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.
Löfqvist L, Pinzke S.The horse industry in Sweden has rapidly expanded in recent years. This increasing number of horses implies a greater need for more farriers. Shoeing a horse is hard physical work, and includes awkward work postures and repetitive movements. It is well known that hard physical work increases the risk of injuries and musculoskeletal problems. The risk is especially high for musculoskeletal disorders when certain movements are constantly repeated. Heavy or repeated unilateral loads lead to considerable stress on the muscles, which can lead to rupture and fatigue that can cause long term problems...
Schemann K, Firestone SM, Taylor MR, Toribio JA, Ward MP, Dhand NK.Following the first ever equine influenza outbreak in Australia in 2007, a study was conducted involving 200 horse owners and managers to determine their perceptions about effectiveness of biosecurity measures and the factors associated with these perceptions. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with horse owners/managers to obtain information about their perceptions of the effectiveness of biosecurity practices, their sources of information about infection control during the outbreak and their horse industry involvement. Two outcome variables were created from horse owners' responses to a ...
Tanner JC, Rogers CW, Firth EC.There is increasing evidence that exercise early in life has a positive effect on musculoskeletal health. At present, there is little whole population research investigating the effect of racing as 2-year-olds on future racing career. Objective: To investigate the association between attaining training milestones as 2-year-olds with length of career and racing success in Thoroughbred horses in New Zealand. Methods: Retrospective data were obtained of the 2001/02-born Thoroughbred foal crop. The 3 training milestones were: registered with a trainer, trialled and raced. The association of the tr...
Macías García B, Ortega Ferrusola C, Aparicio IM, Miró-Morán A, Morillo Rodriguez A, Gallardo Bolaños JM, González Fernández L....Glycerol is, to date, the most widely used cryoprotectant to freeze stallion spermatozoa at concentrations between 2% and 5%. Cryoprotectant toxicity has been claimed to be the single most limiting factor for the success of cryopreservation. In order to evaluate the toxic effects of the concentrations of glycerol used in practice, stallion spermatozoa were incubated in Biggers Whitten and Whittingham (BWW) media supplemented with 0%, 0.5%, 1.5%, 2.5%, 3.5%, and 5% glycerol. In two additional experiments, a hyposmotic (75 mOsm/kg) and a hyperosmotic (900 mOsm/kg) control media were included. Sp...
Rose MT.The objective of this study was to determine the effect of platelet derived growth factor BB (PDGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1), insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) on the proliferation and migration of equine oral mucosa and leg skin fibroblast cell lines, using an in vitro scratch assay. Fibroblasts from the two sites were firstly grown to confluence and then an area of cells removed (cell void area). Cell migration alone (with the addition of the mitosis inhibitor mitomycin-C to the culture media) and prolif...
Collins CW, Songsasen NS, Vick MM, Wolfe BA, Weiss RB, Keefer CL, Monfort SL.The ex situ population of the Przewalski's horse (Equus ferus przewalskii) is not self-sustaining (20% foaling rate), and the demography is skewed toward aging individuals with low gene diversity. We designed the present study to gain a better understanding of the reproductive biology of the Przewalski's mare and to determine whether age and gene diversity influenced reproductive function. Urine samples were collected 3-7 days/wk from 19 mares from May to September, and ultrasound examinations of follicular structures were performed 3 days/wk for 5 wk from May through July in nine individuals....
Becker-Birck M, Schmidt A, Wulf M, Aurich J, von der Wense A, Möstl E, Berz R, Aurich C.Bringing the head and neck of ridden horses into a position of hyperflexion is widely used in equestrian sports. In our study, the hypothesis was tested that hyperflexion is an acute stressor for horses. Salivary cortisol concentrations, heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV) and superficial body temperature were determined in horses (n = 16) lunged on two subsequent days. The head and neck of the horse was fixed with side reins in a position allowing forward extension on day A and fixed in hyperflexion on day B. The order of treatments alternated between horses. In response to lunging, ...
