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.
Bowman SG, Marshall JF, Blikslager AT.To determine demographic characteristics of horses donated to the North Carolina State University Equine Health Center (EHC) between 1996 and 2008. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: 122 horses donated to the EHC between January 1996 and December 2008, and 246 horses offered for donation to the EHC between January 2007 and December 2008. Methods: Telephone and medical records were examined. Data were collected in 5 categories: age, sex, breed, reason for donation, and use prior to donation. Results: From January 1996 through December 2008, 122 horses were donated to the EHC (median,...
Bergqvist AS, Johannisson A, Bäckgren L, Dalin AM, Rodriguez-Martinez H, Morrell JM.This study was designed to evaluate the effect of single layer centrifugation (SLC) and subsequent cold storage on stallion sperm capacitation-like status and acrosome reaction. Three stallions were included in the study, with three ejaculates per stallion. The samples were examined 4, 24 and 72 h after collection, extension and SLC, with storage at 6°C. Sperm capacitation-like status was investigated using the fluorescent dye chlortetracycline (CTC). There was no difference in capacitation-like status between colloid-selected and non-selected spermatozoa. Sperm motility decreased significant...
Katila T, Reilas T, Nivola K, Peltonen T, Virtala AM.The major horse breeds in Finland are the Finnhorse (FH) and the American Standardbred (SB). The foaling rates of the FH have consistently been lower than those of the SB. During the last years, a decreasing trend in foaling rates of both breeds has been observed. The purpose of this study was to describe and compare the structure of these two mare populations for age, reproductive history and mating type. In addition, changes over the years were studied that could explain the decline in foaling rates. Methods: In Finland, the mating statistics and foaling rates per stallion are published year...
Minervini F, Lacalandra GM, Filannino A, Garbetta A, Nicassio M, Dell'aquila ME, Visconti A.Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium species that exerts its toxic effect through interference with the sphingolipid pathway by inhibiting ceramide synthase. A FB1-dependent sperm toxicity was reported in boars. No information on FB1-related reproductive toxicity in stallions, the most sensitive animal species, has been reported. The aim of the present study was to assess the in vitro toxicity of FB1 on fresh and frozen-thawed equine spermatozoa by analyzing sperm viability, chromatin stability (SCSA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by flow cytometry and sperm mo...
Boehart S, Arndt G, Carstanjen B.The aim of the study was to determine morphometric values of the superficial and deep digital flexor tendon, the inferior check ligament and the suspensory ligament in the palmar metacarpal region of sound Haflinger horses using ultrasonography and to assess the influence of different factors on them. The findings were compared with the literature. A total of 30 sound Haflinger mares aged 4-20 years were used. Transverse ultrasound images were obtained with an 8-10 linear MHz transducer and the cross-sectional area, the circumference and the dorsopalmar and lateromedial width were determined f...
Groeneveld LF, Lenstra JA, Eding H, Toro MA, Scherf B, Pilling D, Negrini R, Finlay EK, Jianlin H, Groeneveld E, Weigend S.Domestication of livestock species and a long history of migrations, selection and adaptation have created an enormous variety of breeds. Conservation of these genetic resources relies on demographic characterization, recording of production environments and effective data management. In addition, molecular genetic studies allow a comparison of genetic diversity within and across breeds and a reconstruction of the history of breeds and ancestral populations. This has been summarized for cattle, yak, water buffalo, sheep, goats, camelids, pigs, horses, and chickens. Further progress is expected...
Bartolomé E, Goyache F, Molina A, Cervantes I, Valera M, Gutiérrez JP.A method to quantify the contribution of subpopulations to genetic diversity in the whole population was assessed using pedigree information. The standardization of between- and within-subpopulation mean coancestries was developed to account for the different coat colour subpopulation sizes in the Spanish Purebred (SPB) horse population. The data included 166264 horses registered in the SPB Studbook. Animals born in the past 11 years (1996 to 2006) were selected as the 'reference population' and were grouped according to coat colour into eight subpopulations: grey (64 836 animals), bay (33 633...
Ling Y, Ma Y, Guan W, Cheng Y, Wang Y, Han J, Jin D, Mang L, Mahmut H.Y chromosome acts as a single nonrecombining unit that is male specific and in effect haploid, thus ensuring the preservation of mutational events as a single haplotype via male lines. In this study, 6 Y chromosome-specific microsatellites (SSR) were tested for the patrilineal genetic variations of 573 male samples from Chinese domestic horse (30 breeds), Przewalski's horse, and donkey. All the 6 loci appeared as a haplotype block in Przewalski's horse and the domestic donkey. There were notable differences, however, at Y chromosome markers between horse and donkey. There were 2 haplotypes of ...
