Regression analysis is a statistical method used to examine the relationship between variables, often employed to predict outcomes or understand associations in equine studies. In the context of horses, regression analysis can be applied to a variety of research areas, including performance metrics, health parameters, and genetic traits. By analyzing data, researchers can identify patterns or correlations that may inform breeding decisions, training regimens, or health interventions. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the application of regression analysis in equine research, focusing on methodologies, findings, and implications for horse management and care.
Catalano DN, Coleman RJ, Hathaway MR, Neu AE, Wagner EL, Tyler PJ, McCue ME, Martinson KL.Adding breed type, height, and neck circumference to body length and girth circumference improves bodyweight (BW) estimation in different breeds of horses; however, equations have not been developed for all breed types. The objectives were to develop BW estimation equations for Miniature, saddle-type, and Thoroughbred horses using morphometric measurements. Measurements were collected on adult (≥3 years, nonpregnant) saddle-type (n = 209), adult (n = 249) and juvenile (<3 years, n = 61) Miniatures, and adult Thoroughbreds (n = 100). Personnel determined body condition score (BCS), m...
Cuervo-Arango J, Claes AN, Stout TA.Advancing maternal age is known to negatively affect fertility in the horse. This age-related decrease in fertility has been linked primarily to reduced oocyte quality rather than to impaired uterine function. In the past decade, the use of ovum pick-up (OPU) and ICSI to produce foals has rapidly gaining popularity amongst sport horse breeders. However, it is not yet known how maternal age influences the efficiency of a commercial OPU-ICSI program and whether the age effect is similar to that observed for other ART in the horse. To answer this question, reproductive records of 289 mares bred b...
Leśniak K, Whittington L, Mapletoft S, Mitchell J, Hancox K, Draper S, Williams J.Despite the likelihood that a horse's mass influences hoof morphology, empirical evidence is lacking. A clearer understanding of factors influencing hoof shape could enable prevention, or better treatment, of foot-based disorders; common causes of equine lameness. The study's aim was to investigate the relationship between horse body size, in terms of mass and height, and fore hoof dimensions. A further aim was to determine changes in the occurrence of hoof asymmetry as body size increases. Height, mass, and fore hoof dimensions; coronet band width (CBW); hoof base width (HBW); dorsal hoof wal...
Czycholl I, Klingbeil P, Krieter J.Objective tools for the assessment of animal welfare are needed. The present study analyzed the interobserver reliability of the Animal Welfare Indicators (AWIN) welfare assessment protocol for horses to further enhance knowledge concerning reliability. Therefore, two trained observers conducted 18 assessments on farm at the same time and on the same animals. The results were compared at individual level by calculation of Cohen's kappa (κ), weighted kappa (κ), and prevalence-adjusted, bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK). Spearman rank correlation coefficient (RS), intraclass correlation coefficient ...
Public healthJanuary 25, 2019
Volume 168 67-75 doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2018.11.023
Meredith L, Thomson R, Ekman R, Kovaceva J, Ekbrand H, Bálint A.Horse riding is a popular activity but has also been found to lead to many injuries and even fatalities. No reduction in the numbers of those being admitted to hospital for equestrian-related injuries have been seen in Sweden in recent years. The aim of this work was to examine injuries, fatalities, and predictors of fatalities in equestrian-related activities and to investigate the cost of these injuries to the public health system. Methods: The study is a retrospective analysis of hospital data. Methods: National Swedish hospital and mortality registers were retrospectively examined, inclusi...
Holcombe SJ, Shearer TR, Valberg SJ.We conducted a retrospective cohort study to test the hypothesis that performing 4 weeks of core abdominal rehabilitation exercises (CARE) postoperatively would be safe and associated with faster return to training and improved performance after colic surgery. Performance horses that recovered from colic surgery performed by the same surgeon and survived ≥ 1 year from 2008 to 2017 were included. Data were obtained from a review of medical records. Information about the horses' rehabilitation and performance was obtained from owners/trainers. Data from horses that completed a 4-week CARE pr...
