McGorum BC, Davey T, Dosi MCM, Keen JA, Morrison LR, Pirie RS, Shaw DJ, Harris JB.Equine grass sickness (EGS) is a frequently fatal multisystem neuropathy of equids. The aetiology is unknown; proposed causes include toxicoinfection with Clostridium botulinum and a mycotoxicosis. The effect of EGS on the organisation and structural integrity of the skeletal neuromuscular junction (NMJ), the target of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs), is unknown. Objective: To compare the organisation and structural integrity of skeletal NMJs from EGS horses, control horses and one horse with a presumptive diagnosis of botulism. Methods: Blinded, retrospective case control. Methods: NMJs in samp...
Nooroozian A, Goodarzi N, Tafti RD.The present work was designed for a thorough investigation into the sperm morphology and morphometry of Kurdish stallions. The semen samples were collected from 10 Kurdish stallions. Three preparations from each ejaculate were stained with eosin-nigrosin (EN), Diff-Quik (DQ) and Rose Bengal (RB). The area, perimeter, length and width of the sperm head as well as tail length and total sperm length were measured. The parameters ellipticity, elongation, roughness and regularity were calculated. The morphology of sperm was also investigated under scanning and transmission electron microscopes. DQ ...
Robles M, Rousseau-Ralliard D, Dubois C, Josse T, Nouveau u00c9, Dahirel M, Wimel L, Couturier-Tarrade A, Chavatte-Palmer P.In horses, the prevalence of obesity is high and associated with serious metabolic pathologies. Being a broodmare has been identified as a risk factor for obesity. In other species, maternal obesity is known to affect the development of the offspring. This article is a follow-up study of previous work showing that Obese mares (O, n = 10, body condition score > 4.25 at insemination) were more insulin resistant and presented increased systemic inflammation during pregnancy compared to Normal mares (N, n = 14, body condition score < 4 at insemination). Foals born to O mares were more insuli...
Podico G, Canisso IF.This study aimed to compare the morphometry of horse and mule embryos. The study's hypothesis was that the micronuclei and nuclear fragmentation indexes are higher in mule embryos than in horse embryos. Twenty-two mares were randomly assigned in a crossover design to receive semen from a horse and a donkey; thirteen horse and thirteen mule embryos were obtained. Embryos were recovered eight days post-ovulation and classified according to the stage of development and quality with a score from 1 (excellent) to 4 (degenerate). Embryos were stained with Hoechst33342, and images were acquired with ...
Mellish MA, Lucas Z, Lancaster L, Stull JW, Floyd A.To visually evaluate and morphometrically describe a sample of abnormal hooves from Sable Island horses that died between 2007 and 2013. Equine. An opportunistic sample of 356 abnormal hooves from horses inhabiting Sable Island National Park Reserve (Canada) was collected postmortem between 2007 and 2013 from 101 Sable Island horses. These hooves were assessed for abnormalities in conformation through visual and morphometric evaluation. On visual and morphometric evaluation, 100% of horses (101/101) had abnormal hoof conformation when compared to a domestic horse hoof model. Specific abnormali...
Borges MA, Curcio BR, Gastal GDA, Gheno L, Junior ASV, Corcini CD, Nogueira CEW, Aguiar FLN, Gastal EL.The most adequate fixative solution for equine ovarian tissue is still to be determined as a tool to evaluate the improvement of methodological studies in assisted reproductive techniques and fertility preservation. This study aimed to evaluate a short-time ethanol 70% (ST-EtOH, 45 min) exposure as an alternative fixative compared with two classically fixatives [Carnoy's (CAR) solution and paraformaldehyde 4% (PFA)] at different fixation times (6 h, 12 h). The end points evaluated were morphology and classes of preantral follicles, follicular and stromal cell densities, and follicular and o...
Nagy S, Kovacs B, Johannisson A.The aim of the present study was to test a rapid, robust flow cytometric technique for the detection of sperm head abnormalities of domestic bulls and stallions. The so-called PulSA approach detects the pulse profiles of propidium-iodide labelled spermatozoa. In the first experiment, species-specific threshold values were established on sperm samples that were tested for sperm head abnormalities with a classic visual morphology analysis. In the second experiment, serial mixtures of bull and stallion spermatozoa mimicking different percentages of sperm head abnormalities were analysed. Non-metr...
