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Topic:Equine Health
Equine health encompasses the study and management of diseases, disorders, and overall well-being of horses. It involves understanding various physiological systems, preventive care, and treatment strategies to maintain optimal health in equine populations. Common areas of focus include nutrition, infectious diseases, orthopedic conditions, and reproductive health. Research in equine health aims to advance knowledge on diagnostic methods, therapeutic interventions, and management practices that improve horse welfare and performance. This page collects peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the diverse aspects of equine health, offering insights into current findings and advancements in the field.
Plasma concentration of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in growing Ardenner horses suffering from juvenile digital degenerative osteoarthropathy. Degenerative osteoarthropathy resulting in a reduced active lifespan was observed in Ardenner horses. In the context of joint biology, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is a potential candidate to affect the anabolism of cartilage matrix molecules. A group of 30 Ardenner horses reared under standardized conditions from weaning were evaluated periodically from 15 to 28 months of age to detect the early manifestations of the disease. At the end of this period, horses were classified in two pathological groups related to the degree of interphalangeal degenerative osteoarthropathy based on clin...
Urinary excretion of 5(10)-estrene-3beta,17alpha-diol and estrone by the female horse: complementary indicators of early pregnancy screened with regard to a putative anabolic doping practice. Rules of horse racing stipulate that pregnant mares may compete under definite conditions of date, because early pregnant status may be misused for the sake of enhancing physical performance by putative anabolic steroid action. Screening for pregnancy is generally performed by plasma equine gonadotrophin (eCG) immunoassay, which covers the period between Days 40 and 120. In common screening for urinary anabolic steroids performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, inclusion of two complementary criteria, i.e. the evaluation of total conjugates of 5(10)-estrene-3beta,17alpha-diol (EED) an...
Improved resolution of the comparative horse-human map: investigating markers with in silico and linkage mapping approaches. Genetic maps are extremely important tools for tracing the genes that govern economically significant traits, and microsatellites are a significant component of these. In this study, we isolated 2346 novel horse microsatellites as resources for the construction of high-density horse genetic maps. Of these 2346 markers, 339 (14.5%) horse sequences showed sequence homology to DNA sequences in the human genome, demonstrating that microsatellites as type II markers are valuable resources for developing linkage maps and that they have a potential equal to that of type I markers for developing compa...
Comparison of cytologic and histologic evaluations of the conjunctiva in the normal equine eye. To describe the cells observed in conjunctival brush cytology (CBC) from normal horses and compare these findings with conjunctival structural histology so as to understand which cells are recovered from CBC. Methods: This study was divided into three parts. (1) Conjunctival brush smears were collected from 20 healthy horses on both eyes and a differential count on 300 cells was carried out on May Grünwald-Giemsa (MGG) smears. (2) A similar protocol was used for whole eyes from five horses obtained rapidly after death from a slaughterhouse. The eyes were then assessed for conjunctival histolo...
Combined keratectomy, strontium-90 irradiation and permanent bulbar conjunctival grafts for corneolimbal squamous cell carcinomas in horses (1990-2002): 38 horses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of postoperative beta-irradiation with strontium-90 as an adjunctive treatment to superficial keratectomy and permanent bulbar conjunctival graft for removal of equine corneolimbal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), in decreasing recurrence rate. Methods: The retrospective case study included 38 horses diagnosed and treated for SCC of the eye that involved the limbus and/or cornea. The patients were treated between 1990 and 2002, with strontium-90 irradiation immediately after corneal and conjunctival graft surgery. Recurrence was defined...
Chlamydophila pneumoniae in horses: a seroepidemiological survey in Italy. We tested 731 sera from apparently healthy light horses against Chlamydophila pneumoniae, by a microimmuno-fluorescence (MIF) test. To verify cross-reactions with other species of chlamvdiae, all sera with an antibody titre > or = 32 to C. pneumoniae were tested against both C. psittaci and C. abortus. Antibodies to C. pneumoniae were detected in 194 out of 731 (26.5%) samples tested, with antibody titres ranging from 32 to 1024. No antibody titre > or = 32 was detected in sera to C. abortus. Only few sera with a high antibody titre to C. pneumoniae reacted weakly with C. psittaci at the...