Zeng Y, Meng J, Wang J, Kong Q, Li L, Ge S, Ren X, Yao X, Liu W.In this study, we aimed to explore correlations among stride characteristics, time records, and bonus amounts to identify relevant indices for evaluating racing abilities of 2-year-old Yili horses. In total, 41 and 26 Yili horses were enrolled in the 1600 and 3600 m races, respectively. This experiment was performed by measuring their stride characteristics using a high-speed video and collecting time records during the competition and the bonus amounts. The results showed that the 2-year-old Yili horses' stride length (SL), stride frequency (SF), middle SL (mid SL), hind limb SL (hind SL), fo...
Lanci A, Castagnetti C, Ranciati S, Sergio C, Mariella J.In the mare, foaling is a critical unpredictable event due to a wide range of gestational length and the absence of clear signs of impending parturition. To predict foaling, pH, inversion sodium potassium and increase of calcium concentration in mammary secretions are used. The aim of this study was to find how many days are left until parturition knowing mare's age (A) and parity (P) combined with ultrasonographic measurements of the fetal orbit in Standardbred mares with normal pregnancy. Eighty healthy Standardbred mares with normal pregnancy were hospitalized for attended delivery. Informa...
Padalino B, Rogers CW, Guiver D, Thompson KR, Riley CB.Injuries resulting from road transport are common in horses and are a potential welfare concern, as well as, a source of economic loss. An online cross sectional survey was used to determine the prevalence of road transport related injuries to horses in New Zealand and the association of human factors including demographics, industry background, training and the horse handling experience of the respondents with transport related injury. The survey generated 1133 valid responses that were analyzed using descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. At least o...
Boes KM, Sink CA, Camus MS, Werre SR.Method validation studies characterize the performance of new laboratory methods relative to established methods using quality guidelines in order to define the new method's performance characteristics and to identify differences that could influence data interpretation. We investigated the performance of an in-clinic dry chemistry analyzer (Catalyst One, IDEXX) for measuring 19 routine plasma biochemistry analytes in dogs, cats, and horses. We analyzed 2 levels of quality control material (QCM) in duplicate twice daily for 5 d to determine the coefficient of variation (CV), percent bias, ob...
Krüger L, Hohberg M, Lehmann W, Dresing K.Horse riding is a popular sport, which bears the risk of serious injuries. This study aims to assess whether individual factors influence the risk to sustain major injuries. Methods: Retrospective data were collected from all equine-related accidents at a German Level I Trauma Centre between 2004 and 2014. Logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors for major injures. Results: 770 patients were included (87.9% females). Falling off the horse (67.7%) and being kicked by the horse (16.5%) were the two main injury mechanisms. Men and individuals of higher age showed higher odds for ...
Gmel AI, Druml T, Portele K, von Niederhäusern R, Neuditschko M.Linear description (LD) of conformation traits was introduced in horse breeding to minimise subjectivity in scoring. However, recent studies have shown that LD traits show essentially the same problems as traditionally scored traits, such as data converging around the mean value with very small standard deviations. To improve the assessment of conformation traits of horses, we investigated the application of the recently described horse shape space model based upon 403 digitised photographs of 243 Franches-Montagnes (FM) stallions and extracted joint angles based on specific landmark triplets....
Mosing M, Waldmann AD, Raisis A, Böhm SH, Drynan E, Wilson K.Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a method to measure regional impedance changes within the thorax. The total tidal impedance variation has been used to measure changes in tidal volumes in pigs, dogs and men. Objective: To assess the ability of EIT to quantify changes in tidal volume in anaesthetised mechanically ventilated horses. Methods: In vivo experimental study. Methods: Six horses (mean ± s.d.: age 11.5 ± 7.5 years and body weight 491 ± 40 kg) were anaesthetised using isoflurane in oxygen. The lungs were mechanically ventilated using a volume-controlled mode. With an end-tidal...
Fielding CL, Rhodes DM, Howard EJ, Mayer JR.OBJECTIVE To identify clinical or clinicopathologic variables that can be used to predict a positive PCR assay result for Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in equids. ANIMALS 162 equids. PROCEDURES Medical records were reviewed to identify equids that underwent testing for evidence of A phagocytophilum infection by PCR assay between June 1, 2007, and December 31, 2015. For each equid that tested positive (case equid), 2 time-matched equids that tested negative for the organism (control equids) were identified. Data collected included age, sex, breed, geographic location (residence at the tim...
