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Topic:Equine Science
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.
Combustion of horse manure for heat production. The main objectives of this paper have been to evaluate the use of horse manure and wood-shavings as a fuel for heat production and to provide sets of data on the chemical composition, ash characteristics and ash forming elements of the fuel. Another objective has been to investigate the possibility to use the ash as fertiliser by analysing the heavy metal and nutrient contents. The results showed that the fuel is well suited for combustion for heat production causing low emissions of products of incomplete combustion. The emissions of NO(x) were however high due to the high content of fuel bo...
Characterization of the magic angle effect in the equine deep digital flexor tendon using a low-field magnetic resonance system. Three isolated equine limbs were imaged with a low-field magnetic resonance system with a vertical magnetic field. Each limb was scanned in multiple positions with mild variation of the angle between the magnetic field and the long axis of the limb. When the long axis of the limb was not perpendicular to the magnetic field, a linear hyperintense signal was present at the palmar aspect of one of the deep digital flexor tendon lobes, at the level of the navicular bone and collateral sesamoidean ligaments, in proton density and T1-weighted pulse sequences. With increased angulation of the limb, t...
Effect of loading on the organization of the collagen fibril network in juvenile equine articular cartilage. We investigated the effects of exercise-induced loading on the collagen network of equine articular cartilage. Collagen fibril architecture at a site (1) subjected to intermittent high-intensity loading was compared with that of an adjacent site (2) sustaining continuous low-level load. From horses exposed to forced exercise (CONDEX group) or not (PASTEX group), the spatial parallelism of fibrils and the orientation angle between fibrils and the surface at depths 9 microm apart through cartilage from surface to tidemark were determined using polarized light microscopy, and expressed as paralle...
Gene expression markers of tendon fibroblasts in normal and diseased tissue compared to monolayer and three dimensional culture systems. There is a paucity of data regarding molecular markers that identify the phenotype of the tendon cell. This study aims to quantify gene expression markers that distinguish between tendon fibroblasts and other mesenchymal cells which may be used to investigate tenogenesis. Methods: Expression levels for 12 genes representative of musculoskeletal tissues, including the proposed tendon progenitor marker scleraxis, relative to validated reference genes, were evaluated in matched samples of equine tendon (harvested from the superficial digital flexor tendon), cartilage and bone using quantitative P...
Equine cytochrome P450 2C92: cDNA cloning, expression and initial characterization. Substantial gaps exist in our knowledge of the metabolic clearance of therapeutic agents in horses. Accordingly, a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase in the 2C family was cloned from an equine liver, sequenced and expressed in a baculovirus expression system. Catalytic activities of the recombinant protein were measured with a number of substrates. The protein, assigned CYP2C92, displayed optimal catalytic activity with diclofenac using molar ratios of CYP2C92 to NADPH CYP450 reductase of 1:18. Addition of cytochrome b(5) to diclofenac incubations had no significant effect on metabolic turnover. CY...
A multifrequency HYSCORE study of weakly coupled nuclei in frozen solutions of high-spin aquometmyoglobin. In this work, we show the extreme power of multifrequency HYSCORE (hyperfine sublevel correlation spectroscopy) techniques to unravel the hyperfine interactions of the electron spin with the remote nuclei in the heme site of high-spin ferric heme proteins. Horse heart aquo-metmyoglobin was used as a model system to demonstrate the power of these techniques. Experimental evidence was collected and assigned to protons of the proximal histidine ligand, to the mesoprotons of the heme ligand, and to two different protons of the distal water ligand. The latter difference relates to the stabilization...
Biological and anatomical evidence for kisspeptin regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis of estrous horse mares. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of kisspeptin (KiSS) on LH and FSH secretion in the seasonally estrous mare and to examine the distribution and connectivity of GnRH and KiSS neurons in the equine preoptic area (POA) and hypothalamus. The diestrous mare has a threshold serum gonadotropin response to iv rodent KiSS decapeptide (rKP-10) administration between 1.0 and 500 microg. Administration of 500 microg and 1.0 mg rKP-10 elicited peak, mean, and area under the curve LH and FSH responses indistinguishable to that of 25 microg GnRH iv, although a single iv injection...
The effect of hippotherapy on functional outcomes for children with disabilities: a pilot study. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of hippotherapy on functional outcomes using the Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) for children with physical disabilities.Methods: Participants included 4 children aged 5 to 9 years with physical impairments and/or documented motor delays. Individual measurable objectives were developed using the GAS for each child. Data were collected on each child every other week throughout the baseline and intervention phase over 1 year using a multiple single case experimental A-B design.Results: Three of the 4 children had a significant improvement ...
