Ponies are members of the Equidae family and share many physiological and anatomical characteristics, yet they are distinguished by several key differences. Ponies are generally smaller in stature, with a height at the withers of 14.2 hands (58 inches) or less, while horses exceed this height. In addition to size, ponies often exhibit a stockier build, thicker manes, tails, and coats, and a greater bone density compared to horses. These differences can influence their suitability for various tasks and environments. This topic encompasses a collection of peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the genetic, phenotypic, and behavioral distinctions between ponies and horses, as well as their implications for breeding, management, and performance in equine disciplines.
Nuchprayoon N, Ritruechai P, Watchararat K, Limroongruengrat W, Wongtawan T, Arya N.Hippotherapy in patients with neuromuscular dysfunction creates high focal pressure on the pony's back due to bareback riding and an asymmetrical riding position. This study aimed to investigate the acute effect of asymmetrical bareback riding on the pony's spinal kinematics, blood lactate, serum creatine kinase, heart rate, and temperament score. Eight ponies were selected, and they were walked on a treadmill for 45 min on each experimental day, including warm-up (5 min), weight-loading by mannequin (30 min), and cool-down (10 min) sessions. During the weight-loading session, three different ...
Lerch N, Cirulli F, Rochais C, Lesimple C, Guilbaud E, Contalbrigo L, Borgi M, Grandgeorge M, Hausberger M.Little is known about the impact of equine-assisted interventions (EAI) on equids' perception of humans. In this study 172 equids, living in 12 riding centres, were submitted to a standardised human-horse relationship test: the motionless person test. Age, sex, type (horse/pony), housing, and feeding conditions of subjects were recorded. Overall, 17 equids worked in EAI, 95 in riding school lessons (RS), and 60 in both (EAI-RS). There were high inter-individual variations in the number of interactive behaviours directed towards the experimenter: negative binomial general linear models showed t...
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)...
Leventhal HR, Hassebroek AM, Carvallo F, McKenzie HC.A 14-y-old pony mare was referred after 30-d duration of intermittent pyrexia, anorexia, weight loss, and change in manure consistency. Physical examination revealed a palpable but reducible ventral abdominal mass. Transabdominal ultrasonography revealed multiple distended, hypomotile, and thickened small intestinal loops in close approximation with numerous, well-defined, hyperechoic masses. There was a large amount of echogenic peritoneal fluid; abdominocentesis revealed a neutrophilic and macrophagic inflammatory exudate, and a mixed bacterial population was cultured. Given the poor prognos...
Frippiat T, van Beckhoven C, Moyse E, Art T.Heart rate is evaluated in exercising horses to monitor the level of fitness to exercise, and it is usually acquired using heart rate monitors (HRM) or telemetric electrocardiograms (ECG). While HRM are commonly available and easy-to-use for horse's owners, ECG is a more expensive equipment requiring user's experience. Interest for heart rate variability (HRV) in horses is increasing for both research and clinical purposes. HRV is usually calculated from interbeat intervals (IBI) obtained by ECG. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of an HRM to detect IBI for the calculation of...
Ragno VM, Klein CD, Sereda NS, Uehlinger FD, Zello GA, Robinson KA, Montgomery JB.In human metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes, methylglyoxal (MG), D-lactate, and several cytokines have been recognized as biomarkers of important metabolic and inflammatory processes. Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) shares many similarities with these human counterparts. The objectives of this cross-sectional study were to compare body condition score (BCS), cresty neck score (CNS), resting insulin, MG, D-lactate, L-lactate, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) between horses with and without insulin dysregulation, as clas...
Finno CJ.Hoof wall separation disease (HWSD) is a genetic defect in Connemara ponies characterised by separation and cracking of the dorsal hoof wall. The disease can result in chronic inflammation, severe lameness and laminitis. Affected ponies typically show clinical signs within the first six months of life. The disease is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. The genetic mutation is a frameshift mutation in the gene SERPINB11, (c.504_505insC). Carriers are completely normal, only ponies that are homozygous for the mutation will have clinical signs of the disease. Within the Connemara breed, ca...
Wagner FC, Reese S, Gerlach K, Böttcher P, Mülling CKW.Long-term cyclic tensile testing with equine palmar/plantar tendons have not yet been performed due to problems in fixing equine tendons securely and loading them cyclically. It is well established that the biomechanical response of tendons varies during cyclic loading over time. The aim of this study was to develop a clamping device that enables repetitive cyclic tensile testing of equine superficial digital flexor tendon for at least 60 loading cycles and for 5 min. Results: A novel cryo-clamp was developed and built. Healthy and collagenase-treated pony SDFTs were mounted in the custom-ma...
