Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
Topic:Horse Breeds
Horse breeds represent the diverse genetic and phenotypic variations found within the species Equus ferus caballus. These breeds are categorized based on characteristics such as size, conformation, coat color, and temperament, which have been selectively bred over centuries to fulfill specific roles and functions. Common classifications of horse breeds include light horses, draft horses, and ponies, each serving different purposes ranging from riding and racing to work and companionship. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the genetics, history, and functional attributes of various horse breeds, as well as their impact on equine management and breeding practices.
European domestic horses originated in two holocene refugia. The role of European wild horses in horse domestication is poorly understood. While the fossil record for wild horses in Europe prior to horse domestication is scarce, there have been suggestions that wild populations from various European regions might have contributed to the gene pool of domestic horses. To distinguish between regions where domestic populations are mainly descended from local wild stock and those where horses were largely imported, we investigated patterns of genetic diversity in 24 European horse breeds typed at 12 microsatellite loci. The distribution of high levels of gen...
The frequency of the equine cerebellar abiotrophy mutation in non-Arabian horse breeds. A putative mutation causative of cerebellar abiotrophy (CA), a genetic defect found almost exclusively in Arabian horses, was recently identified. Objective: To investigate the presence of the CA mutation in breeds other than Arabian and ascertain whether the mutation had been introduced into these breeds by Arabian ancestry. The CA mutation is present in breeds of horses with Arabian ancestry. Methods: Allele-specific PCR was used to genotype 1845 non-Arabian horses for the CA mutation. For those breeds in which at least one carrier was identified, an additional 266 horses were genotyped to d...
Particle mapping in stables at an American Thoroughbred racetrack. Airway inflammation and mucus in the trachea are common in racehorses. Fine airborne particles can initiate and coarse particles can worsen airway inflammation in man and in animal models of airway disease. The regional and seasonal distribution of particles of different sizes has never been investigated in American racing stables. Objective: To determine the regional and seasonal concentration and number of airborne particles of different sizes in racing stables. Methods: Direct reading instruments were used to determine the mass concentration and numbers of particles 3 times daily (early mor...
Genetic variability in the Skyros pony and its relationship with other Greek and foreign horse breeds. In Greece, seven native horse breeds have been identified so far. Among these, the Skyros pony is outstanding through having a distinct phenotype. In the present study, the aim was to assess genetic diversity in this breed, by using different types of genetic loci and available genealogical information. Its relationships with the other Greek, as well as foreign, domestic breeds were also investigated. Through microsatellite and pedigree analysis it appeared that the Skyros presented a similar level of genetic diversity to the other European breeds. Nevertheless, comparisons between DNA-based a...
High throughput proteomic analysis of the secretome in an explant model of articular cartilage inflammation. This study employed a targeted high-throughput proteomic approach to identify the major proteins present in the secretome of articular cartilage. Explants from equine metacarpophalangeal joints were incubated alone or with interleukin-1beta (IL-1β, 10ng/ml), with or without carprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, for six days. After tryptic digestion of culture medium supernatants, resulting peptides were separated by HPLC and detected in a Bruker amaZon ion trap instrument. The five most abundant peptides in each MS scan were fragmented and the fragmentation patterns compared to m...
Naturally occurring compensated insulin resistance selectively alters glucose transporters in visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissues without change in AS160 activation. Although the importance of adipose tissue (AT) glucose transport in regulating whole-body insulin sensitivity is becoming increasingly evident and insulin resistance (IR) has been widely recognized, the underlying mechanisms of IR are still not well understood. The purpose of the present study was to determine the early pathological changes in glucose transport by characterizing the alterations in glucose transporters (GLUT) in multiple visceral and subcutaneous adipose depots in a large animal model of naturally occurring compensated IR. AT biopsies were collected from horses, which were clas...
A genetic variant near the equine interleukin 6 gene associated with copper:zinc ratio. The aim of this study was to validate an A/T single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) corresponding to a LINE2 sequence located ∼1.1kb downstream of the IL-6 gene (SNP BIEC2-911738) and to determine if this variant is correlated with interleukin 6 (IL-6) modulation or with different plasma concentrations of Zn, Cu, Se and Fe. The frequency of the newly described variant T ranged from 0 to 23.1% among different breeds of horses. SBIEC2-911738 was not associated with changes in IL-6 plasma levels. Increased Cu:Zn ratios were observed in horses carrying the AT genotype independently of breed when s...
