A longitudinal study in the context of equine research involves the systematic observation and data collection from the same group of horses over an extended period. This research approach aims to track changes and developments in various health parameters, behaviors, or conditions within the equine population being studied. By repeatedly assessing the same subjects, researchers can identify patterns, establish temporal sequences, and infer potential causal relationships. Longitudinal studies in horses can encompass a wide range of topics, including growth and development, disease progression, and the impact of environmental or management changes. This page gathers peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, findings, and implications of longitudinal studies in equine science.
Rossi TM, Kavsak PA, Maxie MG, Pearl DL, Pyle WG, Physick-Sheard PW.There are currently no studies detailing cardiac troponin I (cTnI) release in normal horses post-exercise using an analytically validated assay. These data are essential for selecting appropriate sampling times in equine athletes with suspected myocardial injury. Objective: To plot the magnitude and time course of cTnI release after maximal effort, using validated cTnI assays. Methods: Descriptive longitudinal study. Methods: Five clinically normal Standardbred racehorses in race training were included in the study. Horses were exercised in harness at near-race intensity. Blood samples were ta...
Viljanto M, Hincks P, Hillyer L, Cawley A, Suann C, Noble G, Walker CJ, Parkin MC, Kicman AT, Scarth J.The use of testosterone and its pro-drugs, such as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), is currently regulated in horseracing by the application of international testosterone thresholds. However, additional steroidomic approaches, such as steroid ratios, to distinguish overall adrenal stimulation from drug administrations and an equine biological passport for longitudinal steroid profiling of individual animals could be advantageous in equine doping testing. Thus, DHEA concentrations and related ratios (testosterone [T] to DHEA and DHEA to epitestosterone [E]) were assessed in the reference populati...
Wong JKY, Choi TLS, Kwok KY, Lei ENY, Wan TSM.Equine hair is becoming an increasingly popular biological matrix for doping control of horse sports; one of the reasons for this is the significantly longer detection window hair can offer. Hair analysis opens up the opportunity for longitudinal monitoring of drug exposure which would otherwise not be possible with the more traditional and common biological matrices, such as urine and blood. As such, there is a need for more multi-target screening methods covering a broad range of prohibited substances in equine hair at the required sensitivities for equine doping control. This paper describe...
Salem SE, Maddox TW, Berg A, Antczak P, Ketley JM, Williams NJ, Archer DC.Colic (abdominal pain) is a common cause of mortality in horses. Change in management of horses is associated with increased colic risk and seasonal patterns of increased risk have been identified. Shifts in gut microbiota composition in response to management change have been proposed as one potential underlying mechanism for colic. However, the intestinal microbiota in normal horses and how this varies over different seasons has not previously been investigated. In this study the faecal microbiota composition was studied over 12 months in a population of horses managed at pasture with minima...
Crispe EJ, Secombe CJ, Perera DI, Manderson AA, Turlach BA, Lester GD.Exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) is considered a progressive disease based on histopathology, but it is unknown if tracheobronchoscopic EIPH severity worsens over time. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine tracheobronchoscopic EIPH changes over time in a population of Thoroughbred racehorses. A secondary aim was to identify factors that affect changes in tracheobronchoscopic EIPH severity between observations. Methods: Prospective, longitudinal, observational cross-sectional study. Methods: Thoroughbred racehorses were examined with tracheobronchoscopy no earlier than 3...
Gorissen BMC, Serra Bragança FM, Wolschrijn CF, Back W, van Weeren PR.Foals can follow the herd within hours of birth, but it has been shown that kinetic gait parameters and static balance still have to mature. However, development of dynamic balance has not been investigated. Objective: To objectively quantify landing and pressure pattern dynamics under the hoof during the first half year of life. Methods: Prospective, cohort study performed at a single stud farm. Methods: Pressure plate measurements at walk and trot from ten Dutch warmblood foals during the first 24 weeks of life were used to quantify toe-heel and medial-lateral hoof balance asymmetry indexes ...
Zsoldos RR, Voegele A, Krueger B, Schroeder U, Weber A, Licka TF.The equine m. gluteus medius (GM) is the largest muscle of the horse, its main movement function is the extension of the hip joint. The objective of the present study was to measure equine GM activity in three adjacent locations on GM during walk and trot on a treadmill, in order to document potential differences. Fourteen Haflinger mares were measured using surface electromyography and kinematic markers to identify the motion cycles on three occasions over 16 weeks. The electrodes were placed on left and right gluteus medius muscle over the middle of its widest part and 5 cm lateral and med...
