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.
Cameron A, Geldard M, Mair T, England G, Burford J, Freeman S, Pollock K, Wilson E.Veterinary and charity teams are frequently involved in equine end-of-life decisions. These can cause ethical dilemmas and emotional burdens and complicate communication with owners. Semi-structured focus groups explored experiences of making decisions about end-of-life care and euthanasia at three UK equine veterinary practices and one charity. There were 26 participants in a mix of roles. Inductive coding was conducted during thematic analysis. Major themes generated were 'Equine Welfare', 'Relationships', 'Decision-Making', and 'Emotional Toll and Coping Strategies'. Communication, finances...
Hardefeldt LY, Thomas K, Begg L.Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a problem for equine practitioners in Australia, but antimicrobial use in practice has been largely understudied. We aimed to evaluate equine veterinarians' intentions of prescribing antimicrobials in areas where we perceived there to be wide ranges of practice - dentistry, reproduction and for nonbactericidal effects. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey of veterinarians working in equine practice was conducted over 4 months in 2023 and 2024. Antimicrobial use, including compounding practices, for reproductive and dental disorders, and nonbactericidal...
McCarthy RD, Ordóñez HJ, Semevolos SA.To compare core temperatures of superficial and deep digital flexor tendons (SDFT, DDFT) during application of a compression cooling system versus ice boots and during subsequent lower limb bandaging. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Paired forelimbs of six sedated horses. Methods: Thermocouples were placed in the core of SDFT and DDFT of both front limbs of each horse. A compression cooling system was applied to one front limb and an ice boot was applied to the other front limb for 60 min and then removed for 60 min. Standing bandages were then applied to both front limbs for 60 mi...
Visser EK, Jens AL, Nieuwe Weme LE, Spaapen AA, Maarleveld KN, Enzerink KH, Tromp PN, Haven-Pross SC.Equine-Assisted Services (EAS) offer significant benefits for individuals with intellectual and/or physical disabilities. However, ensuring the welfare of the horses involved remains a key ethical concern. The objective of this study was to assess the affective states of horses involved in EAS while also establishing behavioural thresholds for indicators of positive or negative affective states. A total of 98 horses were observed over a two-month period, accumulating data about horse behaviour and session characteristics from 830 EAS sessions. Horses participating in coaching programs averaged...
Entwisle IG, McConnell EJ.Sand enteropathy describes the clinical signs attributed to accumulation of sand in the gastrointestinal tract. Psyllium combined with magnesium sulphate has been recommended for clearing intestinal sand, but this has only been evaluated in one population. The combination of these two agents with paraffin oil has not been investigated. Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of paraffin oil, psyllium and magnesium sulphate combined in clearing intestinal sand in horses diagnosed with sand enteropathy. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Medical records of horses presenting for san...
de Freitas MG, Dos Santos GH, Silva DLZ, Costa TD, Borges DGL, Reckziegel GH, Cleveland H, do Nascimento Ramos CA, Pereira FB, de Almeida Borges F.The strategic control of equine gastrointestinal nematodes is based on epidemiology. The aim is the reduction of the population of parasites as a whole in the hosts and environment while seeking the number of treatments that achieves the balance between not risking animal health and not exerting selection pressure for resistant parasites. This is the first study in a tropical region to assess a strategic control protocol for equines. The study was conducted in the municipality of Anastácio in the state of Mata Gross do Sul, Brazil, over a two-year period from April 2021 to March 2023, involvi...
Page AE, Rauber-Ramos AM, Humiston M, McPeek JL, Adam EN.Given the metabolic effects of intra-articular (IA) corticosteroids, the goal of this project was to monitor the effects of IA betamethasone in both insulin dysregulated (ID)(n = 3) and non-ID (n = 5) horses. A cross-over design was used where eight geldings were injected with either 9 mg of betamethasone or saline into both metacarpophalangeal joints, followed by regular blood collections for adrenocorticotropin releasing hormone (ACTH), cortisol, insulin, and glucose, as well as pre- and post-administration oral sugar testing. Results were analyzed via two-way repeated measures analysis of v...
