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.
Rogers CW, Gee EK, Dittmer KE.Within the lay literature, and social media in particular, there is often debate about the age at which a horse should be started and introduced to racing or sport. To optimize the welfare and longevity of horses in racing and sport, it is important to match exercise with musculoskeletal development and the ability of the musculoskeletal system to respond to loading. The justification for not exercising horses at a certain age is often in contrast to the scientific literature and framed, with incorrect generalizations, with human growth. This review provides a relative comparison of the growth...
Carvalho JRG, Conde G, Antonioli ML, Santana CH, Littiere TO, Dias PP, Chinelatto MA, Canola PA, Zara FJ, Ferraz GC.In horses, there is an increasing interest in developing long-lasting drug formulations, with biopolymers as viable carrier alternatives in addition to their use as scaffolds, suture threads, screws, pins, and plates for orthopedic surgeries. This communication focuses on the prolonged biocompatibility and biodegradation of PLA, prepared by hot pressing at 180 °C. Six samples were implanted subcutaneously on the lateral surface of the neck of one horse. The polymers remained implanted for 24 to 57 weeks. Physical examination, plasma fibrinogen, and the mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT) w...
de Oliveira Bussiman F, Carvalho RSB, E Silva FF, Ventura RV, Ferraz JBS, Mattos EC, Eler JP, Balieiro JCC.Multitrait models can increase the accuracy of breeding value prediction and reduce bias due to selection by using traits measured before and after it has occurred. However, as the number of traits grows, a similar trend is expected for the number of parameters to be estimated, which directly affects the computing power and the amount of data required. The aim of the present study was to apply reduced rank (principal components model-PCM) and factor analytical models (FAM), to estimate (co)variance components for nineteen traits, jointly evaluated in a single analysis in Campolina horses. A to...
Journal of biomechanicsNovember 27, 2021
Volume 130 110888 doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110888
Shaffer SK, Shelly K, Garcia TC, Samol MA, Hill AE, Fyhrie DP, Stover SM.Proximal sesamoid bone (PSB) fractures in racehorses are likely fatigue fractures that occur due to repetitive loads and stress remodeling. The loading circumstances that may induce damage in the PSBs are not well understood. The goal of this study was to determine in three-dimensions, PSB motions relative to the opposing metacarpal condyle during simulated mid-stance loads. Seven equine cadaveric forelimbs were axially loaded in a material testing system to simulate standing and mid-stance walk, trot, and gallop load conditions (1.8-10.5 kN). Joint angles were determined by tracking the posit...
Drews B, Milojevic V, Robles M, Wimel L, Dubois C, Rudolf Vegas A, Giller K, Chavatte-Palmer P, Daniel H, Giesbertz P, Bruckmaier RM, Ulbrich SE.Female mammalian reproductive functions are closely linked to body condition and metabolic status. Energy homeostasis is regulated by endocrine hormones such as insulin, IGF-I, leptin, and adiponectin via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. These metabolic hormones and their receptors are also expressed in reproductive tissues and the embryo. We investigated the relationship between circulating leptin and the fatty acid (FA) and amino acid (AA) composition of the equine uterine fluid (UF) and peripheral blood plasma (BP) by using a mass spectrometry-based approach. UF and BP were collecte...
Mühlemann S, Leandri M, Risberg ÅI, Spadavecchia C.The nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) is used to investigate nociception in horses. The NWR threshold is a classical model endpoint. The aims of this study were to determine NWR tolerance and to compare threshold and tolerance reflexes in horses. In 12 horses, the NWR was evoked through electrical stimulation of the digital nerve and recorded via electromyography from the deltoid. Behavioral reactions were scored from 0 to 5 (tolerance). First, the individual NWR threshold was defined, then stimulation intensity was increased to tolerance. The median NWR threshold was 7.0 mA, whereas NWR tol...
Doll CU, Niebert S, Burk J.Tendon lesions are common sporting injuries in humans and horses alike. The healing process of acute tendon lesions frequently results in fibrosis and chronic disease. In horses, local mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) injection is an accepted therapeutic strategy with positive influence on acute lesions. Concerning the use of MSCs in chronic tendon disease, data are scarce but suggest less therapeutic benefit. However, it has been shown that MSCs can have a positive effect on fibrotic tissue. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the interplay of MSCs and healthy or chronically diseased tendon matrix...
