"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.
Westermann S, Buchner HH, Schramel JP, Tichy A, Stanek C.To assess effects of camera angle and distance on measurement and reproducibility of thermographically determined temperatures of the distolateral aspect of the forelimbs in horses. Methods: Evaluation study. Methods: 10 adult horses. Methods: Thermographic images of both forelimbs were obtained at 3 times during the day (replicates 1, 2, and 3); maximum surface temperature over 1 region (distolateral aspect of the third metacarpal bone and metacarpophalangeal joint) was measured. Standard images were obtained every 5 minutes for 1 hour with the camera positioned at an angle of 90° and a dist...
Baptista C, Lopes MS, Tavares AC, Rojer H, Kappmeyer L, Mendonça D, da Câmara Machado A.Equine piroplasmosis is a tick-borne disease of equids that is often caused by the parasite Theileria equi. We applied competitive ELISA (cELISA) and nested PCR diagnostic methods to detect this parasite in horses by screening 162 samples from mainland Portugal where the parasite is endemic, and 143 from the Azores representing both native and imported horse populations. We found that 2.8% of the Azorean samples tested positive exclusively by cELISA, 1.4% tested positive only by nested PCR, and 9.1% tested positive using both tests. Samples from the native Terceira Pony population were negativ...
Brosnan RJ.Inhaled agents represent an important and useful class of drugs for equine anesthesia. This article reviews the ether-type anesthetics in contemporary use, their uptake and elimination, their mechanisms of action, and their desirable and undesirable effects in horses.
Labelle AL, Clark-Price SC.Effective delivery of local anesthesia is essential for successful standing surgical procedures in the horse. Local anesthesia can be used to facilitate examination of the eye, diagnostic procedures, therapeutic techniques, and surgical procedures. Understanding the relevant clinical anatomy and techniques for performing local anesthesia is critical to delivering successful local and regional anesthesia and analgesia.
Laus F, Veronesi F, Passamonti F, Paggi E, Cerquetella M, Hyatt D, Tesei B, Fioretti DP.In order to investigate the prevalence of tick-borne diseases, equine piroplasmosis, equine granulocytic anaplasmosis and Lyme borreliosis in Central Italy, blood samples from 300 horses were analyzed for the presence of antibodies against Babesia caballi, Theileria equi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi using the IFAT. The blood samples were also subjected to PCR assays in order to detect pathogen DNA. A total of 78 (26.0%) and 123 (41.0%) horses were found to be seropositive for B. caballi and T. equi, respectively, while 41 (13. 4%) and 21 (7.0%) horses were, respectively,...
Boesch JM.This article discusses anesthesia for horses with colic from acute gastrointestinal disease. Emphasis is placed on new developments in pre-, intra-, and immediate postoperative management over the last decade, including early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) in the resuscitation of septic patients, the controversy over the optimal fluid type to administer, and the management of complications, such as cardiovascular depression, hypoventilation and hypoxemia, and decreased colloid oncotic pressure (COP). An update on analgesia is also provided; older drugs such as ketamine and lidocaine are increasi...
Shih A.Cardiac output (CO) is the volume of blood pumped out by the heart in 1 minute. Monitoring of CO can guide therapy and improve clinical outcome in critically ill patients and during anesthesia. Although there is increasing research into clinically useful methods of monitoring CO in equine patients, there are limitations to the available methods. There are 4 basic methods of measuring CO: (1) indicator methods, (2) a derivation of the Fick principle, (3) arterial pulse wave analysis, and (4) imaging diagnostic techniques. This article discusses the importance of CO, available technology, and ch...
Clark-Price SC.Recovery from anesthesia can be one of the most dangerous and unpredictable elements of providing anesthesia to horses. Strategies to quiet, control, and improve the quality of recovery of horses can be implemented in most situations and circumstances. This article provides an overview of the recovery period and areas where interventions may be practical to clinicians to provide improved care for their equine patients.
