"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.
Conley AJ, Ball BA.Historically, studies on the endocrinology of pregnancy and parturition in horses have made major contributions of relevance to mammals in general. Recent use of liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, measuring multiple steroid hormones simultaneously in blood, foetal and placental tissues throughout normal gestation, and in mares with experimentally induced placentitis, has advanced our current understanding of many of the unusual strategies seen during gestation and at foaling. This includes the stimulation of luteal steroidogeneisis by equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) from the endometr...
Following the recent confirmation of cases of equine viral arteritis in stallions in south-west England, James Crabtree of Equine Reproductive Services (UK) discusses the disease and its potential routes of spread into and around the UK.
Rosselot P, Mendonça T, González I, Tadich T.Non-invasive measures are preferred when assessing animal welfare. Differences in behavioral and physiological responses toward a stressor could be the result of the selection of horses for specific uses. Behavioral and physiological responses of working and Chilean rodeo horses subjected to a handling test were assessed. Five behaviors, number of attempts, and the time to cross a bridge were video recorded and analyzed with the Observer XT software. Heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV), to assess the physiological response to the novel stimulus, were registered with a Polar Equine...
Friso AM, Segabinazzi LGTM, Cyrino M, Correal SB, Freitas-Dell'Aqua CP, Teoro do Carmo M, Dell'Aqua JA, Miró J, Papa FO, Alvarenga MA.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a therapeutic option for the treatment of inflammation. However, negative effects of non-selective NSAIDs for treatment of mares with endometritis have been described, including delayed uterine clearance and impairment of ovulations. Firocoxib is a specific cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor and has the ability to act in the uterus of mares. We investigated the effects of firocoxib on ovulation rate, numbers of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs), and COX-2 protein levels in the endometrial tissue of susceptible mares after insemination. Two ...
Cacciolatti C, Meyer-Ficca ML, Southwood LL, Meyer RG, Bertolotti L, Zarucco L.To evaluate effects of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) inhibitors on the production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) by interferon-γ (IFN-γ)- and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of horses as an in vitro model of inflammation in horses. Methods: 1,440 samples of PBMCs from 6 healthy research horses. Methods: From heparinized whole blood samples, PBMC cultures were obtained. An initial dose-response trial on 48 PBMC samples from 2 horses (24 samples each) was used to determine concentrations of IFN-γ and LPS for use as low- and high-lev...
Machado TSL, Massoco CO, Silva LCLC, Fülber J, Moreira JJ, Baccarin RYA.To compare effects of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protein (IRAP), autologous processed plasma (APP), and sodium hyaluronate treatments on synovial fluid cells in vitro and on synovial fluid obtained from osteochondrotic joints of horses. Methods: Synovial fluid cells from 8 healthy equine tibiotarsal joints (in vitro experiment) and synovial fluid samples from 40 tibiotarsal joints of 25 horses with osteochondrosis dissecans (in vivo experiment). Methods: Effects of various treatments on concentrations of prostaglandin (PG) E2, interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necr...
Varner KM, Hopster K, Driessen B.To assess effects of nitrogen and helium on efficacy of an alveolar recruitment maneuver (ARM) for improving pulmonary mechanics and oxygen exchange in anesthetized horses. Methods: 6 healthy adult horses. Methods: Horses were anesthetized twice in a randomized crossover study. Isoflurane-anesthetized horses in dorsal recumbency were ventilated with 30% oxygen and 70% nitrogen (treatment N) or heliox (30% oxygen and 70% helium; treatment H) as carrier gas. After 60 minutes, an ARM was performed. Optimal positive end-expiratory pressure was identified and maintained for 120 minutes. Throughout ...
Kuroda T, Nagata SI, Tamura N, Mita H, Kusano K, Mizobe F, Takizawa Y, Fukuda K, Kasashima Y.To investigate the pharmacokinetics and antihistaminic effects (pharmacodynamics) of olopatadine in a small population of healthy horses after administration via nasogastric tube. Methods: 4 healthy adult Thoroughbreds. Methods: Olopatadine (0.1 mg/kg, once) was administered via nasogastric tube. Blood samples were collected at predetermined time points for pharmacokinetic analyses of the drug in plasma. Olopatadine effects were investigated by measurement of cutaneous wheals induced by ID histamine injection (0.1 mL [10 μg]/injection) at predetermined time points. Inhibition effect ratios we...