Quantitative determination of the macrolide antibiotic tulathromycin in plasma and broncho-alveolar cells of foals using tandem mass spectrometry. The long-acting antibiotic tulathromycin is on the marked for treatment of pulmonary infection of cattle, swine and horses. To measure disposition and distribution of tulathromycin in foals, a high throughput method was developed for horse plasma (calibration range: 0.006-0.8 microg/mL) and broncho-alveolar cells (calibration range: 0.1-4.0 microg/10(9)cells) using tandem mass spectrometry. Tulathromycin was extracted from plasma and broncho-alveolar fluid using cation exchange cartridges with acetonitrile/ammonia (95:5, v/v). The chromatography was performed isocratically with a mobile phase ...
Neutrophil myeloperoxidase measurements in plasma, laminar tissue, and skin of horses given black walnut extract. To compare measurements of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in plasma, laminar tissues, and skin obtained from control horses and horses given black walnut heartwood extract (BWHE). Methods: 22 healthy 5- to 15-year-old horses. Methods: Horses were randomly assigned to 4 groups as follows: a control group given water (n = 5) and 3 experimental groups given BWHE (17) via nasogastric intubation. Experimental groups consisted of 5, 6, and 6 horses that received BWHE and were euthanatized at 1.5, 3, and 12 hours after intubation, respectively. Control horses were euthanatized at 12 hours after intubation. Pl...
Evaluation of fecal samples from mares as a source of Rhodococcus equi for their foals by use of quantitative bacteriologic culture and colony immunoblot analyses. To determine whether mares are a clinically important source of Rhodococcus equi for their foals. Methods: 171 mares and 171 foals from a farm in Kentucky (evaluated during 2004 and 2005). Methods: At 4 time points (2 before and 2 after parturition), the total concentration of R equi and concentration of virulent R equi were determined in fecal specimens from mares by use of quantitative bacteriologic culture and a colony immunoblot technique, respectively. These concentrations for mares of foals that developed R equi-associated pneumonia and for mares with unaffected foals were compared. Data...
Expression of cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 in naturally occurring squamous cell carcinomas in horses. To assess expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and -2 in naturally occurring squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) and the analogous normal tissues in horses. Methods: Tissue samples collected from 3 conjunctival, 2 vulvar, 4 preputial, and 5 penile SCCs during surgical excision in 14 horses and from corresponding body regions (conjunctiva [n = 5 horses], vulva [2], prepuce [3], and penis [3]) in 5 horses euthanized for reasons unrelated to neoplasia. Methods: Tissue samples were snap frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at -80 degrees C until analysis. Protein was extracted from the frozen tissues,...
Serial alterations in digital hemodynamics and endothelin-1 immunoreactivity, platelet-neutrophil aggregation, and concentrations of nitric oxide, insulin, and glucose in blood obtained from horses following carbohydrate overload. To quantify changes in endothelium-derived factors and relate those changes to various aspects of digital hemodynamics during the prodromal stages of carbohydrate overload (CHO)-induced laminitis in horses. Methods: 20 adult horses without abnormalities of the digit. Methods: Digital and jugular venous blood samples were collected at 1-hour intervals (for assessment of endothelin-1 [ET-1] immunoreactivity and measurement of glucose, insulin, and nitric oxide [NO] concentrations) or 4-hour intervals (CBC and platelet-neutrophil aggregate assessment) for 8 hours or 16 hours after induction of CH...
Molecular identification of Phialophora oxyspora as the cause of mycetoma in a horse. An 18-year-old mare was evaluated for an oral mass that developed after extraction of a broken incisor. Results: An ulcerated, firm, darkly pigmented, approximately 5-cm-diameter spherical mass involved the gingiva lateral and dorsal to the right first to third maxillary incisors. Osteolysis of the roots of the first and second right maxillary incisors and periosteal proliferation of the adjacent premaxilla margins were apparent on radiographs. Histologic examination of the mass revealed multiple coalescing and ramifying foci of abscess formation, each containing a well-defined, discrete, blac...