Smith LCR, Wylie CE, Palmer L, Ramzan PHL.There is a need for investigation of associations between intrasynovial medication and fracture risk in racehorses. Objective: To document the proportion and type of fracture occurring following intrasynovial medication. Methods: Retrospective longitudinal study. Methods: Review of clinical records from all Thoroughbred flat racehorses receiving intrasynovial medication under the care of a first-opinion veterinary practice between 2006 and 2011. Fractures pre- and post-medication were categorised by location, type, and severity; analysis of fractures sustained within 56-days of medication was ...
Jacquet-Guibon S, Dupays AG, Coudry V, Crevier-Denoix N, Leroy S, Siñeriz F, Chiappini F, Barritault D, Denoix JM.A randomized controlled trial was performed on racing horses, to evaluate the efficacy of a new class of therapeutic agents in regenerative medicine-ReGeneraTing Agents® (RGTA®), to treat tendinopathies. Preliminary uncontrolled studies on tendon healing in racing horses with RGTA® (OTR4131)-Equitend® showed encouraging results, justifying performing a randomized, controlled, multicenter study with a two-year racing performance follow up. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Equitend® versus placebo on acute superficial digital flexor tendonitis in racing French Stand...
Wilson B, Jones B, McGreevy P.The use of whips in racing is subject to current debate, not least because the prospect that fatigued horses cannot respond renders the practice futile and inhumane. The racing industries maintain whip use is a form of encouragement and that the rules of racing that govern whip use safeguard horse welfare. The current study examined longitudinal trends in the frequency of medium and fast race winning times in Australian harness racing between September 2007 and August 2016 to explore relationships with a series of changes that moderated whip use. The first change, introduced January 2010, mode...
O'Connor S, Hitchens PL, Fortington LV.The most recent report on hospital-treated horse-riding injuries in Victoria was published 20 years ago. Since then, injury countermeasures and new technology have aimed to make horse riding safer for participants. This study provides an update of horse-riding injuries that required hospital treatment in Victoria and examines changes in injury patterns compared with the earlier study. Methods: Horse-riding injuries that required hospital treatment (hospital admission (HA) or emergency department (ED) presentations) were extracted from routinely collected data from public and private hospitals ...
Tscheschlok L, Venner M, Steward K, Böse R, Riihimäki M, Pringle J.Streptococcus equi ssp. equi causes characteristic clinical signs that are most severe in young horses, including fever, purulent nasal discharge, and lymph node abscessation in the head region. Objective: Clinical, serologic, and microbiologic factors related to unexpectedly mild disease severity in a natural outbreak of strangles in immunologically naïve weanlings were investigated. Methods: One-hundred and twelve warmblood weanlings. Methods: Prospective longitudinal observational study of a natural outbreak of strangles. The entire cohort was examined at the peak of the outbreak by deep n...
Siegers EW, de Ruijter-Villani M, van Doorn DA, Stout TAE, Roelfsema E.Health risks associated with obesity are more likely a factor of the localization of fat excess, rather than of elevated BW per se. The aim of this randomized controlled clinical trial was to determine the effect of a long-term high energy diet on BW, fat accumulation and localization. Eight Shetland pony mares, 3 to 7 years old, were randomly divided into a control and a high energy (HE) diet group fed either maintenance or double maintenance energy requirements (200% net energy (NE)) for two consecutive summers, with a low energy diet in the winter in between. Body condition score (BCS) did ...
