"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.
Wilson AD, Hicks C.Bovine papillomavirus (BPV) infections of equine species have a central role in the aetiology of equine sarcoids; a common benign skin tumour of horses, zebras and donkeys. Within the lesions, all of the early papillomavirus genes are expressed and promote the excessive replication of fibroblasts which characterise these tumours. Equine sarcoids differ from BPV induced fibro-papillomas of cattle (the natural host of BPV), in that they do not produce high amounts of virus particles, do not usually regress spontaneously and do not sero-convert to BPV; features which suggest that affected horses ...
Franke A, Kershaw O, Jenckel M, König L, Beer M, Hoffmann B, Hoffmann D.The article describes the isolation of a cowpox virus (CPXV) isolate originating from a horse. The skin of a foal, aborted in the third trimester, displayed numerous cutaneous papules. The histological examination showed A-type inclusion bodies within the lesion, typical for CPXV infections. This suspicion was confirmed by real-time PCR where various organs were analyzed. From skin samples, virus isolation was successfully performed. Afterwards, the whole genome of this new isolate "CPXV Amadeus" was sequenced by next-generation technology. Phylogenetic analysis clearly showed that "CPXV Amade...
Abad-Cobo A, Llorente F, Barbero MDC, Cruz-López F, Forés P, Jiménez-Clavero MÁ.West Nile fever/encephalitis (WNF) is an infectious disease affecting horses, birds and humans, with a cycle involving birds as natural reservoirs and mosquitoes as transmission vectors. It is a notifiable disease, re-emerging in Europe. In Spain, it first appeared in horses in the south (Andalusia) in 2010, where outbreaks occur every year since. However, in 2014, an outbreak was declared in horses in central Spain, approximately 200 km away from the closest foci in Andalusia. Before that, evidence of West Nile virus (WNV) circulation in central Spain had been obtained only from wildlife, bu...
Otzen H, Sieme H, Oldenhof H, Ertmer F, Kehr A, Rode K, Klose K, Rohn K, Schoon HA, Meinecke B.In this study, endometrosis and angiosclerosis in mares were studied. Endometrosis is a severe, progressive, and irreversible fibrotic condition that affects the endometrium, whereas angiosclerosis refers to thickening of vessel walls due to degenerative changes leading to reduced elasticity of the walls and lower perfusion. Histologic evaluations were performed on biopsies and compared with vascular features of the endometrial surface obtained via narrow-band imaging (NBI) hysteroscopy. First, it was determined if hysteroscopic evaluation of the endometrium using NBI resulted in a better visu...
Knych HK, Arthur RM, Steinmetz S, McKemie DS.Ketoprofen (KTP) is currently only available as an injectable formulation for intravenous administration to horses. The primary goal of the study reported here was to characterize the pharmacokinetics of KTP, including determination of bioavailability following oral administration of the currently available injectable formulation as well as a paste formulation. KTP was administered intravenously and orally, and blood and urine samples were collected at various time points up to 96 h. KTP enantiomer concentrations were determined using LC–MS/MS, and pharmacokinetic analyses were performed. Me...
Hoon-Hanks LL, Rout ED, Vap LM, Aboellail TA, Hassel DM, Nout-Lomas YS.A 20-year-old gelding was diagnosed with peritonitis and severe reactive mesothelial hyperplasia. Exploratory laparotomy findings were suggestive of a neoplastic etiology; however, additional diagnostics ruled this out and the horse made a full recovery. This report demonstrates the difficulty and value of differentiating between reactive and neoplastic mesothelial processes. Une péritonite et l’hyperplasie mésothéliale réactive grave ont été diagnostiquées chez un hongre âgé de 20 ans. Les résultats d’une laparatomie exploratoire ont suggéré une étiologie néoplasique. Cepen...
