Risk factors in horses refer to variables or conditions that increase the likelihood of disease, injury, or other adverse health outcomes in equine populations. These factors can be intrinsic, such as age, breed, and genetic predisposition, or extrinsic, including environmental conditions, management practices, and exposure to infectious agents. Understanding risk factors is important for developing preventive strategies and improving health management in horses. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the identification, assessment, and mitigation of risk factors in equine health, with the aim of enhancing disease prevention and promoting overall well-being in horses.
Boston RC, Nunamaker DM.To determine the degree to which components of the training program of 2-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses influence their susceptibility to fatigue injury of the third metacarpal bone (bucked shins). Methods: 226 two-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Daily training information and health reports on 2-year-old Thoroughbreds were compiled from records provided from 5 commercial stables. For each horse, data (exercise variables) were collected that comprised distance jogged (approx speed of 5 m/s), galloped (approx 11 m/s), and breezed (approx 15 to 16 m/s) until a single instance of buc...
Cohen ND, Vontur CA, Rakestraw PC.To identify risk factors for enterolithiasis in horses. Methods: Matched case-control study. Methods: 26 horses with enteroliths, 104 horses with other causes of colic that underwent surgery (52 horses, surgical control group) or were treated medically (52 horses, nonsurgical control group). Methods: Medical records were reviewed for horses with enteroliths and control horses. Information collected included signalment, anamnesis, and findings on physical examination and clinicopathologic testing at admission. Horses with enteroliths and control horses were compared by means of conditional logi...
Cohen ND, Berry SM, Peloso JG, Mundy GD, Howard IC.To determine the association between high-speed exercise and risk of injury while racing among Thoroughbreds in Kentucky. Methods: Matched case-control study. Methods: 206 Thoroughbreds that sustained a musculoskeletal injury while racing and 412 Thoroughbreds that were not injured during the same races. Methods: Data regarding official timed workouts and races and the Beyer's numbers for the 3 races before the race during which injury occurred were extracted from past performance charts and compared between injured horses and control horses. Results: For injured horses, cumulative distance of...
Fleury C, Bérard F, Leblond A, Faure C, Ganem N, Thomas L.An epidemiological survey was made on cutaneous melanomas occurring in Camargue-type, gray-skinned horses in southern France. The population investigated was composed of 264 horses, which were selected from the Camargue horse stud registry and were allowed to be examined by the owners. The presence of tumors was inspected macroscopically according to the standardized protocols of veterinary medicine specialists, and some tumors were subjected to macroscopic histopathological examination. The results indicated that: 1) the prevalence of melanomas in the overall population was 31.4%; 2) the odds...
Waller AE, Daniels JL, Weaver NL, Robinson P.In the sport of horse racing, the position of the jockey and speed of the horse predispose the jockey to risk of injury. Objective: To estimate rates of medically treated injuries among professional jockeys and identify patterns of injury events. Methods: Cross-sectional survey from data compiled by an insurance broker. Information on the cause of injury, location on the track, and body part injured was evaluated. Methods: Official races at US professional racing facilities (n = 114) from January 1, 1993, through December 31, 1996. Methods: A licensed jockey population of approximately 2700 pe...
Morley PS, Townsend HG, Bogdan JR, Haines DM.To identify risk factors associated with respiratory tract disease in horses during 3 epidemics caused by influenza virus infections. Methods: Cross-sectional and prospective longitudinal observational studies. Methods: 1,163 horses stabled at a Thoroughbred racetrack. Methods: Investigations were conducted during a 3-year period. An epidemic of respiratory tract disease caused by influenza virus infections was identified in each year. Routine observations and physical examinations were used to classify horses' disease status. Data were analyzed to identify factors associated with development ...
Sandin A, Skidell J, Häggström J, Nilsson G.The present study was performed to estimate retrospectively the prevalence of gastric ulceration in necropsied Swedish horses and to evaluate some potential risk factors. Horses (n = 3715) older than age one year and necropsied 1924-1996 were included. Information about breed, gender, age, season of death, clinical signs of colic, Gasterophilus larvae and documentation of diseases in different organs was recorded. Data on size, number and anatomical distribution of gastric ulcers were also obtained. The cold-blooded horses and the Standardbreds were the 2 most dominating breeds in our material...
