Pasture management involves the strategic planning and implementation of practices to maintain and improve pastureland used for grazing horses. It encompasses various aspects such as soil health, forage selection, grazing patterns, and weed control. Effective pasture management aims to optimize forage availability and quality, support horse health, and sustain the ecological balance of the pasture environment. Key components include rotational grazing, soil testing, fertilization, and the management of stocking rates. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, outcomes, and environmental impacts of pasture management practices in equine settings.
Alm YH, Osterman-Lind E, Martin F, Lindfors R, Roepstorff N, Hedenström U, Fredriksson I, Halvarsson P, Tydén E.Cyathostominae are ubiquitous to grazing horses and regarded the most prevalent internal parasite in the horse. Unfortunately, decades of indiscriminate use of anthelmintic drugs have resulted in the development of resistance in cyathostomins to all currently available drug groups, the most recent being a documented lack of efficacy to the macrocyclic lactones (ML). In vivo determination of anthelmintic resistance in horses most often utilises the faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT). Further, a shortened egg reappearance period (ERP) can indicate a change in response to the applied treatme...
Anna C, Martyna P, Marcin S, Dawid W.Free-ranging grazers are increasingly being introduced to areas of high natural value, such as wetlands. There is also growing attention that has been paid to the historical role of herbivores in shaping ecosystems and landscapes. Even though studies on the grazing of free-range horses were carried out in different regions and climates, still little is known about their habitat selection on heterogeneous marshy areas in the temperate region of Europe. The aim of this study was to investigate the habitat use by contemporary Konik horses during the growing season on the basis of three-year GPS d...
Krueger K, Gruentjens T, Hempel E.Wolves returned to Germany in 2000, leading to fear in German horse owners that their horses could be in danger of wolf attacks or panic-like escapes from pastures when sighting wolves. However, reports from southern European countries indicate that wolf predation on horses diminishes with increasing presence of wildlife. Therefore, we conducted a long-term, filed observation between January 2015 and July 2022 on 13 non breeding riding horses, mares and geldings, kept permanently on two pastures within the range of wildlife and a stable wolf pack with annual offspring. Wildlife cameras at the ...
Zaitseva S, Dagurova O, Radnagurueva A, Kozlova A, Izotova A, Krylova A, Noskov S, Begmatov S, Patutina E, Barkhutova DD.The Buryatian horse is an ancient breed and, as an indigenous breed, they have unique adaptive abilities to use scarce pastures, graze in winter, and survive in harsh conditions with minimal human care. In this study, fecal microbiota of Buryatian horses grazing in the warm and cold seasons were investigated using NGS technology on the Illumina MiSeq platform. We hypothesized that the composition of microbial communities in the feces of horses maintained on pasture would change in the different seasons, depending on the grass availability and different plant diets. We conducted microhistologic...
Lu H, Zhang W, Sun S, Mei Y, Zhao G, Yang K.Grazing is a common approach to rearing. We investigated the effects of supplementation during grazing on milk yield and composition, blood biochemistry, and fecal microflora in Yili horses. The control mares grazed normally, while those in groups I and II received 1 kg/d of concentrate and 1 kg/d of concentrate + 0.4 kg/d of coated FA, respectively. Milk volumes were significantly higher in groups I and II than in the control group, and among the previous two, milk volumes were significantly higher in group II than in group I. Milk fat, lactose, and protein levels were significantly higher in...
Karasu GK, Rogers CW, Gee EK.Sustainability is the balancing act of optimizing the use of current resources without compromising the current or future environment. Within the agriculture sector the primary focus of sustainability has been to reduce environmental pollution, specifically greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions, nitrogen emissions, and leaching. For the equine industry the first step towards sustainability is the documentation and critique of current feeding and management practices to permit modifications to enable the industry meet social and legislative obligations. As a monogastric hindgut fermenter on a per k...
