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.
Dugdale AH, Curtis GC, Cripps PJ, Harris PA, Argo CM.Changes in appetite, body mass (BM), body condition score (BCS), direct (ultrasonographic) and indirect (deuterium oxide dilution technique) measures of body fat were monitored in Welsh Mountain pony mares (n=11, 5-19 years of age) offered ad libitum access to a complete diet (gross energy 16.9±0.07 MJ/kg dry matter) for 12 weeks during summer (n=6; 246±20 kg) and winter (n=5; 219±21 kg). At the outset, each group comprised two thin (BCS 1-3/9), moderate (BCS 4-6/9) and obese (BCS 7-9/9) animals. For ponies that were non-obese at the outset, BM was gained more rapidly (P=0.001) in summer (0...
Masey O'Neill HV, Keen J, Dumbell L.The purpose of this study was to gain evidence on the prevalence of dental abnormalities in stable-kept horses in comparison with free-living horses. It is expected that free-living horses that graze for as much as 16 h/day will have fewer dental abnormalities than stable-kept horses. In this study, the latter group was fed a diet that was based on a relatively high-energy, cereal-based feed. This was thought to be a representative of common practice in domesticated, stable-kept horses. Compound diets such as this have previously been shown to increase the frequency of chewing cycles and decre...
Menzies-Gow NJ, Stevens K, Barr A, Camm I, Pfeiffer D, Marr CM.Data from 107 cases of pasture-associated laminitis were obtained from first opinion practices to study factors associated with severity, survival and return to ridden exercise. There were 43 mares and 64 geldings, with a median age of 11 years. Of the 107 animals, 33 were small ponies, 45 were large ponies/cobs, 17 were small horses and 12 were large horses. Ninety-seven animals were categorised as having laminitis as defined by Cripps and Eustace (1999): 76 had mild (Obel grade 1 or 2) laminitis and 31 had severe (Obel grade 3 or 4) laminitis. Forty-three animals had previously had laminitis...
Watts K.The sugar, starch, and fructan content (collectively referred to as nonstructural carbohydrates [NSC]) of pasture plants is dependent on the environmental conditions under which they have grown. Pasture that is stressed by cold, drought, or lack of nutrients can be 2 to 3 times higher in NSC than pasture that grows quickly in warm weather and is adequately watered and fertilized. Horses at risk for laminitis should have access to pasture limited or be removed completely when environmental conditions are conducive to high levels of NSC accumulation.
Domange C, Casteignau A, Collignon G, Pumarola M, Priymenko N.Seventy horses with clinical evidence of Australian stringhalt were studied in France from 2003 to 2008. All horses but one had history of bilateral stringhalt and grazed pastures infested with Hypochoeris radicata (L.). They displayed hind limbs hyperflexion and an abnormal gait because of a distal axonopathy with a skeletal muscle denervation and atrophy. Fifty percentage of them recovered spontaneously in 8 months, and only the more affected horses were unable to recover even if they looked healthy on dry and hot days. Clinical troubles revealed also depression or aggressive behaviour, sugg...
Frank N, Elliott SB, Chameroy KA, Tóth F, Chumbler NS, McClamroch R.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is a risk factor for pasture-associated laminitis, which follows a seasonal pattern. Objective: Hormonal responses to season differ between PPID and unaffected horses. Methods: Seventeen horses aged 8-30 years (14 horses ≥ 20 years of age). Methods: Longitudinal observational study. Blood was collected monthly from August 2007 until July 2008 after pasture grazing and again after overnight stall confinement. Blood hormone and metabolite concentrations were measured and pasture grass samples were analyzed to determine carbohydrate content. Analysis...
Nielsen MK, Fritzen B, Duncan JL, Guillot J, Eysker M, Dorchies P, Laugier C, Beugnet F, Meana A, Lussot-Kervern I, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G.Development of resistance of several important equine parasites to most of the available anthelmintic drug classes has led to a reconsideration of parasite control strategies in many equine establishments. Routine prophylactic treatments based on simple calendar-based schemes are no longer reliable and veterinary equine clinicians are increasingly seeking advice and guidance on more sustainable approaches to equine parasite control. Most techniques for the detection of equine helminth parasites are based on faecal analysis and very few tests have been developed as diagnostic tests for resistan...
