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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.
Dysregulation of Cortisol Metabolism in Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction. Equine Cushing disease [pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID)] is a common condition of older horses, but its pathophysiology is complex and poorly understood. In contrast to pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism in other species, PPID is characterized by elevated plasma ACTH but not elevated plasma cortisol. In this study, we address this paradox and the hypothesis that PPID is a syndrome of ACTH excess in which there is dysregulation of peripheral glucocorticoid metabolism and binding. In 14 horses with PPID compared with 15 healthy controls, we show that in plasma, cortisol levels...
Ganglion Cytology: A Novel Rapid Method for the Diagnosis of Equine Dysautonomia. Equine dysautonomia (grass sickness) is characterized by autonomic neuronal degeneration and is often fatal. As outbreaks occur, rapid diagnosis is essential but confirmation currently requires histological examination. This study evaluated diagnostic accuracy of cytological examination of cranial cervical ganglion (CCG) scrapings for dysautonomia diagnosis. CCG smears from 20 controls and 16 dysautonomia cases were stained with May-Grünwald Giemsa (MGG), hematoxylin and eosin (HE), and cresyl fast violet (CFV), with HE-stained histological sections of CCG as gold standard for diagnosis. Exam...
Ocular abnormalities in a herd of Old Kladruber Horses: A cross-sectional study. To screen a closed herd of the Old Kladruber Horses (OKH) for the prevalence of ocular disorders and report normal ocular variations. Methods: Two hundred and sixty-one horses, 122 Old Kladruber Gray Horses, and 139 Old Kladruber Black Horses owned by the National Stud Farm Kladruby nad Labem, Czech Republic, were included in the study with signalment and pedigree information recorded. Methods: Bilateral ocular examination of manually restrained horses was performed in a darkened environment by a single examiner (RA), using a portable slit-lamp biomicroscope, direct ophthalmoscope, and monocul...
Assessment of a Rabies Virus Rapid Diagnostic Test for the Detection of Australian Bat Lyssavirus. Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) is closely related to the classical rabies virus and has been associated with three human fatalities and two equine fatalities in Australia. ABLV infection in humans causes encephalomyelitis, resulting in fatal disease, but has no effective therapy. The virus is maintained in enzootic circulation within fruit bats ( spp.) and at least one insectivorous bat variety ( ). Most frequently, laboratory testing is conducted on pteropodid bat brains, either following a potential human exposure through bites, scratches and other direct contacts with bats, or as opportun...
Impact of Mixed Equine Influenza Vaccination on Correlate of Protection in Horses. To evaluate the humoral immune response to mixed Equine Influenza vaccination, a common practice in the field, an experimental study was carried out on 42 unvaccinated thoroughbred weanling foals divided into six groups of seven. Three groups were vaccinated using a non-mixed protocol (Equilis Prequenza-Te, Proteqflu-Te or Calvenza-03) and three other groups were vaccinated using a mix of the three vaccines mentioned previously. Each weanling underwent a primary EI vaccination schedule composed of two primary immunisations (V1 and V2) four weeks apart followed by a third boost immunisation (V3...
Foraging Behavior Patterns of Sheep and Horses Under a Mixed Species Grazing System. The research objective was to assess the behavior patterns of the Polish Konik horse breed and the Uhruska variety of the Polish Lowland Sheep breed under a mixed-grazing system, and their relationship with climatic factors. The observation included 4 adult horses, 27 ewes with lambs and 10 primiparous ewes. The behavior of the animals and the weather conditions were recorded at 60-min intervals. Horses and sheep displayed similarities in both species-specific behavioral patterns and timing of grazing activity, and the duration of foraging sessions was mostly influenced by time of day, lower t...
Distal limb pathologic conditions in horses treated with sleeve-style digital cryotherapy (285 cases). Digital cryotherapy (DC) is frequently used as laminitis prophylaxis for horses. While DC with ice-water slurries is reported to be safe for up to 48 h, the safety of sleeve-style digital cryotherapy (SSDC) with ice in direct contact with the distal limb has not been evaluated. Our objective was to determine the incidence of distal limb pathologic conditions (DLPC) among horses treated with SSDC. A retrospective study of cases from 2011 to 2015 identified 285 horses treated with SSDC for a minimum of 12 h. Data collected from medical records included demographic, treatment, diagnostic, and...
