Injury in horses encompasses a range of physical traumas that can affect various tissues and structures, including bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. These injuries can arise from numerous causes, such as accidents, overexertion, or improper handling. Common types of equine injuries include fractures, sprains, strains, and lacerations. The management and treatment of these injuries require an understanding of equine anatomy and biomechanics, as well as appropriate veterinary care. This page collects peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of injuries in horses, providing insights into their impact on equine health and performance.
Lucas M, Day L, Shirangi A, Fritschi L.A high injury prevalence has been reported among veterinarians. Studies describing the factors associated with injury have been limited. Objective: To describe the characteristics of serious injuries and the use of safety precautions at the time of injury in Australian veterinarians. Methods: Graduates in veterinary medicine from Australian universities completed questionnaires asking about injuries during their professional career including type of injury and circumstances during which injury occurred. Results: A total of 2188 significant injuries were reported. Injuries were most frequently ...
Spadari A, Spinella G, Romagnoli N, Valentini S.Rupture of the lateral lobe of the proximal tendon of the biceps brachii muscle was diagnosed in an Arabian horse. To the authors' knowledge, this is the only report of this condition in horses. Although clinical signs were helpful in the identification of the location of disease, ultrasonographic examination was a more definitive and non- invasive means of diagnosing the pathological condition. Bursoscopic examination of the intertubercular bursa was also useful in obtaining confirmation of the diagnosis, and for debridement and lavage of the bursa.
Dabareiner RM, Cole RC.To determine history; clinical, radiographic, ultrasonographic, and scintigraphic abnormalities; treatment; and outcome in horses with tuber coxae fractures and to describe a useful technique for obtaining a dorsomedial-ventrolateral 50 degrees oblique radiographic view of the tuber coxa of the ilium in standing horses. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 29 horses with fractures of tuber coxa. Methods: Data collected from medical records included signalment; history; horse use; severity and duration of lameness; radiographic, ultrasonographic, and scintigraphic findings; treatment; a...
Ducro BJ, Bovenhuis H, Back W.Warmblood horse studbooks aim to breed horses with a conformation that will enable elite future performance, but reduce the risk of injuries and lameness. Negative conformational traits, such as asymmetrical or 'uneven' forefeet would possibly diminish performance. Objective: To assess the prevalence and heritability of uneven feet and its genetic relationship to other conformation traits as well as to sporting performance later in life in Warmblood riding horses. Methods: The databases of the Royal Dutch Warmblood Studbook (KWPN, n = 44,840 horses) and Royal Dutch Equestrian Sports Federation...
Ayala I, Rodríguez MJ, Aguirre C, Buendía AJ, Belda E, Laredo FG.This report describes a case of postanesthetic brachial triceps myonecrosis affecting only the left forelimb of a horse. A fatal unilateral postanesthetic myonecrosis has not been previously reported in the horse. This article describes the factors in the horse's history, the anesthetic protocol, and the treatment that may have led to this condition. Ce rapport décrit un cas de myonécrose postanesthésique du triceps brachial affectant seulement la patte avant gauche. Une myonécrose postanesthésique unilatérale mortelle n’avait pas encore été signalée chez le cheval. Le présent art...
Hopf S, Buchalla R, Elhöft H, Rubarth O, Börm W.We present a rare case of a combined dislocated odontoid dens fracture type II (Anderson/D'Alonzo) and rotational atlantoaxial luxation in a 15-year-old girl who was involved in a riding accident.She fell off her horse after it had stopped suddenly, losing consciousness for a few minutes. At presentation in the hospital, she had no complaints other than limited, painful neck movement. Radiologically, a posterior dislocation of an odontoid type II fracture (Anderson/D'Alonzo) was found. Computed tomography reconstruction demonstrated a rotational, hooklike fixed luxation of the left atlantoaxia...
Verheyen KL, Price JS, Wood JL.This study aimed to determine the effects of exercise on racecourse performance in horses racing on the flat. Daily exercise and race records were obtained over a 2-year period for a cohort of racehorses in training for which injury data were also available. Multivariable regression techniques were used to investigate associations between canter, training gallop and race distances accumulated in the 30 days prior to each race and the odds of winning the race, earning prize money and the amount of prize money won. Higher cumulative high-speed (gallop+race) distances were associated with increas...
