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.
Botelho JH, Pessoa GO, Rocha LG, Yeste M.The present research sought to determine whether the administration of estradiol benzoate and long-acting progesterone to anovulatory recipient mares could maintain the pregnancy after embryo transfer during the autumn transitional phase. Recipient mares (n = 40) received the hormonal supplementation (treated group) whereas the other 36 served as a control. The control group consisted of mares having typical estrous cycles with ovulations, development of a viable corpus luteum and received one transferred embryo 5 days after ovulation. Hormonal administrations in the treated group started 8 da...
Listoni AJ, Arruda I, Maia L, Barberini DJ, Martins I, Vasconcellos FC, Landim-Alvarenga FC.Nanotechnology techniques have a prominent role in the current technical and scientific scene. The layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition allows obtaining nanostructures with sophisticated multilayer, using a simple, but versatile technique. This procedure, which is used to coat and functionalize surfaces with nanometer- thick films, has applications in bioengineering, medicine, chemistry, materials and chemical engineering among other areas. Chitosan is a biomaterial, coming from the chitin, a very abundant polymer in nature, which has been recently tested as scaffolds. In this experiment we test th...
McCarty CA, Thomason JJ, Gordon K, Hurtig M, Bignell W.To add to the existing data on impact loading of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint as a precursor to assessing the potential role of impact in joint disease. Objective: To examine the effect of impact loading on contact areas of the first phalanx (P1) and proximal sesamoids (PS) with the third metacarpal (McIII) under 3 hoof-strike conditions (toe-first, flat, heel-first). Methods: Randomised, repeated controlled experiment using cadaver material. Methods: Eight cadaver limbs were subjected to randomised, repeated controlled trials where the hoof was struck by a pendulum impact machine (impa...
Mitchell CF, Fugler LA, Eades SC.Laminitis is an extremely painful condition resulting in damage to the soft tissues anchoring the third phalanx to the hoof, which can result in life-threatening debilitation. Specific therapy is not available. The most important principles of therapy include aggressive nutritional and medical management of primary disease processes, cryotherapy, anti-inflammatory therapy, pain management, and biomechanical support. This review focuses on the principles of evidenced-based therapies.
Fortier J, Deley G, Goachet AG, Julliand V.An appropriate energy feeding management that ensures the optimal dietary energy supply according to the energy expenditure (EE) is a crucial component for the horse's performance. The main purpose of this study was to determine the EE during four specific exercises used in the training of Standardbred trotters (promenade, jogging, parcours and interval work-outs). A total of six Standardbred geldings performed four different testing situations on a track. The intensity (expressed in percentage of the maximal velocity over 500 m, i.e. v500) and volume (distance and duration) of the testing sit...
Wilson A, Agass R, Vaux S, Sherlock E, Day P, Pfau T, Weller R.Hoof conformation, foot placement and movement asymmetry are routinely assessed as part of the lameness examination. However, to date, few studies have described these parameters, or the interplay between them, in the general horse population. Objective: To assess foot conformation and foot placement in the forelimbs of a group of general purpose horses and investigate the relationships between foot placement, foot conformation and movement asymmetry. Methods: Observational cross-sectional study. Methods: Forty-three horses were included in the study. Measurements were taken from photographs o...
Lamb CR, Adams CA.Relatively few journals publish their annual acceptance rate, although this figure is of scientific and academic interest. Objective: To determine the acceptance rate for manuscripts submitted to veterinary peer-reviewed journals during 2012 and to determine the proportions of submitted manuscripts that were accepted without revision, accepted after revision or rejected. Methods: Self-reporting email questionnaire Methods: Editors of 118 peer-reviewed journals listed in the Web of Science in the subject category veterinary sciences were invited by email to submit data pertinent to manuscripts ...
Tachibana Y, Sakurai T, Bai H, Shiota K, Nambo Y, Nagaoka K, Imakawa K.Extensive studies have been conducted to characterize the unique phenomena of equine pregnancy. Most studies have focused on embryo transmigration when the embryo is covered with a mucin-like glycoprotein capsule and on the characterization of the chorionic girdle and chorionic gonadotropin (CG) secretion. However, the events preceding and following capsule disappearance have not been well studied. In this study, the mRNA expression in conceptus membranes at days 19, 21, and 25 (day 0 = day of ovulation) was analyzed by RNA-seq (SOLiD3), and transcript levels on these three days and day 13...