Sandin A, Skidell J, Häggström J, Girma K, Nilsson G.Necropsy records from 702 horses, less than one year old, that were subjected to necropsy between 1924 and 1996 were used to estimate the prevalence of gastric ulceration in younger horses and to evaluate some potential risk factors that may contribute to the development of gastric ulceration. Information concerning breed, gender, age, season of death, clinical signs of colic, medical treatment, parasitism and documentation of diseases in different organs were recorded, as well as size, number and anatomical distribution of ulcers. Gastric ulcers were found in 96 of 702 young horses (14%) and ...
Hurd HS, McCluskey BJ, Mumford EL.To identify management factors affecting the risk of animals developing vesicular stomatitis (VS). Methods: Case-control study. Methods: Horses, cattle, and sheep with suspected vesicular stomatitis on 395 premises in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona. Methods: Data were collected during the VS outbreak of 1997. Diagnosticians interviewed livestock owners and completed a supplemental questionnaire. Cases were defined as those premises that had a completed questionnaire and had > or = 1 animal positive for VS. Control premises were all premises investigated that had a completed questionna...
McClure SR, Glickman LT, Glickman NW.To determine prevalence and risk factors for gastric ulcers in show horses. Methods: Field survey. Methods: 50 horses in active training that had been transported to at least 1 event in the 30 days prior to endoscopy. Methods: Interview of owner, physical examination, serum biochemical analysis, CBC, and gastric endoscopy were performed. Results: Gastric ulceration was detected in 58% of the horses. Horses with a nervous disposition were more likely to have ulceration than quiet or behaviorally normal horses. Horses with gastric ulceration had significantly lower RBC counts and hemoglobin conc...
Fubini SL, Erb HN, Freeman KP, Todhunter RJ.Between July 1, 1983 and December 31, 1990, risk factors were determined for all horses with joint disease presented to a referral center, of being discharged, of ever becoming sound, or of being alive at 3 mo follow-up. Logistic multiple-regression models were done separately for foals (< or = 4 mo), yearlings (> 4-24 mo) and racing or nonracing adult horses (> 24 mo). The breakdown in this study was 53 foals, 87 yearlings, 141 nonracing adults, and 226 racing adults. Thirty-one foals (58%), 68 yearlings (78%), 119 non-racing adults (84%), and 213 racing adults (94%) were discharged. Foals wi...
Galuppo LD, Pascoe JR, Jang SS, Willits NH, Greenman SL.To document natural bacterial flora on the ventral aspect of the equine abdomen, to compare 2 preparation techniques, and to identify potential risk factors that may contribute to incisional drainage. Methods: Prospective study. Methods: 53 horses undergoing exploratory celiotomy. Methods: Group-1 horses (n = 26) were prepared with povidone-iodine and alcohol. Group-2 horses (27) were prepared with a film-forming iodophor complex. Numbers of bacterial colony-forming units (CFU) were measured before and after surgical scrub, following skin closure, and after recovery from general anesthesia. Sw...
Whitehair KJ, Willits NH.To identify factors associated with various arterial partial pressures of oxygen (Pao2) in anesthetized horses. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 1,450 horses anesthetized a total of 1,610 times with isoflurane or halothane. Methods: Anesthesia records, particularly results of blood gas analyses, were reviewed, and horses were grouped on the basis of lowest Pao2. Results: For horses with lowest Pao2 < 120 mm Hg, those with low pulse pressure, that underwent anesthesia on an emergency basis, or that were males were more likely to have Pao2 < 80 mm Hg. For horses with lowest Pao2 <...
Cohen ND, Dresser BT, Peloso JG, Mundy GD, Woods AM.To determine the frequency and anatomic location of musculoskeletal injuries incurred by Quarter Horses during races and to compare data from injured horses and matched control horses. Methods: Matched case-control study. Methods: 97 Quarter Horses that sustained a musculoskeletal injury during races and 291 horses from the same races that were not injured. Methods: Data examined included racing history, race-entrant characteristics, racing events determined by analysis of videotapes of races, and, when performed, results of prerace physical inspections. Data for injured horses were compared w...