Shnaiderman-Torban A, Meltzer L, Zilberman-Daniels T, Navon-Venezia S, Cohen A, Sutton GA, Blum SE, Amit S, Steinman A.Infections with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-PE) contribute to morbidity and mortality in human neonates. In foals, data are scarce. Objective: Determine the association between ESBL-PE gastrointestinal colonization on hospital admission and infections in hospitalized neonates. Methods: Sixty-seven foals. Methods: Prospective study of foals admitted to a veterinary hospital. Foals were screened for ESBL-PE colonization and for infections. Risk factors and clinical outcomes were analyzed. Results: Seventy-six percent of foals suffered from at least 1 bacteri...
Júnior GS, de Souza JV, de Souza Ferreira W, Florentino VRD, Valente TC, Comassetto F, Oleskovicz N.This study aimed to evaluate the sedation degree, cardiopulmonary effects, and detomidine-sparing during dental occlusal adjustment in standing horses using a bolus and constant rate infusion (CRI) of detomidine alone or in combination with butorphanol or methadone. In this randomized, blinded clinical trial, 24 healthy adult horses were assigned to the detomidine (DT), detomidine-butorphanol (DB), or detomidine-methadone (DM) group. DT received an intravenous bolus of detomidine (20 μg/kg), followed by CRI at 20 μg/kg/h. DB received detomidine (10 μg/kg) and butorphanol (0.02 mg/kg) boluse...
MacMillan KM, Burns JJ, John E, Clancey N, Stull JW.Decreased total T4 (tT4) concentrations are frequently observed in racing Standardbred horses lacking clinical evidence of hypothyroidism. This poses a diagnostic challenge as primary hypothyroidism is reported to be rare in adult horses. Despite this, owners frequently wish to administer thyroid supplementation to horses having low tT4 concentrations. Forty racing Standardbred horses were sampled. Baseline tT4 concentrations were determined using human-based (equine) and canine-based chemiluminescent assays. Dynamic evaluation of tT4 was performed using a thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) s...
Navarrete-Calvo R, Morgaz J, Ruíz-López P, Gómez-Villamandos RJ, Domínguez JM, Quirós-Carmona S, Granados MM.Spectral entropy and bispectral index (BIS) can differentiate between conscious and unconscious levels in horses. This study aimed to determine whether spectral entropy and BIS parameters can distinguish between different end-tidal isoflurane concentrations (EtIso, %), and whether these parameters change when a nociceptive stimulus is applied. Ten clinically healthy horses were anaesthetized using xylazine, diazepam, ketamine, and isoflurane. The following parameters were monitored: EtIso, response entropy (RE), state entropy (SE), RE-SE difference, BIS, and electromyography (EMG). Three EtIso...
Gillen A, Archer D, Ireland J, Rocchigiani G.Strangulating lipomata are the most common cause of small intestinal strangulating obstruction. Evaluation of histological features of pathological and non-pathological lipomata, and the histological properties of omental and retroperitoneal fat have not been described. Objective: To characterise histological features of equine abdominal lipomata, omental and retroperitoneal adipose tissue, and associations between them. Methods: Prospective observational anatomic (gross and histological). Methods: Horses undergoing emergency laparotomy for management of abdominal pain in a single hospital wer...
Christie KD, Epstein KL, Tyma JF, Afonso T, Fultz LE, Giguère S.Surgical site infection (SSI) is an important complication following emergency celiotomy in the horse. Judicious antimicrobial use is important for the prevention of antimicrobial resistance and the limitation of antimicrobial-associated complications. Previous studies in horses have found no association between SSI and perioperative antimicrobial duration, but the ideal duration of antimicrobial administration in horses undergoing exploratory celiotomy remains unclear. Objective: To compare SSI and describe post-operative complications, survival, duration and cost of hospitalisation in horses...
Engiles JB, Stefanovski D, van Eps A.To examine the effects of prolonged preferential weight bearing (PWB) and reduced ambulation (RA) on hoof lamellae using a nonpainful in vivo experimental model. Unassigned: 12 healthy Standardbred horses were housed in stocks continuously for 92 hours. A platform shoe was placed on 1 forelimb in the PWB group (n = 6) to increase the load on the supporting limb (SL) by approximately 10% bodyweight, whereas the RA group (n = 6) had normal weight bearing. Archived healthy horse (n = 8) samples were used as controls. Histomorphometry and histochemistry (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP ...
