"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.
Grundmann IN, Drost WT, Zekas LJ, Belknap JK, Garabed RB, Weisbrode SE, Parks AH, Knopp MV, Maierl J.Evaluation of laminitis cases relies on radiographic measurements of the equine foot. Reference values have not been established for all layers of the foot. Objective: To establish normal hoof wall and sole measurements using digital radiography (DR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to document tissue components present in the dorsal hoof wall and solar layers seen on DR. Methods: Prospective observational case-control study. Methods: Digital radiography and MRI were performed on 50 cadaver front feet from 25 horses subjected to euthanasia for nonlameness-related reasons. Four observer...
Andersson MG, Faverjon C, Vial F, Legrand L, Leblond A.In this work we propose the adoption of a statistical framework used in the evaluation of forensic evidence as a tool for evaluating and presenting circumstantial "evidence" of a disease outbreak from syndromic surveillance. The basic idea is to exploit the predicted distributions of reported cases to calculate the ratio of the likelihood of observing n cases given an ongoing outbreak over the likelihood of observing n cases given no outbreak. The likelihood ratio defines the Value of Evidence (V). Using Bayes' rule, the prior odds for an ongoing outbreak are multiplied by V to obtain the post...
Alves Ada S, Melo AL, Amorim MV, Borges AM, Gaíva E Silva L, Martins TF, Labruna MB, Aguiar DM, Pacheco RC.The aim of the study was to evaluate exposure of equids to rickettsial agents (Rickettsia rickettsii, Rickettsia parkeri, 'Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii', Rickettsia rhipicephali, and Rickettsia bellii) and rickettsial infection in ticks of a Pantanal region of Brazil. Sera of 547 equids (500 horses and 47 donkeys) were evaluated by indirect immunofluorescence assay. In total, 665 adults and 106 nymphal pools of Amblyomma cajennense F. sensu lato, 10 Dermacentor nitens Neumann ticks, and 88 larval pools of Amblyomma sp. were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Overall, 337 (61.6%) eq...
Turna Yilmaz O, Gunduz MC, Evkuran Dal G, Kurban I, Erzengin OM, Ucmak M.Doppler ultrasonography is a noninvasive technique which enables us to follow the physiologic and physiopathologic changes in blood flow in tissues. It is becoming an essential tool in veterinary medicine, especially in theriogenology. Twenty-seven Arabian mares were grouped by age ('young', 3-10 y, n=15; 'old', 19-23 y, n=12). The uterine arteries of the mares were examined using Doppler ultrasonography when an ovarian follicle ≥35mm was visible (Day -1). After these measurements, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG; 2500IU) was administered to 14 mares selected randomly. One day later (Day 0...
Machtinger ET, Geden CJ, Hogsette JA, Leppla NC.House flies, Musca domestica L., and stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), (Diptera: Muscidae), common pests on equine facilities, were studied in the laboratory to determine the success and duration of larval development and oviposition preferences on six substrates commonly found on equine facilities. Substrates tested were hay soiled with urine and manure, fresh horse manure, pine shaving bedding soiled with urine and manure (72 h in a manure pile), builders sand bedding soiled with urine and manure aged 3 d, and soil from an overgrazed pasture mixed with urine and manure of variable age....
Sabban S, Ye H, Helm B.The interaction of IgE with its high-affinity Fc receptor (FcεRI) followed by an antigenic challenge is the principal pathway in IgE mediated allergic reactions. As a consequence of the high affinity binding between IgE and FcεRI, along with the continuous production of IgE by B cells, allergies usually persist throughout life, with currently no permanent cure available. Horses, especially race horses, which are commonly inbred, are a species of mammals that are very prone to the development of hypersensitivity responses, which can seriously affect their performance. Physiological responses ...
Nurenberg JR, Schleifer SJ, Shaffer TM, Yellin M, Desai PJ, Amin R, Bouchard A, Montalvo C.Animal-assisted therapy (AAT), most frequently used with dogs, is being used increasingly as an adjunctive alternative treatment for psychiatric patients. AAT with larger animals, such as horses, may have unique benefits. In this randomized controlled study, equine and canine forms of AAT were compared with standard treatments for hospitalized psychiatric patients to determine AAT effects on violent behavior and related measures. Methods: The study included 90 patients with recent in-hospital violent behavior or highly regressed behavior. Hospitalization at the 500-bed state psychiatric hospit...