Lorenzo JM, Fuciños C, Purriños L, Franco D.The effects of sex, slaughtered age (9 vs. 12 months) and livestock production system (freedom extensive system vs. semi extensive system) of "Galician Mountain" foals breed on the fatty acid composition were studied. The sex and slaughtered age of the animals had no statistical significance in the intramuscular fatty acids. Furthermore, the livestock production system showed differences in the fatty acid profiles from the Longissimus dorsi. The feeding system showed significant differences in PUFA content (P<0.001) higher in freedom extensive production system that semi extensive system, wher...
Shingu Y, Kondo S, Hata H.In this study, grazing behavior of mares and cows was compared on woodland pastures, in the context of foraging hierarchy. A horse-group (12 native Hokkaido horses) and a cattle-group (5 Hereford cows) were grazed on the woodland pastures of 13.3 ha and 5.8 ha, respectively. They grazed mainly on Sasa nipponica. Grazing behavior at a feeding station (FS) scale was recorded for three focal animals in each group. Mares took one bite per FS at a high percentage of FSs (24.3%) and cows took one, two and three bites per FS at high percentage (20.3%, 19.2% and 15.4%, respectively). Although feeding ...
Staniar WB, Bussard JR, Repard NM, Hall MH, Burk AO.The objective of this study was to evaluate nutrient composition, voluntary DMI, and apparent DM digestibility of teff hay cut at 3 different stages of maturity to evaluate its potential as a preserved forage for horses. Six mature Quarter Horse mares (12 +/- 3 yr; 553 +/- 39 kg of BW) were used in a replicated balanced Latin square design with 3 periods and 3 maturities of teff hay. Eragrostis tef ('Tiffany' teff) was planted in May and harvested at the boot, early-heading, or late-heading stage of maturity through the summer. Horses were acclimated to a mixture of maturities of teff hay for ...
Becher AM, Mahling M, Nielsen MK, Pfister K.For 9 consecutive months (March-November 2008), faecal samples were collected monthly from 129 horses residing within 40 km of Salzburg, Austria. Samples were analysed quantitatively using a modified McMaster egg counting technique. Whenever a faecal egg count (FEC) result exceeded 250 eggs per gram (EPG), the horse was treated with pyrantel, ivermectin or moxidectin. In 52 of 129 horses (40.3%), no strongyle eggs were ever detected over the course of 9 months. In 39 horses (30.2%), strongyle eggs were detected in at least 1 sample, but the egg count never exceeded 250 EPG. The remaining 38 (2...
Fleurance G, Duncan P, Fritz H, Gordon IJ, Grenier-Loustalot MF.The spatial heterogeneity of grasslands determines the abundance and quality of food resources for grazing animals. As plants mature, they increase in mass, which allows greater instantaneous intake rates, but the cell wall concentrations increase too, reducing diet quality. In ruminants, daily intake rates are often constrained by the time needed for the ingesta to pass through the rumen, which is influenced by the rate of digestion. It has been suggested that the digestive constraint should have much less effect on hindgut fermenters such as equids. Horses play an increasing role in the mana...
Eckert JV, Myer RO, Warren LK, Brendemuhl JH.Mature horses were used to determine apparent DM, OM, NDF, and CP digestibility values of 2 bermudagrass (BG; Cynodon dactylon) hays, Coastal (CB) and Tifton 85 (T85), and Florigraze perennial peanut (PP; Arachis glabrata) hay. In addition, N, Ca, and P balances were determined in horses fed those hays. Five mature Thoroughbred geldings and 1 Quarter Horse gelding (mean initial BW = 542 +/- 37 kg) were used (5 horses for the last period) in a 3 x 3 repeated Latin square design, with 2 horses per hay and 3 adjustment and collection periods. Horses were randomly assigned to pairs and the initial...
Fritzen B, Rohn K, Schnieder T, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G.Increasing prevalence of anthelmintic resistance in equine nematodes calls for a reexamination of current parasite control programmes to identify factors influencing control efficacy and development of resistance. Objective: To investigate if associations occur between prevalence of parasitic nematodes and management practices. Methods: German horse farms (n = 76) were investigated in 2003 and 2004. Information on farm and pasture management with respect to endoparasite control measures obtained using a questionnaire survey. Faecal examinations were performed in parallel. Results: Horses (n = ...