Shepard KN, Haffner JC, Neal DL, Grubbs ST, Pearce GL.Plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentration is used in the diagnosis of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) in horses. We enrolled 10 horses, 5 PPID-positive and 5 PPID-negative, in our study, September 20-22, 2016. On day 0, 5 mL of whole blood was collected into each of 6 EDTA tubes and immediately placed in a refrigerator at 7°C. One tube was centrifuged within 15 min of collection, followed by centrifugation of one tube from each horse at 4, 8, 12, 24, and 36 h following collection. At each time, centrifuged plasma was pipetted into 1.5-mL polypropylene tubes and stor...
Radtke A, Fortier LA, Regan S, Kraus S, Delco ML.Equine diagnostic anaesthesia can be a useful tool in challenging lameness examinations. However, anaesthetics diffuse over time leading to nonspecific desensitisation of periarticular structures. Nerves that convey sensation from the distal limb to the central nervous system pass in close proximity to the caudal stifle joint capsule. Therefore, diffusion of intra-articular (IA) anaesthetics could cause inadvertent desensitisation of the distal limb resulting in a false diagnosis of stifle lameness. Objective: To determine if IA stifle anaesthesia can alleviate lameness originating in the dist...
Tsachev I, Baymakova M, Pantchev N.Lyme borreliosis, granulocytic anaplasmosis and monocytic ehrlichiosis are well studied in humans and dogs. In horses, these diseases are not widely investigated and limited information is available about their occurrence. The purpose of this study was to present the first ELISA-based report on the seroprevalence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi in horses from Northern Bulgaria. A total of 192 horses were investigated from three regions in Northern Bulgaria (Northwestern, North-Central and Northeastern Bulgaria). All equine sera were tested for A. phagocyto...
El-Hage CM, Bannai H, Wiethoelter AK, Firestone SM, Heislers CM, Allen JL, Waller AS, Gilkerson JR.To determine the nature of serological responses in Australian horses using a commercial duplex indirect ELISA (iELISA) following vaccination against strangles. Methods: A group (n = 19) of client-owned horses from five properties were recruited to receive a primary course of a Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (S. equi) extract vaccine. Serological responses were determined by duplex iELISA incorporating S. equi-specific fragments of two cell wall proteins, SEQ2190 and SeM (antigens (Ag) A and C, respectively). Methods: The horses were administered a primary strangles vaccination course. Blood w...
Jeong MJ, Jeong BH.Prion diseases are fatal neurodegenerative diseases characterised by the accumulation of an abnormal prion protein isoform (PrP), which is converted from the normal prion protein (PrP). Prion diseases have been reported in an extensive number of species but not in horses up to now; therefore, horses are known to be a species resistant to prion diseases. The prion-like protein gene () is closely located downstream of the prion protein gene () and the prion-like protein (Doppel) is a homologue with PrP. Previous studies have shown that an association between prion diseases and polymorphisms of t...
Krohn J, Ennen S, Hospes R, Nieth J, Wehrend A.An effective long-term treatment is necessary for mares with pyometra, because the condition tends to recur. In many affected animals, several conformational or anatomical anomalies contribute to impaired uterine clearance. Ovariohysterectomy is the surgical procedure of choice. Conservative therapy consists of draining and flushing the uterus, and systemic anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial treatment. Uterine secretions tend to accumulate again after local treatment, especially in mares with poor vaginal conformation or cervical adhesions. Herein, we describe three cases in which a cervical ...