Hyde KA, Altman A, Banasek R, Gastal MO, Gastal EL.Hay wastage when feeding round bales due to contamination, deterioration, and animal refusal can accrue large financial losses for farmers. The present study investigated the efficiency of the conventional Tombstone-style feeder system compared to the Hay Saver feeder system to reduce hay wastage in feeding round hay bales. Mares were distributed equally into two groups, Tombstone and Hay Saver, and fed six bales per group over 48 days. Hay wastage was collected daily, dried, and weighed, while the mares were weighed weekly. Overall, the Hay Saver feeder showed less hay wastage, higher mean ma...
Buono F, Veneziano V, Veronesi F, Molento MB.In June 2022, at the XXXII Conference of the Italian Society of Parasitology, the parallels of the main endoparasitic infections of horses and donkeys were discussed. Although these 2 species are genetically different, they can be challenged by a similar range of parasites (i.e. small and large strongyles, and spp.). Although equids can demonstrate some level of resilience to parasites, they have quite distinct helminth biodiversity, distribution and intensity among different geographical locations and breeds. Heavily infected donkeys may show fewer clinical signs than horses. Although parasi...
Ermers C, McGilchrist N, Fenner K, Wilson B, McGreevy P.Failure to meet the minimum forage requirement of 1.5% of the horse's bodyweight and the opportunity for foraging for a minimum of 8 h a day (not going without this opportunity longer than four to five consecutive hours) can have both physiological and behavioural consequences. To provide an energy source for horses, rations often include starch rather than fibre. This can result in health issues related to the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) in the horse. In the stomach, the main concern is equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) and, more specifically, equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD). Ulcer...
Liehrmann O, Cosnard C, Riihonen V, Viitanen A, Alander E, Jardat P, Koski SE, Lummaa V, Lansade L.Cues such as the human pointing gesture, gaze or proximity to an object are widely used in behavioural studies to evaluate animals' abilities to follow human-given cues. Many domestic mammals, such as horses, can follow human cues; however, factors influencing their responses are still unclear. We assessed the performance of 57 horses at a two-way choice task testing their ability to follow cues of either a familiar (N = 28) or an unfamiliar informant (N = 29). We investigated the effects of the length of the relationship between the horse and a familiar person (main caregiver), their ...
Moore-Colyer M, Westacott A, Rousson L, Harris P, Daniels S.Despite our improved understanding of equid digestive health and accurate rations formulations, obesity in the UK horse population remains high. Study aims: (1) to determine how owners are feeding their horses and what influences their choices, (2) to understand owners' knowledge of haylage and (3) to identify key areas that require additional education. Data were collected in 2020 from 1338 UK horse owners via two online surveys. Survey 1 was on general feeding practices, and Survey 2 was specifically on the feeding of haylage. Data were processed using chi square analyses + Bonferroni tests,...
Walshe N, Burrell A, Kenny U, Mulcahy G, Duggan V, Regan A.In view of the rising threat of anthelmintic resistance in parasite populations and the planned change of classification of anthelmintics in Ireland for food animals to prescription-only medicines, there is a need for increased focus on parasite control strategies for horses. Effective parasite control programs (PCPs) are complex, necessitating the application of risk-assessment based on host immune status, infection pressure, type of parasite and seasonality to determine the requirement for anthelmintic administration and an understanding of parasite biology to employ effective, non- therapeu...
Weinert-Nelson JR, Biddle AS, Sampath H, Williams CA.Integrating warm-season grasses into cool-season equine grazing systems can increase pasture availability during summer months. The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of this management strategy on the fecal microbiome and relationships between fecal microbiota, forage nutrients, and metabolic responses of grazing horses. Fecal samples were collected from 8 mares after grazing cool-season pasture in spring, warm-season pasture in summer, and cool-season pasture in fall as well as after adaptation to standardized hay diets prior to spring grazing and at the end of the grazing seaso...