Density and morphologic features of primary epidermal laminae in the feet of three-year-old racing Quarter Horses. To quantify the density of primary epidermal laminae (PELs) around the solar circumference and evaluate the relationship between regional PEL density and hoof capsule morphology in horses. Methods: Forefeet from nine 3-year-old Quarter Horse cadavers. Methods: Data pertaining to gross features of hoof morphology and PEL variables, including number, density, and distribution patterns around the perimeter of the hoof wall and number of bar PELs, were collected. Tissues of the laminar junction were examined histologically. Results: No significant differences were found between left and right fore...
The importance of proper shoe gear and safety stirrups in the prevention of equestrian foot injuries. The aim of this study was to compile specific foot injuries occurring in pediatric patients that result from equestrian sports and to highlight the importance of wearing adequate riding boots to protect the feet. During a 12-year period, 258 children were admitted to Children's Hospital of Geneva for injuries resulting from horseback riding. Amongst these children, 8 sustained foot lesions that required hospital admission. Four children had compression-type fractures of the cuboid (nutcracker fracture of the cuboid) associated with other complex midfoot fractures, 2 had Lisfranc fracture dislo...
Injuries in the event horse: training versus competition. Two related studies on injuries sustained by event horses during competition and during training are reported. During the cross-country phase of competition, the most common injuries were lacerations and abrasions to the carpus and stifle. Superficial digital flexor tendonitis and exertional rhabdomyolysis were significantly more common during Cours Complete Internationale (CCI) competitions compared to one-day event (ODE) competitions. The difference in injury types at ODEs and CCI competitions probably relates to the increased athletic demands of the CCI and the closer veterinary observation...
Morphometric analysis of the retina from horses infected with the Borna disease virus. Borna disease (BD) is a fatal disorder of horses, often characterized by blindness. Although degeneration of retinal neurons has been demonstrated in a rat model, there are controversial data concerning whether a similar degeneration occurs in the retina of infected horses. To investigate whether BD may cause degeneration of photoreceptors and possibly of other neuronal cells at least at later stages of the disease, we performed a detailed quantitative morphologic study of retinal tissue from Borna-diseased horses. BD was diagnosed by detection of pathognomonic Joest-Degen inclusion bodies in ...
Mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver in a late-term equine fetus. Mesenchymal hamartoma of the liver is a rare congenital disorder of biliary tract development. During the necropsy of a late-term equine fetus, a markedly enlarged liver of more than two times normal weight was found. Light microscopic review revealed that the normal hepatic parenchyma had been obliterated, replaced, and expanded by abnormal bile ducts surrounded by abundant, myxoid stroma. The lesion was diagnosed as a mesenchymal hamartoma. Small portions of the liver had bridging septa of fibrosis and proliferations of small-caliber abnormal bile ducts, resembling another congenital biliary...
Verminous encephalitis in a horse produced by nematodes in the family protostrongylidae. Parasitic granulomatous eosinophilic inflammation was observed in the central nervous system (CNS) of a 6-month-old Arabian colt from New York state. Inflammation was associated with eggs, larvae, and adult nematodes in the cerebellum. Nematodes had histological characteristics of the superfamily Metastrongyloidea. The presence of dorsal-spined larvae in the CNS was further indicative of infection with a nematode in the family Protostrongylidae. Infections were most compatible with Parelaphostrongylus tenuis but specific diagnosis was not possible. This is the first definitive report of a prot...
Mutation and virulence assessment of chromosomal genes of Rhodococcus equi 103. Rhodococcus equi can cause severe or fatal pneumonia in foals as well as in immunocompromised animals and humans. Its ability to persist in macrophages is fundamental to how it causes disease, but the basis of this is poorly understood. To examine further the general application of a recently developed system of targeted gene mutation and to assess the importance of different genes in resistance to innate immune defenses, we disrupted the genes encoding high-temperature requirement A (htrA), nitrate reductase (narG), peptidase D (pepD), phosphoribosylaminoimidazole-succinocarboxamide synthase ...