Energy and protein allowances and requirements in stallions during the breeding season, comparing different nutritional systems. This study was conducted to estimate the nutritional value of diets given to stallions of different breeds during the reproductive season, and comparing allowances with requirements. The systems compared were the French INRA, the 1989 NRC, and the 2007 NRC. Data on reproductive activity, daily exercise, BW, BCS, feed intake, and feed composition during 4 mo (from March to June) were recorded on 12 stallions used for commercial AI programs. Stallions belonged to 3 different breeds: Italian Haflinger (IH, n=4), Holstein (HOL, n=4), and Italian Heavy Draft horse (IHDH, n=4). Data recorded were us...
Agreement between measures of total motility and membrane integrity in stallion sperm. Increasing seminal plasma concentrations in extended stallion semen were utilized to model decreasing sperm motility over time. Level of agreement was determined between flow cytometric measurement of sperm membrane integrity, using a combination of SYBR-14 and propidium iodide, and computer-assisted analysis of sperm motility. Values for total sperm motility (TMOT;%) and membrane integrity (SMI;%) were similar (∼80%) at Time 0 within all sperm treatments. However, TMOT was lower than SMI after 24 and 48 h of storage in treatments with >20% seminal plasma. At Time 0, agreement (bias and a...
Effect of sod (superoxide dismutase) protein supplementation in semen extenders on motility, viability, acrosome status and ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) protein phosphorylation of chilled stallion spermatozoa. New studies are underway to find new methods for supporting longer storage of cooled stallion semen. It is known that high concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) cause sperm pathology. The metalloprotein superoxide dismutase (SOD) is responsible for H(2)O(2) and O(2) production, by dismutation of superoxide radicals. The aim of this study is to assess the quality of chilled stallion semen processed with extenders containing SOD at different concentrations as antioxidant additives. A total of 80 ejaculates collected from 5 standardbred stallions was divided into 5 aliquots treated as: ...
The effect of age on thoroughbred racing performance. Using a dataset of 274 male Thoroughbred racehorses in the United States, we study the effect of age on racing performance. Beyer speed figures, which are uniform measures of racing performance across distance and racing surface, are utilized in this study. A system of equations is estimated to determine quadratic improvement and decline in racing performance. We find that a typical horse's peak racing age is 4.45 years. The rate of improvement from age 2 to 4 1/2 is greater than the rate of decline after age 4 1/2. A typical horse will improve by 10 (horse) lengths in sprints (less than 1 mil...
The effect of age on thoroughbred racing performance. Using a dataset of 274 male Thoroughbred racehorses in the United States, we study the effect of age on racing performance. Beyer speed figures, which are uniform measures of racing performance across distance and racing surface, are utilized in this study. A system of equations is estimated to determine quadratic improvement and decline in racing performance. We find that a typical horse's peak racing age is 4.45 years. The rate of improvement from age 2 to 4 1/2 is greater than the rate of decline after age 4 1/2. A typical horse will improve by 10 (horse) lengths in sprints (less than 1 mil...
Chromatin configuration and epigenetic landscape at the sex chromosome bivalent during equine spermatogenesis. Pairing of the sex chromosomes during mammalian meiosis is characterized by the formation of a unique heterochromatin structure at the XY body. The mechanisms underlying the formation of this nuclear domain are reportedly highly conserved from marsupials to mammals. In this study, we demonstrate that in contrast to all eutherian species studied to date, partial synapsis of the heterologous sex chromosomes during pachytene stage in the horse is not associated with the formation of a typical macrochromatin domain at the XY body. While phosphorylated histone H2AX (γH2AX) and macroH2A1.2 are pres...
