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.
Franciosi F, Lodde V, Goudet G, Duchamp G, Deleuze S, Douet C, Tessaro I, Luciano AM.Epigenetic modifications are established during gametogenesis and preimplantation embryonic development. Any disturbance of the normal natural environment during these critical phases could cause alterations of the epigenetic signature. Histone acetylation is an important epigenetic modification involved in the regulation of chromatin organization and gene expression. The present study was aimed to determine whether the proper establishment of post-translational histone H4 acetylation at lysine 8 (AcH4K8), 12 (AcH4K12) and 16 (AcH4K16) of equine oocytes is adversely affected during in vitro ma...
Foreman JH, Ruemmler R.Using an adjustable heart bar shoe model of foot pain, the objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that the combined use of phenylbutazone (PBZ) and flunixin meglumine (FM) would prove more efficacious in alleviating lameness than either drug alone. Methods: One hour after induction of lameness at weekly intervals, 8 healthy adult Thoroughbred horses randomly underwent one of 4 i.v. treatments: saline (SAL) placebo (1 ml/45 kg bwt), PBZ (4.4 mg/kg bwt), FM (1.1 mg/kg bwt) or PBZ+FM (at the same dosages as given individually). Heart rate (HR) and lameness score (LS) responses were as...
Van Erck E.Dynamic upper airway obstruction (UAO) is a cause of respiratory noise and sometimes poor performance in sport horses. Riding, head flexion and airway inflammation may impact upper respiratory tract stability during exercise. Objective: To evaluate upper airway mechanical behaviour in ridden sport horses using overground endoscopy and the effect of head flexion, rider intervention and underlying airway inflammation on the pharynx and larynx. Methods: Resting and exercising videoendoscopic recordings during ridden exercise were obtained in 129 sport horses referred mainly for respiratory noise,...
Hoogewijs M, Morrell J, Van Soom A, Govaere J, Johannisson A, Piepers S, De Schauwer C, De Kruif A, De Vliegher S.The increasing use of modern reproductive techniques in human medicine has led to a higher demand for isolation of motile sperm. Several of these isolation techniques have been adapted for veterinary use and can be applied for the selection of a superior sperm sample from stallion semen. Until recently a major disadvantage of such isolation techniques was the limitation in sperm volume that could be handled. Androcoll-E had been shown to be successful for processing large volumes of equine semen but there are few data to substantiate the potential beneficial effect of freezing an Androcoll-E s...
Christophersen MT, Tnibar A, Pihl TH, Andersen PH, Ekstrøm CT.There is a paucity of studies addressing sporting activity and horse owners' satisfaction after horses have undergone colic surgery. Objective: To determine 1) survival rate after colic surgery, 2) prevalence of horses returning to, or starting, sporting activities and 3) assess the owners' satisfaction regarding colic surgery. Methods: Cases that underwent exploratory celiotomy for colic between January 2005 and August 2010 were reviewed. All horses that had one or more celiotomies and were discharged after colic surgery were included in a telephone questionnaire survey. Only horses that surv...
Petzinger E.Pyrrolizidine alkaloids belong to a class of phytotoxins which are present in more than 6000 plant species. The disease seneciosis in farm animals represents the severe poisoning by pyrrolizidine alkaloids from plants of the genus Senecio. This form of poisoning has been known since the end of the 19th century in Germany, the USA, Canada and New Zealand, and is mainly caused by Senecio jacobaea and related Senecio spp. in farm animals, including poultry. Animal poisoning by pyrrolizidine alkaloids is of worldwide importance. In Germany poisoning of horses and cattle by Senecio jacobaea, which ...
Defontis M, Vaillancourt D, Grand FX.This prospective study aims to compare three different sampling techniques for the collection of endometrial cytological specimens in the mare: the guarded culture swab, the uterine cytobrush and the low volume uterine flush. Methods: The study population consisted of six healthy Standardbred mares in dioestrus. In each mare an acute endometritis was induced by performing a low- volume uterine flush 6days after ovulation using a sterile isotonic solution (lactated Ringer's solution or ViGro™ Complete Flush Solution). Two days after initiating inflammation, samples were collected from each ma...