Padalino B, Rogers CW, Guiver D, Bridges JP, Riley CB.Transport-related problem behaviors (TRPBs) are common in horses and can cause injury to both the horses and their handlers. This study aimed to identify possible risk factors for TRPBs to inform approaches to mitigate TRPBs incidence and enhance horse welfare. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted to explore the prevalence of TRPBs and their association with human-, training- and transport management-related factors in New Zealand. The survey generated 1124 valid responses that were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and logistic regression analyses. Having at least one horse wit...
Carmalt JL, Henderson KV, Rawlinson JE, Waldner CL.OBJECTIVE To identify whether age, sex, or breed is associated with crown height of the left and right maxillary first molar tooth (M1) measured on CT images, to develop a mathematical model to determine age of horses by use of M1 crown height, and to determine the correlation between M1 crown height measured on radiographic and CT images. SAMPLE CT (n = 735) and radiographic images (35) of the heads of horses. PROCEDURES Crown height of left and right M1 was digitally measured on axial CT views. Height was measured on a lateral radiographic image when available. Linear regression analysis was...
Oinas J, Ronkainen AP, Rieppo L, Finnilä MAJ, Iivarinen JT, van Weeren PR, Helminen HJ, Brama PAJ, Korhonen RK, Saarakkala S.Articular cartilage undergoes structural and biochemical changes during maturation, but the knowledge on how these changes relate to articular cartilage function at different stages of maturation is lacking. Equine articular cartilage samples of four different maturation levels (newborn, 5-month-old, 11-month-old and adult) were collected (N = 25). Biomechanical tensile testing, Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (FTIR-MS) and polarized light microscopy were used to study the tensile, biochemical and structural properties of articular cartilage, respectively. The tensile modulus ...
Lewis SL, Holl HM, Long MT, Mallicote MF, Brooks SA.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), like human metabolic syndrome, comprises a collection of clinical signs related to obesity, insulin dysregulation and susceptibility to secondary inflammatory disease. Although the secondary conditions resulting from EMS can be life-threatening, diagnosis is not straightforward and often complicated by the presence of other concurrent conditions like pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). In order to better characterize EMS, we sought to describe the variation within, and correlations between, typical physical and endocrine parameters for EMS. Utilizing ...
Hinton S, Schroeder O, Aceto HW, Berkowitz S, Levine D.Castration is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in the horse. Complication rate and types of complications associated with use of the Henderson equine castrating instrument have not been determined. Objective: To determine the complication rate and type of complications encountered when using the Henderson equine castrating instrument in equine ambulatory practice. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: Medical records of horses undergoing routine castration using the Henderson drill were identified and evaluated for the occurrence of complications. The relationship be...
Thompson RL, Gunn AJ, Stephen CP, Ip H, Brookes VJ.Uterine luminal pH has been demonstrated to be a valid indicator of uterine health in species such as cattle and sheep. However, research regarding uterine luminal pH in equines is lacking. The objectives of this study were to assess uterine luminal pH in mares during the estrous cycle, and evaluate the effect of dilute vinegar lavage on both uterine luminal pH and endometrial health. The study was conducted using a randomized block design in which eight mares (four Thoroughbred and four Standardbred) were aged matched then randomly assigned to two groups. Endometrial biopsies were taken from ...
Tong KJ, Duchêne DA, Duchêne S, Geoghegan JL, Ho SYW.Phylogenetic analysis of DNA from modern and ancient samples allows the reconstruction of important demographic and evolutionary processes. A critical component of these analyses is the estimation of evolutionary rates, which can be calibrated using information about the ages of the samples. However, the reliability of these rate estimates can be negatively affected by among-lineage rate variation and non-random sampling. Using a simulation study, we compared the performance of three phylogenetic methods for inferring evolutionary rates from time-structured data sets: regression of root-to-tip...
Whitton RC, Ayodele BA, Hitchens PL, Mackie EJ.Microdamage accumulation leads to subchondral bone injury and/or fracture in racehorses. An understanding of this process is essential for developing strategies for injury prevention. Objective: To quantify subchondral bone microdamage in the third metacarpal bone of Thoroughbred racehorses at different stages of the training cycle. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Bone blocks from the palmar aspect of the medial condyles of third metacarpal bones from 46 racing Thoroughbred horses undergoing post-mortem were examined with micro computed tomography (microCT) to detect calcified microcracks, ...