Korosue K, Murase H, Sato F, Ishimaru M, Endo Y, Nambo Y.The purpose of this study was to observe the changes in body temperature before parturition using a wireless temperature monitoring device (WTMD) and to evaluate the usefulness of body temperature measurements using a digital rectal thermometer (DRT) and a microchip transponder thermometry device (MTTD) for predicting parturition in mares. The body temperatures using a WTMD at 0 hr and -1 hr were significantly different from those at the same time on Days 1-5 (P<0.01). The temperature differences between the morning of Day 0 and at -3 hr, -2 hr, -1 hr and 0 hr using the DRT and MTTD showed ...
Bergström K, Aspan A, Landén A, Johnston C, Grönlund-Andersson U.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in animals is a rare finding in Sweden. In horses, MRSA was first detected in a screening survey in 2007. In 2008, six clinical cases occurred in an equine hospital, indicating an outbreak. Methods: All MRSA isolates detected, 11 spa-type t011 and one t064 (n = 12), in infected horses (n = 10) and screening of horses (n = 2) in Sweden from December 2007 to March 2010 were retrospectively analysed with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) using Cfr9I and ApaI restriction enzymes, to study relationship between the isolates. Medical records of...
Straticò P, Suriano R, Sciarrini C, Varasano V, Petrizzi L.To report laparoscopic-assisted cystotomy and inguinal cystostomy for treating bladder urolithiasis in a gelding. Methods: Clinical report. Methods: Twelve-year-old Appaloosa gelding. Methods: A laparoscopic approach was used to locate and grasp the bladder, which was exteriorized through an enlarged instrument portal for cystotomy to remove the calculus. During withdrawal, the calculus fragmented into multiple pieces. To avoid urethral occlusion and facilitate elimination of these fragments, an inguinal cystostomy was created. The seromuscular layer of the bladder was circumferentially secure...
van Eeden C, Williams JH, Gerdes TG, van Wilpe E, Viljoen A, Swanepoel R, Venter M.To determine which agents cause neurologic disease in horses, we conducted reverse transcription PCR on isolates from of a horse with encephalitis and 111 other horses with acute disease. Shuni virus was found in 7 horses, 5 of which had neurologic signs. Testing for lesser known viruses should be considered for horses with unexplained illness.
Southwood LL, Kawcak CE, Hidaka C, McIlwraith CW, Werpy N, Macleay J, Frisbie DD.To evaluate gene transfer in an equine metacarpal IV (MCIV) ostectomy model using adenoviral vectors encoding the human bone morphogenetic protein-2 and protein-7 gene (Ad-BMP-2/-7). Methods: Healthy adult horses (n = 15). Methods: A plate stabilized, critical size 1.5 cm ostectomy was created in left and right MCIV. The ostectomy site was injected with either Ad-green fluorescent protein (Ad-GFP) or Ad-hBMP-2/-7 at completion of surgery; the same treatment was assigned to both the left and right forelimb of each horse (n = 5 horses/group). Bone healing was evaluated radiographically every 2 w...
Klier J, Fuchs S, May A, Schillinger U, Plank C, Winter G, Coester C, Gehlen H.In the recent years, nanotechnology has boosted the development of potential drug delivery systems and material engineering on nanoscale basis in order to increase drug specificity and reduce side effects. A potential delivery system for immunostimulating agents such as cytosine-phosphate-guanine-oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODN) needs to be developed to maximize the efficacy of immunotherapy against hypersensitivity. In this study, an aerosol formulation of biodegradable, biocompatible and nontoxic gelatin nanoparticle-bound CpG-ODN 2216 was used to treat equine recurrent airway obstruction in ...
Gómez-Almaguer D, Jaime-Pérez JC, Ruiz-Arguelles GJ.Antibodies have been the cornerstone of treatment of acquired aplastic anemia for more than 25 years. Treatment with antithymocyte globulin (ATG) is considered pivotal and the addition of cyclosporine improves the overall response rate. This antibody is heterogeneous and horse ATG is apparently more effective than rabbit ATG. Several issues remain unsolved in relation to the combination of ATG and cyclosporine: cost, toxicity and late clonal disorders. In recent years, alternative immunosuppressive therapy has been proposed and new antibodies have emerged: porcine ATG, alemtuzumab, daclizumab...
