Morphometry in horses refers to the quantitative analysis of the form, structure, and size of horses. This scientific discipline involves measuring various physical dimensions and proportions of horses to assess their conformation, growth patterns, and breed characteristics. Common morphometric parameters include body length, height at the withers, girth circumference, and limb proportions. These measurements can provide insights into the suitability of horses for specific disciplines, their health status, and genetic traits. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, applications, and implications of morphometric analysis in equine science.
Roth IT, Schielke B, Rensing M, Bernau M.To investigate differences in American Quarter Horses conformation suggesting specialization and subpopulations within the breed, a total of 45 horses were studied. These horses were classified according to their specific sport discipline: Western Pleasure (WPL, n = 15), Hunter under Saddle (HUS, n = 15), and Reining (RN, n = 15). Fifteen linear traits (comprising lengths, angles, and circumferences) were measured analogically and photometrically. Afterwards, 9 ratios and differences were calculated, so that a total of 24 traits were examined. The results showed significant differences between...
Hanot P, Bayarsaikhan J, Guintard C, Haruda A, Mijiddorj E, Schafberg R, Taylor W.The potential of artificial selection to dramatically impact phenotypic diversity is well known. Large-scale morphological changes in domestic species, emerging over short timescales, offer an accelerated perspective on evolutionary processes. The domestic horse (Equus caballus) provides a striking example of rapid evolution, with major changes in morphology and size likely stemming from artificial selection. However, the microevolutionary mechanisms allowing to generate this variation in a short time interval remain little known. Here, we use 3D geometric morphometrics to quantify skull morph...
Goodarzi N, Zehtabvar O, Tohidifar M.This study was conducted to present a comprehensive and integrative computed tomography (CT) - anatomical cross sections atlas of skull, volumetric properties of the paranasal sinuses, and morphometric values for surface cranial nerves in the adult Arabian horse. Ten heads of Arabian horse breed were used. The different structures in the nasal, oral and cranial cavities were determined and labelled in the anatomical sections and their corresponding CT scan images. Three paranasal sinuses namely maxillary, conchofrontal and sphenopalatine sinuses were identified in the CT scan images. The cauda...
Bernor RL, Cirilli O, Bukhsianidze M, Lordkipanidze D, Rook L.The Equus datum has been established as a geochronologic 'instantaneous' migratory event of a North American Equus species into Eurasia at the beginning of the Pleistocene (2.58 Ma). A remarkable radiation of Equus followed across Eurasia and Africa. Dmanisi includes excellent remains of Equus, well calibrated between 1.85 and 1.76 Ma. Our morphologic and morphometric analyses of the augmented Dmanisi Equus sample support the co-occurrence of Equus stenonis and Equus altidens in the sequence. Dmanisi E. stenonis is found to be morphologically similar to the European E. stenonis populations a...
Ragno VM, Klein CD, Sereda NS, Uehlinger FD, Zello GA, Robinson KA, Montgomery JB.In human metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes, methylglyoxal (MG), D-lactate, and several cytokines have been recognized as biomarkers of important metabolic and inflammatory processes. Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) shares many similarities with these human counterparts. The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to compare body condition score (BCS), cresty neck score (CNS), resting insulin, MG, D-lactate, L-lactate, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) between horses with and without insulin dysregulation, as clas...
Gómez-Torres F, Ruíz-Sauri A.The His bundle is a part of the specialized electrical conduction system that provides a connection between the atrial and ventricular myocardial compartments in both normal and abnormal hearts. The aim of this study was to perform a morphometric analysis of His bundle characteristics of in humans, dogs, horses and pigs and compare them in these studied species. Histological sections of 5 μm thickness were obtained and stained with hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's trichrome; the desmin and periodic acid-Schiff methods were also used for precise identification of cells. The His bundle was found...
Camargo Ferreira J, Silva Amaral R, Mara Cardoso L, Panelli Marchió S, Aldrovani Rodrigues M, Fonseca Alves CE, de Meira C.Ozone (O ) therapy has been used to improve peripheral tissue oxygenation in humans and domestic animals. The goal of the present study was to characterize histological changes in the endometria of healthy equines following tissue exposure to gas mixtures enriched with different concentrations of O . Cycling mares without endometrial degeneration were divided into three groups according to treatment (n = 9 mares/group). The uteri from the O , ½O and control groups were insufflated for 3 min with gas containing 42, 21 and 0 μg O ml , respectively. Treatments were performed every three da...