Cohen ND, Mundy GD, Peloso JG, Carey VJ, Amend NK.To estimate the relative risk of injury among horses deemed to be at increased risk of injury on the basis of prerace physical inspection findings and to examine the association of injury during races with race-related characteristics. Methods: Cohort study. Methods: 2,187 Thoroughbred horses that started 3,227 races in Kentucky. Methods: All race starts for which a horse was deemed to be at increased risk of injury on the basis of prerace physical inspection findings and a random sample of race starts for which horses were not deemed at increased risk of injury were included in the study. Fin...
Cohen ND, Gibbs PG, Woods AM.To determine whether dietary and other management factors were associated with development of colic in horses. Methods: Prospective matched case-control study. Methods: 2,060 horses examined by veterinarians in private practice in Texas for colic and noncolic emergencies. Methods: Each month for 12 months, participating veterinarians were sent forms to collect information on 1 horse with colic and 1 horse that received emergency treatment for a condition other than colic, information collected included signalment, farm management and characteristics, diet, medical and preventive medical factor...
Ross WA, Kaneene JB, Caron JP, Gallagher KF, Gardiner JC.The objective of this study was to identify factors that may affect recovery from and duration of a case of lameness in a stratified random sample of Michigan horses. This was done using data from Phase-II of the Michigan equine monitoring system (MEMS Phase-II), the equine health-monitoring study [Kaneene et al., Prev. Vet. Med. 29 (1997b) 277-292; Ross and Kaneene, Prev. Vet. Med. 28 (1996a) 209-224; Ross and Kaneene, Prev. Vet. Med. 29 (1996b) 59-75; Ross et al., Am. J. Vet. Res. 59 (1997) 23-29]. In this study, statistical modelling was conducted to evaluate risk factors affecting recovery...
Whitlock MR.To determine the distribution of injuries in the eventing discipline of equestrian sports and the effectiveness of the protective equipment worn. Methods: Data on all injuries sustained in the cross country phase over fixed obstacles were collected from 54 days of competition from 1992 to 1997. This involved 16,940 rides. Results: Data on a total of 193 injuries were collected, which included two deaths. This represents an injury rate of 1.1%. Head and facial injuries represented the largest group (31%), with one third of these requiring treatment in hospital. All riders were wearing protectiv...
van Ittersum AR, van Buiten A.Mares with a large vulvar orifice have an increased risk of pneumovagina, which is associated with reduced fertility. Treatment is by means of the Caslick operation, by which size of the vulvar orifice is reduced. Factors that influence the occurrence of pneumovagina are the age and fertility status of the mare. In this study the risk factors for pneumovagina and the effect of the Caslick operation on fertility were investigated. In 1994, 1995, and 1996 a total of 967 mares were sent for service at a stud. Of these mares, 116 underwent a Caslick operation. The operated mares were older than th...
House JK, Mainar-Jaime RC, Smith BP, House AM, Kamiya DY.To identify risk factors for nosocomial Salmonella infections among hospitalized horses. Methods: Longitudinal study. Methods: 1,583 horses hospitalized in an intensive care unit between January 1992 and June 1996. Methods: Survivor functions were used to estimate time to shedding salmonellae for various Salmonella serotypes. Survival analysis was then used to determine how variables associated with patient management, environmental conditions, hospital conditions, and other disease processes affected the risk of nosocomial Salmonella infection. Results: 78 horses shed Salmonella organisms: 35...
Proudman CJ, Trees AJ.Until recently, the equine tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata was difficult to diagnose and considered to be of questionable pathogenicity. Here, Chris Proudman and Sandy Trees describe recent advances in the immunodiagnosis of this parasite that have facilitated epidemiological studies. These studies suggest that A. perfoliata may be an important cause of intestinal disease in the horse and demonstrate a dose-response relationship between infection intensity and risk of disease. If tapeworm infection is a risk factor for ileocaecal colic, the identification and treatment of infected individual...
