"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.
Howard DL, Lancaster B, de Grauw J.An owner-completed questionnaire was designed to monitor the level of chronic pain and impact on quality of life in horses with osteoarthritis (OA). A standardized approach to develop and validate subjective-state scales for clinical use was followed. Scale items were generated through literature review, focus group meetings, and expert panel evaluation. The draft tool was tested for reading level and language ambiguity and piloted in 25 owners/caregivers of horses with osteoarthritis, with factor analysis performed on responses. The resulting revised questionnaire is currently undergoing vali...
Marcelino L, Falk E, Johansson J, Rydén J, Uhlhorn M, Ley CJ.The timing of follow-up radiography and ultrasound in horses that undergo skeletal scintigraphy for lameness investigation varies internationally and between equine hospitals. The prospective, one-group, pretest, posttest study aimed to estimate radiation levels from horses three and 24 h after injection of hydroxydiphosphonate labeled with metastable technetium ( Tc-HDP) and investigate which anatomical locations of the horse had higher radiation levels. Included were 46 horses referred for lameness investigation between June and December 2021. Radiation levels from the horse surface were me...
Spence KL, Rosanowski SM, Slater J, Cardwell JM.Horse owners play a critical role in mitigating the risk of pathogen spread between horses. However, little is known about how they view biosecurity and whether they experience barriers to the uptake of preventive measures. Objective: To explore horse owners' attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of biosecurity and identify how these factors shape horse owners' decisions for biosecurity implementation. Methods: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Methods: Interviews were conducted with 23 horse owners across Great Britain. Participants were purposively selected to include tho...
Dufourni A, Buschmann E, Vernemmen I, Van Steenkiste G, van Loon G, Decloedt A.Echocardiographic measurements are important prognostic indicators but might be influenced by heart rate and blood pressure. This is particularly important when comparing repeated examinations. Objective: To determine the effect of physiological stress at mildly increased heart rates and pharmacological challenge using IV administration of N-butylscopolammonium bromide and metamizol sodium on heart rate, blood pressure, and echocardiographic measurements. Methods: Twenty healthy Warmblood horses. Methods: Randomized crossover study. Horses were examined echocardiographically by 2-dimensional, ...
Haardt H, Romero AE, Boysen SR, Tan JY.Abdominal ultrasonography is valuable in the diagnosis of equine colic. Fast localized abdominal sonography of horses (FLASH) enables practitioners with limited experience to perform ultrasonography in emergency settings. However, many practitioners only possess rectal format linear array transducers (RFLT). The hypotheses are: (a) A low frequency curvilinear transducer (LFCT) and RFLT will detect free abdominal fluid and abnormal small intestinal loops with similar frequency during FLASH, and (b) there will be a difference between the transducers for detection of gastric abnormalities and nep...
Bacci S, Meucci V, Sgorbini M, De Marchi L, Pirone A, Pretti C, Tognetti R, Intorre L.Antimicrobial prescriptions of the University of Pisa and their compliance with prudent use recommendations were investigated over 11 years (2011-2021). At least one antimicrobial was always prescribed in surgical prophylaxis for the suture of wounds and in 33% of horses with signs of disease of a body system. Antimicrobials were administered in monotherapy (48%) in fixed dose combinations (21%) and empirical combinations (31%). Antimicrobials were mostly (63%) administered by parenteral route, while oral and topical antimicrobials accounted for 14% and 23% of prescriptions, respectively. Gen...
Turn JT, Mayer J, Nagata K, Banovic F, Meichner K, Hurley DJ, Koslowski E, Gogal RM.Apitherapy is a form of alternative medicine that utilizes products from the western honeybee (Apis mellifera), including honey, propolis, and honeybee venom, to improve the health status of human patients by altering host immunity. An added benefit of these products is that they are nutraceuticals and relatively inexpensive to aquire. Currently, little is known about the use of honeybee products in veterinary species, as well as their impact on host immunity. In the present in vitro study, honey, propolis, and honeybee venom were co-cultured with enriched canine, equine, and chicken periphera...
