"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.
Pauvolid-Corrêa A, Campos Z, Juliano R, Velez J, Nogueira RM, Komar N.A recent study reported neutralizing antibodies to West Nile virus (WNV) in horses from four ranches of southern Pantanal. To extend that study, a serosurvey for WNV and 11 Brazilian flaviviruses was conducted with 760 equines, 238 sheep and 61 caimans from 17 local cattle ranches. Among the tested equines, 32 were collected from a ranch where a neurologic disorder outbreak had been recently reported. The sera were initially screened by using a blocking ELISA and then titrated by 90% plaque-reduction neutralization test (PRNT90) for 12 flaviviruses. Employing the criterion of 4-fold greater ti...
Walders W, Gehlen H.This study evaluated a device for blood pressure measurement using high definition oscillometry (HDO) for its acceptability and practicability in the horse. Furthermore, we evaluated whether this device can determine differences in blood pressure between healthy horses and horses with heart diseases and between different measurement times. Methods: The study population consisted of 60 horses (aged 4-31 years). All horses underwent clinical examination, conventional echocardiography (including cardiac output measurement at the pulmonary artery), repeated noninvasive blood pressure measurement a...
Boham M, O'Connell K.To introduce the characteristics of a Chance fracture and increase awareness of the mechanism of injury that may occur during athletic activity. Background: A T12 Chance fracture was diagnosed in an 18-year-old male rodeo athlete. The rider was forced into extreme lumbothoracic hyperflexion when the horse bucked within the chute, pinning the rider's legs to his chest. Methods: Burst fracture, abdominal organ rupture, spinal dislocation, spinal cord injury, disk herniation, pars interarticularis fracture, spinal nerve injury, paralysis. Methods: The patient underwent an open reduction and fixat...
Hernlund E, Egenvall A, Peterson ML, Mahaffey CA, Roepstorff L.Increased knowledge of the influence of stride type on hoof impact accelerations for fore and hind limbs could lead to a more complete picture of hoof-ground interactions in equine athletes. Hoof accelerations were quantified for each hoof of five show jumping horses using two orthogonal single axis ± 250 g accelerometers. Accelerations were recorded when cantering horses jumped fences of varying types (upright and oxer) and heights (90-130 cm) on three different surface conditions. Strides were identified as normal canter strides, take-off strides and landing strides. Descriptive hoof impact...
Seo JP, Yamaga T, Tsuzuki N, Yamada K, Haneda S, Furuoka H, Sasaki N.To compare the biomechanical properties of a 5-hole 4.5 mm narrow locking compression plate (LCP) and 5-hole 4.5 mm narrow dynamic compression plate (DCP) for equine proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint arthrodesis. Methods: Experimental mechanical study. Methods: Cadaveric adult equine forelimbs (n = 6 pair). Methods: For each forelimb pair, 1 PIP joint was stabilized with LCP and the contralateral PIP joint with DCP. The 6 construct pairs were tested using a single-cycle, 3-point dorsopalmar bending system. PIP joints were evaluated with pre- and post-test radiography. Results: The L...
Hewetson M, Aaltonen K, Tulamo RM, Sankari S.A simple and accurate method for quantifying sucrose in equine serum that can be applied to sucrose permeability testing in the horse was developed and validated using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. The assay provided an acceptable degree of linearity, accuracy, and precision at concentrations of sucrose as low as 2.34 μmol/l and as high as 20.45 μmol/l. Percentage recovery of sucrose from serum ranged from 89% to 102%; repeatability and intermediate precision (relative standard deviation) ranged from 3.6% to 6.7% and 4.1% to 9.3%, respectively. The limit of detection wa...
Tüfekci K, Kayacan R, Kurbanoğlu C.Gamma radiation has been widely used for sterilization of bone allograft. However, sterilization by gamma radiation damages the material properties of bone which is a major clinical concern since bone allograft is used in load bearing applications. While the degree of this damage is well investigated for quasi-static and cyclic loading conditions, there does not appear any information on mechanical behavior of gamma-irradiated cortical bone at high speed loading conditions. In this study, the effects of gamma irradiation on high strain rate compressive behavior of equine cortical bone were inv...