Johnson PJ, Mrad DR, Schwartz AJ, Kellam L.Outcome and complications associated with administration of moxidectin gel to 3 foals < 4 months old are described. Two foals became comatose but survived following supportive treatment. One foal died following loss of consciousness associated with moxidectin administration. Risk of moxidectin overdose exists, because horse owners often fail to read or comprehend the package insert instructions pertaining to use of the syringe-locking mechanism. In addition, moxidectin should not be administered to foals < 4 months old, because it is likely that treated foals will become comatose.
Paix BR.Horse riding is a hazardous pastime, with a number of studies documenting high rates of injury and death among horse riders in general. This study focuses on the injury experience of cross country event riders, a high risk subset of horse riders. Methods: Injury data were collected at a series of 35 equestrian events in South Australia from 1990 to 1998. Results: Injury rates were found to be especially high among event riders, with frequent falls, injuries, and even deaths. The highest injury rates were among the riders competing at the highest levels. Conclusions: There is a need for skilled...
Cohen ND, Woods AM.To characterize horses with acute diarrhea and determine risk factors for failure to survive. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: 122 adult horses admitted for acute diarrhea at the teaching hospital between Jan 1, 1990 and Dec 31, 1996. Methods: Medical records of horses with acute diarrhea were reviewed to abstract information regarding signalment, history, physical examination, clinicopathologic testing, treatment, and outcome. Results: 91 of 122 (74.6%) horses lived and were discharged from the hospital. Horses with history of administration of antimicrobials for a problem preceding dia...
Kane AJ, Stover SM, Gardner IA, Bock KB, Case JT, Johnson BJ, Anderson ML, Barr BC, Daft BM, Kinde H, Larochelle D, Moore J, Mysore J, Stoltz J....To evaluate hoof size, shape, and balance as risk factors for catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries (CMI), including suspensory apparatus failure (SAF) and cannon bone condylar fracture (CDY) in Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: 95 Thoroughbred racehorses that died between 1994 and 1996. Methods: 38 quantitative measures of hoof size, shape, and balance were obtained from orthogonal digital images of the hoof and were compared between case horses with forelimb CMI (70), SAF (43), and CDY (10) injuries and control horses whose death was unrelated to the musculoskeletal system (non-CMI, 25). Com...
Bailey CJ, Reid SW, Hodgson DR, Bourke JM, Rose RJ.A retrospective case-control study was conducted to identify and quantify risk factors for serious musculoskeletal injury sustained at 4 Australian metropolitan racetracks. During the period of study (August 1988-July 1995) there were 196 cases from flat racing, 52 cases from hurdle racing and 53 cases from steeplechases. The incidences of fatal musculoskeletal injuries per start for flat, hurdle and steeple races were 0.06, 0.63 and 1.43% respectively. Logistic regression identified harder track surfaces, horses being older than age 3 years, one racecourse (Flemington) and jumping races as si...
Cole DJ, Cohen ND, Snowden K, Smith R.To determine prevalence of and risk factors for fecal shedding of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts among 3 populations of horses. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: 152 horses participating in the 1996 Texas State 4-H Horse Show, 144 horses examined by the veterinary teaching hospital, and 70 broodmares and their 10- to 21-day-old foals. Methods: Information on signalment and potential risk factors for fecal shedding of oocysts was obtained. Fecal samples were evaluated for oocysts by means of acid-fast (AF) staining, immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and, for selected samples, flow cytometr...
Mumford EL, McCluskey BJ, Traub-Dargatz JL, Schmitt BJ, Salman MD.To determine potential risk factors for vesicular stomatitis (VS) in Colorado livestock in 1995 and evaluate VS virus (VSV) exposure of Colorado livestock in 1996. Methods: Retrospective case-control study of VS risk factors and seroprevalence evaluation. Methods: Premises included 52 that had VS-positive animals and 33 that did not have VS-positive animals during the 1995 epidemic, and 8 in the vicinity of premises that had VS-positive animals during the 1995 epidemic. Methods: Layout and management data for premises were collected during site visits in 1996. Signalment and management data we...