Panzani S, Comin A, Galeati G, Romano G, Villani M, Faustini M, Veronesi MC.Thyroid hormones, insulin growth factor I (IGF-I) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) represent important hormonal and metabolic factors associated with perinatal growth and maturation. Their action could be influenced by the type of parturition and the health status of the foal and therefore the aim of this work is to evaluate their plasma concentrations in newborn foals during the first 2 wks of life. Three groups of subjects were enrolled: 15 healthy foals born by spontaneous parturition, 24 healthy foals born by induced parturition and 26 pathologic foals. From each of the healthy foals,...
Hertsch B, Teschner D.Objective of the study was to investigate whether a correlation between rotation and/or sinking of the third phalanx (P3) and changes of horn growth on the hoof wall exists. Methods: In 117 hooves of euthanatized or slaughtered horses with chronic laminitis the rotating angle to palmar/plantar and medial/lateral and a sinking of P3 were assessed on radiographs. Defined distances were measured on the dorsal hoof wall as well as in the heel to assess the horn growth of a hoof. On the basis of saw cuts of the hooves, the course of the horn tubes was judged. Results: A rotation angle of approximat...
Dicht S, Del Chicca F, Fürst A.Ectopic teeth occur because of failure of the first branchial cleft to close during development and are found mostly in young horses. Such dentigerous cysts are often located at the base of the ear, forming a notable swelling with a fistula, as it was the case with the two year old Iceland mare «Runa». In order to confirm the diagnosis, x-ray images were taken, which is also necessary to locate the ectopic tooth correctly. While operating, the whole cystic membrane should be removed and it is important to prevent adjacent nerves and blood vessels from damage. Prognosis for complete healing a...
Hanlon DW, Firth EC.The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of intravaginal progesterone on the reproductive performance of transitional Thoroughbred mares on commercial stud farms. Two hundred twenty-seven (227) non-lactating transitional Thoroughbred mares aged between 4 and 18 y (mean 9.4 ± 3.2 y) located on three stud farms in the Waikato region of New Zealand were used in the study performed during four consecutive breeding seasons (2007-10). Mares were age-matched in pairs and either treated with an intravaginal progesterone releasing device (Cue-Mare, 1.72 g progesterone, 10% w/w) for u...
David F, Cadby J, Bosch G, Brama P, van Weeren R, van Schie H.Larger superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) injuries have a poorer prognosis than smaller lesions. During the inflammatory phase enlargement of the initial lesion is frequently noted, with biomechanical loading being recently proposed to play an important role. Objective: To evaluate the effect of lower limb cast immobilisation on tendon lesion propagation in an equine model of surgically induced SDFT injury. Methods: Core lesions were surgically induced in both front SDFTs of 6 young mature horses. At the end of surgery, one leg was randomly placed in a lower limb cast and the other leg (...
Leclere M, Magdesian KG, Cole CA, Szabo NJ, Ruby RE, Rhodes DM, Edman J, Vale A, Wilson WD, Tell LA.Azithromycin is widely used in foals but has not been studied in adult horses. The goals of this study were to determine the pharmacokinetic profile and to make a preliminary assessment of the safety of azithromycin in adult horses. Azithromycin was administered intravenously (5 mg/kg) and intragastrically (10 mg/kg) to six healthy mares in a crossover design. Serial plasma samples, blood neutrophils, and pulmonary macrophages were collected for the measurement of azithromycin concentrations. Azithromycin was also administered orally (10 mg/kg) once a day for 5 days to five healthy mares for p...
Go YY, Cook RF, Fulgêncio JQ, Campos JR, Henney P, Timoney PJ, Horohov DW, Balasuriya UB.In a recent study, we demonstrated that the virulent Bucyrus strain (VBS) of EAV could infect in vitro a small population of CD3(+) T lymphocytes from some but not all horses. Furthermore, we have shown that a common haplotype is associated with this in vitro CD3(+) T cell susceptibility/resistance phenotype to EAV infection. In this study, we investigated whether the differences in the susceptibility or resistance of CD3(+) T cells in vitro correlate with the outcome and severity of clinical signs in vivo. Thus, horses were divided into two groups based on their CD3(+) T cell susceptible or r...