Ross M, Proudfoot K, Merkies K, Elsohaby I, Mills M, Macmillan K, Mckenna S, Ritter C.Limited research has assessed the "human dimension" of horse care. The aims of this study were to (1) understand horse owner attitudes toward horse welfare when kept outdoors versus indoors and in groups versus individually, (2) compare horse owner attitudes toward horse welfare with the ways in which they house their horses, and (3) explore horse owner reasons for and challenges with their horses' housing. Seventy-six horse owners in Prince Edward Island, Canada completed a questionnaire. Non-parametric tests and quantitative content analysis were used for data analysis. Consistent with the w...
Adams VJ, LeBlanc N, Penell J.Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been used to evaluate the effect of various interventions on the equine microbiome. The aim of this randomised blinded clinical trial was to determine if a prebiotic nutritional supplement would result in a change from baseline in the faecal microbiome composition of racing Thoroughbred horses in training being fed a high concentrate/grain-based diet to be more similar to that found in forage fed/pasture grazed horses. Thirty-two horses on one training yard were randomised to either receive the supplement or not. Faecal samples were collected at baseline, 6...
Stang FL, Bjerregaard R, Müller CE, Ergon Å, Halling M, Thorringer NW, Kidane A, Jensen RB.Carbohydrates in forages constitute an important part of the feed ration for all horses. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of harvest time on carbohydrate composition and digestion of various grass species. The experiment was divided into three parts 1) characterization of the chemical composition of experimental feeds (6 grass species: meadow fescue [MF], cocksfoot [CF], perennial ryegrass [PR], smooth bromegrass [SB], tall fescue [TF], and timothy [TI], and 3 harvest times: early, medium, and late first cut), 2) measurements of the in vitro digestion of selected expe...
Muhonen S, Philippeau C, Julliand V.Horses are herbivores, and their hindgut functions as a fluid reservoir as forage fibre properties have great impact on the water content of digesta and the milieu in the ecosystem. Our objective was to compare the effect of grass fibre maturity and legume forage on the water-holding capacity (WHC) and viscosity of the equine hindgut and the body weight (BW) and fluid balance of horses. Three diets: concentrate and late harvested grass haylage (35:65 energy ratio) (C); early and late harvested grass haylage (80:20) (G); lucerne and late harvested grass haylage (80:20) (L) were fed to six caecu...
Osterman-Lind E, Hedberg Alm Y, Hassler H, Wilderoth H, Thorolfson H, Tydén E.Horses, as grazing animals, are inadvertently exposed to intestinal parasites that, if not controlled, may cause disease. However, the indiscriminate use of anthelmintic drugs has led to drug resistance, highlighting the need for pasture-management practices to reduce the level of parasitic exposure and lessen reliance on drugs. The efficacy of such methods depends both on the epidemiology of the parasites and the prevailing weather conditions. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of faecal removal and harrowing on reducing the number of parasite larvae in herbage. Moreover, the ...
Yan J, Sun D, Jiang Z, Zhou L, Gao X.Infundibular caries (IC) affects donkeys of all ages and causes pain, difficulty in mastication and weight loss. The study aimed to determine the epidemiology of IC in donkeys and examine the potential risk factors associated with the disease development. A total of 2118 donkeys in Inner Mongolia were sampled. The first section of the survey was performed by veterinarians and included the oral health of the donkeys. A survey on the donkey's signalment, diet, and husbandry was also conducted. The risk factors associated with IC were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Uni...
Fraser MD, Vallin HE, Roberts BP.Grasslands dominate land cover nationally and globally, and their composition, structure and habitat value are strongly influenced by the actions of domestic and wild grazing animals that feed on them. Different pastures are characterised by varying opportunities for selective feeding by livestock; agronomically improved, sown swards generally consist of a limited range of plant species whereas longer-term leys and semi-natural grasslands are characterised by a more diverse mixture of plants. In the case of botanically diverse permanent pastures/grazing lands, the dietary preferences of differ...