Li G, Lee P, Mori N, Yamamoto I, Arai T.Continuous high intensity training may induce alterations to enzyme activities related to glucose and lipid metabolism in horses. In our study, five Thoroughbred race horses (3 male and 2 female, avg age=5 yrs old) were compared against five riding horses (1 male, 1 female, 3 gelding, avg age=13 yrs old) in terms of energy metabolism, by examining plasma malate (MDH) and lactate (LDH) dehydrogenase activities and M/L ratio. MDH is involved in NADH and ATP generation, whereas LDH can convert NADH back into NAD(+) for ATP generation. An increase in plasma M/L ratio can reflect heightened energy ...
Pretorius A, Van Kleef M, Van Wyngaardt W, Heath J.African horsesickness (AHS) is an infectious but noncontagious viral disease affecting all species of Equidae. The recall immune response of AHSV naïve horses immunised with an attenuated African horsesickness virus serotype 4 (AHSV4) was characterised using immune assays including ELISPOT, real-time PCR (qPCR) and flow cytometry. The recall immune response detected in PBMC isolated from three inoculated horses showed an upregulation of circulating B lymphocytes that correlated with elevated IL-4 mRNA expression indicative of humoral immunity, but reduced frequency of CD4⁺ cells. In additio...
Perkins GA, den Bakker HC, Burton AJ, Erb HN, McDonough SP, McDonough PL, Parker J, Rosenthal RL, Wiedmann M, Dowd SE, Simpson KW.Little is known about the gastric mucosal microbiota in healthy horses, and its role in gastric disease has not been critically examined. The present study used a combination of 16S rRNA bacterial tag-encoded pyrosequencing (bTEFAP) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to characterize the composition and spatial distribution of selected gastric mucosal microbiota of healthy horses. Biopsy specimens of the squamous, glandular, antral, and any ulcerated mucosa were obtained from 6 healthy horses by gastroscopy and from 3 horses immediately postmortem. Pyrosequencing was performed on bio...
Wefel S, Mendez-Angulo JL, Ernst NS.A 4-year-old Quarter horse stallion was presented for acute abdominal pain. Exploratory celiotomy revealed a mesenteric diverticulum of the jejunum and mesodiverticular band that were associated with small intestinal strangulation. Resection and anastomosis were performed. A second celiotomy was performed due to adhesions. The horse recovered completely and returned to training. Un étalon Quarter horse âgé de 4 ans a été présenté pour une douleur abdominale aiguë. Une laparatomie exploratoire a révélé un diverticule mésentérique du jéjunum et une bande mésodiverticulaire qui on...
Foord AJ, Middleton D, Heine HG.Hendra virus (HeV) is a zoonotic paramyxovirus endemic in Australian Pteropus bats (fruit bats or flying foxes). Although bats appear to be unaffected by the virus, HeV can spread from fruit bats to horses, causing severe disease. Human infection results from close contact with the blood, body fluids and tissues of infected horses. HeV is a biosecurity level 4 (BSL-4) pathogen, with a high case-fatality rate in humans and horses. Current assays for HeV detection require complex instrumentation and are generally time consuming. The aim of this study was to develop a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amp...
Fan J, Ding W, Chen Z, Ziadi N.This study evaluates manure and chemical fertilizer effects on micronutrient (Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn) content and availability in crops. Methods: Seven treatments were selected, including three conventional fertilization treatments (NP, horse manure (M), and NP plus M (NPM)), three corresponding double rate fertilization (N2P2, M2, and N2P2M2), and a CK. Soil samples were collected and separated into four aggregates by wet-sieving in September 2009. Corn samples were collected and analyzed simultaneously. Results: Treatment N2P2 increased DTPA extractable Fe, Mn, and Cu in soil by 732%, 388%, and ...
