Statistical analysis in equine research involves the application of mathematical techniques to collect, review, and interpret data related to horse health, behavior, and performance. This field encompasses a variety of methods, including descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and multivariate analysis, to identify patterns, test hypotheses, and draw conclusions from equine data. Statistical analysis aids in understanding various aspects of equine science, such as disease prevalence, treatment efficacy, genetic traits, and performance metrics. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, applications, and outcomes of statistical analysis in the context of equine studies.
Zanchi M, Bordin C, Ablondi M, Asti V, Summer A, Valle E, Ozella L.Early identification of sport potential in show jumping horses remains challenging because competition outcomes vary widely, and elite-level performance develops after considerable time. In this study, we evaluated the applicability of machine learning approaches to competition records from horses identified through FEI participation, complemented by national-level records from Sweden, Belgium and France, with the aim of identifying horses likely to reach elite performance. Performance data from Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) competitions were analysed using an Extreme Gradient Bo...
Cardiac arrhythmias are frequently detected during routine auscultation in athletic horses. Assessment of their clinical significance requires electrocardiography (ECG) to analyze waveforms and intervals. In recent years, portable ECG devices have been introduced to simplify electrocardiographic examination, offering advantages such as ease of use and the ability to review results via a smartphone. This study evaluated the utility and accuracy of a portable ECG device compared with a standard electrocardiograph. Simultaneous ECG recordings were obtained from 28 healthy adult horses at rest usi...
Hickey C, Guedes A, Byrne J, Hatschbach E, Walters B, Rendahl A, Tearney C.Defining the reliability of oscillometry (NIBP) for measuring mean arterial pressure (MAP) during normotension and hypovolaemic hypotension could help with cardiovascular monitoring and management in horses anaesthetised in dorsal recumbency. Objective: To assess agreement between NIBP and invasive MAP during normotension and hypovolaemic hypotension in dorsally-recumbent, anaesthetised horses. Methods: Prospective experimental study using 11 horses. Methods: Under isoflurane anaesthesia, blood was removed at 5 mL/kg bwt increments up to 25 mL/kg bwt and returned in a similar fashion. Pair...
Lutvikadic I, Hopster K, Watkins AR.Mechanical power (MP) represents the ventilatory-delivered energy to the respiratory system, integrating multiple variables into a single parameter. It has been linked to ventilator-induced lung injury and post-ventilation complications in human medicine, while clinical relevance in equine anesthesia remains insufficient. Objective: To evaluate the association between intraoperative mechanical power and postoperative respiratory outcomes in horses undergoing inhalant anesthesia. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed anesthesia records from 843 adult horses anesthetized between 2023...
Lindroth KM, Müller CE.Measurements of pH-value in equine faeces are often performed in studies on nutrition and health in horses, but a standard protocol for it is lacking despite the knowledge that different sample handling may affect the pH-value. Sample handling prior to pH-measurement is often determined by practical settings and has been reported to vary in published studies within the area. The purpose of the current study was therefore to investigate the influence of different combinations of storage time and temperature on the pH-value in equine faecal samples in comparison to immediate pH-measurement at de...
Stapley E, Lowndes C, Inanc E, Gillespie-Harmon C, Waxman S, Farr A, van Eps A, Bertin FR.Variables associated with hormonal, clinical, and survival outcomes of equids with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) are incompletely investigated. Objective: Evaluate the effect of initial hormone concentrations, clinical signs, treatment, and owner-related variables on outcomes in horses and ponies with PPID. Methods: Medical records from 213 horses and ponies diagnosed with PPID by 2 university-based primary care practices. Methods: Analytical observational cohort study. Variables associated with adrenocorticotropic hormone normalization, clinical improvement, and survival after ...
Selim A, Marzok M, Gattan HS, Alruhaili MH, Ismail H, Almubarak AI, Hereba AM.Equine strongylosis is one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal parasitic diseases affecting horses and donkeys worldwide, leading to reduced health, productivity, and working performance. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal strongyle infection and identify associated risk factors among equines in three Egyptian governorates. Unassigned: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 540 horses and donkeys. Fresh fecal samples were collected and examined using the magnesium sulfate flotation technique for the detection of strongyle eggs. Associations between infection ...
