"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.
Scott AM, Jeffcott LB.Clinical features of haemolytic disease of the newborn foal (HDNF) are reviewed. The state of knowledge concerning the serological factors associated with isoimmunisation of mares and as assessment of the methods available for screening potential "haemolytic mares" are presented. The treatment of severely affected foals has principally involved exchange transfusion but more recently a simple transfusion of mare's packed erythrocytes has proved more successful.
Platt H, Atherton JG, Simpson DJ.Four pony mares were readily infected with the organism of contagious equine metritis by intracervical inoculation and one by coitus with an infected stallion. Infected mares developed an acute endometritis with local destruction of the endometrial epithelium. In 2 experimentally infected mares, infection appeared to have been spontaneously eliminated from the genital tract within 3 to 4 weeks. A third mare however remained persistently infected in the clitoral fossa over a long period and was a symptomless carrier. Four pony stallions were readily infected in the urethral fossa and the organi...
Allen PZ, Heidelberger M, Rappaport IA, Ward GM.Serial bleedings were obtained from two mules during prolonged immunization, one with type XXV the other with type VIII pneumococcal vaccine. IgGa, IgGb, IgGc, IgB, IgG(T) and IgM present among purified Pn anti-XXV and Pn anti-VIII immunoglobulin isolated from various bleedings were identified by use of rabbit anti-equine heavy chain specific reagents. Radioimmunodiffusion with 14C-labelled type XXV pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide and horse and donkey reagents with species specificity directed against donkey or horse IgGa respectively, demonstrated both parental horse and donkey IgGa heav...
Timoney PJ, McArdle JF, O'Reilly PJ, Ward J.Contagious equine metritis 1977 was reproduced in pony mares using cultures of the Gram-negative coccobacillus aetiologically associated with the disease. Variability in clinical response was observed in the first of 2 experiments, with the presence of semen, either alone or in an extender, appearing to potentiate the pathogenicity of the challenge strain of the organism. The experimental disease was characterised by a variable degree of vaginal discharge and concomitant inflammatory changes involving the vervix and vagina. Although all of the affected mares recovered spontaneously, a high per...
Eagle RC, Font RL, Swerczek TW.An 18-month-old Standardbred filly had a large intraocular tumor involving the optic nerve. The tumor was a malignant medulloepithelioma, a rare intraocular neoplasm derived from the primitive medullary epithelium. By light microscopy the tumor had cords and lobules of primitive neuroepithelial cells that formed clefts and true rosettes. Electron microscopy of the rosettes showed a girdle of zonulae adherentes joining the apices of the cells as well as several basal bodies. This is the sixth report of equine intraocular medulloepithelioma, and, to the best of our knowledge, the first intraocul...
Schoeb TR, Panciera RJ.Case records of 21 horses with acute illness following ingestion of hay containing dead striped blister beetles (Epicauta spp) were selected for review. Abdominal pain, fever, depression, frequent urination, shock, and, occasionally, synchronous diaphragmatic flutter characterized clinical illness. Hematologic findings included hemoconcentration, neutrophilic leukocytosis, and hypocalcemia. Hematuria and low urine specific gravity were abnormal urinalysis results. Sloughing of the epithelium of the esophageal part of the stomach, hemorrhagic and ulcerative cystitis, enterocolitis, and myocardi...
Hurtgen JP, Whitmore HL.In 10 mares, lysis of the corpus luteum was induced by endometrial biopsy and culture on day 4 after estrus, as evidenced by a sharp decline in serum progesterone concentration and a shortened interestrous interval. Estrus following the manipulations was prolonged. Endometrial biopsy and culture on days 1 and 3 after estrus or manually dilating the cervix on day 4 after estrus also decreased the serum progesterone concentration (within 24--48 hr after manipulation), shortened diestrus, and prolonged the subsequent estrus. In a 2nd experiment, endometrial biopsy on day 4 after estrus shortened ...
Braverman Y, Boorman J.Very low infection rates (less than 3%) were obtained when Aedes aegypti mosquitoes ingested blood contained 5.8--6.5 log10 MLD50/0.02 ml African horse sickness virus (AHSV). When A. aegypti mosquitoes were inoculated intrathoracically with virus, however, high infection rates were achieved. Mosquitoes infected by inoculum failed to transmit virus to embryonated hens eggs by bite, and virus could not be detected in membrane or blood when inoculated mosquitoes were allowed to engorge on uninfected blood through a chick skin membrane. It was concluded that the mosquito A. aegypti is unlikely to ...
Randall RP, Schurg WA, Church DC.The two-choice preference test was used to
characterize the test reactions of five immature
horses to sweet, salty, sour and bitter tasting
solutions. Sucrose was preferred ('>60% of total
fluid as test solution) to tap water by the foals at
concentrations ranging from 1.25 to 10 g/100 ml.
