"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.
Marques GF, Moorman VJ, Ellis KL, Perlini M, Edwards VL.To describe the long-term outcome of a horse that underwent a standing, ultrasound-guided, minimally invasive, biceps brachii tenotomy. Methods: Case report. Methods: A 17-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse gelding. Methods: The horse had a chronic, severe, lameness localized to the left shoulder region. Diagnostic imaging revealed fractures of the intermediate and lesser tubercles of the left humerus, biceps brachii (BB) tendinopathy, and bicipital bursitis. Conservative management was attempted, but lack of improvement prompted surgical intervention. An ultrasound-guided, minimally invasive, B...
Baxley BH, Stellato A, Anderson NC.Horses involved in equine-assisted services (EAS) support the psychological and physiological health of individuals through mounted activities; however, limited research exists on how these sessions affect the horse's movement. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the influence of rider presence and posture on horses' gait parameters in EAS settings. Methods: Horses (n = 22) were observed during walk and trot, both with and without a mounted rider, in four EAS centers in the United States. Distal limb-mounted inertial measurement units collected peak ground reaction force (pGRF), stride ...
Raïsky C, Vives BM, Leduc L, Symoens A, Tavanaeimanesh H, Richard H, Juette T, Bédard C, Leclère M.Steaming hay reduces respirable particles and is commonly used to feed horses with asthma. However, it showed inconsistent benefits in clinical studies. Objective: (1) To assess the effects of steamed hay on lung function and airway inflammation in horses with severe equine asthma (SEA) in remission; (2) To compare these effects with a dry hay diet. Methods: Cross-over in vivo experiment. Methods: Horses were fed steamed and dry hay for 4 weeks in a prospective, cross-over study, with a 4-week washout period. Lung function, bronchoalveolar lavage (BALF) cytology, and a 23-point weighted clin...
Buschmann E, Van Steenkiste G, Bulckens H, Schauvliege S, Decloedt A, van Loon G.Frequent premature atrial complexes (PACs) can increase the risk of atrial fibrillation or atrial tachycardia, and pharmacological therapy can be challenging. Objective: To report the use of three-dimensional electro-anatomical mapping of PAC originating from the right atrial free wall and treatment by radiofrequency ablation in three horses. Methods: Retrospective case report. Methods: Frequent premature atrial complexes (PACs) were diagnosed in three horses. Twelve-lead ECG and vectorcardiography suggested an origin in the right lateral free wall in two horses and the caudal right atrium in ...
O'Brien C, Simon O, Franklin SH, Ferlini Agne G, Weaver S, Raidal SL.Physical restraint of horses for veterinary procedures is necessary to allow completion of tasks effectively and without injury to patient or personnel. Objective: To compare physiological effects and behavioural responses to four commonly used restraint techniques for upper respiratory tract (URT) endoscopy in unsedated horses. Methods: Blocked and randomised interventional study. Methods: Twelve university owned teaching horses were blocked into groups of four and randomly allocated to one of four restraint methods (nose twitch, ear hold, Stableizer® and nil restraint) for URT endoscopy. Ho...
Janicek JC, Grant BD, Woodie JB, Reed SM, Mariën T, Anderson J.To describe the surgical approach used in horses undergoing C7-T1 ventral interbody fusion using a kerf cut cylinder (KCC) implant and report the short- and long-term outcomes. Methods: Observational retrospective study. Methods: A total of 38 client-owned horses. Methods: Medical records of horses that underwent ventral interbody fusion because of C7-T1 cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy from 2004 to 2024 were reviewed. Preoperative variables included age, sex, breed, and affected site(s). Surgical variables included types of KCC used, intraoperative complications, and anesthesia related ...
Bozzola C, Sala G, Stancari G, Ferrucci F, Zucca E.Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH) results from alveolar capillary stress failure after strenuous exercise, leading to bleeding and pulmonary inflammation. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology is considered the gold standard for the assessment of airway inflammation; however, it is often considered more invasive compared to tracheal wash (TW). It has been demonstrated that TW is a reliable diagnostic tool that may substitute BALF to diagnose and grade the severity of EIPH in racehorses; however, no information about airway inflammation in EIPH-affected horses has been reporte...