Lassaline-Utter M, Cutler TJ, Michau TM, Nunnery CM.To review the signalment, clinical characteristics, and outcome of horses with nonhealing corneal ulcers treated with diamond burr debridement (DBD); and to evaluate the role of ulcer duration, size and location, and bandage contact lens (BCL) placement on healing. Methods: From January 2012-April 2013, 60 horses were diagnosed with ulcers classified as nonhealing based on the presence of raised epithelial margins and duration of at least 7 days. Methods: Retrospective record review. Results: Average age of included horses was 14.68 years, SD 8.17 years. There were three times as many males (4...
Rapoport A, Aharonson-Raz K, Berlin D, Tal S, Gottlieb Y, Klement E, Steinman A.Equine piroplasmosis imposes great concerns for the equine industry regarding international horse movement, and therefore requires reliable diagnostic tools. Recent studies from South Africa and Jordan, including a preliminary study in Israel, reported extremely low seroprevalence to Babesia caballi (B. caballi) (0-1%) using the acceptable rhoptry-associated protein-1 (RAP-1) cELISA. In accordance with the study from South Africa demonstrating a significant heterogeneity in the rap-1 gene sequence of South African B. caballi isolates, the objectives of this study were to phylogenetically chara...
Hansen S, Baptiste KE, Fjeldborg J, Betancourt A, Horohov DW.An imbalance in various cytokine mRNA expression in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in horses suffering from recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) has been demonstrated; however, the natural variation of cytokine expression in healthy horses has yet to be described. The objectives of this study were to: (1) identify age-related differences in the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in BAL and PBMC, (2) compare the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines between BAL and PBMC, and (3) evaluate the relationship between BAL pro-inflammatory cytokine ex...
Costa-Farré C, Prades M, Ribera T, Valero O, Taurà P.Decreased tissue oxygenation is a critical factor in the development of wound infection as neutrophil mediated oxidative killing is an essential mechanism against surgical pathogens. The objective of this prospective case series was to assess the impact of intraoperative arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) on surgical site infection (SSI) in horses undergoing emergency exploratory laparotomy for acute gastrointestinal disease. The anaesthetic and antibiotic protocol was standardised. Demographic data, surgical potential risk factors and PaO2, obtained 1h after induction of anaesthesia w...
Encarnação JA, Herzog S, Eickmann M, Becker NI, Hermes N, Herden C.Borna disease (BD) is a severe endemic and fatal disorder caused by the neurotropic Borna disease virus (BDV) which mainly occurs in horses and sheep. Borna disease virus belongs to the order Mononegavirales, which includes many reservoir-bound viruses with high zoonotic and pathogenic properties including the filoviruses and lyssaviruses. Clinically manifest BD occurs in endemic areas of Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Austria. A seasonal accumulation of cases in spring and summer, incidences that vary from year to year, and the recent detection of BDV in bicolored shrews (Crocidura ...
Frellstedt L, Waldschmidt I, Gosset P, Desmet C, Pirottin D, Bureau F, Farnir F, Franck T, Dupuis-Tricaud MC, Lekeux P, Art T.In humans, strenuous exercise causes increased susceptibility to respiratory infections associated with down-regulated expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and costimulatory and antigen-presenting molecules. Lower airway diseases are also a common problem in sport and racing horses. Because innate immunity plays an essential role in lung defense mechanisms, we assessed the effect of acute exercise and training on innate immune responses in two different compartments. Blood monocytes and pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAMs) were collected from horses in untrained, moderately trained, inten...
Fradinho MJ, Correia MJ, Grácio V, Bliebernicht M, Farrim A, Mateus L, Martin-Rosset W, Bessa RJ, Caldeira RM, Ferreira-Dias G.The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of body condition (BC), BC changes, and plasma leptin concentrations on the reproductive performance of Lusitano broodmares on extensive systems. Data from 119 mares (ranging from 4 to 22 years of age) were collected over a period of four consecutive breeding seasons. Each case was considered as one foaled mare bred in 1 year. Body condition changes at conception (ΔBCScon) showed a strong effect on fertility at the first two postpartum estrous cycles and a significant interaction with body condition score at conception (BCScon) was observed...