Concentrations above and below this range result-
ed in indifference (40 to 60% of fluid consumed as
test solution). The horses were indifferent to NaCI
until a concentration of.63 g/100 ml was reached.
At this level the mean response changed to
rejection (<40% of total fluid as test solution).
F...
Dawson FL, Benson JA, Croxton-Smith P.Serum agglutination tests, anti-globulin tests, and complement fixation tests were carried out on sera taken over a period of 98 days from two fillies experimentally infected with the contagious equine metritis organism. The pattern, and significance in diagnosis, of these results is discussed. All 3 tests showed positive titres in the acute phase of experimental disease; reactions in the complement fixation test persisted longest.
Murray DR, Ladds PW, Campbell RS.Lesions encountered in a clinicopathological study of cutaneous lesions resembling 'swamp cancer' from horses in North Queensland included 37 cases of subcutaneous phycomycosis, 5 of which were also infected with Habronema sp larvae. In addition 9 cases of primary cutaneous habronemiasis, 58 sarcoids, 12 fibromas, 8 fibrosarcomas, 10 squamous cell carcinomas, 4 haemangiomas, 3 melanomas, 1 papilloma, 1 palpebral adenocarcinoma and 7 cases of simple granulation were diagnosed. Subcutaneous phycomycosis resulted in the most extensive lesions. These were rapidly growing and provided the poorest p...
Littlejohn A, Blackmore DJ.The occasions, position and relative concentration of LDH iso-enzymes in the blood tissues of the thoroughbred horse were determined. Locomotor muscles possess a high concentration of LDH 5 whereas non-locomotor muscles have a low concentration of this iso-enzyme.
Webbon PM.Skin temperature measurements were recorded of the legs of 13 racehorses between 2 and 5 years old. The normal limb temperature patterns are described. In over 90 per cent of the normal horses the difference between contralateral limbs was less than 1 degree C, but in the remainder differences of up to 8 degree C were recorded due to the excessive cooling of one limb. One horse had a constant temperature elevation of one foreleg, but it remained in training for 7 weeks without any obvious ill effects. Because of the small numbers of horses in the survey and their freedom from tendon injuries i...
Allen WE.Plasma concentrations of sodium benzylpenicillin were measured following intrauterine infusion at a dose rate of 22,000 u/kg (250,000 u/ml). The reproductive status of the mare at the time of infusion did not appear to influence plasma concentrations of penicillin, but preswabbing the endometrium for bacteriological culture resulted in peak plasma concentrations which were nearly twice those found in unswabbed mares.
Digby NJ.Experimental studies of endometrial smears from 26 normal mares showed that after a period of sexual rest exceeding 7 days smears were generally free from inflammatory cells. Smears from 9 mares showing signs of persistent endometritis contained inflammatory cells in 91 per cent while bacterial culture was positive in only 45 per cent. Smears were also taken from 242 Thoroughbred mares as a routine procedure in 1977. It was concluded that endometrial cytology provides a better guide to uterine inflammation than bacteriology. The routine clinical use of endometrial cytology is recommended to ai...
Herron MA, Martin JE, Joyce JR.A quantitative study of optic axons in the optic tracts of several species was performed to determine the number and percentage of optic axons that decussate. Animals were prepared by unilateral ocular enucleation, and light microscopic techniques were employed to count the fibers. The mean number of fibers projecting from a single eye was 732,119 for the pony, 1,041,739 for the cow, 534,755 for the sheep, and 442,629 for the pig. The mean degree of crossover at the chiasm was 80.8% in ponies, 82.9% in cattle, 88.9% in sheep, and 87.8% in pigs.
Allen WE, Clarke AR.Plasma concentrations of sodium benzylpenicillin following intrauterine infusion were increased by reducing the volume of solution and expelling air from the vagina after infusion. Instillation of 10 per cent Lugol's iodine solution into the uterus before penicillin infusion further increased the absorption rate, although peak plasma levels of penicillin were less than half those which resulted from intramuscular injection of the same dose.
Slocombe JO, Cote JF.The anthelmintic canbendazole (CBZ), adminis-
tered in several formulations to horses in critical
trials, has been shown to have high effcacy
against intestinal nematodes (3, 4, 6). There are
two reports of field trials with CBZ (2, 5), and
although a large number of horses were involved,
the efficacies reported were for a restricted
number of nematodes. Recently, CBZ paste was
administered to horses in another field trial and
the findings on rxdatability, safety and efficacy
against a wide range of nematodes are presented.
