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.
Cortez JV, Hardwicke K, Cuervo-Arango J, Grupen CG.The cloning of horses is a commercial reality, yet the availability of oocytes for cloned embryo production remains a major limitation. Immature oocytes collected from abattoir-sourced ovaries or from live mares by ovum pick-up (OPU) have both been used to generate cloned foals. However, the reported cloning efficiencies are difficult to compare due to the different somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) techniques and conditions used. The objective of this retrospective study was to compare the in vitro and in vivo development of equine SCNT embryos produced using oocytes recovered from abatt...
Schenk I, Broussou D, Roques B, Lagershausen H, Machnik M, Röttgen H, Toutain PL, Thevis M.The combination of sulfadoxine (SDO) with trimethoprim (TMP) is widely used in veterinarian medicine. The aim of the present study was to compare excretion profiles and detection time windows of SDO and TMP in plasma and urine by means of a validated quantitative method. Eight horses received a single intravenous (i.v.) dose of 2.7 mg TMP and 13.4 mg SDO per kg bodyweight. Plasma and urine samples were collected up to 15 and 70 days post-administration, respectively. While urine samples underwent an enzymatic hydrolysis, plasma samples were proteolysed before further analysis. After solid-...
Jhamb D, Talluri TR, Sharma S, Juneja R, Nirwan SS, Yadav D, Pargi KK, Tanwar A, Kumar P, Kumar R, Mehta SC, Parashar M, Gaur M.Cryopreservation of stallion semen is often associated with poor post-thaw sperm quality. One of the reason for this diminished quality is osmotic stress that spermatozoa experiences during freezing and thawing process. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the cryoprotective effect of trehalose on stallion sperm quality and field fertility rates subjected to cooling and freeze-thawing process. Semen samples were collected from six Marwari breed stallions, divided into three different treatments in a final concentration of 150 × 106 sperm/mL by using Lactose based extender containing...
Adepu S, Lord M, Hugoh Z, Nyström S, Mattsson-Hulten L, Abrahamsson-Aurell K, Lützelschwab C, Skiöldebrand E.We aimed to delineate a novel soluble Biglycan Neo-epitope-BGN262 in saliva from young reference and osteoarthritic horses in conjunction with the influence of short-term training exercise, riding surface hardness, circadian rhythm, and feeding on its soluble levels. Unassigned: A custom-made inhibition ELISA was used for the quantification of BGN262 in saliva. Cohort 1: A cross-sectional study comprising reference (N = 19) and OA horses (N = 9) with radiographically classified subchondral bone sclerosis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to evaluat...
Bradshaw-Wiley E, Randle H.Increasing interest in equine welfare has emphasised the need for objective and reliable behavioural indicators of horses' affective state. However, research has yielded mixed results regarding behaviours suited for industry use largely because they are subject to anthropomorphic interpretation. Stabling is commonly used to manage domesticated horses despite research indicating that it can negatively impact horse welfare, but its effect on their affective state is yet to be quantified. Ten adult horses (11.8 ± 4.4 years) were observed either on a day- (DS) or night-stabling (NS) schedule over...
Vitale V, Nocera I, van Galen G, Sgorbini M, Conte G, Aliboni B, Verwilghen D.Transcutaneous abdominal ultrasonography using alcohol saturation is used in the diagnostic workup of a variety of conditions in horses. The duration of the examination and the amount of alcohol used in each case may vary depending on several factors. The aim of this study is to describe the breath alcohol test results obtained by veterinarians performing abdominal ultrasound on horses. Six volunteers were enrolled, after written consent, and a Standardbred mare was used for the whole study protocol. Each operator performed a total of 6 ultrasounds by pouring the ethanol solution from a jar or...
Gandini M, Giusto G.Accurate reporting of postoperative complications is paramount to understanding procedural outcomes, comparing procedures and assuring quality improvement. Standardising definitions of complications in equine surgeries will improve the evidence of their outcomes. To this end, we proposed a classification for postoperative complications and applied it to a cohort of 190 horses undergoing emergency laparotomy. Methods: A classification system for postoperative complications in equine surgery was developed. Medical records of horses that underwent equine emergency laparotomy and recovered from an...
