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Topic:Horses
"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.
Tamoxifen induces apoptosis and inhibits respiratory burst in equine neutrophils independently of estrogen receptors. Neutrophils play an important role in the exacerbation and maintenance of severe equine asthma; persistent neutrophil activity and delayed apoptosis can be harmful to surrounding tissues. Tamoxifen (TX) is a nonsteroidal estrogen receptor modulator with immunomodulatory effects and induces early apoptosis of blood and bronchoalveolar lavage neutrophils from horses with acute lung inflammation. This study investigated if the in vitro effects of tamoxifen are produced by its action on nuclear (α and β) and membrane (GPR30) estrogen receptors in healthy equine neutrophils. Results showed that T...
Equine Personality: Association With Breed, Use, and Husbandry Factors. Temperament can be defined as innate properties of the nervous system, whereas personality includes the complex behavioral traits acquired through life. Association between personality and behavior is important for breeding, selection, and training of horses. For the first time, we evaluated if equine personality components previously identified in Japan and Europe were consistent when applied to American horses. We examined the association of personality with breed, age, sex, management, training, stereotypies, and misbehaviors. The owner directed personality survey consisted of 25 questions....
Memories of emotional expressions in horses. Proops, Grounds, Smith, and McComb (2018) suggest that horses remember previous emotional expressions of specific humans, and use these memories to adjust their behavior in future social interactions. Despite some methodological shortcomings, this study raises important questions on the complexity of social interactions in nonhuman animals, which surely deserve further attention.
Evaluation of an in-clinic dry chemistry analyzer for canine, equine, and feline plasma samples. Method validation studies characterize the performance of new laboratory methods relative to established methods using quality guidelines in order to define the new method's performance characteristics and to identify differences that could influence data interpretation. We investigated the performance of an in-clinic dry chemistry analyzer (Catalyst One, IDEXX) for measuring 19 routine plasma biochemistry analytes in dogs, cats, and horses. We analyzed 2 levels of quality control material (QCM) in duplicate twice daily for 5 d to determine the coefficient of variation (CV), percent bias, ob...
[Use of bisphosphonates in horses – a review]. Systemic administration of tiludronate or clodronate decreases lameness in some horses suffering from navicular syndrome within 2-6 months of treatment. In horses that fail to respond to the first treatment, a follow-up treatment may still improve the lameness. Horses with a lameness duration of less than 6 months have better odds of experiencing improvement in lameness. Bisphosphonate (BP) treatment can result in renal damage, and it is recommended to assess renal function prior to and after treatment. Horses with pre-existing renal compromise should not be treated with BP, as this may promot...
Cardiovascular images: vascular hamartoma of the mitral valve in a horse. An 8-month-old Hanoverian gelding was presented with a history of cardiac murmurs that were not apparent as a foal nor reported at the time of castration. Major echocardiographic findings included mitral valvular thickening, functional stenosis, and mitral regurgitation of sufficient severity to cause diastolic and systolic cardiac murmurs, left-sided volume overload, and pulmonary hypertension. Due to the hemodynamic severity of the lesion and poor prognosis for future performance and longevity, euthanasia was elected. On gross postmortem examination, there was focal fibrous epicarditis affec...
Stereotypic horses (Equus caballus) are not cognitively impaired. Stereotypies in animals are thought to arise from an interaction between genetic predisposition and sub-optimal housing conditions. In domestic horses, a well-studied stereotypy is crib-biting, an abnormal behaviour that appears to help individuals to cope with stressful situations. One prominent hypothesis states that animals affected by stereotypies are cognitively less flexible compared to healthy controls, due to sensitization of a specific brain area, the basal ganglia. The aim of this study was to test this hypothesis in crib-biting and healthy controls, using a cognitive task, reversa...
Equine Wound Management: Bandages, Casts, and External Support. Successful management of equine wounds relies on knowledge of the stages of wound healing, factors that can alter those stages, how healing stages can be manipulated, and adherence to the principles of wound healing. Challenges that complicate wound management include the inability to immobilize and/or confine equine patients, and maintain a clean environment during the critical initial stages of healing. Because of these challenges, the equine practitioner relies heavily on bandaging and external coaptation techniques to successfully treat and manage wounds. The type of bandage used is dictat...
