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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.
Circumferential mural bands in the small intestine causing simple obstructive colic: a case series. Circumferential mural band (CMB) in the small intestine is an emerging condition in Ireland. The clinical presentation is a simple obstruction of the small intestine of unknown aetiology. Objective: Horses affected with CMB in the small intestine have a good prognosis following surgical decompression into the caecum. Methods: A retrospective study was carried out and 28 cases identified from 559 colic surgeries performed over a 5.5 year period. An exploratory celiotomy was performed in every case. A simple obstruction at the mid or distal jejunum was identified caused by a CMB, which was multi...
A preliminary study on the induction of dioestrous ovulation in the mare–a possible method for inducing prolonged luteal phase. Strong oestrous symptoms in the mare can cause problems with racing, training and handling. Since long-acting progesterone treatment is not permitted in mares at competition (e.g. according to FEI rules), there is a need for methods to suppress unwanted cyclicity. Spontaneous dioestrous ovulations in the late luteal phase may cause a prolongation of the luteal phase in mares. Methods: In this preliminary study, in an attempt to induce ovulation during the luteal phase, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) (3000 IU) was injected intramuscularly in four mares (experimental group) in the luteal pha...
Ultrasonographic technique and normal anatomic features of the sacroiliac region in horses. The purpose of this study was to establish the normal percutaneous ultrasonographic appearance of anatomic structures within the equine sacroiliac region. Percutaneous ultrasonography was performed in a cranial-to-caudal direction in 10 normal adult live horses. The following structures were examined in detail: supraspinous ligament, lumbar and sacral spinous processes, thoracolumbar fascia and its caudal extension, tubera sacralia, ilial wings, dorsal and lateral portions of the dorsal sacroiliac ligaments, lateral part of the sacrum, and the lateral sacral crest. After ultrasonography, all a...
Characteristics of an outbreak of West Nile virus encephalomyelitis in a previously uninfected population of horses. Equine West Nile virus (WNV) encephalomyelitis cases - based on clinical signs and ELISA serology test results - reported to Texas disease control authorities during 2002 were analyzed to provide insights into the epidemiology of the disease within a previously disease-free population. The epidemic occurred between June 27 and December 17 (peaking in early October) and 1,698 cases were reported. Three distinct epidemic phases were identified, occurring mostly in southeast, northwest and then central Texas. Significant (P<0.05) disease clusters were identified in northwest and northern Texas...
Scintigraphic evaluation of the proximal metacarpal and metatarsal regions in clinically sound horses. In recent years, pain arising from the proximal metacarpal and metatarsal regions has become well recognized as a cause of lameness and various disease entities have been identified. However, our knowledge of normal patterns of radiopharmaceutical uptake is limited, making interpretation of images problematic. It is therefore important to characterize normal patterns of radiopharmaceutical uptake at specific sites to ensure valid interpretation of images in clinical cases with subtle lesions. The purpose of this study was to describe the pattern of radiopharmaceutical uptake in the proximal me...
[Intestinal parasites infection of horses from riding clubs in Kraków area]. The studies were carried out in 2001 and 2002 on horses from riding clubs in Krakow area. On the basis of McMaster method EPG (eggs per gram) and prevalence of infection (%) was evaluated. The most common parasites were strongyles (Strongylidae). In the first year of study in dynamics of strongyles eggs output of horses kept on paddocks two peaks were observed: in May (450 EPG) and January (427 EPG), in comparison with horses under pasture system where the highest level of strongyles eggs output were in May (832 EPG), from August (420 EPG) to October (385 EPG) and in March (482 EPG). In the se...
Effect of ACTH (tetracosactide) on steroid hormone levels in the mare. Part A: effect in intact normal mares and mares with possible estrous related behavioral abnormalities. Ovariectomized mares and mares with inactive ovaries may show signs of estrus. The reason behind this phenomenon is not clear; however, steroid hormones of adrenal origin have been suggested. Moreover, aberrant adrenal hormone production has been implied as a reason why some intact mares may change behavior. In the present study, the effect of ACTH on plasma levels of cortisol, progesterone, androstenedione and testosterone was investigated in intact mares with normal estrous behavior ('controls', n=5) and intact mares that according to their owners showed deviant estrous behavior ('problem' m...
