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.
Consuegra C, Crespo F, Dorado J, Diaz-Jimenez M, Pereira B, Hidalgo M.Lipids and proteins can be used for sperm vitrification to preserve the integrity of sperm membranes or to increase the viscosity of the medium. This study evaluated the effect of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and milk serum proteins (Pronexcell) for stallion sperm vitrification. Hippex extender (Barex Biochemical Products, The Netherlands), plus 1% of bovine serum albumin and 100 mM of trehalose, was used as control for sperm vitrification. In experiment 1, different concentrations of LDL (L1 = 0.25, L2 = 0.5, L3 = 1%) and in experiment 2 of Pronexcell (P1 = 1, P2 = 5, P3 = 10%)...
Pereira B, Dorado J, Diaz-Jimenez M, Consuegra C, Ortiz I, Gosalvez J, Hidalgo M.The acquisition of equine oocyte developmental capacity is ensured by the follicular environment, such as granulosa cells, which could reflect the meiotic development potential of immature oocytes. This study evaluated the relationship between DNA fragmentation of granulosa cells, using the chromatin dispersion test, and equine oocyte meiotic development after in vitro maturation. Granulosa cells and cumulus-oocytes complexes (n = 50) were recovered from slaughterhouse-derived ovaries. Oocytes were in vitro matured, stained and evaluated under fluorescence microscopy. Maturation rates were c...
Álvarez C, González N, Luño V, Martínez F, Gil L.The aim of this study was to test and compare two new components in extenders for freezing donkey semen: mare colostrum and jenny colostrum. Colostrum was obtained from four mares and four jennies right after the foal's birth. Ejaculates were collected from five fertile donkeys. Sperm samples were pooled, diluted and cryopreserved in three different experimental extender groups: lactose supplemented with egg yolk extender (20%) as the control group, lactose supplemented with jenny colostrum extender (20%), and lactose supplemented with mare colostrum extender (20%). After thawing, we evaluated...
Tanaka J, Leeb T, Rushton J, Famula TR, Mack M, Jagannathan V, Flury C, Bachmann I, Eberth J, McDonnell SM, Penedo MCT, Bellone RR.Mushroom is a unique coat color phenotype in Shetland Ponies characterized by the dilution of the chestnut coat color to a sepia tone and is hypothesized to be a recessive trait. A genome wide association study (GWAS), utilizing the Affymetrix 670K array (MNEc670k) and a single locus mixed linear model analysis (EMMAX), identified a locus on ECA7 for further investigation ( = 2.08 × 10). This locus contained a 3 Mb run of homozygosity in the 12 mushroom ponies tested. Analysis of high throughput Illumina sequencing data from one mushroom Shetland pony compared to 87 genomes from horses of var...
Ginés-Díaz A, Martínez-Romero MT, Cejudo A, Aparicio-Sarmiento A, Sainz de Baranda P.Previous research has analyzed how the sport influences sagittal spinal curvatures in young athletes and has found that spinal curves may be modified as a consequence of repeated movement patterns and postures of each discipline. Objective: To analyze sagittal spinal alignment by equestrian discipline and its relation to training load, and to describe "sagittal integrative morphotype" in young riders. Methods: Observational descriptive study. Methods: Training room. Methods: A total of 23 riders (aged 9-17 y)-13 dressage riders (3 males and 10 females) and 10 show jumping riders (5 males and ...
Klohonatz KM, Coleman SJ, Cameron AD, Hess AM, Reed KJ, Canovas A, Medrano JF, Islas-Trejo AD, Kalbfleisch T, Bouma GJ, Bruemmer JE.Maternal recognition of pregnancy (MRP) in the mare is not well defined. In a non-pregnant mare, prostaglandin F (PGF) is released on day 14 post-ovulation (PO) to cause luteal regression, resulting in loss of progesterone production. Equine MRP occurs prior to day 14 to halt PGF production. Studies have failed to identify a gene candidate for MRP, so attention has turned to small, non-coding RNAs. The objective of this study was to evaluate small RNA (<200 nucleotides) content in endometrium during MRP. Mares were used in a cross-over design with each having a pregnant and non-mated cycle. Ea...
Neuhauser S, Bollwein H, Siuda M, Handler J.The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of different freezing procedures on sperm motion, viability, the acrosome status, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), intracellular calcium content, and DNA integrity on epididymal stallion sperm. Therefore, the sperm of 10 healthy stallions was harvested by retrograde flushing after testectomy, diluted with a semen extender containing defined milk proteins and a freezing extender containing egg yolk and glycerol and frozen according to 4 different protocols, using a programmable freezer and a floating rack performing a slow (processe...
Thompson RE, Johnson AK, Prado TM, Premanandan C, Brown ME, Whitlock BK, Pukazhenthi BS.Availability of viable frozen-thawed endometrial tissues could facilitate detailed studies into physiologic and disease processes influencing the endometrium. This study was designed to investigate the cryosurvival of equine endometrial tissue. Previous studies in the human and horse have focused on cryopreservation of dissociated endometrial cells. To our knowledge, there are no studies on cryopreservation of endometrial explants. Our objectives were to 1) determine the influence of differing concentrations of the permeating cryoprotectant dimethyl sulfoxide (MeSO) on viability, structural in...