Villalba-Orero M, Contreras-Aguilar MD, Cerón JJ, Fuentes-Romero B, Valero-González M, Martín-Cuervo M.Stress leukogram includes eosinopenia as one of its main markers (neutrophilia, eosinopenia, lymphopenia, and mild monocytosis). Cortisol is the main stress biomarker, which is also strongly correlated with the severity of gastrointestinal diseases. This study aimed to determine the relationship between salivary cortisol and the eosinophil cell count (EC) in equids with abdominal pain. To do this, 39 horses with abdominal pain referred to an emergency service were included. All samples were taken on admission, and several parameters and clinical data were included. Equids were classified accor...
Lorello O, Rule E, Haughan J, Wang K, Niu M, Brown K, Navas de Solis C.Equine veterinarians performing chiropractic treatments are frequently asked to evaluate and treat sound horses to improve their performance and address pain associated with the axial skeleton. Studies describing the effects and mechanisms of chiropractic treatments in horses without overt lameness are scarce. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of chiropractic treatments on stride rate, length, symmetry, heart rate and rider-perceived quality of the ridden work in sport horses. Methods: A blind randomised controlled trial with crossover design. Methods: Thirty-eight horses ridd...
Kjellberg L, Dahlborn K, Roepstorff L, Morgan K.Keeping horses in open barns has positive effects on social interaction and free movement, which may improve horse welfare. However, many horse owners fear that housing in open barns leads to more injuries. Objective: To compare health events among horses housed in an active open barn (AOB) or in single boxes (BOX). Methods: A prospective study during 9 months and a 2-year retrospective study. Methods: Two housing systems in one farm were investigated: AOB and BOX in pairs or alone in paddock (2-4 h/day) using 66 and 69 horses in the prospective respectively retrospective study. Lameness, ...
Kvigstad EF, Øverland IK, Skedsmo FS, Jäderlund KH, Gröndahl G, Hanche-Olsen S, Gunnes G.Over the past 25 years, acquired equine polyneuropathy (AEP) has emerged as a neurological disease in Scandinavian horses. This condition is characterized by histopathological features including the presence of Schwann cell (SC) inclusions. Cultivated equine SCs would serve as a valuable resource for investigations of factors triggering this Schwannopathy. Ideally, cells should be sampled for cultivation from fresh nerves immediately after death of the animal, however the availability of fresh material is limited, due to the inconsistent case load and the inherent technical and practical chall...
Eichler F, Ehrle A, Machnik M, Jensen KC, Wagner S, Baudisch N, Bolk J, Pötzsch M, Thevis M, Bäumer W, Lischer C, Wiegard M.As a remedy against stress and anxiety, cannabidiol (CBD) products are of increasing interest in veterinary medicine. Limited data is available describing the actual effectiveness of CBD in horses. The aim of this study (part 2 of 2) was to analyze stress parameters via behavioral observation, heart rate monitoring and assessment of blood and saliva cortisol levels in healthy horses treated repeatedly with a CBD containing paste. Twelve horses were randomly assigned to a treatment or a control group. Two pastes were orally administered in a double-blinded study design, one paste containing CBD...
Rendle D, Hughes K, Bowen M, Bull K, Cameron I, Furtado T, Peachey L, Sharpe L, Hodgkinson J.There is a lack of consensus on how best to balance our need to minimise the risk of parasite-associated disease in the individual horse, with the need to limit the use of anthelmintics in the population to preserve their efficacy through delaying further development of resistance. Objective: To develop evidence-based guidelines utilising a modified GRADE framework. Methods: A panel of veterinary scientists with relevant expertise and experience was convened. Relevant research questions were identified and developed with associated search terms being defined. Evidence in the veterinary literat...
Gysens L, Martens A, Haspeslagh M.Nonexcisional tissue biopsies facilitate pre-operative confirmation of equine sarcoid yet fear of lesion deterioration currently limits its use in the diagnostic workup. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a single punch biopsy on tumour growth dynamics [thickness, area, circumference, viral load (VL) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS)]. Methods: Six client-owned horses with 11 sarcoids of various classification. Methods: Growth dynamics were recorded on a weekly basis, 12 weeks pre- and 24 weeks post-biopsy. The effect of a single punch biopsy on growth dynamics was estimated by linear mixed-...
Ask K, Rhodin M, Rashid-Engström M, Hernlund E, Andersen PH.A number of facial expressions are associated with pain in horses, however, the entire display of facial activities during orthopedic pain have yet to be described. The aim of the present study was to exhaustively map changes in facial activities in eight resting horses during a progression from sound to mild and moderate degree of orthopedic pain, induced by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) administered in the tarsocrural joint. Lameness progression and regression was measured by objective gait analysis during movement, and facial activities were described by EquiFACS in video sequences (n = 348...