Heun F, Böing L, Theunert J, Gasse H.This basically anatomical study focuses on two items; firstly, the establishment of a system for the cartographic subdivision of the neopallium; secondly, the topographical correlation of extracranial landmarks and intracranial sites on the neopallium. Methods: The surface of the neopallium was subdivided into 15 sectors with reference to a newly introduced pattern of Primary Sulci. The topographical link between extracranial landmarks and certain intracranial sites (i.e. neopallium sectors) was elaborated by using a simple stereotactic device and a computer-assisted measurement device. Measur...
Zhang Z, Zhan Y, Han Y, Liu Z, Wang Y, Wang C.Dezhou donkey is an excellent local hide, meat and milk breed in Shandong Province. To accelerate the speed of breeding, reproduction and conversation, correlation and multiple regression analysis between body weight (BW) and body size of Dezhou donkey rearing under intensive farms was made by SAS 9.4 software (Statistical Analysis for Windows). A total of 162 donkeys of both gender of age 2 ~ 10 years old were used to investigate the relationships between BW and body dimensional traits (cm) including height of withers, body length; thoracic depth, thoracic girth (TG), thoracic width (TW), cir...
Dietrich J, Handschuh S, Steidl R, Böhler A, Forstenpointner G, Egerbacher M, Peham C, Schöpper H.As the longissimus dorsi muscle is the largest muscle in the equine back, it has great influence on the stability of the spine and facilitates proper locomotion. The longissimus muscle provides support to the saddle and rider and thereby influences performance in the horse. Muscular dysfunction has been associated with back disorders and decline of performance. In general, muscle function is determined by its specific intramuscular architecture. However, only limited three-dimensional metrical data are available for the inner organisation of the equine longissimus dorsi muscle. Therefore, we a...
De Silva M, Tagliavia C, Galiazzo G, Gifuni G, Caiazza M, Chiocchetti R, Grandis A.The morphometric studies of the atrioventricular valves are still limited in the horse. Objective: To investigate the anatomy of the atrioventricular valves in the horse, focusing on the morphometric features of the valvular leaflets and the tendinous cords. We hypothesised that accessory leaflets occur commonly and exist as independent structures in the atrioventricular valves of the horse. Methods: Descriptive anatomical study. Methods: Twenty normal hearts from slaughtered half-bred horses were used. The cardiac weight and circumference were recorded. The atrioventricular valves were expose...
Longland AC, Barfoot C, Harris PA.Obesity can negatively impact upon equine welfare and bodyweight (BW) of pastured equines is often difficult to manage. Objective: To compare the effects of three restricted grazing regimens on changes in pony BW and morphometric measurements. Methods: Randomised study. Methods: Twelve mature ponies were individually grazed in 10m wide, rectangular, electric fenced paddocks. The dry matter (DM) herbage yield of each paddock was determined, and paddock length adjusted on Day 1 to provide 1.5% of individual pony BW as herbage DM daily, for 28 days. There were four ponies per treatment. Treatmen...
Junqueira GSB, Diaz IDPS, da Cruz VAR, de Araújo Oliveira CA, de Godoi FN, de Camargo GMF, Costa RB.The aim of this study was to verify the effect of the inclusion of coat color on the genetic parameter estimation for linear measurements in Campolina horses. Two models (1 and 2) were applied. For model 1, coat color effect was not included as variable of the contemporary group formation; in model 2, it was included. Model 2 presented the best fitting with a Deviance Information Criterion (DIC) of -979,459.020 compared with -1,818,458.572 DIC from model 1. The average of heritability estimates ranged from low to high magnitude (0.15 to 0.53) for model 1 and from moderate to high magnitude for...
Silva DEC, Penitente-Filho JM, Souza Netto DL, Waddington B, de Oliveira RR, Guimarães JD.This study aimed to describe the testicular growth curve in Mangalarga Marchador stallions fitting nonlinear models to data of total scrotal width (TSW) and testicular volume (TV). A cross-sectional study was conducted with 120 stallions, aging from 1.75 to 21.93 years. The parameters of nonlinear models (Brody, Gompertz, Hill, Logistic I and II, Meloun I and II, Michaelis-Menten, Mitscherlich, and von-Bertalanffy) were estimated by Gauss-Newton iterative process. Goodness of fit was evaluated by the corrected Akaike (AICc) and Bayesian (BIC) information criteria, adjusted R, error sum of squa...