Rapid test by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry to evaluate equine urine reactivity towards 17beta-OH steroids. Bacteria frequently found in equine urine samples may cause degradation of 17beta-OH steroids. A simple liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method has been developed to evaluate the microbiological contamination of equine urine as a marker of poor storage conditions. Norethandrolone was used as the internal standard, and the linearity, sensitivity, precision and accuracy of the method were evaluated. 17beta-OH oxidation was demonstrated for testosterone, nandrolone, trenbolone and boldenone, but did not occur in alpha-epimers such as alpha-boldenone and epitestosterone, d...
Effect of ACTH (tetracosactide) on steroid hormone levels in the mare. Part B: effect in ovariectomized mares (including estrous behavior). The mare is the only non-primate species known to display estrous signs after ovariectomy and adrenal hormones have been implicated as a possible cause. Moreover, in several species, estradiol seems to have a stimulatory effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of ACTH (tetracosactide) on pertinent hormones [cortisol, progesterone, androstenedione, testosterone (intact and ovariectomized mares) and estradiol (ovariectomized mares only)] in intact mares in estrus with the same mares after ovariectomy (n=5). Blood samples were coll...
Field study on the survival, migration and overwintering of infective larvae of horse strongyles on pasture in central Ukraine. Experimental studies on the survival of infective stage larvae of horse strongyles and their ability to overwinter on pasture were carried out in central Ukraine (Poltavska oblast). Faecal pats (1.5 kg each) of naturally infected horses were placed on pasture, and samples of faeces and surrounding vegetation (10 g each) were collected each month, excluding the winter months, from November 2002 until April 2004. The number of infective third stage larvae was calculated in each sample and compared with that from the control faecal samples cultivated in the laboratory. In the control samples, the...
The influence of collagen fiber orientation and other histocompositional characteristics on the mechanical properties of equine cortical bone. This study examined relative influences of predominant collagen fiber orientation (CFO), mineralization (% ash), and other microstructural characteristics on the mechanical properties of equine cortical bone. Using strain-mode-specific (S-M-S) testing (compression testing of bone habitually loaded in compression; tension testing of bone habitually loaded in tension), the relative mechanical importance of CFO and other material characteristics were examined in equine third metacarpals (MC3s). This model was chosen since it had a consistent non-uniform strain distribution estimated by finite ele...
[Depiction of the structure of the vitreous body in horses without ocular diseases and in horses with equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) using transmission electron microscopy]. Neither the ultrastructure of the vitreous body from horses without ocular diseases, nor the pathomorphological changes in the vitreous body associated with equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) have been described. However, the vitreous body plays an important role in the pathogenesis of ERU. Ten vitreous body samples obtained from 5 horses without ocular disease, and 38 vitreous body samples from horses with ERU (collected during vitrectomy) were examined by transmission electron microscopy. The vitreous body samples of horses without ocular diseases were characterized by a loose network of unbranc...
Endothelial cell hypertrophy is associated with microvascular occlusion in horse wounds. Wound repair in horse limbs is often complicated by excessive fibroplasia and scarring. Occlusion of the microvessels populating the granulation tissue appears to be involved in the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix during the repair of limb wounds. This study aimed to determine whether endothelial cell hypertrophy or hyperplasia, or both, contribute to microvascular occlusion and whether the pericyte is involved in this anomaly. We created 5 wounds, each 2.5 x 2.5 cm, on both forelimbs and on the body of 6 horses. One limb was bandaged to stimulate excessive wound fibroplasia. We...
Comparison of 2 endothelin-receptor antagonists on in vitro responses of equine palmar digital arterial and venous rings to endothelin-1. The goals of this study were to determine the concentration-response (C-R) relationship of endothelin-1 (ET-1), compare 2 ET-receptor antagonists and determine the antagonist concentrations that block the vasomotor effects of ET-1, and compare the effectiveness of ET-1 and previously studied vasoconstrictors in equine palmar digital arterial and venous rings in vitro. Vessel rings from 8 nonlaminitic horses were placed in Tyrode's solution, 1 side fixed to the floor of an organ bath and the other side fixed to a force-displacement transducer. Two separate studies were conducted: (I) incubation...
