The physiology of horses encompasses the study of the biological functions and processes that occur within the equine body. This includes the examination of various systems such as the cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal, digestive, and nervous systems. Understanding equine physiology is essential for comprehending how horses adapt to different environmental conditions, perform physical activities, and respond to health challenges. Research in this field often focuses on the mechanisms of energy metabolism, thermoregulation, and muscle function during exercise, as well as the physiological responses to stress and disease. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the diverse aspects of equine physiology, providing insights into the biological processes that support the health and performance of horses.
DURAN-JORDA F.This research article investigates the significance of eosinophil cells in horses and camels, focusing on the large granules found in these cells and their similarities to smaller red blood cells. […]
The aim of our study was to analyze circadian rhythm of the hematological profile of horses housed in a loose box and paddock during the different seasons (spring, summer, autumn, and winter). Blood samples were performed every 4 h for 48 consecutive hours. Red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), white blood cells (WBCs), platelets (PLTs), and leukocyte subpopulations (neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes) were analyzed, and, at the same time, environmental conditions were recorded. A statistically significant effect of housing conditions ( < 0...
Arias-Esquivel AM, Vasco ACCM, Lance J, Warren LK, Rodriguez-Campos LA, Lee MC, Rodriguez CN, Wickens CL.Cribbing, a stereotypic oral behavior observed in horses, involves placing incisors on a fixed object, arching the neck, pulling against the object, and emitting an audible grunt. This behavior has been associated with gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction and gastric ulceration. In this randomized crossover study, we investigated the impact of a GI support supplement (SPL) on the GI environment and physiology of four cribbing (CB) and four non-cribbing horses (NCB). Mature Quarter Horses, acclimated to individual stalls for 16 hours daily with paddock turnout in pairs for 8 hours per day, were ra...
Rigby BR.Repeated stresses applied to the rider may contribute to the documented physical and psychosocial outcomes from equine-assisted services. In this brief review, a summary of neuroendocrine markers of stress, including immunoglobulin A, serotonin, cortisol, progesterone, and oxytocin, is presented within the context of the physiology of stress modulation. Results are mixed with regard to the effects of these hormones on rider physiology before, during, and after equine-assisted services. However, some results from existing studies are promising with regard to the attenuation of stress. Future re...
Yano R, Moriyama T, Fujimori M, Nishida T, Hanada M, Fukuma N.In racehorses, feeding a high-concentrate diet could cause abnormal fermentation in the hindgut. This feeding management regime is not suitable for the nutritional physiology of horses. However, studies on the hindgut environment have yet to be reported in Japanese draft horses, so feeding management needs to be investigated in these horses. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a high-concentrate diet on hindgut fermentation in Japanese draft horses. Feces were collected from 20 male Japanese draft horses managed by two stables with different feeding designs...
Miglio A, Falcinelli E, Cappelli K, Mecocci S, Mezzasoma AM, Antognoni MT, Gresele P.Training has a significant effect on the physiology of blood coagulation in humans and in horses. Several hemostatic changes have been reported after exercise in the horse but data available are inconclusive. The aim of this study was to investigate platelet activation and primary platelet-related hemostasis modifications in young never-trained Thoroughbreds in the first incremental training period in order to improve knowledge on this topic. Twenty-nine clinically healthy, untrained, 2-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses were followed during their incremental 4-month sprint exercise training. Bl...
Byrne DP, Studer N, Secombe C, Cieslewicz A, Hosgood G, Raisis A, Adler A, Mosing M.Objective. Data from two-plane electrical impedance tomography (EIT) can be reconstructed into various slices of functional lung images, allowing for more complete visualisation and assessment of lung physiology in health and disease. The aim of this study was to confirm the ability of 3D EIT to visualise normal lung anatomy and physiology at rest and during increased ventilation (represented by rebreathing).Approach. Two-plane EIT data, using two electrode planes 20 cm apart, were collected in 20 standing sedate horses at baseline (resting) conditions, and during rebreathing. EIT data were re...
Freitas ML, Viana JHM, Dode MAN, Braga TRC, de Oliveira RA.Scrotal surface thermography is a non-invasive method for assessing testicular thermoregulation in stallions; however, few studies have explored the application of this technique concerning the thermal physiology of equine reproductive systems. This study aimed to evaluate the consistency of testicular thermoregulation in stallions over a year using thermography to measure the scrotal surface temperature (SST). Moreover, we assessed the best region for measuring the surface body temperature compared with the SST. Ten light-breed stallions were used in the experiment. Thermographic images of th...
