"Horses" is a broad topic that encompasses various aspects of equine biology, behavior, and management. This category includes studies on the anatomy, physiology, and genetics of horses, as well as their behavior, nutrition, and care. Research in this area may also cover the historical and cultural significance of horses, their roles in agriculture, sport, and therapy, and the challenges associated with their conservation and welfare. The page aggregates peer-reviewed research articles and scholarly studies that explore the multifaceted relationships between humans and horses, examining both scientific and socio-economic perspectives.
Keay G, Doxey DL.Samples of serum from both young and adult normal cattle, sheep and horses were subjected to protein electrophoresis on agarose gel films. After processing, the stained electrophoretic patterns and densitometric traces of each species exhibited certain specific characteristics. The separations also revealed differences between young and adult animals of the same species. These age-related differences are described here.
Madewell BR, Carlson GP, MacLachlan NJ, Feldman BF.A 17-year-old Arabian gelding was presented because of CNS depression and weight loss. Physical examination revealed generalized lymphadenopathy, pitting edema, and ascites. The diagnosis of lymphosarcoma with leukemic manifestations was based on cytologic and histopathologic examination of lymph node biopsy samples and a peripheral leukocyte count of 98,300/microliters, 94% of which were mature lymphocytes. These circulating lymphocytes lacked B-lymphocyte markers and did not respond to mitogenic stimulation, indicating functional incompetence. Though ultrastructural findings were equivocal, ...
Horner GW, Hunter R.Two serologically unrelated adenoviruses were isolated from ill-thrifty young horses on a thoroughbred stud. The viruses differed in their cytopathic effects in cell culture and in their haemagglutination properties. A serological survey of horses in the northern half of the North Island showed the prevalence of precipitating antibodies against equine adenoviruses to be 39%.
Martin DH, Dietz WH, Alvaerez O, Johnson KM.One hundred and fifty-eight strains of Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis virus were typed antigenically and classified epidemiologically as either epizootic or enzootic. Plaque sizes for 148 of these strains were determined, and the pH requirements for hemagglutination (HA) of goose erythrocytes of 131 were studied. Only antigenic variant group IABC strains could be classified epidemiologically as epizootic. In vitro these strains were characterized by the formation of small plaques in Vero cells and a relatively narrow pH range for optimum HA reactivity. Experimental studies in horses confi...
Sahu SP, Wool S, Breese SS.In uterine or cervical specimens obtained from pony mares infected with streptomycin-resistant contagious equine metritis bacteria, several colonies of the bacteria which differed in morphologic characteristics were recognized during their primary isolation on Eugon chocolate agar and tryptose chocolate agar plates. The differences were usually not observed until plates were incubated 10 to 15 days. On Eugon chocolate agar plates, smooth colony, sandy colony with rings, and colony with blebs were recognized. On tryptose chocolate agar plates, only a round smooth convex colony was observed. By ...
Kirchhoff H, Ammar AM, Heitmann J, Dubenkropp H, Schmidt R.Sera from horses with respiratory disease (RD) have been investigated using the complement fixation test, indirect hemagglutination test, enzyme immune assay, and the metabolic inhibition test, and sera from mares after abortion, using the complement fixation test, indirect hemagglutination test and enzyme immune assay, for antibodies against Mycoplasma equirhinis, M subdolum, M. equigenitalium, M. pulmonis, M. felis, Acholeplasma laidlawii, A. hippikon and A. equifetale. Antibodies were found against all mycoplasma and acholeplasma species tested, more often against acholeplasmas. The antibod...
Bramlage LR, Hanes GE.A 3-year-old Thoroughbred mare was examined because of hindlimb lameness from incomplete fracture of the tibia, which became a complete diaphyseal fracture during the examination. The fracture was repaired by open reduction and internal fixation with lag screws and 2 neutralization plates. A cranial approach was used and the plates were placed craniolateral and medial on the tibia. At 18 months after surgery, there was no evidence of complications resulting from the fracture or its repair. It was concluded that a cranial approach with craniolateral and medial plate placement allows easier inse...