Freitag GP, de Lima LGF, Jacomini JA, Kozicki LE, Ribeiro LB.This study proposes a standardized image analysis method for assessing horse conformation. A total of 34 adult American Quarter Horses (mean age = 6.7 ± 2.9 years, body weight = 489 ± 44 kg) were used. Reference angular measurements were performed using a digital goniometer, and reference linear measurements were determined using a standard measuring tape. For image analysis, photographs from the animal's left profile were taken at a distance of 3 m using eight markers to facilitate visualization. Images were processed using ImageJ software. Reference and estimated values showed great ac...
D'Anza E, Albarella S, Galdiero G, Tafuri S, Del Prete C, Cocchia N, Ciani F, Mastellone V, Pasolini MP, Carotenuto D, Selvaggi M, Ciotola F....The reproductive performances of livestock play an essential role in the economic management of the farm. The improvement of semen quantity and quality through the use of food supplements that lack substances which are forbidden in animal feeding, or that may have detrimental effects, is an important goal. Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a plant that has been used for centuries in the Andes for nutrition and fertility enhancement in humans and animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of food supplementation of stallions with maca during the breeding season on spermatozoa parameter...
Köhler L, Schulz-Kornas E, Vervuert I, Gittel C, Winter K, Berner D, Gerlach K.Despite clinical importance and frequent occurrence of sinus disease, little is known about the size of paranasal sinuses and their communication in ponies and small horses. To examine the shape and volume of the paranasal sinuses and evaluate the sinonasal communication, three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions of computed tomography (CT) datasets of 12 healthy adult Shetland ponies were performed and analysed. Linear measurements of head length and width were taken. Using semi-automatic segmentation, 3D-models of all sinus compartments were created. Volumetric measurement of the seven sinus co...
MacLaren JA.Locomotion in terrestrial tetrapods is reliant on interactions between distal limb bones (e.g. metapodials and phalanges). The metapodial-phalangeal joint in horse (Equidae) limbs is highly specialized, facilitating vital functions (shock absorption; elastic recoil). While joint shape has changed throughout horse evolution, potential drivers of these modifications have not been quantitatively assessed. Here, I examine the morphology of the forelimb metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint of horses and their extinct kin (palaeotheres) using geometric morphometrics and disparity analyses, within a phylo...
Góss GC, Mozzaquatro FD, Vanhove R, Camargo LP, Döwich Pradella G, Leite CT, Gomes EM, Carneiro ALM, Heckler GF, Duarte CA.The physiological measurements of collateral ligaments of distal interphalangeal joint (CL-DIPJ) differ in the literature. The factors that influence these differences are not well described. The aims of this study are to compare CL-DIPJ sizes in equines with different withers height, as well as to correlate body weight and hoof size to the size of these ligaments. In total, 52 horses were used in the study. They were divided into two groups according to wither height: Group 1 (G1) - 21 animals with up to 147 cm - and group 2 (G2) - 21 animals with greater than 148 cm. CL-DIPJ was ultrasonog...
Gerlach K, Vervuert I, Gittel C, Köhler L, Schmidt N, Winter K, Berner D, Troillet A, Schulz-Kornas E.Equine paranasal sinuses are susceptible to inflammation. Insufficient drainage through the nasal passages and meatus may lead to the accumulation of inspissated purulent discharge. Particularly in ponies, these anatomical structures are suspected to be relatively small. To date, there are no reports considering the morphology of nasal conchal bullae in small horse breeds such as Shetland ponies. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the size of the conchal bullae and the medial nasal conchae of Shetland ponies and their relation to the skull dimension using computed tomography. Reco...
Solar Diaz IDP, Strauss Borges Junqueira G, Aparecida Rocha Cruz V, Albano Araújo de Oliveira C, Nunes de Oliveira H, Miguel Ferreira de Camargo G....Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to evaluate the genetic variability and relationship between 15 morphometric traits in 91,483 Campolina horses, as well as to propose an index based on an aggregate genotype that promotes a particular selection objective. PCA was applied to the genetic (co)variance matrix among variables. After calculation of the principal components, the breeding values were estimated to obtain an index related to the component that explained most of the variation. The first principal component (PC1) accounted for 97.8% of the total additive genetic variance of t...