Moscovice LR, Sobczak B, Niittynen T, Koski SE, Gimsa U.Although best known for its established role in mediating parturition and lactation, the highly-conserved neuropeptide hormone oxytocin also mediates a range of social and stress-buffering processes across mammalian species. Measurements of peripheral oxytocin in plasma have long been considered the gold standard, but there is increasing interest in developing methods to detect oxytocin non-invasively in saliva. Here we present an analytical and biological validation of a novel method to measure salivary oxytocin (sOXT) in an under-studied research group: farm animals. Given their similarities...
Sanigavatee K, Poochipakorn C, Huangsaksri O, Wonghanchao T, Rodkruta N, Chanprame S, Wiwatwongwana T, Chanda M.Athletic horses are usually retired from equestrian competition at an advanced age. Aged horses may then continue to have regular exercise or are sedentary. The comparison of autonomic regulation between sedentary aged horses (SAH) and trained aged horses (TAH) after retirement remains unpublished. This study compared daily heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability between 11 SAH and 11 TAH over 22 hours (07.00 h to 05.00 h on an alternate day) and during the day and night. An increase in mean beat-to-beat (RR) intervals (p < 0.01-0.0001) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) index (p &...
Sanigavatee K, Poochipakorn C, Huangsaksri O, Wonghanchao T, Yalong M, Poungpuk K, Thanaudom K, Chanda M.Strenuous exercise in traditional polo matches creates enormous stress on horses. Hematological and physiological measures may vary across different field-play positions. This study aimed to investigate the effort intensity and the impact of exertion on hematology and heart rate variability (HRV) in polo ponies with different positions. Thirty-two ponies, divided equally into eight teams, were studied. Each comprises forwards (number 1), midfielders (numbers 2 and 3), and defenders (number 4). Team pairs played the first chukka in four low-goal polo matches. Percent maximum heart rate (%HRmax)...
Wood JM, Baum HP, Bews JP, Wachsmuth ED, Heusser C, Hofbauer KG.In this study, the hypotensive efficacy of R-3-36-16, a monoclonal antibody against human kidney renin, was investigated during chronic administration to a primate. R-3-36-16 was given by continuous intraperitoneal infusion with osmotic minipumps to normotensive marmosets fed a low-sodium diet in doses of 30 or 300 micrograms/kg/day for 14 days. The lower dose had no effect on blood pressure (BP) or plasma renin activity (PRA). After two days of treatment, the higher dose reduced PRA by 57% and lowered BP by 13 +/- 7 mm Hg. Although the hypotensive response persisted after 14 days of treatment...
Al-Modhefer AK, Atherton JC, Garland HO, Singh HJ, Walker J.Single-nephron and whole-kidney function were studied in female rats with corticomedullary nephrocalcinosis, and in animals where the lesion had been prevented either by a dietary magnesium supplement or by using a diet with a calcium:phosphorus ratio in excess of 1. At the single-nephron level, rats with nephrocalcinosis had prolonged tubular fluid transit times. Proximal transit time was 19.42 +/- 1.98 (mean +/- S.E. of mean) vs. 11.58 +/- 0.19 s for controls; distal transit time was 62.64 +/- 9.16 vs. 31.50 +/- 1.03 s for controls. Although single-nephron function is altered in nephrocalcin...
Ishimaru M, Tsuchiya T, Endo Y, Matsui A, Ohmura H, Murase H, Korosue K, Sato F, Taya K.Effects of different winter paddock management of Thoroughbred weanlings and yearlings in Hokkaido, Japan, which is extremely cold in winter, on physiological function, endocrine function and growth were investigated. They were divided into two groups; those kept outdoors for 22 hr in the paddock (22hr group) and those kept outdoors for 7 hr in daytime with walking exercise for 1 hr using the horse-walker (7hr +W group), and the changes in daily distance travelled, body temperature (BT), heart rate (HR), HR variability (HRV), endocrine function and growth parameters were compared between the t...
Ebisuda Y, Mukai K, Takahashi Y, Yoshida T, Matsuhashi T, Kawano A, Miyata H, Kuwahara M, Ohmura H.This study aimed to determine whether heat acclimation could induce adaptations in exercise performance, thermoregulation, and the expression of proteins associated with heat stress in the skeletal muscles of Thoroughbreds. Thirteen trained Thoroughbreds performed 3 weeks of training protocols, consisting of cantering at 90% maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) for 2 min 2 days/week and cantering at 7 m/s for 3 min 1 day/week, followed by a 20-min walk in either a control group (CON; Wet Bulb Globe Temperature [WBGT] 12-13°C; n = 6) or a heat acclimation group (HA; WBGT 29-30°...
