Horse management encompasses the practices and techniques used to care for and maintain horses in various settings, including stables, pastures, and performance environments. This area of study covers a range of activities such as feeding, grooming, housing, exercise, and health monitoring to ensure the well-being and optimal performance of horses. Effective horse management requires an understanding of equine behavior, nutrition, and physiology, as well as the ability to implement routine care practices and respond to health issues. This page gathers peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methods, strategies, and outcomes associated with different horse management practices.
Vonaparti A, Lyris E, Panderi I, Koupparis M, Georgakopoulos C.In equine sport, salicylic acid is prohibited with a threshold level of 750 microg mL(-1) in urine; hence, doping control laboratories have to establish quantitative and qualitative methods for its determination. A simple and rapid liquid chromatographic/mass spectrometric method was developed and validated for the quantification and identification of salicylic acid. Urine samples after 900-fold dilution and addition of the internal standard (4-methylsalicylic acid) were directly injected to the liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry system. Electrospray ionization i...
Jeffcott L, Leung WM, Riggs C.This paper describes a 3 year project to investigate and manage the effects of the local weather conditions on horses competing in the 2008 Olympic Games. The first part of the investigation involved estimating the expected heat load on horses during competition and suggesting measures to ensure their safety based on data collected from dedicated weather monitoring at both Olympic venues during August 2006, 2007 and 2008. The aim of the second part was to establish a reliable system of point forecasting to monitor and predict inclement weather that might affect the competitions. This involved ...
Bacigalupo MA, Meroni G, Secundo F, Scalera C, Quici S.Highly luminescent Eu(3+) and Tb(3+) complexes of 10-[4-(3-isothiocyanatopropoxy)benzoylmethyl]-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7 triacetic acid Eu(3+) is a subset of 1 and Tb(3+) is a subset of 1 were conjugated with a goat anti-rabbit IgG and a rabbit anti-mouse IgG, respectively, and applied as markers in a time resolved immunoassay for simultaneous quantitative determination of anabolic compounds clenbuterol (CL) and hydrocortisone (HC). The assay was performed in horse urine, using a monoclonal antibody specific to CL and a rabbit polyclonal antibody specific to the free HC. These lant...
Kaya G, Sommerfeld-Stur I, Iben C.A hospital-based case study was conducted at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna for a 1-year period. The purpose of this study was to determine possible alterable and non-alterable risk factors of equine colic in Austria. The investigated parameters were obtained from hospital medical records (individual factors, duty of the horse, deworming, change in diet and water intake), from questionnaires (feed intake, watering types, housing and pasture practices) and from http://www.orf.at (weather-related factors). Moreover, 221 collected feed samples were investigated through hygienic qual...
Freire R, Buckley P, Cooper JJ.It is unknown if different locomotor activities are equally effective at meeting the stabled horse's need for exercise and if they attenuate unwanted behaviour. Objective: Alternative forms of exercise influence the intensity of locomotor activities during a period of turn-out (the so-called rebound effect) and the occurrence of unwanted or undesirable activities during standard handling situations. Methods: Twenty-four horses kept in stables were randomly assigned to one of 4 exercise regimes (walker, treadmill, turn-out and riding) for 4 consecutive days. Because these forms of exercise prov...
Fleming K, Hessel EF, Van den Weghe HF.The aim of this study was to compare different types of bedding and mucking regimens used in horse stables on the generation of airborne particulate matter <10 microm (PM10) and 3 biogenic gases (carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and especially ammonia). Three separate experiments were undertaken. The experiments were carried out in an enclosed stable (9.7 m long, 8.7 m wide, and 3.5 m high) that had 5 single boxes housing 4 horses. The measuring instruments were set up in the middle of one side of the stable. In Exp. 1, 3 types of bedding material (wheat straw, straw pellets, and wood shavings) ...
Kieken F, Pinel G, Antignac JP, Monteau F, Christelle Paris A, Popot MA, Bonnaire Y, Le Bizec B.Despite the worldwide existing regulation banning the use of the recombinant equine growth hormone (reGH) as growth promoter, it is suspected to be used in horseracing to improve performances. Various analytical methods previously developed to screen for its misuse have encountered some limitations in terms of detection timeframes, in particular during the first days following reGH administration. A novel strategy involving the characterization of global metabolomic fingerprints in urine samples of non-treated and reGH-treated horses by liquid chromatography-electrospray-high-resolution mass s...
McKinney AR.Control of the use of performance-affecting substances in the horse is critical to the integrity of a wide range of equine sports, with major implications for both animal welfare and revenue streams. One class of medications enjoying particular public notoriety is the anabolic-androgenic steroid group, as highlighted by the recent 'Big Brown' affair and Congressional inquiries into the use of steroids in professional sports, including horse racing, in the USA. This review examines the latest developments pertaining to the analytical detection of these substances in equine biological samples an...