Beisser A, McClure S, Rezabek G, Soring KH, Wang C.To determine the incidence and anatomic location of and potential risk factors for catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries (CMIs) in racing Quarter Horses. Methods: Retrospective matched case-control study. Methods: 67 racing Quarter Horse racehorses euthanized because of CMIs and 134 matched controls. Methods: Data for Quarter Horses that sustained CMIs and the total number of race starts for each year were obtained from 2 Midwestern racing jurisdictions from 2000 through 2011. Information for each horse with a CMI and for 2 randomly selected control horses that ran in the same race but did not...
Corradetti B, Correani A, Romaldini A, Marini MG, Bizzaro D, Perrini C, Cremonesi F, Lange-Consiglio A.Amniotic membrane-derived mesenchymal cells (AMCs) are considered suitable candidates for a variety of cell-based applications. In view of cell therapy application in uterine pathologies, we studied AMCs in comparison to cells isolated from the endometrium of mares at diestrus (EDCs) being the endometrium during diestrus and early pregnancy similar from a hormonal standpoint. In particular, we demonstrated that amnion tissue fragments (AM) shares the same transcriptional profile with endometrial tissue fragments (ED), expressing genes involved in early pregnancy (AbdB-like Hoxa genes), pre-imp...
Zohaib A, Saqib M, Beck C, Hussain MH, Lowenski S, Lecollinet S, Sial A, Asi MN, Mansoor MK, Saqalein M, Sajid MS, Ashfaq K, Muhammad G, Cao S.This study describes the first large-scale serosurvey on West Nile virus (WNV) conducted in the equine population in Pakistan. Sera were collected from 449 equids from two provinces of Pakistan during 2012-2013. Equine serum samples were screened using a commercial ELISA kit detecting antibodies against WNV and related flaviviruses. ELISA-positive samples were further investigated using virus-specific microneutralization tests (MNTs) to identify infections with Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), WNV and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). Anti-WNV antibodies were detected in 292 samples by E...
Claunch KM, Eggleston RB, Baxter GM.To compare the effects of 2 approaches and 2 injection volumes on diffusion of mepivacaine hydrochloride for local analgesia of the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve (DBLPN) in horses. Methods: Experimental study. Methods: 16 adult horses. Methods: Either 2 mL (low volume) or 8 mL (high volume) of mepivacaine hydrochloride-iohexol (50:50 mixture) was injected by means of 1 of 2 techniques to produce analgesia of the DBLPN. For technique 1, the needle was inserted 15 mm distal to the head of the fourth metatarsal bone and directed perpendicular to the limb. For technique 2, the needle wa...
Radtke CL, Nino-Fong R, Esparza Gonzalez BP, McD￮ LA.The objective of this study was to validate non-equilibrium gravitational field-flow fractionation (GrFFF), an immunotag-less method of sorting mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into subpopulations, for use with MSCs derived from equine muscle tissue, periosteal tissue, bone marrow, and adipose tissue. Cells were collected from 6 young, adult horses, postmortem. Cells were isolated from left semitendinosus muscle tissue, periosteal tissue from the distomedial aspect of the right tibia, bone marrow aspirates from the fourth and fifth sternebrae, and left supragluteal subcutaneous adipose tissue. Al...
Duarte CG, Bonilla C, Guimarães G, Machado de Avila RA, Mendes TM, Silva W, Tintaya B, Yarleque A, Chávez-Olórtegui C.In this work, an anti-loxoscelic serum was produced by immunizing horses with a recombinant dermonecrotic protein from Loxosceles intermedia (rLiD1). Anti-rLiD1 antibodies were able to recognize different species of Loxosceles venoms by Western Blot and ELISA. The efficacy of anti-rLiD1 serum against the toxic effects of Loxosceles laeta (Peru) venom was tested, showing that anti-rLiD1 serum can neutralize those effects. This study confirms that recombinant proteins can be good candidates to replace crude venoms for antivenom production.
