Microbiology and horses explores the interactions between microorganisms and equine hosts, focusing on the role of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microbes in horse health and disease. This field examines the microbial flora present in various equine environments, including the gastrointestinal tract, skin, and respiratory system, and investigates how these microorganisms influence equine physiology and pathology. Research in this area includes studies on microbial infections that affect horses, the development of antimicrobial resistance, and the impact of probiotics and prebiotics on equine health. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that investigate the diversity, dynamics, and implications of microbial communities in horses, as well as the strategies for managing microbial-related diseases.
Stevens CE.The rate of digesta marker passage through the large intestine of the dog, pig, and pony correlated with the relative length and degree of sacculation of the colon. Volatile fatty acids (VFA), the end products of microbial digestion of all forms of carbohydrate, were the major anions present in large intestinal contents of all three species. Total VFA concentration was little affected by the feeding of high-versus low-fiber diets. VFA were rapidly transported across colonic mucosa of all three species. Results of comparative studies indicate that production and absorption of VFA are important ...
Cooper RF, Dennis SM.Fifteen strains of Listeria monocytogenes serotype 5 were characteriized for carbohydrate utilization, enzymic reactions, and other differential criteria. Hemolytic patterns were tested on ovine, bovine, equine, human and lapine blood agars. Results were compared with those of previously reported strains of L. monocytogens serotype 5.
Davies ME.A detailed study was made of 194 equine strains of E. coli, involving biochemical and serological characters. In these, the equine strains closely resembled E. coli from other sources, and shared antigenic characters with strains isolated from different animal species.
Murray DR, Ladds PW, Johnson RH, Pott BW.Extensive subcutaneous phycomycosis of the lower hindlimb developed over a period of 8 months in a Thoroughbred filly. There was no response to treatments such as trichlorphon, sodium iodide, or etisazole. Extension of the limb lesion over the following 3 months was associated with an enlarged inguinal lymph node, which was removed. Characteristic phycomycotic lesions were observed in the node, and a fungus having the morphologic features of Hyphomyces destruens was isolated from both the limb and nodal lesions.
Stros K, Krivanec K, Komárek J, Malinský B.There is a description of equine dermatophytosis enzootic, caused by the microscopic fungus Trichophyton equinum. The disease affected 32 horses, mostly young, all in the same herd (74.4%). The diseased horses were successfully treated with the preparation Fenoform forte, applied superficially at the concentration of 0.5% of the active substance. The authors made an attempt to determine the criteria for clinical differentiation of fully developed trichophytosis and microsporosis of horses. Trichophytosis (T. equinum) is characterized as typical numerous small and round patches, covered by smal...
Rawlinson RJ, Jones RT.The history and clinical findings of 1 horses with guttural pouch mycosis referred to us are described. The salient features of the history and clinical signs common to both cases were profuse spontaneous nasal haemorrhage, partial pharyngeal paralysis; subsequently bilateral nasal discharge containing food material, inability to drink and parotid pain became evident. One case made a gradual recovery with conservative medical treatment while the second case was destroyed and submitted for post-mortem, histopathological and microbiological examination. This examination failed to establish the i...
Pine L, Reeves MW.Various sugars were tested for their effect on the differential rate of synthesis of M protein during the growth of Streptococcus pyogenes strain 0055 M12T12. In a semisynthetic medium alone, a high rate of M protein synthesis occurred with glucose as a substrate; decreasing rates of synthesis occurred with sucrose and trehalose, in that order, although the rates of growth were approximately equal with all sugars. A period of derepressed synthesis of M protein occurred in the lag phase of growth and in the stationary period as the substrates were being depleted. Although glucose inhibited the ...
Dyson DA, Smith GR.When incorporated in solid medium at a concentration of 15 per cent, the defibrinated blood of certain horses strongly suppressed the growth of some, but not all, strains of Mycoplasma mycoides subsp mycoides so that many colonies failed to develop to a visible size. Blood from a single rabbit was tested and found to exert a similar effect. There was striking variation in the degree of inhibition produced by different samples of horse blood and, of five strains of the organism examined, the T1 vaccine strain was the most susceptible. The results suggested that the effect was not due to antibod...
