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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.
[Equine motor neuron disease: a review based on a case report]. A 10-year-old, non-pregnant Dutch Warmblood mare was referred to the Department of Equine Science because of chronic weight loss, despite good appetite, and dullness. Clinical examination revealed muscle atrophy, trembling of the limb muscles, an abnormal stance in which all four limbs were placed under the body, and an abnormal low head carriage. The plasma vitamin E concentration was markedly decreased (0.2 mumol/l), the electromyographic (EMG) examination was consistent with denervation, and the oral glucose absorption test was below the reference value (40% increase over the resting glucos...
Training affects the collagen framework of subchondral bone in foals. Subchondral bone provides structural support to the overlying articular cartilage and plays an important role in osteochondral diseases. There is growing insight that the mechanical features of bone are related to the biochemistry of the collagen network. In this study the effect of exercise on water, calcium and the collagen network (total collagen, lysyl-hydroxylation, hydroxylysylpyridinoline, and lysylpyridinoline crosslinks) of subchondral bone at two differently loaded sites (site 1: intermittently loaded; site 2: constantly loaded) is investigated in foals. Exercise influenced calcium c...
The application of an indenter system to measure structural properties of articular cartilage in the horse. Suitability of the instrument and correlation with biochemical data. A recently developed indenter system that aims at determination of local structural properties of the cartilage surface was evaluated for suitability in the horse. To this aim, maximum indenter force was measured of the articular surface and related to biochemical characteristics of the cartilage at different sites of the distal metacarpal bone (MC). Significant topographical variation exists in structural properties of the articular surface of the MC. The dorsal margin showed a significantly lower maximum indenter force than more centrally located areas, indicating an increased compliance und...
Morphological characteristics and distribution of the autonomic and sensitive innervation of the prostate in some animal species. The sensitive and autonomic innervation of the prostate was studied in some mammals (rat, rabbit, horse, donkey and bull) using gold chloride impregnation. In all the species considered the gland was supplied with conspicuous innervation located in the thickness of the capsule and in trabeculae. The autonomic innervation was constituted by ganglion cells of different sizes (small, medium and large), isolated or in groups of large ganglia also, always located along the course of nerve bundles. The sensitive nervous component, placed more frequently in the most superficial layer of the capsule, ...
Aromatase gene expression in the stallion. Adult stallion secretes very high estrogen levels in its testicular vein and semen, and the responsible enzyme cytochrome P450 aromatase (P450 arom) is known to be present mainly in Leydig cells. We studied in further details the distribution of equine aromatase in various adult tissues including the brain (hypothalamic area), liver, kidney, small intestine, muscle, bulbourethral gland and testes. The aromatase mRNA was essentially detected by RT-PCR in testis (169+/-14 amol of aromatase mRNA per microg of total RNA) and was barely detectable in brain, or below 0.1 amol/microg RNA in other tis...
Effects of caffeine on locomotor activity of horses: determination of the no-effect threshold. Caffeine is the legal stimulant consumed most extensively by the human world population and may be found eventually in the urine and/or blood of race horses. The fact that caffeine is in foods led us to determine the highest no-effect dose (HNED) of caffeine on the spontaneous locomotor activity of horses and then to quantify this substance in urine until it disappeared. We built two behavioural stalls equipped with juxtaposed photoelectric sensors that emit infrared beams that divide the stall into nine sectors in a 'tic-tac-toe' fashion. Each time a beam was interrupted by a leg of the horse...
The surgical technique and the age of the horse both influence the outcome of mosaicplasty in a cadaver equine stifle model. Six pieces of grafts, 6.5 mm in diameter, 20 mm in length, were taken from each of 170 cadaver hindlimbs, using the cranial surface of the medial femoral trochlea for harvesting. The age of the horses varied between 4 months and 23 years. 30 limbs under the age of 12 years were selected for transplantation. Three of six grafts were transplanted into the medial femoral condyle using different combinations of tunnel depth and dilation. With ageing, a significant decline in transplantability was detected. In general, mosaicplasty cannot be recommended in horses above 11 years. Based on a previous...
Effects of ground surface deformability, trimming, and shoeing on quasistatic hoof loading patterns in horses. To determine whether solar load distribution pattern on a solid nondeformable ground surface is the product of contact erosion and is the mirror image of load distribution on a deformable surface in horses. Methods: 30 clinically normal horses. Methods: Solar load distribution was compared among 25 clinically normal horses during quasistatic loading on a solid nondeformable surface and on a highly deformable surface. Changes in solar load distribution patterns were evaluated in 5 previously pasture-maintained horses housed on a flat nondeformable surface. Changes in solar load distribution cre...
Effect of walking velocity on ground reaction force variables in the hind limb of clinically normal horses. 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...
