"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.
Selvaggi M, Pesce Delfino AR, Dario C.The aim of this study was to assess genetic polymorphism at two loci in the exon 1 of the CSN3 gene in Murgese horse breed by PCR-RFLP analysis. The overall frequencies of alleles A and G at c.-66A > G locus were 0.80 and 0.20, respectively, and no GG animals were found in the population. At the c.-36C > A locus allelic frequencies were 0.74 and 0.26 for allele C and A, respectively, and no AA animals were detected. Population genetic indexes, namely gene heterozygosity, gene homozygosity, effective allele numbers, fixation index, and polymorphism information index were calculated. C...
Simhofer H, Niederl M, Anen C, Rijkenhuizen A, Peham C.The objective of this study was to compare masticatory movements before and after dental treatment using kinematic analysis. The masticatory movements of 15 adult Warmblood horses with mild dental pathology chewing standardised hay were recorded on three consecutive days before and three times after (days 7, 21, 28) dental correction. The results of the leading mandibular tracking marker, located at the caudal edge of the inter-mandibular suture, were compared statistically. Reproducibility of measurements prior to dental treatment was excellent (P<0.05). Rostrocaudal mandibular motion was ...
Figueredo LA, Cafarchia C, Otranto D.Fungi of the genus Geotrichum are commonly found in the environment and, in some circumstances, they may cause diseases in humans and animals. Although these fungi have been isolated from skin lesions of some animal species, their pathogenic role in horses remains uncertain. With the aim to investigate the role of Geotrichum candidum as etiological agent of dermatomycoses, a retrospective study of 64 horses presenting skin lesions and suspected to have fungal infections was carried out. For each animal, anamnestic data were recorded and fungal culture were performed using hair. Out of 64 cases...
Hobo S, Niwa H, Anzai T, Jones JH.In this study, to evaluate the influence of strangles vaccination on serological test results, we investigated the changes in strangles serum antibody levels in horses after vaccination and subsequent intranasal challenge with S. equi. The horses were vaccinated for strangles with either a component vaccine (Group C) or a live vaccine (Group L). We measured changes in strangles serum antibody levels weekly for 20 weeks after vaccinating horses twice for strangles over a 3-week interval, and for 7 weeks after intranasal challenge with S. equi in the same horses. Serum antibody responses to the ...
Scarth JP, Teale P, Kuuranne T.A detailed understanding of equine drug metabolism is important for detection of drug abuse in horseracing and also in veterinary drug development and practice. To date, however, no comprehensive review of equine drug metabolism has been published. The majority of literature regarding equine drug metabolite profiles is derived from sports drug detection research and is generally targeted at detecting marker metabolites of drug abuse. However, the bulk of the literature on equine drug metabolism enzymology is derived from veterinary studies aimed at determining the molecular basis of metabolism...
McGowan TW, Pinchbeck G, Phillips CJ, Perkins N, Hodgson DR, McGowan CM.To describe management practices and routine preventive care of aged horses in Queensland, Australia, including effects of owner characteristics, affiliation to an equestrian group and retirement of the horse. Methods: Owners of horses were contacted via Equestrian Australia (EA) and asked to complete a questionnaire about their aged horses (e.g. age, breed, sex and colour); their use and management, including preventive health care; and use of equine healthcare providers. Results: Horses aged 15 years or greater represented one-third of the total horses owned in the population sample. The med...
Quinteros DD, García-López JM, Provost PJ.To report the clinical outcome in seven horses following use of a newly described surgical technique for treating caecal impaction. Methods: The medical records of seven horses with caecal impaction treated surgically using a stapling technique to create a complete caecal bypass without ileal transection were reviewed. Data were obtained from the records and through telephone interviews with case-associated personnel. Results: The mean age was 10 years (range 2-22 years) and duration of colic ranged from 24 h to 2 weeks. Five horses had type II motility dysfunction and the remaining two had ty...