The use of foal and studbook traits in the breeding programmes of Finnhorse and Standardbred trotters. Genetic correlations for body measurements and subjectively scored traits between foals and studbook horses were estimated using bivariate linear mixed models. Observations for nine foal and eleven studbook traits in Finnhorses on 6529 foals and 6596 studbook horses and in Standardbred trotters on 3069 foals and 2112 studbook horses were available from the Finnish horse breeding shows. The number of sires with progeny in both foal and studbook data was 203 in Finnhorse and 145 in Standardbred trotters. Estimates of heritability for body measurements in foals and studbook horses using univariat...
Presence of the glycogen synthase 1 (GYS1) mutation causing type 1 polysaccharide storage myopathy in continental European draught horse breeds. The purpose of this study was to determine which continental European draught horse breeds harbour a mutation in the glycogen synthase 1 gene (GYS1) that is known to be responsible for type 1 polysaccharide storage myopathy in quarter horses and North American draught horses. Of a non-random selection of continental European draught horses belonging to 13 breeds, 62 per cent (250 of 403) tested were found to carry the mutant allele. The horses were located in Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. The mutation was identified in animals from each of the breeds examined. In...
Genetic parameters of insect bite hypersensitivity in Dutch Friesian broodmares. Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is a seasonal allergic skin disease in horses caused by bites of certain Culicoides spp. The aim of our study was to investigate the maternal effect on IBH and to estimate the heritability and repeatability of IBH in the Dutch Friesian horse population. Data consisted of 3,453 Dutch Friesian broodmares with 3,763 visual observations on IBH clinical symptoms scored by 12 inspectors during organized foal inspections in 2004 and 2008. Nine percent of the mares (n = 310) were scored in both years. Mares descended from 144 sires and 2,554 dams and 26.2% of the dam...
Genetic analysis of ‘breeding field test status’ in Icelandic horses. Genetic evaluation of Icelandic horses is currently based on results from breeding field tests where riding ability and conformation of the horses are evaluated over the course of 1-2 days. Only a small part of registered horses attend these field tests, and it can be assumed that these are not a random sample of the population. In this study, the trait test status was introduced, describing whether a horse was assessed in a breeding field test. This trait was analysed to find out whether it has a genetic variation and how it correlates genetically to other traits in the breeding goal. Breedin...
Establishing reference genes for use in real-time quantitative PCR analysis of early equine embryos. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) is invaluable for investigating changes in gene expression during early development, since it can be performed on the limited quantities of mRNA contained in individual embryos. However, the reliability of this method depends on the use of validated stably expressed reference genes for accurate data normalisation. The aim of the present study was to identify and validate a set of reference genes suitable for studying gene expression during equine embryo development. The stable expression of four carefully selected reference genes and one developmentally regula...
Influence of endemic goitre areas on thyroid hormones in horses. The aim of this study was to investigate thyroid hormone levels in horses stabled in two different locations on the island of Sicily. The study was carried out on a total of 72 clinically healthy Sanfratellano horses ranging in age from 5 to 9 years and weighing 585 ± 40 kg. The results showed higher thyroxine values (P < 0.02) in horses stabled in an endemic goitre area (group II) than those observed in horses in a non-endemic area (group I). Unexpectedly, the T(4)/T(3) and the fT(4)/fT(3) rations were both lower in group I than in group II. The percentages of fT(4) to T(4) and of fT(3) to T...
Na+, K(+)-ATPase activity and ATP concentration in horses of the Wielkopolski breed in relation to age. This study aimed at determining relationships between the age of the Wielkopolski horses, ATP in whole blood and in the erythrocytes, and between erythrocyte Na+, K(+)-ATPase activity, and serum concentrations of mineral components. ATP was measured in whole blood and in erythrocytes by HPLC method. Serum concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+ were measured spectrophotometrically, while Na+ and K+ by flame photometry. In horses aged from 4 to 48 months, a dynamic decrease in ATP activity was found. Erythrocyte Na+, K(+)-ATPase activity decreased proportionally with the decrease in ATP activity. The r...