Martin-Flores M.This article briefly reviews the physiology of the neuromuscular junction and the pharmacologic mechanisms of neuromuscular blocking agents. The clinical use of modern agents is discussed. Monitoring techniques used to assess the level of neuromuscular block and to exclude residual paralysis at the end of an anesthetic procedure are reviewed.
Muňoz J, Bussy C.To report a standing hand-assisted laparoscopic technique for closure of the nephrosplenic space (NS), and short-term outcome in horses. Methods: Case series. Methods: Horses (n = 12) aged 5-14 years. Methods: Medical records (2007-2010) of horses treated for left dorsal displacement of the large colon (LDDLC) using a hand-assisted laparoscopic correction technique with closure of the NS in the same surgical procedure were reviewed. A modified grid laparotomy in the left paralumbar fossa was used with manual correction of LDDLC, after which the NS was closed with a laparoscopic technique. Foll...
Nürnberger S, Meyer C, Ponomarev I, Barnewitz D, Resinger C, Klepal W, Albrecht C, Marlovits S.Treatment of cartilage defects poses challenging problems in human and veterinary medicine, especially in horses. This study examines the suitability of applying scaffold materials similar to those used for human cartilage regeneration on equine chondrocytes. Chondrocytes gained from biopsies of the talocrural joint of three horses were propagated in 2D culture and grown on two different scaffold materials, hyaluronan (HYAFF®) and collagen (BioGide®), and evaluated by light and electron microscopy. The equine chondrocytes developed well in both types of materials. They were vital and physiol...
McGree JM, Noble G, Schneiders F, Dunstan AJ, McKinney AR, Boston R, Sillence M.We describe the population pharmacokinetics of an acepromazine (ACP) metabolite (2-(1-hydroxyethyl)promazine) (HEPS) in horses for the estimation of likely detection times in plasma and urine. ACP (30 mg) was administered to 12 horses, and blood and urine samples were taken at frequent intervals for chemical analysis. A bayesian hierarchical model was fitted to describe concentration-time data and cumulative urine amounts for HEPS. The metabolite HEPS was modelled separately from the parent ACP as the half-life of the parent was considerably less than that of the metabolite. The clearance (Cl/...
Spissu N, Panichi G, Montisci A, Fiore F.West Nile Virus (WNV) is an enveloped, positive-sense RNA virus belonging to the genus Flavivirus, antigenically related to the Japanese encephalitis complex in the family Flaviviridae. The principal vectors are mosquitoes, in particular Culex spp, and virus amplification seems to occur in susceptible birds that are the principal vertebrate reservoir hosts, whereas humans, horses and other vertebrates are considered incidental or dead-end hosts. The first Italian equine outbreak was reported in late summer of 1998 in Tuscany, in the area surrounding the Fucecchio marshes, where 14 clinical cas...
Equine infectious anaemia in Europe Equine herpesvirus in the UK Summary of surveillance testing, July to September 2012 These are among matters discussed in the quarterly equine disease surveillance report for July to September 2012, prepared by Defra, the Animal Health Trust and the British Equine Veterinary Association.
Casbeer HC, Knych HK.Tolazoline is an α2-adrenergic receptor antagonist, used in veterinary medicine to antagonize the central nervous system depressant and cardiovascular effects of α2 receptor agonists. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic effects of tolazoline when administered subsequent to detomidine in the horse were recently reported, although the reversal of the sedative and cardiovascular effects following detomidine may not be complete. The current study therefore investigated the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic effects of tolazoline when administered as a sole agent. Nine healthy adult horses...
You Y, Uboh CE, Soma LR, Guan F, Taylor D, Li X, Liu Y, Chen J.A method involving ultra high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated for the analysis of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin in equine plasma. The analytes were recovered from plasma by liquid-liquid extraction using methyl tert-butyl ether and separated on a sub-2 micron column. The mobile phase was composed of 2 mM ammonium formate and methanol. A triple quadrupole mass spectrometer was used to detect the analytes in positive electrospray ionization mode with selected reaction monitoring. The limits of detection, quantification and confirmation for ...