Hedenström UO, Olsson U, Holm AW, Wattle OS.It has not yet been shown that ossification of ungular cartilages (OUC) is a pathological condition. Beside heredity, factors such as sex, age, repeated concussion, local trauma, hoof and body size have been suggested as contributing factors for OUC development. By comparing radiographs of front hooves from cold-blooded trotters with different age we wanted to evaluate when development of OUC in cold-blooded trotters occurs and if and when it stabilizes in relation to age and workload. Diagnosis and grading of OUC were based on radiological field examinations of 649 Swedish and Norwegian cold-...
Finger MA, de Barros Filho IR, Leutenegger C, Estrada M, Ullmann LS, Langoni H, Kikuti M, Dornbush PT, Deconto I, Biondo AW.Cart horses are a re-emerging population employed to carry recyclable material in cities. Methods: Sixty-two horses were sampled in an endemic area of human leptospirosis. The microscopic agglutination test (MAT) and real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were performed. Results: A seropositivity of 75.8% with serovar Icterohaemorrhagiae in 80.8% of the horses was observed. Blood and urine were qPCR negative. MAT showed positive correlations with rainfall (p = 0.02) and flooding (p = 0.03). Conclusions: Although horses may be constantly exposed to Leptospira spp. in the environment mostly ...
Brinkmann L, Gerken M, Hambly C, Speakman JR, Riek A.Recent results suggest that wild Northern herbivores reduce their metabolism during times of low ambient temperature and food shortage in order to reduce their energetic needs. It is, however, not known whether domesticated animals are also able to reduce their energy expenditure. We exposed 10 Shetland pony mares to different environmental conditions (summer and winter) and to two food quantities (60% and 100% of maintenance energy requirement) during low winter temperatures to examine energetic and behavioural responses. In summer, ponies showed a considerably higher field metabolic rate (FM...
Adeppa J, Ananda KJ, Krishna Murthy CM, Satheesha GM.A study was conducted to ascertain the incidence of gastrointestinal parasites in horses of Shimoga region, to generate the data regarding status of parasitic infections of equines in Karnataka state due to paucity of information. A total of 100 fresh fecal samples of equines were collected and examined by direct and sedimentation method for the detection of parasitic egg/ova. Among 100 samples examined, 84 (84.0 %) were found positive for various gastrointestinal helminths. Out of 84 positive cases, 44 (52.38 %) were found positive for Strongylus spp. eggs, 09 (10.71 %) showed Parascaris e...
Gaíva e Silva L, Borges AM, Villalobos EM, Lara Mdo C, Cunha EM, de Oliveira AC, Braga IA, Aguiar DM.The prevalence of antibodies against Equine Influenza Virus (EIV) was determined in 529 equines living on ranches in the municipality of Poconé, Pantanal area of Brazil, by means of the hemagglutination inhibition test, using subtype H3N8 as antigen. The distribution and possible association among positive animal and ranches were evaluated by the chi-square test, spatial autoregressive and multiple linear regression models. The prevalence of antibodies against EIV was estimated at 45.2% (95% CI 30.2 - 61.1%) with titers ranging from 20 to 1,280 HAU. Seropositive equines were found on 92.0% of...
Grubb TL, Lord PF, Berger M, Larsson C, Rydén A, Frendin J, Funkquist P, Edner A, Nyman G.To image the spatial distribution of pulmonary blood flow by means of scintigraphy, evaluate ventilation-perfusion (VA/Q) matching and pulmonary blood shunting (Qs/Qt) by means of the multiple inert gas elimination technique (MIGET), and measure arterial oxygenation and plasma endothelin-1 concentrations before, during, and after pulse-delivered inhaled nitric oxide (PiNO) administration to isoflurane-anesthetized horses in dorsal recumbency. Methods: 3 healthy adult Standardbreds. Methods: Nitric oxide was pulsed into the inspired gases in dorsally recumbent isoflurane-anesthetized horses. As...
Reichert C, Kästner SB, Hopster K, Rohn K, Rötting AK.To evaluate the use of a micro-lightguide tissue spectrophotometer for measurement of tissue oxygenation and blood flow in the small and large intestines of horses under anesthesia. Methods: 13 adult horses without gastrointestinal disease. Methods: Horses were anesthetized and placed in dorsal recumbency. Ventral midline laparotomy was performed. Intestinal segments were exteriorized to obtain measurements. Spectrophotometric measurements of tissue oxygenation and regional blood flow of the jejunum and pelvic flexure were obtained under various conditions that were considered to have a potent...