Ablondi M, Danese T, Moretti R, Asti V, Ozella L, Sabbioni A, Valle E, Summer A.Genetic improvement of show-jumping competition results has a clear breeding goal which is to produce horses that can repeatedly clear technically demanding courses at maximum height, resulting in placement results. However, how to achieve this, and thus how to accurately choose breeding candidates, is far from straightforward due to the heterogeneity of competition outcomes. In this study, we analyzed Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI) competition records from 19,232 horses together with pedigree data to evaluate novel phenotypes suitable for international genetic evaluations. Tradit...
Alkhamees ASA, Cavalleri JV, Hammer SE.Understanding the immunogenetic structure of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in Arabian horses helps to clarify the population health structure-related phenotypes of this historically influential breed. Straight Egyptian (SE) Arabian horses, which fall under , are of global value but are limited in number, raising concerns about their distribution and the genetic diversity associated with immunity. In this study, we examined 57 Egyptian Arabian horses from two breeding programs: one in Germany (AR-DE) and the other in Qatar (AR-QA). Sixteen polymorphic intra-MHC microsatellite marke...
Kuroda T, Minamijima Y, Takahashi Y, Ebisuda Y, Yoshida K, Ishikawa H, Ishihara KI, Mita H, Nomura M, Nukada T, Ishikawa Y.Quinidine has long been used for the pharmacological treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) in horses; however, the plasma concentration required for conversion to sinus rhythm remains unclear. Dominant frequency (DF), derived from surface electrocardiograms, reflects atrial activation rate during AF. This study aimed to quantify the relationship between plasma quinidine concentration and DF using a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) approach. Ten Thoroughbred horses with naturally occurring AF received quinidine sulfate via a nasogastric tube. Plasma quinidine concentrations and DF values...
Waples RS, Khanshour AM, Cothran EG.Standardbred horses are widely used for harness racing in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. In the U.S., two gaits (Pacers and Trotters) are genetically differentiated at a level typical for different horse breeds. We used the complete pedigree for all registered American Standardbred foals born 1970-2014 (>200 K Trotters and > 500 K Pacers) to calculate annual and lifetime reproductive skew and its consequences for the effective number of breeders per year (Nb) and effective size per generation (Ne). With rare exceptions, females can only produce 0 or 1 foal per year, w...
Prémont A, Moiroud C, Jacquet S, Beaumont A, Bertoni L, Chateau H, Audigié F.To quantitatively describe changes in skeletal radiopharmaceutical uptake during a training program including swimming in horses with neck and back pain, eighteen showjumping horses with documented vertebral lesions were prospectively included in a training program composed of 4 weeks of ridden work and then 8 weeks combining swimming and ridden exercise. Previously published data on this cohort did not demonstrate any clear change in thoracolumbar mobility. Bone scintigraphy was performed at the 4th and 12th weeks. Radiopharmaceutical uptake was quantified in 205 regions of interest (ROIs) an...
Ferme T, Zorc M, Cotman M, Mesarič M, Dovč P.In this study, we analysed genetic diversity, population structure and inbreeding in the Lipica Stud Farm population by integrating pedigree records, microsatellite (STR) and genome-wide SNP data generated using the GGP Equine 70K BeadChip. The dataset comprised 233 horses from the Lipica Stud Farm, which served as the reference population for comparisons of diversity estimates based on pedigree-, STR- and SNP data. The STR data were originally generated for routine parentage verification and were included here to compare inbreeding estimates based on pedigree, STR and genome-wide SNP data. Pe...
Weigt A, Brockmann A, Tetens J, Schmitt AO.Reliable phenotypes are essential for successful animal breeding programmes. Subjective phenotypic assessment may lead to under- or overestimation of heritability estimates and thereby affect the power of genome-based analyses. In Warmblood horses, conformation traits are commonly assessed using linear scoring, but its reliability has not been sufficiently quantified. Objective: In this study, we investigated inter- and intra-rater reliability of linear scoring of conformation traits in German warmblood horses. Methods: Professional equine breeding experts (e.g. breeding judges) completed an o...