Bennet ED, Parkin TDH.This study examined the association between riding speed and elimination in Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) endurance events. A total of 35,061 horse starts from 1st July 2012 to 31st December 2015 were included in a multivariable logistic regression model containing 25 different risk factors. Riding speeds in individual stages ('loops') were included as individual risk factors in studying the progress of horses through loops 1-3 of each endurance ride. The possibility of real-time, 'mid-ride' predictive modelling was explored by modelling both riding speeds and sudden changes in sp...
van Loon JP, de Grauw JC, van Oostrom H.The aim of this study was to compare different methods to determine venous admixture (Q˙/Q˙) in anaesthetized horses. The first objective was to estimate Q˙/Q˙ using jugular venous blood oxygen content (Q˙/Q˙), and a fixed value for the oxygen extraction (F-shunt). The second objective was to assess the influence of blood pressure and positioning on oxygen extraction. The third objective was to perform regression analysis between jugular and mixed venous blood oxygen tensions. Methods: Prospective, experimental trial. Methods: The study was performed with seven warmblood horses that were...
Kim NY, Son JK, Cho IC, Shin SM, Park SH, Seong PN, Woo JH, Park NG, Park HB.Temperament can be defined as a type of behavioral tendency that appears in a relatively stable manner in responses to various external stimuli over time. The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for the records of temperament testing that are used to improve the temperament of Jeju crossbred (Jeju×Thoroughbred) horses. Methods: This study was conducted using 205 horses (101 females and 104 males) produced between 2010 and 2015. The experimental animals were imprinted and tamed according to the Manual for Horse Taming and Evaluation for Therapeutic Riding Horses and evaluated ...
Wilson KA, Raisis AL, Drynan EA, Mosing M, Lester GD, Hayman J, Hosgood GL.To determine the agreement of invasive blood pressure measured in the facial, metatarsal and carotid arteries, and evaluate the effects of two haemodynamic conditions on agreement. Methods: Prospective randomized study. Methods: A group of eight horses aged 7 (4-23) years with a body weight of 493 ± 33 kg. Methods: Horses were anaesthetized and positioned in dorsal recumbency. Invasive blood pressure was measured simultaneously via catheters placed in the facial, metatarsal and carotid arteries. Cardiovascular function and agreement between arteries was assessed before and during administr...
Pollaris E, Haspeslagh M, Van den Wyngaert G, Vlaminck L.Fissures of the occlusal surface of equine cheek teeth are commonly encountered during oral examination but their aetiology is unknown. Objective: To examine the prevalence and characteristics of occlusal fissures in cadaver teeth. It is hypothesised that their prevalence is influenced by masticatory forces. Consequently, their possible association with wear disorders and occlusal angles were examined. Methods: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: The dental abnormalities and occlusal fissure findings in the cheek teeth of 143 cadaver heads were recorded. The cheek teeth occlusal angles were measu...
Burgess BA, Bauknecht K, Slovis NM, Morley PS.Salmonella enterica is an important cause of healthcare-associated infections in veterinary hospitals - with outbreaks of multi-drug resistant (MDR) Salmonella among equine cases resulting in high case fatality rates and substantial financial cost. Objective: Study objectives were to 1) investigate factors associated with shedding of MDR-Salmonella enterica and 2) evaluate the effect shedding may have on health outcomes of previously hospitalised horses and their stablemates. Methods: Retrospective case-control study with prospective cohort study. Methods: Analysis of medical records (N = 37...
Martig S, Hitchens PL, Stevenson MA, Whitton RC.The repetitive large loads generated during high-speed training and racing commonly cause subchondral bone injuries in the metacarpal condyles of racehorses. Adaptive bone modelling leads to focal sclerosis at the site of highest loading in the palmar aspect of the metacarpal condyles. Information on whether and how adaptive modelling of subchondral bone changes during the career of a racehorse is sparse. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to describe the changes in subchondral bone micromorphology in the area of highest loading in the palmar aspect of the metacarpal condyle in thorough...
Rawlinson JE, Bass L, Campoy L, Broman A, Prytherch B.To characterize the anatomy of the mental foramen and determine associations with age, weight, sex and breed. Methods: Retrospective descriptive study. Methods: Forty-one horses, 0.6-25.2 years and weighing 136-820 kg. Methods: Computed tomography (CT) studies of equine heads performed over 5 years were evaluated in multiplanar and three-dimensional reconstruction. Measurements obtained were positioning of the foramen along the mandible, foramen height and width, foramen-canal angulation and rostral canal mineralization. Exploratory statistical analyses investigated associations between measu...