Orard M, Depecker M, Hue E, Pitel PH, Couroucé-Malblanc A, Richard EA.The aim of the study was to determine whether instillation of either 250 mL or 500 mL of saline for bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) would influence cytological confirmation of inflammatory airway disease (IAD). Thirty client-owned Standardbred racehorses were sampled via endoscopy with 250 mL of saline in one lung and 500 mL in the contralateral lung. The procedure was repeated 72 h later, reversing the volume per lung. The proportions of BAL fluid (BALF) recovered were significantly higher and neutrophil percentages significantly lower with the larger volume. A poor agreement was found between m...
Staiger EA, Tseng CT, Miller D, Cassano JM, Nasir L, Garrick D, Brooks SA, Antczak DF.The common equine skin tumors known as sarcoids have been causally associated with infection by bovine papillomavirus (BPV). Additionally, there is evidence for host genetic susceptibility to sarcoids. We investigated the genetic basis of susceptibility to sarcoid tumors on a cohort of 82 affected horses and 270 controls genotyped on a genome-wide platform and two custom panels. A Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) identified candidate regions on six chromosomes. Bayesian probability analysis of the same dataset verified only the regions on equine chromosomes (ECA) 20 and 22. Fine mapping us...
Siemieniuch MJ, Szóstek AZ, Gajos K, Kozdrowski R, Nowak M, Okuda K.Mares that fail to conceive or lose their embryos, without showing typical signs of clinical endometritis, should be suspected of subclinical endometritis (SE). In this study, the question was addressed: does SE fully activate selected mechanisms of innate immunity in mares? For this aim, expression of mRNAs for Toll-like Receptor 2 and 4 (TLR 2/4), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF) was examined in control mares versus either mares suffering from chronic endometritis (ChE) or subacute suppurative endometritis (SSE). The concentrations of IL-1β, ...
Tranquille CA, Murray RC, Parkin TD.Fractures of the lateral condyle of the third metacarpus (MC3) are a significant welfare concern in horseracing worldwide. Objective: The primary aim of this work was to identify magnetic resonance (MR) image-detectable prefracture markers that have the potential for use as a screening tool to identify horses at significant risk of catastrophic fracture. Methods: Case-control study of bone-level risk factors for fracture in racehorses. Methods: A total of 191 MC3s from horses, with and without lateral condylar fracture of MC3, were subjected to MR imaging. The depth of dense subchondral/trabec...
Fogle J, Jacob M, Blikslager A, Edwards A, Wagner B, Dean K, Fogle C.Clinically useful biomarkers are needed for early identification of endotoxaemic horses. Soluble CD14 (sCD14) is amplified early in response to inflammatory signals, including bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and may prove a useful biomarker for clinical endotoxaemia. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine if sCD14 could serve as a more reliable biomarker of the clinical signs of endotoxaemia, compared to measuring LPS alone. Methods: Prospective observational study in horses at a veterinary teaching hospital. Methods: Plasma samples were collected from 20 healthy horses and 35 h...
Caston SS, Cooper EE, Chandramani-Shivalingappa P, Sponseller BA, Hostetter JM, Sun Y.We investigated CD47 expression in cryopreserved sections of equine cutaneous masses and normal skin. CD47 is a cell surface protein expressed on many cell types and overexpressed in some tumors. Interaction of CD47 and signal regulatory protein-alpha (SIRPα) inhibits phagocytosis by macrophages. Formalin-fixed tissues from horses prospectively enrolled in the study were used to establish a histologic diagnosis. Immunohistochemical assays were performed on cryopreserved tissues using anti-CD47 antibodies or IgG control antibodies. CD47 was not expressed on equine normal skin but positivity to...
Noble GK, Li X, Zhang D, Sillence MN.Tryptophan (TRP) is marketed as a calmative for horses despite reservations about its efficacy. The aim of this study was to measure the effect of oral TRP administration on the reaction speed of horses. Sixty mature horses were used in a two stage randomised, blind, cross-over study, receiving a placebo and an oral dose of TRP (30, 60 or 120 mg/kg body weight), before undergoing a reaction speed test. Blood samples were taken up to 96 h after TRP administration, to identify signs of acute haemolytic anaemia. Plasma TRP concentrations were increased (P <0.001) by the administration of...