Hudson S, Blackburn J, Fish M, Ousey K.Police officers wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce their risk of injury while on duty. Despite the unique policing activity of riding a horse, little is known about the PPE used by mounted officers. The aim of this research was to assess the use, comfort, and functionality of mounted police PPE. Twenty officers from three UK Mounted Sections were recruited. Semi-structured interviews and range of movement assessments were conducted. Interview data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Three main themes were generated: and Much of the PPE worn by mounted officers is ...
Risvanli A, Hatipoglu F, Salykov R, Timurkaan N, Kadiralieva N, Kasymalieva KK, Seker I, Ekinci E.In the current study, we aimed to determine the distribution of telocytes in the ovary, oviduct and uterus of Kyrgyz mares depending on whether they were pregnant. We also studied the progression during the first 6 months of pregnancy. To this end, ovary, oviduct and uterus tissues from 53 Kyrgyz mares were obtained post-mortem. The mare tissue samples were divided into two groups: pregnant (n = 43) and non-pregnant (n = 10). Telocyte levels in the tissues were determined using light microscopic and immunohistochemical methods. Subsequently, the data acquired were evaluated based on ...
Isgren CM, Pinchbeck GL, Salem SE, Hann MJ, Townsend NB, Cullen MD, Archer DC.Surgical site infection (SSI) is a frequent complication following emergency equine laparotomy, negatively impacting equine welfare, increasing treatment costs and presenting a hospital biosecurity risk. Objective: To determine if a sutured-on stent dressing for incisional protection during anaesthetic recovery reduced SSI following emergency laparotomy. Methods: Randomised controlled trial. Methods: Eligible horses were randomised to a sutured-on stent (intervention) or textile dressing (control) as the primary component of a 3-layer abdominal bandage placed for anaesthetic recovery. Horses w...
Gaspari G, Lange-Consiglio A, Cremonesi F, Desantis S.Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important mediators of cell-cell communication thanks to their ability to transfer their bioactive cargo, thus regulating a variety of physiological contexts. EVs derived from amniotic mesenchymal/stromal cells (eAMC-EVs) are internalized by equine endometrial cells (eECs) with positive effects on regenerative medicine treatments. As the cellular uptake of EVs is influenced by the glycan profile of both EVs and target cells, this study is focused on the role of surface glycans in the uptake of eAMC-EVs by recipient eECs. Equine ECs were obtained by enzymatic di...
John KD, Vincent AL, Nieforth LO, Schafroth J.This article used an intersectional feminist analytic framework to theorize the role of anthropomorphizing human-equine interactions in the HERD Institute's modality for practitioners of Equine-facilitated learning and equine-facilitated psychotherapy (EFL/P). EFL/P is a traditionally human-centered activity which leverages anthropomorphizing equine behavior and emotions to better understand human selves and dynamics by assigning human emotions to equids and human-equine interactions. Intersectional feminist theories were used to interpret 11 in-depth interviews with EFL/P practitioners. The d...
Parente A, Geburek F, Kästner S, Iversen C, Hopster K.Orotracheal intubation is commonly performed for inhalation anaesthesia in horses to ensure safe and reliable administration of volatile anaesthetics and to secure the airways. In human and equine medicine, the occurrence of intubation-associated complications has been described, which can range from mild mucosal irritation to severe necrosis. However, there are only sparse descriptions of mucosal alterations and the course of healing after elective surgery in horses. Objective: To investigate the prevalence and severity of tracheal lesions following endotracheal intubation associated with gen...
Ajeeb B, Kiyotake EA, Keefe PA, Phillips JN, Hatzel JN, Goodrich LR, Detamore MS.Cartilage injuries pose significant challenges in horses and often lead to post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). Despite the advances in surgical and regenerative techniques, the result in most cases is the formation of a fibrocartilage repair tissue. Cell-based cartilage therapies are mainly focused on equine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (eBMSCs) as they are easily accessible, and multipotent. Nonetheless, alternative allogeneic sources, for example equine umbilical cord matrix mesenchymal stromal cells (eUCMSCs), hold promise given their non-invasive and readily accessible natu...
