Hospitalization of horses involves the admission of equine patients to veterinary facilities for the diagnosis, treatment, and management of various medical conditions. This process is typically initiated when a horse requires intensive monitoring, specialized care, or advanced medical interventions that cannot be adequately provided in a non-clinical setting. Common reasons for equine hospitalization include surgical procedures, severe injuries, colic, respiratory disorders, and infectious diseases. During hospitalization, horses are monitored for vital signs, administered medications, and provided with supportive care tailored to their specific needs. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the protocols, outcomes, and advancements in the hospitalization of horses, providing insights into best practices and innovations in equine clinical care.
Gierup J, Larsson M, Lennquist S.A prospective one-year study of horse-riding accidents was performed in an area with a very high frequency of amateur riding. Totally 174 patients with riding injuries were registered--66% children--making an incidence of only 0.7 per thousand riding occasions. However, many of these injuries were of a severe nature, one leading to death and 27 of the patients reporting persisting symptoms at follow-up one year after the accident. Eleven per cent of the accidents lead to cerebral injuries and 44% to fractures, mainly of the upper extremities. Eleven per cent required hospitalization and 17% op...
León CA.The purpose of this study was the identification of possible sequelae of the infection of human individuals with Virus of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis (VEE). Special emphasis was laid on exploring neurological, psychological and behavioural aspects and particularly on the search for a possible association of the disease with epileptic phenomena, brain damage and/or mental deficiency. A four-year period of observation was conducted on a sample of children from El Carmelo (Colombia) where an epidemic of VEE took place in 1967. A group of seven children who presented the encephalitic type of th...
Dorn CR, Coffman JR, Schmidt DA, Garner HE, Addison JB, McCune EL.Colitis due to salmonellae was diagnosed in 9 horses following hospitalization for various reasons at the University of Missouri Veterinary Teaching Hospital, from May, 1971, to April, 1972. Diarrhea, fever, and either a neutrophil count of less than or equal to 3,600/cmm or a rapid decline in neutrophil numbers were specific for salmonellosis. The value of hematologic survelillance in hospitalized Equidae was demonstrated in another group of 9 horses with neutropenia, each of which was promptly treated and did not develop colitis. Bacteriologic culturing of fecal samples from 28 clinically no...
British medical journalSeptember 8, 1973
Volume 3, Issue 5879 532-534 doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5879.532
Barber HM.Horse-riding is increasing in popularity. During 1971 and 1972 154 patients had horse-related injuries of sufficient severity to warrant admission to the Radcliffe Infirmary. The injuries sustained are more common and more severe than generally appreciated and are comparable to those sustained by motor-cyclists. Supervision of children is often insufficient and protective leg and head gear is commonly quite inadequate, even when worn.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an emerging problem in horses; however, the epidemiology of infection and colonization is poorly understood. This study evaluated factors associated with MRSA colonization at the time of admission to a veterinary teaching hospital. A case-control study evaluating historical factors was performed. Previous colonization of the horse, previous identification of colonized horses on the farm, antimicrobial administration within 30 days, admission to the neonatal intensive care unit, and admission to a service other than the surgical service were...
To assess injury patterns attributable to horse kicks, to raise the issue of preventive measures, and to evaluate the role of modern accident and emergency department computer software. Methods: Data analysis using a new kind of full electronic medical record. Results: Seventeen kicked equestrians were unmounted at the time of injury. Eight of seventeen patients sustained contusions of the extremities, the back, and the trunk. In nine patients an isolated facial injury was diagnosed. Five of nine patients needed referrals to the department of plastic surgery because of the complexity of the fa...
There is a paucity of information regarding the association between common disorders and outcome over time in a large population of ill equine neonates. Objective: To describe the relative frequency of neonatal disorders in a large population of foals admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit, to determine the disorders and factors associated with nonsurvival and determine if the outcome of ill neonatal foals has improved over time. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Cases were selected from equine neonatal (≤14 days of age) admissions between 1982 and 2008. Multivariable logistic regre...
Loublier C, Costa M, Taminiau B, Lecoq L, Daube G, Amory H, Cesarini C.Research on fecal microbiota changes during hospitalization of horses with colic is emerging. Objective: Describe changes of the fecal microbiota during hospitalization of horses with colic caused by inflammatory (INFL), simple (SIMPLE), and strangulated (STR) obstructions, and investigate associations with survival. Methods: Twenty-three horses with colic: 9 in INFL, 5 in STR, and 9 in SIMPLE groups. Seventeen horses survived, and 6 were euthanized. Methods: Prospective observational study. Fecal samples were collected on admission (D1), on days 3 (D3) and 5 (D5). Bacterial taxonomy profiling...
Griessel TS, Muñoz Morán JA, Byaruhanga C, Smit Y.Surgical site infection (SSI) is a significant cause of postoperative morbidity following equine laparotomy. Therefore, if risk factors for SSI can be identified, morbidity may consequently be reduced. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of SSI in horses undergoing exploratory laparotomy at a single hospital over an 8-year period (2013‒2021), investigate the risk factors associated with SSI and report on the bacterial isolates identified. Methods: The medical records of horses that had an exploratory laparotomy performed at the teaching hospital due to colic were r...