Dini P, Bogado Pascottini O, Ducheyne K, Hostens M, Daels P.In the present study, we examined the effect of holding equine oocytes in Syngro embryo holding medium (EHM) overnight at either 4 °C, 17 °C, or 22 °C to 25 °C, on the time to maturation and developmental competence. We also examined the effect of placing denuded oocyte without extruded polar body back in maturation condition on subsequent maturation rate. In experiment 1, cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were recovered postmortem and placed in EHM at 22 °C to 25 °C for 18 to 20 hours (OH) or placed directly in maturation (DM). The maturation rate was assessed after 22, 24, or 28 hou...
Chapman M, Thompson K.It has been suggested that one in five riders will be injured due to a fall from a horse, resulting in severe head or torso injuries. Attempts to reduce injury have primarily focussed on low level risk controls, such as helmets. In comparison, risk mitigation in high risk workplaces and sports is directed at more effective and preventative controls like training, consultation, safe work procedures, fit for purpose equipment and regular Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) monitoring. However, there has been no systematic consideration of the risk-reduction benefits of applying a WHS framework to ...
Staiger EA, Albright JD, Brooks SA.Temperament is a key criterion in the selection of horses for both leisure and competitive riding to ensure optimal performance and safety. The Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH) is described as a calm, docile breed and is often used as a trail, show and pleasure horse. However, among horse owners and caretakers, there are anecdotes supporting familial and disciplinal typical behaviors and personalities. To investigate the contribution of genetics to temperament, we collected a behavior questionnaire, brief training history and identifying information for 276 TWH, as well as blood or hair samples f...
Xin CR, Bai S, Qin ZJ, Gao JS, Lin ZQ, Cheng YB.To study the morphological characteristics of femurs of adult human and 11 kinds of adult animals from cattle, horses, pigs, goats, sheep, dogs, cats, rabbits, geese, ducks, chickens, and to establish an effective species identification method among various species. Methods: The 4 cm mid-diaphyseal segment of the femur from adult human (older than 20 years old) at autopsy was obtained. Addi-tionally, the 4 cm ones from 11 kinds of adult animals were obtained. After decalcification, all femurs were made into slices, and then were observed by optical microscope. The 25 indexes were selected and ...
Dixon J, Biggi M, O'Brien EJ, Farr R, Witte TH.An 8-year-old gelding was evaluated for intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) at exercise. Standing laterolateral radiographs demonstrated an abnormal crossed appearance of the stylohyoid bones. Computed tomography (CT) confirmed abnormal positioning of the left stylohyoid bone and articulations with both the left thyrohyoid and ceratohyoid bones. Surgical treatment consisted of combined left ceratohyoidectomy and thyrohyoidectomy. Postoperatively the patient's presenting complaint resolved completely, with the horse returning to full work. Standing laterolateral radiograp...
Salciccia A, Grulke S, de la Rebière de Pouyade G, Franck T, Detilleux J, Serteyn D, Sandersen C.To determine changes in blood granulocyte counts and in plasma myeloperoxidase (MPO) and elastase (ELT) concentrations in surgical colic cases, and to determine the relationship between these changes and the surgical procedure performed, occurrence of postoperative ileus, and final outcome. Methods: Prospective clinical study conducted over a 12-month period. Methods: University teaching hospital. Methods: Fifty-three horses undergoing emergency laparotomy and surviving at least 12 hours postoperatively. Methods: Blood samples were taken before surgery, during surgery, at the recovery from ane...
Staiger EA, Abri MA, Silva CA, Brooks SA.Following domestication, man selected the horse primarily for the purpose of transportation rather than consumption; this selective strategy created divergent traits for locomotion. At intermediate speeds, beyond the flat walk, the horse can perform a range of diagonal and lateral 2-beat or 4-beat gait patterns. The Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH) is the only U.S. breed able to perform an even-timed 4-beat gait (the "running-walk") at intermediate speeds; however, within the breed, there is remaining variation in gait type. To investigate the contribution of genetics to this unique trait, blood ...