Peters GJ, Veerkamp JH.Optimal conditions for stimulation by phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) were established for equine, porcine, ovine and human lymphocytes in MEMS medium. Optimal thymidine concentration was determined for assay of cell transformation. With all species tested horse serum gave highest thymidine incorporation. Homologous serum was not more appropriate for lymphocytes of man, pig and sheep. Optimal stimulation was achieved at 20, 0.5-5, 5, and 10-40 micrograms PHA per 10(6) cells for human, equine, porcine and ovine lymphocytes, respectively.
Campbell WC.The avermectins are macrocyclic lactones produced by Streptomyces avermitilis. One of them has been chemically modified and given the non-proprietary name ivermectin. The compounds have shown efficacy against various stages of filarial parasites. With respect to pre-adult stages in the mammalian host, activity has been observed against Dirofilaria immitis in ferrets and dogs, and Dipetalonema viteae and Litomosoides carinii in jirds (Meriones); but activity has not been observed against the developing stages of Brugia spp. in jirds or Onchocerca spp. in cattle. The compounds have not shown act...
Rastegaev IuM.10 foals were artificially infected for the first time with eggs of Gastrophilus intestinalis, G. veterinus, G. haemorrhoidalis, G. inermis, G. nigricornis. 63 to 67% of the 1st stage larvae die in the first period of life after emergence from the egg, at the moment of invasion into the skin and at the beginning of the migration. In 40 to 45 years after the infection most larvae (73 to 82%), depending on their specific belonging, were found in the stomach, duodenum and rectum.
Meijer P.Two cases of tetany in the horse are reported. The two patients were thoroughbreds. One was eight and the other thirteen years old. The mares were in heat and were brought to the service (stud) station to be mated. Both patients were nursing a foal. One was a four-week-old foal and the other was seven weeks old. The calcium level of the serum had dropped in the two patients, to 4.0 mg and 5.4 per ml. respectively. The magnesium level was 1.0 mg and 1.9 mg per 100 ml. respectively. The animals responded satisfactorily to intravenous infusion of calcium borogluconate and magnesium chloride. One ...
McIlwraith CW.The postoperative management of the surgical colic patient varies according to the complications experienced. Many of these complications can be related to the time at which surgery is performed
relative to commencement of the problem, the condition of the patient at the time of surgery, the particular condition, and, last but not
least, the surgeon's performance. Some of the points have been discussed elsewhere in the symposium. The maintenance of asepsis, attention to minimizing trauma to the bowel, and appropriate attention
to visceral and parietal closures are all important principles. ...
Jagodzinski PW, Funk GF, Peticolas WL.The nature of the binding of aromatic aldehyde and aromatic alcohol substrates to the catalytic zinc of equine liver alcohol dehydrogenase has been studied by using resonance-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. When an excess of both enzyme and coenzyme to substrate is used, a stable ternary chemical intermediate is formed between liver alcohol dehydrogenase and the reduced coenzyme, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and the aldehyde, p-(dimethylamino)benzaldehyde, in the pH range 8.5-0.6. Resonance-enhanced Raman spectra clearly show that this same intermediate is formed between the excess enzyme, ...
Jacobs KA, Bolton JR.The effect of altering the diet during the week preceding the administration of an oral glucose tolerance test was studied in 7 horses. The results indicated that substantially lower oral glucose tolerance test curves are observed in horses fed a stable diet comprised of oat hay, a commercially prepared complete feed, and oat and alfalfa chaff, when compared with the curves for horses grazing clover and kikuyu pasture. It was concluded that, in utilizing the oral glucose tolerance test to assess small intestinal function in the horse, it may be necessary to consider the dietary history.
Fairburn AJ, Sherlock CE, Mair TS.Radiography is a standard diagnostic test for horses with suspected fractures of the palmar/plantar processes (PP) of the distal phalanx, however published studies evaluating the diagnostic utility for radiography are currently lacking. The objectives of this retrospective, diagnostic case-control study were to determine the sensitivity of radiographs for the detection of PP fractures, and determine the diagnostic utility of the palmar/plantar oblique projections of the PP for the identification of PP fractures compared to standard radiographic series. The medical records of horses undergoing...
