Equine Science encompasses the study of horses and their management, health, and performance. This field integrates various scientific disciplines such as biology, genetics, nutrition, physiology, and veterinary medicine to understand and improve the well-being and capabilities of horses. Areas of focus include equine anatomy, reproduction, behavior, and disease prevention. Research in equine science aims to enhance horse care, optimize training and performance, and address health challenges. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the diverse aspects of equine science, providing insights into the latest advancements and methodologies in the field.
Kemper AM, Drnevich J, McCue ME, McCoy AM.Skeletogenesis is complex and incompletely understood. Derangement of this process likely underlies developmental skeletal pathologies. Examination of tissue-specific gene expression may help elucidate novel skeletal developmental pathways that could contribute to disease risk. Our aim was to identify and functionally annotate differentially expressed genes in equine neonatal and adult articular cartilage (AC) and subchondral bone (SCB). RNA was sequenced from healthy AC and SCB from the fetlock, hock, and stifle joints of 6 foals (≤4 weeks of age) and six adults (8-12 years of age). There w...
Egenvall A, Clayton HM, Eisersiö M, Roepstorff L, Byström A.In dressage, the performance of transitions between gaits and halts is an integral part of riding sessions. The study aimed to evaluate rein tension before, during and after the transitions between different gaits and the transitions into halts. The kinematic (inertial measurement units) data for the head and croup, and rein tension data, were collected (128 Hz) from six professional riders each riding three of their own horses, training levels varying from basic to advanced, during normal training sessions. The activities were categorised into gaits, halts and transitions based on video evalu...
Verkade ME, Back W, Birch HL.Throughout the ages, human subjects have selected horse breeds for their locomotor capacities. Concurrently, tissue properties may have diversified because of specific requirements of different disciplines. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the biomechanical properties of tendons with different functions between equine breeds traditionally selected for racing or sport. Methods: This study used ex vivo tendons and compared the mechanical properties of the common digital extensor tendon (CDET) and superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) between racehorses (Thoroughbred [TB]) and s...
Imani-Baran A, Abdollahi J, Akbari H, Jafarirad S, Moharramnejad S.Trachyspermum ammi has been used traditionally as a popular ethnobotanical plant in human and animal parasitic infestations. Few scientific studies have been conducted on in vitro anthelmintic activity of T. ammi against various helminths and there is no study on its in vivo/in vitro anthelmintic properties against equine helminths. Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate in vivo anthelmintic activity of crude powder (CP) and crude aqueous extract (CAE) of T. ammi seeds against gastrointestinal nematodes in the donkey. Methods: Thirty donkeys, naturally and severely infected with Stro...
Whitesell K, Stefanovski D, McDonnell S, Turner R.The stallion Breeding Soundness Examination (BSE), as proposed by the Society for Theriogenology, recommends that a stallion produce a minimum of one billion progressively motile, morphologically normal sperm (PMMNS) in the second of two ejaculates collected 1 h apart to be classified as a Satisfactory Prospective Breeder. With this in mind, the first objective of this study was to determine if the classification outcome of the traditional BSE differs depending on the methods used to evaluate sperm motility, morphology and concentration. We hypothesized that application of Computer Assisted ...
Tanner RB.The equine first premolar is now considered a vestigial tooth that does not play a role in mastication. For centuries, this tooth has been blamed for a number of abnormalities. Given its anatomical location, the tooth is often implicated by riders to cause biting issues. Treatment of this tooth is considered controversial, with some clinicians extracting all equine first premolars prior to bit introduction and others choosing to remove only those shown to cause bite-related problems. In a private veterinary hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, dental charts of 306 Thoroughbred yearlings, average a...
Pre-clinical studies on human isolated bronchi have relevant translational value in human in vivo, conversely no investigation has been performed to assess whether data resulting from equine isolated airways can have any translational application in asthmatic horses. Thus, a meta-regression analysis via random-effect method was carried out to correlate the pharmacological characteristics of bronchodilators resulting from experiments performed in equine isolated bronchi with their impact on the lung function outcomes in asthmatic horses. Data on the potency of different bronchodilators were ext...