Ling YH, Ma YH, Guan WJ, Cheng YJ, Wang YP, Han JL, Mang L, Zhao QJ, He XH, Pu YB, Fu BL.We determined the genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships among 26 Chinese indigenous horse breeds and two introduced horse breeds by genotyping these animals for 27 microsatellite loci. The 26 Chinese horse breeds come from 12 different provinces. Two introduced horse breeds were the Mongolia B Horse from Mongolia and the Thoroughbred Horse from the UK. A total of 330 alleles were detected, and the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.719 (Elenchuns) to 0.780 (Dali). The mean number of alleles among the horse breeds ranged from 6.74 (Hequ) to 8.81 (Debao). Although there were abunda...
Anthony J, Waldner C, Grier C, Laycock AR.Dental abnormalities in horses can lead to weight-loss, poor performance, pain, behavioral abnormalities, and illness. Despite this impact, the occurrence and type of dental disease in horse populations is infrequently reported in veterinary medicine. The purpose of this cross-sectional survey of horses presented for slaughter at a processing plant in Western Canada was to measure the prevalence of equine oral abnormalities, examine associations between the most common abnormalities, and consider the relationship between the age of horse and types of abnormalities observed. The horses used in ...
Johnson EB, Mackay RJ, Hernandez JA.OBJECTIVE-To estimate prevalence of and identify factors associated with anhidrosis in horses in Florida. Design-Cross-sectional study and case-control study. ANIMALS-4,620 horses on 500 farms. PROCEDURES-A questionnaire was structured and mailed to farm owners or managers to obtain information related to diagnosis of anhidrosis in horses and exposure factors associated with this condition. The frequency of investigated farm- and animal-level factors was compared between farms and horses affected and not affected with anhidrosis, respectively. RESULTS-The prevalence of anhidrosis was 11% at th...
García BM, Fernández LG, Ferrusola CO, Salazar-Sandoval C, Rodríguez AM, Martinez HR, Tapia JA, Morcuende D, Peña FJ.Lipids were extracted from ejaculated spermatozoa from seven individual stallions to distinguish neutral lipids (NL) and polar lipids (PL) and determine their variation among stallions and their relationship with sperm quality and sperm susceptibility to lipid peroxidation. The isolated fatty acids were correlated with sperm quality (membrane integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and expression of active caspases) and the sensitivity of the sperm plasma membrane to LPO. The miristic (C14: 0), palmitic (C16: 0), stearic (C18: 0) and oleic (C18: 1n9) acids were predominant among th...
Bertelsmann H, Keppler S, Höltershinken M, Bollwein H, Behne D, Alber D, Bukalis G, Kyriakopoulos A, Sieme H.The essential trace element selenium is indispensable for male fertility in mammals. Until now, little data existed regarding the relationship between selenium and sperm quality in the stallion. Selenium, or selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase activity, was determined in red blood cells, semen, seminal plasma and spermatozoa, and the percentages of spermatozoa with progressive motility (PMS), intact membranes (PMI), altered (positive) acrosomal status (PAS) and detectable DNA damage, determined by the sperm chromatin structure assay, were evaluated in 41 healthy stallions (three samples ...
Jiang Q, Wei Y, Huang Y, Jiang H, Guo Y, Lan G, Liao J.The Debao pony (Equus caballus) is the most important local variety of domestic horses, and is strictly protected by the Chinese government. Their average adult withers height is 94.42±3.76 cm for males and 98.35±4.55 cm for females, respectively. In the present study, the complete sequence of the Debao pony mitochondrial genome was determined (GenBank Accession No. EU939445), and was found to be similar to other equine mitochondrial genomes. However, there were 85 nucleotide substitutions in the 13 protein-coding genes; the percentage of substitution was 0.8±0.1. Polymorphisms of mtDNA con...
Bosh KA, Powell D, Shelton B, Zent W.To improve efficiency at the farm level, a better understanding of how farm management factors impact reproductive performance is important. Objective: To assess reproductive efficiency and effectiveness among Thoroughbred mares in central Kentucky. Methods: A cohort of 1011 mares on 13 farms in central Kentucky was followed during the 2004 mating and 2005 foaling season. Information on farm level practices was collected via interviews with farm managers. Reproductive records were collected for each mare mated to obtain information on mare characteristics. The influence of mare age and status ...