Biedrzycki AH, Grant BG, Nemke B, Morello SL, Markel MD.OBJECTIVE To evaluate the biomechanical properties of 4 methods for fusion of the centrodistal and tarsometatarsal joints in horses and compare them among each other and with control tarsi. SAMPLE 24 sets of paired tarsi without substantial signs of osteoarthritis harvested from equine cadavers. PROCEDURES Test constructs (n = 6/type) were prepared from 1 tarsus from each pair to represent surgical drilling; 2 medially to laterally placed kerf-cut cylinders (MLKCs); a single large, dorsally applied kerf-cut cylinder (DKC); and a dorsomedially applied locking compression plate (DMLCP). Construc...
Ullrich E, Selbitz HJ, Schieck R, Friedrich U, Schulz J.Clinical, bacteriological and serological examinations on a 6 years old pony mare were performed. Cytological alterations in the genital tract were also recorded. A cellular reaction was seen after infection with T. equigenitalis. This reaction is an evidence for infection but it is not specific for this organism. Cytological studies should be performed on mares especially in cases of latent infections to complete bacteriological examination and to prevent false positive or negative results.
Page AE, Partridge E, Erol E, Scoggin KE, Fedorka CE, Ruby RE, Ball BA, Horohov DW, Adam E.Cases of nocardioform placentitis are characterized by focal, mucoid placentitis resulting in late-term abortion, premature birth, or small, full-term foals, occur sporadically, and are most commonly associated with Crossiella equi and Amycolatopsis spp. infection. The goal of this project was to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for quantifying antibodies against Crossiella equi and Amycolatopsis spp. and utilize the ELISA to determine when exposure occurs. Serum samples collected during the 2020 foaling season from Crossiella equi (n = 8) and Amycolatopsis spp. (n = 32...
Cornelissen BP, Rijkenhuizen AB, Barneveld A.The sesamoidean nerve branches from the palmar nerve and runs towards the proximal sesamoid bone. To study the structures innervated by this nerve, a technique for blocking it was developed. The effect of this nerve block was determined in ponies with an induced lameness located in the lateral proximal sesamoid bone (5 ponies) or in the distal part of the lateral branch of the suspensory ligament (5 ponies), and in 10 horses with clinical sesamoidosis. A lameness provoked by the implantation of an expansion plug in the proximal sesamoid bone could, to a large extent, be anaesthetized by a sesa...
Gehlen H, Groner U, Rohn K, Stadler P.In 18 horses, the pulmonary artery wedge pressure and the heart rate were measured during pharmacological stress load. 12 horses were healthy (4 trained, 8 untrained) and 6 horses had a heart disease (3 trained, 3 untrained). Pharmacological stress induction was carried out with the sympathomimetic drug dobutamine at a dosage rate of 7.5 microg/kg/min over 10 minutes of infusion. At the fourth minute, the parasympatholytic drug atropine was administered (5 microg/kg bw), and the heart rate and the pulmonary artery wedge pressure were continuously measured over 26 minutes. During sole dobutamin...
Kegler K, Mundle K, Walliser U, Wohlsein P.Schwannomas arising in the parotid gland are rare in man and are not documented in domestic animals. This report describes the clinical, morphological and immunohistochemical findings of a benign schwannoma in the parotid gland of a 12-year-old warmblood gelding. A slow-growing mass was surgically excised from the parotid gland and did not recur within the following 6 months. The tumour was well circumscribed and was composed of densely packed spindle cells partly arranged in an Antoni A pattern and intermixed with hypocellular areas resembling the Antoni B pattern. Tumour cells expressed vime...
