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.
Druml T, Baumung R, Sölkner J.The pedigree of the current Austrian Noriker draught horse population comprising 2808 horses was traced back to the animals considered as founders of this breed. In total, the number of founders was 1991, the maximum pedigree length was 31 generations, with an average of 12.3 complete generations. Population structure in this autochthonous Austrian draught horse breed is defined by seven breeding regions (Carinthia, Lower Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Upper Austria and Vorarlberg) or through six coat colour groups (Bay, Black, Chestnut, Roan, Leopard, Tobiano). Average inbreeding coefficie...
Canisso IF, Carvalho GR, Morel MC, Guimarães JD, McDonnell SM.The objectives were to (i) characterize sexual behavior of donkey stallions (jacks; Equus asinus) during on-farm semen collection using estrous horse mares (mares; Equus caballus); (ii) compare behavior of young (less experienced) versus older (more experienced) jacks; (iii) determine whether semen suitable for artificial insemination (AI) could be collected using mares; and (iv) determine the suitability of using mares in field collection of semen from jacks. Six Pêga jacks (3.5 to 16 yr old), previously conditioned to breed mares, were used. Mount mares were confirmed in estrus by a teaser ...
Rustin M, Janssens S, Buys N, Gengler N.Genetic parameters for the height at withers, 27 linear type and six linear gait traits were estimated for the Belgian warmblood horse. Observations on 987 mares, mostly 3 years old, were analysed using a multi-trait animal model. The statistical model included appraiser, age and location (date x place of appraisal) as fixed effects. Genetic parameters were estimated using a canonical transformation and an expectation-maximization restricted maximum likelihood algorithm with an additional deceleration step. Estimates of heritability for the 33 linear traits were between 0.15 and 0.55. Heritabi...
Linardi RL, Stokes AM, Barker SA, Short C, Hosgood G, Natalini CC.Methadone hydrochloride is a synthetic mu-opioid receptor agonist with potent analgesic properties. Oral methadone has been successfully used in human medicine and may overcome some limitations of other analgesics in equine species for producing analgesia with minimal adverse effects. However, there are no studies describing the pharmacokinetics (PK) of oral opioids in horses. The aim of this study was to describe the PK of orally administered methadone (0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg) and physical effects in 12 healthy adult horses. Serum methadone concentrations were measured by gas chromatography/m...
Oosterlinck M, Pille F, Huppes T, Gasthuys F, Back W.Modern pressure plates (PP) could be an alternative to traditional force plates (FP) for quantitative equine gait analysis, thereby providing the clinician with objective data on the horse's gait while unravelling the loading of different regions of the hoof during the stance phase. The aim of this study was to determine whether a stand-alone PP allows reliable measurement of gait kinetics, compared to simultaneously recorded FP variables. Six sound Warmblood horses were walked and trotted over a combined PP and FP system for collection of a set of five valid kinetic measurements for each fore...
Lei CZ, Su R, Bower MA, Edwards CJ, Wang XB, Weining S, Liu L, Xie WM, Li F, Liu RY, Zhang YS, Zhang CM, Chen H.To obtain more knowledge of the origin and genetic diversity of domestic horses in China, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop sequence diversity from nine horse breeds in China in conjunction with ancient DNA data and evidence from archaeological and historical records. A 247-bp mitochondrial D-loop sequence from 182 modern samples revealed a total of 70 haplotypes with a high level of genetic diversity. Seven major mtDNA haplogroups (A-G) and 16 clusters were identified for the 182 Chinese modern horses. In the present study, nine 247-bp mitochondr...
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...
Musilova P, Kubickova S, Horin P, Vodicka R, Rubes J.Cross-species chromosome painting has been applied to most of the species making up the numerically small family Equidae. However, comparative mapping data were still lacking in Asiatic asses kulan (Equus hemionus kulan) and kiang (E. kiang). The set of horse arm-specific probes generated by laser microdissection was hybridized onto kulan (E. hemionus kulan) and kiang (E. kiang) chromosomes in order to establish a genome-wide chromosomal correspondence between these Asiatic asses and the horse. Moreover, region-specific probes were generated to determine fusion configuration and orientation of...