Yaneselli K, Barrachina L, Remacha AR, Algorta A, Vitoria A, Cequier A, Romero A, Vázquez FJ, Maisonnave J, Rodellar C.Propagation ex vivo of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) requires culture medium supplementation. Fetal bovine serum (FBS) has long been the gold standard supplement, but its use is being questioned mainly due to ethical and safety issues. The use of platelet lysate (PL) as substitute of FBS has been proposed but little is known about its effects on equine MSCs characteristics including their immune profile. The aim of this work was to investigate for the first time the effect of allogenic PL on the immunogenic and immunomodulatory gene expression profile of equine bone marrow derived MSCs (eBM-MS...
Greiser T, Sieme H, Martinsson G, Distl O.The objectives of the present study were to analyze systematic effects on semen quality traits from fresh and frozen-thawed semen collected in and outside season. A total of 4,681 reports on semen traits of 121 stallions representing Arabian, Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse and four warmblood breeds used for artificial insemination at the Lower Saxon National stud Celle were edited for analysis of gel-free volume, sperm concentration, total number of sperm and total number of motile sperm in fresh semen and in frozen-thawed semen progressive motility, DNA fragmentation index and non-viable sperm. ...
Ablondi M, Viklund Å, Lindgren G, Eriksson S, Mikko S.A growing demand for improved physical skills and mental attitude in modern sport horses has led to strong selection for performance in many warmblood studbooks. The aim of this study was to detect genomic regions with low diversity, and therefore potentially under selection, in Swedish Warmblood horses (SWB) by analysing high-density SNP data. To investigate if such signatures could be the result of selection for equestrian sport performance, we compared our SWB SNP data with those from Exmoor ponies, a horse breed not selected for sport performance traits. Results: The genomic scan for homoz...
Martig S, Hitchens PL, Lee PVS, Whitton RC.Subchondral bone injuries often precede articular cartilage damage in osteoarthritis and are common in thoroughbred racehorses due to the accumulation of fatigue damage from high speed racing and training. Thus, racehorses provide a model to investigate the role of subchondral bone in joint disease. We assessed the association of horse and racing related factors and micro-CT based micromorphology of three separate subchondral bone layers with the initial stiffness and compressive fatigue life of bone plugs. Furthermore, we investigated three different definitions of fatigue failure of subchond...
Bull J, Bas F, Silva-Guzmán M, Wentzel HH, Keim JP, Gandarillas M.The aim of this study was to characterize the routine care, training, feeding, and nutritional management of Chilean corralero horses that participated in the rodeos of the Chilean Rodeo Federation. Forty-nine horse farms between the Metropolitan (33°26'16″ south (S) 70°39'01″ west (W)) and Los Lagos Regions (41°28'18″ S 72°56'12″ W), were visited and a survey was conducted on the management and feeding of the Chilean horse. Of the horses which participated in at least one official rodeo in the 2014-2015 season, 275 horses were included in the study. The survey consisted of five qu...
Hobbs SJ, Clayton HM.One of the goals of the neuromotor control system is to minimize the cost of locomotion by reducing mechanical energy losses. Collisional mechanics, which studies the redirection of the downwards motion of the center of mass (COM) by ground reaction forces (GRF) generated by the limbs, represents an important source of energy loss. The primary objective of this study was to compare collisional mechanics and the associated mechanical energy losses in horses performing diagonally-synchronized gaits over a range of speeds. It is to be expected that collisional energy losses will be high when the ...
Bernauer K, Kollross H, Schuetz A, Farmer K, Krueger K.A previous study demonstrated that horses can learn socially from observing humans, but could not draw any conclusions about the social learning mechanisms. Here we develop this by showing horses four different human action sequences as demonstrations of how to press a button to open a feed box. We tested 68 horses aged between 3 and 12 years. 63 horses passed the habituation phase and were assigned either to the group Hand Demo (N = 13) for which a kneeling person used a hand to press the button, Head Demo (N = 13) for which a kneeling person used the head, Mixed Demo (N = 12) fo...
Massacci FR, Clark A, Ruet A, Lansade L, Costa M, Mach N.Understanding gut microbiota similarities and differences across breeds in horses has the potential to advance approaches aimed at personalized microbial modifications, particularly those involved in improving sport athletic performance. Here, we explore whether faecal microbiota composition based on faecal 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing varies across six different sport breeds at two time points 8 months apart within a cohort of 189 healthy horses cared for under similar conditions. Lusitano horses presented the smallest and Hanoverians the greatest bacterial diversity. We found subtle bu...