Orr EL, Staniar WB, Smarsh DN.Various aspects of nutritional management can impact both a horse's gastrointestinal (GI) health and caretaker costs. The objective of this study was to characterize the feeding management and GI issues of horses in Pennsylvania (PA). An online survey was distributed from February 27th to August 31st, 2020. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were used to analyze the data. Nonparametric statistics were used when data were not normally distributed. From 470 responses collected, the average horse age was 15.7 ± 7.5 years, and the most common breeds were the Quarter Horse and Thoroughbred. Of ...
Köninger M, von Velsen-Zerweck A, Eiberger C, Jilg A, Töpper A, Visscher C, Reckels B, Vervuert I.Roughage alternatives for equine nutrition must be found due to the increasing climatic challenges. The aim of this study was to examine the nutrient composition and feed hygiene of alfalfa hay in comparison to meadow hay and to investigate the acceptance, weight development and faecal quality of broodmares fed alfalfa hay. The feed used was examined for nutrient content and hygiene status according to the standards of the Verband Deutscher Landwirtschaftlicher Untersuchungs- und Forschungsanstalten (VDLUFA). Twenty adult pregnant warmblood mares were fed in two groups (n=10) with a defined am...
Luthersson N, Ýr Þorgrímsdóttir Ú, Harris PA, Parkins T, Bennet ED.To investigate equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) and equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) in Icelandic horses moving from pasture into training. 81 horses (median age, 3 years; interquartile range, 1 year) from 10 farms representing 4 different Icelandic regions. Initial gastroscopy was undertaken within 2 weeks of moving from pasture into a training establishment. A total of 71 horses underwent endoscopic examination again 8 weeks later. Various management and behavioral factors were assessed through face-to-face questionnaires with the owners or trainers. Multivariable logistic regre...
Blanchard T, Fantinati M, Domange C, Priymenko N.The present report describes two novel cases of suspected intoxication with Galega officinalis in 6- and 21-year-old Arabian mares displaying acute respiratory signs. Both animals showed signs of pulmonary edema at physical examination, with the oldest of the two also manifesting severe dyspnea and foamy nasal discharge. The mares were grazing on the same meadow with hay available ad libitum. Botanical analysis of the latter showed traces of the toxic plant Galega officinalis (L.), which has been daily ingested at a dose of around 14 g of dry matter for three days. Based on the respiratory sig...
Keller GA, Nielsen BD, Vergara-Hernandez FB, Robison CI.Keeping horses outdoors on pasture full-time with free access to shelter holds numerous advantages over housing in stalls, promoting both better mental and physical health. One reason for these benefits is the potential for increased physical activity in horses outdoors on pasture versus those confined to stalls. However, it is not guaranteed the horse will take advantage of this opportunity for greater movement. For this reason, it is important to understand the various reasons why horse activity patterns change. The objective of this study was to investigate how various weather factors - inc...
Weinert-Nelson JR, Biddle AS, Williams CA.Diet is a key driver of equine hindgut microbial community structure and composition. The aim of this study was to characterize shifts in the fecal microbiota of grazing horses during transitions between forage types within integrated warm- (WSG) and cool-season grass (CSG) rotational grazing systems (IRS). Eight mares were randomly assigned to two IRS containing mixed cool-season grass and one of two warm-season grasses: bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] or crabgrass [Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.]. Fecal samples were collected during transitions from CSG to WSG pasture sections (...
Fenu G, Melis A, Pinna MS, Loi MC, Calderisi G, Cogoni D. (SWEs), despite their pivotal ecological role due to their participation in hydrogeological processes and their richness in biodiversity, seem to be often overlooked by the scientific community. In this study, the vascular plant diversity in some representative SWEs, that host a peculiar assemblage of plant and animal species, was investigated in relation to the disturbance effects of a wild horse population. A total of 50 plots, equally distributed in small and large SWEs, were surveyed and a level of disturbance was attributed to each plot. We found greater species richness in small and und...
