"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.
Van der Merwe JA.The revised NRC's Nutrient Requirements of Horses is changing the outlook on equine nutrition, dominated for so long by the traditional belief in oats. This has lead to the need for properly balanced diets, in the compounding of which dietary cubes offer the distinct advantage of providing a standardized diet of constant quality in keeping with modern knowledge. Additional factors are: longer storage, freedom from dust, palatability, refractoriness to mould infection, and facilitation of routine feeding. Cube size and hardness are important considerations for the manufacturer. Horses appear to...
Merritt AM, Bolton JR, Cimprich R.Pertinent questions regarding the history of a horse with diarrhoea are listed, as are diagnostic procedures that might be included in a complete clinical work-up. For purposes of discussion, diarrhoea is regarded as "acute" or "chronic" wherein the former concerns cases where the features of the disease are severe with progressive electrolyte imbalance, dehydration, toxaemia, or other life-threatening manifestations and the latter refers to cases that have been prolonged for a month or more. Patterns of disease, including results of diagnostic techniques, are stressed. In the "acute" category...
Hintz HF.Recent studies on the digestive physiology of the horse are reviewed. It was suggested that the small intestine is the primary site of digestion and absorption of protein, soluble carbohydrates, most minerals, fats, fat soluble and water soluble vitamins. The large intestine is the primary site of fibre digestion and net water absorption. Significant amounts of phosphorus are also absorbed from the large intestine. Many factors such as rate of passage, processing of feeds, level of intake, work and maturity of plant may influence digestive ability.
Apukhovska LI, Vendt VP, Ivashkevych SP.Sterols of the whole erythrocytes, hemoglobin, membranes and their protein fractions were studied. Erythrocytes and their components were established to contain, besides cholesterol, other substances of the sterol nature. Cholesterol, 7-dehydrocholesterol and other substances of the cholesterol series are practically completely linked with the lipoproteid fractions of the erythrocyte membrane whereas all sterols found in the native erythrocytes in negligible amounts are bound with hemoglobin.
Drudge JH, Lyons ET, Tolliver SC.Controlled tests of the efficacy of bot-active compounds, dichlorvos, trichlorfon, trichlorfon butonate, and carbon disulfide on the larvae of Gasterophilus intestinalis and Gasterophilus nasalis during their migratory period in the tissue of the mouth of horses and ponies were completed on experimentally induced and naturally acquired infections. Against the experimental parasitisms in pony foals, the resin-pellet formulation of dichlorvos given on the feed at the dose level of 37 mg/kg, 2 formulations of trichlorfon given by stomach tube at the dose level of 40 mg/kg, another of trichlorfon ...
Rhim JS, Ro HS, Kim EB, Gilden RV, Huebner RJ.A horse skin cell line (E. Derm, NBL-6, CCL-57) was susceptible to focus formation by the Kirsten mouse sarcoma virus, feline sarcoma virus (ST stain) and the MSV pseudotypes with woolly monkey, gibbon monkey, RD-114, AT-124, baboon placenta and murine xenotropic (BALB/c 3T3 and C57L/JD) type-C viruses. Foci were detected within 5 days after infection and the transformed cells continued to produce infectious virus and group-specific antigen of their respective type-C leukemia viruses. The transformation efficiency of various type-C sarcoma viruses in horse cells was also very high.
Brand A, de Bois CH, Vandenhende R.Parenteral administration of 2.5-5 mg. of prostaglandin F2alpha to horses, 15 mg. to heifers or 25-30 mg to lactating cows and 15 mg. to sheep will induce regression of the corpus luteum (luteolysis) and a fertile oestrus within 48-72 hours. Because of their luteolytic effect prostaglandins may be used in various indications in the field of reproduction. An exception is the pig in which administration of prostaglandins does not induce luteolysis before D12 and therefore fails to induce oestrus. In horses, cattle and sheep, administration of prostaglandins during the first four days of the cycl...
Mansmann RA.Little has been written about the use of antibiotics in the horse. This article is based on personal experiences related to equine clinical medicine and literature review and certainly does not represent all the possible therapeutic regimens that can he employed in the horse. There are two concepts that this article will emphasize. First and most importantly, when an infective process is suspected in a patient, cul-tures and sensitivities are the most important determinations to be made prior to antibiotic therapy. Whether in the treatment of a single case or in the treatment of a herd problem...
