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.
Wollstein M.The parameningococci of Dopter are culturally indistinguishable from true or normal meningococci, but serologically they exhibit differences as regards agglutination, opsonization, and complement deviation. Because of the variations and irregularities of serum reactions existing among otherwise normal strains of meningococci it does not seem either possible or desirable to separate the parameningococci into a strictly definite class. It appears desirable to consider them as constituting a special strain among meningococci not, however, wholly consistent in itself. The distinctions in serum rea...
There is a paucity of information regarding the association between common disorders and outcome over time in a large population of ill equine neonates. Objective: To describe the relative frequency of neonatal disorders in a large population of foals admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit, to determine the disorders and factors associated with nonsurvival and determine if the outcome of ill neonatal foals has improved over time. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Cases were selected from equine neonatal (≤14 days of age) admissions between 1982 and 2008. Multivariable logistic regre...
The objective of this study was to graft autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) at the site of surgical repair of a soft palate defect in an adult horse in an attempt to improve wound healing and to investigate whether the transplanted MSCs would integrate into the soft palate structure and participate in regeneration. Bone marrow was collected from an adult horse with a full-thickness soft palate defect. The MSCs were isolated, cultured in monolayers, and labeled with 5-bromo-2-desoxymidine (BrdU) and chloromethylbenzamido-DiI-derived (cm-DiI) before transplantation. The soft palate defect ...
Reported complication rates after dental repulsion for equine exodontia are high (up to 80%), but repulsion methods have changed notably in the last 20 years. Objective: Describe the outcome for 20 cases after dental repulsion using small diameter repulsion pins. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Records of horses that underwent cheek tooth repulsion were reviewed (2014-2023). Inclusion criteria included: mandibular or maxillary cheek tooth extraction where oral extraction failed and repulsion was used to complete extraction, and where clinical follow up information was available....
Błaszczak A, Olczak K, Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, Tomczyk-Wrona I, Musiał AD, Grzegorczyk J, Długosz B, Szmatoła T, Ropka-Molik K.Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is a prevalent allergic skin disease in horses that significantly affects animal welfare and shows evidence of genetic predisposition. Objective: Understanding the genetic basis of IBH can improve management and breeding strategies. The Equine80K BeadChip microarray was used to identify genomic regions associated with the occurrence of IBH in Hucul horses. Methods: Hair samples were collected from 127 Hucul horses, including both affected individuals and controls. DNA was extracted and genotyped. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed to identif...
Freccero F, Padalino B, Carstens A, Raidal SL.Point of care ultrasonographic (POCUS) assessment of the equine abdomen is now readily available to the equine practitioner using hand-held ultrasound transducers. Commonly used medications may alter the sonographic appearance or function of the small intestine, caecum or colon. Objective: To demonstrate qualitative and quantitative effects of xylazine sedation on intestinal motility of healthy horses using hand-held, wi-fi ultrasound transducers and validate POCUS methodology by determination of intra- and interobserver agreement. Methods: Double-blind cross-over study of eight healthy horses...
Bustamante CC, Pereira PAM, Fernandes CC, Canola PA, Doria RGS, Costa MC, Valadão CAA.Starch overload induces dysbiosis primarily through a reduction in cecal pH. This study aimed to evaluate the cecal microbiota following excessive starch intake, with or without the administration of an intracecal buffering solution. We hypothesized that the buffering solution would mitigate changes in the intestinal microbiota and associated clinical signs. Ten horses were randomly assigned to two groups, each receiving distinct treatments (Group I: saline solution [WSa] and starch-buffer [SB]; Group II: buffer-water [WB] and starch-saline [SSa]). Following starch overload (17.6 g/kg body wei...
Cuervo-Arango J, Stout TAE, Claes AN.This retrospective study compared the relationship between embryonic vesicle diameter at first pregnancy diagnosis and early embryonic loss (EEL) across three pregnancy types: artificially inseminated broodmares (AI; n = 263), recipients carrying in vivo-derived flushed embryos (IVD-F; n = 312), and recipients carrying in vitro-produced embryos by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVP-ICSI; n = 161). Vesicle diameter was recorded at Day 12 post-ovulation in AI, Day 4 post-embryo transfer (ET) for IVD-F, and Day 7 post-ET for IVP-ICSI pregnancies. Mean (±SD) vesicle diameters and E...