Krueger K, Esch L, Byrne R.Anecdotal reports of horses opening fastened doors and gates are an intriguing way of exploring the possible scope of horses' problem-solving capacities. The species' natural environment has no analogues of the mechanisms involved. Scientific studies on the topic are missing, because the rate of occurrence is too low for exploration under controlled conditions. Therefore, we compiled from lay persons case reports of horses opening closed doors and gates. Additionally, we collected video documentations at the internet platform YouTube, taking care to select raw data footage of unedited, clearly...
To evaluate the effects of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) alone and PEEP preceded by lung recruitment manoeuvre (LRM) on lung volumes and respiratory system mechanics in healthy horses undergoing general anaesthesia. Methods: Controlled, prospective clinical study. Methods: A group of 15 horses undergoing arthroscopy. Methods: Following anaesthetic induction, initial ventilatory settings were: tidal volume 15 mL kg, inspiratory:expiratory ratio 1:2, respiratory rate to maintain end-tidal CO between 5.3-6.6 kPa (40-50 mmHg). The following settings were implemented sequentially: zero PE...
Gieling F, Peters S, Erichsen C, Richards RG, Zeiter S, Moriarty TF.Bacterial osteomyelitis in veterinary patients can be challenging to diagnose and treat, given limited therapeutic options and reported success rates. Osteomyelitis is frequently associated with surgical implant devices, including those required to optimise stability and healing of fractures. However, management of osteomyelitis sometimes necessitates the removal of these surgical implant devices in order to eradicate infection or limit implant-related osteolysis. The goal of this article is to provide a general and species-specific review of bacterial osteomyelitis in a selection of domestic ...
Ortiz-Rodriguez JM, Ortega-Ferrusola C, Gil MC, Martín-Cano FE, Gaitskell-Phillips G, Rodríguez-Martínez H, Hinrichs K, Álvarez-Barrientos A....Artificial insemination with cryopreserved spermatozoa is a major assisted reproductive technology in many species. In horses, as in humans, insemination with cryopreserved sperm is associated with lower pregnancy rates than those for fresh sperm, however, direct effects of sperm cryopreservation on the development of resulting embryos are largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in gene expression between embryos resulting from fertilization with fresh or cryopreserved sperm. Embryos were obtained at 8, 10 or 12 days after ovulation from mares inseminated post-...
Schurink A, Shrestha M, Eriksson S, Bosse M, Bovenhuis H, Back W, Johansson AM, Ducro BJ.The spectrum of modern horse populations encompasses populations with a long history of development in isolation and relatively recently formed types. To increase our understanding of the evolutionary history and provide information on how to optimally conserve or improve these populations with varying development and background for the future, we analyzed genotype data of 184 horses from 9 Dutch or common horse populations in the Netherlands: The Belgian draft horse, Friesian horse, Shetland pony, Icelandic horse, Gelder horse, Groninger horse, harness horse, KWPN sport horse and the Lipizzan...
Colbath AC, Dow SW, Hopkins LS, Phillips JN, McIlwraith CW, Goodrich LR.Allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMDMSCs) could provide multiple advantages over autologous BMDMSCs, including creating an 'off-the-shelf' treatment together with the ability to control for donor variation. Objective: The objective of the study was to compare the clinical and synovial fluid response of the normal equine joint to autologous and pooled-allogeneic BMDMSCs while controlling for individual variation and joint variations in response to intra-articular injections. We hypothesised that, by controlling for individual animal and joint variation, we could identify d...
Kalashnikov V, Zaitsev A, Atroschenko M, Miroshnikov S, Frolov A, Zavyalov O.Elemental status of 214 mares aged 3-7 years from 11 breeds was studied: Arabian purebred (n = 20), Bashkir (n = 20), Kabarda (n = 20), Vyatka (n = 20), Tuva (n = 19), Yakutsk (n = 30), Mezenskaya (n = 20), Thoroughbred (n = 20), Akhal-Teke (n = 20), Russian trotter (n = 15), Soviet Heavy Draft (n = 10) bred in 13 regions of Russia. The research objective is to study the content of chemical elements in hair from the horse's mane, depending on the sum of toxic elements in animal hair expressed in moles. The elemental composition of the hair was defined by atomic emission and mass spectrometry (...
