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.
Okamura K, Sasaki N, Fukunaka M, Yamada H, Inokuma H.The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics and dose proportionality of mosapride citrate, a selective 5-HT4 agonist, after oral administration in horses. Seven healthy Thoroughbreds were dosed with distilled water and 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 mg/kg mosapride citrate through a nasogastric tube. Serum mosapride concentrations were measured by a liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method. Mosapride showed the Cmaxs of 31, 60, and 104 ng/g and AUCs of 178, 357, and 566 ng.hr/g at doses of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 mg/kg, respectively. The Cmaxs and AUCs increased in proporti...
Kendall A, Mosley C, Bröjer J.Signs of tachypnea after sedation of febrile horses with alpha2-agonists have been noted previously but have not been further investigated. Objective: To examine the effects of xylazine and detomidine on respiratory rate and rectal temperature in febrile horses and to investigate if either drug would be less likely than the other to cause changes in these variables. Methods: Nine febrile horses and 9 healthy horses were included in the study. Methods: Horses were randomly assigned to sedation with xylazine 0.5 mg/kg or detomidine 0.01 mg/kg. Heart rate and respiratory rate were recorded before...
Blutke A, Hamel D, Hüttner M, Gehlen H, Romig T, Pfister K, Hermanns W.In Europe, cystic echinococcosis is rare in horses and is mostly diagnosed at slaughter or postmortem examination. Equine cystic echinococcosis can be caused by various Echinococcus taxa, but only Echinococcus equinus (the "horse strain") is known to produce fertile cysts. In Europe, E. equinus appears to be endemic in Great Britain, Ireland, Spain, and Italy and has sporadically been reported in Belgium and Switzerland. The present report describes the first case of a molecularly confirmed E. equinus infection in a horse foaled and raised in Germany. The 19-year-old mare was presented for exa...
Bertelsmann H, Keppler S, Höltershinken M, Bollwein H, Behne D, Alber D, Bukalis G, Kyriakopoulos A, Sieme H.The essential trace element selenium is indispensable for male fertility in mammals. Until now, little data existed regarding the relationship between selenium and sperm quality in the stallion. Selenium, or selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase activity, was determined in red blood cells, semen, seminal plasma and spermatozoa, and the percentages of spermatozoa with progressive motility (PMS), intact membranes (PMI), altered (positive) acrosomal status (PAS) and detectable DNA damage, determined by the sperm chromatin structure assay, were evaluated in 41 healthy stallions (three samples ...
Thorsteinsdóttir L, Torfason EG, Torsteinsdóttir S, Svansson V.Horses are hosts to 2 types of gammaherpesviruses, Equid herpesvirus 2 and 5 (EHV-2 and EHV-5, respectively). Both EHV-2 and EHV-5 are common in horses in Iceland. An Icelandic EHV-5 isolate was recovered by sequential culture in primary fetal horse kidney and rabbit kidney cells. Glycoprotein B, glycoprotein H, and DNA terminase genes of the isolate were fully sequenced, and the DNA polymerase gene was partly sequenced. To date, the glycoprotein B gene of EHV-5 was the only gene that has been reported to be completely sequenced in addition to small parts of the glycoprotein H, DNA polymerase,...
Palm FM, Schenk I, Neuhauser S, Schubert D, Machnik M, Schänzer W, Aurich C.Treatment with the progestin altrenogest is widely used in pregnant mares. The fact that foals born from healthy mares treated with altrenogest until term suffered from neonatal problems raises the question of direct effects of altrenogest on vital functions in the neonate. We have therefore investigated altrenogest concentrations in maternal and neonatal blood plasma and in fetal fluids. Pregnant mares were treated with altrenogest orally once daily (0,088 mg/kg bodyweight, n = 7) or left untreated (n = 8) from 280 d of gestation until foaling. Altrenogest concentration was determined in plas...