Moorthy AR, Spradbrow PB, Eisler ME.Vaginal swabs from 19 mares and penile swabs from 4 stallions were cultured for mycoplasmas. A single semen sample from one of the stallions was also examined. Twelve vaginal swabs and 2 penile swabs yielded mycoplasmas. Ten of the positive vaginal swabs were from mares with vaginitis, or with a history of failure of conception. Two were from apparently healthy mares, but one had been served by an infected stallion. One positive penile swab was from a stallion with ulcerative lesions and the other from a stallion with breeding difficulties. All 14 strains of mycoplasma utilised arginine, and t...
Perryman LE, McGuire TC, Hilbert BJ.Selective immunoglobulin M deficiency was diagnosed in 5 foals, on the basis of reduced serum immunoglobulin M concentrations (more than 2 standard deviations below the normal mean). All 5 foals had clinical signs or lesions involving the respiratory tract. Lkebsiella sp was isolated from joint fluids, bronchial lymph nodes, or tracheal washings from the 3 foals in which such samples were available for microbiologic evaluation.
La CelluleJanuary 1, 1977
Volume 72, Issue 1-2 5-25
Meuleman A, Latteur B.The topography of Cochliatoxum periachtum is studied. The cuticle is very thick. The digestive, nuclear and excretory systems are located in the ectoplasm, they are not surrounded by the mesoplasm. The endoplasm is very large, it contains vegetable inclusions. By the features of its topography, this species is similar to some species belonging to the Family Ophryoscolescidae and, especially, to Eudiplodinium giganteum.
The Journal of hygieneDecember 1, 1976
Volume 77, Issue 3 401-408 doi: 10.1017/s0022172400055789
Platt H, Atherton JG, Orskov I.An account is given of K. pneumoniae capsule types occurring in horses, with particular reference to strains originating from the genital tract in the mare and the external genitalia of the stallion. A survey of the prevalence of K. pneumoniae and E. aerogenes strains in the preputial flora of healthy stallions is described. The majority of horses were found to be carriers of these organisms. The cultural characteristics of these preputial strains are described and compared with those of K. pneumoniae strains associated with epidemic metritis in mares. The epidemiological significance of certa...
Moorthy AR, Spradbrow PB.Mycoplasmas were isolated from two of 43 nasal swabs taken from live horses, and from one of 28 tracheal swabs taken from slaughtered horses. The slaughtered horse that yielded mycoplasmas had no gross pathological changes in the respiratory tract, but the nasal isolations were made from horses with rhinitis. The three mycoplasmas could be distinguished by cultural characteristics, and probably they represent three different species.
Moorthy AR, Spradbrow PB.Mycoplasmas were isolated from two of 43 nasal swabs taken from live horses, and from one of 28 tracheal swabs taken from slaughtered horses. The slaughtered horse that yielded mycoplasmas had no gross pathological changes in the respiratory tract, but the nasal isolations were made from horses with rhinitis. The three mycoplasmas could be distinguished by cultural characteristics, and probably they represent three different species.
Ambler RP, Meyer TE, Kamen MD.The amino-acid sequences of the cytochromes c2 from the photosynthetic non-sulfur purple bacteria Rhodomicrobium vannielii and Rhodopseudomonas viridis have been determined. Only a single residue deletion (at position 11 in horse cytochrome c) is necessary to align the sequences with those of mitochondrial cytochromes c. The overall sequence similarity between these cytochromes c2 and mitochondrial cytochromes c is closer than that between mitochondrial cytochromes c and the other cytochromes c2 of known sequence, and in the latter multiple insertions and deletions must be postulated before a ...
Mikaiel T, Waller A, Foote A, Cardwell JM, Mitchell J, Priestnall SL.Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) is a commensal opportunistic bacterium associated with outbreaks of equine respiratory disease alongside a diverse range of diseases in various species. The closely related Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (S. equi) is the causative agent of 'strangles', the most frequently diagnosed contagious equine disease. Despite differing clinical signs, the two subspecies share approximately 97 % DNA homology and respectively present serious equine health and welfare concerns. Currently there are few PCR assays targeting unique regions of...