Peloso JG, Stick JA, Nickels FA, Lumsden JM, Derksen FJ.A 2-year-old 400-kg Standardbred colt with a history of exercise intolerance was determined to have dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP). Standing endoscopy revealed a soft, flaccid, and hypoplastic epiglottis and arytenoid cartilages that moved symmetrically and abducted fully. Lateral laryngeal radiography was used to calculate a corrected thyroepiglottic length of 6.48 cm. Videoendoscopy during exercise on a high-speed treadmill at standardized treadmill speeds was performed weekly for 3 consecutive weeks. The soft palate dorsally displaced at each examination. A sternohyoideus/ste...
Lawn K.During training, a 6-year-old standardbred gelding collapsed, exhibiting severe epistaxis and agonal breathing and was euthanized. The horse had a recent history of poor performance, lethargy, and unilateral eyelid swelling with serous ocular discharge. Postmortem and histopathologic examination findings revealed thoracic lymphosarcoma and concurrent exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. Résumé — Mort subite d’un cheval de course de race standardbred causée par un lymphome thoracique. En cours d’entraînement, un standardbred hongre âgé de 6 ans s’est effondré, présentant des s...
Crisman MV, Hodgson DR, Bayly WM, Liggitt HD.To determine whether road transport affected pulmonary phagocyte activity, 7 healthy Thoroughbred horses were shipped 1,160 kilometers over 36 hours. Fluid collected by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) 12 hours, and 7 and 14 days after transport was analyzed. Results were compared to those from the same horses pre-transport, and 7 non-transported control horses that had BAL performed at the same times as the transported horses. Of cells recovered with BAL the percentage of viable pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAMs) declined from 90.0 +/- 0.9% pre-transport to 80.0 +/- 3.7% by 2 weeks post transp...
Kwok WH, Choi TLS, Leung GNW, Wong ASY, Yue SK, Wan TSM, Ho ENM.The insulin-like peptide relaxin (RLX), an endogenous peptide hormone produced in human for pregnancy and reproduction, is also known to exert a range of physiological and pathological effects. Its use is banned in human sports, horseracing, and equestrian competitions due to its potential performance enhancing effect through vasodilation resulting in the increase of blood and oxygen supplies to muscles. Little is known about the biotransformation and elimination of RLX in horses. This paper describes an administration study of rhRLX-2 and its elimination in horses, and the development of sens...
Katila T, Lock TF, Ely RW, Smith AR.The study was designed to determine differences between normal mares and mares with endometrial pathology in the inflammatory response after bacterial challenge. Six normal mares (biopsy category I) and 4 mares with pathological endometrial changes (biopsy category II) were given an intrauterine infusion of β-hemolytic streptococci on the second day of estrus. All mares had a similar kind of inflammatory response after the bacterial inoculation as assessed by rectal and vaginal examinations. There were no significant differences in the amount of discharge, uterine tone, uterine size and cervi...
Gee EK, Grace ND, Firth EC, Fennessy PF.To monitor the change in liver copper concentration of Thoroughbred foals from birth to 160 days of age and to determine the effects of supplementation by two injections of copper edetate given to dams in late gestation on the liver copper concentration of their foals at birth. Methods: Ten mares pregnant to the same stallion were randomised into two groups on the basis of age, liver copper concentration and expected foaling date. The treatment group mares were given 100 mg and 250 mg copper edetate intramuscularly during the ninth and tenth months of gestation respectively. Foals had liver bi...
Lightfoot KL, Frost E, Burford JH, England GCW, Freeman SL.Behavioural models are widely used within human medicine to understand beliefs and intention associated with major health interventions. Objective: To investigate horse-owner beliefs and practices associated with emergency colic planning. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: An online survey incorporating the Trans-Theoretical Model of behaviour change and the Theory of Planned Behaviour was developed to assess owner intention to adopt three areas of emergency colic planning: (1) prevention/recognition, (2) involvement of others and (3) personal preparation. Participants were recruited usi...
Camargo FC, Robinson NE, Berney C, Eberhart S, Baker S, DeTolve P, Derksen FJ, Harkins JD, Lehner AF, Tobin T.Trimetoquinol (TMQ) is a potent beta-adrenoceptor agonist bronchodilator used in human medicine but has not been evaluated for potential use as a therapeutic agent for horses with 'heaves'. Objective: To assess the pharmacodynamics of TMQ in horses with 'heaves' to determine potential therapeutic effects. Methods: Increasing doses of TMQ were administered to horses with 'heaves' by i.v. and intratracheal (i.t.) routes. Doses ranged 0.001-0.2 microg/kg bwt i.v. and 0.01-2 microg/kg bwt i.t. Cardiac and airways effects were assessed by measurement of heart rate (HR) and maximal change in pleural...
McKeever KH.This article has presented information on the importance of the sympathetic nervous system in the response to exercise. The authors have reviewed the very limited information on the effects of sympathomimetic and sympatholytic drugs on exercise performance in the horse. Most of these drugs are specifically prohibited under the rules of racing, and they have significant side effects that either decrease performance or make their use dangerous to both the horse and horse-man. Additionally, all of these drugs or their metabolites are readily detected by current drug testing protocols. Further inf...
