"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.
Wijnberg ID, Hardeman LC, van der Meij BR, Veraa S, Back W, van der Kolk JH.Therapeutic reduction of the activity of the deep digital flexor (DDF) muscle may play a role in treatment of laminitic horses. Clostridium botulinum toxin type A induces reduced muscle activity and has a spasmolytic effect in horses. In this study, the effectiveness of 200 IU C. botulinum toxin type A on reduction of DDF muscle activity was measured in seven healthy, sound, adult Royal Dutch sport horses. C. botulinum toxin type A was injected using ultrasound and electromyographic (EMG) guidance. The effectiveness was assessed by interference pattern analysis (IPA) and motor unit action pote...
Geser-von Peinen K, Latif SN, Wiestner T, Bitschnau C, Renk B, Weishaupt MA.With the intention of limiting the weight on horses' backs and guaranteeing maximal freedom of movement, commonly used racing saddles are small and have minimal cushioning. Poor saddle cushioning may limit performance or even affect soundness of the back. The aim of this study was to measure the pressure under an average racing saddle ridden by a jockey at racing speed. Saddle pressure using a medium-sized racing saddle (length 37 cm, weight 450 g) was measured in five actively racing Thoroughbred horses. All horses were trained at the same facility and ridden by their usual professional jocke...
Nevins R, Finch S, Hickling EJ, Barnett SD.We theorized that ability to direct and control a horse will lead to a sense of empowerment, facilitate a relationship between horse and veteran, lead to a decrease in anxiety, and improve physical and social functioning. Methods: This case study utilizes the Connection methodology: nonverbal language of the horse in a predictable, sequential, and repeatable method. Psychological testing occurred immediately pre- and post-Connection with follow-up occurring at 2, 4, 6, and 12 wks post-Connection. Methods: Twice-deployed combat medic who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Methods: Saratog...
Crevier-Denoix N, Pourcelot P, Holden-Douilly L, Camus M, Falala S, Ravary-Plumioën B, Vergari C, Desquilbet L, Chateau H.The type and condition of sport surfaces affect performance and can also be a risk factor for injury. Combining the use a 3-dimensional dynamometric horseshoe (DHS), an accelerometer and high-speed cameras, variables reflecting hoof-ground interaction and maximal limb loading can be measured. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of two racing surfaces, turf and all-weather waxed (AWW), on the forelimbs of five horses at the canter. Vertical hoof velocity before impact was higher on AWW. Maximal deceleration at impact (vertical impact shock) was not significantly different be...
Eisersiö M, Roepstorff L, Weishaupt MA, Egenvall A.The aim of this study was to investigate the behavioural response of horses to rein contact and the movement of the riders' hands through analysis of data from horses ridden at two different head and neck positions. It was hypothesised that the riders' hand movements and rein tension would generate behavioural responses from horses and that these responses would be more marked when horses were ridden 'on the bit' than when unrestrained. Data were collected from seven dressage horse/rider combinations at sitting trot on a high speed treadmill. Kinematics were recorded using a 12-camera, infrare...
Robartes H, Fairhurst H, Pfau T.Lameness examinations in horses often include lungeing and ridden exercise. To incorporate these exercises into the evidence-based decision making process aided by quantitative sensor based gait analysis, guideline values for movement asymmetry are needed. In this study, movement symmetry (MS) was quantified in horses during unridden and ridden trot on the straight and on the circle. Systematic changes in MS were expected as a result of the 'asymmetrical loading' caused by circular movement, the rising trot and the combination of the two. Out of 23 horses (age 4-20 years, height 13.3-17.2 hand...
Devi KM, Ghosh SK.Manipuri pony is the geographically distant breed of horse from the five recognized horse breeds found in the Indian subcontinent. The phylogenetic relationship of Manipuri pony with the other breeds is unknown. The diversity in the mitochondrial (mt) DNA D-loop region is employed as an important tool to understand the origin and genetic diversification of domestic horses and to examine genetic relationships among breeds around the world. This study was carried out to understand the maternal lineages of Manipuri pony using the 247 bp region of the mtDNA D-loop. The dataset comprised of eleven ...