Carnevale EM, Maclellan LJ, Stokes JAE.Establishment of optimal methods for equine embryo culture has been slow when compared to some domestic species. In part, this delay was caused by the failure of standard in vitro fertilization techniques in horses. However, the development of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for the assisted fertilization of equine oocytes has resulted in a renewed interest in establishing optimal methods for embryo culture. Currently, ICSI-produced equine embryos are cultured using media designed for other species or other cell cultures and, typically, with the addition of serum. Although systems spec...
Tam TL, Hogsette J, TenBroeck S.The stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), is a bloodsucking ectoparasite that causes irritation and distress to livestock, wildlife, and humans. Both sexes are vicious blood-feeders that feed on a variety of animals. Optically attractive sticky traps have been used to capture stable flies, and some companies claim that sticky traps can protect animals from the bites of stable flies. To further investigate the protective ability of sticky traps, Home and Garden Mosquito (HGM) traps were selected for evaluations at the University of Florida Horse Teaching Unit (HTU). Broodmares coated with fluor...
van Galen G, Hallowell G.To review and discuss the use of hydroxyethyl starches (HES) in equine veterinary medicine, and to provide recommendations for its use. Methods: Veterinary and human peer-reviewed medical literature including scientific reviews, meta-analyses, and original research articles. Results: Increasing evidences on adverse effects after HES use and decreasing support for beneficial effects with regards to volume expansion and colloid osmotic pressure (COP) support in critically ill subjects have led to a recent guideline to limit the use of HES in critically ill people. Unassigned: The rationale for H...
Pouyet M, G Bonilla A.To describe the technique, experience, and limitations of using a 2-mm flexible endoscope to perform standing minimally invasive sinoscopy. Methods: In phases 1 and 2, we used cadaveric heads (ex vivo). In phase 3, we used unaffected horses (in vivo). Methods: Five cadaveric equine skulls in phase 1 and 10 cadaveric equine skulls in phase 2. Six horses older than 5 years in phase 3. Methods: In phase 1, the specimens were used to determine the suitability of the endoscope for sinoscopy and the ideal landmarks to approach the paranasal sinuses through minisinusotomies performed with a 14 gaug...
Bochnia M, Goetz F, Wensch-Dorendorf M, Koelln M, Zeyner A.Pelleted feeds (PF) are popular in horse nutrition because of high palatability and improved feeding hygiene, but ingestion is faster for PF than for cereals or muesli feed. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether variable amounts of two PFs produced with different physical properties from the same batch of feed can affect feed intake patterns in horses. Chewing patterns were measured in six warmblood mares (519 ± 36.3 kg) on two PFs (small-sized PF1: ø 5 mm, length 21.9 ± 4.97 mm, large-sized PF2: edge length 15.6 ± 0.14 × 15.6 ± 0.08 mm, length 54.4 ...
Thorsteinsdóttir L, Jónsdóttir S, Stefánsdóttir SB, Andrésdóttir V, Wagner B, Marti E, Torsteinsdóttir S, Svansson V.Two types of gammaherpesviruses (γEHV) are known to infect horses, EHV-2 and EHV-5. Foals become infected early in life, probably via the upper respiratory tract, despite maternal antibodies. In this study, we analyzed samples from a herd of mares and their foals. The foals were followed from birth to 22 months of age and the dams during the first 6 months postpartum. Blood and nasal swab samples were taken regularly for evaluation of antibody responses, virus isolation and viral load by qPCR. EHV-2 was isolated on day 5, and EHV-5 on day 12, earlier than previously reported. γEHV specific a...
Vernemmen I, De Clercq D, Decloedt A, Schauvliege S, Taeymans Y, De Wolf D, van Loon G.This report describes a rare case of an aorto-cardiac fistula in a six-year-old French Warmblood mare presented with atrial fibrillation, decreased performance, ventral oedema, bounding arterial pulsation and pathological jugular venous pulse. A 2.7-cm-diameter fistula connected the right aortic sinus of Valsalva to the right atrium. Atrial fibrillation was likely due to volume overload of the right heart due to left-to-right shunting. The horse was treated by percutaneous transcatheter closure of the fistula delivered under general anaesthesia using a transarterial approach. The operation was...
