Equine biomechanics involves the study of the mechanical principles that govern the movement and structure of horses. This field examines the anatomical and physiological aspects that contribute to locomotion, including gait patterns, joint function, and muscle dynamics. Researchers utilize advanced technologies such as motion capture and force plate analysis to assess the efficiency and performance of equine movement. Understanding biomechanics aids in optimizing training regimens, improving performance, and preventing injuries. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the mechanics of equine movement, its applications in sports and rehabilitation, and its impact on overall equine health.
MacKay AV, McOnie RC, Riddell LP, Robinson KA.Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) research has prioritized mechanism of action and efficacy. Data regarding frequency of use and clinical opinion are not available. A web-based survey was offered to members of the American Association of Equine Practitioners; 144 responses were obtained. Frequency of ESWT use by respondents was as follows: daily by 8.3% (12/144), at least once weekly by 36.8% (53/144), at least once per month by 22.9% (33/144), less than once per month by 19.4% (28/144), and never by 12.5% (18/144) of respondents. The most common reason for use was to treat ligamentous ...
Fontanel M, Todd E, Drabbe A, Ropka-Molik K, Stefaniuk-Szmukier M, Myćka G, Velie BD.Arabian horses are not only one of the most ancient breeds in the world, but they are also one of the most appreciated racehorse breeds today. The breed generates attention for their phenomenal endurance ability and their capability for gallop racing. Consequently, genetic testing to select the best individuals is attracting ever increasing interests from the Arabian industry. As such, the aim of this study was to further investigate associations between performance and variation at candidate genes suspected of having a key role in Arabian gallop racing performance. Generalized linear models w...
Stapley ED, Stutzman BE, Manfredi JM.The stirrup iron has the potential to modify the forces experienced by a horse and rider during ridden exercise. A range of stirrup designs are available, but no previous studies have investigated if these modifications influence riders' position and interaction with the horse. Novel flexible (F) or flexible and rotatable (FR) irons versus traditional (T) stirrups may positively impact the welfare and performance of the horse and rider. Four riders rode using the three stirrup types (T, F, and FR). Hip, knee, and ankle angles and toe position from film, and the normal force exerted bilaterally...
Kiely M, Warrington GD, McGoldrick A, Pugh J, Cullen S.Kiely, M, Warrington, GD, McGoldrick, A, Pugh, J, and Cullen, S. Physiological demands of professional flat and jump horse racing. J Strength Cond Res 34(8): 2173-2177, 2020-No information is currently available on the effect of race distance on the physiological demands of jockeys. This study aimed to quantify the respective demands of short and long flat and jump race distances. Twenty professional jockeys (10 flat and 10 jump) participated in the study. The subjects initially performed a graded incremental exercise test to volitional exhaustion on a treadmill to determine the peak heart rat...
Machmoum M, Boujenane I, Azelhak R, Badaoui B, Petit D, Piro M.Understanding the genetic diversity and the relationships among the show Arabian horse populations is a current issue for breeders and professionals. This study aimed to define the relationship among the Desert breed, the Straight Egyptian, and the Polish Arabian populations by considering the historical background of their origin and to verify their genetic diversity. All selected samples were related to Arabian show activities. One hundred forty four hair samples were collected from horses at stud farms having notoriety in the breeding of Arabians from different geographic regions. A set of ...
Verney M, Grey F, Lemans C, Géraud T, Berthier D, Thévenon S, Rincé A, Hans A, Morrison L, Hébert L.Equine trypanosomosis comprises different parasitic diseases caused by protozoa of the subgenus Trypanozoon: Trypanosoma equiperdum (causative agent of dourine), Trypanosoma brucei (nagana) and Trypanosoma evansi (surra). Due to the absence of a vaccine and the lack of efficacy of the few available drugs, these diseases represent a major health and economic problem for international equine trade. Development of affordable, sensitive and specific diagnostic tests is therefore crucial to ensure the control of these diseases. Recently, it has been shown that a small RNA derived from the 7SL gene ...