Rhodin M, Pfau T, Roepstorff L, Egenvall A.Lungeing is an important part of lameness examinations, since the circular path enforced during lungeing is thought to accentuate low grade lameness. However, during lungeing the movement of sound horses becomes naturally asymmetric, which may mimic lameness. Also, compensatory movements in the opposite half of the body may mimic lameness. The aim of this study was to objectively study the presence of circle-dependent and compensatory movement asymmetries in horses with induced lameness. Ten horses were trotted in a straight line and lunged in both directions on a hard surface. Lameness was in...
Crevier-Denoix N, Ravary-Plumioën B, Vergari C, Camus M, Holden-Douilly L, Falala S, Jerbi H, Desquilbet L, Chateau H, Denoix JM, Pourcelot P.The incidence of superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) injuries is one of the highest of all equine musculoskeletal conditions. Horses with SDFT injuries commonly show no improvement of lameness on soft ground, unlike those suffering from distal bone or joint lesions. The aim of this study was to compare the SDFT loading in five horses at the walk and trot on asphalt and sand using a non-invasive ultrasonic tendon force measurement device. Three horses were equipped with the ultrasonic device, whereas the other two horses were equipped with the ultrasonic device and a dynamometric horseshoe...
Nauwelaerts S, Aerts P, Clayton H.Spontaneous transitions from anti-phase to in-phase manual coordination are explained in the Haken model that describes the two preferred states as stable regions that work as attractors in a stability landscape. Switching between states coincides with a temporary loss of stability. Coordination variability is believed to be indicative of such a loss of stability. In this study, the hypothesis was tested that an increase in variability in the angle profiles of the joints responsible for the transition will precede the transition. A full gait analysis of four miniature horses transitioning from...
Hardeman LC, van der Meij BR, Oosterlinck M, Veraa S, van der Kolk JH, Wijnberg ID, Back W.In the treatment of laminitis, reducing deep digital flexor muscle (DDFM) activity might diminish its pull on the distal phalanx, thereby preventing displacement and providing pain relief. Injection of Clostridium botulinum toxin type A into the DDFM of horses is potentially therapeutic. However, the effects of C. botulinum toxin type A on the gait characteristics of sound horses at the walk are not known. The aim of this study was to test if a reduced DDFM activity would lead to (1) alterations of the sagittal range of motion of the metacarpus (SROM) and range of motion of the carpal joint (C...
Roepstorff L, Wiestner T, Weishaupt MA, Egenvall E.The aim of this study was to compare an inertial motion system (IMS) to an optical based locomotion analysis system measuring limb sagittal segment angles in horses at the walk and trot. The metatarsal/metacarpal bones of two horses (20 trials) were fitted with optical system markers and an IMS. Between the systems, measuring range of motion (ROM) of the sagittal metatarsal/metacarpal bone angles, the IMS measured higher ROM than the optical system (bias 1.6°; precision at 1.96 standard deviation 1.9°). The same angle data were used to assess inter-limb symmetry by calculating phase shift be...
Hobbs SJ, Clayton HM.The aims of this study were to measure ground reaction forces (GRFs) of concurrently loaded limbs and to evaluate spatial relationships between the centre of pressure (COP) and centre of mass (COM) in trotting horses. Kinematic (120Hz) and GRF data were collected at trot from three trials of eight horses using four force plates (960 Hz). Forelimb and hind limb GRFs were measured, COP was calculated from the resultant vertical GRF vector and COM was calculated by summation of weighted segmental COMs. Peak total vertical force (19.3 ± 1.3N/kg at 45.1 ± 2.3% diagonal stance) coincided with zero...
Mooij MJ, Jans W, den Heijer GJ, de Pater M, Back W.There is a lack of evidence for the presumed beneficial effects of water treadmills on the movement of the horse's back. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of water treadmill exercise on axial rotation (AR), lateral bending (LB) and pelvic flexion (PF) in horses. The back kinematics of a group of riding horses were studied at the walk in a water treadmill at different depths of water (hoof, fetlock, carpus, elbow and shoulder joint levels) over a period of 10 days. Skin markers were placed at anatomical locations on the back. AR, LB and PF were measured on days 1 and 10 using two...
Leśniak K.Current published data on directional asymmetry (DA) in horses refer to racing Thoroughbreds. The aim of this study was to identify whether horses and ponies exhibit directionality of trait asymmetries. Eleven functional (limb) and four non-functional (facial) bilateral traits were measured on left and right sides in a cohort of 100 horses and ponies using callipers. The population was investigated as pooled data and as horse (withers height >148 cm) and pony (withers height ≤ 148 cm) sub-groups. Within the pooled data, functional traits were longer on the right for the third metacarpal (MCI...