Guan F, You Y, Fay S, Adreance MA, McGoldrick LK, Robinson MA.Doping control is essential for sports, and untargeted detection of doping agents (UDDA) is the holy grail for anti-doping strategies. The present study examined major factors impacting UDDA with metabolomic data processing, including the use of blank samples, signal-to-noise ratio thresholds, and the minimum chromatographic peak intensity. Contrary to data processing in metabolomics studies, both blank sample use (either blank solvent or plasma) and marking of background compounds were found to be unnecessary for UDDA in biological samples, the first such report to the authors' knowledge. The...
Verhaar N, Hoppe S, Grages AM, Hansen K, Neudeck S, Kästner S, Mazzuoli-Weber G.α2 agonists are frequently used in horses with colic, even though they have been shown to inhibit gastrointestinal motility. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of dexmedetomidine on small intestinal in vitro contractility during different phases of ischaemia. Experimental segmental jejunal ischaemia was induced in 12 horses under general anaesthesia, and intestinal samples were taken pre-ischaemia and following ischaemia and reperfusion. Spontaneous and electrically evoked contractile activity of the circular and longitudinal smooth muscles were determined in each sample with a...
Semanchik PL, Wesolowski LT, Ryan PJ, White-Springer SH, Fluckey JD.Skeletal muscle is a highly dynamic organ that is essential for locomotion as well as endocrine regulation in all populations of horses. However, despite the importance of adequate muscle development and maintenance, the mechanisms underlying protein anabolism in horses on different diets, exercise programs, and at different life stages remain obscure. Mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a key component of the protein synthesis pathway and is regulated by biological factors such as insulin and amino acid availability. Providing a diet ample in vital amino acids, such as leucine and gluta...
Gouyet C, Ringhofer M, Yamamoto S, Jardat P, Parias C, Reigner F, Calandreau L, Lansade L.Several studies have shown that horses have the ability to cross-modally recognize humans by associating their voice with their physical appearance. However, it remains unclear whether horses are able to differentiate humans according to different criteria, such as the fact that they are women or men. Horses might recognize some human characteristics, such as sex, and use these characteristics to classify them into different categories. The aim of this study was to explore whether domesticated horses are able to cross-modally recognize women and men according to visual and auditory cues, using...
Clauss M, Codron D, Hummel J.Like other members of the odd-toed ungulates (the perissodactyls), equids once had a higher species diversity in the fossil record than they have today. This is generally explained in comparison to the enormous diversity of bovid ruminants. Theories on putative competitive disadvantages of equids include the use of a single toe as opposed to two toes per leg, the lack of a specific brain cooling (and hence water-saving) mechanism, longer gestation periods that delay reproductive output, and in particular digestive physiology. To date, there is no empirical support for the theory that equids fa...
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 ...
Keen B, Cawley A, Reedy B, Noble G, Loy J, Fu S.The use of catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors may mask doping agents, primarily levodopa, administered to racehorses and prolong the stimulating effects of dopaminergic compounds such as dopamine. It is known that 3-methoxytyramine is a metabolite of dopamine and 3-methoxytyrosine is a metabolite of levodopa thus these compounds are proposed to be potential biomarkers of interest. Previous research established a urinary threshold of 4,000 ng/mL for 3-methoxytyramine to monitor misuse of dopaminergic agents. However, there is no equivalent biomarker in plasma. To address this deficiency a...
Petz V, Khiaosa-Ard R, Iben C, Zebeli Q.Chewing is an essential physiological process in horses; yet, the physical form of feeds may affect their chewing and feeding behaviour with consequences for equine digestion and health. The present study evaluated the potential of a commercial forage cubes made from alfalfa and mixed meadow grasses to maintain chewing activity when compared with a traditional long and fibre-rich hay. An additional aim was to measure the dust formation during feeding. The experiment was a crossover design with six horses (11 ± 4 years old, mean ± SD), fed with 5 kg (as-fed basis) of their feed (long hay...