Theelen MJP, Luiken REC, Wagenaar JA, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Rossen JWA, Zomer AL.Several studies have described the faecal microbiota of horses and the factors that influence its composition, but the variation in results is substantial. This study aimed to investigate the microbiota composition in healthy equids in The Netherlands under standard housing and management conditions and to evaluate the effect of age, gender, horse type, diet, pasture access, the season of sampling and location on it. Spontaneously produced faecal samples were collected from the stall floor of 79 healthy horses and ponies at two farms. The validity of this sampling technique was evaluated in a ...
Dunkel B, Knowles EJ, Chang YM, Menzies-Gow NJ.Blood l-lactate concentrations are higher in people with developing or established diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance. Objective: To investigate whether blood l-lactate concentrations are positively correlated with measures of insulin dysregulation (ID) or increased autumnal ACTH concentrations in ponies. Methods: Systemically healthy client-owned ponies (n = 101). Methods: Prospective case-control study. Blood samples were obtained from 101 clinically healthy ponies. Breed, weight, height, and subjective and objective measures of body condition were recorded. Blood l-lactate, glucose, t...
Wagner FC, Gerlach K, Geiger SM, Gittel C, Böttcher P, Mülling CKW.The superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) is the most frequently injured structure of the musculoskeletal system in sport horses and a common cause for early retirement. This project's aim was to visualize and measure the strain of the sound, injured, and healing SDFTs in a pony during walk and trot. For this purpose, biplanar high-speed fluoroscopic kinematography (FluoKin), as a high precision X-ray movement analysis tool, was used for the first time in vivo with equine tendons. The strain in the metacarpal region of the sound SDFT was 2.86% during walk and 6.78% during trot. When injured...
Klouth E, Zablotski Y, Goehring LS.Equid herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) causes several outbreaks of abortion and/or equid herpesvirus-associated myeloencephalopathy (EHM) worldwide each year. EHM is of great concern, as permanent neurological gait anomalies can leave a horse unfit for future use. The study assesses the risk factors associated with the occurrence of EHM. During an unmitigated outbreak, 141 adult horses/ponies of several distinct breeds were evaluated-using multiple Bayesian logistic regression calculating the odds ratios for breed, age, and sex. In total, 33 of the 141 horses showed signs of EHM. Fjord horses and wa...
Tuomola K, Mäki-Kihniä N, Valros A, Mykkänen A, Kujala-Wirth M.Bit-related oral lesions are common and may impair horse welfare. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of oral lesions and their risk factors in a sample of Finnish event horses. The rostral part of the oral cavity (the bit area) of 208 event horses (127 warmbloods, 52 coldbloods, and 29 ponies) was examined in a voluntary inspection after the last competition phase, i.e., the cross-country test. Acute lesions were observed in 52% (109/208) of the horses. The lesion status was graded as no acute lesions for 48% (99/208), mild for 22% (45/208), moderate for 26% (55/208) and s...
Longland AC, Barfoot C, Harris PA.Obesity can negatively impact upon equine welfare and bodyweight (BW) of pastured equines is often difficult to manage. Objective: To compare the effects of three restricted grazing regimens on changes in pony BW and morphometric measurements. Methods: Randomised study. Methods: Twelve mature ponies were individually grazed in 10m wide, rectangular, electric fenced paddocks. The dry matter (DM) herbage yield of each paddock was determined, and paddock length adjusted on Day 1 to provide 1.5% of individual pony BW as herbage DM daily, for 28 days. There were four ponies per treatment. Treatmen...
Darby S, Sanchez LC, Mallicote MF, House AM, Plummer CE, Nadruz V, Benmoha RH, Roberts SM, Derendorf H, Silva-Sanchez C, Claire J, MacKay RJ.Creeping indigo (Indigofera spicata) toxicosis is an emerging problem among horses in Florida and bordering states. Objective: To quantify the putative toxins l-indospicine (IND) and 3-nitropropionic acid (NPA) in creeping indigo collected from multiple sites and to measure plasma toxin concentrations in ponies fed creeping indigo and horses with presumptive creeping indigo toxicosis. Methods: Experimental descriptive study with descriptive observational field investigation. Methods: Air-dried creeping indigo was assayed for IND and NPA content. Five ponies were fed chopped creeping indigo con...