Symes D, Ellis R.Rider asymmetry is anecdotally associated with underperformance and injury. In this study, rider axial rotation (AR) and shoulder angle displacement (SAD) were measured using video analysis, and leg length inequality (LLI) was measured to assess any correlation between LLI, AR and SAD. Two video cameras, recording transverse and sagittal views, simultaneously filmed each of 17 female riders in walk, trot, and left and right canter. The rider's shoulder angles relative to the cranial caudal line were measured at each limb impact for a complete stride cycle. All riders exhibited left AR and a gr...
Muñiz Fontán M, Moure González JD, Mirás Veiga A, Rodríguez Núñez A.Children's equestrian activities in the domestic, play activities, sports and educational areas are relatively frequent, and are not exempt from risks. Nevertheless, there is a lack of data on horse-related injuries, their circumstances and the key points for their prevention. Methods: Retrospective and descriptive study of pediatric equestrian injuries admitted to Hospital between July 1997 and September 2008. Results: A total of 17 patients with ages between 4 and 17 years were analyzed. There were 14 accidental falls, 2 kicks and 1 bite, and 8 patients had lost consciousness after the accid...
Murray RC, Walters JM, Snart H, Dyson SJ, Parkin TD.The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of illness and lameness at different anatomical sites in registered United Kingdom dressage horses and to identify risk factors for lameness. A questionnaire was sent to all 11,363 registered members of British Dressage in 2005, with one questionnaire assigned per horse. Four multivariable logistic regression models were developed for each section of the questionnaire. A final mixed effects logistic regression model was developed which combined the results from all prior models. Owners reported that 33% of horses had been lame at some time d...
Schnabel LV, Lynch ME, van der Meulen MC, Yeager AE, Kornatowski MA, Nixon AJ.Tendinitis remains a catastrophic injury among athletes. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have recently been investigated for use in the treatment of tendinitis. Previous work has demonstrated the value of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) to stimulate cellular proliferation and tendon fiber deposition in the core lesion of tendinitis. This study examined the effects of MSCs, as well as IGF-I gene-enhanced MSCs (AdIGF-MSCs) on tendon healing in vivo. Collagenase-induced bilateral tendinitis lesions were created in equine flexor digitorum superficialis tendons (SDFT). Tendons were treated with ...
Levet T, Martens A, Devisscher L, Duchateau L, Bogaert L, Vlaminck L.There is a lack of evidence-based data on the prevalence, outcome and risk factors of distal limb cast sores, and no objective tool has been described for the early detection of cast sores. Objective: To investigate the prevalence, location, outcome and risk factors of cast sores after application of a distal limb cast and to determine whether static thermography of the cast is a valuable tool for the assessment of sores. Methods: A prospective study was conducted on horses treated with a distal limb cast. At each cast removal, cast sores were graded as superficial sores (SS), deep dermal sore...
Dzikiti TB, Bester L, Cilliers I, Carstens A, Stegmann GF, Hubert J.A 10-year-old Thoroughbred mare was presented for lameness of the left hindlimb as a result of an apical fracture of the lateral proximal sesamoid bone. The mare was ultimately euthanased after suffering catastrophic fractures of the 3rd and 4th metatarsal bones of the contra-lateral hindlimb during an uncoordinated attempt to rise during recovery from general anaesthesia after undergoing arthroscopic surgery. The case report focuses mostly on horse anaesthesia-related mortality, anaesthetic procedure in the horse, possible causes of fractures in horses during recovery and ways in which rate o...
Hitchens PL, Blizzard CL, Jones G, Day LM, Fell J.To describe rates of occurrence of falls, injuries and fatalities to horse-racing jockeys in Australia. Methods: Retrospective analysis of data on race-day falls from stewards' reports provided by the Principal Racing Authority of each state and territory of Australia, August 2002 - July 2006. Methods: Fall, injury and fatality incidence rates; comparison with overseas rates. Results: There were 3360 jockey falls from 748 367 rides. Falls occurred at a rate of 0.42 per 100 rides in flat races and 5.26 per 100 rides in jumps races. In flat racing, 54.6% (1694/3101) of falls occurred before the ...