Berghaus LJ, Cathcart J, Berghaus RD, Ryan C, Toribio RE, Hart KA.Rhodococcus equi (R. equi), a pneumonia-causing intracellular bacterium, results in significant morbidity and mortality in young foals, while healthy adult horses rarely develop disease. Survival and replication within alveolar macrophages (AMφ) are the hallmarks of R. equi's pathogenicity. The vitamin D receptor (VDR) and its ligand, the active vitamin D metabolite 1,25(OH)2D, are important in immune responses to intracellular bacteria. The vitamin D/VDR pathway regulates the downstream production of cytokines in infected human AMφ. The immunomodulatory role of the vitamin D/VDR pathway in ...
Helmerich P, Bachmann I, Gygax L.Horses must lie down to go into vital rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep. If they are not lying down for sufficiently long periods they can become so sleep-deprived that they collapse uncontrollably, which results in a risk of injuries. Objective: To investigate how recumbency as a prerequisite to REM sleep on the experimental days and the following nights was influenced by changes in social and spatial environment throughout the day. Methods: Cross-over design in which subjects experienced each experimental condition twice. Methods: Observations were conducted on a horse farm. Ten young horses in...
Parker JL, Page A, Jacob O, Stanton V, Davis B, Flythe M, Adam EN.Though generally safe, research continues to demonstrate negative side effects of antibiotic administration on the gastrointestinal (GIT) microbiota across species. In horses, antibiotic associated diarrhea (AAD) is a life-threatening condition linked to the GIT microbiota. This study tested the hypothesis that short term antibiotic administration to healthy horses would negatively impact the fecal microbiota as measured by their ability to digest nutrients and through fecal shedding of disease-associated-bacteria. Twenty-four horses were assigned to one of four treatment groups: control (CO);...
Sawesi OK, Elbaz AK, Mahmoud AS, Duro EM, Alteab AA, Milad KK, Bennuor EM.Hematological evaluation is an important step for health assessment in equine medicine. Besides biochemical tests, that evaluation could be pivotal for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment monitoring. In Libya, the horse population has drastically increased in the last years, and hitherto, no report addressed the reference hematological values for the existing equine breeds. Unassigned: This study aimed to establish the reference for hematological indices of traditional equestrian and stud-farm equine breeds in Western Libya in regard to some variables such as individual characteristics, manage...
El-Zayat M, Shemies OA, Mosad SM, El Rahman SA.Equine herpes viruses (EHVs) are considered one of the most important respiratory pathogens in equids, resulting in serious outcomes for equine health worldwide. The objectives of the current research were the detection, molecular characterization, and isolation of EHV-1 and EHV-4 circulating within different equine populations in Egypt, either clinically or in apparently healthy horses. Unassigned: A total of 120 field samples were collected, and DNA was extracted. Screening and typing of extracted DNA were done by consensus and conventional PCR assays for detection of EHV-1 and EHV-4, follow...
West Nile virus (WNV) is a globally significant mosquito-borne Flavivirus that causes West Nile disease (WND). In Libya, evidence of WNV circulation has been reported in humans but never in animals. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of WNV infection in horses and dogs in Libya. In total, 574 and 63 serum samples were collected from apparently healthy, unvaccinated horses and dogs, respectively, between 2016 and 2019. A commercially available competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA) kit was initially used to test the collected samples for the presence of W...
Larsen EA, Williams MR, Schoonover MJ, Jurek KA, Young JM, Duddy HR.Navicular syndrome is a common cause of forelimb lameness in horses. Beyond changes to the navicular bone itself, horses with a clinical diagnosis of navicular syndrome often have pathology associated with other components of the navicular apparatus, including the navicular bursa, deep digital flexor (DDF) tendon, collateral sesamoidean ligaments, and impar ligament. Palmar digital neurectomy (PDN) is often used as a salvage procedure for horses diagnosed with navicular syndrome that become unresponsive to medical management. There are many potential complications associated with PDN, some of ...