Biological variation of routine haematology and biochemistry measurands in the horse. Clinical pathology results are typically interpreted by referring to population-based reference intervals. The use of individualised (subject-based) reference intervals is more appropriate for measurands with a high degree of variation between individuals. Objective: To determine the biological variation of routinely analysed equine haematology and biochemistry measurands and calculate indices of individuality and reference change values which enable production of individualised reference intervals, in a group of healthy, privately owned horses. Methods: In a prospective cohort study, thirty-n...
Medical Therapy in Equine Wound Management. Suitable use of prophylactic antimicrobial drugs for wounds depends on the accurate selection of appropriate antibiotics, dosing regimen, and duration of use. Regional intravenous delivery and intraosseous infusion of antibiotics are pivotal to a successful outcome for deep-rooted infections, inadequately perfused tissue, and infected wounds containing biofilm. Antibiotic-impregnated polymethylmethacrylate beads are predominantly helpful for wounds that have a poor blood supply and for those containing surgical implants that must remain in place.
Species distribution and seasonal dynamics of equine tick infestation in two Mediterranean climate niches in Israel. Ticks are important ectoparasites of horses that can affect animal welfare and vector several infectious, including zoonotic, diseases. In order to investigate the species distribution, epidemiology and seasonal dynamics of ticks infesting horses in Israel, 3267 ticks were collected from 396 horses in 24 farms across the country from July 2014 to June 2015. Results: Ticks were found on 50% of the farms and on 25% of the horses, with Hyalomma being the most prevalent genus (70% of ticks). Pasture was the most prominent risk factor for tick infestation (99% of ticks, P < 0.001), and is repres...
Influence of age and experience rider on differentiate the behaviour of recreational horses being prepared for use. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of selected rider-related factors (riders' age and experience, type of preparatory activities, test variant) on the behaviour of recreational horses being prepared for use. Six adult, hot-blooded recreational horses were handled by two female riders that the horses knew and by another two that the horses did not know (two of them were aged 12 and two aged 30). The horses were assessed by a behaviourist for their behaviour during the pre-training activities (entering the box, grooming, cleaning the hooves, bridling, saddling up, taking a horse to...
Klossiella equi infection in a Cheval Canadien Mare. A 6-year-old Cheval Canadien mare was presented for clinical signs related to acute kidney injury after receiving a course of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory therapy. Cytologic examination of concentrated urine revealed small protozoal organisms that were later identified as Klossiella equi. Both sporocysts and free-floating sporozoites were identified in the urine, which has not been previously documented. The mare responded well to intravenous fluid therapy, and as she regained tubular function, the presence of the protozoa in the urine also abated. The mare was discharged from the hospital a...
A survey of Dictyocaulus arnfieldi (Nematoda) infections in equids in Urmia region, Iran. Dictyocaulus arnfieldi is a lungworm commonly found in equids; however, relatively little is known about it. The aim of the present study was to establish the prevalence of equine lungworms in naturally-infected working and sporting horses, donkeys and mules in rural areas of Urmia, northwest Iran. The fecal samples were collected from 299 working horses, 57 sporting horses, 66 donkeys and 37 mules during the period March 2014 to June 2016. The collected fecal samples were processed within 48 hours following rectal sampling. The larval count/g (LPG) of feces was determined using the Baermann t...
Comparison of Metzenbaum scissors and Y-shaped fasciotome for deep metatarsal fasciotomy for the treatment of proximal suspensory ligament desmopathy in horses. To quantitate the iatrogenic injury associated with deep plantar metatarsal fasciotomy performed with Metzenbaum scissors compared with a Y-shaped fasciotome. Methods: Experimental ex vivo surgical study. Methods: Cadaveric hind limbs (n = 20) from 10 sound thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: A plantar metatarsal fasciotomy was performed, extending from the proximal extent of the deep metatarsal fascia, distally. Hind limbs were randomly assigned to 2 groups, undergoing fasciotomy with straight Metzenbaum scissors (n = 10) or a Y-shaped fasciotome (n = 10). Magnetic resonance imaging...