Wawrzykowski J, Rapacz-Leonard A, Wiącek D, Kankofer M, Janowski T.Protein profile of the placenta expresses its function and maintenance. Any alterations can be reflected in qualitative and quantitative changes in this profile. The aim of the present study was the evaluation of protein profile in the placenta of mares suffering from the retention of foetal membranes (FMR) by two separation methods and the comparison with physiologically released tissues. Placentas from 14 healthy, heavy draft mares were collected immediately after the expulsion of newborn. Tissues after homogenization and staining with fluorescent dyes were subjected to electrophoretic as we...
Muñoz A, Saitua A, Becero M, Riber C, Satué K, de Medina AS, Argüelles D, Castejón-Riber C.In recent years, exercise on a water treadmill has come to have great relevance in rehabilitation and training centres for sport horses. Its use exploits certain physical properties of water, related to the fundamental principles of hydrodynamics, such as buoyancy, viscosity, hydrostatic pressure, and water temperature. These properties together with deliberate specification of the depth of the water and the velocity of the treadmill provide a combination of parameters that can be varied according to the purpose of the rehabilitation or training programme, the disease to rehabilitate, or the h...
Pereira BC, Ortiz I, Dorado JM, Diaz-Jimenez MA, Consuegra C, Gosalvez J, Hidalgo M.DNA fragmentation of cumulus cells could be used as an indicator of oocyte vitrification success as an indirect indicator of the quality of the oocyte. This study was designed to compare the DNA fragmentation of post-mortem equine cumulus cells before or after vitrification in the absence of permeable cryoprotectant agents. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs; n = 56) were recovered from slaughterhouse ovaries and subjected to in vitro maturation (42 hr/38.2°C/5%CO ) before (control group) or after a permeable cryoprotectant-free vitrification method using 1 M sucrose (vitrification group). Af...
MacLaren JA, McHorse BK.The absence of preserved soft tissues in the fossil record is frequently a hindrance for palaeontologists wishing to investigate morphological shifts in key skeletal systems, such as the limbs. Understanding the soft tissue composition of modern species can aid in understanding changes in musculoskeletal features through evolution, including those pertaining to locomotion. Establishing anatomical differences in soft tissues utilising an extant phylogenetic bracket can, in turn, assist in interpreting morphological changes in hard tissues and modelling musculoskeletal movements during evolution...
Alpoim-Moreira J, Fernandes C, Rebordão MR, Amaral A, Pinto-Bravo P, Bliebernicht M, Skarzynski DJ, Ferreira-Dias G.Inflammation and fibroproliferative diseases may be modulated by epigenetic changes. Therefore, we suggest that epigenetic mechanisms could be involved in equine endometrosis pathogenesis. DNA methylation is one of the methods to evaluate epigenetics, through the transcription of methyltransferases (DNMT1, DNMT3A, DNMT3B). The correlation between DNMTs and collagen (COL) transcripts was assessed for the different Kenney and Doig's (Current Therapy in Theriogenology. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 1986) endometrium categories. Endometrial biopsies were randomly collected from cyclic mares. Histolog...
Greco-Otto P, Baggaley M, Edwards WB, Léguillette R.Equine water treadmills (WTs) are growing in popularity because they are believed to allow for high resistance, low impact exercise. However, little is known about the effect of water height on limb loading. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of water height and speed on segmental acceleration and impact attenuation during WT exercise in horses. Three uniaxial accelerometers (sampling rate: 2500 Hz) were secured on the left forelimb (hoof, mid-cannon, mid-radius). Horses walked at two speeds (S1: 0.83 m/s, S2: 1.39 m/s) and three water heights (mid-cannon, carpus, stifle), ...
Campbell MLH, Peachey L, Callan L, Wathes DC, de Mestre AM.This study was conducted to elucidate mare cervical dilation mechanisms by testing two hypotheses: (i) the proportion of collagen staining in histological samples of mare cervices and (ii) the abundance of hormone receptors in the equine cervix differ with stage of the oestrous cycle and site within the cervix. Tissues and jugular vein blood samples were collected from 15 mares. Collagen content was assessed using Masson's Trichome staining. Receptor abundance was assessed using RT-PCR, qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. In sub-epithelial stroma, there was less collagen during the follicular th...
