"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.
Abu-Seida AM, Elemmawy YM.Desmopathy of the collateral sesamoidean ligament (CSL) is an unusual disorder in draft horses. This study records the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of chronic CSL desmopathy in eight draft horses and confirms these features by histopathology. The recorded chronic CSL desmopathy has usually affected the forelimbs (100%) and commonly bilateral (62.5%). All horses showed positive proximal digital nerve block, positive front digital flexion test, and negative interphalangeal extension test. Radiography revealed no osseous abnormalities in all feet. MRI features of chronic CSL desmopat...
Unger L, Abril C, Gerber V, Jagannathan V, Koch C, Hamza E.MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are potential biomarkers for equine sarcoids (ES). Objective: To assess eca-miR-331, eca-miR-100, and eca-miR-1 as serum biomarkers for ES disease. Methods: Sixty-eight ES cases (56 horses, 12 donkeys), 69 tumor-free controls (60 horses, 9 donkeys), and 20 horses with other skin tumors. Methods: For this case-control study, expression of serum eca-miR-331, eca-miR-100, and eca-miR-1 in ES-affected equids was compared to tumor-free age-, sex-, and breed-matched control horses and donkeys with other skin tumors using reverse transcription quantitative PCR (polymerase chain rea...
Navas de Solis C, Gilmour LJ, Coleman MC, Watts AE, Bevevino KE, Glass KG, Hardy J, Chaney KP.To determine the effectiveness of a digital interactive multimedia tutorial (DIMT) for preparing veterinary students to perform ultrasonography in horses. Methods: 42 third-year veterinary students. Methods: Students were randomly assigned to 3 instructional methods: independent study (ie, 45 minutes to read a highlighted textbook chapter), lecture (ie, 45-minute lecture by a faculty member), or digital interactive multimedia tutorial (DIMT; ie, 45-minute narrated, interactive module). Written and practical tests were administered after each instruction session. For the practical test, each st...
Garcia AFS, Dória RGS, Arantes JA, Reginato GM, Neubauer FG, Ribeiro G.Although pharmacokinetic studies of drugs administered by intravenous regional limb perfusion (IRLP) to treat equine orthopedic infections suggest efficient drug distribution in the limbs, it remains unclear whether drug perfusion is affected by the position of the horse during the procedure. This study compared the perfusion of a radiopaque contrast into tissues of the extremities of horses maintained in standing and recumbent positions during an IRLP. Radiopaque contrast was administered through IRLP into the cephalic vein of 10 healthy adult horses under general anesthesia and right lateral...
Meier A, McGree J, Klee R, Preuß J, Reiche D, de Laat M, Sillence M.Endocrinopathic, or hyperinsulinaemia-associated laminitis (HAL) is a common and debilitating equine foot disease, and although no pharmacological treatments are registered, several are under development. To evaluate the effect of such treatments, an accurate and consistent method is needed to track the clinical signs of laminitis over time, and the natural history of the disease, in terms of a 'normal' pattern of improvement, needs to be understood. This study examined the improvement pattern in clinical cases of naturally-occurring HAL subjected to a range of best-practice interventions, usi...
Góss GC, Mozzaquatro FD, Vanhove R, Camargo LP, Döwich Pradella G, Leite CT, Gomes EM, Carneiro ALM, Heckler GF, Duarte CA.The physiological measurements of collateral ligaments of distal interphalangeal joint (CL-DIPJ) differ in the literature. The factors that influence these differences are not well described. The aims of this study are to compare CL-DIPJ sizes in equines with different withers height, as well as to correlate body weight and hoof size to the size of these ligaments. In total, 52 horses were used in the study. They were divided into two groups according to wither height: Group 1 (G1) - 21 animals with up to 147 cm - and group 2 (G2) - 21 animals with greater than 148 cm. CL-DIPJ was ultrasonog...
García-Carrasco JM, Muñoz AR, Olivero J, Segura M, Real R.West Nile virus is a widely spread arthropod-born virus, which has mosquitoes as vectors and birds as reservoirs. Humans, as dead-end hosts of the virus, may suffer West Nile Fever (WNF), which sometimes leads to death. In Europe, the first large-scale epidemic of WNF occurred in 1996 in Romania. Since then, human cases have increased in the continent, where the highest number of cases occurred in 2018. Using the location of WNF cases in 2017 and favorability models, we developed two risk models, one environmental and the other spatio-environmental, and tested their capacity to predict in 2018...
