Obesity in horses is a condition characterized by excessive body fat accumulation that can negatively impact equine health and performance. It is often the result of an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure, influenced by factors such as diet, exercise, and metabolism. Obesity in horses can lead to various health issues, including insulin resistance, laminitis, and other metabolic disorders. Body condition scoring and other assessment tools are used to evaluate and monitor body fat levels in horses. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the causes, effects, and management of obesity in equine populations.
Albornoz A, Morales B, Fernandez VB, Henriquez C, Quiroga J, Alarcón P, Moran G, Burgos RA.Equine asthma is a chronic respiratory disease characterised by neutrophilic inflammation, airway hyperresponsiveness, and impaired pulmonary function. Obesity, increasingly prevalent among domestic horses, has been identified as a potential risk factor for exacerbating inflammatory conditions. This study aimed to explore whether obesity modifies neutrophil metabolism and inflammatory responses in horses affected by asthma. Six asthmatic horses in clinical remission were categorised into two groups: obese and non-obese, based on body condition score. Serum levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) an...
Espinosa-López EM, Ortiz-Guisado B, Diez de Castro E, Durham A, Aguilera-Tejero E, Gómez-Baena G.Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is a multifactorial endocrine disorder characterized by obesity, insulin dysregulation (ID), and an increase in the risk of laminitis, a painful condition that can lead to euthanasia in severe cases. Diagnosing EMS is challenging and often relies on clinical history including obesity, difficulty in losing weight, and recurring episodes of laminitis. The gold standard for laboratory support of an EMS diagnosis is the identification of ID, with basal insulin being the simplest and most accessible method, especially in a field setting. However, various factors such...
Kerley BS, Harris P, Jacquay E, Askins M, McClendon M, Adams AA.Feeding small meals (∼1 g/kg BW DM basis) providing >10% nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC; starch + water soluble carbohydrate; WSC) has resulted in an augmented insulin response (AIR) in insulin dysregulated (ID) horses, but it's unclear if AIR reflects NSC content or the g NSC/kg BW/meal. Objective: The insulinemic responses of ID (n = 7) and non-insulin dysregulated (NID; n = 8) horses fed four feeds (A = 6.8% NSC; B = 14.9% NSC; C = 35.5% NSC; D = 44.6% NSC) at three levels of NSC intake (0.06, 0.11-0.12 and 0.17-0.18 g/kg BW) were evaluated in a randomized Latin square design across two...
Dosi M, Scott L, Payne H, Poldy J, Keen J, McGorum B, Malbon A, Morgan R.Hyperinsulinaemia (HI) is an important feature of Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS). It has been suggested that reduced hepatic clearance of insulin contributes to HI, particularly in humans affected by metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Objective: In obese horses with HI, insulin clearance is impaired and associated with MASLD. Methods: Tissue samples were collected at post-mortem from clinically well-characterized horses with HI (n = 13; basal insulin > 20 mIU/l) and without HI (control; n = 20). Methods: Retrospective observational study. Molecular d...
Barnabé MA, Elliott J, Harris PA, Menzies-Gow NJ.Insulin dysregulation (ID) and hypoadiponectinaemia (total [adiponectin] <7.9 μg/mL) are risk factors for laminitis. They are sometimes, but not always, associated with obesity. Objective: To investigate the effects of pasture consumption and obesity on ID and circulating total [adiponectin] in ponies. Methods: Longitudinal. Methods: Seven native-breed ponies with normal basal and post-oral sugar test (OST) [insulin] and body condition score (BCS) 4.3-5.5/9 were allowed to graze until they reached BCS 7/9. Ponies were then maintained at BCS 7/9 until completion of the study (week 22). Morph...
Cameron L, Challinor M, Armstrong S, Kennedy A, Hollister S, Fletcher K.Horses evolved to live in herds, continuously moving and foraging. Domestic horses often have limited social contact and movement, with high calorific intake, contributing to obesity. "Track grazing" is an increasingly popular management system, but evidence of its impact on weight management, behaviour, and welfare is limited. Horses (n = 19) resident at HorseWorld (UK) were observed July to October 2023, monitoring bodyweight (kg), Body Conditions Score (BCS), hoof health, behaviour, and welfare indicators. Horses on track grazing systems lost significantly more bodyweight (kg) (F(1,15) = 8....