Philip M, Karakka Kal AK, Subhahar MB, Karatt TK, Mathew B, Perwad Z.Performance-enhancing substances and methods have become a serious problem in competitive sports. The hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) stabilizers can enhance the organism's capacity for molecular oxygen transport and are likely to be abused as performance-enhancing agents in sports. This paper describes the metabolic conversion of the popular hypoxia inducible factor-prolyl hydroxylase (HIF-PH) inhibitors, namely, daprodustat, desidustat, and vadadustat using equine liver microsomes, determined on a QExactive high-resolution mass spectrometer. During this study, a total of 10 metabolites for da...
Bugno-Poniewierska M, Kij-Mitka B, Podstawski Z, Długosz B, Lasek O, Mrowiec P, Tischner M.The use of frozen semen lowers the risk of disease transmission, eliminates geographical limitations and supports the implementation of genetic resource protection programs. However, due to the very rare use of frozen semen from Hutsul stallions, their genetic material is not secured in sperm banks, and very little information is available about their semen, including its suitability for cryopreservation, and sperm survival rates after thawing. The aim of this study was to analyse basic parameters such as sperm motility, vitality and morphology in diluted-stored and post-thawed Hutsul semen, u...
Shorten PR, Legacki EL, Chavatte-Palmer P, Conley AJ.Hormone secretion by the maternal ovaries, trophoblast/placenta and fetus occurs sequentially, creating distinct steroid metabolomic 'signatures' in systemic blood of pregnant mares that vary with gestational stage. Algorithms were developed to predict the gestational day (GD) from the maternal steroid metabolome (nine steroids; pregnenolone (P5), progesterone (P4), 5α-dihydroprogesterone (DHP), 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, allopregnanolone, 20α-hydroxy-DHP, 3β,20α-dihydroxy-DHP, DHEA and androstenedione) determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) of eight thoroug...
Horan K, Kourdache K, Coburn J, Day P, Carnall H, Harborne D, Brinkley L, Hammond L, Millard S, Lancaster B, Pfau T.Horseshoes influence how horses' hooves interact with different ground surfaces, during the impact, loading and push-off phases of a stride cycle. Consequently, they impact on the biomechanics of horses' proximal limb segments and upper body. By implication, different shoe and surface combinations could drive changes in the magnitude and stability of movement patterns in horse-jockey dyads. This study aimed to quantify centre of mass (COM) displacements in horse-jockey dyads galloping on turf and artificial tracks in four shoeing conditions: 1) aluminium; 2) barefoot; 3) GluShu; and 4) steel. ...
Amado-Fuentes M, Gozalo M, Garcia-Gomez A, Barrios-Fernandez S.People with disabilities due to genetic origin often present high levels of stress: non-pharmacological interventions such as Equine-Assisted Interventions (EAI) may be a useful strategy. The objective of this pilot study was to evaluate stress levels in two participants with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome diagnosis, immediately after carrying out the EAI. A single case experimental design methodology was chosen due to the small sample size. Two participants with 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome, a rare disease, with different comorbidities were included. The present study considered the EAI as the indepe...
Orsolini MF, Meyers SA, Dini P.As the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and in vitro embryo production (IVP) expand in the equine industry, it has become necessary to further our understanding of available semen selection techniques. This segment of our two-section review will focus on the selection of spermatozoa based on quality and sex for equine intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), as well as current and future developments in sperm sorting technologies. Ultimately, novel methods of semen selection will be assessed based on their efficacy in other species and their relevance and future application towa...
Delcourt V, Garcia P, Pottier I, Mansoibou N, Bache N, Glavieux Y, Chabot B, Perot I, André F, Loup B, Barnabé A, Popot MA, Bailly-Chouriberry L.Synthetic androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS) are banned compounds and considered as major threats by both racing and sports international authorities. Hence, doping control laboratories are continually looking into analytical improvements to increase their detection capabilities, notably by means of emerging technologies. To enhance analytical performances for the detection of synthetic AAS such as stanozolol, specific chromatographic procedures have been developed using recent quaternary liquid chromatography technology originally designed for high-throughput standardized proteomics connected...
