The topic of Public Health and horses encompasses the study of interactions between equine populations and human health systems. It involves examining the transmission of zoonotic diseases, which are diseases that can be transferred between animals and humans, as well as the role of horses in the epidemiology of such diseases. This field also considers the impact of equine-related activities on public health, including injuries and environmental effects. Research in this area often explores preventive measures, management strategies, and policies to mitigate health risks associated with horses. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that investigate the intersection of equine and public health, focusing on disease transmission, risk assessment, and health management strategies.
Mitlehner W, Mitlehner HC.A horse allergic rider completed 60 riding lessons on Curly Horses within six months. This rider has become clinically tolerant to normal horse breeds within this time. This case may indicate that riding and brushing ABCR Curly Horses after 60 riding hours facilitates tolerance induction. Our data indicate that this could be a valid alternative to the common recommendation to strictly avoid horse riding. Eine pferdeallergische Reiterin erhielt 60 Reitstunden auf „Curly Horses“ innerhalb von 6 Monaten. Die Reiterin tolerierte die Allergenexposition mit Pferden anderer Rassen innerhalb diese...
Tarav M, Tokunaga M, Kondo T, Kato-Mori Y, Hoshino B, Dorj U, Hagiwara K.The objectives of our research on equine piroplasmosis were to clarify the prevalence of the piroplasms Babesia caballi and Theileria equi among reintroduced Przewalski's horses (takhi, Equus ferus przewalskii) in comparison with horses (Equus caballus) of nomads from around Hustai National Park in Mongolia and to determine the mortality among takhi during 2012 to 2015. The prevalence of T. equi was high in 2014 at 80% among nomadic horses and 84% among takhi. We found no evidence of B. caballi infection among takhi. A homology comparison of the 18S rRNA base sequence of T. equi showed the sam...
Lemoine DS, Tate BJ, Lacombe JA, Hood TC.Some of the more popular sporting activities for those living in rural areas include equestrian activities such as rodeo events and horseback riding. The lack of helmet use poses a concern for those who participate in these activities due to the risk of sustaining a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and ultimately having a negative effect on their future. A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a trauma center comparing the data on animal-riding patients and their use or lack of use of headgear and incidence of TBI. Of the patients identified, 16.2% sustained a head injury, ranking TBI fourth...
Carvallo FR, Uzal FA, Diab SS, Hill AE, Arthur RM.Respiratory diseases have a major impact on racehorses in training and are often cited as the second most common reason of horses failing to perform. Cases were submitted by the California Horse Racing Board to the California Animal Health and Food Safety laboratory for postmortem examination between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2014. We determined the demographics of racehorses with fatal pneumonia, characterized the pathologic findings in animals with a postmortem diagnosis of respiratory infection, and determined the most significant pathogens associated with lower respiratory tract dis...
Bártová E, Sedlák K, Kobédová K, Budíková M, Joel Atuman Y, Kamani J.Neospora spp. and Toxoplasma gondii are considered to be a globally distributed parasites affecting wide range of warm-blooded animals. Neosporosis has caused clinical illness in horses and consumption of horse meat has been epidemiologically linked to clinical toxoplasmosis in humans. This study was conducted to determine Neospora spp. and T. gondii antibodies and risk factors of infection in horses and donkeys from three states of Nigeria. A total of 144 samples were collected from clinically healthy animals (120 horses and 24 donkeys). The sera were tested for antibodies to Neospora spp. an...
Cardinale E, Bernard C, Lecollinet S, Rakotoharinome VM, Ravaomanana J, Roger M, Olive MM, Meenowa D, Jaumally MR, Melanie J, Héraud JM, Zientara S....The circulation of West Nile virus (WNV) in horses was investigated in the Southwest Indian ocean. In 2010, blood samples were collected from a total of 303 horses originating from Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion and the Seychelles and tested for WNV-specific antibodies. An overall seroprevalence of 27.39% was detected in the Indian Ocean with the highest WNV antibody prevalence of 46.22% (95% CI: [37.4-55.2%]) in Madagascar. The age and origin of the horses were found to be associated with the WNV infection risk. This paper presents the first seroprevalence study investigating WN fever in hors...
Wylie CE, McManus P, McDonald C, Jorgensen S, McGreevy P.Monitoring racehorse fatality and associated jockey falls provides benchmarks for intervention strategies. The aims of this study were to describe the incidence of and reasons for fatalities in Thoroughbred horses during flat races in the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales (NSW), Australia, and to describe reported jockey falls and injuries associated with racehorse fatalities. A cohort study identified all racehorse fatalities reported through Racing NSW for the 2009-2010 to 2013-2014 racing seasons. Risks of racehorse fatality, fatal musculoskeletal injury, spontaneous death (a...