Megerssa YC, Gari FR, Woldemariyam FT.Validation of a test method is critical for confirming that the test can generate accurate and precise data. Although commercial biochemical test kits exist there are no specific and validated commercial clinical chemistry test kits designed for horses. The aim of this study was to validate commercial clinical chemistry test kits designed for a human serum for use in horses. Results: Blood samples were collected from 29 apparently healthy adult male horses and pooled serum was prepared. Validation comprises replication and recovery experiments. Total observable error (TE), sigma (σ) metrics, ...
Keen JA, O'Connor SA.Short-term electrocardiogram (ECG) examinations of horses may not detect paroxysmal arrhythmias. Twenty-four hour Holter equipment can be unwieldy and inconvenient for long-term use. This study evaluated a novel long-term ECG patch recorder, the Carnation Ambulatory Monitor (CAM) in horses, determining ideal placement, practicality, durability and performance. Methods: Twenty-one adult mixed-breed horses. Methods: Prospective observational study. Three horses had ECG patches fitted at selected sites (phase 1); the two most promising sites were used for further wear testing (phase 2) and the b...
Barba M, Groover ES, Bailey J, Cole R, Christopherson P, Cattley R.A 4-year-old American Quarter Horse gelding was evaluated for acute non-weight-bearing lameness of the right thoracic limb with swelling in the right shoulder region. Physical examination revealed radial nerve paralysis of unknown etiology. The primary differential diagnosis was musculoskeletal trauma. Ultrasonography of the right shoulder region identified a heterogeneous mass that extended from the point of the shoulder to the thoracic inlet. Cytologic analysis of fluid collected by fine needle aspirate of the mass was consistent with large cell lymphoma. Based on the cytological findings, l...
Rainger JE, Wardius S, Medina-Torres CE, Dempsey SM, Perkins N, van Eps AW.Regional hypothermia has shown promise as analgesic in horses when used to manage painful conditions of the distal limb such as laminitis. In this prospective study, the analgesic effects of regional hypothermia were assessed using mechanical nociceptive thresholds during distal limb cooling. The study population consisted of eight healthy adult Standardbred horses, selected from a teaching herd. A distal forelimb of each horse was cooled using water immersion at the following sequential target water temperatures: 34 °C, 20 °C, 10 °C, 5 °C, 1 °C, 5 °C, 10 °C, 20 °C. Limb surface temper...
van der Laan M, Raes E, Oosterlinck M.During diagnostic evaluation of hindlimb lameness in horses the tibial nerve block is traditionally performed based on anatomical reference points, but it can be difficult to achieve effective local anaesthesia using this blind technique. Ultrasound (US)-guided injection could increase the accuracy of injection. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of both techniques. Twenty-one paired sets of cadaver hindlimbs were injected with 1 mL methylene blue using the blind or US-guided technique. There was no significant difference in stain width and length and in coloured nerve length be...
Makra Z, Csereklye N, Riera MM, McMullen RJ, Veres-Nyéki K.In this controlled, blinded, randomized block pilot study, the main objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of intravenous flunixin meglumine, phenylbutazone, and acupuncture on ocular pain relief using a multifactorial pain scale in the horse. Four experimental horses underwent corneal epithelial debridement in four sessions, when a randomly selected treatment or a control was used. All horses were pain scored before corneal wounding, then at 18 time points, when 11 parameters were allocated. Differences in the area under the curve of pain scores between the treatment groups were analyzed...
Tuniyazi M, He J, Guo J, Li S, Zhang N, Hu X, Fu Y.Laminitis is a common and serve disease which caused by inflammation and pathological changes of the laminar junction. However, the pathologic mechanism remains unclear. In this study we aimed to investigate changes of the gut microbiota and metabolomics in oligofructose-induced laminitis of horses. Results: Animals submitted to treatment with oligofructose had lower fecal pH but higher lactic acid, histamine, and Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in serum. Meanwhile, oligofructose altered composition of the hindgut bacterial community, demonstrated by increasing relative abundance of Lactobacillus and...
