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Topic:Equine Medicine
Equine Medicine encompasses the study and application of medical practices specifically related to the health and well-being of horses. This field involves the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases and disorders affecting equine species. It covers a wide range of topics, including internal medicine, surgery, reproduction, and pharmacology. Research in equine medicine often focuses on understanding the physiological and pathological processes unique to horses, as well as developing effective therapeutic interventions. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various aspects of equine medicine, providing insights into the latest advancements and methodologies in the care and management of horse health.
Risk factors and long-term prognosis of catheter-associated thrombophlebitis in neonatal foals. Thrombophlebitis is a possible complication of the use of indwelling catheters in hospitalized neonatal foals. Limited data are available concerning associated risk factors, and long-term prognosis regarding vein patency is currently unknown. Objective: Identify risk factors for catheter-associated thrombophlebitis in neonatal foals and assess long-term prognosis in a small subset. Methods: Two hundred twenty-three foals < 31 days of age, hospitalized in Utrecht University Equine Hospital between 2019 and 2024. Methods: Retrospective review of medical records. Foals that received an indw...
Harnessing the Horse for Human Osteoarthritis: microRNA-181a-5p Antisense Oligonucleotides in Clinically Normal Equine Fetlock Joints Are Safe and Well Tolerated. Horses serve as a translational model for human osteoarthritis (OA) due to their comparable joint size, cartilage thickness, and incidence of naturally occurring disease. Overexpression of microRNA-181a-5p has been implicated in cartilage degradation in OA, and its inhibition using locked nucleic acid antisense oligonucleotides (LNA-miR-181a-5p ASOs) represents a potential therapeutic strategy. This study evaluated the safety of intraarticular (IA) LNA-miR-181a-5p ASO injection in clinically normal horse fetlock joints. Twelve horses were randomized to receive two IA injections, 28 days apart,...
Auscultation for pre-exercise screening in the horse. To describe the highlights of cardiac auscultation of the equine athlete in the context of pre-exercise screening for cardiac adverse event prevention. Unassigned: Horses. Unassigned: Tutorial description. Unassigned: Description of the highlights of cardiac auscultation of the equine athlete in the context of pre-exercise screening for cardiac adverse event and exercise-associated sudden death prevention. Unassigned: Cardiac adverse events and exercise-associated deaths are problems that affect horses' health, riders' safety, and the public perception of welfare during equestrian sports. Scre...
Large-scale energy infrastructure projects and thoroughbred stud farms: equine welfare, evidence gaps and planning considerations. Industrial-scale renewable energy developments i.e. solar photovoltaic (PV) installations and wind energy facilities, form a central component of Ireland's national decarbonisation strategy. As these infrastructures expand, they are increasingly being proposed or developed within rural regions that also contain high densities of Thoroughbred breeding establishments. This creates a potential interface between national energy policy, rural land use, equine welfare and the operational requirements of the Thoroughbred industry which is of national and international importance.Direct empirical evid...
In vitro anthelmintic activity of the monoterpene linalool, alone and combined with the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans, in the control of gastrointestinal nematodes in horses. This study evaluated, in vitro, the anthelmintic activity of the monoterpene linalool, alone and in association with the fungus Duddingtonia flagrans, against gastrointestinal nematodes of horses. Nematodes from the superfamily Strongyloidea, obtained from naturally infected horses, were used. The ovicidal activity of linalool was evaluated using the Egg Hatch Test (EHT). The larvicidal activity was evaluated using the Larval Motility Inhibition Test (LMIT), in which infective larvae (L3) were assigned to experimental groups treated with linalool alone (0.15, 0.3, 0.6, 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40...
Fluorescent tagging for assessment of environmental cleaning in an equine hospital. Healthcare-associated infections increase morbidity, mortality, and treatment costs in both human and veterinary medicine, and environmental contamination can contribute to their occurrence. Monitoring of environmental cleaning is an important component of multimodal infection control strategies. Fluorescent tagging is a low-cost, practical approach that correlates with reduced environmental contamination in human and small animal hospitals. Its applicability in equine hospitals, where surface characteristics and contamination risks differ, has not yet been evaluated. Objective: To evaluate fl...
Influence of chiropractic care on sleep-related behavior of athletic Mangalarga Marchador horses. Sleep is a fundamental biological process for homeostasis in mammals. Chiropractic is a manual therapeutic approach that aims to restore joint mobility, correct biomechanical dysfunctions, and optimize welfare. Objective: The present study examined the influence of chiropractic sessions on resting behavior patterns of Mangalarga Marchador horses raised in an intensive system. Methods: Nine Mangalarga Marchador horses, with an average age of 4.2 ± 1.2 years, were evaluated for their sleep-related behavior over 72 hours, followed by a chiropractic session, and reassessed over the next 72 hours ...