Williams Louie E, Suter B, Schwarzwald CC, Mitchell KJ.Criteria for arrhythmia classification in horses are insufficient, particularly when differentiating atrial premature complexes (APCs) from sinus arrhythmia (SA). This study investigated RR and PP interval changes between SA, APCs, and ventricular premature complexes (VPCs). Unassigned: 30 resting ECGs were reviewed: 10 each containing SA, APC, and VPC. Sequences of 10 RR and PP intervals were recorded for each arrhythmia (20 events/ECG). Percent RR and PP deviations were calculated (1) between sequential intervals (%ΔSEQPP and %ΔSEQRR, respectively) and (2) compared to averaged baseline int...
Perina F, Lanci A, Fanelli D, Maltinti S, di Caporiacco L, Castagnetti C, Mariella J.The aims of the study were to evaluate factors influencing the resumption of postpartum ovarian activity and to compare hormone concentrations among mares with physiological/pathological postpartum period and cyclic non-lactating mares. Follicular dynamics were monitored ultrasonographically in 38 postpartum mares from foaling or admission (Tpp/Ta) every other day until the emergence of a dominant follicle (Td), then daily until ovulation (To). Blood samples were collected at Tpp/Ta, Td, and To in postpartum mares and at Td and To in cyclic mares to determine serum estradiol, progesterone, lep...
Moore-Colyer M, Harris P, Daniels S.Haylage is widely fed to all categories of stabled horses across Europe and New Zealand. Haylage can vary from high energy nutrient dense forage to low energy highly fibrous fodder, yet little is known about the impact different haylages have on metabolism in horses. This study provides the first direct comparison of feeding four different haylages: early cut (Lolium multiflorum), later cut (Lolium perenne) rye grass (R1 and R2); early and late cut meadow grass (M1 and M2), on urinary and faecal metabonomics, in ponies at maintenance. Using replicated Latin Square design, eight individually ho...
Perdomo-González DI, Valera M, Molina A, Azor P, Sánchez JP.Dominance is a non-additive genetic effect involving allele interaction at the same locus. In animal breeding, it has often been ignored due to its complexity and the low accuracy of pedigree-based estimates. This study analysed dominance variance components for reproductive traits [age at first foaling (AFF), reproductive efficiency (RE), interval between first and second foaling (I12)] and morphological traits [scapulo-ischial length (SIL), dorsal sternal diameter (DSD), knee circumference (KC)] in Pura Raza Española (PRE) mares. The aim was to assess the magnitude of dominance effects acro...
Puentes MMM, Guzman YL, Torreglosa JCT, Isaza PAL, Guzman-Barragán BL.Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a persistent lentiviral disease with important sanitary and economic implications in tropical regions; however, epidemiological information in Colombia remains limited. Objective: To estimate seroprevalence, identify risk factors, and evaluate hematological alterations associated with EIA in horses from Casanare, Colombia. Methods: A cross-sectional study including 1,228 horses from 204 production units across 121 rural districts. Serological diagnosis was performed using agar gel immunodiffusion. Demographic and management data were obtained through an epidem...
Latorre N, Gómez-Cuétara C, Cañizares E, Crespo F, Pérez-Aguilera V, Laborda-Gomariz JÁ, Soler AJ, Sanchez-Rodriguez A, Roldan ERS.The growing relevance of the Purebred Spanish horse has driven the extensive use of assisted reproductive technologies to preserve elite stallion genetics. Optimal reproductive performance is intrinsically linked to systemic health and high semen quality. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of body condition on the stallion's metabolic and endocrine profiles and their seminal parameters. Semen and blood samples were collected from 26 stallions (February-May in 2024-2025) whose body condition score (BCS) was assessed using the Henneke scale. They were classified into two groups, low BCS wit...
Satué K, La Fauci D, Colomer-Selva R, Cravana C, Fazio E.Platelet indices provide valuable information on platelet activation, heterogeneity, and production kinetics, yet their physiological variability remains poorly characterized in horses. Although seasonal changes in platelet count have been described, the seasonal modulation of derived platelet indices in mares remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the seasonal variation of platelet count and derived platelet indices in clinically healthy mares from the Valencia region (Spain), and to assess their interrelationships. Forty clinically healthy Spanish Purebred mares (6-...