Endo Y, Tsuchiya T, Omura T, Nakai K, Korosue K, Ishimaru M, Ishikawa Y, Hobo S.The present study evaluated the effects of single-dose marbofloxacin in protecting horses against fever associated with transportation using 48 healthy Thoroughbreds. All horses were premedicated with interferon-α (0.5 U/kg, sublingually, every 24 hr) for 2 days before transportation and on the day of transportation. Horses were randomly assigned to receive marbofloxacin (2 mg/kg, IV, once; MRFX group), enrofloxacin (5 mg/kg, IV, once; ERFX group) or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (10 ml, IV, once; control group) ≤1 hr before being transportation. Each group contained 16 horses (8 males, 8 fem...
Brunner J, Liesegang A, Weiss S, Wichert B.The aim of this study was to compare the nutritional management of show jumping horses in practice with recommendations from the literature. Additionally, the effects of these feeding practices on several blood metabolic parameters before and after exercise were studied. Blood samples were collected in the field from 27 different horses at 71 trials on the level M1 to S2 show jumping competitions in Switzerland and questionnaires on feeding practice of the studied horses were evaluated. The questionnaires revealed that during training and on tournament days horses received on average 3.1 kg o...
Tranquille CA, Walker VA, Hernlund E, Egenvall A, Roepstorff L, Peterson ML, Murray RC.A recent epidemiological study identified various aspects of arena surfaces and arena surface maintenance that were related to risk of injury in horses and that arena maintenance is important in reducing injury risk. However, there has been little research into how properties of arena surfaces change with harrowing. This study aimed to compare the properties of different arena surface types pre- and post-harrowing. The Orono Biomechanical Surface Tester fitted with accelerometers and a single- and a three-axis load cell was used to test 11 arenas with two different surfaces types, sand with ru...
Macías-García B, González-Fernández L, Loux SC, Rocha AM, Guimarães T, Peña FJ, Varner DD, Hinrichs K.Repeatable methods for IVF have not been established in the horse, reflecting the failure of standard capacitating media to induce changes required for fertilization capacity in equine sperm. One important step in capacitation is membrane cholesterol efflux, which in other species is triggered by cholesterol oxidation and is typically enhanced using albumin as a sterol acceptor. We incubated equine sperm in the presence of calcium, BSA, and bicarbonate, alone or in combination. Bicarbonate induced an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) that was abolished by the addition of calcium or BSA...
Matthews JB.Anthelmintics have been applied indiscriminately to control horse nematodes for over 40 years. Three broad-spectrum anthelmintic classes are currently registered for nematode control in horses: benzimidazoles (fenbendazole, oxibendazole), tetrahydropyrimidines (pyrantel) and macrocyclic lactones (ivermectin, moxidectin). Generally, control strategies have focused on nematode egg suppression regimens that involve the frequent application of anthelmintics to all horses at intervals based on strongyle egg reappearance periods after treatment. The widespread use of such programmes has substantial...
Hedenström UO, Wattle OS.Ossification of the ungular cartilages (OUC) in the foot of horses has been studied for more than 100 years. There is a high heritability of this condition but its clinical relevance has remained questionable. Nevertheless, modern equine orthopedic literature ranks OUC as one of top 10 causes of lameness in cold-blooded trotters and stallions of these breeds are excluded from breeding if they have more than mild levels of side bones. Cold-blooded trotters have been used for racing for many decades and official sports data have been available since 1923. A decreased performance is often the onl...
Tulloch PJ, Johnston JD, Barber SM, Gellert CL, Lang HM, Panizzi L.To determine degrees of flexion after arthrodesis of the antebrachiocarpal (ABC) joint, middle carpal (MC), and carpometacarpal (CMC) joints combined (MC/CMC), and carpometacarpal (CMC) joint alone. Methods: Ex vivo study. Methods: Forelimbs (n = 9) from 2- to 10-year-old Quarter Horses (5), Thoroughbred (2), and American Paint Horse (2). Methods: Using 2 locking compression plates, 3 partial carpal arthrodesis techniques were performed. Cables and deadweights were connected to limbs and each angle of flexion determined 3 times using a protractor and then averaged. Control measurements were ob...