Jacks S, Giguère S, Prescott JF.Rhodococcus equi is a facultative intracellular pathogen that causes pneumonia in foals but does not induce disease in adult horses. Virulence of R. equi depends on the presence of a large plasmid, which encodes a family of seven virulence-associated proteins (VapA and VapC to VapH). Eradication of R. equi from the lungs depends on gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) production by T lymphocytes. The objectives of the present study were to determine the relative in vivo expression of the vap genes of R. equi in the lungs of infected foals, to determine the recall response of bronchial lymph node (BLN)...
Lange CE, Tobler K, Ackermann M, Favrot C.The number of recognized papillomavirus (PV) species and potential PV genera has dramatically been increasing throughout the past decade. It seems that every host species might potentially harbour a large set of PVs, while the PVs of each species appear to belong to only a few genera. In horses at least three conditions beside the equine sarcoid have been described, being supposedly PV induced namely classical equine papillomas, genital papillomas and aural plaques. We were able to identify the DNA of novel equine PVs (EcPVs) in the two latter disorders where PV involvement had been predicted....
Smith AV, Wilson C, McComb K, Proops L.Signals of dominance and submissiveness are central to conspecific communication in many species. For domestic animals, sensitivities to these signals in humans may also be beneficial. We presented domestic horses with a free choice between two unfamiliar humans, one adopting a submissive and the other a dominant body posture, with vocal and facial cues absent. Horses had previously been given food rewards by both human demonstrators, adopting neutral postures, to encourage approach behaviour. Across four counterbalanced test trials, horses showed a significant preference for approaching the s...
Dorji J, Tamang S, Tshewang T, Dorji T, Dorji TY.The genetic variability and population structure of three Bhutanese traditional horse breeds were assessed through genotyping of 74 horses (Boeta 25, Sharta 14 and Yuta 35) for 29 microsatellite DNA loci. Altogether, 282 alleles were detected across 29 polymorphic loci. The allelic diversity (NE) (Boeta 4.94; Sharta 4.65; Yuta 5.30) and gene diversities (HE) (Boeta 0.78; Sharta 0.77; Yuta 0.79) were high. None of the breeds deviated significantly from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. There was no sign of significant population bottleneck for all the breeds. The inbreeding estimates (FIS) of the...
Firshman AM, Borgia LA, Valberg SJ.To compare effects of training on conventional and underwater treadmills on fiber properties and metabolic responses of the superficial digital flexor (SDF) and gluteal muscles to high-speed exercise in horses. Methods: 6 unconditioned Quarter Horse-type horses. Methods: 6 horses were walked on underwater and conventional treadmills for 5 d/wk (maximum, 40 min/d) for 8 weeks in a randomized crossover design (60-day detraining period). Horses underwent a standardized exercise test (SET) at high speed before and after training. Analyte concentrations and fiber characteristics were measured in mu...
Haughan J, Jiang Z, Stefanovski D, Moss KL, Ortved KF, Robinson MA.Gene therapy promotes the expression of missing or defective genes and can be curative following administration of a single dose. Gene therapy is prohibited in equine athletes by regulatory bodies due to the high potential for abuse and novel analytical methods are needed for detection. The goal of this study was to detect the administration of an experimental gene therapy: a recombinant adeno-associated viral vector (rAAV) carrying a transgene for the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 (rAAV-IL10). Twelve horses were randomly assigned to receive an intra-articular injection of rAAV-IL10 or phos...
Han H, Zhang Q, Gao K, Yue X, Zhang T, Dang R, Lan X, Chen H, Lei C.In contrast to high genetic diversity of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), equine Y chromosome shows extremely low variability, implying limited patrilines in the domesticated horse. In this study, we applied direct sequencing and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) methods to investigate the polymorphisms of 33 Y chromosome specific loci in 304 Chinese indigenous horses from 13 breeds. Consequently, two Y-single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (Y-45701/997 and Y-50869) and one Y-indel (Y-45288) were identified. Of those, the Y-50869 (T>A) revealed the highest variation frequency (24.6...
