Equine Studies encompasses the scientific exploration and analysis of various aspects related to horses, including their physiology, behavior, genetics, nutrition, and management. This interdisciplinary field integrates knowledge from veterinary medicine, animal science, and equine management to enhance understanding of horse health and welfare. Topics within equine studies often include the study of equine anatomy, disease prevention, breeding practices, and performance optimization. Researchers and scholars contribute to this field by conducting experiments, field studies, and reviews that provide insights into improving equine care and management practices. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that investigate diverse areas within equine studies, offering comprehensive insights into the complexities of horse biology and management.
Fearon SH, Dennis SJ, Hitzeroth II, Rybicki EP, Meyers AE.African horse sickness (AHS) is a devastating viral disease affecting equines and has resulted in many disastrous epizootics. To date, no successful therapeutic treatment exists for AHS, and commercially used live-attenuated vaccines have various undesirable side effects. Previous studies have shown that mice inoculated with insoluble African horse sickness virus (AHSV) VP7 crystals are protected from live challenge with a lethal dose of AHSV. This study investigates the humoral and cell-mediated immune responses in guinea-pigs to a safer monovalent vaccine alternative based on AHSV-5 VP7 quas...
Renaud B, François AC, Boemer F, Kruse C, Stern D, Piot A, Petitjean T, Gustin P, Votion DM.Equine atypical myopathy (AM) is seasonal intoxication resulting from the ingestion of seeds and seedlings of the sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) that contain toxins, among them, hypoglycin A (HGA). Literature mentions several cases of AM among gravid mares and in unweaned foals. The objective of this study was to determine whether HGA and/or its metabolite are present in milk from grazing mares exposed to sycamore maple trees as confirmed by detection of HGA and its metabolite in their blood. Four mare/foal couples were included in the study. Both HGA and its metabolite were detectable i...
Tatum RC, McGowan CM, Dean RS, Ireland JL.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is the most prevalent endocrine disorder of older equids. To date, key research areas likely to have the greatest impact on equine health have not been identified. In human medicine, public and patient involvement is widely used to inform research agendas. This study aimed to engage with veterinary surgeons and horse owners to identify evidence gaps ('uncertainties') and prioritise these into a list of the 10 most important PPID research questions. The James Lind Alliance (JLA) Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) Framework was adapted. Questions abou...
McKenzie J, Fenner K, Hyde M, Anzulewicz A, Burattini B, Romness N, Wilson B, McGreevy P.It is logical to assume that horses with multiple riders encounter variation in application of training cues. When training cues are inconsistent, we expect to see a decrease in trained responses or an increase in conflict behaviours. This study investigated the relationship between the number of people that regularly ride or handle a horse and the horse's response to operant cues. Data on 1819 equids were obtained from the Equine Behavior Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ), an online global survey of horse owners and caregivers. Three mutually independent indices (acceleration, de...
Marliani G, Sprocatti I, Schiavoni G, Bellodi A, Accorsi PA.The increasing interest in animal welfare and the knowledge of equine physiological and ethological needs have led to the development of different types of horses' management and housing systems. The research presented here aimed to assess the daytime activity budget of horses. Focal animal sampling was used as an observational sampling method, and the five animals were observed for a total of 9920 minutes in the paddock and inside the stall. The results showed that horses spent most of the daytime in foraging behaviors, followed by resting behaviors, and locomotion. Social behaviors (s.e. al...
Mizobe F, Takahashi Y, Kusano K.Jockey safety is of paramount importance from the standpoint of welfare and public perception. Thus, an understanding of the epidemiology and associated risk factors is necessary to implement measures to reduce the jockey falls (JFs) and jokey injuries (JIs). This descriptive epidemiological study investigated the occurrence of JFs and JIs in 715,210 and 25,183 rides in flat and jump races, respectively, from 2003 to 2017. In flat races, the incidence rates of JFs and JIs were 1.4 and 0.6 per 1,000 rides, respectively. In jump races, they were 44.4 and 18.1 per 1,000 rides, respectively. In fl...