Gastric adenocarcinoma in a horse with portal vein metastasis and thrombosis: a novel cause of hepatic encephalopathy. A 17-year-old Quarter horse mare was referred to Cornell University for postmortem examination after 72 hours of encephalopathy that consisted of depression, mania, and blindness. A plasma sample and cerebral spinal fluid demonstrated hyperammonemia. Gross necropsy examination findings included the following: mild icterus, a transmural mass in the glandular portion of the gastric fundus, multiple masses throughout the liver, and a large tumor thrombus in the portal vein. Microscopically, the gastric mass, hepatic masses, and portal vein thrombus were composed of similar neoplastic epithelial c...
Cloning and pharmacological characterization of the equine adenosine A3 receptor. The aim of this study was to establish a heterologous expression system for the equine adenosine A(3) receptor (eA(3)-R) in an effort to ascertain its pharmacologic profile. Initially, radioligand binding assays identified clones expressing the eA(3)-R in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK) based on the specific binding of [(125)I]AB-MECA. Subsequently, adenylate cyclase assays were utilized to demonstrate functional coupling of the eA(3)-R to the G-protein/adenylate cyclase system. Equilibrium competition binding assays were then performed using selective and non-selective A(3) agonists and an...
Equine herpesvirus 2-associated granulomatous dermatitis in a horse. Granulomatous dermatitis in horses has been linked to many etiologies, including various parasites, fungi, and bacteria. Idiopathic forms of granulomatous inflammation-producing diseases, some of which are localized to the skin, also have been reported in horses. Herein we describe a case of recurrent equine granulomatous skin disease characterized by intranuclear viral inclusions within macrophages and giant cells. The histologic changes were primarily noted in the deep dermis and included multifocal to coalescing areas of necrosis marked by histiocytic cell infiltration and presence of giant...
Derivation, maintenance, and induction of the differentiation in vitro of equine embryonic stem cells. We describe here the isolation and maintenance of pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells from equine blastocysts that have been frozen and thawed. Equine ES cells appear to maintain a normal diploid karyotype in culture. These cells express markers that are characteristic of mouse ES cells, namely, alkaline phosphatase, stage-specific-embryonic antigen 1, STAT3, and Oct4. We also describe protocols for the induction of differentiation in vitro to neural precursor cells in the presence of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), epidermal growth factor, and platelet-derived growth factor and to he...
Cloning and pharmacological characterization of the equine adenosine A2A receptor: a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of equine endotoxemia. The aim of the current study was to clone the equine adenosine A(2A) receptor gene and to establish a heterologous expression system to ascertain its pharmacologic profile via radioligand binding and functional assays. An eA(2A)-R expression construct was generated by ligation of the eA(2A) cDNA into the pcDNA3.1 expression vector, and stably transfected into human embryonic kidney cells (HEK). Binding assays identified those clones expressing the eA(2A)-R, and equilibrium saturation isotherm experiments were utilized to determine dissociation constants (K(D)), and receptor densities (B(max)) ...
Hemangiopericytoma in the eyelid of a horse. Hemangiopericytoma (HP) is a well-recognized neoplasm arising from vascular pericytes that has been reported only in the dog and man. In this study, we describe a 14-year-old female Arabian horse that was presented for surgical excision of a 2-cm-diameter expansile subcuticular mass in the right lower eyelid. Histologically, the mass consisted of loosely arranged interlacing streams and storiform bundles of spindle cells that often formed distinct whorls around a central capillary and bundles of collagen (Antoni A-like pattern). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed strong diffuse cytoplasmic ...