Gutierrez SO, Garcia-Lopez JM, Chope KB, Levine DG, Ortved K, Brown KA.To describe the clinical and ultrasonographic findings in horses with desmopathy of the abaxial palmar/plantar ligament (APL) of the proximal interphalangeal joint and the prevalence of concurrent musculoskeletal injuries in the pastern and foot. Unassigned: Horses presenting to New Bolton Center between March 2017 and November 2022 with an age ranging from 5 to 20 years that underwent lameness evaluation in which lameness was localized to the distal limb and had an ultrasonographic diagnosis of APL desmopathy. Unassigned: Horses included were those that (1) presented for a lameness examinatio...
Whitlock F, Newton R, King S, Ionescu AM, Higgins S.With the geographical distribution of West Nile virus expanding, there is growing concern about the potential for an incursion to the UK. Here, Fleur Whitlock, Richard Newton, Simon King, Andra-Maria Ionescu and Sara Higgins provide a timely reminder of key aspects of the virus' biology.
Paksoy Y, Ural K, Erdoğan H, Erdoğan S, Paşa S.The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the relaxation, stress reduction and behavioral changes observed after manual therapy applied to horses exposed to racing and physical training stimulus. This descriptive approach is aimed at veterinary clinicians to evaluate the therapy process more effectively with behavioral feedback. For this purpose, the study was conducted in two different equestrian clubs in Adana (Adana Mediterranean and Suvari Equestrian Clubs) between 2023 and 2024. A total of 32 racehorses (16 Thoroughbred, 16 Arabian; 16 female, 16 male) of different ages, genders and bre...
Plotsker NM, Taylor R, Coffin HR, Beatty A, Newbold G, Knickelbein KE.To describe the clinical and histologic features of a sarcoid arising from the medial caruncle with spread to the third eyelid of a horse. Methods: A 20-year-old Quarter Horse gelding. Methods: An incisional biopsy of the medial caruncle mass was initially performed, with histopathology suggesting a sarcoid or other spindle cell neoplasm. The mass grew rapidly following the biopsy, expanding to affect the third eyelid and adjacent superior palpebral conjunctiva. A complete third eyelid and medial caruncle excision with resection of affected palpebral conjunctiva and adjunctive cryotherapy was ...
Lamanna M, Buonaiuto G, Colleluori R, Raspa F, Valle E, Cavallini D.The time-activity budget is a key indicator of animal welfare. This meta-analysis integrated 14 studies (1979-2020) with 364 horses under wild, natural-living, and stabled conditions to evaluate feeding, resting, standing, and locomotion. Objective: The study aimed to categorize daily behavioural patterns in equines, with emphasis on feeding behaviour. Methods: Fixed and random effects models, forest plots, and ANOVA assessed the influence of management, sociality, sex, age, body size, and feeding type. Results: Feeding was greater in free-ranging (56 %) than stabled horses (38 %; p < 0.0001),...
Dong-Ha L, Eun-Bee L, Jong-Pil S, Eun-Ju K.Despite routine vaccination, equine influenza outbreaks occur due to disparities of virus strains between vaccine and field, and immunity gaps between vaccinations. Objective: To evaluate whether a combination of adjuvants can enhance immune responses to equine influenza virus (EIV) vaccines. Methods: In vivo experimental study. Methods: Eight mixed-breed horses were immunised intramuscularly with a recombinant canarypox-based EIV vaccine, either alone or in combination with monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C). A single vaccine dose was administered, and...
Muñoz AM, Cribb N.Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgical techniques are desirable in horses and other equids. A new approach called "modified single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) for equine cryptorchidectomy" is described, along with the postoperative outcomes of 10 equids. A SILS Port device (Covidien) was placed a 30- to 40-millimeter incision in combination with 1 or 2 15-millimeter para-inguinal incisions to exteriorize the intra-abdominal testicles. Ten animals, 2 bilateral abdominal cryptorchid horses and 8 unilateral abdominal cryptorchid equids, underwent cryptorchidectomy using the SILS tech...