Faramarzi B, Salinger A, Kaneps A, Nout-Lomas Y, Greene H, Dong F. The goal of this study was to quantify external and internal anatomical characteristics of the foal foot throughout the first year of age. Digital radiographs and photographs were taken bimonthly of the forefeet of nine Arabian foals, beginning at about 2 weeks of age until 12 months of age. Sixty-eight linear and angular variables were measured using NIH (National Institutes of Health) software. Statistical analyses were performed using piecewise random coefficient model and -values < 0.05 were considered significant. Distinct changes in hoof development were identified betwe...
van Grevenhof EM, Gezelle Meerburg ARD, van Dierendonck MC, van den Belt AJM, van Schaik B, Meeus P, Back W.Osteochondrosis (OC) is a common, clinically important joint disorder in which endochondral ossification is focally disturbed. Reduced blood supply to growing cartilage is considered an important cause of the condition, which has both genetic and environmental origins. Housing conditions can influence cartilage injury through peak-pressure changes during limb sliding. Additionally, circulatory perturbation can cause the avascular necrosis of cartilage. In this study, we evaluated the type and frequency of limb sliding during standing up and the occurrence of OC in foals aged up to 12 months o...
Osthaus B, Proops L, Long S, Bell N, Hayday K, Burden F.There are clear differences between donkeys and horses in their evolutionary history, physiology, behaviour and husbandry needs. Donkeys are often kept in climates that they are not adapted to and as such may suffer impaired welfare unless protection from the elements is provided. Objective: To compare some of the hair coat properties of donkeys, mules and horses living outside, throughout the year, in the temperate climate of the UK. Methods: Longitudinal study. Methods: Hair samples were taken from 42 animals: 18 donkeys (4 females, 14 males), 16 horses (6 females, 10 males) and eight mules ...
Pezzanite LM, Hackett ES.To compare survival and complications in horses undergoing large colon resection with either sutured end-to-end or stapled functional end-to-end anastomoses. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Twenty-six client-owned horses with gastrointestinal disease. Methods: Retrospective data were retrieved from the medical records of 26 horses undergoing colectomy, including 14 horses with sutured end-to-end and 12 horses with stapled functional end-to-end anastomoses, between 2003 and 2016. Records were evaluated for signalment, medical and surgical treatments, and survival to hospital disch...
Ziegler A, Hamza E, Jonsdottir S, Rhyner C, Wagner B, Schüpbach G, Svansson V, Torsteinsdottir S, Marti E.Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an allergic dermatitis of horses caused by bites of Culicoides spp. IBH does not occur in Iceland because of the absence of Culicoides, but the prevalence is high in horses imported from Iceland to environments where Culicoides are present. Objective: Test, in a longitudinal study before and after Culicoides exposure, whether a primary sensitizing Culicoides allergen can be identified and if an increase of allergen-specific immunoglobulin (Ig)E or IgG subclasses precedes clinical signs of IBH. Methods: Thirty two horses imported from Iceland to Europe; 16 ...
Lightbody KL, Matthews JB, Kemp-Symonds JG, Lambert PA, Austin CJ.Anthelmintic resistance combined with limited chemotherapeutic options has prompted a change in approaches to control of equine helminth infections. Targeted selective treatment strategies use diagnostics to reduce anthelmintic use by treating individuals with worm burdens or egg shedding levels above a set threshold. While faecal egg count analysis has limitations for informing tapeworm treatment, a commercially available saliva-based diagnostic test accurately diagnoses horses with tapeworm infection. Objective: Evaluation of a saliva-based diagnostic test to identify horses naturally infect...
Dougal K, Harris PA, Girdwood SE, Creevey CJ, Curtis GC, Barfoot CF, Argo CM, Newbold CJ.Twelve mature (aged 5-16 years) horses and ponies of mixed breed and type were fed restricted (1.25% BM Dry matter) quantities of one of two fiber based diets formulated to be iso-caloric. Diet 1 comprised of 0.8% body mass (BM) of chaff based complete feed plus 0.45% BM low energy grass hay (the same hay used for both diets). Diet 2 comprised 0.1% BM of a nutrient balancer plus 1.15% BM grass hay. Fecal samples were collected at week 10 and week 16. DNA was extracted and the V1-V2 regions of 16SrDNA were 454-pyrosequenced to investigate the bacterial microbiome of the horse. The two most abun...
Rochais C, Sébilleau M, Houdebine M, Bec P, Hausberger M, Henry S.Attention is described as the ability to process selectively one aspect of the environment over others. In this study, we characterized horses' spontaneous attention by designing a novel visual attention test (VAT) that is easy to apply in the animal's home environment. The test was repeated over three consecutive days and repeated again 6 months later in order to assess inter-individual variations and intra-individual stability. Different patterns of attention have been revealed: 'overall' attention when the horse merely gazed at the stimulus and 'fixed' attention characterized by fixity and...