Schubert M, Jónsson H, Chang D, Der Sarkissian C, Ermini L, Ginolhac A, Albrechtsen A, Dupanloup I, Foucal A, Petersen B, Fumagalli M, Raghavan M....The domestication of the horse ∼ 5.5 kya and the emergence of mounted riding, chariotry, and cavalry dramatically transformed human civilization. However, the genetics underlying horse domestication are difficult to reconstruct, given the near extinction of wild horses. We therefore sequenced two ancient horse genomes from Taymyr, Russia (at 7.4- and 24.3-fold coverage), both predating the earliest archeological evidence of domestication. We compared these genomes with genomes of domesticated horses and the wild Przewalski's horse and found genetic structure within Eurasia in the Late Pleist...
Takahashi T, Matsui A, Mukai K, Ohmura H, Hiraga A, Aida H.It is important to know the effects of the inclination of a slope on the activity of each muscle, because training by running on a sloped track is commonly used for Thoroughbred racehorses. The effects of incline (from -6 to +6%) on the forelimbs and hind limbs during walking and trotting on a treadmill were evaluated by an integrated electromyogram (iEMG). The muscle activities in the forelimbs (5 horses) and hind limbs (4 horses) were measured separately. Two stainless steel wires were inserted into each of the brachiocephalicus (Bc), biceps brachii (BB), splenius (Sp), and pectoralis descen...
Goachet AG, Julliand V.Measurements of respiratory exchanges in genuine exercise conditions are undoubtedly of interest to further define the energy needs of endurance horses. However, the equine K4b2, the gas exchanges portable device validated for equines, has not been used in Arabian endurance horses yet. Therefore, the objective of this study was to implement field cardio-respiratory measurements in such horses using the equine K4b2 in order to assess energy expenditure (EE). Measurements of heart rate (HR), oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), respiratory frequency (RF), tidal volume (VT) and ...
Accogli G, Douet C, Ambruosi B, Martino NA, Uranio MF, Deleuze S, Dell'Aquila ME, Desantis S, Goudet G.Glycoprotein oligosaccharides play major roles during reproduction, yet their function in gamete interactions is not fully elucidated. Identification and comparison of the glycan pattern in cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) from species with different efficiencies of in vitro spermatozoa penetration through the zona pellucida (ZP) could help clarify how oligosaccharides affect gamete interactions. We compared the expression and localization of 12 glycosidic residues in equine and porcine in vitro-matured (IVM) and preovulatory COCs by means of lectin histochemistry. The COCs glycan pattern diffe...
Lee Davis D, Maurstad A, Dean S.Pink t-shirts that proclaim "My horse is my therapist" are for sale in a wide variety of horse-sport catalogues. Literature on the healing power of human-nonhuman animal encounters and the practice of a variety of animal-assisted therapy programs, such as hippotherapy and equine-facilitated therapy, show dramatic growth over the last 30 years. Less attention is paid to the role that horse-human interactions may play in more popular accountings of well-being and impairment among a sample of everyday riders. Analysis of 50 lifecycle narratives, collected from accomplished but nonprofessional equ...
Swegen A, Curry BJ, Gibb Z, Lambourne SR, Smith ND, Aitken RJ.Stallion spermatozoa continue to present scientific and clinical challenges with regard to the biological mechanisms responsible for their survival and function. In particular, deeper understanding of sperm energy metabolism, defence against oxidative damage and cell-cell interactions should improve fertility assessment and the application of advanced reproductive technologies in the equine species. In this study, we used highly sensitive LC-MS/MS technology and sequence database analysis to identify and characterise the proteome of Percoll-isolated ejaculated equine spermatozoa, with the aim ...
Schrimpf R, Metzger J, Martinsson G, Sieme H, Distl O.In stallions, impaired acrosome reaction (IAR) may often cause subfertility. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within FK506-binding protein (FKBP6) seem to be associated with IAR in stallions. However, their effect on stallion fertility has not yet been quantified. Using whole-genome sequence data of seven stallions, we searched FKBP6 for mutations to perform an association study in Hanoverian stallions with estimated breeding values for the paternal component of the pregnancy rate per oestrus cycle (EBV-PAT) as target trait. Genotyping five exonic mutations within FKBP6 revealed a signif...