Naydani CJ, Coombs T.Obesity and its comorbidities (e.g. laminitis) are identified as major welfare issues among domestic equids in the United Kingdom (UK) and abroad. Weight-management typically focuses on restricting consumption (e.g. limiting pasture grazing), often facilitated through stabling. This leads to social isolation, prompting other welfare issues. Increased exercise may be a preferable solution for equine obesity, if viable. The aims of this study were to explore horse (Equus caballus) owner perceptions regarding the importance of exercise, and to investigate how exercise provision related to welfare...
Talbot AM, Shanks-Boon H, Baldwin CM, Barnes H, Maddox TW.Obesity has been associated with human obstructive sleep apnoea and canine brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome. The effect of body condition score (BCS) on structures of the oropharynx, nasopharynx and upper airway of the horse has not been investigated. Objective: To investigate the effect of BCS on tongue measurements, soft palate angle and basihyoid depth in horses. Methods: Retrospective, analytical, cross-sectional. Methods: Computed tomographic (CT) images of the head of 58 horses were assessed. DICOM viewing software was used to measure head length, basihyoid-skin depth, soft pal...
Chow L, Kawahisa-Piquini G, Bass L, Hendrickson D, Patel A, Rockow M, Dow S, Pezzanite LM.Osteoarthritis (OA) is increasingly thought to be a multifactorial disease in which sustained gut inflammation serves as a continued source of inflammatory mediators driving degenerative processes at distant sites such as joints. The objective of this study was to use the equine model of naturally occurring obesity associated OA to compare the fecal microbiome in OA and health and correlate those findings to differential gene expression synovial fluid (SF) cells, circulating leukocytes and cytokine levels (plasma, SF) towards improved understanding of the interplay between microbiome and immun...
Kirton R, Sandford I, Raffan E, Hallsworth S, Burman OHP, Morgan R.Equine obesity is a growing concern. Much of the current management advice centres on dietary restrictions, including the removal or limitation of grazing. Little is known about the impact of these approaches on the welfare of the horse. Objective: This study investigates the effect of two commonly used grazing systems advocated for the control of weight-the 'strip-grazing' and the 'track' systems-on the behaviour and welfare of outdoor-living ponies. Methods: A within-subject cross-over experimental design with four groups of pasture-kept ponies experiencing each system for 4 weeks in a ran...
Menzies-Gow NJ, Knowles EJ.Laminitis is a common and painful condition of the equine foot and approximately 90% of cases are associated with insulin dysregulation (ID) that is a central feature of the common endocrine disorder equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and occurs in a subset of animals with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction. Additional features of EMS include obesity, altered circulating concentrations of adipokines (particularly adiponectin and leptin) and hypertriglyceridaemia. Obesity, ID, hypoadiponectinaemia, hyperleptinaemia and an altered plasma lipid profile are also features of human metabolic syndrom...
Fresa K, Catandi GD, Whitcomb L, Gonzalez-Castro RA, Chicco AJ, Carnevale EM.Obesity is a complex disease associated with augmented risk of metabolic disorder development and cellular dysfunction in various species. The goal of the present study was to investigate the impacts of obesity on the metabolic health of old mares as well as test the ability of diet supplementation with either a complex blend of nutrients designed to improve equine metabolism and gastrointestinal health or L-carnitine alone to mitigate negative effects of obesity. Mares (n = 19, 17.9 ± 3.7 years) were placed into one of three group: normal-weight (NW, n = 6), obese (OB, n = 7...
Gartland B, Strunk W, Schulte B, DeGraves F, Koostra J.Horses can become obese and develop related health issues such as laminitis from excessive grazing on high-quality pasture grass; limiting pasture intake can allow weight loss to occur. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of space-restricted rotational grazing on body weight (BW) and time budgets in horses. Eight mature geldings and mares with maintenance-only requirements were randomly assigned to either a space-restricted rotational grazing group (SRG; BW 512 ± 6 kg; n = 4) or a continuous grazing group (CG; BW 517 ± 49 kg; n = 4) for 42 d SRG horses grazed an area with...
Pardié M, Kalpokas I, Freccero F, Castagnetti C, Meikle A.The aim of this study was to determine the effect of body condition score (BCS) on metabolic and endocrine parameters in pregnant Criollo mares (n=41), which were categorized according to their BCS as obese (7 to 9 BCS, n=26) or normal (5 to 7, n=15). Blood samples were taken during gestation in 3 periods: between 3.5 and 5 months (I), 8 and 9 months (II) and in the last month of gestation (III). The data was analyzed in the statistical model by mixed procedures, including BCS, gestational period and their interaction as fixed effects. BCS was only different in period I, as normal mares increa...