Hybridization has been widely practiced in plant and animal breeding as a means to enhance the quality and fitness of the organisms. In domestic equids, this hybrid vigor takes the form of improved physical and physiological characteristics, notably for strength or endurance. Because the offspring of horse and donkey is generally sterile, this widely recognized vigor is expressed in the first generation (F1). However, in the absence of recombination between the two parental genomes, F1 hybrids can be expected to be phenotypically intermediate between their parents which could potentially restr...
Blanco-Lobo P, Rodriguez L, Reedy S, Oladunni FS, Nogales A, Murcia PR, Chambers TM, Martinez-Sobrido L.Vaccination remains the most effective approach for preventing and controlling equine influenza virus (EIV) in horses. However, the ongoing evolution of EIV has increased the genetic and antigenic differences between currently available vaccines and circulating strains, resulting in suboptimal vaccine efficacy. As recommended by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the inclusion of representative strains from clade 1 and clade 2 Florida sublineages of EIV in vaccines may maximize the protection against presently circulating viral strains. In this study, we used reverse genetics tech...
Gonzalez-Castro RA, Amoroso-Sanches F, Stokes JE, Graham JK, Carnevale EM.Oocyte activation is initiated when a fertilising spermatozoon delivers sperm-borne oocyte-activating factor(s) into the oocyte cytoplasm. Candidates for oocyte activation include two proteins, phospholipase Cζ1 (PLCZ1) and postacrosomal WW-binding protein (PAWP; also known as WBP2 N-terminal like (WBP2NL)). We localised PLCZ1 and WBP2NL/PAWP in stallion spermatozoa and investigated the PLCZ1 content and sperm parameters as well as cleavage after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). PLCZ1 was identified as 71-kDa protein in the acrosomal and postacrosomal regions, midpiece and principal p...
Dai F, Dalla Costa A, Bonfanti L, Caucci C, Di Martino G, Lucarelli R, Padalino B, Minero M.The present work aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a self-loading training using positive reinforcement on stress-related behaviors shown by meat horses during loading procedures into a truck. Thirty-two meat horses ( = 18; = 14; 6 month-old) were included in the study. All horses had limited interactions with the farmer and were not used to be restrained nor lead by halter. Horses were divided in two groups: Control Group (C; = 14) and Training Group (T; = 18). T horses were trained to self-load: in order to teach the horses to enter into the truck, a targeting training technique throughou...
Coffin J.Background: Recent statistics have painted a grim picture for Australia's Aboriginal youth, with reports of higher levels of almost every health indicator, including depression, sexual and emotional abuse, unemployment, and incarceration. Traditional western based therapies have proven to have limited effectiveness in engaging this group as they can often be culturally inappropriate. International studies have provided promising results using equine assisted learning, with a sound methodological basis underpinned by Indigenous ways of being and doing. In Australia Aboriginal people have strong...
Lindenberg F, Krych L, Kot W, Fielden J, Frøkiær H, van Galen G, Nielsen DS, Hansen AK.Shortly after birth the mammalian gut is colonized, by a transient microbiota, highly susceptible to environment and diet, that eventually stabilizes and becomes the resident gut microbiota. In a window of opportunity during the colonization, oral tolerance is established towards resident bacteria. In this study, the development of the equine gut microbiota was investigated in ten foals from parturition until post weaning. We found great differences in the core species of the gut microbiota composition between time-matched samples on Day 7 and 20 post-partum. Between day 20 and Day 50 post-par...
Cuervo-Arango J, Claes AN, Stout TAE.In recent years, the number of equine invitro-produced embryos (IVP) has increased markedly; as yet, there are few reports on what constitutes an 'ideal' recipient for an IVP embryo. This study retrospectively investigated the effects of recipient mare oestrous cycle characteristics on the likelihood of pregnancy after transfer of IVP (n=264) and invivo-derived embryos (n=262). IVP embryos tolerated only a narrow window of recipient mare 'synchrony', with transfer on Day 4 after ovulation resulting in a higher likelihood of ongoing pregnancy (69%) than transfer on Days 3, 5 or 6 (53.2%, 41.3% ...
Damasceno Teixeira TV, Fry RC, McKinnon A, Fry KL, Kelly JM, Verma PJ, Burden C, Salamone DF, Gambini A.Epigenetic perturbations during the reprogramming process have been described as the primary cause of the low efficiency of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). In this study, we tested three strategies targeting nuclear reprogramming to investigate effects on equine SCNT. First, we evaluated the effect of treating somatic cells with chetomin, a fungal secondary metabolite reported to inhibit the trimethylation on histone 3 lysine 9 (H3K9 me3). Second, caffeine was added to the culture medium during the enucleation of oocytes and before activation of reconstructed embryos as a protein phospha...