Lillich JD, Ray-Miller W, Silver KS, Davis EG, Schultz BD.To determine hyaluronan concentrations in peritoneal fluid from healthy horses and horses with sudden signs of severe abdominal pain and to identify the cellular sources of hyaluronan within the peritoneal cavity. Methods: 7 client-owned horses that were evaluated for sudden signs of severe abdominal pain, 6 healthy teaching horses, and 13 euthanized horses (11 with no abdominal disease and 2 that had undergone abdominal surgery 2 weeks previously for a different study). Methods: Abdominal fluid was collected from the client-owned and teaching horses. Hyaluronan concentrations were determined ...
Ortved KF, Nixon AJ, Mohammed HO, Fortier LA.To evaluate the long-term clinical outcome after allogeneic chondrocyte and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) grafting of subchondral cystic lesions (SCLs) of the femoral condyle in horses. Objective: To test the hypothesis that chondrocyte and IGF-I grafts will improve the long-term clinical outcome in arthroscopically debrided SCLs. Methods: Medical records of 49 horses with SCLs of the femoral condyle treated by debridement and implantation of chondrocytes and IGF-I were reviewed. Preoperative radiographs were obtained, and caudocranial radiographic projections were used to establish a r...
Lyle CH, Blissitt KJ, Kennedy RN, Mc Gorum BC, Newton JR, Parkin TD, Stirk A, Boden LA.Sudden death adversely affects racehorse welfare, jockey safety and the public perception of horseracing. Objective: To describe the risk of racing-associated sudden death in Thoroughbred racehorses in the UK from 2000 to 2007, to identify whether there were risk factors uniquely associated with sudden death and to improve the understanding of the pathogenesis of racing-associated sudden death by identification of risk factors for such cases. Methods: A sudden death was defined as an acute collapse and death, in an apparently healthy Thoroughbred racehorse, during or immediately after racing, ...
Lamas LP, Edmonds J, Hodge W, Zamora-Vera L, Burford J, Coomer R, Munroe G.REASONS FOR PERFORMING THIS STUDY: Intra-articular ethanol has been described to promote distal tarsal joint ankylosis. Its use and results in clinical cases affected by osteoarthritis (OA) have not been reported. Objective: To describe and evaluate the results of treatment of distal tarsal joint OA by facilitated ankylosis stimulated by intra-articular ethanol injection. Methods: Twenty-four horses met the inclusion criteria of tarsometatarsal and centrodistal joint OA diagnosed by a positive response to intra-articular analgesia, radiographic evaluation and recurrence of lameness ≤ 4 month...
Tilley P, Sales Luis JP, Branco Ferreira M.As recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) is progressive and as medical history is frequently unknown by owners, it's important to suggest a score model to characterize RAO stages for a more accurate diagnosis and treatment. The authors correlated clinical (CS), endoscopic (ES), thoracic X-ray (XRS) and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALFS) scores in horses with RAO, in an attempt to establish relevance of each factor's contribution for the characterization of RAO stages and to suggest a staging method. Thirty horses with RAO and ten healthy controls were studied. Pearson correlation coefficients w...
Goudet G.The mammalian oviduct plays a crucial role in the preparation of gametes for fertilisation (transport and final maturation) and fertilisation itself. An increasing number of studies offers a comprehensive overview of the functions of the oviduct and its secretions, but this topic has had limited investigation in the horse. Limited data are available on the final oocyte maturation in the equine oviduct. However, in vitro and in vivo systems have been established to analyse the influence of equine oviduct epithelial cells (OEC) during maturation on the potential of oocytes for fertilisation and ...
Leary AJ, Kuenzi AJ, Douglass RJ.We examined the effects of grazing on deer mouse () movements into buildings using passive integrated transponder (PIT) technology and small simulated buildings located on 0.6-ha treatment (grazing) and control (no grazing) plots. Twelve experimental 9-day trials were conducted over the course of the study. During these trials, mouse movements into buildings were monitored during three time periods (each 3 days in length). In the treatment plots these time periods corresponded to pre-grazing, grazing, and post grazing by horses. The number of individual deer mice entering buildings over time d...