Steensma MJ, Ducro BJ, Dibbits B, Doekes HP, van Schipstal JGC, Kalblfleisch T, Groenen MAM, Derks MFL.In horses, genetic diversity is predominantly observed between breeds, with little variation within breeds. The studbooks of the two largest horse populations in the Netherlands, the Dutch Warmblood horse and Friesian horse population, have ongoing conservation projects including collecting large-scale genotype and sequence data. The current reference genome, derived from a Thoroughbred horse can lead to bias in genetic analyses of other horse breeds. Therefore, the aim of this study was to create high-quality breed-specific reference genomes of Dutch Warmblood and Friesian horses. We performe...
Bacon EK, Parnell D, Muscatello G, McElroy J, Velie BD.The ongoing discussion surrounding the well-being of retired racehorses underscores the importance of implementing effective rehoming strategies that prioritise animal welfare. A significant knowledge gap persists regarding whether a horse's success in racing can be used to reliably predict its performance in different equestrian sports upon retirement from racing. Objective: To examine the association between racehorse performance metrics and eventing metrics in off-the-track Thoroughbreds that compete in eventing within Australia. Methods: Racing metrics and eventing metrics for a sample of ...
Luthersson N, Harris PA, Parkin T, Þorgrímsdóttir ÚÝ, Bennet ED.It is unknown whether the high prevalence of Equine Squamous (ESGD) and Equine Glandular (EGGD) Gastric Disease in extensively grazed Icelandic horses in the autumn/winter is seasonally driven. Objective: To determine the prevalence of, and risk factors for, gastroscopically significant ESGD (ESGD:score of ≥2/4); gastroscopically severe ESGD (ESGD:score of ≥3/4) and gastroscopically significant EGGD (EGGD:score of ≥1/2) in extensively pasture-managed Icelandic horses at four timepoints. Methods: Prospective longitudinal cohort. Methods: Gastroscopy was undertaken in 80 Icelandic horses (...
Silva GLS, Curcio UA, Boufleur JA, Borges DGL, Nakatani MTM, Freitas MG, Borges FA, Faria FJC, Silva RHP, Franco GL.Anthelmintic resistance has led to the use of organic extracts as alternative methods of parasite control. Objective: The study aimed to assess the effects of Acacia mearnsii extract (tannin) on the control of cyathostomins in horses, both in vitro and in vivo. Methods: Thirty Pantaneiro horses naturally infected with cyathostomins were sourced from two distinct farms, designated as Farms A and B. At the start of the study, all third-stage larvae were cyathostomins, and an egg hatchability test (EHT) was performed using fecal samples from horses on both farms. Two randomized 28-day field studi...
Migliorisi A, Nottle B, Smanik LE, Nout-Lomas YS, Hassel DM.To (1) compare total nucleated cell count (TNCC) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) at admission between horses with medically managed, large intestinal (LI) and small intestinal (SI) surgical colic; (2) compare TNCC and NLR between survivors and nonsurvivors; and (3) investigate associations between TNCC, NLR, surgical intervention, and outcome. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: Single, academic institution. Methods: A total of 341 adult horses diagnosed with noninfectious medical or surgical colic. Results: Admission TNCC did not differ between the medical and combined surgical gro...
Frontiers in geneticsAugust 29, 2025
Volume 16 1651628 doi: 10.3389/fgene.2025.1651628
Su Y, Ren W, Ma S, Meng J, Yao X, Zeng Y, Li Z, Li L, Wang R, Wang J.This study employed Yili horses participating in a 5000-meter race as a model to investigate exercise-induced gene expression alterations in peripheral blood using whole transcriptome sequencing. Jugular vein blood samples from the three leading horses were collected pre- and immediately post-race, yielding 2,171 differentially expressed mRNAs (2,080 upregulated, 91 downregulated), 4,375 differentially expressed LncRNAs (4,354 upregulated), and 68 differentially expressed circRNAs (64 upregulated). GO/KEGG analyses demonstrated significant enrichment of differential mRNAs in transmembrane tran...