Vanselow BA, Abetz I, Jackson AR.Of 61 horses with sarcoids treated with intralesional injection of a double emulsion incorporating inactivated bacillus Calmette Guérin organisms, 36 (59 per cent) showed complete regression and 11 (18 per cent) showed partial regression. The majority of cases required only one treatment. Not all sarcoids were responsive to this therapy; those not responding were usually large or on horses with multiple sarcoids.
Barwick RS, Mohammed HO, McDonough PL, White ME.To determine and quantify risk factors associated with exposure of horses to the following serovars of Leptospira interrogans: pomona, autumnalis, and bratislava. Methods: 2,551 horses were randomly selected from a target population during the period of May 1991 to August 1993. Methods: Blood was collected from the horses and tested for antibodies to serovars, using the microscopic agglutination test. A titer > or = 1:100 indicated seropositivity. Information was collected on each horse, its environment, and each farm's management practices. Logistic regression analysis was used to develop a m...
Novotna A, Birovas A, Vostra-Vydrova H, Vesela Z, Vostry L.The aim of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters of a one-day performance test together with the linear type traits of 3-year-old warmblood horses. The study of genetic parameters was based on 5958 tested horses in the period 1998-2021. A total of 22 traits of linear description, three quantitatively measured traits, and one summary mark from the performance test were tested. The model equation included the fixed effect of gender and combination effects of classifier-year of evaluation-place. A single-trait animal model was used for the estimation of heritability and genetic varian...
Davie AJ, Priddle TL, Evans DL.This study was undertaken to invesigate the application of submaximal field tests in assessment of performance. A submaximal field exercise test consisting of 2 bouts of pacing for 1600 m, with 5 min rest or walking between runs was performed on Standardbred racehorses at 2 training centres (A and B). Performance indices were compiled for each horse: number of race starts, number of race wins, number of race placings (1, 2 or 3), and lifetime earnings. Regression analysis was conducted to describe the relationship between plasma lactate concentrations and speed for tests one, 2 and pooled resu...
Flores-Flores G, Velázquez-Cantón E, Boeta M, Zarco L.The effects of repeated cloprostenol administration were compared in mares impregnated by horses and mares impregnated by donkeys in order to assess the role of eCG on the development of pregnancy-associated resistance to the luteolytic and abortifacient effects of PGF2α. Eleven mares impregnated by donkey (mule pregnancy) and 9 mares impregnated by horse (horse pregnancy) were used. Six mares with mule pregnancy and four with horse pregnancy were injected with cloprostenol (0.25 mg) when they were between day 65 and day 75 of pregnancy, and the treatment was repeated 48, 72 and 96 h latter...
Velie BD, Hamilton NA, Wade CM.Different indicators of racing performance are commonly used in the racing industry to assess the genetic superiority of racing Thoroughbreds. However, how well these indicators predict the performance of future progeny or siblings varies depending on the population and circumstances in which the indicators were recorded or achieved. Objective: To identify heritable indicators of racing performance for horses racing in Hong Kong. Methods: Heritability analysis of racing performance traits. Methods: Performance data on the population of Thoroughbreds racing in Hong Kong between 3 September 2000...
de la Rúa-Domènech R, Mohammed HO, Cummings JF, Divers TJ, de Lahunta A, Summers BA.To identify intrinsic, management, nutritional, and environmental risk factors associated with equine motor neuron disease (EMND) and to determine whether epidemiologic evidence supports oxidative stress as a risk factor for developing EMND. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: 87 horses with EMND and 259 control horses. Methods: Information concerning each horse's history of exposure to multiple environmental factors prior to developing EMND was obtained by means of a questionnaire or personal interview. Exposure histories of horses with EMND and control horses were compared, and the associa...
Boes KM, Sink CA, Camus MS, Werre SR.Method validation studies characterize the performance of new laboratory methods relative to established methods using quality guidelines in order to define the new method's performance characteristics and to identify differences that could influence data interpretation. We investigated the performance of an in-clinic dry chemistry analyzer (Catalyst One, IDEXX) for measuring 19 routine plasma biochemistry analytes in dogs, cats, and horses. We analyzed 2 levels of quality control material (QCM) in duplicate twice daily for 5 d to determine the coefficient of variation (CV), percent bias, ob...