Crook TC, Cruickshank SE, McGowan CM, Stubbs N, Wilson AM, Hodson-Tole E, Payne RC.Selective breeding for performance has resulted in distinct breeds of horse, such as the Quarter Horse (bred for acceleration) and the Arab (bred for endurance). Rapid acceleration, seen during Quarter Horse racing, requires fast powerful muscular contraction and the generation of large joint torques, particularly by the hind limb muscles. This study compared hind limb moment arm lengths in the Quarter Horse and Arab. We hypothesized that Quarter Horse hind limb extensor muscles would have longer moment arms when compared to the Arab, conferring a greater potential for torque generation at the...
Ortega Ferrusola C, González Fernández L, Salazar Sandoval C, MacÃas GarcÃa B, RodrÃguez MartÃnez H, Tapia JA, Peña FJ.In order to evaluate to what extent the changes that occur during cryopreservation involve the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PT-pore), a specific inhibitor was used during the cryopreservation process of stallion spermatozoa. Four ejaculates from each of 7 stallions were frozen using a standard protocol. Before freezing, each ejaculate was split into three subsamples. The first was supplemented with 2.5 microM bongkrekic acid (BA) and the second with 5 microM BA. The third subsample served as control. The BA significantly reduced the percentage of spermatozoa depicting active cas...
Wada S, Hobo S, Niwa H.To describe the number of cases, etiologies, healing times, and results of microbial culture and susceptibility testing of corneal ulcers in thoroughbred racehorses in Japan. Methods: Retrospective study of the medical records of racehorses belonging to the Japan Racing Association (JRA) from 1997 to 2008. Results: A total of 2846 horses suffered ulcerative keratitis. These horses accounted for 90.5% of all the corneal problems and 54.9% of the entire number of horses with ocular diseases. Running in races was the cause in 64.3% of the cases. The mean healing time of the ulcers developed in ra...
Boveland SD, Moore PA, Mysore J, Krunkosky TM, Dietrich UM, Jarrett C, Paige Carmichael K.Determine the effects of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-2, -9, macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and -2 by immunohistochemical expression in fungal affected and purulonecrotic corneas. Methods: Paraffin-embedded equine corneal samples; normal (n = 9), fungal affected (FA; n = 26), and purulonecrotic without fungi (PN; n = 41) were evaluated immunohistochemically for MMP-2, -9, MIP-2, TIMP-1 and -2. The number of immunoreactive inflammatory cells was counted and statistics analyzed. Western blot was performed to detect MMP-2, MMP...
Gupta RC, Canerdy TD, Skaggs P, Stocker A, Zyrkowski G, Burke R, Wegford K, Goad JT, Rohde K, Barnett D, DeWees W, Bagchi M, Bagchi D.The present investigation evaluated arthritic pain in horses receiving daily placebo, undenatured type II collagen (UC-II) at 320, 480, or 640 mg (providing 80, 120, and 160 mg active UC-II, respectively), and glucosamine and chondroitin (5.4 and 1.8 g, respectively, bid for the first month, and thereafter once daily) for 150 days. Horses were evaluated for overall pain, pain upon limb manipulation, physical examination, and liver and kidney functions. Evaluation of overall pain was based upon a consistent observation of all subjects during a walk and a trot in the same pattern on the same sur...
Rios JJ, Fleming JG, Bryant UK, Carter CN, Huber JC, Long MT, Spencer TE, Adelson DL.West Nile virus, first identified within the United States in 1999, has since spread across the continental states and infected birds, humans and domestic animals, resulting in numerous deaths. Previous studies in mice identified the Oas1b gene, a member of the OAS/RNASEL innate immune system, as a determining factor for resistance to West Nile virus (WNV) infection. A recent case-control association study described mutations of human OAS1 associated with clinical susceptibility to WNV infection. Similar studies in horses, a particularly susceptible species, have been lacking, in part, because...