Bishop J, Heffron B, Taddei L, Benoit M, Hurt L, Costello S, Gross M, Negrusz A.Clenbuterol (CLE) is used in horses as a bronchodilator and for its anabolic steroid-like effects. CLE is a Class 3 drug according to current Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) Uniform Classification Guidelines. The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium recommended a urine CLE threshold of 140 pg/mL after careful scientific review of the results of studies describing the disposition of CLE in the horse and this threshold was adopted by the ARCI. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was previously used to screen samples for CLE in Illinois, but could not detect such low co...
Ludwig A, Reissmann M, Benecke N, Bellone R, Sandoval-Castellanos E, Cieslak M, Fortes GG, Morales-Muñiz A, Hofreiter M, Pruvost M.Leopard complex spotting is inherited by the incompletely dominant locus, LP, which also causes congenital stationary night blindness in homozygous horses. We investigated an associated single nucleotide polymorphism in the TRPM1 gene in 96 archaeological bones from 31 localities from Late Pleistocene (approx. 17 000 YBP) to medieval times. The first genetic evidence of LP spotting in Europe dates back to the Pleistocene. We tested for temporal changes in the LP associated allele frequency and estimated coefficients of selection by means of approximate Bayesian computation analyses. Our result...
Alves KA, Alves BG, Rocha CD, Visonná M, Mohallem RF, Gastal MO, Jacomini JO, Beletti ME, Figueiredo JR, Gambarini ML, Gastal EL.Regardless of species, advances in preantral follicle culture and cryopreservation and transplant of ovarian tissue techniques are dependent on the number and density of preantral follicles in the ovary. This study tested the effect of different histological section thicknesses on number, classification, and density of equine preantral follicles. An ovarian fragment was obtained from 5- to 10-year-old mares (n = 14) after slaughter, and each fragment was submitted to three histological section thickness treatments: 3, 5, and 7 μm. The area (cm(2)) of each ovarian fragment was measured, and...
Oldenhof H, Heutelbeck A, Blässe AK, Bollwein H, Martinsson G, Wolkers WF, Sieme H.The aim of this study was to evaluate inter-individual variability in osmotic properties of stallion spermatozoa and its correlation with cryosurvival. In addition, temperature dependency of hypo-osmotic tolerance and membrane fluidity were studied. Stallion sperm membranes exhibited good resistance towards hypotonic stress in the 15-30 °C temperature range, whereas membrane stability was found to be decreased at 4 and 37 °C. Bull spermatozoa showed greater hypo-osmotic tolerance compared with stallion spermatozoa, especially at temperatures above 30 °C, which coincided with decreased membr...
Swegen A, Aitken RJ.Feral horses populate vast land areas and often induce significant ecological and economic damage throughout the landscape. Non-lethal population control methods are considered favourable in light of animal welfare, social and ethical considerations; however, no single effective, safe and species-specific contraceptive agent is currently available for use in free-ranging wild and feral horses. This review explores aspects of equine reproductive physiology that may provide avenues for the development of specific and long-lasting immunocontraceptive vaccines and some of the novel strategies that...
Janczarek I, Wilk I, Zalewska E, Bocian K.The aim of this paper was to select atmospheric factors and their values, which may disrupt the correct behavior and physiological condition of recreational horses. The studies were carried out from 1 July until 1 September on 16 Anglo-Arabian geldings. Each day, from 09.00 to 10.00 hours, the horses worked under saddle. The riders and the authors gave a qualitative behavioral assessment for each horse. Mood and willingness to work were evaluated. The quantitative assessment was called 'incorrect behavior of the horse while riding' (IBHR). The percentage time of duration and the number of occu...
Thieme K, Ehrle A, Lischer C.Knowledge of the normal radiographic anatomy of the equine foot and the relationship between the distal phalanx and the hoof capsule is imperative for objective assessment of hoof health. Little information is available for the hooves of ponies. The aim of this study was to establish a database of reference values for normal ponies and to investigate the relationship between the height at the withers and radiographic measurements of the hooves. Radiographic examinations were performed on 81 ponies, ranging from 81.5 to 148.0 cm height at the withers, immediately after foot trimming. Eighteen p...
