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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.
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...
Efficacy of an alveolar recruitment maneuver for improving gas exchange and pulmonary mechanics in anesthetized horses ventilated with oxygen or a helium-oxygen mixture. OBJECTIVE To evaluate efficacy of an alveolar recruitment maneuver (ARM) with positive end-expiratory pressures (PEEPs) in anesthetized horses ventilated with oxygen or heliox (70% helium and 30% oxygen). ANIMALS 6 healthy adult horses. PROCEDURES In a randomized crossover study, horses were anesthetized and positioned in dorsal recumbency. Volume-controlled ventilation was performed with heliox or oxygen (fraction of inspired oxygen [Fio] > 90%). Sixty minutes after mechanical ventilation commenced, an ARM with PEEP (0 to 30 cm HO in steps of 5 cm HO every 5 minutes, followed by incrementa...
Draft Genome Sequence of Taylorella equigenitalis Strain 210217RC10635, Isolated from a Pony Stallion in Germany. Here, we report the draft genome sequence of Taylorella equigenitalis strain 210217RC10635, a Gram-negative bacterium belonging to the genus Taylorella and the order Burkholderiales. Taylorella equigenitalis is the causative agent of contagious equine metritis (CEM). The strain reported here was isolated in 2017 from a German stallion.
Testosterone, androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone concentrations in pregnant Spanish Purebred mare. Androgens modulate maternal ovarian activity, embryo implantation and correct placental development. The objective of this study was to establish reference values for testosterone (T), androstenedione (A4) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) concentrations in pregnant mares. A total of 30 healthy Spanish Purebred mares with an age range of 9.33 ± 3.31 years, were studied during the 11 months of gestation. T, A4 and DHEA concentrations were determined using EIA validated specifically for equines. T increased in the 2nd and 3rd month (P < 0.05), showing a plateau between the 4th and 6t...
Nerve Stimulator-guided Injection of Autologous Stem Cells Near the Equine Left Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve. Recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN) commonly affects horses and is characterized by abnormal respiratory sounds and exercise intolerance. The recurrent laryngeal nerve shows lesions of demyelination. The benefit of applying stem cells to demyelinated nerves has been demonstrated in various animal models. The aim of the study was to test the feasibility and safety of a peri-neuronal injection of autologous muscle-derived mesenchymal stem cells to the left recurrent laryngeal nerve in healthy horses by using an electrical nerve stimulator. Muscle-derived stems cell are obtained from five health...
Molecular analysis of the chromosomal 16S rRNA gene and vapA plasmid gene of Polish field strains of R. equi. Rhodococcus equi (R. hoagii) is an opportunistic pathogen commonly found in foals up to 6 months old and animal environment. The R. equi genome contains genetically stable chromosomal DNA and an 80-90 kb plasmid containing vapA gene, responsible for virulence. Most reports from around the world focus on the determination of R. equi plasmid profiles. Few studies have attempted to determine differences in nucleotide sequences between virulent strains of R. equi isolated from foals and breeding environment. The aim of the study was to perform a molecular analysis of a fragment of the chromosomal ...
Efficacy of inhaled budesonide for the treatment of severe equine asthma. Corticosteroids are the most potent drugs for the control of severe equine asthma, but adverse effects limit their chronic systemic administration. Inhaled medications allow for drug delivery directly into the airways, reducing the harmful effects of these drugs. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of inhaled budesonide specifically formulated for the equine use and administered by a novel inhalation device in horses with severe asthma. Methods: Experimental studies in horses with naturally occurring asthma with cross-over, randomised, blinded experimental designs. Methods: In Study 1, budeson...
Monitoring Anti-NS1 Antibodies in West Nile Virus-Infected and Vaccinated Horses. West Nile virus (WNV) is a zoonotic arboviral pathogen affecting humans, birds, and horses. Vaccines are available for veterinary use, which efficiently prevent the infection in horses. Most common diagnostic tools rely on the identification of the agent (RT-PCR, virus isolation), or on the detection of antibodies (IgM and IgG) recognizing structural proteins of the virus or neutralizing virus infection in cell cultures (virus-neutralization tests). The recent emergence of WNV in different parts of the world has resulted in an increase in the vaccination of horses in many countries. Methods fo...