Gomez DE, Arroyo LG, Lillie B, Weese JS.The objective of this study was to investigate the nasal bacterial microbiota of healthy horses and horses infected with equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1). The nasal bacterial microbiota of 10 horses infected with EHV-1 and 11 control horses from a farm experiencing an outbreak was characterized using the Illumina MiSeq platform targeting the V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. The nasal bacterial microbiota of healthy horses and EHV-1 horses was significantly different in community membership and structure. Horses shedding EHV-1 had lower bacterial richness ( = 0.002), evenness ( = 0.008), an...
Renaud B, François AC, Boemer F, Kruse C, Stern D, Piot A, Petitjean T, Gustin P, Votion DM.Equine atypical myopathy (AM) is seasonal intoxication resulting from the ingestion of seeds and seedlings of the sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) that contain toxins, among them, hypoglycin A (HGA). Literature mentions several cases of AM among gravid mares and in unweaned foals. The objective of this study was to determine whether HGA and/or its metabolite are present in milk from grazing mares exposed to sycamore maple trees as confirmed by detection of HGA and its metabolite in their blood. Four mare/foal couples were included in the study. Both HGA and its metabolite were detectable i...
Nottle BF, Tatarniuk DM, Caldwell FJ, Bell CD, Caston SS, Merkatoris PT, Gillen AM, Katzman SA.To describe the presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome for horses with fibro-osseous lesions of the craniofacial complex. Methods: Retrospective multicenter case series. Methods: Thirty horses evaluated for fibro-osseous lesions of the skull from January 1, 2001 through December 31, 2019 in four centers. Methods: Medical records were reviewed for signalment, clinical presentation, histological and diagnostic imaging findings, treatment instituted, and outcome. Long-term outcome information was obtained by owner questionnaire or the medical record. Results: Diagnoses included ossifying...
Willis AT, Barnum S, Pusterla N.This study aimed to validate a point-of-care polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for detection of subsp. in rostral nasal swabs from horses with suspected acute strangles and to compare the results against the molecular gold standard of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Two hundred thirty-two individual swabs of rostral nasal passages were characterized by qPCR as positive, subsp. positive, or and negative. The specificity and sensitivity of the point-of-care PCR assay were 89% and 84%, respectively. The limits of detection of the qPCR assay and the point-of-care PCR anal...
Merchan A, Barrett EJ, Rodgerson DH.A technique for hand-assisted laparoscopic removal of cystic calculi in male horses is described. Three cystic calculi ranging from 5 to 10 cm in diameter were removed successfully using bilateral para-inguinal laparoscopic portals assisted by a human hand within the abdomen, effectively sealing the midline incision. Long-term follow-up information obtained from referring veterinarians and owners indicated that the patients returned to their previous activity level and had no recurrence of clinical signs in the following 6 to 12 months. Key clinical message: Hand-assisted recumbent laparoscopy...
Willette JA, Pitta D, Indugu N, Vecchiarelli B, Hennessy ML, Dobbie T, Southwood LL.An association between equine gastrointestinal disease causing colic signs and changes in faecal bacterial microbiota has been identified. The reasons for these changes and their clinical relevance has not been investigated. Withholding feed, which is an integral part of managing horses with colic, may contribute to the observed changes in the microbiota and impact interpretation of findings in horses with colic. Study objectives were, therefore, to determine the effect of withholding feed for 24 h on equine faecal bacterial microbiota in healthy mares to differentiate the effects of withhol...
Macan RC, Camargo CE, Zielinski BL, Cardoso NGH, de Lara NSS, Bergstein-Galan TG, Weiss RR, Kozicki LE.Timed artificial insemination (TAI) has boosted the use of conventional artificial insemination (CAI) by employing hormonal protocols to synchronize oestrus and ovulation. This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of a hormonal protocol for TAI in mares, based on a combination of progesterone releasing intravaginal device (PRID), prostaglandin (PGF2α ) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG); and compare financial costs between CAI and TAI. Twenty-one mares were divided into two groups: CAI group (CAIG; n = 6 mares; 17 oestrous cycles) and TAI group (TAIG; n = 15 mares; 15 oestrous cycle...
Olusa TAO, Davies HMS.Finding an appropriate location for perpendicular positioning of the X-ray machine to produce zero lateromedial (ZLM) and zero dorsopalmar (ZDP) carpal images (views) and finding an acceptable range of rotational variations for measurement of carpal conformational parameters were two major challenges identified during field radiography of equine forelimbs. 16 cadaver forelimbs transacted at antebrachial midshaft from 10 horses (aged 9.13 ± 4.59 years) were axially mounted into a custom-built frame, and the radiographic machine and plate were perpendicularly aligned with the limb. Each limb...