Silvers BL, Leatherwood JL, Arnold CE, Nielsen BD, Huseman CJ, Dominguez BJ, Glass KG, Martinez RE, Much ML, Bradbery AN.While beneficial in rehabilitation, aquatic exercise effects on cartilage and bone metabolism in young, healthy horses has not been well described. Therefore, 30 Quarter Horse yearlings (343 ± 28 kg; 496 ± 12 d of age) were stratified by age, body weight (BW), and sex and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments for 140-d to evaluate effects of aquatic, dry, or no exercise on bone and cartilage metabolism in young horses transitioning to an advanced workload. Treatments included nonexercise control (CON; n = 10), dry treadmill (DRY; n = 10), or aquatic treadmill exercise (H2O; n = 10; water: 6...
Asadollahpour Nanaei H, Esmailizadeh A, Ayatollahi Mehrgardi A, Han J, Wu DD, Li Y, Zhang YP.Body size is considered as one of the most fundamental properties of an organism. Due to intensive breeding and artificial selection throughout the domestication history, horses exhibit striking variations for heights at withers and body sizes. Debao pony (DBP), a famous Chinese horse, is known for its small body size and lives in Guangxi mountains of southern China. In this study, we employed comparative population genomics to study the genetic basis underlying the small body size of DBP breed based on the whole genome sequencing data. To detect genomic signatures of positive selection, we ap...
Verkade ME, Hazeleger E, van de Lest CHA, Back W.Throughout the ages, humans have selected different horse breeds for their locomotor capacities. Consequently, the properties of equine locomotor tissues could have diversified because of the specific requirements of different disciplines. Therefore, this study aimed to compare biochemical properties of tendons in different equine breeds traditionally selected for racing or sports performance. We hypothesised that tendons in racing breeds would have biochemical properties that would increase strength, whereas those in sporting breeds would have more elastic properties. An ex vivo tendon tissue...
Khamesipour F, Taktaz-Hafshejani T, Tebit KE, Razavi SM, Hosseini SR.Equines are subject to infection with many parasites, which threaten their health. In the present study, we systematically reviewed existing literature on the prevalence of endo- and ectoparasites of equines in Iran. Major electronic databases, including PubMed, PubMed Central, Google Scholar, Science Direct and Scientific Information Database (SID), were searched (Last updated 11/05/2018) for relevant literature of parasites that have been identified from equines in Iran. Of the 1809 titles produced by bibliographic search, 38 were included in the review. Twenty-seven of the studies were on h...
de Oliveira GP, Porto WF, Palu CC, Pereira LM, Reis AMM, Marçola TG, Teixeira-Neto AR, Franco OL, Pereira RW.Physical exercise is an essential factor in preventing and treating metabolic diseases by promoting systemic benefits throughout the body. The molecular factors involved in this process are poorly understood. Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that inhibit mRNA transcription. MiRNAs, which can participate in the benefits of exercise to health, circulate in plasma in extracellular particles (EP). Horses that undergo endurance racing are an excellent model to study the impact of long-duration/low intensity exercise in plasma EP miRNAs. Objective: To evaluate the effects of 160 km end...
Voß K, Tetens J, Thaller G, Becker D.Roan (Rn) horses show a typical seasonal change of color. Their body is covered with colored and white hair. We performed a descriptive statistical analysis of breeding records of Icelandic horses to challenge the hypothesis of roan being lethal in utero under homozygous condition. The roan to non-roan ratio of foals from roan × roan matings revealed homozygous roan Icelandic horses to be viable. Even though roan is known to be inherited in a dominant mode and epistatic to other coat colors, the causative mutation is still unknown. Nevertheless, an association between roan phenotype and the K...
Journal of proteomicsJune 19, 2020
Volume 225 103880 doi: 10.1016/j.jprot.2020.103880
Chiaradia E, Miller I.Equine medicine represents a relevant field of veterinary science and the horse industry generates a significant economic impact. Horses can be involved in different sport disciplines, meat production, work and recreational purposes. Horses are also important for human health as they can be used as animal models for studying human diseases and in equine-assisted therapy. This review summarizes the data related to body fluids such as plasma/serum, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, saliva, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and peritoneal fluid obtained using proteomic analysis. Horse body f...
Becsek A, Schweizer A, Knutti B, Bollwein H.The aim of this study was to compare transrectal two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound examination with regards to required time and accuracy of fetal sex determination in early pregnant mares. Methods: For this purpose 47 mares were examined transrectally once between days 58 and 115 of gestation. Initially, the fetal sex was determined by identifying the location of the genital tubercle (GT) or external genitalia using 2D-ultrasound. Subsequently, the ultrasound machine was switched to 3D-mode to obtain images for later computer-based evaluation. Results: The gestational...