Experts recommend management strategies for horses during poor air quality. To adapt the existing air quality index (AQI) framework to communicate equine health risk and develop practical recommendations for horse care, training, and competitions at increasing levels of air pollution. Unassigned: A 3-round modified Delphi study. Unassigned: 15 expert equine veterinarians contributed, with 11 experts completing 3 rounds. First, experts agreed that both healthy horses and those with underlying health conditions may experience short- and long-term health effects. Second, experts adapted the AQI public health messaging to communicate equine-specific health risk. Third, ex...
Serum and uterine fluid extracellular vesicles and prostaglandin E metabolite concentrations during diestrus and early pregnancy in mares. Prostaglandins produced by endometrial and conceptus tissues have an established role in maintaining luteal function in early pregnancy and initiating luteolysis during diestrus in mares. The cellular mechanisms controlling the secretion and delivery of prostaglandins have not been fully elucidated. We hypothesized that nanosized lipid bilayer extracellular vesicles (EV) that carry a variety of biological molecules would be involved in these key regulatory processes. Serum and uterine fluid samples were collected from diestrus and pregnant mares on day (D) 10 and D14 post-ovulation, and concep...
Barriers to Australian veterinary students choosing an equine career. The equine veterinary profession is experiencing a global recruitment and retention crisis with fewer graduates entering equine practice. We aimed to investigate perceived and actual barriers to Australian veterinary students' considering an equine veterinary career. Methods: A mixed methods design was used. The study population consisted of veterinary students from seven universities in Australia. An online survey was distributed that comprised demographic, Likert-scale and open-ended questions and covered themes of equine experience, perceptions of clients, salary, Higher Education Contribut...
The Impact of Systemic Treatment With Flunixin Meglumine on the Two Antiproteases Alpha-2-Macroglobulin (A2M) and Alpha-1-Antitrypsin (A1AT) in Equine Plasma and Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF). To evaluate the effect of flunixin meglumine, a systemic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), on the antiproteases, A2M and A1AT, in equine plasma and PRF. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study. Plasma, solid PRF, and liquid PRF were collected from a control-group that included healthy horses not treated with NSAIDs within the last 3 months. The NSAID-group were ophthalmology patients with no systemic inflammatory disease, and all received a full dose of flunixin meglumine (1.1 mg/kg BID PO or IV) for three or more days prior to collection. Samples were collected and prepar...
Multimodal characterization of equine synovitis: Correlation between arthroscopic, histopathological, and biomarker assessments in septic vs. aseptic cases. Endoscopy and synovial membrane histology are complementary modalities for evaluating synovial inflammation. Cytokine involvement in non-septic arthritis is well documented but remains poorly characterized in septic synovitis. Objective: This study aimed to characterize the inflammatory cytokine profile associated with septic and non-septic synovitis and assess correlations among endoscopic, histological, and synovial fluid biomarker findings. Methods: Three groups were defined: horses undergoing elective or therapeutic endoscopy (Group 1, n=26), horses with confirmed septic synovitis (Group 2...
Superior Post-Thaw Sperm Quality and Fertility of Epididymal Compared with Ejaculated Sperm in Subfertile Stallions. Despite the benefits of seminal plasma during breeding, its value is questionable when utilizing biotechnological approaches such as artificial insemination. In addition, deleterious effects of secretions from accessory glands on sperm viability and conception rate have been reported, especially in stallions with poor semen quality. Objective: The present study aimed to compare the kinetics, structural and functional viability, and fertility parameters of spermatozoa obtained from the ejaculate and from the cauda epididymis of subfertile stallions, as well as to evaluate the differences in the...
Heel movement and foot biomechanics in aluminium nail-on and indirect glue-on fabric cuff shoes in horses. Heel movement is critical to shock absorption and vascular perfusion of the equine digit. Conventional horseshoeing techniques are suspected to restrict natural hoof deformation, affecting hoof biomechanics. Several studies have explored the effects of shoeing on hoof function, though many have been limited to artificial conditions, cadavers, or homogenous populations. Objective: We aimed to compare the effects of two aluminium shoeing techniques, nail-on versus indirect glue-on fabric cuff shoes, on heel movement in horses. Our objective was to determine which technique allowed greater heel m...