Kawai M, Minami Y, Sayama Y, Kuwano A, Hiraga A, Miyata H.We examine the muscle fiber population and metabolic properties of skeletal muscles from the whole body in Thoroughbred horses. Postmortem samples were taken from 46 sites in six Thoroughbred horses aged between 3 and 6 years. Fiber type population was determined on muscle fibers stained with monoclonal antibody to each myosin heavy chain isoform and metabolic enzyme activities were determined spectrophotometrically. Histochemical analysis demonstrated that most of the muscles had a high percentage of Type IIa fibers. In terms of the muscle characteristic in several parts of the horse body, th...
Chen JW, Uboh CE, Soma LR, Li X, Guan F, You Y, Liu Y.Proper identification of racehorses competing in an official race and maintenance of defensible chain of custody are important in doping control regulations. The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable multiplex PCR method for providing genetic evidence for matching donors to test samples by using short tandem repeat (STR) loci. Amplification of 21 STR loci from blood, urine or hair root was achieved in a single tube and STR length polymorphism was analyzed using fluorescent labeled capillary electrophoresis. This novel approach showed an allele confidence interval of 0.19-0.43 bp and ...
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...
Bugno M, Slota E, Witarski W, Gerber V, Klukowska-Roetzler J.The results obtained in the present study enabled the physical map of the donkey genome to be extended with markers associated with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), a major performance-limiting disease of Equidae. The equine BAC clone containing the IL4R and CLCA1 genes were localized to EAS 14q13 and EAS 6q15 respectlivy by fluorescent in situ hybridization. Identification of their locus confirmed the distribution of syntenic regions between the domestic horse and the domestic donkey within the chromosomes analysed.
Ichibangase T, Imai K.To extend the applicability of the fluorogenic derivatization-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (FD-LC-MS/MS) method, which consists of fluorogenic derivatization (FD), separation by liquid chromatography (LC), and identification by LC-tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) proteomic analysis, we applied it to Thoroughbred horse muscle. With the optimization of the protein extraction and separation procedure, reproducible chromatograms were obtained and the changes in protein expressions during exercise were able to be analyzed. To quantify the changed protein expressi...
Reardon R, Bailey R, Walmsley J, Heller J, Lischer C.The mechanical properties of equine cervical vertebrae joined by implants have not yet been reported. Locking compression plates (LCP) may provide a useful alternative system to the commonly used stainless steel kerf-cut cylinders (KCC) currently used for fixation of cervical vertebrae in horses. Objective: The objectives of this study were to establish a method for biomechanical testing of equine C4-C5 articulations and to compare the biomechanical properties of cadaveric spines stabilised with KCC and LCP. Methods: Twenty-four equine cadaveric cervical spines were size measured from radiogra...
Tatarniuk DM, Bell C, Carmalt JL.Disease of the paranasal sinuses of the horse is common and treatment often involves lavage and sometimes surgery. The development of minimally-invasive, sinus-specific treatments, such as balloon sinuplasty, requires a thorough understanding of this complex anatomical region. To improve this understanding, 10 heads from dead horses of various ages were grossly dissected. The heads were transected sagittally and each half was dissected to expose the left and right nasomaxillary apertures and associated structures which were then photographed and measured. Entrances from the rostral and caudal ...
Skiöldebrand E, Ekman S, Heinegård D, Hultenby K.The present study was designed to delineate the presence of COMP at the ultrastructural level comparing concentrations between two areas of articular cartilage from the equine third carpal bone, subjected to different loading, from trained and untrained horses. We also analyzed the fibril thickness of collagen type II in the same compartments and zones. Samples were collected from high load-bearing areas of the dorsal radial facet (intermittent high load) and an area of the palmar condyle (low constant load) in five non-trained and three trained young racehorses. The data show that COMP is muc...
Jeffcott L, Leung WM, Riggs C.This paper describes a 3 year project to investigate and manage the effects of the local weather conditions on horses competing in the 2008 Olympic Games. The first part of the investigation involved estimating the expected heat load on horses during competition and suggesting measures to ensure their safety based on data collected from dedicated weather monitoring at both Olympic venues during August 2006, 2007 and 2008. The aim of the second part was to establish a reliable system of point forecasting to monitor and predict inclement weather that might affect the competitions. This involved ...