Lucas M, Day L, Fritschi L.Data from a health risks of Australian veterinarians (HRAV) study were reviewed to identify reported serious injuries incurred while working with horses and the factors associated with these injuries. Of the 2188 serious injuries reported in the HRAV study, 1583 (72.3 per cent) were associated with animals, and of these, 453 (28.6 per cent) involved horses. Most of them were sustained in stock or handling yards. Factors associated with an increased frequency of injury included activities such as suturing, wound care, tubing and drenching. The parts of the body most commonly injured were the he...
Dyson PK, Jackson BF, Pfeiffer DU, Price JS.The first major epidemiological study of injury incidence in the UK flat racing Thoroughbred (TB), published in 1985, found lameness to be the single largest reason for days when horses failed to train. It was considered advisable to ascertain if progress has been made in reducing the problem of musculoskeletal injuries in the intervening period. Objective: To quantify injury incidence and days lost from training by 2- and 3-year-old TBs in UK training yards during 2002 and 2003. Methods: One-hundred-and-eighty-two yearling TBs were recruited at the end of 2001 and daily training and injury re...
Spence AJ, Tan H, Wilson A.The speed and position data collected by TurfTrax Racing Data Limited during UK Thoroughbred racing have potential to benefit equine science and welfare. The size (the 2006 data set alone consists of 30,932 individual horse starts across 2667 races) and nature (speed and 2D position for each horse at 4 updates per second) of the data make it a unique resource for questions in equine safety, welfare, performance, and animal locomotion. Objective: To determine the accuracy of the TurfTrax tracking system in estimating the speed and position of horses during racing. Methods: Measurements from the...
Baccarin RY, Martins EA, Hagen SC, Silva LC.A controlled study was designed in order to evaluate the effects of medial patellar desmotomy (MPD), combined with exercise restriction, on clinically and radiographically normal femoropatellar joints, and to identify the patellar instability by radiographic examination. MPD was performed on the right hind limb and the horses were rested for 120 days. Both hind limbs were radiographed before surgery and at 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days after MPD, obtaining lateromedial, flexed lateromedial, caudocranial and cranioproximal-craniodistal (skyline) views. The femorotibial and femoropatellar angles ...
Oki H, Miyake T, Kasashima Y, Sasaki Y.The superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) injury causes considerable wastage of racing Thoroughbreds. In this study, the heritability of SDFT injury of the forelimbs was estimated in the Thoroughbred racehorses based on the Bayesian analysis with Gibbs sampling using threshold animal models. New horse patients of SDFT injury at the age of 2-5 years accommodated in the training centers in 2005 were used for the analyses. Based on clinical data of 8198 horses, heritability of SDFT was estimated to be the order of 0.17 (posterior mode) to 0.19 +/- 0.05 (posterior mean +/- posterior SD).
Chateau H, Robin D, Simonelli T, Pacquet L, Pourcelot P, Falala S, Denoix JM, Crevier-Denoix N.Properties of ground surfaces condition locomotion, and quality of track surfaces is believed to be involved in the pathogenesis of many musculoskeletal injuries in the horse. Measuring ground reaction forces (GRF) is an interesting approach to assess those interactions. Forceplates are the most commonly used but they are not well suited to compare different ground surfaces at fast gaits. Embarked equipment, fixed under the horse's hoof, would allow force measurement on any track. The objective of this work was (1) to design a device which enables the measurement of 3-D GRF on any ground, at a...
Cogger N, Evans DL, Hodgson DR, Reid SW, Perkins N.To describe the incidence rate of musculoskeletal (MS) injuries and investigate the factors that influence recovery from MS injury in young Thoroughbred horses in Australia. Methods: Training and injury data were collected at fortnightly intervals from 14 trainers in New South Wales. Incidence rates were calculated for initial injuries stratified by age-class and sex. Survival analysis methods were used to investigate the time to recovery after the first MS injury (measured as a start in a race or barrier trial). Results: For the 248 racehorses enrolled, there were 428 injuries recorded; 2-yea...
Battaglia C, Nappi RE, Mancini F, Cianciosi A, Persico N, Busacchi P.Repeated microtraumas in horseback riders and mountain bikers are, in males, associated with perineal and scrotal lesions. No data are reported in the females. Objective: To report five cases of clitoral microcalcifications, diagnosed by ultrasonography, in six healthy, eumenorrheic athletes, and to verify the clinical and sexual impact of the ultrasonographic findings. Methods: Translabial ultrasonographic evaluation of the clitoris, Doppler analysis of dorsal clitoral arteries, and the two-factor Italian McCoy Female Sexuality Questionnaire (MFSQ) METHODS: The patients were assessed with a d...