Larsen ML, Ritz C, Petersen SL, Nielsen MK.Ivermectin resistance has recently been described in Parascaris equorum and there have been reports from several countries of a shortened egg reappearance period (ERP) following ivermectin treatment for cyathostomins. This study was aimed at determining the efficacy of ivermectin in treating cyathostomins and P. equorum in Danish horses. A total of 196 animals were selected from 52 farms, all of which were using a selective anthelmintic treatment strategy. ERP was investigated with weekly samples from 96 horses from nine farms. Horses were treated with ivermectin oral paste by their owners at ...
Austbø L, Røed KH, Dolvik NI, Skretting G.The aim of this study was to investigate genes for differential expression in cartilage of foals predisposed to osteochondrosis (OC). Tissue was sampled from the cranial part of the distal intermediate ridge of the tibia in the tarso-crural joint. Foals were considered predisposed to OC when parents had OC at the distal intermediate ridge of the tibia. RNA was isolated and subjected to arbitrarily primed PCR (RAP-PCR) followed by fingerprinting to screen for differentially expressed genes. By verification of results from the RAP-PCR fingerprint screening using real-time RT-PCR, we identified t...
Morrell JM, Rodriguez-Martinez H, Johannisson A.This study compared the effect on semen quality of different handling methods used in the preparation of stallion semen doses for artificial insemination. The three methods were (i) extending the ejaculate to 30-50 x 10(6)/ml, (ii) single layer centrifugation (SLC) and (iii) sperm washing (centrifugation without a colloid). An additional treatment was to add seminal plasma (SP) in various proportions to some SLC preparations. The resulting samples were evaluated for sperm motility by computer assisted sperm analysis, membrane integrity using the Nucleocounter SP-100 and chromatin integrity by ...
Niedermaier G, Poth T, Gehlen H.Two warmblood horses with a history of chronic weight loss and inappetence were referred to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Germany, for further examination. The clinical signs in horse 1 were fever, tachycardia and tachypnoea, and chronic ulcerative keratopathy of both eyes. Horse 2 had severe oral ulcerations and was coughing during feeding. In both horses, increased bronchovesicular sounds were heard during auscultation of the lungs. Laboratory findings included mild anaemia, lymphopenia and hypoalbuminaemia. Radiographic examination of the thora...
Bellone RR, Forsyth G, Leeb T, Archer S, Sigurdsson S, Imsland F, Mauceli E, Engensteiner M, Bailey E, Sandmeyer L, Grahn B, Lindblad-Toh K, Wade CM.Leopard Complex spotting occurs in several breeds of horses and is caused by an incompletely dominant allele (LP). Homozygosity for LP is also associated with congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) in Appaloosa horses. Previously, LP was mapped to a 6 cm region on ECA1 containing the candidate gene TRPM1 (Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel, Subfamily M, Member 1) and decreased expression of this gene, measured by qRT-PCR, was identified as the likely cause of both spotting and ocular phenotypes. This study describes investigations for a mutation causing or associated with the Le...
Lagares MA, Castanheira PN, Amaral DC, Vasconcelos AB, Veado JC, Arantes RM, Stahlberg R.The aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro viability of equine embryos vitrified in three different solutions. Day 6 and 6.5 embryos were measured and morphologically evaluated. Only grade 1 or 2 morulae and early blastocysts were vitrified. Eighteen embryos were distributed in Group 1: 40 percent ethylene glycol in PBS, Group: 2 and 3: 40 percent ethylene glycol, 18 percent Ficoll, 0.3M sucrose or 0.3M trehalose in PBS, respectively. The vitrified embryos were loaded individually into 0.25 ml straws, which were cooled and immersed in liquid nitrogen. After warming at 20 degree ...
Garrett KS, Pierce SW, Embertson RM, Stromberg AJ.OBJECTIVE-To determine the association between results of endoscopic evaluation of arytenoid function (AF) and epiglottic structure (ES) in Thoroughbred yearlings and racing performance at 2 to 4 years of age. DESIGN-Retrospective case series. ANIMALS-2,954 Thoroughbred yearlings. Procedures-Records of yearlings that had endoscopic evaluation of the larynx between 1998 and 2001 were obtained, and results were graded by use of standardized scales. A modified Havemeyer scale (grade I, II.1, II.2, III, or IV) was used to evaluate AF; ES was graded on a scale of 0 to IV. Records were annotated if ...