Atwill ER, Mohammed HO.To determine whether horses in New York should be vaccinated against equine monocytic ehrlichiosis (EME). Methods: Decision-tree analyses of data from a cross-sectional study and a case-control study. Methods: Horses in New York. Methods: Annual expected monetary loss per horse attributable to EME was calculated for vaccinated and nonvaccinated horses in New York. Because risk of being seropositive was dependent on county in which the horse was located, farm elevation, and use of each horse, decision-tree analyses were stratified by these factors. Results: Annual expected monetary loss per hor...
Martinez-Lopez J, Brown JA, Werre SR.To compare the prevalence of incisional complications after skin closure with n-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBC) or stainless-steel skin staples (SS) after ventral midline celiotomy for colic surgery in the horse. Methods: Retrospective study (2014-2018). Methods: Two hundred eighteen horses. Methods: Medical records of horses that underwent exploratory celiotomy for colic were included when the skin was closed with NBC or SS and the horse survived ≥15 days after surgery. Records and a follow-up questionnaire were used to determine in-hospital and posthospital discharge incisional complications. ...
Miller RL, Webster JK, Mariger SC.The purposes of this study were to identify the source and frequency of agricultural injuries in Utah, and determine an injury rate for common agricultural activities. Previous studies conducted in Utah examined injury rates by utilizing emergency room logs. This study collected data directly from the source, farmers and ranchers in Utah, and included all modes of treatment. A random sample of Utah Farm Bureau members were mailed questionnaires to assess the number of injuries occurring during the past three years, the mode of treatment for the most recent injury, and the percentage of time sp...
Peachey KL, Lower T. To assess demographic and causal factors of fatal farm incidents involving animals in Australia. Descriptive study of the National Coronial Information System for persons fatally injured by an animal on an Australian farm over the 2001-20 period. Data were analysed in relation to age, sex, state where incident occurred, work-relatedness and causal agents. There has been little change in the mean number of animal-related injury deaths across Australia in the 2001-20 period (mean 6.5), however this is a 35% reduction on an earlier 1989-92 assessment (mean 10). The majority of incidents (81%) ...
Gordon S, Bolwell C, Rogers C, Guthrie A, Magunda F, Hove P.A study of the prevalence of African horse sickness in horses was conducted, using records from two private equine practices in Harare for the period 1998-2004. Results indicated a higher prevalence of the disease in horses in Zimbabwe in the late rainy season (March - May). Age of the horse was found to be a significant risk factor, with foals or yearlings appearing to be 1.80 times more likely to contract the disease compared with horses older than two years. The case fatality rate in foals or yearlings was also higher than in older age groups, but this difference was not significant. The va...
Ryu SH, Koo HC, Lee YW, Park YH, Lee CW.Infectious upper respiratory disease (IURD) of Thoroughbred racehorses has been a frequent problem (29.6% of incidence) at the Seoul Race Park (Korea). Risk factors for IURD include the season with a high transfer rate (summer and fall), the stabling period (≤ 3 months), and age (2 to 3 years old), suggesting that the movement and new environment may have depressed the immune system of the horses and decreased their ability to respond properly to pathogens. The bacterial strains (n = 98) isolated from IURD horses included Pseudomonas spp., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus...
Trevisiol S, Moulard Y, Kaabia Z, Delcourt V, Loup B, Garcia P, Boyer S, Dauriac K, Groseille G, Rouger S, Narbe R, Popot MA, Bailly-Chouriberry L.Ciclesonide (CIC) is the first inhaled highly potent corticosteroid that does not cause any cortisol suppression. It has been developed for the treatment of asthma in human and more recently in equine. CIC is the active compound of Aservo® EquiHaler® (Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH), the pre-filled inhaler generating a medicated mist based on Soft Mist™ technology. This prodrug is rapidly converted to desisobutyryl-ciclesonide (des-CIC), the main pharmacologically active compound. Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, CIC is prohibited for use in horse competitions. To set up an ap...
Crosa AT, Katzman SA, Kelleher ME, Nieto JE, Kilcoyne I, Dechant JE.This study reports the prevalence of and risk factors for incisional complications in equids after ventral midline celiotomy for enterolithiasis. This study covered the years 2008 to 2015 and included 72 equids. Enteroliths were removed from the ascending or descending colon through 1 or more enterotomies. Complications were defined as surgical site infection and/or incisional hernia formation. Follow-up by telephone questionnaire or medical records determined that 10/72 (13.9%) equids experienced complications, with 6/72 (8.3%) developing a surgical site infection and 5/72 (6.9%) a hernia. Se...