Oosterlinck M, Hardeman LC, van der Meij BR, Veraa S, van der Kolk JH, Wijnberg ID, Pille F, Back W.Empirically, equine distal limb lameness is often linked to hoof imbalance. To objectively quantify dynamic toe-heel and medio-lateral hoof balance of the vertical ground reaction force in sound sport horses, seven Royal Dutch Sport Horses were led at the walk and trot over a dynamically calibrated pressure plate. Forelimb hoof prints were divided into a toe and heel region and a medial and lateral zone. Toe-heel and medio-lateral hoof balance of the vertical ground reaction force were calculated throughout the stance. Toe-heel balance was highly symmetrical between contralateral limbs at both...
Clayton HM, Buchholz R, Nauwelaerts S.A stabilogram plots movements of the centre of pressure (COP) in the horizontal plane. Derived stabilographic variables quantify postural balance, but it is not known if these variables are size dependent. The aims of this study were to determine which morphological variable was most representative of size, which stabilographic variables were most representative of balance and whether size normalisation improved estimates of postural performance. Croup height (0.93-1.77 m), mass (117-666 kg), base of support (BOS) length (0.74-1.18 m) and BOS width (0.22-0.45 m) were measured in 24 horses. Sta...
Smith RK, Werling NJ, Dakin SG, Alam R, Goodship AE, Dudhia J.Tendon injuries are a common age-related degenerative condition where current treatment strategies fail to restore functionality and normal quality of life. This disease also occurs naturally in horses, with many similarities to human tendinopathy making it an ideal large animal model for human disease. Regenerative approaches are increasingly used to improve outcome involving mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), supported by clinical data where injection of autologous bone marrow derived MSCs (BM-MSCs) suspended in marrow supernatant into injured tendons has halved the re-injury rate in racehorses....
De Briyne N, Atkinson J, Pokludová L, Borriello SP, Price S.The Heads of Medicines Agencies and the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe undertook a survey to gain a better insight into the decision-making process of veterinarians in Europe when deciding which antibiotics to prescribe. The survey was completed by 3004 practitioners from 25 European countries. Analysis was to the level of different types of practitioner (food producing (FP) animals, companion animals, equines) and country for Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Responses indicate no single information source is universally considered critical, though tra...
Esparza J.Mystery surrounds the extent to which horsepox virus may have contributed to the vaccinia virus used to eradicate smallpox. With few documented cases of horsepox in recent years it may never be solved, says José Esparza, who seeks to raise awareness of the potential historical and scientific importance of identifying new cases.
Duquesne F, Hébert L, Breuil MF, Matsuda M, Laugier C, Petry S.We describe here the development of a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) scheme for Taylorella equigenitalis, the causative agent of contagious equine metritis (CEM), and Taylorella asinigenitalis, a nonpathogenic bacterium. MLST was performed on a set of 163 strains collected in several countries over 35 years (1977-2012). The MLST data were analyzed using START2, MEGA 5.05 and eBURST, and can be accessed at http://pubmlst.org/taylorella/. Our results revealed a clonal population with 39 sequence types (ST) and no common ST between the two Taylorella species. The eBURST analysis grouped the 27...
Marsella R.Allergies are common in horses. It is important to identify and correct as many factors as possible to control pruritus and make the patient comfortable. Culicoides hypersensitivity is a common component in allergic horses. The main treatment continues to be rigorous fly control and avoidance of insect bites. Environmental allergies are best addressed by early identification of the offending allergens and formulation of allergen-specific immunotherapy to decrease the need for rescue medications. Food allergy is best managed with food avoidance. Urticaria is one of the manifestations of allergi...
Randall C, Bridges D, Guerri R, Nogues X, Puig L, Torres E, Mellibovsky L, Hoffseth K, Stalbaum T, Srikanth A, Weaver JC, Rosen S, Barnard H....A novel, hand-held Reference Point Indentation (RPI) instrument, measures how well the bone of living patients and large animals resists indentation. The results presented here are reported in terms of Bone Material Strength, which is a normalized measure of how well the bone resists indentation, and is inversely related to the indentation distance into the bone. We present examples of the instrument's use in: (1) laboratory experiments on bone, including experiments through a layer of soft tissue, (2) three human clinical trials, two ongoing in Barcelona and at the Mayo Clinic, and one comple...