Kaartinen MJ, Pang DS, Cuvelliez SG.CASE 1: A two-year old, 462 kg Standard bred horse was anesthetized for arthroscopy and castration. During anesthesia, hyperemia of the mucosal membranes and urticaria were noticed. During 5 hours of anesthesia subcutaneous edema of the eyelids and neck region developed. In the recovery box, the orotracheal (OT) tube was left in situ and secured in place with tape. Following initial attempts to stand, the horse became highly agitated and signs consistent with pulmonary edema developed subsequently. Arterial hypoxemia (PaO(2): 3.7 kPa [28 mmHg]) and hypocapnia (PaCO(2): 3.1 kPa [23 mmHg]) were ...
Byron CR, Benson BM, Karlin WM, Stewart AA.To report the use of a proximolateral endoscopic portal with a distolateral instrument portal for carpal retinaculum release in a horse clinically affected with carpal canal syndrome. Methods: Clinical report. Methods: A 4-year-old Thoroughbred female. Methods: Carpal canal syndrome secondary to traumatic suppurative tenosynovitis was treated by accessory carpal bone debridement and carpal retinaculum release using a tenoscopic approach to the carpal flexor synovial sheath through a proximolateral endoscope portal and a distolateral instrument portal. Results: Resolution of carpal sheath effus...
Desantis S, Ventriglia G, Zizza S, Nicassio M, Valentini L, Di Summa A, Lacalandra GM.Stallion sperm from semen collected in Southern Italy during the breeding (June-July) and non-breeding (December-January) periods were analyzed by means of twelve lectins to evaluate the glycoconjugate pattern and to verify whether there are any seasonal differences in the glycosylation pattern of the sperm glycocalyx. The acrosomal cap showed reactivity for Maackia amurensis (MAL II), Sambucus nigra (SNA), Arachis hypogaea (PNA), Glycine max (SBA), Helix pomatia (HPA), Canavalia ensiformis (Con A) Triticum vulgaris (WGA), and Griffonia simplicifolia isolectin II (GSA II) in breeding and non-b...
Hirota K, Kakoi H, Gawahara H, Hasegawa T, Tozaki T.We characterized the SNP 53 JPN System for parentage verification during horse registry. The SNP 53 JPN System was constructed using 53 highly polymorphic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which were amplified and genotyped with 2 multiplex assays. The SNP 53 JPN System showed good resolution for 95 unrelated thoroughbreds, and the exclusion probability (PE01) for each SNP ranged from 11.5 to 23.0%, resulting in a total PE01 value of 99.996%. These results indicate that the SNP 53 JPN System is useful for parentage testing of thoroughbreds. Of the 53 SNPs, 8 SNPs could be used to exclude...
Nagel C, Aurich J, Aurich C.Heart rate is an important parameter of fetal well-being. We have analyzed fetal heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) by fetomaternal electrocardiography (ECG) in the horse (Equus caballus) from midpregnancy to foaling. It was the aim of the study to detect changes in the regulation of fetal cardiac activity over time and to establish normal values in undisturbed pregnancies. A total of 22 mares were available for the study. Fetomaternal electrocardiography was a reliable technique to detect cardiac signals in fetuses between Day 173 of gestation and foaling. Fetal HR decreased fro...
Hill EW, Gu J, Eivers SS, Fonseca RG, McGivney BA, Govindarajan P, Orr N, Katz LM, MacHugh DE.Variants of the MSTN gene encoding myostatin are associated with muscle hypertrophy phenotypes in a range of mammalian species, most notably cattle, dogs, mice, and humans. Using a sample of registered Thoroughbred horses (n = 148), we have identified a novel MSTN sequence polymorphism that is strongly associated (g.66493737C>T, P = 4.85x10(-8)) with best race distance among elite racehorses (n = 79). This observation was independently validated (P = 1.91x10(-6)) in a resampled group of Thoroughbreds (n = 62) and in a cohort of Thoroughbreds (n = 37, P = 0.0047) produced by the same trainer...
Davis JL, Stewart T, Brazik E, Gilger BC.The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of age, breed and gender on vertical pupil diameter (VPD) following a single dose of 1% atropine sulfate ophthalmic solution in the normal equine eye. Methods: Thirty-two horses of various ages, breeds and genders were included. The horses had no history or clinical signs of ophthalmic disease. All horses studied had darkly pigmented irides. Methods: Two milligrams of 1% atropine sulfate ophthalmic solution was topically administered as a single dose in the right eye of each horse on Day 0. The VPD (mm) was measured in both eyes using di...