Bartosik J, Łojek J, Długosz E, Górski P, Zygner W.Tapeworm infections in Konik Polski horses from Biebrza National Park were investigated in this study. Faecal samples were collected 10 times: in 2012 - 1 time, in 2013 - 4 times, in 2014 - 4 times and in 2015 - 1 time. In total, 162 faecal samples were collected and tested. Faecal egg counts (FECs) method was used in the study. Positive samples with cestode eggs were noted only twice - in October 2012 and December 2013 in two adult mares (9 and 11 years old). The determined prevalence was surprisingly low comparing to other studies, 4.3% in October 2013 and 28.5% in December 2013. Parasite ge...
Talbot AM, Rodrigues M, Maddox TW.Mineralisation of the longitudinal odontoid ligament has recently been identified in three horses undergoing computed tomographic (CT) examination, but published studies describing the clinical relevance of this finding are currently lacking. The objective of this retrospective, analytical, cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship of this image finding to primary presenting complaint, age, breed, use and sex of the patient, and determine any association to the clinical signs of head shaking, neck pain or restricted range of neck motion. Computed tomographic images of 96 horses...
McKenzie J, Fenner K, Hyde M, Anzulewicz A, Burattini B, Romness N, Wilson B, McGreevy P.It is logical to assume that horses with multiple riders encounter variation in application of training cues. When training cues are inconsistent, we expect to see a decrease in trained responses or an increase in conflict behaviours. This study investigated the relationship between the number of people that regularly ride or handle a horse and the horse's response to operant cues. Data on 1819 equids were obtained from the Equine Behavior Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ), an online global survey of horse owners and caregivers. Three mutually independent indices (acceleration, de...
Ferreira JC, Pires RH, Costa GBD, Carrijo BN, Guiotto FG, Rodrigues VS.The goal of the present study was to characterize the antimicrobial action of different ozone (O) presentations against Pythium insidiosum isolated from horses. In experiment 1, P. insidiosum was treated with ozonated distilled water, ozonated sunflower oils with distinct peroxide indexes or O gas (72 μg O mL). In experiment 2, samples were exposed one or three times to oxygen (O) or O gas (72 μg O mL; 30 min/day). In experiment 3, P. insidiosum was treated with different concentrations of O gas (Ø, 32, 52, or 72 μg O mL) for three days (30 min/day). In experiment 4, samples were ex...
Kearney CM, Korthagen NM, Plomp SGM, Labberté MC, de Grauw JC, van Weeren PR, Brama PAJ.Intra-articular triamcinolone acetonide is a widely used treatment for joint inflammation despite limited scientific evidence of its efficacy. Objective: To investigate if intra-articular triamcinolone acetonide has sustained anti-inflammatory effects using an equine model of repeated joint inflammation. Methods: Randomised controlled experimental study. Methods: For three consecutive cycles 2 weeks apart, inflammation was induced in both middle carpal joints of eight horses by injecting 0.25 ng lipopolysaccharide (LPS). After the first LPS injection only, treatment with 12 mg triamcinolone...
Tukia E, Wagner B, Vainio K, Mönki J, Kareskoski M.Postpartum metritis in mares is a life-threatening condition associated with severe clinical signs due to endotoxemia, and it is often followed by complications such as laminitis. Repeated large-volume uterine lavages are commonly recommended as a part of the treatment protocol to remove endotoxin-laden contents from the uterus. It has, however, also been suggested that lavages may increase the uptake of endotoxin into the circulation, leading to a deterioration of clinical signs. Endotoxemia is associated with the release of a multitude of inflammatory mediators regulating the immune response...
Di Salvo A, Chiaradia E, Nannarone S, Della Rocca G.Joint pain is a major cause of lameness in animals such as horses and dogs, and it may affect their athletic performance and quality of life. The intra-articular administration of analgesic/antinflammatory drugs is a common practice in veterinary medicine, for both lameness diagnosis and joint pain management. It is used either perioperatively, such as in animals undergoing arthroscopy/arthrotomy, and in osteoarthritic animals. However, evidence regarding efficacy and safety of each drug is limited, and controversies persist in these areas. In particular, it is often uncertain whether a define...