Secombe CJ, Tan RHH, Perara DI, Byrne DP, Watts SP, Wearn JG.Longitudinal evaluation of plasma endogenous ACTH concentration in clinically normal horses has not been investigated in the Southern Hemisphere. Objective: To longitudinally determine monthly upper reference limits for plasma ACTH in 2 disparate Australian geographic locations and to examine whether location affected the circannual rhythm of endogenous ACTH in the 2 groups of horses over a 12-month period. Methods: Clinically normal horses <20 years of age from 4 properties (institutional herd and client owned animals) in Perth (n = 40) and Townsville (n = 41) were included in the study. M...
Carmalt JL, Johansson BC, Zetterström SM, McOnie RC.OBJECTIVE To determine factors affecting race speed in Swedish Standardbred horses undergoing surgery of the carpal flexor sheath (CFS), to investigate whether preoperative racing speed was associated with specific intraoperative findings and whether horses returned to racing, and to compare the performance of horses undergoing surgery of the CFS with that of age- and sex-matched control horses. ANIMALS 149 Swedish Standardbred trotters undergoing surgery of the CFS and 274 age- and sex-matched control horses. PROCEDURES Medical records of CFS horses were examined. Racing data for CFS and cont...
Harnacker J, Hainisch EK, Shafti-Keramat S, Kirnbauer R, Brandt S.Equine sarcoids are common therapy-resistant skin tumours induced by bovine papillomavirus type 1 or 2 (BPV1, BPV2) infection. We have previously shown that prophylactic vaccination with BPV1 L1 virus-like particles (VLPs) efficiently protects horses from experimental BPV1-induced pseudo-sarcoid development. Here, we assessed BPV1 L1 VLP vaccine-mediated long-term protection from experimental tumour formation in seven horses 5 years after immunization with three different doses of BPV1 L1 VLPs, and three unvaccinated control animals. Horses were challenged by intradermal inoculation with infec...
Huppes T, Hermans H, Ensink JM.Implants are often used to improve the cosmetic appearance of horses after enucleation of the eye. When surgical site infection (SSI) occurs, the implant will almost always be lost. The aim of this study is to collect data on the risk factors for SSIs and report long-term follow-up (cosmetic results and return to work) after transpalpebral enucleations. In this retrospective study, records of horses undergoing transpalpebral enucleation were reviewed (2007-2014) and telephone interviews were used to obtain long term follow-up. The potential risk factors for SSIs (indication for enucleation, us...
Southwood LL, Lindborg S, Myers M, Aceto HW.To compare long-term outcome of Salmonella-positive versus Salmonella-negative horses discharged from hospital after colic surgery. Methods: Retrospective case-control. Methods: Horses discharged from the hospital after colic surgery. For each horse with positive culture for Salmonella enterica (SAL-POS, n = 59), at least 2 horses testing negative for S. enterica (SAL-NEG, n = 119) were enrolled. Methods: Owners were interviewed via phone at least 12 months after surgery regarding: (1) complications after discharge from the hospital; (2) duration of survival; and (3) return to prior or...
Hostetter SJ, Clark SK, Gilbertie JM, Wiechert SA, Jones DE, Sponseller BA.Previous reports reveal variation in the cellular composition of equine bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the profiles of BALF from horses to assess age-related differences. Serial BALF samples were collected from the same individuals over a one-year period to identify changes in individual animals as they aged. Methods: Collection of BALF was performed on horses aged one week and one, 2, 6, and 12 months. Total nucleated cell count (TNCC), protein concentration, and cytology were assessed. Longitudinal analysis was performed and compared ...
Hanche-Olsen S, Kielland C, Ihler CF, Hultin Jäderlund K.Acquired equine polyneuropathy (AEP), a neurological disease clinically characterised by knuckling of metatarsophalangeal joints, has been described in numerous Nordic horses during the last 20 years. Although clinical recovery has been reported, large-scale data on long-term follow-up of survivors have been lacking. Objective: To describe long-term survival of AEP affected horses registered in Norway, with a focus on athletic performance and possible residual clinical signs connected to the disease. Methods: A retrospective cohort study. Methods: The study includes 143 horses recorded with A...
