Field studies involving horses are research investigations conducted in natural or semi-natural environments outside of laboratory settings. These studies aim to observe and analyze equine behavior, ecology, and physiology in real-world conditions. Field studies can encompass a wide range of topics, including grazing patterns, social interactions, habitat use, and the impact of environmental factors on horse health and welfare. Researchers employ various methodologies such as direct observation, GPS tracking, and non-invasive sampling to collect data. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, findings, and implications of field studies in understanding equine behavior and ecology.
Turner RM, McDonnell SM, Feit EM, Grogan EH, Foglia R.Ultrasonographic fetal eye measures have been used to estimate gestational age of the fetus in light horse mares. However, fetal eye measures have not been published for smaller pony breeds. This study was conducted to develop reference ranges for ultrasonographic measures of fetal eyes in small ponies for the purpose of predicting days before parturition (DBP) when breeding or ovulation dates are unknown. Twenty-three Shetland-type pony mares were studied across one (n = 10) or two (n = 13) gestations in 2004 (18 pregnancies) and 2005 (18 pregnancies). Measurements of fetal eyes were obtained...
Lyons ET, Tolliver SC, Collins SS.Fecal samples (n=1,584) for a parasite study were collected from Thoroughbred foals (n=349), 28 to 330 days old, on seven farms in central Kentucky during 49 monthly trips from May to October, November, or December 2004. The main purpose was to determine possible drug resistance of ascarids, also of strongyles, to ivermectin (IVM) and other commercially available compounds [fenbendazole, moxidectin (MOX), oxibendazole (OBZ), and pyrantel pamoate]. In addition, interest was on prevalence of foal parasites. Qualitative data were obtained by recording presence or absence of ascarid and strongyle ...
Weaver RW, Entry JA, Graves A.Livestock are known contributors to stream pollution. Numbers of fecal streptococci and Escherichia coli in manure naturally deposited by livestock in the field are needed for activities related to bacterial source tracking and determining maximum daily bacterial loading of streams. We measured populations of fecal streptococci and E. coli in fresh and dry manure from cattle (Bos taurus L.), horses (Equus caballus L.), and sheep (Ovis aires L.) on farms in southern Idaho. Populations of indicator bacteria in dry manure were often as high as that in fresh manure from horse and sheep. There was ...
Guida N, Mesplet M, Di Gennaro E, Digilio P, Moras EV.Aspergillus fumigatus is a cosmopolitan opportunistic fungal associated to rhinopharyngitis, sinusitis and guttural pouches infection with nasal discharges. All them are similar with Strangle's sign, the infectious disease produced by Streptococcus equi spp. The aim of this work was to detect A. fumigatus in healthy horses living in boxes and field. 226 nasopharyngeal swabbing samples were obtained by mycological routine. A. fumigatus was isolated in 26 (11.5%) horses.
Jacobsen S, Jensen JC, Frei S, Jensen AL, Thoefner MB.Early recognition of excessive inflammation and infectious complications after surgery, leading to early institution of therapy, reduces post operative discomfort and facilitates recovery. Because serum amyloid A (SAA) is a highly sensitive marker of inflammation, measurements of SAA and other acute phase reactants in the equine surgical patient may be valuable in assisting clinical assessment of post operative inflammation. Objective: To investigate changes in inflammatory markers after castration and to correlate levels of acute phase reactants with clinical severity of inflammation after ca...
Woodie JB, Ducharme NG, Hackett RP, Erb HN, Mitchell LM, Soderholm LV.Dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) is a common condition in racehorses for which various surgical treatments are often performed. In light of recent findings that suggested the position of the larynx may influence the occurrence of DDSP, we investigated whether a noninvasive mean of affecting the position of the larynx could be effective in the management of DDSP. Objective: An external device (laryngohyoid support; LHS) positioning the larynx in a more rostral and dorsal location and preventing caudal displacement of the basihyoid bone would be effective in preventing DDSP during s...
Geburek F, Deegen E, Hewicker-Trautwein M, Ohnesorge B.In the present field study the skin of the feet of 37 heavy draught horses of different breeds showing verrucous pastern dermatitis was examined clinically. Included were the degree of severity of the disease and the prevalence of anatomically normal structures associated with the skin: fetlock tufts of hair ("feathering"), ergots, chestnuts, bulges in the pastern region, cannon circumference. Each horse was examined for Chorioptes sp. skin mites. Information was also collected on the development of the skin alterations and housing conditions and feeding. These individual data were correlated ...
