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.
Laroche N, Grimm P, Julliand S, Sorci G.Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia), a polyphenol-rich plant, has shown promising anti-parasitic properties in ruminants, but results in horses are fewer and inconsistent. The mechanisms of action involved are not fully understood and different factors may influence its anti-parasitic properties. Recently, it has been shown that the effect of sainfoin depends on the horse's diet. Indeed, the inclusion of dehydrated sainfoin pellets in a high starch diet limited the rate of increase in strongyle egg shedding over a short period of time (21 days). The objective of this study was to evaluate, in viv...
Karačonji IB, Jelača T, Jurič A, Vrdoljak AL.Opiates such as morphine and codeine are substances often misused to improve the performance of racing horses during competitions and are therefore on the International Federation for Equestrian Sports' list of prohibited substances. However, a positive antidoping test may be due to the consumption of feed (mainly lucerne or oats) contaminated by opium poppy containing the alkaloids morphine and codeine. In order to determine whether a positive antidoping test is the result of an intentional abuse of opiates or consumption of feed contaminated by poppies, we optimised conditions for the extrac...
Kazama T, Hector RC, Hess AM, Rezende ML.To determine the cardiopulmonary effects of oral trazodone before isoflurane anesthesia in systemically healthy horses. Unassigned: 12 horses donated for euthanasia (from August 2022 through June 2023) due to conditions unrelated to the cardiovascular system were included in this prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Horses were assigned to receive oral trazodone (6 mg/kg; n = 7) or corn syrup (n = 5) 1 hour before xylazine (1 mg/kg, IV) sedation, ketamine (2.2 mg/kg, IV) and propofol (0.7 mg/kg, IV) induction, and anesthetic maintenance with inhaled isoflurane (target 1.6% expired) for 7...
Gravey F, Sévin C, Langlois B, Maillard K, Foucher N, Duquesne F, Léon A, Le Hello S, Petry S.Misidentifications as Klebsiella pneumoniae were observed during a French retrospective study of a necropsy-associated K. pneumoniae bacterial collection from horses. Accordingly, the present study aimed to further characterise the 12 Raoultella spp. and Klebsiella spp. strains involved in these misidentifications. The strains were identified and characterised using the Api 20E system, K. pneumoniae PCR detection, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectroscopy and whole-genome sequencing. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were tested by the disc diffusion method with...
Ryu SH, An SJ, Forbes E, Kim BS, Choe S.Equine strongyle infections are prevalent among grazing horses worldwide, yet research on anthelmintic efficacy and parasite management strategies in South Korea remains limited. This study investigated the infection dynamics and parasite burden in horses managed under different systems (pasture vs. stable) over a one-year period in Jeju, South Korea, assessing the impact of management practices on parasite burden and the effectiveness of current deworming regimens. Thirty-two horses were administered ivermectin/praziquantel in June 2022 and assigned to either pasture (n = 16) or stable (n...
Buzon-Cuevas A, Duaso J, Sanchez de Medina A, Sierra JM, Perez-Ecija A, Mendoza FJ.Umbilical disorders are common in equids, although scarce information is available in donkeys compared to horses. Foals with these disturbances have high morbidity and mortality rates. The conventional omphalectomy technique does not remove the whole umbilical vein, which can lead to infection in the remnant vein or even liver abscess. At the moment, if the whole umbilical vein needs to be removed, a longer ventral midline incision must be performed, which is linked with several complications. This retrospective case series study focused on a modified two-step omphalectomy using the LigaSureTM...
Curadi MC, Vallone F, Tenuzzo M, Gazzano A, Gazzano V, Macchioni F, Vannini C.The gut microbiota plays a basic role in maintaining the psychophysical health and well-being of horses. Understanding the complex interactions among microbial communities in relation to age, management, and health is a topic of growing interest. The equine microbiota, given its complexity, is subject to variations caused by internal or external stressors that can lead to metabolic problems and pathologies, i.e., obesity and laminitis. The aim of this study was to characterize the fecal microbiota of 12 purebred Arabian horses and to compare the microbial communities in two distinct management...
Zhang W, Guo R, Sulayman A, Sun Y, Liu S.Microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract play a crucial role in nutrient digestion, health and so forth in equines. As the research attention on gut microbes has increased, several studies have investigated the composition of the gastrointestinal microbial flora in equines. This article reviews the effects of breed, age, intestinal site, nutritional management and diseases on the gastrointestinal microbiota of horses and donkeys, thus offering references for improving the gastrointestinal microecological environment in these animals and preventing and controlling disease occurrence in them.