Tuomola K, Mäki-Kihniä N, Valros A, Mykkänen A, Kujala-Wirth M.Bit-related lesions in competition horses have been documented, but little evidence exists concerning their potential risk factors. Objective: To explore potential risk factors for oral lesions in Finnish trotters. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: The rostral part of the mouth of 261 horses (151 Standardbreds, 78 Finnhorses and 32 ponies) was examined after a harness race. Information on bit type, equipment and race performance was collected. Results: A multivariable logistic regression model of Standardbreds and Finnhorses showed a higher risk of moderate or severe oral lesion stat...
Delarocque J, Reiche DB, Meier AD, Warnken T, Feige K, Sillence MN.Insulin dysregulation (ID) is a key risk factor for equine endocrinopathic laminitis, but in many cases ID can only be assessed accurately using dynamic tests. The identification of other biomarkers could provide an alternative or adjunct diagnostic method, to allow early intervention before laminitis develops. The present study characterised the metabolome of ponies with varying degrees of ID using basal and postprandial plasma samples obtained during a previous study, which examined the predictive power of blood insulin levels for the development of laminitis, in ponies fed a high-sugar diet...
Witkowska-Piłaszewicz O, Cywińska A, Michlik-Połczyńska K, Czopowicz M, Strzelec K, Biazik A, Parzeniecka-Jaworska M, Crisman M, Witkowski L.Breed specific reference ranges for selected blood parameters are recommended for proper interpretation of blood tests, but there are only few reports dealing with ponies. The purpose of this study was to investigate if blood parameters differ among ponies' classes and to check if general normal values for equine species are applicable to ponies. Results: All, except total protein concentration, biochemical parameter significantly (p < 0.05) differed among ponies' classes. The most pronounced difference was noted in blood lactate concentrations, higher (p < 0.001) in the sma...
Fang J, Zhang D, Cao JW, Zhang L, Liu CX, Xing YP, Wang F, Xu HY, Wang SC, Ling Y, Wang W, Zhang YR, Zhou HM.The mechanism of body growth in mammals is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the regulatory networks involved in body growth through transcriptomic analysis of pituitary and epiphyseal tissues of smaller sized Debao ponies and Mongolian horses at the juvenile and adult stages. Results: We found that growth hormone receptor (GHR) was expressed at low levels in long bones, although growth hormone (GH) was highly expressed in Debao ponies compared with Mongolian horses. Moreover, significant downregulated of the GHR pathway components m-RAS and ATF3 was found in juvenile ponies, which slow...
May-Davis S, Minowa F, Brown WY.The Yonaguni pony is a rare breed of pony that has remained isolated on the westernmost island of Japan and may well retain normal morphological traits currently lost in most domestic horses (Equus caballus), such as the attachment of the nuchal ligament lamellae (NLL) from C2-C7. Recent research has found that NLL attachments are no longer present at C6 and C7 in most modern domesticated horses. This study investigated the attachments of the NLL in three Yonaguni ponies; 2 were examined in situ(deceased), and 1 was examined in vivo via ultrasound. The aim was to verify the attachments and com...
Esteller-Vico A, Ball BA, Bridges JW, Hughes SE, Squires EL, Troedsson MHT.Reproductive steroids testosterone (T) and estrone sulfate (E1S) are used as diagnostic markers for cryptorchidism in horses. The human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) stimulation test is used as a diagnostic aid because administration of this hormone results in greater incremental differences in circulating steroid concentrations. Thoughts regarding optimal sampling times following hCG administration, however, are inconsistent. Additionally, determination of half-life of these steroids is important in postsurgical samples to confirm complete removal of testicular tissue. Objectives of this study...
Carslake HB, Pinchbeck GL, McGowan CM.The epidemiology of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is poorly described. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of EMS in native UK ponies and cobs in England and Wales and identify associated risk factors. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Breeders registered with UK native pony breed societies and registered riding schools and livery yards within a set radius were invited to participate. All native UK ponies and cobs aged 3-14 years and not diagnosed or being treated for conditions likely to affect insulin regulation at participating premises were eligible. Animals underwent a clinica...