Sherman KM, Miller GJ, Wronski TJ, Colahan PT, Brown M, Wilson W.Right third metacarpal bones (n = 24) from Thoroughbreds, 24 to 48 months old and in race training, were tested to failure in 3 point bending. The neutral load axis was estimated and the distance from the axis to the outer dorsal cortical surface measured. Mid-diaphyseal dorsopalmar and lateromedial outer cortical and medullary diameters were measured. Breaking strength, cortical area and area moment of inertia were also calculated. Significant correlations were demonstrated between months in training and dorsopalmar bone diameter, cortical area and area moment of inertia. Significant linear m...
Stalheim OH, Gallagher JE, Deyoe BL.The luminal surface topography of bovine, equine, porcine, and caprine uterine tubes was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The main types of epithelial cells were secretory and ciliated. Both types were more active during estrus. Cilia were observed in both the infundibular and the ampular parts of the uterine tube, but ciliated cells were more numerous than secretory cells on the surface of the fimbriae. Sperm were observed in the ampulla of the uterine tube of the cow 2 hours after artificial insemination.
Wesson JA, Ginther OJ.Reproductive tracts were collected monthly over a 3-year period from 1,003 nonpregnant ponies at a slaughtering plant in Wisconsin. Ages of the animals were estimated from tooth replacement and wear. Ovaries were examined for follicular and luteal activity. There were no differences between left and right ovaries in size or occurrence of ovulation. The frequency of multiple ovulations, 10%, was higher than previously reported for ponies. The follicular changes during the ovulatory cycle did not support a two-wave theory of follicular growth. Ovarian activity changed seasonally, a finding simil...
Squires EL, McCue PM.Embryo recovery from single ovulating mares is approximately 50 per cent per estrous cycle. Superovulation could be used to increase embryo recovery and provide extra embryos for embryo freezing. This review addresses some historical approaches to superovulation, as well as examines factors that affect the response of mares to equine FSH. eCG, GnRH and inhibin vaccines have been of limited success in stimulating multiple ovulation. Numerous studies have shown that injection of equine pituitary extract (EPE) will result in three to four ovulations per estrous cycle and two embryos. A purified, ...
Carvalho JRG, Trindade PHE, Conde G, Antonioli ML, Funnicelli MIG, Dias PP, Canola PA, Chinelatto MA, Ferraz GC.Facial-expression-based analysis has been widely applied as a pain coding system in horses. Herein, we aimed to identify pain in horses undergoing subcutaneously polylactide-based polymer implantation. The sham group was submitted only to surgical incision. The horses were filmed before and 24 and 48 h after implantation. Five statistical methods for evaluating their facial expressions (FEs) were tested. Primarily, three levels of scores (0, 1, and 2) were applied to the seven FEs (ear movements, eyebrow tension, orbicularis tension, dilated nostrils, eye opening, muzzle tension, and masticato...
Fenner K, Webb H, Starling MJ, Freire R, Buckley P, McGreevy PD.Rein tension is used to apply pressure to control both ridden and unridden horses. The pressure is delivered by equipment such as the bit, which may restrict voluntary movement and cause changes in behavior and physiology. Managing the effects of such pressure on arousal level and behavioral indicators will optimise horse learning outcomes. This study examined the effect of training horses to turn away from bit pressure on cardiac outcomes and behavior (including responsiveness) over the course of eight trials in a standardised learning task. The experimental procedure consisted of a resting p...
Marlo TL, Giuliano EA, Tripathi R, Sharma A, Mohan RR.To explore the impact of equine corneal fibroblast (ECF) to myofibroblast (ECM) differentiation by altering the expression of the Smad genes either individually or in combination. Specifically, we sought to examine the ECF differentiation after (a) silencing of Smad2, 3, and 4 profibrotic genes individually and (b) overexpression of antifibrotic Smad7 gene and in a combination with pro- and antifibrotic Smad genes. Methods: Equine corneal fibroblast primary cultures were generated as previously described. ECFs were transfected with individual plasmids which silenced gene expression of either S...