Collins NM, Palmer L, Marr CM.The aim of this study was to establish reference values for a series of conventional two-dimensional (2-D) and M-mode echocardiographic variables in Thoroughbred foals at increasing age intervals. Methods: Nineteen healthy Thoroughbred foals (11 males, 8 females) were examined at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks of life. Auscultatory findings were recorded and echocardiographic examinations (2-D and M-mode) were performed. Descriptive statistical analyses, including mean, standard deviation and 95% confidence interval for the means, were used to summarise the data. The relationships between selecte...
Gildea S, Arkins S, Cullinane A.In Ireland, horses may be protected against equine influenza virus (EIV) as a result of natural exposure or vaccination. Current mandatory vaccination programmes are targeted at highly mobile horses. A correlation between antibody levels as measured by single radial haemolysis (SRH) and protective immunity against EIV has been established. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the susceptibility of selected populations of horses by quantifying their antibodies to EIV. Methods: Blood samples were collected from Thoroughbred weanlings, yearlings, racehorses and broodmares, teas...
Yoon MJ, Roser JF.Leydig cells located in the interstitial space of the testicular parenchyma produce testosterone which plays a critical role in the maintenance and restoration of spermatogenesis in many species, including horses. For normal spermatogenesis, maintaining Leydig cells is critical to provide an optimal and constant level of testosterone. Recently, an anti-apoptotic effect of IGF-I in testicular cells in rats has been reported, but a similar effect of IGF-I on equine Leydig cells remains to be elucidated. If IGF-I also protects stallion testicular cells from undergoing apoptosis, then IGF-I may ha...
Podadera JM, Bell RJ, Dart AJ.Two horses presented with a history of severe lameness that was localised to the area around the second phalanx (P2) of one forelimb. Radiographs of the second phalanx of both horses were unremarkable, apart from some smooth periosteal new bone production on the dorsum of P2. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a non-displaced fracture of P2 in both horses. One horse was euthanased because of a poor prognosis for racing, but the second horse was treated conservatively and salvaged for breeding. Magnetic resonance imaging is a newer imaging modality in horses and may be useful in diagnosing cas...
Georges KC, Ezeokoli CD, Sparagano O, Pargass I, Campbell M, D'Abadie R, Yabsley MJ.Equine piroplasmosis due to Theileria equi and Babesia caballi is endemic in Trinidad. A case of equine piroplasmosis due to T. equi was diagnosed in a thoroughbred foal at 10h post-partum. A high parasitaemia (63%) of piroplasms was observed in a Wright-Giemsa(®) stained thin blood smear from the foal. In addition, the 18S rRNA gene for Babesia/Theileria was amplified from DNA extracted from the blood of the foal and the mare. Amplified products were subjected to a reverse line blot hybridization assay (RLB), which confirmed the presence of T. equi DNA in the foal. The mare was negative by R...
Brunso L, Segura D, Monreal L, Escolar G, White JG, Diaz-Ricart M.Studies in animal models are useful to understand the basic mechanisms involved in hemostasis and the functional differences among species. Ultrastructural observations led us to predict differences in the activation and secretion mechanisms between equine and human platelets. The potential mechanisms involved have been comparatively explored in the present study. Equine and human platelets were activated with thrombin (0.5 U/ml) and collagen (20 µg/ml), for 90 seconds, and samples processed to evaluate: i) ultrastructural changes, by electron microscopy, ii) actin polymerization and cy...
Gürellı G, Göçmen B.Hemiprorodon gymnoposthium was investigated in the intestine of horses, found in Cyprus. It was found in four of fifth horses examined and thus had a frequency of appearence of 80%. This study reports for the first time the presence of Hemiprorodon gymnoposthium in the intestine of Equids in Cyprus. In addition, it is the second report from the world. Specimens were found to be similar to the original description on the basis of morphological characters and biometric data.
Elfenbein JR, Giguère S, Meyer SK, Javsicas LH, Farina LL, Zimmel DN, Sanchez LC.Hepatic failure is one of the more common complications in foals requiring blood transfusion to treat neonatal isoerythrolysis. Iron intoxication is likely the cause of hepatic injury. Objective: To determine the effects of deferoxamine on iron elimination in normal foals. Methods: Thirteen neonatal foals. Methods: Randomized-controlled trial. At 1-3 days of age, foals received either 3 L of washed packed dam's red blood cells (RBC) or 3 L of saline IV once. Foals were treated with deferoxamine (1 g) or saline (5 mL) SC twice daily for 14 days. Foals were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 gr...