Yu J, Wang Z, Wang F, Yang G, Cheng J, Ji C, Li M, Liu B, Wang Y, Dang R.Testicular development and spermatogenesis are tightly regulated by the number of genes and noncoding genes, and mRNAs and lncRNAs play vital roles in regulating posttranscriptional gene expression. However, mRNAs and lncRNAs have not been systematically identified in the testes of donkeys. In this study, mRNA and lncRNA expression profiles in the testes of DeZhou donkeys between 2 months and 2 years of age were comprehensively analysed by RNA sequencing. We identified 56,605 lncRNAs and 61,857 mRNAs by gene expression analysis, and 21,845 lncRNAs (p < .05) and 14,109 mRNAs (p < .0...
Wang T, Xi C, Yu Y, Liu W, Akhtar MF, Li Y, Wang C, Li L.Equid herpesvirus 8 (EHV-8), also known as asinine herpesvirus type 3 (AHV-3), can cause severe respiratory disease, abortion in mares, and neurological disorders. There is limited information on the prevalence of EHV-8 in donkeys in China. In this study, we investigated EHV-8 infection in donkeys using PCR, resulting in the identification of a field strain, termed EHV-8 SD2020113, which was isolated using RK-13 cells and characterized by high-throughput sequencing and transmission electron microscopy. Our data indicated that 38.7% (457/1180) of donkeys showed the presence of EHV-8 in blood sa...
Tozaki T, Ohnuma A, Kikuchi M, Ishige T, Kakoi H, Hirota KI, Takahashi Y, Nagata SI.Thoroughbreds are some of the most famous racehorses worldwide and are currently animals of high economic value. To understand genomic variability in Thoroughbreds, we identified genome-wide insertions and deletions (INDELs) and obtained their allele frequencies in this study. INDELs were obtained from whole-genome sequencing data of 101 Thoroughbred racehorses by mapping sequence reads to the horse reference genome. By integrating individual data, 1,453,349 and 113,047 INDELs were identified in the autosomal (1-31) and X chromosomes, respectively, while 18 INDELs were identified on the mitoch...
Carnet F, Perrin-Cocon L, Paillot R, Lotteau V, Pronost S, Vidalain PO.Vaccination is one of the most widely used strategies to protect horses against pathogens. However, available equine vaccines often have limitations, as they do not always provide effective, long-term protection and booster injections are often required. In addition, research efforts are needed to develop effective vaccines against emerging equine pathogens. In this review, we provide an inventory of approved adjuvants for equine vaccines worldwide, and discuss their composition and mode of action when available. A wide range of adjuvants are used in marketed vaccines for horses, the main fami...
Umair M, Beitsma M, de Ruijter-Villani M, Deelen C, Herrera C, Stout TAE, Claes A.The cryotolerance of equine blastocysts larger than 300 μm can be improved by aspirating blastocoele fluid prior to vitrification; however, it is not known whether blastocoele aspiration also enables successful slow-freezing. The aim of this study was therefore to determine whether slow-freezing of expanded equine embryos following blastocoele collapse was more or less damaging than vitrification. Grade 1 blastocysts recovered on day 7 or 8 after ovulation were measured (>300-550 μm, n = 14 and > 550 μm, n = 19) and blastocoele fluid was aspirated prior to slow-freezing in 10...
Kappel S, Ramirez Montes De Oca MA, Collins S, Herborn K, Mendl M, Fureix C.The use of 2-dimensional representations (e.g. photographs or digital images) of real-life physical objects has been an important tool in studies of animal cognition. Horses are reported to recognise objects and individuals (conspecifics and humans) from printed photographs, but it is unclear whether image recognition is also true for digital images, e.g. computer projections. We expected that horses trained to discriminate between two real-life objects would show the same learnt response to digital images of these objects indicating that the images were perceived as objects, or representation...