Christensen JW, Beekmans M, van Dalum M, VanDierendonck M.The effects of hyperflexion on the welfare of dressage horses have been debated. This study aimed to investigate acute stress responses of dressage horses ridden in three different Head-and-Neck-positions (HNPs). Fifteen dressage horses were ridden by their usual rider in a standardised 10-min dressage programme in either the competition frame (CF), hyperflexion ("Low-Deep-and-Round"; LDR) or a looser frame (LF) in a balanced order on three separate test days. Heart rate (HR), heart rate variability parameters (HRV), behaviour and rein tension were recorded during the test. Salivary cortisol c...
Galvin P, Gildea S, Nelly M, Quinlivan M, Arkins S, Walsh C, Cullinane A.Equine influenza (EI) is a highly contagious respiratory disease of horses. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate two rapid antigen detection kits (Directigen or DFA, and Espline) and a commercial ELISA for the detection of EI nucleoprotein in nasal swabs. Methods: Nasal swab samples from naturally and experimentally infected horses were used to compare the sensitivity and specificity of these assays to virus isolation (VI) and real-time RT-PCR. Results: If real-time RT-PCR was considered as the gold standard, the sensitivity of the other tests in field samples was 68% (DFA), 35% (E...
Robin M, Archer D, Garros C, Gardès L, Baylis M.There are concerns that outbreaks of exotic or novel vector-borne viral diseases will increasingly occur within northern Europe and the UK in the future. African horse sickness (AHS) is a viral disease of equids that is transmitted by Culicoides and is associated with up to 95 per cent mortality. AHS has never occurred in the UK; however, it has been suggested that appropriate Culicoides species and climatic conditions are present in northern Europe to support an outbreak. No data are currently available regarding the Culicoides species present on UK equine properties. This study demonstrates ...
Aurich C, Schneider J.In the equine species, sex determination of the conceptus is of growing interest for the breeding industry. In horses, the sex ratio of the offspring depends on changes in body condition of the mother at conception and under natural conditions may thus markedly deviate from an expected 1:1 ratio. Insemination with sex-sorted spermatozoa allows a pronounced shift of the sex ratio but at present pregnancy rates are low and vary considerably under field conditions. In equine embryo transfer programmes, sex determination in embryos before transfer via genetic methods is a promising approach with h...
Hussain MH, Saqib M, Raza F, Muhammad G, Asi MN, Mansoor MK, Saleem M, Jabbar A.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) caused by intraerythrocytic parasites (Theileria equi and Babesia caballi) is an emerging equine disease of world-wide distribution. In Pakistan, the prevalence and incidence of EP are unknown. In order to obtain the first insights into the prevalence of the disease, a total of 430 equids, including 33 mules, 65 horses and 332 donkeys, aging from ≤ 5 to ≥ 10 years of either sex, from five metropolises of Punjab, Pakistan, were serologically tested for the presence of antibodies directed against B. caballi and T. equi, using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorben...
Gasiorowski JC, Richardson DW.This article describes diagnostic arthroscopy and arthroscopic management of selected lesions in the standing equine patient. Details on case selection, patient and operating room preparation, and surgical technique are presented. This information will add techniques that avoid general anesthesia to the equine surgeon's armamentarium.
Munsterman AS, Hanson RR, Cattley RC, Barrett EJ, Albanese V.To describe a laparoscopic technique for, and short-term outcome after, closure of the epiploic foramen (EF) in horses. Methods: Descriptive, experimental study. Methods: Healthy, adult horses (n = 6). Methods: Laparoscopic portals to approach the EF were identified in standing horses. Under laparoscopic observation, the gastropancreatic fold and right lobe of the pancreas were grasped with Babcock forceps and secured to the caudate hepatic lobe using helical titanium coils to obliterate the EF. Surgical procedure time and intra- and postoperative complications were recorded. Serial analys...