Myopathy with central cores in a foal. Central core disease is a nonprogressive or slowly progressive congenital myopathy with a variable degree of hypotonia and axial and proximal muscle weakness that is histologically characterized by areas devoid of oxidative enzyme activity, resulting from an absence or low numbers of mitochondria in these regions (central core). A 10-month-old, male, pony foal was examined because of stiff gait, marked contractures of the distal portion of the limbs, flexion deformities of the hooves, and moderate hypotonia that had been present from birth. The foal had increased creatine kinase (282 U/liter; ...
Highly diverse type of equine arteritis virus (EAV) from the semen of a South African donkey: short communication. Equine arteritis virus (EAV) was detected by RT-nested PCR in semen samples from a naturally infected South African donkey. Sequence analysis of the amplified ORF5 fragment revealed only 60 to 70% nucleotide identity to a panel of EAV reference sequences. The unique donkey EAV sequence was also found to be stable during passage in horses. The sequence data reported in this study indicate that the South African donkey variant might represent a new genotype of EAV. The distinct genetic properties of the South African asinine strain of EAV suggest a divergent evolution of this arterivirus in vari...
A clinical evaluation of a headless, titanium, variable-pitched, tapered, compression screw for repair of nondisplaced lateral condylar fractures in thoroughbred racehorses. To report clinical evaluation of headless compression screws for repair of metacarpal/metatarsal (MC/MT3) condylar fractures in horses. Methods: Retrospective case study. Methods: Racing Thoroughbreds (n=16) with nondisplaced lateral condylar fractures of MC/MT 3. Methods: Medical records (1999-2004) of horses with nondisplaced longitudinal fractures of the lateral condyle of MC/MT3 were reviewed. Pre-operative variables retrieved were: patient age, gender, limb involvement, injury occurrence, fracture length, and width, evidence of palmar comminution and degenerative joint disease, number of ...
Laparoscopic obliteration of the nephrosplenic space using polypropylene mesh in five horses. To report a laparoscopic technique for insertion of polypropylene mesh in the nephrosplenic space in horses and evaluate outcome. Methods: Descriptive experimental study. Methods: Five healthy mature horses. Methods: One laparoscope and 2 instrument portals were made on the left side of the horse. The nephrosplenic space was measured and appropriately sized polypropylene mesh was inserted and attached to the dorsolateral splenic capsule and perirenal fascia using helical titanium coils. All horses had repeat laparoscopy 4 weeks later and were necropsied at intervals 4-14 weeks after mesh place...
Application of polymerase chain reaction and virus isolation techniques for the detection of viruses in aborted and newborn foals. The occurrence of two important pathogens, equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV1) and equine arteritis virus (EAV) causing abortions, perinatal foal mortality and respiratory disease, was investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and virus isolation to demonstrate the presence of abortigenic viruses in samples from 248 horse fetuses in Hungary. We found 26 EHV1- and 4 EAV-positive aborted or prematurely born foals from 16 and 4 outbreaks, respectively, proving that despite the widely applied vaccination, EHV1 is a far more important cause of abortions in the studs than EAV. We compared the virus co...
Use of accelerating solvent extraction for detecting non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in horse feces. Feces are a possible medium to be used for horse doping control. Efficient methods for detecting drugs in feces collected from various animals are routinely applied in institutes of food safety in Belgium. We have already tested whether they are applicable to horse feces. In this report, accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), an efficient method for extracting compounds from solid material, has been tested. ASE has been used to replace the diethyl ether liquid-liquid extraction step present in the method initially set up. This technique has been optimized for detecting several non-steroidal ant...
The effect of aerosolized and intravenously administered clenbuterol and aerosolized fluticasone propionate on horses challenged with Aspergillus fumigatus antigen. Beta-agonists have been shown to display anti-inflammatory properties in several experimental models. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory properties of clenbuterol (CB), administered either intravenously or by aerosol, in comparison with fluticasone propionate (FP) in recurrent airway obstruction (RAO)-susceptible horses. Eight horses, of which five were known to be susceptible to RAO, underwent an inhalation challenge with Aspergillus fumigatus (AF) antigen and were treated with CB intravenously, CB by aerosol, or FP by aerosol. Twenty-four hours after the challenge...