Romness N, Fenner K, McKenzie J, Anzulewicz A, Burattini B, Wilson B, McGreevy P.An evidence-based understanding of dangerous or unwelcome behaviour in horses would greatly benefit both horses and humans who interact with them. Using owner-reported data from the Equine Behaviour Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ), the current study investigated in-hand behaviours associated with dangerous or unwelcome ridden behaviours, notably bolting, rearing and bucking. Respondents ( = 1584) to the ridden horse section of the E-BARQ answered 42 demographic questions, followed by 268 behavioural items. Parallel analysis was conducted to group individual behaviours into rotat...
Francis JM, Thompson-Witrick KA, Perry EB.Despite its importance to product development, few data compare preferences for horses with human consumers. The objectives of this research were to compare treat preferences of horses against horse owners. Product A was a disk-shaped cinnamon-flavored flax-based treat, and product B was a textured apple-flavored oat-based treat. Horses were presented with two treat products in a paired preference test which comprised separate olfaction and consumption periods. Consumers evaluated the treats separately for purchase intent as well as hedonic testing of sensory attributes. No difference was obse...
Amjadi MA, Yeganeh HM, Sadeghi M, Abbas Raza SH, Yang J, Najafabadi HA, Batool U, Shoorei H, Abdelnour SA, Ahmed JZ.Native breeds are essential for national stocks and genetic reservoir; therefore, the preservation of indigenous breeds is a key policy priority for countries around the world. Many conservationists would assert that genetic diversity is a prerequisite for adaptive evolution, and preserving genetic diversity will need conservation efforts for the long-term survival of domestic species. This study intended to evaluate the genetic diversity of the Iranian Kurdish horse population based on microsatellite indicators, which can partially prevent it from becoming extinct. Fifty-eight tail hair and b...
Herbert E, Ouerdane H, Lecoeur P, Bels V, Goupil C.Muscles are biological actuators extensively studied in the frame of Hill's classic empirical model as isolated biomechanical entities, which hardly applies to a living organism subjected to physiological and environmental constraints. Here we elucidate the overarching principle of a living muscle action for locomotion, considering it from the thermodynamic viewpoint as an assembly of actuators (muscle units) connected in parallel, operating via chemical-to-mechanical energy conversion under mixed (potential and flux) boundary conditions. Introducing the energy cost of effort as the generaliza...
Pollard D, Grewar JD.Over 60% of UK horse riders report having experienced a road-related near-miss or accident. The aim of this study was to describe horse-related road incidents ( = 4107) reported to the British Horse Society (2010-2020) and to identify factors associated with higher odds of collisions with another vehicle and horse fatalities using multivariable logistic regression modelling. Drivers passed the horse too closely in 84.2% of incidents while road rage and speeding were reported in 40.3% and 40.1% of incidents, respectively. Close passing distance alone (odds ratio [OR] 18.3, 95% confidence interv...
Janczarek I, Stachurska A, Kędzierski W, Pawlak EW, Wilk I, Zyglewska K, Paszkowska A, Ryżak M, Wiśniewska A.The current predation threat of domestic horses is generally low, and horses do not know predators' frightening cues. We studied whether horses still recognise predation threats. The aim of the study was to analyse the emotional response of purebred Arabian horses (Arabian) and Polish Konik horses (Konik) to an Arabian panther (Panthera pardus nimr) (panther) growl and a grey wolf (Canis lupus) (wolf) howl. Panther vocalisation was known to Arabian ancestors, whereas ancestors of Konik knew wolf vocalisation. The response to the howls of golden jackals (Canis aureus) (jackal), which did not pr...