Dos Santos Gomes V, Dos Santos Marques JV, da Silva GN, Marmett B, Dallegrave E.The inhalation of pollutants from fossil fuel combustion increases oxidative stress and may cause genotoxic damage, a risk heightened during physical exercise due to increased respiratory rates. This concern extends to equines engaged in intense activities like show jumping. Antioxidant supplementation with vitamin E and selenium may mitigate oxidative stress induced by exercise in polluted environments. This study evaluated the effects of oral supplementation on show jumping horses subjected to physical exertion in urban (n = 10) and peri-urban (n = 10) areas with varying pollution le...
Marlin D, Randell O, Mayhew E, Blake R.The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of girth design and girth tension; six horses regularly ridden were used. Each horse underwent four experimental sessions in an unbalanced Latin-square design with two girth tensions (8 kg or 16 kg) and two girth designs (straight girth (S) or anatomical girth (A)). Pressure between the saddle and the horse was measured at 100 Hz with a pressure mat (0.5 sensels per cm). Notably, 2D limb kinematics were determined from anatomical markers placed on the fore and hindlimbs. Video was collected at 240 fps. There was no significant effect of girth...
Zhang Z, Li J, Mai Z, Yang Y, Fu H, Cao X, Li T, Guo Q, Ma Y.The incidence of sports injuries in horses is increasing, thus accurate assessment, diagnosis, and treatment are critical. Among common sports-related injuries, proximal sesamoid bone fractures (PSBFs) are one of the most frequent types. To investigate the effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) on imaging and hematological parameters of PSBFs, providing a clinical reference for the diagnosis and treatment of PSBFs in racehorses. After clinical diagnosis and radiographic examination confirmed the disease and its location, the affected horses were randomly divided into two groups: th...
Şahinkesen İ, Bilge-Dağalp S.Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) and Equine herpesvirus 4 (EHV-4) are major viral pathogens of horses that contribute to respiratory disease, abortion, and neurological disorders, leading to economic losses in the equine industry. Accurate serological diagnosis is critical for disease surveillance and control. This study aimed to develop and validate an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting antibodies against EHV-1 and EHV-4 in horse sera. Serum samples previously confirmed by virus neutralization test (VNT) and a commercial ELISA were used to optimize the assay. Cut-off...
Shimizu Y, Sugai-Bannai M, Tanabe H, Saito K, Ito H, Tokushige H, Kamiya K, Hirano-Kodaira M, Yamada M, Leung GN.Somapacitan is the second generation of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) medication that retains the pharmacological effects of rhGH but exhibits a longer duration of action due to its reversible albumin-binding in the body. In general, the use of all recombinant growth hormone (rGH) analogues is banned by the human and animal sports regulatory authorities due to their anabolic and lipolytic effects. However, little is known about the elimination kinetics and biological effects of the newly introduced long-acting rhGH, somapacitan, in horses. This paper describes the administration stud...
Carroll AT, Reed RA, Berghaus LJ, McNabney D, Knych HK.To investigate the effect of cannabidiol (CBD) on thermal and mechanical thresholds and physiologic variables in horses. Unassigned: 6 horses (3 geldings and 3 mares) were enrolled in a prospective, randomized, masked crossover design from March 18 through May 3, 2025. Horses received 3.48 mg/kg CBD oil or placebo (sesame oil) orally every 24 hours for 3 days. Thermal and mechanical thresholds were determined at baseline and 4 and 12 hours after treatment administration on each day. Physiologic variables, including heart rate, respiratory rate, and rectal temperature, were recorded at the same...