Tomal A, Szłapka-Kosarzewska J, Mironiuk M, Michalak I, Marycz K.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is a critical endocrine condition in horses, characterized by hyperinsulinemia, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance, posing a significant threat to their health. This study investigates the efficacy of supplementing EMS-affected horses with Arthrospira platensis enriched with Cr(III), Mg(II), and Mn(II) ions using biosorption process in improving insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, reducing inflammation, and mitigating obesity-related fat accumulation. Our results demonstrate that Arthrospira supplementation reduces baseline insulin and glucose levels,...
Catandi GD, Fresa KJ, Cheng MH, Whitcomb LA, Broeckling CD, Chen TW, Chicco AJ, Carnevale EM.Obesity is a growing concern in human and equine populations, predisposing to metabolic pathologies and reproductive disturbances. Cellular lipid accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction play an important role in the pathologic consequences of obesity, which may be mitigated by dietary interventions targeting these processes. We hypothesized that obesity in the mare promotes follicular lipid accumulation and altered mitochondrial function of oocytes and granulosa cells, potentially contributing to impaired fertility in this population. We also predicted that these effects could be mitigated ...
Akinniyi OO, Mshelia PW, Edeh RE.A horse's body condition impacts every aspect of its life, including reproduction, performance, and health. Obesity and equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) are common in Nigeria; hence, early identification of a horse's obesity status by the owner is key to avoiding associated health issues such as EMS. Our study aimed to determine whether horse owners could effectively estimate their horses' body condition scores (BCSs) and cresty neck scores (CNSs). A total of 50 adult sedentary West African Barb horses owned by 50 different people were enrolled in the study. Body condition scores (BCSs) and cre...
Ross M, Proudfoot K, Campbell Nishimura E, Morabito E, Merkies K, Mitchell J, Ritter C.Horse obesity is a growing concern that can result in negative welfare. The role horse owners play in horse weight management is not well understood. This study aimed to: (1) explore the attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of owners with overweight or obese horses regarding their horses' weight; and (2) understand the motivators and barriers for owners to implement, improve and maintain weight management-related strategies. A semi-structured interview guide based on the Theoretical Domains Framework was developed. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 24 owners in Prince Edward Island, Ca...
Pratt-Phillips S.Obesity is an important health concern in horses, along with humans and companion animals. Adipose tissue is an inflammatory organ that alters the insulin-signaling cascade, ultimately causing insulin dysregulation and impaired glucose metabolism. These disruptions can increase the risk of metabolic disease and laminitis in horses and may also impact energy metabolism during exercise. A single bout of exercise, along with chronic exercise conditioning, increases insulin sensitivity and glucose disposal via both contraction- and insulin-mediated glucose uptake pathways. Regular exercise also in...
Weckman MJ, Karikoski NP, Raekallio MR, Box JR, Kvist L.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is a common welfare problem in horses worldwide. It is characterized by insulin dysregulation (ID), predisposition to laminitis and often obesity. EMS is multifactorial by nature, with both the environment and genetics contributing to the phenotype. Environmental factors, such as feeding and exercise, can be controlled, thus forming the basis for treatment and prevention. Genetic factors, by contrast, are less well-known and not easily controllable. The aim of this study was to identify potential genetic loci influencing ID/EMS in Finnhorses. A single-breed (Fin...
Clark BL, Norton EM, Bamford NJ, Randhawa IAS, Kemp KL, McCue ME, Bertin FR, Stewart AJ.Insulin dysregulation (ID) is central to equine metabolic syndrome. There are limited epidemiological studies investigating dynamic testing of ID in ponies. Objective: To evaluate prevalence and risk factors for ID through dynamic testing of hyperinsulinaemia (DHI) and insulin resistance (IR). Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Sex, age, breed, height, cresty neck score (CNS), body condition score (BCS), laminitis, HMGA2:c.83G>A genotype and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) status were documented. Dynamic hyperinsulinaemia was diagnosed with an oral sugar test (OST) and IR with an ...