Hallowell GD, Bowen M.The objectives were to determine and assess the reliability of criteria for identification of aortic valve prolapse (AVP) using echocardiography in the horse. Results: Opinion of equine cardiologists indicated that a long-axis view of the aortic valve (AoV) was most commonly used for identification of AVP (46%; n=13). There was consensus that AVP could be mimicked by ultrasound probe malignment. This was confirmed in 7 healthy horses, where the appearance of AVP could be induced by malalignment. In a study of a further 8 healthy horses (5 with AVP) examined daily for 5 days, by two echocardiog...
Minervini F, Giannoccaro A, Nicassio M, Panzarini G, Lacalandra GM.Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a renal mycotoxin and transplacental genotoxic carcinogen. The aim of this study was to evaluate the natural occurrence of OTA in equine blood samples and its placental transfer. For the assessment of OTA levels, serum samples were collected from 12 stallions, 7 cycling mares and 17 pregnant mares. OTA was found in 83% of serum samples (median value = 121.4 pg/mL). For the assessment of placental transfer, serum samples were collected from the 17 mares after delivery and from the umbilical cords of their foals, after foaling. Fourteen serum samples from pregnant mares con...
Carmichael RJ, Whitfield C, Maxwell LK.Equine herpes myeloencephalopathy, resulting from equine herpes virus type 1 (EHV-1) infection, is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality in the horse. As compared to other antiviral drugs, such as acyclovir, ganciclovir has enhanced potency against EHV-1. This study investigated the pharmacokinetics of ganciclovir and its oral prodrug, valganciclovir, in six adult horses in a randomized cross-over design. Ganciclovir sodium was administered intravenously as a slow bolus at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg, and valganciclovir was administered orally at a dose of 1800 mg per horse. Intravenousl...
Gutiérrez JM, Tsai WC, Pla D, Solano G, Lomonte B, Sanz L, Angulo Y, Calvete JJ.A polyspecific antivenom is used in Central America for the treatment of envenomings by viperid snakes. This antivenom is generated in horses hyperimmunized with a mixture of venoms from Bothrops asper, Crotalus simus and Lachesis stenophrys. The present study analyzed the ability of this antivenom to neutralize the venoms of three Central American viperid species of the 'Porthidium group', i.e. Porthidium nasutum, Porthidium ophryomegas and Cerrophidion sasai, formerly classified as Cerrophidion godmani. In addition, the immunorecognition of the components of these venoms was assessed by immu...
Melandri V, Guimarães AÉ, Komar N, Nogueira ML, Mondini A, Fernandez-Sesma A, Alencar J, Bosch I.In an effort to detect West Nile virus (WNV) in Brazil, we sampled serum from horses and chickens from the Pantanal region of the state of Mato Grosso and tested for flavivirus-reactive antibodies by blocking ELISA. The positive samples were further confirmed for serological evidence of WNV infection in three (8%) of the 38 horses and one (3.2%) of the 31 chickens using an 80% plaque-reduction neutralisation test (PRNT80). These results provide evidence of the circulation of WNV in chickens and horses in Pantanal.
Thorpe CT, Udeze CP, Birch HL, Clegg PD, Screen HR.Age-related tendinopathy is common in both humans and horses; the initiation and progression of which is similar between species. The majority of tendon injuries occur to high-strain energy storing tendons, such as the human Achilles tendon and equine superficial digital flexor (SDFT). By contrast, the low-strain positional human anterior tibialis tendon and equine common digital extensor (CDET) are rarely injured. It has previously been established that greater extension occurs at the fascicular interface in the SDFT than in the CDET; this may facilitate the large strains experienced during l...