The Journal of heredityNovember 27, 2009
Volume 101, Issue 2 133-143 doi: 10.1093/jhered/esp101
Gonzales E, Hamrick JL, Smouse PE, Trapnell DW, Peakall R.We examined spatial genetic structure (SGS) in Enterolobium cyclocarpum (the Guanacaste tree), a dominant tree of Central American dry forests in 4 sites in Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica. In disturbed dry forest sites (e.g., pastures), E. cyclocarpum is primarily dispersed by cattle and horses, whose movements are restricted by pasture boundaries. The study sites varied in tree densities and disturbance. Allozyme analyses of adult trees demonstrated significant levels of SGS in 3 of 4 sites. SGS was primarily due to clusters of young adults located along seasonal streams, rocky areas, and in...
Bourke CA, Hunt E, Watson R.A new form of toxicity called equine fescue oedema is described. The clinical signs included inappetence, depression, and subcutaneous oedema of the head, neck, chest and abdomen. Affected horses had very low plasma albumin values. The toxicity affected 48 of 56 horses on six farms in different states of Australia, and 4 horses have died. All horses were grazing pastures that had been sown with varieties of Mediterranean tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) that carry the endophyte known as Max P or Max Q. It is proposed that a pyrrolizidine alkaloid, N-acetyl norloline, which is produced by the ...
Francisco I, Sánchez JA, Cortiñas FJ, Francisco R, Mochales E, Arias M, Mula P, Suárez JL, Morrondo P, Díez-Baños P, Sánchez-Andrade R....The aim of this study was to assess, by a clinical trial, the efficacy of an ivermectin-based pour-on treatment against gastrointestinal parasitic nematodes in naturally infected horses using 2 groups of mature indigenous Pura Raza Galega grazing mares. Faecal and blood samples were collected individually over a 21 week period. Faeces were analysed by the coprological flotation, sedimentation and migration techniques. Changes in circulating blood cells were monitored over the study period. The administration of the ivermectin suppressed the egg-elimination of ascarids and pinworms throughout t...
Cerqueira VD, Riet-Correa G, Barbosa JD, Duarte MD, Oliveira CM, de Oliveira CA, Tokarnia C, Lee ST, Riet-Correa F.In the Amazon region of northern Brazil, Panicum maximum cultivars Mombaça, Tanzânia, and Massai cause severe colic and death in horses and mules. The disease occurs in the rainy season, when sprouting pastures are grazed by equidae. In the 8 separate disease outbreaks studied, a total of 52 out of 153 equidae were affected, including 19 that died (10 mules and 9 horses). Clinical signs were colic and abdominal dilatation, with a clinical manifestation period of 12 hr to 4 days. Serum activities of gamma-glutamyl transferase and aspartate aminotransferase were within reference intervals; how...
Thorson JF, Karren BJ, Bauer ML, Cavinder CA, Coverdale JA, Hammer CJ.To investigate the maternal plane of nutrition and role of Se yeast on foaling variables and passive transfer of IgG, 28 Quarter Horse mares were used in a study with a randomized complete block design. Mares were blocked by expected foaling date and assigned randomly within block to dietary treatments. Dietary treatments were arranged as a 2 x 2 factorial with 2 planes of nutrition, pasture or pasture + grain mix (fed at 0.75% of BW on an as-fed basis) and 2 concentrations of Se yeast (0 or 0.3 mg/kg of DMI). This resulted in 4 treatments: pasture (PA), pasture + Se (PS), pasture + grain mix ...
von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Traversa D, Demeler J, Rohn K, Milillo P, Schurmann S, Lia R, Perrucci S, di Regalbono AF, Beraldo P, Barnes H, Cobb R....For the control of worm infections, the strategic use of anthelmintics, often accompanied by additional farm and/or pasture management procedures, is currently applied on most horse farms in industrialized countries. However, the particular effects of the specific worm control procedures are often unclear and have only been investigated to a limited extent. We examined faecal egg count (FEC), faecal egg count reduction (FECR) and questionnaire data on farm and pasture management procedures. The aim of this study was to determine whether specific worm control practices reported to be applied in...
Kaya G, Sommerfeld-Stur I, Iben C.A hospital-based case study was conducted at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna for a 1-year period. The purpose of this study was to determine possible alterable and non-alterable risk factors of equine colic in Austria. The investigated parameters were obtained from hospital medical records (individual factors, duty of the horse, deworming, change in diet and water intake), from questionnaires (feed intake, watering types, housing and pasture practices) and from http://www.orf.at (weather-related factors). Moreover, 221 collected feed samples were investigated through hygienic qual...