Bourebaba L, Kępska M, Qasem B, Zyzak M, Łyczko J, Klemens M, Mularczyk M, Marycz K.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is a steadily growing endocrine disorder representing a real challenge in veterinary practice. As a multifactorial condition, EMS is characterized by three main metabolic abnormalities including insulin resistance, increased adiposity or obesity and hoof laminitis. Adipose tissue dysfunction is recognized as a core pathophysiological determinant of EMS, as it strongly participates to lipotoxicity and systemic metaflammation, both of which have been closely linked to the development of generalized insulin resistance. Besides, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) i...
Robles M, Rousseau-Ralliard D, Dubois C, Josse T, Nouveau É, 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 insulin-resi...
Al-Ansari AS, Golding E, Walshe N, Mooney CT, Duggan V.Equine obesity combined with insulin dysregulation (ID) is a major risk factor associated with laminitis. Some pony breeds appear to be at increased risk. However, little is known regarding the prevalence of obesity or hyperinsulinaemia as evidence of ID in Irish ponies. Objective: To investigate the prevalence of obesity and associated endocrine/metabolic disease conditions in Connemara ponies and to determine if hyperinsulinaemia in these ponies could be predicted by morphometric or metabolic markers. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: The study population included registered Connemara...
Ward AB, Harris PA, Argo CM, Watson CA, Burns NM, Neacsu M, Russell WR, Grove-White D, Morrison PK.Native ponies are at increased risk of obesity and metabolic perturbations, such as insulin dysregulation (ID), a key risk factor for endocrinopathic laminitis. Management and feeding practices can be adapted to maintain healthy body condition and support metabolic health, but owners may inadvertently provide their ponies with inappropriate management leading to obesity and exacerbating risk of metabolic disease. Adoption of preventative weight management approaches (WMAs), including regular monitoring of body condition, providing appropriate preserved forage, promoting seasonal weight loss, a...
Barnabé MA, Elliott J, Harris PA, Menzies-Gow NJ.Equine metabolic syndrome is a collection of risk factors associated with an increased risk of endocrinopathic laminitis. All affected animals display insulin dysregulation and some may show adiponectin dysregulation and/or excessive adiposity. However, the relationship between obesity and hypoadiponectinaemia in equids remains unclear. Objective: To investigate the relationship between obesity and circulating plasma total adiponectin (TA) concentrations in native-breed ponies in England. Methods: Secondary data analysis. Methods: Data collected for three previous studies were retrospectively ...
Bourebaba N, Sikora M, Qasem B, Bourebaba L, Marycz K.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), which encompasses insulin resistance, low-grade inflammation and predisposition to laminitis is a critical endocrine disorder among the most prevalent conditions affecting horses from different breeds. According to the most recent research, low human sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) serum levels correlate with an increased risk of obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes, and may contribute to overall metabolic dysregulations. This study aimed to test whether exogenous SHBG could protect EMS affected adipose-derived stromal stem cells (EqASC) from apoptosis,...
Knowles EJ, Harris PA, Elliott J, Chang YM, Menzies-Gow NJ.Serum insulin concentration at 60 min (InsulinT60) during an oral sugar test (OST) indicates future laminitis risk and insulin dysregulation (ID). Associations between InsulinT60 and physical and owner-reported variables may help clinicians select individuals for ID testing. Associations between InsulinT60 and other metabolic markers may help elucidate ID pathophysiology. Objective: To describe associations between (A) season, physically-apparent and owner-reported factors and binary InsulinT60 interpretation (initial models) and (B) variables included in the initial models, other metabolic ...
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.
Bertin FR, Frank N, Breuhaus BA, Schott HC, Kritchevsky JE.Equine thyroid disorders pose a diagnostic challenge in clinical practice because of the effects of nonthyroidal factors on the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, and the horse's ability to tolerate wide fluctuations in thyroid hormone concentrations and survive without a thyroid gland. While benign thyroid tumours are common in older horses, other disorders like primary hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism in adult horses and congenital hypothyroidism in foals are rare. There is a common misunderstanding regarding hypothyroidism in adult horses, especially when associated with the clinical pro...
Li VL, He Y, Contrepois K, Liu H, Kim JT, Wiggenhorn AL, Tanzo JT, Tung AS, Lyu X, Zushin PH, Jansen RS, Michael B, Loh KY, Yang AC, Carl CS....Exercise confers protection against obesity, type 2 diabetes and other cardiometabolic diseases1-5. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms that mediate the metabolic benefits of physical activity remain unclear6. Here we show that exercise stimulates the production of N-lactoyl-phenylalanine (Lac-Phe), a blood-borne signalling metabolite that suppresses feeding and obesity. The biosynthesis of Lac-Phe from lactate and phenylalanine occurs in CNDP2+ cells, including macrophages, monocytes and other immune and epithelial cells localized to diverse organs. In diet-induced obese mice,...
