"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.
Baskerville A.For laboratory diagnosis of respiratory disease it is of overwhelming importance that the specimens taken are adequate, taken from the correct site and at the correct time. The lower regions of the respiratory tract are particularly difficult to sample but are more likely to yield the causative agent of a pneumonia. Infections involving the upper respiratory tract are much easier to sample and appropriate aspiration apparatus can be used. Consideration must be given to the timing of sample collection in relation to the life cycle of the causative micro-organism. Sampling of several animals is ...
Greene CE, Tsang VC, Prestwood AK, Meriwether EA.Optimal reaction conditions for the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), 1-stage prothrombin time (PT), and Russell's viper venom time were studied for pooled plasmas of horses, cattle, sheep, goats, swine, dogs, cats, and persons. Changes in CaCl2 and NaCl concentrations had significant effects on the APTT and PT reactions. The APTT was more sensitive than the PT to changes in CaCl2 concentration. The CaCl2 concentration recommended by the manufacturer for the APTT was suboptimal for some of plasmas of domesticated animals in ths study. Infusorial earth (Celite, activator) concentrat...
Turtinen LW, Allen GP, Darlington RW, Bryans JT.The molecular and serologic relatedness of 2 recent respiratory tract isolates of equine herpesvirus type 1, designated T1 and T2, were compared with the Army 183, Kentucky-A hamster-adapted (KyA-ha), and L-M cell-adapted (KyA-LM) strains. Electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels revealed differences in virion structural proteins among 4 purified strains. Seven envelope glycoproteins (molecular weight of 93,000, 65,000, 62,000, 60,000, 36,000, 20,000, and 18,000) corresponding to virion proteins 13, 16, 17, 18, 23, 25, and 26a, respectively, found in both the Army 183 and KyA-ha strains had slig...
Aller WW, Edds GT, Asquith RL.Sixteen clinically normal, healthy ponies were randomly assigned to 4 groups and given aflatoxin B1 in doses of 0.045, 0.030, 0.015, and 0 (control) mg/kg of body weight per day for 21 days (or total doses of 0.945, 0.630, 0.315, and 0 mg/kg). The animals were allowed to recover for 3 months and then were reassigned to 4 treatment groups such that each group during the 2nd trial included a pony from each of the groups of the 1st trial. The animals in the new groups were intubated and were given aflatoxin in doses of 0.4, 0.2, 0.1, and 0 (control) mg/kg/day for 5 days ( or total doses of 2.0, 1...
Barasa A, Dazia S, Canavese B, Modica R.The dental pulp of 34 horses aged between 4 months and 20 years has been studied on India ink injected and on paraffin embedded specimens. The pulp dimensions of the first and especially of the second dentition decrease with age. This reduction is accompanied by pronounced changes of structure; the mucous connective tissue becomes a dense, irregular connective tissue. The vessels are numerous and make a network particularly rich at the margins of the pulp; they diminish with advancing age. The reduction of the pulp volume and the regression of its vascular network are particularly pronounced a...
Greet TR.Three horses were referred for investigation of a unilateral foul smelling scanty nasal discharge, complicated in one case by intermittent epistaxis. Thick purulent material or a mycotic plaque was identified by an endoscopic examination of the middle meatus but in two horses this had to be repeated under general anaesthesia before the abnormalities were detected. Aspergillus fumigatus was cultured from all three cases and septate hyphae were identified on smears from lesions. Histological examination of the lesion in one case revealed a fungal mycelium. Topical treatment with natamycin soluti...
Haschek WM, King JM, Tennant BC.Of 2 horses with renal cell carcinoma, 1 had massive ascites but no other signs of urinary tract disease; the other had hematuria. In both horses, the tumors were palpable as large perirenal masses. The tumor mass of horse 1 almost completely replaced the left kidney, and there were tumor implants on the serosa of abdominal organs. The right kidney of horse 2 was compressed peripherally by the tumor, which completely filled the renal pelvis. The prevalence of renal cell carcinoma in horses and dogs necropsied at the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine between 1953 and 1976 was simila...
Squires EL, Berndtson WE, Hoyer JH, Pickett BW, Wallach SJ.Twelve stallions that had been given 0, 50 or 200 micrograms testosterone propionate (TP)/kg body weight every other day for 88 days were examined for the effects of androgen withdrawal on spermatozoal production, seminal quality and libido. Although the lower dosage did not affect most of the traits studied, the higher dosage severely reduced scrotal width, spermatozoal production, the number of sperm per ejaculate, the percentage of progressively motile spermatozoa and the percentage of normal spermatozoa. These adverse effects were found to be largely reversible. By 90 days after the cessat...