Potter SJ, Erdody ML, Bamford NJ, Knowles EJ, Menzies-Gow N, Morrison PK, Argo CM, McIntosh BJ, Kaufman K, Harris PA, Bailey SR.There is a high prevalence of obesity in ponies and pleasure horses. This may be associated with equine metabolic syndrome and an increased risk of laminitis. Body condition scoring (BCS) systems are widely used but are subjective and not very sensitive. Objectives: To derive a body condition index (BCI), based on objective morphometric measurements, that correlates with % body fat.
May-Davis S, Dzingle D, Saber E, Blades Eckelbarger P.This study examined the anomalous variations of the ventral process of C6 in modern E. ferus caballus. The aim was to provide an incremental grading protocol measuring the absence of the caudal ventral tubercle (CVT) in this ventral process. The findings revealed the most prevalent absent CVT (aCVT) was left unilateral (n = 35), with bilateral (n = 29) and right unilateral (n = 12). Grading was determined in equal increments of absence 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, with 4/4 representing a complete aCVT in 56/76, with a significance of p = 0.0013. This also applied to bilateral specimens. In those C6 osseous ...
Bordin C, Raspa F, Harris P, Ellis AD, Roggero A, Palestrini C, Bergero D, Valle E.The application of hay feeding devices, such as the use of hay nets or slow feeders, can help with the management of weight in ponies; however, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding their effect on equine posture. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the effect of different feeding devices on the posture of ponies using morphometric analysis. Two different breed types, Shetland type (SH, n = 5) versus Welsh Cob type (WC, n = 4), were fed the same forage in four different ways: on the ground (G), using a fully filled haynet (HF), using a partially filled haynet (HL) and...
Gmel AI, Brem G, Neuditschko M.Conformation traits are important selection criteria in equine breeding, as they describe the exterior aspects of the horse (height, joint angles, shape). However, the genetic architecture of conformation is not well understood, as data of these traits mainly consist of subjective evaluation scores. Here, we performed genome-wide association studies on two-dimensional shape data of Lipizzan horses. Based on this data, we identified significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with cresty neck on equine chromosome (ECA)16 within the MAGI1 gene, and with type, hereby differentiating heav...
Schade J, de Souza AF, Vincensi LC, Mu00fcller TR, Fonteque JH.The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the sonographic characteristics of the digital flexor tendons and ligaments of the palmar/plantar of the metacarpal and metatarsal regions in gaited horses, as well as to establish normal reference ultrasound values for Mangalarga Marchador (MM) and Campeiro breeds. Transverse sonographic images were obtained of 50 adult and healthy horses from the MM ( = 25) and Campeiro ( = 25) breeds. The images were taken in six metacarpal/metatarsal zones, and the following measurements were taken: transverse area, circumference, dorsopalmar/plantar ...
Salamanca-Carreu00f1o A, Paru00e9s-Casanova PM, Crosby-Granados RA, Vu00e9lez-Terranova M, Bentez-Molano J.The skull is divided into neurocranium and splanchnocranium, and its variation allows ecomorphological studies to learn about possible evolutionary and adaptive characteristics. The basicranial organization of the neurocranium and splanchnocranium modules was studied in a sample of 31 skulls from adult Araucanian horses by means of 2D geometric morphometric techniques. The neurocranium and splanchnocranium modules on the ventral aspect were analyzed separately using a set of 31 landmarks. The RV coefficient (the multivariate analog of a correlation) was estimated to analyze the independence of...
Pompermayer E, Hoey S, Ryan J, David F, Johnson JP.The objective of this study was to compare the skull morphology of the Straight Egyptian Arabian (SEAR) to the Thoroughbred (TB), using computed tomography (CT) in the context of surgical procedures commonly performed on the equine head. Methods: Measurements relating to surgical considerations of the equine head were taken from 29 clinically normal adult horses (15 SEAR, 14 TB). Methods: A clinical prospective study. Standing skull CTs were performed. Fourteen gross and 10 CT measurements were taken. Results: Several variables showed a significant difference between groups, in all cases great...