Stokes AM, Lavie NL, Keowen ML, Gaschen L, Gaschen FP, Barthel D, Andrews FM.This study investigated the use of a wireless ambulatory capsule (WAC; SmartPill(®) pH.p GI Monitoring System) to determine WAC-gastric emptying time (GET) in ponies. Objective: To measure WAC-GET and compare it to those findings with GET assessed by nuclear scintigraphy (S-GET). Objective: WAC-GET will be slower than S-GET, but will be significantly correlated. Methods: Seven healthy adult mixed-breed pony mares were used in this study. Feed was withheld for 12 h prior to the WAC administration. After administration, a complete-feed diet was fed to allow the WAC to pass into the stomach. Lum...
Getachew AM, Innocent G, Proudman CJ, Trawford A, Feseha G, Reid SW, Faith B, Love S.A 12/13 kDa antigen, tapeworm ELISA test, developed for use in horses, was used to detect parasite-specific serum antibody, IgG(T), in the serum of donkeys. In a pilot study the 12/13 kDa antigen was tested and proved to detect the antibody, IgG(T), in donkey sera. Blood samples from 797 donkeys, naturally exposed to cestode infection, from four geographical localities were collected and sera were prepared and analysed. There was substantial serological evidence that donkeys were potentially infected with A. perfoliata. A range of ELISA OD values were obtained from the serological assay. Over ...
Mc Brearty A, Auckburally A, Pollock PJ, Penderis J.Deafness has been reported in horses due to a variety of causes and objective auditory assessment has been performed with brainstem auditory evoked potential testing. Evoked otoacoustic emission (OAE) tests are widely used in human patients for hearing screening, detecting partial hearing loss (including frequency-specific hearing loss) and monitoring cochlear outer hair cell function over time. OAE tests are noninvasive, quick and affordable. Two types of OAE are commonly used clinically: transient evoked OAEs (TEOAEs) and distortion product OAEs (DPOAEs). Detection of OAEs has not been repor...
Lores M, Lofstedt J, Martinson S, Riley CB.A 15-day-old American Quarter horse colt was presented for depression and pyrexia. Peritonitis was diagnosed following peritoneal fluid analysis. Exploratory laparotomy revealed an area of focal necrosis over the dorsal wall of the urinary bladder leading to peritonitis and uroperitoneum. The affected area of the urinary bladder was resected and the peritonitis resolved with medical treatment. Péritonite et uropéritoine septiques secondaires à une omphalite subclinique et à une cystite nécrosante concomitante chez un poulain. Un poulain American Quarter Horse âgé de 15 jours a été pr...
Longland AC, Dhanoa MS, Harris PA.Pasture (fresh or conserved as hay/haylage) forms the basis of most equid diets and contains varying amounts (0 to ≥ 200 g kg⁻¹ dry matter (DM) or more) of fructans. Over-consumption of fructan is associated with the onset of laminitis in equids, an agonizing condition that may necessitate euthanasia. To enable appropriate dietary management of animals susceptible to laminitis, it is essential that fructans can be properly quantified in fresh and conserved pasture. For research purposes, fructans are frequently quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), but these methods...
Holzhausen L, Nowak M, Junginger J, Puff C.A 15-year-old gelding presented with a progressive lameness of the left forelimb of 2.5 months duration. Clinically, a dilation of the deep flexor tendon sheath with a firm elastic consistency and a pronounced tenderness was noted. Ultrasonically, a marked swelling of the flexor tendon sheath with an irregular density of the mesotendineum was observed. The white, firm material forming a nodular distension of the flexor tendon sheath with a diameter of approximately 1 cm was excised and sent for histopathological examination. Biopsies of the deep flexor tendon and corresponding tendon sheath we...
Herron MA, Martin JE, Joyce JR.A quantitative study of optic axons in the optic tracts of several species was performed to determine the number and percentage of optic axons that decussate. Animals were prepared by unilateral ocular enucleation, and light microscopic techniques were employed to count the fibers. The mean number of fibers projecting from a single eye was 732,119 for the pony, 1,041,739 for the cow, 534,755 for the sheep, and 442,629 for the pig. The mean degree of crossover at the chiasm was 80.8% in ponies, 82.9% in cattle, 88.9% in sheep, and 87.8% in pigs.