Stapley ED, Bertin FR.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction is diagnosed using immunoreactive ACTH concentrations. Glass reportedly binds ACTH, but the clinical relevance of using glass blood tubes for measuring equine ACTH concentrations is controversial. This study investigates whether the collection of whole blood into glass EDTA tubes and storage for up to 6 hours changes ACTH concentrations compared to plastic EDTA tubes. Unassigned: This was a cohort study. Whole blood was collected into both glass and plastic EDTA tubes from 9 horses > 12 years of age, including 4 with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction a...
Strugava L, Gomes ARC, Lorga AD, Bosak VL, Rossa AP, Janiszewski JDR, Machado M, Dornbusch PT, Moreno JCD.To describe anatomical references and sonoanatomy of an echo-guided injection for blocking the tibial and common fibular nerves with the use of a caudocranial midfemoral approach and to evaluate dye spreading in horse cadavers. Unassigned: 1 horse cadaver preserved in glycerin was used for the anatomical study, and 14 fresh horse cadavers were used for the dye spreading study. The experimental procedures were conducted on the first cadaver on March 25, 2021, and on the last cadaver on October 5, 2022. A glycerin-preserved horse cadaver's pelvic limb was dissected to identify anatomical landmar...
Loppnow Z, Kersh K, Wang C, Spaethe S, Troy J.The clinical outcomes in horses diagnosed with established synovial sepsis (SS) or minimally contaminated synovial wounds (SW)/non-established sepsis, following intravenous regional limb perfusion (IVRLP) treatment, have not been reported since 2010. Additionally, previous reports on this subject were confined to just two clinical retrospective reports. This study aimed to provide an update on the short-term (hospital discharge) and long-term (≥1 year) survival rates in adult horses diagnosed with SS or SW treated with IVRLP at a single institution in the USA from 2010-2020. The study also...
Torres Borda L, Auer U, Jenner F.Horses confined to enclosures with limited opportunities for spatial avoidance and escape experience heightened social stress and conflict. While forced proximity can pose welfare risks, voluntary social proximity is considered a positive indicator of well-being. To investigate the effects of space availability on spatiotemporal dynamics, social network structure and agonistic interactions, this study used ultra-wideband sensors to continuously (1 Hz) measure interindividual distances in 34 horses across three groups under paddock and field conditions. Interindividual distances increased in l...
Bihon A, Amognehegn D, Derbew G, Yirsa T.Working equines play a crucial role in human livelihoods globally, yet their management is often inadequate. Objective: To assess the welfare and management practices of working equines. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2022 to April 2023 in and around Debre Markos, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods: Physical examination and structured interviews were used as data collection tools. A total of 384 equines (186 donkeys, 144 horses, and 54 mules) and their owners were selected through a purposive sampling method. Results: The results showed that 60.4% of the equines were use...
Nagy A, Dyson SJ.There is no description of comparative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fan-beam computed tomography (CT) findings in the fetlock of lame sports horses. Objective: To document low-field MRI and fan-beam CT diagnoses in the lame and nonlame limbs of sports horses with fetlock region pain, and to evaluate whether combined imaging provides superior information to either technique alone. Methods: Retrospective descriptive study. Methods: Clinical records of sports horses with pain causing lameness localised to the metacarpo/metatarsophalangeal joint region that had undergone fan-beam CT and lo...
Kawanishi N, Kinoshita Y, Reedy SE, Garvey M, Kambayashi Y, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Yamanaka T, Cullinane A, Chambers TM, Nemoto M.Equine influenza virus (EIV) is one of the most important pathogens causing respiratory signs in equids. Rapid antigen detection (RAD) kits are useful for point-of-care testing because they are user-friendly and provide fast results. Although sensitive and broad-reactive RAD kits are needed for controlling horse movement, no RAD kits specified for EIV are available. Objective: This study evaluated the usefulness of seven RAD kits originally developed for human influenza and available in Japan during 2023-2024 for EIV antigen detection. Methods: Experimental assay comparison. Methods: The detec...