Pearce GP, May-Davis S, Greaves D.To investigate the occurrence of geometrical asymmetries in the macro-architecture of left and right femurs from Thoroughbred racehorses previously used in competitive training and racing in New South Wales, Australia. Methods: Detailed postmortem measurements were made of 37 characteristics of left and right femurs from eleven Thoroughbred racehorses euthanased for reasons unrelated to the study. Measurements focused on articulating surfaces and sites of attachment of muscles and ligaments known to be associated with hindlimb locomotion. Results: Five measurements were significantly larger in...
Yang G, Prestwich GD, Mann BK.The progression of wound healing is a complicated but well-known process involving many factors, yet there are few products on the market that enhance and accelerate wound healing. This is particularly problematic in veterinary medicine where multiple species must be treated and large animals heal slower, oftentimes with complicating factors such as the development of exuberant granulation tissue. In this study a crosslinked-hyaluronic-acid (HA-) based biomaterial was used to treat wounds on multiple species: rats, dogs, and horses. The base molecule, thiolated carboxymethyl HA, was first foun...
Lear TL, McGee RB.Abnormalities of sexual development causing infertility in horses have been investigated since the early 1970's. Conventional cytogenetic analysis by karyotyping has been the primary tool used to investigate these horses. Abnormalities have a broad range, from a phenotypically normal mare with gonadal dysgenesis to a horse with ambiguous external genitalia and internal male and female organs. Cytogenetic analysis can determine genetic sex but cannot identify mutations or deletions of genes involved in the sex determination pathway. Molecular technologies have been developed to confirm cytogene...
Manso-Díaz G, Dyson SJ, Dennis R, García-López JM, Biggi M, García-Real MI, San Román F, Taeymans O.The equine head is an anatomically complex area, therefore advanced tomographic imaging techniques, such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are often required for diagnosis and treatment planning. The purpose of this multicenter retrospective study was to describe MRI characteristics for a large sample of horses with head disorders. Horses imaged over a period of 13 years were recruited. Eighty-four horses met the inclusion criteria, having neurological (n = 65), sinonasal (n = 14), and soft tissue (n = 5) disorders. Magnetic resonance imaging accurately depicted the a...
Burgess BA.Managing Salmonella in equine populations can be challenging due to the epidemiology of this disease. In particular, due to the range of clinical outcomes, the occurrence of subclinical infections, and intermittent shedding. This greatly affects the ability to detect shedding and can lead to widespread environmental contamination and transmission. The veterinary profession can reduce the risk to stablemates and their caretakers, while meeting their ethical obligation, by appropriately managing these risks within animal populations and environments.
Crowell-Davis SL.The mare is seasonally polyestrus, having an anovulatory period during the short light days of late fall and early winter, and beginning to ovulate as the days become longer during the winter. The complete estrus cycle is typically about 3 weeks, with 5 to 7 days of estrus and approximately 2 weeks of diestrus. When a mare lives within the natural social structure of the horse, i.e. a family band with several adult mares and one or more stallions, estrus is characterized by repeatedly approaching the stallion, frequent urination, deviating the tail away from the perineum, and standing still wi...
Pease AP, Scrivani PV, Erb HN, Cook VL.Large-colon torsion is a common cause of colic in horses and has a worse prognosis and higher cost than other causes of surgical colic of the large colon. During large-colon torsion, the colon wall becomes thick due to vascular occlusion. Therefore, we hypothesized that detecting increased colon wall thickness during ultrasonography would be an accurate preoperative test for large-colon torsion. The sample population consisted of 42 horses that were admitted for surgical treatment of colic localized to the large colon. The diagnosis was confirmed at surgery or necropsy examination. Twelve (29%...