Passler NH, Chan HM, Stewart AJ, Duran SH, Welles EG, Lin HC, Ravis WR.The purpose of this study was to assess safety and alterations in body fluid concentrations of voriconazole in normal horses on days 7 and 14 following once daily dose of 4 mg/kg of voriconazole orally for 14 days. Body fluid drug concentrations were determined by the use of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). On day 7, mean voriconazole concentrations of plasma, peritoneal, synovial and cerebrospinal fluids, aqueous humor, epithelial lining fluid (ELF), and urine were 1.47 +/- 0.63, 0.61 +/- 0.22, 0.70 +/- 0.20, 0.62 +/- 0.26, 0.55 +/- 0.32, 79.45 +/- 69.4, and 1.83 +/- 0.44 microg...
Ahern BJ, Richardson DW.To report repair of a comminuted distal humeral type II Salter-Harris fracture using an ulnar osteotomy approach and locking compression plates (LCP). Methods: Case report. Methods: A 3-month-old Standardbred filly with a type II Salter-Harris fracture of the distal humerus. Methods: Radiographic and computed tomography examinations were performed to assist surgical planning. The distal humeral fracture was approached by an ulnar osteotomy and repaired using a 7-hole broad LCP and screws inserted in lag fashion. The osteotomy was subsequently repaired using a 7-hole narrow LCP. Results: The di...
Sod GA, Riggs LM, Mitchell CF, Martin GS, Gill MS.To compare the monotonic biomechanical properties and fatigue life of a 5.5-mm-broad locking compression plate (5.5 LCP) fixation with a 4.5-mm-broad locking compression plate (4.5 LCP) fixation to repair osteotomized equine 3rd metacarpal (MC3) bones. Methods: In vitro biomechanical testing of paired cadaveric equine MC3 with a middiaphyseal osteotomy, stabilized by 1 of 2 methods for fracture fixation. Methods: Fifteen pairs of adult equine cadaveric MC3 bones. Methods: Fifteen pairs of equine MC3 were divided into 3 test groups (5 pairs each) for (1) 4-point bending single cycle to failure ...
Tóth F, Schumacher J, Castro F, Perkins J.To describe and evaluate full-thickness skin grafting of equine wounds. Methods: Case series. Methods: Adult horses (n=6). Methods: A full-thickness graft was harvested from the pectoral region with the horse anesthetized or standing and sedated after local anesthetic infiltration. Grafts were attached to the cutaneous margin of the wound with staples and/or sutures if the horse was anesthetized or if the recipient site was desensitized. Cyanoacrylate glue was used to attach the grafts to the cutaneous margin of the wound of 3 horses. Medical records were reviewed for history, physical examina...
Haupt JL, Caron JP.To compare the proportion of the proximal recess of the navicular bursa that could be examined through a single endoscopic portal and the severity of iatrogenic lesions between conventional and modified approaches. Methods: Descriptive study. Methods: Equine cadaver forelimbs (n=16). Methods: Arthroscopic access to the navicular bursa in 1 limb of each pair was by a conventional approach and in the other limb, by a modified approach using sharp dissection through the distal digital flexor sheath, immediately palmar to the T ligament. The time required to access the bursa and the estimated prop...
De Bont MP, Wilderjans H, Simon O.To describe a standing laparoscopic ovariectomy technique with intraabdominal ovarian dissection inside a specimen retrieval bag for removal of large pathologic ovaries through small incisions. Methods: Case series. Methods: Mares (n=43) aged 2-21 years and weighing 380-680 kg. Methods: Unilateral laparoscopic ovariectomy was performed on 43 standing sedated mares. Ovaries were approached via 3 portal sites, 2 in the paralumbar fossa and a 3rd between the 17th and 18th ribs on the ipsilateral side. Ovaries were dissected free using either a LiNA Tripol-bipolar laparoscopic forceps or a Ligasur...