Facial expression and oxytocin as possible markers of positive emotions in horses. Behavioural and physiological markers of discrete positive emotions remain little investigated in animals. To characterise new markers in horses, we used tactile stimulations to induce emotional situation of contrasting valence. In the Gentle grooming group (G, N = 13) horses were gently groomed during 11 sessions on the body areas they appreciated the most. Horses in the Standard grooming group (S, N = 14) were groomed using a fixed procedure, reported to induce avoidance reactions in some horses. At session 11, G horses expressed significantly more contact-seeking behaviours than S h...
Bone Marrow Aspiration Does Not Induce a Measurable Pain Response Compared to Sham Procedure. Bone marrow is commonly collected from horses for regenerative medicine applications. Little information is available regarding pain experienced by the horse during bone marrow aspiration. The objective of this study was to characterize horse reaction and pain response during bone marrow aspiration (BMA) compared to a sham (SHAM) procedure. We hypothesized there would be significantly greater horse reaction or pain response measured by salivary cortisol, heart rate variability, and depth and duration of sedation between BMA and SHAM. Twelve university owned horses underwent a BMA and sham proc...
Prolonged Recovery From General Anesthesia Possibly Related to Persistent Hypoxemia in a Draft Horse. Horses are susceptible to developing large areas of pulmonary atelectasis during recumbency and anesthesia. The subsequent pulmonary shunt is responsible for significant impairment of oxygenation. Since ventilation perfusion mismatch persists into the post-operative period, hypoxemia remains an important concern in the recovery stall. This case report describes the diagnosis and supportive therapy of persistent hypoxemia in a 914 kg draft horse after isoflurane anesthesia. It highlights how challenging it can be to deal with hypoxemia after disconnection from the anesthesia machine and how lif...
Bursting strength of surgeon’s and self-locking knots for closure of ventral midline celiotomy in horses. To compare the bursting strength and failure mode of ventral midline celiotomy closed with a simple continuous suture pattern with 1 of 2 knot combinations, a novel self-locking knot combination of a forwarder start with an Aberdeen end knot (F-A) and a traditional combination of a surgeon's start with a surgeon's end knot (S-S). Methods: Ex vivo experimental. Methods: Equine cadavers (n = 14). Methods: A 20-cm ventral midline celiotomy was created in 14 equine cadavers. Horses were assigned to celiotomy closure with an F-A or S-S knot combination. Prior to closure, a 200-L inflatable blad...
Dynamic changes in gene expression and signalling during trophoblast development in the horse. Equine chorionic girdle trophoblast cells play important endocrine and immune functions critical in supporting pregnancy. Very little is known about the genes and pathways that regulate chorionic girdle trophoblast development. Our aim was to identify genes and signalling pathways active in vivo in equine chorionic girdle trophoblast within a critical 7-days window. We exploited the late implantation of the equine conceptus to obtain trophoblast tissue. An Agilent equine 44K microarray was performed using RNA extracted from chorionic girdle and chorion (control) from equine pregnancy days 27, ...
Dynamic changes in gene expression and signalling during trophoblast development in the horse. Equine chorionic girdle trophoblast cells play important endocrine and immune functions critical in supporting pregnancy. Very little is known about the genes and pathways that regulate chorionic girdle trophoblast development. Our aim was to identify genes and signalling pathways active in vivo in equine chorionic girdle trophoblast within a critical 7-days window. We exploited the late implantation of the equine conceptus to obtain trophoblast tissue. An Agilent equine 44K microarray was performed using RNA extracted from chorionic girdle and chorion (control) from equine pregnancy days 27, ...