κ Light-chain monoclonal gammopathy and cast nephropathy in a horse with multiple myeloma. CASE DESCRIPTION A 27-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare was evaluated because of a history of lethargy, reluctance to move, weight loss, persistent hyperproteinemia, and recurrent episodes of mild lameness. CLINICAL FINDINGS Hematologic evaluation revealed anemia (RBC concentration, 3.84 × 106 cells/μL), thrombocytopenia (47 × 103 thrombocytes/μL), and hyperproteinemia (total protein concentration, 11.2 g/dL) with hyperglobulinemia and hypoalbuminemia. Results of protein electrophoresis of serum and urine samples indicated a monoclonal gammopathy; the paraprotein was identified as a κ light c...
Gram-negative multi-drug resistant bacteria influence survival to discharge for horses with septic synovial structures: 206 Cases (2010-2015). Bacterial colonization of synovial structures can cause infections that are difficult to treat. Systemic and local antimicrobials and repeated joint lavages are the mainstays of therapy. However, despite aggressive treatments, infection may persist, leading to significant tissue damage or death of the patient. In order to investigate the impact of bacterial culture and antimicrobial resistance on survival to discharge, we reviewed medical records of horses admitted to the University of Pennsylvania's large animal teaching hospital from 2010-2015. Two-hundred and six cases with a definitive dia...
Plasma Amino Acid Concentrations of Horses Grazing Alfalfa, Cool-Season Perennial Grasses, and Teff. The impact of forage species on plasma amino acid (AA) concentrations of grazing horses (Equus caballus L.) is unknown. The objectives of this study were to determine the impact of different forage species on plasma AA concentrations and protein synthesis. Research was conducted in July in St. Paul, MN, USA. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), mixed perennial cool-season grasses (CSGs), and teff (Eragrostis tef [Zucc.] Trotter) pastures were grazed by six horses randomly assigned to one of three forage types in a replicated Latin-square design. Horses had access to pasture each day. Jugular venous b...
Improvement of recombinant-truncated Burkholderia motility protein A (BimA)-based indirect ELISA for equine glanders. Glanders is a contagious and highly fatal disease of equines with zoonotic potential. It is caused by a Gram-negative, nonmotile bacterium Burkholderia mallei. Complement fixation test (CFT) is one of the most commonly used tests for diagnosis of glanders; however, it has some limitations. A recombinant-truncated Burkholderia intracellular motility A (BimA) protein-based indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) was previously reported by us for glanders diagnosis, which has been re-optimized in this study using a panel of glanders positive (n = 75) and glanders negative (n = 227...
Sequence variant analysis of RNA sequences in severe equine asthma. Severe equine asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lung in horses similar to low-Th2 late-onset asthma in humans. This study aimed to determine the utility of RNA-Seq to call gene sequence variants, and to identify sequence variants of potential relevance to the pathogenesis of asthma. Methods: RNA-Seq data were generated from endobronchial biopsies collected from six asthmatic and seven non-asthmatic horses before and after challenge (26 samples total). Sequences were aligned to the equine genome with Spliced Transcripts Alignment to Reference software. Read preparation for sequenc...
Safety and immunogenicity of plant-produced African horse sickness virus-like particles in horses. African horse sickness (AHS) is caused by multiple serotypes of the dsRNA AHSV and is a major scourge of domestic equids in Africa. While there are well established commercial live attenuated vaccines produced in South Africa, risks associated with these have encouraged attempts to develop new and safer recombinant vaccines. Previously, we reported on the immunogenicity of a plant-produced AHS serotype 5 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine, which stimulated high titres of AHS serotype 5-specific neutralizing antibodies in guinea pigs. Here, we report a similar response to the vaccine in horses. ...
Generation of an equine biobank to be used for Functional Annotation of Animal Genomes project. The Functional Annotation of Animal Genomes (FAANG) project aims to identify genomic regulatory elements in both sexes across multiple stages of development in domesticated animals. This study represents the first stage of the FAANG project for the horse, Equus caballus. A biobank of 80 tissue samples, two cell lines and six body fluids was created from two adult Thoroughbred mares. Ante-mortem assessments included full physical examinations, lameness, ophthalmologic and neurologic evaluations. Complete blood counts and serum biochemistries were also performed. At necropsy, in addition to tiss...
Pharmacokinetics of Intrarectal Altrenogest in Horses. Hospitalized pregnant mares being held nil per os (PO) because of medical or surgical events present a dilemma for pregnancy maintenance therapy, which commonly includes oral altrenogest. Rectal administration of medications is a recognized route for achieving systemic concentrations, but there are no data on the pharmacokinetics of rectal altrenogest administration in horses. The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of altrenogest following PO or per rectum (PR) administration in mares. Using a randomized two-way crossover study design, six horses received altrenogest (...