Holcomb KE, Stull CL.The Federation of Animal Science Societies (FASS) recommends providing access to shade for horses in hot, sunny weather at equine facilities. Previously, we found that healthy, mature domestic horses use shade with behavioral and physiological benefits during those weather conditions. The objective of this study was to characterize preference, frequency, and duration of shade use by healthy, mature horses in a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holding facility during hot, sunny weather. The study took place at the BLM's Palomino Valley Wild Horse and Burro Center in Reno, NV, from Aug. 10 to Oct...
Fenner K, Yoon S, White P, Starling M, McGreevy P.Restrictive nosebands are common in equestrian sport. This is concerning, as recent evidence suggests that very tight nosebands can cause a physiological stress response, and may compromise welfare. The objective of the current study was to investigate relationships that noseband tightness has with oral behavior and with physiological changes that indicate a stress response, such as increases in eye temperature (measured with infrared thermography) and heart rate and decreases in heart rate variability (HRV). Horses (n = 12) wearing a double bridle and crank noseband, as is common in dressage ...
Younes M, Robert C, Barrey E, Cottin F.Although cardiac recovery is an important criterion for ranking horses in endurance competitions, heart rate variability (HRV) has hardly ever been studied in the context of this equestrian discipline. In the present study, we sought to determine whether HRV is affected by parameters such as age, exercise duration and test site. Accordingly, HRV might be used to select endurance horses with the fastest cardiac recovery. The main objective of the present study was to determine the effects of age, exercise duration, and test site on HRV variables at rest and during exercise and recovery in young...
Salem SE, Scantlebury CE, Ezzat E, Abdelaal AM, Archer DC.Colic is an important health problem in managed horse populations. Currently, there is limited information about colic prevalence and risk factors for colic in working horse populations. Objective: To determine the prevalence of, and risk factors for, colic in a working horse population in Egypt and to describe management practices in this working horse population. Methods: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: Owners of 350 working horses were interviewed. Data about their horses, management and colic episodes in the preceding 12 months were collected. Dental examination was conducted on 342 horse...
Hopster K, Jacobson B, Hopster-Iversen C, Rohn K, Kästner SBR.Inappropriate mechanical ventilation can lead to ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). Aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of inhalation anaesthesia and ventilation with and without recruitment (RM) and PEEP titration on alveolar integrity in horses. Twenty-three horses were divided into 4 groups (group OLC ventilated with OLC, group IPPV ventilated with intermittent positive pressure ventilation, group NV non-ventilated, and group C non-anaesthetized control group). After sedation with xylazine and induction with diazepam and ketamine anaesthetized horses were under isoflurane anae...
Forty seven working horses from Romania were post-mortem examined for small strongyles (Cyathostominae) infections. All horses were found infected. The overall cyathostomins intensity ranged from 390 to 13,010 and horses were infected by 8-24 species. The intensity was higher in ventral colon (1531) and dorsal colon (824), the lowest in the caecum (524). Twenty four species were identified. Cyathostomum catinatum, Cylicocyclus insigne, and C. Nassatus had 100% of prevalence. Over 50% of horses were infected by Coronocyclus coronatus, Cylicostephanus calicatus, C. goldi, and C. longibursatus. O...
Schork IG, de Azevedo CS, Young RJ.An animal's welfare depends on an individual's capacity to adapt to the environment in which it lives. This adaptation is directly associated with the quality of the environment and to the possibility of expressing natural behaviours. Horses kept in stables often display a range of abnormal behaviours related to lack of control over their environment, which can lead to behavioural and health problems. An individual's personality also plays an important role in its susceptibility and resilience to the development of diseases and abnormal behaviour; thus, an evaluation of horses' personalities c...