Durham AE, Frank N, McGowan CM, Menzies-Gow NJ, Roelfsema E, Vervuert I, Feige K, Fey K.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is a widely recognized collection of risk factors for endocrinopathic laminitis. The most important of these risk factors is insulin dysregulation (ID). Clinicians and horse owners must recognize the presence of these risk factors so that they can be targeted and controlled to reduce the risk of laminitis attacks. Diagnosis of EMS is based partly on the horse's history and clinical examination findings, and partly on laboratory testing. Several choices of test exist which examine different facets of ID and other related metabolic disturbances. EMS is controlled ...
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...
Gosztonyi G, Ludwig H.Natural BD is a nonpurulent acute/subacute encephalitis of horses and sheep with a propensity to involve the olfactory and limbic systems, and the brain stem. The inflammation is concentrated primarily in the gray matter, but subcortical white matter may also be affected. Experimental BD can be produced in a series of animals from birds to primates. The neuropathology after experimental infection is similar to that in natural disease but the inflammatory changes are more diffuse. In the rat and mouse, a persistent/tolerant infection can also be induced, in which inflammatory changes are conspi...
Morrison PK, Newbold CJ, Jones E, Worgan HJ, Grove-White DH, Dugdale AH, Barfoot C, Harris PA, Argo CM.Gastrointestinal microbial communities are increasingly being implicated in host susceptibilities to nutritional/metabolic diseases; such conditions are more prevalent in obese and/or older horses. This controlled study evaluated associations between host-phenotype and the fecal microbiome / metabolome. Thirty-five, Welsh Mountain pony mares were studied across 2 years (Controls, = 6/year, 5-15 years, Body Condition Score (BCS) 4.5-6/9; Obese, = 6/year, 5-15 years, BCS > 7/9; Aged, = 6 Year 1; = 5 Year 2, ≥19 years old). Animals were individually fed the same hay to maintenance (2% bo...
Carter RA, Treiber KH, Geor RJ, Douglass L, Harris PA.The ability to predict ponies at increased risk of laminitic episodes, when exposed to nutrient dense pasture, would facilitate management to avoid disease. Objective: To identify variables and clinically useful cut-off values with reproducible diagnostic accuracy for the prediction of ponies that subsequently developed laminitis when exposed to nutrient dense pasture. Methods: A cohort of predominantly Welsh and Dartmoor ponies from a closed herd was evaluated in March 2006 (n = 74) and March 2007 (n = 57). Ponies were categorised as never laminitic or previously laminitic according to report...
Giles SL, Rands SA, Nicol CJ, Harris PA.Reasons for performing study. The prevalence of obesity in companion animals, including horses and ponies has risen drastically in recent years and risk factors have been little investigated. Horses are unique amongst companion animals in that many are outdoor-living and forage independently on pasture; they also have a dual utility and companionship role. The body condition of wild and free-living equines is known to vary seasonally, yet previous estimates of the prevalence of obesity and associated risk factors in domestic animals do not consider this. Most previous studies were conducted du...
Radin MJ, Sharkey LC, Holycross BJ.In addition to its role as an energy storage depot, adipose tissue is now recognized as a complex endocrine organ. Adipose tissue releases a variety of factors, termed adipokines, that regulate energy metabolism, cardiovascular function, reproductive status, and immune function. Some of the better-studied adipokines include leptin, adiponectin, and components of the renin-angiotensin system such as angiotensinogen. The function of more recently discovered adipokines such as resistin are under intense scrutiny. Abnormal production or regulation of adipokines occurs in obese individuals and is i...
Karikoski NP, Horn I, McGowan TW, McGowan CM.Endocrinopathic causes of laminitis may be a common underlying causative pathogenesis in first-opinion or field cases presenting with laminitis, as opposed to laminitis produced in inflammatory research models. This study aimed to determine whether evidence of an underlying endocrinopathy was present in horses presented for laminitis to a first-opinion/referral veterinary teaching hospital. A second aim was to compare the signalment of horses and ponies with laminitis with the equine hospital population during the same period. All horses presenting for laminitis at Helsinki University Equine T...