Circadian intraocular pressure rhythms in athletic horses under different lighting regime. The present study was undertaken to investigate the existence of intraocular pressure (IOP) rhythms in athletic thoroughbred horses maintained under a 24 h cycle of light and darkness (LD) or under constant light (LL) or constant dark (DD) conditions. We identified an IOP circadian rhythm that is entrained to the 24 h LD cycle. IOP was low during the dark phase and high during the light phase, with a peak at the end of the light phase (ZT10). The circadian rhythm of IOP persisted in DD (with a peak at CT9.5), demonstrating an endogenous component in IOP rhythm. As previously shown in other mam...
Complications associated with equine arthroscopy. Arthroscopic complications are infrequent but when they occur can cause significant morbidity in the equine patient. This article reviews intraoperative and postoperative complications along with ways to avoid them. Additionally, therapeutic methods of managing these complications also are discussed.
Complications of unilateral weight bearing. The most common and significant complication of excessive unilateral weight bearing in adult horses is support limb laminitis. Young horses with unilateral lameness problems develop support limb laminitis infrequently compared with adult horses.
Complications in equine anesthesia. General anesthesia of horses entails considerable risk of morbidity and mortality. A large-scale, multicenter study reported that the death rate from non-colic-related anesthetics was 0.9%, while the perianesthetic mortality rate at a single, busy equine surgical practice was somewhat more favorable, at 0.12%. While any perianesthetic death is devastating, mortality figures alone do not reflect the overall morbidity of equine anesthesia in terms of nonterminal events or injuries related to recovery. In some circumstances, recognition of perianesthetic complications may allow appropriate interv...
Analysis of local spread of equine influenza in the Park Ridge region of Queensland. In 2007, an incursion of equine influenza (EI) occurred in Australia. Accurate maps of property boundaries were used to examine the pattern and mechanism of local spread of EI. This study focussed on a cluster of infected premises (IPs) at Park Ridge, a peri-urban suburb 26 km south of Brisbane, Queensland. The cluster recorded 437 IPs and 81% of these were not contiguous to a previously IP. The mean distance from each new IP to the closest previous IP was 0.85 +/- 1.50 km with a range of 0.01-12.94 km. Eighty-two percent of new IPs were within 1 km of a previous IP. The spatial mean for each ...
Characterization of equine adipose tissue-derived progenitor cells before and after cryopreservation. In horses, stem cell therapies are a promising tool to the treatment of many injuries, which are common consequences of athletic endeavor, resulting in high morbidity and often compromising the performance. In spite of many advantages, the isolation of stem cells similar to human, from equine adipose tissue, occurred only recently. The aim of this study was to isolate equine adipose tissue-derived progenitor cells (eAT-PC), to characterize their proliferative potential, and to study their differentiation capacity before and after cryopreservation. The cells, isolated from horse adipose tissue,...
Hyperactivation of stallion sperm is required for successful in vitro fertilization of equine oocytes. Capacitation is a complex and not well-understood process that encompasses all the molecular changes sperm must undergo to successfully fertilize an oocyte. In vitro fertilization has remained elusive in the horse, as evidenced by low in vitro fertilization (IVF) rates (0%-33%); moreover, only two foals have ever been produced using IVF. Incubation of stallion sperm in modified Whittens supplemented with bovine serum albumin and sodium bicarbonate yielded significant rates of time-dependent protein tyrosine phosphorylation and induced acrosomal exocytosis, consistent with capacitation. The obj...
Determination of internal control for gene expression studies in equine tissues and cell culture using quantitative RT-PCR. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has become a basic, reliable and sensitive modern technique, in both biological research and clinical diagnosis, for investigation of gene expression and validation of cDNA microarray analysis. Accurate mRNA quantification using quantitative RT-PCR commonly requires data normalization through stable housekeeping genes (HKGs). Selection of HKGs for data normalization is critical for accurate mRNA quantification. Our objective was to evaluate a set of candidate HKGs as internal controls for gene expression studies using quanti...
Morphological characterization and meiotic competence of oocytes collected from filly ovaries. The effect of filly age on morphology of the ovaries, collected oocytes and their capacity for in vitro maturation (IVM) was examined. The ovaries of slaughtered fillies were classified into three groups, according to filly age: (I) <10 month old (<10MF); (II) approximately 1 year old (1YF); and (III) approximately 1.5 year old (1.5YF). The ovaries of mares were used as a control group. Ovarian morphology and collected oocytes were evaluated. Only oocytes with expanded (Ex) and compact (Cm) cumuli were used for IVM. In <10MF, 1YF, 1.5YF and mare groups, corpora lutea were found in the...
The relationship between consecutive pregnancies in Thoroughbred mares. Does the location of one pregnancy affect the location of the next, is this affected by mare age and foal heat to conception interval or related to pregnancy success. Delayed uterine involution is a major cause of early reproductive failure in mares. Involution is affected by mare age, and foaling to covering interval. Involution rates vary between the previously non-gravid horn (PNGH), which recovers the quicker, and the previously gravid horn (PGH). Location of a pregnancy and its likely success may, therefore, be affected by its location relative to the previous pregnancy. This study aimed to determine: (i) the location of concepti in consecutive pregnancies; (ii) whether this varies with mare age or foaling to conception interval; (iii) whether location...