Quality and fertility of cooled-shipped stallion semen at the time of insemination. Stallion semen processing is far from standardized and differs substantially between AI centers. Suboptimal pregnancy rates in equine AI may primarily result from breeding with low quality semen not adequately processed for shipment. It was the aim of the study to evaluate quality and fertility of cooled-shipped equine semen provided for breeding of client mares by commercial semen collection centers in Europe. Cooled shipped semen (n = 201 doses) from 67 stallions and 36 different EU-approved semen collection centers was evaluated. At arrival, semen temperature was 9.8 ± 0.2 °C, mean sperm ...
Racing and sales performance after unilateral or bilateral single transphyseal screw insertion for varus angular limb deformities of the carpus in 53 thoroughbreds. To evaluate the racing and sales performance of Thoroughbred horses with varus angular limb deformities of the carpus treated by unilateral or bilateral single transphyseal screw (STS) placement. Methods: Case series. Methods: Thoroughbred horses (n=53). Methods: Medical records (January 1, 2005-December 31, 2006) of yearling Thoroughbreds treated for carpal angular limb deformity by transphyseal screw insertion in the distal aspect of the radius were reviewed. Retrieved data were sex, surgery, and screw removal dates, surgical site, appearance, limb(s) affected, type of angular limb deformity...
Origin and history of mitochondrial DNA lineages in domestic horses. Domestic horses represent a genetic paradox: although they have the greatest number of maternal lineages (mtDNA) of all domestic species, their paternal lineages are extremely homogeneous on the Y-chromosome. In order to address their huge mtDNA variation and the origin and history of maternal lineages in domestic horses, we analyzed 1961 partial d-loop sequences from 207 ancient remains and 1754 modern horses. The sample set ranged from Alaska and North East Siberia to the Iberian Peninsula and from the Late Pleistocene to modern times. We found a panmictic Late Pleistocene horse population r...
Perosomus elumbis, cerebral aplasia, and spina bifida in an aborted thoroughbred foal. Perosomus elumbis represents a rare congenital anomaly characterized by aplasia of the lumbosacral spinal cord and vertebrae. This anomaly is often associated with arthrogryposis and malformations of the urogenital and intestinal tract. This report describes the first case of perosomus elumbis in an aborted Thoroughbred foal associated with cerebral aplasia with meningocele, cranioschisis, spina bifida, a fused urogenital and intestinal tracts lined by a cutaneous mucosa without uterine glands, atresia ani, and arthrogryposis of the hind legs. Immunohistochemistry detected no abnormalities in ...
Use of a defined diluent increases the sex-sorting efficiency of stallion sperm. The low efficiency of flow cytometric sex-sorting of stallion sperm has been attributed to the use of an opaque skim milk-based diluent during Hoechst 33342 (H33342) staining. Three experiments were conducted to formulate an optically clear stallion semen diluent for use during H33342 staining, and to determine whether a clear diluent improved resolution during sorting. For Experiment 1, sperm were incubated at 34 °C in each of five diluents containing either no protein, skim milk, 0.25% Cohn's Fraction V BSA, 0.5% BSA, or 1% BSA, following an 18 h storage (15 °C) period, or shortly after co...
The selenium and vitamin E status of horses in Prince Edward Island. Serum selenium (Se), vitamin E, and resting thyroid hormone concentrations were measured in 201 horses in Prince Edward Island (PEI). Selenium concentrations were either marginal (0.0053 to 0.1200 ppm) or deficient (< 0.0053 ppm) in 79% of horses based on current reference ranges for Se in serum. Aged and young adult pleasure horses had a higher prevalence of inadequate Se concentrations compared to racehorses and broodmares (82% and 97% versus 45% and 72%, respectively). Overall, 13% of horses had inadequate (< 200 μg/dL) serum vitamin E concentrations; most of these were young pleasure hors...
Addition of seminal plasma to post-thawing equine semen: what is the effect on sperm cell viability? Effect of seminal plasma addition after thawing on viability or cryocapacitation is not definitively established. This experiment was performed to verify the effect of adding seminal plasma, autologous or homologous (from an animal with good semen freezability). Five ejaculates from each of four stallions with proven fertility were collected and cryopreserved. The semen was subsequently thawed and divided into the following three treatment groups: no seminal plasma addition after semen thawing (NOSP); the addition of homologous seminal plasma after semen thawing (HSP) and the addition of autol...