Peris MP, Serrano M, Romero A, García M, Halaihel N, Castillo JA, Gracia MJ.Equine piroplasmosis (EP), a tick-borne disease caused by Babesia caballi and Theileria equi, is of significant concern due to its impact on the international horse trade. According to standards established by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), horses imported from EP-endemic regions must have a certificate confirming negative serological and molecular test results. In EP-free countries, only seronegative horses are allowed to enter. This entails economic losses for endemic regions such as Spain. Our study aimed to assess the prevalence of B. caballi and T. equi in horses from no...
Quatember H, Nell B, Richter B, Rigler D, Dolezal M, Sykora S, Wallner B.A missense mutation in damage-specific DNA binding protein 2 (DDB2 c.1013 C>T; p.Thr338Met) has been described as a risk factor for ocular squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in the Haflinger breed. Here, we examined the impact of DDB2 C>T allele status on the development of OSCC, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) at other localisations, or equine sarcoid (ES) in Haflingers and other breeds with a high incidence of these tumour types. We genotyped affected Haflinger, Noriker, Warmblood, and Icelandic horses. Results based on 56 Haflingers confirmed the significantly higher risk for OSCC in DDB2-TT Hafl...
Contino EK.Long before the concept of social license to operate came to the forefront of equestrian sports, veterinarians have always had a responsibility to advocate for the welfare of the horse. For performance horses this often means helping to ensure that the horse is performing positively and comfortably for its intended use. A horse that is struggling to perform at an optimal level may be doing so for a multitude of reasons, but regardless of the underlying cause, it often presents as any number of behavioral issues. This review explores various underlying physical causes of behavioral issues in pe...
Finno CJ.Nutrigenomics defines the interaction between the nutrients in our food and the genes in our body. Examples from human medicine of diseases and associated genes include lactose intolerance (genetic variants in LCT lactase), hypercholesteremia (low density lipoprotein receptor, LDLR) and caffeine sensitivity (adenosine A2A receptor, ADORA2A). In horses, examples include Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis (HYPP), where clinical signs of disease are managed through maintaining a diet low in potassium and Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy Type 1 (PSSM1), where low starch and high fat diets are recommen...
Jung Y, Yoon M.Therapeutic programs involving human-horse interactions are gaining popularity as a means of enhancing human well-being. Understanding the physiological responses of both humans and horses during these interactions is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of such programs. This study examined the effects of specific interactive activities on both humans and horses by monitoring changes in oxytocin and cortisol levels. Six participants and six horses took part in the study. The participants engaged in three distinct activities, each lasting 15 min: (1) resting alone without the horse (rest...
Verhaar N, Geburek F.Clinical intestinal viability assessment is associated with significant limitations, and there is an undisputable need for ancillary diagnostics during colic surgery. Human and companion animal surgeons struggle with similar intraoperative issues, yet there is little exchange between specialists. Therefore, this narrative review aimed to create an overview of real-time ancillary diagnostics with the potential for intraoperative intestinal viability assessment in horses. Most real-time ancillary diagnostics can be classified as either tissue perfusion or oxygenation assessments. Intestinal perf...
Connaughton MT, MacDonald EJ, Ireland JL, Rocchigiani G, Stack JD.Caudal wedge ostectomy has not been investigated for overriding or impinging spinous processes (SPs). Objective: To establish the feasibility of caudal wedge ostectomy and compare measures of surgical trauma and error between hypothetical caudal and cranial wedge ostectomies on SPs of different inclinations. Methods: Experimental, method comparison study. Methods: Computed tomography and caudal wedge ostectomy surgery were performed on four cadavers. Observations, technical difficulties, and surgical errors were recorded. Radiographs from 67 horses with overriding/impinging SPs were reviewed. ...
de Secondi C, Cantatore F, Marcatili M, Biggi M, Withers J, de Zani D, Zani D.Back pain is a debilitating condition hampering horses' athletic careers. Thoracic spondylosis (TS), a known cause of back pain, leads to osteophytes formation across intervertebral joints. In horses, TS is poorly reported, with anecdotal signs and response to treatment. To report clinical presentation, diagnostic imaging findings, treatment and outcome in horses with TS. The clinical records of horses diagnosed with TS between 2010 and 2023 were reviewed. Signalment, clinical and imaging findings, treatment, and outcome were analysed. Thoracic spondylosis was graded from 1 to 5. Grades, concu...