Faubladier C, Julliand V, Beuneiche L, Philippeau C.Total tract apparent digestibility of dietary fibrous components and parameters of the faecal digestive ecosystem were compared at immediate and late post-weaning periods using five foals. The foals were abruptly weaned (day 0) from their mares at 6 months of age. Immediately (day 0 to day 14) and later (day 131 to day 194) after weaning, foals received the same basal diet consisting of hay and pellets. Pellets were fed at 0.36% BW. Hay was offered ad libitum and corresponded to 120% of the average voluntary hay intake measured individually during the immediate (days 1 to 4) and late (days 180...
Harnacker J, Hainisch EK, Shafti-Keramat S, Kirnbauer R, Brandt S.Equine sarcoids are common therapy-resistant skin tumours induced by bovine papillomavirus type 1 or 2 (BPV1, BPV2) infection. We have previously shown that prophylactic vaccination with BPV1 L1 virus-like particles (VLPs) efficiently protects horses from experimental BPV1-induced pseudo-sarcoid development. Here, we assessed BPV1 L1 VLP vaccine-mediated long-term protection from experimental tumour formation in seven horses 5 years after immunization with three different doses of BPV1 L1 VLPs, and three unvaccinated control animals. Horses were challenged by intradermal inoculation with infec...
Smith LJ, Mair TS.Twelve horses underwent standing laparoscopic ovariectomy using electrocoagulation and fine dissection as the only means of achieving haemostasis of the severed ovarian pedicle. Four mares had bilateral ovariectomy performed as a treatment for aggressive behaviour thought to be associated with the oestrous cycle. Eight mares had unilateral ovariectomy performed for removal of a granulosa thecal cell tumour (GCT). Electrocoagulation provided an effective means of haemostasis in both normal and pathological ovaries. Only one case (removal of a GCT) had mild haemorrhage following electrocoagulati...
Brown KA, Davidson EJ, Ortved K, Ross MW, Stefanovski D, Wulster KB, Levine DG.To report the long-term outcome of horses treated with interspinous ligament desmotomy (ISLD) for pain associated with overriding dorsal spinous processes (ORDSP) and determine the influence of preoperative diagnostic analgesia on long-term outcome. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Eighteen horses. Methods: Data were collected from horses presenting for ISLD to the University of Pennsylvania New Bolton Center between January 2013 and May 2018. Follow-up of ≥3 months postsurgically was obtained from the owner, trainer, or referring veterinarian. Long-term improvement was compared betw...
Kydd JH, Hannant D, Robinson RS, Bryant N, Osterrieder N.Equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) causes respiratory and neurological disease and late gestation abortion in pregnant mares. Current vaccines contain either inactivated or live EHV-1, but fail to provide complete clinical or virological protection, namely prevention of nasopharyngeal shedding and cell-associated viraemia. Thus, the development of novel products, such as modified live virus (MLV) vaccines which stimulate virus-specific, humoral and cell mediated immune responses more effectively remains a priority. Two groups of weaned foals (n = 6 each group) were used in a longitudinal, prospec...
Santschi EM, Leibsle SR, Morehead JP, Prichard MA, Clayton MK, Keuler NS.There is little information available about conformational changes in the forelimbs of growing foals. Objective: To describe the conformation of the carpus and fetlock of Thoroughbred foals from birth to yearling sale age. Methods: Subjective assessments of the fetlock and carpal conformation of 119 Thoroughbred foals were made within the first month of life and then at 30 day intervals until at least age 120 days. At least 70 subjects were examined further at 60 day intervals until September of their second year. Conformation grades are reported for 5 age groups: first 7 days and at a mean of...
Harvey AM, Watson JL, Brault SA, Edman JM, Moore SM, Kass PH, Wilson WD.OBJECTIVE To investigate the impact of age and inferred prior vaccination history on the persistence of vaccine-induced antibody against rabies in horses. DESIGN Serologic response evaluation. ANIMALS 48 horses with an undocumented vaccination history. PROCEDURES Horses were vaccinated against rabies once. Blood samples were collected prior to vaccination, 3 to 7 weeks after vaccination, and at 6-month intervals for 2 to 3 years. Serum rabies virus-neutralizing antibody (RVNA) values were measured. An RVNA value of ≥ 0.5 U/mL was used to define a predicted protective immune response on the b...