Sting R, Seeh C, Mauder N, Maurer M, Loncaric I, Stessl B, Kopp P, Banzhaf K, Martin B, Melzer F, Raßbach A, Spergser J.A total of 124 Taylorella (T.) equigenitalis and five T. asinigenitalis field isolates collected between 2002 and 2014 were available for genotyping using REP- (repetitive extragenic palindromic) PCR and PFGE (pulsed-field gel electrophoresis). The study comprised 79 T. equigenitalis field isolates originating from ten defined breeds of German horses and revealed a spectrum of five REP (rep-E1-E4, rep-E3a) and 15 PFGE (TE-A1-A9, TE-B1-B3, TE-C, TE-E1, and TE-E2) genotypes. T. equigenitalis field isolates (n=40) obtained from Austrian Lipizzaner horses were differentiated into three REP (rep-E1...
Górski K, Stefanik E, Turek B, Bereznowski A, Czopowicz M, Polkowska I, Domino M.Dental disorders, a term encompassing both malocclusion and dental disease, constitute a serious health problem in horses worldwide. As horse populations differ among countries and regions, a geographically specific characterization of the occurrence of various dental disorders may be helpful for local equine practitioners. This study investigated the prevalence and frequency distribution of selected malocclusions and dental diseases in horses housed in the Mazovia region of Poland, with attention paid to variations among age, gender, and breed categories. Routine dental examinations were cond...
Thompson DL, St George RL, Jones LS, Garza F.Samples of jugular blood were drawn from each of five stallions every 15 min for 12 h during the summer and winter to determine the short-term fluctuations in plasma concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone. Concentrations of LH and FSH were generally not pulsatile, although one stallion exhibited three distinct pulses in these hormones during the winter. In general, patterns of secretion of all three hormones were similar in both seasons and the number of significant rises in hormonal concentrations did not differ between seasons. Concent...
Lenasi T, Rogelj I, Dovc P.Here we report the entire cDNA sequences for equine alphaS1-, beta- and kappa-casein. Based on interspecies comparison, nine exons were found in equine beta-casein and five in kappa-casein. In equine alphaS1-casein cDNA the exon 5 was missing, which resulted in the total of 18 exons instead of 19 theoretically possible exons in alphaS1-casein cDNA. Comparison of DNA sequences representing exon 5 in other species with corresponding equine genomic region confirmed the presence of cryptic exon in horse genomic DNA. Equine alphaS1-casein mRNA was present in three forms in the lactating mammary gla...
Drabbe A, Janssens S, Blott S, Ducro BJ, Fontanel M, Francois L, Schurink A, Stinckens A, Lindgren G, Van Mol B, Pille F, Buys N, Velie BD.Osteochondrosis (OC) is an important skeletal disease causing profound welfare concerns in horses. Although numerous studies have explored the genetics underlying OC in various breeds, the Belgian Warmblood (BW) remains unstudied despite having a concerning prevalence of 32.0%. As a result, this study aimed to conduct genome-wide association (GWA) analyses to identify candidate variants associated with OC in BWs. To achieve this, blood samples and radiographs were collected from 407 Belgian Warmbloods registered to one of two BW studbooks (Belgisch Warmbloedpaard and Zangersheide), and genotyp...
Stradaioli G, Sylla L, Zelli R, Verini Supplizi A, Chiodi P, Arduini A, Monaci M.The reproductive characteristics and seminal carnitine and acetylcarnitine content as well as carnitine acetyltransferase activity of young Maremmano stallions (n=25) are reported. The stallions were subjected to semen collection in November and January; in each trial two ejaculates were collected 1h apart. The total motile morphologically normal spermatozoa (TMMNS) and the progressively motile spermatozoa at collection and during storage at +4 degrees C were evaluated. Seminal L-carnitine (LC), acetylcarnitine (AC), pyruvate and lactate were measured using spectrophotometric methods, whereas ...
Carter RA, Ericsson SA, Corn CD, Weyerts PR, Dart MG, Escue SG, Mesta J.The objective of this study was to determine if spermatozoal reduction of the dyes methylene green to colorless and resazurin to pink or colorless was associated with the fertility potential of an equine semen sample. Fifty samples from 38 stallions were evaluated for the number of spermatozoa per milliliter and number of motile sperm per milliliter. Methylene green (20 micrograms/mL of semen) or resazurin (85 micrograms/mL of semen) was added to 3-mL aliquots of semen. Semen samples were identified as having low fertility potential (< 200 x 10(6) total cells/mL and or = 200 x 10(6) total ...
