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.
Valberg SJ.Although horses most commonly develop exertional rhabdomyolysis, there are numerous causes for nonexertional rhabdomyolysis (nonER) that pose a serious health threat to horses. Their etiologies can be broadly categorized as toxic, genetic, inflammatory/infectious, nutritional, and traumatic and a variety of diagnostic tests are available to discern among them. This study discusses causes of nonER as well as diagnostics and treatments that are specific to each etiology. General treatment of acute rhabdomyolysis is covered in detail in the study in this issue on sporadic and recurrent exertional...
Bhave A, Kieson E, Hafner A, Gloor PA.This research applies unsupervised learning on a large original dataset of horses in the wild to identify previously unidentified horse emotions. We construct a novel, high-quality, diverse dataset of 3929 images consisting of five wild horse breeds worldwide at different geographical locations. We base our analysis on the seven Panksepp emotions of mammals "Exploring", "Sadness", "Playing", "Rage", "Fear", "Affectionate" and "Lust", along with one additional emotion "Pain" which has been shown to be highly relevant for horses. We apply the contrastive learning framework MoCo (Momentum Contras...
Palmisano MG, Colmer SF, Saw YL, Xu X, Stefanovski D, Murphy L, Johnson AL.To determine the prevalence of vitamin E deficiency in horses at admission and at the time of discharge. The hypothesis was that vitamin E concentrations would decrease during hospitalization. Methods: A prospective cohort study was performed of client-owned horses admitted as patients or companions through the emergency service at a tertiary referral center. Exclusion criteria included vitamin E supplementation. Whole blood was collected into an additive-free tube at the time of admission for all horses and at discharge if the horse was hospitalized for a minimum of 5 days. Serum vitamin E co...
Lindqvist A, Nyman G, Rydén A, Wattle O.This study aimed to assess and compare the recovery of ponies and horses following general anesthesia in two different settings: a recovery box with an inflexible, adjustable ceiling, and free recovery without restraints. Our primary objective was to evaluate the effect of adjustable ceilings on the prevention of premature attempts to rise during recovery. The secondary aim was to compare the physiological stress indicators during recovery. Methods: Prospective, randomized, experimental study. Methods: Six healthy ponies and 10 healthy horses. Methods: This study used a crossover design with t...
Helbig H, Berghaus LJ, Venner M, Berghaus R, Hart KA.Adequate vitamin availability is vital for cellular and immune function and for normal growth. Available data on age-related changes in serum concentrations of vitamins in foals are limited. In addition, associations between circulating vitamin concentrations and the development of bronchopneumonia in foals are not described. Objective: (1) To quantify circulating concentrations of vitamins C, D and E from birth to weaning in foals; (2) to determine associations between vitamin concentrations and the development of bronchopneumonia during this period. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Methods...
Barot D, Usimaki A, Linardi RL, Arensberg CM, Ortved KF.Quantify the concentration of α2-macroglobulin (A2M), immunomodulatory cytokines, and TGF-β1 factors in 4 commercially available autologous blood-based products including conditioned A2M (CA2M; Alpha2EQ; Astaria Global), autologous protein solution (APS; Pro-Stride; Zoetis), platelet-rich plasma (PRP; Restigen; Zoetis), and autologous conditioned plasma (ACP; Arthrex ACP). We hypothesized that CA2M would have higher concentrations of A2M and lower concentrations of cytokines and growth factors compared to APS, PRP, and ACP. Unassigned: Blood was obtained from 6 healthy, adult horses and proc...
Boger BL, Kinsley MA, Yob CJ, Knott LE, Manfredi JM.To determine if equine platelet-rich plasma (PRP) contains Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1) and, if so, to quantify the amount of Dkk-1 in bovine thrombin (BT)-activated PRP and a control platelet lysate created using a freeze-thaw (FT) method. Unassigned: 10 adult horses were used in this experimental study. Blood was collected and processed in November 2019 and stored at -80 °C until the ELISAs were performed in October of 2023. Blood was collected from each horse, and PRP was created using a commercially available kit. Known concentrations of platelets were activated using BT or by an FT cycle to create...
van Loon JPAM, Trindade PHE, da Silva GV, Keus J, Huberts C, de Grauw JC, Lanci A.Pain assessment based on facial expressions has been described in foals. Objective: To extend previous pilot findings of the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Facial Assessment of Pain in Foals (EQUUS-FAP FOAL). Methods: Prospective blinded case-control study (known groups analysis). Methods: Video recordings (30-60 s) of n = 100 foals (38 patients and 62 controls) were collected. Videos were randomised and scored by two observers, blinded for the condition of the animals. Inter- and intra-observer agreement was tested by Intra Class Correlation (ICC) analysis. Differences between pati...