Vidament M.Results on procedures for freezing stallion semen and the subsequent fertility during 20 years are presented. The present system applied in French National Stud includes: (1) a freezing protocol (dilution in milk, centrifugation and addition of freezing extender (INRA82+egg yolk (2%, v/v)+glycerol (2.5%, v/v) at 22 degrees C, a moderate cooling rate to 4 degrees C and freezing at -60 degrees C/min in 0.5-ml straws); (2) selection of ejaculates showing post-thaw rapid motility >35%; and (3) an insemination protocol (mares examined once daily, two AI of 400 x 10(6) spermatozoa 24 h apart before ...
Linklater WL, Henderson KM, Cameron EZ, Stafford KJ, Minot EO.To investigate the utility of faecal oestrone sulphate (OS) concentrations for detecting pregnancy in mares during behavioural studies of feral horses, in which the collection and preservation of samples is not immediate. Methods: Oestrone sulphate concentrations were measured in fresh dung samples collected from 153 free-roaming Kaimanawa mares throughout the year. In addition, multiple samples were taken from the same pile to investigate the reliability of diagnosis from a single sample, as well as the influence of time until preservation on OS concentrations. Samples were also taken before ...
Krcmar S, Hribar LJ, Kopi M.The attraction of female tabanids to Malaise traps and canopy traps baited with aged horse urine, 1-octen-3-ol, or a combination of aged horse urine and acetone was studied in the Kopacki rit Nature Park in Eastern Croatia. Malaise traps captured very few tabanids relative to canopy traps. The number of females of Tabanus tergestinus and Haematopotapluvialis collected from 1-octen-3-ol baited canopy traps differed significantly from traps baited with aged horse urine. However, the number of females of Tabanus bromius, Atylotus loewianus, and Tabanus maculicornis collected from canopy traps bai...
Carstanjen B, Amory H, Sulon J, Hars O, Remy B, Langlois P, Lepage OM.Bone responds to exercise with changes in bone (re-)modelling, which might be monitored non-invasively with biochemical bone markers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of exercise on serum osteocalcin and serum carboxy-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen generated by matrix metalloproteinases (CTX-MMP) concentration in young racehorses. Seventy-one 2 to 4-year-old Thoroughbreds were included in this prospective infield study. Blood sampling was performed six times (i.e. six sampling cycles) during a 9-month period. Serum samples were analysed with commercial ...
Grosenbaugh DA, Backus CS, Karaca K, Minke JM, Nordgren RM.A new recombinant West Nile virus (WNV) vaccine has been licensed for use in horses. Prior to the availability of the recombinant vaccine in 2004, the only equine WNV vaccine available on the market had been an inactivated vaccine. Since the recombinant vaccine only expresses selected viral genes, the question could be posed as to whether a single dose of the recombinant vaccine would be effective in producing an anamnestic serologic response in horses previously vaccinated with an inactivated WNV vaccine. In this study we demonstrate that vaccination of horses with a canarypox-vectored recomb...
Corletto F, Raisis AA, Brearley JC.The aim of this study was to compare two different alpha2 agonist-opioid combinations in ponies undergoing field castration. Methods: Prospective double-blind randomized clinical trial. Methods: Fifty-four ponies undergoing field castration. Methods: The ponies were randomly allocated to receive one of three different pre-anaesthetic medications [intravenous (IV) romifidine 100 microg kg(-1) and butorphanol 50 micro kg(-1); romifidine 100 microg kg(-1) and morphine 0.1 mg kg(-1) IV, or romifidine 100 microg kg(-1) and saline IV] before induction of anaesthesia with ketamine 2.2 mg kg(-1) IV. F...
Mands V, Kline DL, Blackwell A.Examples of the commercial trap Mosquito Magnet Pro (MMP emitting attractant 1-octen-3-ol in carbon dioxide 500 mL/min generated from propane fuel), were run 24 h/day on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, during June-August 2001 and evaluated for catching Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae). From 30 days trapping, the catch averaged 2626 +/- 1358 Culicoides females/trap/day (mean +/- SE, range 558 +/- 139 to 6088 +/- 3597, for five sets of six consecutive nights), predominantly the pest Culicoides impunctatus Goetghebuer (68% overall), plus C. vexans (Staeger) > C. delta Edwards &g...