Abraham AJ, Duvall ES, Doughty CE, Riond B, Ortmann S, Terranova M, le Roux E, Clauss M.The assimilation, retention, and release of nutrients by animals fundamentally shapes their physiology and contributions to ecological processes (e.g., zoogeochemistry). Yet, information on the transit of nutrients through the bodies of large mammals remains scarce. Here, we examined how sodium (Na), a key element for animal health and ecosystem functioning, travels differently through fecal and urinary systems of cows (Bos taurus) and horses (Equus ferus caballus). We provided a large dose of Na and compared its timing of release in feces and urine to that of nonabsorbable markers. Na excreti...
van Erck-Westergren E, O'Connor S, Stewart BD, Dubois G, Morton J, Hinchcliff KW, Ter Woort F.The frequency, characteristics, and relationship with performance of arrhythmias occurring during high-intensity exercise in Thoroughbred racehorses remain poorly understood. Objective: Describe the frequency, characteristics, and association with subsequent race performance of arrhythmias occurring during intense exercise. Methods: Seventy-one racehorses competing in races sanctioned by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Methods: Risk-based case-control study. Single-lead ECGs were recorded during high-intensity trials using wearable devices. Ectopic depolarizations identified during warm-up, maximal...
Hagenbach M, Bierau J, Rott P, Röcken M, Staszyk C.The aim of this study was to display clinically relevant anatomical structures of the carpal region in healthy horses with the help of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT).Twenty-eight forelimbs from 15 adult horses without orthopedic diseases were examined. Following native CBCT examination a mixture of hyperattenuating contrast medium with blue epoxy resin dye was injected in the antebrachiocarpal joint and middle carpal joint and contrast-enhanced CBCT scans were also acquired. Subsequently, the limbs were frozen and sawed in different planes corresponding to selected CBCT planes (dorsal, s...
Ursini T, Villagomez A, Dooley M, George LS, Levine D.To describe and demonstrate subjective and objective techniques for assessing the quality and passive range of motion (ROM) of the distal forelimb and hind limb joints of the horse. Special attention will be given to the tarsus, carpus, and fetlock joints, as these sites are most prone to injury and/or pathology and thus most clinically relevant. Unassigned: Adult horses undergoing distal limb joint ROM assessment for clinical diagnostic or treatment monitoring purposes. Unassigned: First, subjective techniques for assessing distal limb joint motion and end-feel as well as general guidelines f...
Maleas G, Hargitaiova K.To macroscopically characterize and compare the open Metzenbaum (FOM) and ultrasound-guided (FUG) plantar fasciotomy techniques for decompression of the hindlimb proximal suspensory ligament (PSL), and to determine whether either approach induces intraligamentous splitting (ILS). Methods: Cadaveric experimental study. Methods: Paired hindlimbs from 10 adult horses with no history of hindlimb lameness. Methods: Each horse contributed one limb to FOM and the contralateral to FUG. All procedures were performed by a single surgeon, and incision measurements were obtained by a blinded examiner. Ski...
Patterson HE, Yocom AF, Seabaugh KA, Kawcak CE, Contino EK.Recent evidence has shown that perineural analgesia may be less specific than previously thought. Objective: To compare the effects of four distal limb perineural analgesia techniques on resolving synovitis-induced lameness of the equine metacarpophalangeal joint (MCPJ). Methods: Nine horses had one MCPJ injected with 75ng of recombinant equine interleukin-1β (reIL-1β). Ten hours later, horses underwent one of two blocking patterns: (1) a palmar digital (PDNB) followed by an abaxial sesamoidean (ASNB) nerve block or (2) a palmar metacarpal (PMNB) followed by a palmar (PaNB) nerve block. Skin...
Miller GP, Cornille JL, Hanning R, Lee AKK, Uhl EW, Osborn ML.Lameness is often associated with degenerative joint disease (DJD). Current therapies focus on minimizing pain or treating specific lesions but generally do not address the pathomechanical forces that are the root cause of degeneration. Treatments based on specific, whole-body therapies are becoming common in humans with DJD, but are still not routinely applied in equine cases. Designing targeted therapies for horses requires recognizing habitual postures and movements that are pathological. An important but often missing component for understanding movement postures is accurate and manipulata...