Zhang XX, Huang X, Li XQ, Wang ZY, Jiang Y, Jiao X, Li Q, Wang J, Zhong FG.Salmonella enterica serovar Kentucky ST198 has been increasingly reported in diverse sources worldwide, emerging as a globally epidemic clone. In this study, we aim to characterise the first isolated S. Kentucky ST198 strain from a horse in China. Methods: Twelve faecal samples were collected from horses at a farm in Shihezi, Xinjiang Province, China, and investigated for the presence of Salmonella. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of 15 antimicrobial agents were determined using the broth microdilution method. The whole genome of Sal140 was sequenced using the Illumina Hiseq platform and...
Crisman EC, Furr M, Ramachandran A.To determine the seroprevalence of Francisella tularensis in horses in Oklahoma and to describe factors associated with seropositivity. Unassigned: In this observational study, 238 frozen equine serum samples were tested for F tularensis by microagglutination assay (MAT). Samples were collected from 36 of 77 Oklahoma counties from 2021 through 2023. Exclusion criteria included insufficient sample quantity, cross-reactivity to Brucella abortus, and county outside of Oklahoma. The Fisher exact test was used to compare the proportion of positive tests by year, river basin, and topographic region....
Arshad A, Reif AH, Cavalleri JV, Desvars-Larrive A.Equids serve diverse roles in contemporary society. Their use as companion animals, in sports, transportation, and food production brings them into close contact with humans, creating potential zoonotic risks. This review had two objectives: (i) to catalogue zoonotic pathogens detected in equids across Central Europe, and (ii) to analyse research trends and collaborations in equid zoonosis studies within the region. We conducted a systematic literature search following PRISMA guidelines to identify publications on naturally occurring zoonotic pathogens in equids from nine countries: Austria, t...
Kuroda T, Minamijima Y, Niwa H, Mita H, Nomura M, Ohta M.A pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) approach was used to determine the dosage regimens of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections after intravenous (IV) and per os (PO) administration in horses. Methods: Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole plasma concentrations were measured in six horses after a single IV administration of 15 mg/kg (2.5 mg/kg trimethoprim and 12.5 mg/kg sulfamethoxazole) and PO administration of 30 mg/kg (5.0 mg/kg trimethoprim and 25.0 mg/kg sulfamethoxazole). The data were modeled using a nonlinear mixed-effects mode...
Irving J, Pineau V, Shultz S, Ter Woort F, Julien F, Lambey S, van Erck-Westergren E.Equine gastric disease (EGD) is a common condition in performance horses (), potentially compromising behaviour, performance, and welfare. EGD is often attributed to high-starch, high-sugar feeds and limited forage. Evidence for diet-induced changes on digestive microbiota is lacking. Nine elite showjumping horses were housed at the same performance yard with standardised diet and management throughout the study. Horses were transitioned from a high-sugar and -starch (31%) feed to a low-starch and -sugar (16.5%) concentrate feed. Gastroscopies, blood, and faecal samples were taken pre- and 12 ...
Nemoto M, Kawanishi N, Kambayashi Y, Bannai H, Yamanaka T, Garvey M, Cullinane A, Yamayoshi S, Kawaoka Y, Tsujimura K.Reverse genetics (RG) technology is useful for quickly updating influenza vaccine strains. A high-yield backbone (i.e., six segments other than hemagglutinin and neuraminidase) derived from A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (PR8) has been developed to improve the growth of avian and human influenza viruses. However, for equine influenza virus (EIV), an EIV-derived backbone may have better growth properties due to more-natural segment combinations. We compared the growth properties in eggs between the PR8 backbone and an EIV backbone from A/equine/Ibaraki/1/2007, a vaccine strain in Japan. The results showe...
Mountessou BYG, Mouafon IL, Maharjan R, Tchamgoue J, Tiani GLM, Dibouloul P, Choudhary MI, Kouam SF.Four previously undescribed phenazine-derived pigments (1-4), along with seventeen known compounds, were isolated from a strain cultured on solid rice medium. Structural elucidation of the new compounds was achieved through extensive spectroscopic analysis, while known compounds were identified by comparison with literature data. The antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities of the isolated compounds were assessed. Compounds 2, 5, and 11 exhibited weak antifungal activity against at 200 μM, while compounds 5, 6, 11, 12, 15, and 20 demonstrated moderate antibacterial effects against at the sam...