Ceriotti S, Bullone M, Leclere M, Ferrucci F, Lavoie JP.Pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale are complications of severe equine asthma, as a consequence of pulmonary hypoxic vasoconstriction. However, as pulmonary hypertension is only partially reversible by oxygen administration, other etiological factors are likely involved. In human chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary artery remodeling contributes to the development of pulmonary hypertension. In rodent models, pulmonary vascular remodeling is present as a consequence of allergic airway inflammation. The present study investigated the presence of remodeling of the pulmonary arter...
The most common musculoskeletal conditions reported in donkeys are related to the foot. Radiographic examinations are clinically important in the diagnosis of foot abnormalities and are commonly used. However, few studies have been conducted to establish the normal radiographic appearance of a donkey's foot. To determine the radiographic features of the front digit in healthy Amiata donkeys. Radiographic examinations were performed on 56 forefeet of 28 Amiata donkeys. Three radiographic views of each front foot were taken: lateromedial, dorsopalmar and dorso-65°proximal/palmarodistal oblique....
Müller V, Moraes BDSS, Carvalho IR, Wendt CG, Patten RD, Nogueira CEW.The aim of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters for the morphometric measurements of withers height (WH), thoracic circumference (TC) and cannon bone circumference (CBC) of Criollo horses, stratified for maternal and paternal effects. Statistical genetic design of factor crossings was used to evaluate the offspring of full siblings and half-siblings. Fifty stallions were selected (n = 50) who had been crossed with six mares each (n = 6), to provide 300 parental pairings in which two offspring were born per mare (n = 600). WH in females and TC in males were highly influenced ...
Gómez-Torres F, Ballesteros-Acuña L, Ruíz-Sauri A.Atrioventricular node is responsible for delaying the passage of the electrical impulse to ventricles in order to protect them from fast depolarizations coming from the atria. The importance of this study is to identify the morphological variations of the components of atrioventricular zone that affect the conduction system and its clinical relationship in different species of mammals. We analyzed ten human hearts, nine from horses, eight from pigs, and five from dogs without a clinical history of cardiac pathologies. Histological section thickness of 5 μm were obtained with a microtome and ...
Novello G, Segabinazzi LGTM, Lisboa FP, Canuto LE, Freitas-Dell'Aqua CP, Dell'Aqua JA, Canisso IF.This study compared the postthaw semen parameters of stallions with high and low body condition score (BCS) and evaluated associations between body morphometric parameters and postthaw semen parameters. Twenty stallions were split into Low BCS (BCS<7, n = 11) and High BCS (BCS ≥7, n = 9) groups, and underwent a complete morphometric analysis (e.g., neck scores and circumference, crest neck height, body weight, and height), and subcutaneous body fat thickness (SFT) at the tail head, withers, shoulders, and retroperitoneal space. A fasted oral sugar test (OST) was conducted on all stallio...
Olusa TAO, Akbar Z, Murray CM, Davies HMS.Despite many reported cases of carpal lameness associated with intercarpal ligament injuries in horses, the morphometry, movement pattern and general intrinsic biomechanics of the carpus are largely unknown. Using osteoligamentous preparation of the carpus prepared from 14 equine cadaver forelimbs (aged 9.62 ± 4.25 years), locomotory simulations of flexion and extension movements of the carpal joint were carried out to observed carpal biomechanics and, thereafter, the limbs were further dissected to obtain morphometric measurements of the medial and lateral collateral ligaments (MLC and LC...
Goldstein DM, Engiles JB, Rezabek GB, Ruff CB.The elongated, distally tapered limbs of horses are adapted for high-speed locomotion. Because these traits are artificially selected for in modern racehorses, they operate at a morphological extreme with a high risk of fracture. Racehorses are subject to different training and racing regimes depending on their breed and gait, and are therefore an interesting model to examine bone functional adaptation under variable biomechanically intense conditions. This study compares bone structural properties in the third metacarpal (MCIII) of Thoroughbred (n = 9) and Quarter Horse (n = 11) racehorses, u...
Camacho Benítez A, Vasconcellos R, Lombide P, Viotti H, Pérez W, Cazales N, Cavestany D, Martin GB, Pedrana G.Heat shock proteins play a crucial role in cellular development, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) has been localised in the human endometrium, where its immunoexpression changes during the menstrual cycle. Similar studies have not been done for the equid species, so the present study aimed to describe endometrial HSP90 immunoexpression in mare endometrium. Endometrial biopsies were formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded, and sections were stained with haematoxylin-eosin in preparation for HSP90 immunohistochemistry. Immunostaining and morphometric analy...