Ghosh S, Qu Z, Das PJ, Fang E, Juras R, Cothran EG, McDonell S, Kenney DG, Lear TL, Adelson DL, Chowdhary BP, Raudsepp T.We constructed a 400K WG tiling oligoarray for the horse and applied it for the discovery of copy number variations (CNVs) in 38 normal horses of 16 diverse breeds, and the Przewalski horse. Probes on the array represented 18,763 autosomal and X-linked genes, and intergenic, sub-telomeric and chrY sequences. We identified 258 CNV regions (CNVRs) across all autosomes, chrX and chrUn, but not in chrY. CNVs comprised 1.3% of the horse genome with chr12 being most enriched. American Miniature horses had the highest and American Quarter Horses the lowest number of CNVs in relation to Thoroughbred r...
Horohov DW.The modern horse, Equus caballus has historically made important contributions to the field of immunology, dating back to Emil von Behring's description of curative antibodies in equine serum over a century ago. While the horse continues to play an important role in human serotherapy, the mouse has replaced the horse as the predominant experimental animal in immunology research. Nevertheless, continuing efforts have led to an improved understanding of the equine immune response in a variety of infectious and non-infectious diseases. Based on this information, we can begin to identify specific ...
Vettorato E, Chase-Topping ME, Clutton RE.The recovery quality scoring systems (RQSSs) in current use have not been critically reviewed for reliability. Objective: To examine reliability (reproducibility) of 4 RQSSs when applied to a ranked series. Methods: A DVD incorporating the recordings of 9 horses recovering from general anaesthesia was evaluated by final year students over 5 days. On Day 1, each evaluator ranked recoveries from 1-9 (1 = best). Over the following 4 days, each evaluator scored the same recoveries using 4 different RQSSs (3 of them in common usage and previously published) applied in random order. The scores from ...
Tallmadge RL, Žygelytė E, Van de Walle GR, Kristie TM, Felippe MJB.Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is a ubiquitous and highly contagious pathogen that causes a range of disease severities with outbreaks of notable economic impact. Given the limitations in immune protection of current vaccines and the limited effectiveness of antiviral drugs on EHV-1 infections , improved treatment measures are needed to control disease. The use of drugs that alter the epigenetic state of herpes simplex virus genome has been shown to limit viral primary infection and reactivation both and . Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that maintaining a repressive epigenetic state o...
Wilsher S, Allen WR.The development of the equine placenta involves a series of stage-specific events which ensure that the fetus is nourished throughout its 11 months of gestation. Initially, placental exchange to the developing embryo is histotrophic, via the yolk sac but, as the allantochorion develops and microcotyledons form, haemotrophic nutrition plays the major role in sustaining the increasing demands of the growing fetus. This review describes the development of the allantochorionic placenta of the mare and discusses some of the factors that influence its growth, size and functions and, hence, its contr...
Lyons ET, Tolliver SC, Drudge JH, Granstrom DE, Collins SS, Stamper S.The activity of moxidectin was evaluated in 1988 and 1989 against natural infections of internal parasites in 20 critical tests (n = 20 equids) and three controlled tests (n = 20 equids). Two formulations, injectable administered intramuscularly (i.m.) or intraorally (i.o.) and gel i.o., were given at dose rates of 0.2, 0.3 or 0.4 mg kg-1 body weight. For the critical tests (all three dose rates evaluated), removals of second instar Gasterophilus intestinalis were 93-100%, except (89%) for the injectable formulation (i.m.) at 0.2 mg kg-1. Removals of third instar G. intestinalis were 88-100% f...
Jung Y, Yoon M.Endocrine, paracrine, and autocrine factors orchestrate the development and physiology of the stallion reproductive system. Oxytocin (OXT) is one of the critical endocrine, paracrine, and autocrine factors for the male reproductive system. Previous studies have investigated OXT receptor (OXTR) expression in testes and epididymides, including humans, marmosets, macaques, swine, and sheep. This study aimed to explore (1) OXTR localization in the testes and epididymides and (2) the seasonal modification of OXTR expression in the testes. Adult stallion testis and epididymis samples were prepared u...
Ayala MD, Carrillo A, Iniesta P, Ferrer P.Different welfare indicators were studied in three patients with psychomotor alterations and in two horses throughout 9-10 equine assisted therapy sessions in each patient. In horses, heart and respiratory rates, blood pressure, temperature and behavioral signs were studied. In patients, heart rate, oxygen saturation, temperature, sleep quality, psychomotor and emotional parameters were analyzed. Data collection was recorded in the anticipatory phase (15 min before the start of the session), two interaction phases (after 30 min of horse-patient interaction on the ground and on horseback, respe...