Herd RP, Donham JC.Thirty-one horses with naturally occurring summer sores were given a single IM injection of 0.2 mg of ivermectin (22,23-dihydroavermectin B1)/kg during the summer of 1980. Larvae of Draschia and/or Habronema spp were recovered from biopsy samples taken from 21 of 25 horses (84%) on the day of anthelmintic treatment. There was a marked clinical improvement in 26 horses (84%) 7 days after ivermectin was given. The typical summer sore was replaced by healthy pink granulation tissue at 7 days and this healed after 1 to 5 weeks. Biopsy samples were taken from 21 of these horses 1 to 6 weeks after t...
The Journal of protozoologyNovember 1, 1981
Volume 28, Issue 4 400-405 doi: 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1981.tb05310.x
Sundermann CA, Paulin JJ.Allantosoma intestinalis, a suctorian ciliate isolated from the intestine of the horse, was studied utilizing light and electron optical methods. These small sausage-shaped organisms have a varying number of tentacles (between one and 14) located at each extremity of the body. The microtubular axoneme of each tentacle in cross-section consists of two files of microtubules arranged in a daisy-like configuration. Haptocysts occur in the tentacle shaft, abutted to the plasma membrane of the knob of the tentacle, and in the cell body. The haptocysts are bottle-shaped, with prominent annular striat...
Rooney JR.Sacroiliac arthrosis is a major cause of "hiking" lameness (often, so-called "stifle lameness") in Standardbred horses. The cause of this arthrosis is found in the moment forces generated as horses negotiate unbanked and underbanked turns and in the forces generated on cambered racing surfaces. The prediction is that such lameness could be virtually eliminated if racetrack and training track turns were properly banked and camber held to a minimum.
Ford EJ, Adam SE.In the horse, 5'-nucleotidase (5'-NT) activity is found mainly in homogenates of lung, kidney, small intestine, mammary gland, liver and pancreas. Lower activities are present in brain and muscle. Activity can be demonstrated histochemically in the glomeruli and tubules of the kidney, in the sinusoidal borders of the hepatocytes and the bile duct epithelium as well as in the blood vessels of all organs. There is no significant difference between the 5'-NT activity in serum and plasma of normal horses and of horses suffering from a range of orthopaedic conditions. Previous findings that gamma g...
Tew WP, Hackett RP.Synovial fluids from 72 equine joints were examined for the presence of cartilage debris, and these findings were compared to findings from visual inspection of the articular cartilage surfaces at necropsy. Synovial fluids from 25 joints with visual cartilage damage contained one or more large particles of articular cartilage. Cartilage fragments were not found in synovial fluids from 42 of the 47 apparently normal joints; thus, a correlation may exist between cartilage debris in the synovial fluid and lesions of the articular surfaces.
Goulden BE, Anderson LJ.Some clinical features of laryngeal hemiplegia in 127 horses are described. Possible aetiologic factors were found in only 11% of affected animals. The onset of clinical signs was either sudden or insidious. The majority of cases were presented because of an abnormal respiratory noise made at exercise. Other clinical signs, particularly those usually attributed to laryngopalatal dislocation, were observed in a substantial proportion of affected animals. In all cases surveyed the left arytenoid was affected, although in 3 animals a bilateral laryngeal dysfunction was noted. Thirty of 65 animals...
Yeşilbağ K, Herzog S, Kennerman E, Tuncer P, Schmid S, Kaya G, Thiel HJ.Distribution of Borna disease virus (BDV) infection outside endemic areas has been studied in several countries. We examined serum samples for anti-BDV antibodies in purebred racing horses and other domestic animals in Turkey. In total serum samples of 437 animals including 282 horses, 50 sheep, 25 goats, 50 cattle, and 30 cats were tested by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Anti-BDV antibodies were detected in 4.9% of horses, 12% of sheep, 4% of goats, 14% of cattle and 6.6% of cats. No statistical difference was observed between seroprevalence in Arabic and English purebred horses fr...
Yildiz H, Yildiz B, Arslan K, Ozgür C.In this study we present a geometric model of the ascending colon of the horse, especially the left ventral colon and the right ventral colon, the left dorsal colon and the right dorsal colon and the pelvic flexure. We also present a mathematical model of the cross sections of these ascending colon parts with the exceptions of the pelvic flexure. We show that these cross-sections correspond to the closed algebraic curves known as epitrochoid.
Jaeschke G, Rudolph R.In a review supplementary to prior evaluations further hematological or cytodiagnostic aspects respectively of equine leucosis are discussed. Leukemic nature of the disease is characterized by increased count of normal blood cells or by the presence of morphologically non-differentiated cells in circulating blood or by disorder or loss of function of blood cells respectively. Thrombocytopenia in the most cases is accompanied by anemia, leukemia and tumor cell infiltration in bone marrow. Tumor cells in circulating blood indicate their presence in bone marrow too. In cases of equine leucosis wi...