Kau S, Failing K, Staszyk C.The angle encompassed between opposing incisors in horses is assumed to decline with age. Previous studies merely consider the overall profile view of clinical crowns presuming a generalized angle, neglecting potential tooth position-dependent differences. Cephalometric measurements from 3D computed tomographic thick-slab reconstructions of single incisors within a global reference frame were used to determine clinical crown interincisal angulation (IIA) of 48 horses. Based on predefined dentoalveolar landmarks, IIA was defined as the angle enclosed by the respective labial axis of the clinica...
Martin RB, Stover SM, Gibson VA, Gibeling JC, Griffin LV.We studied remodeling and microcrack damage in specimens of Thoroughbred racehorse third metacarpal bone that had been subjected to monotonic or fatigue failure. We asked three questions. What effects does mechanical loading have on histologically observable microcrack damage? Are there regional variations in remodeling of the equine cannon bone, and do these variations correlate with mechanical properties? To what extent are remodeling and microcrack damage age-dependent? Machined beams from the medial, lateral, and dorsal cortices were loaded to fracture in four-point bending monotonically, ...
Gehr P, Erni H.The lungs of two half-bred geldings were fixed in situ by instillation of a glutaraldehyde solution into the airways during deep anaesthesia. The body weight of both animals was 510 kg and their average lung volume about 38 l. Stratified random samples from 22 regions were morphometrically analysed from electron microscopic films. Eighty-six per cent of the total lung volume was gas exchange parenchyma. It contained 26.9 l air space and 5.6 l interalveolar septa which were composed of equal parts of capillaries and tissue. The average alveolar and capillary surface areas were 2457 m2 and 1663 ...
Aleman M, Watson JL, Williams DC, LeCouteur RA, Nieto JE, Shelton GD.Fifteen horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction were studied. The horses were of various breeds and between 15 and 28 years of age. Control horses matched for breed and age were studied for comparison. Evaluations included complete blood cell count and serum biochemical analysis, electromyography, and gluteus medius muscle biopsies for histochemical, morphometric, and ultrastructural analysis. No differences were found between groups of horses on routine laboratory analysis or electromyography. We demonstrated that muscle wasting in diseased horses was the result of atrophy of types ...
Derksen FJ, Williams KJ, Pannirselvam RR, de Feijter-Rupp H, Steel CM, Robinson NE.Regional veno-occlusive remodelling of pulmonary veins in EIPH-affected horses, suggests that pulmonary veins may be central to pathogenesis. The current study quantified site-specific changes in vein walls, collagen and haemosiderin accumulation, and pleural vascular profiles in the lungs of horses suffering EIPH. Objective: In the caudodorsal lung regions of EIPH-affected horses, there is veno-occlusive remodelling with haemosiderosis, angiogenesis and fibrosis of the interstitium, interlobular septa and pleura. Methods: Morphometric methods were used to analyse the distribution and accumula...
Gravance CG, Champion Z, Liu IK, Casey PJ.The evaluation of seminal characteristics is important in the clinical detection of stallion subfertility. Conventional semen evaluation includes subjective determination of sperm concentration, motility, and gross morphology. Due to the subjectivity and variability of the manual morphology assessment, computer automated sperm morphology analyses has been developed. Computer automated sperm morphology analysis was applied in the current study to determine if the morphometric measurements of sperm heads from collected and dismount samples of the same ejaculate were similar. If the post-ejaculat...
Kilic S, Dixon PM, Kempson SA.Gross and microscopic examinations were undertaken on 46 cheek (molar and premolar) and 4 incisor equine teeth that were fractured, or sectioned either with a lathe or diamond saw. Specimens were examined without treatment, after decalcification or acid etching, utilising light, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. In some horses, the occlusal surface of the teeth were covered with an organic pellicle. The occlusal surface of the underlying equine enamel contained different wear patterns, including polished areas, local fractures, wedge-shaped pits, striations and depressions. Oc...