Fortin-Trahan R, Lemirre T, Santschi EM, Janes JG, Richard H, Fogarty U, Beauchamp G, Girard CA, Laverty S.There is a knowledge gap about how equine MFC subchondral radiolucencies (SR) arise and evolve. Osteoclasts are believed to have a role but have not been studied in situ. Objective: To measure and compare osteoclast density and the percentage of chondroclasts in healthy and MFC SR specimens from juvenile Thoroughbreds. Methods: Cadaveric study. Methods: Medial femoral condyles (MFC) from a tissue bank of equine stifles were studied. Inclusion criteria were MFCs (≤8 months old) with a computed tomography SR lesion and histological focal failure of endochondral ossification (L group). Contral...
Luethy D.Treatment of equine laminitis continues to be a challenge despite recent advancements in knowledge of the pathophysiology of laminitis. With more evidence supporting its use, distal limb hypothermia or cryotherapy has become a standard of care for both prevention of laminitis and treatment of the early stages of acute laminitis. Recent studies have demonstrated that cryotherapy reduces the severity of sepsis-related laminitis and hyperinsulinemic laminitis in experimental models and reduces the incidence of laminitis in clinical colitis cases. This article reviews the recent literature support...
Lagos J, Rojas M, Tadich T.Suitability and physical attributes of working mules are important features that can affect management, performance, and welfare. The aim of this study was to assess the morphology of working mules used in the Chilean army and determine if they adjust to soldier's preference and perceptions of their ideal pack mule. A total of 16 morphometric traits were measured per mule and six morphofunctional indexes calculated in 60 mules. Perception and preferences for the ideal mule in 73 soldiers was assessed through a questionnaire. The questionnaire included one closed-ended question where the ideal ...
Bras R, Morrison S.A healthy foot requires a well-balanced foot capable of shock absorption, traction, and normal proprioception. Radiographs and venograms are helpful in assessing health of the external and internal structures of the foot and in early diagnosis. Other techniques to assess foot mechanics include force plate and inertial sensors. When foot pathology ensues, early recognition and emergency mechanical treatment can improve prognosis and overall outcome. Sheared heels, under-run heels, and clubfeet are common problems that need to be corrected early. Successful management and results require he vete...
Giannetto C, Acri G, Giudice E, Arfuso F, Testagrossa B, Piccione G.Raman spectroscopy is an inelastic light-scattering phenomenon that provides vibrational spectrum that contains information relative to chemical bonds and symmetry of a specific molecule, allowing the quali-quantitative simultaneous determination of several components in the biological fluids. Raman spectroscopy measurement returns a spectrum over a wavenumber range constituted by several bands representing biomarkers according to investigated biological matrices. In literature, it has been reported that at the frequencies inside the (1,300-1,360) cm total lipids, and tryptophan have been iden...
Rudolf Vegas A, Podico G, Canisso IF, Bollwein H, Almiñana C, Bauersachs S.During the period of maternal recognition of pregnancy (MRP) in the mare, the embryo needs to signal its presence to the endometrium to prevent regression of the corpus luteum and prepare for establishment of pregnancy. This is achieved by mechanical stimuli and release of various signaling molecules by the equine embryo while migrating through the uterus. We hypothesized that embryo's signals induce changes in the endometrial gene expression in a highly cell type-specific manner. A spatiotemporal transcriptomics approach was applied combining laser capture microdissection and low-input-RNA se...
Kwak YB, Yu J, Im EJ, Jeong BS, Yoo HH.Cobalt is a substance that has been abused for athletic performance enhancement and has thus been prohibited by human and animal sports doping control authorities. However, because cobalt is present in humans and animals as a trace element, a certain level of cobalt is naturally present in their excretions. In the racing industry, cobalt is a controlled substance with a threshold concentration specified by the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering (IABRW) for international harmonization. Due to environmental and feed consumption differences among countries, regional cobalt c...
Bou T, Han H, Mongke T, Zhao R, La X, Ding W, Jia Z, Liu H, Tiemuqier A, An T, Dugarjaviin M, Bai D.The heterogeneity and plasticity of muscle fibers are essential for the athletic performance of horses, mainly at the adaption of exercises and the effect on muscle diseases. Skeletal muscle fibers can be generally distinguished by their characteristics of contraction as slow and fast type myofibers. The diversity of contractile properties and metabolism enable skeletal muscles to respond to the variable functional requirements. We investigated the muscle fiber composition and metabolic enzyme activities of splenius muscle and gluteus medius muscle from Mongolian horses. The deep RNA-seq analy...