Pacheco RC, Moraes-Filho J, Guedes E, Silveira I, Richtzenhain LJ, Leite RC, Labruna MB.The present study was performed in an area endemic for Brazilian spotted fever (BSF) in Juiz de Fora, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, during the years 2007 and 2008, when fatal cases of BSF (caused by Rickettsia rickettsii) were reported. Adult ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) identified as Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille) and Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius) were collected from dogs and horses, respectively, and tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Overall, 13.1% of the Rh. sanguineus ticks and none of the A. cajennense were found to be infected with R. rickettsii. Two isolates of R. ricketts...
Fidel JL.Although the diagnosis of cancer is relatively uncommon in horses, tumors do occur in this species. Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are traditional cancer treatments in all species. In equine patients, surgery has often been the only treatment offered; however, not all tumors can be controlled with surgery alone. In small animal oncology, newer and better therapies are in demand and available. Radiation therapy is often used to control or palliate tumors locally, especially to satisfy clients who demand sophisticated treatments. The large size of equine patients can make radiation therapy...
Trope GD, Steel CM, Bowers JR, Bradbury LA, Hodge PJ, Maggs DJ.2 horses were examined because of vascular masses involving the lower eyelid. Results: Both horses had a unilateral, fluctuant mass involving the lower eyelid. For horse 1, the mass had been present since birth and had slowly increased in size over time. The mass also changed in size in response to various environmental stimuli, alterations in the position of the horse's head, and digital obstruction of superficial vessels adjacent to the mass. Horse 2 was brought to the hospital for euthanasia, and no historical or antemor-tem data were available. A combination of contrast angiography, Dopple...
Gehring R, Beard L, Wright A, Coetzee J, Havel J, Apley M.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is probably the most common disease of geriatric horses. Affected horses show a variety of clinical signs, including hirsutism, polyuria/polydipsia, immunosuppression, muscle wasting, and laminitis. The most common treatment for PPID is pergolide, a dopamine agonist; however, there are no pharmacokinetic data about the use of this drug in horses. This article describes a study designed to address this complete lack of pharmacokinetic information. The pharmacokinetics of pergolide are described in a small group of relatively young, healthy mares (n =...
Buzzell GR, Tariq S, Traversa D, Schuster R.The infective larva of the spirurid nematode Habronema muscae, a parasite of houseflies, was measured and specimens fixed in Karnovsky's fluid were examined by scanning electron microscopy. The oral opening contains six teeth and is surrounded by large bilobed dorsal and ventral lips and smaller lateral lips. A pair of amphids lie behind the lateral lips. There are two rows of four cephalic papillae. The body is deeply ridged, both transversely and longitudinally. The caudal end of the worm is studded by small papillae. The position of the anal opening is somewhat ambiguous. These larval morph...
Pauvolid-Corrêa A, Tavares FN, Costa EV, Burlandy FM, Murta M, Pellegrin AO, Nogueira MF, Silva EE.As in humans, sub-clinical infection by arboviruses in domestic animals is common; however, its detection only occurs during epizootics and the silent circulation of some arboviruses may remain undetected. The objective of the present paper was to assess the current circulation of arboviruses in the Nhecolândia sub-region of South Pantanal, Brazil. Sera from a total of 135 horses, of which 75 were immunized with bivalent vaccine composed of inactive Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) and Western equine encephalitis virus(WEEV) and 60 were unvaccinated, were submitted to thorough viral i...