Büttner J, Brehm W, Gittel C.In horses, colic is associated with relatively high mortality rates. Identification of parameters associated with poor outcome may aid in providing a more accurate prognosis. This study aimed to assess the early prognostic value towards survival of the horse based on parameters of the clinical examination. Methods: In a retrospective study (2013-2017), results of the clinical examination of horses with colic were analyzed. Obtained parameters were categorized from physiologic up to different pathophysiologic manifestations. The risk of death was calculated as odds ratios in comparison to norma...
Whittem T, Woodward AP, Hoppach M.Knowing the frequency, extent or severity of injuries that occur to students and staff within veterinary teaching hospitals (VTHs) is necessary for proactive management of their safety. This study surveyed contemporaneously-captured incident reports likely to cause or causing injury to students and staff of veterinary teaching hospitals in Europe, the United States of America (USA), Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, recorded in 2017. Four different severities of incident were evaluated within four different cohorts of people, precipitated by five categories for cause. Within each cause-categ...
Moustafa A, Elmetwally M, El-Khodery S, Hamed M, Gomaa N, Rizk MA.There is a paucity of information regarding the frequency and risk factors associated with the occurrence of an abdominal hernia in different equine species especially donkeys, and mules. In addition, the effectiveness of using polypropylene mesh for the surgical management of abdominal hernia in donkeys and mules is still unknown. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of using polypropylene mesh for the surgical treatment of abdominal hernia in horses, donkeys, and mules and to address the occurrence and risk factors associated with an abdominal hernia in the selected ...
Becker W.From 1981 until 1987 we investigated the more detailed circumstances regarding a prophylactic vaccination in altogether 37 stud farms with a history of virus abortion. In 23 cases, in which Prevaccinol and/or Resequin were used, it was found that the following of vaccination schedule and necessary immunization programmes respectively, had considerable imperfections. In seven cases prophylactic vaccinations were not carried out or corresponding questionnaires were not answered. The fact that in the present data no case of virus abortion was observed, when the mare was vaccinated according to th...
Tinsley T, Fogle C, Means E, Robertston J.Dental disease is a common condition affecting horses. Its prevalence and characteristics among most of the common breeds of horses and donkeys have been investigated and described in the literature, but information about the prevalence and etiology of dental disease of miniature horses is sparse. Unassigned: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of dental disease of miniature horses, we performed oral and dental radiographic examinations on 100 miniature horses. The findings of these examinations were analyzed to determine the prevalence of dental disease and its correlation to age,...
Virtanen J, Hautala K, Utriainen M, Dutra L, Eskola K, Airas N, Uusitalo R, Ahvenainen E, Smura T, Sironen T, Vapalahti O, Kant R, Virtala AK....Parapoxviruses (PPV) cause skin and mucous membrane lesions in several animal species, and of the five recognized PPVs, at least three are zoonotic. Equine PPV (EqPPV) is the sixth one initially described in humans in the United States and later in a severely sick horse in Finland in 2013-2015. In 2021-2022, a large-scale pustulo-vesicular pastern dermatitis outbreak occurred in horses all over Finland. This study aimed at analysing the outbreak, identifying and describing the causative agent, describing clinical signs, and searching for risk factors. EqPPV was identified as a probable causati...
Recchi L, Cribb N, Côté N, Dubois MS, Koenig J, Valverde A, Monteith G.Antimicrobial stewardship has shown significant development in recent years. Perioperative prophylaxis accounts for a substantial volume of antimicrobial use and is a field in which improvements can likely be made. The objective of this study was to evaluate practices associated with perioperative antimicrobial use in equine elective laparoscopy at a single institution over a 21-year period and to determine whether antimicrobial therapy influenced the occurrence of postoperative complications. Medical records of horses that underwent elective laparoscopy at a teaching hospital from January 200...