Smith SE, Devine DV.To determine the feasibility of hand-assisted laparoscopic ovariectomy via colpotomy for bilateral ovariectomy in standing mares. Methods: Case series. Methods: Mares (n = 21) aged 2-21 years, weighing 312-582 kg. Methods: After a pilot study in 6 mares, the technique was used in 15 mares. Ovaries were identified and manipulated using 2 laparoscopic portals in the left paralumbar fossa. Transection and hemostasis of the ovarian pedicle was achieved using a LigaSure Atlas™ or chain écraseur. Ovaries were removed through a colpotomy by an assistant. Results: In 19 mares, both ovaries were suc...
Poller C, Hopster K, Rohn K, Kästner SB.The aim of the study was to evaluate the performance of contact heat thermal stimulation in horses at different body sites and under different environmental conditions and different test situations. Five warm-blood horses were equipped with the thermal probe located on the skin of nostril (N), withers (W) or coronary band (C). Skin temperature and reaction temperature (thermal threshold) at each location were measured and percent thermal excursion (% TE = 100 * (threshold temperature - skin temperature)/(cut-out temperature - skin temperature) was calculated. Environmental conditions were ...
Allen K, Franklin S.Two forms of dynamic upper respiratory tract obstruction affecting racehorses that involve the soft palate have been described: palatal instability (PI) and dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP). Observation of DDSP is straightforward in that it is an all or nothing event, whereas observation of PI is subjective and interpretation may vary between clinicians. Objective: The aim of this study was to attempt to characterise PI and to investigate endoscopic features that precede DDSP. Methods: A retrospective study on the endoscopic observations of Thoroughbred racehorses referred for hig...
Rijkenhuizen AB, Sommerauer S, Fasching M, Velde K, Peham C.There are no studies on the ideal ligature technique for the spermatic cord. Objective: To compare the maximal resistance pressure in the testicular artery and the maximal tensile forces to produce failure of 2 different ligature techniques used for ligation of the equine spermatic cord. Methods: The capabilities of 2 types of ligatures, single knot loop and double knot loop, were assessed using a pressure-resistance test in testicular arteries and with an in vitro mechanical evaluation of the tensile strength by single cycle-to-failure testing. Results: In the pressure-resistance test, the me...
Tnibar A, Grubbe Lin K, Thurøe Nielsen K, Christophersen MT, Lindegaard C, Martinussen T, Ekstrøm CT.Incisional infections are common in horses after colic surgery. There is a clinical impression that the use of a stent bandage reduces the prevalence of such infections. Objective: To determine the effect of a stent bandage on the likelihood of incisional infection after ventral midline exploratory coeliotomy. It was hypothesised that the use of a stent bandage would reduce the likelihood of incisional infection. Methods: Medical records of horses that underwent exploratory coeliotomy for colic between January 2005 and September 2011 were reviewed. Inclusion criteria were animals that had one ...
Cadario ME, Merritt AM, Archbald LF, Thatcher WW, LeBlanc MM.Intrauterine pressure was measured in 4 reproductively normal mares and 4 mares with delay in uterine clearance after administration of oxytocin to determine if intrauterine pressure varied between dosage and group. Changes in intrauterine pressure were measured during estrus, when a follicle was > or =35 mm, using a Millar "Mikro-tip" catheter that had 3 discrete pressure sensors/channels. Mares received 4 different treatments of 10, 5, 2.5 or 0 IU (vehicle) of oxytocin. The protocol for each treatment consisted of a 10-min baseline recording, administration of treatment and measurement of...
Locke MM, Ruth LS, Millon LV, Penedo MC, Murray JD, Bowling AT.The colour locus historically referred to as C in the horse is linked to microsatellites markers on horse chromosome 21. Preliminary results demonstrated linkage of Ccr, thought to be the cream dilution variant of the C locus, to HTG10. An analysis of horse chromosome 21 using additional families confirmed and established a group of markers linked to Ccr. This work also improved the resolution of previously reported linkage maps for this chromosome. Linkage analysis unambiguously produced the map order: SGCV16-(19.1 cM)-HTG10-(3.8 cM)-LEX60/COR73-(1.3 cM)-COR68-(4.5 cM)- Ccr-(11.9 cM)-LEX31. C...