Bailey E, Petersen JL, Kalbfleisch TS.Thoroughbred horses have been selected for racing performance for more than 400 years. Despite continued selection, race times have not improved significantly during the past 60 years, raising the question of whether genetic variation for racing performance still exists. Studies using phenotypes such as race time, money earned, and handicapping, however, demonstrate that there is extensive variation within these traits and that they are heritable. Even so, these are poor measures of racing success since Thoroughbreds race at different ages and distances and on different types of tracks, and so...
Thompson RE, Meyers MA, Pukazhenthi BS, Hollinshead FK.Reproductive diseases in mares are a significant cause of subfertility and profound economic loss in the equine industry. Utilizing a 3D in vitro cell culture system that recapitulates the in vivo physiology will reduce time, cost, and welfare concerns associated with in vivo reproductive research in mares. If this 3D model is combined with effective cryopreservation, reproductive research on mares can occur year-round, which is not currently possible in this seasonal species. Endometrial organoids, 3D in vitro cell clusters that exhibit in vivo uterine physiology, have been established in mic...
Flick M, Vinther AML, Jacobsen S, Berg LC, Gimeno M, Verwilghen D, Howden W, Averay K, van Galen G.Serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (sNGAL) is a marker of renal injury, and its concentrations are affected by inflammation. Therefore, it could serve as a useful biomarker of disease or fitness in high-level competition. However, it has not yet been determined if sNGAL concentrations are affected by exercise. The aim of this study was to determine whether concentrations of equine sNGAL were affected by 1000 m galloping as the form of exercise used in the study. Pre- and post-gallop sNGAL, serum amyloid A, and creatinine concentrations were evaluated in 14 healthy Thoroughbred r...
Orsolini MF, Meyers SA, Dini P.As the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) and in vitro embryo production (IVP) expand in the equine industry, it has become necessary to further our understanding of semen physiology as it applies to overall fertility. This segment of our two-section review will focus on normal sperm parameters, beginning with development and extending through the basic morphology of mature spermatozoa, as well as common issues with male factor infertility in IVP. Ultimately, the relevance of sperm parameters to overall male factor fertility in equine IVP will be assessed.
Ginther OJ.After the cessation of equine embryo mobility (fixation) on mean Day 16, the embryonic vesicle is rotated or oriented so that the pole with the embryo proper is opposite to the mesometrial attachment. Orientation involves massage of the vesicle by contractions of the turgid uterine horn and greater thickening of the vesicle at the pole with the embryo proper. Thickening of the dorsal endometrium (encroachment) especially on each side of the mesometrial attachment accounts for a guitar-pick shape of the vesicle when viewed in cross section of the uterine horn. On Days 21-40, the allantoic sac e...
Furtado T, Preshaw L, Hockenhull J, Wathan J, Douglas J, Horseman S, Smith R, Pollard D, Pinchbeck G, Rogers J, Hall C.The international governing body for equestrian sports, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), states that the welfare of the horse must be paramount and never subordinated to competitive or commercial influences. However, there is growing unease about welfare issues from both within and outside the sport. The aim of this study was to understand stakeholder perceptions of current welfare issues within equestrian sport, determine whether there is scope for change, and explore attitudes towards welfare assessment. Participants ( = 48) from equestrian sport ( = 38) and animal welfare res...
Biau S, Burgaud I.Kinesiology taping (KT) has been used on human subjects for many years. More recently, KT has been used in sport horses. The physiological mechanisms involved remain unclear and its benefits are controversial. Objective: To investigate the effects of application of kinesiology taping to abdominal muscles on locomotor parameters before and after lungeing exercise in horses. Methods: Cross-over study. Methods: Eleven horses were tested twice, once with an application of KT without tension on abdominal muscles (condition 1) and once with a facilitation application of KT on abdominal muscles (cond...