Safety and efficacy of feed additives consisting of tinctures derived from the roots or leaves and stems of Althaea officinalis L.: Marsh mallow root tincture for use in all animal species and marsh mallow leaf tincture for use in horses and dogs (FEFANA asbl). Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of two tinctures obtained from the roots (marsh mallow root tincture) or leaves and stems (marsh mallow leaf tincture) of L. when used as sensory additives. The additives are water/ethanol tinctures, with a specified dry matter content of 2%-3% (w/w) (marsh mallow root tincture) and not more than 25% (w/w) (marsh mallow leaf tincture). Marsh mallow root tincture is intended for use in feed or water for drinking for all animal species, while marsh mallow leaf tincture is ...
Effect of shod status on distal limb thermography in leisure horses. This study evaluated whether shod status affects distal limb surface temperature in 43 healthy leisure horses using infrared thermography. Thermographic images of 16 regions of interest were acquired at rest from shod (n=23) and barefoot horses (n=20), with temperatures corrected for ambient temperature and wind speed. Significant thermal differences existed between anatomical regions (P0.7). These findings indicate shod status has minimal impact on resting distal limb thermography in leisure horses.
A generalized additive model using kinematic and demographic data provides an accurate and objective anesthesia recovery score in horses. To analyze kinematic data extracted from an inertial measuring unit to assess quality of recovery in horses emerging from general anesthesia. Unassigned: Horses undergoing anesthesia from February 2024 through March 2026 were enrolled in this study. Collected data from the inertial measuring unit included 3-axis acceleration, angular velocity, and orientation. Recoveries were evaluated by 3 scorers using a modified composite grading scale. The mean of the scores was used as the dependent variable. A Python pipeline was written to detect attempts to stand using the first derivative of the accel...
The use and perception of hay nets and slow feeders by horse owners and handlers: findings from a United Kingdom survey. Hay nets and slow feeders are widely used in equine management, yet United Kingdom (UK) horse owners' perceptions of these devices are underexplored. An online cross-sectional survey (66 questions) was distributed via social media between 5 July and 6 August 2024, yielding 100 valid responses from UK horse owners. Data were analysed descriptively and using chi-square/Fisher's exact tests. Hay nets only were used by 42 respondents, slow feeders only by 26, and both by 32. Safety concerns were reported by 43% of hay net users, most often entanglement and dental issues, although 81% used hay nets...
Quantitative assessment of specific bacterial taxa of the intestinal microbiota of healthy and diarrheic horses. Alterations in intestinal microbiota composition, as determined by DNA sequencing, are reported in horses with acute colitis compared with healthy horses. Objective: Changes in specific bacterial populations can detect overall intestinal disruption of the normal intestinal microbiota. Identify bacterial taxa that indicate intestinal dysbiosis or health in horses using quantitative PCR (qPCR). Methods: Thirty horses with undifferentiated colitis, 13 with colitis associated with Salmonella spp., 14 with antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD), 52 healthy horses from Canada and 48 from the United St...
Balancing training load, rest and musculoskeletal injury risk: a mathematical modelling study in Thoroughbred racehorses. Musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) in Thoroughbred racehorses are a leading cause of death and premature retirement, and are heavily influenced by training practices. Greater distances of high-speed galloping accumulated during racing campaigns are associated with MSI. Bone injury is the most common MSI, and understanding how training practices influence bone damage accumulation is critical for improving both horse welfare and racing outcomes. This study builds on an existing mathematical model of bone adaptation and damage to investigate the impact of different training programmes on bone injury ...
Effect of canagliflozin treatment on β-cell responsiveness in insulin-dysregulated horses: a 4-week, multi-arm, double-blind, randomized clinical trial. The sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor canagliflozin (CAN) decreases hyperinsulinemia in insulin-dysregulated (ID) horses, but its effects on pancreatic β-cell responsiveness to glucose are unknown. Objective: Compare the effects of 2 CAN dosages (0.6 and 1.2 mg/kg) with placebo (PBO) on β-cell responsiveness to IV glucose in ID horses using a graded glucose infusion (GGI) test. Methods: Forty-two privately-owned ID horses. Methods: Randomized, multicenter, double-blind, parallel-group, multi-arm, PBO-controlled study. Horses underwent GGI testing before and after 4 weeks of...