Peng S, Dahlgren AR, Donnelly CG, Hales EN, Petersen JL, Bellone RR, Kalbfleisch T, Finno CJ.The genomic sequence of the horse has been available since 2009, providing critical resources for discovering important genomic variants regarding both animal health and population structures. However, to fully understand the functional implications of these variants, detailed annotation of the horse genome is required. Due to the limited availability of functional data for the equine genome, as well as the technical limitations of short-read RNA-seq, existing annotation of the equine genome contains limited information about important aspects of gene regulation, such as alternate isoforms and...
Gebremedhn S, Gad A, Ishak GM, Menjivar NG, Gastal MO, Feugang JM, Prochazka R, Tesfaye D, Gastal EL.Innumerable similarities in reproductive cyclicity and hormonal alterations highlight the considerable utility of the mare to study aspects of follicular dynamics and reproductive function in view of the largely constricted, human research subjects. The bi-directional communication between the growing oocyte and the surrounding somatic cells embodies the hallmark of mammalian follicular development, partially mediated by extracellular vesicles (EVs) encapsulated with microRNAs (miRNAs) and present in the follicular fluid (FF). Here, we aimed to decipher the dynamics of the miRNAs in EVs from e...
Nazari-Ghadikolaei A, Fikse F, Gelinder Viklund Å, Eriksson S.Assessment protocols to describe the various aspects of conformation, gait and jumping traits on a linear scale were introduced at young horse tests for Swedish Warmblood horses in 2013. The traits scored on a linear scale are assumed to be less subjective and more easily compared across populations than the traditional evaluated traits that are scored relative to the breeding goal. However, the resulting number of traits is considerable, and several of the traits are correlated. The aim of this study was to investigate the interrelationship between the different evaluated and linearly scored ...
Hatami M, Qasemi-Panahi B, Daghigh Kia H, Moghaddam G, Janmohammadi H.Equine semen cryopreservation is one of the major procedures for the genetic conservation of rare and endangered genotypes. The current study was conducted to evaluate the effect of egg yolk plasma (EYP) enriched with β-carotene as an antioxidant supplement on INRA-96 extender regarding freezing Arabic stallion sperm. For this purpose, β-carotene various concentrations were utilized as a supplementary ingredient in formulating the diets of laying hens. Birds were randomly divided into four groups, fed with 0 (control), 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg in a supplemented diet with β-carotene. Subse...
Bio SystemsFebruary 27, 2023
Volume 225 104871 doi: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2023.104871
Bhattacharjee S.Adaptations in equine limbs, including fusion of its bones, such as the metapodials II and IV (splint bones) with metapodial III (cannon bone), have been debated. It is argued that cursorial adaptations in equine limbs with a progressive reduction in the number of digits lighten up the limbs and facilitate fast running. Similar fusions in other bones, such as the radius and ulna, tend to exhibit similar traits. For example, the fusion often occurs in a disto-proximal direction while leaving sharp ridges. This article proposes a model to understand the biomechanical advantages that a fused symm...
Hill EW, McGivney BA, MacHugh DE.The proportion of the genome containing runs of homozygosity (ROH) affects production traits in livestock populations. In European and Australasian Thoroughbreds inbreeding, quantified using ROH (F ), is associated with the probability of ever racing. Here, we measured F using 333 K SNP genotypes from 768 Thoroughbred horses born in North America to evaluate the effect of inbreeding on racing traits in that region. Among North American horses, F was not associated (p = 0.518) with the probability of ever racing but was significantly associated with the number of race starts (p = 0.002). ...
Pechanec MY, Beall JM, Katzman S, Maga EA, Mienaltowski MJ.Tendinopathies remain the leading contributor to career-ending injuries in horses because of the complexity of tendon repair. As such, cell-based therapies like injections of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs, or MSCs) into injured tendons are becoming increasingly popular though their long-term efficacy on a molecular and wholistic level remains contentious. Thus, we co-cultured equine MSCs with intrinsic (tendon proper) and extrinsic (peritenon) tendon cell populations to examine interactions between these cells. Gene expression for common tenogenic, perivascular, and differenti...