Plasma and synovial fluid concentrations and cartilage toxicity of bupivacaine following intra-articular administration of a liposomal formulation to horses. The use of intra-articular (IA) local anaesthetics has proven to be an effective means to treat post-operative pain. The effects of local anaesthetics on equine chondrocytes are mixed with some studies reporting chondrodestruction and others no adverse effects. A liposomal formulation of bupivacaine is used in people and dogs by intra- and peri-articular administration to provide up to 72 h of analgesia. The potential uses, side effects including chondrotoxicity, and likelihood of abuse (long-term analgesic effects) has not been evaluated in horses. Objective: Describe bupivacaine concentrati...
Surgical management of marginal tears/avulsions of the suspensory ligament branches in 29 Thoroughbred racehorses. Suspensory ligament branch injuries are common in horses. Most of these injuries are grouped together and considered as a single pathologic entity. Objective: To report a specific injury of the abaxial margin of the suspensory ligament branches and to report its surgical management and outcome. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: All horses with suspensory ligament branch injuries over a 9-year period (2007-2015) were identified. Horses with injuries which, on ultrasonographic examination, appeared to have defects in the abaxial margin of the suspensory ligament branch, that were subs...
Equine Transport and Changes in Equid Herpesvirus’ Status. The risk of respiratory disease in the transported horse can increase as a consequence of immunosuppression and stress associated primarily with opportunistic bacterial proliferation and viral reactivation. This study examines the ecology of equid herpesviruses (EHV) in these horses, exploring reactivation and changes in infection and shedding associated with transport, and any potential contributions to transport-related respiratory disease. Twelve horses were subjected to an 8-h road-transport event. Antibodies to EHV-1 and EHV-4 were detected by ELISA in serum collected prior to, immediatel...
Lipoproteins from vertebrate host blood plasma are involved in Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigote agglutination and participate in interaction with the vector insect, Rhodnius prolixus. Chagas disease, infecting ca. 8 million people in Central and South America, is mediated by the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi. The parasite is transmitted by the bite of blood sucking triatomine insects, such as Rhodnius prolixus, that had previously fed on parasite-infected vertebrate blood and voided their contaminated feces and urine into the wound. The stages of the parasite life cycle in both the insect vector and human host are well-known, but determinants of infection in the insect gut are complex and enigmatic. This paper examines the possible role of the R. prolixus gut agglut...
Molecular and morphological characterization of third instar Palaearctic horse stomach bot fly larvae (Oestridae: Gasterophilinae, Gasterophilus). Species of Gasterophilus are obligate parasites of equids and may induce severe, even lethal myiasis. However, identification of the third instar Gasterophilus larva at the species level is still problematic predominantly due to a shortage of diagnostic morphological features and incomplete molecular libraries. Testing the suitability of three different molecular markers showed that the traditional 650 bp barcode region near the 5' terminus of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) served as a better tool for species-level identification than a 663 bp region near the 3' terminus of COI and a...
Clodronate improves lameness in horses without changing bone turnover markers. Clodronate is prescribed to performance horses with lameness. Despite its clinical popularity, little research has been done to understand the effects of clodronate in the horse. Objective: Our objective was to determine if a single treatment with clodronate at the clinically approved dose altered bone remodelling, bone cell recruitment or lameness in the horse. Methods: Twelve university-owned equestrian team competition horses with a history of forelimb lameness due to navicular syndrome were randomised to receive either 1.4 mg/kg clodronate (CLOD n = 6) or an equivalent volume of LRS (CONT;...