Giangaspero A, Tieri E, Otranto D, Battistini ML.A survey on the prevalence of Thelazia spp. in Abruzzo region (Italy) in slaughtered native horses was conducted from August 29, 1997 to August 28, 1998. Both eyes from 128 eight-month to 11 year-old native animals were examined. 50 horses (39.06%) were found parasitized by Thelazia lacrymalis. 502 specimens (371 females, 88 males and 12 larvae) were collected. In the infected horses the numbers of T. lacrymalis ranged from 1 to 48, with a mean count burden of 3.92 per head (SD = 7.79). T. lacrymalis specimens were mainly in the excretory ducts of the Harderian gland, and also in the ducts of ...
Bosseler L, Verryken K, Bauwens C, de Vries C, Deprez P, Ducatelle R, Vandenabeele S.A 2-year-old Standardbred gelding presented with a history of fever over 1 week, anorexia and skin lesions on all four legs. The lesions were associated with severe pruritus and oedema, and there was no response to therapy. Results: The horse was in poor body condition, was lethargic and severely pruritic. Skin lesions consisted of diffuse alopecia and crusting of the distal extremities. Initially it was slightly febrile, but subsequently its temperature increased up to 40°C. Ten days after admission it developed profuse watery diarrhoea and the skin lesions progressed. Skin biopsies revealed...
Ghosh S, Carden CF, Juras R, Mendoza MN, Jevit MJ, Castaneda C, Phelps O, Dube J, Kelley DE, Varner DD, Love CC, Raudsepp T.We report 2 novel autosomal translocations in the horse. In Case 1, a breeding stallion with a balanced t(4p;30) had produced normal foals and those with congenital abnormalities. Of his 9 phenotypically normal offspring, 4 had normal karyotypes, 4 had balanced t(4p;30), and 1 carried an unbalanced translocation with tertiary trisomy of 4p. We argue that unbalanced forms of t(4p;30) are more tolerated and result in viable congenital abnormalities, without causing embryonic death like all other known equine autosomal translocations. In Case 2, two stallions produced by somatic cell nuclear tran...
Foote BC, Smith JD, Allbaugh RA, Sebbag L.Determine the immediate post-operative effects of MicroPulse transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (MP-TSCPC) in healthy equine eyes. Methods: Ten adult horses. Methods: MP-TSCPC was performed on sedated horses in 12 eyes (4 groups) using the following parameters (power, duration, duty cycle): (1) 2000 mW, 180 seconds, 31.3%; (2) 3000 mW, 180 seconds, 31.3%; (3) 3000 mW, 270 seconds, 31.3%; and (4) 3000 mW, 270 seconds, 50%. Three additional eyes were left untreated (control). Eyes were monitored clinically until euthanasia (mean = 3 hours post-procedure). Histologic sections were asse...
Bruemmert JE, Coy RC, Squires EL, Graham JK.Stallion spermatozoa maintain high fertilizing capacity if cooled to 5 degrees C and inseminated within 24 h. However, if spermatozoa are stored for 48 h, fertilizing capacity declines. Therefore, multiple shipments of semen are often required to inseminate mares that remain in estrus for days. Therefore, experiments were designed to determine if adding antioxidants to stallion spermatozoa stored at 5 degrees C for 48 h could maintain motility and fertilizing ability. In the first experiment stallion spermatozoa were incubated in a skim milk (SM) or a skim milk-egg yolk medium in combination w...
Murray MJ, Eichorn ES, Jeffrey SC.The objective of the study reported here was to characterise the microscopic appearance of peptic-injured equine gastric squamous epithelium in relation to the duration of peptic injury. Erosions and ulcers were induced in equine gastric squamous epithelium using a feed deprivation protocol that results in prolonged increased gastric acidity. Specimens of normal gastric mucosa and mucosa with lesions created after 48 and 96 h of feed deprivation were compared for characteristics associated with angiogenesis and mucosal proliferation. Fifteen mature horses, 9 geldings and 6 mares, age 3-20 year...