Chapard L, Van Thillo A, Meyermans R, Gorssen W, Buys N, Janssens S.Show jumping is one of the most popular disciplines in the horse sector, which makes success in show jumping competitions an important breeding goal for many studbooks. Therefore, the genetic evaluation of show jumping performance is of major interest and this is the case for two Belgian Warmblood studbooks: the Belgian Warmblood horse and Zangersheide. In this study, first an improved phenotype for show jumping performance was developed, i.e. adjusted fence height based on a new non-arbitrary method to scale ranking and competition level, which are two major components of success in competiti...
McFarlane D.Equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), also known as equine Cushing's syndrome, is a widely recognized disease of aged horses. Over the past two decades, the aged horse population has expanded significantly and in addition, client awareness of PPID has increased. As a result, there has been an increase in both diagnostic testing and treatment of the disease. This review focuses on the pathophysiology and clinical syndrome, as well as advances in diagnostic testing and treatment of PPID, with an emphasis on those findings that are new since the excellent comprehensive review by Sc...
Julliand V, de Vaux A, Millet L, Fonty G.Detection and quantification of cellulolytic bacteria with oligonucleotide probes showed that Ruminococcus flavefaciens was the predominant species in the pony and donkey cecum. Fibrobacter succinogenes and Ruminococcus albus were present at low levels. Four isolates, morphologically resembling R. flavefaciens, differed from ruminal strains by their carbohydrate utilization and their end products of cellobiose fermentation.
Bussche L, Van de Walle GR.Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have received much attention as a potential treatment of ischemic diseases, including ischemic tissue injury and cardiac failure. The beneficial effects of MSCs are thought to be mediated by their ability to provide proangiogenic factors, creating a favorable microenvironment that results in neovascularization and tissue regeneration. To study this in more detail and to explore the potential of the horse as a valuable translational model, the objectives of the present study were to examine the presence of angiogenic stimulating factors in the conditioned medium...
Nolte W, Thaller G, Kuehn C.The study of selection signatures helps to find genomic regions that have been under selective pressure and might host genes or variants that modulate important phenotypes. Such knowledge improves our understanding of how breeding programmes have shaped the genomes of livestock. In this study, 942 stallions were included from four, exemplarily chosen, German warmblood breeds with divergent historical and recent selection focus and different crossbreeding policies: Trakehner (N = 44), Holsteiner (N = 358), Hanoverian (N = 319) and Oldenburger (N = 221). Those breeds are nowadays bred for athlet...
Kirschvink N, de Moffarts B, Lekeux P.Since "free radical research" started in 1954, understanding the role of oxidants and antioxidants in physiological and pathological conditions has increased continuously. Oxidants are essentially generated by metabolic enzymes, inflammatory cells and mitochondrial electron leakage; they are indispensable for the cellular redox regulation and may, under certain conditions, have a pro-inflammatory stimulatory role. Endogenous and exogenous antioxidants counterbalance the oxidative processes and so maintain the oxidant/antioxidant equilibrium. Excessive oxidant generation or antioxidant insuffic...
Darr CR, Varner DD, Teague S, Cortopassi GA, Datta S, Meyers SA.Stallion sperm rely primarily on oxidative phosphorylation for production of ATP used in sperm motility and metabolism. The objective of the study was to identify which substrates included in Biggers, Whitten, and Whittingham (BWW) media are key to optimal mitochondrial function through measurements of sperm motility parameters, mitochondrial oxygen consumption, and cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. It was expected that mitochondrial substrates, pyruvate and lactate, would support sperm motility and mitochondrial function better than the glycolytic substrate, glucose, due to d...
Sommerville R, Brown AF, Upjohn M.The majority of horses, donkeys and mules (equids) are in low- and middle-income countries, where they remain a key source of labour in the construction, agriculture and tourism industries, as well as supporting households daily through transporting people and staple goods. Globally, approximately 600 million people depend on working equids for their livelihood. Safeguarding the welfare of these animals is essential for them to work, as well as for the intrinsic value of the animal's quality of life. In order to manage animal welfare, it must be measured. Over the past decade, welfare assessme...