Validation of a new experimental model for assessing drug efficacy against infection with Trypanosoma equiperdum in horses. Trypanosoma equiperdum, the causative agent of dourine, may affect the central nervous system, leading to neurological signs in infected horses. This location protects the parasite from most (if not all) existing chemotherapies. In this context, the OIE terrestrial code considers dourine as a non-treatable disease and imposes a stamping-out policy for affected animals before a country may achieve its dourine-free status. The use of practices as drastic as euthanasia remains controversial, but the lack of a suitable tool for studying a treatment's efficacy against dourine hampers the developmen...
Multivariable analysis to determine risk factors associated with early pregnancy loss in thoroughbred broodmares. Early pregnancy loss (EPL) between days 15-65 after breeding has been shown to occur in 7.9% of equine pregnancies with substantial economical, welfare and safety implications. Whilst maternal age has been recognised as an important risk factor in relation to the incidence of EPL, few other risk factors have been conclusively identified. Further, multivariable data analysis of risk factors for EPL is sparse. A prospective cohort investigation of thoroughbred broodmares in the United Kingdom was conducted over the 2013 and 2014 breeding seasons. Information relating to 28 factors including mare...
Retrospective evaluation of the effect of intravenous fluid administration on development of postoperative reflux in horses with colic (2004-2012): 194 horses. To evaluate the role of intravenous fluid volume and electrolyte supplementation on the development of postoperative reflux (POR) in horses undergoing celiotomy for colic. Methods: Case-control study spanning 2004-2012 for horses undergoing celiotomy for colic. Methods: University teaching hospital. Methods: Sixty-seven client-owned horses >1 year of age with POR were each matched to 2 controls with similar surgical lesions that did not demonstrate POR. Results: Survival was significantly lower in cases (65.7%) than controls (96.1%). Factors found to be associated with POR included decrease...
Equine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells: optimization of cell density in primary culture. The primary cell seeding density of bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BM-MNCs) affects several cellular behaviors, including attachment to the culture dish, proliferation, and differentiation. Methods: The aim of this study was to determine the best density of equine BM-MNCs in primary culture (P0) for obtaining the maximum bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (BM-MSC) yields at the end of P0. Bone marrow samples of two healthy mares were aspirated. The MNCs were isolated and cultured at different densities (1×10, 2×10, 4×10, 8×10, and 1×10 cells/cm). Within the 7 and 14 days af...
Phylogenetic analysis of the cytochrome P450 (CYP450) nucleotide sequences of the horse and predicted CYP450s of the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) and other mammalian species. The plight of the white rhinoceros () and the increasing need of treatment options for injured poaching victims led to the necessity to expand the knowledge on applicable drugs in this endangered species. With very little information available on drug pharmacokinetics in rhino, veterinarians have to rely on information generated from other species. The horse being a closely related species, has served as the model for dose extrapolations. However, from recent research on enrofloxacin and carprofen, the white rhino showed considerable differences in the pharmacokinetic properties of these drugs...
Objective pain assessment in horses (2014-2018). In recent decades, much effort has been invested in scientific studies of objective and reliable assessment of pain in horses. Various types of pain assessment tools have been described and (partly) validated for different types of pain in horses. Currently, composite pain scales and facial expression-based pain scales seem to be the most promising tools for pain assessment in horses and numerous studies have recently been published on the use of these pain scales in horses. Therefore, this narrative review mainly focusses on these two types of pain scales and on the studies that have appeared...
Characterization of Apoptosis, Autophagy and Oxidative Stress in Pancreatic Islets Cells and Intestinal Epithelial Cells Isolated from Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) Horses. Endocrine disorders are becoming an increasing problem in both human and veterinary medicine. In recent years, more and more horses worldwide have been suffering from equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). This metabolic disorder is characterized by pathological obesity, hyperinsulinaemia, hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance. Although metabolic disorders, including diabetes, have been extensively studied, there are still no data on the molecular effects of EMS in horses. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate apoptosis, oxidative stress, autophagy and microRNA (miR) expression in multipotent ...