Terhaar HM, Allbaugh RA, Mochel JP, Sebbag L.To determine total protein content (TPC) and serum albumin levels in the tears of horses with healthy or diseased eyes. Methods: Forty-two horses with healthy eyes and 11 horses with unilateral (n = 10) or bilateral (n = 1) ocular disease. Methods: Each eye underwent an ophthalmic examination including detailed conjunctivitis scoring and tear collection with Schirmer strips. TPC and serum albumin levels were quantified in tear samples and compared among healthy eyes, affected eyes, and contralateral unaffected eyes. The impact of the following variables on lacrimal protein levels were asse...
Rejnö S, Strömberg B.An investigation was made of the pathology of osteochondritis dissecans of young foals and horses with clinical signs of the lesion. A randomly selected material of fetuses and young foals without clinical signs was also examined. It was demonstrated that osteochondritis dissecans is primarily a cartilaginous disease, as previously described in pigs and dogs. Thickening, disturbance of endochondral ossification, degeneration and necrosis of the cartilage were the four main features of osteochondritis dissecans. Cracks and fissures occurred in the degenerated and necrotic parts of the cartilage...
Wingfield Digby NJ, Ricketts SW.The results of 4024 concurrent endometrial swab and smear tests taken from maiden, barren and post-parturient mares during early oestrus, before coitus demonstrated the practical value of these tests in routine stud farm practice. The use of cytological examinations provided a more direct diagnostic test for acute endometritis and this increased the accuracy of interpretation of the bacteriological findings.
Eades SC.All cases of laminitis are characterized by failure of the attachment of the epidermal cells of the epidermal laminae to the underlying basement membrane of the dermal laminae despite the diversity of diseases that underlie the syndrome. The preponderance of evidence supports roles for inflammation, metabolic derangement, endothelial and venous dysfunction, and matrix degradation as causes of laminitis. Inflammation, oxidant stress, and matrix degradation may be factors common to each of these mechanisms that lead to the laminar damage of laminitis. The understanding of the pathophysiology and...
Durgam SS, Stewart AA, Pondenis HC, Yates AC, Evans RB, Stewart MC.To compare in vitro expansion of equine tendon- and bone marrow-derived cells with fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) supplementation and sequential matrix synthesis with pulverized tendon and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). Methods: Cells from 6 young adult horses. Methods: Progenitor cells were expanded in monolayers with FGF-2, followed by culture with autogenous acellular pulverized tendon and IGF-I for 7 days. Initial cell isolation and subsequent monolayer proliferation were assessed. In pulverized tendon cultures, cell viability and expression of collagen types I and III and carti...
McIver VC, Tsang AS, Symonds NE, Perkins NR, Uquillas E, Dart CM, Jeffcott LB, Dart AJ.Evaluate the effect of topical 1% cannabidiol on second intention wound healing in distal limb wounds of horses. Methods: Experimental. Methods: Six Standardbred horses. Methods: A total of five 2.5 cm × 2.5 cm full thickness skin wounds were created on the dorsomedial aspect of the metacarpi of 6 horses. Wounds were contaminated with faeces on the day of wound creation. Each wound was then assigned to a treatment group; compounded 1% cannabidiol in unique manuka factor (UMF) 5 manuka honey, UMF 5 manuka honey, UMF 20 manuka honey or saline. Each treatment was applied topically daily ...
Maglieri V, Bigozzi F, Riccobono MG, Palagi E.Social play is a window on cognitive and communicative abilities of species. Inter-specific play, in particular, is a fertile venue to explore the capacity to correctly perceive and interpret signals emitted by partners. Up to now, most studies have focussed on dog-human play due to the important implications such studies have in understanding the peculiar relationship we establish with our pets. Here, we focussed on social play between dogs and horses. By using a set of specific keywords (dog, horse, play, friend) we selected 20 videos of dog-horse social play (with each session lasting >3...