Verdegaal EJMM, Howarth GS, McWhorter TJ, Delesalle CJG.Hyperthermia and exertional heat illness (EHI) are performance and welfare issues for all exercising horses. Monitoring the thermoregulatory response allows for early recognition of metabolic heat accumulation during exercise and the possibility of taking prompt and effective preventative measures to avoid a further increase in core body temperature (Tc) leading to hyperthermia. Skin temperature (Tsk) monitoring is most used as a non-invasive tool to assess the thermoregulatory response pre- and post-exercise, particularly employing infrared thermographic equipment. However, only a few studies...
Macon EL, Harris P, McClendon M, Perron B, Adams A.Hyperinsulinemia-associated laminitis (HAL) is the primary concern for insulin dysregulated (ID) equids and their insulin response to the consumption of oral, nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) has been shown to be a risk predictor for HAL development. This randomized, crossover study's objective was to examine the insulinemic responses to 3 forage pellets (1 g/kg BW) (timothy hay, TH, 9.5 % CP & 10 % NSC DM; alfalfa hay, AH, 16.3 % CP & 9.8 % NSC DM; timothy-alfalfa hay; TAH, 17.2 % CP & 9.8 % NSC DM) along with a positive (dehulled oats; OG, 14.7 % CP & 59.7 % NSC DM) and negative dietary cha...
Stasi D, Wagner B, Barnum S, Pusterla N.During neurological EHV-1 outbreaks, modified-live vaccines (MLV) are often administrated intranasally in an off-label fashion to healthy cohort horses in order to achieve rapid mucosal immunity. Thus, the goal of the present study was to determine if a commercially available EHV-1 MLV given intranasally to healthy horses would trigger a measurable systemic and/or mucosal antibody response. Eight healthy adult horses were given the EHV-1 MLV vaccine intranasally, while 8 healthy adult horses received the vaccine intramuscularly. An additional 8 healthy horses served as unvaccinated controls. E...
Yoo H, Lee S, Shin KY, Seo JP.This study aimed to describe the computed tomographic (CT) dimensions and the contrast attenuation of the eye in Jeju horses and Thoroughbreds. We evaluated the CT images of 10 Jeju horses and 6 Thoroughbreds without ocular abnormalities to assess the ocular dimensions and contrast attenuation. The following measurements showed significant differences between Jeju horses and Thoroughbreds (P<0.05): the diameters of the lens, globe, posterior segment, orbital fossa, and lateromedial distance of the anterior chamber; and the Hounsfield units of the vitreous body. This study describes the CT a...
Sage SE, Leeb T, Jagannathan V, Gerber V.Severe equine asthma (SEA) is a complex respiratory condition characterized by chronic airway inflammation. It shares many clinical and pathological features with human neutrophilic asthma, making it a valuable model for studying this condition. However, the immune mechanisms driving SEA have remained elusive. Although SEA has been primarily associated with a Th2 response, there have also been reports of Th1, Th17, or mixed-mediated responses. To uncover the elusive immune mechanisms driving SEA, we performed single-cell mRNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on cryopreserved bronchoalveolar cells from 1...
Palomino Lago E, Baird A, Blott SC, McPhail RE, Ross AC, Durward-Akhurst SA, Guest DJ.Fractures caused by bone overloading are a leading cause of euthanasia in Thoroughbred racehorses. The risk of fatal fracture has been shown to be influenced by both environmental and genetic factors but, to date, no specific genetic mechanisms underpinning fractures have been identified. In this study, we utilised a genome-wide polygenic risk score to establish an in vitro cell system to study bone gene regulation in horses at high and low genetic risk of fracture. Candidate gene expression analysis revealed differential expression of and genes in osteoblasts derived from high- and low-risk...
Buschmann E, Van Steenkiste G, Duytschaever M, Boussy T, Vernemmen I, Ibrahim L, Schauvliege S, Decloedt A, van Loon G.Recently, treatment of equine atrial tachycardia by three-dimensional electro-anatomical mapping (3D EAM) and radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) has been described. Myocardial sleeves in the caudal vena cava and pulmonary veins are a potential trigger for initiation and perpetuation of atrial tachycardia and atrial fibrillation in the horse. Isolation of these myocardial sleeves by RFCA may be an effective treatment for these arrhythmias. Objective: To describe the feasibility of 3D EAM and RFCA to isolate caudal vena cava and pulmonary veins in adult horses using 3D mapping and a contact...