Shaktivesh S, Malekipour F, Whitton RC, Hitchens PL, Lee PV.Fatigue-induced subchondral bone (SCB) injuries are prevalent among athletes due to the repetitive application of high magnitude loads on joints during intense physical training. Existing fatigue studies on bone utilize a standard fatigue test approach by applying loads of a constant magnitude and frequency even though physiological/realistic loading is a combination of various load magnitudes and frequencies. Metal materials in implant and aerospace applications have been studied for fatigue behavior under physiological or realistic loading, however, no such study has been conducted on biolog...
Varona L, Legarra A.(1) Background: Ranking traits are used commonly for breeding purposes in several equine populations; however, implementation is complex, because the position of a horse in a competition event is discontinuous and is influenced by the performance of its competitors. One approach to overcoming these limitations is to assume an underlying Gaussian liability that represents a horse's performance and dictates the observed classification in a competition event. That approach can be implemented using Montecarlo Markov Chain (McMC) techniques with a procedure known as the Thurstonian model. (2) Metho...
Masko M, Domino M, Lewczuk D, Jasinski T, Gajewski Z.A treadmill is an important tool in the equine analysis of gait, lameness, and hoof balance, as well as for the evaluation of horse rehabilitation or poor performance including dynamic endoscopy. Before all of these uses, horses have to be habituated to a treadmill locomotion. We used principal component analysis to evaluate the relationship between aspects of the horse's temperament and emotional response, and progress in the behavioral habituation to a treadmill. Fourteen horses were tested, by the same familiar handler, using the novel object test, the handling test, and both positive and n...
Cherry RL, Adair HS, Chen T, Hendrix DVH, Ward DA.Spontaneous eyeblink rate (SEBR) is inversely proportional to the level of attentional focus in humans. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of attentional focus on SEBR in horses. Methods: Twenty client-owned horses (2.5-23 years of age, five mares, 15 geldings) were evaluated. A GoPro HERO5 Session™ video recorder was attached to the halter and directed toward the eyes. Horses were acclimated for two hours before study commencement. Horses were filmed in five scenarios requiring different levels of attention: alone in a stall ("stall"), stall with an observer ("person")...
Hesselkilde E, Linz D, Saljic A, Carstensen H, Kutieleh R, Jespersen T, Sanders P, Buhl R.Three-dimensional electroanatomical mapping is of potential interest in equine cardiology to identify arrhythmia mechanisms, characterise electroanatomical substrates and guide ablation strategies. Objective: To describe three-dimensional electroanatomical mapping in standing horses. Methods: Research methodology, proof of concept study. Methods: Four Standardbred horses (2 geldings, 2 mares, median age 4.5 [4-9] years, mean bodyweight 485 [440-550] kg) were sedated and placed in stocks. Via the jugular vein, a high-density multipolar grid catheter (Advisor™ HD Grid Mapping Catheter with E...
Veres-Nyéki KO, Nyéki J, Bodó G, Spadavecchia C.Quantitative sensory testing methods are now standard in the evaluation of sensory function in man, while few normal equine values have been reported. Objective: The aim of this experimental study was (a) to define the tactile sensory, mechanical nociceptive and thermal nociceptive thresholds of the equine face; (b) to assess the effect of age, sex, stimulation site and shaving; (c) to evaluate the reliability of the methods and (d) to provide reference facial quantitative sensory testing values. Methods: Method description. Methods: Thirty-four healthy Warmblood horses were used in the study....
Szóstek-Mioduchowska AZ, Baclawska A, Rebordão MR, Ferreira-Dias G, Skarzynski DJ.An increasing number of studies have shown that prostaglandins (PGs) exert multiple regulatory actions in the processes associated to tissue remodeling and fibrosis. Extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover is mediated by matrix metallopeptidases (MMPs). The knowledge about the regulation of their expression in mare endometrium is still limited. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether: (i) profibrotic transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 modulates PG production in equine endometrium; and (ii) PGE and PGF modulate MMPs, their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs), and collagen 1 (COL1) expression...