Kjellberg L, Yngvesson J, Sassner H, Morgan K.Sleep is crucial to horses' wellbeing, and their lying time can vary according to such factors as climate, exercise, bedding, and housing. This study aimed to analyze behavior and time spent in lying halls of various sizes. We examined the influence of housing systems on total lying time and behavior, and how changes to available lying area can affect lying time. Two open barns were used in this study, with lying areas of 8, 15, and 18 m/horse available in the lying halls. The horses' behavior was video recorded and logged using scan sampling and interval observations. Individual boxes were us...
Wilmink J, Wilson AM, Goodship AE.The high incidence of partial rupture of the superficial digital flexor tendor in the equine athlete represents a major cause for concern in the racing industry. Frequently, the lesion is localised to the central core of the tendon. This study tested the hypothesis that the site specific structural failure results from differences in the collagen fibre morphology and associated micromechanics between central and peripheral regions of the tendon. Bundles of collagen fibres were dissected from central and peripheral sites in the mid-metacarpal region of the tendon. Crimp morphology was quantifie...
Schrock P, Lüpke M, Seifert H, Staszyk C.Equine incisors are subjected to continuous occlusal wear causing multiple, age related changes of the extragingival crown. It is assumed that the occlusal wear is compensated by continued tooth elongation at the apical ends of the teeth. In this study, μCT-datasets offered the opportunity to analyze the three-dimensional appearance of the extra- and intraalveolar parts of the enamel containing dental crown as well as of the enamel-free dental root. Multiple morphometric measurements elucidated age related, morphological changes within the intraalveolar part of the incisors. Results: Equine i...
Betros CL, McKeever KH, Kearns CF, Malinowski K.The purpose of this study was to test the hypotheses that ageing would result in a decline in maximal heart rate (HRmax) and maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max) and, secondarily, that those effects would be reversible with training. Eighteen, healthy, unfit Standardbred mares representing 3 age groups: young (Y = mean +/- s.e. 6.8 +/- 0.4 years, n = 6); middle-aged (MA = 15.2 +/- 0.4 years, n = 6); and old (O = 27.0 +/- 0.2 years, n = 6) were used. HRmax, VO2max and oxygen pulse at VO2max (OPmax) and the velocities producing HRmax (VHRmax) and VO2max (VVO2max) were measured during pretraining an...
Miller I, Friedlein A, Tsangaris G, Maris A, Fountoulakis M, Gemeiner M.We constructed a reference two-dimensional protein map for horse (Equus caballus) serum. The serum proteins were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE); 29 different gene products were identified. Proteins represented by 25 spots/spot groups were identified by tandem nanoelectrospray mass spectrometry (MS), four by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (TOF) MS and one was sequenced by TOF-TOF technology. The identities of four proteins were deduced by similarity to the human plasma protein database. In selected cases, i.e. the immunoglobulins, immunoblotting ...
Cuervo-Arango J, Claes AN, Stout TA.Advancing maternal age is known to negatively affect fertility in the horse. This age-related decrease in fertility has been linked primarily to reduced oocyte quality rather than to impaired uterine function. In the past decade, the use of ovum pick-up (OPU) and ICSI to produce foals has rapidly gaining popularity amongst sport horse breeders. However, it is not yet known how maternal age influences the efficiency of a commercial OPU-ICSI program and whether the age effect is similar to that observed for other ART in the horse. To answer this question, reproductive records of 289 mares bred b...
Clayton HM, Buchholz R, Nauwelaerts S.A stabilogram plots movements of the centre of pressure (COP) in the horizontal plane. Derived stabilographic variables quantify postural balance, but it is not known if these variables are size dependent. The aims of this study were to determine which morphological variable was most representative of size, which stabilographic variables were most representative of balance and whether size normalisation improved estimates of postural performance. Croup height (0.93-1.77 m), mass (117-666 kg), base of support (BOS) length (0.74-1.18 m) and BOS width (0.22-0.45 m) were measured in 24 horses. Sta...
Pickersgill CH, Marr CM, Reid SW.A quantitative investigation of the variation that can occur during the course of ultrasonography of the equine superficial digital flexor tendons (SDFT) was undertaken. The aim of this investigation was to use an objective measure, namely the measurement of CSA, to quantify the variability occurring during the course of the ultrasonographic assessment of the equine SDFT. The effects of 3 variables on the CSA measurements were determined. 1) Image acquisition operator (IAc): two different operators undertaking the ultrasonographic examination; 2) image analysis operator (IAn): two different op...