Lieberth S, Thieme K, Dancker C, Merle R, Eule JC.Retrobulbar anaesthesia (RBA) is relevant for ocular surgery in standing sedated horses. Objective: Gathering insights on experiences with RBA techniques. Methods: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: An online survey collected information on the respondents' professional background, indications, injection methods, use of ultrasound assistance, medication, and complications associated with RBA in horses. Results: Two-hundred and thirty-eight veterinarians from 25 countries contributed. 86.1% were members of veterinary specialty colleges. RBA indications were enucleation (97.8%), corneal surgery (2...
Komar N, Clark GG.West Nile virus (Flavivirus: Flaviviridae; WNV) has spread rapidly throughout the Caribbean Basin since its initial detection there in 2001. This report summarizes our current knowledge of WNV transmission in tropical America. Methods: We reviewed the published literature and consulted with key public health officials to obtain unpublished data. Results: West Nile virus infections first appeared in human residents of the Cayman Islands and the Florida Keys in 2001, and in apparently healthy Jamaican birds sampled early in 2002. Serologic evidence of WNV infection in 2002 was detected in horses...
Frisbie DD, Kawcak CE, Werpy NM, Park RD, McIlwraith CW.To assess the clinical, biochemical, and histologic effects of intra-articular administration of autologous conditioned serum (ACS) in the treatment of experimentally induced osteoarthritis in horses. Methods: 16 horses. Methods: Osteoarthritis was induced arthroscopically in 1 middle carpal joint of all horses. In 8 placebo- and 8 ACS-treated horses, 6 mL of PBS solution or 6 mL of ACS was injected into the osteoarthritis-affected joint on days 14, 21, 28, and 35, respectively; PBS solution was administered in the other sham-operated joints. Evaluations included clinical assessment of lamenes...
Patel JR, Heldens J.This review concentrates on the epidemiology, latency and pathogenesis of, and the approaches taken to control infection of horses by equine herpesvirus types 1 (EHV-1) and 4 (EHV-4). Although both viruses may cause febrile rhinopneumonitis, EHV-1 is the main cause of abortions, paresis and neonatal foal deaths. The lesion central to these three conditions is necrotising vasculitis and thrombosis resulting from lytic infection of endothelial cells lining blood capillaries. The initiation of infection in these lesions is likely to be by reactivated EHV-1 from latently infected leukocytes. Howev...
Timoney JF.Streptococci pathogenic for the horse include S. equi (S. equi subsp. equi), S. zooepidemicus (S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus), S. dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis and S. pneumoniae capsule Type III. S. equi is a clonal descendent or biovar of an ancestral S. zooepidemicus strain with which it shares greater than 98% DNA homology and therefore expresses many of the same proteins and virulence factors. Rapid progress has been made in identification of virulence factors and proteins uniquely expressed by S. equi. Most of these are expressed either on the bacterial surface or are secreted. Notable e...
Schnabel LV, Lynch ME, van der Meulen MC, Yeager AE, Kornatowski MA, Nixon AJ.Tendinitis remains a catastrophic injury among athletes. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have recently been investigated for use in the treatment of tendinitis. Previous work has demonstrated the value of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) to stimulate cellular proliferation and tendon fiber deposition in the core lesion of tendinitis. This study examined the effects of MSCs, as well as IGF-I gene-enhanced MSCs (AdIGF-MSCs) on tendon healing in vivo. Collagenase-induced bilateral tendinitis lesions were created in equine flexor digitorum superficialis tendons (SDFT). Tendons were treated with ...
Guy JS, Breslin JJ, Breuhaus B, Vivrette S, Smith LG.A coronavirus was isolated from feces of a diarrheic foal and serially propagated in human rectal adenocarcinoma (HRT-18) cells. Antigenic and genomic characterizations of the virus (isolate NC99) were based on serological comparison with other avian and mammalian coronaviruses and sequence analysis of the nucleocapsid (N) protein gene. Indirect fluorescent-antibody assay procedures and virus neutralization assays demonstrated a close antigenic relationship with bovine coronavirus (BCV) and porcine hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus (mammalian group 2 coronaviruses). Using previously des...