Paweska JT, Venter GJ.Field-collected Culicoides species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) were fed on horse blood-virus mixtures containing one of the six serotypes of equine encephalosis virus (EEV1 to EEV6). The virus mean titres in the bloodmeals varied between 6.1 and 7.0 log10TCID50/mL. Of 19 Culicoides species assayed after 10 days extrinsic incubation at 23.5 degrees C, five yielded the challenge virus, namely Culicoides (Avaritia) imicola Kieffer (EEV1-6), C. (A.) bolitinos Meiswinkel (EEV1, 2, 4, 6), C. (Meijerehelea) leucostictus Kiefer (EEV1, 2), C. (Culicoides) magnus Colaço (EEV1) and C. (Hoffmania) zuluens...
Gross DK, Stover SM, Hill AE, Gardner IA.To assess the accuracy and reliability of a visual method of evaluating horseshoe characteristics. Methods: 1,199 Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Characteristics of 1 forelimb horseshoe were visually assessed on horses immediately prior to racing by 5 field observers at 5 major racetracks in California. Characteristics evaluated included horseshoe type; toe grab height; and the presence of a rim, pad, and heel traction devices. Sensitivity and specificity for observer assessment of horseshoe characteristics were calculated by comparing observer assessments to a postmortem laboratory standard...
De Stoppelaire GH, Gillespie TW, Brock JC, Tobin GA.The effects of grazing by feral horses on vegetation and dune topography at Assateague Island National Seashore were investigated using color-infrared imagery, lidar surveys, and field measurements. Five pairs of fenced and unfenced plots (300 m2) established in 1993 on sand flats and small dunes with similar elevation, topography, and vegetation cover were used for this study. Color-infrared imagery from 1998 and field measurements from 2001 indicated that there was a significant difference in vegetation cover between the fenced and unfenced plot-pairs over the study period. Fenced plots cont...
Mencke N, Larsen KS, Eydal M, Sigurdsson H.Infestation with the chewing louse (Werneckiella (Damalinia) equi) can be found on horses world-wide. Louse infestations, including clinical signs of louse-derived dermatitis, are known from Icelandic horses. A clinical field investigation was conducted in Iceland using horses with natural louse infestations to evaluate the efficacy of imidacloprid in a 10% solution in comparison with phoxim in a 0.05% solution. A total of 27 horses received a single imidacloprid treatment using 16 ml of the 10% solution along the mane and on the dorso-lateral trunk. A further 43 horses were treated twice, 14 ...
Daly JM, Yates PJ, Newton JR, Park A, Henley W, Wood JL, Davis-Poynter N, Mumford JA.Two lineages of antigenically distinct equine influenza A H3N8 subtype viruses, American and European, co-circulate. Experiments were conducted in ponies to investigate the protection induced by vaccines containing virus from one lineage against challenge infection with homologous or heterologous virus. Regression analysis showed that vaccinated ponies with average pre-challenge single radial haemolysis (SRH) antibody levels (i.e. 45-190mm2) had a higher probability of becoming infected if they were vaccinated with virus heterologous to the challenge strain than if they were vaccinated with ho...
Landman MA, de Blaauw JA, van Weeren PR, Hofland LJ.A population of 805 horses (70 per cent dressage, 20 per cent show jumpers and 10 per cent trotters) with orthopaedic problems was examined for signs of lameness and back problems, irrespective of their original complaints. In the horses with a back problem the prevalence of lameness was 74 per cent, and back problems were diagnosed in 32 per cent of the lame horses. These percentages were significantly higher than those recorded in a control population of 399 horses, of which 20 per cent were lame and 12 per cent had back problems. In the group of horses with orthopaedic problems there was a ...
Leleu C, Bariller F, Cotrel C, Barrey E.Locomotion analysis is increasingly used to assess the gait of horses in the selection and training of equine athletes. We have developed a specific locomotor test for fast trotting harnessed horses that uses an accelerometric device. We describe here the reproducibility of the locomotor test and the validation of its use to analyse trotters on the racetrack. We measured the performance of eight horses under the same conditions three times in a single week. We then tested the influence of five tracks on the variables measured using eight different trotters every two days. The horses trotted at...
Lee SA, Willeke K, Mainelis G, Adhikari A, Wang H, Reponen T, Grinshpun SA.Bioaerosol sampling is necessary to monitor and control human exposure to harmful airborne microorganisms. An important parameter affecting the collection of airborne microorganisms is the electrical charge on the microorganisms. Using a new design of an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) for bioaerosol sampling, the polarity and relative strength of the electrical charges on airborne microorganisms were determined in several laboratory and field environments by measuring the overall physical collection efficiency and the biological collection efficiency at specific precipitation voltages and po...