Nutt JN, Southwood LL, Elce YA, Nunamaker DM.To compare the mechanical properties and failure modes of a standardized short oblique distal radial metaphyseal osteotomy stabilized using either a transfixation pin cast (TPC), a modular-sidebar external skeletal fixator (ESF), or a solid-sidebar ESF (modular- or solid-ESF, respectively) using static or cyclic axial loading to failure. Methods: In vitro study. Methods: Equine cadaver forelimbs. Methods: A 30 degrees oblique distal radial osteotomy was created and stabilized using 1 of the 3 fixation methods: (1) TPC, (2) modular-ESF, or (3) solid-ESF. Limbs were tested using static (TPC, mod...
Murcia PR, Baillie GJ, Daly J, Elton D, Jervis C, Mumford JA, Newton R, Parrish CR, Hoelzer K, Dougan G, Parkhill J, Lennard N, Ormond D, Moule S....Determining the evolutionary basis of cross-species transmission and immune evasion is key to understanding the mechanisms that control the emergence of either new viruses or novel antigenic variants with pandemic potential. The hemagglutinin glycoprotein of influenza A viruses is a critical host range determinant and a major target of neutralizing antibodies. Equine influenza virus (EIV) is a significant pathogen of the horse that causes periodical outbreaks of disease even in populations with high vaccination coverage. EIV has also jumped the species barrier and emerged as a novel respirator...
Zhang J, Timoney PJ, Shuck KM, Seoul G, Go YY, Lu Z, Powell DG, Meade BJ, Balasuriya UB.In 2006-2007, equine viral arteritis (EVA) was confirmed for the first time in Quarter Horses in multiple states in the USA. The entire genome of an equine arteritis virus (EAV) isolate from the index premises in New Mexico was 12 731 nt in length and possessed a previously unrecorded unique 15 nt insertion in the nsp2-coding region in ORF1a and a 12 nt insertion in ORF3. Sequence analysis of additional isolates made during this disease occurrence revealed that all isolates from New Mexico, Utah, Kansas, Oklahoma and Idaho had 98.6-100.0 % (nsp2) and 97.8-100 % (ORF3) nucleotide identity and c...
Johnson AK, Clark-Price SC, Choi YH, Hartman DL, Hinrichs K.To describe the health status of foals derived by use of somatic cell nuclear transfer (NT) at a university laboratory. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 14 live-born NT-derived foals. Methods: Medical records from 2004 through 2008 were evaluated to identify all pregnancies resulting in live-born NT-derived foals. Information obtained included gestation length, birth weight, foaling complications, gross abnormalities of the fetal membranes, appearance of the umbilicus, mentation of the foal, limb deformities, and any other abnormalities detected in the neonatal period. Clinicopatho...
Clode AB, Davis JL, Salmon J, LaFevers H, Gilger BC.To determine the degree of ocular penetration and systemic absorption of commercially available topical ophthalmic solutions of 0.3% ciprofloxacin and 0.5% moxifloxacin following repeated topical ocular administration in ophthalmologically normal horses. Methods: 7 healthy adult horses with clinically normal eyes as evaluated prior to each treatment. Methods: 6 horses were used for assessment of each antimicrobial, and 1 eye of each horse was treated with topically administered 0.3% ciprofloxacin or 0.5% moxifloxacin (n = 6 eyes/drug) every 4 hours for 7 doses. Anterior chamber paracentesis wa...
Peiró JR, Borges AS, Gonçalves RC, Mendes LC.To compare results reported for blood gas partial pressures, electrolyte concentrations, and Hct in venous blood samples collected from cattle, horses, and sheep and analyzed by use of a portable clinical analyzer (PCA) and reference analyzer (RA). Methods: Clinically normal animals (24 cattle, 22 horses, and 22 sheep). Methods: pH; Pco(2); Po(2); total carbon dioxide concentration; oxygen saturation; base excess; concentrations of HCO(3)(-), Na(+), K(+), and ionized calcium; Hct; and hemoglobin concentration were determined with a PCA. Results were compared with those obtained for the same bl...