Skurková L, Matulníková L, Peťková B, Florian M, Slivková M, Lešková L, Mesarčová L, Kottferová J.This study aimed to assess the seasonal changes of the cortisol concentrations in horsehair (HCC), as an indicator of long-term or chronic stress. Hair samples were taken four times throughout one year from 12 horses (aged from 1.5 to 30 years), and analysed by the ELISA method. The sampling interval (interval between two collections of the samples representing two different seasons) ranged between 102-115 days. Seasonal dynamics have been confirmed with a pattern: August ˃ November ˃ January ˃ April (F (3.93) = 50.28, P < 0.001). The lowest cortisol concentrations were detected in A...
Guzmán JFC, Gontijo AS, Melgaço ES, Faria SA, Baldi MLC, Sousa LN, Wenceslau RR, Fantini P, Xavier ABDS, Beier SL.Morphine has significant clinical and analgesic effects in horses, but its impact on the gastrointestinal tract requires further understanding. This study assessed the analgesic and gastrointestinal effects of morphine in horses undergoing elective orchiectomy in the quadrupedal position. Thirty uncastrated male horses were randomly assigned to three groups: orchiectomy without morphine and sedation protocol (OSM), orchiectomy with morphine and sedation protocol (OM), and administration of morphine alone in the absence of orchiectomy (M). The anesthetic protocol involved acepromazine (0.05 mg/...
Primo ALM, Assis DM, Santos VGS, de Melo LRB, da Nóbrega LD, Medeiros Dantas AF, Maciel TA.Cerebellar abiotrophy is a neurodegenerative disease that affects the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum, resulting in premature neuronal death. In horses, its occurrence has been reported mainly in the Arabian breed as a congenital mutation inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. The objective of this study was to describe the case of cerebellar abiotrophy in a Quarter Horse foal. An 8-day-old foal was treated after presenting signs of ataxia, hypermetria, difficulty maintaining a standing position, and decreased menace response. The foal was hospitalized for 26 days, received treatment wit...
Vandaele Z, Van den Broeke C, Merchiers A, Schauvliege S.Different assisted recovery techniques have been developed to enhance the safety and quality of equine recoveries. This case series evaluates the recovery of horses using an air-inflated pillow (Equi-lift®). With owner consent, the following data were collected from 19 horses undergoing open castration and 21 horses where a difficult recovery was anticipated: age, bodyweight, procedure, anaesthetic protocol, time required for proper positioning in the Equi-lift®, time to extubation, time to standing, number of attempts to stand, number of stimuli, behaviour during recumbency/first attempts, ...
Perrone G, Giampaoli C, Smirnoff AL, Ochoa A, Pareja R, De Simone E.Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common pathology in sport horses, presenting a chronic and recurrent course. Traditional anti-inflammatory treatments provide only temporary clinical improvement and pain relief; however, they have been associated with metabolic disorders in articular cartilage in the medium term. In this study, we generated a llama polyclonal antibody against equine TNF-α, which was used for intra-articular treatment in horses with OA. Treatment effects were assessed through clinical examination and the determination of inflammatory parameters (MMP-2, MMP-9, LDH, and GAGs) in ...
Stricklin OE, McKenzie EC, Sriboonyapirat P, Russell DS, White CN.To determine whether Miniature Horse mares are predisposed to hemoperitoneum from nonneoplastic ovarian hemorrhage and report the clinical characteristics of this disorder. Methods: 51 equines with hemoperitoneum, including 22 nonminiature mares and 9 Miniature Horse mares, identified by searching medical records of a tertiary large animal hospital for confirmed hemoperitoneum cases between 2012 and 2023. Methods: Signs of hemoperitoneum in miniature mares included lethargy, inappetence, colic, tachycardia, and moderate to severe anemia (PCV ranging from 11% to 19%). Five miniature mares did n...
Pezzanite LM, Nelson BB, Downey AC, Gadomski B, McGilvray K, Baer K, Kappel SM, Nout-Lomas Y, Seim HB, Easley JT.To determine the biomechanical properties of pedicle screw and rod (PSR) constructs alone and with an interbody fusion device (PSRIFD) for equine ventral cervical vertebral stabilization. Methods: Cadaveric ex vivo biomechanical analysis. Methods: A total of 14 (n = 14) adult equine cervical vertebral columns. Methods: Cervical vertebral columns were stabilized by PSR alone (n = 6) or PSRIFD (n = 5). Three columns were left unaltered as controls. Non-destructive biomechanical testing showed the kinematic range of motion (ROM), compliance, and neutral zone of each spinal unit in the...