Barakzai SZ, Dixon PM.Trephination of the equine sinuses is a common surgical procedure in sedated standing horses. Standing sinus flap surgery has become increasingly popular in equine referral hospitals and offers several advantages over sinusotomy performed under general anesthesia, including reduced patient-associated risks and costs; less intraoperative hemorrhage, allowing better visualization of the operative site; and allows surgeons to take their time. Other minimally invasive surgical procedures include sinoscopic surgery, balloon sinuplasty, and transnasal laser sinonasal fenestration. Despite the proced...
Passman SN, Cheetham J, Bonassar LJ, Ducharme NG, Rawlinson JJ.Upper airway obstruction is a common problem in the performance horse as the soft tissues of the larynx collapse into the airway, yet there is a paucity of information on biomechanical properties for the structural cartilage components. Objective: To measure the geometry and compressive mechanical properties of the hyaline cartilage to improve understanding of laryngeal function and morphology. Methods: A total of 11 larynges were harvested from Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses. During gross dissection, linear dimensions of the cricoid were obtained. From both the cricoid and arytenoid...
Wysocka B, Kluciński W.The aim of the present study was to use endoscopic evaluation to compare the grade of accumulation of discharge in the lower airways of horses with recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) and inflammatory airway disease (IAD), and to estimate the usefulness of endoscopic evaluation in differential diagnosis of these diseases. Endoscopic evaluation consists of: the amount of discharge in the lower part of the trachea and tracheal bifurcation, and the assessment of tracheal septum thickness. This study was performed on 248 horses, 10 were healthy, 97 were diagnosed as RAO, and 141 were diagnosed as I...
Broome TA, Brown MP, Gronwall RR, Casey MF, Meritt KA.Six healthy adult horses (5 mares and 1 stallion) were given a single dose of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), 20 mg/kg of body weight, by intravenous (IV), rectal, and intragastric (IG) routes. Serial blood samples were collected via jugular venipuncture over a 36-h period, and plasma ASA and salicylic acid (SA) concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. After IV administration, the mean elimination rate constant of ASA (+/- the standard error of the mean) was 1.32 +/- 0.09 h(-1), the mean elimination half-life was 0.53 +/- 0.04 h, the area under the plasma concentra...
Arseneau AM, Hrabak TM, Waibel KH.A wealth of literature exists regarding common allergies to household pets such as cat or dog. Allergy to horse, however, is infrequently discussed in the medical literature despite significant sensitization rates among urban-dwelling subjects without direct exposure to horses. A literature search was conducted in PubMed and additional references were collected from surveying the references of the pulled articles. This review summarizes aspects of IgE-mediated horse allergy including the prevalence and mechanisms for sensitization, clinical presentation, molecular characterization of the major...
Lepeule J, Bareille N, Robert C, Valette JP, Jacquet S, Blanchard G, Denoix JM, Seegers H.The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for the severity of Juvenile OsteoChondral Conditions (JOCC) in limbs of French foals. Twenty-one farms in Normandy, France, were sampled and enrolled in a cohort study including 378 foals from three breeds, followed from the 8th month of pregnancy of the mares until the foals were approximately 6months old. Data on growth, feeding practices and exercise conditions were regularly collected. The carpus, the front and hind digits, the hock and the stifle of the foals were radiographed at the end of follow-up. JOCC severity in each foal was d...
Fedde MR, Wood SC.When horses maximally exercise, splenic contraction and fluid movement out of the vascular compartment greatly increase the hematocrit (up to 0.70). We studied the in vitro rheological characteristics of blood from Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses to determine the interaction of hematocrit and shear rate on apparent viscosity. We also compared the rheological characteristics of the blood before and after horses received furosemide, a drug commonly used to prevent exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage. Although the apparent viscosity of blood with a high hematocrit was high at low shear rates, ...
Reed SA, LaVigne EK, Jones AK, Patterson DF, Schauer AL.With improvements in care, the equine population is living longer, remaining active, and competing at increasingly older ages. Both advancing age and exercise result in increased concentrations of circulating and local cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α. Athletic endeavors in the aged horse may further increase the proinflammatory environment in muscle, decreasing the ability to react appropriately to exercise. Poor response to exercise limits the athletic ability of geriatric horses, thus reducing their useful life span and potentially increasing the risk of injur...