Marklund L, Moller MJ, Sandberg K, Andersson L.The melanocyte-stimulating hormone receptor gene (MC1R) is the major candidate gene for the chestnut coat color in horses since it is assumed to be controlled by an allele at the extension locus. MC1R sequences were PCR amplified from chestnut (e/e) and non-chestnut (E/-) horses. A single-strand conformation polymorphism was found that showed a complete association to the chestnut coat color among 144 horses representing 12 breeds. Sequence analysis revealed a single missense mutation (83Ser-->Phe) in the MC1R allele associated with the chestnut color. The substitution occurs in the second ...
Steelman SM, Chowdhary BP, Dowd S, Suchodolski J, Janečka JE.The nutrition and health of horses is closely tied to their gastrointestinal microflora. Gut bacteria break down plant structural carbohydrates and produce volatile fatty acids, which are a major source of energy for horses. Bacterial communities are also essential for maintaining gut homeostasis and have been hypothesized to contribute to various diseases including laminitis. We performed pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA bacterial genes isolated from fecal material to characterize hindgut bacterial communities in healthy horses and those with chronic laminitis. Results: Fecal samples were collected...
Leclere M, Lavoie-Lamoureux A, Lavoie JP.Animal models have been developed to investigate specific components of asthmatic airway inflammation, hyper-responsiveness or remodelling. However, all of these aspects are rarely observed in the same animal. Heaves is a naturally occurring disease of horses that combines these features. It is characterized by stable dust-induced inflammation, bronchospasm and remodelling. The evaluation of horses during well-controlled natural antigen exposure and avoidance in experimental settings allows the study of disease mechanisms in the asymptomatic and symptomatic stages, an approach rarely feasible ...
Rogers GN, Pritchett TJ, Lane JL, Paulson JC.Human and animal (avian and equine) influenza A virus isolates of the H3 serotype exhibit marked differences in their ability to bind specific sialyloligosaccharide sequences that serve as cell surface receptor determinants (G. Rogers and J. Paulson, 1983, Virology 127, 361-373). Whereas human isolates of this subtype strongly agglutinate enzymatically modified human erythrocytes containing the terminal SA alpha 2,6Gal sequence, avian and equine isolates preferentially agglutinate erythrocytes bearing the SA alpha 2, 3Gal sequence. As shown in this report, a glycoprotein found in horse serum, ...
Dougal K, de la Fuente G, Harris PA, Girdwood SE, Pinloche E, Newbold CJ.The horse has a rich and complex microbial community within its gastrointestinal tract that plays a central role in both health and disease. The horse receives much of its dietary energy through microbial hydrolysis and fermentation of fiber predominantly in the large intestine/hindgut. The presence of a possible core bacterial community in the equine large intestine was investigated in this study. Samples were taken from the terminal ileum and 7 regions of the large intestine from ten animals, DNA extracted and the V1-V2 regions of 16SrDNA 454-pyrosequenced. A specific group of OTUs clustered...
Baldacchino F, Desquesnes M, Mihok S, Foil LD, Duvallet G, Jittapalapong S.Tabanids are nuisance pests for people and livestock because of their painful and irritating bite, persistent biting behavior, and blood ingestion. About 4400 tabanid species have been described; they are seasonally present in all kinds of landscapes, latitudes, and altitudes. High populations have a significant economic impact on outdoor activities, tourism, and livestock production. Tabanids are also vectors of animal disease agents, including viruses, bacteria and parasites. However, tabanids have received little attention in comparison with other hematophagous Diptera. Here, we highlight t...
Ewers C, Bethe A, Stamm I, Grobbel M, Kopp PA, Guerra B, Stubbe M, Doi Y, Zong Z, Kola A, Schaufler K, Semmler T, Fruth A, Wieler LH, Guenther S.To discern the relevance of ST648 extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli as a putative new group of multiresistant and extraintestinal pathogenic strains in animals, its frequency, ESBL types, antimicrobial resistance patterns and virulence gene (VG) profiles should be determined and compared with ST131 strains from the same collection of strains. Methods: ESBL-producing E. coli isolates (n = 1152), consecutively sampled from predominantly dogs, cats and horses between 2008 and 2011, were assigned to a phylogenetic group by PCR. Partial multilocus sequence typing was ...