Tavenner MK, McDonnell SM, Biddle AS.Early development of the gut microbiome is an essential part of neonate health in animals. It is unclear whether the acquisition of gut microbes is different between domesticated animals and their wild counterparts. In this study, fecal samples from ten domestic conventionally managed (DCM) Standardbred and ten semi-feral managed (SFM) Shetland-type pony foals and dams were compared using 16S rRNA sequencing to identify differences in the development of the foal hindgut microbiome related to time and management. Results: Gut microbiome diversity of dams was lower than foals overall and within ...
Giles SL, Harris P, Rands SA, Nicol CJ.Individual animals experience different costs and benefits associated with group living, which may impact on their foraging efficiency in ways not yet well specified. This study investigated associations between social dominance, body condition and interruptions to foraging behaviour in a cross-sectional study of 116 domestic horses and ponies, kept in 20 discrete herds. Social dominance was measured for each individual alongside observations of winter foraging behaviour. During bouts of foraging, the duration, frequency and category (vigilance, movement, social displacements given and receive...
Silverstone AM, Tatarniuk DM, Durket E, Gillen AM.A 15-year-old Pony of America (POA) gelding presented for evaluation of a large mass present on the right external pinna. Based on gross appearance, the right ear mass was suspected to be neoplastic. The most likely differential diagnosis was that of a fibroblastic sarcoid. Complete auriculectomy via use of a constricting latex-tourniquet performed under multimodal analgesia was proposed as an option to achieve complete resolution of mass growth and improve patient comfort. Benefits of latex tourniquet constriction included immediate lack of bleeding associated with amputation, gradual ischemi...
Migdał A, Migdał Ł, Oczkowicz M, Okólski A, Chełmońska-Soyta A.The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanisms leading to the identification of pathogens by congenital immune receptors in foals up to 60 days of age. The study was conducted on 16 foal Polish Pony Horses (Polish Konik) divided into two study groups: control ( = 9) and experimental ( = 7). Foals from the experimental group received an intramuscular duplicate injection of 5 mL of Biotropina (Biowet) at 35 and 40 days of age. The RNA isolated from venous blood was used to evaluate the expression of the, , and genes using RT-PCR. The results of the experiment demonstrated a s...
Gehlen H, Wulke N, Ertelt A, Nielsen MK, Morelli S, Traversa D, Merle R, Wilson D, Samson-Himmelstjerna GV.All around the world, intestinal helminths constitute one of the most prevalent life-long occurring infections and re-infections affecting all horse age groups. A range of parasite species among strongyles, ascarids, and tapeworms is known to have the potential to cause colic in horses. However, there is a lack of current scientific evidence on the actual relevance of helminth infection levels in the context of colic in horses kept during prevailing epidemiological conditions. Thus, a prospective case-control study on the occurrence of intestinal helminths in a total of 620 mainly adult equine...
Bamford NJ, Harris PA, Bailey SR.To compare circannual plasma concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and seasonal dexamethasone suppression test (DST) results between three different equine breed groups. Methods: Six Standardbred horses, six Andalusian horses and six mixed-breed ponies were followed over a 1-year period, during which time groups were managed identically. Blood samples were collected monthly (around the autumn equinox) or in every second month (other times of the year) for the determination of plasma ACTH concentrations using a chemiluminescent immunoassay. Overnight DSTs were performed quarterly...
Górniak W, Wieliczko M, Soroko M, Korczyński M.Methods of estimating horse body weight using mathematical formulae have better accuracy than methods of reading body weight from measuring tape. The aim of the study was to evaluate established formulae for estimating horse body weight from data gathered using measurement tape. The research was conducted in a group of 299 adult horses and ponies of selected breeds: ponies ( = 58), Polish Noble Half Breed ( = 150), Silesian Breed ( = 23), Wielkopolski Breed ( = 52), and Thoroughbred ( = 16). Body measurements were performed on each horse using a measuring stick and tape. The actual body weight...
Garber A, Hastie P, McGuinness D, Malarange P, Murray JA.Abrupt dietary changes, as can be common when managing horses, may lead to compositional changes in gut microbiota, which may result in digestive or metabolic disturbances. The aim of this study was to describe and compare the faecal microbiota of ponies abruptly changed from pasture grazing ad libitum to a restricted hay-only diet and vice versa. The experiment consisted of two, 14-day periods. Faecal samples were collected on day 0 and days 1-3,7,14 after abrupt dietary change from grass to hay and from hay to grass. Microbial populations were characterised by sequencing the V3-V4 region of ...