Rocchigiani G, Verin R, Uzal FA, Singer ER, Pregel P, Ressel L, Ricci E.Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) is a common condition of Thoroughbred racehorses that is usually responsible for reduced performance, while exercise-associated fatal pulmonary hemorrhage (EAFPH) is characterized by severe pulmonary bleeding of unknown pathogenesis resulting in sudden death during strenuous exercise. The aim of the study was to characterize and compare anamnestic data together with pulmonary gross, histologic, and ultrastructural findings in racehorses with EIPH (n = 10), EAFPH (n = 10), and control horses (n = 5). No differences in anamnesis were identified betwee...
Jose-Cunilleras E, Viu J, Corradini I, Armengou L, Cesarini C, Monreal L.Nutritional support in critically ill neonatal foals is of great importance given their high metabolic rate and minimal stores of energy and protein. Nutrient requirements of healthy growing foals have been estimated based on daily milk intake; however, little is known about the resting energy expenditure (REE) of sick foals. Objective: To determine REE in critically ill neonatal foals (sepsis and/or hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy [HIE] and compare this with REE in control foals. Methods: Critically ill newborn foals admitted to the Fundació Hospital Clinic Veterinari, Universitat Autònoma...
Richards CM, Aucken HA, Tucker EM, Hannant D, Mumford JA, Powell JR.Studies were carried out to determine the optimum conditions for the production of equine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). Lymphocytes from ponies immunised with influenza A equine 2 virus, isolate A/Equine/Newmarket/79 (H3N8) were fused with mouse myeloma (NSO) cells and with horse-mouse heterohybridomas made aminopterin-sensitive by selective growth in 8-azaguanine. Although all fusions initially resulted in heterohybridoma colonies that secreted equine immunoglobulin, many of these were unable to maintain secretion for longer than a few weeks. Increasing the time between immunisation and the b...
Garcia-Lopez JM, Boudrieau RJ, Provost PJ.A 4-year-old castrated male Miniature Horse was evaluated because of severe right hind limb lameness of 5 days' duration. The diagnosis of craniodorsal luxation of the right coxofemoral joint was made by physical examination and radiographic imaging. Closed reduction was attempted but was unsuccessful. Surgical reduction was successfully performed, using toggle pin, synthetic capsular reconstruction, and trochanteric transposition techniques. No postoperative complications were observed. Follow-up 26 months after surgery revealed no recurrence of the luxation and no evidence of lameness. These...
Ralston SL, Van den Broek G, Baile CA.The feeding patterns of five pony geldings fed pelleted diets ad libitum were quantified for five 24-hr periods. Eighty percent of a given pony's total daily intake (6.3 ± .81 kg or 2.9 ± .41% BW) was eaten in 10 ± .9 separate meals. Each meal averaged .49 ±.13 kg of pellets and lasted 44 ± 10 minutes. The mean intermeal interval was 84 ± 10 min, with a maximum of 3 hour. The animals spent 38 ± 7.2% of a 24-hr period engaged in eating activities, 84 ± 3.7% of which was devoted to meals, the other 16% spent in nibbling activities. Forty-nine percent of the total daily intake was consume...
Saey V, Decloedt A, Van Poucke M, Peelman L, van Loon G, Vanderperren K, Ducatelle R, Chiers K.This case report describes the clinical presentation, the necropsy findings, and genetic results of a 13-year-old Warmblood mare presented with colic and a bilaterally loud, holosystolic murmur. Echocardiographic examination revealed the presence of a thoracic aortic aneurysm, an aortic pseudoaneurysm, a periaortic hematoma (circumferential cuffing by perivascular hemorrhage), and aortopulmonary fistulation. A supravalvular aortic stenosis (SVAS) was visible during echocardiography. Necropsy confirmed that the thoracic aortic aneurysm had ruptured and connected to the pseudoaneurysm, which fis...