Smith S, Dyson SJ, Murray RC.Distal sesamoidean ligament injury is a recognized cause of lameness but diagnosis using ultrasonography is sometimes difficult. Herein, we describe the normal appearance of the distal sesamoidean ligaments on magnetic resonance (MR) images and the changes that occur when the ligaments are injured. The appearance of the distal sesamoidean ligaments on MR images from 66 control horses and 58 horses with distal sesamoidean desmitis were described and the cross-sectional area and signal intensity of the ligaments measured. In control horses, the ligaments had a characteristic appearance and stron...
Peterson ML, McIlwraith CW.When Thoroughbred racehorses experience catastrophic injuries, the track surface is often discussed as a factor. The present study investigated the mechanical properties of the surface and found that significant changes in a track occur during routine maintenance. Questions regarding the relative importance of track variability and hardness require further investigation.
Belknap JK, Moore JN, Crouser EC.The horse with gram negative sepsis is known to be at particular risk of succumbing to laminitis. This review summarizes recent evidence indicating that similar pathologic events relating to inflammatory injury occur in laminar failure in laminitis as occur in organ injury/failure in human sepsis. The discussion also points out some important differences between the laminae and target organs in human sepsis that impact the clinical nature of the disease.
Cogger N, Perkins N, Hodgson DR, Reid SW, Evans DL.To describe the impact of age, sex, and musculoskeletal (MS) injury on three preparation-level measures of performance: (i) the duration of preparation, (ii) time from the beginning of the preparation until the first start in a race or barrier trial, and (iii) time from the first start until the end of the preparation. Methods: Daily training and injury data for 2- and 3-year old Thoroughbred racehorses were collected fortnightly from 14 trainers in NSW, Australia. Training data were aggregated into units referred to as 'preparations'. Univariate and multivariate analytical methods were used t...
Amaniti EM, Diakakis N, Patsikas M, Savvas I.Epiphyseal fracture, also known as epiphysiolysis, is the loosening or separation, either partial or complete, of an epiphysis from the shaft of a long bone. Distal epiphyseal fractures in foals pose a substantial challenge due to their guarded prognosis. This report describes the clinical signs, diagnosis, successful conservative treatment of an 1-month-old, male Skyros pony with an epiphyseal fracture of the right third metacarpal bone (type II Salter-Harris). The owner declined surgical treatment because of financial considerations along with the unfavorable prognosis. Conservative fracture...
Birch HL, Wilson AM, Goodship AE.This study explores the hypothesis that high-intensity exercise induces degenerative changes in the injury-prone equine superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT), but not in the rarely injured common digital extensor tendon (CDET). The horse represents a large-animal model that is applicable to human tendon and ligament physiology and pathology. Twelve age-matched female horses undertook galloping exercise three times a week with trotting exercise on alternative days (high-intensity group, n = 6) or only walking exercise (low-intensity group, n = 6) for 18 mo. The SDFT, suspensory ligament, dee...
Schneider RK, Tucker RL, Habegger SR, Brown J, Leathers CW.To determine clinical signs, diagnostic findings, and outcome for horses with desmitis of the straight sesamoidean ligament (SSL) near its insertion on the middle phalanx. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 9 horses. Methods: Medical records were reviewed, and information on signalment, history, clinical signs, diagnostic findings, and treatment was obtained. Follow-up information was obtained through telephone conversations with owners. Results: In all horses, the diagnosis was made by use of high-resolution ultrasonography. Seven horses had moderate lameness on initial examination; lamen...
Dyson S, Blunden T, Murray R.Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used with increasing frequency to diagnose injuries of the collateral ligaments (CLs) of the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint, but the results have not been verified by histology and the mechanism of injury is poorly understood. Objective: Abnormal signal intensity and tissue contour represents change in tissue structure detected on histology. Objective: To compare results in horses free from and those with chronic lameness and to describe possible progression of lesions. Methods: One or both feet of horses free from lameness (Group N: n = 12) and with foo...