Tinel JB, Veras MM, Waked D, Alonso MA, Fernandes CB.Mules are derived from crossing horse mares with a donkey, in which the interest is due to gentleness and ability to work and equestrian sports. As the placenta is responsible for fetal development and maturation, knowing its typical microstructure allows us to understand how fetomaternal interactions occur in this interspecific pregnancy. Thus, the study performed a comparative stereological evaluation of volumetric composition and fetomaternal contact surface in the uterine body (UB), gravid uterine horn (GUH), and nongravid uterine horn (NGUH) of Mangalarga Paulista mare's term allantochori...
Shaffer SK, Stover SM, Fyhrie DP.Focal bone lesions are often found prior to clinically relevant stress-fractures. Lesions are characterized by low bone volume fraction, low mineral density, and high levels of microdamage and are hypothesized to develop when bone tissue cannot sufficiently respond to damaging loading. It is difficult to determine how exercise drives the formation of these lesions because bone responds to mechanical loading and repairs damage. In this study, we derive steady-state rate constants for a compartment model of bone turnover using morphometric data from fractured and non-fractured racehorse proximal...
Sellke L, Patan-Zugaj B, Ludewig E, Cimrman R, Witter K.Different measuring techniques have been used to objectify the classification of hoof shape. The MicroScribe is a novel tool that might prove useful for measuring hooves without prior reconstruction or compensation of projection artefacts. The aim of this study was to compare biometric data of the equine hoof collected by the MicroScribe tool and measurements collected directly from hooves, scaled photographs and radiographs, from photogrammetry models and computed tomography datasets. The suitability of MicroScribe generated data to differentiate individual hoof conformations was tested. A to...
Belyaev RI, Kuznetsov AN, Prilepskaya NE.The vertebral column is a hallmark of vertebrates; it is the structural basis of their body and the locomotor apparatus in particular. Locomotion of any vertebrate animal in its typical habitat is directly associated with functional adaptations of its vertebrae. This study is the first large-scale analysis of mobility throughout the presacral region of the vertebral column covering a majority of extant odd-toed ungulates from 6 genera and 15 species. In this study, we used a previously developed osteometry-based method to calculate available range of motion. We quantified all three directions ...
Amer MM, Desouky AY, Helmy NM, Abdou AM, Sorour SS.Strongylid and non-strongylid nematodes are one of the most important parasites infecting equines. The traditional method to identify these nematodes is through coproscopy and fecal culture. Because of the scarcity of data published in Egypt discussing the morphometric features of infective 3 larvae of these nematodes, this study aims to provide a morphometric key for L3 of common strongylid and non-strongylid nematodes infecting Egyptian equines. For this reason, we cultured fecal samples containing GINs eggs and 3 larval stages were identified based on their morphology (i.e., shape and numbe...
Poradowski D, Chru00f3szcz A.Histological and morphometrical analysis of the stomach wall was performed during the foetal period divided into three age groups (4th-11th month of gestation). The material was taken from non-glandular (the blind ventricular sac) and glandular parts (the plicated edge margin/cardiac part, the body of stomach and the pyloric part) of the stomach. It was preserved and prepared according to the standard protocol. The histological slides were stained (H-E, Masson-Goldner and PAS). The analyses were performed using the light microscope. All measurements were statistically elaborated. The crown-rum...
Poradowski D, Chru00f3szcz A.Studies of equine stomach prenatal development are very rare, and descriptions usually focus on the processes taking place in the embryonic period. Only general information about gastric organogenesis in the fetal period is available in embryology textbooks on domestic mammals. The material for our study included twenty half-breed horse fetuses divided into three age groups on the basis of known fetal age (verified using the CRL method). Our study consists of the topographical, morphological, and morphometrical description of stomach development between the 4th and 11th months of gestation. Ev...
Colombino E, Raspa F, Perotti M, Bergero D, Vervuert I, Valle E, Capucchio MT.The conventional feeding management of horses is still characterized by high starch and low fibre diets, which can negatively affect horse's gastrointestinal health. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the effects of a high-starch (HS) vs. a high-fibre (HF) diet on gut health in horses. A total of 19 Bardigiano horses destined for slaughter and aged 14.3 ± 0.7 months were randomly allotted to two dietary groups: HS (5 fillies and 4 colts,) and HF group (7 fillies and 3 colts). They received the same first-cut meadow hay but different complementary feeds for 72 days: HS group was ...