Murray R, Mackechnie-Guire R, Fisher M, Fairfax V.Back pain is frequently recognized in racehorses, but saddle fit and design are rarely assessed. In sport horses, relationships between horse-saddle interaction, back pain, and altered kinematics are established, but few studies investigating horse-saddle interaction in racehorses exist. We hypothesized that reducing pressures under saddles at thoracic (T) vertebrae 10-13 in galloping racehorses is associated with improved limb and lumbosacral kinematics. The objectives of the study were to (1) determine pressure magnitude/distribution under 3 frequently used race-exercise saddles and a saddle...
Poirier M, Smith OE, Therrien J, Rigoglio NN, Miglino MA, Silva LA, Meirelles FV, Smith LC.Cell reprogramming by somatic cell nuclear transfer and in induced pluripotent stem cells is associated with epigenetic modifications that are often incompatible with embryonic development and differentiation. For instance, aberrant DNA methylation patterns of the differentially methylated region and biallelic expression of H19-/IGF2-imprinted gene locus have been associated with abnormal growth of fetuses and placenta in several mammalian species. However, cloned horses are born with normal sizes and with no apparent placental anomalies, suggesting that H19/IGF2 imprinting may be epigenetical...
Kumar P, Kumar R, Mehta JS, Chaudhary AK, Ravi SK, Chandra Mehta S, Ansari MM, Legha RA, Tripathi BN, Talluri TR.The present study was designed to study the adverse effects of cryopreservation and evaluation of the cryoprotective effect of reduced glutathione (GSH) and ascorbic acid (AA) supplementation on exotic jack semen in combination or alone. For this, 24 semen samples from four adult and fertile jacks were collected via artificial vagina using an estrus jenny as dummy. After semen collection, the semen was evaluated for various qualitative and quantitative parameters in fresh, cooled, and frozen-thawed semen. The semen pellet was extended with the freezing extender containing either AA (0.9 g/L),...
Farries G, Gough KF, Parnell AC, McGivney BA, McGivney CL, McGettigan PA, MacHugh DE, Katz LM, Hill EW.Despite strong selection for athletic traits in Thoroughbred horses, there is marked variation in speed and aptitude for racing performance within the breed. Using global positioning system monitoring during exercise training, we measured speed variables and temporal changes in speed with age to derive phenotypes for GWAS. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that genetic variation contributes to variation in end-point physiological traits, in this case galloping speed measured during field exercise tests. Standardisation of field-measured phenotypes was attempted by assessing horse...
Chung MJ, Park S, Son JY, Lee JY, Yun HH, Lee EJ, Lee EM, Cho GJ, Lee S, Park HS, Jeong KS.In previous work, we established an equine induced pluripotent stem cell line (E-iPSCs) from equine adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) using a lentiviral vector encoding four transcription factors: Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc. In the current study, we attempted to differentiate these established E-iPSCs into mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) by serial passaging using MSC-defined media for stem cell expansion. Differentiation of the MSCs was confirmed by analyzing expression levels of the MSC surface markers CD44 and CD29, and the pluripotency markers Nanog and Oct4. Results indicated that the E-iPS...
Lampe V, Dierks C, Distl O.Osteochondrosis (OC) is an inherited developmental disease in young horses most frequently observed in thoroughbreds, trotters, warmblood and coldblood horses. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) for equine OC have been identified in Hanoverian warmblood horses employing a whole genome scan with microsatellites. A QTL on ECA16 reached the genome-wide significance level for hock osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD). The aim of this study was to refine this QTL on ECA16 using an extended marker set of 34 newly developed microsatellites and 15 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We used the same 14 pate...
Jönsson L, Egenvall A, Roepstorff L, Näsholm A, Dalin G, Philipsson J.To determine associations of health status and conformation with competition longevity and lifetime performance in young Swedish Warmblood riding horses. Methods: Cohort study and genetic analysis. Methods: 8,238 horses. Methods: Horses were examined for health, conformation, and performance from 1983 to 2005, when they were 4 to 5 years old, and competition results from 1983 to 2012 were evaluated. Associations between conformation, health, and talent scores of young horses and longevity (years in competition) and lifetime performance were analyzed. Odds ratios of competing later in life amon...