Gunsalus K, Taylor R, Croix N.To report the clinical history, surgical management, and histologic findings of meibomian gland calcification and osseous metaplasia in a horse. Methods: A 21-year-old Selle Français gelding presented with a 9 months history of blepharitis, blepharospasm, and epiphora affecting the right eye. The horse was diagnosed with meibomianitis and impaction with associated granulomas, but not treated surgically for 6 years. Methods: Physical and ophthalmic examinations, and systemic bloodwork were performed. A diamond burr debridement was performed on a corneal ulceration, and meibomian gland nodul...
Yuda Y, Kasashima Y, Kuwano A, Sato K, Hattori S, Arai K.Upregulation of hyaluronidase 2 (HYAL2), one of somatic hyaluronidase (HAase), was demonstrated in granulation tissue during the healing of equine superficial digital flexor tendon injuries. The activity of HAase was assessed by hyaluronan (HA)-containing gel zymography and in situ zymography using frozen sections obtained from normal and injured tendon tissues. Elevated HAase activity was identified in the extract from the tendinopathic tissues, with lower levels of the activity in normal tendons. In situ zymography using fluorescently-labeled HA demonstrated HAase activity in the granulation...
Crevier-Denoix N, Audigié F, Emond AL, Dupays AG, Pourcelot P, Desquilbet L, Chateau H, Denoix JM.OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of track surface firmness on the development of musculoskeletal injuries in French Trotters during 4 months of race training. ANIMALS 12 healthy 3-year-old French Trotters. PROCEDURES Horses were paired on the basis of sex and body mass. Horses within each pair were randomly assigned to either a hard-track or soft-track group. The counterclockwise training protocol was the same for both groups. Surface firmness of each track was monitored throughout the training period. Radiography, ultrasonography, MRI, and scintigraphy were performed on all 4 limbs of each ho...
Iimori M, Tamura N, Seki K, Kasashima Y.The onset of severe injury to the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) is extremely difficult to predict from slight changes in ultrasonographic findings in cases with no apparent clinical signs. This study investigated the relationship between an increased cross-sectional area (CSA) or edema in the subcutaneous tissue around the tendon and the subsequent onset of severe SDFT injury in Thoroughbred racehorses. Horses were classified into three groups based on ultrasound diagnosis (USD) findings: Group A included cases with enlarged tendons; Group B included cases with tendons of normal siz...
Sod GA, Riggs LM, Mitchell CF, Martin GS.To compare in vitro monotonic biomechanical properties of an axial 3-hole, 4.5 mm narrow locking compression plate (ELCP) using 5.0 mm locking screws and 5.5 mm cortical screws in conjunction with 2 abaxial transarticular 5.5 mm cortical screws inserted in lag fashion (ELCP-TLS) with an axial 3-hole, 4.5 mm narrow dynamic compression plate (DCP) using 5.5 mm cortical screws in conjunction with 2 abaxial transarticular 5.5 mm cortical screws inserted in lag fashion (DCP-TLS) for equine proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint arthrodesis. Methods: Experimental. Methods: Cadaveric adult equine forel...
Tetens J, Ross MW, Lloyd JW.To assess the effect of incomplete, midsagittal fractures of the proximal phalanx (P1) on racing performance in Standardbreds. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: 49 Standardbred horses admitted to the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals between July 1986 and December 1992 with a definitive radiographic diagnosis of an incomplete, midsagittal fracture of P1 and a known method of treatment. Methods: Performance index and racing time were compared before and after diagnosis and treatment of fracture, using ANOVA that controlled for the effects of horse, gender, age, track leng...
Little C, Hilbert B.The clinical features of 19 horses with pelvic fractures were reviewed. The most common problem was a grade III or IV unilateral hind limb lameness. The prevalence of fractures was greater in females and horses less than 4 years old. All horses were treated with a combination of analgesic administration and stall rest for 2 to 6 months. Seven of 11 horses (64%) available for long-term follow-up evaluation recovered and 4 of 11 (36%) had no lameness when being ridden. Five of seven (71%) horses with fractures that involved the acetabulum recovered, and 4 (57%) had complete resolution of lamenes...