Norton JL, Jackson K, Chen JW, Boston R, Nolen-Walston RD.Pneumonia is observed in horses after long-distance transportation in association with confinement of head position leading to reduction in tracheal mucociliary clearance rate (TMCR). Objective: Clenbuterol, a beta-2 agonist shown to increase TMCR in the horse, will ameliorate the effects of a fixed elevated head position on large airway contamination and inflammation in a model of long-distance transportation model. Methods: Six adult horses. Methods: A cross-over designed prospective study. Horses were maintained with a fixed elevated head position for 48 hours to simulate long-distance tran...
Pearson W, Lindinger M.Nutraceuticals are increasingly applied to the management of equine arthritis and joint disease, particularly those based upon glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate. While the first report of using glucosamine in horses appeared more than 25 years ago, it was not until 1992 that isolated studies began to be reported. Since that time, 15 in vivo papers have been published in the equine literature, usually on products already commercially available and often seeking evidence for efficacy. These studies demonstrate an encouraging trend to manufacturers of these products investing in research, but ...
Handler J, Königshofer M, Kindahl H, Schams D, Aurich C.We conducted the present study to establish a standardized method for cervical stimulation without affecting the endometrium, and to investigate the effect on estrous cycle pattern and concentrations of progesterone, oxytocin and PGF2alpha-metabolite of cervical dilatation in the mare. Six healthy Haflinger mares underwent three different treatments (control, insertion, dilatation) on Days 5 and 7 of the cycles in different orders according to a Latin square design. During dilatation, the balloon of the catheter was inflated stepwise every 30s with warm physiological saline to a maximum of 50 ...
Herrera M, Herrera JM, Cantatore S, Aguilar J, Felipe A, Fumuso E.Uterine acute post-breeding inflammation is a physiological tissue response to the entry of exogenous elements, with persistent endometritis being the main pathology responsible for subfertility in the mare (Equus ferus caballus; Linnaeus, 1758). Mares can be classified as susceptible or resistant to endometritis according to their ability to remove intrauterine fluid within 48Â hr after experimental inoculation. Endometrial biopsy is a technique that is commonly used to establish the degree of lesions that can affect the fertility of the mare. Endometrial histomorphometry is an objective and ...
Bienert A, Bartmann CP, von Oppen T, Poppe C, Schiemann V, Deegen E.Isofluorane is a modern, only slightly depressive inhalation anaesthetic with excellent pharmacologic characteristics in use in equine medicine. In contrast to halothane, isofluorane is hardly broken down in the liver, but is eliminated by the lung. It low solubility in blood permits excellent control of anaesthesia. However, due to its swift elimination from the organism there is heightened risk of premature recovery from isofluorane anaesthesia. In this study the recovery phases of 96 horses were monitored for its duration and the animals' physical coordination. The horses were divided into ...
Straticò P, Razzuoli E, Hattab J, Guerri G, Celani G, Palozzo A, Bonanni D, Fruscione F, Varasano V, Petrizzi L, Marruchella G.A 7-year-old Friesian stallion with a history of oesophageal stenosis, weight loss, inappetence, and recurrent hyperthermia was referred for gastroscopy. The stomach mucosa surrounding the oesophageal opening showed a large, necrotic, and ulcerated mass. On post-mortem examination, a very large, cauliflower-like neoplasm was seen, affecting non-glandular gastric mucosa. Nodular lesions were observed, scattered on the omentum, the spleen, and the liver. Microscopic findings allowed the diagnosis of gastric squamous cell carcinoma with abdominal metastasis. Biomolecular investigations demonstrat...