Nakagawa K, Tokushima A, Fujiwara K, Ikeguchi M.The secondary structure in the molten globule state (an equilibrium analogue of a burst-phase folding intermediate) of equine beta-lactoglobulin was investigated by changes in the circular dichroic spectrum induced by a series of site-directed proline substitutions. The results challenge the structural picture obtained from previous hydrogen/deuterium exchange experiments. A stable non-native alpha-helix was found to exist in the region corresponding to the eighth strand (H strand) in the native structure, where the backbone amide protons are the most strongly protected from exchange. Therefor...
Kelso TB, Hodgson DR, Visscher AR, Gollnick PD.Several biochemical components of the white portion of the gastrocnemius (WGM), plantaris (PM), and soleus (SM) muscles of the rat and middle gluteal (MGM) muscle of the horse were compared based on wet and dry weight, protein, and total creatine concentrations ([TCr]). The water content was similar for the rat hindlimb muscles, however, the concentrations of protein, ATP, phosphocreatine (PCr), creatine, and glycogen ranked as SM less than PM less than WGM for all reference bases except total creatine. In contrast, concentrations of ATP, creatine, and PCr were similar in all muscles studied w...
Banks KL, Henson JB.A defect in lymphocyte function could be responsible for persistent infection by the equine infectious anemia virus. The number of lymphocytes bearing surface immunoglobulin, as detected by immunofluorescence, and lymphocyte response to mitogens were the same in uninfected and equine infectious anemia-infected animals. A defect in T or B lymphocyte numbers or ability to respond to stimuli was not detected in this chronic virus disease.
Yuan Z, Gault EA, Campo MS, Nasir L.Equine sarcoids represent the most common skin tumours in equids worldwide, characterized by extensive invasion and infiltration of lymphatics, rare regression and high recurrence after surgical intervention. Bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV-1) activity is necessary for the transformation phenotype of equine fibroblasts. Among the many changes induced by BPV-1, matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) upregulation contributes to the invasiveness of equine fibroblasts. However, it is not yet known how BPV-1 proteins regulate equine MMP-1 expression. To elucidate this mechanism, the equine MMP-1 prom...
Pfaller-Sadovsky N, Hurtado-Parrado C, Cardillo D, Medina LG, Friedman SG.A conditioned reinforcer is a stimulus that acquired its effectiveness to increase and maintain a target behavior on the basis of the individual's history-e.g., pairings with other reinforcers. This systematic review synthesized findings on conditioned reinforcement in the applied animal training field. Thirty-four studies were included in the review and six studies were eligible for a meta-analysis on the effectiveness of behavioral interventions that implemented conditioned reinforcement (e.g., clicks, spoken word, or whistles paired with food). The majority of studies investigated condition...
Ninomiya S, Aoyama M, Ujiie Y, Kusunose R, Kuwano A.The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of straw, sawdust, coconut husk (husk), and coconut fiber (fiber) on the welfare of stable horses by observing their resting behavior. Twenty horses with ages ranging from 3 to 21 years were used at the Equine Research Institute of the Japan Racing Association, Utsunomiya, Japan. Five horses were allocated to each bedding condition. The behavior of each horse was recorded by video camera for 3 days and was continuously sampled from 17:00 to 05:00. The total duration, the number of bouts, and the mean and the maximum duration of bouts in...
Radmann A, Hedenborg S, Broms L.The study analyzes and explains the impact of social media influencers on stable cultures in Sweden and Norway, contributing to the understanding of the complex relationship between equestrian sports and social media-a relationship that is important for the welfare of horses. Since equestrianism is one of the most popular sports in Sweden and Norway, influencers' social media communication greatly impacts followers' perception of the human-animal relationship. Despite the popularity of equestrian sports, studies thereof are rare, and research combining equestrian sports and social media is alm...
Sundararaman B, Vershinina AO, Hershauer S, Kapp JD, Dunn S, Shapiro B, Green RE.Hybridization capture approaches allow targeted high-throughput sequencing analysis at reduced costs compared to shotgun sequencing. Hybridization capture is particularly useful in analyses of genomic data from ancient, environmental, and forensic samples, where target content is low, DNA is fragmented and multiplex PCR or other targeted approaches often fail. Here, we describe a DNA bait synthesis approach for hybridization capture that we call Circular Nucleic acid Enrichment Reagent, or CNER (pronounced 'snare'). The CNER method uses rolling-circle amplification followed by restriction dige...