Salvagni CA, Dagnone AS, Gomes TS, Mota JS, Andrade GM, Baldani CD, Machado RZ.Ehrlichiosis is a zoonotic disease caused by gram-negative and intracellular obligatory bacterial organisms. Equine Granulocytic Anaplasmosis - EGA (formerly Equine Granulocytic Ehrlichiosis, EGE) is a seasonal disease, normally self-limited in horses. There are few reports in Brazil about this ehrlichial agent, as well as its natural vectors. Nowadays, veterinarians are considering the suspicion of EGA in horses with suggestive symptoms of ehrlichiosis and which do not respond to piroplasmosis treatment. The aim of the present study was to identify horses exposed to the agent A. phagocytophil...
Matthews A, Gilger B.Immune mediated keratopathies (IMMKs) are a relatively commonly occurring group of heterogeneous corneal disorders. This paper describes the currently recognised clinical presentations of the IMMKs in the USA and in the UK. Although a clinical diagnosis is relatively straightforward in most cases, the specific aetiopathogeneses of the IMMKs remains elusive and largely speculative, but are thought to be based upon upregulated immunoreactivity in the normally immunologically passive cornea. Treatment protocols, both medical and surgical, are based primarily on collective clinical experience and ...
Clode AB.The following article briefly discusses the pathogenesis of infectious keratitis in the horse, followed by discussion of management and pharmacological aspects to be considered when devising a therapeutic protocol for affected patients.
Lowe RC.Uveitis in the equine population of the UK does not appear to be as prevalent or disastrous as seen across regions of Europe and the USA. Some cases perceived to be recurrent uveitis may be poorly resolved single episodes of uveitis and care should be taken not to make the diagnosis of recurrence without ensuring effective control of the initial episode. Leptospira spp. appear to play only a minor role ERU in the UK which is probably the main reason for the prevalence of the disease being much lower compared to the USA and mainland Europe. Actual data are relatively few on the ground as far as...
Cesarini C, Monreal L, Armengou L, Delgado MÁ, Ríos J, Jose-Cunilleras E.Coagulopathies detected in horses with gastrointestinal problems seem to be associated with poor outcome. Plasma D-Dimer concentration is a sensitive test for assessing coagulopathies. Objective: Plasma D-Dimer concentration tested on admission is related to diagnosis and outcome in horses with colic. Methods: Four hundred and ninety three horses referred for evaluation of abdominal pain. Methods: Prospective observational clinical study. Horses were grouped according to diagnosis (medical and surgical intestinal obstructions, ischemic disorders with and without intestinal resection, enteritis...
Gilger BC.Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is a common disease in horses in the USA. There have been many advances in the treatment of ERU; however, frequent misdiagnosis of ERU occurs in cases of primary corneal or uveal disease. It is critical to remember that primary uveitis (i.e. one bout of inflammation) is a different disease to ERU, which is an immune mediated recurrent uveitis. Standard symptomatic anti-inflammatory therapy is effective to control most cases of ERU; however, some horses require advanced therapy, such as placement of drug delivery devices or removal of the vitreous, when they fail ...
Loeffler A, Pfeiffer DU, Lindsay JA, Soares Magalhães RJ, Lloyd DH.We investigated the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) carriage in a convenience sample of purposely selected populations of dogs, cats and horses in the Greater London area. Swabs from carriage sites were pooled, enriched and processed by standard bacteriological methods. The presence of nuc and mecA was confirmed for MRSA. Risk factors were investigated among veterinary treatment group animals using exact logistic regression analysis. Twenty-six (1.53%) MRSA carriers were identified in the 1692 animals (15/704 dogs, 8/540 cats, 3/152 horses). Animals presenting ...
Spiess BM.Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) has always been and still is an important disease with a significant impact on the horse industry in Europe, with a prevalence of 8-10%. The need to understand and manage the disease has spurred the development of veterinary ophthalmology in general, although the aetiology of the disease remains the subject of intense discussion. It is most probably an autoimmune disease triggered, at least in Europe, in the majority of cases by Leptospira spp. The therapy of ERU has evolved over the centuries from various methods of bloodletting to rational medical therapy using...