Tracey AK, Alcott CJ, Schleining JA, Safayi S, Zaback PC, Hostetter JM, Reinertson EL.Topical oxygen therapy (TOT) has been used in human medicine to promote healing in chronic wounds. To test the efficacy and safety of TOT in horses, an experimental wound model was created by making 1 standardized dermal wound on each limb of 4 healthy horses (n = 16). Each wound was fitted with an oxygen delivery cannula and covered with a bandage. One limb of each front and hind pair was randomly assigned to the treatment group (fitted with an oxygen concentrator device), with the contralateral limb assigned to the control group (no device). Wound area, epithelial area, and contraction were ...
Robert MP, Chapuis RJJ, de Fourmestraux C, Geffroy OJ.Castration with primary wound closure reportedly has lower complication rates and shorter recovery periods compared to castration with second intention healing. However, little is known about risk factors associated with complications using primary wound closure. Medical records of 159 horses castrated and having primary wound closure were reviewed. Main short-term complications were: scrotal hematoma in 12 horses (7.6%), signs of colic in 6 horses (3.8%), fever in 4 horses (2.5%), and peri-incisional edema in 3 horses (1.9%). As for long-term complications, 24 out of 105 (23%) horses sustaine...
Dixon PM, Tremaine WH, Pickles K, Kuhns L, Hawe C, McCann J, McGorum BC, Railton DI, Brammer S.Of 400 referred horses with dental disorders, 349 cases suffered from primary disorders of their cheek teeth, ninety of these from disorders of development or eruption, or displacements. These included 20 cases with rostral maxillary and caudal mandibular cheek teeth overgrowths, 16 with diastemata, 15 with grossly enlarged mandibular 'eruption cysts', 4 with grossly enlarged maxillary cheek teeth 'eruption cysts', 10 cases with supernumerary cheek teeth and 23 cases with displaced cheek teeth. These displacements were believed to be developmental in 16 cases and acquired in the remaining 7 ca...
Theodoridis A, Nevill EM, Els HJ, Boshoff ST.Five viruses, unrelated to bovine ephemeral fever virus (BEFV), were isolated from Culicoides biting-midges collected during the summer months of the years 1968-69 and 1969-70 near a cattle herd in which cases of BEF occurred and at an open horse stable at Onderstepoort. These viruses were investigated by means of serological, electron-microscopical and physicochemical tests. It was established that 2 isolates, Cul. 1/69 and Cul. 2/69, were related to each other and belonged to the Palyam subgroup of the genus Orbivirus, that isolate Cul. 3/69 belonged to the equine encephalosis subgroup of th...
McKeever KH, Eaton TL, Geiser S, Kearns CF, Lehnhard RA.Older horses have an increased risk of hyperthermia due to impaired cardiovascular function. While many studies have investigated thermoregulation in horses during exercise, none have investigated the effects of ageing. Objective: To test the hypothesis that there is a difference in thermoregulation during exercise and plasma volume (PV) in young and old horses. Methods: Study 1: 6 young (Y, 7.7 ± 0.5 years) and 5 old (O, 26.0 ± 0.8 years) unfit Standardbred mares (507 ± 11 kg, mean ± s.e.) ran on a treadmill (6% grade, velocity calculated to generate a work rate of 1625 watts) until core ...
DITCHFIELD J, MACPHERSON LW.From outbreaks of upper respiratory infection of horses in the Toronto area between 1960 and 1963, several viruses have been isolated. The viruses, isolated in tissue cultures or eggs, include an equine strain of Myxovirus parainfluenzae 3; two strains of equine influenza virus, A/equi-1/Prague/56, and A/equi-2/Miami/63; equine rhinopneumonitis virus, and two newly recognized viruses of the horse, equine rhinoviruses. In addition serological evidence suggested a widespread infection with these viruses in the population under study. Because of the identical clinical picture seen and the complex...
Marx JO, Olsson MC, Larsson L.To fully understand the effect of scaling on skeletal muscle shortening velocity (V (0)), it is important to know which phenotypic characteristics drive the changes between species. The purpose of the current investigation was to compare the effects of body mass and femur length, as an estimate of total limb length, on V (0) in species that cover a 100,000-fold range of body masses. Using the slack test procedure, V (0) was determined for fibers expressing types I and IIa myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms in the mouse, rat, dog, human, horse, and rhinoceros under identical experimental condit...