Chapman MR, Klei TR, French DD.A critical trial was performed with five ponies 6-9 months of age and raised on a horse farm with demonstrated benzimidazole-resistant cyathostomes. Eleven species of cyathostomes were recovered, seven of which had resistance to thiabendazole. Degrees of resistance varied among ponies and from species to species. Resistant species were Cyathostomum coronatum, Cyathostomum catinatum, Cylicostephanus minutus, Cylicostephanus calicatus, Cylicostephanus longibursatus, Cylicostephanus goldi and Cylicocylus nassatus. This is the first study identifying resistant cyathostome species in the Gulf Coast...
Edner A, Nyman G, Essén-Gustavsson B.To compare the effects of spontaneous breathing and mechanical ventilation on haemodynamic variables, including muscle and skin perfusion measured with laser Doppler flowmetery, in horses anaesthetized with isoflurane. Methods: Prospective controlled study. Methods: Ten warm-blood trotter horses (five males, five females). Mean mass was 492 kg (range 420-584 kg) and mean age was 5 years (range 4-8 years). Methods: After pre-anaesthetic medication with detomidine (10 microg kg(-1)) anaesthesia was induced with intravenous (IV) guaifenesin and thiopental (4-5 mg kg(-1) IV) and maintained using i...
Heneine LG, Carvalho AD, Barbosa CF, Arávjo dos Santos MR.The objective of this study was the search for a suitable venom antigen to be used in an in vitro alternative immunoassay, to the standard antivenom neutralization assay using mice. Bothrops jararaca venom was fractionated in DEAE-Sephacel columns and the fractions were tested for a correlation between antibody capture enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) absorbance values and the 'in vivo' antivenom potency. Individual antivenoms from 14 horses and 15 separate FUNED polyspecific Bothrops ampouled antivenoms (final product) were used. Fractions showing the higher correlations were further...
Patterson Rosa L, Walker N, Mallicote M, MacKay RJ, Brooks SA.Similar to humans, the horse relies predominantly on the evaporation of sweat from the skin surface to dissipate excess body heat. Loss of the sweat response or anhidrosis can result in life-threatening hyperthermia. Anhidrosis occurs more frequently in some breeds as well as occurs at an increased frequency among individuals with a family history, suggesting a heritable component to the pathology. Given the natural occurrence and indications of genetic components in the etiology, we utilized genomics to better understand the molecular mechanisms involved in sweat response. We performed a case...
Findley JA, Ricci EE, Singer EE.The main aim was to describe the gross and histological appearance of the equine manica flexoria and to identify any differences between the forelimbs and hindlimbs. An additional aim was to relate the findings to diagnostic and surgical anatomy of the manica flexoria. Methods: Measurements of the manica flexoria were made on cadaveric limbs from horses free from pathology within the digital flexor tendon sheath. Histological sections, stained with haematoxylin and eosin and alcian- periodic acid schiff, were evaluated based on three micro-anatomical zones from dorsal to palmar or plantar. The...
Paterson YZ, Evans N, Kan S, Cribbs A, Henson FMD, Guest DJ.The transcription factor scleraxis (SCX) is expressed throughout tendon development and plays a key role in directing tendon wound healing. However, little is known regarding its role in fetal or young postnatal tendons, stages in development that are known for their enhanced regenerative capabilities. Here we used RNA-sequencing to compare the transcriptome of adult and fetal tenocytes following SCX knockdown. SCX knockdown had a larger effect on gene expression in fetal tenocytes, affecting 477 genes in comparison to the 183 genes affected in adult tenocytes, indicating that scleraxis-depend...
Thayer JF, Hahn AW, Sollers JJ, van Doornen L, Johnson PJ.Using a microprocessor controlled Ambulatory Monitoring System (AMS) developed by one of us (LvD), we have been studying the changes in and control of heart rate in the resting horse. The system provides us with InterBeat Intervals (IBI in milliseconds), motion sensing, and a time domain measure (mean successive differences: MSD) of heart rate variability for periods up to 72 hours. Thoracic impedance is also available but parameters for the equine chest are not currently available. The system is completely noninvasive, small, and carried on a surcingle worn by the subject. The equine subject ...