Schröttner P, Schultz J, Rudolph W, Gunzer F, Thürmer A, Fitze G, Jacobs E.We report on the isolation of Actinobacillus equuli ssp. haemolyticus from wound smears of a 2-year-old girl who was admitted to the hospital due to partial amputation of the distal phalanx of her right middle finger caused by a horse bite. A. equuli typically causes diseases in horses and only very few reports describing human infections (mostly associated with wounds) are available in the literature. Interestingly, although the bacteria could be found in consecutive samples taken at different points in time, there were no signs of advancing infection or inflammation. Moreover, the fingertip ...
Weber JM, Parkhouse WS, Dobson GP, Harman JC, Snow DH, Hochachka PW.Plasma lactate turnover rate of Thoroughbred racehorses was measured by bolus injection of [U-14C]lactate at rest and two levels of submaximal treadmill exercise (3-4 m/s trot, 6% incline, and 6.5 m/s horizontal canter). Our goals were 1) to determine the relative effects of changes in cardiac output and in plasma lactate concentration on turnover rate [using cardiac output data from Weber et al. (28)] and 2) to assess the importance of lactate as a metabolic fuel in a trained animal athlete. Lactate turnover rates were 9.3 mumol.min-1.kg-1 (rest), 75.9 mumol.min-1.kg-1 at the beginning of the...
Pleasant RS, Moll HD, Ley WB, Lessard P, Warnick LD.To determine if intra-articular anesthesia of the distal interphalangeal joint could alleviate lameness associated with the navicular bursa in horses. Methods: Experimental investigation. Methods: Six clinically normal horses. Methods: Lameness was induced in each horse by injecting either the left or right front navicular bursa with 5 mg of amphotericin-B. Forty-eight hours later each horse was videotaped walking and trotting before, and 5, 30, and 60 minutes after injecting the distal interphalangeal joint of the treated limb with 5 mL of 2% mepivacaine hydrochloride. All video recordings we...
Stauffer S, Cordner B, Dixon J, Witte T.The aim of this preliminary proof-of-concept study was to evaluate and compare the success and complication rate of infiltration of the maxillary nerve of cadaver heads using previously described surface landmarks, standard ultrasound and a novel needle guidance positioning ultrasound system (SonixGPS). Methods: Prospective, anatomical, method-comparison study. Methods: Thirty-eight equine cadaver heads. Methods: Twenty-six veterinary students performed the three methods consecutively on cadaver heads using an 18 gauge, 8.9 cm spinal needle and 0.5 mL iodinated contrast medium. Computed tomog...
Kuroda T, Minamijima Y, Niwa H, Tamura N, Mita H, Fukuda K, Kaimachi M, Suzuki Y, Enoki Y, Taguchi K, Matsumoto K, Toutain PL, Bousquet-Melou A....First-generation cephalosporins have good activity against gram-positive bacteria and are extensively used in horses. There are few reports of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) analysis of cephalosporins in horses. Objective: To optimise the dosages of the two first-generation cephalosporins cephalothin (CET) and cefazolin (CEZ) in horses using PK/PD concepts. Methods: Experimental study with single administration. Methods: Drug plasma concentrations following a single intravenous (i.v.) administration of 22 mg/kg bodyweight (bwt) CET in 12 horses and of 10 mg/kg bwt CEZ in six h...
Hansen S, Otten ND, Fjeldborg J, Baptiste KE, Horohov DW.The objectives of this study were to evaluate the natural age-related variation and compare the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the peripheral blood and lower airways of horses. The mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 TNF-α TLR-4 in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were studied by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and differential cell count cytology from 44 horses of different ages. A significant age-related increase was found for the mRNA expression of IL-6, IL-8, TLR-4 and TNF-α in stimulated BAL cells and for T...
Doll CU, Niebert S, Burk J.Tendon lesions are common sporting injuries in humans and horses alike. The healing process of acute tendon lesions frequently results in fibrosis and chronic disease. In horses, local mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) injection is an accepted therapeutic strategy with positive influence on acute lesions. Concerning the use of MSCs in chronic tendon disease, data are scarce but suggest less therapeutic benefit. However, it has been shown that MSCs can have a positive effect on fibrotic tissue. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate the interplay of MSCs and healthy or chronically diseased tendon matrix...