Rogers CW, Gee EK, Dittmer KE.Within the lay literature, and social media in particular, there is often debate about the age at which a horse should be started and introduced to racing or sport. To optimize the welfare and longevity of horses in racing and sport, it is important to match exercise with musculoskeletal development and the ability of the musculoskeletal system to respond to loading. The justification for not exercising horses at a certain age is often in contrast to the scientific literature and framed, with incorrect generalizations, with human growth. This review provides a relative comparison of the growth...
Sharp DC, McDowell KJ, Weithenauer J, Thatcher WW.Endometria from pregnant mares are able to produce PGF in vitro, but when co-incubated with conceptus membranes the amount and rate of PGF production is considerably reduced. To estimate the molecular weight of conceptus factors that inhibited PGF production, Day-14 conceptus membranes were placed inside bags constructed of dialysis tubing and co-incubated with endometria from Day-14 pregnant mares. PGF production was significantly reduced when membranes were in bags with molecular weight exclusion limits of 12,000, 6000, and 3500, but not of 1000, suggesting that conceptus PGF-inhibitory fact...
Bigbie RB, Schumacher J, Swaim SF, Purohit RC, Wright JC.Equine amnion and live yeast cell derivative were evaluated as a biological dressing and as a topical wound medicament respectively, in the treatment of granulating wounds of the distal portion of the limbs of horses. Wounds measuring 2.5 x 2.5 cm were created on the dorsomedial aspect of the metacarpal and metatarsal region of all 4 limbs of 9 horses. Each wound was assigned randomly to 1 of 3 treatment groups: group C, treated with a nonadherent bandage as a control; group A, treated with amnion beneath a nonadherent bandage; and group L, treated with live yeast cell derivative beneath a non...
Han SH, Yang BC, Ko MS, Oh HS, Lee SS.we analyzed the sex chromosome-encoding ZFX-ZFY genes and tested molecular sexing using the amplification patterns of intron 9 of ZFX-ZFY in the horse. Results: the amplification of the ZFX-ZFY produced two distinct patterns, reflecting sexual dimorphism based on a length difference between the X and Y chromosomes. The amplification products from foals showed two distinct bands: one was common to all foals and mares, indicating that this band was amplified from ZFX, while the other was specific to some foals, indicating that it was from ZFY. The result based on the PCR assay was identical to t...
Clarke EJ, Johnson E, Caamaño Gutierrez E, Andersen C, Berg LC, Jenkins RE, Lindegaard C, Uvebrant K, Lundgren-Åkerlund E, Turlo A, James V....Equine osteoarthritis (OA) is a heterogeneous, degenerative disease of the musculoskeletal system with multifactorial causation, characterized by a joint metabolic imbalance. Extracellular vesicles are nanoparticles involved in intracellular communication. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy is a form of regenerative medicine that utilizes their properties to repair damaged tissues. Despite its wide use in veterinary practice, the exact mechanism of action of MSCs is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to determine the synovial fluid extracellular vesicle protein cargo following in...
Yoon MJ, Roser JF.Leydig cells located in the interstitial space of the testicular parenchyma produce testosterone which plays a critical role in the maintenance and restoration of spermatogenesis in many species, including horses. For normal spermatogenesis, maintaining Leydig cells is critical to provide an optimal and constant level of testosterone. Recently, an anti-apoptotic effect of IGF-I in testicular cells in rats has been reported, but a similar effect of IGF-I on equine Leydig cells remains to be elucidated. If IGF-I also protects stallion testicular cells from undergoing apoptosis, then IGF-I may ha...
Allen WR, Gower S, Wilsher S.Polyclonal antisera for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its two main receptor molecules, VEGF-I (Flt) and VEGF-II (KDR), were used in a conventional immunocytochemical staining method to localize these angiogenic ligand molecules in the endometrium and placenta of the mare during the oestrous cycle and pregnancy. The anti-VEGF and anti-Flt sera both labelled the lumenal and glandular epithelia of the endometrium throughout the oestrous cycle and both the invasive trophoblast cells of the endometrial cups and the non-invasive trophoblast of the allantochorion in pregnancy. The ant...