Frank N.The concept of an equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) was first proposed in 2002. This concept has developed over time, and EMS was recently described in a consensus statement released by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. In human medicine, metabolic syndrome (MetS) refers to a set of risk factors that predict the risk of cardiovascular disease, including obesity, glucose intolerance and insulin resistance (IR), dyslipidemia, microalbuminuria, and hypertension. EMS shares some of the features of MetS, including increased adiposity, hyperinsulinemia, IR, but differs in that lami...
Vick MM, Adams AA, Murphy BA, Sessions DR, Horohov DW, Cook RF, Shelton BJ, Fitzgerald BP.Recent studies associate obesity and insulin resistance in horses with development of abnormal reproductive function and debilitating laminitis. The factors contributing to insulin resistance in obese horses are unknown. However, human studies provide evidence that elevated inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), IL1, and IL6 play direct roles in development of obesity-associated insulin resistance. Thus, inflammation may be a key link between obesity and insulin resistance in horses. The aim of the current investigation was to examine possible relationships betw...
Robin CA, Ireland JL, Wylie CE, Collins SN, Verheyen KL, Newton JR.Few data are available on the prevalence of obesity in the general equine population of Great Britain (GB), and its associated risk factors. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of owner-reported obesity in veterinary-registered horses and ponies in GB, and identify factors associated with obesity. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of horse/pony owners in GB was undertaken using a postal questionnaire. Methods: Thirty veterinary practices randomly selected horse/pony owners to complete a self-administered postal questionnaire. Owners estimated body condition score using a modified Carroll and...
Marycz K, Kornicka K, Grzesiak J, Śmieszek A, Szłapka J.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is mainly characterized by insulin resistance, obesity, and local or systemic inflammation. That unfriendly environment of adipose tissue has huge impact on stem cells population (ASC) residing within. In the present study, using molecular biology techniques and multiple imaging techniques (SEM, FIB-SEM, and confocal microscopy), we evaluated the impact of EMS on ASC viability and chondrogenic differentiation. Moreover, we visualized the mitochondrial network and dynamics in ASC and ASC during control and chondrogenic conditions. In control conditions, ASC were ...
Marycz K, Kornicka K, Szlapka-Kosarzewska J, Weiss C.Nowadays, endocrine disorders have become more frequent in both human and veterinary medicine. In horses, reduced physical activity combined with carbohydrate and sugar overload may result in the development of the so-called equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). EMS is characterized by insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, elevated blood triglyceride concentrations and usually obesity. Although the phenotypic features of EMS individuals are well known, the molecular mechanism underlying disease development remains elusive. Therefore, in the present study, we analyzed insulin-sensitive tissues, i.e....
Frank N, Elliott SB, Brandt LE, Keisler DH.To compare obese horses with insulin resistance (IR) with nonobese horses and determine whether blood resting glucose, insulin, leptin, and lipid concentrations differed between groups and were correlated with combined glucose-insulin test (CGIT) results. Methods: 7 obese adult horses with IR (OB-IR group) and 5 nonobese mares. Methods: Physical measurements were taken, and blood samples were collected after horses had acclimated to the hospital for 3 days. Response to insulin was assessed by use of the CGIT, and maintenance of plasma glucose concentrations greater than the preinjection value ...
Biddle AS, Tomb JF, Fan Z.Due to modern management practices and the availability of energy dense feeds, obesity is a serious and increasingly common health problem for horses. Equine obesity is linked to insulin resistance and exacerbation of inflammatory issues such as osteoarthritis and laminitis. While the gut microbiome is thought to play a part in metabolic status in horses, bacterial communities associated with obesity have yet to be described. Here we report differences in metabolic factors in the blood of obese, normal and lean horses correlated with differences in gut microbiome composition. We report that ob...
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...
Menzies-Gow NJ, Harris PA, Elliott J.Certain individuals appear to be predisposed to recurrent pasture-associated laminitis. Previous studies have predominantly investigated risk factors only after disease occurrence. Objective: To investigate risk factors for pasture-associated laminitis prior to disease occurrence. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Methods: Non-laminitic ponies aged ≥7 years were recruited. Body condition score (BCS), height, weight, crest height and thickness were measured and an overnight dexamethasone suppression test performed. Plasma or serum adiponectin, leptin, triglyceride, basal insulin, insulin pos...
