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Topic:Equine Research
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.
Genetic diversity among horse populations with a special focus on the Franches-Montagnes breed. Genetic characterization helps to assure breed integrity and to assign individuals to defined populations. The objective of this study was to characterize genetic diversity in six horse breeds and to analyse the population structure of the Franches-Montagnes breed, especially with regard to the degree of introgression with Warmblood. A total of 402 alleles from 50 microsatellite loci were used. The average number of alleles per locus was significantly lower in Thoroughbreds and Arabians. Average heterozygosities between breeds ranged from 0.61 to 0.72. The overall average of the coefficient of...
Dynamically similar locomotion in horses. It is possible for animals of very different sizes to use the same patterns of locomotion, i.e. to move in a ;dynamically similar fashion'. This will only occur, however, if relevant biomechanical parameters scale with size in such a way that they compensate for the effects of size differences. Here we apply this principle to understanding the effects of size on locomotion within a species: the domestic horse. We predict that, without any factor to compensate for size differences, detectable deviations from dynamically similar locomotion would occur over the size range present in adult horses....
Evolutionary movement of centromeres in horse, donkey, and zebra. Centromere repositioning (CR) is a recently discovered biological phenomenon consisting of the emergence of a new centromere along a chromosome and the inactivation of the old one. After a CR, the primary constriction and the centromeric function are localized in a new position while the order of physical markers on the chromosome remains unchanged. These events profoundly affect chromosomal architecture. Since horses, asses, and zebras, whose evolutionary divergence is relatively recent, show remarkable morphological similarity and capacity to interbreed despite their chromosomes differing co...
Can a membrane oxygenator be a model for lung NO and CO transfer? To model lung nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO) uptake, a membrane oxygenator circuit was primed with horse blood flowing at 2.5 l/min. Its gas channel was ventilated with 5 parts/million NO, 0.02% CO, and 22% O2 at 5 l/min. NO diffusing capacity (Dno) and CO diffusing capacity (Dco) were calculated from inlet and outlet gas concentrations and flow rates: Dno = 13.45 ml.min(-1).Torr(-1) (SD 5.84) and Dco = 1.22 ml.min(-1).Torr(-1) (SD 0.3). Dno and Dco increased (P = 0.002) with blood volume/surface area. 1/Dno (P < 0.001) and 1/Dco (P < 0.001) increased with 1/Hb. Dno (P = 0.01...
Digestibility of a complete ration in horses fed once or three times a day and correlation with key blood parameters. To determine the influence of feeding frequency on apparent digestibility and blood metabolites in horses, four geldings were fed a complete ration either once (at 08:00 h) or three times a day (at 08:00, 13:00 and 18:00 h). Horses were provided with a mixture of cereals and chopped alfalfa hay at maintenance level for energy supply, 344 kJ/kg BW(0.75) on a daily basis. After three weeks' adaptation, total amounts of faeces and urine were collected for five days, using collection harnesses. Serial blood samples were taken at -30, -15, 0, 5, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300, 360, 480 and ...
Scaling of skeletal muscle shortening velocity in mammals representing a 100,000-fold difference in body size. To fully understand the effect of scaling on skeletal muscle shortening velocity (V (0)), it is important to know which phenotypic characteristics drive the changes between species. The purpose of the current investigation was to compare the effects of body mass and femur length, as an estimate of total limb length, on V (0) in species that cover a 100,000-fold range of body masses. Using the slack test procedure, V (0) was determined for fibers expressing types I and IIa myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms in the mouse, rat, dog, human, horse, and rhinoceros under identical experimental condit...
A modified critical test and its use in two dose titration trials to assess efficacy of praziquantel for Anoplocephala perfoliata in equids. Aims of this study with 43 equids naturally infected with Anoplocephala perfoliata in two dose titration trials were to document (i) the usefulness of a critical test with a 48 h treatment to necropsy period, (ii) efficacy of an oral paste of 0.5-2.0 mg praziquantel/kg body weight, and (iii) when after treatment would fecal egg counts provide best estimates of the tapeworm's prevalence in a herd. All feces passed by an equid after treatment and collected in successive 12 h batches were examined for tapeworms. At necropsy, tapeworms were identified as attached to the mucosa or unattached. Tapew...
Prescription-only anthelmintics–a questionnaire survey of strategies for surveillance and control of equine strongyles in Denmark. In 1999, legislation in Denmark made anthelmintic drugs available only by prescription, and prohibited their use for routine, prophylactic treatment. A questionnaire survey was conducted in 2004 to determine current strategies for surveillance and control of equine strongyles used in Danish equine veterinary practices. Eighty-seven of 170 (51.2%) registered equine veterinary practices responded. Ninety seven percent of the respondents used faecal egg counts for diagnosis and surveillance, and 41% used larval cultures. Logistic regression revealed that the use of larval cultures was positively ...