Bohn AA, Ferris RA, McCue PM.There have been no studies evaluating and comparing the quality of equine endometrial cytology samples obtained via the 3 most common sampling techniques from healthy mares. Objective: The objective was to compare the quality and contents of equine endometrial samples obtained by 3 different sampling techniques: double-guarded uterine swab, double-guarded uterine brush, and low-volume lavage (LVL), all collected from clinically healthy mares. Methods: Samples were collected from 24 healthy mares in early estrus. In 19 mares, samples were obtained in a sequential manner, first with the swab, th...
Wutke S, Benecke N, Sandoval-Castellanos E, Döhle HJ, Friederich S, Gonzalez J, Hallsson JH, Hofreiter M, Lõugas L, Magnell O, Morales-Muniz A....Horses have been valued for their diversity of coat colour since prehistoric times; this is especially the case since their domestication in the Caspian steppe in ~3,500 BC. Although we can assume that human preferences were not constant, we have only anecdotal information about how domestic horses were influenced by humans. Our results from genotype analyses show a significant increase in spotted coats in early domestic horses (Copper Age to Iron Age). In contrast, medieval horses carried significantly fewer alleles for these phenotypes, whereas solid phenotypes (i.e., chestnut) became domina...
Jansson A, Lindgren G, Velie BD, Solé M.Infrared thermography (IRT) is a popular technology used for the detection of thermal changes given its non-invasive nature and lack of direct contact with the individual. Accordingly, the maximal eye temperature (MaxET) measured with IRT has been extensively applied in equine research. However, there is little information available about the potential limitations of the MaxET in field studies. Thus, the aims of this study were to 1) quantify the individual variation of MaxET in field conditions and the effects of individual, breed, body size (height at withers), eye side, sex and age, 2) dete...
Magee C, Foradori CD, Bruemmer JE, Arreguin-Arevalo JA, McCue PM, Handa RJ, Squires EL, Clay CM.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...
McCarthy RN, Jeffcott LB.The effects of exercise and relative inactivity on cortical bone were compared in young horses. Two groups were used; one was given a 14-week programme of exercise (n = 6) and the other kept as unexercised controls (n = 6). The first nine weeks of exercise involved trotting and cantering (2 to 4 km d-1 at speeds up to 12 m s-1) on a treadmill set at an incline of 3 degrees. Over the next five weeks the horses were trained at near maximal speeds (that is, up to 14.5 m s-1) with no incline of the treadmill. At the end of the programme marked differences in cortical porosity and distribution of s...
Earley E, Rawlinson JT.This article discusses the classification systems for dental fractures and how the assessment affects treatment options. Diagonal incisor malocclusion is discussed in relation to skull asymmetry and how this commonly relates to premolar and molar occlusion. Oral and radiographic assessment of incisive bone fracture and incisor avulsion is reviewed for determining treatment options. A summary of incisor and canine resorption and hypercementosis is presented. Clinical presentations, staging, and classifications of tooth resorption as well as canine odontoplasty are discussed. Excessive plaque an...
Pfau T, Simons V, Rombach N, Stubbs N, Weller R.Training and rehabilitation techniques aiming at improving core muscle strength may result in increased dynamic stability of the equine vertebral column. A system of elastic resistance bands is suggested to provide proprioceptive feedback during motion to encourage recruitment of core abdominal and hindquarter musculature for improved dynamic stability. Objective: To quantify the effects of a specific resistance band system on back kinematics during trot in-hand and lungeing at beginning and end of a 4-week exercise programme. Methods: Quantitative analysis of back movement before/after a 4-we...
Scocco P, Pedini V.This study was performed to identify the equine respiratory tract areas which express the specific receptor for equine influenza virus; findings may be useful to provide new ways to treat the infectious disease. The present work aims to visualize in situ the presence of sialoderivatives in the horse respiratory tract in order to localize sialoderivatives acting as influenza virus receptors. To this purpose, nasal mucosae, trachea, bronchus and lung parenchyma were removed from 8 mature horses of both sexes. We performed sialic acid characterization by means of mild and strong periodate oxidati...