Regnault N, Olivier A, Pycik E, Bideau N.Show jumping performance depends on the rider's ability to regulate the horse-rider system while maintaining postural stability under dynamic constraints. Although rider biomechanics has been investigated in various equestrian contexts, integrated analyses combining 3D kinematics with rein and stirrup kinetics during jump-approach remain limited. This study aimed to analyse how approaching an obstacle changes a rider's control strategies by comparing sitting canter, two-point canter in straight line without obstacle and jump-approach canter (defined here as the five strides before obstacle) in...
Young LM, Courtney ER, Freeland RB.The racing outcome of horses that have undergone surgical repair of neonatal rib fractures is not well documented. Objective: To evaluate the impact of surgical repair of neonatal rib fractures on subsequent sales and racing performance in Thoroughbreds. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Medical records of neonatal Thoroughbreds that underwent surgical repair of rib fractures at a referral hospital between 2014 and 2025 were reviewed. Sales and racing data were obtained from publicly available databases. Outcomes assessed included sale price at weanling and yearling sales, total ca...
Allen SE, Taylor S, Given J, Verheyen KLP.Horse falls are an important safety and welfare concern in jump racing, as they are associated with an increased risk of equine fatality and injury, as well as jockey injury. Objective: To identify risk factors for horse falls in British jump racing. Methods: Retrospective cohort. Methods: All jump race starts made on British racecourses between January 2010 and April 2023 were considered. Available horse, race, racecourse, trainer and jockey data were collated and combined with faller data recorded in official databases. Horses that were 'brought down' by another horse were not considered a f...
Gong Y, Liu X, Zheng Z, Zeng S, Zhang Y, Pu Y, Pan J, Ma Y, Jiang L.The selection of horses has been instrumental in shaping long-range mobility, advancing warfare strategies, and diversifying equine phenotypes. However, the structural variants (SVs) favored by this process remain largely unexplored. Utilizing high-fidelity Pacific Biosciences sequencing, we assembled three high-quality horse genomes, incorporating 237 Mb (9.48%) of novel sequences relative to the existing reference genome. These assemblies achieved an average Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs completeness of 95.1%. By employing a graph-based approach, we genotyped 23,163 high-con...
Ripley NE, Gravatte HS, Reinemeyer CR, Nielsen MK.Habitat preferences of gastrointestinal nematodes are well-documented in small hosts, but equine cyathostomin diversity has largely been characterized only at farm or regional levels. While organ-level site preferences are known, within-organ spatial distributions remain unexplored. We investigated the longitudinal and radial distribution of adult cyathostomins within the large-intestinal lumen. Intact large intestines from 5 Shetland ponies were frozen post-necropsy and transected into 4-cm sections. Three micro-habitat samples (2.5 cm diameter) were collected per section. We recovered 2,444 ...
Santana ML, Bignardi AB.Reining performance is influenced by subjectivity and competition structure, challenging genetic evaluation. This study estimated genetic parameters for reining performance in Brazilian Quarter Horses using random regression models (RRM) and evaluated how alternative phenotypic definitions affect genetic inference and predictive ability. A dataset comprising 21,165 longitudinal records from 1603 horses was analyzed, comparing within-group rank (RANK) and Blom-transformed rank (BLOM). Model comparison indicated that cubic RRM provided the best fit for both phenotypes. Heritability estimates wer...
Nolen-Walston RD, Lowndes CR, Kulp JC, Luethy D, Stefanovski D, Van Eps AW.Total adiponectin (TA) is a marker of metabolic health in equids, with values below a critical decision point of < 7.9 μg/mL conferring increased risk of laminitis. Objective: To evaluate an IT assay to measure serum [TA] in equids and to assess its correlation with [high molecular weight adiponectin] (HMWA) measured by ELISA. Methods: Total serum adiponectin concentrations from 207 adult horses were measured using both an IT assay for TA and HMWA using a previously validated ELISA assay. Data were analyzed using Spearman correlation and Passing-Bablok regression. Intra- and inter-assa...