Ramadan MM, Dailey D.This is the first account of fatal toxicity in horses resulting from grazing on the pasture plant creeping indigo, , on the island of Oahu, in the Hawaiian Islands. A survey in the town of Waialua on the north shore of Oahu island indicated that creeping indigo is common and abundant on grazing lands during the rainy season and requires intensive chemical and physical control measures. Four pastures were surveyed where ranchers reported mortality of more than 17 horses since 2020. We document these incidents to alert state animal and livestock support officials, groups monitoring invasive spec...
Raspa F, Vervuert I, Capucchio MT, Colombino E, Bergero D, Forte C, Greppi M, Cavallarin L, Giribaldi M, Antoniazzi S, Cavallini D, Valvassori E....Horses are often fed high amounts of starch in their diets despite the well-established benefits of a fibre-based diet to promote gut health and animal welfare. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of two different diets - one based on high amounts of starch (HS) vs. one base on high amounts of fibre (HF) - on specific parameters of the gut environment across different intestinal compartments of the horse digestive tract. To this end differences in the gastrointestinal environment between HS vs. HF fed horses were assessed in terms of dry matter, organic matter and ash conte...
Spieler N, Schnyder M.Intestinal helminth management in horses has both clinical and epidemiologic relevance, in additional association with anthelmintic resistance. The Swiss Army employs military owned riding horses and privately owned pack horses, which are brought together for service periods up to 12 weeks. We compared husbandry conditions and intestinal helminth management of both groups via questionnaire and analysed faecal samples of 53 riding horses and 130 pack horses using combined sedimentation/flotation, the McMaster method and larval cultures. Riding horses only had cyathostomin infections (prevalence...
Fernandes KA, Kittelmann S, Rogers CW, Gee EK, Bolwell CF, Bermingham EN, Thomas DG.The effects of abrupt dietary transition on the faecal microbiota of forage-fed horses over a 3-week period were investigated. Yearling Thoroughbred fillies reared as a cohort were exclusively fed on either an ensiled conserved forage-grain diet ("Group A"; n = 6) or pasture ("Group B"; n = 6) for three weeks prior to the study. After the Day 0 faecal samples were collected, horses of Group A were abruptly transitioned to pasture. Both groups continued to graze similar pasture for three weeks, with faecal samples collected at 4-day intervals. DNA was isolated from the faeces and microbial 16S ...
Treiber KH, Kronfeld DS, Hess TM, Byrd BM, Splan RK, Staniar WB.To evaluate genetic and metabolic predispositions and nutritional risk factors for development of pasture-associated laminitis in ponies. Methods: Observational cohort study. Methods: 160 ponies. Methods: A previous diagnosis of laminitis was used to differentiate 54 ponies (PL group) from 106 nonlaminitic ponies (NL group). Pedigree analysis was used to determine a mode of inheritance for ponies with a previous diagnosis of laminitis. In early March, ponies were weighed and scored for body condition and basal venous blood samples were obtained. Plasma was analyzed for glucose, insulin, trigly...
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...
Salem SE, Maddox TW, Berg A, Antczak P, Ketley JM, Williams NJ, Archer DC.Colic (abdominal pain) is a common cause of mortality in horses. Change in management of horses is associated with increased colic risk and seasonal patterns of increased risk have been identified. Shifts in gut microbiota composition in response to management change have been proposed as one potential underlying mechanism for colic. However, the intestinal microbiota in normal horses and how this varies over different seasons has not previously been investigated. In this study the faecal microbiota composition was studied over 12 months in a population of horses managed at pasture with minima...
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...
Harris PA, Ellis AD, Fradinho MJ, Jansson A, Julliand V, Luthersson N, Santos AS, Vervuert I.The horse is a non-ruminant herbivore adapted to eating plant-fibre or forage-based diets. Some horses are stabled for most or the majority of the day with limited or no access to fresh pasture and are fed preserved forage typically as hay or haylage and sometimes silage. This raises questions with respect to the quality and suitability of these preserved forages (considering production, nutritional content, digestibility as well as hygiene) and required quantities. Especially for performance horses, forage is often replaced with energy dense feedstuffs which can result in a reduction in the p...