White SH, Wohlgemuth S, Li C, Warren LK.Exercise is known to promote mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle as well as enhance mitochondrial function and efficiency in human and rodent models. These adaptations help to decrease exercise-associated production of reactive oxygen species, which can negatively affect health and performance if antioxidant mechanisms are overwhelmed. Little is known about the adaptations of mitochondria in response to exercise training in the growing horse or if supplementation with a dietary antioxidant can improve mitochondrial function. To evaluate the separate and combined effects of selenium (Se...
Janczarek I, Wiśniewska A, Tkaczyk E, Wnuk-Pawlak E, Kaczmarek B, Liss-Szczepanek M, Kędzierski W.Cooling a horse after intensive exercise under hot conditions is commonly recommended. The study aimed to analyze changes in the rectal and surface temperature of the horses subjected to various water cooling treatments. This followed medium-intensity exercise performed by leisure horses under moderate air temperature. The experiment involved a control group without water application, and three variants of water cooling applied to 19 warmblood geldings after medium-intensity effort. Cooling of lower, upper, and lower and upper body parts was performed. In each variant, the rectal and body surf...
Scarlet D, Walter I, Hlavaty J, Aurich C.In mares, FSH and its receptor (FSHR) are essential for ovarian function. The objective of the present study was to analyse FSHR gene expression at the mRNA and protein levels in ovarian tissue from newborn and adult horses. Expression of mRNA was analysed by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, whereas FSHR protein was visualised by immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence labelling (IF) and western blot. FSHR mRNA was detected in ovarian follicles and luteal tissue from adult mares, as well as in the ovaries of neonates. Follicular growth up to 4mm in diameter was already p...
Serteyn D, Sandersen C, Lejeune JP, de la Rebière de Pouyade G, Ceusters J, Mouithys-Mickalad A, Niesten A, Fraipont A, van Erck E, Goachet AG....Intense physical exercise can induce the degranulation of neutrophils leading to an increase in plasma concentration of the neutrophil marker enzymes myeloperoxidase (MPO) and elastase (ELT). These enzymes have pro-oxidative and pro-inflammatory properties and may play a role in the exercised-induced muscular damage. Objective: To measure MPO and ELT concentrations in plasma and muscles of endurance horses and to correlate them to the extent of exercise-induced muscular damage. Methods: Seven endurance horses qualified on 120 km races were tested in this study. Neutrophil count, serum creatine...
Pollin MM, Griffiths IR.Primary dysautonomias appear to be the result of initial damage to the protein synthetic pathway of a specific neuronal population, but despite detailed morphological study of several species there is, as yet, no indication of the precise lesion or the nature of the causal agent. The very marked similarities between the species with regard to lesion type, distribution, the age group affected and the geographical restrictions of occurrence would suggest a very similar, if not common, aetiology. There is no explanation, however, for the 70 year gap between its appearance in horses and its subseq...
Wennerstrand J, Gómez Alvarez CB, Meulenbelt R, Johnston C, van Weeren PR, Roethlisberger-Holm K, Drevemo S.Back problems are important contributors to poor performance in sport horses. It has been shown that kinematic analysis can differentiate horses with back problems from asymptomatic horses. The underlying mechanism can, however, only be identified in a uniform, experimental setting. Our aim was to determine if induction of back pain in a well-defined site would result in a consistent change in back movement. Back kinematics were recorded at a walk and trot on a treadmill. Unilateral back pain was then induced by injecting lactic acid into the left longissimus dorsi muscle. Additional measureme...
Hanggi EB, Ingersoll JF.This study investigated lateral vision in horses (Equus caballus) for the first time from a behavioral point of view. Three horses were tested using a novel experimental design to determine the range of their lateral and caudolateral vision with respect to stimulus detection and discrimination. Real-life stimuli were presented along a curvilinear wall in one of four different positions (A, B, C, D) and one of two height locations (Top, Bottom) on both sides of the horse. To test for stimulus detection, the correct stimulus was paired against a control; for stimulus discrimination, the correct ...