Norton EM, Avila F, Schultz NE, Mickelson JR, Geor RJ, McCue ME.Ponies are highly susceptible to metabolic derangements including hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and adiposity. Objective: Genetic loci affecting height in ponies have pleiotropic effects on metabolic pathways and increase the susceptibility to equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). Methods: Two hundred ninety-four Welsh ponies and 529 horses. Methods: Retrospective study of horses phenotyped for metabolic traits. Correlations between height and metabolic traits were assessed by Pearson's correlation coefficients. Complementary genome-wide analysis methods were used to identify a region of in...
Jeffcott LB, Field JR, McLean JG, O'Dea K.The existence of an innate insulin insensitivity in ponies was investigated and compared with the situation in larger breeds of horse. Ponies that were fat or had previously suffered laminitis were found to be far more intolerant to oral glucose loading (1 g/kg bodyweight [bwt]) than normal ponies or Standardbreds. These ponies also exhibited a far greater response in plasma insulin levels after glucose loading. Insulin response tests (0.4 iu/kg bwt insulin intravenously) showed only a minimal and very protracted response in both the fat and laminitic groups. The relevance of these findings in...
van de Goor LH, van Haeringen WA, Lenstra JA.As a consequence of the close integration of horses into human society, equine DNA analysis has become relevant for forensic purposes. However, the information content of the equine Short Tandem Repeat (STR) loci commonly used for the identification or paternity testing has so far not been fully characterized. Population studies were performed for 17 polymorphic STR loci (AHT4, AHT5, ASB2, ASB17, ASB23, CA425, HMS1, HMS2, HMS3, HMS6, HMS7, HTG4, HTG6, HTG7, HTG10, LEX3 and VHL20) including 8641 horses representing 35 populations. The power of parental exclusion, polymorphic information content...
Allen WR, Pashen RL.The blastomeres of 192- to 8-cell embryos recovered surgically 1-3 days after ovulation from 23 Pony mares were mechanically separated and inserted, in various combinations, into evacuated pig zonae pellucidae to make 27 'half' and 17 'quarter' micromanipulated embryos. These were embedded in agar and cultured in vivo in the ligated oviducts of ewes for 3.5-5 days to allow development to the late morula/early blastocyst stage. Subsequent surgical or non-surgical transfer of 13 'half' and 17 'quarter' embryos to mares resulted in 10 established pregnancies, including 2 monozygotic pairs. Surgic...
Knowles EJ, Harris PA, Elliott J, Menzies-Gow NJ.It is recommended that the oral sugar test (OST) for insulin dysregulation (ID) be performed after an overnight fast, but fasting is impractical in ponies kept solely at pasture. There are few data on OST repeatability and reliability in ponies. Objective: To report 1) whether OST results obtained in the morning after an overnight fast or without fasting in the afternoon (FASTING/FED) can be used interchangeably, 2) time of highest insulin concentration T [insulin], repeatability and reliability of insulin response to the OST when FASTING or FED and 3) dichotomous agreement (ID/normal) within ...
Mayhew IG, Whitlock RH, Tasker JB.Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were collected from the atlanto-occipital (AO) and lumbosacral (LS) subarachnoid spaces of 24 horses and 21 ponies that had no clinical evidence of neurologic disease. Depth of needle insertion, pressures, refractive index, rapid reagent strip test (protein, glucose, blood, pH) results, cell counts, content of protein, glucose, sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, phosphorus, urea nitrogen, and cholesterol, and activities of creatine phosphokinase, aspartate transaminase, lactic dehydrogenase, and alkaline phosphatase were determined. The resulting clinical r...
Burrows R, Goodridge D, Denyer MS.Vaccinated yearlings , two-year-old and in-foal pony mares with appropriate controls were exposed to aerosols of a subtype 1 virus one to two months after two or three vaccinations; all became infected. No obvious differences in the febrile responses, clinical signs and subsequent abortions were found between vaccinated and control mares. All vaccinated yearlings and two-year-old ponies developed a febrile respiratory disease but this was less severe than that suffered by the controls and the amounts and duration of virus shedding were reduced.
Kydd JH, Smith KC, Hannant D, Livesay GJ, Mumford JA.Twelve adult ponies and 2 conventional foals were exposed to 10(6.6) TCID50 of Equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1), strain Ab4 and samples of respiratory tract tissues were recovered. Infectious virus in tissue homogenates was detected using susceptible cell monolayers and expression of viral antigens was monitored using indirect immunoperoxidase histochemistry of paraffin sections. The results illustrated the rapid dissemination of EHV-1 throughout the respiratory tract, with early replication in the lungs one day after exposure. Endothelial cell infection was prominent in all areas of the nasopharyn...