Durgam S, Singh B, Cole SL, Brokken MT, Stewart M.Histological evaluation of healing tendons is primarily focused on monitoring restoration of longitudinal collagen alignment, although the elastic property of energy-storing flexor tendons is largely attributed to interfascicular sliding facilitated by the interfascicular matrix (IFM). The objectives of this study were to explore the utility of second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging to objectively assess cross-sectional tendon fascicle architecture, to combine SHG microscopy with elastin immunofluorescence to assess the ultrastructure of collagen and elastin in longitudinal and transverse se...
Lansade L, Colson V, Parias C, Trösch M, Reigner F, Calandreau L.Horses are capable of identifying individual conspecifics based on olfactory, auditory or visual cues. However, this raises the questions of their ability to recognize human beings and on the basis of what cues. This study investigated whether horses could differentiate between a familiar and unfamiliar human from photographs of faces. Eleven horses were trained on a discrimination task using a computer-controlled screen, on which two photographs were presented simultaneously (32 trials/session): touching one was rewarded (S+) and the other not (S-). In the training phase, the S+ faces were of...
Byström A, Clayton HM, Hernlund E, Roepstorff L, Rhodin M, Bragança FS, Engell MT, van Weeren R, Weishaupt MA, Egenvall A.Left-right movement symmetry is a highly desirable characteristic in sport horses. Objective: This study compared movement symmetry in well-trained dressage horses in unridden and unrestrained position and ridden in a dressage frame, and investigated possible associations between gaits. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Seven sound, high-level dressage horses were measured at walk and sitting trot on a treadmill at several speeds under two conditions: with and without rider. Left-right differences in stance duration, stance protraction and retraction based on longitudinal hoof positions, i...
Cappelli K, Mecocci S, Gioiosa S, Giontella A, Silvestrelli M, Cherchi R, Valentini A, Chillemi G, Capomaccio S.Physical exercise is universally recognized as stressful. Among the "sport species", the horse is probably the most appropriate model for investigating the genomic response to stress due to the homogeneity of its genetic background. The aim of this work is to dissect the whole transcription modulation in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) after exercise with a time course framework focusing on unexplored regions related to introns and intergenic portions. PBMCs NGS from five 3 year old Sardinian Anglo-Arab racehorses collected at rest and after a 2000 m race was performed. Apart from d...
Francis JM, Neander CR, Roeder MJ, Perry EB.Palatants may be added to equine feed and medication either during or after manufacturing to enhance product acceptance. Prior studies have examined a variety of palatants but results have been limited and inconsistent. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate topically applied oil-based palatants on feeding preferences in horses. Stock-type horses (n = 10) were used in this paired preference test across a two-phase study. Phase one compared six palatants (banana, anise, peppermint, apple, spearmint, and orange) to a control (corn oil), whereas phase two compared preference a...
Liu Q, Yu YY, Wang HY.Increasing evidence suggests that DNA methylation has key roles in the replication of retroviruses, including lentiviruses, and pathogenesis of diseases. However, the precise characteristics of CpG islands are not known for many retroviruses. In this study, we compared the distribution of CpG islands among strains of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV), a lentivirus in the family Retroviridae and a model for HIV research. We identified CpG islands in 32 full-length EIAV genomic sequences obtained from the GenBank database using MethPrimer. Only one CpG island, from 100 to 120 bp, was identi...
Jaworska J, Jaworski Z, McDonnell SM, Górecka-Bruzda A.Infanticide, related to a stallion's aggression toward a foal sired by another stallion, and feticide related to a new stallion's aggression and/or pheromonal influence (the Bruce effect) inducing loss of a fetus sired by another stallion, a female's counteraction to infanticide, have been proposed for domestic horses (Equus caballus) in human-managed conditions. The aim of the present study was, in conditions close to natural, to investigate the influence of the natural succession of a harem stallion on the mares' subsequent reproductive performance. In a population of semi-feral Konik polski...
Totorikaguena L, Olabarrieta E, Lolicato F, Romero-Aguirregomezcorta J, Smitz J, Agirregoitia N, Agirregoitia E.The cannabinoid (CB) system has been involved in many aspects of reproduction and it is known that the systemic chronic use of exogenous CBs are deleterious to reproductive processes. Even so, it is not known what happens in relation to the physiology of the ovary when CB receptors are absent. The present study investigated the effect of the lack of CB1 and CB2 receptors in mice ovarian morphology, folliculogenesis, oocyte retrieval, and oocyte maturation and evaluated the use of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM) by comparing classical IVM and two-step IVM by a...