Faber MJ, van Weeren PR, Schepers M, Barneveld A.In order to objectively quantify the effect of manipulation on back-related locomotion anomalies in the horse, a recently developed kinematic measuring technique for the objective quantification of thoracolumbar motion in the horse was applied in a dressage horse that was suffering from a back problem. In this horse, clinically, a right-convex bending (scoliosis) from the 10th thoracic vertebra to the second lumbar vertebra was diagnosed. As a result, there was a marked asymmetric movement of the thoracolumbar spine. Functionally, there was severe loss of performance. Thoracolumbar motion was ...
Raspa F, Roggero A, Palestrini C, Marten Canavesio M, Bergero D, Valle E.The effects of specific feeding positions upon the horse's shape variations of the back and neck postures as well as the variations of the mandibular angle have never been objectively studied. For this reason, geometric morphometrics was applied. Six horses, aged 14 ± 8 years (mean ± standard deviation, SD), were video-recorded while using three different feeding positions: on the ground-control position (CP); neck held 15 ± 3° below withers height with low hay net position (LP); neck held 15 ± 3° above withers height with high hay net position (HP). Data were analyzed using principal co...
Spence KL, O'Sullivan TL, Poljak Z, Greer AL.The objective of this study was to describe the demographics and movement patterns of a sample of horses in Ontario, Canada. A convenience sample of 222 owners completed an initial questionnaire to provide demographic information for 570 horses. These horses were enrolled in a longitudinal study to document their movements from May to November 2015 using a monthly questionnaire. The median age of the participating horses was 11 years (IQR: 8 to 16 years). The primary discipline of participating horses included competitive disciplines (63.3%), leisure (33.3%), and racing (3.2%). During the 7-mo...
Sedlinská M, Kabeš R, Novák M, Kološ F, Melková P.A five-month-old African jenny was presented with a history of exercise intolerance and syncopal episodes. Severe bradycardic arrhythmia due to a high-grade second-degree atrioventricular (AV) block with progression to complete AV block was diagnosed. The jenny underwent a transvenous single-chamber pacemaker implantation. The implantation procedure was performed in a lateral recumbency and the ventricular lead was inserted through the jugular vein. Positioning of the lead was guided by echocardiography. The pacemaker was programmed to VVI mode with a minimal ventricular rate of 40 pulses per ...
Christophersen MT, Tnibar A, Pihl TH, Andersen PH, Ekstrøm CT.There is a paucity of studies addressing sporting activity and horse owners' satisfaction after horses have undergone colic surgery. Objective: To determine 1) survival rate after colic surgery, 2) prevalence of horses returning to, or starting, sporting activities and 3) assess the owners' satisfaction regarding colic surgery. Methods: Cases that underwent exploratory celiotomy for colic between January 2005 and August 2010 were reviewed. All horses that had one or more celiotomies and were discharged after colic surgery were included in a telephone questionnaire survey. Only horses that surv...
Read AJ, Arzey KE, Finlaison DS, Gu X, Davis RJ, Ritchie L, Kirkland PD.An outbreak of equine influenza (EI) occurred in Australia in 2007. During the laboratory support for this outbreak, real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays and a blocking enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (bELISA) were used as testing methods to detect infection with the virus. The qRT-PCR and bELISA tests had not been used for EI diagnosis before, so it was not known how soon after infection these tests would yield positive results, or for how long these results would remain positive. To answer these questions, nasal swabs and blood samples were collected d...
McFarlane D, Banse H, Knych HK, Maxwell LK.The objective of this study was to gain an understanding of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of pergolide in horses with PPID after of long-term oral administration. Six horses with confirmed PPID were treated with pergolide (Prascend ) at 1 mg/horse po q24 h for 2 months, followed by 2 mg/horse po q24 h for 4 months. Following the last dose, plasma samples were collected for measurement of pergolide using an LC/MS/MS method and ACTH measurement using a chemiluminescent immunoassay. Noncompartmental and compartmental pharmacokinetic analyses were performed, as well as p...
Immonen IA, Karikoski N, Mykkänen A, Niemelä T, Junnila J, Tulamo RM.Surgical treatment of colic is expensive and complications may occur. Information on the prognosis and the use of the horse after surgery for colic is important for surgeons and owners. Current literature on return to athletic function after celiotomy is limited. The present study reviewed surgical cases of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Helsinki, Finland for 2006-2012. The aim was to follow the population of horses of different breeds for surgical findings, postsurgical complications, long-term recovery and prognosis. The findings and their influence on survival, return to previous or inte...