McNabb L, Barr J, Crameri G, Juzva S, Riddell S, Colling A, Boyd V, Broder C, Wang LF, Lunt R.Hendra and Nipah viruses (HeV and NiV) are closely related zoonotic pathogens of the Paramyxoviridae family. Both viruses belong to the Henipavirus genus and cause fatal disease in animals and humans, though only HeV is endemic in Australia. In general and due to the acute nature of the disease, agent detection by PCR and virus isolation are the primary tools for diagnostic investigations. Assays for the detection of antibodies against HeV are fit more readily for the purpose of surveillance testing in disease epidemiology and to meet certification requirements in the international movement of...
Redgate SE, Cooper JJ, Hall S, Eady P, Harris PA.Choice feeding is often used to investigate an animal's nutritional requirements and dietary preferences. A problem with this approach is that animals with long gut transit times, such as the horse, may find it difficult to associate a chosen food with its nutritional consequence when alternative foods are presented simultaneously. One solution is to present foods singly for a period of time before a simultaneous choice session to allow the development of learned associations. This method was used to determine if horse's voluntary intake and feeding behavior was influenced by the macronutrient...
Abdelbary MM, Wittenberg A, Cuny C, Layer F, Kurt K, Wieler LH, Walther B, Skov R, Larsen J, Hasman H, Fitzgerald JR, Smith TC, Wagenaar JA....In the early 2000s, a particular MRSA clonal complex (CC398) was found mainly in pigs and pig farmers in Europe. Since then, CC398 has been detected among a wide variety of animal species worldwide. We investigated the population structure of CC398 through mutation discovery at 97 genetic housekeeping loci, which are distributed along the CC398 chromosome within 195 CC398 isolates, collected from various countries and host species, including humans. Most of the isolates in this collection were received from collaborating microbiologists, who had preserved them over years. We discovered 96 bi-a...
Wilgenbusch C, McClure SR, Thomsen D, Schleining J, Riedesel D, Wang C.Characterization of a model of reversible foot lameness in the horse. Methods: Both forelimb hooves were fitted with a circumferential clamp. After three baseline measurements utilizing a force platform, one clamp was tightened to induce a grade 2.5/5 lameness and left in place for 120 hours. Serial heart rate and force platform measurements were obtained and the asymmetry index was calculated. After 120 hours, the clamp was released and force platform data recorded until the horse returned to soundness. The procedure was repeated for the opposite forelimb. The responses of treatment compared ...
Medina-Torres CE, Hewson J, Stämpfli S, Stalker MJ.A 9-day-old Thoroughbred filly was presented for diarrhea and lethargy. Diagnostic test results were compatible with severe renal dysfunction. Diffuse cystic lesions of both kidneys were identified on ultrasonographic examination. Postmortem examination confirmed the presence of multiple renal cysts. Congenital nephropathy compatible with bilateral diffuse cystic renal dysplasia was diagnosed. Une pouliche Thoroughbred âgée de 9 jours a été présentée pour de la diarrhée et de la léthargie. Les résultats des tests diagnostiques étaient compatibles avec une dysfonction rénale grave. ...
Schade SM, Arnoczky SP, Bowker RM.To describe the intra-osseous microvasculature of the distal phalanx of the equine forelimb with regard to its potential clinical relevance. Methods: Eleven clinically normal equine forelimbs were used from six adult horses (range: 4 to 18 years old) euthanatized for reasons unrelated to lameness. In each limb the median artery was catheterized at the level of the carpus and India ink was injected under constant manual pressure. The limbs were frozen and 5 mm thick sections of the foot were cut in the sagittal, coronal, or transverse planes on a band saw. The sections were fixed in 10% formali...
Corbin LJ, Kranis A, Blott SC, Swinburne JE, Vaudin M, Bishop SC, Woolliams JA.Despite the dramatic reduction in the cost of high-density genotyping that has occurred over the last decade, it remains one of the limiting factors for obtaining the large datasets required for genomic studies of disease in the horse. In this study, we investigated the potential for low-density genotyping and subsequent imputation to address this problem. Results: Using the haplotype phasing and imputation program, BEAGLE, it is possible to impute genotypes from low- to high-density (50K) in the Thoroughbred horse with reasonable to high accuracy. Analysis of the sources of variation in imput...