Hyttinen MM, Holopainen J, van Weeren PR, Firth EC, Helminen HJ, Brama PA.The aim of this study was to record growth-related changes in collagen network organization and proteoglycan distribution in intermittently peak-loaded and continuously lower-level-loaded articular cartilage. Cartilage from the proximal phalangeal bone of the equine metacarpophalangeal joint at birth, at 5, 11 and 18 months, and at 6-10 years of age was collected from two sites. Site 1, at the joint margin, is unloaded at slow gaits but is subjected to high-intensity loading during athletic activity; site 2 is a continuously but less intensively loaded site in the centre of the joint. The degr...
DeRossi R, Coelho AC, Mello GS, Frazílio FO, Leal CR, Facco GG, Brum KB.To establish a low-cost method to prepare platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and evaluates the potential of platelet derived factors to enhance wound healing in the surgical wounds in equine. Methods: To obtain a PRP gel, calcium gluconate and autologous thrombin were added to platelet-rich plasma. For the tests six saddle horses were used and two surgical incisions were made in each animal. Wounds were treated with PRP gel or untreated. Sequential wound biopsies collected at Treatment 1: at days 5 and 30 and Treatment 2: at days 15 and 45 post wounding permitted comparison of differentiation markers ...
Giesecke K, Sieme H, Distl O.Stallion fertility is of high economic importance for the horse industry. The discovery of molecular mechanisms affecting fertility will be facilitated by the horse genome assembly and the development of novel tools for analysing complex genetic traits. Genetic markers in candidate genes, such as CRISP3, SPATA1 and INHBA, in breeding stallions have been associated with pregnancy rate per oestrus in mares. This paper reviews candidate autosomal, X and Y genes for stallion fertility, including genes encoding hormones and their receptors of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, proteins of the seminal...
Raeside JI, Christie HL, Waelchli RO, Betteridge KJ.Estrogen production by the trophoblast is considered important in early equine pregnancy and leads to high concentrations in yolk-sac (Y-S) fluid. The embryo proper is a potential site for their action. We examined estrogen metabolism in the embryo proper because some actions of estrogens are derived from locally formed metabolites. The embryo proper, as well as separated extraembryonic tissues, of conceptuses collected about day 25 of pregnancy, were incubated with (3)[H]-estrone (E(1)) and (3)[H]-estradiol (E(2)). Steroids were recovered from media by solid-phase extraction and eluted separa...
Kihurani DO, Carstens A, Saulez MN, Donnellan CM.Gastroscopy with air insufflation was performed in 10 ponies, after which a transcutaneous ultrasound examination of the stomach and duodenum was performed immediately and at 1, 2, and 4 h postgastroscopy, and 24 h after feeding. Stomach measurements included the dorsoventral and craniocaudal dimensions, as well as the stomach depth from the skin surface and stomach wall thickness at the different time periods. Gastric wall folding was observed in one pony, becoming most distinct 2-4 h postgastroscopy. An undulating stomach wall was noted in eight other ponies postgastroscopy. These observatio...
Ebling AJ, McKnight AL, Seiler G, Kircher PR.The complexity of the equine skull makes the temporomandibular joint a difficult area to evaluate radiographically. The goal of this study was to determine the optimal angle for a complementary radiographic projection of the equine temporomandibular joint based on a computed tomography (CT) cadaver study. CT was performed on six equine cadaver heads of horses that were euthanized for other reasons than temporomandibular joint disease. After the CT examination, 3D reconstruction of the equine skull was performed to subjectively determine the angle for a complementary radiographic projection of ...
Pekarkova M, Kircher PR, Konar M, Lang J, Tessier C.The purpose of the present study was to describe normal magnetic resonance (MR) imaging anatomy of the equine larynx and pharynx and to present the optimal protocol, sequences, and possible limitations of this examination technique. Using a 0.3 T unit, the laryngeal and pharyngeal regions was imaged in two horses. The protocol consisted of sagittal and transverse T2-weighted (T2w) fast spin echo, transverse T1-weighted (T1w) spin echo, and dorsal high-resolution T1w gradient echo (both pre- and postcontrast enhancement) sequences. Euthanasia was performed at the end of the imaging procedure. M...