Martin-Rosset W, Andueza D, Vermorel M.The metabolisable energy (ME) content of feeds is a better estimate of their 'true' energy value than their digestible energy (DE) content, because ME takes account of the gross energy of methane (GEgas) and the gross energy of urine (GEurine) losses. The accuracy and precision of the Gesellschaft für Ernährungsphysiologie (GfE) and Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) systems for predicting the DE and ME contents of diets for horses were compared using the results of a study comprising 15 mixed diets. The INRA system was more accurate than the GfE system for predicting DE, G...
Mokry A, Van de Water E, Politiek HT, van Doorn DA, Pille F, Oosterlinck M.Dynamic load distribution and landing patterns play an important role in equine orthopaedics. The aim of this study was to analyse dynamic load distribution and hoof landing patterns of sound Standardbreds. Twenty-four sound, unshod Standardbreds were walked and trotted over a pressure plate to obtain the peak vertical force (PVF), vertical impulse (VI) and stance time (ST) of both forelimbs. Asymmetry indices between both forelimbs were calculated and the dynamic medio-lateral and toe-heel load distribution of the forelimbs were compared between normal, toed-in and toed-out horses. The hoof l...
Janczarek I, Wiśniewska A, Chruszczewski MH, Tkaczyk E, Górecka-Bruzda A.We tested the hypothesis that social defensive responses to the vocalisation of a predator still exist in horses. The recordings of a grey wolf, an Arabian leopard and a golden jackal were played to 20 Konik polski and Arabian mares. Durations of grazing, standing still, standing alert and the number of steps in walk and trot/canter were measured. In one-minute scans, the distances of the focal horse from the reference horse (DIST-RH) and from the nearest loudspeaker (DIST-LS) were approximated. The vocalisation of a leopard aroused the Arabians more than the Koniks (less grazing, stand-still ...
Ochonski P, Drouillard JS, Douthit TL, Vahl C, Lattimer JM.Commercial horse feeds use cereal grains and by-products; however, their effects on the caecal environment remain poorly characterised. Objective: Characterise the effect of commonly used feed ingredients on caecal pH and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration. Methods: 6 × 6 Latin square. Methods: Two days prior to the start of the study, 6 caecally cannulated Quarter horses were moved into individual stalls where Smooth bromegrass hay (brome) was offered at 2.0% BW/d split between 2 feedings (0600 and 1800). On day 0, caecal digesta was collected every 2 h for 12 h relative to the 0600...
Burattini B, Fenner K, Anzulewicz A, Romness N, McKenzie J, Wilson B, McGreevy P.The broad traits of boldness and independence in domestic horses can affect their usefulness and, indirectly, their welfare. The objective of the current study was to explore associations between attributes that reflect equine boldness and independence with both the age of horses and the age at which they were started under saddle, as well as other variables including breed, colour and primary equestrian discipline. All data were sourced from responses (n = 1940) to the 97-question online Equine Behaviour Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ). Twenty E-BARQ items from the dataset were...
Langner K, Hörügel U, Donat K, Vervuert I.Screening of commercial mineral feeds and mineral licks on the German market containing selenium (Se) in relation to the Se status in equines in Thuringia with different forms of Se supplementation. Methods: Commercially available Se-containing minerals for horses identified by an online research were evaluated for their Se concentration, Se source, flavour carrier and recommended dosage according to the manufacturer's labelling. Furthermore, serum Se status in 8 equine farms was regularly monitored over the period of one year. The sampled horses either received no Se supplement or Se was supp...
Zhang R, Zhang J, Dang W, Irwin DM, Wang Z, Zhang S.The intestinal microbial composition and metabolic functions under normal physiological conditions in the donkey are crucial for health and production performance. However, compared with other animal species, limited information is currently available regarding the intestinal microbiota of donkeys. In the present study, we characterized the biogeography and potential functions of the intestinal digesta- and mucosa-associated microbiota of different segments of the intestine (jejunum, ileum, cecum, and colon) in the donkey, focusing on the differences in the microbial communities between the sm...