Crausaz M, Launois T, Smith-Fleming K, McCoy AM, Knickelbein KE, Bellone RR.Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common cancer affecting the equine eye. A missense variant within the gene damage-specific DNA binding protein 2 (DDB2 c.1013C>T, p.Thr338Met) was previously identified as a causal recessive genetic risk factor for the development of ocular SCC within Haflingers, Belgian Draft horses, and Rocky Mountain Horses, but not in the Appaloosa or Arabian breeds. This study aimed to evaluate three cases of ocular SCC in additional breeds and determine if DNA testing for the DDB2 variant in warmblood horses and Connemara ponies is warranted. Histopathology confi...
Özen D, Kaya U, Özen H, Ambarcioğlu P, Ünal N, Gürcan İS.The aim of this research was to determine the average length of a Thoroughbred horse's racing career in Turkey using survival functions of Thoroughbred horses with various characteristics. In addition, the aim was to identify risk factors that could influence the duration of a Thoroughbred horse's racing career and develop a survival model that took these factors into account. A total of 11,721 Thoroughbred horses born in 2007 and later were included in the study population. The horses involved in the study were followed for a minimum of 1 year. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to calculate the ...
Obitsu T, Hata H, Taniguchi K.Nitrogen (N) digestion and urea-N metabolism in Hokkaido native horses fed roughage-based diets containing different types and levels of protein sources were studied. Horses (173 ± 4.8 kg) fitted with an ileum cannula were fed four diets consisting of 100% timothy hay (TH), 88% TH and 12% soybean meal (SBM), 79% TH and 21% SBM, and 51% TH and 49% alfalfa hay at 2.2% of body weight. Dietary protein content varied from 5% to 15% of dry matter. Apparent N digestibilities in the pre-cecum and total tract for the TH diet were lower than those for other diets. However, the proportion of post-ileum ...
Pellegrini M, Corda M, Manca L, Olianas A, Sanna MT, Fais A, De Rosa MC, Bertonati C, Masala B, Giardina B.A study was made of the haemoglobin (Hb) system from the Sardinian dwarf horse (Equus caballus jara), one of the last surviving wild horse species in Europe. The oxygen binding properties of the whole haemolysate and of the four different horse Hbs, separated by ion-exchange chromatography, were studied with special regard to the effect of chloride, 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and lactate. Results indicate that no significant functional differences exist between the four Hb components of horse haemolysate. Moreover, the molecular basis of the intrinsically low oxygen affinity and of the weak intera...
Thomas KC, Hamilton NA, North KN, Houweling PJ.The sarcomeric α-actinins, encoded by the genes ACTN2 and ACTN3, are major structural components of the Z-line and have high sequence similarity. α-Actinin-2 is present in all skeletal muscle fibres, while α-actinin-3 has developed specialized expression in only type 2 (fast, glycolytic) fibres. A common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the human ACTN3 gene (R577X) has been found to influence muscle performance in elite athletes and the normal population. For this reason, equine ACTN3 (eACTN3) is considered to be a possible candidate that may influence horse performance. In this stud...
Varner DD, Vaughan SD, Johnson L.Three ejaculates from each of 3 stallions were used to evaluate a computerized system (Hamilton-Thorn motility analyzer; HTMA) for measuring equine spermatozoal motility. Variance components (ejaculate-within-stallion, chamber-within-ejaculate, and microscopic field-within-chamber) were determined for each stallion after diluting ejaculates to 25 x 10(6) spermatozoa/ml with a skim milk-glucose seminal extender. The HTMA was compared with frame-by-frame playback videomicrography (VIDEO) for determining: percentage of spermatozoal motility and spermatozoal number in microscopic fields; curviline...
The Journal of heredityNovember 25, 2014
Volume 106, Issue 1 37-44 doi: 10.1093/jhered/esu074
Khanshour A, Juras R, Blackburn R, Cothran EG.The Canadian breed of horse invokes a fascinating chapter of North American history and as such it is now a heritage breed and the national horse of Canada. The aims of this study were to determine the level of genetic diversity in the Canadian, investigate the possible foundation breeds and the role it had in the development of the US horse breeds, such as Morgan Horse. We tested a total of 981 horses by using 15 microsatellite markers. We found that Canadian horses have high values of genetic diversity indices and show no evidence of a serious loss of genetic diversity and the inbreeding coe...