Brosnan RJ, Steffey EP, Escobar A, Palazoglu M, Fiehn O.To evaluate whether guaifenesin can prevent adverse anesthetic induction events caused by propofol and whether a guaifenesin-propofol induction combination has brief cardiovascular effects commensurate with rapid drug washout. Methods: 8 healthy adult horses. Methods: Guaifenesin was administered IV for 3 minutes followed by IV injection of a bolus of propofol (2 mg/kg). Additional propofol was administered if purposeful movement was detected. Anesthesia was maintained for 2 hours with isoflurane or sevoflurane at 1.2 times the minimum alveolar concentration with controlled normocapnic ventila...
Klein C, Troedsson MH.Maternal recognition of pregnancy in the horse is the sum of events leading to maintenance of pregnancy; in a narrow sense, maternal recognition of pregnancy refers to the physiological process by which the lifespan of the corpus luteum is prolonged. The horse is one of the few domestic species in which the conceptus-derived pregnancy recognition signal has not been identified. The presence of the conceptus reduces pulsatile prostaglandin F(2α) secretion by the endometrium during early gestation in the mare, partly attributed to the reduced expression of cyclooxygenase-2. Cyclooxygenase-2 has...
Lescun TB, Frank EA, Zacharias JR, Daggy JK, Moore GE.To compare the bone temperature and final hole dimensions associated with sequential overdrilling (SO) and single 6.2-mm drill bit (S6.2DB) methods used to create transcortical holes in the third metacarpal bones (MCIIIs) of horse cadavers. Methods: 60 MCIIIs from 30 horse cadavers. Methods: In phase 1, hole diameter, tap insertion torque, peak bone temperature, and postdrilling bit temperature for 6.2-mm-diameter holes drilled in the lateral or medial cortical region of 12 MCIIIs via each of three 2-bit SO methods with a single pilot hole (diameter, 3.2, 4.5, or 5.5 mm) and the S6.2DB method ...
Röcken M, Mosel G, Barske K, Witte TS.To describe successful repair of a diaphragmatic hernia in a standing sedated horse using a minimally invasive thoracoscopic technique. Methods: Clinical report. Methods: Warmblood mare with a diaphragmatic hernia. Results: An 18-year-old Warmblood mare with severe colic was referred for surgical treatment of small intestinal strangulation in a diaphragmatic defect. Twelve days after initial conventional colic surgery, left-sided laparoscopy in the standing sedated mare for diaphragmatic herniorrhaphy failed because the spleen obscured the hernia. One week later, a left-sided thoracoscopy was ...
Cvitas I, Galichet A, Ling SC, Müller EJ, Marti E.Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) plays a key role in the development of allergic inflammation. Little is known about possible triggers of equine TSLP expression. Objective: To investigate TSLP expression in equine insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) skin lesions. The capacity of TLR 1-8 ligands (L) and of atopic cytokine milieu as potential triggers of TSLP and of interleukin (IL)-6 as a downstream effector molecule of TLR signalling, were examined in primary equine keratinocyte cultures. Methods: Lesional skin from IBH-affected and healthy skin from control-horses (n = 9 each group) was s...
Navarrete-Calvo R, Morgaz J, Gómez-Villamandos RJ, Quirós-Carmona S, Domínguez JM, Ruiz-López P, Granados MM.The bispectral index (BIS) has been evaluated as an indicator of central nervous system (CNS) depression in horses during general anaesthesia. The spectral entropy is another electroencephalographic device and it has not been evaluated yet in horses. Objective: To determine if spectral entropy can assess anaesthetic depth during the different phases of anaesthesia, define the value of state and response entropy during surgical plane of anaesthesia and compare them with BIS. Methods: Clinical, prospective, non-blinded observational study. Methods: Thirty-five horses ASA I or II undergoing sched...
Nell B, Walde I.Diseases of the vitreous, fundus and optic nerve are described and illustrated according to their ophthalmological appearance. Vitreal alterations are commonly of developmental, degenerative, age related, traumatic or inflammatory origin and of minor clinical relevance. In contrast, those affecting the fundus, may be accompanied by visual deficits or blindness. Fundic lesions of inflammatory (multifocal or peripapillary chorioretinitis, haemorrhage, retinal detachment) and traumatic origin have to be differentiated from congenital (congenital stationary night blindness, colobomatous defects, r...