Barton CK, Nelson BB, Winther TM, Maker TC, Goodrich LR.To develop and optimize a tenoscopic technique for resection of the manica flexoria utilizing a radiofrequency probe. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Eighteen cadaver limbs and two experimental horses. Methods: Tenoscopic-guided resection of the manica flexoria using radiofrequency energy proceeded sequentially by transection of the medial, lateral and proximal borders. The technique was performed in ex vivo limbs and then in vivo to replicate clinical scenarios. Time to complete resection of the manica flexoria (mean ± SD) and complications was recorded. Limbs were dissected and sc...
MacKechnie-Guire R, Clayton H, Williams J, Marlin D, Fisher M, Fisher D, Walker V, Murray R.Measuring tools designed to objectively determine equine noseband tightness are inserted on the dorsal nasal planum in a rostro-caudal direction. The lateral aspect of the horse's head has several areas where minimal soft tissue intervenes between the skin and underlying bone, which makes them potentially useful sites for measuring noseband tightness. One hundred horses were fitted with a snaffle bridle with a cavesson, Swedish or dropped noseband in random order. The tightness of each noseband type was adjusted sequentially to 2.0, 1.5, 1.0, 0.5 and 0.0 finger-equivalents using an ISES Taper ...
Abbasi A, Nouri H, Samadi F.Cryopreservation is a crucial method for the preservation of genetic materials. Nevertheless, this technique can have adverse effects due to cryo-oxidative damage. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the cryo-protective effects of niosomal nanocarriers loaded with artemisinin (NN-Art) on the functional attributes of equine spermatozoa. The parameters examined included sperm motility and kinematics through computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA), plasma membrane integrity via the hypoosmotic swelling test, viability using the eosin-nigrosin staining technique, morphology with...
Satué K, Fazio E, Velasco-Martinez MG, La Fauci D, Barbiera G, Medica P, Cravana C.In humans' and experimental animals' components of the somatotropic axis, such as growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) concentrations, decrease with advancing age. Although there is evidence regarding IGF-1, the effect of age on GH in mares, as well as the relationships between both parameters, have not yet been elucidated. On the other hand, although GH and IGF-1 are related to follicular development, it is unknown if they could be correlated with the circulating concentrations of ovarian steroids in mares, as occurs in other species. The hypothesis of this study was t...
Conn KL.Equid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EHV1) is a DNA virus that causes severe disease in equids. Some strains are neurotropic and cause disease in the central nervous system, whereas others are non-neurotropic and can cause negative reproductive outcomes. Mechanisms governing EHV1 pathotype are not understood. However, EHV1 pathotypes have different infection efficiencies and replication kinetics in various cell types. They are also differentially susceptible to epigenetic inhibitors. Aside from this observation little is known about EHV1 chromatin or how its regulation influences infection. To build know...
Núñez-Montero K, Leal K, Rojas-Villalta D, Castro M, Larronde C, Wagenknecht L, Contreras MJ.Studies on the bacterial composition of seminal samples have primarily focused on species isolated from semen and their effects on fertility and reproductive health. Culture-independent techniques, such as 16S rRNA gene sequencing and shotgun metagenomics, have revolutionized our ability to identify unculturable bacteria, which comprise >90% of the microbiome. These techniques allow for comprehensive analysis of microbial communities in seminal samples, shedding light on their interactions and roles. In this study, we characterized the taxonomic diversity of seminal microbial communities in he...
Wood A, Shapter FM, Stewart AJ.Auscultation of heart sounds is an important veterinary skill requiring an understanding of anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology and pattern recognition. This cross-sectional study was developed to evaluate a targeted, audio-visual training resource for veterinary students to improve their understanding and auscultation of common heart conditions in horses. Fourth- and fifth-year 2021 and 2022 Bachelor of Veterinary Science students at the University of Queensland (UQ) were provided the learning resource and surveyed via online pre- and post-intervention surveys. Results were quantitatively an...
Daly S, Skelly C, Lewis M, Toomey R.Veterinary practitioners and other personnel involved in the examination are exposed to ionizing radiation while performing portable radiographs on horses. An online survey was distributed to all Veterinary Council of Ireland-registered practices where the self-reported practice profile is at least 20% equine work. The survey contained questions relating to radiation safety training, protocols, personal dosimetry and lead protection usage, repeat exposures, sedation, and personnel roles during the examination. The aim of the survey was to document the current radiation safety practices of equi...