Biewener AA.The stresses acting in muscle-tendon units and ligaments of the forelimb and hindlimb of horses were determined over a range of speed and gait based on recordings of ground reaction forces and limb kinematics. Maximum stresses of 40-50 MPa were calculated to act in several of the principal forelimb (superficial digital flexor (SDF), deep digital flexor (DDF), ulnaris lateralis (UL) and flexor carpi ulnaris/radialis (FCU/R)) and hindlimb tendons (plantaris, DDF) at the fastest galloping speeds recorded (up to 7.4 m s-1). Smaller stresses were found for the gastrocnemius (GAST) tendon (30 MPa) a...
Love S, Murphy D, Mellor D.Cyathostomes are now the principle parasitic pathogen of the horse: a remarkable transformation during the last 25 years from virtual obscurity to focus of attention in equine parasitology. This rise to prominence coincides with the marked decrease in prevalence of large strongyle infections as a result of widespread use of modern anthelmintic compounds. On the basis that strongyle-associated diseases continue to commonly occur in the absence of these large strongyle species, clinical attention has turned to the pathogenicity of cyathostomes. Although many horses harbour burdens of tens of tho...
Autorino GL, Battisti A, Deubel V, Ferrari G, Forletta R, Giovannini A, Lelli R, Murri S, Scicluna MT.During the late summer of 1998, veterinary authorities in Tuscany, Italy, received reports of cases of neurologic disease among horses residing in a large wetland area located in the provinces of Florence and Pistoia. West Nile virus was isolated from two of the six horses that died or were euthanized. A retrospective epidemiologic study identified 14 clinical neurologic cases that occurred from August 20 to October 6 (attack rate of 2.8%). A serologic survey conducted over a 700-km2 area in stables with and without apparent clinical cases confirmed a wider spread of the infection, with an ove...
Xu X, Arnason U.The sequence of the mitochondrial (mt) DNA of the horse (Equus caballus) was determined. The length of the sequence presented is 16,660 bp. This figure, however, is not absolute due to pronounced heteroplasmy caused by variable numbers of the motif GTGCACCT in the control region of different molecules. Boundaries of the 13 peptide-coding genes were determined by the presence of start and stop codons, and by analogy with other eutherian mtDNAs. Three genes (COIII, NADH3 and NADH4) were not terminated by a stop codon. Comparison among the peptide-coding genes of the horse and eight other mammals...
de la Fuente J, Massung RF, Wong SJ, Chu FK, Lutz H, Meli M, von Loewenich FD, Grzeszczuk A, Torina A, Caracappa S, Mangold AJ, Naranjo V, Stuen S....The causative agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis was recently reclassified as Anaplasma phagocytophilum, unifying previously described bacteria that cause disease in humans, horses, dogs, and ruminants. For the characterization of genetic heterogeneity in this species, the homologue of Anaplasma marginale major surface protein 4 gene (msp4) was identified, and the coding region was PCR amplified and sequenced from a variety of sources, including 50 samples from the United States, Germany, Poland, Norway, Italy, and Switzerland and 4 samples of A. phagocytophilum-like organisms obtained f...
Frost MJ, Zhang J, Edmonds JH, Prow NA, Gu X, Davis R, Hornitzky C, Arzey KE, Finlaison D, Hick P, Read A, Hobson-Peters J, May FJ, Doggett SL....To determine the cause of an unprecedented outbreak of encephalitis among horses in New South Wales, Australia, in 2011, we performed genomic sequencing of viruses isolated from affected horses and mosquitoes. Results showed that most of the cases were caused by a variant West Nile virus (WNV) strain, WNV(NSW2011), that is most closely related to WNV Kunjin (WNV(KUN)), the indigenous WNV strain in Australia. Studies in mouse models for WNV pathogenesis showed that WNV(NSW2011) is substantially more neuroinvasive than the prototype WNV(KUN) strain. In WNV(NSW2011), this apparent increase in vir...