Elsner J, Hofreiter M, Schibler J, Schlumbaum A.On large geographical scales, changes in animal population distribution and abundance are driven by environmental change due to climatic and anthropogenic processes. However, so far, little is known about population dynamics on a regional scale. We have investigated 92 archaeological horse remains from nine sites mainly adjacent to the Swiss Jura Mountains dating from c. 41,000-5,000 years BP. The time frame includes major environmental turning points such as the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), followed by steppe vegetation, afforestation and initial re-opening of the landscape by human agricultur...
Ghallab ARM, Abou-Ahmed MM, Fad AM, El-Badry DA, Shahat AM, Moawad AR.Cryopreservation of Arabian stallion semen is important in order to improve the function and fertility of frozen/thawed semen in this breed. Objective: To investigate the effects of centrifugation, type of semen extenders, and type of cryoprotectants on the quality of frozen/thawed Arabian stallion spermatozoa. Methods: Semen samples collected from four adult Arabian stallions (one ejaculate per week for 10 consecutive weeks) were either processed directly without centrifugation (no centrifugation; NC) or subjected to centrifugation on the gel-free fraction. Centrifugation protocols were divid...
Gabel AA, Spencer CP, Pipers FS.The distal radial physes of 113 two-year-old Standardbreds were radiographed an average of 2.6 times each during an average of 4.72 +/- 1.7 months, beginning May 1, 1975. The radiograph of each physis was graded C, B-, B, B+, or A (closed), and the date of closure was determined by a method that proved to be reliable. The average age of closure of the distal radial physes was 29.8 +/- 1.6 months, with age of closure ranging from 26 to 35 months. There were no statistical differences between age of physeal closure of colts, geldings, or fillies; pacers or trotters; "well-bred" or other horses, ...
Austbø L, Røed KH, Dolvik NI, Skretting G.The aim of this study was to investigate genes for differential expression in cartilage of foals predisposed to osteochondrosis (OC). Tissue was sampled from the cranial part of the distal intermediate ridge of the tibia in the tarso-crural joint. Foals were considered predisposed to OC when parents had OC at the distal intermediate ridge of the tibia. RNA was isolated and subjected to arbitrarily primed PCR (RAP-PCR) followed by fingerprinting to screen for differentially expressed genes. By verification of results from the RAP-PCR fingerprint screening using real-time RT-PCR, we identified t...
Inoue Y, Ono T, Hisaeda K, Yamada Y, Hata A, Shimokawa T, Miyama , Shibano K, Ohzawa E, Kitagawa H, Iwata E.The objective of this study is to analyze the relationships between the age and blood test results or body sizes in Noma horses by using the results of periodical health examination. Out of 45 hematological or physical items examined, statistically significant, but loose correlations were observed in 14 items. Red blood cell count, activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and creatinine kinase, concentrations of calcium and inorganic phosphorus decreased with aging. Conversely, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, lipase activity, γ-globulin and chlorid...
Ellington JE, Ball BA, Yang X.The objective of this study was to determine whether coculture of stallion spermatozoa and mare oviductal (uterine tubal) epithelial cells induced sperm cell capacitation in vitro. Capacitation as determined by zona binding and chlortetracycline staining of the sperm cells was compared for stallion spermatozoa: (1) incubated with medium alone (negative control), (2) treated with calcium ionophore A23187 (positive control) or (3) cultured with mare oviductal epithelial cells (OEC) for 4 h. Chlortetracycline staining patterns of sperm cells bound to the zonae were used to group spermatozoa as un...
Ousey JC, McArthur AJ, Rossdale PD.Metabolic rates, rectal temperatures and respiratory quotients (RQ) were determined during the first 24 h post partum in Thoroughbred and pony foals and in relation to environmental temperature. Both breeds had high metabolic rates (greater than 200 W/m2) during the first hour post partum when they were wet and shivering; by 4 to 24 h values were fairly steady at about 153 and 105 W/m2 for Thoroughbred and pony foals, respectively. At birth, rectal temperature was lower in Thoroughbred foals than in pony foals; values increased during the first hour, and then decreased. At 24 h of age, both br...
Fielding CL, Meier CA, Fellers GK, Magdesian KG.OBJECTIVE To compare results of point-of-care laboratory testing with standard veterinary clinical examination findings at a single time point during endurance competition to identify horses at risk for elimination. ANIMALS 101 endurance horses participating in the 2013 Western States 160-km (100-mile) endurance ride. PROCEDURES At the 58-km checkpoint, blood samples were collected from all horses. Samples were analyzed for pH, Pco2, base excess, anion gap, PCV, and whole blood concentrations of sodium, potassium, chloride, total carbon dioxide, BUN, glucose, and bicarbonate. Corrected electro...