Kozai K, Hojo T, Tokuyama S, Szóstek AZ, Takahashi M, Sakatani M, Nambo Y, Skarzynski DJ, Okuda K.Regression of the corpus luteum (CL) is characterized by a decay in progesterone (P4) production (functional luteolysis) and disappearance of luteal tissues (structural luteolysis). In mares, structural luteolysis is thought to be caused by apoptosis of luteal cells, but functional luteolysis is poorly understood. 20α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (20α-HSD) catabolizes P4 into its biologically inactive form, 20α-hydroxyprogesterone (20α-OHP). In mares, aldo-keto reductase (AKR) 1C23, which is a member of the AKR superfamily, has 20α-HSD activity. To clarify whether AKR1C23 is associated wi...
Niemelä T, Virén T, Liukkonen J, Argüelles D, te Moller NC, Puhakka PH, Jurvelin JS, Tulamo RM, Töyräs J.Arthroscopy is widely used in various equine joints for diagnostic and surgical purposes. However, accuracy of defining the extent of cartilage lesions and reproducibility in grading of lesions are not optimal. Therefore, there is a need for new, more quantitative arthroscopic methods. Arthroscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging is a promising tool introduced for quantitative detection of cartilage degeneration and scoring of the severity of chondral lesions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inter-investigator agreement and inter-method agreement in grading cartilage lesio...
Wells AE, Blache D.In many equestrian pursuits such as dressage and show-jumping, it is important that the horse exhibits the same level of balance when ridden to the left as when ridden to the right in canter - that is, to show no motor bias. It is a long-held belief within such disciplines that to reduce bias that exists in horses and thus to enhance symmetry of performance to the left and right, the horse needs to be worked equally in both directions, although there is a lack of scientific evidence of this influencing bias. There also is little compelling evidence for either the existence or absence of motor ...
Mama KR, Hector RC.Many drugs and non-drug modalities are used to manage pain in horses, but evidence regarding efficacy and safety remains limited. This manuscript will first briefly review tried and tested techniques, e.g. the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, in the management of pain. Newer approaches to administering medications such as oral use of detomidine, which was previously only administered by injection, will also be discussed. Finally, introductory information on newer therapies, for example acupuncture and chiropractic manipulation, that the veterinarian may consider for the management...
Faleiros RR, Leise BS, Watts M, Johnson PJ, Black SJ, Belknap JK.Chemokines play a vital role in leukocyte activation and emigration that reportedly plays a central role in laminar injury in equine laminitis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pattern of laminar chemokine expression in horses in the classical carbohydrate overload (CHO)-model of laminitis. Laminar samples were obtained 24h following water administration in the control group (CON, n=8), and at the onset of fever (≥ 102°F, 12-22 h post CHO, DEV group, n=8) and at the onset of lameness (20-48 h post CHO, LAM group, n=8) in induced horses. Real time quantitative PCR was performed ...
Loeffler A, Herrick D, Allen S, Littlewood JD.Allergic pruritus and urticaria in the horse are challenging for veterinarians and owners; little is known about their long-term management. Objective: To summarize intradermal allergen test results (IDT), and to assess owners' perceptions of skin disease and the effects of medical treatment and management changes in their atopic horses over time. Methods: Eighty two horses with atopic dermatitis in southeastern England between 2006 and 2011. Methods: The IDT results were reviewed retrospectively. Owners completed telephone questionnaires on skin changes, medication, effect of allergen-specifi...
Bird AR, Knowles EJ, Sherlock CE, Pearson GR, Mair TS.Gastric impaction in the horse is poorly described in the veterinary literature. Objective: To review the clinical and pathological features of gastric impaction. Methods: The clinical details of horses presenting with colic over a 7-year period and cases in which gastric impaction was considered to determine the outcome were reviewed. Clinical and clinicopathological data were recorded. Results: Twelve cases of gastric impaction were recorded (1.4% of 857 horses hospitalised for colic). Diagnosis was achieved by ultrasonographic examination, gastroscopy, exploratory celiotomy and/or post mort...