Knych HK.Pharmacokinetics is the study of the movement of drug in the body and includes the processes of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Pharmacodynamics is the pharmacologic effect of the drug on the body. The pharmacokinetics of a drug determines its pharmacologic effect. Pharmacokinetic studies describe drug concentrations while pharmacodynamics allow for assessment of drug effects. Combined pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic studies allow for integration of drug concentrations with pharmacologic effect. Data generated from pharmacokinetic studies can be especially useful in establ...
Yu YT, Olarte Castillo X, Reboul G, Zehr J, Sun Y, Anderson R, Wang M, Sun Q, Tallmadge R, Sams K, Brown J, Marra N, Stanhope B, Grenier J.... is a parvovirus that was identified in the blood of four horses in the United States. Here, we report one genome from a horse in New York State. This genome may represent a new species within the genus .
McKenzie E.The equine muscle system is complex and prone to a large range of hereditary and acquired diseases that often have overlapping clinical signs with orthopedic, neurologic, and other disorders. Obtaining a clinical history that fully outlines the client concerns and any known information about the disorder and following with a comprehensive physical examination and screening clinical pathology tests are fundamental to achieve definitive diagnosis. A methodical and comprehensive approach aids accurate diagnosis and development of an optimal treatment and management plan. This article describes th...
Flood JA, Collins NM, Russell CM, Cuming RS, Carrick JB, Cudmore LA.Sepsis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in neonatal foals. Administration of appropriate antimicrobials and early aggressive supportive treatment is central to the efficacious treatment of neonatal sepsis and has proven to positively influence outcomes. The primary aim of our study was to evaluate microorganism results and antimicrobial sensitivities of neonatal foals with a positive blood culture submitted to our intensive care unit (ICU) during 2005-2022. The secondary aim was to compare the results to those of a similar previous study performed at the same ICU during 1999-2004....
Valberg SJ.Horses are particularly susceptible to developing exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER) characterized by muscle stiffness, pain, and reluctance to move. Diagnosis requires establishing abnormal increases in serum creatine kinase activity when horses exhibit clinical signs. The 2 main categories of ER include sporadic ER arising from extrinsic causes and chronic ER that arises from intrinsic continuous or episodic abnormalities in muscle function. This article focuses on treatment of acute ER and causes and management of sporadic ER. Differential diagnoses for chronic ER as well as the pathophysiology...
Ishihara T, Nieves E, Reed R, Hofmeister E.Dobutamine is used to treat hypotension in isoflurane-anaesthetised horses but may produce arrhythmias. Halothane is a volatile anaesthetic that was, historically, widely used in horses, but in one study, 56 of 200 halothane-anaesthetised horses (28%) developed arrhythmias after dobutamine administration. Although isoflurane has largely replaced halothane, it is unknown how isoflurane and dobutamine interact in the development of arrhythmias. Methods: The medical records of horses undergoing general anaesthesia at the University of Georgia Veterinary Teaching Hospital in 2015 were reviewed ret...
Nielsen SS, Alvarez J, Boklund A, Dippel S, Dorea F, Figuerola J, Herskin M, Miranda Chueca MA, Nannoni E, Nonno R, Riber A, Stahl K, Stegeman JA....Horses of different ages may have to be killed on-farm for purposes other than slaughter (where slaughter is defined as killing for human consumption) either individually (i.e. on-farm killing of unproductive, injured or terminally ill animals) or on a large-scale (i.e. depopulation for disease control purposes and other situations, such as environmental contamination, disaster management, etc.). The purpose of this opinion is to assess the hazards and welfare consequences associated with the on-farm killing of horses. The killing procedure is divided into Phase 1 (pre-killing), which includes...