Cytoarchitectonic study of the cerebral cortex in the horse brain–classification of the cortex area. A cytoarchitectural classification of the horse cerebral cortex was done to determine whether functional locations exist or not such as found in the human cerebral cortex. Two adult horse brains were examined by Nissl and myelin stained methods. Six cell layers of the cerebral cortex were identified and classified into five types areas based on the cytoarchitectural organization: agranular, frontal, parietal, polar and granulous types. The agranular type was seen around the gyrus sylvius. In layer V of the agranular type, there were the many large cells that seemed like Betz cells. This type w...
Effect of water supply method and flow rate on drinking behavior and fluid balance in horses. This study investigated three methods of water supply on drinking preference and behavior in six Standardbred geldings (2-9 years, 505+/-9 kg). The water sources were buckets (B), pressure valve (PV), and float valve (FV) bowls. In an initial drinking preference test, PV was tested at three flow rates: 3, 8, and 16 l/min (PV3, PV8, and PV16), and FV at 3 l/min (FV3). Water intake was measured in l and presented as the percentage of the total daily water intake from each of two simultaneously presented alternatives. The intake from PV8 was greater than from both PV3 (72+/-11% vs. 28+/-11%) and ...
Developmental anomalies and abnormalities of the equine iris. The iris is derived from interaction between neural crest tissue and the adjacent neuroectoderm of the optic cup. Developmental anomalies of the equine iris are common, and include congenital miosis, iris cysts, various manifestations of iris hypoplasia, heterochromia, and persistent pupillary membrane remnants. They may be found alone or in combination with other ocular defects.
Cochet-Bonnet aesthesiometer-determined corneal sensitivity in neonatal foals and adult horses. Corneal touch threshold (CTT) was measured in sick neonatal foals, healthy foals, and healthy adult horses with a Cochet-Bonnet aesthesiometer. The mean overall CTT for the adult horses, sick foals, and healthy foals was 4.82 +/- 0.87 cm, 3.21 +/- 0.24 cm, and 5.01 +/- 0.61 cm, respectively. The central cornea of adult horses was more sensitive than the limbal cornea. Corneal sensitivity was significantly reduced in sick neonatal foals compared to adults. The mean Schirmer I tear test values were significantly lower in foals than adults, and were 14.2 +/- 1.0 mm, 12.8 +/- 2.4 mm, and 18.3 +/- ...
Disease of the equine posterior segment. The appearance of the equine fundus is reviewed from the perspective of differentiating normal variations from disease, and the descriptions have been updated to include recently published ocular fundic abnormalities. Most pathological lesions are identified near the optic nerve head, and typically involve depigmentation or hyperpigmentation. Depending upon configuration and appearance, linear pigmented bands may reflect the course of the vortex veins, the transition from tapetal to nontapetal fundus, or indicate chorioretinitis or equine motor neuron disease. Choroidal vasculature is readily ...
The effect of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog, buserelin, on pregnancy rates in horse and pony mares. We conducted a series of trials over a four-year period on a total of 2,346 mares, to determine the effect of a single dose of the GnRH analog buserelin (20 to 40 microg i.m. or s.c.) on pregnancy rates when given between 8 and 12 days after service. Although there were some statistically significant improvements in pregnancy rates in individual trials, meta-analysis of the data overall showed significant improvements at all times examined, i.e. 13 to 16, 19 to 23, 28 to 31 and 38 to 42 days after service. These results indicate that treatment of mares with 20 to 40 microg buserelin between Da...
Functional and computer modelling studies of haemoglobin from horse. The haemoglobin system of the Sardinian wild dwarf horse. A study was made of the haemoglobin (Hb) system from the Sardinian dwarf horse (Equus caballus jara), one of the last surviving wild horse species in Europe. The oxygen binding properties of the whole haemolysate and of the four different horse Hbs, separated by ion-exchange chromatography, were studied with special regard to the effect of chloride, 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and lactate. Results indicate that no significant functional differences exist between the four Hb components of horse haemolysate. Moreover, the molecular basis of the intrinsically low oxygen affinity and of the weak intera...
[Supplemental fat in the diet of horses…is it advantageous?]. Feeding fat-supplemented diets to horses has drawn considerable interest. One of the advantages of such diets is that the energy density is increased, so that less feed is needed to meet energy requirements. In addition, adding fat to the diet enhances the contribution of fat oxidation to energy production, thus sparing muscle glycogen. The 'spared' glycogen is available for energy metabolism when the acutely exercising horse reaches a point of oxygen deficit and must rely on anaerobic metabolism. This appears to be beneficial for both aerobic and anaerobic performance. Fats are readily digest...
DH82 cells: a macrophage cell line for the replication and study of equine infectious anemia virus. In vivo, tissue macrophages have been implicated as an important cell for the replication of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV). Laboratory investigations of EIAV/macrophage interactions, however, have been hampered by the laborious blood monocyte isolation procedures. In addition, adherent equine macrophage cultures generally have poor long-term viability and are resistant to transfection. This report describes an adherent canine macrophage-like cell line, DH82, that supports the replication of EIAV. This cell line was easily transfectable and supported EIAV Tat transactivation of the LTR....