Hughes KJ.Ocular manifestations may develop in many systemic diseases of horses; however, signs may not be observed unless ophthalmological examination is specifically undertaken. Recognition and assessment of ocular lesions in horses with systemic disease is desirable to facilitate diagnosis and determination of treatment options and diagnosis for both the underlying systemic disease and ocular manifestations. The purpose of this article is to review systemic diseases of horses that may have ocular signs as part of the disease process. Systemic diseases are discussed in categories of pathways for devel...
Beisser A, McClure S, Rezabek G, Soring KH, Wang C.To determine the incidence and anatomic location of and potential risk factors for catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries (CMIs) in racing Quarter Horses. Methods: Retrospective matched case-control study. Methods: 67 racing Quarter Horse racehorses euthanized because of CMIs and 134 matched controls. Methods: Data for Quarter Horses that sustained CMIs and the total number of race starts for each year were obtained from 2 Midwestern racing jurisdictions from 2000 through 2011. Information for each horse with a CMI and for 2 randomly selected control horses that ran in the same race but did not...
Ramzan PH, Marr CM, Meehan J, Thompson A.A novel radiographic projection is described for assessing part of the temporomandibular articulation of horses. It minimises the superimposition of osseous structures of the cranium that limit the usefulness of conventional projections and permits improved imaging in cases of suspected disease.
McClure JT, DeLuca JL, Lunn DP, Miller J.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of an equine plasma product i.v. and a concentrated serum product i.v. to deliver antibodies to 46 foals with failure of passive transfer (FPT). Treatment of FPT was as per manufacturers recommendations, using plasma (950 ml/unit) or a concentrated serum product (250 ml/unit). Significant variables affecting the 3 day post-transfusion serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration of foals included body weight, pretransfusion IgG concentration, number of product units transfused, foaling season and product administered. Plasma treatment had a g...
Sutie JW.Animals normally ingest small amounts of fluorides in their diet with no adverse effect. An increased ingestion of fluoride can be harmful to animals, and grazing animals can be damaged by the consumption of high-fluoride vegetation. Cattle have been the species most commonly affected, and the symptoms of excessive fluoride ingestion in that species include; lesions in the developing dentition, skeletal lesions, lameness, chemical evidence of tissue fluoride ingestion in that species include: lesions in the developing take and decrease in production. The level of fluoride which can be tolerate...
Verhaar N, de Buhr N, von Köckritz-Blickwede M, Hewicker-Trautwein M, Pfarrer C, Mazzuoli-Weber G, Schulte H, Kästner S.Ischaemic postconditioning (IPoC) refers to brief periods of reocclusion of blood supply following an ischaemic event. This has been shown to ameliorate ischaemia reperfusion injury in different tissues, and it may represent a feasible therapeutic strategy for ischaemia reperfusion injury following strangulating small intestinal lesions in horses. The objective of this study was to assess the degree cell death, inflammation, oxidative stress, and heat shock response in an equine experimental jejunal ischaemia model with and without IPoC. Methods: In this randomized, controlled, experimental in...
Vachon AM, McIlwraith CW, Keeley FW.Periosteal autografts were used for repair of large osteochondral defects in 10 horses aged 2 to 3 years old. In each horse, osteochondral defects measuring 1.0 x 1.0 cm2 were induced bilaterally on the distal articular surface of each radial carpal bone. Control and experimental defects were drilled. Periosteum was harvested from the proximal portion of the tibia and was glued into the principal defects, using a fibrin adhesive. Control defects were glued, but were not grafted. Sixteen weeks after the grafting procedure, the quality of the repair tissue of control and grafted defects was asse...
Bamford NJ, Stewart AJ, El-Hage CM, Bertin FR, Bailey SR.Plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentration is commonly measured to diagnose pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Several intrinsic and extrinsic factors affect ACTH concentrations, including breed. The objective of this study was to prospectively compare plasma ACTH concentrations among different breeds of mature horses and ponies. Three breed groups comprised Thoroughbred horses (n = 127), Shetland ponies (n = 131) and ponies of non-Shetland breeds (n = 141). Enrolled animals did not show any signs of illness, lameness or clinical signs consistent with PPID. Blood ...