Dabareiner RM, White NA.A 9-year-old Thoroughbred was evaluated for clinical signs of acute abdominal pain. During laparotomy, a rent in the diaphragm and herniation of the small intestine into the thoracic cavity were detected. Because edges of the rent were smooth and fibrous, which suggested the defect was chronic, the abdomen was closed without repairing the rent. After recurrence of clinical signs, a second laparotomy was performed, during which the intestines were found to have reherniated. The diaphragmatic rent was repaired, using a polypropylene mesh secured with stainless steel staples. The horse recovered ...
Schams D, Papkoff H.Highly purified pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) can be prepared from crude commercial preparations of PMSG by chromatography on sulfoethyl-Sephadex C-50 and gel filtration on Sephadex G-100. The preparation was examined by disc electrophoresis and gel filtration and found to be of high purity. Amino acid analysis shows similarities to pituitary gonadotropins. The PMSG contains a high content of proline and cystine and low amounts of the aromatic amino acids. Phenylalanine is the major amino terminal amino acid. The carbohydrate content totals 45% of which 10% is the content of sialic a...
Wentink GH.The dynamics of the hind limbs of the horse and dog at walk are compared. The kinematics were studied by electromyography of animals walking on a moving belt, and by cinephotography in horses walking on the ground and in dogs walking on a moving belt and on the ground.
This study reveals that: 1) the retraction of the hoof or foot relative to the hip at the end of the support phase is less in the horse than in the dog; 2) the change in the sense of the movements of the hind limb segments at the end of the support phase and at the beginning of the swing phase occurs earlier in the horse (55â...
Smith MRW, Corletto FC, Wright IM.Thirty years have elapsed since the last published review of outcome following fracture of the proximal phalanx in Thoroughbred racehorses in the UK and contemporary results are needed to be able to advise of expected outcome. Objective: Collect and analyse outcome data following repair of fractures of the proximal phalanx in Thoroughbred racehorses in the UK. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Case records of all Thoroughbred racehorses admitted to Newmarket Equine Hospital for evaluation of a parasagittal fracture of the proximal phalanx during a 5 years period were reviewed. Follo...
Bracun A, Ellis AD, Hall C.Ophthalmic examination in the horse is generally limited to crude assessment of vision and screening for ocular lesions. The refractive state of equine eyes and the potential impact on vision and performance requires further investigation. Objective: To assess the refractive state of a large, mixed-breed sample of horses and ponies in the United Kingdom (UK). Methods: The refractive state of both eyes of 333 horses and ponies was determined by streak retinoscopy, and the effect of age, height, gender, breed and management regime on the refractive state assessed. Results: Emmetropia was found i...
Carluccio A, De Amicis I, Panzani S, Tosi U, Faustini M, Veronesi MC.No knowledge regarding the peripartum changes in mammary secretions in the jenny are presently available in literature. In the mare, instead, several studies report the role of these changes as indicators of foetal readiness for birth and impending parturition. This experiment was designed to determine calcium, sodium, potassium concentrations, and the value of sodium/potassium ratio in mammary fluids during prepartum in the jenny. Samples were daily collected by hand milking, after mammary gland size increased noticeably, from 17 Martina Franca jennies. Prepartum mammary secretions were analy...
Romagnoli N, Zannoni A, Bernardini C, Gobbetti T, Bombardi C, Rambaldi AM, Morini M, Dondi F, Rinnovati R, Lambertini C, Spadari A.Proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR) is a G-protein-coupled receptor for trypsin and mast cell tryptase; it is highly expressed at the intestinal level with multiple functions, such as epithelial permeability and intestinal motility. The aim of the study was to evaluate the distribution and expression of proteinase-activated receptor 2 in the small intestine during herniation through epiploic foramen. In this prospective clinical study, eight horses admitted for colic and which underwent exploratory laparotomy were considered. During surgery, the jejunum or the ileum was sampled by enterectom...
Bergström K, Grönlund U.Detection of nosocomial methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in horses in Sweden has increased attention on infection control (IC) in equine hospitals. This study established baseline data on IC programmes within such settings, evaluated compliance with some IC procedures before and after an education intervention, and examined barriers to compliance.The study was carried out between 2008 and 2011 in four Swedish equine hospitals. Data on current IC of each hospital, purchase data on hand sanitisers and disposable gloves per patient, and direct observations of compliance with...