Scintigraphic, radiographic, and thermographic appearance of the metacarpal and metatarsal regions of adult healthy horses treated with nonfocused extracorporeal shock wave therapy–a pilot study. Nonfocused extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) treatment protocol is commonly used in veterinary practice. This study investigated the effects of four nonfocused ESWT treatments, given 2 weeks apart, on bone radiopharmaceutical uptake and radiographic and thermographic appearance in the metacarpal and metatarsal regions in six adult untrained horses. There were no measurable treatment effects determined by thermography (daily), scintigraphy (at 2-week intervals), and radiography (before study initiation and at study completion) between treated and control limbs. It was concluded that no g...
The origins of Iberian horses assessed via mitochondrial DNA. Despite a number of recent studies that have focused on the origin of domestic horses, genetic relationships between major geographical clusters still remain poorly understood. In this study we analyzed a 296 bp mtDNA fragment from the HVI region of 171 horses representing 11 native Iberian, Barb, and Exmoor breeds to assess the maternal phylogeography of Iberian horses. The mtDNA haplogroup with a CCG motif (nucleotide position 15,494 to 15,496) was the most frequent in Iberian and Barb breeds (0.42 and 0.57, respectively), regardless of geographic location or group of breeds. This finding su...
Effect of oestrous-cycle stage on the response of mares in a novel object test and isolation test. In various species, sex, hormonal treatments and oestrous-cycle stage have been shown to affect the animal's response in behavioural tests. Few such studies have been performed in the horse. The main aim of the present study was to investigate whether oestrous-cycle stage affects mares' response to a novel object test and isolation test and, in part, to study whether mares, assumed to suffer from oestrous-related behavioural problems, respond differently in these tests when compared with controls. Twelve mares were tested twice, in oestrus and dioestrus, in a crossover design. Seven behavioura...
A novel method for determination of collagen orientation in cartilage by Fourier transform infrared imaging spectroscopy (FT-IRIS). The orientation of collagen molecules is an important determinant of their functionality in connective tissues. The objective of the current study is to establish a method to determine the alignment of collagen molecules in histological sections of cartilage by polarized Fourier transform infrared imaging spectroscopy (FT-IRIS), a method based on molecular vibrations. Methods: Polarized FT-IRIS data obtained from highly oriented tendon collagen were utilized to calibrate the derived spectral parameters. The ratio of the integrated areas of the collagen amide I/II absorbances was used as an ind...
Linear kinematics at take-off in horses jumping the wall in an international Puissance competition. Sagittal plane SVHS video recordings (50 Hz) were made of horses jumping the wall at an international Puissance competition. Video sequences were manually digitized and six kinematic variables at take-off were analyzed. Nine horses started the competition with the fence height at 1.80 m, and two horses attempted the fence in the fifth and final round with the fence height at 2.27 m. For successful performances, fence height was correlated with the following take-off variables: vertical velocity of the centre of mass (r = 0.45, p = 0.03); height of centre of mass (r = 0.44, p = 0.04); distance ...
Can jumping capacity of adult show jumping horses be predicted on the basis of submaximal free jumps at foal age? A longitudinal study. The purpose of this study was to quantify performance characteristics of good jumping horses, and to determine whether these were already detectable at foal age. Kinematic data were collected of horses performing free jumps over a 0.60 m high fence at six months of age and of these same horses jumping with a rider over a 1.15 m high fence at five years of age. At five years of age the horses were divided into three groups on the basis of a puissance competition: a group of seven best jumpers that made no errors and in the end cleared a 1.50 m high fence, a group of nine worst jumpers that were...
Preliminary trial on the reproducibility of epizootic lymphangitis through experimental infection of two horses. Epizootic lymphangitis (EL) was experimentally reproduced in four horses that had been purchased from an EL-free district. Two horses were injected with either 0.2 mL of the yeast form of Histoplasma capsulatum var. farciminosum (HCF) in pus (Horse 1), or 0.2 mL (ca. 20 mg) of a suspension in saline of the mycelial form (Horse 2), both into the pre-scapular and pre-femoral lymph nodes, with scarification of the skin of the left hind limb, conjunctiva of the right eye and the nasal membrane of the right nostril. The two other horses served as controls. Nodular lesions of EL appeared during the ...