Short-term outcome and risk factors for post-operative complications following umbilical resection in 82 foals (2004-2016). Umbilical remnant infection and patent urachus are an important cause of morbidity for the equine neonate. Left untreated, fatal complications can develop. Identifying risk factors for post-operative complications after surgery are important for estimating prognosis. Objective: To identify risk factors associated with post-operative complications in foals undergoing umbilical remnant resection due to patent and/or infected umbilical remnants. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Foals undergoing umbilical remnant resection due to patent urachus or infected remnants at the Marion duPont...
In vitro developmental competence of horse embryos derived from oocytes with a different corona radiata cumulus-oocyte morphology. The increase in demand for in vitro produced horse embryos is fostering the development of commercial laboratories for this purpose. Nevertheless, blastocyst production after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is still not as great as desired in most of these laboratories. In relation to horse oocyte classification, both expanded and compact cumulus-oocyte-complexes (COCs) are used for in vitro embryo production. The aim of this study was to compare in vitro embryo developmental capacity of COCs from horses including those with only the corona radiata, frequently collected after aspiratio...
Cytological and bacteriological sampling from filters used for embryo recovery to evaluate the uterine status of donor mares. While testing for uterine bacterial infection is usually performed prior to artificial insemination (AI), samples taken during or after embryo flushing are generally not assessed either in subfertile and old mares or in fertile mares, even though knowledge of the status of the uterine environment in which the embryo is to develop would help to predict the outcome of embryo transfer programmes. The presence of bacteria and inflammatory cells in the liquid retained in the filter after uterine flushing in donors was determined at the moment of embryo recovery. Primarily, a group of mares (n = 8) ...
Identification of loci affecting sexually dimorphic patterns for height and recurrent laryngeal neuropathy risk in American Belgian Draft Horses. Equine recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) is a bilateral mononeuropathy with an unknown etiology. In Thoroughbreds (TB), we previously demonstrated that the haplotype association for height (LCORL/NCAPG locus on ECA3, which affects body size) and RLN was coincident. In the present study, we performed a genome-wide association scan (GWAS) for RLN in 458 American Belgian Draft Horses, a breed fixed for the LCORL/NCAPG risk alelle. In this breed, RLN risk is associated with sexually dimorphic differences in height, and we identified a novel locus contributing to height in a sex-specific manner:...
18 F-sodium fluoride positron emission tomography of the racing Thoroughbred fetlock: Validation and comparison with other imaging modalities in nine horses. Early and accurate detection of stress remodelling in racehorses is of utmost importance to prevent catastrophic injuries. Current imaging techniques have limitations in assessing early changes predisposing to catastrophic breakdowns. Positron emission tomography (PET) using F-sodium fluoride ( F-NaF) is a sensitive method for the detection of early bone turnover and may improve early recognition of subtle injuries. Objective: To validate the clinical use of F-NaF PET in Thoroughbred racehorses, to assess the value of PET in the detection of bone lesions and to compare PET results with findi...
Surgical management of postcastration spermatic cord stump infection in horses: A retrospective study of 23 cases. To report the surgical management and the short- and long-term follow-up of postcastration spermatic cord infection in horses. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Twenty-three client-owned horses. Methods: Medical records (2001-2017) of horses that had been surgically treated for spermatic cord stump infection after castration were reviewed. Time from castration to presentation, diagnostic procedures, surgical complications, bacterial culture and ancillary testing, and survival to discharge were collected. Long-term follow-up was obtained by owner survey when possible. Descriptive sta...
Prevalence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora spp. in equids of Western Pará, Brazil. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora spp. in equids raised for distinct purposes in the western state of Pará, Brazil, and to identify potential risk factors associated with parasite infection. A cross-sectional study was conducted with cluster sampling in 101 farms from 18 municipalities (farm horses). In visited municipalities, samples from sport and cart horses were included. Serum was obtained for detecting antibodies against T. gondii and Neospora spp. using indirect fluorescent antibody test, with a cut-off point of 1:6...