Noble GK, Brockwell YM, Munn KJ, Harris PA, Davidson HP, Li X, Zhang D, Sillence MN.L-tryptophan is a common ingredient in equine calmative products, but its effectiveness has not been demonstrated in horses. Objective: To determine whether a commercial dose of L-tryptophan increases plasma tryptophan and alters behaviour in horses fed a roughage or concentrate meal. Methods: L-tryptophan (6.3 g) or placebo (water) was administered per os in a cross-over design, to 12 Thoroughbred horses (503 +/- 12.1 kg bwt), just before a meal of lucerne hay or oats. Plasma tryptophan was measured by gas chromatography. Horse behaviour was observed in an empty enclosure, then in the presenc...
Graham NS, Clutterbuck AL, James N, Lea RG, Mobasheri A, Broadley MR, May ST.Affymetrix GeneChip arrays are a powerful tool for transcriptome profiling and have been applied to a wide range of species. A genomic DNA (gDNA)-based probe selection method has been developed which broadens the range of species to which GeneChips may be successfully applied. This study demonstrated that gDNA-based probe selection on the Affymetrix U133+2 GeneChip array can be used to study the equine transcriptome which, to date, has received only limited attention. More than 29,000 transcripts can be detected in equine brain and liver and in primary cultures of equine articular chondrocytes...
Turner JW, Liu IK, Flanagan DR, Bynum KS, Rutberg AT.Porcine zona pellucida (PZP) immunocontraception was investigated for possible use in free-roaming wild horses in the western USA. A protocol of two injections (3-4 weeks apart) of vaccine lasting 1 year was first used and a single-injection controlled-release vaccine of 1 year duration was developed and tested in the field. Studies of a presumptive vaccine of 2 year duration were initiated. The parameters of anti-PZP antibody titre response, pregnancy testing and offspring production were used, and PZP vaccine was found to provide up to 94% infertility in free-roaming wild mares. In addition,...
Gonzalez ML, Jacobs RD, Ely KM, Johnson SE.Postexercise skeletal muscle repair is dependent on the actions of satellite cells (SCs). The signal(s) responsible for activation of these normally quiescent cells in the horse remain unknown. The objective of the experiment was to determine whether submaximal exercise or tributyrin (TB) supplementation is sufficient to stimulate SC activation. Adult geldings were fed a control diet (n = 6) or a diet containing 0.45% TB (n = 6). After 30 d, the geldings performed a single bout of submaximal exercise. Middle gluteal muscle biopsies and blood were collected on days -1, 1, 3, and 5 relative to e...
In horses, osteoarthritis (OA) mostly affects metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal (fetlock) joints. The current modalities used for diagnosis of equine limb disorders lack ability to detect early OA. Here, we propose a new alternative approach to assess experimental cartilage damage in fetlock joint using Acoustic Emissions (AE). Objective: To evaluate the potential of AE technique in diagnosing OA and see how AE signals changes with increasing severity of OA. Methods: An in vitro experimental study. Methods: A total of 16 distal limbs (8 forelimbs and 8 hindlimbs) from six Finn horses...
Khumsap S, Clayton HM, Lanovaz JL.To measure the effect of subject velocity on hind limb ground reaction force variables at the walk and to use the data to predict the force variables at different walking velocities in horses. Methods: 5 clinically normal horses. Methods: Kinematic and force data were collected simultaneously. Each horse was led over a force plate at a range of walking velocities. Stance duration and force data were recorded for the right hind limb. To avoid the effect of horse size on the outcome variables, the 8 force variables were standardized to body mass and height at the shoulders. Velocity was standard...
Cornelissen BP, van Weeren PR, Ederveen AG, Barneveld A.Bone mineral density (BMD) and cross-sectional area (CSA), measured using peripheral quantitative computed tomography, were determined in the left third metacarpal bone (MCIII) and left medial proximal sesamoid bone (psb) in 3 differently exercised groups of foals. Group(box) (n = 14) was confined to a box stall from birth to age 5 months, Group(training) (n = 14) was kept in similar box stalls but additionally given a daily exercise programme consisting of an increasing number of gallop sprints and Group(pasture) (n = 15) remained at pasture. At 5 months of age, 8 foals from each group were r...
Graham-Thiers PM, Bowen LK.Feeding management in horses suggests feeding horses in advance of exercise, particularly the grain portion of the diet. Plasma amino acids () peak at 3 to 6 h postfeeding depending on the AA. The timeframe between feeding and exercise may affect the availability of AA during and after exercise. The purpose of this study was to observe the differences in plasma AA in horses fed prior to exercise or after exercise. Eight light type horses were fed a diet with adequate protein and AA for horses in light to moderate exercise. After an adjustment period, horses completed a standardized exercise te...