McCoy AM, Lopp CT, Kooy S, Migliorisi AC, Austin SM, Wilkins PA.Diseases affecting the internal umbilical remnant are common in foals. Ultrasound is used to diagnose abnormalities of these structures, and to monitor treatment. However, little is known about the progression of normal internal umbilical remnant regression. Objective: To document normal regression of the umbilical remnant in foals over the first 6 weeks of life. Methods: Prospective, longitudinal cohort study. Methods: Weekly ultrasound examinations were performed beginning at 1 day of age in 34 healthy Standardbred foals. The umbilical vein was measured in cross section just cranial to the...
de Clifford LT, Lowe JN, McKellar CD, Bolwell C, David F.Osteoarthritis is one of the most common disease processes effecting equine athletes, causing up to 60% of all lameness. This prospective longitudinal study reports on the effect of treatment of carpal and metacarpophalangeal joint lameness with 2.5% cross-linked polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAAG). A total of 49 flat-racing Thoroughbreds at a single training facility were included in the study. The results show a significant improvement in lameness grades at weeks 1 (P < .01), 4 (P < .001), 12 (P < .001), and 24 (P < .001) when compared to baseline lameness at week 0. This pilot study ...
Lyons ET, Tolliver SC, Collins SS, Drudge JH.Research carried out during the last 4 years (1996-1999) of an 11-year study of the prevalence of internal parasites naturally transmitted to horse foals born on the same pasture on a farm in central Kentucky is presented here. Horses in this herd were not treated with any antiparasitic compound for over 20 years except for a replacement stallion in 1994. A total of 22 species, including 12 species of small strongyles, were recovered in the 4-year period. Transmission patterns of all species (n=35) of endoparasites recovered are compared for the 11-year study. Some of the changes were an incre...
Fradinho MJ, Mateus L, Bernardes N, Bessa RJB, Caldeira RM, Ferreira-Dias G.Development of a healthy musculoskeletal system is of high concern for horse breeders and users. A longitudinal field study was performed in order to: (i) evaluate growth patterns and long-term changes on bone quality, bone metabolism, growth factors and metabolic variables in the Lusitano horse; and (ii) retrospectively assess whether these changes were related with radiographic findings regarding osteochondrosis-like lesions (OC) at the onset of training. Thirty-four Lusitano foals born and raised at four stud-farms, were periodically weighed (BW), and measured (withers height-WH) from birth...
MacMillan AP, Cockrem DS.Five mares and a stallion were studied from three to 30 months after experimental infection with Brucella abortus strain 544. The mares bred normally. No organisms were recovered from horses or from pregnant Friesian heifer contacts. Titres of serum antibody in the antiglobulin (Coombs) and complement fixation tests fell more slowly than those assessed by other tests. The serum of one foal yielded maternal antibody. An intradermal test was positive in infected adults only, and negative in all foals.
O'Connor S, Hitchens PL, Fortington LV.The most recent report on hospital-treated horse-riding injuries in Victoria was published 20 years ago. Since then, injury countermeasures and new technology have aimed to make horse riding safer for participants. This study provides an update of horse-riding injuries that required hospital treatment in Victoria and examines changes in injury patterns compared with the earlier study. Methods: Horse-riding injuries that required hospital treatment (hospital admission (HA) or emergency department (ED) presentations) were extracted from routinely collected data from public and private hospitals ...
Ekman S, Lindahl A, Rüetschi U, Jansson A, Björkman K, Abrahamsson-Aurell K, Björnsdóttir S, Löfgren M, Hultén LM, Skiöldebrand E.Molecular serum markers that can identify early reversible osteoarthritis (OA) in horses are lacking. Objective: We studied serum concentrations of a novel cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) neo-epitope in horses subjected to short-term exercise and with acute lameness. The effects of circadian rhythm and age were also evaluated. Methods: Longitudinal studies in healthy horses and cross-sectional comparison of lame and non-lame horses. Methods: Sera were collected from five horses before and after short-term interval exercise and during full-day box rest. Sera from 32 acutely lame hors...