Shoemaker R, Bailey J, Janzen E, Wilson DG.Castration is one of the most common routine surgical procedures performed in the horse, from which a number of potential complications can arise. We undertook a prospective evaluation of short-term complications associated with castration of draught colts over a 3-year period (1998-2000). Objective: To compare castration complications in a large number of draught foals with previously published literature. Methods: Five hundred and sixty-eight draught colts, age 4 or 5 months, were castrated in field conditions. Foals were observed for complications for 24 h post operatively. Results: There w...
Ramsey YH, Christley RM, Matthews JB, Hodgkinson JE, McGoldrick J, Love S.A study following the development of Cyathostominae from egg to the infective larval third stage was conducted from April to December 2001 in west central Scotland. Duplicate samples (1 kg) of naturally infected faeces were placed on a 78 cm2 plot each week on a cyathostomin-free pasture. Subsamples of the grass surrounding the faecal plot were collected weekly on four occasions and the number of larvae obtained determined. Few larvae were recovered in the first week of development of individual plots, followed by a rise in the numbers of larvae in second, third and fourth weeks of development...
Sebastian M, Gantz MG, Tobin T, Harkins JD, Bosken JM, Hughes C, Harrison LR, Bernard WV, Richter DL, Fitzgerald TD.During 2001, central Kentucky experienced acute transient epidemics of early and late fetal losses, pericarditis, and unilateral endophthalmitis, collectively referred to as mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS). A toxicokinetic/statistical analysis of experimental and field MRLS data was conducted using accelerated failure time (AFT) analysis of abortions following administration of Eastern tent caterpillars (ETCs; 100 or 50 g/day or 100 g of irradiated caterpillars/day) to late-term pregnant mares. In addition, 2001 late-term fetal loss field data were used in the analysis. Experimental dat...
Grubbs ST, Amodie D, Rulli D, Wulster-Radcliffe M, Reinemeyer C, Yazwinski T, Tucker C, Hutchens D, Smith L, Patterson D.The safety and efficacy of 2% moxidectin/12.5% praziquantel oral gel administered at a rate of 0.4 mg moxidectin and 2.5 mg praziquantel/kg was studied in client-owned horses under field use conditions. Four hundred horses (300 treated with moxidectin/praziquantel oral gel and 100 treated with vehicle) were enrolled, feces were collected, and eggs were counted. Investigators as well as horse owners were masked to treatment assignment. No adverse reactions to treatment were observed in any horses. Moxidectin/praziquantel gel reduced Anoplocephala spp by more than 99% and provided a significant ...
Rehbein S, Holste JE, Doucet MY, Fenger C, Paul AJ, Reinemeyer CR, Smith LL, Yoon S, Marley SE.The efficacy of an oral formulation of ivermectin plus praziquantel in the reduction of nematode and cestode egg counts in horses was assessed in 273 horses under field conditions at 15 sites in North America (n = 6) and Europe (n = 9). Horses were confirmed by fecal examination to have natural infections of strongyles (100%) and tapeworms (76%). Replicates of four horses were formed at each site, and in each replicate three animals received ivermectin (0.2 mg/kg body weight) plus praziquantel (1 mg/kg body weight) oral paste and one animal remained untreated or received vehicle paste. Fecal s...
Barrett EJ, Farlam J, Proudman CJ.Two hundred and thirty-three horses were screened for the presence of roundworms by faecal egg counts (FECs) and for tapeworms by an ELISA specific for antibodies to the immunodominant 12 kDa and 13 kDa tapeworms antigen. The 62 horses were found to be infected with both parasites were treated with a combination of 0.2 mg/kg ivermectin and 1.5 mg/kg praziquantel. The treatment suppressed the median FEC of the horses to zero for 10 weeks and significantly reduced their anti-12/13 kDa antibody levels. The estimated risk of tapeworm-associated colic in these horses was halved by 12 weeks after th...