Nielsen MK, Kaplan RM, Thamsborg SM, Monrad J, Olsen SN.Development of resistance to anthelmintic drugs by horse strongyles constitutes a growing threat to equine health because it is unknown when new drug classes can be expected on the market. Consequently, parasite control strategies should attempt to maintain drug efficacy for as long as possible. The proportion of a parasite population that is not exposed to anthelmintic treatment is described as being "in refugia" and although many factors affect the rate at which resistance develops, levels of refugia are considered the most important as these parasites are not selected by treatment and so pr...
Bailey SR, Habershon-Butcher JL, Ransom KJ, Elliott J, Menzies-Gow NJ.To determine the metabolic phenotype of a group of laminitis-prone ponies when at pasture in summer, compared with when at pasture in winter. Methods: 40 ponies of various breeds predisposed to recurrent pasture-associated laminitis and 40 unaffected control ponies. Methods: Body condition score and size of the crest of the neck were assessed, blood samples obtained, and blood pressure measured by use of an indirect oscillometric technique, while ponies were kept on winter pasture (last week of November or beginning of December) and again on summer pasture (June). Serum insulin concentration a...
Hudson JM, Cohen ND, Gibbs PG, Thompson JA.To determine whether specific feeding practices were associated with development of colic in horses. Methods: Prospective matched case-control study. Methods: 364 horses examined by veterinarians in private practice in Texas because of colic (cases; n = 182) or any other reason (controls; 182). Methods: Participating veterinarians were sent forms at the beginning of the study to collect information on signalment, feeding management practices, farm management practices, and preventive medical treatments. Case and control horses were compared by use of conditional logistic regression to identify...
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...
Labruna MB, Kerber CE, Ferreira F, Faccini JL, De Waal DT, Gennari SM.From December 1998 to March 1999, 40 stud farms were studied in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. During visits to farms, horses reared under grazing conditions were examined for the presence of ticks. On each farm visit, horse pastures were closely inspected and a questionnaire was given to the farm supervisor with the purpose of gaining information about ecological and management variables (independent variables) that could be associated with the presence and infestation levels of ticks on the farm (dependent variables). Three tick species were found during the study. Anocentor nitens, Amblyo...
von Samson-Himmelstjerna G.During the past two decades anthelmintic resistance in equine parasites has been found in the group of small strongyle species (cyathostomins) and in the ascarid species Parascaris equorum. The ubiquitous nature and possible severe consequences of disease with these nematodes make them the prime targets of current worm control programmes. Traditional control strategies mainly rely on the strategic application of anthelmintics, currently represented by three major drug classes: benzimidazoles (BZ), the tetrahydropyrimidine pyrantel (PYR) and macrocyclic lactones (ML). Following decades of routi...
Clark A, Sallé G, Ballan V, Reigner F, Meynadier A, Cortet J, Koch C, Riou M, Blanchard A, Mach N.Gastrointestinal strongyles are a major threat to horses' health and welfare. Given that strongyles inhabit the same niche as the gut microbiota, they may interact with each other. These beneficial or detrimental interactions are unknown in horses and could partly explain contrasted susceptibility to infection between individuals. To address these questions, an experimental pasture trial with 20 worm-free female Welsh ponies (10 susceptible (S) and 10 resistant (R) to parasite infection) was implemented for 5 months. Fecal egg counts (FEC), hematological and biochemical data, body weight and g...
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....
Tinker MK, White NA, Lessard P, Thatcher CD, Pelzer KD, Davis B, Carmel DK.A 1 year prospective study was conducted on 31 horse farms to identify risk factors for equine colic. Farms were randomly selected from a list from 2 adjacent counties of Virginia and Maryland, USA. The association between colic and farm or individual horse risk factors related to management, housing, pasture, use, nutrition, health and events was first examined by univariate statistical analysis. Individually significant (P < = 0.25 for farm factors, P < = 0.10 for horse factors) variables were used in a stepwise multivariable forward logistic regression to select explanatory factors (P < = 0...