Sallé G, Kornaś S, Basiaga M.Equine strongyles are a major health issue. Large strongyles can cause death of horses while cyathostomins (small strongyles) have shown increased resistance to anthelmintics worldwide. Description of strongyle communities have accumulated but little is known about the diversity of these communities and underpinning environmental factors. Strongyles were recovered after ivermectin treatment from 48 horses located in six premises in Poland. Correlation between previously published species fecundity and the observed relative abundance and prevalence were estimated. Significance of horse sex was ...
Lazary S, Gerber H, Glatt PA, Straub R.The distribution of equine leucocyte antigens (ELA) in horses affected by equine sarcoid tumours was determined and compared with unaffected controls. ELA-haplotype W3,B1 occurred more frequently in affected riding horses of Irish, Swiss and French background. The combined data for the three breeds resulted in a chi 2 value of 20.35 (P less than 0.0005 after correction). Simultaneously, ELA-specificity W11 was more frequently found in horses of Irish background, while W5 was found in Swiss and French horses with sarcoids. The combined data for haplotype W3,B1 and/or W5 specificity demonstrated...
Carnevale EM, Catandi GD, Fresa K.Numerous similarities in reproductive aging have been documented between the mare and woman. Aging is associated with a decline in fertility. In mares and women, oocyte transfer procedures were initially used to establish that oocyte donor age is associated with oocyte quality. Age-associated differences in oocytes include altered morphology, gene expression, and developmental potential. Reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial dysfunction are thought to be important contributors to loss of oocyte quality. In the woman, aneuploidy is a primary consideration with maternal aging. Although misal...
Inoue Y, Matsui A, Asai Y, Aoki F, Matsui T, Yano H.We investigated the effect of exercise on iron metabolism in horses. Four horses were walked on a mechanical walker for 1 wk (pre-exercise). They then performed moderate exercise on a high-speed treadmill in the first week of the exercise and relative high in the second week and high in the third week. Serum iron was significantly lower in the third week of exercise than in the pre-exercise. Transferrin saturation (TS) was significantly lower in the first and third weeks of exercise than in the pre-exercise. Serum haptoglobin was significantly lower in the first week of exercise than in the pr...
Ivens PA, Matthews D, Webb K, Newton JR, Steward K, Waller AS, Robinson C, Slater JD.Strangles is the most commonly diagnosed and important infectious disease of horses worldwide. Very little is known about the temporo-spatial and molecular epidemiology of strangles. The disease is not notifiable in the UK and there are few published data on the geographical locations of outbreaks. Objective: To investigate whether typing of a surface protein (SeM) of Streptococcus equi ssp. equi (S. equi), the causative agent of strangles, is a useful epidemiological tool. Methods: The variable region of the SeM gene was amplified from 145 isolates of S. equi by PCR and sequenced. Different S...
de Winter NJ, Snoeck C, Claeys P.The study of stable isotopes in fossil bioapatite has yielded useful results and has shown that bioapatites are able to faithfully record paleo-environmental and paleo-climatic parameters from archeological to geological timescales. In an effort to establish new proxies for the study of bioapatites, intra-tooth records of enamel carbonate stable isotope ratios from a modern horse are compared with trace element profiles measured using laboratory micro X-Ray Fluorescence scanning. Using known patterns of tooth eruption and the relationship between stable oxygen isotopes and local temperature se...
Johnson L, Thompson DL.Testes from 47 adult (4-20 years) stallions obtained in November-January (non-breeding season) and 41 adult stallions obtained in May-July (breeding season) were perfused with glutaraldehyde, placed in osmium and embedded in Epon 812. Percentage Leydig cell cytoplasm or nuclei in the testis was determined by point counting of 0.5 micron sections under bright-field microscopy. Testes from 6 randomly selected horses per season were processed for electron microscopy. The volume (ml) of SER/testis was calculated from the % SER in the cytoplasm % Leydig cell cytoplasm, and parenchymal volume. Numbe...
Roberts V.Trigeminal-mediated headshaking is a little-understood neuropathic facial pain condition of the horse. The condition may affect around 1% of the equine population to a degree of severity sufficient to require veterinary attention. As a pain condition, this represents a significant welfare issue. Horses are usually more severely affected at exercise which can leave them unable to perform, or even dangerous to ride and handle. With little known about the condition and variable response to treatments, severely affected horses are often euthanized. This review article considers the literature on t...