Pasquiet B, Biau S, Trébot Q, Debril JF, Durand F, Fradet L.Detecting fatigue during training sessions would help riders and trainers to optimize their training. It has been shown that fatigue could affect movement patterns. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) are wearable sensors that measure linear accelerations and angular velocities, and can also provide orientation estimates. These sensors offer the possibility of a non-invasive and continuous monitoring of locomotion during training sessions. However, the indicators extracted from IMUs and their ability to show these locomotion changes are not known. The present study aims at defining which kinemat...
Focková V, Styková E, Simonová MP, Maďar M, Kačírová J, Lauková A.Bacteriocin-producing bacteria with probiotic character are known as nutritional supplements mainly for livestock. Among those beneficial bacteria we also found enterococci. Because the species strains Enterococcus mundtii also can produce bacteriocins, this study was focused on fecal strains E. mundtii from horses and their bioactivity with a view to their possible future use in breeding. Rectal removal from 47 horses (40 mares and 7 stallions), the Norik breed from Muráň were sampled in eastern Slovakia during November 2019 year. Horses age ranged from five months up to 23 years. Using MAL...
Harvey A, Kilcoyne I, Byrne BA, Nieto J.To compare synovial concentrations of amikacin following intravenous regional limb perfusion (IVRLP) with two different doses, and to compare their ability to reach target concentrations for bacterial isolates from common orthopedic conditions. Methods: Randomized crossover experiment. Methods: Six adult horses. Methods: Horses received IVRLP with 2 and 3 g of amikacin in the cephalic vein of alternate limbs (20 minutes tourniquet application and ≥14 days washout period). Amikacin concentrations were quantified in synovial fluid collected from the middle carpal and metacarpophalangeal joints...
Raś A, Rapacz A, Raś-Noryńska M, Janowski TE.Cryptorchidism is a partial or total failure of testicular descent. For a proper diagnosis different methods are required. The main aim of this study was to compare different diagnostic methods. Sixty two horses (15 stallions, 32 cryptorchids and 15 geldings) were used in the experiment. They were clinically examined and ultrasonography was used to locate the testes. Blood samples were taken from the animals to measure the plasma level of testosterone and total estrogen (RIA method). In 22 horses suspected of cryptorchidism, the hCG stimulation test was performed. Blood samples were taken ever...
Bou T, Ding W, Liu H, Gong W, Jia Z, Dugarjaviin M, Bai D.The proportion of different muscle fibers is essential for the horse breed's aptitude for athletic activities. Adaptation of locomotor muscle is correlated with altered physiologic conditions. To investigate the adaptive changes of muscle fiber phenotype and transcriptome in horse skeletal muscle during dietary restriction (DR). The muscle fiber type distribution and deep RNA-seq analysis of detecting differentially expressed mRNAs (DEGs), miRNA (DEMIRs), lncRNAs (DELs), circRNAs (DECs), and their function analysis were investigated in gluteus medius muscle of Mongolian horses during DR. A tot...
Plasil M, Oppelt J, Klumplerova M, Bubenikova J, Vychodilova L, Janova E, Stejskalova K, Futas J, Knoll A, Leblond A, Mihalca AD, Horin P.The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) with its class I and II genes plays a crucial role in the immune response to pathogens by presenting oligopeptide antigens to various immune response effector cells. In order to counteract the vast variability of infectious agents, MHC class I and II genes usually retain high levels of SNPs mainly concentrated in the exons encoding the antigen binding sites. The aim of the study was to reveal new variability of selected MHC genes with a special focus on MHC class I physical haplotypes. Long-range NGS to was used to identify exon 2-exon 3 alleles in th...
Cursino AE, Lima MT, Nogueira MF, de Aguiar DM, Franco Luiz APM, Alves PA, Araujo Junior JP, Kroon EG.The aetiological agent of equine infectious anaemia (EIA) is the retrovirus equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) that infects all members of the Equidae family. The EIA is widely disseminated in the Brazilian territory with a high seroprevalence in the Brazilian Pantanal and is mainly diagnosed using agar gel immunodiffusion (AGID). There are few complete EIAV genome sequences available in GenBank, which had an impact on molecular detection studies. In this study, we conducted molecular detection and sequencing of EIAV proviral DNA from Brazilian horses. We analysed the genomic region from ex...