Barsby T, Bavin EP, Guest DJ.The natural reparative mechanisms triggered by tendon damage often lead to the formation of biomechanically inferior scar tissue that is prone to re-injury. Before the efficient application of stem cell-based regenerative therapies, the processes regulating tenocyte differentiation should first be better understood. Three-dimensional (3D) growth environments under strain and the exogenous addition of transforming growth factor beta3 (TGF-β3) have separately been shown to promote tendon differentiation. The aim of this study was to determine the ability of both of these factors to induce tendo...
Raudsepp T, Finno CJ, Bellone RR, Petersen JL.The horse reference genome from the Thoroughbred mare Twilight has been available for a decade and, together with advances in genomics technologies, has led to unparalleled developments in equine genomics. At the core of this progress is the continuing improvement of the quality, contiguity and completeness of the reference genome, and its functional annotation. Recent achievements include the release of the next version of the reference genome (EquCab3.0) and generation of a reference sequence for the Y chromosome. Horse satellite-free centromeres provide unique models for mammalian centromer...
Weishaupt MA, Wiestner T, Hogg HP, Jordan P, Auer JA.The study was performed to obtain a detailed insight into the load and time shifting mechanisms of horses with unilateral weight-bearing forelimb lameness. Reversible lameness was induced in 11 clinically sound horses by applying a solar pressure model. Three degrees of lameness (subtle, mild and moderate) were induced and compared with sound control measurements. Vertical ground reaction force-time histories of all four limbs were recorded simultaneously on an instrumented treadmill. Four compensatory mechanisms could be identified that served to reduce structural stress, i.e. peak vertical f...
Marycz K, Weiss C, Śmieszek A, Kornicka K.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are frequently used in both human and veterinary medicine because their unique properties, such as modulating the immune response and differentiating into multiple lineages, make them a valuable tool in cell-based therapies. However, many studies have indicated the age-, lifestyle-, and disease-related deterioration of MSC regenerative characteristics. However, it still needs to be elucidated how the patient's health status affects the effectiveness of MSC differentiation. In the present study, we isolated mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue (adipose-derive...
Loomis PR, Graham JK.One of the challenges for those attempting to cryopreserve stallion spermatozoa is dealing with the stallion to stallion variability in the cryosurvival of their semen. In the dairy industry, each bull stud, essentially utilizes a single cryopreservation technique, and bulls that produce sperm that do not cryopreserve well using that technique are replaced by other bulls. However, replacing stallions is unlikely to prove acceptable to the equine industry, where specific genotypes are desired. Instead, to increase the number of stallions that can be effectively utilized for cryopreserved semen ...
Metzger J, Philipp U, Lopes MS, da Camara Machado A, Felicetti M, Silvestrelli M, Distl O.Copy number variants (CNVs) have been shown to play an important role in genetic diversity of mammals and in the development of many complex phenotypic traits. The aim of this study was to perform a standard comparative evaluation of CNVs in horses using three different CNV detection programs and to identify genomic regions associated with body size in horses. Results: Analysis was performed using the Illumina Equine SNP50 genotyping beadchip for 854 horses. CNVs were detected by three different algorithms, CNVPartition, PennCNV and QuantiSNP. Comparative analysis revealed 50 CNVs that affecte...
Ireland JL, Clegg PD, McGowan CM, McKane SA, Chandler KJ, Pinchbeck GL.Previous studies suggest that owners underestimate or incorrectly recognise or report health problems in geriatric horses. However, few studies have directly compared owner-reported and veterinary assessed disease. Objective: To compare the findings of veterinary clinical examination of geriatric horses with owner-reported clinical signs and disease. Methods: A total of 200 horses aged ≥ 15 years were randomly selected to receive a veterinary examination, from responses to a cross-sectional postal questionnaire survey. Veterinary examinations were performed within 2 months of questionnaire r...