Pilarczyk B, Tomza-Marciniak A, Stankiewicz T, Błaszczyk B, Gaczarzewicz D, Smugała M, Udała J, Tylkowska A, Kuba J, Cieśla A.The aim of this study was to determine serum selenium concentrations in Polish Konik horses residing in the Odra Delta Nature Park (Poland) and to evaluate the activity of glutathione peroxidase and Se content in testes of this horse breed. In over 95% of cases, serum Se concentration was below the optimal range, and none of the horses examined was deficient in this trace element. The lack of Se deficiency in the animals examined suggests however, that the Polish Konik horses have a natural ability to the optimal use of nutrients available in their life area. Testicular content of Se and GSHPx...
Data in briefSeptember 23, 2021
Volume 38 107402 doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2021.107402
Lee H, Yun SH, Hyon JY, Lee SY, Yi YS, Choi CW, Jun S, Park EC, Kim SI. subspecies () is an opportunistic pathogen and a major causative agent of equine strangles, a contagious respiratory infection in horses and other equines. In this study, we provide the dataset associated with our research publication "-derived extracellular vesicles as a vaccine candidate against infections" [1]. We describe the genomic differences between 4047 and ATCC 39506 and outline the comprehensive proteome information of various fractions, including the whole cell lysate, membrane proteome, secretory proteome, and extracellular vesicle proteome. In addition, we included a dataset...
Ohya T, Kondo T, Yoshikawa Y, Watanabe K, Orino K.In mammal circulation, various ferritin-binding proteins (FBPs) are thought to be involved in the clearance of circulating ferritin after complex formation with it. However, horse FBPs are known to cause inhibitory effects on ferritin immunoassay due to the concealment of the ferritin molecule to anti-ferritin antibodies used in the ferritin immunoassay. These inhibitory effects are eliminated by heat treatment of horse serum at 75°C for 15 min. The inhibitory effects on ferritin immunoassay in the sera of ten foal sera (5 females and 5 males) from 1 to 18 months were detected during all peri...
Tesfaigzi Y.Exposure of airways to environmental toxins or allergens induces proliferation of epithelial cells. Depending on the type of exposure, existing and newly formed cells can differentiate into mucus-producing cells resulting in mucous cell metaplasia (MCM). During recovery, the epithelium reduces the number of epithelial cells to return to the original state. Understanding the mechanisms involved in this resolution could be useful in deleting mucous cells and, thereby, mucous secretions. We have found that metaplastic mucous cells induced by exposure to ozone, endotoxin, cigarette smoke or allerg...
Burkhard MJ, Baxter G, Thrall MA.A precipitate was observed on the blood films of horses (15 of 16) and one cow given a peritoneal infusion of 1 % sodium carboxymethylcellulose (SCMC) solution to prevent abdominal adhesions. The intensity of the precipitate seen 2 to 3 days post-infusion strongly correlated with the administered dose of SCMC (range 0.96 to 11.7 ml/kg). The dose given was inversely correlated with bodyweight and the most prominent precipitates were seen in foals. The precipitate was observed as early as 24 hours and persisted for as long as 9 days after SCMC administration. Fibrinogen was the only hematologica...
Ruiz L, Echegaray A, Lafuente A.The aim of this study was the optimization of the sperm freezing protocols for the Pure Breed Andalusian Horse (AH) stallions. The study was performed in 84 ejaculates from 14 stallions (6 ejaculates per stallion). We examined the effect of individual stallion, centrifugal force and centrifugation extender on post-thaw sperm quality. Neither centrifugal force nor centrifugal extender had any significant effect on post-centrifugation or post-thawing sperm quality. Stallion was the principal source of variation in our experiments, showing individual significant differences (p < 0.05) in all para...
White KL, Hird JFR, Taylor PM.Isoflurane is the only volatile anaesthetic agent licensed for equine use in the United Kingdom, but sevoflurane is also commonly used. The two agents have rarely been compared for use in clinical elective surgery. Methods: This single centre, prospective, randomised, blinded clinical investigation recruited 101 healthy client owned horses undergoing elective surgery. Anaesthesia was standardised and horses randomly assigned to receive isoflurane (I) or sevoflurane (S) for maintenance of anaesthesia in 100% oxygen. Horses were ventilated to normocapnia and received intravenous fluid therapy an...
Greatorex JC.The clinical manifestations of a diarrhoeic syndrome of horses with ulceration of the mucosae of the colon and caecum are described. Patients could be divided into three groups according to their presenting symptoms and the disease is probably caused by the thrombo-embolism associated with migrating larvae of Strongylus vulgaris. The differential diagnosis, prognosis and treatment are outlined with particular reference to the use of antithrombotic agents.