Girma A, Tamir D.In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), particularly in Ethiopia, Epizootic Lymphangitis (EL) is the most prevalent fungal disease of equids, which causes significant economic losses as well as a decrease in equid populations. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis were designed to pool the results of individual studies and estimate the prevalence of EL among equids in Ethiopia. A systematic search of research articles on the prevalence and risk factors of EL among equids in Ethiopia was conducted in registers, databases, and other sources. Cochrane's Q, inverse variance (I2), sensitivity an...
Alruhaili MH, Marzok M, Gattan HS, Salem M, Kandeel M, Selim A.Cryptosporidium is an intestinal protozoan that cause diarrhea in livestock all over the world and have zoonotic importance. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in horses in Egypt and evaluate the associated risk factors. A total of 420 fecal samples were collected from three governorates (Giza, Kafr ElSheikh and Qalyubia) and examined microscopically using Ziehl-Neelsen staining method. The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. was 29% and Kafr ElSheikh governorate had the highest rate in comparison to other areas. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium...
Watrobska N, Gough R, Hallowell G, Haugaard S, McGovern KF.Post-operative reflux (POR) is rare following large colon volvulus (LCV) but does occur despite the absence of a small intestinal lesion. The prevalence, risk factors and association with survival of POR after LCV are currently unknown. Objective: To determine the prevalence of POR in horses with an LCV and its association with survival. A further objective was to assess factors which may predict POR. The hypothesis was that horses with POR following LCV surgery have a worse outcome for survival compared to those without POR. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods: Clinical da...
Tamura N, Yoshihara E, Seki K, Mae N, Kodaira K, Iimori M, Yamazaki Y, Mita H, Urayama S, Kuroda T, Ohta M, Kasashima Y.The potential value of hypervascularity detected with power Doppler ultrasonography (PDU) within equine superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) as a prognostic factor of SDFT injury is not clear. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that hypervascularity within SDFT is one of the risk factors for subsequent severe SDFT injury and to evaluate the prognostic value. A prospective cohort study of 97 Thoroughbred racehorses without any clinical signs of SDFT injury was conducted. Six variables of age, body weight, sex, the cross-sectional area of SDFT, PDU signal within SDFT and ex...
Sweeney DM, Holmström M, Donohue KD, Lambert DH, Bayly WM.To describe the process whereby the screening of racing Thoroughbreds with accelerometer-based inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors followed by clinical evaluation and advanced imaging identified potentially catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries in 3 horses. Methods: 3 Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: All cases demonstrated an abnormal stride pattern either during racing (cases 1 and 2) or while breezing (case 3) and were identified as being at very high risk of catastrophic musculoskeletal injury by an algorithm derived from IMU sensor files from > 20,000 horses' race starts. Veterinary e...
Jacquay ET, Harris PA, Stowe CJ, McIntosh BJ, Adams AA.Horses are regularly transported in the United States (U.S.); however, how, and why horses travel by road has not been explored. Consequently, an online nationwide survey was conducted to understand 1) the most common reasons for travel; 2) the types of journeys undertaken when being transported by road in the U.S. and 3) the general management practices when transporting for 3 hours or less. Responses were collected from 1294 participants with at least one response from every state in the continental U.S. The most common survey taker was a female (93.9%), adult amateur (81.2%), horse owner (6...
Dos Santos Rosse N, Reis ECC.The resistivity index (RI) evaluates haemodynamic based on arterial resistance. Alterations in renal blood flow are important for the early detection of kidney damage, as perfusion might be one of the first affected aspects. Objective: To retrieve published studies on equine renal RI to develop a standardised method of renal ultrasonographic examination and to evaluate the current reference range for the renal RI in horses. Methods: Systematic review. Methods: An electronic search in Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases was performed in February 2023 using the terms 'RI'...
Shawaf T.Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) is one of the most commonly diagnosed disorders in racehorses. Many EIPH risk factors such as breed, age, high or low environmental temperature, and distance of the race have been studied in racehorses. Unassigned: The aim of this study was to study the relationship between EIPH and the presence of jugular vein thrombose in racehorses. Unassigned: Forty-eight thoroughbred racehorses randomly selected from animals with exercise intolerance due to respiratory disorders were enrolled in the present study. Clinical and tracheobronchoscopy examinations w...