Johnston GM, Eastment JK, Wood J, Taylor PM.To document the equine perioperative mortality rate and to highlight any factor associated with an increased risk of death up to 7 days after anaesthesia. Methods: A prospective observational epidemiological multicentre study. Methods: Data were recorded from all equidae undergoing general anaesthesia in 62 clinics. Power calculations indicated that 45 000 cases were required to detect the significance of important variables. Details of each horse, operation, anaesthetic agents and clinic personnel were recorded. Outcome at 7 days was recorded as: alive, put to sleep (PTS) or dead. Data were a...
Sutton S, Clutterbuck A, Harris P, Gent T, Freeman S, Foster N, Barrett-Jolley R, Mobasheri A.Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common and disabling chronic joint disorders affecting horses, dogs and humans. Synovial inflammation or synovitis is a frequently observed phenomenon in osteoarthritic joints and contributes to the pathogenesis of OA through formation of various catabolic and pro-inflammatory mediators altering the balance of cartilage matrix degradation and repair. Catabolic mediators produced by the inflamed synovium include pro-inflammatory cytokines, nitric oxide, prostaglandin E(2) and several neuropeptides, which further contribute to the pathogenesis of OA by incr...
Kellerman TS, Marasas WF, Thiel PG, Gelderblom WC, Cawood M, Coetzer JA.Leukoencephalomalacia (LEM) was induced by the oral administration of fumonisin B1 (FB1) to 2 horses: a filly received 59.5 mg/kg of a 50% preparation of FB1, administered in 21 doses of 1.25-4 mg/kg over 33 days; a colt, 44.3 mg/kg of 95% pure FB1 in 20 doses of 1-4 mg/kg in 29 days. Both animals developed nervous signs such as apathy, changes in temperament, inco-ordination, walking into objects, and one showed paralysis of the lips and tongue. Characteristic lesions of LEM were present in the brains. These trials proved conclusively that FB1 can induce LEM in horses.
Wathan J, Burrows AM, Waller BM, McComb K.Although previous studies of horses have investigated their facial expressions in specific contexts, e.g. pain, until now there has been no methodology available that documents all the possible facial movements of the horse and provides a way to record all potential facial configurations. This is essential for an objective description of horse facial expressions across a range of contexts that reflect different emotional states. Facial Action Coding Systems (FACS) provide a systematic methodology of identifying and coding facial expressions on the basis of underlying facial musculature and mus...
Criado-Fornelio A, Martinez-Marcos A, Buling-Saraña A, Barba-Carretero JC.Molecular epizootiology of piroplasmids (Babesia spp., Theileria spp.) and Hepatozoon canis was studied in mammals from southern Europe (mainly from Spain, but also from Portugal and France). Partial amplification and sequencing of the 18s rRNA gene was used for molecular diagnosis. In some particular cases (B. ovis and B. bovis) the complete 18s rRNA gene was sequenced. Blood samples were taken from domestic animals showing clinical symptoms: 10 dogs, 10 horses, 10 cows, 9 sheep and 1 goat. In addition, DNA samples were isolated from blood of 12 healthy dogs and from spleen of 10 wild red fox...
Schnittger L, Ganzinelli S, Bhoora R, Omondi D, Nijhof AM, Florin-Christensen M.The order Piroplasmida, including the genera Babesia, Cytauxzoon, and Theileria is often referred to as piroplasmids and comprises of dixenous hemoprotozoans transmitted by ticks to a mammalian or avian host. Although piroplasmid infections are usually asymptomatic in wild animals, in domestic animals, they cause serious or life-threatening consequences resulting in fatalities. Piroplasmids are particularly notorious for the enormous economic loss they cause worldwide in livestock production, the restrictions they pose on horse trade, and the negative health impact they have on dogs and cats. ...