Khairuddin NH, Sullivan M, Pollock PJ.In horses, the extracranial and intracranial pathway of the internal carotid artery has been described. The extracranial pathway of the internal carotid artery begins at the carotid termination and runs on the dorsal surface of the medial compartment of the guttural pouch. Thereafter the internal carotid artery passes through the foramen lacerum to continue intracranially, forming part of the rostrolateral quadrants of the cerebral arterial circle (Circle of Willis). The objectives of this study were to define and record the anatomy of the carotid arterial tree and the internal carotid artery ...
Journée SL, Journée HL, Berends HI, Reed SM, de Bruijn CM, Delesalle CJG.Transcranial electrical (TES) and magnetic stimulation (TMS) are both used for assessment of the motor function of the spinal cord in horses. Muscular motor evoked potentials (mMEP) were compared intra-individually for both techniques in five healthy horses. mMEPs were measured twice at increasing stimulation intensity steps over the extensor carpi radialis (ECR), tibialis cranialis (TC), and caninus muscles. Significance was set at < 0.05. To support the hypothesis that both techniques induce extracranially elicited mMEPs, literature was also reviewed. Results: Both techniques show the pr...
Bolat D, Bahar S, Tipirdamaz S, Selcuk ML.The aims of this study were to determine the total volume of the horse kidney and volume fractions of its functional subcomponents (cortex, medulla, renal pelvis) using stereological methods and investigate any possible difference in the functional subcomponents of the right and left kidneys that may arise from differences in shape. The study was carried out on the kidneys of 5 horses of different breed and sex. The weight of the kidneys was measured by a digital scale, and kidney volume was calculated by Archimedes' principle. Total kidney volume and volume fractions of subcomponents of the r...
Santamaría S, Bobbert ME, Back W, Barneveld A, van Weeren PR.To quantify variation in the jumping technique within and among young horses with little jumping experience, establish relationships between kinetic and kinematic variables, and identify a limited set of variables characteristic for detecting differences in jumping performance among horses. Methods: Fifteen 4-year-old Dutch Warmblood horses. Methods: The horses were raised under standardized conditions and trained in accordance with a fixed protocol for a short period. Subsequently, horses were analyzed kinematically during free jumping over a fence with a height of 1.05 m. Results: Within-hor...
Roth IT, Schielke B, Rensing M, Bernau M.To investigate differences in American Quarter Horses conformation suggesting specialization and subpopulations within the breed, a total of 45 horses were studied. These horses were classified according to their specific sport discipline: Western Pleasure (WPL, n = 15), Hunter under Saddle (HUS, n = 15), and Reining (RN, n = 15). Fifteen linear traits (comprising lengths, angles, and circumferences) were measured analogically and photometrically. Afterwards, 9 ratios and differences were calculated, so that a total of 24 traits were examined. The results showed significant differences between...
Yarnell K, Purcell RS, Walker SL.Adrenal activity can be assessed in the equine species by analysis of feces for corticosterone metabolites. During a potentially aversive situation, corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) is released from the hypothalamus in the brain. This stimulates the release of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) from the pituitary gland, which in turn stimulates release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal gland. In horses the glucocorticoid corticosterone is responsible for several adaptations needed to support equine flight behaviour and subsequent removal from the aversive situation. Corticosterone met...
Yokomori T, Tozaki T, Mita H, Miyake T, Kakoi H, Kobayashi Y, Kusano K, Itou T.According to oral traditions of horse caretakers and trainers, the differences in the position and number of facial hair whorls may be associated with temperamental traits. Elucidating genetic background of facial hair whorls and its relationship to temperamental traits may promote more efficient breeding and maintenance of racehorses. In this study, we estimated heritabilities of the position and number of facial hair whorls in Japanese Thoroughbred horses. Results: The number of facial hair whorls varied from one to four and heritability estimate in 4024 Thoroughbred horses was low (h2= 0....