Colbath AC, Fortin JS, Burglass CM, Panek C, Vergara-Hernandez FB, Johnson TN, Robison CA, Logan AA, Nelson NA, Nielsen BD, Schott HC.Pathological fractures have been reported in equids with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) but their prevalence and pathogenesis is unknown. Objective: To compare: (1) bone mineral density (BMD) in weight bearing and nonweight bearing bones in PPID+ equids and aged and young PPID- controls; and (2) biomechanical properties of the fourth lumbar vertebral body in PPID+ equids and aged PPID- equids. Methods: Case-control study: five PPID+ equids and six aged and four young PPID- control horses. Methods: PPID status was based on clinical signs and necropsy examination of the pituitary g...
Baskurt OK, Farley RA, Meiselman HJ.Horse blood has a higher tendency to form red blood cell (RBC) aggregates compared with human blood, with this enhanced aggregation previously attributed to differences in plasma factors. Our results confirm this observation and further indicate that washed horse RBC also have a significantly higher aggregation tendency in dextran 70 solutions (i.e., horse RBC have a higher "aggregability"). In contrast, the aggregation tendency of rat RBC, both in autologous plasma and in dextran 70, is significantly less compared with human and horse RBC. Other rheological findings for horse and rat RBC incl...
Wallner B, Brem G, Müller M, Achmann R.The phylogenetic relationship between Equus przewalskii and E. caballus is often a matter of debate. Although these taxa have different chromosome numbers, they do not form monophyletic clades in a phylogenetic tree based on mtDNA sequences. Here we report sequence variation from five newly identified Y chromosome regions of the horse. Two fixed nucleotide differences on the Y chromosome clearly display Przewalski's horse and domestic horse as sister taxa. At both positions the Przewalski's horse haplotype shows the ancestral state, in common with the members of the zebra/ass lineage. We discu...
Monath TP, Sabattini MS, Pauli R, Daffner JF, Mitchell CJ, Bowen GS, Cropp CB.Serologic surveys of wild and domestic birds, wild mammals, and horses were conducted during arbovirus field studies in Argentina from 1977 through 1980, a non-epizootic interval. The prevalence of neutralizing antibodies to eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) was consistently higher than to western equine encephalitis (WEE) virus in all species and all areas. The presence of antibodies in short-lived avian species and in young unvaccinated horses and the demonstration of seroconversions in horses during the period, indicated that these viruses are either enzootic in, or annually reintroduced in...
van Heel MC, Kroekenstoel AM, van Dierendonck MC, van Weeren PR, Back W.Conformational traits are important in breeding, since they may be indicative for performance ability and susceptibility to injuries. Objective: To study whether certain desired conformational traits of foals are related to lateralised behaviour while foraging and to the development of uneven feet. Methods: Twenty-four Warmblood foals, born and raised at the same location, were studied for a year. Foraging behaviour was observed by means of weekly 10 min scan-sampling for 8 h. A preference test (PT) was developed to serve as a standardised tool to determine laterality. The foals were evaluated...
Turner M, McCrory P, Halley W.Professional horse racing is an exciting and demanding sport with high injury rates. Surprisingly few epidemiological studies have been published and no prospective studies have been reported. This paper reviews the literature and provides a detailed breakdown of injuries in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland for 1992-2000. The introduction of protective equipment is discussed and evidence for its effectiveness put forward.
Corrin T, Ackford R, Mascarenhas M, Greig J, Waddell LA. Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) is a mosquito-borne virus that is primarily found in North America and the Caribbean. Over the past decade there has been an increase in virus activity, including large outbreaks in human and horse populations. Predicted climate change is expected to affect the range of mosquitoes including vectors of EEEV, which may alter disease risk posing a public health concern. A scoping review (ScR) was conducted to identify and characterize the global evidence on EEEV. A thorough search was conducted in relevant bibliographic databases and government websites....
Miao Q, Wang X, She LN, Fan YT, Yuan FZ, Yang JF, Zhu XQ, Zou FC.Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan parasite that infects almost all warm-blooded animals, including humans, with a worldwide distribution. There have been limited reports about the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in equids around the world and little is known about the seroprevalence of T. gondii in equids in southwestern China, in particular in Yunnan Province. The objective of the present investigation was to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in equids in this area. Methods: A total of 399 serum samples (266 from horses and 133 from donkeys) were collected...