Smith KC, Borchers K.The polymerase chain reaction and DNA in-situ hybridization were used to study sections of uterine tissue collected from mares near the time of abortion due to equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) infection. These techniques revealed viral nucleic acids in endothelial cells of endometrial arterioles, in accordance with previously published immunohistological data. In addition, however, they revealed nucleic acids in cellular debris within endometrial glands and diffusing across the placenta at sites of microcotyledonary infarction. Perivascular leucocytes were generally negative for viral DNA, despite ...
Bonin CP, Baccarin RY, Nostell K, Nahum LA, Fossum C, de Camargo MM.Engagement of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a master trigger of the deleterious effects of septic shock. Horses and humans are considered the most sensitive species to septic shock, but the mechanisms explaining these phenomena remain elusive. Analysis of tlr4 promoters revealed high similarity among LPS-sensitive species (human, chimpanzee, and horse) and low similarity with LPS-resistant species (mouse and rat). Four conserved nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) binding sites were found in the tlr4 promoter and two in the md2 promoter sequences that are likely to be t...
Mahalingam-Dhingra A, Mazan MR, Bedenice D, Ceresia M, Minuto J, Deveney EF.There are limited options for treatment of the common disease, equine asthma. The aim of this study was to estimate the feasibility and potential efficacy of using nebulized lidocaine for treating equine asthma, while at the same time treating a separate cohort of asthmatic horses with inhaled budesonide. Nineteen horses with a history consistent with equine asthma were recruited from our referral population for a double-blind, randomized, controlled pilot clinical trial using Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines. After screening, 16 horses met the inclusion criteria...
Kelleher ME, Burns TD, Werre SR, White NA.Evaluation of the effect of changes in the horses' feet after routine trimming and shoeing on gait at the trot is needed improve routine foot care. Evaluate changes in foot conformation and gait after routine farriery. Correlate alterations in a horse's gait before and after routine hoof trimming and shoe application. Fifteen horses received routine hoof trimming and horseshoe application. Dorsal and lateral photographs of the right and left front feet and inertial gait analysis at the trot were completed before and after trimming and shoeing. Measurements were made of hoof photos using a cali...
Campbell MD, Bellamy JE, Searcy GP.The microhematocrit heat-precipitation methods of Millar et al (1971) and Schalm et al (1975) were compared with the reference clottable protein method of Ratnoff and Menzie (1951) in the measurement of plasma fibrinogen concentration in horses. The millar et al method was more precise and accurate and showed better positive correlation with the reference method than did the Schalm et al method. There was no significant difference in the plasma fibrinogen concentration between healthy Thoroughbreds and healthy horses of other breeds. Horses with bacterial pneumonia and abscesses had significan...
Savill MG, Murray SR, Scholes P, Maas EW, McCormick RE, Moore EB, Gilpin BJ.Rhodococcus coprophilus, a natural inhabitant of herbivore faeces, has been suggested as a good indicator of animal (as opposed to human) faecal contamination of aquatic environments. However, conventional detection methods limit its use for this as they require up to 21 days to obtain a result. In this paper an optimised method for extracting R. coprophilus DNA from faecal samples is described. PCR and 5'-nuclease (TaqMan) PCR methods were developed to allow the detection and enumeration of R. coprophilus in faecal samples within 2-3 days. Both PCR methods targeted the 16S rRNA gene, producin...