Aragona F, Arfuso F, Rizzo M, Fazio F, Acri G, Piccione G, Giannetto C.This study aimed to evaluate changes in body temperature in athletic horses during two different road transport distances. Six Italian Saddle horses were subjected to a 100 and 300 km transport during different times of day (am and pm). Rectal and cutaneous temperatures were recorded before (T0), immediately (following 5 min- T1) and 1 hour (T2) after transport by means of a rectal digital thermometer and a thermal infrared camera (FLIR T440) respectively, for the evaluation of left and right side of four body regions: jugular, shoulder, croup and inner thigh. There were no differences between...
Ramos GV, Santos MM, Gava FN, de Lacerda-Neto JC.The effects of conditioning on cardiac function in young horses is still unknown. For this reason, this study evaluated the left ventricular (LV) function of young horses by echocardiography after six weeks of conditioning. Fourteen untrained young purebred Arabian horses were evaluated at rest and after a stress test (ST) before and after a six-week conditioning program. There was an increase in V4 (p < 0.001) after conditioning, as well as a reduction in both heart rate (HR) at rest and peak HR during the ST (p < 0.001). There was also a reduction in internal diameter, along with an in...
Miglio A, Falcinelli E, Mezzasoma AM, Busechian S, Rueca F, Gresele P, Antognoni MT.Physical exercise has an activating effect on platelet function that differs between trained and untrained subjects, depending on the type of exercise and training status. In humans, soluble P-selectin (sP-sel) and platelet-derived extracellular vesicles (PEVs) are considered reliable markers of platelet activation during exercise. In untrained humans, they increase after transient physical exercise, whereas long-term training induces a decrease in their resting levels due to an improved ability to adapt to hemodynamic changes. The aim of this study was to assess whether circulating levels of...
Huangsaksri O, Wonghanchao T, Sanigavatee K, Poochipakorn C, Chanda M.Heart rate variability (HRV) is a frequently used indicator of autonomic responses to various stimuli in horses. This study aimed to investigate HRV variables in horses undergoing cold (n = 25) or hot (n = 26) shoeing. Multiple HRV variables were measured and compared between horses undergoing cold and hot shoeing, including the time domain, frequency domain, and nonlinear variables pre-shoeing, during shoeing, and at 30-minute intervals for 120 minutes post-shoeing. The shoeing method interacted with time to change the HRV variables standard deviation of RR intervals (SDNN), root mean square ...
Leemans B, Gadella BM, Marchand JHEAM, Van Soom A, Stout TAE.We recently developed re-differentiated equine oviduct epithelial cell (REOEC) monolayers demonstrating various in vivo morphological characteristics, but lacking secondary ciliation. In this study, we evaluated the effects of fetal bovine serum, reproductive steroid hormones, Wnt- and Notch ligands and inhibitors, and different EOEC seeding densities, in both conventional wells and on microporous membranes, on EOEC morphology and, in particular, secondary ciliation. REOEC monolayers were assessed by confocal microscopy after combined staining of nuclei, cilia and the cytoskeleton. Only Wnt li...
Hubbell JAE, Muir WW, Gorenberg E, Hopster K.Horses are the most challenging of the common companion animals to anesthetize. Induction of anesthesia in the horse is complicated by the fact that it is accompanied by a transition from a standing position to recumbency. The purpose of this article is to review the literature on induction of anesthesia with a focus on the behavioral and physiologic/pharmacodynamic responses and the actions and interactions of the drugs administered to induce anesthesia in the healthy adult horse with the goal of increasing consistency and predictability.
Scholler D, Wittenberg J, Zablotski Y, May A.The public perception relating to the welfare of horses involved with equestrian sports is associated with training methods used and the presentation of horses at events. In this context, very tight nosebands, which are intended to prevent the horse from opening its mouth, also attract a lot of attention. Various studies have evaluated the impact of tight nosebands on stress parameters, whereas the effect of tight nosebands on upper airway function is unknown. Therefore, the aim of the study was to use overground endoscopy to evaluate changes in pharyngeal and laryngeal function when a tight n...
Satué K, Fazio E, Velasco-Martínez MG, Fauci D, Cravana C, Medica P.Catecholamines (CATs) are neurotransmitters and allostatic hormones whose plasma concentrations are physiologically modified in various species such as human, rats, mice and donkeys, with advancing age. However, currently these mechanisms are less well elucidated in horses and more specifically in mares. The hypothesis of this study was that, as in afore mentioned species, the CATs could experience physiological changes with advancing age. The objective of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of adrenaline (A), noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA), and serotonin (5-HT) in mares of differ...