Whishaw IQ.Use of the right hand by humans for speech-related hand gestures, writing and throwing exemplifies motoric asymmetry. There are reports of asymmetry in many other animal species, including reports of left preference in emotional responsivity, spontaneous behaviour and the trained performance of the horse, Equus ferus caballus. The present study used the novel approach of using judges' scores to examine asymmetry in an equestrian event. The study analysed the scores of five judges evaluating the reining performance of 482, three-year-old American Quarter Horses competing in a major competition....
Varona L, Legarra A.(1) Background: Ranking traits are used commonly for breeding purposes in several equine populations; however, implementation is complex, because the position of a horse in a competition event is discontinuous and is influenced by the performance of its competitors. One approach to overcoming these limitations is to assume an underlying Gaussian liability that represents a horse's performance and dictates the observed classification in a competition event. That approach can be implemented using Montecarlo Markov Chain (McMC) techniques with a procedure known as the Thurstonian model. (2) Metho...
Glazar BS, McCue PM, Bruemmer JE, Squires EL.Practical estrus synchronization schemes are needed for mares. The Ovsynch synchronization protocol for cattle involves the administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) to induce ovulation or luteinization of dominant follicles during the luteal phase and prostaglandin 7 days later to cause regression of any luteal tissue and development of a preovulatory follicle. An Ovsynch-type synchronization program potentially could be developed for horses if luteinization or ovulation of diestrous follicles occurred in response to GnRH treatment. The objective of this study was to determine i...
Burn JF, Brockington C.Deformation of the hoof capsule occurs during stance phase as a result of loading by the distal phalanx. The objective of this study was to evaluate optical motion capture as a technique for measuring hoof deformation during locomotion, and to quantify the deformation of the dorsal wall during stance phase. The front left feet of 3 clinically sound horses were used for this study. The hoof wall was cleaned and 9 retroreflective markers were glued to the lateral and dorsal hoof wall, and shoe. Each horse was trotted in a straight line at constant speed while marker positions during stance phase...
The Journal of heredityJuly 1, 1990
Volume 81, Issue 4 250-256 doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a110987
Woolf CM.The results of a previous study were compatible with the hypothesis that common white facial markings in the Arabian horse have a multifactorial mode of inheritance. I expanded that study to (1) include the legs and therefore obtain insight into the heritability of common white markings in all peripheral regions (face and legs) of the Arabian horse and (2) investigate the influence of sex and the genotypes that produce the bay and chestnut phenotypes on the variation in common white markings. Both studies were based on computerized data obtained from the Arabian Horse Registry of America, Inc....
Roberts K, Hemmings AJ, McBride SD, Parker MO.Large animal models of human neurological disorders are advantageous compared to rodent models due to their neuroanatomical complexity, longevity and their ability to be maintained in naturalised environments. Some large animal models spontaneously develop behaviours that closely resemble the symptoms of neural and psychiatric disorders. The horse is an example of this; the domestic form of this species consistently develops spontaneous stereotypic behaviours akin to the compulsive and impulsive behaviours observed in human neurological disorders such as Tourette's syndrome. The ability to non...
Toit ND, Bezensek B, Dixon PM.The microhardness of the enamel, primary dentine and regular secondary dentine of seven donkey and six horse incisors was determined with a Knoop indenter at the subocclusal and mid-tooth level. The mean microhardnesses of the donkey incisor enamel, primary dentine and secondary dentine were 264.6 63.00 and 53.6 Knoop Hardness Number, respectively. There was no significant difference between the microhardness of the enamel and primary dentine on the incisors of the donkeys and horses, but the microhardness of the regular secondary dentine of the donkeys' incisors at the mid-tooth level was sli...
Dabareiner RM, White NA, Snyder JR, Feldman BF, Donaldson LL.To evaluate effects of Carolina rinse solution, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and 21-aminosteroid, U-74389G, on microvascular permeability and morphology of the equine jejunum after low-flow ischemia and reperfusion. Methods: 20 healthy adult horses. Methods: Under anesthesia, full-thickness biopsy specimens of a distal portion of the jejunum were obtained for baseline measurements. In addition to a control segment, 2 jejunal segments were identified as sham-operated or experimental segments. Experimental segments underwent 60 minutes of low-flow ischemia and 3.5 hours of reperfusion. Treatments ...