Jaworski K, Pankiewicz A, Chrószcz A, Poradowski D.The following article concerns the functional use of horse bones in the early Middle Ages (mainly in the period from the mid of the 10th to the 12th/13th century). The authors try to explain how such remains were used and how common it was. It is also discussed whether the special role of the horse in medieval societies somehow restricted its post-mortem usage, or perhaps there was no difference between the skeletal remains of horses and other species in this regard. For this purpose, statistical calculations on the use of the bones of various mammals were made. Only the remains of the species...
Farchati H, Merlin A, Saussac M, Dornier X, Dhollande M, Garon D, Tapprest J, Sala C.Accurate demographic knowledge of the equine population is needed to assess and model equine health events. France is one of the few European countries with an operational centralized database (SIRE) recording individual data on all declared equines living in France and on their owners and keepers. Our study aimed to assess SIRE database quality concerning the updating of information by equine owners and keepers with a view to its improvement and use in surveillance and research. Two online surveys were conducted with the participation of 6244 registered keepers and 13,869 owners. Results show...
Dell AC, Curry MC, Yarnell KM, Starbuck GR, Wilson PB.Genetic diversity and maternal ancestry line relationships amongst a sample of 96 Cleveland Bay horses were investigated using a 479bp length of mitochondrial D-loop sequence. The analysis yielded at total of 11 haplotypes with 27 variable positions, all of which have been described in previous equine mitochondrial DNA d-loop studies. Four main haplotype clusters were present in the Cleveland Bay breed describing 89% of the total sample. This suggests that only four principal maternal ancestry lines exist in the present-day global Cleveland Bay population. Comparison of these sequences with ot...
Kowalik S, Wiśniewska A, Kędzierski W, Janczarek I.Skeletal muscle is considered to be the largest endocrine organ determining the maintenance of energy homeostasis. Adaptive changes in skeletal muscles in response to physical exercise influence the production as well as secretion of myokines, which are bioactive factors that play a crucial role in energy expenditure processes. The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of two different types of exercise on the circulating level of two of these, myostatin and irisin, in trained horses. Twenty purebred Arabian horses were involved in the study: 10 three-year-old horses trained on the ra...
Gethmann D.In the early twentieth century, counting and speaking horses, like the famous Clever Hans or the "Horses of Elberfeld," became widely debated subjects in experimental psychology. The idea was to determine whether their learning success was only a fraud, or if it might open up a new chapter in "animal psychology" - or even belong to the realm of parapsychology and telepathy. When their tricks were discovered, the teachers of the animals were marked as charlatans. Both the attempts to detect charlatans and the efforts to avoid this accusation during the talking horse experiments proceeded using ...
A human-animal relationship can be developed through subsequent interactions, affected by the positive or negative emotional valence of the proceeding one. Horses implement a process of categorization to classify humans with whom they interact as positive, negative, or neutral stimuli by evaluating the kind of approach and the nature of the contact. In these terms, human-animal interactions are emotionally charged events, eliciting specific emotional states in both subjects involved. Although the human-horse relationship has been mainly investigated through behavioral analysis, physiological i...
Haussler KK.The clinical assessment of pain is subjective; therefore, variations exist between practitioners in their ability to identify and localize pain. Due to differing interpretations of the signs or severity of pain equine practitioners may assign varying levels of clinical significance and treatment options. There is a critical need to develop better tools to qualify and quantify pain in horses. Palpation is the most common method to detect local tenderness or sensitivity. To quantify this applied pressure, pressure algometry has been used to gradually apply pressure over specified landmarks until...
Tavenner MK, McDonnell SM, Biddle AS.Early development of the gut microbiome is an essential part of neonate health in animals. It is unclear whether the acquisition of gut microbes is different between domesticated animals and their wild counterparts. In this study, fecal samples from ten domestic conventionally managed (DCM) Standardbred and ten semi-feral managed (SFM) Shetland-type pony foals and dams were compared using 16S rRNA sequencing to identify differences in the development of the foal hindgut microbiome related to time and management. Results: Gut microbiome diversity of dams was lower than foals overall and within ...