Perdomo-Gonzu00e1lez DI, Garcu00eda de Paredes RLA, Valera M, Bartolomu00e9 E, Gu00f3mez MD.The studbook of Pura Raza Menorquina horses only permits the use of black-coated animals with a small quantity of white marks as breeding stock. Its breeding program uses linear morpho-functional traits as selection criteria. Our aim was to estimate the genetic parameters of linear morpho-functional traits, and reveal relationship of quality of black coat color (QB) and percentage of white marks (WM) with the other morphological and functional linear traits in this breed. A total of 46 linear traits were scored by four appraisers using seven classes, with a total of 772 records from 333 animal...
Gmel AI, Burren A, Neuditschko M.Conformation traits such as joint angles are important selection criteria in equine breeding, but mainly consist of subjective evaluation scores given by breeding judges, showing limited variation. The horse shape space model extracts shape data from 246 landmarks (LM) and objective joint angle measurements from triplets of LM on standardized horse photographs. The heritability was estimated for 10 joint angles (seven were measured twice with different LM placements), and relative warp components of the whole shape, in 608 Franches-Montagnes (FM) horses (480 stallions, 68 mares and 60 geldings...
Khan RZU, Rosanowski SM, Parkes RSV.Hoof morphometry, conformation and shoeing practices have all been associated with lameness in horses. Hoof morphometry in working donkeys in Pakistan has not been objectively measured. Objective: To quantitatively assess hoof morphology in donkeys, to identify factors underlying hoof morphology, and interrelationships between conformation, lameness, and shoeing status. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Donkeys were assessed in-harness using a modified five-point lameness scale by two veterinarians and digital photographs of front hooves taken alongside a grid. Factor analysis was used ...
Kutara K, Ono T, Hisaeda K, Inoue Y, Henmi C, Sho K, Ohnishi A, Ohzawa E, Une Y, Iwata E, Shibano K, Asanuma T, Kitagawa H.Noma horses have the smallest body size among native Japanese horses and are classified as pony breeds by their size. Additionally, the Japanese horse breeds are classified into a single lineage, which includes Mongolian horses. Great intraspecific differences reportedly exist in the head shapes of domesticated horses, which have been investigated in various horse breeds. The present study aimed to evaluate the size of the nasal conchal bullae, and the paranasal sinuses of Noma horses in relation to the skull dimensions using computed tomography. Reconstructed images of the heads of five adult...
Salamanca-Carreu00f1o A, Paru00e9s-Casanova PM, Rangel-Pachu00f3n DE, Bentez-Molano J, Vu00e9lez-Terranova OM.The aim of this research was to determine if the division between the cervical, dorsal, and croup profiles (three regions commonly assessed for descriptive profile purposes) has a modular basis as well as a morphological integration. For this, a total of 135 digital photographs were obtained, in a lateral view, of adult horses (14 females and 121 geldings; age range: 2-20 years), of the Araucanian breed, an equine population typical of the flooded savannah of Arauca, NE Colombia. From each image, 25 reference points (semi-landmarks) were obtained at the dorsal level of the neck, back, and crou...
Mu00f6ller R, Graglia F, Pizzigatti D, van Lier E.Horses went through functional differentiation during their evolutionary and reproductive development, however, some body parts continued to improve their specificity for speed. Regarding this, we evaluated by morphometric analysis the relationship between limb section (LS) differences in the appendicular structures of horses. Two hundred and seven (n = 207) adult horses of different breeds and sex were selected. The limb section was measured by identification of topographic palpable skeleton landmarks with a measurement tape (centimetres). Quantitative variables (limb section) were analysed...
Botha AE, Schulman ML, Birrell J, du Plessis L, Laver PN, Soley J, Colenbrander B, Bertschinger HJ.The effects of the GnRH vaccine Improvac on testicular and epididymal morphometrics, histology and spermatogenesis were measured in 19 young (15-20 months) colts randomly assigned to one control (saline, castration at 57 days, n = 6) or either of two GnRH vaccine-treatment groups, T-57 (castration at 57 days, n = 7) or T-100 (castration at 100 days, n = 6), respectively. All were immunized on Day 0 with a single booster on Day 28. Excised testes and epididymides were weighed and processed for histology to measure tubule, epithelial and muscle dimensions, the ratio of interstitial tis...