Hardeman AM, Serra Bragança FM, Swagemakers JH, van Weeren PR, Roepstorff L.Objective lameness assessment is gaining more importance in a clinical setting, necessitating availability of reference values. Objective: To investigate the between -path, -trial and -day variation, between and within horses, in the locomotion symmetry of horses in regular use that are perceived sound. Methods: Observational study with replicated measurement sessions. Methods: Twelve owner-sound horses were trotted on the straight line and on the lunge. Kinematic data were collected from these horses using 3D optical motion capture. Examinations were repeated on 12 occasions over the study wh...
Sankey C, Henry S, André N, Richard-Yris MA, Hausberger M.Animals' ability for cross-modal recognition has recently received much interest. Captive or domestic animals seem able to perceive cues of human attention and appear to have a multisensory perception of humans. Results: Here, we used a task where horses have to remain immobile under a vocal order to test whether they are sensitive to the attentional state of the experimenter, but also whether they behave and respond differently to the familiar order when tested by a familiar or an unknown person. Horses' response varied according to the person's attentional state when the order was given by a...
Harris PA, Ellis AD, Fradinho MJ, Jansson A, Julliand V, Luthersson N, Santos AS, Vervuert I.The horse is a non-ruminant herbivore adapted to eating plant-fibre or forage-based diets. Some horses are stabled for most or the majority of the day with limited or no access to fresh pasture and are fed preserved forage typically as hay or haylage and sometimes silage. This raises questions with respect to the quality and suitability of these preserved forages (considering production, nutritional content, digestibility as well as hygiene) and required quantities. Especially for performance horses, forage is often replaced with energy dense feedstuffs which can result in a reduction in the p...
Wathan J, Proops L, Grounds K, McComb K.In humans, facial expressions are rich sources of social information and have an important role in regulating social interactions. However, the extent to which this is true in non-human animals, and particularly in non-primates, remains largely unknown. Therefore we tested whether domestic horses (Equus caballus) could discriminate between facial expressions of their conspecifics captured in different contexts, and whether viewing these expressions elicited functionally relevant reactions. Horses were more likely to approach photographic stimuli displaying facial expressions associated with po...
Nielsen MK, Kaplan RM, Thamsborg SM, Monrad J, Olsen SN.Development of resistance to anthelmintic drugs by horse strongyles constitutes a growing threat to equine health because it is unknown when new drug classes can be expected on the market. Consequently, parasite control strategies should attempt to maintain drug efficacy for as long as possible. The proportion of a parasite population that is not exposed to anthelmintic treatment is described as being "in refugia" and although many factors affect the rate at which resistance develops, levels of refugia are considered the most important as these parasites are not selected by treatment and so pr...
Patterson-Kane JC, Rich T.Superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) injury in equine athletes is one of the most well-accepted, scientifically supported companion animal models of human disease (i.e., exercise-induced Achilles tendon [AT] injury). The SDFT and AT are functionally and clinically equivalent (and important) energy-storing structures for which no equally appropriate rodent, rabbit, or other analogues exist. Access to equine tissues has facilitated significant advances in knowledge of tendon maturation and aging, determination of specific exercise effects (including early life), and definition of some of the...
Roth SP, Glauche SM, Plenge A, Erbe I, Heller S, Burk J.Decellularization of tendon tissue plays a pivotal role in current tissue engineering approaches for in vitro research as well as for translation of graft-based tendon restoration into clinics. Automation of essential decellularization steps like freeze-thawing is crucial for the development of more standardized decellularization protocols and commercial graft production under good manufacturing practice (GMP) conditions in the future. In this study, a liquid nitrogen-based controlled rate freezer was utilized for automation of repeated freeze-thawing for decellularization of equine superficia...
Dunbar DC, Macpherson JM, Simmons RW, Zarcades A.Segmental kinematics were investigated in horses during overground locomotion and compared with published reports on humans and other primates to determine the impact of a large neck on rotational mobility (> 20 deg.) and stability (< or = 20 deg.) of the head and trunk. Three adult horses (Equus caballus) performing walks, trots and canters were videotaped in lateral view. Data analysis included locomotor velocity, segmental positions, pitch and linear displacements and velocities, and head displacement frequencies. Equine, human and monkey skulls and cervical spines were measured to estimate...