Edwards RA, Riley CB, Howe L, Burrows EA, Riley KT, Frellstedt L.To investigate the efficacy of an alcohol gel-based hand antisepsis protocol compared with a traditional chlorhexidine-based protocol under conditions of routine clinical contamination, and following heavy faecal contamination. Methods: Twelve adult participants were recruited and on four separate days completed a hand sanitation protocol using a chlorhexidine scrub or an alcohol-based gel, with hands that were grossly clean but contaminated or with faecal contamination. Bacterial samples were obtained from participants' hands before sanitation, immediately after and then 2 hours later. All sa...
Boyle AG, Rankin SC, D○ LA, Morris D.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is recognized as a cause of nosocomial infections in both human and veterinary medicine. Studies that examine the nasopharynx and guttural pouches of the horse as carriage sites for MRSA have not been reported. Objective: MRSA colonizes the nasopharynx and guttural pouch of horses. To determine the prevalence of MRSA in equine nasopharyngeal wash (NPW) and guttural pouch lavage (GPL) samples in a field population of horses. Methods: One hundred seventy-eight samples (123 NPW and 55 GPL) from 108 horses. Methods: Prospective study. Samples were...
Laabassi F, Hue E, Fortier C, Morilland E, Legrand L, Hans A, Pronost S.An episode of acute equine respiratory infection was reported in western Algeria (Tiaret province) between February and March 2011, affecting a large population of horses. Nasal swabs (n=100) were taken from horses aged between 1 and 27 years, presenting with cough and mucopurulent nasal discharge. The prevalence of equine respiratory virus infections was examined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). One, or more, of four equine respiratory viruses were detected in the nasal swabs of 90 of 100 horses (90%) and the detection rate of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), equine herp...
Tirosh-Levy S, Gürbilek SE, Tel OY, Keskin O, Steinman A.Rhodococcus equi is a common cause of pneumonia in foals and has extensive clinical, economic and possibly zoonotic consequences. This bacterium survives well in the environment and may be considered as normal flora of adult horses. Certain strains of this bacterium are extremely virulent in foals, and early identification and intervention is crucial for prognosis. Rhodococcus equi is endemic in many parts of the world and occasionally isolated in Israel. This study was designed to evaluate R. equi seroprevalence in adult horses in Israel to indirectly indicate the potential level of exposure ...
Bolfa P, Jeon I, Loftis A, Leslie T, Marchi S, Sithole F, Beck C, Lecollinet S, Zientara S, Hans A, Issel CJ.Equines in the West Indies are used for recreational purposes, tourism industry, racing and agriculture or can be found in feral populations. Little is known in the Caribbean basin about the prevalence of some major equine infectious diseases, some with zoonotic potential, listed as reportable by the OIE. Our objective was to study the prevalence of antibodies for West Nile Virus (WNV), Equine Herpes Virus-1 and 4 (EHV-1 and EHV-4), Equine Influenza (EI), Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) and Equine Infectious Anemia Virus (EIAV) using a retrospective serological convenience study. We used 180 equi...
Goyen KA, Wright JD, Cunneen A, Henning J.Hendra virus is a zoonotic paramyxovirus, which causes severe respiratory and neurological disease in horses and humans. Since 2012, the Hendra virus sub-unit G vaccine has been available for horse vaccination in Australia. Uptake of the vaccine has been limited and spill-over events of Hendra virus infection in horses continue to occur. We conducted an online, questionnaire-based cross-sectional study of 376 horse owners belonging to a variety of different equestrian clubs in Queensland, Australia, to identify risk factors for non-vaccination against Hendra virus. A total of 43.1% (N = 162) o...
Spence KL, O'Sullivan TL, Poljak Z, Greer AL.Identifying the contact structure within a population of horses attending a competition is an important element towards understanding the potential for the spread of equine pathogens as the horses subsequently travel from location to location. However, there is limited information in Ontario, Canada to quantify contact patterns of horses. The objective of this study was to describe the network of potential contacts associated with an equestrian show to determine how this network structure may influence potential disease transmission. Results: This was a descriptive study of horses attending an...