Effects of feeding sunflower oil or seal blubber oil to horses with recurrent airway obstruction. A crossover feeding trial was performed with 9 horses suffering from recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). The study aimed to determine whether ingestion of sunflower oil (SFO), rich in linoleic acid, or seal blubber oil (SBO), a source of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFAs), changes the fatty acid (FA) ratios in plasma and leukocyte membrane phospholipids (PLs) or the leukocyte numbers or proportions of cell types in the airways. We also investigated diet-related changes in respiratory rate, maximum change in pleural pressure (deltaPpl(max)), dynamic compliance (C(dyn)...
Evaluation of equine papillomas, aural plaques, and sarcoids for the presence of Equine papillomavirus DNA and Papillomavirus antigen. Immunohistochemical (IHC) testing and electron microscopy have implicated Papillomavirus (PV) as the etiologic agent for equine papillomas and aural plaques, but Equine papillomavirus (EPV) DNA has yet to be demonstrated in these lesions by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The purpose of this study was to evaluate formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from naturally occurring cases of equine papillomas, aural plaques, and sarcoids for the presence of EPV DNA by means of PCR and for the presence of PV antigen by means of IHC testing. We used EPV-specific primers that amplified a region of 3...
In vitro effects of oxygen on physico-chemical properties of horse erythrocyte membrane. Whether direct exposure to different concentrations (0%, 13%, 100%) of oxygen may affect horse erythrocyte membrane fluidity (EMF) and fatty acid (FA) composition was studied during 1 (T60) and 2h (T120) exposure. EMF was investigated at the head group level and hydrophobic core thanks to phosphorus nucleus 31 ((31)P) nuclear magnetic resonance ((31)P NMR) and electronic paramagnetic resonance (EPR) using two spin probes: 5-nitroxydestearic acid and 16-doxylstearic acid. Lipid structure of the membranes was studied by gas liquid chromatography. 4-Hydroxy-2E-nonenal was also analyzed as a marke...
Intestinal neoplasia in horses. Intestinal neoplasia of horses is inadequately described. Objective: Intestinal neoplasia of horses has characteristic clinicopathologic features. Methods: Thirty-four horses with intestinal neoplasia. Methods: Retrospective study. Results: Anamnesis, clinical signs, clinicopathologic and pathologic findings in 34 adult horses diagnosed histologically with intestinal neoplasia were reviewed. The horses ranged in age from 2 to 30 years (mean 16.6 years at presentation). The Arabian breed was most represented and there was no sex predisposition. The most common presenting complaints were weight ...
Investigation of a novel, heritable bleeding diathesis of Thoroughbred horses and development of a screening assay. Bleeding in racing horses associated with exercise appears to be multifactorial, and clinical investigation into severe cases rarely occurs. Previously, we reported a severe bleeding diathesis in a Thoroughbred mare. Herein, we describe the cellular physiology of this defect, provide a diagnostic tool for identifying it, and demonstrate that the dysfunction is heritable. Objective: The subject has a heritable defect in platelet secretion that reduces thrombin generation in the absence of additional plasma factors and delays the onset of thrombin production even in the presence of these factors...
Vehicle effects on the in vitro penetration of testosterone through equine skin. The effects of three vehicles, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), ethanol (50% in PBS w/w) and propylene glycol (50% in PBS w/w) on in vitro transdermal penetration of testosterone was investigated in the horse. Skin was harvested from the thorax of five Thoroughbred horses after euthanasia and stored at -20 degrees C until required. The skin was then defrosted and placed into Franz-type diffusion cells, which were maintained at approximately 32 degrees C by a water bath. Saturated solutions of testosterone, containing trace amounts of radiolabelled [14C]testosterone, in each vehicle were applie...