Wagner EL, Potter GD, Gibbs PG, Eller EM, Scott BD, Vogelsang MM, Walzem RL.Studies comparing the absorption and retention of various forms of trace minerals in horses have yielded mixed results. The objective of this study was to compare Cu and Zn absorption and retention in exercising horses where the mineral was supplemented in the sulfate or organic chelate form. Nine mature horses were used in a modified switchback design experiment consisting of seven 28-d periods. Horses were fed a diet consisting of 50% concentrate and 50% hay that was balanced to meet the energy, protein, Ca, and P requirements for horses performing moderate-intensity exercise. Horses were su...
Andrieu J, Henry S, Hausberger M, Thierry B.In species that move in cohesive groups, animals generally reach decisions through socially distributed processes, and individual knowledge is expected to influence collective decision making. Pooling of information should not be considered a general rule, however, since conflicts of interest may occur between group members. When resources are limited or highly attractive, higher-ranking individuals can prevent others from accessing food, and subordinates may have an interest in withholding information about its location. We investigated the role individual knowledge may play in recruitment pr...
Bartošová J, Komárková M, Dubcová J, Bartoš L, Pluháček J.Lactation is the most energy demanding part of parental care in mammals, so parent-offspring conflict arises over milk provided by the mother. In some species females commonly become pregnant shortly after parturition of previous young. This further intensifies mother-offspring conflict due to concurrent pregnancy and lactation. In equids it has been well established that pregnant females wean their foals earlier than non-pregnant ones. Intensified mother-offspring conflict was presumed to associate with pregnancy also during the period of intensive lactation, i.e., before the weaning process ...
Santamaría S, Bobbert ME, Back W, Barneveld A, van Weeren PR.To determine whether differences in jumping technique among horses are consistent at various ages. Methods: 12 Dutch Warmblood horses. Methods: Kinematics were recorded during free jumps of horses when they were 6 months old (ie, no jumping experience) and 4 years old (ie, the horses had started their training period to become show jumpers). Mean +/- SD height of the horses was 1.40 +/- 0.04 m at 6 months of age and 1.70 +/- 0.05 m at 4 years of age. Results: Strong correlations were found between values from 6-month-old foals and 4-year-old horses for variables such as peak vertical accelerat...
Al-Jaru A, Goodwin W, Skidmore J, Khazanehdari K.Advances in molecular cytogenetics have provided the opportunity to study events during prophase I of meiosis. Immunofluorescent localization of different meiotic protein components were used to characterize the early stages of the first meiotic division in horse spermatocytes. The frequency and distribution of recombination events during prophase I were investigated using the mutL homolog 1 (MLH1) protein that is known to be associated with these events. The frequency and distribution of MLH1 foci were investigated in pachytene nuclei of 6 fertile stallions, and the average relative synaptone...
Diekman MA, Braun W, Peter D, Cook D.To determine whether secretory patterns of melatonin change throughout the seasons in mares, blood samples were drawn byvenipuncture from nine mares at noon and midnight for five successive days at monthly intervals from August through July at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. In addition, during September, December, March, and June, blood samples were drawn from indwelling catheters at 2-h intervals for 48 or 72 h. Mares were predominantly Quarter Horses weighing approximately 450 kg and ranged from 3 to 12 yr of age. Mares were housed in outdoor paddocks with three-sided run-in she...
Miragliotta V, Raphäel K, Lussier JG, Theoret CL.The development of exuberant granulation tissue, a situation that in some ways resembles the human keloid, compromises both the aesthetic and functional outcomes of wound repair in horses. To help elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms the spatio-temporal expression of lumican (LUM) mRNA and protein for their potential contributions to tissue remodelling of body and limb wounds, was examined in an established experimental model. Expression was studied in intact skin and in samples of 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 6-week-old wounds of the body and forelimb. Temporal gene expression was determined b...
Zhang Y, Kobayashi K, Kitazawa K, Imai K, Kobayashi M.By using published experimental values of the standard oxygen (O2) equilibrium curve and the in vivo arterial and venous O2 pressure (PO2) of fetal and maternal blood in five mammalian species (human, cow, pig, sheep, and horse), we investigated the relationship between the efficiency of O2 delivery and the effectiveness of the Bohr shift, and discussed the significance of cooperativity for mammalian Hb. The O2 delivery of fetal blood was more efficient than that of maternal blood, and the effectiveness of the Bohr shift at both O2 loading and release sites of fetal blood was high. A linear re...