Anttila M, Raekallio M, Valros A.A bit that fits is essential for horse welfare and good communication with the ridden, driven or led horses. The bit causes pressure on the sensitive structures of the horse mouth. The aim of this study was to investigate variation in oral dimensions related to bit fit in adult horses and ponies and to evaluate bit fit by comparing oral dimensions with the currently used bit size selected by the horse owner. The study population consisted of 554 horses and ponies, 308 geldings and 246 mares, age 5-29 years, presented for routine dental care. Oral dimensions: mouth width, distance between upper...
Stone KC, Mercer RR, Gehr P, Stockstill B, Crapo JD.Allometric studies have shown that lung volume, alveolar surface area, and diffusing capacity increase proportionally with body weight across a broad range of mammalian species. Changes in the number of cells and in average cell size and surface areas with increasing body weight have not been defined. We speculated that cell size is determined more by cell function than by species and body weight. To test this hypothesis, nine species ranging in size from shrew (2 to 3 g) to horse (510 kg) were studied. Random sites from the distal alveolar region of each species were analyzed using morphometr...
Carroll CL, Huntington PJ.Three hundred and seventy two horses of varying breeds, height and fatness were weighed and measured for height at the withers. They were assessed for condition score by adaptation of a previously published method. The heart girth and length of 281 of the horses were also measured. Weight of horses was highly correlated (P less than 0.001) with height (r2 = 0.62), condition score (r2 = 0.22) and girth2 x length (r2 = 0.90). Nomograms were constructed to predict weight from height and condition score, and girth and length measurements. Weight can also be accurately estimated from the formula: (...
Carter RA, Geor RJ, Burton Staniar W, Cubitt TA, Harris PA.This study described a scoring system for the assessment of apparent neck adiposity and evaluated morphometric measurements for assessment of neck and overall adiposity. Twenty-one barren Thoroughbred mares, 13 Arabian geldings and 75 Welsh, Dartmoor, or crossbred pony mares, were clinically examined and blood samples analysed for insulin, glucose, leptin, and triglycerides. Bodyweight (BW), height, length, girth and abdominal circumferences, neck length, neck crest height and neck circumference were measured, and body condition scores (BCS) and cresty neck scores (CNS) were rated. Girth:heigh...
Payne RC, Hutchinson JR, Robilliard JJ, Smith NC, Wilson AM.We provide quantitative anatomical data on the muscle-tendon units of the equine pelvic limb. Specifically, we recorded muscle mass, fascicle length, pennation angle, tendon mass and tendon rest length. Physiological cross sectional area was then determined and maximum isometric force estimated. There was proximal-to-distal reduction in muscle volume and fascicle length. Proximal limb tendons were few and, where present, were relatively short. By contrast, distal limb tendons were numerous and long in comparison to mean muscle fascicle length, increasing potential for elastic energy storage. W...
McMahon TA.Many parameters of gait and performance, including stride frequency, stride length, maximum speed, and rate of O2 uptake are experimentally found to be power-law functions of body weight in running quadrupeds. All of these parameters are reasonably easy to measure except maximum speed, where the question arises whether one means top sprinting speed or top speed for sustained running. Moreover, differences in training and motivation make comparisons of top speed difficult. The problem is circumvented by comparing animals running at the transition between trotting and galloping, a physiologicall...
Biewener AA.Measurements of the cross-sectional geometry and length of bones from animals of different sizes suggest that peak locomotory stresses might be as much as nine times greater in the limb bones of a 300 kg horse than those of a 0.10 kg chipmunk. To determine if the bones of larger animals are stronger than those of small animals, the bending strength of whole bone specimens from the limbs of small mammals and bipedal birds was measured and compared with published data for large mammalian cortical bone (horses and bovids). No significant difference (P greater than 0.2) was found in the failure st...
Thatcher CD, Pleasant RS, Geor RJ, Elvinger F.The prevalence of obesity in horses in the eastern United States is not well documented. Objective: To determine body condition and risk factors for obesity in horses in Southwest Virginia during summer. Methods: A sample of 300 mature (4-20 years old), light breed horses (140 mares, 151 geldings, and 9 stallions) from the VMRCVM Equine Field Service practice equine database. The horses were from 114 farms and 138 owners. Methods: Horses were evaluated over a 60-day period in this cross-sectional, prospective study. A questionnaire was completed for each horse. Body condition score (BCS) was a...