Tanner JC, Beatson PR, Hickford JGH, Barrell GK.This study was conducted to quantify the probability of a Standardbred foal attaining early career milestones and to estimate some environmental and genetic factors that influence achievement of those milestones. Data for all Standardbred foals registered at birth in New Zealand from 1995 to 2018 were used to estimate variance components and fixed effects influencing attainment of three early-career traits; registered with trainer (REG), starting in a trial (TRIAL) and starting in a race (RACE). The study population comprised 65,256 foals. Of these, 65.5% attained REG, 55.4% progressed to TRIA...
Parente L, Ehrmann S, Hengl T, Fritz S, Bonannella C, Malek Ž, Gonzalez Fischer C, Perez K, Stanimirova R, Meyer C, Wisser D, Cinardi G, Sloat L.The article describes the production and evaluation of annual livestock densities and headcounts of cattle, horses, sheep, goats and buffaloes (including 95% probability prediction intervals) at 1 km spatial resolution for the 2000-2022 period using spatiotemporal machine learning. A compilation of subnational livestock census data has been imported, harmonized and used as reference data (55,336 census polygons and 939,257 individual data entries; covering 147 countries) to build predictive models. A large stack of multi-source harmonized raster data sets (128 individual layers) were used as f...
Hansen TF.Comparative studies tend to differ from optimality and functionality studies in how they treat adaptation. While the comparative approach focuses on the origin and change of traits, optimality studies assume that adaptations are maintained at an optimum by stabilizing selection. This paper presents a model of adaptive evolution on a macroevolutionary time scale that includes the maintenance of traits at adaptive optima by stabilizing selection as the dominant evolutionary force. Interspecific variation is treated as variation in the position of adaptive optima. The model illustrates how phylog...
Gilbert M, Nicolas G, Cinardi G, Van Boeckel TP, Vanwambeke SO, Wint GRW, Robinson TP.Global data sets on the geographic distribution of livestock are essential for diverse applications in agricultural socio-economics, food security, environmental impact assessment and epidemiology. We present a new version of the Gridded Livestock of the World (GLW 3) database, reflecting the most recently compiled and harmonized subnational livestock distribution data for 2010. GLW 3 provides global population densities of cattle, buffaloes, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens and ducks in each land pixel at a spatial resolution of 0.083333 decimal degrees (approximately 10 km at the equat...
Visser EK, van Reenen CG, van der Werf JT, Schilder MB, Knaap JH, Barneveld A, Blokhuis HJ.Forty-one Dutch Warmblood immature horses were used in a study to quantify temperamental traits on the basis of heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) measures. Half of the horses received additional training from the age of 5 months onwards; the other half did not. Horses were tested at 9, 10, 21 and 22 months of age in a novel object and a handling test. During the tests, mean HR and two heart variability indices, e.g. standard deviation of beat-to-beat intervals (SDRR) and root mean square of successive beat-to-beat differences (rMSSD), were calculated and expressed as response va...
Jamieson A, Taylor SC.Three general formulae calibrate the average capability of marker systems to dispute falsely reported pedigree records in uniparous species. The most familiar exclusion formula applies to paternity, although the same formula applies equally to maternity. Another formula faults the relationship of a single offspring with its putative parent; for example, where the genotype of the other parent is not available. The remaining formulae excludes both of the falsely recorded parents of a substituted offspring. Simplified forms of the three general formulae facilitate the calculation of maximal avera...
Giles SL, Rands SA, Nicol CJ, Harris PA.Reasons for performing study. The prevalence of obesity in companion animals, including horses and ponies has risen drastically in recent years and risk factors have been little investigated. Horses are unique amongst companion animals in that many are outdoor-living and forage independently on pasture; they also have a dual utility and companionship role. The body condition of wild and free-living equines is known to vary seasonally, yet previous estimates of the prevalence of obesity and associated risk factors in domestic animals do not consider this. Most previous studies were conducted du...