Pusterla N, Barnum S, Lawton K, Craig B, James K.Equid alphaherpesvirus 4 (EqAHV4; Orthoherpesviridae, Varicellovirus equidalpha4; equine rhinopneumonitis virus) has seldom been associated with complications such as abortion and myeloencephalopathy, given the low tendency of this virus to induce viremia. We investigated the frequency of EqAHV4 viremia in horses with fever and respiratory signs. Case selection included all equids with EqAHV4 quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR)-positive nasal secretions (defined as EqAHV4 qPCR-positive cases) submitted to a diagnostic laboratory. Controls consisted of each case submitted before and after each Eq...
Halo M, Kirchner R, Tirpák F, Slanina T, Tokárová K, Kováčik A, Miškeje M, Greń A, Formicki G, Halo M, Madeddu R, Massányi P.The abundance of chemical elements in the blood of horses can indicate the physiological balance, health of animal as well as can be taken as an indicator of environmental pollution. The aim of this work was to analyse haematological, biochemical parameters, TOS, FRAP, SOD, Gpx, TAS and their correlations with concentrations of essential and risk elements in blood of horses stabled in two different locations: The National Stud Farm Topoľčianky (n = 11; 11 stallions, consisting of the breeds 6 Lipizzan, 3 Slovak warmblood, 2 Holsteiner) and Experimental Centre at Institute of Animal Husba...
Pagan JD, Valberg SJ.Many myopathies in horses can be managed by exercise regimes and dietary modifications. This includes modifying the amount of nonstructural carbohydrate, fat, amino acids, vitamin E, and selenium based on the horse's specific myopathy, metabolic status, exercise program, and optimal body weight. Because dietary recommendations differ substantially between myopathies, it is imperative to establish a specific diagnosis. A nutritionist will help practitioners select from the myriad of offered products to ensure a balanced diet. This article provides detailed recommendations for a variety of myopa...
Resetic N, Comino F, Wilmink J, Gorvy DA.To report the management and outcomes of five horses with ear skin defects treated with the use of full-thickness mesh grafts and full-thickness Meek micrografts. Methods: Five horses with acute or granulating pinna skin wounds. Methods: Short case series. Methods: A full-thickness graft was harvested from the pectoral region under general anesthesia. The sheet graft was stretched on a sterile plastic board with the epidermal side facing down. The subcutaneous fat and fascia were removed by sharp dissection. The skin graft was then meshed by hand or using a block mesher, or manually cut into m...
González-Medina S, Hyde C, Chang YM, Piercy RJ.Sycamore tree-derived hypoglycin A (HGA) toxin causes atypical myopathy (AM), an acute, equine pasture-associated rhabdomyolysis but incidence fluctuates. Objective: Investigate whether tree or environmental factors influence HGA concentration in sycamore material and are associated with AM relative risk. Methods: Retrospective and experimental prospective study. Methods: UK sycamore population, seed production and AM incidence data were obtained. HGA concentration was measured in seeds from trees from 10 different central UK locations. The effect of tar spot infection, seed maturity, tree tru...
Marsella R.Information on skin barrier in horses is limited. A study on the epidermal ultrastructure of normal and allergic horses documented disorganized amorphous intercellular lipids in the stratum corneum of allergic samples. These findings are similar to atopic canine and human skin. Currently, there is no published study comparing skin barrier function parameters between normal and allergic horses; thus, the functional implications of the ultrastructural changes are unknown. In normal horses, body location, gender, breed, and ambient conditions affect skin barrier parameters, such as Transepidermal...
Hickman E, Carberry V, Carberry C, Cooper B, Mordant AL, Mills A, Sokolsky M, Herring LE, Alexis NE, Rebuli ME, Jaspers I, Sheats K, Rager JE.Growing evidence supports the importance of extracellular vesicle (EV) as mediators of communication in pathological processes, including those underlying respiratory disease. However, establishing methods for isolating and characterizing EVs remains challenging, particularly for respiratory samples. This study set out to address this challenge by comparing different EV isolation methods and evaluating their impacts on EV yield, markers of purity, and proteomic signatures, utilizing equine/horse bronchoalveolar lavage samples. Horses can serve as effective translational animal models for respi...
Jurisic L, Auerswald H, Marcacci M, Di Giallonardo F, Coetzee LM, Curini V, Averaimo D, Ortiz-Baez AS, Cammà C, Di Teodoro G, Richt JA, Holmes EC....Members of the RNA virus order infect hosts ranging from marine invertebrates to terrestrial mammals. As such, understanding the determinants of host range in this group of viruses, as well as their patterns of emergence and disease potential, is of clear importance. The are a recently documented family within the . To date, mesoniviruses have only been associated with the infection of arthropod species, particularly mosquitoes, and hence are regarded as insect-specific viruses (ISVs). Herein, we report the first detection of a mesonivirus-Alphamesonivirus-1 -in mammals. Specifically, we uti...