Vitale V, Bindi F, Velloso Alvarez A, de la Cuesta-Torrado M, Sala G, Sgorbini M.This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (tAVNS) in healthy horses and its effect on heart rate variability (HRV). The study comprised three phases: the selection of mares, their acclimatization to the tAVNS, and the stimulation phase. Stimulation was performed with two electrodes positioned on the right pinna. The settings were 0.5 mA, 250 μs, and 25 Hz for pulse amplitude, pulse width, and pulse frequency, respectively. HRV was analysed before (B1), during (T), and after (B2) the tAVNS. From the 44 mares initially included, only 7 comp...
Dos Santos Rosse N, Reis ECC.The resistivity index (RI) evaluates haemodynamic based on arterial resistance. Alterations in renal blood flow are important for the early detection of kidney damage, as perfusion might be one of the first affected aspects. Objective: To retrieve published studies on equine renal RI to develop a standardised method of renal ultrasonographic examination and to evaluate the current reference range for the renal RI in horses. Methods: Systematic review. Methods: An electronic search in Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases was performed in February 2023 using the terms 'RI'...
Lindinger H, Wehrend A.In horses, parturition is characterized by the fact that any delays may rapidly result in the death of the foal. Therefore, birth monitoring and the rapid detection of dystocia are of great importance. For this purpose, the differentiation between behavior associated with physiological parturition and activities related to difficult parturition is important. The aim of this publication is to present the physiological behavior of mares during parturition on the basis of a literature review. The behavior of mares in the opening phase of parturition is highly individual. In general, it is charact...
Stellmack JM, Logan AA, Higgins AH, Hoffman RM.Periods of limited activity during semester break may reduce performance during return to ridden work. This study evaluated fitness and muscling of horses when returning to work, following a 12-week period during which horses either continued (conditioned) or discontinued (non-conditioned) ridden work. It was hypothesized that non-conditioned horses would have a lower level of fitness, resulting in higher resting and peak heart rates and lower levels of muscling. Twelve mature, stock type horses aged 16 ± 5 years were assigned to either a conditioned group that maintained light-to-moderate ri...
Discepolo DR, Gaare E, Handlos G, Perry EB.Cutaneous pH and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) are commonly utilized measures in dermatological research as they provide information concerning barrier function. The importance of dermal health has become more evident in recent years. Accordingly, the aim of this work was to identify natural fluctuations in the biophysical parameters of healthy equine skin. Cutaneous pH and TEWL was collected on nine mares at 6:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 6:00 PM daily for five days on the nose, withers, girth area, mid-back, and base of tail. Ambient temperature and humidity were measured at each collection. Stat...
Hisaeda K, Ono T, Kadekaru S, Hata A, Miyama TS, Kutara K, Sugimoto K, Hiasa Y, Ohzawa E, Kunieda T, Iwata E, Kitagawa H.Plasma or serum amino acids are used to evaluate nutritional status and metabolic disorders. In this study, we aimed to set reference values of serum amino acid concentrations in the Noma horse, a Japanese native horse. Thirty-one horses were classified into six age groups: neonatal foal (0-4 days), foal (0.5-1 years), youth (5 years), middle age (10 years), old (15 years), and extra-old (>20 years). Horses >5 years of age were analyzed together as the adult group. In the adult horses, there were no significant differences among the serum amino acid concentrations of each age group. The ...
Wang J, Ren W, Sun Z, Han Z, Zeng Y, Meng J, Yao X.This study conducted a thorough analysis of the myofiber type composition in the extensor digitorum longus muscle (EDL) and soleus muscle (SOL) of Kazakh horses, across different genders (male and female). The results showed significant differences in myofiber type composition between EDL and SOL, with a higher proportion of Type I fibers in SOL muscles and a greater prevalence of Type II fibers in EDL muscles. Additionally, the myofiber diameter in Kazakh horses was relatively small, potentially related to the tenderness and edible quality of their muscles. Using high-throughput sequencing te...
Aragona F, Rizzo M, Arfuso F, Acri G, Fazio F, Piccione G, Giannetto C.The aim of the present study was to investigate eye temperature modifications after road transport in athletic horses habituated to travel. Eight adult Italian saddle horses traveled 100 km and, two weeks later, 300 km. Eye temperature (ET), rectal temperature (RT) and serum cortisol concentration were assessed before (T1), after (T2) and 60 min (T3) after the road transport. ET was evaluated with infrared thermography (IRT) in three regions of interest: EL1 (medial canthus), EL2 (central cornea) and EL3 (lateral canthus). Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures showed stati...