Kvist L, Honka J, Niskanen M, Liedes O, Aspi J.Selection by breeders modifies the morphology, behaviour and performance of domesticated species. Here, we examined signs of selection in Finnhorse, the only native horse breed in Finland. We first searched divergent genomic regions between Finnhorses and other breeds, as well as between different breeding sections of the Finnhorse with data from Illumina Equine SNP70 BeadChip, and then studied several of the detected regions in more detail. We found altogether 35 common outlier SNPs between Finnhorses and other breeds using two different selection tests. Many of the SNPs were located close to...
König von Borstel U, Euent S, Graf P, König S, Gauly M.The aim of the present study was to compare horses' heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (RMSSD, pNN50) and behaviour in the same temperament test when being ridden, led, and released free. Behavioural measurements included scores and linear measurements for reactivity (R), activity (A), time to calm down (T) and emotionality (E), recorded during the approach (1) and/or during confrontation with the stimulus (2). Sixty-five horses were each confronted 3 times (1 ridden, 1 led, 1 free running in balanced order) with 3 novel and/or sudden stimuli. Mixed model analysis indicated that leading r...
Denoix JM, Jeffcott LB, McIlwraith CW, van Weeren PR.This manuscript describes a new classification of the various joint-related lesions that can be seen in the young, growing horse based on their anatomical and functional aetiopathogenesis. Juvenile osteochondral conditions (JOCC) is a term that brings together specific disorders according to their location in the joint and their biomechanical origin. When a biomechanical insult affects the process of endochondral ossification different types of osteochondrosis (OC) lesions may occur, including osteochondral fragmentation of the articular surface or of the periarticular margins, or the formatio...
The Journal of heredityAugust 18, 2015
Volume 106, Issue 6 734-740 doi: 10.1093/jhered/esv062
Jäderkvist Fegraeus K, Johansson L, Mäenpää M, Mykkänen A, Andersson LS, Velie BD, Andersson L, Árnason T, Lindgren G.Previous studies showed a positive effect of the DMRT3 "gait keeper" mutation on harness racing performance in Standardbreds, French-, and Nordic trotters. The mutation has also been shown to influence riding traits in multiple breeds. This study investigated the effect of the DMRT3 mutation on harness racing performance and riding traits in Finnhorses. Finnhorses used for harness racing (n = 180) and for riding (n = 59) were genotyped for the DMRT3 mutation. For the trotters the genotypes were evaluated for association with racing performance (number of starts, victories, placings, earnings, ...
Dixon PM, Dacre I, Dacre K, Tremaine WH, McCann J, Barakzai S.Extraction of cheek teeth (CT) by the conventional repulsion technique requires general anaesthesia and carries a high rate of post operative complications. Consequently, an alternative method of extraction, i.e. orally in standing horses, was evaluated. Objective: The need for and risks of general anaesthesia could be avoided and post extraction sequelae reduced by performing extractions orally in standing horses. Methods: One hundred mainly younger horses (median age 8, range 2-18 years) with firmly attached CT that required extraction because of apical infections, displacements, diastemata,...
Ludwig A, Reissmann M, Benecke N, Bellone R, Sandoval-Castellanos E, Cieslak M, Fortes GG, Morales-Muñiz A, Hofreiter M, Pruvost M.Leopard complex spotting is inherited by the incompletely dominant locus, LP, which also causes congenital stationary night blindness in homozygous horses. We investigated an associated single nucleotide polymorphism in the TRPM1 gene in 96 archaeological bones from 31 localities from Late Pleistocene (approx. 17 000 YBP) to medieval times. The first genetic evidence of LP spotting in Europe dates back to the Pleistocene. We tested for temporal changes in the LP associated allele frequency and estimated coefficients of selection by means of approximate Bayesian computation analyses. Our result...