Barclay WP, Phillips TN, Foerner JJ.Intussusception associated with Anoplocephala perfoliata infection was found in 5 horses. The unusual types of intussusception and the presence of tapeworms at the leading edge of the intussuscipiens suggested tapeworms as the cause of the problem. Lesions attributable to tapeworm attachment on the mucosa were found to fit a mechanical model of intussusception. Treatment of two of the horses and some of their pasturemates with pyrantel pamoate caused elimination of intact tapeworms.
Friso AM, Segabinazzi LGTM, Cyrino M, Correal SB, Freitas-Dell'Aqua CP, Teoro do Carmo M, Dell'Aqua JA, Miró J, Papa FO, Alvarenga MA.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a therapeutic option for the treatment of inflammation. However, negative effects of non-selective NSAIDs for treatment of mares with endometritis have been described, including delayed uterine clearance and impairment of ovulations. Firocoxib is a specific cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor and has the ability to act in the uterus of mares. We investigated the effects of firocoxib on ovulation rate, numbers of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs), and COX-2 protein levels in the endometrial tissue of susceptible mares after insemination. Two ...
Riviere JE, Coppoc GL, Hinsman EJ, Carlton WW, Traver DS.Gentamicin pharmacokinetics and nephrotoxic potential were evaluated in twelve 2 to 3 month-old horses. Whereas recent evidence in our clinic indicated that young horses may be especially susceptible to gentamicin nephrotoxicity, young rabbits and rats are usually resistant. Gentamicin (4.5 mg/kg) was given by rapid intravenous injection. Serum gentamicin concentrations over a 13-hour period were fitted to an open, two-compartment, pharmacokinetic model. Subsequently, the same horses were divided into groups of 3 horses each. Each group received 0, 2.2, 4.4 or 8.8 mg gentamicin/kg, intramuscul...
Strand E, Skjerve E.Many horses demonstrate dynamic collapse of more than one upper respiratory tract (URT) structure during high-speed treadmill videoendoscopy (HSTV). Objective: To report the frequency of complex dynamic URT collapse in harness racehorses and determine if an association exists between occurrence of certain disorders. Methods: Retrospective study of 99 Standardbreds and Coldblooded trotters that had one or more dynamic URT disorders identified during HSTV between 1998 and 2006. The horses underwent HSTV using a protocol that included periods of free head carriage and poll flexion until fully fat...
Hodson NP, Wright JA, Hunt J.Plasma levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol and catecholamines were used to study the role of the sympatho-adrenal system in equine grass sickness. Statistical evaluation determined differences of hormone levels between seven horses with grass sickness (one acute, five subacute and one chronic), six horses with colic (one with laminitis) and 16 control horses before and after mild stress. Plasma levels of the hormones were higher in horses with acute and subacute grass sickness than in the other groups. No differences were detected between horses with colic and stressed contr...
Imboden I, Waldern NM, Wiestner T, Lischer CJ, Ueltschi G, Weishaupt MA.Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is an accepted form of treatment for chronic cases of proximal suspensory desmitis (PSD). Subjective evaluation of horses shortly after being treated with ESWT has led clinicians to comment on an immediate reduction in lameness. This study aimed to evaluate the analgesic effect of ESWT on 16 horses with PSD or PSD-like pain in a fore- or hindlimb. To objectively assess lameness, gait analysis was performed on an instrumented treadmill before and 6, 24, 48 and 72h after ESWT of the origin of the suspensory ligament and the results compared to the effects...
McClintock SA, Collins AM.A 6-month-old Quarter Horse weanling filly was presented with lethargy, weight loss, inappetance, mild diarrhoea, marked ventral oedema and severe panhypoproteinaemia. Serum antibody titres for Lawsonia intracellularis were very high but PCR to detect faecal shedding of the organism was negative. Proliferative enteropathy due to L. intracellularis infection was diagnosed. After treatment for 4 weeks with oral erythromycin and rifampicin the filly made a complete recovery.