Alberghina D, Giannetto C, Piccione G.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of exercise on plasma tryptophan (TRP) and free serotonin (f5-HT), whole blood-5-HT (WB-5-HT) and f5-HT/WB-5-HT ratio in Italian Saddle horses. Six clinically healthy Italian Saddle horses were subjected to a 450 meters obstacles course. Blood samples were collected from each horse by jugular venipuncture using vacutainer tubes with K(3)-EDTA at rest, immediately after exercise, and after 30 min. TRP, f5-HT and WB-5-HT were analyzed by HPLC. Immediately after exercise, statistically significant increases of f5-HT (p <0.001) and WB-5-HT (p...
Explore (New York, N.Y.)December 17, 2013
Volume 10, Issue 2 81-87 doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2013.12.001
Kendall E, Maujean A, Pepping CA, Wright JJ.In the last few decades, therapeutic horse-riding has become recognized as a progressive form of therapy, particularly for people with disabilities. Although there is a substantial amount of literature that supports the physical benefit of therapeutic riding, only anecdotal evidence exists in relation to its psychological benefits. Objective: The purpose of this article is to develop hypotheses about the mechanisms by which therapeutic riding might have a beneficial psychological effect. These hypotheses can then be tested, leading to a more detailed knowledge base. Methods: PsychINFO, MEDLINE...
Eliashar E, McGuigan MP, Rogers KA, Wilson AM.A variety of horseshoe designs are believed to 'ease' breakover, or the unloading of the foot once the heels leave the ground. In this study, conventional toe-clip shoes, quarter-clip shoes, fitted to the white line at the toe, and Natural Balance horseshoes were fitted to the front feet of 9 sound Irish Draught-cross type horses. Forceplate and video motion analyses were undertaken during trot locomotion to determine the moment arm of the ground reaction force on the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint, the peak DIP joint moment and the peak compressive force on the navicular bone. DIP joint m...
Leśniak K, Williams J, Kuznik K, Douglas P.Variation in equine hoof conformation between farriery interventions lacks research, despite associations with distal limb injuries. This study aimed to determine linear and angular hoof variations pre- and post-farriery within a four to six week shoeing/trimming interval. Seventeen hoof and distal limb measurements were drawn from lateral and anterior digital photographs from 26 horses pre- and post-farriery. Most lateral view variables changed significantly. Reductions of the dorsal wall, and weight bearing and coronary band lengths resulted in an increased vertical orientation of the hoof. ...
Thomasy SM, Steffey EP, Mama KR, Solano A, Stanley SD.Fentanyl decreases the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of inhaled anaesthetics and has been used clinically to reduce the requirements of other anaesthetic drugs in humans and small animals. We hypothesized that i.v. fentanyl would decrease the MAC of isoflurane in horses in a dose-dependent manner. Methods: Following determination of baseline MAC of isoflurane, fentanyl was administered i.v. to target plasma concentrations of 1, 8 and 16 ng ml(-1). Each horse was randomly assigned two of three target concentrations administered in ascending order. Loading and infusion doses for each hors...
Betteridge KJ.Carl Hartman's title of 47 years ago is invoked in tribute to his first recovery of a bovine embryo 30 years before that, and his legacy of an emphasis on the value of descriptive and comparative studies in reproductive biology. The horse's qualification as a farm animal has waned since those times but, in a conference understandably dominated by research in ruminants and pigs, there are lessons to be learned from some peculiarities of equine embryonic development. Morphological and physiological features of the conceptus and its interaction with its environment during the first month of pregn...
Marsbøll AF, Christensen JW.Inclusion of objective temperament tests at practical horse breeding evaluations is of increased interest. It has been debated whether such tests may involve human handling, since there may be considerable differences in horses' handling experience. Objective: To investigate the effect of a short-term standardised handling procedure on reactions of young horses in 2 types of fear tests (including and excluding human handling). Methods: An experimental study with 3-year-old Icelandic horses (n = 24). Methods: Handled horses (n = 12) were trained according to a standardised handling procedure wh...
Gibson JS, Godart H, Ellory JC, Staines H, Honess NA, Cossins AR.Potassium transport was measured in equine red blood cells, using 86Rb+ influx as a convenient assay. A significant component of volume- and pH-sensitive K(+)-Cl- cotransport to the overall K+ flux was observed in all blood samples studied, although fluxes were variable between animals, and within individuals when measured at intervals over a period of weeks. The aryloxyacetic acid [(dihydroindenyl)oxy]alkanoic acid (DIOA), at a final concentration of 100 microM, inhibited most (> 95%) of the Cl(-)-dependent K+ flux, and DIOA sensitivity was therefore used to define the activity of the K(+)...