Ricard A, Dumont Saint Priest B, Chassier M, Sabbagh M, Danvy S.The aim was to assess the efficiency of gaits characteristics in improving jumping performance of sport horses and confront accelerometers and judge scores for this purpose. A sample of 1,477 young jumping horses were measured using accelerometers for walk, trot, and canter. Of these, 702 were genotyped with 541,175 SNPs after quality control. Dataset of 26,914 horses scored by judges in breeding shows for gaits and dataset of 142,682 horses that performed in jumping competitions were used. Analysis of accelerometric data defined three principal components from 64% to 89% of variability explai...
van der Kolk JH, Nachreiner RF, Refsal KR, Brouillet D, Wensing T.Our objectives were to 1) establish ionised calcium (ICa), C-terminal PTH and biologically active PTH (intact molecule) concentrations in blood from normal horses, 2) examine the stability of ionised calcium and acid-base values in stored equine heparinised blood and serum and 3) check the applicability of the formulas based on these parameters in certain disease states. Mean +/- s.d. % ionised calcium in heparinised blood of normal Warmbloods was 51 +/- 2.7 (n = 20) of total calcium, range 1.45-1.75 mmol/l (n = 15) at Michigan State University and 1.43-1.69 mmol/l (n = 20) at Utrecht Universi...
Wassmuth AK, Riond B, Hofmann-Lehmann R, Lutz H.The Mythic 18 is a fully automated hematology bench-top analyzer using impedance technology for a complete blood cell count (CBC) and a 3-part white blood cell count (WBC) differential. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the Mythic for assessment of agreement, precision, linearity, carry-over, stability, and usability under practice conditions. Ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid-blood samples from 122 dogs, 140 cats, and 123 horses were analyzed with the Mythic and reference methods (Sysmex XT-2000iV, manual hematocrit, and microscopic WBC differentiation). Pearson's coefficient o...
Stier R, Tavassol F, Dupke C, Rüter M, Jehn P, Gellrich NC, Spalthoff S.The purpose of this study was to estimate the effect of the mechanism of trauma (fall versus kick), rider demographics, equestrian experience, protective equipment, and whether or not a horse was shod on the anatomic site of a horse-related maxillofacial fracture, operating time, postoperative complication rate, and length of hospital stay. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients treated for horse-related maxillofacial fractures at a single institution in Germany between January 2000 and March 2015. We used linear and logistic regression to test the above-mentioned...
O'Donovan KA, Aarnes TK, Hubbell JA, Parker EM, Mollenkopf D, Lerche P, Ricco Pereira CH, Bini G, Bednarski RM.To report anesthetic-related complications and determine risks associated with anesthesia in draft horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: A total of 401 anesthetic records for draft horse breeds that underwent general anesthesia from January 2010 through December 2020 were reviewed; horses euthanized during general anesthesia were excluded. Methods: Demographics, perioperative drugs used, procedure type and duration, time to extubation, number of attempts to stand, use of sling in recovery and perioperative morbidity and mortality were investigated. Morbidity and mortality statistical ...
Galisteo AM, Cano MR, Morales JL, Vivo J, Miró F.The influence of speed and height at the withers on some biokinematic stride parameters (linear, temporal and angular) was measured in 15 Spanish Thoroughbreds (Andalusian Purebred) trotted hand-led along a track; analysis was made of the correlation between speed and height at the withers and of some biokinematic parameters of equine locomotion. Both height at the withers and speed were positively and significantly correlated to the linear parameters examined. Temporal parameters did not reveal a significant correlation with the height at the withers. The correlations with the angular paramet...
O'Brien E, Stevens KB, Pfeiffer DU, Hall J, Marr CM.The aims of this study were to estimate the wastage of horses registered for eventing in Britain, to investigate the reasons for this wastage and to evaluate factors affecting the horses' achievement of grade I status (at least 61 points) while registered. An analysis of the database of the British Eventing register found that 33.7 per cent of horses registered for the first time in 1999 were not re-registered for eventing in subsequent years. By using multivariable logistic regression analysis, it was shown that horses that were kept at an event yard were more likely to be re-registered than ...