Raubenheimer D, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Gosby AK, Simpson S.We apply nutritional geometry, a framework for modelling the interactive effects of nutrients on animals, to help understand the role of modern environments in the obesity pandemic. Evidence suggests that humans regulate the intake of protein energy (PE) more strongly than non-protein energy (nPE), and consequently will over- and under-ingest nPE on diets with low or high PE, respectively. This pattern of macronutrient regulation has led to the protein leverage hypothesis, which proposes that the rise in obesity has been caused partly by a shift towards diets with reduced PE:nPE ratios relativ...
Horseman SV, Buller H, Mullan S, Whay HR.Despite growing concerns about the welfare of horses in Great Britain (GB) there has been little surveillance of the welfare status of the horse population. Consequently we have limited knowledge of the range of welfare problems experienced by horses in GB and the situations in which poor welfare occurs. Thirty-one in-depth interviews were conducted with a cross -section of equine stakeholders, in order to explore their perceptions of the welfare problems faced by horses in GB. Welfare problems relating to health, management and riding and training were identified, including horses being under...
Marycz K, Weiss C, Śmieszek A, Kornicka K.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are frequently used in both human and veterinary medicine because their unique properties, such as modulating the immune response and differentiating into multiple lineages, make them a valuable tool in cell-based therapies. However, many studies have indicated the age-, lifestyle-, and disease-related deterioration of MSC regenerative characteristics. However, it still needs to be elucidated how the patient's health status affects the effectiveness of MSC differentiation. In the present study, we isolated mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue (adipose-derive...
Switonski M, Mankowska M, Salamon S.The melanocortin receptor gene family consists of five single-exon members, which are located on autosomes. Three genes (MC2R, MC4R and MC5R) are syntenic in the human, mouse, cattle and dog genomes, while in the pig, the syntenic group comprises MC1R, MC2R and MC5R. Two genes (MC1R and MC4R) have been extensively studied due to their function in melanogenesis (MC1R) and energy control (MC4R). Conservative organisation of these genes in five mammalian species (human, mouse, cattle, pig and dog), in terms of the encoded amino acid sequence, is higher in the case of MC4R compared to MC1R. Polymo...
Johnson PJ.Certain management practices tend to promote the development of obesity (metabolic syndrome) in mature horses as they enter their teenage years. These management practices include the provision of starch-rich (high glycemic index) and fat-supplemented rations to healthy horses that are relatively inactive. Some horse breeds and ponies appear to be genetically predisposed to metabolic syndrome. The accretion of intra-abdominal adiposity by equids is associated with the development of insulin insensitivity (hyperinsulinemia), glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and insidious-onset l...
Hoffman RM, Boston RC, Stefanovski D, Kronfeld DS, Harris PA.Insulin resistance is considered a risk factor in obesity, laminitis, exertional rhabdomyolysis, and osteochondrosis. The objective was to use the minimal model to estimate glucose effectiveness (Sg) and insulin sensitivity (Si) in nonobese to obese horses initially adapted to forage only, then adapted to forage plus supplements rich in starch and sugar (SS) or fiber and fat (FF). Ten Thoroughbred geldings, with BCS of 5 (nonobese), 6 (moderately obese), and 7 to 8 (obese), were adapted to pasture and hay, allocated to two groups, and fed SS or FF in a switch-back design with 8 wk of adaptatio...
Chaucheyras-Durand F, Sacy A, Karges K, Apper E.Horses are large non-ruminant herbivores and rely on microbial fermentation for energy, with more than half of their maintenance energy requirement coming from microbial fermentation occurring in their enlarged caecum and colon. To achieve that, the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT) of horses harbors a broad range of various microorganisms, differing in each GIT segment, which are essential for efficient utilization of feed, especially to use nutrients that are not or little degraded by endogenous enzymes. In addition, like in other animal species, the GIT microbiota is in permanent interplay with...
Pleasant RS, Suagee JK, Thatcher CD, Elvinger F, Geor RJ.Increased blood insulin levels are associated with an increased risk of pasture-associated laminitis in equids. Objective: To determine the relationship between plasma insulin, leptin, and lipid levels, and measures of oxidative stress with adiposity in mature light breed horses. Methods: 300 randomly selected light breed horses, aged 4-20 years. Methods: A random sample of horses (140 mares, 151 geldings, and 9 stallions) was drawn from the VMRCVM Equine Field Service practice client list. Evaluations occurred June 15 - August 15, 2006, with all sampling performed between 0600 and 1200 hours....