Emenius G, Merritt AS, Härfast B.To protect susceptible subjects from exposure to horse allergen, a Swedish national report recommended a distance of at least 500 m between homes and stables and other areas with horses. The aim of this project was to study indoor and outdoor levels of horse allergen in relation to distance from stables and horse tracks. Methods: Indoor and outdoor samples were collected with Petri dishes at 49 sites in different housing areas and near to a track for trotting horses. In the apartments, Petri dishes were placed on a bookshelf in the living room at a height of approximately 1.5 m. Outdoors, cage...
You Y, Uboh CE, Soma LR, Guan F, Li X, Rudy JA, Liu Y, Chen J.An ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC/MS/MS) method for fast-throughput analysis of eight anabolic and androgenic steroids (AAS) in equine plasma is reported. Analytes were recovered by liquid-liquid extraction using methyl tert-butyl ether, separated on a 1.9 microm C(18) reversed-phase column, and analyzed in positive electrospray ionization mode on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer with selected reaction monitoring (SRM) and full product ion scans. Two SRM ion transitions were monitored for each AAS during screening to obtain highly selective screenin...
Vail JD.There is increasing evidence that regular mental and physical exercise can enhance overall health and functional abilities in older adults. This article describes how a vigorous program of playing polo can provide important mental and physical benefits-even for older adults. In the present context of health care reform, it is especially important for health care professionals to recognize the value of exercise as an useful, cost-effective intervention for enhancing mental and physical health and to explore ways to encourage their older clients to adopt an enjoyable exercise program.
Elfman L, Riihimäki M, Pringle J, Wålinder R.Many people spend considerable amount of time each day in equine stable environments either as employees in the care and training of horses or in leisure activity. However, there are few studies available on how the stable environment affects human airways. This study examined in one horse stable qualitative differences in indoor air during winter and late summer conditions and assessed whether air quality was associated with clinically detectable respiratory signs or alterations to selected biomarkers of inflammation and lung function in stable personnel. Methods: The horse stable environment...
Murphy BA.The circadian system provides animals with a means to adapt their internal physiology to the constantly changing environmental stimuli that exist on a rotating planet. Light information is translated into molecular timing mechanisms within pacemaker cells of the mammalian hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) via transcriptional-translational feedback loops. Humoral and neural outputs from this 'master' clock result in circadian rhythms of physiology and behaviour. The larger circadian system involves SCN synchronisation of cellular clocks throughout the organism such that individual orga...
Goodwin D, McGreevy P, Waran N, McLean A.The long-held belief that human dominance and equine submission are key to successful training and that the horse must be taught to 'respect' the trainer infers that force is often used during training. Many horses respond by trialling unwelcome evasions, resistances and flight responses, which readily become established. When unable to cope with problem behaviours, some handlers in the past might have been encouraged to use harsh methods or devices while others may have called in a so-called 'good horseman' or 'horse whisperer' to remediate the horse. Frequently, the approaches such practitio...
Piccione G, Assenza A, Borruso M, Fazio F, Caola G.In the sport field, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) are important for the physical performance during the aerobic exercise of short intensity and long duration. In man, rat, goat and in the sedentary horse studies on the chronometabolism showed the presence of a circadian rhythm of the plasmatic concentration of NEFA while data for the athletic horse are lacking. To define a chronogram helpful for a specific planning and the differentiation of the training programmme in the athletic horse, the circadian pattern of some fatty acids (NEFA, palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids...
Clayton HM, Kaiser LJ, Nauwelaerts S.The objective of this study was to compare total force and localised pressure on horses' withers with three blanket styles (straight cut, V-shaped insert, cutback withers). Three pressure recordings, each of 5s duration, were taken in order to determine blanket pressure on the withers during standing and walking in 12 horses. Means+/-SD were calculated for the following variables and compared across blankets: total force, mean pressure, maximal pressure, and area with pressure >4 kPa. For standing trials, the blanket with the V-shaped insert had the lowest total force and smallest area with...
Heleski CR, McGreevy PD, Kaiser LJ, Lavagnino M, Tans E, Bello N, Clayton HM.Unsteady hand position can cause discomfort to the horse, potentially leading to conflict behaviours (CB) such as head tossing or tail lashing. Some instructors feel that martingales or elastic rein inserts can reduce discomfort caused by inexperienced and unsteady hands. Others consider these devices to be inappropriate 'crutches'. Four horses and nine riders were tested under three conditions in random order: plain reins, adjustable training martingales (TM), and elasticised rein inserts (RI). Rein-tension data (7s) and behavioural data (30s) were collected in each direction. Rein-tension da...