Giles SL, Nicol CJ, Harris PA, Rands SA.The aim of our study was to explore the association between dominance rank and body condition in outdoor group-living domestic horses, . Social interactions were recorded using a video camera during a feeding test, applied to 203 horses in 42 herds. Dominance rank was assigned to 194 individuals. The outcome variable body condition score (BCS) was recorded using a 9-point scale. The variables age and height were recorded and considered as potential confounders or effect modifiers. Results were analysed using multivariable linear and logistic regression techniques, controlling for herd group as...
Placci M, Marliani G, Sabioni S, Gabai G, Mondo E, Borghetti P, De Angelis E, Accorsi PA.In the equestrian world, two different types of management can be distinguished: traditional management and natural boarding. The aim of this research was to compare hormonal, hematological and immunological parameters of 47 horses kept in these two different managements. Blood and horsehair of the horses were sampled to determine DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) and cortisol concentration through RIA. Moreover, blood count was conducted, and flow cytometry was employed to phenotype lymphocyte subpopulations. Results showed that, in horsehair, DHEA concentration was significantly higher in natura...
Viklund A, Thorén Hellsten E, Näsholm A, Strandberg E, Philipsson J.There are two types of 1-day field tests available for young Swedish Warmblood sport horses; one test for 3-year olds and one more advanced test for 4-year olds. Conformation, gaits and jumping ability are evaluated at both tests. Studies on various genetic parameters were based on about 20 000 tested horses. The data for 4-year olds consisted of 30 years of testing. The aims of the study were to estimate genetic parameters for results from different time periods, and to estimate heritabilities for, and genetic correlations between, traits scored in the two tests. The judgement of traits was s...
Skedros JG, Grunander TR, Hamrick MW.Osteocytes, which are embedded in bone matrix, are the most abundant cells in bone. Despite the ideal location of osteocytes to sense the local environment and influence bone remodeling, their functions, and the relative importance of these functions, remain controversial. In this study, we tested several hypotheses that address the possibilities that population densities of osteocyte lacunae (Ot.Lc.N/B.Ar) correlate with strain-, remodeling- or metabolism-related aspects of the local biomechanical environments of mid-third diaphyseal equine radii and third metacarpals from skeletally mature a...
Tzelos T, Morgan ER, Easton S, Hodgkinson JE, Matthews JB.Interval treatment control programmes used widely in equine helminth control have favoured the development of anthelmintic resistance worldwide. Best practice guidelines have been designed to address resistance and include the requirement for improved pasture hygiene to break helminth transmission cycles, along with anthelmintic application informed by the results of diagnostic tests to reduce selection pressure for resistance. Using an online questionnaire, this study examined uptake of measures recommended in these guidelines by UK horse owners. The survey comprised 58 questions spanning gra...
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...
Payne E, Boot M, Starling M, Henshall C, McLean A, Bennett P, McGreevy P.This review collates peer-reviewed evidence for desirable attributes for those who work with dogs and horses. It is written with a particular focus on the veterinary profession. Although veterinarians and veterinary nurses (VNs) occupy variable roles when interacting with their patients, several behavioural attributes emerge as helpful across the range of such roles. In light of recent research on the value of considering animals' arousal and affective state as predictors of behaviour and welfare, best practice in human-horse and human-dog-interactions is outlined. The attributes of affiliatio...
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...
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...
Marti E, Gerber V, Wilson AD, Lavoie JP, Horohov D, Crameri R, Lunn DP, Antczak D, Björnsdóttir S, Björnsdóttir TS, Cunningham F, Dérer M....Allergic diseases occur in most mammals, although some species such as humans, dogs and horses seem to be more prone to develop allergies than others. In horses, insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), an allergic dermatitis caused by bites of midges, and recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), a hyperreactivity to stable born dust and allergens, are the two most prevalent allergic diseases. Allergic diseases involve the interaction of three major factors: (i) genetic constitution, (ii) exposure to allergens, and (iii) a dysregulation of the immune response determined by (i) and (ii). However, other e...