Wang W, Gibson J, Horsman S, Mikkelsen D, Bertin FR.Altered gut microbiota has been associated with dopaminergic degenerative diseases in people, but studies on horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) are lacking. Objective: Investigate the effect of PPID on fecal microbiota in horses. Methods: Nine horses with PPID and 13 age-matched control horses. Methods: Prospective control study. Fecal samples were collected bimonthly. Microbial analysis used 16S rRNA sequencing to determine the relative abundance at genus and phylum levels, assess alpha and beta diversity and identify core microbiota. Results: Horses with PPID had decrea...
Baville E, Carstanjen B, Thomas-Cancian A, Calgaro A, Bonnet N, Tiret L, Gache V, Abitbol M.Supernumerary digits, or polydactyly, have been described in various species including humans, wild and domestic animals. In horses, it represents the most common congenital limb malformation, which has only been described in isolated cases or nuclear families. Molecular aetiology has not been reported. Objective: To characterise the phenotype of a non-syndromic pre-axial polydactyly in a horse family and to decipher the inheritance pattern. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Forty-three members of the family including a previously reported polydactyl case were recruited. Available clinica...
Aziz KJ, Barwary LTOA, Issa NA, Abdulwahid MJ.This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Theileria equi (T. equi) and Babesia caballi (B. caballi) in racing horses in Erbil Province, Iraq, and to assess the associated hemato-biochemical changes in infected animals. Methods: A total of 196 horses, including 155 clinically healthy and 41 clinically suspected infected animals, were examined using Giemsa-stained blood films and PCR to determine the prevalence rates. Additionally, the hemato-biochemical parameters of infected horses were compared to a non-infected control group (n = 10). Results: The prevalence of T. equi and B. cabal...
Chapman M, Fenner K, Thomas MJW.Equestrianism has an opportunity to learn lessons relating to safer human-horse interactions from those who no longer have a voice, by drawing data from the investigation of horse-related human fatalities and participating in accident analysis. Many human-horse related injuries and fatalities are not examined in equestrianism for the purpose of developing safer future risk mitigation practice, often due to the philosophy that horse sport is simply dangerous. This study analysed data from the Australian National Coronial Information System (NCIS) relating to fatalities involving human-horse int...
Dufourni A, Demeyere M, Vera L, van Loon G, Decloedt A.This study aimed to compare two-dimensional, M-mode, color, pulsed-wave Doppler (PWD) and continuous-wave Doppler (CWD) echocardiography, and PWD ultrasonography of the caudal common carotid artery (CCA) in horses with aortic regurgitation (AR). Methods: Warmblood horses without (n = 20) and with mild, moderate, and severe AR (n = 60) were included in the study. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study focused on cardiac dimensions, aortic and CCA Doppler flow. Non-invasive blood pressure and presence of ventricular arrhythmia were recorded. Groups were compared using analysis of varianc...
Domańska-Kruppa N, Stefanik E, Wierzbicka M, Kleinpeter A.Cervical spine injuries that impact young horses and foals can result in mild to severe neurological signs or even result in sudden death. There are only a few reports on conservative treatment options for this condition in the scientific literature. If the condition is left untreated, it can lead to the development of degenerative joint disease, resulting in chronic neurological symptoms and discomfort. We present the case of a two-day-old Arabian foal that showed signs of ataxia following a neck injury, being the result of cervical spine subluxation. Radiological examination revealed a dislo...
Webster AP, Price T, Ingersoll T, Suagee-Bedore JK, White RR.Our objectives were to use a quantitative literature review to explore dietary and feed factors influencing apparent total-tract digestibility of dry matter (DMD), crude protein (CPD), neutral detergent fiber (NDFD), ether extract (EED), non-structural carbohydrates (NSCD), non-fiber carbohydrates (NFCD), and residual organic matter (rOMD) in equine diets, and to assess their contributions to digestible energy (DE) supplies. Data from 54 studies were modeled using linear mixed-effect regressions, with publication as a random effect to account for study variability. For each nutrient, five mode...