Connolly KM, Estell K.Dysphagia describes a clinical sign of pathologies of the oral cavity, pharynx, and oesophagus that carries potentially serious consequences for horses. Given the diversity of differential diagnoses that may cause dysphagia, an understanding of the prevalence of dysphagia in hospitalised patients, the distribution of aetiologies and clinical outcomes could inform diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Objective: This study aims to describe the incidence, signalment, history, aetiology, treatment, and outcome of horses presenting to a referral hospital for dysphagia. Methods: Retrospective case s...
de la Cuesta-Torrado M, Vitale V, Velloso Alvarez A, Neira-Egea P, Diss C, Cuervo-Arango J.Equine herpesvirus 1-induced myeloencephalopathy has a significant impact on the equine industry. Nevertheless, the clinical variables that may affect the severity of the disease are still under investigation. The objective of this research is studying the relationship between the level of lymphopenia and vaccination status with the severity of the disease in horses at an event, considering whether they had been correctly vaccinated or not prior to exposure to EHV-1. Ten horses were admitted to a veterinary teaching hospital following an equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy outbreak during a...
Albanese V, Straticò P, Fischer H, Petrizzi L.Injuries to the distal limb are common in horses. The clinical aspect of the lesions is variable based on the structures that are involved. Synovial structures as well as tendons and/or ligaments may be involved in such injuries, affecting treatment modalities and costs, and prognosis. This retrospective study compares wounds involving synovial structures to wounds without such involvement in terms of treatment duration and costs, and prognosis. Synovial wounds were much more expensive to treat and carried a lower prognosis. Involvement of tendons and/or ligaments in the wounds resulted in mor...
Cerullo A, Di Nicola MR, Scilimati N, Bertoletti A, Pollicino G, Moroni B, Pepe M, Nannarone S, Gialletti R, Passamonti F.Bacterial contamination of the surgical site in horses is a major risk factor for the development of surgical site infections (SSIs), which increase morbidity, mortality, the hospitalisation period, antibiotic use, and management costs. While contamination is a prerequisite for infection, its progression to clinical infection depends on additional factors that compromise host defences. The present study, conducted at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Perugia over an 11-month period, investigated bacterial contamination in 70 surgeries (53 clean and 17 clean-contaminated) at...
Swezey E, Szydziak E, Angus LDG, Mehta V, Cardozo-Stolberg S.Equestrian trauma is recognized as a high-risk injury mechanism with the potential for significant morbidity and mortality. Although horse-related injuries are more frequently seen in a rural environment, they can also occur in urban settings. Urban physicians should be mindful of these potential cases. Methods: A retrospective review was performed on all patients treated at Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow, New York, for equestrian-related trauma from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2024. Results: Twenty-nine equestrian trauma patients ages 10-70 were included, with injuries ob...
van der Merwe LM, Schliewert EC.Colic is a common equine emergency requiring medical or surgical intervention. These interventions can be costly, making outcomes data and prognostic indicators essential for guiding referral and treatment decisions. Objective: To determine survival rates to hospital discharge and evaluate prognostic indicators in equine colic cases treated at a referral hospital (Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital [OVAH], South Africa). Methods: This retrospective observational cohort study analysed records from horses with colic that were presented to the OVAH from January 2019 to August 2021. Data i...
Elane GL, Blikslager AT, Mair TS.The COVID-19 pandemic represented a significant source of anxiety and stress for equine veterinarians and clients, with the potential for measurable effects on caseload and owner economics. Unassigned: To compare the number of horses presenting for emergency colic evaluation and treatment, as well as costs at two equine referral hospitals. Unassigned: Retrospective cohort. Unassigned: Medical records of horses admitted to North Carolina State University (NCSU) and Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic (BEVC) were compared. Total equine accessions, number of horses referred for colic, and patient age w...
Loder RT, Walker AL, Blakemore LC. Equestrian activities can result in spine injuries. Most studies are from single centers, and none use a national database. It was the purpose of this study to describe the demographics, injury mechanisms, and types of equestrian-associated spinal injuries using a US national ED database. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database was queried for equestrian-related spine injuries from 2000-2023. ED disposition was categorized as discharged or not discharged. Statistical analyses accounted for the weighted, stratified nature of the data to obtain national estimates. There we...
Stöckle SD, Kannapin DA, Merle R, Lübke-Becker A, Gehlen H. The emergence and spread of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) bacteria pose a growing threat in veterinary medicine, particularly in equine hospitals. This study investigated the colonization and infection dynamics of horses undergoing emergency laparotomy with two distinct antibiotic protocols (single-shot versus 5-day protocol) during hospitalization. Nasal swabs and fecal samples were collected from 67 horses undergoing emergency laparotomy at clinic admission as well as on postoperative days 3 and 10. These were screened for multi-drug-resistant indicator pathogens. As multi-drug-resistant indi...