Rohlf CM, Garcia TC, Fyhrie DP, le Jeune SS, Peterson ML, Stover SM.Mechanical properties of arena surfaces are extrinsic factors for musculoskeletal injury. Vertical impact forces of harrowed and compacted cushion were measured at five locations on 12 arena surfaces (five dirt, seven synthetic [dirt and fiber]). Eight variables related to impact force, displacement, and acceleration were calculated. Surface temperature, cushion depth and moisture content were also measured. The effects of surface material type (dirt/synthetic) and cushion compaction (harrowed/compacted) on vertical impact properties were assessed using an analysis of variance. Relationships o...
Marr CM.Microwave thermographs were recorded from 77 normal horses. In 51% the lowest temperature was recorded in the mid-metacarpal region, and in 41% it was in the distal metacarpal region. The mean temperature of the normal limbs ranged from 25.04 to 37.4 degrees C. Maximum temperature differences between symmetrical points in both forelimbs ranged from 0 to 5.33 degrees C and differences in mean limb temperatures between both forelimbs ranged from 0 to 2.91 degrees C. In 48 horses with acute (less than 4 weeks' duration) injury of the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) (36 unilateral, 12 bil...
Steinke SL, Montgomery JB, Barden JM.Quantitative tracking of equine movement during stall confinement has the potential to detect subtle changes in mobility due to injury. These changes may warn of potential complications, providing vital information to direct rehabilitation protocols. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) are readily available and easily attached to a limb or surcingle to objectively record step count in horses. The objectives of this study were: (1) to compare IMU-based step counts to a visually-based criterion measure (video) for three different types of movements in a stall environment, and (2) to compare three ...
Jackson BF, Reed SR, Price JS, Verheyen KL.To compare serum concentrations of biomarkers of cartilage and bone metabolism between racehorses with a carpal or metacarpophalangeal or metatarsophalangeal (ie, fetlock) joint injury and matched uninjured control horses, determine changes in biomarker concentrations following joint injury, and establish the biomarkers' diagnostic test performance. Methods: 50 Thoroughbred racehorses with a carpal or fetlock joint injury and 50 matched uninjured horses (control horses). Methods: Serum concentrations of 2 cartilage synthesis biomarkers (carboxy-terminal propeptide of type II collagen [CPII] an...
Pechanec MY, Mienaltowski MJ.Equine tendinopathies are challenging because of the poor healing capacity of tendons commonly resulting in high re-injury rates. Within the tendon, different regions - tendon proper (TP) and peritenon (PERI) - contribute to the tendon matrix in differing capacities during injury and aging. Aged tendons have decreased repair potential; the underlying transcriptional and epigenetic changes that occur in the TP and PERI regions are not well understood. The objective of this study was to assess TP and PERI regional differences in adolescent, midlife, and geriatric horses using RNA sequencing and ...
St George LB, Clayton HM, Sinclair JK, Richards J, Roy SH, Hobbs SJ.This study compared muscle activity and movement between the leading (Ld) and trailing (Tr) fore- (F) and hindlimbs (H) of horses cantering overground. Three-dimensional kinematic and surface electromyography (sEMG) data were collected from right triceps brachii, biceps femoris, middle gluteal, and splenius from 10 ridden horses during straight left- and right-lead canter. Statistical parametric mapping evaluated between-limb (LdF vs. TrF, LdH vs. TrH) differences in time- and amplitude-normalized sEMG and joint angle-time waveforms over the stride. Linear mixed models evaluated between-limb d...
Ellerbrock M, Wehrend A.Dystocia represents a life-threatening condition for mare and foal. Morbidity and mortality rates due to a difficult birth, as well as the influence on fertility of the mare were analyzed, based on a review of publications. This was aggravated by the fact that no standardized diagnostic code was used and that most publications do not clearly describe how extensively the examinations were performed beforehand. Retentio secundinarum is the most common complication caused by dystocia. Other complications are injuries to the soft birth canal and the colon. These occur more frequently after surgica...
Vinijkumthorn R, Bauck AG, Vidyasagar S, Freeman DE.Right dorsal colitis causes chronic colic associated with long-term treatment with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). This study was designed to determine if NSAIDs could inhibit anion transporters that protect against intestinal mucosal injury in other species. Methods: 20 healthy horses. Methods: The effects of indomethacin (INDO) and firocoxib (FIR), on short-circuit current (Isc) in mucosa from the right dorsal colon (RDC) and right ventral colon (RVC) were measured in Ussing chambers by standard electrophysiological techniques. Immunohistochemical methods were used to detect ap...