Campbell AJ, Gasser RB, Chilton NB.In the current study, molecular techniques were evaluated for the species identification of individual strongyle eggs. Adult worms of Strongylus edentatus, S. equinus and S. vulgaris were collected at necropsy from horses from Australia and the U.S.A. Genomic DNA was isolated and a ribosomal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) amplified and sequenced using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. The length of the ITS-2 sequence of S. edentatus, S. equinus and S. vulgaris ranged between 217 and 235 nucleotides. Extensive sequence analysis demonstrated a low degree (0-0.9%) of intraspecific variation...
Schauer SN, Sontakke SD, Watson ED, Esteves CL, Donadeu FX.Previous evidence from in vitro studies suggests specific roles for a subset of miRNAs, including miR-21, miR-23a, miR-145, miR-503, miR-224, miR-383, miR-378, miR-132, and miR-212, in regulating ovarian follicle development. The objective of this study was to determine changes in the levels of these miRNAs in relation to follicle selection, maturation, and ovulation in the monovular equine ovary. In Experiment 1, follicular fluid was aspirated during ovulatory cycles from the dominant (DO) and largest subordinate (S) follicles of an ovulatory wave and the dominant (DA) follicle of a mid-cycle...
Nunamaker DM, Butterweck DM, Provost MT.The North American Thoroughbred racehorse was chosen as a model to study the pathogenesis of fatigue failure of bone. This species has a high incidence of spontaneous fatigue failure of bone (bucked shins) during its early training. In vivo strain gauge studies of the third metacarpal bone of four young racehorses running at racing speeds showed high principal compressive strains [-4,841 +/- 572 (SD) microstrain] while two older horses had lower principal compressive strains (-3,317 microstrain measured at racing speed, -3,250 microstrain extrapolated from a slower speed run). Previously repor...
Wagner PD, Gillespie JR, Landgren GL, Fedde MR, Jones BW, DeBowes RM, Pieschl RL, Erickson HH.Arterial hypoxemia has been reported in horses during heavy exercise, but its mechanism has not been determined. With the use of the multiple inert gas elimination technique, we studied five horses, each on two separate occasions, to determine the physiological basis of the hypoxemia that developed during horizontal treadmill exercise at speeds of 4, 10, 12, and 13-14 m/s. Mean, blood temperature-corrected, arterial PO2 fell from 89.4 Torr at rest to 80.7 and 72.1 Torr at 12 and 13-14 m/s, respectively, whereas corresponding PaCO2 values were 40.3, 40.3, and 39.2 Torr. Alveolar-arterial PO2 di...
Burrell MH, Wood JL, Whitwell KE, Chanter N, Mackintosh ME, Mumford JA.A longitudinal study of respiratory disease in racehorses was carried out to assess its relative associations with different infectious agents and to examine any role that the environmental conditions might play. The relationships between coughing, nasal discharge, pyrexia and lower respiratory tract disease were also examined to provide information for improving clinical diagnosis, particularly of disease of the lower respiratory tract. Lower airway disease was closely associated with infection with Streptococcus zooepidemicus. It was also found that equine herpesvirus seroconversions and S p...
Maury W.In vivo, equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) replicates in tissues rich in macrophages, and it is widely believed that the tissue macrophage is the principal, if not sole, cell within the host that replicates virus. No viral replication has been detected in circulating peripheral blood monocytes. However, proviral DNA can be detected in these cells, and monocytes may serve as a reservoir for the virus. In this study, an in vitro model was developed to clarify the role of monocyte maturation in regulating EIAV expression. Freshly isolated, nonadherent equine peripheral blood monocytes were in...
Carpenter S, Evans LH, Sevoian M, Chesebro B.Equine infectious anemia virus was isolated from peripheral blood leukocytes collected during two early febrile cycles of an experimentally infected horse. RNase T1-resistant oligonucleotide fingerprint analyses indicated that the nucleotide sequences of the isolates differed by approximately 0.25% and that the differences appeared randomly distributed throughout the genome. Serum collected in the interval between virus isolations was able to distinguish the isolates by membrane immunofluorescence on live cells. However, no neutralizing antibody was detected in the interval between virus isola...