Harvey AM, Watson JL, Brault SA, Edman JM, Moore SM, Kass PH, Wilson WD.OBJECTIVE To investigate the impact of age and inferred prior vaccination history on the persistence of vaccine-induced antibody against rabies in horses. DESIGN Serologic response evaluation. ANIMALS 48 horses with an undocumented vaccination history. PROCEDURES Horses were vaccinated against rabies once. Blood samples were collected prior to vaccination, 3 to 7 weeks after vaccination, and at 6-month intervals for 2 to 3 years. Serum rabies virus-neutralizing antibody (RVNA) values were measured. An RVNA value of ≥ 0.5 U/mL was used to define a predicted protective immune response on the b...
Yamano S, Eto D, Hiraga A, Miyata H.To consider the optimal training programme for Thoroughbred horses, we examined the recruitment pattern of muscle fibres including hybrid muscle fibres in well-trained Thoroughbred horses. The horses performed exercise at three different intensities and durations; i.e., 100% VO2max for 4 min, 80% and 60% VO2max for 8 min on a treadmill with 10% incline. Muscle samples were obtained from the middle gluteal muscle before, during (4 min at 80% and 60% VO2max), and after exercise. Four muscle fibre types (types I, IIA, IIA/IIX, and IIX) were immunohistochemically identified, and optical density of...
Kellam LL, Johnson PJ, Kramer J, Keegan KG.Signs of mild colic, intermittent lethargy, and weight loss of 6 weeks' duration in a 2-year-old Quarter Horse gelding were attributed to persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) phytobezoar formation. Diagnosis of the phytobezoar was facilitated by gastric endoscopy. Signs of gastrointestinal tract obstruction were associated with a large phytobezoar in the lumen of the stomach, gastric ulceration, and obstruction of the small intestine (as a consequence of fragmentation of the primary bezoar). Conservative treatment, using mineral oil and dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate, was unsuccessful. A celiotomy ...
Traversari J, Aepli H, Knutti B, Lüttgenau J, Bruckmaier RM, Bollwein H.The anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) plays an inhibitory role during folliculogenesis by regulating the number of follicles entering the growing pool. Antral follicle counts (AFC) are highly correlated with serum AMH concentrations and both appear to be related to the ovarian reserve in several species. Few data on AMH and AFC in mares exist, especially with regard to fertility. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to investigate the interrelationship between antral follicle count, serum AMH concentrations and fertility outcome in mares. One hundred and twenty-seven mares were enroll...
Baldini M, Stacchini P, C뫝a F, Miniero R, Parodi P, Facelli P.The cadmium content of muscle, liver, kidney and blood samples from 62 horses slaughtered in Italy was investigated. Cadmium was determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) after wet digestion of the samples. The mean and median contents of all samples were (on a fresh weight basis) 75 and 41 micrograms kg-1 for muscle, 2.46 and 2.10 mg kg-1 for liver, 20.0 and 13.5 mg kg-1 for kidney. The cadmium level in blood samples was always below 6 micrograms l-1. The cadmium concentrations in muscle, liver and kidney were found to be related to the life span of the specimens a...
Arienti G, Polci A, De Cosmo A, Saccardi C, Carlini E, Palmerini CA.The semen of several mammals contains vesicles of different composition and origin. We have recently reported on the presence of lipoprotein vesicles in stallion semen. To a certain extent, these resemble human prostasomes, but differ from them in amount and composition. These horse-semen prostasome-like vesicles may be important, not only in horse reproductive physiology, but also in view of stallion semen cryopreservation. In this paper, we have studied horse-semen prostasome-like vesicles and found that they possess less saturated fatty acid than human prostasomes. Moreover, their protein p...
Assenza A, Marafioti S, Congiu F, Giannetto C, Fazio F, Bruschetta D, Piccione G.The effect of two jumping competitions, performed in two consecutive weekends, on serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), urea, creatinine (CREA) concentrations were evaluated in 12 healthy jumper horses. Methods: Blood sampling was performed before the 1(st) day of competition (T0), at the end of each show (J1, J2), on the day after the competition (T1); the same sampling plan was followed during the second weekend (J3, J4 and T2). Results: One-way repeated measures analysis of variance showed an increase in CPK at J1 and J2 respe...
Juneja RK, Gahne B, Lukka M, Ehnholm C.By using immunoblotting with antiserum specific to human plasma apolipoprotein A-IV (apoA-IV), a previously reported polymorphic plasma protein of dogs viz postalbumin-2 (Pa2) and one of horses viz serum protein 2 (SP2), were identified as apoA-IV of these species. This along with earlier published results implied that: (1) both dog and horse show a high degree of polymorphism at the APOA4 locus with three common alleles in each of the two species; and (2) apoA-IV phenotyping in these two species can be done by analysing plasma/serum samples by a simple method of two-dimensional electrophoresi...