Janeczek M, Makowiecki D, Rozwadowska A, Chudziak W, Pasicka E.The work is the first comprehensive analysis of equine pathological changes from the Polish territory. The research material was collected from 20 archaeological sites, mainly early medieval settlements, such as strongholds, settlements, towns and horse graves. In the material examined, 186 cases of lesions were found. Of these, 26.9% were lesions of the spine, 39.8% lesions of the limb skeleton and 31.7% lesions of the head including dental pathologies. Most of the lesions in the limbs involved their distal segments. The vast majority of pathological cases can be linked to animal use. It was ...
Whitfield-Cargile CM, Chung HC, Coleman MC, Cohen ND, Chamoun-Emanuelli AM, Ivanov I, Goldsby JS, Davidson LA, Gaynanova I, Ni Y, Chapkin RS.The equine gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome has been described in the context of various diseases. The observed changes, however, have not been linked to host function and therefore it remains unclear how specific changes in the microbiome alter cellular and molecular pathways within the GI tract. Further, non-invasive techniques to examine the host gene expression profile of the GI mucosa have been described in horses but not evaluated in response to interventions. Therefore, the objectives of our study were to (1) profile gene expression and metabolomic changes in an equine model of non-ster...
Goodrich LR, McIlwraith CW, Grieger J, Kraus VB, Stabler T, Werpy N, Phillips J, Samulski RJ, Frisbie D.To evaluate the effects of a gene transfer approach to IL-1β inhibition in an equine osteochondral chip fragment model of joint injury using a self-complementary adeno-associated virus with interleukin receptor antagonist transgene cassette (scAAVIL-1ra), as posttraumatic osteoarthritis in horses, similar to people, is a significant clinical problem. Methods: 16 horses were utilized for the study. Methods: All horses had an osteochondral chip fragment induced arthroscopically in one middle carpal joint while the contralateral joint was sham operated. Eight horses received either scAAVIL-1ra o...
Merridale-Punter MS, Wiethoelter AK, El-Hage CM, Patrick C, Hitchens PL.Despite several millions of working equids worldwide, there are few published studies regarding the epidemiology of their health and welfare. Data collected by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in the working equid sphere therefore have important epidemiological value and could be used towards animal health surveillance. The aim of this study was to identify common clinical findings and mortality patterns of working equids in low- and middle-income countries and investigate their epidemiology using data collected from an international NGO. A retrospective analysis was conducted t...
Reis IL, Lopes B, Sousa P, Sousa AC, Rêma A, Caseiro AR, Briote I, Rocha AM, Pereira JP, Mendonça CM, Santos JM, Lamas L, Atayde LM, Alvites RD....Here, we describe a case of a 5-year-old show-jumping stallion presented with severe lameness, swelling, and pain on palpation of the left metacarpophalangeal joint (MCj). Diagnostic imaging revealed full and partial-thickness articular defects over the lateral condyle of the third metacarpus (MC3) and the dorsolateral aspect of the first phalanx (P1). After the lesion's arthroscopic curettage, the patient was subjected to an innovative regenerative treatment consisting of two intra-articular injections of equine synovial membrane mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (eSM-MSCs) combined with umbilic...
de Souza TC, Burford J, Busschers E, Freeman S, Suthers JM.To report the long-term survival of adult horses that were subjected to synovial lavage for treatment of contaminated and septic synovial structures. Methods: Multicenter, prospective observational trial. Methods: Horses (n = 240) presented for synovial sepsis at 10 UK referral centers. Methods: Data for horses presented for treatment of synovial sepsis were collected over a 15 month recruitment period. Owners were contacted a minimum of 365 days after surgery using a structured client interview to assess long term survival. Descriptive statistics, and univariable and Cox proportional haza...
Baudisch N, Singer E, Jensen KC, Eichler F, Meyer HJ, Lischer C, Ehrle A.Surgical treatment options for horses with overriding dorsal spinous processes include interspinous ligament desmotomy and partial spinous process ostectomy. The impact of spinal surgery on the three-dimensional biomechanics of the equine thoracolumbar spine and the epaxial musculature is unclear. Objective: To investigate the influence of interspinous ligament desmotomy and cranial wedge ostectomy on the biomechanics of the equine thoracolumbar spine and the paraspinal Musculi multifidi. Methods: Ex-vivo experiments. Methods: Twelve equine thoracolumbar spine specimens were mounted in a custo...