Popot MA, Ho ENM, Stojiljkovic N, Bagilet F, Remy P, Maciejewski P, Loup B, Chan GHM, Hargrave S, Arthur RM, Russo C, White J, Hincks P, Pearce C....Cobalt is an essential mineral micronutrient and is regularly present in equine nutritional and feed supplements. Therefore, cobalt is naturally present at low concentrations in biological samples. The administration of cobalt chloride is considered to be blood doping and is thus prohibited. To control the misuse of cobalt, it was mandatory to establish an international threshold for cobalt in plasma and/or in urine. To achieve this goal, an international collaboration, consisting of an interlaboratory comparison between 5 laboratories for the urine study and 8 laboratories for the plasma stud...
Azmi K, Tirosh-Levy S, Manasrah M, Mizrahi R, Nasereddin A, Al-Jawabreh A, Ereqat S, Abdeen Z, Lustig Y, Gelman B, Schvartz G, Steinman A.West Nile virus (WNV) epidemiological situation in Israel and Palestine, due to their unique location, draws attention following to the global spread of West Nile fever (WNF). Although much information is available from Israel on clinical cases and prevalence of WNV, clinical cases are rarely reported in Palestine, and prevalence is not known. The objectives of this study were to determine WNV seroprevalence in various domestic animals in Palestine and to reevaluate current seroprevalence, force of infection, and risk factors for WNV exposure in horses in Israel. Sera samples were collected fr...
Salas-Romero J, Gómez-Cabrera KA, Aguilera-Valle LA, Bertot JA, Salas JE, Arenal A, Nielsen MK.Increasing levels of anthelmintic resistance observed in equine cyathostomin parasites have led to recommendations of selective anthelmintic treatment strategies to lower the selection pressure favoring resistant populations. This principle is based on determining strongyle fecal egg counts from all herd members, and treating those exceeding a predetermined treatment cutoff. However, epidemiological information is lacking from horses kept under tropical conditions, where parasite burdens may be of a different composition and magnitude compared to those of horses kept under temperate climate co...
Bannai H, Nemoto M, Niwa H, Murakami S, Tsujimura K, Yamanaka T, Kondo T.We studied a recent epizootic of Getah virus infection among pigs in the southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture and the northern part of Chiba Prefecture, Japan, focusing on its possible association with outbreaks in racehorses in 2014 and 2015. The genomic sequence of a Getah virus strain from an infected pig was analyzed to evaluate the degree of identity with the strains from horses. Results: Sera were collected from pigs from September to December 2012 to 2015 in south Ibaraki (380 pigs in 29 batches), and from September to December 2010 to 2015 in north Chiba (538 pigs in 104 batches). They ...
Tijjani AO, Junaidu AU, Salihu MD, Farouq AA, Faleke OO, Adamu SG, Musa HI, Hambali IU.A cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted to determine seroprevalence and risk factors influencing the presence of Brucella antibodies in donkeys of Borno State, north-eastern Nigeria. The study aimed at providing baseline information that may be used in planning a control policy against equine brucellosis. Blood samples were collected from 601 donkeys, comprised of 374 males and 227 females from the six agricultural zones of the state between March 2013 and September 2014. The sera obtained were tested for Brucella antibodies using Rose Bengal plate test (RBPT) and competitive enz...
Worthing KA, Abraham S, Pang S, Coombs GW, Saputra S, Jordan D, Wong HS, Abraham RJ, Trott DJ, Norris JM.This study aimed to determine the frequency and molecular epidemiology of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from Australian animals and whether animal-derived MRSA was similar to that from Australian veterinarians. A total of 1,080 clinical coagulase positive Staphylococcus isolates from Australian animals were collected during 2013. Sixteen (4%) of 360 S. aureus isolates were MRSA. Most MRSA came from companion animals, while none came from livestock. MRSA isolates were characterized using whole genome sequencing. ST22-IV (EMRSA-15) was the most common clone in dogs and cats....
Adamska M, Skotarczak B.The purpose of this study was to detect piroplasms, which are pathogens of veterinary and zoonotic importance in ticks, that were collected from ponies and field vegetation and to determine the role of Shetland ponies as potential reservoir hosts for piroplasms. A total of 1737 feeding and 371 questing Ixodes ricinus collected from horses or vegetation were tested for the presence of Babesia and Theileria DNA. Piroplasm 18S rRNA gene amplification was conducted, and the obtained amplicons were sequenced. Babesia DNA was detected in only three ticks (one tick collected from a pony and two colle...