Clarysse M, Leps A, Haspeslagh M, Schauvliege S, Martens A, Vlaminck L.To assess long-term outcome, complications, and return to function in horses with maxillofacial fractures. Methods: Retrospective observational study. Methods: A total of 30 horses with skull fractures (2020-2024). Methods: Clinical records were reviewed for signalment, fracture characteristics, imaging, treatment, and hospitalization. Long-term outcome was obtained via structured owner questionnaires addressing healing, complications, cosmetic appearance, and performance. Descriptive statistics were applied. Results: A total of 29 of 30 horses received treatment (25 surgical, 4 conservative);...
Zebeli Q, Lindner L, Metzler-Zebeli BU.Grasslands are the cornerstone of horse feeding, used for grazing and to produce roughages and their products. However, improper grassland management hides several threats for equine health. In this context, grasslands contaminated with toxin-producing endophytes are considered an increasing threat for horses in many parts of the world. Endophytes are fungi that may grow in a mutualistic relationship in a range of grasses, including fescue grass and perennial ryegrass, two foliage species commonly found in European and American meadows and pastures. The endophytes produce alkaloids that are hi...
Jasiński T, Borowska M, Juszczuk-Kubiak E, Turek B, Kaczorowski M, Bąk M, Żuk J, Domino M.Horses presenting with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunctions are often clinically evaluated for TMJ osteoarthritis (OA). Due to the unique characteristic of TMJ-related pain, the clinical diagnosis of equine TMJ OA is challenging; however, it may be supported by computer-aided tools incorporating biomarker data. This study aims to evaluate a machine learning-based approach to address a binary classification distinguishing healthy TMJs from TMJ OA. Among 50 equine cadaver heads, 82 TMJs were included and annotated as healthy or OA based on histological and computed tomography (CT) findings...
Serteyn D, Graide H, Ceusters J, Vandersmissen M, Salciccia A, Sandersen C, Lejeune JP.Tendon and ligament injuries are frequent in sport horses and are prone to recurrence due to incomplete healing. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are increasingly used, but data controlled on the early effects of autologous MSCs remain limited. A prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in horses with naturally occurring tendinopathies. After standardized PRP pretreatment, non-responders were randomized to receive intralesional autologous muscle-derived MSCs (mdMSCs, = 17) or placebo ( = 6). Clinical and ultrasonographic paramete...
Blangy-Letheule A, Montnach J, Perrier J, Lemonnier LC, Denis M, Rozec B, Lauzier B, Leroux AA.Colic is a leading cause of mortality in horses, particularly when associated with systemic inflammation and organ dysfunction. In human medicine, these complications are associated with sepsis, defined as organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated, life-threatening host response to infection. However, no consensus sepsis score exists for adult horses. This retrospective study aimed to develop a diagnostic sepsis score for adult horses. Medical records from 295 horses admitted for colic to the Oniris equine emergency department (Nantes, France) between July 2011 and November 2021 were analyzed...
Physical exercise represents a physiological stressor capable of activating the acute-phase response (APR) in horses. However, the relative contribution of exercise intensity duration to acute-phase protein (APP) dynamics remains incompletely defined. This study compared the effects of short, high-intensity gallop exercise (2400 m flat race; = 12) and prolonged, low-intensity endurance exercise (40 km; = 13) on serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp), and ceruloplasmin (Cp) in Thoroughbred racehorses. Blood samples were collected before exercise and at defined post-exercise time points. Bet...
Pye E, Marcilla MG, Duncan JC.Regional anaesthesia of the equine anogenital tract is limited to local infiltration, extradural, blind palpation and nerve stimulator-guided techniques which risk iatrogenic damage, recumbency and ataxia. This study aimed to describe and assess the feasibility of transcutaneous ultrasound-guided (USG) pudendal nerve staining in equine cadavers. An initial pilot phase used two fresh equine cadavers and one standing unsedated horse to image the intrapelvic anatomy using ultrasound. One fixed equine cadaver specimen was also dissected to identify the pudendal nerve and refine the dissection appr...
Gómez MD, Sánchez-Guerrero MJ, Perdomo-González DI, Ripollés-Lobo M, Bartolomé E, Valera M.This study evaluates performance data and genetic merit of the main horse populations competing in Olympic disciplines in Spain and examines their implications for the optimization of official Breeding Programs. Performance records from 2004-2023 were analyzed, including 101,093 participations in Dressage, 319,000 in Show Jumping, and 17,535 in Eventing. These records were combined with pedigree information from 35,589 horses in Dressage, 33,935 in Show Jumping, and 12,102 in Eventing and evaluated using BLUP animal models to obtain standardized Estimated Breeding Values (EBV; mean 100 ± 20) ...