Greene EA, Hein W, Wickens CL, Smarsh DN.The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting stay-at-home directives, adopted out of necessity to protect human health, introduced significant challenges for horse owners and small equine businesses. Restricted access, and in many cases closure of barns, resulted in a multitude of questions and concerns within the equine community which needed to be addressed rapidly. Extension Horses, Inc. (EH) coordinated the development and delivery of a variety of educational resources utilizing a combination of online formats and dissemination through social media and EH member contact lists. A series of infograph...
Geser-von Peinen K, Latif SN, Wiestner T, Bitschnau C, Renk B, Weishaupt MA.With the intention of limiting the weight on horses' backs and guaranteeing maximal freedom of movement, commonly used racing saddles are small and have minimal cushioning. Poor saddle cushioning may limit performance or even affect soundness of the back. The aim of this study was to measure the pressure under an average racing saddle ridden by a jockey at racing speed. Saddle pressure using a medium-sized racing saddle (length 37 cm, weight 450 g) was measured in five actively racing Thoroughbred horses. All horses were trained at the same facility and ridden by their usual professional jocke...
Turk MA, Breeze RG, Gallina AM.The pathologic features of bronchiolitis were studied in horses and ponies from 30 minutes to 27 days after an oral dose of 3-methylindole (3MI). From 30 minutes to 3 hours, lesions were limited to nonciliated bronchiolar epithelial (Clara) cells, which lost apical caps and cytoplasmic granules and had dilated smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER). At 12 hours, necrotic Clara cells were exfoliated; degeneration and necrosis were evident, in bronchiolar ciliated cells. Rare epithelial cells with hyperplastic SER appeared on the denuded basal lamina at 24 hours. Inflammatory cells, epithelia, fibro...
Hemmann K, Ahonen S, Raekallio M, Vainio O, Lohi H.Crib-biting in horses is a stereotypic oral behaviour. Genetic susceptibility has been suggested on a causal basis, together with environmental factors such as stress, gastric discomfort and frustration caused by stall restrictions. This study aimed to test the associations of known or suspected stereotypic genes with equine crib-biting, including Ghrelin, Ghrelin receptor, Leptin, Dopamine receptor, μ-opioid receptor, N-cadherin, Serotonin receptor and Semaphorin. We conducted a candidate gene study with a case-control design, including 98 crib-biting and 135 control horses of two breeds, Fi...
Wiseman M, Henson F, Lee DA, Bader DL.Chondrocytes within articular cartilage respond to the mechanical stresses associated with normal joint loading via a series of signalling pathways. Specific biomolecules, such as nitric oxide (NO), have been implicated in these mechanotransduction processes. It has been shown that the synthesis of NO can be inhibited by dynamic compressive strain of chondrocytes in vitro which, in turn, leads to an up-regulation of specific metabolic parameters. Objective: Chondrocytes isolated from different joint locations and seeded in agarose constructs respond in a distinct manner to the application of d...
Chodkowska KA, Ciecierska A, Majchrzak K, Ostaszewski P, Sadkowski T.Gamma-oryzanol (GO) is a popular supplement for performance horses, dogs, and humans. Previous studies indicated that GO supplementation decreases creatine kinase activity and lactate level after exercise and may affect oxidative stress in Thoroughbred horses. GO may change genes expression in equine satellite cells (ESC). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of GO on miRNA, gene expression, oxidative stress, and cell damage and viability in differentiating ESC pretreated with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). ESCs were obtained from a young horse's skeletal muscle. ESCs were pre-i...
Chinkangsadarn T, Wilson GJ, Greer RM, Pollitt CC, Bird PS.A cadaver study to estimate the prevalence of dental disorders in horses presented at an abattoir in Queensland, Australia. Methods: Cadaver heads at a Queensland abattoir were examined for the presence of dental abnormalities and categorised into age groups. The prevalence of abnormalities was analysed by binomial observation of observed proportion, Pearson's Chi-square test or Fisher's exact correlation test. Strength of association was evaluated using Cramer's V test. Results: Heads from horses (n=400) estimated to be between 1 and 30 years of age were placed into four age groups. The most ...