Kobayashi K, Jackowiak H, Frackowiak H, Yoshimura K, Kumakura M, Kobayashi K.A common characteristic of horses, Rocky Mountain goats, and cattle is that they all have a well developed lingual prominence on the dorsal surface of the posterior area of the tongue. Foliate papillae were found in the horse studied but not in the goat or in cattle. The horse filiform papillae had a long and slender external form with a thin and slender CTC, while in the goat and cattle the external form consisted of a large thick main process and the CTC consisted of a bundle of numerous rod-shaped protrusions. The special papilla found on the lingual prominence resembled larger filiform-lik...
Martinelli MJ, Eurell J, Les CM, Fyhrie D, Bennett D.Although there are many studies in the equine literature focused on articular diseases and the aetiology of osteoarthritis, few have concentrated on normal articular structures and how they change with age. The objective of this investigation was to study the thickness and morphology of the calcified cartilage layer of the distal metacarpus over a range of ages. A parasagittal slab of bone was sectioned from the region of sesamoid contact on the medial condyle of the metacarpi from 34 horses. The slab of bone was preserved, dehydrated and embedded, undecalcified, in methylmethacrylate and then...
Bessonnat A, Hélie P, Grimes C, Lavoie JP.There is a remodeling of the central airways in horses with severe asthma but whether a similar process occurs in horses with the mild or moderate asthma (MMA) is unknown. Objective: To evaluate lesions affecting the central airways of horses with MMA. Methods: Twelve horses with MMA and 8 control horses. Methods: Case-control retrospective study of horses classified as MMA affected or controls based on history and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology. Endobronchial biopsies were analyzed using histomorphometry and a semiquantitative histologic scoring system. Results: Histomorphometry identi...
Alrtib AM, Philip CJ, Abdunnabi AH, Davies HM.There are many reports describing fractures in the bony elements of the equine fetlock joint and a few of these discuss possible relationships of these fractures to the mechanical loading of these bones. The likelihood of fracture must be related to the size and shape of bones involved, but information concerning the normal range in size and shape of these bones in horses is lacking. This study aimed to identify morphometrical variations of these bones within different groups of horses. Right and left metacarpal, proximal phalangeal and proximal sesamoid bones were collected from 10 Thoroughbr...
Johnston C, Holmt K, Faber M, Erichsen C, Eksell P, Drevemo S.The relationship between structure and function is important in the judgement of the horse. Twenty sound riding horses walked and trotted on a treadmill. The movement of the backs of each of the horses was measured using a commercially available movement analysis system. Morphometric, spatiotemporal and kinematic information were correlated to investigate the effect of conformation on movement. Taller and heavier horses seem to have longer thoracic and lumbar backs, and are wider at the pelvis. Horses with longer strides extended and flexed their backs in the caudal saddle region to a greater ...
Zedda M, Lepore G, Biggio GP, Gadau S, Mura E, Farina V.A high number of differences exist in bone histological features depending on the species, breed, age and bone. Moreover, osteon distribution may vary in the different sides of a bone as a consequence of different biomechanical strains. The aim of this work was to study the distribution and morphology of osteons in different sides of the equine femoral diaphysis with the attempt to correlate them to the main strains operating on them. The following parameters of secondary osteons and Haversian canals were measured in the transverse sections of diaphyses: perimeter, area, minimum and maximum di...
Liuti T, Reardon R, Smith S, Dixon PM.Infection of the dorsal nasal conchal bulla and ventral nasal conchal bulla has recently been shown to cause clinical disease in horses, but the anatomy of these 2 structures is poorly documented. Objective: To describe the anatomical features, dimensions and relationships to adjacent structures of the dorsal conchal bulla and ventra conchal bulla in normal horses using computed tomography (CT). Methods: Descriptive imaging study using cadavers. Methods: Computed tomographic images acquired from 60 equine cadaver heads that were shown to be free of sinonasal disease were categorised into 3 age...
Jones KE.The thoracolumbar region is clinically important in horses; however, the link between joint mobility and bony joint morphology has not been tested quantitatively. Objective: To establish which aspects of vertebral morphology correlate with ex vivo range of motion in the thoracolumbar region of Equus caballus, and demonstrate methodologies for linking vertebral form and function. Methods: Morphometric study of osteological specimens. Methods: A digital model was created of a disarticulated thoracolumbar region to examine bone-to-bone interactions during in silico bending. Linear measurements a...