Wagnerová P, Sak B, Květoňová D, Buňatová Z, Civišová H, Maršálek M, Kváč M.Faecal samples were collected from 377 horses on 23 farms with varying management systems in the Czech Republic. Microsporidia were found on 16 farms and the overall prevalence of Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon cuniculi was 17.3% (66/377) and 6.9% (26/377), respectively. The prevalence of E. cuniculi in horses over 3 years of age was significantly higher (10.0%) compared to younger horses (4.0%). No significant differences in prevalence were observed among stallions, geldings, and mares for both microsporidia. Significantly higher infection rates of E. bieneusi and E. cuniculi wer...
Hillyer MH, Taylor FG, Proudman CJ, Edwards GB, Smith JE, French NP.A case control study was performed to identify risk factors for colic caused by simple colonic obstruction and distension (SCOD) in the horse. Case horses were recruited from 2 veterinary school clinics. Control horses were population based and matched by time of year. A number of risk factors were considered in the following areas: general carer and premises information; exercise information; husbandry information (housing- and pasture-related); feeding information; breeding information; behavioural information; travel information; preventive medicine information and previous medical informat...
Nielsen MK, Haaning N, Olsen SN.Knowledge of horses that shed the same number of strongyle eggs over time can lead to the optimization of parasite control strategies. This study evaluated shedding of strongyle eggs in 424 horses on 10 farms when a selective anthelmintic treatment regime was used over a 3-year period. Faecal egg counts were performed twice yearly, and horses exceeding 200 eggs per gram (EPG) of faeces were treated. The results are presented as probabilities of the egg count outcome, when two previous egg counts are known. A horse with no strongyle eggs detected in the two previous faecal examinations had an 8...
Christie JL, Hewson CJ, Riley CB, McNiven MA, Dohoo IR, Bate LA.In North America, there are few representative data about the effects of management practices on equine welfare. In a randomized survey of 312 nonracing horses in Prince Edward Island (response rate 68.4%), owners completed a pretested questionnaire and a veterinarian examined each horse. Regression analyses identified factors affecting 2 welfare markers: body condition score (BCS) and stereotypic behavior. Horses' BCSs were high (mean 5.7, on a 9-point scale) and were associated with sex (males had lower BCSs than females; P < 0.001) and examination date (P = 0.052). Prevalences of crib bi...
van Eps AW, Pollitt CC.Experimental induction of equine laminitis with a reliable and clinically relevant model should facilitate understanding of the disease. Successful induction with oligofructose (OF) could link pasture consumption to laminitis. Objective: To determine whether alimentary administration of OF induces laminitis. Methods: Twelve horses were dosed with OF and 6 received a sham (placebo) treatment. Clinical observations were made and blood collected at 4 h intervals over a 48 h study period. Stained sections of the hoof wall lamellae, examined by light microscopy, were graded for laminitis severity. ...
Archer DC, Proudman CJ.Colic remains a significant problem in the horse in terms of welfare and economics; in some equine populations it is the single most common cause of death. Many causes of colic are cited in the equestrian and veterinary literature but little scientific evidence exists to substantiate these theories. Recent epidemiological investigations have confirmed that colic is complex and multi-factorial in nature. Studies have identified a number of factors that are associated with increased risk of colic including parasite burden, certain feed types, recent change in feeding practices, stabling, lack of...
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...
Zhang X, Li C, Nan Z.An evaluation was performed on the influence of mowing height (2.5, 5.0 or 7.5 cm) and mowing frequency (weekly or fortnightly) on levels of ergot alkaloids (ergine and ergonovine) formed in drunken horse grass, Achnatherum inebrians, grown under greenhouse conditions. Samples were taken monthly and alkaloids were extracted and analyzed by reverse-phase HPLC. Alkaloid levels increased more or less linearly with plant age over the first four months following establishment. Levels were higher in samples cut fortnightly compared to those cut weekly, and were higher when plants were cut at a mowin...