Wallner B, Palmieri N, Vogl C, Rigler D, Bozlak E, Druml T, Jagannathan V, Leeb T, Fries R, Tetens J, Thaller G, Metzger J, Distl O, Lindgren G....The Y chromosome directly reflects male genealogies, but the extremely low Y chromosome sequence diversity in horses has prevented the reconstruction of stallion genealogies [1, 2]. Here, we resolve the first Y chromosome genealogy of modern horses by screening 1.46 Mb of the male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY) in 52 horses from 21 breeds. Based on highly accurate pedigree data, we estimated the de novo mutation rate of the horse MSY and showed that various modern horse Y chromosome lineages split much later than the domestication of the species. Apart from few private northern Euro...
Asher RJ, Bennett N, Lehmann T.An unprecedented level of confidence has recently crystallized around a new hypothesis of how living placental mammals share a pattern of common descent. The major groups are afrotheres (e.g., aardvarks, elephants), xenarthrans (e.g., anteaters, sloths), laurasiatheres (e.g., horses, shrews), and euarchontoglires (e.g., humans, rodents). Compared with previous hypotheses this tree is remarkably stable; however, some uncertainty persists about the location of the placental root, and (for example) the position of bats within laurasiatheres, of sea cows and aardvarks within afrotheres, and of der...
Schmidt A, Möstl E, Wehnert C, Aurich J, Müller J, Aurich C.Based on plasma cortisol concentrations it is widely accepted that transport is stressful to horses. So far, cortisol release during transport has not been evaluated in depth by non-invasive techniques such as analysis of salivary cortisol and faecal cortisol metabolites. Transport also causes changes in heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV). In this study, salivary cortisol, faecal cortisol metabolites, heart rate and HRV in horses transported by road for short (one and 3.5 h) and medium duration (8 h) were determined. With the onset of transport, salivary cortisol increased immediately...
McDonald TL, Larson MA, Mack DR, Weber A.Mammary-associated serum amyloid A 3 (M-SAA3) was secreted at highly elevated levels in bovine, equine and ovine colostrum and found at lower levels in milk 4 days postparturition. N-terminal sequencing of the mature M-SAA3 protein from all the three species revealed a conserved four amino acid motif (TFLK) within the first eight residues. This motif has not been reported to be present in any of the hepatically-produced acute phase SAA (A-SAA) isoforms. Cloning of the bovine M-Saa3 cDNA from mammary gland epithelial cells revealed an open reading frame that encoded a precursor protein of 131 a...
Caliari SR, Harley BA.Biomolecular environments encountered in vivo are complex and dynamic, with combinations of biomolecules presented in both freely diffusible (liquid-phase) and sequestered (bound to the extracellular matrix) states. Strategies for integrating multiple biomolecular signals into a biomimetic scaffold provide a platform to simultaneously control multiple cell activities, such as motility, proliferation, phenotype, and regenerative potential. Here we describe an investigation elucidating the influence of the dose and mode of presentation (soluble, sequestered) of five biomolecules (stromal cell-de...
Science (New York, N.Y.)February 12, 2017
Volume 355, Issue 6325 627-630 doi: 10.1126/science.aag1772
Cantalapiedra JL, Prado JL, Hernández Fernández M, Alberdi MT.Evolutionary theory has long proposed a connection between trait evolution and diversification rates. In this work, we used phylogenetic methods to evaluate the relationship of lineage-specific speciation rates and the mode of evolution of body size and tooth morphology in the Neogene and Quaternary radiation of horses (7 living and 131 extinct species). We show that diversification pulses are a recurrent feature of equid evolution but that these pulses are not correlated with rapid bursts in phenotypic evolution. Instead, rapid cladogenesis seems repeatedly associated with extrinsic factors t...