Trösch M, Bertin E, Calandreau L, Nowak R, Lansade L.Social animals can gain important benefits by inferring the goals behind the behavior of others. However, this ability has only been investigated in a handful of species outside of primates. In this study, we tested for the first time whether domestic horses can interpret human actions as goal directed. We used the classical "unwilling versus unable" paradigm: an experimenter performed three similar actions that have the same outcome, but the goal of the experimenter differed. In the unwilling condition, the experimenter had no intention to give a piece of food to a horse and moved it out of r...
Lopes MS, Mendonça D, Cymbron T, Valera M, da Costa-Ferreira J, Machado Ada C.The analysis of mitochondrial D-loop sequences (408 bp) from 145 Lusitano founder mares yielded a total of 27 different haplotypes. The distribution of these mtDNA sequences was quite unequal, with the three most frequent ones representing 56.5% of all the Lusitano founder mares and 14 haplotypes (51.9%) being rare variants found only once in the sampling. Four main haplotype clusters were present in the Lusitano breed. The comparison of these sequences with other equine haplotypes shows that they fall in groups shared with other horse breeds. These data support the hypothesis of multiple dome...
Hausberger M, Lerch N, Guilbaud E, Stomp M, Grandgeorge M, Henry S, Lesimple C.Although the question of animal welfare has been an important source of concern in the scientific community for several decades, many aspects are still under debate. On-farm assessments have to be rapid, acceptable to farmers and safe for both the assessors and animals. They are thus very demanding, with multiple decisions to make, such as the choice of appropriate indicators, sampling methods and scoring. Research has moved from resource-based to animal-based criteria, which reflects the subjective welfare state of an animal rather than relying upon external indices. In the present review, we...
Munsters CC, de Gooijer JW, van den Broek J, van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.Heart rate (HR), HR variability (HRV) and behaviour score (BS) of nine horses were evaluated during an eight-hour air transport between The Netherlands and New York. HR and HRV parameters were calculated every five minutes during the air transport. Compared with transit (40±3), mean HRs were higher during loading into the jet stall (67±21, P<0.001), loading into the aircraft (47±6, P=0.011), taxiing (50±8, P=0.001), and during periods of in-flight turbulence (46±7, P=0.017). During the flight, individual horses showed differences in mean HR (P=0.005) and peak HR (P<0.001). By contra...
Malik CL, Stover SM, Martin RB, Gibeling JC.Previous studies of the fracture properties of cortical bone have suggested that the fracture toughness increases with crack length, which is indicative of rising R-curve behavior. Based on this indirect evidence and the similarity of bone to ceramic matrix composites, we hypothesized that bone would exhibit rising R-curve behavior in the transverse orientation and that the characteristics of the R-curves would be regionally dependent within the cortex due to variations in bone microstructure and toughening mechanisms. To test these hypotheses, we conducted R-curve experiments on specimens fro...
Parkes RSV, Weller R, Pfau T, Witte TH.Objective gait monitoring is increasingly accessible to trainers. A more comprehensive understanding of 'normal' gait adaptations is required. Forty two-year-old thoroughbred racehorses were recruited when entering training and followed for 22 months. Gait analysis was performed by equipping each horse with an inertial measurement unit with inbuilt GPS (GPS-IMU) mounted on the dorsum. Horses were exercised as per their regular training regimen. Data were analysed using a linear mixed model. For two-year-old horses, there was a non-linear pattern of stride duration (SD) over time ( < 0.001) ...
Coverdale JA.Intensive management practices in the horse industry present a unique challenge to the microbiome of the large intestine. Common management practices such as high-concentrate diets, low forage quality, meal feeding, and confinement housing have an impact on intestinal function, specifically large intestinal fermentation. The microbiome of the equine large intestine is a complex and diverse ecosystem, and disruption of microbiota and their environment can lead to increased incidence of gastrointestinal disorder. Digestion in the horse can be improved through a variety of approaches such as feed...