McGreevy PD, McLean AN, Keay KA, Thomson PC.Trained responses are said to be under stimulus control when they appear reliably and exclusively on cue. The SMART system is a conceptual, three-dimensional graphic that uses four quadrants to chart a horse's responsiveness to various cues from two reins and the trainer's legs and seat. The current plots have been designed for ridden horses. The models assume that the trainer's cues are bilaterally equivalent, unless the intention is to signal a turn or a lateral movement. The extent to which 'go' signals manifest as straight, forward locomotion reflect the bilateral balance of the horse's re...
Muñiz Fontán M, Moure González JD, Mirás Veiga A, Rodríguez Núñez A.Children's equestrian activities in the domestic, play activities, sports and educational areas are relatively frequent, and are not exempt from risks. Nevertheless, there is a lack of data on horse-related injuries, their circumstances and the key points for their prevention. Methods: Retrospective and descriptive study of pediatric equestrian injuries admitted to Hospital between July 1997 and September 2008. Results: A total of 17 patients with ages between 4 and 17 years were analyzed. There were 14 accidental falls, 2 kicks and 1 bite, and 8 patients had lost consciousness after the accid...
Posta J, Komlósi I, Mihók S.The aims of this study were to estimate phenotypic and genetic parameters for a range of traits in Hungarian Sport Horses, and to compare several methods of estimating breeding value (BV) in this breed. The analyses were based on the Hungarian Sport Horse Studbook, results of self-performance tests (SPTs) and show-jumping competition results. An SPT comprises subjective judgement of conformation traits, movement analysis traits and free-jumping performance, assessed via ordinal scores. Genetic parameters of SPTs were estimated with an animal model. Different measurements of the competition per...
Dwyer RM, Garber LP, Traub-Dargatz JL, Meade BJ, Powell D, Pavlick MP, Kane AJ.To identify factors associated with excessive proportions of early fetal losses associated with mare reproductive loss syndrome in central Kentucky during 2001. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: Questionnaires were used to collect information on farm-, pasture-, and individual animal-level factors purportedly associated with mare reproductive loss syndrome. Data were collected for 133 farms (97 with excessive proportions of early feta losses and 36 control farms) representing 6,576 mares. Results: Factors significantly associated with an increased risk of excessive early fetal losses were ...
Cheramie HS, O'Ggrady SE.There are many different commercially available hoof repair/adhesive products. The application of these products in the treatment of various foot conditions is continuing to evolve based on sound medical and farriery principles as well as imagination. Successful application of these products depends largely on using proper hoof wall preparation and adhesive application techniques. Success also depends on a realistic expectation of the final outcome when accounting for the physical limitations of the adhesive products and the underlying hoof problem. Our results with these techniques have been ...
Hines LM.Excellent models exist for people-pet programs in institutions and in the community. Veterinarians should assess the needs of their local communities and adapt a model program to fit these needs.
Da Lio L, Castello P, Gianfelice G, Cavalli R, Canu P.We investigated the exploitation of horse manure for energy recovery by combustion. First, the impact of the waste origin and management (storage conditions) was evaluated in terms of elemental analysis, moisture content, heating value, and ash melting temperature. Besides some carbon loss over the time, horse manure origin and management policy do not impact its profitable exploitation by combustion. More relevant, the ignition tests disproved the current industrial opinion that combustion of manure alone is difficult, without the addition of auxiliary fuel, like wood shavings. It has been de...
Frincke JM, Henderson GL.Fentanyl, a potent, synthetic narcotic analgesic, has reportedly been used to "dope" racehorses. Urine was collected from a horse dosed with 70 mg of [3H]fentanyl, and the primary metabolite, a water-soluble, amphoteric compound, was isolated by high-pressure liquid chromatography and identified by spectroscopic analysis. This metabolite was found to be N-[1-(2-phenethyl-4-piperidinyl)] malonanilinic acid.
Rosanowski S, Verheyen K.The number of unwanted horses in the UK has increased in recent years. It is therefore important to identify factors that indicate whether a horse can be rehomed and how long it takes to be rehomed. Data from 1 January 2013 until 30 March 2014 were extracted from an equine rehoming charity's database. Exposure variables were examined using multivariable logistic and Cox regression. In total, 791 horses were included in the study and 410 (51.8%) were rehomed during the study period. Median time until rehomed was 39 days (IQR 24-75). Horses whose owner was prepared to transfer ownership were nea...
Best R.The external work, as measured by global positioning systems, undertaken by Polo ponies during tournament play has been well-described across Polo of varying levels in both Open and Women's Polo. However, the variability within these data have not been thoroughly examined. Understanding the variability within these data between players (within-tournament variability) and between tournaments allows a deeper understanding of expected Polo performance and can inform coaching and tactical decisions, as well as aid in longitudinal horse development and comparison to other equestrian disciplines. Th...