Leclere M, Lavoie-Lamoureux A, Gu00e9linas-Lymburner E, David F, Martin JG, Lavoie JP.Recent studies suggest that airway smooth muscle remodeling is an early event in asthma, but whether it remains a dynamic process late in the course of the disease is unknown. Moreover, little is known about the effects of an antigenic exposure on chronically established smooth muscle remodeling. We measured the effects of antigenic exposure on airway smooth muscle in the central and peripheral airways of horses with heaves, a naturally occurring airway disease that shares similarities with chronic asthma. Heaves-affected horses (n = 6) and age-matched control horses (n = 5) were kept on pastu...
Hayes S, Boote C, Lewis J, Sheppard J, Abahussin M, Quantock AJ, Purslow C, Votruba M, Meek KM.This study is a comparative study of the relationship between corneal structure, morphology, and function in a range of mammalian species. X-ray scattering patterns were gathered at regular spatial intervals over the excised cornea (and in most cases also the scleral rim) of humans, marmosets, horses, cows, pigs, rabbits, and mice. All patterns were analyzed to produce quantitative information regarding the predominant orientation of fibrillar collagen throughout the tissue. The predominant direction of corneal collagen varies between mammals. This variation is not related to the size, shape, ...
Payne RC, Veenman P, Wilson AM.Muscles have two major roles in locomotion: to generate force and to absorb/generate power (do work). Economical force generation is achieved by short-fibred pennate muscle while the maximum power output of a muscle is architecture independent. In this study we tested the hypothesis that there is an anatomical and structural separation between the force-generating anti-gravity muscles and the propulsive (limb/trunk moving) muscles of the equine forelimb. Muscle mass and fascicle length measurements were made on the thoracic limb extrinsic muscles of six fresh horse cadavers. Physiological cros...
Russell LD, Ren HP, Sinha Hikim I, Schulze W, Sinha Hikim AP.Morphometric studies were performed on 12 mammalian species (degu, dog, guinea pig, hamster, human, monkey, mouse, opossum, rabbit, rat, stallion, and woodchuck) to determine volume density percentage (Vv%), volume (V), and numerical density (Nv) of seminiferous tubule components, especially those related to the Sertoli cell, and to make species comparisons. For most species, measurements were taken both from stages where elongate spermatids were deeply embedded within the Sertoli cell and from stages near sperm release where elongate spermatids were in shallow crypts within the Sertoli cell. ...
Jensen RB, Danielsen SH, Tauson AH.Obesity is related to the development of several diseases like insulin resistance and laminitis in horses. The prevalence of obesity among mature Icelandic horses in Denmark has not been investigated previously. This study aimed to find the prevalence of obesity, to compare body condition score (BCS) based on owner perception with that of an experienced person and to correlate the BCS to body weight (BW) and morphometric measures in a group of mature Icelandic horses in Denmark. A total of 254 Icelandic horses (≥4 years; 140 geldings, 105 mares, 9 stallions) from 46 different farms were inc...
Dugdale AH, Curtis GC, Harris PA, Argo CM.Evaluation of equine body fat content is important for nutritional and clinical purposes. However, our understanding of total body fat and its regional distribution in the body is sparse. Currently, body fat evaluation relies on the subjective assessment of body condition score (BCS), which has never been validated against 'gold standard' chemical analysis or dissection measurements in ponies. Objective: To define the relationships between subjective (BCS), objective (morphometric) indices of body fat and 'gold standard' measurements of actual body composition. Objective: BCS and morphometry o...
Skedros JG, Mason MW, Nelson MC, Bloebaum RD.Functionally induced strains provide epigenetic signaling for bone modeling and remodeling activities. Strain gauge documentation of the equine third metacarpal reveals a neutral axis passing through the craniolateral cortex, resulting in a narrow band of cortex loaded predominantly in tension, with the remainder of the cortex experiencing a wide range of compression strain magnitudes that are maximal in the caudomedial cortex. This predictable strain pattern provides a model for examining the hypothesis that strain mode, magnitude, and strain energy density are potential correlates of compact...
Kaiser TM, Fortelius M.A new approach of reconstructing ungulate diet, the mesowear method, was recently introduced by Fortelius and Solounias ([2000] Am Mus Novitat 3301:1-36). Mesowear is based on facet development on the occlusal surfaces of the teeth. Restricting mesowear investigation to maxillary cheek teeth would allow mesowear investigation only in assemblages of large numbers of individuals and therefore would generally restrict this method to relatively few assemblages of recent and fossil ungulates. Most of the fossil, subfossil, and recent ungulate osteological assemblages that may be assigned to a singl...