Skedros JG, Kiser CJ, Keenan KE, Thomas SC.Osteon morphotype scores (MTSs) allow for quantification of mechanically important collagen/lamellar variations between secondary osteons when viewed in circularly polarized ight (CPL). We recently modified the 6-point MTS method of Martin et al. (Martin RB, Gibson VA, Stover SM, Gibeling JC, Griffin LV (1996a) Osteonal structure in the equine third metacarpus. Bone 19, 165-71) and reported superiority of this modified method in correlating with 'tension' and 'compression' cortices of both chimpanzee proximal femoral diaphyses and diaphyses of other non-anthropoid bones that are loaded in habi...
D'Anza E, Albarella S, Galdiero G, Tafuri S, Del Prete C, Cocchia N, Ciani F, Mastellone V, Pasolini MP, Carotenuto D, Selvaggi M, Ciotola F....The reproductive performances of livestock play an essential role in the economic management of the farm. The improvement of semen quantity and quality through the use of food supplements that lack substances which are forbidden in animal feeding, or that may have detrimental effects, is an important goal. Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a plant that has been used for centuries in the Andes for nutrition and fertility enhancement in humans and animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of food supplementation of stallions with maca during the breeding season on spermatozoa parameter...
Rovira S, Muñoz A, Rodilla V.Scaling in biology is usually allometric, and therefore, the size of the heart may be expressed as a power function of body weight (BW). The present research analyses the echocardiographic measurements in 68 healthy Spanish foals weighed between 70 and 347kg in order to determine the correct scaling exponent for the allometric equation. The echocardiographic parameters measured were: left ventricular internal dimensions (LVID), free wall thickness (LVFWT), interventricular septum thickness (IVST) at systole (s) and diastole (d), EPSS (distance between the point E of the mitral valve and the in...
Rivero JL, Galisteo AM, Agüera E, Miró F.Muscle biopsies were taken from the middle gluteal muscle of 143 untrained horses (83 Andalusians [AN] and 60 Arabians [AR]) ranging from 10 days to 24 years old. The horses were separated according to breed and sex and allotted to five age groups: A, 0 to three months; B, yearlings; C, two to three years; D, five to 10 years; and E, 11 to 24 years. There was an increase in the percentage of type I fibres (about 100 per cent) as well as a decrease in the percentage of type IIB fibres (AN, 50 per cent; AR, 40 per cent) over the five age groups. The percentage of type IIA fibres rose significant...
Maśko M, Wierzbicka M, Zdrojkowski Ł, Jasiński T, Sikorska U, Pawliński B, Domino M.Since donkey breeding has increased due to their variety of uses, welfare evaluation has become more important. This study aimed to compare donkey, pony, and horse dorsal profiles and head shapes using geometric morphometrics (GM). Photographs of 14 donkeys, 14 ponies, and 14 horses were analyzed using GM, including the sliding semilandmarks method. The variations in the first three principal components (PCs) were PC1: 57.16%, PC2: 16.05%, and PC3: 8.31% for the dorsal profiles and PC1: 44.77%, PC2: 13.46%, and PC3: 7.66% for the head shapes. Both the dorsal profiles and head shapes differed b...
Madkour FA, Abdelsabour-Khalaf M.Veterinary forensics have attracted less attention compared with human forensics. Animal hair morphological examination using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and hair mineral analysis using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) provide reference databases for animal hair identification used in forensic investigations. This study was performed on four different animal species: large ruminants (buffalo and cattle), small ruminants (goat and sheep), carnivores (cat and dog), and equines (donkey and horse). The hair scale pattern, scale margin type, and distance between scales were iden...
Mohammadi-Sangcheshmeh A, Held E, Rings F, Ghanem N, Salilew-Wondim D, Tesfaye D, Sieme H, Schellander K, Hoelker M.In the present study, equine oocytes were classified into groups of presumably high and low developmental competence according to cumulus morphology, as well as oocyte ability to metabolise brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) stain. All oocytes were evaluated individually in terms of morphometry, zona pellucida birefringence (ZPB) and relative abundance of selected candidate genes. Oocytes with an expanded cumulus (Ex), representing those with presumably high developmental competence, had a significantly thicker zona (18.2 vs 17.3µm) and a significantly higher ZPB (64.6 vs 62.1) than oocytes with a c...