Edington N, Bridges CG, Huckle A.Eight ponies were experimentally infected with equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV 1) (subtype 1). All animals showed clinical and serological evidence of infection and virus was isolated from nasal swabs and leucocytes. These ponies were kept in isolation for a further three months during which time complement fixing antibody decreased at least four-fold. Following immunosuppression with dexamethasone and prednisolone subtype 1 virus was recovered from six of the eight animals within 14 days. Five of these six ponies were viraemic and three of them shed virus in nasal secretions; only four displayed sig...
Hannant D, Jessett DM, O'Neill T, Dolby CA, Cook RF, Mumford JA.An experimental (ISCOM) vaccine previously shown to protect hamsters from lethal challenge with equid herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1), was tested in horses. Vaccination with EHV-1 ISCOMs induced serum antibodies to the major virus glycoproteins gp10, 13, 14, 17, 18 and 21/22a, whereas antibody responses to gp2 were weak or absent. High levels of virus neutralising antibody of long duration were induced, but did not prevent challenge infection with virus of the homologous strain. However, in the vaccinated ponies there was a significant reduction in clinical signs, nasal virus excretion and cell associat...
Asadollahpour Nanaei H, Esmailizadeh A, Ayatollahi Mehrgardi A, Han J, Wu DD, Li Y, Zhang YP.Body size is considered as one of the most fundamental properties of an organism. Due to intensive breeding and artificial selection throughout the domestication history, horses exhibit striking variations for heights at withers and body sizes. Debao pony (DBP), a famous Chinese horse, is known for its small body size and lives in Guangxi mountains of southern China. In this study, we employed comparative population genomics to study the genetic basis underlying the small body size of DBP breed based on the whole genome sequencing data. To detect genomic signatures of positive selection, we ap...
Beech J, Boston RC, McFarlane D, Lindborg S.To measure plasma ACTH, alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (aloha-MSH), and insulin concentrations during various photoperiods between February and October in horses and ponies with and without pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Methods: Cohort study. Methods: 13 clinically normal (control) ponies, 14 clinically normal (control) horses, 7 ponies with PPID, and 8 horses with PPID. Methods: Blood samples were collected from February through October during 8 photoperiods: 1, February 13 through March 2; 2, April 4 through 6; 3, June 19 through 22; 4, August 6 through 7; 5, August 14 ...
Smith S, Harris PA, Menzies-Gow NJ.The in-feed oral glucose test (OGT) and oral sugar test (OST) are advocated as field tests of insulin sensitivity in horses and ponies but have not been directly compared. Objective: To compare the insulin response to OGT and OST in 8 ponies and 5 horses of unknown insulin sensitivity. Methods: Experimental, randomised crossover study. Methods: Animals were fasted for 8 h overnight before and throughout testing. They were fed 1 g/kg bwt glucose powder with chaff (OGT) or 0.15 ml/kg bwt corn syrup (Karo™ Light Syrup; OST) was administered per os in a randomised crossover study with 48...
McGahern AM, Edwards CJ, Bower MA, Heffernan A, Park SD, Brophy PO, Bradley DG, MacHugh DE, Hill EW.Equine mitochondrial DNA sequence variation was investigated in three indigenous Irish horse populations (Irish Draught Horse, Kerry Bog Pony and Connemara Pony) and, for context, in 69 other horse populations. There was no evidence of Irish Draught Horse or Connemara Pony sequence clustering, although the majority of Irish Draught Horse sequences (47%) were assigned to haplogroup D. Conversely, 31% of the Kerry Bog Pony sequences were assigned to the rare haplogroup E. In addition to the extant population analyses, ancient DNA sequences were generated from three out of four Irish archaeologic...
Edwards JE, Schennink A, Burden F, Long S, van Doorn DA, Pellikaan WF, Dijkstra J, Saccenti E, Smidt H.Compared to horses and ponies, donkeys have increased degradation of dietary fiber. The longer total mean retention time of feed in the donkey gut has been proposed to be the basis of this, because of the increased time available for feed to be acted upon by enzymes and the gut microbiota. However, differences in terms of microbial concentrations and/or community composition in the hindgut may also underpin the increased degradation of fiber in donkeys. Therefore, a study was conducted to assess if differences existed between the fecal microbiota of pony, donkey and hybrids derived from them (...