James KE, Smith WA, Packham AE, Conrad PA, Pusterla N.While toxoplasmosis is not commonly considered a clinical disease of equines, previous seroprevalence studies have reported differing background rates of Toxoplasma gondii infection in horses globally. The objective of this study was to evaluate possible associations between T. gondii seroprevalence and clinical signs of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) in horses. Using a case-control study design, 720 Californian horses with neurologic signs compatible with EPM were compared to healthy, non-neurologic horses for the presence of T. gondii antibodies (using indirect fluorescent antibody...
Nemoto M, Ryan E, Lyons P, Cullinane A.The molecular epidemiology of equine group A rotaviruses (RVAs) in Ireland from 2011 to 2015 was investigated. Of 438 diagnostic specimens submitted from foals with enteric disease, 102 (23.3%) were positive for RVA using an immunochromatographic assay. G genotypes were determined for 76 equine RVAs, of which 68 (89.5%) were G3 and eight (10.5%) were G14. Of 18 RVAs (12 G3 and six G14) characterised by P genotyping, all were P[12]. G3P[12] and G14P[12] were the most prevalent genotypes of RVA in foals in Ireland, similar to other countries and consistent with previous studies in Ireland from 1...
Wilkin T, Baoutina A, Hamilton N.A horse's success on the racetrack is determined by genetics, training and nutrition, and their translation into physical traits such as speed, endurance and muscle strength. Advances in genetic technologies are slowly explaining the roles of specific genes in equine performance, and offering new insights into the development of novel therapies for diseases and musculoskeletal injuries that cause early retirement of many racehorses. Gene therapy approaches may also soon provide new means to artificially enhance the physical performance of racehorses. Gene doping, the misuse of gene therapies f...
Suter A, Voelter K, Hartnack S, Spiess BM, Pot SA.To evaluate the most common bacterial pathogens associated with septic keratitis in veterinary patients from Switzerland. The second objective was to analyze antibiotic susceptibility test results of the identified bacterial pathogens. The third objective was to evaluate potential breed predispositions to septic keratitis. Methods: Two hundred and fifty-five cultures and antibiotic susceptibility reports from dogs, cats, and horses with septic keratitis that were presented to the University of Zurich Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital between 2009 and 2013 were reviewed. Odds ratios for the ...
Emmerich IU.In 2016, only one newly developed active pharmaceutical ingredient for horses and food-producing animals was released on the German market for veterinary drug products. The immunomodulator Pegbovigrastim is now available as an injection solution for cattle (Imrestor). Four established veterinary active pharmaceutical ingredients are available for further species: the ectoparasitic Amitraz (Apitraz) from the triazapentadiene group was additionally authorized for honeybees, the expectorant Bromhexine (Exflow Vet) for chickens, turkeys and ducks and the macrolide antibiotic Gamithromycin (Zactran...
Malcolm R, Ecks S, Pickersgill M.Experiences of autism-spectrum disorder are now increasingly studied by social scientists. Human-animal relations have also become a major focus of social inquiry in recent years. Examining horse-assisted therapy for autistic spectrum disorders, this is the first paper that brings these fields together. Drawing on participant observation and interviews at a UK horse therapy Centre, this article examines how staff and the parents of riders account for the successes and limitations of equine therapy. To the respondents, horses 'open up' autistic children and make possible interactions that seeme...
Kligler EB, Shkap V, Baneth G, Mildenberg Z, Steinman A.Sera from 800 asymptomatic horses were examined for the presence of antibodies to Neospora caninum by immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT). The presence of antibodies to N. caninum was also tested in sera from 52 mares that had aborted and 40 horses exhibiting neurological signs. A total of 95 (11.9%) of the 800 sera had antibodies for Neospora. Significantly higher seropositivity was obtained from horses that had neurological signs (21.2%) and from aborted mares (37.5%). There was significant linear-by-linear association between age and seropositivity. This is the first serologic survey fo...
Khamesipour F, Taktaz-Hafshejani T, Tebit KE, Razavi SM, Hosseini SR.Equines are subject to infection with many parasites, which threaten their health. In the present study, we systematically reviewed existing literature on the prevalence of endo- and ectoparasites of equines in Iran. Major electronic databases, including PubMed, PubMed Central, Google Scholar, Science Direct and Scientific Information Database (SID), were searched (Last updated 11/05/2018) for relevant literature of parasites that have been identified from equines in Iran. Of the 1809 titles produced by bibliographic search, 38 were included in the review. Twenty-seven of the studies were on h...