Monk CS, Hart KA, Berghaus RD, Norton NA, Moore PA, Myrna KE.To determine whether cortisol is present in equine tears at rest and during simulated stress and compare tear cortisol to serum free and total cortisol. Methods: Fourteen healthy adult horses were included. Paired tear total cortisol and serum total and free cortisol concentrations were measured with ELISA, chemiluminescent immunoassay, and ultrafiltration methodology, respectively, in 10 horses at rest once daily for five consecutive days. In an additional four horses, paired tear and serum samples were collected for cortisol measurement before and after adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) sti...
Khalil AM, Murakami N, Kaseda Y.Jugular vein blood samples were collected from 23 young and sexual mature feral stallions to examine the relationship between plasma testosterone concentration and age, breeding season or harem size. Testosterone concentration increased with the age of the stallions until they formed their own harems, at about 4 to 6 years old. Seasonal variations in testosterone concentrations were observed, and found to be significantly higher (P<0.001) throughout the breeding season than non-breeding season, from 3 years of age. Testosterone levels were correlated with harem size for individual stallions...
Easton-Jones C, Woolard K, Mohr FC, Roy MA, Aleman M.Intracranial neoplasia in horses is rare compared to other species. Detailed information such as neurological, electroencephalographic, and histopathological examination of horses with intracranial neoplasia associated with seizures is scarce in the literature. Furthermore, ganglioglioma has not been reported in the horse. A 7-year-old Quarter horse cross Paint gelding was examined due to recurrent seizure-like episodes of 1-year duration. The seizures had been increasing in frequency and length, occurring up to 20 times a day at the time of presentation. Neurological examination revealed inte...
Lucke JN, Hall GN.Blood samples were taken before and immediately after 80 km and 40 km rides held on consecutive days and analysed for haematocrit, blood glucose and lactate, plasma sodium, potassium, calcium, albumin, free fatty acids (FFA), glycerol, bicarbonate, insulin, cortisol, glucagon, urea, creatinine, uric acid, bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase. Unusually hot weather probably contributed to haemoconcentration with a significant (P < 0.001) increase in haematocrit and plasma albumin. A fall in blood glucose, with a rise in FFA and glycerol were consistent with long distance riding and were associ...
Okada A, Suganuma S, Badr Y, Omatsu T, Mizutani T, Ohya K, Fukushi H.VP22 is a major tegument protein of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1). In the present study, we examined functions of VP22 in EHV-1 replication by viral protein expression analyses in cells infected with the VP22-deficient virus. The expressions of several viral proteins in the cells infected with the VP22-deficient virus were lower than those in the cells infected with the parent virus. One of the weakly expressed proteins was identified as ICP4, which is a major regulatory protein encoded by an immediate early gene of EHV-1. A real-time PCR analysis showed that the mRNA expression of ICP4 wa...
Liao D, Shen J.In the present article, we summarize our studies of antrycide-resistance of Trypanosoma brucei evansi in four aspects in the last recent several years, the analysis of quinapyramine-sensitive situation of T. b. evansi in China, biological characteristics of T. b. evansi population in quinapyramine-resistance and biological materials of quinapyramine-resistance in T. b. evansi population. Firstly, the correlative assays of effective dosage of quinapyramine on T. b. evansi disease between in vivo and in vitro methods showed that their relationship was parabolic with positive correlation. On the ...
Fleurance G, Duncan P, Fritz H, Gordon IJ, Grenier-Loustalot MF.The spatial heterogeneity of grasslands determines the abundance and quality of food resources for grazing animals. As plants mature, they increase in mass, which allows greater instantaneous intake rates, but the cell wall concentrations increase too, reducing diet quality. In ruminants, daily intake rates are often constrained by the time needed for the ingesta to pass through the rumen, which is influenced by the rate of digestion. It has been suggested that the digestive constraint should have much less effect on hindgut fermenters such as equids. Horses play an increasing role in the mana...