Riveroll AL, Skyba-Lewin S, Lynn KD, Mubyeyi G, Abd-El-Aziz A, Kibenge FST, Kibenge MJT, Cohen AM, Esparza-Gonsalez B, McD￮ L, Montelpare WJ.Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) are used in tissue regeneration therapies. The objective of this study is to identify stable reference genes (RGs) for use in gene expression studies in a characterized equine adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell (EADMSC) differentiation model. ADSCs were differentiated into adipocytes (ADs) or osteoblasts (OBs), and the proteomes from these cells were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Proteins that were stably expressed in all three cells types were identified, and the mRNA expression stabilities for their corresponding genes were ...
Salau J, Hildebrandt F, Czycholl I, Krieter J.Sensors delivering information on the position of farm animals have been widely used in precision livestock farming. Global Positioning System (GPS) sensors are already known from applications in military, private and commercial environments, and their application in animal science is increasing. However, as trade-offs between sensor cost, battery life and sensor weight have to be made, GPS based studies scheduling long data collection periods and including a high number of animals, have to deal with problems like high hardware costs and data disruption during recharging of sensors. Furthermor...
Evans TJ.Ergopeptine alkaloid exposure is common in pregnant mares. Many mares live in geographic areas where Neotyphodium coenophialum-infected tall fescue is the dominant grass in pastures and hay. A variety of grasses and cereal grains can be infected by Claviceps purpurea, and fungal sclerotia can contaminate forage and especially ground and pelleted feed. An understanding of the endocrine alterations associated with ergopeptine alkaloid exposure during pregnancy is necessary for the diagnosis of potential exposure to these compounds and for eective prophylaxis and therapy.
Malark JA, Nixon AJ, Skinner KL, Mohammed H.Physical, biochemical, and cytologic properties of synovial fluid from digital flexor tendon sheaths of clinically normal horses were investigated. Tendon sheath fluid was pale yellow, clear, and did not clot. Volume of fluid within a tendon sheath varied minimally, with a mean of 2.11 ml. Total erythrocyte counts were higher than values observed in normal equine joint fluid, whereas values for total leukocyte count (770 +/- 73 cells/mm3), viscosity (6.05 +/- 0.58 cs), and protein concentration (7.87 +/- 0.03 mg/ml) were similar to those in joint fluid. Large mononuclear cells were the predomi...
Katz LM, Marr CM, Elliott J.Substance P (SP), a potent vasodilator, has been detected in equine digital sensory-motor nerves. The aim of the study was to characterise the functional responses of equine digital blood vessels to exogenous SP. Pre-constricted equine digital arteries (EDA) and veins (EDV) vasodilated in a biphasic, endothelium- and concentration-dependent manner to SP. A nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME; 300 microm) inhibited both phases of the relaxation response curve of EDAs to SP by >70%. In EDVs, the first relaxant phase to SP was largely...
Hervault M, Huys R, Buisson JC, Francheteau M, Siguier P, Zanone PG.In order to gauge the executive processes underlying adaptive behavior, a central criterion in psychology is the extent to which experimental findings generalize across response types. The latency of two major acts of control, action initiation and inhibition, was evaluated using a stop-signal paradigm with two response types, involving either a finger key-pressing or a wrist pen-swiping response. In both conditions, 40 participants were instructed to respond quickly to a GO stimulus but to cancel their responses when a STOP signal was presented, which occurred randomly in 25% of the trials. T...
Ventura E, Gadaj A, Buckley T, Mooney MH.Selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) are a group of anabolic enhancer drugs posing threats to the integrity of animal sports and the safety of animal-derived foods. The current research describes for the first time the development of a semi-quantitative assay for the monitoring of SARM family compounds in blood and establishes the relative stability of these analytes under various storage conditions prior to analysis. The presented screening method validation was performed in line with current EU legislation for the inspection of livestock and produce of animal origin, with detection...
Doyle A, Horgan NF.The aim of this study was to investigate veterinary surgeons' perceptions, knowledge and use of animal physiotherapy in the Republic of Ireland. A questionnaire was developed and sent to 200 veterinary surgeons, of which 97 were returned. Results indicated that 77 (79%) of respondents were aware of animal physiotherapists. Common sources of information included veterinary colleagues, owners and professional journals, with physiotherapists themselves and undergraduate training being less commonly cited. Awareness of animal physiotherapy was greatest amongst those working in equine practice (χ2...