Miller MM, Sweeney CR, Russell GE, Sheetz RM, Morrow JK.To determine effects of blood contamination on western blot (WB) analysis of CSF samples for detection of anti-Sarcocystis neurona antibodies, and on CSF albumin and IgG concentrations, albumin quotient (AQ), and IgG index in horses. Methods: Prospective in vitro study. Methods: Blood with various degrees of immunoreactivity against S neurona was collected from 12 healthy horses. Cerebrospinal fluid without immunoreactivity against S neurona was harvested from 4 recently euthanatized horses. Methods: Blood was serially diluted with pooled nonimmunoreactive CSF so that final dilutions correspon...
Hristov P, Yordanov G, Ivanova A, Mitkov I, Sirakova D, Mehandzyiski I, Radoslavov G.It is believed that population structure of mountain horse breeds is preserved from any genetic introgression, because of their geographical isolation and specific semi-wild life style of husbandry. Till date there are no molecular data for the Balkan horses. In this study we try to give information about some autochthonous mountain horse breeds from Bulgaria. A total of 121 horses from three different mountain massifs are presented: Stara Planina (the Balkan mountain), the Rhodopes and Rila-Pirin massif were genotyped according to mitochondrial D-loop region. The results showed huge diversity...
Crabtree NE, Epstein KL.Despite the frequent inclusion of fluid therapy in the treatment of many conditions in horses, there are limited studies available to provide evidenced-based, species-specific recommendations. Thus, equine fluid therapy is based on the application of physiology and extrapolation from evidence in other veterinary species and human medicine. The physiologic principles that underly the use of fluids in medicine are, at first glance, straightforward and simple to understand. However, in the past 20 years, multiple studies in human medicine have shown that creating recommendations based on theory i...
Vanderperren K, Raes E, Hoegaerts M, Saunders JH.The equine tarsus is the most commonly affected hindlimb region associated with lameness. Diagnostic imaging is routinely applied but because of its complexity, being composed of 10 multifaceted bones and different joints, multiple ligaments, tendons and bursae, imaging this region can be a challenge. This is the first part of a two-part review of the structures and disorders of the equine tarsus. It describes the principal disorders affecting the soft tissues of the tarsal region and addresses some of the technical aspects in taking radiographic, ultrasonographic and scintigraphic images of t...
Boscan P, Watson Z, Steffey EP.To investigate the changes in colloid osmotic pressure (COP) and total protein concentrations during routine general anesthesia in horses. Methods: Prospective, clinical study. Methods: Twelve adult healthy horses aged 9.1 +/- 4.7 years and weighing 474 +/- 79 kg presented for elective surgery and 14 adult horses aged 8.7 +/- 7.3 years and weighing 510 +/- 85 kg. Methods: All horses were premedicated with xylazine and anesthesia induced with ketamine, diazepam and guaifenesin, and maintained with isoflurane for 2.5 hours. Lactate Ringer's solution was administered at 11 mL kg(-1) hour(-1). Osm...
Parsons KJ, Pfau T, Ferrari M, Wilson AM.During locomotion on an incline, mechanical work is performed to move an animal up the slope and increase the potential energy (PE) of the trunk and hence the centre of mass (CoM). Thus, at a given speed the total net mechanical work increases with the PE of the animal. In this study we investigate the mechanical energy (ME) fluctuations and the mechanical cost of transport (MCT) in six horses galloping up a range of gradients. We captured trunk movement with a six degrees-of-freedom inertial sensor mounted over the dorsal spinous process of the fourth to sixth thoracic vertebrae of the horse....
Zhang L, Lei Y, Liu X, Wang X, Liu Z, Li D, Zheng P, Zhang L, Chen S, Xie P.Borna disease virus (BDV) is a neurotropic, enveloped, non-segmented, negative-stranded RNA virus that infects a wide variety of vertebrate species from birds to humans across a broad global geographic distribution. Animal symptomatology range from asymptomatic infection to behavioral abnormalities to acute meningoencephalitis. Asymptomatic BDV infection has been shown to be more frequent than conventionally estimated. However, the molecular mechanism(s) underyling asymptomatic BDV infection remain largely unknown. Here, based on real-time quantitative PCR and Western blotting, a total of 18 h...