Witte H, Biltzinger J, Hackert R, Schilling N, Schmidt M, Reich C, Fischer MS.In three species of small therian mammals (Scandentia: Tupaia glis, Rodentia: Galea musteloides and Lagomorpha: Ochotona rufescens) the net joint forces and torques acting during stance phase in the four kinematically relevant joints of the forelimbs (scapular pivot, shoulder joint, elbow joint, wrist joint) and the hindlimbs (hip joint, knee joint, ankle joint, intratarsal joint) were determined by inverse dynamic analysis. Kinematics were measured by cineradiography (150 frames s(-1)). Synchronously ground reaction forces were acquired by forceplates. Morphometry of the extremities was perfo...
Townsend HG, Leach DH.The anatomical features of 21 equine thoracolumbar spines, obtained from horses with clinically normal backs, were examined and the results compared with recent data on the mobility of the joint complexes of the horse's spine. The thoracolumbar spine can be divided into four regions based upon the morphology of the joint complexes: the first thoracic intervertebral joint (T1-2), the cranial and mid thoracic region (T2-T16), the caudal thoracic and lumbar region (T16-L6) and the lumbosacral joint. The mobility of the intervertebral joints in each of these regions can be related to their morphol...
Rivero JL, Talmadge RJ, Edgerton VR.The histochemical myofibrillar ATPase (mATPase) method is used routinely for identification of equine skeletal muscle fiber types, but important problems have been observed with the subdivision of fast fiber population when using this method. To verify the use of this qualitative method, a number of equine muscle biopsies were analyzed with a combination of histochemical, immunohistochemical, electrophoretic, and morphometric techniques. The influence of training on these interrelations was also evaluated. Methods: Five young (2-3 years old) thoroughbred horses were intensively trained for 8 m...
Kayar SR, Hoppeler H, Mermod L, Weibel ER.Individual mitochondria were reconstructed from ultrathin serial sections of selected muscle fibers in the M. semitendinosus of a horse, over a length of nearly two sarcomeres. Mitochondria were found to be highly variable, with size and complexity of single mitochondria increasing with the fractional part of a fiber occupied by mitochondria. In fibers with a mitochondrial volume density of less than 4%, corresponding to the mitochondrial content of fast-twitch glycolytic fibers, mitochondria were generally rather simple cylindrical shapes, oriented parallel to the myofibrils. In fibers with a...
Ravara B, Gobbo V, Carraro U, Gelbmann L, Pribyl J, Schils S.Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) has been used extensively over several decades to reverse muscle atrophy during rehabilitation for spinal cord injury patients. The benefits of the technology are being expanded into other areas, and FES has been recently utilized for injury rehabilitation and performance enhancement in horses. Six retired horses (age from 10 to 17 yrs) that had been previously used mainly for dressage riding were selected for this study. Clinical evaluation found epaxial muscle spasms in all horses with minimal to no pelvic extension when manually palpated. FES treatmen...
Olivares R, Michalland S, Aboitiz F.A cross-species morphometric study of the corpus callosum was performed in the rat, rabbit, cat, dog, horse, cow and human. Across species, the results indicate a strong, although less than linear, dependency of callosal size on brain weight. This relation tends to lose significance within species. This is consistent with other morphometric studies indicating a tendency to decrease the correlations between morphometric variables in within-species analyses as compared to between-species analyses. There are species differences in the relative size of some callosal segments particularly in the po...
Norrdin RW, Kawcak CE, Capwell BA, McIlwraith CW.The calcified layer of articular cartilage is known to be affected by age and mechanical factors that may play a role in the development of arthrosis. Because these factors are also related to subchondral remodeling and sclerosis, a morphometric study was carried out in fluorochrome-labeled animals to determine whether the level of subchondral remodeling affected the thickness of the calcified cartilage layer and its irregularity and vascularity at the interface with subchondral bone. These parameters were also studied at a site of increased mechanical stress. The area and thickness of the cal...
Payne RC, Veenman P, Wilson AM.Muscles have two major roles in locomotion: to generate force and to absorb/generate power (do work). Economical force generation is achieved by short-fibred pennate muscle while the maximum power output of a muscle is architecture independent. In this study we tested the hypothesis that there is an anatomical and structural separation between the force-generating anti-gravity muscles and the propulsive (limb/trunk moving) muscles of the equine forelimb. Muscle mass and fascicle length measurements were made on the thoracic limb extrinsic muscles of six fresh horse cadavers. Physiological cros...