Irandoust S, O'Neil LM, Stevenson CM, Franseen FM, Ramzan PHL, Powell SE, Brounts SH, Loeber SJ, Ergun DL, Whitton RC, Henak CR, Muir P.Catastrophic injury has a low incidence but leads to the death of many Thoroughbred racehorses. Objective: To determine sensitivity, specificity, and reliability for third metacarpal condylar stress fracture risk assessment from digital radiographs (DR) and standing computed tomography (sCT). Methods: Controlled ex vivo experiment. Methods: A blinded set of metacarpophalangeal joint DR and sCT images were prepared from 31 Thoroughbreds. Four observers evaluated the condyles and parasagittal grooves (PSG) of the third metacarpal bone for the extent of dense bone and lucency/fissure and assigned...
Bogossian PM, Nattala U, Wong ASM, Morrice-West AV, Zhang GZ, Rana P, Whitton RC, Hitchens PL.Decreasing speed and stride length over successive races have been shown to be associated with musculoskeletal injury (MSI) in racehorses, demonstrating the potential for early detection of MSI through longitudinal monitoring of changes in stride characteristics. A machine learning (ML) approach for early detection of MSI, enforced rest, and retirement events using this same horse-level, race-level, and stride characteristic data across all race sectionals was investigated. A CatBoost model using features from the two races prior to an event had the highest classification performance (sensitiv...
Duarte CR, Raimundo A, Sousa JP, Fernandes O, Santos R.This systematic review aimed to determine the prevalence of lower back pain (LBP) in equestrian athletes (EAs) and identify associated risk factors. Following the PRISMA guidelines, observational studies published between 2004 and 2024 in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and German were included. The review identified relevant studies through the Web of Science, EBSCO, MEDLINE, and SCOPUS (last search performed on 30 October 2024), yielding 14 studies with a total of 4527 participants. The question format for the included studies specified the population as equestrian athletes, the exposure as eq...
Fercher C, Bartsch J, Kluge S, Schneider F, Liedtke AM, Schleichardt A, Ueberschär O.Inappropriate, excessive, or overly strenuous training of sport horses can result in long-term injury, including the premature cessation of a horse's sporting career. As a countermeasure, this study demonstrates the easy implementation of a biomechanical load monitoring system consisting of five commercial, multi-purpose inertial sensor units non-invasively attached to the horse's distal limbs and trunk. From the data obtained, specific parameters for evaluating gait and limb loads are derived, providing the basis for objective exercise load management and successful injury prevention. Applied...
Nielsen SS, Alvarez J, Boklund A, Dippel S, Dorea F, Figuerola J, Herskin M, Miranda Chueca MA, Nannoni E, Nonno R, Riber A, Stahl K, Stegeman JA....The objective of this Scientific Opinion is to assess the hazards and welfare consequences associated with the slaughter of horses for human consumption. The entire slaughter procedure, from arrival at the slaughterhouse until death, is divided into three phases: Phase 1 - pre-stunning, Phase 2 - stunning and Phase 3 - bleeding. Phase 1 includes the following processes (in chronological order): (a) arrival, (b) unloading of the animals from the vehicle, (c) lairage, (d) handling and moving to the stunning area and (e) restraint before application of the stunning method. Phase 2 encompasses the...
Nielsen SS, Alvarez J, Boklund A, Dippel S, Dorea F, Figuerola J, Herskin M, Miranda Chueca MA, Nannoni E, Nonno R, Riber A, Stahl K, Stegeman JA....Horses of different ages may have to be killed on-farm for purposes other than slaughter (where slaughter is defined as killing for human consumption) either individually (i.e. on-farm killing of unproductive, injured or terminally ill animals) or on a large-scale (i.e. depopulation for disease control purposes and other situations, such as environmental contamination, disaster management, etc.). The purpose of this opinion is to assess the hazards and welfare consequences associated with the on-farm killing of horses. The killing procedure is divided into Phase 1 (pre-killing), which includes...