Pratt S, Bowen I, Hallowell G, Shipman E, Redpath A.Equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) is a common condition causing signs of gastric pain although lesions are highly variable in their appearance. The only definitive method to diagnose EGGD ante-mortem is gastroscopy. The current recommended method for describing these lesions is the European College of Equine Internal Medicine (ECEIM) guidelines; however, repeatability between users is variable. This study aimed to validate the reliability of lesion descriptions using ECEIM consensus guidelines, using four blinded equine internal medicine diplomates. Ninety-two horses with EGGD with pre- ...
Scott EY, Woolard KD, Finno CJ, Penedo MCT, Murray JD.Cerebellar Abiotrophy (CA) is a neurodegenerative disease in Arabian horses affecting the cerebellum, more specifically the Purkinje neurons. Although CA occurs in several domestic species, CA in Arabian horses is unique in that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) has been associated with the disease. Total RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on CA-affected horses to address the molecular mechanism underlying the disease. This research expands upon the RNA-seq work by measuring the impact of the CA-associated SNP on the candidate gene MutY homolog (MUTYH) and its regulation, isoform-spec...
Taylor EL, Galuppo LD, Steffey EP, Scarlett CC, Madigan JE.To describe a sling recovery system (Anderson Sling) for horses and to evaluate outcome of high-risk horses recovered from general anesthesia by a sling. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Horses (n=24) recovered from general anesthesia. Methods: Complete medical and anesthetic records (1996-2003) for horses recovered from general anesthesia using the Anderson Sling system were evaluated retrospectively. Information retrieved included anesthetic protocol, surgical procedure, recovery protocol, recovery time, and quality of the recovery. Horses were recovered from anesthesia supported by th...
Longworth KE, Smith BL, Staub NC, Steffey EP, Serikov VB.To determine whether a detergent can prevent most of the early effects of i.v. infusion with Escherichia coli endotoxin (< 100 ng/kg of body weight) in horses: marked pulmonary hypertension, acute leukopenia, and fever. Methods: 8 healthy adult horses (4 male, 4 female), 415 to 615 kg. Methods: Control and detergent experiments were performed in each horse while it was awake but sedated. In control experiments, 10 to 100 ng of E coli endotoxin/kg was given. In detergent experiments, 100 mg of detergent/kg was given 1 hour before injecting endotoxin, similar to the control experiments. Resul...
Mazan MR, Deveney EF, DeWitt S, Bedenice D, Hoffman A.This study was conducted to determine whether horses with naturally occurring, severe chronic recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) 1). have a greater resting energy expenditure (REE) than control horses, 2). suffer body mass depletion, and 3). have significantly decreased REE after bronchodilation and, therefore, also 4). whether increased work of breathing contributes to the cachexia seen in some horses with RAO. Six RAO horses and six control horses underwent indirect calorimetric measures of REE and pulmonary function testing using the esophageal balloon-pneumotachograph method before and aft...
Pollitt CC, Davies CT.The effect of alimentary carbohydrate overload on hoof temperature was investigated to determine the state of the sublamellar vasculature preceding the onset of equine laminitis. Hoof, core and ambient temperatures and heart rate were logged continuously in 21 mature Standardbred horses kept in an environmental chamber set at 10 degrees C. Recording hoof temperature was a successful, noninvasive, method to measure indirectly, shifts in digital blood flow against a background of cold induced, physiological, vasoconstriction. High hoof temperatures were assumed to indicate digital vasodilation a...
Milligan M, Beard W, Kukanich B, Sobering T, Waxman S.To measure the effect of lidocaine on the duration of the migrating myoelectric complex (MMC) and Phases I, II, and III of the MMC, spiking activity of the jejunum, and number of Phase III events when administered postoperatively to normal horses. Methods: Nonrandomized cross-over design. Methods: Horses were anesthetized and via flank laparotomy 4 silver-silver chloride bipolar electrodes were sutured to the proximal jejunum. Electrical activity was recorded for 6 hours during 3 recording sessions beginning 24, 48, and 72 hours postoperatively. Saline (0.9% NaCl) solution was administered for...