Allen WR, Urwin V, Simpson DJ, Greenwood RE, Crowhurst RC, Ellis DR, Ricketts SW, Hunt MD, Digby NJ.Daily oral administration of 30 mg allyl trenbolone (Regumate) for 10 to 15 days to 61 barren, maiden and lactating Thoroughbred mares which were exhibiting either deep anoestrus, shallow anoestrus, prolonged spring oestrus or lactation anoestrus, resulted in 54 mares (88 per cent) showing oestrous behaviour within 8 days, and 51 mares (84 per cent) ovulating within 18 days, after the last dose of compound. Response rate was lowest in mares in deep anoestrus. Of the 38 Regumate-treated mares which were covered during the induced oestrus, 21 (55 per cent) conceived. The practical value of this ...
Goh G, Raudsepp T, Durkin K, Wagner ML, Schäffer AA, Agarwala R, Tozaki T, Mickelson JR, Chowdhary BP.High-resolution physically ordered gene maps for equine homologs of human chromosome 5 (HSA5), viz., horse chromosomes 14 and 21 (ECA14 and ECA21), were generated by adding 179 new loci (131 gene-specific and 48 microsatellites) to the existing maps of the two chromosomes. The loci were mapped primarily by genotyping on a 5000-rad horse x hamster radiation hybrid panel, of which 28 were mapped by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The approximately fivefold increase in the number of mapped markers on the two chromosomes improves the average resolution of the map to 1 marker/0.9 Mb. The improv...
Schvartz G, Tirosh-Levy S, Barnum S, David D, Sol A, Pusterla N, Steinman A.Equine coronavirus (ECoV) infection is the cause of an emerging enteric disease of adult horses. Outbreaks have been reported in the USA, EU and Japan, as well as sporadic cases in the UK and Saudi Arabia. Infection of ECoV in horses in Israel has never been reported, and the risk of exposure is unknown. Importation and exportation of horses from and into Israel may have increased the exposure of horses in Israel to ECoV. While the disease is mostly self-limiting, with or without supportive treatment, severe complications may occur in some animals, and healthy carriers may pose a risk of infec...
Rosanowski SM, Cogger N, Rogers CW, Stevenson MA.New Zealand has never experienced an equine influenza (EI) outbreak. The 2007 outbreak of EI in Australia showed that in a naïve population EI spreads rapidly and substantial efforts (in terms of movement restrictions, mass vaccination and post-vaccination surveillance) were required to achieve eradication. To control EI, it is essential that animal health authorities have well-defined strategies for containment, control and eradication in place before an incursion occurs. A spatially explicit stochastic simulation model, InterSpread Plus, was used to evaluate EI control strategies for the Ne...
Blackmore TL, Foster TM, Sumpter CE, Temple W.The ability of four horses (Equus caballus) to discriminate coloured (three shades of blue, green, red, and yellow) from grey (neutral density) stimuli, produced by back projected lighting filters, was investigated in a two response forced-choice procedure. Pushes of the lever in front of a coloured screen were occasionally reinforced, pushes of the lever in front of a grey screen were never reinforced. Each colour shade was randomly paired with a grey that was brighter, one that was dimmer, and one that approximately matched the colour in terms of brightness. Each horse experienced the colour...
Waite JA, Love CC, Brinsko SP, Teague SR, Salazar JL, Mancill SS, Varner DD.Two experiments were conducted to investigate modifications in cushioned centrifugation of stallion semen. Specifically, the effects of tube type, centrifugation medium, cushion type, and centrifugation force on post-centrifugation sperm recovery rate and quality were evaluated. In Experiment 1, sperm recovery rate was higher (P<0.05) in conventional plastic conical-bottom tubes (103%) than in newly developed glass nipple-bottom tubes (96%) following cushioned centrifugation; however, several measures of semen quality (i.e., % total motility [MOT], % progressive motility [PMOT], curvilinear...