Adah AS, Ayo JO, Adah DA, Nwonuma CO, Lawal TA.Exercise-induced oxidative stress is a challenge in equine sports. This study aims at determining the effects of ergothioneine on heat shock protein-70 (HSP-70) following the stress of an endurance exercise of 30 km by Arabian stallions. Molecular docking was also done to investigate the interaction between the ligand ergothioneine and heat shock protein-70 using sulfogalactosylceramide and sulfogalactoglycerolipid as standards. The study involved a total of 18 clinically healthy stallions, with an average age of 6.7 ± 2.4 years and an average weight of 411.54 ± 12.46 kg. Only cli...
Schumacher J, Honnas C, Smith B.Primary paranasal sinusitis complicated by inspissated exudate within the ventral conchal sinus was diagnosed in five horses. Clinical signs included a unilateral, foul-smelling, mucopurulent nasal exudate of 2 to 7 months' duration. Two of the horses had partial nasal obstruction from distortion of the ventral concha. Radiographs of the skull showed a mass of soft tissue density dorsal to the roots of the superior third and fourth or fourth and fifth cheek teeth. Treatment included bone flap maxillary sinusotomy with exposure of the ventral nasal concha and removal of inspissated exudate. Res...
Carroll JF, Schmidtmann ET.The American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis (Say), was the only ixodid tick found feeding on horses in Montgomery County, Md., from May to August. Average tick burdens were low (less than one tick per horse per week), but >80% of 33 horses examined weekly were exposed to tick feeding during the summer. Of the 98 ticks collected, 78% were attached to the tail and 12% were present in the mane. Host-seeking adult D. variabilis were active on vegetation in pastures from May to early August, with most specimens along hedgerows, woods margins, and horse paths.
Hamond C, Martins G, Bremont S, Medeiros MA, Bourhy P, Lilenbaum W.The purpose of the present study was to detect the presence of DNA of pathogenic Leptospira sp. in vaginal fluids of mares regarding a possible role of the sexual transmission. A total of 134 breeding mares from four troops were studied and sampling was conducted from vaginal fluids and urine for culture and PCR; and blood for serology. From the 134 serum samples tested, 59 (44%) were seroreactive, and serovar Bratislava was the most frequent (54.2%). None positive culture was obtained, but leptospiral DNA was detected by PCR (lipL32 gene) in 45 (33.5%) urine samples and 43 (32%) vaginal fluid...
Zhao G, Wu K, Cui L, Zhao L, Liu Y, Tan X, Zhou H.Three media were evaluated for their ability to support in vitro maturation of donkey (Equus asinus) oocytes and their development after parthenogenetic activation. The basal medium for Medium 1 (M1) and Medium 2 (M2) was M199 and DMEM/F12 respectively, whereas, Medium 3 (M3) consisted of equal parts (v/v) of M199 and DMEM/F12. All three media were supplemented with 10% (v/v) fetal calf serum, 0.01 units/mL porcine FSH, 0.01 units/mL equine LH, 200 ng/mL insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF-I), 10 μl/mL insulin-transferrin-selenium (ITS), 0.1 mg/mL taurine, 0.1 mg/mL L-cysteine, 0.05 mg/mL L-glut...
Walker VA, Dyson SJ, Murray RC.Development of core muscle strength is important for training and during rehabilitation following injury. A Pessoa training aid (PTA) is a system of ropes and pulleys which is commonly used during equine training and rehabilitation, but there is limited information on its effectiveness. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of the PTA on the temporal, linear and angular kinematics of the working trot. Influence of testing order on effect of a PTA was assessed in four horses. Twelve riding horses were lunged at working trot on a 16 m diameter circle without (WO) and with a PTA ...