Claes A, Cuervo-Arango J, van den Broek J, Galli C, Colleoni S, Lazzari G, Deelen C, Beitsma M, Stout TA.In vitro embryo production (IVEP) is increasingly popular but data assessing the outcome of transferred embryos are scarce. Objective: To determine the likelihood of pregnancy and embryonic loss after transfer of frozen-thawed IVP embryos and identify factors influencing success. Methods: Retrospective clinical study. Methods: Blastocysts (n = 261) were produced from immature oocytes of Warmblood mares (n = 116) by Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) and in vitro culture, and cryopreserved. Thawed IVP embryos were transferred into recipient mares on day 4, 5 or 6 after ovulation. The ...
Gutierrez-Nibeyro SD, White Ii NA, Werpy NM.Currently, there are limited data regarding the long-term outcome of horses with foot pain treated with corrective shoeing, rest and rehabilitation, and intrasynovial anti-inflammatory medication to target lesions detected with MRI. Objective: To report the long-term (≥12 months) outcome of horses with foot lesions following medical therapy. Objective: 1) There is no association between clinical parameters considered and a poor response to therapy. 2) Horses with a deep digital flexor tendinopathy are less likely to respond to medical therapy than horses without a deep digital flexor tendino...
Takasu M, Ishihara N, Tozaki T, Kakoi H, Maeda M, Mukoyama H.To determine genetic characteristics of the maternal lineage of the Kiso horse based on polymorphisms of the mitochondrial DNA D-loop region, we collected blood samples from 136 Kiso horses, 91% of the entire population, and sequenced 411 bp from 15,437 to 15,847 in the region. First of all, we estimated the demographic history; by searching homology between the obtained and known sequences using Basic Local Alignment Search Tool, by mismatch analysis to evaluate the mutation processes using Arlequin, and by building a phylogenetic tree showing the relationship of the mtDNA haplotypes for 24 h...
Merlo B, Teti G, Mazzotti E, Ingrà L, Salvatore V, Buzzi M, Cerqueni G, Dicarlo M, Lanci A, Castagnetti C, Iacono E.Wharton's jelly (WJ) is an important source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) both in human and other animals. The aim of this study was to compare human and equine WJMSCs. Human and equine WJMSCs were isolated and cultured using the same protocols and culture media. Cells were characterized by analysing morphology, growth rate, migration and adhesion capability, immunophenotype, differentiation potential and ultrastructure. Results showed that human and equine WJMSCs have similar ultrastructural details connected with intense synthetic and metabolic activity, but differ in growth, migration, a...
Beacham BE, Cooper PH, Buchanan CS, Weary PE.We describe four patients with panniculitis attributable to a combination of cold exposure and equestrian activities. All were young, healthy women who rode horses for at least two consecutive hours per day throughout the winter. Initially, several small, erythematosus, pruritic papules appeared on the superior-lateral portions of one or both thighs. During one week, the lesions progressed to indurated, red-to-violaceous,tender plaques and nodules. Studies for cryofibrinogens and cryoglobulins were negative. The histologic picture was that of a panniculitis with prominent inflammation of veins...
Sleeper MM, Durando MM, Miller M, Habecker PL, Reef VB.Clinical findings in 4 horses with aortic root disease are described. Three of the horses had aneurysms of the right aortic sinus, and in 2 of the 3, the aneurysm ruptured, creating a fistula between the aorta and right ventricle. One of these horses had had a murmur since birth, and the aortic sinus aneurysm may have been a congenital anomaly. In a second horse, the aneurysm may have been an acquired condition that developed secondary to chronic aortic regurgitation. Another horse had a large subendocardial hematoma associated with dissection of blood from the aorta to the interventricular se...
Roelvink ME, Goossens L, Kalsbeek HC, Wensing T.The analgesic and spasmolytic effects of dipyrone (Novalgin) (2500 mg/100 kg bodyweight) hyoscine-N-butylbromide (Buscopan) (20 mg/100 kg bodyweight) and a combination of both drugs were evaluated in a balloon-induced model of colic, using five ponies with caecal fistulae. The drugs were given intravenously and 0.9 per cent sodium chloride solution (5 ml/100 kg bodyweight) was used as a control. The physiological saline solution and dipyrone had no effect on caecal contractions. After the injection of hyoscine-N-butylbromide and the drug combination caecal contractions ceased within 30 seconds...