Hifumi T, Tanaka T, Suzu I, Sato M, Akioka K, Fujimata C, Shinkai R, Maeda T, Kusakisako K, Ikadai H, Miyoshi N.Alveolar echinococcosis is a zoonotic disease caused by a larval-stage infection. Geographical haplotyping targeting the parasite's mitochondrial cytochrome () gene has been reported for isolates from definitive and intermediate hosts (wild canids and rodents); however, there are limited reports on strain typing for the dead-end host, the horse, which could act as a sentinel for E. Accordingly, we investigated the diversity of in isolates obtained from slaughtered Japanese and Canadian horses originating from the Iburi and Hidaka regions in Hokkaido and from Alberta, respectively, with PCR ...
de Sousa ALV, de Sousa DER, de Macêdo IL, de Albuquerque Cerqueira L, da Fonseca YNG, Oliveira AB, das Chagas LVS, Gonçalves GB, Veado HC....This report describes the first documented case of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in a horse following Bothrops snakebite envenomation. A 3-year-old mare developed acute kidney injury, systemic hemorrhage, and neurological signs before euthanasia. Postmortem findings confirmed massive ICH with intralesional venom identified by immunohistochemistry. Delayed treatment and insufficient antivenom likely contributed to the outcome. This case highlights the potential for cerebrovascular complications following Bothrops snakebite envenomation in horses, which may present as subtle neurological signs....
van Loon JPAM, Trindade PHE, da Silva GV, Keus J, Huberts C, de Grauw JC, Lanci A.Pain assessment based on facial expressions has been described in foals. Objective: To extend previous pilot findings of the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Facial Assessment of Pain in Foals (EQUUS-FAP FOAL). Methods: Prospective blinded case-control study (known groups analysis). Methods: Video recordings (30-60 s) of n = 100 foals (38 patients and 62 controls) were collected. Videos were randomised and scored by two observers, blinded for the condition of the animals. Inter- and intra-observer agreement was tested by Intra Class Correlation (ICC) analysis. Differences between pati...
Whitaker K, Burnette A, Tan JY, Graves M, Hunt J, Devine E, Anderson S, Kirkendall K, Wisnieski L.There is a shortage of equine veterinarians. Understanding what factors are associated with job satisfaction in equine veterinarians can inform interventions to increase retention in equine medicine. Objective: To explore the prominent factors causing work dissatisfaction and burnout in equine veterinarians. Methods: Qualitative research study consisting of semi-structured focus groups. Methods: Thirty-seven current and former equine veterinarians across the United States were recruited via snowball and convenience sampling to answer questions on work history, work-life balance, and perception...
Young K, Hasegawa T, Vridhachalam N, Henderson N, Salmon JH, McCall TF, Hirsch ML, Gilger BC.Non-infectious uveitis (NIU) is a painful recurrent disease affecting 2%-5% of horses. Current treatments require frequent administration with associated adverse events. In a previous study, intravitreal (IVT) adeno-associated virus (AAV) harboring equine interleukin-10 (eqIL-10) cDNA inhibited experimental uveitis in rats. The goal of this study was to evaluate the ocular tolerability, vector genome (vg) distribution, and vector shedding following an IVT injection of AAV8-eqIL-10 in normal horses with the hypothesis that it would be well tolerated in a dose-dependent manner in horses. Inject...
Sasaki M, Fukumoto N, Fukumoto S.A two-year-old male Japanese draft horse (known as a "Ban'ei horse") excreted eight cestodes. Based on their morphological features, they were identified as Anoplocephala perfoliata. The partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) sequences of the worms were nearly identical to A. perfoliata isolated from horses in Europe. The results of phylogenetic analyses of COI revealed that our samples and the European isolates formed the same clade, which was separate from Chinese and Australian isolates. Ban'ei horses were developed by crossbreeding draft horses imported from European co...
This research investigates the human-horse bond, aiming to unveil the physiological mechanisms regulating interspecies interactions. We hypothesized observing a physiological synchronization in human-horse dynamics, akin to human interactions. Through time-frequency Granger causality analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) and behavioral data, this study reveals the establishment of bidirectional synchronization in HRV between humans and horses. The coupling directionality is influenced by behavior and familiarity. In exploration scenarios led by horses, bidirectional interactions occur, part...