Paillot R, Rash NL, Garrett D, Prowse-Davis L, Montesso F, Cullinane A, Lemaitre L, Thibault JC, Wittreck S, Dancer A.Vaccination is highly effective to prevent, control, and limit the impact of equine influenza (EI), a major respiratory disease of horses. However, EI vaccines should contain relevant equine influenza virus (EIV) strains for optimal protection. The OIE expert surveillance panel annually reviews EIV evolution and, since 2010, the use of Florida clade 1 and 2 sub-lineages representative vaccine strains is recommended. This report summarises the development process of a fully- updated recombinant canarypox-based EI vaccine in order to meet the last OIE recommendations, including the vaccine mode ...
Malik P, Singha H, Goyal SK, Khurana SK, Tripathi BN, Dutt A, Singh D, Sharma N, Jain S.Burkholderia mallei is the causative agent of glanders which is a highly contagious and fatal disease of equines. Considering the nature and severity of the disease in equines, and potential of transmission to human beings, glanders is recognised as a 'notifiable' disease in many countries. An increasing number of glanders outbreaks throughout the Asian continents, including India, have been noticed recently. In view of the recent re-emergence of the disease, the present study was undertaken to estimate the prevalence of glanders among indigenous equines from different parts of India. Serum sa...
Wattrang E, Jessett DM, Yates P, Fuxler L, Hannant D.The production of interferon (IFN), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) was monitored in horses during the course of influenza A2 virus infections. The effects of two virus strains, Newmarket/2/93 and Sussex/89, were compared, of which the latter is considered the more pathogenic in terms of clinical signs. Ten naive ponies were infected with influenza A/equine/Sussex/89 and 10 with influenza A/equine/Newmarket/2/93, respectively. As expected ponies infected with Sussex/89 showed the most pronounced clinical signs but there was no notable difference in viral excretion compare...
de Grauw JC, van Loon JP, van de Lest CH, Brunott A, van Weeren PR.Although phenylbutazone (PBZ) is commonly used in equine orthopaedic practice, little is known about its in vivo effects on joint inflammation and cartilage turnover. This study investigates the effects of PBZ on inflammatory parameters, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity and cartilage biomarkers in equine joints with acute synovitis. In a two-period cross-over study, transient synovitis was induced at T = 0 h in the middle carpal joint of seven ponies by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection. Ponies received PBZ (2 mg/kg PO twice daily) or placebo for 1 week, starting at T = 2 h. Ar...
Al-Haidar A, Farnir F, Deleuze S, Sandersen CF, Leroux AA, Borde L, Cerri S, Amory H.Little is known about the effect of various animal's signalment variables on echocardiographic reference values in the equine species. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of sex, breed, age and body weight (BW) on echocardiographic measurements in the equine species. Echocardiography was performed on 212 ponies or horses of various breeds, aged from 1 day to 37 years old (mean±SD: 7.8 ± 5.8 years), BW 38-890 kg (mean ± SD: 421 ± 133 kg), and free of cardiac disease. Fifty of those animals aged from 2 months to 35 years old (mean ± SD: 11.6 ± 6.4 years old); BW 77-662 kg (mean...
Morrison PK, Newbold CJ, Jones E, Worgan HJ, Grove-White DH, Dugdale AH, Barfoot C, Harris PA, Argo CM.Obesity is an important equine welfare issue. Whilst dietary restriction is the most effective weight-loss tool, individual animals range in their weight-loss propensity. Gastrointestinal-derived bacteria play a fundamental role in host-health and have been associated with obesity and weight-loss in other species. This study evaluated the faecal microbiome (next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA genes) of 15 obese Welsh Mountain pony mares, in the same 11-week period across 2 years (n = 8 Year 1; n = 7 Year 2). Following a 4-week acclimation period (pre-diet phase) during which t...
Cripps PJ, Eustace RA.Lateromedial radiographic projections were made from the feet of 25 normal horses and 3 angles and 3 distances were measured. From these, normal ranges of calculated variables were obtained. The width and length of each foot and the height of the horse at the withers was also measured. In view of its possible importance in clinical laminitis, particular attention was paid to 'founder' distance (D). This is the vertical distance between the proximal limit of the dorsal hoof wall and the proximal limit of the extensor process of the distal phalanx. There were significant differences between bree...