Extracellular matrix composition of the equine superficial digital flexor tendon: relationship with age and anatomical site. The objectives of the present study were to test the hypotheses that: (1) the composition of the extracellular matrix of the equine superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) shows great functional similarities with articular cartilage, i.e. that significant differences exist in biochemical composition of differently loaded areas (which in the case of tendons may be more apparent as tendon shows more obvious differences than cartilage); and (2) that, as in articular cartilage, no substantial alterations in biochemical composition take place during ageing once adulthood has been attained. Tendon ...
Biochemical markers of cardiac injury in normal, surviving septic, or nonsurviving septic neonatal foals. The cardiac biomarkers cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and I (cTnI) and the cardiac isoenzyme of creatine kinase (CKMB) are used extensively in human medicine to diagnose and provide valuable prognostic information in patients with ischemic, traumatic, and septic myocardial injury. We designed a study to establish normal values for these markers in healthy, neonatal foals and to compare them with values obtained from septic neonates in a referral hospital population. The 25th, 50th, 75th, and 95th percentiles for cTnI and CKMB in the healthy-foal population were 0.08, 0.14, 0.25, 0.49 ng/mL and 1.4,...
Digestible energy intake, dry matter digestibility and mineral status of grazing New Zealand Thoroughbred yearlings. To measure the nutritive value of pasture in terms of digestible energy intake (DEI) and dry matter (DM) digestibility, and to determine the effect of Ca, P, Cu, Zn, and Se supplementation on growth rate and degree of physeal swelling in Thoroughbred yearlings grazed on pasture. Methods: Fourteen yearling horses were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 groups and rotationally grazed on a ryegrass/white clover pasture for 7 months. One group was supplemented daily with a mineral mix. Liveweight changes were recorded at fortnightly intervals and pasture mineral composition determined at monthly interva...
The robustness of faecal steroid determination for pregnancy testing Kaimanawa feral mares under field conditions. To investigate the utility of faecal oestrone sulphate (OS) concentrations for detecting pregnancy in mares during behavioural studies of feral horses, in which the collection and preservation of samples is not immediate. Methods: Oestrone sulphate concentrations were measured in fresh dung samples collected from 153 free-roaming Kaimanawa mares throughout the year. In addition, multiple samples were taken from the same pile to investigate the reliability of diagnosis from a single sample, as well as the influence of time until preservation on OS concentrations. Samples were also taken before ...
Differential lectin binding patterns in the oviductal ampulla of the horse during oestrus. We investigated the oligosaccharide sequence of glycoconjugates, mainly sialoglycoconjugates, in the horse oviductal ampulla during oestrus by means of lectin and pre-lectin methods such as the KOH-neuraminidase procedure to remove sialic acid residues and incubation with N-glycosidase F to cleave N-linked glycans. Ciliated cells displayed N-linked oligosaccharides throughout the cytoplasm. The cilia glycocalyx expressed both N- and O-linked (mucin-type) oligosaccharides, both showing a high variety of terminal sequences. In the most non-ciliated cells, the whole cytoplasm contained N-linked o...
Frozen semen management in equine breeding programs. Success with frozen semen requires attention to detail and a basic understanding of the techniques for properly handling and thawing and inseminating frozen semen. Practitioners should also be familiar with strategies used for managing mares for insemination with thawed semen. This manuscript will review those techniques and also present fertility data collected in a commercial setting. Factors that affect pregnancy rates for mares inseminated with frozen-thawed semen such as timing and frequency of insemination were examined for two separate data sets consisting of 332 and 536 mare cycles col...
The Lusitano horse maternal lineage based on mitochondrial D-loop sequence variation. The analysis of mitochondrial D-loop sequences (408 bp) from 145 Lusitano founder mares yielded a total of 27 different haplotypes. The distribution of these mtDNA sequences was quite unequal, with the three most frequent ones representing 56.5% of all the Lusitano founder mares and 14 haplotypes (51.9%) being rare variants found only once in the sampling. Four main haplotype clusters were present in the Lusitano breed. The comparison of these sequences with other equine haplotypes shows that they fall in groups shared with other horse breeds. These data support the hypothesis of multiple dome...
Mitochondrial DNA analysis of horses recovered from a frozen tomb (Berel site, Kazakhstan, 3rd Century BC). Sequence polymorphism of the mitochondrial DNA D-loop was used to determine the genetic diversity of horses recovered from a Scythian princely tomb dating from the beginning of the 3rd century BC. Eight haplotypes were found among the 13 ancient horse samples tested. Phylogenetical analysis showed that these ancient horse's sequences, along with two Yakut ones, were distributed throughout the tree defined by modern horses' sequences and are closely related to them. No clear geographical affiliation of the specimens studied was thus determined. Our work, among others, supports the very ancient ...