Johnstone IB, Crane S.Hemostatic profiles were determined in 30 horses with clinical colic. Blood samples were obtained at the time of the animal's admission, and the following hemostatic tests were done: blood platelet count, plasma fibrinogen, plasma antithrombin, prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, thrombin time, protamine sulfate test for soluble fibrin monomer, and fibrin-fibrinogen degradation products. The patients were categorized in retrospect, according to the cause of the colic: group 1--colic associated with colitis and/or severe diarrhea, group 2--colic associated with torsion or obstruction...
Attenburrow DP.Techniques developed for the detection and simultaneous recording of certain events in the respiratory and limb cycles are presented. The respiratory cycle and limb cycle were found to be in-phase only at the canter and gallop. The significance of any time relationship between events in respiration and in locomotion is discussed.
Otte K, Engström W.Horse cDNA for insulin-like growth factor II (IGF II) has been isolated. cDNA was synthesized from bulk mRNA and subsequently PCR-amplified and sequenced. Like its human counterpart, the mature horse IGF II peptide contains 67 amino acids with only two substitutions, isoleucine instead of valine in position 35 and asparagine instead of serine in position 36. The nucleotide homology was 92.1% between horse and human and 87.8% between horse and mouse. The isolated cDNA hybridized to multiple transcripts in fetal and adult tissues, thus confirming earlier reports on developmental expression of th...
Waguespack RW, Cochran A, Belknap JK.To compare the levels of mRNA expression of cycooxygenase (COX)-1 and COX-2 in the digital laminae of normal horses and horses in the developmental stages of laminitis experimentally induced by administration of black walnut extract (BWE). Methods: Samples of mRNA extracted from the digital laminae of 5 control horses and 5 horses at the onset of leukopenia after administration of BWE. Methods: Specimens of laminae were collected from anesthetized horses prior to euthanasia. Expression of COX-1 and COX-2 mRNA in laminae of control and affected horses was evaluated via real-time quantitative po...
Laing G, Christley R, Stringer A, Ashine T, Cian F, Aklilu N, Newton R, Radford A, Pinchbeck G.Respiratory disease is a common cause for presentation of working horses to clinics in Ethiopia and a priority concern for owners. Objective: To identify risk factors for and association of pathogens with respiratory signs in working horses. Methods: Unmatched case-control study. Methods: Cases were those animals recently coughing (last 7 days) or observed with coughing, nasal discharge or altered respiration at the time of examination. A physical exam and respiratory endoscopy were performed including a tracheal wash sample to detect the presence of pathogens and serology performed on blood....
Sewell DA, Harris RC, Marlin DJ.Skeletal muscle samples were obtained by needle biopsy from two depths of the m. gluteus medius of 50, young race-trained thoroughbred racehorses. Histochemical and biochemical characteristics of the muscle samples were analysed. Fibres were classified as type I, type IIa or type IIb on the basis of the pH dependent lability of the myosin ATPase reaction. The activities of citrate synthase (CS) and glycogen phosphorylase (Phos) were determined. Muscle fibre composition varied markedly between deep and superficial muscle samples and this was reflected in differences in the activities of citrate...
Harnacker J, Hainisch EK, Shafti-Keramat S, Kirnbauer R, Brandt S.Equine sarcoids are common therapy-resistant skin tumours induced by bovine papillomavirus type 1 or 2 (BPV1, BPV2) infection. We have previously shown that prophylactic vaccination with BPV1 L1 virus-like particles (VLPs) efficiently protects horses from experimental BPV1-induced pseudo-sarcoid development. Here, we assessed BPV1 L1 VLP vaccine-mediated long-term protection from experimental tumour formation in seven horses 5 years after immunization with three different doses of BPV1 L1 VLPs, and three unvaccinated control animals. Horses were challenged by intradermal inoculation with infec...
Sasaki N, Yoshihara T.Laparotomy was performed on seven thoroughbreds to attach a force transducer to the proximal jejunum, distal jejunum, and ileum, as well as to the serous membrane of the cecum. Following observation of intestinal motility in conscious horses, they were intravenously injected with motilin (0.6 microgram/kg) to examine its effect on intestinal motility. Strong contractions peculiar to horses were observed in small intestine. Further, motilin caused strong contractions in the proximal jejunum. The results suggested the involvement of motilin in the regulation mechanism of intestinal motility.