Colloidal centrifugation with Androcoll-E prolongs stallion sperm motility, viability and chromatin integrity. The objective was to investigate the changes in stallion sperm quality (sperm motility, viability, membrane integrity and chromatin integrity) occurring during cool storage, and to study the effect of sperm selection by single layer colloidal centrifugation on these parameters of sperm quality. Spermatozoa from 3 stallions (10 ejaculates, 3-4 per stallion) were selected by centrifugation through a single layer of colloid (SLC). The resulting sperm preparations and the control samples (extended but unselected semen samples) were stored at 5 degrees C for 48h. Assessments of sperm quality, such ...
Pharmacokinetics of carbetocin, a long-acting oxytocin analogue, following intravenous administration in horses. Current therapy protocols to treat persistent post mating endometritis and retained fetal membranes in mares typically include the administration of ecbolic drugs. Evaluation of the pharmacokinetics and tolerability of carbetocin, a long-acting oxytocin analogue, after i.v. administration is required. Objective: To determine the pharmacokinetic parameters (principally half-life) of carbetocin in horses. Methods: Five mature mares and one gelding received 0.175 mg carbetocin i.v. All animals were monitored periodically throughout the study for elevation in rectal temperature, heart rate, respir...
Diagnostic accuracy of digital photography and image analysis for the measurement of foot conformation in the horse. Rigorous evaluation of practicable methods for the objective assessment of foot conformation has not been performed. Objective: To assess the practicability, precision and accuracy of the process of obtaining measurements of horses' feet using photography and image processing software. Methods: Precision study: Lateral photographs of horses' feet were obtained twice by 2 veterinary surgeons (image acquisition - IAc). Photographs were analysed by 2 masked veterinary surgeons on 2 occasions (image analysis - IAn). Measurements were compared within and between operators for self and non-self acqu...
Histological and ultrastructural evidence that recurrent laryngeal neuropathy is a bilateral mononeuropathy limited to recurrent laryngeal nerves. Recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) is a common and debilitating peripheral nerve disease of horses, but it remains unclear if this disease is a mono- or polyneuropathy. An understanding of the distribution of the neuropathological lesions in RLN affected horses is fundamental to studying the aetiology of this very significant disease of tall horses. Objective: To determine whether RLN should be classified as a mono- or polyneuropathy. Methods: Multiple long peripheral nerves and their innervated muscles were examined systematically in 3 clinically affected RLN horses Results: Severe lesions ...
OB-cadherin cloning and expression in a model of wound repair in horses. Horses suffer from a debilitating impediment in repairing wounds located on the lower limb that leads to the development of a fibroproliferative disorder (exuberant granulation tissue). This condition is a source of wastage since it often forces retirement from competition. Treatments that resolve or prevent this condition are still lacking, maybe due to deficient knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanisms. Fibroblast-to-myofibroblast conversion is an essential step allowing contraction during wound repair and is accompanied by an increase in OB-cadherin expression. Objective: To clone e...
Accuracy of the TurfTrax Racing Data System for determination of equine speed and position. The speed and position data collected by TurfTrax Racing Data Limited during UK Thoroughbred racing have potential to benefit equine science and welfare. The size (the 2006 data set alone consists of 30,932 individual horse starts across 2667 races) and nature (speed and 2D position for each horse at 4 updates per second) of the data make it a unique resource for questions in equine safety, welfare, performance, and animal locomotion. Objective: To determine the accuracy of the TurfTrax tracking system in estimating the speed and position of horses during racing. Methods: Measurements from the...
Cytoplasmic lipid droplets and mitochondrial distribution in equine oocytes: Implications on oocyte maturation, fertilization and developmental competence after ICSI. Lipid droplets (LDs) and mitochondria in the ooplasm are essential for energy production required for maturation, fertilization and embryo development. This study investigates the correlations between cytoplasmic LDs polar aggregation and: (1) nuclear maturation (Experiment 1); (2) mitochondrial (mt) distribution pattern and localization (Experiment 2); (3) fertilization and embryonic development after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI; Experiment 3) in equine oocytes recovered from slaughtered mares and matured in vitro. Morphologically normal oocytes were selected after culture and cate...
Cartilage collagen matrix reorientation and displacement in response to surface loading. An investigation of collagen fiber reorientation, as well as fluid and matrix movement of equine articular cartilage and subchondral bone under compressive mechanical loads, was undertaken using small angle X-ray scattering measurements and optical microscopy. Small angle X-ray scattering measurements were made on healthy and diseased samples of equine articular cartilage and subchondral bone mounted in a mechanical testing apparatus on station ID18F of ESRF, Grenoble, together with fiber orientation analysis using polarized light and displacement measurements of the cartilage matrix and fluid...