Knottenbelt DC.Skin disease in donkeys is less common than in horses, but is easily overlooked. Little published material exists on this important area of equine medicine. Skin tumors continue to challenge veterinarians working with donkeys. This article outlines the main disease entities that the author has encountered, although there are many other diseases and disorders that occur in different parts of the world that are not yet appreciated. When investigating a skin disease, a logical and comprehensive clinical approach should always be made; many conditions are similar in clinical presentation or are co...
Brooks AC, Rickards KJ, Cunningham FM.Neutrophil activation, whilst a key component of host defence, must be tightly regulated in order to avoid an inappropriate cellular response. Annexin-1, which is present in large amounts in neutrophils, and its N-terminal peptides, reduce neutrophil accumulation but annexin peptides have also been shown to exhibit neutrophil activating properties. We have recently shown annexin-1 to be present in equine neutrophils and demonstrated that the annexin-1-derived peptide, Ac2-26, can both reduce superoxide production by these cells in response to other stimuli and directly induce free radical prod...
Kuroda T, Kinoshita Y, Niwa H, Mizobe F, Ueno T, Kuwano A, Hatazoe T, Hobo S.We report the first case of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) keratitis in a racehorse. A 5-year-old mare developed punctate keratitis after racing. The corneal ulcer continued to expand despite ophthalmic antimicrobial therapy. On day 6, a conjunctival graft surgery was performed. The mare was euthanized, following colitis and laminitis development on day 10. MRSA was isolated from the corneal swab taken at the time of euthanasia. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated gram-positive and anti-S. aureus monoclonal antibody-positive cocci infiltration of the corneal stroma; a...
Yeargan MR, Alvarado-Esquivel C, Dubey JP, Howe DK.Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a debilitating disease of horses caused by Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi. Sera from 495 horses in Durango State, Mexico were tested for anti-protozoal antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) based on major surface antigens of these two parasites. Antibodies to S. neurona were detected in 240 (48.5%) of the 495 horse sera tested with the rSnSAG2/4/3 trivalent ELISA. Multivariate analysis showed that exposure to S. neurona was associated with age, feeding grains and crops, and small herd size. Antibodies to N. hughesi we...
Magistrini M, Chanteloube P, Palmer E.In an attempt to define optimal season and ejaculation frequency for frozen semen, semen was collected from 6 stallions (3 horses and 3 ponies) 3 times per week or every day, alternating every week, for 1 year. The semen was evaluated and frozen. All the samples were thawed at the end of the experiment. At collection, fresh semen evaluations showed that winter (as opposed to spring and summer) was associated with low sexual behaviour, small volumes of spermatozoa and gel, high sperm concentration and lower motility. The high ejaculation frequency yielded a decreased volume, concentration of sp...
Erichsen DF, Aviad AD, Schultz RH, Kennedy TJ.A field study of 239 horses was conducted to determine the efficacy and safety of clenbuterol HCl, a beta 2-adrenergic bronchodilator, when administered incrementally to effect in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The severity of COPD (heaves) and response to treatment was determined by clinical evaluation; an overall 'heaveiness rating' (OHR) was assigned at each observation. The horses were treated orally b.i.d. with clenbuterol (as Ventipulmin Syrup), beginning with the lowest dosage of 0.8 micrograms/kg. On day 10 of treatment at the effective dose (0.8, 1.6, 2...
Devick IF, Leise BS, McCue PM, Rao S, Hendrickson DA.Determining if ovariectomy will abolish unwanted behaviors can be challenging in mares without ultrasonographic ovarian abnormalities and/or endocrine values not consistent with a granulosa cell tumor. The objective of the study was to identify mares that have a positive improvement in unwanted behaviors after elective standing laparoscopic ovariectomy and to determine if the change is associated with any pre- and post-operative endocrine profiles and/or with ovarian histological findings. During the study period 27 mares underwent a bilateral standing laparoscopic ovariectomy. Pre- and post-o...