Naskou MC, Sumner SM, Chocallo A, Kemelmakher H, Thoresen M, Copland I, Galipeau J, Peroni JF.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) produced for clinical purposes rely on culture media containing fetal bovine serum (FBS) which is xenogeneic and has the potential to significantly alter the MSC phenotype, rendering these cells immunogenic. As a result of bovine-derived exogenous proteins expressed on the cell surface, MSCs may be recognized by the host immune system as non-self and be rejected. Platelet lysate (PL) may obviate some of these concerns and shows promising results in human medicine as a possible alternative to FBS. Our goal was to evaluate the use of equine platelet lysate (ePL) poo...
Colenbrander B, Gadella BM, Stout TA.Pregnancy rates in managed horse populations depend on the innate fertility of the mares and stallions involved and on the quality of breeding management. Of course, because a single stallion usually mates many mares, stallion fertility is a critical factor in the overall success of a breeding program. Unfortunately, accurate evaluation of stallion fertility per se requires a large number of normal mares to be mated and is necessarily retrospective. Rather, the ideal is to predict fertility in advance of the stallion's breeding career, and this is currently attempted by way of a thorough physi...
Hendrickson DA, Nixon AJ, Grande DA, Todhunter RJ, Minor RM, Erb H, Lust G.Cartilage resurfacing by chondrocyte implantation, with fibrin used as a vehicle, was examined in large (12 mm) full-thickness articular cartilage defects in horses. Articular chondrocytes, isolated from a 9-day-old foal, were mixed with fibrinogen and injected with thrombin, in a 1:1 mixture, into 12 mm circular defects on the lateral trochlea of the distal femur of eight normal horses. The contralateral femoropatellar (knee) joint served as a control in which the defect was left empty. Synovial fluid from the femoropatellar joints was sampled on days 0, 4, 7, 30, 120, and 240 postoperatively...
Smith RK, Birch H, Patterson-Kane J, Firth EC, Williams L, Cherdchutham W, van Weeren WR, Goodship AE.In human athletes, conditioning, training and competition are commenced before skeletal maturity. Yet in equine athletics, racing of young (age 2 years) horses remains contentious. Tendon injury persists as major causes of wastage in equine athletes. Minimising injury and associated welfare issues could involve a radical approach to the timing and implementation of conditioning and training. Tendons were examined from Thoroughbreds, Dutch Warmblood foals, working horses and also a group of wild horses to evaluate effects of age, function and exercise. Gross mechanical properties did not differ...
Qablan MA, Oborník M, Petrželková KJ, Sloboda M, Shudiefat MF, Hořín P, Lukeš J, Modrý D.Microscopic diagnosis of equine piroplasmoses, caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, is hindered by low parasitaemia during the latent phase of the infections. However, this constraint can be overcome by the application of PCR followed by sequencing. Out of 288 animals examined, the piroplasmid DNA was detected in 78 (27·1%). Multiplex PCR indicated that T. equi (18·8%) was more prevalent than B. caballi (7·3%), while mixed infections were conspicuously absent. Sequences of 69 PCR amplicons obtained by the 'catch-all' PCR were in concordance with those amplified by the multiplex str...
Thomas KE, Annest JL, Gilchrist J, Bixby-Hammett DM.To characterise and provide nationally representative estimates of persons with non-fatal horse related injuries treated in American emergency departments. Methods: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP) is a stratified probability sample comprising 66 hospitals. Data on injuries treated in these emergency departments are collected and reported. NEISS-AIP data on all types (horseback riding and otherwise) of non-fatal horse related injuries from 2001 to 2003 were analysed. Results: An estimated 102,904 persons with non-fatal horse related injuries (35...
Schmidt A, Hödl S, Möstl E, Aurich J, Müller J, Aurich C.Domestic animals are often repeatedly exposed to the same anthropogenic stressors. Based on cortisol secretion and heart rate, it has been demonstrated that transport is stressful for horses, but so far, changes in this stress response with repeated road transport have not been reported. We determined salivary cortisol concentrations, fecal cortisol metabolites, cardiac beat-to-beat (RR) interval, and heart rate variability (HRV) in transport-naive horses (N = 8) transported 4 times over a standardized course of 200 km. Immunoreactive salivary cortisol concentrations always increased in respon...
Schoster A, Weese JS, Guardabassi L.The gastrointestinal microbiota is extremely important for human and animal health. Investigations into the composition of the microbiota and its therapeutic modification have received increasing interest in human and veterinary medicine. Probiotics are a way of modifying the microbiota and have been tested to prevent and treat diseases. Probiotics are proposed to exert their beneficial effects through various pathways. Production of antimicrobial compounds targeting intestinal pathogens, general immune stimulation, and colonization resistance are among these mechanisms. Despite widespread ava...