Veitch KE, Szczykutowicz TP, Brounts SH, Ergun DL, Muir P, Loeber SJ.To evaluate the radiation dose to personnel locations during simulated head and limb scans with a novel equine standing CT (sCT) system. Methods: Measurements were made with the use of a helical fan beam sCT system (Equina; Asto CT Inc). Scatter radiation was measured in different positions in the sCT room to mimic the location of the control operator, horse handler, and lead rope handler during simulated equine head and limb imaging. Operator/handler dose was quantified at each location using entrance air kerma measured with a spherical ionization chamber and electrometer. Results: Radiation ...
Pusterla N, Lawton K, Barnum S.In populations of healthy show horses, the subclinical transmission and circulation of respiratory pathogens can lead to disease outbreaks. Due to recent outbreaks of equine herpesvirus-1 myeloencephalopathy (EHM) in the USA and Europe, many show organizers have instituted various biosecurity protocols such as individual horse testing, monitoring for early clinical disease and increasing hygiene and cleanliness protocols. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of detecting EHV-1 in the various environmental samples collected from the stalls of subclinical shedders. Four healthy ad...
Lovett AL, Riley CB, Chapman V, Bell B, Bishop B, Grierson A, Johnstone LJ, Sykes BW.Horses are exquisitely sensitive to tetanus neurotoxin and are exposed to the risk of infection with throughout life. The vaccine against tetanus is highly effective at preventing disease, whereas tetanus in unvaccinated populations is associated with high mortality rates. Current guidelines in New Zealand and Australia for the available vaccine contain contradictions and limitations surrounding the optimal tetanus immunisation protocols for both adult horses and foals. This review critically evaluates the scientific literature on tetanus prophylaxis in horses within the context of equine pra...
Wagner B, Babasyan S, Wilford S, Robbin MG, de Mestre AM.CD25, the interleukin-2 receptor α-chain, is expressed on cell surfaces of different immune cells and is commonly used for phenotyping of regulatory T cells (Tregs). CD25 has essential roles in the maintenance of hemostasis and immune tolerance and Treg cell involvement has been shown in human diseases and murine models for allergy, autoimmunity, cancer, chronic inflammation, and many others. In horses, a cross-reactive anti-human CD25 antibody has previously been used for characterizing Tregs. Here, we developed monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to equine CD25 and compared their staining pattern ...
O'Neil EK, Fogle CA, Sheats MK, Love K.To investigate potential equine clients' perceptions of equine veterinarians based on attire. Methods: 763 horse owners/lessees. Methods: Participants were invited to complete a survey shared mainly via equestrian social media pages between August and October 2022.1-3 Survey participants were shown pictures of a male veterinarian and a female veterinarian in 7 outfits ranging from casual to business attire and were asked to score the veterinarian on 7 traits: easygoing attitude, friendliness, compassion, trustworthiness, professionalism, competence, and cost of services. The survey asked which...
Verhaar N, Grages AM, Sauer FJ, Geiger T, Reineking W, Hewicker-Trautwein M, Geburek F, Kästner SBR.To assess the histological injury and intestinal microperfusion measured by laser Doppler flowmetry and spectrophotometry (LDFS) of the small intestine orad to a strangulation during colic surgery. Methods: Horses with naturally occurring small intestinal strangulations undergoing colic surgery were included. Methods: In this prospective clinical trial, intestinal tissue oxygen saturation (tSO2) and tissue blood flow (tBF) were measured by LDFS orad to the strangulation following release of the strangulation (n = 18). The number of horses with postoperative reflux (POR) and the cases that surv...
Chagoya-Fuentes JL, Gaona-López J, Hernández-Carbajal GR, Torres-Guerrero H, Lammoglia-Villagómez MA, Huerta-Peña J, Pérez-Brígido CD....A clinical case of an adult horse with invasive, ulcerative, proliferative, pyogranulomatous disease of the skin (tumor) in the shoulder region is presented. The mass had a granulomatous and crater-shaped appearance, with serosanguinous discharge and the presence of fistulas with caseous material. The tumor was removed by surgery and sent to the laboratory for diagnosis. Histopathology was performed using Grocott-Gomori methenamine silver stain. The presence of necrotic material, fibrosis, infiltrated cells, and brown-colored hyphae, characteristic of members of the genus Pythium, were observe...