Wasik BR, Rothschild E, Voorhees IEH, Reedy SE, Murcia PR, Pusterla N, Chambers TM, Goodman LB, Holmes EC, Kile JC, Parrish CR.Cross-species virus transmission events can lead to dire public health emergencies in the form of epidemics and pandemics. One example in animals is the emergence of the H3N8 equine influenza virus (EIV), first isolated in 1963 in Miami, FL, USA, after emerging among horses in South America. In the early 21st century, the American lineage of EIV diverged into two 'Florida' clades that persist today, while an EIV transferred to dogs around 1999 and gave rise to the H3N8 canine influenza virus (CIV), first reported in 2004. Here, we compare CIV in dogs and EIV in horses to reveal their host-spec...
Carrasco L, Utrilla MJ, Fuentes-Romero B, Fernandez-Novo A, Martin-Maldonado B.West Nile Virus (WNV) is a zoonotic, vector-borne pathogen affecting humans and animals, particularly in Europe. The virus is primarily transmitted through mosquitoes that infect birds, which serve as the main reservoirs. Humans and horses are incidental hosts. This review focuses on the epidemiology of WNV in southern Europe, particularly its increasing prevalence. Methods included an extensive literature review and analysis of recent outbreaks. WNV is largely asymptomatic in humans, but a small percentage can develop West Nile neuroinvasive disease (WNND), leading to severe neurological symp...
Naveed A, Eertink LG, Wang D, Li F.Humans and equines are two dead-end hosts of the mosquito-borne West Nile virus (WNV) with similar susceptibility and pathogenesis. Since the introduction of WNV vaccines into equine populations of the United States of America (USA) in late 2002, there have been only sporadic cases of WNV infection in equines. These cases are generally attributed to unvaccinated and under-vaccinated equines. In contrast, due to the lack of a human WNV vaccine, WNV cases in humans have remained steadily high. An average of 115 deaths have been reported per year in the USA since the first reported case in 1999. ...
Laamari A, Azzag N, Tennah S, Derdour SY, China B, Boꯚllah R, Ghalmi F.Horses (Equus caballus) are susceptible to tick-borne diseases. Two of them, Lyme borreliosis due to Borrelia burgdorferi and granulocytic anaplasmosis due to Anaplasma phagocytophilum were investigated in Algerian horses. The diseases have been less extensively studied in horses and results pertinent to Algeria have not been published. Methods: Blood samples were obtained from 128 horses. IgG antibodies directed against Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi were detected by an indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) and ELISA. The potential effects of age, gender, breed,...
Oura CA, Batten CA, Ivens PA, Balcha M, Alhassan A, Gizaw D, Elharrak M, Jallow DB, Sahle M, Maan N, Mertens PC, Maan S.Prior to the recent outbreak of equine encephalosis in Israel in 2009, equine encephalosis virus (EEV) had only been isolated from equids in South Africa. In this study we show the first evidence for the circulation of EEV beyond South Africa in Ethiopia, Ghana and The Gambia, indicating that EEV is likely to be freely circulating and endemic in East and West Africa. Sequence analysis revealed that the EEV isolate circulating in The Gambia was closely related to an EEV isolate that was isolated from a horse from Israel during the EEV outbreak in 2009, indicating that the two viruses have a com...
Cameron A, Harris P, Longland A, Horseman S, Hockenhull J.Laminitis and obesity are leading welfare issues for UK leisure horses. Limiting grass intake is a common preventative measure but may result in other aspects of welfare being compromised. This study aimed to determine how commonly different restricted grazing methods are used in the UK, barriers limiting their accessibility, and the potential benefits and welfare issues associated with each. A cross-sectional online survey was distributed with questions relating to horse carers' opinions of different restricted grazing practices, which methods they used, and how they implemented these. Closed...
Dibb WL, Digranes A, Tønjum S.Perforation is the most serious complication of fibreoptic endoscopy.1
The commonest site of perforation during upper gastrointestinal
endoscopy is the oesophagus,' but predisposing factors have not been
fully documented. We report a retrospective survey of major endoscopy
units in the United Kingdom and attempt to identify the factors associated with oesophageal perforation.
Huovinen S, Tunnela E, Huovinen P, Kuijpers AF, Suhonen R.We report fingernail onychomycosis caused by Trichophyton equinum in a farmer who breeds racehorses. In addition to the thumbnail, T. equinum had infected one of the racehorses. Oral terbinafine cured the infection in the farmer.