Verma RD, Sharma JK, Venkateswaran KS, Batra HV.A dot enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (dot ELISA) was developed for diagnosis of glanders in equines. The test was based on the detection of IgG antibodies to Pseudomonas mallei antigens bound to nitrocellulose coated on plastic strips (dipsticks), the reaction being amplified by an avidin-biotin system with biotinylated anti-horse IgG and horseradish peroxidase-avidin D. Sera from 810 normal, six naturally infected and 48 sensitized equines were tested by this assay, and results were compared with complement fixation, indirect haemagglutination and counter-immunoelectrophoresis tests. Dot E...
Zhang Z, Gao X, Dong W, Huang B, Wang Y, Zhu M, Wang C.Equines and ruminants have evolved as grazing herbivores with specialized gastrointestinal tracts capable of utilizing a wide range of fibrous feeds. In China, agricultural by-products, including corn straw, wheat straw, peanut vine, wheat husk, rice husk, and grass hay, have been extensively included in both equine and ruminant diets. These plant materials, which are composed predominantly of cellulose, hemicellulose, noncellulosic polysaccharides, and lignin, are largely undegradable by equines and ruminants themselves. Their breakdown is accomplished by communities of resident microorganism...
Wilderjans H, Meulyzer M, Simon O.To describe a standing laparoscopic peritoneal flap hernioplasty (PFH) technique for closure of the vaginal ring, and to evaluate its effect on prevention of recurrent herniation in stallions, previously treated for acquired strangulating inguinal hernia (SIH). Methods: Case series. Methods: Stallions (n = 30) aged 3-15 that had previous acquired SIH. Methods: Bilateral standing laparoscopic PFH was performed on 30 stallions that had previous acquired SIH treated without castration. The vaginal rings were approached from 3 portals, 2 in the paralumbar fossa and a 3rd between the 17th and 18th ...
Frazer GS, Perkins NR, Blanchard TL, Orsini J, Threlfall WR.A retrospective investigation was performed to determine the population characteristics of horses presented for dystocia at 2 equine referral hospitals and the types of fetal maldispositions among these horses. The study population consisted of a similar number of Thoroughbreds (25%), Standardbreds (24%) and draft horses (22%). Most of the current literature pertaining to equine obstetrics is based on a predominately draft horse population (63%). The latter population appeared to have more transverse presentations (P = 0.06), possibly because of the higher number of draft mares. In our study, ...
Marti E, Urwyler A, Neuenschwander M, Eicher R, Meier D, de Weck AL, Gerber H, Lazary S, Dahinden CA.Sulfidoleukotrienes (sLT) generated in vitro after incubation of equine peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) with different inducing agents were determined in 18 healthy and 16 insect bite dermal hypersensitivity (IDH)-affected horses. PBL from these 32 horses were stimulated with Concanavalin A, Parascaris equorum, Culicoides nubeculosus and Simulium extracts, and with a six-Grass mix. The cells of all but four horses generated sLT after incubation with Concanavalin A; these four horses did also not produce sLT with the other inducing agents. Of the 28 remaining horses (12 affected with IDH and ...
Harris PA.Equine feeding and stable management practices for horses kept in the UK vary greatly and it is probable that almost any permutation of regimen could be found somewhere. Unfortunately, there is uncertainty about the number of horses in the UK and very limited data are available on the ways horses are being fed and managed. This paper reviews some of the information that is available and provides an outline of some of the factors influencing the practices used. To a certain extent, the way UK horses are fed and managed primarily reflects the purpose for which they are kept (e.g. racing Thorough...
Cohen ND, Carter GK, Mealey RH, Taylor TS.Right dorsal colitis in horses has been associated with administration of phenylbutazone. Although reports of right dorsal colitis in this species have described surgical treatment associated with a poor prognosis, we have had success treating this condition medically. This report describes 5 horses with right dorsal colitis confirmed during celiotomy that were initially managed medically. All horses had a history of intermittent abdominal pain; weight loss was noted in only 1 horse. The doses (2.0 to 4.6 mg/kg PO bid) and duration (5 to 30 days) of administration of phenylbutazone were not un...