Engelen M, Besche B, Lefay MP, Hare J, Vlaminck K.The objective of this multicentre, randomized, controlled field study was to determine the efficacy of ketanserin gel in preventing exuberant granulation tissue formation (hypergranulation) and infection in equine lower limb wounds. Horses and ponies (n = 481) with naturally occurring wounds were randomized to either topical treatment with ketanserin gel (n = 242) or a positive control (Belgium, Germany: ethacridin lactate solution, n = 120; France, United Kingdom: malic, benzoic, and salicylic acid [MBS] cream, n = 119). Treatment continued until the wound healed (success), formed hypergranul...
Carstanjen B, Amory H, Sulon J, Hars O, Remy B, Langlois P, Lepage OM.Bone responds to exercise with changes in bone (re-)modelling, which might be monitored non-invasively with biochemical bone markers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of exercise on serum osteocalcin and serum carboxy-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen generated by matrix metalloproteinases (CTX-MMP) concentration in young racehorses. Seventy-one 2 to 4-year-old Thoroughbreds were included in this prospective infield study. Blood sampling was performed six times (i.e. six sampling cycles) during a 9-month period. Serum samples were analysed with commercial ...
Lumsden GG, Quan-Taylor R, Smith SM, Washbrooke IM.Three anthelmintic pastes were compared in terms of their ability to suppress the output of parasite eggs in the faeces of 108 grazing horses at four sites in Britain; the horses were treated once with either ivermectin, fenbendazole or pyrantel. At each site, the horses grazed together throughout the trials which took place during the summers of 1985 and 1986. The median periods before parasite eggs reappeared in faeces were 70 days for ivermectin, 14 days for fenbendazole and 39 days for pyrantel embonate. Geometric mean faecal egg counts in the groups treated with ivermectin and pyrantel we...
Revold T, Larsen S, Ihler CF.Less than a third of Norwegian-Swedish Coldblooded Trotters (NSCTs) have started racing as three year olds since the year 2000 despite the fact that large sums are paid out as price-money in the three year season. Recruitment races are arranged by the Norwegian Trotting Association (NTA) to stimulate early training. The management of young horses varies considerably and a large majority is reared by amateurs. The aim of the present study was to identify predictors of early race starts in young NSCT horses under field conditions. Methods: Of the 801 registered NSCT horses born in 2005, 144 were...
Ebert M, Moore-Colyer MJS.The aim of this study was to estimate the energy requirements of performance horses in active, variable training in the field. Sixty horses in England and Switzerland were measured over 2-wk periods and, for 15 of these, the measurement period was extended, ranging from 21 to 42 wk. Energy intake was estimated by measuring daily feed consumption. Energy output was measured using heart rate (HR) monitors during 608 training sessions, relating HR to volume of oxygen (VO₂) and converting VO₂ to energy. Field maintenance requirements were calculated by deducting the marginal energy cost of tra...
Krueger K, Gruentjens T, Hempel E.Wolves returned to Germany in 2000, leading to fear in German horse owners that their horses could be in danger of wolf attacks or panic-like escapes from pastures when sighting wolves. However, reports from southern European countries indicate that wolf predation on horses diminishes with increasing presence of wildlife. Therefore, we conducted a long-term, filed observation between January 2015 and July 2022 on 13 non breeding riding horses, mares and geldings, kept permanently on two pastures within the range of wildlife and a stable wolf pack with annual offspring. Wildlife cameras at the ...
Lauper M, Gerber V, Ramseyer A, Burger D, Lüth A, Koch C, Dolf G.There is a lack of evidence regarding genetic parameters of health traits in Swiss Warmblood horses. Objective: To estimate heritabilities of equine sarcoid disease, horn quality of hooves, prognathism and increased filling of talocrural joints as a possible indicator for osteochondrosis in Swiss Warmblood horses examined at the field tests for 3-year-olds between 2005 and 2013. Methods: Retrospective analysis of breed society database. Methods: Swiss Warmblood horses were examined clinically by 13 veterinarians at field tests in Switzerland between 2005 and 2013. The presence of sarcoids, hor...
Sergeant ES, Kirkland PD, Cowled BD.During the Australian epidemic of equine influenza in 2007, tens of thousands of horses were infected. From the resulting field data, 475 known infected and 1323 uninfected horses were identified to allow a post outbreak evaluation of the performance of the commonly used bELISA for influenza A under field conditions. A variety of techniques, such as ROC plots, area under the curve and hypothesis testing were used to assess the overall performance of the test. The test was deemed to be accurate (area under curve=0.993+/-0.003 standard error) and significantly informative (z=-32.0; p or =50) wer...