Moltmann UG, Mehlhorn H, Schein E, Rehbein G, Voigt WP, Zweygarth E.The development of Babesia equi (Piroplasmia) in the vertebrate host was studied by electron microscopy. The tick-borne sporozoites initiated an exoerythrocytic schizogony in lymphocytes in vivo and in vitro. In lymphocyte cultures the schizonts of B. equi lay as fissured bodies directly within the host cell forming numerous cytomeres. These cytomeres were bordered by a single membrane and contained polymorphous nuclei. Merozoite differentiation was initiated at several places by protrusions appearing at the periphery of the cytomeres. The cytoplasm of the schizont merged progressively into th...
Retamal P, Ríos M, Cheuquepán F, Abalos P, Pizarro-Lucero J, Borie C, Gutierrez J.Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is a widespread facultative intracellular pathogen that causes caseous lymphadenitis disease in sheep and goats, and generates cutaneous abscesses and granulomas in horses and cattle. Although some genes have been studied for diagnostic and phylogenetic analysis within the genus Corynebacterium, at subspecies level the pathogen has been poorly analyzed. The aim of this study was to characterize C. pseudotuberculosis strains isolated from domestic animals, through the sequencing of a hypervariable rpoB gene segment. As result, there were identified host associ...
Martin de Bustamante M, Gomez D, MacNicol J, Hamor R, Plummer C.The objective of this study was to describe and compare the fecal bacterial microbiota of horses with equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) and healthy horses using next-generation sequencing techniques. Fecal samples were collected from 15 client-owned horses previously diagnosed with ERU on complete ophthalmic examination. For each fecal sample obtained from a horse with ERU, a sample was collected from an environmentally matched healthy control with no evidence of ocular disease. The Illumina MiSeq sequencer was used for high-throughput sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. The relativ...
Stahl C, Unger L, Mazuet C, Popoff M, Straub R, Frey J.Botulinum neurotoxins, predominantly serotypes C and D, cause equine botulism through forage poisoning. The C-terminal part of the heavy chain of botulinum neurotoxin types C and D (HcBoNT/C and D) was expressed in Escherichia coli and evaluated as a recombinant mono- and bivalent vaccine in twelve horses in comparison to a commercially available toxoid vaccine. A three-dose subcutaneous immunization of adult horses elicited robust serum antibody response in an ELISA using the immunogen as a capture antigen. Immune sera showed dose-dependent high potency in neutralizing specifically the active...
Dauphin G, Legay V, Pitel PH, Zientara S.For over two centuries, Borna disease (BD) has been described as a sporadically occurring infectious meningoencephalomyelitis affecting horses and sheep in Central Europe. Over the last decade, the BD epidemiology has been discussed. Firstly, its geographical distribution seems larger than what was previously thought. Secondly, the disease can affect a large number of warm-blooded animal species, including humans. The aetiological agent is the Boma disease virus (BDV), an enveloped, nonsegmented negative-stranded RNA virus classified in the new virus family Bornaviridae (Mononegavirales order)...
Adaszek Ł, Winiarczyk S, Łukaszewska J.The study was aimed at determining the cause of a disease in a horse exhibiting symptoms of fever, joint effusion, weakness, and extravasations on the mucous membranes. Blood was drawn from the animal for haematological and biochemical molecular tests. The PCR technique revealed the presence of 16S RNA Ehrlichia spp. genetic material in the blood samples. DNA amplification by means of primers EHR 521 and EHR 747 gave a product with a volume of 247 bp.The sequence of the PCR product obtained showed a 97.6% similarity with a sequence of a fragment of 16S RNA Ehrlichia phagocytophila, gene number...
Denoix JM, Jacot S, Bousseau B, Perrot P.This paper describes normal ultrasound images of the soft tissues of the dorsal and abaxial aspects of the equine fetlock. The palmar aspect of the fetlock is not discussed because it is related to the suspensory apparatus and flexor tendon anatomy which has been previously described. Ultrasound scanning was performed with 7.5 MHz linear or 10 MHz sector probes and recorded on 7.5 cm U-matic videocassettes allowing further retrospective data analysis, computer manipulation and good image reproducibility. Sagittal, parasagittal, frontal and transverse ultrasound scans of 13 lameness free mature...