Scholtzek AD, Hanke D, Walther B, Eichhorn I, Stöckle SD, Klein KS, Gehlen H, Lübke-Becker A, Schwarz S, Feßler AT.The detection of borderline oxacillin-resistant (BORSA) represents a challenge to both, veterinary and human laboratories. Between 2015 and 2017, 19 equine with elevated minimal inhibitory concentrations for oxacillin were detected in routine diagnostics. The aim of this study was to characterize these isolates to identify factors possibly associated with the BORSA phenotype. All were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole genome sequencing (WGS). A quantifiable β-lactamase activity assay was performed for a representative subset of 13 isolates. The WGS data analysis o...
Andersen PH, Broomé S, Rashid M, Lundblad J, Ask K, Li Z, Hernlund E, Rhodin M, Kjellström H.Automated recognition of human facial expressions of pain and emotions is to a certain degree a solved problem, using approaches based on computer vision and machine learning. However, the application of such methods to horses has proven difficult. Major barriers are the lack of sufficiently large, annotated databases for horses and difficulties in obtaining correct classifications of pain because horses are non-verbal. This review describes our work to overcome these barriers, using two different approaches. One involves the use of a manual, but relatively objective, classification system for...
Chauret N, Gauthier A, Martin J, Nicoll-Griffith DA.As domestic animals such as cat, horse, and dog increasingly become the clinical targets for drug discovery programs, the need to understand how these animals metabolize xenobiotics becomes more important. In the present study, substrates and inhibitors that were reported to be selective for particular P450 isozymes were used as probes to study in vitro metabolism in horse, dog, cat, and human liver microsomes. Seven selective catalytic activity markers for cytochrome P450-mediated reactions were measured: phenacetin O-deethylase (P4501A1/2), coumarin 7-hydroxylase (P4502A6), tolbutamide hydro...
Parkin TD, Clegg PD, French NP, Proudman CJ, Riggs CM, Singer ER, Webbon PM, Morgan KL.Lateral condylar fractures of the third metacarpus/metatarsus are the most common cause of equine fatality on UK racecourses. Identification of risk factors for such injuries and the subsequent implementation of intervention strategies could significantly reduce the total number of racecourse fatalities. Objective: To identify horse-, race- and course-level risk factors for fatal lateral condylar fracture in Thoroughbreds on UK racecourses. Methods: Case-control study designs were used. Case horses were defined as those that were subjected to euthanasia having sustained an irreparable lateral ...
Barrachina L, Cequier A, Romero A, Vitoria A, Zaragoza P, Vázquez FJ, Rodellar C.Antibody production after allogeneic administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could impact their clinical application. Proinflammatory priming of MSCs can potentiate their regulatory ability in vivo but increased expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) might augment their immunogenicity, potentially leading to immune memory thus limiting repeated allogeneic administration. This study aimed at evaluating the production of cytotoxic allo-antibodies directed against donor's ELA (equine leukocyte antigen) in mismatched and halfmatched horses receiving repeated intraarticular ad...
Koblinger K, Nicol J, McDonald K, Wasko A, Logie N, Weiss M, Léguillette R.Comprehensive endoscopic scoring of the upper and lower airways for inflammation has not been critically assessed among a large population of horses. The relationship between upper and lower airways described in humans by the "one airway, one disease" concept might also apply to horses. Objective: To evaluate if an association exists between endoscopic inflammatory scores and mucus scores of upper and lower airways and to investigate if endoscopic findings correlate with the lower airway inflammation measured by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology. Methods: Prospective field study. Pharyngit...
Noronha LE, Antczak DF.The horse has proven to be a distinctively informative species in the study of pregnancy immunology for several reasons. First, unique aspects of the anatomy and physiology of the equine conceptus facilitate approaches that are not possible in other model organisms, such as non-surgical recovery of early stage embryos and conceptuses and isolation of pure trophoblast cell populations. Second, pregnant mares make strong cytotoxic antibody responses to paternal major histocompatibility complex class I antigens expressed by the chorionic girdle cells, permitting detailed evaluation of the antigen...
Redaelli V, Luzi F, Mazzola S, Bariffi GD, Zappaterra M, Nanni Costa L, Padalino B.The aim of this pilot study was to document the effects of endurance training at different intensities on heart rate (HR), blood count, serum cortisol, and maximal temperatures of different body locations, namely eye, crown, pastern pasterns, and muscle (, measured by infrared thermography technique (IRT) in horses trained for endurance. Possible associations among the studied parameters were also investigated. Our hypothesis was that temperature, measured by IRT after endurance training of different intensities would vary depending on the intensity and would be positively correlated with HR...