Christensen L, Camitz L, Illigen KE, Hansen M, Sarvaa R, Conaghan PG.Polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAAG) is a non-toxic, non-degradable synthetic product, used for years in the augmentation of soft tissues. Preliminary results in animals and humans have suggested long-lasting beneficial effects on symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA). The aim of this histopathological study was to investigate whether intra-articular injection of PAAG is integrated into synovial tissue in normal and OA animal joints, and if this integration is sustained. (A) A prospective, controlled, longitudinal study of normal knee joints injected with PAAG was performed in 10 rabbits, following the an...
Spizziri BE, Fox MH, Bruemmer JE, Squires EL, Graham JK.Irreversible damage occurs to spermatozoal membranes, during the phase transition, when spermatozoa are cooled from room temperature to 5 degrees C. Some of this damage can be ameliorated by adding cholesterol to the membrane, thereby altering membrane lipid composition. Adding cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrins (CLCs) to stallion spermatozoa prior to freezing, increases cell cryosurvival. However, the fertilizing potential of CLC-treated stallion spermatozoa is unknown. To address this, experiments were conducted which evaluated the ability of CLC-treated stallion spermatozoa to capacitate, acr...
Bjørnstad G, Røed KH.Assignment tests have been utilized to investigate population classification, measure genetic diversity and to solve forensic questions. Using microsatellite data from 26 loci genotyped in eight horse breeds we examined how population differentiation, number of scored loci, number of scored animals per breed and loci variability affected individual assignment precision applying log likelihood methods. We found that both genetic differentiation and number of scored loci were highly important for recognizing the breed of origin. When comparing two and two breeds, a proportion of 95% of the most ...
Voulgaris DA, Hofmeister EH.To identify anesthesia-related variables which may independently predict time to standing in horses anesthetized with ketamine/diazepam/isoflurane. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Three hundred and eighty-one horses. Methods: Case records were searched for the years 2000-2003 and 381 horses older than 12 months which weighed at least 200 kg were identified. Data were extracted from the records, and only horses that were anesthetized with xylazine, ketamine, diazepam and isoflurane were included in the analysis. Multiple linear regression was used to relate time to standing with de...
Barrey E, Jayr L, Mucher E, Gospodnetic S, Joly F, Benech P, Alibert O, Gidrol X, Mata X, Vaiman A, Guérin G.Recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER) is frequently observed in race horses like trotters. Some predisposing genetic factors have been described in epidemiological studies. However, the exact aetiology is still unknown. A calcium homeostasis disruption was suspected in previous experimental studies, and we suggested that a transcriptome analysis of RER muscles would be a possible way to investigate the pathway disorder. The purpose of this study was to compare the gene expression profile of RER vs. control muscles in the French Trotter to determine any metabolic or structural disruption. T...
Cordes DO, Perry BD, Rikihisa Y, Chickering WR.Potomac horse fever was reproduced in 15 ponies by transfusion of whole blood originally from two natural cases and subsequently from ponies infected by the transfusions. Incubation periods varied from 9 to 15 days. Affected ponies developed varying degrees of fever, diarrhea, anorexia, depression, and leukopenia. Eleven affected ponies were killed, three died in the acute phase of the disease, and one did not show clinical signs. The most consistent post-mortem findings were fluid contents in the cecum and large colon, and areas of hyperemia (of inconstant degree and distribution) in mucosae ...
Haussler KK.A thorough knowledge of equine spinal anatomy, biomechanics, and potential pathology is required to understand the principles and theories behind chiropractic and to apply its techniques properly. Chiropractic provides additional diagnostic and therapeutic means that may help equine practitioners to identify and treat the primary cause of lameness or poor performance. Specialized training in the evaluation and treatment of vertebral joint dysfunction and neuromusculoskeletal disorders places chiropractic in the forefront of conservative treatment of spinal-related disorders. Nevertheless, limi...
Vatistas NJ, Sifferman RL, Holste J, Cox JL, Pinalto G, Schultz KT.Gastric ulceration is a prevalent condition of racehorses. A number of models of gastric ulceration have been described, but none mimic the conditions of a horse in training. The objectives of this study were to determine whether gastric ulcers could be induced and maintained in a group of horses in simulated race training. In addition, serum cortisol was measured on a weekly basis to investigate the possibility that stress may be important in the pathogenesis of gastric ulceration. Thirty horses used in the trial were fed Bermuda grass hay and 6 kg of a concentrate diet, and exercised 6 days/...