Westermann CM, Dorland B, de Sain-van der Velden MG, Wijnberg ID, Van Breda E, De Graaf-Roelfsema E, Keizer HA, Van der Kolk JH.To evaluate alterations in skeletal muscle carnitine metabolism during exercise and training by measuring changes in plasma acylcarnitine concentrations in Standardbreds. Methods: 10 Standardbred geldings with a mean +/- SD age of 20 +/- 2 months and weight of 384 +/- 42 kg. Methods: In a 32-week longitudinal study, training on a treadmill was divided into 4 phases as follows: phase 1, acclimatization for 4 weeks; phase 2, 18 weeks with alternating endurance and high-intensity exercise training; phase 3, increased training volume and intensity for another 6 weeks; and phase 4, deconditioning f...
Rüegg SR, Torgerson PR, Doherr MG, Deplazes P, Böse R, Robert N, Walzer C.Piroplasmosis has been identified as a possible cause of mortality in reintroduced Przewalski's horses (Equus ferus przewalskii) in the Dsungarian Gobi (Mongolia). A cross-sectional and a longitudinal study were conducted in a representative sample (n = 141) of the resident domestic horse population and in 23 Przewalski's horses to assess the prevalence of Theileria equi and Babesia caballi. Piroplasms were detected in blood by light microscopy in 6.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.6-12.2%) of the domestic horse samples. Antibody prevalence was 88.6% (95% CI: 82.4-92.9%) for T. equi and 75....
Monfort SL, Arthur NP, Wildt DE.Immunoreactive urinary oestrogen conjugates were assessed in daily urine samples (approximately 5 samples/week) collected from 8 Przewalski's mares maintained under semi-free-ranging pasture conditions. The relative percentage contributions of immunoreactive urinary oestrogens during different reproductive stages (oestrus, luteal phase, early, mid- and late gestation) were determined using high-pressure liquid chromatography. In general, conjugated forms of oestrone (oestrone sulphate and oestrone glucuronide) were the major excreted immunoreactive oestrogens in nonpregnant and pregnant Przewa...
Davis AM, Fan X, Shen L, Robinson P, Riggs CM.Palmar osteochondral disease (POD) is common in the Thoroughbred racehorse yet difficult to diagnose by radiography alone. Objective: To improve the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing POD from radiographs. Methods: Prospective, longitudinal study. Methods: Radiographs in nine different projections were made of metacarpophalangeal joints (MCPJ) of 50 Thoroughbreds. Post-mortem, MCPJs were dissected and gross pathology was scored. Three experienced Thoroughbred clinicians read each radiograph and recorded their findings. Another clinician reviewed each radiograph alongside the related gr...
Dixon PM, McGorum BC, Railton DI, Hawe C, Tremaine WH, Dacre K, McCann J.There is continuing debate on the clinical benefit of laryngoplasty (LP) in the treatment of equine laryngeal paralysis. In particular, there is little information available on the clinical value of this surgery in older horses, in non-Thoroughbreds or in sports or pleasure horses; nor on the relationship between the degree of LP abduction achieved and the clinical value of LP. Objective: To evaluate the owner's assessment of the value of LP (and combined ventriculocordectomy) in an older, mixed breed and mixed workload population of horses and to also assess the relationship between the degre...
Rudnick MJ, Denagamage TN, Freeman DE.Although survival rates have been reported after small intestinal surgery for strangulating diseases in horses, none have followed survival for periods relevant to the long lifespan of horses and none have described effect of age, disease and surgical treatments over such long survival periods. Objective: To examine effects of age, disease and type of surgery on long-term survival in horses after surgical treatment of small intestinal strangulating diseases over periods relevant to the expected lifespan of a horse. Methods: Retrospective clinical study. Methods: Post-operative data were gather...
Moshage SG, McCoy AM, Polk JD, Kersh ME.Bone adaptation is in part driven by mechanical loading, and exercise during youth has been shown to have life-long benefits for bone health. However, the development of early exercise-based interventions that reduce the incidence of fractures in racing horses is limited by the lack of characterization of normal development in growing bone. Previous efforts to quantify bone development in the horse have relied on repeated radiographs or peripheral quantitative computed tomography scans, which are limited in their assessment of the entire bone. In this study, we acquired computed tomography sca...