Fürst A, Meier D, Michel S, Schmidlin A, Held L, Laib A.The effect of age on the bone mineral density and microarchitecture of the equine radius and tibia was investigated. Fifty-six bones from 15 horses aged four to 21 years were used. There were nine geldings and six mares, and none of the horses had any disease influencing bone properties. Xtreme computed tomography was used to evaluate a 9-mm segment of the diaphysis and metaphysis of each bone. The following variables were determined: length of the bone, circumference and diameter in the frontal and sagittal planes in the middle of the bone.Diaphysis: total volume, bone volume, bone volume rat...
Flash ML, Crabb HK, Hitchens PL, Firestone SM, Stevenson MA, Gilkerson JR.The number of horses leaving the Australian Thoroughbred (TB) racing industry each year is of concern to animal welfare advocates, public and regulators. A horse's previous athletic performance is a significant driver of retirement from racing. Racehorse performance can be measured in terms of the total number of starts, duration of racing and prize money earned. This study investigated Australian racing records for the 2005 and 2010 Victorian TB foal crops to identify factors associated with total number of starts, racing career duration, prize money earned and age of last race start-up to th...
Wilkie DA.Understanding and awareness of equine glaucoma has significantly improved in recent years. The availability of portable tonometers and veterinarian/owner awareness has increased the frequency of glaucoma as a clinical diagnosis. A variety of medications for the medical management of equine glaucoma have been evaluated and the addition of lasers has improved the surgical treatment of equine glaucoma. Despite this, equine glaucoma is an insidious and painful disease that probably remains under diagnosed and often results in blindness in the affected eye.
Collatos C, Barton MH, Prasse KW, Moore JN.Components of the coagulation and fibrinolytic cascades, prothrombin and activated partial thromboplastin times, endotoxin activity, and albumin concentration were measured in blood and peritoneal fluid from 20 healthy horses and from 153 horses with acute gastrointestinal tract diseases at admission. Overall, 77% (117/153) of affected horses survived to discharge from the hospital, and 85% (82/97) of horses discharged were reported to be normal 9 to 14 months later. Significant differences in hemostatic factors were more common in peritoneal fluid than in blood. Tissue plasminogen activator, ...
Bravo-Ramos JL, Sánchez-Montes S, Sánchez-Otero MG, Ballados-Gonzalez GG, Gamboa-Prieto J, Romero-Salas D, Olivares-Muñoz A.Equine piroplasmosis is a parasitic illness caused by various protozoa of the Babesia and Theileria genera, which parasitize within red blood cells. The transmission of these pathogens occurs through certain genus of ticks, including Amblyomma, Haemaphysalis, Hyalomma, and Rhipicephalus. In recent times, an increase in the identification of new Theileria species and genotypes has been observed. This is further complicated by the presence of mixed Theileria infections in both mammals and tick vectors, particularly in regions where wildlife and livestock share habitats and vectors. Therefore, th...
Bourebaba N, Sikora M, Qasem B, Bourebaba L, Marycz K.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), which encompasses insulin resistance, low-grade inflammation and predisposition to laminitis is a critical endocrine disorder among the most prevalent conditions affecting horses from different breeds. According to the most recent research, low human sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) serum levels correlate with an increased risk of obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes, and may contribute to overall metabolic dysregulations. This study aimed to test whether exogenous SHBG could protect EMS affected adipose-derived stromal stem cells (EqASC) from apoptosis,...