Detection of intraocular Leptospira spp. by real-time polymerase chain reaction in horses with recurrent uveitis in Belgium. Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) has been associated with Leptospira spp. infection. No information exists concerning the prevalence of Leptospira-associated ERU in Belgium and about the sensitivity of detection of Leptospira in different ocular media. Objective: To establish the prevalence of intraocular Leptospira spp. in ERU-affected and healthy eyes of horses examined at the Equine Clinic of the University of Liège by real-time PCR and to compare the results of the aqueous and vitreous humour of the same eye. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Sixty-six eyes from 59 client-owned horses with...
Pharmacokinetics of harpagoside in horses after intragastric administration of a Devil’s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens) extract. Devil's claw is used for the treatment of inflammatory symptoms and degenerative disorders in horses since many years, but without the substantive pharmacokinetic data. The pharmacokinetic parameters of harpagoside, the main active constituent of Harpagophytum procumbens DC ex Meisn., were evaluated in equine plasma after administration of Harpagophytum extract FB 8858 in an open, single-dose, two-treatment, two-period, randomized cross-over design. Six horses received a single dose of Harpagophytum extract, corresponding to 5 mg/kg BM harpagoside, and after 7 days washout period, 10 mg/kg ...
Elastase inhibition affects collagen transcription and prostaglandin secretion in mare endometrium during the estrous cycle. We have shown that bacteria induce neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in mare endometrium. Besides killing pathogens, NETs may contribute for endometrosis (chronic endometrium fibrosis). Since elastase (ELA) is a NETs component that regulates fibrosis and prostaglandin (PG) output, the aim was to evaluate if inhibition of ELA would affect collagen 1 (COL1) transcription and PGs secretion by endometrium explants, in different estrous cycle phases. Follicular-FP (n = 8) and mid luteal-MLP (n = 7) phases explants were cultured for 24-48 hr with medium alone (Control), ELA (0.5 μg/ml,1 ...
Assessment of systolic and diastolic function in clinically healthy horses using ambulatory acoustic cardiography. Assessment of cardiac electromechanical function in horses requires training, experience and specialised equipment and does not allow continuous monitoring over time. Objective: The objective of this study was to establish the use of an acoustic ECG monitor (Audicor ) in healthy horses. It provides noninvasive, examiner-independent, continuous analyses combining ECG and phonocardiography to calculate indices of cardiac mechanical activity and haemodynamics. Device usability was investigated, reference intervals calculated and reproducibility of analyses assessed. Methods: Prospective descripti...
Reliability of equine visual lameness classification as a function of expertise, lameness severity and rater confidence. Visual equine lameness assessment is often unreliable, yet the full understanding of this issue is missing. Here, we investigate visual lameness assessment using near-realistic, three-dimensional horse animations presenting with 0-60 per cent movement asymmetry. Animations were scored at an equine veterinary seminar by attendees with various expertise levels. Results showed that years of experience and exposure to a low, medium or high case load had no significant effect on correct assessment of lame (P>0.149) or sound horses (P≥0.412), with the exception of a significant effect of case l...
Development and evaluation of a multiplex reverse-transcription real-time PCR assay for detection of equine respiratory disease viruses. We developed a multiplex reverse-transcription real-time PCR (RT-rtPCR) assay for the simultaneous detection of the main equine respiratory viruses: equid alphaherpesviruses 1 and 4 (EHV-1, -4) and equine influenza virus (EIV; species Influenza A virus). The primers and probes amplified only the targeted viruses, and there were no inter-assay cross-amplifications or nonspecific interactions. The multiplex assay efficiencies were 92.5%, 97%, and 90% for EHV-1, EHV-4, and EIV, respectively. The R values of the monoplex and multiplex assays were ⩾0.990, and the slopes were -3.37 to -3.59. The p...
Microbiome and Blood Analyte Differences Point to Community and Metabolic Signatures in Lean and Obese Horses. Due to modern management practices and the availability of energy dense feeds, obesity is a serious and increasingly common health problem for horses. Equine obesity is linked to insulin resistance and exacerbation of inflammatory issues such as osteoarthritis and laminitis. While the gut microbiome is thought to play a part in metabolic status in horses, bacterial communities associated with obesity have yet to be described. Here we report differences in metabolic factors in the blood of obese, normal and lean horses correlated with differences in gut microbiome composition. We report that ob...