Tauro LB, Rivarola ME, Lucca E, Mariño B, Mazzini R, Cardoso JF, Barrandeguy ME, Teixeira Nunes MR, Contigiani MS.Bunyamwera virus (BUNV) is the prototype virus for both the Orthobunyavirus genus and the Bunyaviridae family. Different strains of BUNV have been associated with clinical diseases in domestic animals, mainly ruminants. During 2013, in Argentina's Santa Fe Province, three new isolates of BUNV were recovered from the brain and spleen of two horses with encephalitis, and from the brain of an aborted equine fetus. This isolation of BUNV from domestic animals provided the first association of BUNV infection with disease of the central nervous system and abortion in equines in Argentina.
Curik I, Druml T, Seltenhammer M, Sundström E, Pielberg GR, Andersson L, Sölkner J.The dominant phenotype of greying with age in horses, caused by a 4.6-kb duplication in intron 6 of STX17, is associated with a high incidence of melanoma and vitiligo-like skin depigmentation. However, the progressive greying and the incidence of melanoma, vitiligo-like depigmentation, and amount of speckling in these horses do not follow a simple inheritance pattern. To understand their inheritance, we analysed the melanoma grade, grey level, vitiligo grade, and speckling grade of 1,119 Grey horses (7,146 measurements) measured in six countries over a 9-year period. We estimated narrow sense...
Hinney B, Wirtherle NC, Kyule M, Miethe N, Zessin KH, Clausen PH.The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of helminths in the horse population of the state of Brandenburg, Germany. One hundred and twenty-six horse farms in the state were selected by randomised stratified sampling. In total, 1,407 horses across all farms were examined coproscopically. The experimental unit was the horse farm: a farm was considered infected when at least one horse on the farm investigated was positive for helminth eggs. Animal details such as age, breed and sex were collected for all study horses and analysed for risk of infection. Risk was defined as horses ...
Hesselkilde EZ, Carstensen H, Flethøj M, Fenner M, Kruse DD, Sattler SM, Tfelt-Hansen J, Pehrson S, Braunstein TH, Carlson J, Platonov PG....Large animal models are important in atrial fibrillation (AF) research, as they can be used to study the pathophysiology of AF and new therapeutic approaches. Unlike other animal models, horses spontaneously develop AF and could therefore serve as a bona fide model in AF research. We therefore aimed to study the electrical, functional and structural remodelling caused by chronic AF in a horse model. Nine female horses were included in the study, with six horses tachypaced into self-sustained AF and three that served as a time-matched sham-operated control group. Acceleration in atrial fibrilla...
Muttini A, Valbonetti L, Abate M, Colosimo A, Curini V, Mauro A, Berardinelli P, Russo V, Cocciolone D, Marchisio M, Mattioli M, Tosi U....In vitro expanded and frosted ovine amniotic epithelial cells (oAECs) were evaluated for their phenotype, stemness and attitude to differentiate into tenocytes. Fifteen horses with acute tendon lesions were treated with one intralesional injection of oAECs. Tendon recovery under controlled training was monitored. In vitro expanded oAECs showed a constant proliferative ability, a conserved phenotype and stable expression profile of stemness markers. Differentiation into tenocytes was also regularly documented. US controls showed the infilling of the defect and early good alignment of the fibers...
Williams DC, Aleman M, Holliday TA, Fletcher DJ, Tharp B, Kass PH, Steffey EP, LeCouteur RA.The influence of sleep on the equine electroencephalogram (EEG) has not been well documented. Objective: The objectives were to develop a noninvasive method of electrode placement for recording the EEG in horses and to establish normal EEG parameters for the various states of vigilance. Findings are compared with previously published reports on equine sleep based on electrocorticography (ECoG). Methods: Five neurologically normal horses. Methods: Overnight EEGs were recorded digitally in association with simultaneous videotaping of the horses' behavior. Data were analyzed by visual inspection,...
Christoffersen M, Troedsson M.A transient uterine inflammation post-breeding is a normal physiological reaction in the mare, and it is believed that the inflammatory response is necessary to eliminate bacteria and excess spermatozoa introduced into the uterine lumen. A tight balance between multiple pro- and anti-inflammatory factors is required for resolving the breeding-induced inflammation within 24-36 hr in the reproductively healthy mare, whereas a subpopulation of mares is susceptible to development of a persistent infection that can interfere with fertility. The aetiology of persistent endometritis can be either ba...