Hawkins KL.Bilateral salpingitis, hydrosalpinx and oophoritis were diagnosed in a mare with concurrent lymphosarcoma. Salpingitis, hydrosalpinx and oophoritis are rare in the mare (1,2,3,5,8,9,11-13). Bilateral salpingitis is an important cause of infertility in all species and is most often due to ascending infection (3-5,10,11). The source of salpingitis in this mare probably was ascending infection from the uterus after parturition. The apparent infertility of the mare was attributed to debilitation from the lymphosarcoma and multiplicity of genital pathoses.
Shappell KK, Caron JP, Stick JA, Parks AJ.Dorsal displacement of the soft palate associated with dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia was diagnosed in 2 young foals. The displacement appeared to be congenital. Clinical signs associated with the condition were resolved after staphylectomy. Dorsal displacement of the soft palate is usually recognized in adult animals as an upper respiratory tract disease, but may be a contributing factor to dysphagia and lower respiratory tract disease in young animals.
Morris DD, Moore JN.An experiment was designed to determine whether a change in the ability of macrophages to respond to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of gram-negative bacteria was involved in the development of cross-reactive immunity to endotoxemia. The endotoxin-induced production of thromboxane A2(TxA2) and prostacyclin (PGI2) by peritoneal macrophages from horses which were hyperimmunized against the common core region of LPS were compared to those in unimmunized horses. Bacterins used for induction of core LPS immunity were prepared from the J-5 mutant of Escherichia coli 0111:B4, and the R 595 mutant of Salmon...
König HE, Ries R.The ovary of the mare is vascularized by two branches of the A. ovarica, which differ in diameter. They take a characteristic course in this organ. Near the ovulation fossa several branches of 1st and 2nd class leave the A. ovarica to provide the functional structures. These vessels are formed like a corkscrew. At the veins and its ramifications there are sphincter-like structures which support the venous valves. They are of haemodynamic importance for the different phases of the functional structures.
Baggot JD, Love DN, Stewart J, Raus J.The absorption and disposition kinetics of gentamicin were compared at two dosage levels (2 and 4 mg/kg bodyweight [bwt]) in one- and three-month-old foals. Following intramuscular (im) injection of single 2 mg/kg bwt doses, the drug was absorbed rapidly and produced peak serum concentration (18.2 mu 5.3 +/- g/ml, n = 8) at 30 mins. Much wider variations were associated with the amount of drug absorbed and the serum gentamicin concentrations after administration at the higher dosage level. The half-life of gentamicin was similar in the one-month-old (3.7 +/- 1.7 h, n = 8) and three-month-old (...
Palmieri G, Panu R, Asole A, Farina V, Sanna L.The various types of sensory nerve endings found in the peroneus tertius muscle in the ass and in the horse have been studied with Ruffini's gold chloride method. Free nerve endings have been described as well as encapsulated receptors. These corpuscles are classified as Pacini-like, Ruffini's terminations and also Golgi's tendon-organs. The authors have pointed out the morphology, topography and structural characteristics of the above named nervous terminations and have hypothesized that a probable functional relation existed between these nervous corpuscles and the considered tendinous struc...
Schallberger SP, Doherr MG, Ueltschi G.The lack of "standard uptake pattern" to refer to when interpreting scintigraphic images poses a problem to anyone working with skeletal scintigraphy. An article written by Koblik et al. stated that in the normal scintigraphic image of older horses, the dorsal cortex of the metacarpus and metatarsus is not identifiable, whereas it can be identified in younger horses. In this retrospective study we evaluated the association between the age of a horse and visibility of the dorsal cortex of the metacarpus and metatarsus. We found that dorsal cortical uptake can be seen in the normal adult horse. ...
Gopinath G, Ford EJ.The hepatotoxic effect of oral halothane in the horse is increased by pretreatment with phenobarbitone or DDT but not by chlorpromazine. Phenobarbitone and DDT increase the activity of hepatic amidopyrine N-demethylase but chlorpromazine does not. Carbon disulphide protects the liver of the horse against halothane.
Whitton RC, Kannegieter NJ, Rose RJ.To examine the relationship between medial palmar intercarpal ligament (MPICL) tearing and postoperative performance in racing horses. Methods: The postoperative performance of 42 horses in which the midcarpal joint was examined arthroscopically was followed prospectively. Intra-articular variables examined were the severity of MPICL tearing, subchondral bone damage and articular cartilage damage. Using a scoring system based on the class of race and the position in the race, a mean score was calculated for up to five races before and after surgery. The preoperative score was subtracted from t...
Wiemer P.In 22 stallions the surgically prepared spermatic cord was crushed and ligated. Preoperative and postoperative plasma-testosterone concentrations were measured and 60 days after surgery a HCG-stimulation test was carried out in 12 horses. In these 12 horses the testosterone production had ceased. In all 22 horses the wounds healed by primary intention. Ligation of the spermatic cord is a castration technique without surgical complications, at least in this study.