Nomura M, Shiose T, Ishikawa Y, Mizobe F, Sakai S, Kusano K.Despite growing recognition of post-race exertional heat illness (EHI) in the horse racing industry, reports on its prevalence are limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of post-race EHI and climate conditions at racecourses in Japan. The overall prevalence of EHI from 1999 to 2018 was 0.04% (387 cases for 975,247 starters) in races operated by the Japan Racing Association (JRA). The yearly prevalence has been increasing, exceeding 0.07% in the last four years of the studied period. The overall prevalence in summer (May-September) was 0.086% (352 cases for 409,908...
Ragle CA, Meagher DM, Lacroix CA, Honnas CM.A retrospective study of 40 horses that underwent surgical treatment for sand colic was performed. Three horses were euthanatized and one died during surgery. Of the 36 horses that recovered from anesthesia, five died before discharge from the hospital and seven died after discharge. Twenty-four horses survived at least 12 months. Sand impaction of the right dorsal colon was present in 26 horses. In addition to sand impaction, 10 horses also had colonic displacement or volvulus.
Porter RH, Duchamp G, Nowak R, Daels PF.An attempt was made to elicit maternal behavior in non-parturient Welsh pony mares through a combination of hormonal treatment and vaginal-cervical stimulation (VCS). Lactation was induced in 16 nonpregnant, non-parturient mares via a combination of estradiol, progesterone and a dopamine antagonist (sulpiride). During the adoption trials, each lactating mare was confined behind a padded bar and a newborn foal was held near her head. Eight of the mares received two 3-min periods of VCS when the foster foal was introduced. Following VCS, the foal was released and its interactions with the adopti...
Powell DG.An outbreak of contagious equine metritis that occurred on stud farms in the Newmarket area during 1977 is described. A Gram-negative coccobacillus was isolated from field cases and the disease was reproduced experimentally by inoculating a pure culture of the organism through the cervix of clean pony mares. Natural spread of the disease occurred by venereal transmission and following the handling, examination or teasing of infected mares. Bacteriological screening of the genital tract of mares and stallions before covering plus stricter standards of hygiene on the stud farms have been recomme...
Rawlings P, Snow WF, Boorman J, Denison E, Hamblin C, Mellor PS.Twelve light trap collections made near overnight shelters of horses and donkeys in four villages in the Central River Division of The Gambia captured fourteen species of biting midge of the genus Culicoides. Five species new to The Gambia were identified. This brought the number of recognized species of Culicoides (after a revision of C. schultzei) to twenty-nine in The Gambia. Species known or suspected as vectors of African horse sickness virus (AHSV) and bluetongue virus (BTV) comprised 83% of female captures, 65% of captures being C. imicola or its sibling species, C. miombo. Captures of ...
Yamanokuchi K, Tagami M, Nishimatsu E, Shimizu Y, Hirose Y, Komatsu K, Misumi K.Measurement of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) in serum has potential for diagnosis of equine osteoarthritis (OA), but clinical use is currently limited by the lack of specificity of an inhibition ELISA as well as by baseline increases due to exercise. Improved methods for ELISA with increased antigen specificity and sensitivity are therefore required for reliable measurement. Objective: Measurement of the serum level of COMP by sandwich ELISA allows identification of horses with OA. Methods: New monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) were elicited against equine cartilage COMP, their epitope...
Moore RM, Sedrish SA, Holmes EP, Koch CE, Venugopal CS.The objective of this study was to determine and compare the in vitro responses of equine large colon arterial and venous rings to vasodilatory neuropeptides; calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP); substance P (SP); vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP); and acetylcholine (ACh), a standard nonpeptide endothelium-dependent vasodilator. Responses of vessel rings to graded concentrations (10(-11) M to 10(-5) M) of each drug were determined in endothelium-intact, denuded, and Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 10(-5) M)-treated rings that were pre-contracted with norepinephrine. Perc...