Jansen MO, van Buiten A, van den Bogert AJ, Schamhardt HC.The in vivo strains of the musculus interosseus medius (suspensory ligament) and its rami extensorii (extensor branches) in the forelimb of the horse were determined from angular changes of the metacarpophalangeal and the distal interphalangeal joints. For this purpose, regression models were fitted to strains and joint angle combinations measured in in vitro limb loading experiments. The in vivo strains were computed from the kinematics of 8 horses at the walk, the trot and the canter. It was found that the extensor branches were strained about 1.0% at hoof impact, which indicates that they p...
Walter I.Uterine tubes from cow, sheep, horse, pig, dog, cat, rabbit, and guinea pig were examined immunohistochemically for presence and distribution of contractile cells in the mucosal lamina propria. We tested for the presence of alpha-smooth muscle actin, tropomyosin, desmin, smooth muscle myosin (heavy chain) and cytoskeletal proteins vimentin and cytokeratin. Immunostaining for alpha-smooth muscle actin showed two distribution patterns: either positive cells were freely dispersed in the mucosal lamina propria or a distinct subepithelial layer of positive cells was seen. The first distribution pat...
Gamucci F, Pallante M, Molle S, Merlo E, Bertuglia A.Superficial skeletal muscle activation is associated with an electric activity. Bidimensional High-Density Surface Electromyography (HD-sEMG) is a non-invasive technique that uses a grid of equally spaced electrodes applied on the skin surface to detect and portray superficial skeletal muscle activation. The goal of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of HD-sEMG to detect electrical activation of skeletal muscle and its application during rehabilitation exercises in horses. To fulfil this aim, activation of the superficial descending pectoral and external abdominal oblique core muscles w...
Balena V, Pradhan SS, Bera BC, Anand T, Sansanwal R, Khetmalis R, Madhwal A, Bernela M, Supriya K, Pavulraj S, Tripathi BN, Virmani N.Equid alphaherpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) infection causes significant health problems in equines. The EHV-1 infection leads to abortion storm in mares, respiratory disease and myeloencephalopathy. Despite the wide use of vaccines, the outbreaks of EHV-1 infections keep occurring globally, suggesting the need for the development of improved vaccines. Gene deletion attenuated mutant viruses could be a good candidate for the development of modified live vaccines. Here, we report the generation of mutant EHV-1 by deleting virulence (glycoprotein E & internal repeat 6; IR6) and immune evasive (pUL43 &a...
Groot MT, Merkx M, Koper MT.The redox properties of horse and yeast cytochrome c electrostatically immobilized on carboxylic acid-terminated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) have been determined over a broad pH range (pH 3.5-8) in the absence and presence of nitric oxide. Below pH 6, both proteins exhibit comparable midpoint potentials, coverages, and electron-transfer rate constants, which suggests that they are adsorbed on the SAM in a similar fashion. Above pH 6, a sharp decrease in electron-transfer rate constants is observed for immobilized yeast cytochrome c, which is indicative of a change in the electron tunnelin...
Jaworska J, Jaworski Z, McDonnell SM, Górecka-Bruzda A.Infanticide, related to a stallion's aggression toward a foal sired by another stallion, and feticide related to a new stallion's aggression and/or pheromonal influence (the Bruce effect) inducing loss of a fetus sired by another stallion, a female's counteraction to infanticide, have been proposed for domestic horses (Equus caballus) in human-managed conditions. The aim of the present study was, in conditions close to natural, to investigate the influence of the natural succession of a harem stallion on the mares' subsequent reproductive performance. In a population of semi-feral Konik polski...
Michler JK, Hillmann A, Savkovic V, Mülling CKW.The easily accessible niche represented by skin and its appendages may serve as a promising source to complement modern regenerative medicine for horses. In humans and in animal models for human medicine, the hair follicle and its stem cell niches are well characterized. Since literature in this field of equine research is scarce, we sought to analyze cells of the dermal stem cell niche of the equine hair follicle morphologically and for a subset of markers useful for cell characterization via immunolabeling. We cultured equine forelock skin explants to obtain cultures with cells migrating fro...