Muir WW, Moore CA, Hamlin RL.The influence of various concentrations of CO2 and O2 in the inspired gases on minute volume (V), tidal volume (VT), and respiratory rate (breaths per min; BPM) was examined in nonanesthetized, nonsedated normal horses. The VT and BPM increased linearly in response to increases in inspired CO2 concentration and curvilinearly in response to decreases in inspired Os concentration. The V increased curvilinearly in response to both increases in inspired CO2 concentration and decreases in inspired O2 concentration.
Engle CC, Foley CW.Uterine tubal fluids were collected twice a day from mares for 5 consecutive estrous cycles between March 15 and September 1. Follicular fluids were aspirated from the follicles of exteriorized ovaries of 3 mares between days 2 and 5 of estrus. Uterine tubal fluid and follicular fluid were analyzed for osmolarity, dry matter, total lipids, total free fatty acids, glucose, fructose, and lactic acid. Blood samples were collected (jugular venipuncture) throughout the estrous cycle, and the same physical and biochemical analyses were made on blood plasma. A difference (P less than 0.01) was found ...
Targowski SP.Treatment of ponies with a single dose of prednisolone markedly reduced the number of blood lymphocytes. A decrease of the number of eosinophils was also observed. In contrast, the number of neutrophils significantly increased. These profound changes were temporary and returned to the pretreatment level within 48 h. The number of monocytes did not show any of the significant changes post-prednisolone treatment. The reactivity of the blood lymphocytes of these ponies, in vitro, to stimulation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or streptokinase-strepto-dornase (SK-SD) was measured by incorporation of...
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.
Desantis S, Santamaria N, Zizza S, Accogli G, Mastrodonato M, Scillitani G, Mentino D.Urothelium is a multilayer epithelium covering the inner surface of the urinary bladder that acts as a blood-urine barrier and is involved in maintaining the wellbeing of the whole organism. Glycans serve in the maturation and differentiation of cells and thus play a key role in the morphology and function of the multilayered epithelium. The aim of the present study was to examine the glycoprotein pattern of the horse urinary bladder urothelium by lectin histochemistry. Methods: The study involved urinary bladders from four horse stallions. Tissue sections were stained with a panel of eleven l...
Frei S, Fürst AE, Sacks M, Bischofberger AS.Three horses that were presented with supraglenoid tubercle fractures were treated with open reduction and internal fixation using distal femoral locking plates (DFLP). Placing the DFLP caudal to the scapular spine in order to preserve the suprascapular nerve led to a stable fixation, however, it resulted in infraspinatus muscle atrophy and mild scapulohumeral joint instability (case 1). Placing the DFLP cranial to the scapular spine and under the suprascapular nerve resulted in a stable fixation, however, it resulted in severe atrophy of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles and scapulo...
James FM, Smith MRW, Wright IM.Fractures of the proximal phalanx are one of the most common long bone fractures of Thoroughbred racehorses. Although the degree of disruption and damage to the articular surface is generally considered a major prognostic determinant, associated arthroscopic findings have not previously been reported. Objective: To describe the metacarpo/metatarsophalangeal (MCP/MTP) joint lesions associated with parasagittal fractures of the proximal phalanx arthroscopically identified at the time of fracture repair and compare radiographic and arthroscopic appearance of complete fractures. Methods: Retrospec...
Adeyefa CA.Serological evidence of Equine Herpes virus type 1 (EHV-1) activity in Polo horses in Nigeria is reported for the first time. Eighty-two percent of horses tested with known antigen had precipitating antibodies to EHV-1 while 43% of sera tested against antigen prepared from nasal discharges were positive suggesting that the virus was being excreted in the nasal discharges and probably acting as a source of infection for incontact animals as occurs in on-going acute infections. The result of this study indicates a high prevalence of EHV-1 activity among Polo horses in Nigeria and demonstrates th...
Peli A, Roccaro M.Catastrophic injuries in racehorses mostly involve the metacarpal region. Although many studies describe fractures of equine limbs, few examine the relationship between bone morphometrics and musculoskeletal problems in racing horses. And yet, according to the regulation of some Italian traditional races, the shin circumference represents a qualifying prerequisite for horses to be admitted to races. This study aims to evaluate the conformity of the shin circumference measurement in living animals and in post‑mortem examinations, in order to evaluate the forensic reliability of these measurem...
Assis RA, Kuchler IL, Miekeley N, Tozzi MB.Capillary electrophoresis coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used in a speciation study on disodium monomethylarsonate (DS-MMA(V)) and its metabolites in horses, to which the drug was administered by intramuscular injection on five consecutive days at a single arsenic dosage of 270 mg day(-1). Samples of urine, whole blood, plasma, and mane hair were analyzed before, during, and after drug administration. The data show that blood clearing and urinary excretion of MMA is a fast process following first-order kinetics with biological half-lives of about 38 h and 44 h for ...