Opioidergic inhibition of luteinising hormone and prolactin release changes during pregnancy in pony mares. In equine species, luteinising hormone (LH) and prolactin (PRL) release are reduced throughout pregnancy but increase at foaling. The present experiments were designed to study a possible opioidergic regulation of LH and PRL release in pregnant Shetland mares (n=6). At various stages of pregnancy (days 26.4+/-0.6, 75.4+/-5.4, 171.8+/-2.4, 226.2+/-4.8, 282.7+/-3.4 and 319.8+/-2.1), mares were injected with the opioid antagonist naloxone (0.5 mg/kg body weight) and saline. The two treatments were always separated by 2 days, and mares served as their own controls. Two hours after being given nalo...
Characterization of expressed sequence tags generated from skin cDNA clones of Equus caballus by single pass sequencing. A cDNA library was built using RNA extracted from the skin tissue of an adult horse. The library was primed with oligo (dT) and sequences were directionally inserted in order to produce an expression library. The library has 5.8X 10(5) plaque forming units with 99.6% recombinant phage. The average insert size is 1.3 Kbp. Three hundred and thirteen expressed sequence tags (ESTs) were generated from sequencing of the 5 prime end of randomly selected skin cDNA clones. The ESTs were sequenced on an ABI 377 using Big-Dye chemistry. A similarity search was performed on each EST using the NCBI non-re...
Uterocalin, a lipocalin provisioning the preattachment equine conceptus: fatty acid and retinol binding properties, and structural characterization. The equine conceptus is surrounded by a fibrous capsule that persists until about day 20 of pregnancy, whereupon the capsule is lost, the conceptus attaches to the endometrium and placentation proceeds. Before attachment, the endometrium secretes in abundance a protein of the lipocalin family, uterocalin. The cessation of secretion coincides with the end of the period during which the conceptus is enclosed in its capsule, suggesting that uterocalin is essential for the support of the embryo before direct contact between maternal and foetal tissues is established. Using recombinant protein and ...
Comparison of inulin with urea as dilutional markers of bronchoalveolar lavage in healthy and heaves-affected horses. Solute analysis in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid involves the use of dilutional markers to correct for variable recovery of pulmonary epithelial lining fluid (PELF). Urea is the best characterised endogenous marker, whereas inulin appears to meet the requirements of an exogenous marker. In horses, the use of inulin has never been investigated and the impact of lower airway diseases such as heaves, on PELF recovery is unknown. In this study, five healthy and five heaves-affected horses underwent airway endoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage. PELF recovery from bronchoalveolar lavage was calculated...
Effect of prior high-intensity exercise on exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia in Thoroughbred horses. Strenuously exercising horses exhibit arterial hypoxemia and exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), the latter resulting from stress failure of pulmonary capillaries. The present study was carried out to examine whether the structural changes in the blood-gas barrier caused by a prior bout of high-intensity short-term exercise capable of inducing EIPH would affect the arterial hypoxemia induced during a successive bout of exercise performed at the same workload. Two sets of experiments, double- and single-exercise-bout experiments, were carried out on seven healthy, sound Thoroughbred h...
Confocal microscopy of germinal vesicle-stage equine oocytes. The objectives were to compare cumulus type with nucleus form in equine cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs), to define the percentage of germinal vesicle (GV)-stage oocytes within a population of mares, and to further define GV nucleus shapes of equine oocytes. Cumulus types were as follows: 1) compact (56/208, 26.9%), 2) slightly expanded (37/208, 17.8%), 3) moderately expanded (27/208, 13.0%), 4) greatly expanded (15/208, 7.2%), or 5) denuded (73/208, 35.1%). One hundred thirty of 208 COCs (62.5%) were GV-stage, 21/208 (10.1%) were condensed chromatin-stage, 8/208 (3.8%) were polar body-stage, 4...
Increasing culture time from 48 to 96 or 144 hours increases the proportions of equine cumulus oocyte complexes with negative or fragmented nucleus morphology. The objective was to test the hypothesis that increasing equine oocyte culture time from 48 to 96 or 144 h increases nucleus maturation of equine oocytes. The hypothesis was not supported because condensed chromatin-stage oocytes decreased (P<0.01) from 33/126 (26.2%) at 48 h or 34/95 (35.8%) at 96 h to 11/117 (9.4%) at 144 h, and polar body-stage oocytes decreased (P<0.01) from 65/126 (51.6%) at 48 h to 25/95 (26.3%) at 96 h and (P<0.01) to 1/117 (0.9%) at 144 h. Negative (non-staining) oocytes increased (P<0.01) from 16/126 (12.7%) at 48 h or 15/95 (15.8%) at 96 h to 39/117 (33.3%) at 144 h....