Pusterla N, Lawton K, Barnum S, Magdesian KG.In recent years, the use of non-invasive host and environmental samples for the detection and monitoring of equine respiratory pathogens has shown promise and a high overall agreement with the gold standard of nasal secretions. The present study looked at comparing nose wipes, stall sponges, and air samples with nasal swabs collected from 27 horses involved in an equine influenza (EI) outbreak. The outbreak involved 5 clinical, 6 subclinical, and 16 uninfected horses. Samples sets were collected at the onset of the index case and retested every 2-3 days thereafter until all horses tested qPCR-...
Zhu D, Li S, Xu Z, Kulyar MF, Bai X, Wang Y, Wang B, Khateeb E, Deng D, Wang L, Chen Y, Guo A, Shen Y.Diarrhea presents a substantial risk of high morbidity and mortality among foals. Although studies have shown connections between gut microbiota and several gastrointestinal diseases, there is still inadequate information on gut microbial alterations in foals during diarrhea. In this study, we conducted 16S rRNA and ITS gene amplicon sequencing to investigate gut bacterial and fungal differences between healthy and diarrheic foals. The results unveiled significant reductions in gut bacterial and fungal diversities among foals experiencing diarrhea, accompanied by notable shifts in the composit...
Moroudi RS, Mahboudi H, Mahboudi F.The Dareshouri horse breed is one of Iran's native equine breeds, originating from the Dareshouri tribe, a subgroup of the Qashqai nomads. This breed has a history spanning over 500 years. Horses of this breed have smooth nates, tall stature, raised tails and strong skeletal muscles. This is the first study to investigate the effect of genetics on athletic performance in the Dareshouri breed. For this purpose, in this study, the genotype combination of two important variants, including the rs397152648Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and Short interspersed nuclear element (SINE) insertion, ...
Barnett TP, Colgate VA, Robinson N, Smith LCR, Palmer L, Barakzai SZ.To compare overground endoscopy (OGE) findings and racing performance in horses before and after laryngeal tie-forward (LTF) surgery for the treatment of intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (iDDSP). Methods: Retrospective case series with follow up. Methods: A total of 56 horses met the inclusion criteria. Methods: Clinical record review of all horses definitively diagnosed with iDDSP, treated with LTF surgery, and evaluated with a single OGE examination postoperatively. In addition to LTF, some horses underwent bilateral aryepiglottic fold resection (AEFR) and/or soft palate t...
do Carmo TA, Fonseca JDS, Braga FR, Paz-Silva A, de Soutello RVG, de Araújo JV.Equine farming faces growing challenges with helminthoses, aggravated by the indiscriminate use of anthelmintics without technical criteria. This practice favors resistance to these drugs, generates residues in animal products, compromises food safety and human health, and, when excreted in large quantities, negatively impacts environmental health by affecting invertebrates and fecal microorganisms. This highlights the importance of the One Health approach. A promising alternative is biological control with nematophagous or helminthophagous fungi such as , , , , and . Due to their different m...
Akköse M.Foals, that receive poor-quality colostrum, are exposed to a risk of failure of transfer of passive immunity. The Brix refractometer can be used for the estimation of the immunoglobulin (IgG) concentration of mare colostrum, yet there is a scarce literature available on Brix refractometer thresholds for use in the detection of mare colostra with high and low IgG concentrations. Objective: This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the Brix refractometer in determining mare colostra with IgG concentrations of <50g/L, <60g/L, >80g/L, >100g/L and >125g/L. Methods: Two hundred and seven...
Nadal C, Chanet C, Delaunay C, Pitel PH, Marsot M, Bonnet SI.Equine piroplasmosis, caused by the protozoan parasites Babesia caballi and Theileria equi, is endemic in Europe's Mediterranean basin, creating significant health and economic challenges for the equine sector. With no available vaccine, an eco-epidemiological approach is essential in order to identify and implement effective preventive measures. With this aim in view, we identified risk factors associated with B. caballi and T. equi infections and tick infestation for draught horses in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France, known for its high piroplasmosis seroprevalence. During the spri...
Kazama T, Hector RC, Hess AM, Rezende ML.To determine the cardiopulmonary effects of oral trazodone before isoflurane anesthesia in systemically healthy horses. Unassigned: 12 horses donated for euthanasia (from August 2022 through June 2023) due to conditions unrelated to the cardiovascular system were included in this prospective, randomized, controlled trial. Horses were assigned to receive oral trazodone (6 mg/kg; n = 7) or corn syrup (n = 5) 1 hour before xylazine (1 mg/kg, IV) sedation, ketamine (2.2 mg/kg, IV) and propofol (0.7 mg/kg, IV) induction, and anesthetic maintenance with inhaled isoflurane (target 1.6% expired) for 7...