Farrell RK, Hilbert BJ.Methods of equine identification including signalment, blood typing tattooing and freeze marking are discussed. A new system of individually identifying horses with an unalterable freeze mark is proposed. Unalterable numerical and alphabetical symbols have been developed to apply a registration number to the animal.
Daunt DA.In conclusion, vigilant supportive care is necessary to prevent morbidity and death in the anesthetized horse. Because some of the equipment and drugs are specialized and the consequences of some postanesthetic complications are severe, availability of those items must be confirmed prior to anesthesia. Proper positioning and padding will help to reduce the incidence of postanesthetic myopathy-neuropathy syndrome in these large patients. Adequate tissue perfusion is important and can be achieved by controlling anesthetic depth, increasing intravascular volume with fluid administration, and by a...
Harkins JD, Karpiesiuk W, Woods WE, Lehner A, Mundy GD, Rees WA, Dirikolu L, Bass S, Carter WG, Boyles J, Tobin T.Mepivacaine is a local anaesthetic drug that is widely used in equine medicine and is classified by the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) as a Class 2 foreign substance that may cause regulators to impose significant penalties if residues are identified in post-race urine samples. Therefore, an analytical/pharmacological database was developed for this agent and its metabolites. Using an abaxial sesamoid local anaesthetic model, it was determined that the highest no-effect dose (HNED) for its local anaesthetic effect was 2 mg. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELI...
Robert MP, Gangl MC, Lepage OM.A 7-year-old mare presented with facial deformities associated with oral discomfort and weight loss was found to have bilateral, palatal, developmental displacements of the maxillary 08s, with secondary diastema. Following repulsion of both displaced teeth, the horse regained weight and resumed training. Bony deformities remained visible 9 mo after discharge. Une jument de 7 ans présentée avec des déformations faciales associées à de l’inconfort oral et à une perte de poids a montré, après examen, des déplacements développementaux, bilatéraux, du coté palatal des 4 prémolaires ...
Graham BP.Dental care in any horse need not be looked at as the difficult challenge it used to be before the days of sedation and tungsten carbide and diamond cutting wheels. Horses are living longer and more comfortable lives thanks, in part, to the advancements of dental care and special dietary rations. With the evolution of the horse's place in family circles today, people want the best care possible for their animals. Dentistry has become an important part of that care.
Jones RD, McGreevy PD, Robertson A, Clarke AF, Wathes CM.The design of 96 racehorse stables in the south west of England were surveyed. The 'typical' racehorse is kept in a loose box, bedded on straw and remains indoors while the stable is cleaned. It is given a floor area of 12 m2 and shares its airspace of 39 m3 with seven other horses. Overall, the predicted minimum rate of air change by natural convection in calm winds is 6.6 air changes/h but this is reduced to 2.2 if the top door of the stable is closed. On balance, racehorse stables in use today are based on designs which are worse overall than the best available in the 19th century.
Kienzle E, Möllmann F, Nater S, Wanner M, Wichert B.Hay samples from 29 horse farms in Southern Upper Bavaria and 31 horse farms in Switzerland were taken and analysed for minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. The content of herbs and legumes in the hay was determined and the Weende analysis was performed. Comparison between Bavaria and Switzerland resulted in comparable calcium contents of approximately 4 g Ca/kg dry matter (DM) in grass hay. Hay with more than 10% of herbs and legumes found only in Switzerland showed higher Ca contents of >7 g Ca/kg DM in hay. The mineral contents of phosphorus and potassium were l...
Sams RA, Gerken DF, Detra RL, Stanley SD, Wood WE, Tobin T, Yang JM, Tai HH, Jegananthan A, Watt DS.Two metabolites of the tranquilizer azaperone were extracted from alkalinized horse urine after treatment with beta-glucuronidase/sulfatase from limpets (Patella vulgata). The metabolites were identified by a combination of independent chemical synthesis and GC/MS and 1H NMR analysis. The metabolites were identified as 1-(fluorophenyl)-4-[4-(5-hydroxy-2-pyridinyl)-1-piperazinyl]-1-butanol, designated as 5'-hydroxy-azaperol, and 1-(fluorophenyl)-4-[4-(5-hydroxy-2-pyridinyl)-1-piperazinyl]-1-butanone, designated as 5'-hydroxyazaperone. A TLC screening test was developed for detecting both metabo...
Ginther OJ, Lara A, Leoni M, Bergfelt DR.Four herds of pony mares, each consisting of a stallion and six mares, were used to characterize the nature of herding by the stallion and the factors that induced the herding behavior. Herding behaviors were compared among four successive treatments (six mares alone, stallion added, two new mares added, and entire herd moved to a new pasture). A new treatment was initiated every 7 days and behavior was studied for 5 consecutive days (Days 1-5) for each treatment. Observations were made every 10 min during a 2-h period for each day. The extent of herding was quantitated by the mean distances b...