Cecchini S, Paciolla M, Caputo AR, Bavoso A.In order to counteract harmful effects of oxidative stress due to pathological conditions or physical exercise, horses are often administered dietary supplements having supposed high antioxidant activities. The aim of the present study was to identify the in vitro antioxidant potential of "ImmuPlus", a polyherbal formulation (Global Herbs LTD, Chichester, West Sussex, Great Britain), containing three medicinal plants (Withania somnifera, Tinospora cordifolia, and Emblica officinalis), known in Ayurveda for their use in human disease treatment. Extracts obtained by different solvents (water, me...
Sogaro-Robinson C, Lacombe VA, Reed SM, Balkrishnan R.To determine neurologic indications associated with abnormal results for computed tomography (CT) imaging of the head of horses affected by neurologic disorders. Methods: Retrospective case series. Methods: 57 horses. Methods: Signalment, history, clinical abnormalities, and clinicopathologic findings were obtained from medical records of horses examined because of neurologic disorders, and precontrast and postcontrast CT images of the head were reviewed. Data were analyzed by use of univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results: For a horse with abnormal mentation, odds of having a...
Graham RJTY, Anderson JR, Phelan MM, Cillan-Garcia E, Bladon BM, Taylor SE.Palmar osteochondral disease (POD) is a common cause of lameness in competition horses. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most sensitive diagnostic modality currently available, however it may not be financially or logistically practical for routine screening of POD. There is increasing interest in the use of metabolomics for diagnosis prior to progression to irreversible damage. Objective: To determine metabolite levels in synovial fluid (SF) of horses with a clinical diagnosis of POD based on diagnostic analgesia and MRI, with the hypothesis that metabolomic profiles differ between dis...
Stachurska A, Robovský J, Bocian K, Janczarek I.Changes in the coat cover are important for mammalian thermoregulation. This is especially true where variable environmental conditions exist throughout the seasons. Coat cover shedding is the replacement of old coat hair with new hair. The process differs in various equids. The aim of the study was to examine the changes in the coat of primitive Polish Konik horses living on a reserve in southeast Poland (50.6319° N). The reserve is located in a temperate climate. The mean temperature is below 0°C in winter (December 8 to March 9) and over 15°C in summer (June 8 to September 8). Five adult...
Roberts RS, Foppa IM.Since the introduction of West Nile Virus (WNV) to the United States in 1999, the efficacy of dead bird surveillance for the prediction of human and veterinary WNV infection has been an issue of debate. We utilized South Carolina's Department of Health and Environmental Control surveillance data from 2003 to determine whether dead bird surveillance accurately predicts equine WNV infection on a county level. We adjusted for human population density as a potential confounder of an association between WNV-positive dead bird counts and mammalian WNV risk. We found a strong positive association bet...
Rosales C, Krekeler N, Tennent-Brown B, Stevenson MA, Hanlon D.To describe selected periparturient variables in a sample of Thoroughbred mares and their foals on a commercial stud farm in New Zealand. Methods: Data were collected for 969 foaling records, from 592 mares, by foaling attendants from one Thoroughbred stud farm in the Waikato region of New Zealand for the breeding seasons 2008-2013, inclusive, and collated retrospectively. The associations between mare- and foal-level variables and gestation length, time of birth (expressed as the number of hours after midday), fetal membrane retention time, time for the foal to stand and suckle after birth, a...
Davidson A, Traub-Dargatz JL, Magnuson R, Hill A, Irwin V, Newton R, Waller A, Smith K, Callan RJ, Meehan M, Owen P, Salman M.Previously published studies have neither used nor reported the results of an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) to measure serologic responses in natural outbreaks of strangles. The concept of using serologic responses to identify persistent carriers of Streptococcus equi has been proposed but not scientifically evaluated. The specific aims of the current study were to determine the duration and level of truncated fibrinogen-binding protein-specific (SeM allele 1) antibody production in ponies involved in a natural outbreak of strangles and to determine if test results from t...