Kilcoyne I, Watson JL, Spier SJ, Whitcomb MB, Vaughan B.Septic sialoadenitis, although uncommonly reported in equids, is a significant cause of pain, inappetence, dysphagia and discomfort. There are currently few reported cases possibly as a result of its infrequent occurrence. Objective: To review cases presenting with sialoadenitis and describe the presenting complaints, results of diagnostic tests, treatment and outcome. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Records were reviewed for equids presenting to the UC Davis William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital between 1998 and 2010 for salivary gland swelling. Equids were in...
Livesey JH, Donald RA, Irvine CH, Redekopp C, Alexander SL.Plasma ACTH, arginine vasopressin (AVP), and alpha MSH were measured in pituitary venous effluent at 5-min intervals from five unanesthetized horses during cortisol infusion and after an iv bolus of AVP or ovine (o) CRF. In control experiments (no hormone) there was a significant overall correlation between the timing of concentration changes in ACTH and alpha MSH. Cortisol infusion increased jugular cortisol levels by 70% and was associated with a reduction in mean ACTH, AVP, and alpha MSH secretion rates and ACTH peak secretion rate, but did not alter the observed pulse frequencies of these ...
Fischer AT, Lloyd KC, Carlson GP, Madigan JE.Laparoscopy was performed in 5 clinically normal horses. Abdominal fluid protein content and WBC count increased markedly in all horses. Necropsy findings were confined to an increased amount of slightly turbid abdominal fluid. Five examples of applications of laparoscopy in horses with abdominal problems indicated that laparoscopy can be a valuable diagnostic procedure in the horse.
Nobert KM.This article provides an overview of the US Food and Drug Administration's current and potential regulation of veterinary regenerative medicine and the various products used in the practice. This article also discusses several of the potential enforcement risks associated with the commercialization of such therapies and products and offers the reader strategies for mitigating those risks. Finally, the article concludes with a review of an important and ongoing court battle that focuses on the marketing and promotion of cellular-based therapies for humans that could have a significant impact on...
Ericson C, Stenfeldt P, Hardeman A, Jacobson I.Kinesiotape theoretically stimulates mechanoreceptive and proprioceptive sensory pathways that in turn may modulate the neuromuscular activity and locomotor function, so alteration of activation, locomotion and/or range of motion (ROM) can be achieved. The aim of this study was to determine whether kinesiotape applied to the abdominal muscles would affect the ROM in flexion-extension (sagittal plane) in the thoracolumbar back of horses at trot. The study design was a paired experimental study, with convenient sample. Each horse was randomly placed in the control or the intervention group and t...
Fogle CA, Gerard MP, Elce YA, Little D, Morton AJ, Correa MT, Blikslager AT.To analyze the effect of the intraoperative use of sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CBMC) and related perioperative factors on postoperative colic and survival in horses that had abdominal surgery for colic. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Horses (n=203) that had surgery for small intestinal disease; 33 horses had intraoperative administration of CBMC. Methods: Information was obtained from medical records for 170 horses that had surgery for colic before use of CBMC and 33 horses that had intraoperative CBMC. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to estimate median survival time and a Co...
Young SS, Tesarowski D.Respiratory mechanics were compared using conventional and forced oscillation techniques in six conscious horses and a mechanical model of the equine respiratory system. The parameters calculated from conventional airflow and esophageal pressure measurements were pulmonary resistance and dynamic compliance. The impedance of the respiratory system was measured at 1, 2, and 3 Hz with the forced oscillation technique, and respiratory system resistance, compliance, inertance, and resonant frequency were calculated. Pulmonary resistance was 1.0 +/- 0.3 cmH2O.l-1.s, and pulmonary dynamic compliance ...