Gravey F, Sévin C, Langlois B, Maillard K, Foucher N, Duquesne F, Léon A, Le Hello S, Petry S.Misidentifications as Klebsiella pneumoniae were observed during a French retrospective study of a necropsy-associated K. pneumoniae bacterial collection from horses. Accordingly, the present study aimed to further characterise the 12 Raoultella spp. and Klebsiella spp. strains involved in these misidentifications. The strains were identified and characterised using the Api 20E system, K. pneumoniae PCR detection, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation time-of-flight mass spectroscopy and whole-genome sequencing. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were tested by the disc diffusion method with...
Ryu SH, An SJ, Forbes E, Kim BS, Choe S.Equine strongyle infections are prevalent among grazing horses worldwide, yet research on anthelmintic efficacy and parasite management strategies in South Korea remains limited. This study investigated the infection dynamics and parasite burden in horses managed under different systems (pasture vs. stable) over a one-year period in Jeju, South Korea, assessing the impact of management practices on parasite burden and the effectiveness of current deworming regimens. Thirty-two horses were administered ivermectin/praziquantel in June 2022 and assigned to either pasture (n = 16) or stable (n...
Franzen V, Reisbeck D, Leibl Y, Schoster A, May A.While there is agreement that horses experience pain during the actual headshaking attacks, there is still a lack of research about the time between the individual episodes in this species. Objective: To evaluate the signs of pain in horses with TMHS at rest in the absence of common triggering factors. Methods: Twenty TMHS horses (not head shaking at the time of pain assessment), 20 horses with colic, and 20 clinically healthy horses. Methods: Descriptive study assessing pain in TMHS horses during the absence of clinical signs using the Horse Grimace scale (HGS). To grade the pain shown with T...
Sinovich M, Monné Rodriguez J, Pieńkowska-Schelling A, Schelling C, Kelly PG.Introduction Monorchidism is a rarely described condition in the horse and is not to be confused with cryptorchidism. The diagnosis is challenging and confirmed by surgery and histology in combination with hormonal assays. This report describes, to the best of the author's knowledge, the first case of monorchidism and abdominal cryptorchidism of the developed testicle in a horse. Methods An Irish Cob underwent laparoscopic castration for removal of bilateral cryptorchid testicles. At surgery the horse was diagnosed as a monorchid with the testicle retained intra-abdominally. Histopathological,...
Rhodin M, Serra Bragança FM, Persson-Sjodin E, Björnsdóttir S, Gunnarsdottir H, Gunnarsson V, Hernlund E, Smit IH.Icelandic horses are valued for their additional gaits, but assessing lameness in this breed can be challenging. Pelvic (P) vertical movement asymmetries, differences (D) in minimum (min)/maximum (max) position, are used to quantify impact (PDmin) and push-off (PDmax) hindlimb lameness during the trot, but no established parameters exist for detecting hindlimb lameness in other gaits. Objective: To evaluate temporal stride parameters and upper-body movement asymmetry after transient hindlimb lameness induction in walk, trot and tölt. Methods: In vivo experiment. Methods: Eleven Icelandic hors...
Tress D, Hennessy S, Merle R, Jensen KC, Lischer C, Ehrle A.Impingement of spinous processes (SPs) is commonly diagnosed in the equine athlete. For diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, local injections are performed at the level of the space between adjacent spinous processes in affected horses. Objective: To assess the accuracy of different techniques for the local injection of the interspinal space in the equine thoracolumbar spine. Methods: Ex vivo experimental study. Methods: Equine thoracolumbar spine specimens were used to compare three techniques for needle insertion (midline; bilateral abaxial; unilateral oblique), two needles (20G-1½″; 20G-...
Davie A, Beavers R, Denham J.The purpose of this review was to analyze the scientific background and practical application of a very successful human training methodology, the pyramidal training model, to the Thoroughbred racehorse. Despite years of research and accumulated knowledge on human training methods to enhance endurance performance, Thoroughbred training programs have lacked significant change. This review introduces the pyramidal training model, explains the science that underpins this training concept and outlines one approach to translate this science into the equine field. It also discusses the importance of...