Balao da Silva C, Macías-García B, Morillo Rodriguez A, Gallardo Bolaños JM, Tapia JA, Aparicio IM, Morrell JM, Rodriguez-Martínez H....The only known means of effectively separating populations of X and Y bearing sperms is the Beltsville sexing technology. The technology implies that each individual sperm is interrogated for DNA content, measuring the intensity of the fluorescence after staining the spermatozoa with Hoechst 33342. Because there are no data regarding the effect of the staining on stallion sperm, ejaculates were incubated up to 90 min in presence of 0, 4.5, 9, 22.5, 31.5, 45, 54, 67.5, 76.5 and 90 μM of Hoechst 33342, in two media, KMT or INRA-Tyrodes. After 40 and 90 min of incubation, motility (CASA) and mem...
Ewert M, Lüders I, Böröcz J, Uphaus H, Distl O, Sieme H.The aim of the present study was to analyze the effects of stallion and mare, their ages, and maternal lineage on the gestation length (GL) in Thoroughbreds. In addition, additive genetic effects of the dam, stallion and fetus were analyzed. Data were taken from 1993 through 2009, and included 16,226 pregnancies from 5959 Th oroughbred mares mated with 290 different stallions. All analyses were performed using linear mixed models. The GL ranged from 306 to 390 days, with a mean length of 347.0 ± 14.4 days. Mating of mares with stallions aged 17 years and older resulted in a significantly ...
Guerin G, Bertaud M, Chardon P, Geffrotin C, Vaiman M, Cohen D.Restriction fragment length polymorphism was studied in an ELA typed horse family which included a stallion, a mare with two full-sibs, another mare with three full-sibs and, in addition, three paternal half-sibs. DNA samples from all individuals were investigated by Southern blot analysis using three restriction enzymes (EcoRI, HindIII or TaqI) and human cDNA class I, class II (DR beta) and class III (C4) probes. In addition, a genomic class II DQ alpha probe was used. Fragments hybridized with the various probes revealed the existence of DNA sequences homologous to HLA class I, DR beta, DQ a...
Solé M, Santos R, Molina A, Galisteo A, Valera M.The possibility of using quantitative kinematic traits as indirect selection criteria for sport performance could be beneficial to perform an early genetic evaluation of the animals. The genetic parameters for objectively measured kinematic traits under field conditions have been estimated for the first time, in order to potentially use these traits as indicators of gait quality in future selection of the Lusitano breed. The repeatability within three different types of training (dressage, bullfighting and untrained) was also discussed. A total of 176 males (4 to 14 years old) were recorded at...
Sousa AS, Jesus IIC, Araújo Oliveira CA, Costa RB, de Godoi FN.The aim of this study was to evaluate the morphometric measurements of stallion and mares show-winning and nonwinning Campolina breed with batida and picada gaits. A total of 167 horses (74 stallions and 93 mares), consisting of 102 batida and 65 picada gait animals, were used. Among these horses, 96 were awarded and 71 were not. Twenty linear, seven angular, and 11 girth measurements were taken. Results from the judging sessions were collected, and awards were observed in both sexes and both gaits. A descriptive statistical analysis and an analysis of variance were performed using the MEANS s...
Mackowski M, Wodas L, Brooks SA, Cieslak J.Although only a few specific pigmentation types are allowed within the Hucul horse registry, accurate determination of particular coat colors can be uncertain due to the presence of variation in color shades and segregation of multiple dun dilution variants. Herein, we genotyped the previously identified polymorphisms within two coat color loci TBX3 (T-box 3) and ASIP (Agouti Signaling Protein) in 462 Hucul individuals and compared the genotype predicted phenotypes with observed pigmentation types provided in the Polish Horse Breeders Association database. We identified disagreement between th...
Matthews AG.Three major antiprotease components in equine serum were identified and characterised. These were the acidic prealbumin Pr, the homologue of human alpha-1 antitrypsin and 2 protease binding proteins, the acidic prealbumin Xc and alpha-2 macroglobulin, both capable of inhibiting the proteolytic activity of trypsin, but with only limited inhibitory effect on its esterolytic activity. The possible role of these serum antiproteases in the onset of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), analogous to the hereditary dysproteinaemia of alpha-1 antitrypsin in man, was investigated. There was no ...