Patterson-Kane JC, Parry DA, Birch HL, Goodship AE, Firth EC.The superficial digital flexor tendon is the most commonly injured tendon in the racing Thoroughbred. Despite the clinical significance of this structure, only limited data exist regarding normal age-related morphology of the tensile units, the collagen fibrils. The age at which these collagen fibrils become mature in composition and structure may be of importance. Consequently, the association of age and collagen fibril crosslink composition, diameter distribution and crimp morphology in the superficial and deep digital flexor tendons of Thoroughbreds up to and including three years of age ha...
Miller MA, Pardo ID, Jackson LP, Moore GE, Sojka JE.Functional evaluation of the pars intermedia (PI) is required for the early diagnosis of equine pituitary PI dysfunction (PPID), yet most assays target the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which regulates the pars anterior. In contrast, the PI is regulated by dopaminergic tone from hypothalamic neurons. Loss of dopaminergic inhibition is hypothesized to cause the PI hypertrophy and hyperplasia that result in the clinical manifestations of PPID. Domperidone, a dopamine receptor antagonist, should exacerbate the loss of dopaminergic inhibition in horses with PPID and increase the release of ...
Curik I, Zechner P, Su00f6lkner J, Achmann R, Bodo I, Dovc P, Kavar T, Marti E, Brem G.While the negative effects of inbreeding and reduced heterozygosity on fecundity and survival are well established, only a few investigations have been carried out concerning their influence on morphological traits. This topic is of particular interest for a small and closed population such as the Lipizzan horse. Thus, 27 morphological traits were measured in 360 Lipizzan mares and were regressed on the individual inbreeding coefficients, as well as on the individual heterozygosity and mean squared distances (mean d(2)) between microsatellite alleles within an individual. Both individual heter...
Su00e9nu00e8que E, Lesimple C, Morisset S, Hausberger M.Despite the fact that animal posture is known to reflect emotional state, the presence of chronic postures associated with poor welfare has not been investigated with an objective tool for measuring, quantifying and comparing postures. The use of morphometric geometrics (GM) to describe horse posture (profile of the dorsum) has shown to be an effective method of distinguishing populations that are known to differ in terms of welfare states. Here we investigated photographs of 85 riding school horses differing in terms of welfare state, in order to determine if a specific posture (modelled by G...
Pearson RA, Ouassat M.The age, sex, liveweight and body measurements (heart girth, umbilical girth, height, length from elbow to tuber ischii and circumference of the foreleg cannon bone) of 516 donkeys used to transport goods in Morocco were recorded. There were few donkeys over 12 years of age. For adult donkeys weighing from 74 to 252 kg, the best equation with only one variable for predicting liveweight was: liveweight (kg) = heart girth (cm)2.65/2188. The inclusion of two variables improved the prediction marginally, but the addition of further variables gave little further improvement. The best prediction equ...
Watson JC, Wilson AM.Three muscles from the proximal equine forelimb were dissected in order to investigate their potential to contribute to proximal limb mechanics. Muscle mass, fibre length, tendon mass and tendon length were measured from biceps brachii, triceps brachii, supraspinatus and lacertus fibrosus (biceps lateral head mass 171-343.4 g and fibre length 0.5-0.8 cm; biceps medial head mass 283-500 g and fibre length 2.2-4 cm; biceps tendon mass 121.8-260 g and tendon length 35-44 cm; triceps long head mass 3200-6663 g and fibre length 19-26.3 cm; triceps lateral head mass 513.8-1240 g and fibre length 17....
Muir P, Peterson AL, Sample SJ, Scollay MC, Markel MD, Kalscheur VL.Repetitive bone injury and development of stress fracture is a common problem in humans and animals. The Thoroughbred racehorse is a model in which adaptive failure and associated development of stress fracture is common. We performed a histologic study of the distal end of the third metacarpal bone in two groups of horses: young Thoroughbreds that were actively racing (n = 10) and a group of non-athletic horses (n = 8). The purpose of this study was to determine whether development of articular microcracks was associated with specific alterations to subchondral plate osteocytes. Morphometric ...
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