Regatieri IC, Eberth JE, Sarver F, Lear TL, Bailey E.Horse owners choose whether or not to train American Saddlebred horses (ASHs) to perform the 4-beat gaits called rack and slow gait. The rack and slow gait are similar to ambling gaits shown to be associated with variation in the DMRT3 gene in other breeds but are trained rather than naturally occurring gaits. A premature stop codon in the DMRT3 gene (DMRT3_Ser301STOP) caused by the Ch23:g.22999655C>A SNP has an effect on the pattern of locomotion in horses and allows for the pacing gait and strong association with performance of ambling gaits in diverse breeds. We used horse show records to i...
Effa K, Rosenbom S, Han J, Dessie T, Beja-Pereira A.Matrilineal genetic diversity and relationship were investigated among eight morphologically identified native Ethiopian horse populations using polymorphisms in 46 mtDNA D-loop sequences (454 base pairs). The horse populations identified were Abyssinian, Bale, Borana, Horro, Kafa, Kundido feral horses, Ogaden and Selale. Mitochondrial DNA D-loop sequences were characterized by 15 variable sites that defined five different haplotypes. All genetic diversity estimates, including Reynolds' linearized genetic distance, genetic differentiation () and nucleotide sequence divergence (), revealed a lo...
Dukti SA, Perkins S, Murphy J, Barr B, Boston R, Southwood LL, Bernard W.Prevalence of gastric ulcerations differs widely according to breed and circumstances of management. Further study of the biological variables involved is required in order to identify more exactly the reasons for the reported range. Objective: The objectives of this present study, which do not appear to have been addressed previously in the literature, were 1) the prevalence of gastric ulceration in horses with abdominal pain. 2) difference in prevalence in horses responding to medical therapy and those requiring surgical intervention. 3) whether gastric ulceration is associated with any part...
Rouse BT, Ingram DG.Thirty-six samples of colostrum and milk were collected from ponies at various intervals after parturition. Levels of total protein and immunoglobulins IgG and IgG(T) were determined. In samples collected in the first 3 hours , the total protein concentration was approximately twice that of serum protein and the immunoglobulins IgG and IgG(T) accounted for 30 per cent and 10 per cent respectively of this protein. The ratio of IgG to IgG(T) was similar to that in serum. After suckling, a marked decline in both total protein and immunoglobulin concentration occurred. In addition, the relative co...
Herrler A, Pell JM, Allen WR, Beier HM, Stewart F.Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) promotes early embryonic development in several species. In the rabbit, IGF-I binds to the embryonic coats from Day 3 of development onward by a 38-kDa protein that is probably insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 (IGFBP3). In the present study, ligand, Western, and Northern blot analyses were used to demonstrate the presence of IGF-I-binding activity, several immunoreactive IGFBP3 proteins, and IGFBP3 mRNA in horse conceptuses with particularly large amounts of immunoreactive IGFBP3 in the conceptus capsule. In addition, immunoprecipitation of radi...
Edwards RA, Hermans H, Veraa S.Headshaking is a common problem in horses. The etiology is unknown but thought to involve sensory input from branches of the trigeminal nerve, some of which are within the infraorbital canal. The objective of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to describe the CT anatomy and variations of the infraorbital canal in horses with local disease processes and normal horses, and to examine associations between those findings and headshaking. Computed tomography scans were reviewed and morphological changes of the infraorbital canal were described. Presence of changes was then tested for asso...
Acosta TJ, Gastal EL, Gastal MO, Beg MA, Ginther OJ.Diameter deviation during a follicular wave is characterized by the continued growth of the developing dominant follicle and reduced growth and regression of the subordinate follicles. This study considered the hypothesis that reduced blood flow in the future largest subordinate follicle precedes the beginning of diameter deviation. The hypothesis was tested by quantifying the daily changes in blood-flow velocities and blood-flow area within the wall of follicles before and during diameter deviation in mares (n = 7). The blood-flow end points were quantified daily by transrectal color Doppler ...