Gard GP, Marshall ID, Walker KH, Acland HM, Saren WG.An outbreak of Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE) occurred in New South Wales during the first five months of 1974. Specimens from 52 horses with nervous disease collected January to May 1974 were examined histopathological or virologically. Although MVE virus was not isolated, 13 horses had serological evidence of recent infection with MVE virus. Another 4 horses had evidence of recent infection with Ross River virus. Two animals had histological evidence of viral infection of the central nervous system. Attempts to experimentally infect 2 horses with a low dose of MVE virus were not successful...
Prause AS, Stoffel MH, Portier CJ, Mevissen M.In horses, gastrointestinal (GI) disorders occur frequently and cause a considerable demand for efficient medication. 5-Hydroxytryptamine receptors (5-HT) have been reported to be involved in GI tract motility and thus, are potential targets for treating functional bowel disorders. Our studies extend current knowledge on the 5-HT(7) receptor in equine duodenum, ileum and pelvic flexure by studying its expression throughout the intestine and its role in modulating contractility in vitro by immunofluorescence and organ bath experiments, respectively. 5-HT(7) immunoreactivity was demonstrated in ...
Adams K, Schulz-Kornas E, Arzi B, Failing K, Vogelsberg J, Staszyk C.It has been assumed that dental conditions cause disorders of the equine temporomandibular joint (TMJ), due to biomechanical overload or aberrant loading. However, the incidence of published TMJ disorders in horses is low and this leads to the question whether the equine TMJ is adapted well to its biomechanical requirements or is able to remodel its articular surfaces in response to modified loading conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the histological characteristics of healthy equine TMJs. The tissue components of the articular surfaces of 10 TMJs obtained from horses without a...
Posnett ES, Fehrsen J, De Waal DT, Ambrosio RE.The ability of the Babesia equi repetitive probes, pSE2 and pSB20, to detect parasites in blood from experimentally infected, naturally infected and carrier animals was tested using a spot hybridization assay. The clinical course of the experimentally infected horses was monitored using microscopy, indirect fluorescent antibody tests, packed cell volume, temperature and the probe assay. The probes sensitively monitored the parasite level during the development of the disease and correlated well with the other parameters tested. The sensitivity of the probe assay was superior to that of light m...
Beckwith-Cohen B, Elad D, Bdolah-Abram T, Ofri R.To determine baseline tear pH in dogs, horses, and cattle by use of a microelectrode. Methods: 28 dogs, 24 horses, and 29 cattle. Methods: Under manual restraint, tears were collected from each subject's left eye with cotton spears. A Schirmer tear test was performed in the right eye. Tears were extracted from the spears by centrifugation. Tear volume was measured, pH was determined with a microelectrode, and total solids (TS) concentration was measured by refractometry. Results: Mean ± SD pH of tears in cattle, dogs, and horses was 8.32 ± 0.14, 8.05 ± 0.26, and 7.84 ± 0.30, respectively. ...
Nouws JF, Firth EC, Vree TB, Baakman M.Plasma disposition, protein binding, urinary recovery, and renal clearance of sulfamethazine (SMZ), sulfamerazine (SMR), and sulfadiazine (SDZ) and their N4-acetyl and hydroxy derivatives were studied in 4 horses in a crossover trial. The plasma concentration-time curves of the metabolites paralleled those of the parent drug in the elimination phase. Sulfamethazine and SMR were extensively metabolized. In plasma and urine, the main metabolite of the 3 sulfonamides tested was the 5-hydroxypyrimidine derivative, which was highly glucuronidated. Difference in elimination half-life of SMZ, SMR, an...
Home WA, Ford JE, Gibson DM.Analysis of 10 cDNA encoding lambda L chains of horse Ig indicated that this species may employ a relatively small number of variable region (V lambda) genes in the splenic B cell population. The V lambda sequences of all of the cDNA analyzed were closely related (> 88% identity at the nucleotide level) and were characterized by a deletion of the amino acid residue at position 3 compared with V lambda sequences so far described in other species. The 10 V lambda sequences could be grouped into three groups, V lambda 1 to V lambda 3, on the basis of a number of linked substitutions. Sequences...