Egan S, Brama P, McGrath D.Wearable sensing technologies are increasingly used in human and equine gait research to improve ecological validity of research findings. It is unclear how these tools have penetrated the equine industry or what perspectives industry stakeholders' hold in relation to these relatively new devices. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Irish equine industry stakeholders to understand their perception of objective tools for biomechanical analysis in the field. The study participants came from professional/elite backgrounds in both the sport horse ( = 6) and thoroughbred ( = 6) sectors. ...
Rebalka IA, Lindinger MI.A commercially available equine fecal blood test (FBT) claims to be able to detect the presence of blood proteins (albumin and hemoglobin) in manure. The purpose of this study was to determine the FBT test sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV), lower threshold of detection, time to obtain a visual positive result, effect of temperature and result stability in lab and field conditions. The FBT was assessed for its sensitivity and specificity for detecting pure albumin and hemoglobin at two temperatures over a range of concentrations. Time to result was mea...
Porzuczek A, Kiełbowicz Z, Haines G.In equine field practice, the diagnosis of small intestinal disorders is usually based on the presence of distended loops on rectal palpation and large volumes of reflux obtained after the passage of a nasogastric tube. Percutaneous abdominal ultrasound examination has been widely utilized in both human and small animal internal medicine in most cases of gastrointestinal discomfort. The purpose of this study was to identify which measurable parameters were important in reaching a diagnosis of small intestinal abnormality and determining treatment options. Horses of various age, sex and breed w...
Ellse L, Sands B, Burden FA, Wall R.Chewing lice are widespread and clinically compromising parasites of livestock and equids. Their management is complicated by growing levels of resistance to commonly applied insecticides. Hence, the development of novel approaches to their control is of major clinical interest. Objective: To assess the effects of incorporating the essential oils of tea tree and lavender into a grooming programme for populations of donkeys with natural infestations of Bovicola ocellatus in the UK and Ireland when louse populations were at their winter seasonal peak. Methods: In vivo field trial. Methods: Suspe...
Sentsui H, Inoshima Y, Murakami K, Akashi H, Purevtseren B, Pagmajav O, Sugiura T.Cross reactivity of equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) antigen prepared using a recombinant baculovirus containing the p26 gene of strain P337-V70 was examined by the agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Serum samples serially collected from 13 horses experimentally infected with six different EIAV strains (two or three horses per strain) were subjected to the test. Positive reactions were observed in the AGID test and ELISA before or soon after the first feverish period and continued persistently in most of the horses. The results with recombi...
Popot MA, Jacobs M, Garcia P, Loup B, Guyonnet J, Toutain PL, Bailly-Chouriberry L, Bonnaire Y.Tiludronate is a bisphosphonate drug marketed to treat different bone conditions in horses. Objective: The goal of this study was to measure the plasma concentrations of tiludronate in a population of race and sport horses under field conditions, and using pharmacokinetic population modelling, to estimate detection times for doping control. Methods: Prospective cohort. Methods: This study was conducted under field conditions on 39 race or sport horses diagnosed with bone conditions based on a lameness examination and treated with tiludronate. Each horse received 1 mg/kg of tiludronate (Tildren...
Creton B, Pageat P, Robejean M, Lafont-Lecuelle C, Cozzi A.Hematophagous insects can be vectors of pathogens and cause significant economic loss in zootechnical production. Among biting insects, many dipteran species feed on horse blood. The black fly (Diptera: Simuliidae) group, is responsible for several disorders in horses and inflicts painful bites that lead to undesirable behaviours in horses, particularly when bites occur in sensitive areas such as the inner ear. A field study was conducted in a French equestrian center during which a semiochemical was applied on horses' ears to assess repellent efficacy against simulid infestation. During the f...
McClure S, Sibert G, Hallberg J, Bade D.The efficacy and safety of sustained release ceftiofur administered twice, 4 days apart, for treatment of horses with naturally acquired Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (Strep. zoo.) pneumonia was evaluated in a multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomized clinical trial. The study included 373 horses (278 treated and 95 placebos) with naturally acquired pneumonia. Inclusion in the statistical analyses for treatment efficacy for Strep. zoo. required recovery of ≥10(4) CFU/mL of Strep. zoo. on the primary isolation plate which resulted in 201 cases (145 treated and 56 p...