Christmann U, Hite RD, Witonsky SG, Elvinger F, Werre SR, Thatcher CD, Tan RH, Buechner-Maxwell VA.Surfactant alterations are described in horses after exercise, anesthesia, and prolonged transport, in horses with recurrent airway obstruction, and in neonatal foals. The effect of horse age or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) sample characteristics on surfactant is unknown. Objective: To evaluate surfactant phospholipid composition and function in healthy horses, and to investigate the influence of age and BALF sample characteristics on surfactant. Methods: Seventeen healthy horses 6-25 years of age maintained on pasture year-round. Methods: BALF was collected by standard procedures and w...
Wylie CE, Proudman CJ.Equine grass sickness (EGS) is recognized as a debilitating and predominantly fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting grazing equids. The gastrointestinal tract is the most severely affected body system, resulting in the main clinical signs of colic (acute grass sickness), weight loss, or dysphagia (chronic grass sickness). EGS predominantly occurs within Great Britain, although it is also recognized in regions of mainland Europe, and mainly affects young horses with access to pasture in the springtime. There is strong evidence of an association between EGS and the type C toxins produced by ...
Francisco I, Arias M, Cortiñas FJ, Francisco R, Mochales E, Sánchez JA, Uriarte J, Suárez JL, Morrondo P, Sánchez-Andrade R, Díez-Baños P....Two groups of autochthonous Pura Raza Galega (PRG) horses, one comprising 483 animals under a silvopasturing regime, and the other comprising 72 PRG horses managed in farms, were used to analyse the effect of silvopasture on infection by endoparasites. Results were considered according to the age and the sex of the horses. Faecal samples were individually collected from each animal and analysed by the coprological flotation, sedimentation and migration techniques. Coprocultures were also done to identify the main strongylid genera affecting the horses. Eggs from the gastrointestinal nematoda P...
Braga FR, Araújo JV, Silva AR, Araujo JM, Carvalho RO, Tavela AO, Campos AK, Carvalho GR.The viability of a fungal formulation using the nematode-trapping fungus Duddingtonia flagrans was assessed for the biological control of horse cyathostomin. Two groups (fungus-treated and control without fungus treatment), consisting of eight crossbred mares (3-18 years of age) were fed on Cynodon sp. pasture naturally infected with equine cyathostome larvae. Each animal of the treated group received oral doses of sodium alginate mycelial pellets (1g/(10 kg live weight week)), during 6 months. Significant reduction (p<0.01) in the number of eggs per gram of feces and coprocultures was foun...
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...
Båverud V, Gunnarsson A, Engvall EO, Franzén P, Egenvall A.A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of different serovars of Leptospira spp. and their association with clinical disease and host factors in Swedish horses. Methods: Sera from 2017 horses brought to equine clinics during 1997-98 were investigated. The sera were examined by microscopic agglutination test for the presence of antibodies against the following L. interrogans serovars: Bratislava strain Jez, Icterohaemorrhagiae strain Kantorowicz and Pomona strain Pomona and also L. kirschneri sv Grippotyphosa strain Duyster and L. borgpetersenii sv Sejroe strain ...
Geor RJ.Laminitis is a painful and debilitating condition of horses and ponies that has major economic and welfare implications. Anecdotal observations and the results of survey studies have indicated that most laminitis cases occur in horses and ponies kept at pasture (hence, the term pasture-associated laminitis). Risk for development of pasture-associated laminitis represents a dynamic interaction between animal predisposing factors (an insulin-resistant phenotype commonly termed equine metabolic syndrome) and environmental conditions, particularly the nonstructural carbohydrate (simple sugars, sta...
Greiwe-Crandell KM, Kronfeld DS, Gay LS, Sklan D, Tiegs W, Harris PA.Forty-five Thoroughbred mares used in an 8-mo depletion study were kept for an additional 20 mo on the same three forage diets (15 mares each): 2-yr-old orchardgrass hay and vitamin A-free concentrate on a drylot (HC); pasture, orchardgrass/alfalfa hay, and vitamin A-free concentrate (PHC); or pasture and orchardgrass/alfalfa hay only (PH). Each diet group was divided into three subgroups, and mares (n = 5) in each group were given either retinyl palmitate (A) at twice the NRC (1989) recommended daily intake, the equivalent amount of vitamin A in the form of water-dispersible beta-carotene (B)...