Paweska JT.Eight sexually mature horse stallions were inoculated intranasally with a South African asinine strain of EAV, a strain that was isolated from the semen of a donkey carrier. All horses developed fever, with maximum rectal temperatures of 38.9-39.9 degrees C recorded 3-6 d post challenge. Six horses showed very mild clinical signs of equine viral arteritis and two were asymptomatic. The virus was recovered from the nasopharynxes of six horses 2-7 d after inoculation, and from buffy-coat samples of all horses, 2-11 d after inoculation. Seroconversion to EAV was detected on days 8 and 10 and peak...
Le NPK, Gerdts V, Singh B.Integrin alpha-v/beta3 (αvβ3) recognizes arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) sequences and has important functions in cell adhesion, signaling, and survival. However, the expression of integrin αvβ3 in the equine lungs and jejunum is not well understood. The objective of this study was to explore the hitherto unknown expression of integrin αvβ3 in the lungs and jejuna of the horse using light and electron immunocytochemistry. Immunohistochemistry showed integrin αvβ3 on the epithelium, the immune cells in Peyer's patches, the smooth muscle, and the endothelium of equine jejuna. In equ...
Steven DH, Jeffcott LB, Mallon KA, Ricketts SW, Rossdale PD, Samuel CA.Post-partum placentae and uterine biopsy samples from mares after normal and abnormal foalings are described. After normal delivery there is little damage to fetal or maternal tissues. The villous epitheliochorial palcenta separates cleanly at the maternal-fetal interface and the afterbirth consists almost exclusively of fetal tissue. Uterine involution is well advanced by the 3rd and 4th days post partum and the changes are usually complete by the oestrus 7--10 days after parturition. Placental separation and involution of the uterus appear to proceed normally in malpresented foals and in oth...
Ochonski P, Drouillard JS, Douthit TL, Vahl C, Lattimer JM.Commercial horse feeds use cereal grains and by-products; however, their effects on the caecal environment remain poorly characterised. Objective: Characterise the effect of commonly used feed ingredients on caecal pH and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration. Methods: 6 × 6 Latin square. Methods: Two days prior to the start of the study, 6 caecally cannulated Quarter horses were moved into individual stalls where Smooth bromegrass hay (brome) was offered at 2.0% BW/d split between 2 feedings (0600 and 1800). On day 0, caecal digesta was collected every 2 h for 12 h relative to the 0600...
Laskoski LM, Locatelli-Dittrich R, Valadão CA, Deconto I, Gonçalves KA, Montiani-Ferreira F, Brum JS, de Brito HF, de Sousa RS.The present study was aimed at identifying laminar lesions and leukocyte infiltration in hoof laminar tissue of horses with colic syndrome and its correlation with the total leukocyte count before death. Six healthy horses were used as control group (CG), and eighteen horses with lethal gastrointestinal disease were divided into two groups: leukopenic group (LG) with seven leukopenic horses, and non-leukopenic group (NLG) with 11 horses with total leukocyte count within reference range for the species. Leukocyte infiltration was examined by immunohistochemistry. Laminar lesions were observed i...
Stock KF, Hoeschele I, Distl O.Simulated horse data were used to compare multivariate estimation of genetic parameters and prediction of breeding values (BV) for categorical, continuous and molecular genetic data using linear animal models via residual maximum likelihood (REML) and best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) and mixed linear-threshold animal models via Gibbs sampling (GS). Simulation included additive genetic values, residuals and fixed effects for one continuous trait, liabilities of four binary traits, and quantitative trait locus (QTL) effects and genetic markers with different recombination rates and polymor...
Kihara R, Kasashima Y, Arai K, Miyamoto Y.Injury initiates a repair process characterized by influx of fibroblasts and the rapid formation of fibrous scar tissue and subsequent tissue contraction. The response to injury and behavior of the different tendon fibroblast populations, however, has been poorly characterized. We hypothesized that the fibroblasts recovered from tendon with acute injury would exhibit different cell properties relating to adhesion, migration and tensegrity. To test this hypothesis we evaluated the ability of fibroblasts recovered from normal and injured equine superficial digital flexor tendons (SDFTs). The inj...