Phumoonna T, Muscatello G, Chicken C, Gilkerson JR, Browning GF, Barton MD, Heuzenroeder MW.A total of 227 field samples from naturally exposed foals aged between 3 weeks and 6 months were used in an evaluation of a peptide-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for diagnosis of Rhodococcus equi infection. A biotinylated peptide derived from the virulence-associated protein A (VapA) of R. equi, a horse pathogen, was synthesized and designated as PN11-14. The peptide corresponds to the N-terminal B-cell epitope TSLNLQKDEPNGRASDTAGQ of the VapA protein. Based upon a serum immunoglobulin (Ig)G titre of 512 as a positive cut-off value for the R. equi infection, the ELISA provide...
Krause DM, Pezzanite LM, Griffenhagen GM, Hendrickson DA.Frequency of synovial sepsis in horses following intrasynovial injection has been reported, but not compared with respect to the environment in which the injection was performed. Objective: To describe occurrence of synovial sepsis following intrasynovial injections performed in ambulatory vs hospital settings. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Records from the Colorado State University were evaluated (2014-2018) and horses receiving intrasynovial injections were identified. Patients presenting for septic synovial structures were excluded. Patient signalment, primary supervising se...
Turner JW, Rutberg AT.There are only two nonlethal approaches with which to manage wildlife populations: remove excess individuals or decrease reproductive rates. In the case of wild horse management, the latter has already been shown to be a more humane and less costly approach. Contraception has been known for many years to be effective in wild horses with regard to both fertility and population alteration. Field testing under real-world management situations is a critical aspect of wildlife contraception assessment. Field testing also requires documentation to justify eventual large-scale use of fertility contro...
Douglas-Hamilton DH, Osol R, Osol G, Driscoll D, Noble H.A field trial of artificial insemination in horses with transproted, chilled semen was conducted using a specially designed container which permitted a controlled, slow initial rate of cooling (-0.3 degrees C/min) and maintenance of a final temperature of 4 degrees -6 degrees C for more than 36 hrs. Forty-six mares in 23 states were inseminated with semen from three German Warmblood stallions standing at stud in Hamilton, Massachusetts. A third-cycle conception rate of 91% was obtained.
Deutsch J, Ekiri A, de Vries A.To compare alfaxalone as continuous intravenous (IV) infusion with intermittent IV injections for maintenance of anaesthesia in ponies undergoing castration. Methods: Prospective, randomized, 'blinded' clinical study. Methods: A group of 33 entire male Welsh ponies undergoing field castration. Methods: After preanaesthetic medication with IV detomidine (10 μg kg) and butorphanol (0.05 mg kg), anaesthesia was induced with IV diazepam (0.05 mg kg) followed by alfaxalone (1 mg kg). After random allocation, anaesthesia was maintained with either IV alfaxalone 2 mg kg hour (group A; n ...
Rodríguez-Pozo ML, Armengou L, Monreal L, Viu J, Cesarini C, Jose-Cunilleras E.To assess whether an oral direct factor Xa inhibitor (DiXaI) anticoagulant drug used at the low end of the recommended dose in people achieves presumed prophylactic plasma concentrations and does not induce bleeding in horses. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: Field study. Methods: Ten healthy adult horses. Methods: A DiXaI was administered at a dose of 0.125 mg/kg every 24 h orally for 4 days. Following a wash-out period of 2 weeks, 8 of 10 horses received daily subcutaneous doses of a low molecular weight heparin (dalteparin) for 4 consecutive days at 50 IU/kg. In both trials, antifactor...
Nehra K, Rana R, Viswas KN, Arun TR, Singh VP, Singh AP, Prabhu SN.Although Mycoplasma equigenitalium has been implicated in equine reproductive problems, its prevalence is largely unexplored due to the lack of specific diagnostic tests. To address this limitation, the authors developed and optimized species-specific primer pairs that target M. eguigenitalium rpoB (RNA polymerase B subunit) gene sequences. The specificity of the PCR assay developed in this study was determined using 12 field isolates including the type strain of M. equigenitalium and other Mycoplasma species. In the field study, a total of 122 mare and stallion samples comprising of 50 clinic...
Molini U, Zaccaria G, Kandiwa E, Mushonga B, Khaiseb S, Ntahonshikira C, Chiwome B, Baines I, Madzingira O, Savini G, D'Alterio N.African horse sickness (AHS) is a non-contagious viral disease of horses and other equids caused by an arbovirus belonging to the Reoviridae family and genus Orbivirus. AHS is an endemic disease that is responsible for the death of a high number of horses every year in Namibia. At present, there is no information on the prevalence and distribution of AHS virus (AHSV) serotypes in the different regions of Namibia. Therefore, this survey aimed to fill this knowledge gap by investigating the AHSV seroprevalence in Namibian donkeys. Methods: A total of 260 blood samples (20 samples for each region...