Douthit TL, Bormann JM, Gradert KC, Lomas LW, DeWitt SF, Kouba JM.This experiment was conducted to evaluate if consumption of endophyte-infected fescue alters digital circulation in the distal thoracic limb of the horse and to assess if soundness of the hooves of horses is affected by consumption of endophyte-infected fescue. Twelve American Quarter Horses (mean initial BW 459 ± 31 kg), 6 mares and 6 geldings, were used in this 90-d study that comprised high-endophyte (E+) and low-endophyte (E-) treatment groups. Fescue seed was integrated into the E+ diet at a rate sufficient to bring total ergovaline to 200 μg/kg, and endophyte-free fescue seed was incor...
Ögren G, Holtenius K, Jansson A.This study examined the P balance and fecal P losses in growing Standardbred horses in training fed a forage-only diet with or without P supplementation and assessed the magnitude and proportion of the soluble, inorganic P (Pi) fraction in feces. Fourteen Standardbred horses (aged 20.0 ± 0.3 mo) adapted to ad libitum intake of grass forage containing 0.25% P were used in a crossover experiment investigating 2 dietary treatments with (high-P) and without (low-P) mineral supplementation for 6 d. Daily feed intake and refusals were weighed. Spot samples of feces were collected twice daily on d 4...
Rosanowski SM, Scott I, Sells PD, Rogers CW, Bolwell CF.There is growing concern worldwide regarding anthelmintic resistance in equine parasites. In order to improve parasite control practices and reduce the selection for resistant parasites, baseline data are required. Objective: To describe the current parasite management and control practices used for racehorses. Methods: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: Thoroughbred and Standardbred trainers were surveyed online regarding demographics, parasite control methods, grazing management and quarantine, and the use of faecal egg counts (FEC), with questions stratified by horse type, i.e. racehorses (ho...
Cameron A, Longland A, Pfau T, Pinnegar S, Brackston I, Hockenhull J, Harris PA, Menzies-Gow NJ.This work aimed to determine the effect of strip grazing on physical activity in ponies using behavioral observations alongside accelerometers positioned at the poll. In study one, ten British native breed ponies were randomly assigned to paddock A (50 × 110 m) or B (50 × 110 m divided into seven equal strips with access to one additional strip per day) for seven days (n = 5/paddock). In study two, ten different British native breed ponies were randomly assigned for 14 days individually to (1) a control field where the animal was allowed complete access to their allotted area (n = 4)...
Velázquez-Beltrán LG, Felipe-Pérez YE, Arriaga-Jordán CM.Campesino systems on hill slopes in Central Mexico rely on equids for multiple activities and have a problem in adequately feeding them. A participatory trial was conducted to evaluate the inclusion of common vetch in the traditional forage oat crop to improve its feeding value. An agronomic evaluation was undertaken by intersowing common vetch at 40 kg seed/ha with oats at 80-100 kg/ha in small plots, recording the yield and the chemical composition of the fresh forage in ten plots at harvest. The data were analysed as a completely random design, taking each farmer/plot as a treatment. A feed...
Gerber V, Straub R, Frey J.In Switzerland, the incidence of equine botulism and acute pasture myodystrophy have remarkably increased in the last five years. Equine fodder-borne botulism in Europe is most likely caused by Clostridium botulinum types C and D that produce the toxins BoNT/C and BoNT/D. Horses showing signs suggestive of botulism (muscle weakness and tremors, reduced tongue tone, slow chewing, salivation and difficulties swallowing, drooping eyelids, mydriasis), especially patients that have fed on suspect fodder (mostly haylage), must be treated with anti-serum as soon as possible. They also need intensive ...
Raisbeck MF, Dahl ER, Sanchez DA, Belden EL, O'Toole D.A review of Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory records for 1947-1987 revealed no substantiated cases of naturally occurring selenosis. However, older reports attributed thousands of animal deaths to selenium each year in this area. Beginning in August 1988, cases of suspected selenosis and selenium deficiency were solicited from veterinarians and producers by announcements in various statewide livestock publications. As of August 1991, 4 cases (all horses) of naturally occurring selenosis have been confirmed. Clinical signs were most often referable to epithelial damage, e.g., hoof lesions an...
Pfister JA, Stegelmeier BL, Cheney CD, Ralphs MH, Gardner DR.Locoweed (Oxytropis sericea) is a serious poisoning problem for horses grazing on infested rangelands in the western United States. Our objectives were to determine 1) whether lithium chloride or apomorphine would condition aversions to palatable foods, and at what doses, and 2) whether horses could be averted to fresh locoweed in a pen and grazing situation. Apomorphine was not an acceptable aversive agent because at the dose required to condition an aversion (> or = 0.17 mg/kg BW), apomorphine induced unacceptable behavioral effects. Lithium chloride given via stomach tube at 190 mg/kg BW...