Hypernatraemia in 39 hospitalised foals: clinical findings, primary diagnosis and outcome. To evaluate hypernatraemia in foals presenting as medical emergencies to an intensive care unit (ICU) to determine the prevalence, clinical findings, primary diagnosis and outcome. Methods: Retrospective case study of records from Thoroughbred foals aged less than 3 months that presented to an ICU as medical emergencies in 2002-12. Data retrieved included signalment, clinical findings, laboratory results, primary diagnosis and outcome. Foals with hypernatraemia (serum sodium > 145 mmol/L) on admission laboratory data were identified and further evaluated. Results: A total of 39 of 171...
Biomechanical findings in horses showing asymmetrical vertical excursions of the withers at walk. The walk and trot are inherently symmetrical gaits, making them potentially suitable for the detection of left-right asymmetries. The aims of this study were to describe asymmetrical vertical excursions of the withers at walk in non-lame high-level dressage horses and to seek associations between these asymmetric movements and other kinematic variables and vertical ground reaction forces (vGRFs). Seven dressage horses, judged clinically as being sound, walked unridden and unrestrained on a treadmill with an integrated force measuring system (480 Hz), from which spatiotemporal and vGRF variable...
Horses Referred to a Teaching Hospital Exclusively for Acupuncture and Herbs: A Three-Year Retrospective Analysis. Equine acupuncture and herbal medicine are increasingly popular and have been anecdotally used in the treatment of a number of conditions. There is, however, a lack of data on the most commonly treated conditions in horses. The medical records of 164 horses presented exclusively for acupuncture and herbal therapy over a three-year period from October 2012 to October 2015 were evaluated from a mixed animal integrative medicine service at a veterinary academic teaching hospital. Horses were presented primarily for musculoskeletal conditions (62.0%), gastrointestinal disorders (9.5%), and anhydro...
Metabolomics of tracheal wash samples and exhaled breath condensates in healthy horses and horses affected by equine asthma. The present work characterized the metabolomic profile of tracheal wash (TW) and exhaled breath condensate (EBC) in healthy horses and horses with respiratory disease. Six asthma-affected horses (group A) and six healthy controls (group H) underwent clinical, endoscopic and cytologic examinations of upper airways to confirm the active phase of asthma. TW and EBC samples were collected from each animal and investigated by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (H-NMR) metabolomic analysis. A total of ten out of 38 metabolites found in the TW were significantly different between the groups (p < ...
Effect of the addition of epinephrine to a lidocaine solution on the efficacy and duration of palmar digital nerve blocks in horses with naturally occurring forefoot lameness. OBJECTIVE To determine whether addition of epinephrine to a lidocaine solution would prolong and potentiate the efficacy of a palmar digital nerve block (PDNB) in horses. ANIMALS 6 adult horses with naturally occurring forefoot lameness. PROCEDURES Initially, a PDNB with a 2% lidocaine solution was performed on the affected foot of each horse. Three days later, the PDNB was repeated with a 1% lidocaine solution or a 1% lidocaine solution containing epinephrine (dilution, 1:200,000). After another 3-day washout period, the PDNB was repeated with the treatment opposite that administered for the ...
Influence of neck position on commonly performed radiographic measurements of the cervical vertebral region in horses. OBJECTIVE To determine the influence of various neck positions on cervical vertebral radiographic measurements in horses. ANIMALS 18 client-owned horses examined for lameness but free of cervical disease. PROCEDURES Laterolateral radiographs of the cervical vertebrae from C1 through T1 were acquired for each horse in 3 neck positions (low, neutral, and high). Minimum sagittal diameter, intravertebral sagittal diameter (intra-VSD) ratio, inter-VSD ratio, length of the articular processes joint ratio, vertebral alignment angle, and vertebral fossa angle were measured at each segment in each neck...
Injuries in equestrian vaulting: results of a prospective study. Equestrian vaulting is a sport, particularly popular among children and adolescents, in which gymnastic and dance routines are performed on horseback. Current data regarding injuries and thus, the risks of this sport, is meager and based only on retrospective studies. Methods: In the current prospective study, 233 active members of a vaulting club were questioned monthly from November 2014 until October 2015. In addition to general information (training, competitions), the questionnaire collected the number of competitions, the competitive class, the discipline (single, team, Pas-de-Deux), and...