Goodship AE, Birch HL, Wilson AM.Injury of the collagenous structures comprising tendons and ligaments, either from acute trauma or from repetitive strain lesions, results in protracted periods of disability. The resolution of such injuries often fails to restore the normal morphologic and functional characteristics of the structure and, therefore, either compromises the future performance of the individual or predisposes to an increased risk of recurrent injury.
Marędziak M, Marycz K, Smieszek A, Lewandowski D, Toker NY.The aim of this study was to evaluate the proliferation rate and morphological changes of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells of canine and equine origin (Eq- and CaAdMSC). Investigated cells were exposed to a static magnetic field (MF) with the intensity of 0.5 T. Proliferation activity of cells was determined with the Alamar Blue assay. Obtained results, normalized in respect to the control culture, showed that EqAdMSC exposed to MF maintained a high proliferation status, whereas proliferation activity of CaAdMSC cultured in the presence of MF was decreased. Estimations of population doub...
Hoopes JT, Stark CJ, Kim HA, Sussman DJ, Donovan DM, Nelson DC.Streptococcus equi is the causative agent of the purulent infection equine strangles. This disease is transmitted through shedding of live bacteria from nasal secretions and abscess drainage or by contact with surfaces contaminated by the bacteria. Disinfectants are effective against S. equi, but inactivation by environmental factors, damage to equipment, and toxicity are of great concern. Bacteriophage-encoded lysins (cell wall hydrolases) have been investigated as therapeutic agents due to their ability to lyse susceptible gram-positive organisms. Here, we investigate the use of one lysin, P...
de la Rosa G, Olvera F, Archundia IG, Lomonte B, Alagón A, Corzo G.Antivenoms are fundamental in the therapy for snakebites. In elapid venoms, there are toxins, e.g. short-chain α-neurotoxins, which are quite abundant, highly toxic, and consequently play a major role in envenomation processes. The core problem is that such α-neurotoxins are weakly immunogenic, and many current elapid antivenoms show low reactivity towards them. We have previously developed a recombinant consensus short-chain α-neurotoxin (ScNtx) based on sequences from the most lethal elapid venoms from America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Here we report that an antivenom generated by immu...
Brommer H, Brama PA, Laasanen MS, Helminen HJ, van Weeren PR, Jurvelin JS.The concept of functional adapatation of articular cartilage during maturation has emerged from earlier biochemical research. However, articular cartilage has principally a biomechanical function governed by joint loading. Objective: To verify whether the concept of functional adaptation can be confirmed by direct measurement of biomechanical properties of cartilage. Objective: Fetuses have homogeneous (i.e. site-independent) cartilage with regard to biomechanical properties. During growth and development to maturity, the biomechanical characteristics adapt according to functional (loading) de...
Mensing N, Gasse H, Hambruch N, Haeger JD, Pfarrer C, Staszyk C.The equine periodontium provides tooth support and lifelong tooth eruption on a remarkable scale. These functions require continuous tissue remodeling. It is assumed that multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) reside in the periodontal ligament (PDL) and play a crucial role in regulating physiological periodontal tissue regeneration. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize equine periodontal MSC. Tissue samples were obtained from four healthy horses. Primary cell populations were harvested and cultured from the gingiva, from three horizontal levels of the PDL (apical, midtoo...
Perkins GA, Wagner B.The development of equine immunity from the fetus to adulthood is complex. The foal's immune response and the immune mechanisms that they are equipped with, along with changes over the first months of life until the immune system becomes adult-like, are only partially understood. While several innate immune responses seem to be fully functional from birth, the onset of adaptive immune response is delayed. For some adaptive immune parameters, such as immunoglobin (Ig)G1, IgG3, IgG5 and IgA antibodies, the immune response starts before or at birth and matures within 3 months of life. Other antib...
O'Meara B, Bladon B, Parkin TD, Fraser B, Lischer CJ.There is limited information regarding the number of races and the period for evaluation of outcome which is critical for assessment of SDF tendonitis treatments. Objective: To evaluate the re-injury rate and racing performance of Thoroughbred racehorses that sustain SDF tendonitis in relation to matched controls in terms of number of races post treatment and maximum racing performance ratings before and after injury. Methods: Clinical records and racing histories of 401 racehorses with a first occurrence of SDF tendonitis diagnosed by ultrasonography. Controls were of the same age, sex and we...