Balao da Silva CM, Ortega-Ferrusola C, Morrell JM, Rodriguez Martínez H, Peña FJ.To date, the only repeatable method to select spermatozoa for chromosomal sex is the Beltsville sorting technology using flow cytometry. Improvement of this technology in the equine species requires increasing awareness of the modifications that the sorting procedure induces on sperm intactness. Oxidative stress is regarded as the major damaging phenomenon, and increasing evidence regards handling of spermatozoa - including sex sorting - as basic ground for oxidative damage. The aim of this study was to disclose whether the flow cytometric sorting procedure increases the production of reactive...
Jones JH, Lindstedt SL.Body size fundamentally affects maximal locomotor performance in mammals. Comparisons of performances of different-sized animals yield different results if made using relative, rather than absolute scales. Absolute speed may be a reasonable way to evaluate the locomotor performance of an animal that must escape predators in real time. However, comparisons of metabolic power in animals of different size can only be made meaningfully on a mass-specific basis. Numerous factors associated with the mechanics, energetics, and storage of elastic energy during locomotion change with body size, which r...
Hartl B, Hainisch EK, Shafti-Keramat S, Kirnbauer R, Corteggio A, Borzacchiello G, Tober R, Kainzbauer C, Pratscher B, Brandt S.Bovine papillomavirus types 1 and 2 (BPV-1 and BPV-2) are known to induce common equine skin tumours, termed sarcoids. Recently, it was demonstrated that vaccination with BPV-1 virus-like particles (VLPs) is safe and highly immunogenic in horses. To establish a BPV-1 challenge model for evaluation of the protective potential of BPV-1 VLPs, four foals were injected intradermally with infectious BPV-1 virions and with viral genome-based and control inocula, and monitored daily for tumour development. Blood was taken before inoculation and at weekly intervals. BPV-1-specific serum antibodies were...
Blottner S, Warnke C, Tuchscherer A, Heinen V, Torner H.The study compared quality and freezability of stallion semen during breeding and non-breeding seasons. Ejaculates were collected twice per week from four stallions during May (n = 24) and December (n = 24). The semen was mixed with skim milk extender, centrifuged and resuspended in fresh extender. Aliquots of this sperm suspension were separated from extender and diluted in TALP medium for sperm evaluation or with cryoextender (type "Gent" or a combination of Triladyl and skim milk). Samples of 0.5ml were cryopreserved in straws using a programmed freezer. Parameters of sperm quality were eva...
Regan CE, Medill SA, Poissant J, McLoughlin PD.The adult sex ratio (ASR) is important within ecology due to its predicted effects on behaviour, demography and evolution, but research examining the causes and consequences of ASR bias have lagged behind the studies of sex ratios at earlier life stages. Although ungulate ASR is relatively well-studied, exceptions to the usual female-biased ASR challenge our understanding of the underlying drivers of biased ASR and provide an opportunity to better understand its consequences. Some feral ungulate populations, including multiple horse populations, exhibit unusually male-biased ASR. For example, ...
Manohar M.The present study was carried out on seven healthy ponies to examine the extent of blood flow in various inspiratory and expiratory muscles at rest and during maximal exertion as well as to determine the proportion of cardiac output needed to perfuse respiratory muscles during these conditions. Tissue blood flow was studied with 15 micron-diameter radionuclide-labeled microspheres injected into the left ventricle during steady conditions. The inspiratory and expiratory muscles comprised 2.41 and 3.05% of body weight, respectively, and received 6.17 and 3.75% of the cardiac output at rest. With...
Cho SH.The present study aimed to identify the effects of horseback riding and mechanical horseback riding exercise on the relative α-power spectrum in the elderly. A total of 31 healthy elderly were randomly divided into horseback riding (n=15) and mechanical horseback riding exercise groups (n=16). The horseback riding exercise program was conducted for 25min twice a week for 12 weeks. Two-way repeated analysis of variance was used to identify the changes in measured variables before the exercise program, and after 6 and 12 weeks of the program. The horseback riding exercise group showed an increa...
Raudsepp T, Christensen K, Chowdhar BP.With the expansion of comparative genome analysis across different mammals, there is an increasing need to have well-defined banded karyotypes for the species chosen for investigation. In this context, the steadily growing gene mapping data in the donkey urgently require a framework whereby alignment/comparison of genetic information can be readily made with equids and other mammalian species. Hence a GTG-banded karyotype of the donkey (Equus asinus; EAS) is presented, along with schematic drawings and nomenclature of the banded chromosomes. In addition, the most characteristic features of ind...