Jansson A, Harris P, Davey SL, Luthersson N, Ragnarsson S, Ringmark S.Straw's low energy content means it is a roughage option for horses with low energy requirements. Previously, in a field study, straw was associated with an increased risk for gastric ulcers. This study evaluated the effect on gastric ulcers, metabolic profile and behaviour of replacing, in a forage-only ration, 50% of the daily allowance with wheat straw. Six equines were studied in a 2 × 21-day cross-over design. The control diet (CON: 100% grass forage) and the straw diet (S: 50% grass forage and 50% straw [DM basis]) were iso-energetic. Gastroscopy was performed prior to the study and on ...
Ireland JL, McGorum BC, Proudman CJ, Newton JR.Without an experimental model of equine grass sickness (EGS), a randomised controlled field trial (RCT) represents the only method of evaluating the efficacy of Clostridium botulinum type C vaccination in preventing naturally occurring disease. Clinical trial feasibility is an important aspect of preliminary work undertaken prior to initiating RCTs, estimating parameters that are important for study design. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the feasibility of conducting a nationwide RCT of a candidate vaccine for EGS based on responses from a sample of British equine veterinary practi...
Sabaté D, Homedes J, Salichs M, Sust M, Monreal L.In horses, it has been demonstrated that suxibuzone (SBZ) has a lower gastric ulcerogenic effect than phenylbutazone (PBZ). However, no field trials have been reported comparing the efficacy of the drugs in alleviating lameness. Objective: To compare the therapeutic effect of SBZ to that of PBZ when administered orally in lame horses. Acceptability of both products was also compared. Methods: Lame horses (n = 155) were used in a multicentre, controlled, randomised and double-blinded clinical trial. Horses were treated orally with either SBZ or PBZ at equivalent therapeutic dosages. PBZ was giv...
Matsuura A, Tanaka M, Irimajiri M, Yamazaki A, Nakanowatari T, Hodate K.Horse trekking (HT) is having a stroll on a horse along a walking trail in a forest, field, and/or sandy beach. Generally in HT, horses exercise in tandem line outside the riding facilities. Because the leading horse will be confronted with stressors in the forefront, we hypothesized that the leading horse shows higher stress responses than the following one. In order to verify the hypothesis, we compared short-term stress responses between each position in six horses. Exercise consisted of 15 min of ground riding and 45 min of HT with walking and trotting. Heart rate variability was analyzed ...
Edwards JF, Yedloutschnig RJ, Dardiri AH, Callis JJ.Virus isolation was attempted from 262 field samples of vesicular material collected during the outbreaks of vesicular exanthema of swine in the U.S.A. from 1952-54. Using primary swine kidney culture, viral cytopathogenic agents were isolated from 76.3% of the samples. However, an overall recovery rate of 82.1% was obtained after samples negative in tissue culture were inoculated intradermally in susceptible swine. All vesicular exanthema of swine virus isolates were identified as serotype B51 using complement fixation and serum neutralization tests. Two isolates did not react with antisera t...
Farahi S, Shishehbor P, Nemati A, Perotti MA.Manure-inhabiting Mesostigmata mites are important biological control agents of pest flies. However, the biodiversity of this mite community is mainly known from Europe and America, and especially from cattle manure. This study examined the diversity and abundance of Mesostigmata mites associated with various types of manure in an (intensive) agricultural region of the Middle East, i.e., the city Ahvaz and its suburbs, in southwest Iran. Mite samples were extracted from manure of cattle, buffalo, sheep, horse, poultry and quail in 30 livestock and poultry farms. In total, 40 species belonging ...
Bergero D, Préfontaine C, Miraglia N, Peiretti PG.The digestibility of horse feeds and rations can be determined using different techniques such as calculations based on the chemical composition, in vivo or in vitro methods. The marker methods overcome difficulties like discomfort for the animals and longer experimental times encountered using the ingesta/egesta method. In field conditions, a natural indigestible marker like acid-insoluble ash (AIA), with no changes in the normal ration, could be a very useful tool for digestibility trials. A group of six standardbred horses was used in a set of seven apparent digestibility trials. The diets ...