Venter GJ, Paweska JT.Previously reported virus recovery rates from Culicoides (Avaritia) imicola Kieffer and Culicoides (Avaritia) bolitinos Meiswinkel (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) orally infected with vaccine strain of African horse sickness virus serotype 7 (AHSV-7) were compared with results obtained from concurrently conducted oral infections with five recent AHSV-7 isolates from naturally infected horses from various localities in South Africa. Culicoides were fed sheep bloods spiked with 10(7.6) TCID(50)/mL of a live-attenuated vaccine strain AHSV-7, and with five field isolates in which virus titre in the blo...
Salim B, Bakheit MA, Sugimoto C.Equine trypanosomosis (ET) is a protozoan disease affecting equines in many parts of the world. We examined 509 samples collected from geographically distinct regions in eastern, central and western Sudan to estimate the endemicity of ET using the generic ITS1-PCR diagnostic methods. Results revealed that horses and donkeys were infected by Trypanosoma brucei subgroup, Trypanosoma vivax, Trypanosoma simiae and Trypanosoma congolense. The prevalence of Trypanosoma spp. was higher in horses (12.7%, n=393) than in donkeys (3.4%, n=116). The highest prevalence was observed in South Darfur State (1...
Hoagwood K, Vincent A, Acri M, Morrissey M, Seibel L, Guo F, Flores C, Seag D, Peth Pierce R, Horwitz S.Reining in Anxiety (RiA) is a therapeutic program for youth with mild to moderate anxiety delivered in a therapeutic riding setting by Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors. RiA was developed after a review of the evidence base for youth anxiety, is manualized, and includes five core CBT components: in vivo exposure, cognitive restructuring, youth psychoeducation, relaxation, and caregiver psychoeducation about anxiety. This study extended findings from a prior RCT that examined (1) the feasibility of collecting saliva samples from horses and children to measure stress (cortisol) and relaxa...
Goodwin D, Davidson HP, Harris P.The restricted access to pasture experienced by many competition horses has been linked to the exhibition of stereotypic and redirected behaviour patterns. It has been suggested that racehorses provided with more than one source of forage are less likely to perform these patterns; however, the reasons for this are currently unclear. To investigate this in 4 replicated trials, up to 12 horses were introduced into each of 2 identical stables containing a single forage, or 6 forages for 5 min. To detect novelty effects, in the first and third trials the single forage was hay. In the second and fo...
Whitlock F, Grewar J, Newton R.During 2019, an epidemic of equine influenza (EI) occurred in Europe. Objective: To describe the epidemiology of the 2019 EI epidemic within Great Britain (GB). Methods: Retrospective descriptive study of laboratory confirmed EI cases. Methods: Epidemiological data were obtained from veterinary surgeons referring samples for EI virus testing. Where available, data on confirmed cases and their wider resident population on EI-infected premises were collated and described. On a national level, spatial and temporal representations, consisting of choropleth maps and epidemic curves, described the s...
Hanot P, Herrel A, Guintard C, Cornette R.Organisms are organized into suites of anatomical structures that typically covary when developmentally or functionally related, and this morphological integration plays a determinant role in evolutionary processes. Artificial selection on domestic species causes strong morphological changes over short time spans, frequently resulting in a wide and exaggerated phenotypic diversity. This raises the question of whether integration constrains the morphological diversification of domestic species and how natural and artificial selection may impact integration patterns. Here, we study the morpholog...
Choi YK, Kang MS, Yoo HS, Lee DY, Lee HC, Kim DY.Acute hemorrhagic myonecrosis accompanied by severe inter- and intrafascicular edema and hemorrhage of the right gluteal area was diagnosed in a 13-year-old male thoroughbred horse. Once the muscular and fascicular changes were subsided, the horse then developed acute respiratory problem. Histologically, the lung had diffuse severe hemorrhage with mild neutrophilic infiltration. The cause of death was acute respiratory failure that is believed to occur secondary to toxaemic event. Alpha and beta2 toxin secreting Clostiridum perfringens type A was isolated from the muscle and lung. The diagnosi...