Buzon-Cuevas A, Duaso J, Sanchez de Medina A, Sierra JM, Perez-Ecija A, Mendoza FJ.Umbilical disorders are common in equids, although scarce information is available in donkeys compared to horses. Foals with these disturbances have high morbidity and mortality rates. The conventional omphalectomy technique does not remove the whole umbilical vein, which can lead to infection in the remnant vein or even liver abscess. At the moment, if the whole umbilical vein needs to be removed, a longer ventral midline incision must be performed, which is linked with several complications. This retrospective case series study focused on a modified two-step omphalectomy using the LigaSureTM...
Garcia LL, Vicentini YF, Nagashima JK, de Souza AF, Pereira MAA, da Silva LCLC, Fantoni DT.To assess the sublingual microcirculation in horses anesthetized with isoflurane and undergoing constant rate infusion of dexmedetomidine (DEX) and lidocaine (LID). Unassigned: 16 horses undergoing arthroscopy were included in a blind, randomized study comparing 2 groups: a DEX group (DEX-LID; 1.75 μg·kg-1·h-1 with a LID bolus of 1.3 mg·kg-1 followed by a continuous infusion of 0.05 mg·kg-1·min-1) and a LID-only group (LID; at the same dose). Hemodynamic variables, including mean, systolic, and diastolic blood pressure; heart rate; capnography; blood gas analysis; blood lactate; and orth...
Turek B, Jankowski K, Pawlikowski M, Jasiński T, Domino M.Proximal phalanx (P1) fractures in horses are relatively common, and present significant treatment challenges, especially when the fractures are comminuted or infected. An innovative treatment approach includes attaching an external fixator to the third metacarpal bone (MC III), the healthy bone above fracture, to offload the injured P1 and protect it from load-bearing forces, particularly during post-surgical standing up. This study aims to develop the favourable mathematical and numerical models for screws configuration in this external fixator. Nine configurations (I-IX), varying in screw a...
Cheung HW, Wong KS, Cheng PCF, Tsang CYN, Farrington AF, Wan TSM, Ho ENM.Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) continue to be a significant threat to the integrity of human and equine sports. Besides conventional direct testing, monitoring the biomarkers associated with the effects of ESAs may provide a complementary approach via indirect detection to enhance doping control. In this study, we applied RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) to discover blood RNA biomarkers in Thoroughbred horses after administration with a long-acting form of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO), methoxy polyethylene glycol epoetin beta, Mircera®. A single subcutaneous administration of Mi...
May A, Hanche-Olsen S, Goehring LS, Matiasek K, Jäderlund KH, Zablotski Y, Gröndahl G.Acquired equine polyneuropathy in Nordic horses (AEP) is the most prevalent equine polyneuropathy in Norway, Sweden, and Finland and is characterised by pelvic limb knuckling due to metatarsophalangeal extension dysfunction. Objective: To evaluate the function of descending motor pathways in AEP using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Methods: An analytical, observational cohort design. Methods: Clinical findings and TMS results of 20 horses from an AEP outbreak in Sweden were evaluated at 5-month intervals. Latency time (LT) in milliseconds (ms) between coil discharge and onset of musc...
de Chiara M, Montano C, De Matteis A, Guidi L, Buono F, Auletta L, Del Prete C, Pasolini MP.Subjective evaluation of gait by official endurance veterinarians (OEVs) is used to determine 'fitness-to-compete' in horses participating in endurance competitions. Objective gait analysis systems could aid in quick and verifiable judgements. Objective: To assess the agreement between objective analysis of head and pelvis vertical movement asymmetry performed with a markerless artificial intelligence motion tracking system (AI-MTS) and subjective lameness assessment performed by an accredited FEI OEV to judge horse gaits. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: During three endurance competitions,...
Román Durá B, Dunham O, Grulke S, Salciccia A, Dupont J, Sandersen C.Equine anesthesia is related to high morbidity and mortality rates and recent studies suggested that the period of recovery remains the phase associated with the greatest risk of mortality in horses. Intraoperative hypotension, hypoxemia, and hypercapnia are recognized as potential determinants of recovery quality. This study, conducted at the Equine University Hospital of Liege, aimed to explore how these factors influence recovery outcomes and compare complications between non-emergency and emergency procedures. We analyzed data from 1057 horses, with a mean weight of 498 kg (ranging from 15...