Abebaw B.An adult male black horse was presented to the UOG veterinary clinic with swelling, discharge, and skin wounds on the chest wall and the right front leg; then, it goes to the lateral and medial hind leg. Inspection and palpation were carried out, and we revealed that the skin was swelled, thickened and hard on clinical examination. There was also nodule rupture, and discharge on the limb and chest skin. Different therapy was applied starting from washing the wound with water-diluted potassium permanganate and then 0.9% NaCl together with paraffin topically placed on the wound. 10% povidone-iod...
McCrae P, Spong H, Mahnam A, Bashura Y, Pearson W.Several skin preparation techniques are used in electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring of horses. The objective of this study was to determine which methods produce the greatest signal quality using textile electrodes and standard silver/silver chloride (Ag/AgCl) electrodes. Electrocardiogram data were collected using textile and Ag/AgCl electrodes simultaneously for 4 skin preparation techniques in 6 horses. The effects of skin preparation (cleansing with isopropyl alcohol, with or without shaving the hair) and the effects of the application of a conductive gel were assessed using metrics of sign...
Palmisano M, Kulp J, Bender S, Stefanovski D, Robinson M, Johnson A.Eight-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), a biomarker of oxidative damage evaluated in human neurodegenerative disease, has potential to correlate with postmortem diagnosis of neuroaxonal dystrophy/degenerative myeloencephalopathy (NAD/DM) in horses. Objective: We hypothesized that 8-OHdG will be higher in CSF and serum from NAD/DM horses compared with horses with other neurologic diseases (CVSM, EPM) and a control group of neurologically normal horses. We also hypothesized that 8-OHdG will be higher in CSF compared with serum from NAD/DM horses. Methods: Fifty client-owned horses with postmor...
Elliott S, Olufemi OT, Daly JM.Vaccines against equine influenza have been available since the late 1960s, but outbreaks continue to occur periodically, affecting both vaccinated and unvaccinated animals. The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the efficacy of vaccines against influenza A virus in horses (equine IAV). For this, PubMed, CAB abstracts, and Web of Science were searched for controlled trials of equine IAV vaccines published up to December 2020. Forty-three articles reporting equine IAV vaccination and challenge studies in previously naïve equids using an appropriate comparison group were included ...
Arias-Esquivel AM, Moscoso E, Umaña D, Arguedas M, Solano D, Durán G, Gómez A, Gutiérrez JM, León G.The immunization and industrial bleeding of horses are essential stages for producing snake antivenoms. In Costa Rica, the traditional method involves stimulating the antibody response of horses by periodically injecting venoms, collecting hyperimmune plasma over three consecutive bleeding days, and repeating this process every eight weeks. While this method does not cause major physical or hematological issues in horses, the associated stress has not been evaluated. We compared this traditional method with an alternative method that involves injecting venoms, collecting hyperimmune plasma in ...
Gudea A, Stan FG, Irimie A, Mârza S, Martonos CO, Gal A.The reconstruction of past life based on archaeozoology is a challenging domain that offers a range of valuable details concerning former human and animal populations. Additionally, the ancient era is a source of information for human and veterinary medicine, as well as for other biological sciences. This report highlights a pathological lesion identified during the investigation of a horse skeleton from a pit dated La Tène in Alba County (Romania). The left scapula with lesions was collected from the skeleton of a buried 7-8-year-old male horse. The aforementioned bone underwent gross, radio...
Sponseller B, Evans T.Boxelder and sycamore maple contain hypoglycin A (HGA), the toxic metabolite of which, MCPA-CoA, inhibits fatty acid β-oxidation, causing seasonal pasture myopathy (SPM) or atypical myopathy (AM), respectively. White snakeroot and rayless goldenrod contain multiple benzofuran ketones (BFKs). The identity/toxicity of BFKs appear variable, possibly involving interactions between toxins/toxic metabolites, but ultimately inhibit cellular energy metabolism. Unthrifty horses grazing sparse pastures during the fall appear predisposed to these plant-associated, frequently fatal, toxic myopathies. Tox...