Casteel SW.The ubiquity and stability of metals in the environment make them unique as a pollutant or an essential dietary component. Metals are neither created nor destroyed by chemical processes but are redistributed in the environment. In combination with other elements, metal compounds and alloys are essential materials of the contemporary world. Inappropriate use or distribution in the environment leads to adverse health effects on all biologic systems, including horses. Gastrointestinal upset is a common feature of acute toxicosis with metals in general. Among the metals discussed, arsenic and inor...
Cwiklinski K, Merga JY, Lake SL, Hartley C, Matthews JB, Paterson S, Hodgkinson JE.Clade V nematodes comprise several parasitic species that include the cyathostomins, primary helminth pathogens of horses. Next generation transcriptome datasets are available for eight parasitic clade V nematodes, although no equine parasites are included in this group. Here, we report next generation transcriptome sequencing analysis for the common cyathostomin species, Cylicostephanus goldi. A cDNA library was generated from RNA extracted from 17 C. goldi male and female adult parasites. Following sequencing using a 454 GS FLX pyrosequencer, a total of 475,215 sequencing reads were generate...
Wagner AE, Mama KR, Steffey EP, Hellyer PW.To determine whether infusion of xylazine and ketamine or xylazine and propofol after sevoflurane administration in horses would improve the quality of recovery from anesthesia. Methods: 6 healthy adult horses. Methods: For each horse, anesthesia was induced by administration of xylazine, diazepam, and ketamine and maintained with sevoflurane for approximately 90 minutes (of which the last 60 minutes were under steady-state conditions) 3 times at 1-week intervals. For 1 anesthetic episode, each horse was allowed to recover from sevoflurane anesthesia; for the other 2 episodes, xylazine and ket...
Back W, MacAllister CG, van Heel MC, Pollmeier M, Hanson PD.Lameness is a highly prevalent condition in horses and the principal cause of removal from athletic activity. In clinical studies to evaluate nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapies, force plates are commonly used to assess improvement of lameness objectively. Objective: To use a force plate to determine the optimal dose of a new COX-2 inhibitor (firocoxib) that will reduce lameness, when administered orally to horses once daily. Methods: Sixty-four horses that exhibited chronic lameness presumed due to osteoarthritis, including navicular disease, in at least one of the frontlimbs and at...
Ranjithkumar M, Malik TA, Saxena A, Dan A, Sakthivel PC, Dey S.Trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma evansi commonly produces wasting disease with signs of emaciation and cachexia mainly at the end stage. The present study was conducted to explore the possible hyperlipaemia or hyperlipidaemia and its association with cachexia-anorexia in equine trypanosomiasis. Out of the fifteen confirmed animals, none of the plasma sample was opaque. There was a significant increase in plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol and blood urea nitrogen and a highly significant increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels. A mild increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL)...
Müller V, Curcio BR, Toribio RE, Feijó LS, Borba LA, Canisso IF, Nogueira CEW.This study aimed to evaluate steroid hormones in foals born from mares treated for ascending placentitis with different combinations of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMS), flunixin meglumine (FM), long-acting altrenogest (ALT) and estradiol cypionate (ECP) for ten consecutive days, starting two days after experimental induction of placentitis with Streptococcus zooepidemicus. Fourty-six pregnant mares and respective foals were assigned as healthy group (Control, n = 8) or treated groups as follows: TMS+FM (n = 8), TMS+FM+ALT (n = 8), TMS+FM+ALT+ECP (n = 6), TMS+FM+ECP (n = 6) and no...
Becero M, Saitua A, Argüelles D, Sánchez de Medina AL, Castejón-Riber C, Riber C, Muñoz A.Capacitive resistive electric transfer (CRET), a radiofrequency at 448 kHz, resulted in increased superficial and deep temperature and hemoglobin saturation, faster elimination of metabolic and inflammatory products and enhanced sport performance in humans. This research aims to investigate whether the application of CRET affects the locomotor pattern in horses and to assess whether an accumulative effect appears when two CRET sessions are applied two consecutive days. Methods: Nine horses were subjected to two CRET sessions applied in both right and left sides of neck, shoulder, back and cr...