The Journal of parasitologyJanuary 10, 2002
Volume 87, Issue 6 1371-1378 doi: 10.1645/0022-3395(2001)087[1371:STOGPO]2.0.CO;2
Chapman MR, French DD, Klei TR.Parasite-naive pony foals were used as sentinels to monitor transmission of gastrointestinal parasites of equids in Louisiana during 4 seasons of the year. Two annual periods were studied, 1988-1989 and 1992-1993. Two or 3 foals each season were turned out to graze a contaminated pasture along with resident parasitized mares and their foals. After a grazing period of 8 wk, sentinel ponies were held in a parasite-free box stall for a period of 6 wk to allow parasites to develop, thus enhancing the evaluation of hypobiotic stages. Following this holding period, necropsies were performed for comp...
Jaqueth AL, Turner TR, Iwaniuk ME, McIntosh BJ, Burk AO.Warm season wear-tolerant turfgrasses, such as those used on golf courses and athletic fields, may be valuable forages on equine operations because of their potential to remain viable during heavy hoof traffic. Crabgrass may also be suitable as it thrives in conditions where other grasses have limited success. The objective of this study was to assess the relative traffic tolerance and nutritional composition of five warm-season (WS) turfgrass cultivars of bermudagrass and zoysiagrass and one WS forage-type crabgrass. All cultivars were established by seed in replicated monoculture plots. Simu...
Francisco I, Sánchez JA, Cortiñas FJ, Francisco R, Mochales E, Arias M, Mula P, Suárez JL, Morrondo P, Díez-Baños P, Sánchez-Andrade R....The aim of this study was to assess, by a clinical trial, the efficacy of an ivermectin-based pour-on treatment against gastrointestinal parasitic nematodes in naturally infected horses using 2 groups of mature indigenous Pura Raza Galega grazing mares. Faecal and blood samples were collected individually over a 21 week period. Faeces were analysed by the coprological flotation, sedimentation and migration techniques. Changes in circulating blood cells were monitored over the study period. The administration of the ivermectin suppressed the egg-elimination of ascarids and pinworms throughout t...
Lumsden GG, Quan-Taylor R, Smith SM, Washbrooke IM.Three anthelmintic pastes were compared in terms of their ability to suppress the output of parasite eggs in the faeces of 108 grazing horses at four sites in Britain; the horses were treated once with either ivermectin, fenbendazole or pyrantel. At each site, the horses grazed together throughout the trials which took place during the summers of 1985 and 1986. The median periods before parasite eggs reappeared in faeces were 70 days for ivermectin, 14 days for fenbendazole and 39 days for pyrantel embonate. Geometric mean faecal egg counts in the groups treated with ivermectin and pyrantel we...
Ossedryver SM, Baldwin GI, Stone BM, McKenzie RA, van Eps AW, Murray S, Fletcher MT.Three ponies continuously grazed a pasture containing an estimated 24% Indigofera spicata (wet weight basis) for 4-6 weeks in April and May 2004. They developed ataxia, paresis, depression, muscle fasciculations, dysphagia, ptyalism and halitosis. Two also developed corneal opacity. One pony recovered with supportive treatment, but the other two were euthanased and necropsied. Neuropathology was not present in either case, but both livers had periacinar and periportal lymphocytic infiltrations and hydropic degeneration of mid-zonal hepatocytes, with mild to moderate periacinar necrosis also ev...
Tomczuk K, Grzybek M, Szczepaniak K, Studzińska M, Demkowska-Kutrzepa M, Roczeń-Karczmarz M, Abbass ZA, Kostro K, Junkuszew A.Equine Anoplocephalosis constitute a significant problem in horses worldwide. The aim of this study was to analyse intrinsic (host age and sex) and extrinsic (management type, pasture type and moisture) factors that influence the prevalence and FEC of A. perfoliata infections. Faecal samples were collected from 994 horses managed in studs or individually between 2012 and 2014. The Sedimentation-flotation method was applied for coproscopic analysis, and faecal egg counts were calculated. The overall prevalence was 25.1% (21.4-29.0) with the highest prevalence (36.1% [28.1-44.8]) found in horses...