Olsén L, Ingvast-Larsson C, Larsson P, Broström H, Bondesson U, Sundqvist M, Tjälve H.The pharmacokinetics and the effects on inhibition of histamine-induced cutaneous wheal formation of the histamine H1-antagonist fexofenadine were studied in horse. The effect of ivermectin pretreatment on the pharmacokinetics of fexofenadine was also examined. After intravenous infusion of fexofenadine at 0.7 mg/kg bw the mean terminal half-life was 2.4 h (range: 2.0-2.7 h), the apparent volume of distribution 0.8 L/kg (0.5-0.9 L/kg), and the total body clearance 0.8 L/h/kg (0.6-1.2 L/h/kg). After oral administration of fexofenadine at 10 mg/kg bw bioavailability was 2.6% (1.9-2.9%). Ivermect...
Sentsui H, Kono Y.Horse erythrocytes treated with equine infectious anemia virus hemagglutinin were found to be lysed after incubation with fresh horse serum at 37 degrees C. Fresh guinea pig serum induced more efficient hemolysis than horse serum. Direct immunofluorescence test revealed the adsorption of complement factors on the surface of the erythrocytes. Calcium and magnesium ions were necessary for the hemolysis to take place. Antibody against equine infectious anemia virus enhanced the virus-induced complement-mediated hemolysis. These observations indicated that the classical pathway of complement activ...
Gray ME.Infanticide by adult males occurs in a variety of species. While infanticidal attacks have been documented in several equid species in captivity, it has never been witnessed in free-roaming feral horses. I report an infanticide attempt by a free-living feral stallion on a recently born female foal. The stallion picked up the foal by the shoulders, tossed it around twice and bit in on the neck several times. The dam of the foal charged the stallion and successfully protected her foal from additional attacks. The foal survived the attack and later weaned successfully. The stallion recently took ...
House C, Mikiciuk PE, Berninger ML.Five serological methods of diagnosing African horse sickness were evaluated, using a battery of serum samples from experimental horses vaccinated and challenged with each serotype of African horse sickness virus (AHSV1 through AHSV9): agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID), indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA), complement fixation (CF), virus neutralization (VN), and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The 5 tests were also compared using a panel of field samples, convalescent equine sera with antibodies to domestic equine viral diseases, and sera from horses awaiting export. The ELISA describ...
Mejdell CM, Jørgensen GH, Rehn T, Fremstad K, Keeling L, Bøe KE.The risk of injuries is of major concern when keeping horses in groups and there is a need for a system to record external injuries in a standardised and simple way. The objective of this study, therefore, was to develop and validate a system for injury recording in horses and to test its reliability and feasibility under field conditions. Methods: Injuries were classified into five categories according to severity. The scoring system was tested for intra- and inter-observer agreement as well as agreement with a 'golden standard' (diagnosis established by a veterinarian). The scoring was done ...
Mortensen CJ, Choi YH, Ing NH, Kraemer DC, Vogelsang MM, Hinrichs K.Heat above homeothermy can be detrimental to embryonic development, and cells may produce heat shock proteins to try to mitigate these effects. The authors examined the developmental competence of equine oocytes after a single heat exposure (42 degrees C, 2 or 4 h) during early or late stages of in vitro maturation. Rates of nuclear maturation, cleavage after intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and advanced embryonic development (morula or blastocyst) were compared to those for unexposed controls. Concentrations of heat shock protein 70 (HSPA1A) mRNA were determined by real-time RT-PCR in result...
Adolph S, Schedlbauer C, Blaue D, Schöniger A, Gittel C, Brehm W, Fuhrmann H, Vervuert I.Fatty acids, as key components of cellular membranes and complex lipids, may play a central role in endocrine signalling and the function of adipose tissue and liver. Thus, the lipid fatty acid composition may play a role in health status in the equine. This study aimed to investigate the fatty acid composition of different tissues and liver lipid classes by comparing Warmblood horses and Shetland ponies under defined conditions. We hypothesized that ponies show different lipid patterns than horses in adipose tissue, liver and plasma. Six Warmblood horses and six Shetland ponies were housed an...