Kapusniak A, Nath L, Hebart M, Franklin S.Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is an important cause of exercise-associated fatalities in Thoroughbred racehorses. Equine deaths share similarities with fatalities in human athletes that result from inherited cardiac disease. Whilst genetic causes have been postulated in horses, these have not been confirmed and heritability of SCD has not previously been estimated in Thoroughbred racehorses. Objective: To determine the heritability of SCD in a sample population of Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Retrospective case-control study. Methods: Steward and post-mortem reports of Thoroughbred racehorse...
Heaton CP, Cavinder CA, McClure EN, Smith T, Smith WB, Liburt N, Krotky A, Harris P.Insulin dysregulation (ID), core to equine metabolic syndrome, may present without obesity. Testing for ID risk is commonly based on breed and obese phenotype but might be valuable for non-obese stock-type horses. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of ID in non-obese stock-type horses and evaluate if morphometric neck measurements (MNM) correlate with ID. Sixty-two, non-obese (BCS 5, range 2.5-6/9) stock-type horses were assessed for MNM: neck circumference at 25%, 50% (NC50), and 75% (NC75) length, and crest height. An oral sugar test (OST; 0.15 mL/kg BW corn syrup) was performed wi...
Flores JG, Bueno VC, Bastos HBA, Rechsteiner SMDEF.Reproductive biotechniques in the equine species have advanced in the last decade and horse breeders have started to question the possibilities of interfering in the determination of foal sex. The aim of the present study was to verify whether the variables mares and stallion's age, side of the ovary containing the preovulatory follicle, preovulatory follicle diameter, time between breeding and ovulation, and ovulation inducing hormones influence the sex of the foal. A total of 259 reproductive cycles of 160 mares and 22 Thoroughbred stallions were used. Statistical analysis was performed usin...
Crawford AE, Picken LK, Gabriel FD, Quade J, Gould S.Equestrian sports continue to gain popularity in the United States and are associated with a high injury rate, especially involving the central nervous system and thorax. Due to this high rate of injury and the potential for long-term consequences associated with participation, an understanding of the unique risks of this sport is needed. Unassigned: To describe severe injury in equestrian sports and review the role that protective gear plays in injury mitigation. Unassigned: The PubMed Database was searched using the search terms "equestrian" and "horse" combined with "spinal cord injury," "h...
Stigson H, Klingegård M.Equestrian sports, also referred to as equestrianism, is practiced all over the world and a popular leisure activity in Sweden. Equestrianism is the country's second-largest youth sport, and previous studies indicate that accidents are common in equestrianism. However, few previous studies have examined acute equestrian injuries leading to permanent medical impairment (PMI). Methods: By using nationwide insurance data comprising all injured equestrians registered in the Swedish Equestrian Federation, the aim was to analyse characteristics of equestrian accidents and particularly injuries leadi...
Van Mol B, Oosterlinck M, Janssens S, Buys N, Pille F.Various environmental and genetic risk factors are linked to the pathogenesis of equine osteochondrosis and osteochondral fragments in the fetlock joint. Therefore, a scoping review was conducted to describe current evidence linking genetic factors and environmental factors of these osteochondral disorders. This article constitutes the first part of this scoping review and focuses on environmental factors, with the second part addressing genetic factors. To identify potentially relevant papers online bibliographical databases PubMed and Web of Science were utilised, supplemented with articles ...
Cornell TR, Fye BL, Nyassi E, Ceesay F, Jallow M, Langendonk RF, Wootton DG, Pinchbeck G, Scantlebury CE.Exposure rates to species, the causative agent of equine epizootic lymphangitis (EL), are unknown amongst working equids in The Gambia. The primary aims of this study were to estimate anti- antibody seroprevalence in the equid population in rural The Gambia and to explore risk factors for seropositivity. Unassigned: A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted (February-July 2022), representing baseline measurements of a longitudinal cohort study. Horses ( 463) and donkeys ( = 92) without EL signs were recruited in 18 study sites. Following informed owner consent, equid clinical and m...