Golen GS, Erganiş O, Balevi A. is an important bacterial pathogen and causes severe chronic granulomatous pneumonia in foals below 6 months of age. It has also become an opportunistic and emerging pathogen in immunocompromised humans. Vaccination is the most cost-effective strategy for controlling and preventing this infection. Although several potential virulence genes and candidate immunogens have been identified over the years, no effective vaccine is currently available to prevent disease in horses. Recently, bacterial vector vaccines have been shown to be promising for In this study, the gene of was cloned into P...
Jing H, Liu P, Zheng S, Cao K, Li X.Total Mixed Ration (TMR) is recognized for its balanced nutritional composition, improved feed efficiency, enhanced animal production, and stabilization of the gastrointestinal microbiome. It has been extensively implemented in intensive ruminant farming, particularly for cattle and sheep, with demonstrated positive outcomes. However, its effects on the nutritional health of non-ruminant herbivores, such as horses, remain insufficiently investigated. This study aims to evaluate the comparative effects of TMR feeding versus conventional feeding practices in Akhal-Teke horses while maintaining i...
Silva VVD, Leite DPSBM, Gonçalves LMT, Oliveira PRF, Junior JWP, Mota RA.Glanders, caused by Burkholderia mallei, is a zoonotic disease with profound socioeconomic and public health implications, affecting equines and humans. This study investigated glanders cases in Brazil from 2006 to 2023 to identify persistent clusters and analyze temporal trends, providing a foundation for the formulation of effective control policies. Official data were obtained from the National Animal Health Information System (SIZ) and Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), encompassing case notifications and equine population statistics by state and year. The incidence ri...
Kholik K, Sukri A, Priscilia Riwu KH, Ayu IW, Dewi IN.The transmission of () containing virulent genes from animals to humans and the environment poses significant public health challenges. This study aimed to detect the virulence factor of the () in isolated from the feces of apparently healthy horses in the island of Sumbawa, Indonesia. The study utilized 52 fecal samples from a total horse population of 283, calculated using the disease detection formula. Fresh feces were collected immediately after excretion and placed in buffered peptone water for subsequent analysis. The samples were then isolated on eosin methylene blue media and identi...
Mohamed E, Van Cleemput J, Şahin B, Van den Broeck W, Boyen F, Nauwynck H.The equine respiratory and reproductive tract microbiomes are complex and subject to constant fluctuations. Among the microbial inhabitants, subsp. (SEZ) is recognized as the dominant bacterium. It is an opportunistic pathogen that may occasionally lead to various types of infections. A key virulence factor of SEZ is the streptolysin S (SLS) toxin, which is responsible for the characteristic β-hemolysis on blood agar and tissue damage. Viruses and bacteria may interact and aggravate lesions and disease. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of an SLS-containing supernatant from SEZ on the...
Segabinazzi L, Lisboa FP, Zutter B.Limited response to conventional therapies and rising antibiotic resistance emphasize the need for alternative treatments for infectious endometritis. A recent in vitro study showed promising antimicrobial activity of a commercial uterine cleaning sanitizer (UCS) against endometritis pathogens. However, its safety and efficacy in mares remain untested. Objective: This study aimed to assess the clinical safety of intrauterine infusion of UCS in reproductively sound mares. Methods: Exp. 1. Six healthy mares with endometrial biopsies classified as I or IIA had two intrauterine infusions of UCS pe...
Frontiers in geneticsJuly 18, 2025
Volume 16 1630614 doi: 10.3389/fgene.2025.1630614
Gong W, Ding W, Bou T, Shi L, Lin Y, Shi X, Li Z, Wu H, Dugarjaviin M, Bai D.Ferulic acid (FA), a natural antioxidant, has attracted considerable attention for its regulatory potential in skeletal muscle development, energy metabolism, and muscle fiber type transformation. Unassigned: This study established a research system based on Mongolian horse skeletal muscle satellite cells to elucidate the molecular basis by which ferulic acid regulates muscle fiber type transformation through a non-coding RNA interaction network. Unassigned: A total of 18 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMIRs) and 128 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) were identified through transcript...