Lima AG, Costa LC, Alvarenga MA, Martins CB.The presence of anovulatory haemorrhagic follicles during the oestrous cycle of mares causes financial impacts, slowing conception and increasing the number of services per pregnancy. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as meloxicam and phenylbutazone are used in the treatment of several disorders in mares, and these drugs can impair the formation of prostaglandins (PGs) and consequently interfere with reproductive activity. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of treatment with NSAIDs on the development of pre-ovulatory follicles in mares. In total, 11 mares were studied o...
Peck KE, Hines MT, Mealey KL, Mealey RH.To validate use of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in determining imipramine concentrations in equine serum and to determine pharmacokinetics of imipramine in narcoleptic horses. Methods: 5 horses with adult-onset narcolepsy. Methods: Blood samples were collected before (time 0) and 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, and 45 minutes and 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours after IV administration of imipramine hydrochloride (2 or 4 mg/kg of body weight). Serum was analyzed, using HPLC, to determine imipramine concentration. The serum concentration-versus-time curve for each horse was analyzed se...
Sobiraj A, Bostedt H.This review article deals with a critical comparison between the direct clinical diagnosis for the pregnancy of the mare (rectal and in some cases also vaginal exploration) and indirect methods. Both methods are discussed whether they can be seen as a mutual completion or are suitable for their own. The indirect methods for the pregnancy diagnosis include the hormone-analytic tests as progesterone concentration in serum or milk, the biological and immunological measurements for PMSG in the serum, finally the biological and chemical methods for estrogen contents in the urine of the mare. Furthe...
Blendinger C, Müller G, Bostedt H.The lethal white foal syndrome (congenital intestinal aganglionosis) was diagnosed by history, clinical signs and pathological findings in a female foal, born in March 1992, that was an offspring of two overo-spotted paint horses. The syndrome is a congenital innervation defect of the gastrointestinal tract. A literature review of this condition, relatively unknown in Germany, is given.
Deriusheva SE, Loginova IuA, Chiriaeva OG, Iasinetskaia NI, Efimov AM.Restriction endonuclease in situ digestion of metaphase chromosomes gives an opportunity to reveal strips with different structure within GC-rich pericentric heterochromatin of the domestic horse and the wild Przewalski horse. Blocks of heterochromatin, which are insensitive to HaeIII and brightly stained with chromomycin A3 after restriction enzyme digestion, are localized on the border with euchromatin in the majority of chromosomes of Equus caballus and E. przewalskii. In contrast to chromosome 5 of E. caballus, acrocentric chromosomes of E. prezewalskii which are homologous to this chromos...
Roser JF, Dudan F, Little TV, Livesay-Wilkins P, Hillman RB.Studies were undertaken to investigate the effects of oxytocin induction on prolactin release in term (Group II) and preterm (Group III) mares and to compare these effects to spontaneously foaling mares (Group I). Since physiological concentrations of prolactin in blood have not been measured in the neonatal foal, experiments were designed to monitor prolactin in the cord artery and jugular blood of the foals from all groups of mares. Although prolactin levels varied in term mares (Group I and II) during the last 11 days of pregnancy, an increase was observed between Day -6 and Day 0 (2.7 and ...
Bienert-Zeit A, Müller JM, Feige K.The article provides hands-on advice and scientific background information regarding the management of the equine acute colic patient. It summarizes essential information on the patient's history, clinical examination, and legal aspects. The scope of the history is based on the clinical appearance of the patient. In horses with violent and barely controllable signs of pain, it is limited to colic-associated information such as onset, course and severity of colic signs, and the last time of defecation, as well as prior therapeutic intervention. In these patients, the clinical examination is foc...
Bristol DG.Caudally based axial pattern and random pattern skin flaps, 5 cm x 10 cm, were raised on the abdomens of seven foals. Blood flow was measured 7.5 cm from the flap bases during incremental increases in applied tension. At tensions less than 1400 g, cutaneous blood flow was more than four times higher in axial pattern flaps than in random pattern flaps. Blood flow in axial pattern flaps at tensions up to 1500 g was greater than baseline flow in random pattern flaps. After removal of applied tension, perfusion in axial pattern flaps gradually increased but remained below baseline values. A short ...