Ryan C, Giguère S, Hagen J, Hartnett C, Kalyuzhny AE.Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained from 6 foals <1 week of age, 6 foals between 3 and 4 months of age, and 10 adult horses. PBMCs were stimulated with concanavalin A (ConA) or calcium ionomycin-phorbol myristate acetate (CaI-PMA) and the frequency of interferon IFN-gamma and IL-4 secreting cells was measured using an equine-specific ELISPOT assay. The number of IFN-gamma secreting cells was significantly lower in both groups of foals than in adult horses regardless of the mitogen used for stimulation. The number of IFN-gamma secreting cells was significantly higher in ...
Bambra W, Daly JM, Kendall NR, Gardner DS, Brennan M, Kydd JH.Equine influenza virus is a highly contagious respiratory pathogen that causes pyrexia, anorexia, lethargy and coughing in immunologically naïve horses. Vaccines against equine influenza are available and vaccination is mandatory for horses that participate in affiliated competitions, but this group forms a small proportion of the total horse population. The aims of this study were to: i) identify the equine influenza vaccination rate as reported in 2016 by horse owners in the United Kingdom (UK); ii) examine the demographics of owners and horses which were associated with significantly lower...
Cirak VY, Kar S, Girişgin O.This survey was carried out on a horse farm in order to acquire recent data on macrocyclic lactone-resistant Parascaris equorum which had been previously detected on this farm and to determine efficacies of ivermectin and pyrantel against strongyles in order to determine whether a resistance problem also exists in these parasites. In the first part of the study, abamectin was given to horses infected with P. equorum. In 11 out of 12 horses, zero efficacy (0%) was seen against P. equorum. Subsequently, horses which were Parascaris-positive after abamectin treatment received pyrantel pamoate and...
Hegreberg GA, Reed SM.A progressive neuromuscular disorder in young horses, clinically apparent as early as 1 month of age, is characterized by generalized myotonia, muscle stiffness, muscle weakness and atrophy. Myotonia is identified by percussion dimpling and myotonic EMG discharges. Changes in one case included testicular hypoplasia, cataract formation, and glucose intolerance, indicating a systemic involvement. Pathologic changes in skeletal muscles from three affected foals were examined. Sarcoplasmic masses, ringed fibers, internal positioning of sarcolemmal nuclei, and nuclear rowing were among the primary ...
Budachetri K, Lin M, Yan Q, Chien RC, Hostnik LD, Haanen G, Leclère M, Waybright W, Baird JD, Arroyo LG, Rikihisa Y.Potomac horse fever (PHF) is an acute and potentially fatal enterotyphlocolitis of horses with clinical signs that include anorexia, fever, diarrhea, and laminitis. Its incidence is increasing despite a commercially available vaccine. PHF is caused by Neorickettsia risticii, and the recently rediscovered and classified . PHF diagnosis is currently accomplished using serology or nested PCR. However, both methods cannot distinguish the two species that cause PHF. Further, the current real-time PCR test fails to detect Thus, in this study, two species-specific real-time PCR assays based on a...
Girard TL, Bork EW, Nielsen SE, Alexander MJ.Public lands occupied by feral horses in North America are frequently managed for multiple uses with land use conflict occurring among feral horses, livestock, wildlife, and native grassland conservation. The factors affecting habitat use by horses is critical to understand where conflict may be greatest. We related horse presence and abundance to landscape attributes in a GIS to examine habitat preferences using 98 field plots sampled within a portion of the Rocky Mountain Forest Reserve of SW Alberta, Canada. Horse abundance was greatest in grassland and cut block habitats, and lowest in con...
Bohlin A, Saegerman C, Hoeberg E, Sånge A, Nostell K, Durie I, Husted L, Öhman A, van Galen G.It is highly desirable to assess the probability of survival in sick neonatal foals upon admission. The foal survival score (FSS) is a published scoring system used to estimate the probability of survival in hospitalized neonatal foals <4 days old. Objective: To evaluate the ability of the FSS to predict survival in older foals from a geographically different area compared to the original study. Methods: Five-hundred ninety hospitalized neonatal foals ≤14 days of age. Methods: Retrospective Danish-Swedish multicenter study that included details of signalment, history, clinical examinatio...