Goren G, Fritz J, Dillitzer N, Hipp B, Kienzle E.Hay stabilises urine pH in horses. It is unknown whether this is an effect of structure or of chemical composition. In this study, four ponies (230-384 kg body weight [BW]) were fed six different diets with either a structure or a composition similar to hay with and without acidifiers in a cross-over experimental design in amounts to maintain body weight with the following main compounds: Fresh grass (GRASS), alfalfa hay (ALF), grass cobs (COBS), grass silage (SIL), straw (STR) or extruded straw (STRe) for 2 to 10 days. Urine pH was measured in all trials, blood pH, blood base excess and bicar...
Seahorn TL, Groves MG, Harrington KS, Beadle RE.To evaluate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease of horses in Louisiana by assessing the signalment, history, environmental factors, clinical signs, and treatment of such horses. Methods: Epidemiologic mail survey. Methods: 83 of 240 veterinarians contacted by mail agreed to take part in the survey. Veterinarians contacted were listed as mixed-animal or equine practitioners in the 1991/1992 directory of the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association or had submitted a specimen from a horse to the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory within the past 2 years. Methods: The survey con...
Ringmark S, Skarin A, Jansson A.Horse grazing may benefit biodiversity, but the impact of year-round grazing on nutrient dynamics has not been evaluated previously. This study compared pasture quality in a forest-grassland landscape grazed year-round by horses with that in exclosed mown areas. Twelve Gotlandsruss stallions were kept without supplementary feeding in three enclosures (~0.35 horse/ha) outside Uppsala, Sweden, from May 2014 to September 2016. Each enclosure contained three mown exclosures, where grass sward samples were collected monthly and analyzed for chemical composition and vegetation density. Fecal grab sa...
Walsh ML, Meason-Smith C, Arnold C, Suchodolski JS, Scott EM.The eye is host to myriad bacterial, fungal, and viral organisms that likely influence ocular surface physiology in normal and diseased states. The ocular surface mycobiota of horses has not yet been described using NGS techniques. This study aimed to characterize the ocular surface fungal microbiota (mycobiota) in healthy horses in 2 environmental conditions (stalled versus pasture). Conjunctival swabs of both eyes were obtained from 7 adult stallions stabled in an open-air pavilion and 5 adult mares living on pasture. Genomic DNA was extracted from ocular surface swabs and sequenced using pr...
Hampson BA, de Laat MA, Monot J, Bailliu D, Pollitt CC.Many domestic horses and ponies are sedentary and obese due to confinement to small paddocks and stables and a diet of infrequent, high-energy rations. Severe health consequences can be associated with this altered lifestyle. Objective: The aims of this study were to investigate the ability of horses to learn to use a dynamic feeder system and determine the movement and behavioural responses of horses to the novel system. Methods: A dynamic feed station was developed to encourage horses to exercise in order to access ad libitum hay. Five pairs of horses (n = 10) were studied using a randomised...
Hughes C, Lehner F, Dirikolu L, Harkins D, Boyles J, McDowell K, Tobin T, Crutchfield J, Sebastian M, Harrison L, Baskin SI.An epidemiological association among black cherry trees (Prunus serotina), eastern tent caterpillars (Malacosoma americana), and the spring 2001 episode of mare reproductive loss syndrome in central Kentucky focused attention on the potential role of environmental cyanogens in the causes of this syndrome. To evaluate the role of cyanide (CN (-)) in this syndrome, a simple, rapid, and highly sensitive method for determination of low parts per billion concentrations of CN (-) in equine blood and other biological fluids was developed. The analytical method is an adaptation of methods commonly in ...
Müller A, Bertram A, Moschos A.Evaluation of the differences in the selenium supply to horses across Europe. Methods: Serum samples from 137,152 horses all over Europe, which had been sent by veterinarians to IDEXX Vet Med Labor between January 1st 2006 and December 31st 2011, were routinely analyzed for the selenium concentration by means of ICP-analytic. Results: The selenium content of the soil appears to play a key role in the selenium supply to horses. Countries closer to the ocean provided a better selenium supply than countries in central Europe. The best selenium supply can be seen in Denmark and in the Netherlands....
Holcomb KE, Tucker CB, Stull CL.Horses in the United States are commonly managed in outside pens or pastures in small groups. Limited research on shade use by domestic horses housed singly in individual pens has shown benefits and a preference for using available shade. The objective of this study was to examine the amount of shade use and the behavioral and physiological responses of small groups of horses when housed with access to shade (SH) and without access to shade (SUN). Thirty-six horses were randomized into 3 consecutive trials using 3 horses per group and 4 groups per trial. Groups experienced 5 d in each treatmen...