Hori Y, Tozaki T, Nambo Y, Sato F, Ishimaru M, Inoue-Murayama M, Fujita K.Tractability, or how easily animals can be trained and controlled, is an important behavioural trait for the management and training of domestic animals, but its genetic basis remains unclear. Polymorphisms in the serotonin receptor 1A gene (HTR1A) have been associated with individual variability in anxiety-related traits in several species. In this study, we examined the association between HTR1A polymorphisms and tractability in Thoroughbred horses. We assessed the tractability of 167 one-year-old horses reared at a training centre for racehorses using a questionnaire consisting of 17 items....
Cymerys J, Dzieciatkowski T, Słońska A, Bierla J, Tucholska A, Chmielewska A, Golke A, Bańbura MW.Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infections cause significant economic losses for equine industries worldwide as a result of abortion, respiratory illness, and neurologic disease in all breeds of horses. The occurrence of abortions caused by EHV-1 has repeatedly been confirmed in Poland, but neurological manifestations of the infection have not been described yet. Also it is unknown how the infection of neurons with non-neuropathogenic strains is regulated. To further understand the virus-neuron interaction we studied two strains of EHV-1 in murine primary neuron cell cultures. Both strains were i...
Choi SK, Cho CY, Yeon SH, Cho BW, Cho GJ.Genetic characterization of the Jeju horse (JH) was performed to construct a correct pedigree of the JH family. A total of 111 horses including 79 JH were genotyped using 20 microsatellite loci. The number of alleles varied from 5 to 11 (mean 7.45) in the JH. The observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.293 to 0.891 and from 0.357 to 0.841, respectively. The polymorphic information contents (PIC) ranged from 0.335 to 0.816. AHT4, ASB2, ASB17, ASB23, CA425, HMS2, HMS3, HTG10, LEX3 and VHL20 loci had relatively high PIC values (> 0.7). The total exclusion probability ...
Zayed M, Adair S, Dhar M.Synovial fluid contains cytokines, growth factors and resident mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The present study aimed to (1) determine the effects of autologous and allogeneic synovial fluid on viability, proliferation and chondrogenesis of equine bone marrow MSCs (BMMSCs) and (2) compare the immunomodulatory properties of equine synovial fluid MSCs (SFMSCs) and BMMSCs after stimulation with interferon gamma (INF-γ). To meet the first aim of the study, the proliferation and viability of MSCs were evaluated by MTS and calcein AM staining assays. To induce chondrogenesis, MSCs were cultured in ...
Edouard N, Fleurance G, Martin-Rosset W, Duncan P, Dulphy JP, Grange S, Baumont R, Dubroeucq H, Pérez-Barbería FJ, Gordon IJ.Food intake is a key biological process in animals, as it determines the energy and nutrients available for the physiological and behavioural processes. In herbivores, the abundance, structure and quality of plant resources are known to influence intake strongly. In ruminants, as the forage quality declines, digestibility and total intake decline. Equids are believed to be adapted to consume high-fibre low-quality forages. As hindgut fermenters, it has been suggested that their response to a reduction in food quality is to increase intake to maintain rates of energy and nutrient absorption. Al...
Allen WR, Wilsher S, Stewart F, Stewart F, Ousey J, Ousey J, Fowden A.Within-breed artificial insemination and between-breed embryo transfer were carried out in small pony (P) and large Thoroughbred (Tb) mares to create 4 types of horse pregnancy in which the fetus experienced spatial and nutritional deprivation (Tb-in-P; n=8), luxury (P-in-Tb; n=7) or normality (Tb-in-Tb; n=7 and P-in-P; n=7) in utero. Measurement of equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG), total conjugated oestrogens and progestagen concentrations in serial peripheral serum samples recovered from all the mares throughout gestation showed that the amount of eCG produced during the first half of ge...