Parkes R, Newton R, Dyson S.Previous descriptions of the clinical features of navicular disease occurred before the widespread use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allowed a more definitive diagnosis of foot pain. The objective of this study was to compare the clinical features of horses with lesions of the podotrochlear apparatus with those with other causes of foot pain. It was hypothesised that primary navicular bone disease would be associated with more advanced radiological findings than other diagnoses. A retrospective study was performed of all horses examined at a referral centre with a definitive diagnosis of...
Green SA, Jenkins SJ, Clark PA.The biuret total protein method and a bromcresol green (BCG) albumin method were used on the Abbott ABA-100 chemistry analyzer to assay serum proteins in clinically normal cattle, sheep, ponies, pigs, and ducks. Total proteins were also read on a refractometer and mylar supported cellulose acetate electrophoresis was performed. Globulins and A/G ratios were calculated from the chemical method and the results compared with the electrophoretic method. Total protein, albumin and A/G ratios in the ponies, sheep and older cattle were in agreement between the two methods. The younger cattle and all ...
Miró J, Catalán J, Marín H, Yánez-Ortiz I, Yeste M.While artificial insemination (AI) with frozen-thawed sperm results in low fertility rates in donkeys, the addition of seminal plasma, removed during cryopreservation, partially counteracts that reduction. Related to this, an apparent inflammatory reaction in jennies is induced following AI with frozen-thawed sperm, as a high amount of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) are observed within the donkey uterus six hours after AI. While PMN appear to select the sperm that ultimately reach the oviduct, two mechanisms, phagocytosis and NETosis, have been purported to be involved in that clearance. ...
Fjordbakk CT, Strand E, Hanche-Olsen S.To test the hypothesis that in bilateral dynamic laryngeal collapse associated with poll flexion, vocal fold collapse (VFC) is the initial abnormal event that induces further laryngeal collapse, and that racing performance would therefore be substantially improved after bilateral ventriculocordectomy in affected individuals. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Twenty-six horses. Methods: Medical records (1998-2006) of harness racehorses admitted for high-speed treadmill videoendoscopy (HSTV) that had bilateral dynamic laryngeal collapse associated with poll flexion were reviewed. Race recor...
Walker C, Perotti VM, Love DN, Whalley JM.The abortigenic effects of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) strain HVS25A, given intranasally, were assessed in pregnant BALB/c, C57BL/6J and Quakenbush mice at day 16 of pregnancy. All EHV-1-infected BALB/c mice showed clinical signs typical of EHV-1-induced disease, together with evidence of abortion. However, although there were fetal and neonatal deaths in some C57BL/6J and Quakenbush litters, the respiratory and systemic effects of EHV-1 infection in the dams were inconsistent. BALB/c dams were then inoculated at day 15 of pregnancy with either EHV-1 or rabbit kidney (RK) cell lysate (control...
Veen I, de Grauw JC.Endotracheal intubation is a routine procedure in veterinary anaesthesia, yet no consensus guidelines exist for endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff inflation and pressure measurement. The aim of this study was to assess current practice of ETT cuff inflation and seal verification in veterinary medicine. An online questionnaire was distributed among veterinary professionals who administer anaesthesia, comprising six demographic and twelve ETT cuff-related questions per species. N = 348 questionnaires were completed. Cuff pressure was measured by 30% of respondents in cats, 32% in dogs and 9% in both f...
Rezabek GB, Donahue JM, Giles RC, Petrites-Murphy MB, Poonacha KB, Rooney JR, Smith BJ, Swerczek TW, Tramontin RR.Histoplasmosis was diagnosed in nine horses during 1986-1990. The infection with Histoplasma capsulatum caused granulomatous placentitis and abortion in one mare in the 7th month of gestation and three mares in the 10th month. Four newborn foals died from severe granulomatous pneumonia within a few days of birth; and a weanling thoroughbred developed granulomatous pneumonia and lymphadenitis at 5 months of age.
Johansson MK, Jäderkvist Fegraeus K, Lindgren G, Ekesten B.The syndrome Multiple Congenital Ocular Anomalies (MCOA) is a congenital eye disorder in horses. Both the MCOA syndrome and the Silver coat colour in horses are caused by the same missense mutation in the premelanosome protein (PMEL) gene. Horses homozygous for the Silver mutation (TT) are affected by multiple ocular defects causing visual impairment or blindness. Horses heterozygous for the Silver mutation (CT) have less severe clinical signs, usually cysts arising from the ciliary body iris or retina temporally. It is still unknown if the vision is impaired in horses heterozygous for the Sil...