Longland AC, Barfoot C, Harris PA.The effects of different water-soaking treatments on removal of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), WSC constituents and protein from four UK hays were determined. Hays were soaked in water for up to 16 hours at mean temperatures of 8°C, 16°C, in hot tap water (initially 49°C) or agitated and rinsed in clean water at 16°C. Initial hay WSC contents ranged from 154 to 216 g/kg dry matter. Losses of WSC from hays after 16 hours soaking at 8°C, 16°C, 16°C plus agitation and 49°C averaged 28, 46, 49 and 44 per cent, respectively. Corresponding percentage losses of fructan were 16, 37, 39 and...
Cope SE, Catts EP.Parahost behavior of adult Gasterophilus intestinalis (DeGeer) was observed during the summers of 1978 and 1979 near pastured horses on two farms near Newark, Del. Adult fly occurrence, although sparse in early summer, indicated a gradual increase, with three surges in emergence. In the laboratory, males lived 1-3 d and females 1-2 d. In the field, marked flies were not seen on days following their release. Adult behavior indicated an urgency in mating and oviposition dictated by a short life span. Male flight patterns were characterized by in-flight searches for females and intraspecific conf...
Pfister JA, Stegelmeier BL, Gardner DR, James LF.Spotted locoweed (Astragalus lentiginosus var. diphysus) is a toxic, perennial plant that may, if sufficient precipitation occurs, dominate the herbaceous vegetation of pinyon-juniper woodlands on the Colorado Plateau. Six cow/calf pairs and four horses grazed a 20-ha pasture with dense patches of locoweed in eastern Arizona during spring 1998. Locoweed density was 0.7 plants/m2 in the pasture. Locoweed averaged 30.4% NDF and 18.4% CP. Concentrations of the locoweed toxin, swainsonine, fluctuated from 1.25 to 2 mg/g in locoweed. Horses ate more (P < 0.01) bites of locoweed than did cows (15...
Ericsson AC, Johnson PJ, Gieche LM, Zobrist C, Bucy K, Townsend KS, Martin LM, LaCarrubba AM.Common treatments for Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) and associated conditions include removal from pasture and adoption of an all-hay diet. Pharmacological treatments for EMS include metformin, a biguanide antihyperglycemic agent also administered to people to help improve glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. Both treatments may work, at least partially, through the gut microbiota, yet little is known regarding these effects in the equine host. To determine the influence on the fecal microbiota of this diet change and administration of metformin, six healthy horses were removed from pa...
Elsener J, Villeneuve A.Fecal samples were examined immediately before and 24 to 48 h after cestocide treatment for a comparative detection of tapeworm-positive horses. In early winter, 17 weanlings, 20 yearlings, 15 2-year-old horses, 24 breeding mares, and 2 stallions were treated with praziquantel in combination with a macrocyclic lactone. The horses were presumed to be naturally infected with tapeworms after pasture grazing. Fecal samples were collected before treatment (Day 0), at 24 or 48 h after treatment (Day 1-2), and 16 to 21 d after treatment (Day 16-21). A Wisconsin test was done on all fecal samples. Odd...
Martin RG, McMeniman NP, Dowsett KF.Intakes of milk and milk nutrients were determined for 8 foals at 11-18 days of age and for 10 foals at 30-44 days and 60-74 days of age while sucking grazing mares. Water intakes (sources other than milk) of the foals were determined at 30-44 days and 60-74 days of age. Five of the 10 mares were fed a protein supplement (24% crude protein) in addition to grazing during the stud season. The protein supplement did not influence foal intakes of milk and milk nutrients, milk composition, weight gains of the mares or the growth rate of the foals. Foal milk intakes increased (P less than 0.05) from...
Hutchinson GW, Abba SA, Mfitilodze MW.Longevity in faeces, migration to and survival on herbage of mixed strongyle infective larvae (approximately 70% cyathostomes: 30% large strongyles) from experimentally deposited horse faeces was studied in the dry tropical region of North Queensland for up to 2 years. Larvae were recovered from faeces deposited during hot dry weather for a maximum of 12 weeks, up to 32 weeks in cool conditions, but less than 8 weeks in hot wet summer. Translation to herbage was mainly limited to the hot wet season (December-March), except when unseasonal winter rainfall of 40-50 mm per month in July and Augus...