Żmudzki J, Ostrowska M, Arent Z, Frant M, Kochanowski M, Nowak A, Zębek S, Kalinowski D, Podgórska K.Leptospirosis in horses is associated with various clinical signs, potentially leading to fatal outcomes. Additionally, the disease may pose a zoonotic risk to individuals involved in handling infected animals. Implementing a serological monitoring programme in the equine population is one of the key tools used to reduce the risk of transmission of Leptospira infections to humans. Objective: To provide new insights into the seroprevalence of leptospirosis in domestic horses in Poland. Methods: Serological monitoring program. Methods: Data were collected from serological surveys of horse serum ...
Symoens A, Gauthier ML, Paillette L, Allano M, Lavoie JP, Leclère M.This study aimed to document antimicrobial resistance patterns of bacteria frequently isolated at a referral equine hospital between 2020 and 2022 and to compare these results to those of studies carried out in previous decades at the same reference center. Unassigned: Using the Kirby-Bauer method, 340 tests were completed on bacterial isolates and compared to 233, 255, and 396 tests carried out in 1986 to 1988, 1996 to 1998, and 2007 to 2013, respectively. Data were analyzed with tests for trends, followed by pairwise Fisher tests and Bonferroni corrections. Unassigned: Increasing resistanc...
Ryu SH, Forbes E, Kim BS, Park KT.Five previously healthy horses in Korea, including a 19-year-old mixed-breed gelding, a 16-year-old mixed-breed mare, a 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, a 12-year-old Belgian warmblood mare, and a 12-year-old Andalusian mare, developed subcutaneous abscesses in the left neck after receiving intramuscular vaccination without prior skin disinfection. The vaccination used was Equivac® 2 in1, containing toxoid and cell-free extract. Within one week, the horses developed localised swelling and/or abscessation at the injection site. One case involved a ruptured abscess, while the others presente...
Ganbaatar O, Batbaatar V, Kimura T, Ganzorig S, Tseren-Ochir EO, Suzuki Y, Takai S.ELISA antibody titers against Rhodococcus equi strain ATCC 6939 were measured in serum samples collected from 644 horses aged 1-21 years at 13 provinces and the capital of Mongolia, of which 631 (98%) samples showed values of approximately zero. The mean antibody titers in the 14 areas ranged from -0.08 to -0.01. Nine samples (1.4%) exhibited titers of 0.1-0.2, and surprisingly, four horses (0.6%) each aged 2, 5, 8, and 9 years demonstrated positive values in the range of 0.3-0.8. Considering the age resistance characteristic of this disease, the positive horses were hypothesized to exhibit no...
Salinas P, Vergara MA, Tapia D.Navicular syndrome (NS) is a chronic, degenerative condition of the equine thoracic limb that compromises the distal sesamoid bone (DSB) and associated structures responsible for stabilization and load absorption during locomotion. Although historically attributed to vascular alterations, its etiology is now recognized as biomechanical, characterized by chronic overload of the deep digital flexor tendon. Conventional diagnostic techniques-radiography, scintigraphy, and ultrasonography-lack the sensitivity and precision required to detect early microarchitectural alterations. This study aimed t...
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...
Fernandes MD, Ribeiro GSN, Joaquim JGF, Ferraz SM, Fonteque JH.In equine husbandry, oral cavity procedures are commonly performed and may be associated with complications, including extraoral diseases, potentially resulting from bacterial contamination and inadequate antisepsis. Bacterial resistance to antimicrobials is a major issue for healthcare professionals, including veterinarians that may misuse these pharmaceuticals. Therefore, developing novel methods for antisepsis is desirable. This study aims to test the effectiveness of a 100 µg/ml ozonized injectable water solution versus 0.12% chlorhexidine mouthwash. Fifty adult equines had swab samples...
Motta D, Aymée L, Roussouliéres I, Di Azevedo MIN, Jacob JCF, Lilenbaum W.Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by spirochetes of the genus Leptospira. Equine genital leptospirosis (EGL) has been described as a chronic and silent syndrome, presenting reproductive alterations such as abortion, stillbirth, placentitis, embryonic loss, repeat breeding syndrome, and subfertility. This study aimed to investigate the genital Leptospira infection in naturally infected mares with poor reproductive performance, as well as to genetically characterize the agents. A total of 41 mares with a history of poor reproductive performance were selected. Sera were collected for ser...