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Fašmon Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B, Pechová A....Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of olibanum extract from Roxb. ex Colebr., when used as a sensory additive (flavouring) in feed for all dogs and horses. The FEEDAP Panel concluded that the additive under assessment is safe for horses at the maximum proposed use level of 100 mg/kg in complete feed. For dogs, the calculated safe concentration in feed is 330 mg/kg complete feed. The additive is considered safe for consumers...
Lei CZ, Su R, Bower MA, Edwards CJ, Wang XB, Weining S, Liu L, Xie WM, Li F, Liu RY, Zhang YS, Zhang CM, Chen H.To obtain more knowledge of the origin and genetic diversity of domestic horses in China, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop sequence diversity from nine horse breeds in China in conjunction with ancient DNA data and evidence from archaeological and historical records. A 247-bp mitochondrial D-loop sequence from 182 modern samples revealed a total of 70 haplotypes with a high level of genetic diversity. Seven major mtDNA haplogroups (A-G) and 16 clusters were identified for the 182 Chinese modern horses. In the present study, nine 247-bp mitochondr...
Peregrine AS, McEwen B, Bienzle D, Koch TG, Weese JS.From 1991 to 2003, 24 cases of larval cyathostominosis were diagnosed at postmortem in equids, 15 (63%) from 2001 to 2003. Cases occurred from September to May, the majority from October to December. Median age was 12 mo. Diarrhea, colic, and weight loss were common clinical signs. Hypoalbuminemia and microcytosis were consistent findings. Cyathostominose larvaire chez des chevaux en Ontario: une maladie émergente? De 1991 à 2003, 24 cas de cyathostominose larvaire ont été diagnostiqués à l’examen post mortem chez des équidés dont 15 (63 %) entre 2001 et 2003. Les cas étaient rappor...
Hartel PG, Summer JD, Hill JL, Collins JV, Entry JA, Segars WI.Several genotypic methods have been developed for determining the host origin of fecal bacteria in contaminated waters. Some of these methods rely on a host origin database to identify environmental isolates. It is not well understood to what degree these host origin isolates are geographically variable (i.e., cosmopolitan or endemic). This is important because a geographically limited host origin database may or may not be universally applicable. The objective of our study was to use one genotypic method, ribotyping, to determine the geographic variability of the fecal bacterium, Escherichia ...
Leblond A, Hendrikx P, Sabatier P.Recent outbreaks of West Nile virus-associated (WNV) diseases, both in the old World and Americas, underline the importance for early warning systems that rapidly identify emerging and re-emerging diseases and thus help in their control. Traditional approaches of disease monitoring become less reliable and increasingly costly when used for rare health-related events, such as WNV outbreaks in southern France. The objective of this work was to discuss methodological issues related to syndromic monitoring of WNV-associated disease in Camargue horses by veterinary practitioners. Tracking cases of ...
Arun S, Neubauer H, Gürel A, Ayyildiz G, Kusçu B, Yesildere T, Meyer H, Hermanns W.In the course of an epidemiological study of glanders on a number of Turkish islands in the Sea of Marmara, 1128 horses were examined by using the intracutaneous mallein test. Thirty-five (3-1 per cent) developed an increase in rectal temperature and a swelling at the point of injection. Ten of these horses were killed and glanders was confirmed in five cases by the presence of lesions and by the immunohistological demonstration of the causative agent, Burkholderia mallei. Clinical and pathological findings indicated that in all cases the infection was restricted to the mucous membrane of the ...
Al Jassim RA, Scott PT, Trebbin AL, Trott D, Pollitt CC.Seventy-two lactic acid producing bacterial isolates (excluding streptococci) were cultured from the gastrointestinal tract of six horses. Two of the horses were orally dosed with raftilose to induce lactic acidosis and laminitis while the remaining four were maintained on a roughage diet. Near complete 16S rDNA was amplified by PCR from the genomic DNA of each isolate. Following RFLP analysis with the restriction enzymes MboI, HhaI and HinfI, the PCR products from the 18 isolates that produced L- and/or D-lactate were subsequently cloned and sequenced. DNA sequence analysis indicated that the...