Oliveira CA, Azevedo JF, Martins JA, Barreto MP, Silva VP, Julliand V, Almeida FQ.This study was performed to evaluate the impact of dietary protein levels on nutrient digestibility and water and nitrogen balances in conditioning eventing horses. Twenty-four Brazilian Sport Horses, male and female (8.0 to 15.0 yr; 488 ± 32 kg BW), were used in a randomized design with 4 levels of CP diets: 7.5%, 9.0%, 11.0%, and 13.0%. A digestion assay was performed with partial feces collection over 4 d, followed by 1 d of total urine collection. Data were submitted to regression analysis and adjusted to linear and quadratic models (P < 0.05). No differences were observed in the intake o...
Sellon DC, Sanz M, Kopper JJ, Mattei D.Understanding factors influencing assessment of pain in horses will facilitate communication between veterinarians and horse owners. Objective: To compare estimates of pain experienced by horses as provided by veterinarians and horse owners and to determine factors associated with individuals who perceive horses to be experiencing extreme pain or minimal pain. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Internet-based questionnaires for horse owners and veterinarians included items related to recognition of pain in horses, estimated degree of pain experienced by horses, and demographic informatio...
Chiappe A, Gonzalez G, Fradinger E, Iorio G, Ferretti JL, Zanchetta J.In this study, we assessed the potential value of free serum osteocalcin or bone gla protein (BGP), the most abundant non collagenous matrix protein found in bone and dentin, to reflect changes of bone turnover in thoroughbred horses. Levels of osteocalcin were analyzed in serum samples of 54 clinically normal animals divided into three groups (A, B, C) according to age: 8, 16-18 and 24-36 months, in order to determine the standard for young horses of different age and sex. Serum BGP was measured by an in-house developed double antibody radioimmunoassay using bovine antigen. The mean BGP level...
Weber Polack E, King JM, Cummings JF, de Lahunta A, Divers TJ, Mohammed HO.The mean number of motor neurons was assessed in the C7 spinal cord segment of 5 EMND and 5 control horses. Mean number per section in EMND horses was reduced significantly (P<0.001). The mean neuronal loss was estimated at 31%. Each of the 5 affected horses had a mean neuronal count below the 95% confidence interval for control horses. The statistically significant difference between the 2 groups was consistent in the cranial, middle and caudal thirds of the C7 segment (P<0.001). The results of regression analysis indicated an association between neuronal reduction in EMND horses and th...
Buendia A, Teng KT, Camino E, Dominguez L, Cruz-Lopez F.The hemogram is a routine analysis for equine veterinary practitioners in the assessment of patient clinical status. Reference intervals (RIs) of hematologic constituents vary according to different horse populations and are often described for a particular breed or horse type. The aims of this study were to determine RIs for hematologic constituents in a mixed-breed horse population residing in livery yards in central Spain and evaluate the associations between estimated RIs and multiple phenotypic and management characteristics. A total of 122 healthy horses from different breeds in central ...
Gmel AI, Haraldsdóttir EH, Serra Bragança FM, Cruz AM, Neuditschko M, Weishaupt MA.Ground coverage and over-tracking are two gait quality traits describing the forward movement of the front respectively the hind limbs in relation to stride length and over-tracking distance. To investigate the complex interplay of different movement patterns in ground coverage and over-tracking, limb and body kinematics of 24 Franches-Montagnes (FM) stallions were measured with 3D optical motion capture (OMC) on a treadmill during an incremental speed test at the walk (1.4-2.0 m/s). The significance and amount of explained variance of kinematic parameters on stride length and over-tracking di...
Casella S, Vazzana I, Giudice E, Fazio F, Piccione G.The changes of cortisol, red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR) and rectal temperature (RT) were evaluated after a reining training session in eight Quarter Horses. All parameters were measured before exercise (T0), immediately after exercise (T1), 1 h after exercise (T2), 2 h after exercise (T3) and 24 h after exercise (T4). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures, followed Bonferroni's post hoc test, showed a significant effect of the reining training session (P < 0.0001) on cortisol, RBC, Hb, Hct, HR, RR and RT. Si...
Cheetham J, Riordan AS, Mohammed HO, McIlwraith CW, Fortier LA.There is no consensus on objective outcome measures that can be used to determine if a medical or surgical treatment affects race performance. Objective: To determine the association between 2 commonly used outcome measures (total starts and total earnings) and age, sex, gait and race surface. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using the race performance data for all Thoroughbred horses age 2, 3, 4 and 5 years racing in the United States, and Standardbred horses of the same ages racing in the United States and Canada during the year 2006. Median earnings and starts were determined ...