You Y, Uboh CE, Soma LR, Guan F, Li X, Liu Y, Rudy JA, Chen J, Tsang D.The potential for using testosterone and nandrolone esters in racehorses to boost the biological concentrations of these steroids and enhance athletic performance is very compelling and should be seriously considered in formulating regulatory policies for doping control. In order to regulate the use of these esters in racehorses, a sensitive and validated method is needed. In this paper, we report such a method for simultaneous separation, screening, quantification and confirmation of 16 testosterone and nandrolone esters in equine plasma by ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem ...
Gomes RG, Andrade ER, Lisboa LA, Ciquini A, Barreiros TR, Fonseca NA, Seneda MM.The objective was to evaluate the efficiency of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and Minimum Essential Medium (MEM) during the transport of equine preantral and antral follicles at various temperatures and incubation interval. Equine ovaries (n = 10) from an abattoir were cut into 19 fragments; one was immediately fixed in Bouin's solution (control) and the other fragments were placed in PBS or MEM solution at 4, 20, or 39 °C for 4, 12, or 24 h. After the respective incubation periods, all fragments were fixed in Bouin's solution for 24 h and then submitted to standard histologic analysis. In ...
Eronen JT, Evans AR, Fortelius M, Jernvall J.One of the classic examples of faunal turnover in the fossil record is the Miocene transition from faunas dominated by anchitheriine horses with low-crowned molar teeth to faunas with hipparionine horses characterized by high-crowned teeth. The spread of hipparionine horses is associated with increased seasonality and the expansion of open habitats. It is generally accepted that anchitheriine horses did not display an evolutionary increase in tooth crown height prior to their extinction. Nevertheless, to test whether anchitheriines showed any changes interpretable as adaptation to local condit...
Dell'Aquila ME, Albrizio M, Guaricci AC, De Santis T, Maritato F, Tremoleda JL, Colenbrander B, Guerra L, Casavola V, Minoia P.The micro-opioid receptor (MOR) was identified in equine oocytes, cumulus and granulosa cells. By RT-PCR, a 441bp fragment was observed. By immunoblotting, a 65 kDa band was detected in samples of winter anestrous whereas in cells recovered in breeding season, two bands, 65 and 50 kDa, were found. The 65 kDa band was significantly more intense in winter anestrous specimens. In samples recovered in the breeding season, this band significantly decreased with the raise of follicle size and was heavier in compact oocytes and cumulus cells. The protein was localized on the oolemma and within the cy...
Fischer EAJ, MartÃnez López EP, De Vos CJ, Faverjon C.Equine encephalosis is a midge-borne viral disease of equines caused by equine encephalosis virus (EEV, Orbivirus, Reoviridae), and closely related to African horse sickness virus (AHSV). EEV and AHSV share common vectors and show similar transmission patterns. Until now EEV has caused outbreaks in Africa and Israel. This study aimed to provide insight in the probability of an EEV outbreak in The Netherlands caused by infected vectors or hosts, the contribution of potential source areas (risk regions) to this probability, and the effectiveness of preventive measures (sanitary regimes). A stoch...
Smith RL, Vernon KL, Kelley DE, Gibbons JR, Mortensen CJ.The advent of embryo transfer has allowed horses to continue to train and compete during the breeding season. However, the associated stress of exercise may be detrimental to reproduction. The objectives of this study were to evaluate differing exercise protocols on reproductive blood flow and embryonic outcomes in mares. Light-horse mares were randomized into control (n = 4), partial-exercised (n = 6), and full-exercised (n = 6) groups. Partial-exercised mares were moderately exercised 30 min daily during the periovulatory period and rested after ovulation for 7 d. Full-exercised mares were e...
Nansen P, Grønvold J, Henriksen SA, Wolstrup J.Interactions between the predacious hyphomycete Arthrobotrys oligospora and third-stage larvae of nine animal-parasitic nematodes were tested in vitro. The trap-inducing capabilities of the ruminant trichostrongylus Cooperia oncophora, C. curticei, Haemonchus contortus and Ostertagia ostertagi and of equine cyathostomes were almost comparable to those of free-living soil nematodes, and significantly higher than those of the porcine Oesophagostomum dentatum and Oe. quadrispinulatum and of the murine Nematospiroides dubius. The trap-forming potential of Dictyocaulus viviparus was poor. All anima...