Limbal squamous cell carcinoma in a Rocky Mountain Horse: Case report and investigation of genetic contribution. To document a case of limbal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in a Rocky Mountain Horse stallion determined to be homozygous for the genetic risk factor (DDB2 c.1013C>T) strongly associated with the disease in Haflinger and Belgian horses, and to determine the frequency of this allele in a larger population of Rocky Mountain Horses. Methods: One privately owned Rocky Mountain Horse and 84 Rocky Mountain Horses screened for allelic frequency. Methods: A complete ophthalmic examination was performed on a Rocky Mountain Horse stallion for assessment of a mass affecting the right eye. A clinical d...
Ranking quarter horse sires via models of offspring performance. The 2016 Equibase data set of American Quarter Horse starts in North America was analyzed, with the purpose of ranking the sires of the racehorses. A speed z-score derived from the race times and distances was used as a racing performance measure. Mixed effects models were used on various subsets of the data based on race distance and sire offspring number. The sire categorical variable was considered as a random effect. Various statistical criteria were used to optimize the model. The constructed models were then varied in terms of the random and fixed effects included, and the conditional mo...
Relationship of cysteine-rich secretory protein-3 gene and protein with semen quality in stallions. Cysteine-rich secretory protein-3 (CRISP-3) and some of its nonsynonymous polymorphism have been related to the fertility and freezability of stallion semen; however, the role of the CRISP-3 gene and its seminal plasma protein in the raw semen quality is still unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship of CRISP-3 with semen quality in stallions. DNA was obtained from blood samples of 100 stallions, from which 30 stallions were randomly selected to obtain 60 ejaculates. Through PCR amplification and sequencing, the variation of four nonsynonymous SNPs from CRISP-3 was ident...
Optimisation of a serum albumin removal protocol for use in a proteomic study to identify the protein biomarkers for silent gastric ulceration in horses. Silent gastric ulceration occurs without evidence of clinical signs and is common in horses. There is currently no a simple and effective method to diagnose this disease. Proteomics can be used to identify serum biomarkers, but the most abundant serum protein, albumin, could conceal candidate biomarkers. Therefore, it is recommended to remove albumin before a proteomic study; however, there is no specific albumin depletion kit or standard protocol available for horse samples. The objectives of this study were to optimise a protocol to remove equine serum albumin and to use albumin-depleted ser...
Anatomy of the vestibulum esophagi and surgical implications during prosthetic laryngoplasty in horses. To describe the anatomy of the entry to the equine esophagus (vestibulum esophagi) and to assess the risk of penetrating its adventitia and/or lumen during laryngoplasty. Methods: Ex vivo cadaveric study. Methods: Five isolated equine larynges and 39 equine head and neck specimens. Methods: The anatomy of the vestibulum esophagi was studied by dissection of 5 cadaver specimens. Then, a bilateral laryngoplasty was performed, including 5 suture placements through the muscular processes, caudal, rostral, and sagittal, with straight and curved needles. Two of the 3 surgeons performing the implanta...
Equine suspensory ligament and tendon explants cultured with platelet-rich gel supernatants release different anti-inflammatory and anabolic mediators. The aim of this study was to evaluate the release of pro- and anti-inflammatory as well as anabolic mediators stimulated by a leukocyte-reduced platelet-rich gel supernatant (Lr-PRGS) and a leukocyte-reduced plasma supernatant (Lr-PL) at two concentrations (25 and 50%) on normal equine suspensory ligament explants (SLEs) and tendon explants (TEs). SLEs and TEs from six horses were independently incubated for 48 h with Lr-PRGS and Lr-PL at concentrations of 25 and 50%, respectively. Samples were collected from the incubated tissues at 1 h and 48 h, which were employed for ELISA determinat...