Van den Branden E, Salamone M, Broothaers K, Peere S, Polfliet E, Dewulf M, Van Steenkiste G, van Loon G, Smits K, Govaere J.The use of transvaginal ultrasound-guided follicle aspiration (TVA) for oocyte collection has become a widely used procedure in horses for embryo production (IVEP). The TVA procedure is characterized by various manipulations, which are physical restraint, perineal preparation, transrectal palpation, insertion of an intravaginal device, and needle punctures. These repeated transvaginal and transovarian punctures have raised concerns about their potential effects on mare welfare. Our study aimed to investigate the effects of TVA manipulations, and especially puncturing, on pain and stress in ma...
Macleod BM, Wilkins PA, McCoy AM, Bishop RC.Viscoelastic coagulation testing (VCT) identifies subclinical disruption of coagulation homeostasis and may improve prognostication, particularly for patients with severe systemic inflammation or shock. Machine learning (ML) algorithms may capture complex relationships between clinical variables better than linear regression (GLM). Objective: To evaluate the utility of ML models incorporating VCT and clinical data to predict survival outcomes in horses with acute abdominal pain. Methods: Retrospective observational cohort study. Methods: VCT (VCM Vet™) was performed on 57 horses with acute a...
The inflammatory status in horses with gastric ulcers was monitored by two inflammatory biomarkers, S100A12 and adenosine deaminase (ADA), using saliva samples from healthy and horses with gastric ulcers. Two trials were developed: an experimental trial, in which gastric ulceration was induced in 8 horses by feed deprivation, and a clinical trial, in which 20 horses without any symptomatology and 37 with symptoms compatible with gastric ulcers were used. S100A12 and ADA levels were measured in the saliva samples of all horses using previously validated assays. In both trials, horses with gastr...
Granados MM, Medina-Bautista F, Navarrete-Calvo R, Argüelles D, Domínguez-Pérez JM, Priego-Capote F, Muñoz-Rascón P, Serrano-Rodríguez JM.To date, no intravenous pharmacokinetics (PK) studies have assessed acetaminophen or its major metabolites (acetaminophen-glucuronide and acetaminophen-sulphate) in horses. The influence of sex on acetaminophen metabolism in horses is unclear, and Monte Carlo simulations have not been applied to explore potential clinical applications. This study aimed to determine the intravenous PK and safety of acetaminophen in Andalusian horses at 10 and 20 mg/kg, evaluate sex as a covariate, and simulate clinical regimens. Twenty mares and twenty stallions received intravenous acetaminophen, and plasma ...
Alberghina D, Tombolani C, Quintavalla F.Evaluating the body temperature of horses () is essential for monitoring their health. Rectal thermometry is the most common method for determining the temperatures of adult horses and foals. However, this method requires restraining the animals for several seconds, and it poses potential risks to both horses and humans. This study compared infrared and rectal thermometry in 126 horses, evaluating age and measurement site influences on body temperature. Horses were divided into three groups: foals (4-12 months), Shetland ponies (8-12 months), and adult horses (2-30 years). Rectal, ocular...
Miranda MR, Montano C, Golino V, de Chiara M, Del Prete C, Pepe G, De Biase D, Ciaglia T, Bertamino A, Campiglia P, Sommella E, Vestuto V, Pasolini MP.Wounds are common in equine practice, and often lead to complications such as infections, delayed healing and hypertrophic scarring, which can be costly and difficult to manage. Developing affordable and effective treatments has become an increasingly important focus in veterinary research. Equine advanced-platelet-rich fibrin plus (A-PRF+) demonstrates regenerative properties comparable to its human counterpart, but cellular-level investigations exploring its molecular mechanisms remain limited. This study aimed to investigate the in vitro effects of equine A-PRF + on primary fibroblast ...
Loftus L, Newman A, Leach M, Asher L.There is increasing focus on how to induce and measure positive affective states in animals and the development of social license to operate has brought this to the forefront within equestrianism. This study aimed to utilise a range of methods to induce and measure positive affect in horses in real-world settings. Twenty healthy horses were scored for personality, exposed to four induction methods (wither scratching, high value food provision, positive reinforcement training and the addition of an affiliative conspecific), and data collected on their behaviour (QBA and ethograms) and physiolog...
Szczepek Reed B, Lundesjö Kvart S.In many types of embodied skills instruction, the learnables-that is, the local and jointly negotiated foci of instruction-emerge from a combination between a pre-existing lesson plan and the spontaneous interaction between teacher and student. Through the analytical lens of Conversation Analysis, this paper investigates the interspecies instruction setting of horse-riding lessons and shows how here, it is not only the human teachers and learners that determine the emergence of new learnables but also the horses. Horses' actions can initiate new courses of action in a lesson, and horses can th...