Launois MT, Vandeweerd JM, Perrin RA, Brogniez L, Desbrosse FG, Clegg PD.3 horses with lameness localized to the proximal aspect of the metacarpus or metatarsus. Results: All horses had evidence of problems that originated from the proximal aspect of the suspensory ligament (PASL), including signs of pain on palpation, positive results of diagnostic nerve blocks, ultrasonographic detection of enlargement and diffuse areas of reduced echogenicity in the proximal region of insertion of the ligament, and radiographic detection of increased mineral opacity in the proximal aspect of the metacarpus or metatarsus. Desmitis of the PASL was diagnosed in each horse; however,...
Canisso IF, Ball BA, Erol E, Claes A, Scoggin KE, McDowell KJ, Williams NM, Dorton AR, Wolfsdorf KE, Squires EL, Troedsson MH.Nocardioform placentitis in horses is poorly understood, and the development of an experimental model would be of help in understanding the pathogenesis of the disease. Objective: To investigate whether (1) intrauterine inoculation of Crossiela equi during the periovulatory period or (2) i.v., oral or intranasopharyngeal inoculation of C. equi during midgestation would result in nocardioform placentitis, and (3) before and after mating endometrial swabs present evidence of nocardioform placentitis-associated organisms (C. equi or Amycolatopsis spp.). Methods: In Study I, mares (n = 20) rec...
Rubin CT, Seeherman H, Qin YX, Gross TS.Distributions of normal strain, shear strain, and strain energy density (SED) were determined across the midshaft of the third metacarpal (MCIII, or cannon bone) of 3 adult thoroughbred horses as a function of speed and gait. A complete characterization of the mechanical demands of the bone made through the stride and from mild through the extremes of locomotion was possible by using three 3-element rosette strain gauges bonded at the diaphyseal midshaft of the MCIII and evaluating the strain output with beam theory and finite element analysis. Mean ± sd values of normal strain, shear strain,...
Lucas RG, Rodríguez-Hurtado I, Álvarez CT, Ortiz G.Equine back pain can potentially initiate an unstable intervertebral situation that results in atrophy and dysfunction of the epaxial muscles even after back pain has resolved. Several physiotherapy approaches are advocated to promote the strengthening of the multifidus muscle. This study aimed to asses and compare the effect of dynamic mobilization exercises (DME) and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in 8 adult horses (4 individuals by group) to increase the cross-sectional area (CSA) of this muscle after a 7-weeks period treatment. The epaxial muscles of NMES group were electrical...
Asplin KE, Patterson-Kane JC, Sillence MN, Pollitt CC, Mc Gowan CM.Ponies with laminitis associated with insulin resistance and hyperinsulinaemia lack systemic and/or intestinal inflammatory signs, suggesting a different pathogenesis potentially reflected in differing histopathology. Objective: To describe the histological appearance and quantify morphological changes in primary and secondary epidermal lamellae (PEL and SEL) of laminitis lesions from ponies with insulin-induced laminitis. Methods: Equine hoof lamellar tissue was obtained from 4 control ponies and 5 ponies with laminitis induced following infusion of insulin (1036 ± 55 µU/ml) while maintai...
Bhardwaj A, Tandon G, Pal Y, Sharma NK, Nayan V, Soni S, Iquebal MA, Jaiswal S, Legha RA, Talluri TR, Bhattacharya TK, Kumar D, Rai A, Tripathi BN.The horse, one of the most domesticated animals, has been used for several purposes, like transportation, hunting, in sport, or for agriculture-related works. Kathiawari, Marwari, Manipuri, Zanskari, Bhutia, Spiti, and Thoroughbred are the main breeds of horses, particularly due to their agroclimatic adaptation and role in any kind of strong physical activity, and these characteristics are majorly governed by genetic factors. The genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship of these Indian equine breeds using microsatellite markers have been reported, but further studies exploring the SNP d...