Rubin L, Oppegard C, Hindz HF.Two experiments were conducted to study the effect of varying the temporal distrbution of conditioning sessions on equine learning behavior. In the first experiment, 15 ponies were trained to clear a small hurdle in response to a buzzer in order to avoid a mild electric shock. Three treatments were used. One group received 10 learning trials daily, seven times a week; one group was trained in the same fashion two times a week and one group was trained once a week. The animals conditioned only once a week achieved a high level of performance in significantly fewer sessions than the ones conditi...
Wyn-Jones G.The treatment of equine cutaneous tumours by conventional or cryosurgical techniques can be limited where the position of the tumour makes radical excision or freezing impractical or dangerous. Radiotherapy provides an effective and practical alternative. The use of iridium pins with guide needles allows accurate positioning of sources and uniform radiation fields to be achieved. The subsequent removal of the pins reduces the period of incapacity and reduces the radiation risk when compared to permanently implanted sources. Twenty-seven tumours on 26 horses were treated by this method with a 1...
Cherdchutham W, Koomgun K, Singtoniwet S, Wongsutthawart N, Nontakanun N, Wanmad W, Petchdee S.The objective of this study was to assess a new lead system method to improve electrocardiographic measurement in horses. Methods: Twenty-two horses with an average age of 8.8±0.8 years were enrolled in this study. Horses were divided into two groups, consisting of a control group (n=11) and athlete group (n=11). Electrocardiography (ECG) and echocardiography were performed to provide information on the structure and function of the heart. Two lead systems, base apex and modified precordial leads, were used for the electrocardiogram to assess the cardiac electrophysiological functions. Result...
Keane DP, Little PB.Rabies, equine herpesvirus type I, and eastern and western encephalomyelitis viruses, known causes of equine neurological disease, are reviewed with emphasis on epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical signs, and diagnosis.Several arboviruses known to be active in Canada and capable of producing neurological disease in humans (Powassan, St. Louis encephalitis, snowshoe hare, and Jamestown Canyon viruses) are discussed as potential causes of encephalomyelitis in horses.
Ross MW, Donawick WJ, Sellers AF, Lowe JE.To study the normal motility of the cecum and right ventral colon (RVC) in 3 mature Shetland ponies, a 6-part, indwelling, intraluminal catheter system was used to measure intraluminal pressure changes. Three catheters were placed in the cecum at 10, 25, and 40 cm from the cecocolic orifice, and 3 catheters were placed in the RVC at 10, 20, and 30 cm from the cecocolic orifice. Recordings were made during the interdigestive period beginning 2 weeks after surgical operation was done. Frequent, low-amplitude peaks (0.35 +/- 0.13 coordinated peaks/min) were seen involving the cecal body and cauda...
Bartolomé E, Menéndez-Buxadera A, Valera M, Cervantes I, Molina A.The purpose of this study was to study phenotypic plasticity ability for Show Jumping performance in horses according to age differences. For this study, 11 352 participations, belonging to 1085 horses grouped by age (4-, 5- or 6-year olds), were analysed. repeatability animal models (RAM) and multiple trait animal models (MTAM) were compared. RAM assumed the same covariance components for all age groups, whereas MTAM considered the results of every animal at every age group as different (but correlated) traits. The age, sex, starting order and training level were included as fixed effects. T...
Moreira CJC, De Cicco NNT, Galdino TS, Feder D, Gonzalez MS, Miguel RB, Coura JR, Castro HC, Azambuja P, Atella GC, Ratcliffe NA, Mello CB.Chagas disease, infecting ca. 8 million people in Central and South America, is mediated by the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi. The parasite is transmitted by the bite of blood sucking triatomine insects, such as Rhodnius prolixus, that had previously fed on parasite-infected vertebrate blood and voided their contaminated feces and urine into the wound. The stages of the parasite life cycle in both the insect vector and human host are well-known, but determinants of infection in the insect gut are complex and enigmatic. This paper examines the possible role of the R. prolixus gut agglut...