Barbosa Costa G, Marinho PES, Vilela APP, Saraiva-Silva AT, Crispim APC, Borges IA, Dutra AGS, Lobato ZIP, Dos Reis JKP, de Oliveira DB, Drumond BP....Saint Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that occurs throughout the Americas, and is considered a public health threat. In Brazil, SLEV has been detected from human cases associated with dengue-like disease, but no neurological symptoms were reported. Furthermore, the epidemiology of SLEV in human populations is still poorly explored in the country. We reported serological and molecular detection of SLEV in a healthy population of equids and humans from rural areas in Southeast Brazil. A plaque reduction neutralization test was applied, and neutralizing antibodies w...
Loftin KC, Diallo AA, Herbert MW, Phaltankar PG, Yuan C, Grefe N, Flemming A, Foley K, Williams J, Fisher SL, Elberfeld M, Constantine J, Burcham M....To investigate the occurrence of West Nile virus (WNV) and Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEE) in southeastern Virginia, the Bureau of Laboratories at the Norfolk Department of Public Health (NDPH) analyzed mosquito pools and the sera of sentinel chickens from the southeastern Virginia area each year from 2000 to 2004. Mosquito pool supernatants were screened for the presence of viral RNA by conventional reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Taqman RT-PCR with the i-Cycler. Mosquito pools were also tested for virus activity by Vero cell culture. The primary enzootic ...
Macleay CM, Carrick J, Shearer P, Begg A, Stewart M, Heller J, Chicken C, Brookes VJ.Equine pregnancy loss is frustrating and costly for horse breeders. The reproductive efficiency of mares has significant implications for a breeding operation's economic success, and widespread losses can have a trickle-down effect on those communities that rely on equine breeding operations. Understanding the causes and risks of equine pregnancy loss is essential for developing prevention and management strategies to reduce the occurrence and impact on the horse breeding industry. This PRISMA-guided scoping review identified 514 records on equine pregnancy loss and described the global spatio...
Sack A, Daramragchaa U, Chuluunbaatar M, Gonchigoo B, Bazartseren B, Tsogbadrakh N, Gray GC.Horses are critically important for Mongolian herders' livelihoods, providing transportation and food products, and playing important cultural roles. Equine influenza virus (EIV) epizootics have been frequent among Mongolia's horses, with five occurring since 1970. We sought to estimate the prevalence for EIV infection among horses and Bactrian camels with influenza-like illness between national epizootics. In 2016-2017, active surveillance for EIV was periodically performed in four aimags (provinces). Nasal swabs were collected from 680 horses and 131 camels. Seven of the horse swabs were "po...
Laabassi F, Hue E, Fortier C, Morilland E, Legrand L, Hans A, Pronost S.An episode of acute equine respiratory infection was reported in western Algeria (Tiaret province) between February and March 2011, affecting a large population of horses. Nasal swabs (n=100) were taken from horses aged between 1 and 27 years, presenting with cough and mucopurulent nasal discharge. The prevalence of equine respiratory virus infections was examined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). One, or more, of four equine respiratory viruses were detected in the nasal swabs of 90 of 100 horses (90%) and the detection rate of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), equine herp...
Krueger K, Esch L, Byrne R.Anecdotal reports of horses opening fastened doors and gates are an intriguing way of exploring the possible scope of horses' problem-solving capacities. The species' natural environment has no analogues of the mechanisms involved. Scientific studies on the topic are missing, because the rate of occurrence is too low for exploration under controlled conditions. Therefore, we compiled from lay persons case reports of horses opening closed doors and gates. Additionally, we collected video documentations at the internet platform YouTube, taking care to select raw data footage of unedited, clearly...
Filby M, Jackson C, Turner M.The horseracing training industry has largely been ignored in terms of active occupational health research. Objective: To provide baseline statistics on the specific nature and type of accidents that occurred in English horseracing stables during 2008. Methods: All 716 training yards/stables registered with the British Horseracing Authority were contacted in April/May 2009 to complete the Racing Injury Accident Statistical Survey. The survey asked respondents to detail all recorded accidents and injuries during 2008. Results: Two hundred and fifty-six yards (36%) provided usable responses. The...
Bennet ED, Cameron-Whytock H, Parkin TDH.Eventing is an equestrian sport that tests athletes' and horses' skill over three phases: dressage, jumping and cross-country. Falls during the cross-country phase can have very serious outcomes up to and including death for both horse and athlete. Therefore, understanding risk factors associated with falls is essential for improving equine and human welfare. Objective: To provide descriptive statistics and identify risk factors at the horse-, athlete- and course-level affecting horses competing in Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) events worldwide. Methods: Retrospective cohort study...