Köhler L, Schulz-Kornas E, Vervuert I, Gittel C, Winter K, Berner D, Gerlach K.Despite clinical importance and frequent occurrence of sinus disease, little is known about the size of paranasal sinuses and their communication in ponies and small horses. To examine the shape and volume of the paranasal sinuses and evaluate the sinonasal communication, three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions of computed tomography (CT) datasets of 12 healthy adult Shetland ponies were performed and analysed. Linear measurements of head length and width were taken. Using semi-automatic segmentation, 3D-models of all sinus compartments were created. Volumetric measurement of the seven sinus co...
Mostafa MB, Abdelgalil AI, Farhat SF, Raw Z, Kubasiewicz LM.Working equids rely on sound, balanced hooves, but data describing the typical morphology of the legs and feet of working donkeys are currently lacking. To address this gap in knowledge, the front and hind feet of twenty healthy working donkeys were measured and compared. Hoof width, weight-bearing lengths, heel width, dorsal hoof wall length and lateral and medial heel length of the hoof wall were determined, as well as toe angle, heel angle, hoof pastern axis, coronary band angle and a measure of 'ground surface size'. Viewed from the ground surface of the foot, front feet were more rounded ...
Weller R, Pfau T, Babbage D, Brittin E, May SA, Wilson AM.The importance of a reliable method for conformation studies is generally acknowledged, but there are only limited data on the accuracy and precision of current assessment methods. Objective: To assess (1) the accuracy and repeatability of marker placement, (2) influence of stance of the horse on conformational parameters, (3) practicality of a computerised motion analysis system and (4) to compare the computerised motion analysis system to photographic systems of assessment. Methods: Twenty-eight reflective markers placed over anatomical landmarks were located in 3D using a computerised motio...
Ross D, Marcot JD, Betteridge KJ, Nascone-Yoder N, Bailey CS, Sears KE.Tetrapod limb development has been studied extensively for decades, yet the strength and role of developmental constraints in this process remains unresolved. Mammals exhibit a particularly wide array of limb morphologies associated with various locomotion modes and behaviors, providing a useful system for identifying periods of developmental constraint and conserved developmental mechanisms or morphologies. In this study, landmark-based geometric morphometrics are used to investigate levels and patterns of morphological diversity (disparity) among the developing forelimbs of four mammals with...
McEwen SA, Hulland TJ.Thirteen horses with histories of exertional rhabdomyolysis were exercised for 20 minutes to induce clinical signs of lameness, elevated serum creatine kinase (CK), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities and skeletal muscle morphologic lesions. The clinical signs exhibited by affected horses included trembling, sweating, increased rate of respiration, and restricted limb movement. Serum CK reached maximal activity between 4 and 8 hours after the exercise period and serum AST activity peaked between 24 and 48 hours. Histologically, the skeletal muscle lesions in muscle biopsies 24 hour...
Martin-Gimenez T, de Blas I, Aguilera-Tejero E, Diez de Castro E, Aguirre-Pascasio CN.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) can be diagnosed by hormonal measurements; however, it would be important to find simpler measurements that allow easy identification of affected or at risk individuals. In horses, the dorsal neck region is one of the most frequent anatomical sites for fat deposition and neck obesity has been linked to EMS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of hormonal markers of obesity (leptin) and insulin resistance (insulin) with morphometric and ultrasonographic neck measurements in Andalusian horses. Plasma leptin and insulin concentrations were measure...
Thomason JJ, McClinchey HL, Faramarzi B, Jofriet JC.The horse's hoof is structurally modified for its mechanical functions, but studying the functional design of internal structures is hampered by the external keratinous capsule. Finite-element analysis offers one method for evaluating mechanical function of components within the capsule, such as the laminar junction. This is the epidermodermal connection that binds the hoof wall strongly to the distal phalanx. Primary epidermal laminae (PEL), projecting inward from the wall, vary in morphology and are remodeled despite being keratinous. The aim of this study is to investigate the suggestion th...
Severa L, Máchal L, Svábová L, Mamica O.This study quantified and evaluated the variability of sperm head shape for 10 different stallions. Sperm head shape characteristics including sperm head length to width ratio, position of the center of gravity, curvature, and degree of roundness were assessed and analysed from images using elliptic Fourier descriptors and inverse Fourier transformation. The first four principal components accounted for 88.46-92.33% of the total variance and provided a good summary of the overall data. In the case of the ejaculate with defective sperm heads the components accounted for 97.35-98.21% of variatio...