Poochipakorn C, Wonghanchao T, Huangsaksri O, Sanigavatee K, Joongpan W, Tongsangiam P, Charoenchanikran P, Chanda M.During an African horse sickness (AHS) outbreak, horses were able to exercise daily in a net-covered arena, yet the physiological responses to exercise in a netted arena was unknown. In a cross-over study design, eight horses performed a 39-minute aerobic exercise in conventional (CA) and vector-protected arenas (VPA). Horses were slower in some gaits and covered less distance in the VPA arena (P < .01). Cortisol release, hematology, and heart rate variability (HRV) were also examined. An interaction between the riding arena and time was observed in hematocrit (P = .0013), hemoglobin (P = ...
Nava V, Licata P, Biondi V, Catone G, Gugliandolo E, Pugliese M, Passantino A, Crupi R, Aragona F.Horses are excellent bioindicators for the assessment of environmental pollution. The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels and potential bioaccumulation of 28 mineral elements in 75 horse whole blood samples collected from five pollution-prone areas of Sicily, Italy. A direct mercury analyzer (DMA-80) was used for Hg determination, and an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) for all other elements. A one-way ANOVA test, followed by Bonferroni's multiple comparison for post hoc comparison, was applied to assess statistically significant differences between mineral eleme...
Catalán J, Yánez-Ortiz I, Martínez-Rodero I, Mateo-Otero Y, Nolis P, Yeste M, Miró J.Previous research revealed that several seminal plasma (SP) metabolites are related to sperm functionality, fertility, and preservation. While it is understood that variations between species exist, whether the SP metabolome differs between donkeys and horses has not been previously investigated. The aim of this work, therefore, was to characterize and compare donkey and horse SP metabolites using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and relate them to sperm viability and motility. For this purpose, ejaculates from 18 different donkeys and 18 different horses were collected and separ...
Lawton K, Runk D, Hankin S, Mendonsa E, Hull D, Barnum S, Pusterla N.The aim of this study was to use environmental sampling to determine the frequency of detection of selected equine respiratory viruses and bacteria in horses attending a multi-week equestrian show during the winter months. At four time points during showing, environmental sponge samples were collected from all stalls on the property and tested for the presence of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1), EHV-2, EHV-4, equine influenza virus (EIV), equine rhinitis B virus (ERBV), Streptococcus equi ss. equi (S. equi), and S. equi ss. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) using real-time PCR (PCR). Environmental...
Williams JM, Berg LC, Clayton HM, Kirsch K, Marlin D, Randle H, Roepstroff L, Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MSV, Weishaupt MA, Munsters C.The public is increasingly questioning equestrianism's social license to operate. While the focus historically centered on horseracing, increased scrutiny is now being placed on how dressage, showjumping, and eventing are addressing equine management and welfare concerns. Nominated equestrian federation and equestrian organization experts ( = 104) directly involved in international and/or national-level horse sports took part in a four-stage, iterative Delphi to obtain consensus on what factors should be considered essential to manage sporthorse health and welfare. Five core domains were agree...
Aleman M, Vedavally U, Pusterla N, Wensley F, Berryhill E, Madigan JE.Comprehensive descriptions of equids with granulocytic anaplasmosis (EGA) with neurologic or muscle disease and other atypical presentations are scarce in the literature. Objective: Describe the clinical signs, laboratory findings, treatment, and outcome of equids with EGA with emphasis on neurologic and muscle disease. Methods: Thirty-eight horses, 1 donkey. Methods: Retrospective study. Equids with EGA were included. The electronic data base was searched from January 2000 to December 2022 using the words anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, granulocytic, and rickettsia. Signalment and clinical data w...
Fair N, Blake S, Blake R.Water treadmill (WT) exercise is a popular modality for the training and rehabilitation of horses. However, evidence-based literature regarding the use of WT exercise, particularly using inclines, is lacking. Unassigned: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of recurring inclined WT sessions on equine epaxial muscle development. Unassigned: Six horses completed 24 sessions of 15 minutes of WT activity over four weeks. Horses walked with water at the midcannon level at a treadmill incline of 4%. Back traces were measured at three and seven centimetres ventral to the dorsal midline at...