Muscatello G, Anderson GA, Gilkerson JR, Browning GF.The ecology of virulent strains of Rhodococcus equi on horse farms is likely to influence the prevalence and severity of R. equi pneumonia in foals. This study examined the association between the ecology of virulent R. equi and the epidemiology of R. equi pneumonia by collecting air and soil samples over two breeding seasons (28 farm-year combinations) on Thoroughbred breeding farms with different reported prevalences of R. equi pneumonia. Colony blotting and DNA hybridization were used to detect and measure concentrations of virulent R. equi. The prevalence of R. equi pneumonia was associate...
The Journal of nutritionJune 15, 2006
Volume 136, Issue 7 Suppl 2099S-2102S doi: 10.1093/jn/136.7.2099S
Longland AC, Byrd BM.Fresh forages constitute a majority of the diet for many horses and ponies that graze on pastures during the growing season in many parts of the world. Grasses generally predominate in such pastures, with varying proportions of legumes. Nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) (simple sugars, starch, and fructan) can induce laminitis experimentally, and NSC can accumulate to >400 g/kg of dry matter (DM) in pasture grasses. In this article we discuss the environmental factors affecting NSC accumulation in pastures and estimate the potential daily intakes of pasture NSC by grazing horses. We also di...
Kuntz R, Kubalek C, Ruf T, Tataruch F, Arnold W.Large ruminants respond to changing plant phenology during winter by decreasing voluntary food intake, increasing gut passage time and utilizing body fat reserves. It is uncertain, however, how other large mammals with a non-ruminant digestive physiology cope with winter forage conditions. Therefore, we investigated seasonality of energy intake in a large herbivorous wild mammal, the Przewalski horse (Equus ferus przewalskii). Throughout all seasons we used the n-alkane method to measure daily dry matter intake (DMI), diet composition and digestion, and determined an index of gut passage time ...
Miraglia N, Salimei E, Fantuz F.The equine dairy chain is renewing the interest toward horse and donkey breeding for the production of milk with potential health promoting properties. The dairy equine chain for human consumption could contribute to the rural eco-sustainable development for the micro-economies of those areas threatened by marginalization. As a part of the whole equine industry, and its possible impact in the modern and future society, the main traits of the equine dairy enterprise are reviewed with a special focus on management of animals and milk. Equine milk compositional and nutritional peculiarities are d...
Wylie CE, Ireland JL, Collins SN, Verheyen KL, Newton JR.The objectives of this study were to describe the demographic characteristics and management practices undertaken by owners of horses/ponies within GB and assess seasonal and geographical variations in management practices. A cross-sectional study was conducted, surveying a random sample of veterinary-registered owners in GB, using a self-administered postal questionnaire. A total of 797 useable responses were received. Only 4.0% of animals were stabled 24h/day, this proportion being greater in winter compared to other seasons (p<0.001). Shavings (45.7%) and straw (35.3%) were the most freq...
Arlt D, Forslund P, Jeppsson T, Pärt T.To assess population persistence of species living in heterogeneous landscapes, the effects of habitat on reproduction and survival have to be investigated. Results: We used a matrix population model to estimate habitat-specific population growth rates for a population of northern wheatears Oenanthe oenanthe breeding in farmland consisting of a mosaic of distinct habitat (land use) types. Based on extensive long-term data on reproduction and survival, habitats characterised by tall field layers (spring- and autumn-sown crop fields, ungrazed grasslands) displayed negative stochastic population ...
van Heel MC, Kroekenstoel AM, van Dierendonck MC, van Weeren PR, Back W.Conformational traits are important in breeding, since they may be indicative for performance ability and susceptibility to injuries. Objective: To study whether certain desired conformational traits of foals are related to lateralised behaviour while foraging and to the development of uneven feet. Methods: Twenty-four Warmblood foals, born and raised at the same location, were studied for a year. Foraging behaviour was observed by means of weekly 10 min scan-sampling for 8 h. A preference test (PT) was developed to serve as a standardised tool to determine laterality. The foals were evaluated...