Labadia A, Rivera L, Costa G, García-Sacristán A.The presence of both alpha and beta adrenergic receptors in the caudal third ureter of the horse were studied in vitro under isometric conditions using adrenergic agonist and antagonist drugs. Isoprenaline and the beta 2- stimulating agent, salbutamol, elicited relaxation of the ureter smooth muscle strips. The responses were not affected by the beta 1- blocking agent, practolol, but were totally abolished by propranolol and the beta 2- blocking agent, butoxamine. The stimulation of alpha-adrenergic receptors with noradrenaline and phenylephrine evoked a contractile effect which was totally in...
Lorenzo-Figueras M, Morisset SM, Morisset J, Lainé J, Merritt AM.To measure concentrations and activities of major digestive enzymes in healthy equine pancreatic tissue. Methods: 7 adult horses with normal pancreatic tissues. Methods: Small pieces of pancreatic tissue were collected immediately after euthanasia, immersed in liquid nitrogen, and maintained at -80 degrees C until analyzed. Concentrations and activities of amylase, lipase, chymotrypsin, trypsin, and elastase were determined by use of a microtiter technique. Relative pancreatic protein concentrations were determined by use of bovine serum albumin as the standard. Pancreatic DNA was extracted an...
Santamaría S, Bobbert ME, Back W, Barneveld A, van Weeren PR.To quantify variation in the jumping technique within and among young horses with little jumping experience, establish relationships between kinetic and kinematic variables, and identify a limited set of variables characteristic for detecting differences in jumping performance among horses. Methods: Fifteen 4-year-old Dutch Warmblood horses. Methods: The horses were raised under standardized conditions and trained in accordance with a fixed protocol for a short period. Subsequently, horses were analyzed kinematically during free jumping over a fence with a height of 1.05 m. Results: Within-hor...
Clarke LL, Roberts MC, Grubb BR, Argenzio RA.In ponies fed concentrated (pelleted) meals, postprandial increases of plasma aldosterone have been temporally associated with a decrease in colonic fluid volume that parallels the conclusion of postfeeding fermentation. To determine the significance of short-term increases of plasma aldosterone on the rate of colonic Na absorption, in vitro transport studies were conducted on the mucosae of three morphologically distinct colonic segments (i.e., ventral, dorsal, and small colons) from ponies infused with a high physiological concentration of aldosterone for an 8-h period. In control ponies, ba...
Townsend WM, Wasserman N, Jacobi S.Intraocular lenses (IOLs) have been implanted in adult equine eyes after cataract surgery. Foals and weanlings comprise a large proportion of those horses undergoing cataract surgery. Due to potential differences in the size and corneal curvature of the juvenile eye, it is not currently known whether implantation of adult IOLs is appropriate in foals and weanlings. The objective of the study was to measure the anterior chamber depth (ACD), central lens thickness (CLT), vitreous chamber depth (VCD), axial globe length (AGL) and corneal curvature of horses less than one year of age. The axial di...
Sainas G, Melis S, Corona F, Loi A, Ghiani G, Milia R, Tocco F, Marongiu E, Crisafulli A.The purpose of the present investigation was to study the metabolic demand and cardiovascular response during a typical horse riding session. Methods: To this aim, 19 (9 male, 10 female) riders, regularly participating in competitions, were enrolled. They underwent a preliminary, incremental exercise test on a cycle-ergometer to assess their anaerobic threshold (AT) and VO2max. Then, participants underwent a riding training session, which comprised periods of walking, trotting, and cantering for a total of 20 min. Oxygen uptake (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), and heart rate (HR) were...
Roth IT, Schielke B, Rensing M, Bernau M.To investigate differences in American Quarter Horses conformation suggesting specialization and subpopulations within the breed, a total of 45 horses were studied. These horses were classified according to their specific sport discipline: Western Pleasure (WPL, n = 15), Hunter under Saddle (HUS, n = 15), and Reining (RN, n = 15). Fifteen linear traits (comprising lengths, angles, and circumferences) were measured analogically and photometrically. Afterwards, 9 ratios and differences were calculated, so that a total of 24 traits were examined. The results showed significant differences between...