Barriers to entry: A participatory science study of tick identification, monitoring, and physical barriers to reduce tick bites on horses. Equine tick-borne diseases pose increasing challenges due to climate change and expanding tick geographical ranges. With no vaccines available for Lyme disease or equine anaplasmosis in horses, tick bite prevention remains the primary control method. This two-year study evaluated tick species composition on horses in Pennsylvania and assessed the effectiveness of physical barriers for tick prevention through community-based participatory research. The study engaged horse owners as research partners. Year 1 (2022) established baseline tick surveillance across 45 participants with 60 horses, con...
Morphological and Behavioural Predictors of Motor Laterality in Domestic Horses: A Cross-Sectional Field Study. Motor laterality in horses affects performance, training, and welfare. A simple morphological marker for laterality would help riders, trainers, and veterinarians identify likely locomotor asymmetries early. This study tested whether observable morphological and behavioural characteristics were associated with rider-perceived motor laterality in domestic horses, using a cross-sectional observational field study design conducted in the Blida and Algiers regions of Algeria. The study included 100 regularly ridden domestic horses. Mane orientation, facial whorl characteristics, standing curvature...
Cervical articular process joint versus ventral cervical stabilization in horses: A biomechanical study. To determine the biomechanical properties and modes of failure of a single level equine cervical spine immobilized with unilateral or bilateral articular process joint (APJ) stabilization, ventral cervical stabilization (VCS) and non-stabilized controls. Methods: Ex vivo experimental study. Methods: A total of 24 equine cadaver cervical spines. Methods: Cervical spinal units (C4-C5) were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 6/group): unilateral APJ stabilization, bilateral APJ stabilization, VCS using pedicle screws and rod constructs, or non-stabilized. Non-destructive testing assessed k...
Antimicrobial stewardship priorities and prescribing in Australian equine practice. Antimicrobial resistance is a global health crisis that needs to be addressed by all areas of human and animal health sectors to safeguard effective antibiotics into the future. Understanding current antimicrobial prescribing patterns and veterinary antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) priorities is crucial for effective stewardship program design and sustainable uptake. Objective: To identify focus areas for stewardship interventions, implementation, resource allocation, and future campaign targets for equine practice. Methods: Cross-sectional study of equine veterinarians in Australia. Methods: A...
Pass rates using the FEI noseband measurement device at British Dressage 2025 Championships. Appropriate fitting of equipment provides horse comfort and avoids compromising equine welfare. In May 2025, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) introduced an evidence-based measuring device that is passed beneath the noseband to ensure sufficient laxity. Objective: To study the use of the FEI noseband device during mandatory tack and equipment checks at British Dressage Championships. Methods: Observational. Methods: Noseband testing was observed for a total of 523 horses competing at the 2025 British Dressage National Championship, Middle Tour Championship and Area Festival Champi...
Cumulus cell DNA fragmentation as non-invasive biomarker of equine oocyte quality in in vitro embryo production. The efficiency of in vitro embryo production in animal species is constrained by the absence of practical, non-invasive biomarkers to assess oocyte quality. Cumulus cell DNA fragmentation index (CC-DFI) has been proposed as a biomarker in humans, but data in animals remain limited. Objective: This study investigated the association of CC-DFI with in vitro maturation (IVM) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes in horses, and its relationship with mare-related factors, autumnal transition period, cumulus cell viability, and cumulus expansion. Methods: Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC...
A novel water additive increases voluntary water intake in healthy horses. To determine whether healthy horses would increase their voluntary water intake (VWI) when offered a novel water additive (NWA) compared to plain water (TAP) and water flavored with sweet feed, referred to as sweet tea (ST). Unassigned: 12 clinically healthy horses, aged 2 to 5 years old, were enrolled in the experimental crossover design. Four horses were assigned to each group for each of the 3 study weeks. The order that the horses were allocated to study groups was randomly assigned. All horses had access to 2 buckets filled to 16 L, one containing plain water (untreated bucket) and one co...
Serum amyloid A alone or in combination with white blood cell count and fibrinogen is associated with inflammatory disease status in horses undergoing elective anesthesia. The objective of this study was to assess the clinical utility of common systemic inflammatory markers (WBC count [WBCC], plasma fibrinogen, and serum amyloid A [SAA]) for the detection of disease in patients undergoing general anesthesia. Unassigned: A retrospective review of 1,002 surgical case records (February 2021 to June 2023) was performed. Systemically stable equine patients undergoing elective orthopedic and soft tissue procedures and that had WBCC, fibrinogen, and SAA evaluated preoperatively were eligible for inclusion. Disease status (healthy vs disease) was recorded for each case ...