Frischknecht M, Jagannathan V, Plattet P, Neuditschko M, Signer-Hasler H, Bachmann I, Pacholewska A, Drögemüller C, Dietschi E, Flury C, Rieder S....The identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) such as height and their underlying causative variants is still challenging and often requires large sample sizes. In humans hundreds of loci with small effects control the heritable portion of height variability. In domestic animals, typically only a few loci with comparatively large effects explain a major fraction of the heritability. We investigated height at withers in Shetland ponies and mapped a QTL to ECA 6 by genome-wide association (GWAS) using a small cohort of only 48 animals and the Illumina equine SNP70 BeadChip. Fine-mapping re...
Klaus C, Hörügel U, Hoffmann B, Beer M.During a routine examination of 130 horse sera from 13 herds in Thuringia one TBEV antibody positive serum - with a very high titre - could be detected. The horse had been bought from a holding in Bavaria, and was reported to have clinical signs that may have been caused by a TBEV infection. To identify the source of the suspected TBEV infection, ticks from the surroundings of the barn in Thuringia as well as horse sera and ticks from two herds in Bavaria were examined. In the holding in Bavaria, where the horse was kept before, two out of ten horse sera were found to be TBEV antibody positive...
de Grauw JC, van de Lest CH, Brama PA, Rambags BP, van Weeren PR.Meloxicam is a commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug in equine practice, but little is known about its in vivo effects on joint inflammation and cartilage turnover. Objective: To study the effects of meloxicam on biomarkers of inflammation, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity, and cartilage biomarkers in joints with experimental synovitis. Methods: In a 2-period cross-over study, synovitis was induced at T = 0 h in the L or R intercarpal joint of 6 horses by intraarticular injection of 0.5 ng lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Horses received once daily meloxicam (0.6 mg/kg bwt per os) ...
Ali A, Zahid H, Zeb I, Tufail M, Khan S, Haroon M, Tufail M, Bilal M, Hussain M, Alouffi AS, Muñoz-Leal S, Labruna MB.Studies on ticks infesting equids are lacking in various parts of the world, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. The aim of this study was to investigate the diversity of ticks infesting equids, associated risk factors and rickettsial detection in ticks from equids in KP. Methods: Inspection of 404 equid hosts from November 2018 to October 2019 resulted in the collection of 550 ticks. Data on tick-associated risk factors were collected from equid owners by means of a questionnaire. After morphological identification, partial DNA sequences of the tick mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene were u...
Bartolomé E, Sánchez MJ, Molina A, Schaefer AL, Cervantes I, Valera M.The aims of this study were, first, to evaluate eye temperature (ET) with infrared thermography and heart rate (HR) to measure stress in horses during show jumping competitions and their relationship with competition results, and second, to evaluate the influence of different extrinsic and intrinsic factors of the horse on the stress measurements analysed. One hundred and seventy-three Spanish Sport Horses were analysed for ET and HR, and these measurements were taken 3 h before the competition, just after and 3 h after it. Two interval measurements were also assessed for each parameter. Posit...
Kotilainen T, Huhtinen M, Katila T.The objective of this study was to investigate the inflammatory reaction induced in the equine uterus by insemination with fresh and frozen semen. Eleven groups (6 to 8 mares per group) were studied during 2 breeding seasons. The mares were inseminated using raw semen, frozen semen, extended fresh and frozen semen, concentrated fresh semen, seminal plasma and seminal extenders only. One group was bred naturally. Six hours after insemination, the uteri were flushed with 50 ml of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Seventeen out of 104 samples (16%) exhibited slight bacterial growth. Neutrophil con...
Clutterbuck AL, Smith JR, Allaway D, Harris P, Liddell S, Mobasheri A.This study employed a targeted high-throughput proteomic approach to identify the major proteins present in the secretome of articular cartilage. Explants from equine metacarpophalangeal joints were incubated alone or with interleukin-1beta (IL-1β, 10ng/ml), with or without carprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, for six days. After tryptic digestion of culture medium supernatants, resulting peptides were separated by HPLC and detected in a Bruker amaZon ion trap instrument. The five most abundant peptides in each MS scan were fragmented and the fragmentation patterns compared to m...