The Journal of heredityApril 13, 2012
Volume 103, Issue 3 380-390 doi: 10.1093/jhered/ess003
Prystupa JM, Hind P, Cothran EG, Plante Y.A 378-bp section of the mitochondrial displacement loop was used to estimate genetic diversity in the native Canadian equine populations. The inclusion of 10 Mountain and Moorland, 3 Nordic pony breeds, 2 feral populations, and 5 horse breeds were also investigated as they may have influenced the development (or rejuvenation) of the native Canadian populations. A total of 281 samples were sequenced, which produced 75 haplotypes derived from 54 informative sites. On further investigation, 36 of these 75 haplotypes were found to be previously unreported. Overall, total diversity was lowest in th...
de Laat MA, Hampson BA, Sillence MN, Pollitt CC.Obesity in horses is increasing in prevalence and can be associated with insulin insensitivity and laminitis. Current treatment strategies for obesity include dietary restriction and exercise. However, whether exercise alone is effective for decreasing body fat is uncertain. Objective: Our hypothesis was that twice daily use of a dynamic feeding system for 3 months would induce sustained, low-intensity exercise thereby decreasing adiposity and improving insulin sensitivity (SI). Methods: Eight, university-owned, mixed-breed, adult ponies with body condition scores (BCS) ≥5/9 were used. Metho...
Donaldson MT, LaMonte BH, Morresey P, Smith G, Beech J.Medical records of 27 horses (including 13 ponies) treated with pergolide or cyproheptadine for pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction were reviewed to determine the effect of treatment on plasma ACTH, insulin, and glucose concentrations and clinical signs. Prior to treatment, the most common clinical signs were laminitis, hirsutism, and abnormal body fat distribution. The median pergolide dose was 3.0 microg/kg p.o. q24h (range, 1.7-5.5 microg/kg). All horses treated with cyproheptadine were given 0.25 mg/kg p.o. q24h. After pergolide treatment, ACTH concentrations (n = 20; median = 30.4 pg/ml...
Yates P, Mumford JA.To investigate the level of cross-protection induced by equine influenza H3N8 vaccines derived from different lineages, two studies have been carried out with ponies vaccinated with 'American-like' and 'European-like' vaccines and experimentally challenged with a European-like strain. The results demonstrated that equine influenza vaccines clearly protect against challenge with homologous virus if serum antibody titres are sufficiently high. On the other hand, protection is incomplete even when animals vaccinated with heterologous strains have comparative antibody levels. Nevertheless, the pro...
Frippiat T, van Beckhoven C, Moyse E, Art T.Heart rate is evaluated in exercising horses to monitor the level of fitness to exercise, and it is usually acquired using heart rate monitors (HRM) or telemetric electrocardiograms (ECG). While HRM are commonly available and easy-to-use for horse's owners, ECG is a more expensive equipment requiring user's experience. Interest for heart rate variability (HRV) in horses is increasing for both research and clinical purposes. HRV is usually calculated from interbeat intervals (IBI) obtained by ECG. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of an HRM to detect IBI for the calculation of...
Xiao L, Herd RP, Majewski GA.Efficacies of moxidectin and ivermectin were compared in four groups of eight ponies with natural parasite infections: placebo (Control), oral moxidectin gel at 0.3 mg kg-1 of body weight (Mox 0.3), oral moxidectin gel at 0.4 mg kg-1 of body weight (Mox 0.4), and oral ivermectin paste at 0.2 mg kg-1 of body weight (Ivermectin). Fecal samples were taken 0 and 2 weeks after treatment. Animals were necropsied and worms were collected 2 weeks after treatment. Moxidectin and ivermectin showed similar efficacy (99%) against adult cyathostomes, Strongylus spp., Triodontophorus spp. and Habronema musc...
Sargison N, Chambers A, Chaudhry U, Costa Júnior L, Doyle SR, Ehimiyein A, Evans M, Jennings A, Kelly R, Sargison F, Sinclair M, Zahid O.Understanding the composition of gastrointestinal nematode communities may help to mitigate or exploit parasite adaptations within their host. We have used nemabiome deep amplicon sequencing of internal transcribed spacer-2 (ITS-2) ribosomal DNA to describe the temporal and host species composition of gastrointestinal nematode communities following sampling of six Scottish ponies across 57 months. In the absence of parasite control, each horse showed seasonal trends of increases and decreases in faecal egg counts, consistent with the epidemiology of equine strongylid parasites, however, the c...