Diel de Amorim M, Montanholi Y, Morrison M, Lopez Rodriguez M, Card C.The ability to predict impending foaling is invaluable, as attending foaling improves mare and foal outcome during parturition; therefore, a comparison of foaling prediction technologies is warranted. The purpose of this study was to compare technologies to predict foaling. Forty Standardbred mares were monitored daily for parturition. Prefoaling mammary secretion was collected daily and evaluated using a: calcium titration method (Ca titration), calcium and magnesium strip (Ca and Mg), handheld digital pH device (pH digital), pH strip, and refractometer (Brix). In addition, a birth monitoring...
Moreno SA, Concepción JL, Nava M, Molinari J.In Venezuela, horses are indispensable for extensive cattle raising, and extensive cattle raising prevails in all regions. This determines the numerical relationship between horses and cattle (r = 0.93) to be relatively constant nationwide. At regional level, the average extension of cattle ranches varies greatly. However, in relation to the area covered by pastures, the numbers of horses (r = 0.95) and cattle (r = 0.93) are relatively uniform nationwide. Water buffalo occupy small fractions of the territory; therefore, their numbers are related to the area of pastures less strongl...
Prange T, Carr EA, Stick JA, Garcia-Pereira FL, Patterson JS, Derksen FJ.A 3-year-old Thoroughbred gelding presented with a history of neurological signs, including incoordination in his hindlimbs, of about 7 months' duration. On initial examination, the horse exhibited ataxia and paresis in all limbs with more severe deficits in the hindlimbs. Cervical radiographs displayed severe osteoarthritis of the articular processes between C5 and C6. On subsequent cervical myelography the dorsal contrast column was reduced by 90% at the level of the intervertebral space between C5 and C6. Cervical vertebral canal endoscopy, including epidural (epiduroscopy) and subarachnoid...
Zholobenko A, Mouithys-Mickalad A, Modriansky M, Serteyn D, Franck T.A recent study showed that silymarin, a standardized extract of S. marianum might be used in the prevention of equine laminitis. We investigated the effects of quercetin and some compounds found in silymarin (silybin, taxifolin and dehydrosilybin) on reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and myeloperoxidase (MPO) release by stimulated equine neutrophils (PMNs) and on MPO activity. All compounds (tested between 100 nm and 100 μm) inhibited superoxide anion production by stimulated PMNs in a dose-dependent manner. Dehydrosilybin and quercetin inhibited superoxide production and MPO release...
Brehm W, Burk J, Delling U.Stem cells in the form of mesenchymal stromal cells derived from various sources have been identified to have the potential of supporting the therapy of joint disease in the horse, and preliminary data has been published about the clinical application of stem cells in horses suffering from clinical joint disease. Furthermore, the horse is recognized to be the ideal large animal model for the preclinical study of cell therapy in joints. The advantage of this species in this respect is the size of the joints, which makes surgical applications practically feasible in analogy to human surgery. Add...
Cooke CG, Gibb Z, Harnett JE.Probiotic bacteria are used widely as nutritional supplements and treatment interventions in the management of livestock and companion animals. The aim of this review is to summarize the current evidence reporting on the safety, tolerability and efficacy of probiotic bacteria use in horses. An online search of five databases for studies reporting on the use of probiotic bacteria use in horses which were either healthy or had a gastrointestinal or extraintestinal disease was conducted. A total of 18 articles were eligible for full review. No clear benefits were identified to support supplementa...
Tomberg C, Petagna M, de Selliers de Moranville LA.Facial micro-expressions are facial expressions expressed briefly (less than 500 ms) and involuntarily. Described only in humans, we investigated whether micro-expressions could also be expressed by non-human animal species. Using the Equine Facial action coding system (EquiFACS), an objective tool based on facial muscles actions, we demonstrated that a non-human species, Equus caballus, is expressing facial micro-expressions in a social context. The AU17, AD38 and AD1 were selectively modulated as micro-expression-but not as standard facial expression (all durations included)-in presence of ...