Ivester K, Couetil L, Arora D, Wilkes R, Thimmapuram J.Fungal exposure is strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma in horses, but the importance of specific fungi is unknown. Geographic variation in equine asthmatic endotypes is suspected and might be related to different fungal exposures due to different climatological and geographical conditions. This study had two objectives: evaluate the effect of the ecoregion upon BALF inflammatory cells and fungal community composition in horses with asthma and evaluate the effect of BALF fungal community composition upon the likelihood of neutrophilic, mastocytic and eosinophilic inflammation in t...
Donato GG, Necchi D, Gionechetti F, Ala U, Nebbia P, Robino P, Stella MC, Vandaele H, Pallavicini A, Nervo T.In the past, bacteria detected in the mare's uterus were generally interpreted as a sign of endometritis, since the uterus was considered a sterile environment. This assumption has been challenged by the introduction of culture-independent molecular techniques, particularly 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, which have demonstrated that healthy mares harbor an endometrial microbiota. The aim of this study was to characterize the endometrial microbiota of healthy mares and to determine whether microbial composition differs between estrus and diestrus. Endometrial samples were collected from eleven h...
Santos R, Hunyadi L, Sundman E, Morales Luna L, Hyde SC, Cain M, Migl K, Ancira J, Tipton C, Rosa F.Severe equine asthma (SEA) is a chronic inflammation of airways affecting ~14-20% of adult horses in the Northern Hemisphere. SEA is characterized by a mixed phenotype of T helper cell responses with marked neutrophilia in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of affected horses. Human studies have demonstrated the impact of gut microbiota in many diseases, including asthma susceptibility and severity. However, the potential role of the gut-lung axis in the development and persistence of SEA remains to be determined. This study aimed to identify key bacterial, archaeal, and fungal microbiota...
Letourneau AR, Butler BA, Martinez PS, da Costa Martins B, Monk CS, Plummer CE.To describe a medial canthoplasty surgical procedure in two horses for correction of euryblepharon, secondary to microphthalmia, and following excision of retrobulbar fat prolapse. Methods: A 1 year old thoroughbred mare was presented for small globes and chronic ocular discharge bilaterally. Ophthalmic examination revealed microphthalmos, euryblepharon, medial canthal pocket syndrome, and dacryocystitis bilaterally with no visual impairments. A 2 year old Appaloosa gelding was presented for evaluation of a smooth, subconjunctival mass anterior to the right globe in the medial canthus. Oph...
Dillmann JB, Dos Santos TS, Dos Santos RC, Monteiro SG.Equine cutaneous pythiosis, caused by Pythium insidiosum, is a severe disease in tropical and subtropical regions, often leading to progressive granulomatous lesions with poor response to conventional therapies. Standard treatment includes surgical excision and immunotherapy, but recurrence is common, particularly in distal limb lesions. Maggot Debridement Therapy (MDT) with disinfected Lucilia cuprina larvae provides selective debridement, microbial control, and stimulation of granulation, representing a potential adjunctive option. This report describes the successful use of MDT combined wit...
Yu S, Yue X, Yang Q, Xu P, Yuan H, Tang W, Luan Y, Wang Q.Intestinal microbial homeostasis and metabolic balance play a crucial role in maintaining normal physiological function in horses. Exogenous stress involving abrupt turns and jumps during show jumping significantly impacts intestinal microbial homeostasis and metabolic balance in these animals. Results: By comparing rectal (faecal) samples from 10 Warmblood horses collected before and immediately after a show jumping competition on the same day, we observed substantial alterations in intestinal microbial homeostasis and metabolic balance post-exercise. Microbial evenness significantly increase...
Li M, Xu Z, Sun L, Cheng Z, Yu Y, Chen Y, Li F, Zang C.This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary NFC/NDF ratio on nutrient apparent digestibility, fecal fermentation parameters, microbial diversity, and plasma metabolomics in Yili horses. Twenty-four healthy Yili horses with similar body weights (406 ± 22.73 kg) were divided into four groups, each with six replicates: the Control Group (CG), Low-NFC Group (LG), Medium-NFC Group (MG), and High-NFC Group (HG). The experiment lasted 52 d, comprising a 7-day adaptation period and a 45-day experimental period. Total fecal collection was conducted from days 41 to 45 to calculate nutrient a...