequentially: zero PE...
Serological Evidence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsia spp. Exposure in Horses from Central Italy. Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Rickettsia spp. are tick-borne bacteria of veterinary and human concern. In view of the One-Health concept, the present study wanted to evaluate the spreading of these pathogens in horses living in central Italy. In particular, the aim of the investigation was to verify the exposure to A. phagocytophilum in order to update the prevalence of this pathogen in the equine population from this area, and to spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia spp. to evaluate a possible role of horses in the epidemiology of rickettsiosis. Indirect immunofluorescent assay was carried ou...