Fleck C, Eifler D.Despite its clinical importance, the fatigue behaviour of cortical bone has not been examined as widely as its static behaviour. In the present study, specimens from the tibiae of horses have been subjected to load-controlled single step tests. The cyclic deformation behaviour was described by the development of stress-strain hysteresis parameters over the lifetime. The fatigue behaviour of bone is characterised by cyclic softening which is most distinctive towards the end of the lifetime. The microstructural damage accumulated during cyclic loading results in a loss of stiffness, asymmetrical...
Yu X, Fang C, Liu L, Zhao X, Liu W, Cao H, Lv S.This study was designed to provide a basis for further understanding of the mechanism of lactation based on mRNA expression differences in milk fat between different milk yields in Kazakh horses. Total RNA was extracted from the milk fat during the peak of lactation period. A total of 310 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by comparative transcriptome analysis of the high-yield and low-yield group. These DEGs regulate lactation by participated in AMPK signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, ErbB signaling pathway, VEGF signaling pathway. In addition, we performed quantita...
Herr S, Huchzermeyer HF, Te Brugge LA, Williamson CC, Roos JA, Schiele GJ.The same techniques may be used in the complement fixation test (CFT) for the serological diagnosis of bovine brucellosis, Johne's disease (paratuberculosis), dourine, equine piroplasmosis and Q fever (caused by Coxiella burnetii). The reproducibility of results is excellent, falling for the most part within the twofold range and never exceeding the fourfold range. Agreement with other laboratories is excellent (i.e. within twofold) in the case of brucellosis and equine piroplasmosis antibody titres. A good correlation between the occurrence of the disease and serological reactions is found on...
Horan K, Kourdache K, Coburn J, Day P, Carnall H, Harborne D, Brinkley L, Hammond L, Millard S, Lancaster B, Pfau T.Horseshoes influence how horses' hooves interact with different ground surfaces, during the impact, loading and push-off phases of a stride cycle. Consequently, they impact on the biomechanics of horses' proximal limb segments and upper body. By implication, different shoe and surface combinations could drive changes in the magnitude and stability of movement patterns in horse-jockey dyads. This study aimed to quantify centre of mass (COM) displacements in horse-jockey dyads galloping on turf and artificial tracks in four shoeing conditions: 1) aluminium; 2) barefoot; 3) GluShu; and 4) steel. ...
Ringmark S, Roepstorff L, Essén-Gustavsson B, Revold T, Lindholm A, Hedenström U, Rundgren M, Ogren G, Jansson A.The aim of this study was to, from a holistic perspective, describe the effects of a forage-only feeding system and a conventional training program on young Standardbred horses and compare data with similar observations from the literature. Sixteen Standardbred colts fed a forage-only diet for 4 months from breaking (August to December) and with the goal to vigorously trot 5 to 7 km at a speed of 5.6 m/s (3 min/km) were studied. The horses were fed grass haylage (56 to 61% dry matter (DM), 2.80 to 3.02 Mcal DE/kg DM and 130 to 152 g CP/kg DM) ad libitum, 1 kg of a lucerne product and minerals....
Art T, Lekeux P.Five healthy, fit Standardbreds (mean +/- SEM, 490.4 +/- 15.0 kg, 4.0 +/- 0.5 years) were studied during a standardized test carried out on a treadmill. The test consisted of an 8-minute warm-up and a 9-minute exercise period (1 minute at 1.7, 4, 7, 8, 9, and 10 m/s; 2 minutes at 4 m/s; and a 1-minute walk at a 6% slope). Respiratory airflow, tidal volume (V(T)), and respiratory frequency (f) were continuously recorded, using 2 ultrasonic pneumotachographs connected to a face mask and mass spectrometer. Oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide output, and expired minute volume (V(E)) were obtained on a b...
McCutcheon LJ, Geor RJ, Hinchcliff KW.This study examined changes in skeletal muscle GLUT4 content and glucose transport in isolated muscle membranes (GT) from horses before and 2 min after standardised submaximal exercise tests (SET) prior to and after completion of 6 weeks of training. Seven horses, age 3-9 years, body mass mean +/- s.e. 530 +/- 19 kg, and sedentary for at least 4 months, completed 6 weeks of training on a treadmill. An initial SET (UT) was performed on a 4 degree incline at a speed equivalent to 55% of pretraining VO2max and was repeated post-training at the same absolute workload (ABS). A third SET (REL) was p...