Portier K, Schiesari C, Gauthier L, Yeng LT, Tabacchi Fantoni D, Formenton MR.Myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) are localized, hypersensitive areas in muscles that can cause pain and reduced performance. This study aimed to compare the prevalence and location of MTrPs in show-jumping and dressage horses. A secondary objective was to evaluate the potential of thermography, pressure algometry, and facial expression scoring in characterizing MTrPs in horses. Fourteen horses (seven dressage, seven show-jumping) were examined. Muscle palpation was used to identify MTrPs. Thermography was used to compare the skin surface temperature of MTrPs with adjacent control areas. Addit...
Herkenhoff ME.MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are molecules that regulate gene expression by targeting the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of mRNAs. They are essential in numerous biological processes like growth, metabolism, and muscle development. miRNA research has become crucial in livestock breeding, offering solutions for improving animal health and productivity. This review focuses on miRNAs' roles in equine performance, reproduction, and disease, highlighting key findings and future applications in these areas. It discusses the use of circulating miRNAs (ci-miRNA) as biomarkers for athletic performance, particularl...
Dai F, Toson M, Bertotto D, Dalla Costa A, Heinzl EUL, Lega F, Minero M, Padalino B, Stefani AL, Trestini S, Maietti F, Zonta G, Di Martino G.The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of self-loading training on the overall stress response during pre-slaughter transportation in slaughter horses. Thirty-two slaughter horses were divided into two groups: the control group (CG) and the Trained Group (TG). For six weeks, the TG horses were trained to self-load using a method based on target training and shaping. Animals from both groups were transported to the same slaughterhouse in small groups on different days using the same truck along the same route. The baseline and post-transportation values of the eye temperature and fecal...
Wilsher S, Ismer A, Grippo A, Hoogewijs M, Bussade P, Kovacsy S.Different cryoprotectants can influence the ability of embryos to successfully survive vitrification and subsequent warming before transfer. Objective: To compare pregnancy rates for embryos ≤500 μm vitrified, without puncture or aspiration of the blastocoele cavity, with one of three commercial human embryo vitrification kits containing the same penetrating cryoprotectants (DMSO and EG) but varying in their non-penetrating cryoprotectants (NPCPAs; sucrose, trehalose, dextran serum supplement [DSS], and hydroxypropyl cellulose [HPC]). Methods: In vivo experiments. Methods: Embryos (n =...
de Preux M, Precht C, Becker R, Stieglitz L, Easley J, Koch C.Trigeminal-mediated headshaking is a neuropathic disorder in horses, characterized by signs of regional pain similar to trigeminal neuralgia in humans. The injection of glycerol into the trigeminal cistern to ablate pain-conducting nerve fibers within the trigeminal ganglion -known as glycerol rhizotomy- is a well-established treatment in human medicine. This study compares two approaches to the equine trigeminal cistern using a navigation system for guiding needle placement, a previously described ventral and a newly developed transmandibular lateral approach. The surgical accuracy and risk o...
Furukawa R, Tozaki T, Kawate K, Kikuchi M, Ishige T, Takahashi Y, Fukui E, Kakoi H.Gene doping, which entails the administration of transgenes, poses a serious threat to the integrity of equine sports and also raises both ethical and regulatory concerns. Current methods used for the detection of such doping often necessitate the extraction of DNA from plasma, which can be time-consuming and labour-intensive. To overcome this limitation, we developed a direct chamber digital PCR (cdPCR) method that enables transgene detection in equine plasma without the need for DNA purification. Using the equine erythropoietin (EPO) transgene as a model, we validated the assay by analysing ...
Buschmann E, Easton-Jones C, Van Steenkiste G, De Wilde H, Roberts V, Durando M, Decloedt A, Marr C, van Loon G.Accessory pathways (APs) are muscular bundles directly connecting the atria and ventricles, bypassing the atrioventricular (AV) node-His-Purkinje system. Anterograde conduction along the AP results in ventricular preexcitation. A retrograde conducting AP allows ventriculo-atrial (VA) conduction, creating a reentry circuit that mediates orthodromic atrioventricular reentry tachycardia (OAVRT). This condition is well described in humans and small animals, but has not been reported previously in horses. Objective: Describe clinical and electrocardiographic findings of horses with retrograde AP co...