Ross SE, Murray JK, Roberts VLH.Headshaking in horses has been reported to be most commonly due to idiopathic neuropathic facial pain (trigeminal-mediated headshaking). The prevalence of headshaking in horses in the UK is unknown. Objective: To estimate owner-reported prevalence of headshaking in horses in the UK and to report their case background and disease characteristics, as reported by owners. Methods: Cross-sectional web based owner questionnaire. Methods: The questionnaire was advertised online via social media, horse forums, veterinary websites and equestrian magazines from 17th June 2016, until >1000 responses had ...
Pollard D, Wylie CE, Verheyen KLP, Newton JR.Equine laminitis is a complex disease that manifests as pain and lameness in the feet, often with debilitating consequences. There is a paucity of data that accounts for the multifactorial nature of laminitis and considers time-varying covariates that may be associated with disease development; particularly those that are modifiable and present potential interventions. A previous case-control study identified a number of novel, modifiable factors associated with laminitis which warranted further investigation and corroboration. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with equi...
Byström A, Rhodin M, von Peinen K, Weishaupt MA, Roepstorff L.The kinematics of the saddle and rider have not been thoroughly described at the walk. Objective: To describe saddle and rider movements during collected walk in a group of high-level dressage horses and riders. Methods: Seven high-level dressage horses and riders were subjected to kinematic measurements while performing collected walk on a treadmill. Movements of the saddle and rider's pelvis, upper body and head were analysed in a rigid body model. Projection angles were determined for the rider's arms and legs, and the neck and trunk of the horse. Distances between selected markers were use...
Vernemmen I, Vera L, Van Steenkiste G, van Loon G, Decloedt A.Echocardiographic reference intervals for Friesian horses are poorly described. Objective: To obtain reference intervals for echocardiographic measurements in Friesians and compare these with Warmbloods. Methods: One hundred healthy adult Friesians and 100 healthy adult Warmblood horses. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiographic images were obtained. Echocardiographic measurements, including size, area, and volumetric measurements of left atrium, left and right ventricle, aorta, and pulmonary artery, were performed. Measurements were compared between the 2 br...
Berndt A, Derksen FJ, Edward Robinson N.Inflammatory airway disease is common in stabled horses, with a prevalence of 17.3% in Michigan pleasure horses. Stable dust is rich in endotoxin, which may induce neutrophilic airway inflammation. Climatological conditions (ambient temperature and relative humidity) may influence endotoxin concentrations in pastures. The aim of this project was to determine if endotoxin levels in the breathing zone of horses in stables were higher than of horses on pasture, and if the endotoxin on pasture was associated with climatological conditions. Endotoxin exposure of six horses that were stabled or on p...
Eto D, Yamano S, Mukai K, Sugiura T, Nasu T, Tokuriki M, Miyata H.We hypothesize that high intensity training for Thoroughbred horses that have been subjected to conventional training could further improve the metabolic properties of the middle gluteal muscle. Nine well-trained horses were subjected to high intensity (80-100% Vdot;O(2)max, 5 minx2) training for 12 weeks. Biopsy samples were obtained from the muscle before and after 4 and 12 weeks of training. Three of the 9 horses did not complete the training programme. In the remaining 6 horses, activities of succinic dehydrogenase (SDH), phosphofructokinase (PFK) and 3-hydroxy acyl CoA dehydrogenase (HAD)...
Meyer H, Radicke S, Kienzle E, Wilke S, Kleffken D, Illenseer M.In this study preileal starch digestibility of starchy feeds (oats, corn, barley, potatoes, manioc) was determined in seven jejunofistulated horses. The grains were fed whole (oats, corn), rolled (oats, barley), crushed, ground and expanded (corn); the potatoes were fresh, the manioc rolled. Ground corn was also fed in combination with amylase. The feeds were fed partly isolated or in combination with alfalfa meal or hay (Table 1). At least four horses with a cannula in the terminal jejunum were used for each diet. Two meals per day were offered at 12 h intervals. The starch intake was mostly ...