Rossini JB, Rodriguez J, Bresnahan DR, Stokes JE, Carnevale EM.The clinical use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in horses usually involves the transfer of embryos into recipient mares, resulting in substantial cost increases. This is essential when subfertile mares are oocyte donors; but some donors are fertile, with ICSI compensating for limited or poor-quality spermatozoa. Fertile oocyte donors could carry pregnancies, eliminating the need for a recipient. We assessed the potential of using oocyte donors as recipients for their own ICSI-produced embryos during the same cycle. Donors in oestrus and with large dominant follicles were administer...
Steinfort S, Obach-Schröck C, Röcken M, Theiss F, Failing K, Vogelsberg J, Staszyk C.Equine periodontal disease (ePD) usually starts with food impaction, formation of diastemata, gingival inflammation and formation of periodontal pockets. This process proceeds toward the dentoalveolar space, causing detachment of tooth supporting periodontal fibers. Although several therapeutical procedures have been proposed, ePD is often only diagnosed in advanced stages, requiring dental extraction. A similar dilemma has been observed in small animal medicine, but has been overcome by the introduction of reliable examination protocols for the early diagnosis of periodontal diseases (PD). Th...
Burden FA, Bell N.The domestic donkey is a unique equid species with specific nutritional requirements. This article examines the importance of feeding strategies that mimic the donkey's natural environment using poor nutritional quality fibers and access to browsing materials. The relationship between nutrition and health is examined and practical approaches to the healthy and sick donkey are discussed.
Matthews N, van Loon JPAM.The number of donkeys in the world may not be increasing but awareness of their use and concern for welfare and pain recognition and treatment are receiving increasing veterinary interest. Therefore, accurate information about anesthesia and analgesia in donkeys and mules is important to more equine practitioners. This review highlights the current knowledge on various anesthetic and analgesic approaches in donkey and mules. The authors emphasize that there is still much information that is not available about donkeys and mules; in many circumstances, the clinician must use available equine in...
Rodrigues JB, Lilly G.Research and clinical understanding of equine dentistry has progressed in recent years; however, specific knowledge about donkey dentistry is lacking. This article intends to revise unique anatomic features of the head and oral cavity of donkeys, as well as how to correctly examine, diagnose, prevent, and/or treat dental pathology, allowing for a better comprehension of oral and dental disorders affecting these animals throughout their life. It also emphasizes that these disorders need to be taken into account when assessing the welfare of donkeys.
Campos-Chillon LF, Martin J, Altermatt JL.Recently, the demand for invitro embryo production in the horse has increased worldwide. Most clinical transvaginal ultrasound-guided ovum pick-up (OPU) procedures are performed in non-pregnant donor mares, and few experimental studies have described invitro embryo production from oocytes of pregnant donors 21-150 days in gestation. This report discusses OPU, follicular growth and invitro embryo production in a pregnant mare during late gestation.
Johnson PJ, Janvier V, Luh WM, FitzMaurice M, Southard T, Barry EF.There is growing interest in the horse for behavioral, neuroanatomic and neuroscientific research due to its large and complex brain, cognitive abilities and long lifespan making it neurologically interesting and a potential large animal model for several neuropsychological diseases. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful neuroscientific research tool that can be performed , with adapted equine facilities, or in the research setting. The brain atlas is a fundamental resource for neuroimaging research, and have been created for a multitude animal models, however, none currently exist f...
Clayton HM, Hobbs SJ.Gaits are typically classified as walking or running based on kinematics, the shape of the vertical ground reaction force (GRF) curve, and the use of inverted pendulum or spring-mass mechanics during the stance phase. The objectives of this review were to describe the biomechanical characteristics that differentiate walking and running gaits, then apply these criteria to classify and compare the enhanced natural gait of collected trot with the artificial gaits of passage and piaffe as performed by highly trained dressage horses. Limb contact and lift off times were used to determine contact se...
Thiemann AK, Sullivan RJE.A review of common gastrointestinal disorders of donkeys and mules is presented. Clinically relevant aspects of donkey behavior, anatomy, and physiology are highlighted. Diagnosis, management, and treatment of conditions affecting the gastrointestinal tract from stomach to rectum, including liver and pancreas, are discussed.
Walewska E, Wołodko K, Skarzynski D, Ferreira-Dias G, Galvão A.The regulation of corpus luteus (CL) luteolysis is a complex process involving a myriad of factors. Previously, we have shown the involvement of Nodal in functional luteolysis in mares. Presently, we ask the extent of which Nodal mediation of luteolysis is done through regulation of angioregression. We demonstrated the interaction between Nodal and hypoxia-inducible factor 1 α (HIF1α) and thrombospondin 1/thrombospondin receptor (TSP1/CD36) systems, could mediate angioregression during luteolysis. First, we demonstrated the inhibitory effect of Nodal on the vascular marker platelet/endotheli...
Raudsepp T, Finno CJ, Bellone RR, Petersen JL.The horse reference genome from the Thoroughbred mare Twilight has been available for a decade and, together with advances in genomics technologies, has led to unparalleled developments in equine genomics. At the core of this progress is the continuing improvement of the quality, contiguity and completeness of the reference genome, and its functional annotation. Recent achievements include the release of the next version of the reference genome (EquCab3.0) and generation of a reference sequence for the Y chromosome. Horse satellite-free centromeres provide unique models for mammalian centromer...
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...
