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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.
Exostosis of the sustentaculum tali causing tibiotarsal joint pathology in a Standardbred racehorse trotter. This report describes a novel case of exostosis on the medial aspect of the sustentaculum tali, (ST) associated with tibiotarsal joint (TTJ) pathology, without involvement of the tarsal sheath or lateral digital flexor tendon. A 5-year-old Standardbred gelding was presented with right TTJ effusion and exercise-induced hind-limb lameness. Diagnostic imaging identified a columnar periosteal proliferation on the medial ST, accompanied by synovial effusion and joint capsule thickening; however, the tarsal sheath and lateral digital flexor tendon remained unremarkable. Although TTJ arthroscopy conf...
The influence of a systemic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug on growth factors and cytokines in equine plasma, solid platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), and liquid PRF. Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is a second-generation platelet concentrate that contains growth factors and cytokines within a fibrin matrix, allowing prolonged release and supporting its use as a regenerative therapy for corneal wound healing. Horses with ulcerative keratitis are commonly treated with systemic NSAIDs; therefore, it is clinically important to determine whether prolonged flunixin meglumine alters the composition of PRF or plasma. Objective: To evaluate the effects of systemic NSAID administration on bio-analyte concentrations in equine plasma, solid PRF, and liquid PRF, and to comp...
Pharmacokinetics of Detomidine and Vatinoxan in Horses. The pharmacokinetics of detomidine, vatinoxan, and their combination have not been previously characterized in detail in horses. Detomidine (20 μg/kg), vatinoxan (200 μg/kg), or their combination was administered intravenously to six horses according to a Latin square design. Blood was sampled at various times up to 480 min following administration. Plasma concentrations of detomidine, OH-detomidine, COOH-detomidine, and vatinoxan were measured using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Compartmental models were fitted to the time-concentration data using nonlinear mixed-eff...
Anatomical and computed tomographic study of equine cervical spinal nerves and intervertebral foramina. Osseous enlargement of the cervical articular process joints due to osteoarthropathy or developmental hypertrophy can narrow the intervertebral foramen (IF), resulting in compression and neuritis of the exiting spinal nerves. Associated clinical signs may include neck pain, forelimb lameness or muscle atrophy. Computed tomography (CT) is the gold standard for IF evaluation; however, to date, visualisation of the equine spinal nerves based on CT imaging is insufficient. Objective: To improve the diagnostic accuracy of foraminal stenosis and cervical spinal nerve (CSN) compression based on CT, t...
Inter- and intra-rater reliability of two grading systems for equine gastric glandular disease. The recommended combined descriptive terminology scoring system for equine gastric glandular disease has poor reliability whereas a published numerical scoring system has substantial reliability. Descriptive terminology appears more affected by clinical experience than numerical scoring. Individual descriptive terminologies have previously correlated with descriptions of severity. Objective: To compare the reliability of two scoring systems across varied clinical experience and between numerical scores and descriptive terms. The hypothesis was that the numerical scoring system would have bette...
Feasibility of Enucleation in Standing Sedated Horses With Retrobulbar Anesthesia and Auriculopalpebral Nerve Block: Impact of Ultrasound Guidance in a Case Series. Examining the feasibility of enucleation in standing sedated horses with dorsal retrobulbar anesthesia (RBA) and auriculopalpebral (AP) nerve block and the impact of ultrasound (US) guidance on RBA success. Methods: Thirty horses. Methods: In a prospective clinical case series, horses (n = 15/group) received standardized sedation, dorsal RBA (12 mL mepivacaine) and AP nerve block (4 mL lidocaine). Group 1 received US-assisted RBA (10 MHz linear probe), Group 2 underwent blind RBA subsequently. Needle positioning time was recorded. Eyelid sensitivity was measured before (t) and 20 m...
Evaluation of the sterility and clinical use of a disposable spray cap for ophthalmic medication delivery in equine patients. To evaluate the sterility of a commercially available disposable spray cap in an equine barn environment and assess its clinical use. Unassigned: This pilot study included an ex vivo microbiological study and an in vivo usability study. Ex vivo study: diclofenac 0.1% ophthalmic solution and neomycin-polymyxin B-dexamethasone 0.1% ophthalmic suspension were evaluated using either a traditional dropper or spray cap treatment method. Bottles were stored in an equine veterinary hospital barn and dispensed every 12 hours. Samples collected on day 0 and the final study day were analyzed for microbia...
Use of 2.5% polyacrylamide hydrogel mitigates joint capsule stiffness and cartilage degradation in experimental equine osteoarthritis. To evaluate the symptom- and disease-modifying effects of injectable 2.5% polyacrylamide gel (iPAAG) in an experimental model of equine osteoarthritis (OA). Unassigned: 16 horses underwent osteochondral fragment creation (day 0) in 1 randomly-selected middle carpal joint (MCJ). On day 14, the MCJ was injected with 2 mL of phosphate-buffered saline (n = 8) or 2.5% iPAAG (8); high-speed treadmill exercise commenced on day 16 to induce OA. Clinical parameters (lameness, joint effusion, range of motion, flexion response) and synovial fluid were collected weekly and biweekly, respectively. Radiogra...
Catastrophic distal sesamoidean ligament rupture in 72 racehorses in California. Rupture of major distal sesamoidean ligaments (DSLs) in racehorses results in suspensory apparatus failure. Our objective was to describe postmortem findings and exercise histories for Thoroughbred (TB) and Quarter Horse racehorses that had DSL rupture as the sole cause of catastrophic musculoskeletal and suspensory apparatus failure. We described horse signalment, activity at the time of injury, and postmortem findings and compared the exercise histories with those of event-matched control horses. In 72 racehorses, predominantly ≥4-y-old, catastrophic rupture of forelimb DSLs (41 left, 29 r...
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...
Influence of the anaesthetist´s perception on the evaluation of recovery quality in horses undergoing general anaesthesia. In horses, anaesthetic recovery is evaluated using subjective scales. Previous studies examined the influence of scale type and evaluator-related factors but the impact of operator perception (unconscious bias) has received limited attention. Unassigned: To analyse the influence of operator perception on recovery scoring. Unassigned: Anaesthetic recoveries at an equine hospital (May 2019-May 2023) were assessed in real time (RT) by attending anaesthetists and retrospectively using video recordings (VR) by a single evaluator. Horses aged 1 - 21 years undergoing a single anesthetic procedure wit...
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 ...
Teaching Direction Control in Horse Riding: A Pre-Post Intervention Proof-of-Concept Study Using Multi-Modal Motor Learning Techniques. Many riders experience persistent communication problems with their horses, particularly in controlling speed and direction, despite extensive training. This proof-of-concept study employed a pre-test-post-test intervention design to examine the effectiveness of the Four-Step Riding Programme (FSRP) in developing clear rider-horse body language for direction control. Multi-modal motor learning techniques (MMLTs) were applied to five rider-horse dyads during four one-hour lessons to teach coordinated movement patterns necessary for directional accuracy. Rider-horse communication was evaluated b...
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...