Keeling LJ, Jonare L, Lanneborn L.The heart rates (HR) of horses and the people leading them (10 horses, 20 people), and riding them (17 horses, 17 people), were recorded in an indoor arena. The horses were Swedish leisure horses of mixed ages, sex and breed. All except two of the people were female and all were of mixed age and riding experience. Each horse-human pair walked or rode between points A and B (30m) four times on each test occasion. However, just before the fourth pass, participants were told that an umbrella would be opened as they rode, or led, the horse past the assistant. The umbrella was not opened, so this p...
Greve L, Dyson SJ.Saddle slip is usually blamed on saddle fit, crooked riders or horse shape, but may reflect hindlimb lameness. There are no studies of the frequency of occurrence of saddle slip and risk factors within a tested sample population of the general sports horse population. Objective: To quantify the frequency of saddle slip and to describe the association with lameness, thoracolumbar shape/symmetry, crooked riders and ill-fitting saddles. Methods: Nonrandom, cross-sectional survey using convenience sampling. Methods: Five hundred and six sports horses in normal work were assessed prospectively. Tho...
Price J, Catriona S, Welsh EM, Waran NK.To develop a method for objective assessment of equine post-operative pain. Methods: Prospective nonblinded clinical study. Methods: Twelve adult horses: Group 1 (G1, n = 6), admitted for arthroscopy (under general anaesthesia, with multimodal analgesia); Group 2 (G2, n = 6), 'pain free' controls. Methods: Horses were filmed continuously (CVI, time-lapse video recorder) over 72 hours, from 24 hours pre-surgery (PS) to 48 hours post-recovery (PR) (G1), and over 24 hours (G2). Activity budgets were determined from 24 to 0 hours PS, 0-24 and 24-48 hours PR (G1) and for 24 hours (G2). Using direct...
Beekman L, Tohver T, Léguillette R.The pathophysiology of inflammatory airway disease (IAD) is unknown, but in some cases involves the accumulation of mast cells, neutrophils, or both in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). The objective of this study was to characterize cytokine gene expression in the BALF cells of horses with IAD, including a comparison of cytokine gene expression between IAD horses with increased BALF mast cells (IAD-Mast) or neutrophils (IAD-Neutro). Methods: The mRNA expression of IL-4, IFN-γ, IL-17, IL-8, IL-1β, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p35, and eotaxin-2 was studied by quantitative polymerase chain ...
Dalla Costa E, Pascuzzo R, Leach MC, Dai F, Lebelt D, Vantini S, Minero M.Pain recognition is fundamental for safeguarding animal welfare. Facial expressions have been investigated in several species and grimace scales have been developed as pain assessment tool in many species including horses (HGS) and mice (MGS). This study is intended to progress the validation of grimace scales, by proposing a statistical approach to identify a classifier that can estimate the pain status of the animal based on Facial Action Units (FAUs) included in HGS and MGS. To achieve this aim, through a validity study, the relation between FAUs included in HGS and MGS and the real pain co...
Laurenza C, Ansart L, Portier K.A retrospective analysis was performed to determine mortality and morbidity rates for elective and emergency cases in an equine university teaching hospital. It investigated the effect of horse-, anesthetic-, timing, and clinician experience-related variables on anesthetic complications. In total, 1,161 horses undergoing general anesthesia between January 2012 and December 2016 were included in the study. Patient information and details of the anesthetic, recovery period and immediate complications were retrieved from an archival database. Statistical analysis of qualitative and quantitative f...
Rivara FP.Examine the current magnitude of the injury problem to children and adolescents on farms, and to compare these data to that from 1978-83. Methods: US National Center for Health Statistics Mortality Multiple Cause of Death Tapes for the years 1991-3, and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission National Electronic Injury Surveillance System for data on emergency department visits for 1990-3. Methods: Children and adolescents 19 years and younger injured on farms. Results: There were an average of 104 deaths per year due to injuries occurring on farms. The rate of 8.0 deaths per 100,000 child f...
Textor JA, Norris JW, Tablin F.To test the hypotheses that preparation method, exposure to shear force, and exposure to collagen affect the release of growth factors from equine platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Methods: PRP obtained from 6 horses. Methods: PRP was prepared via 2 preparation methods (tube and automated) and subjected to 6 treatment conditions (resting, detergent, exposure to shear via 21- and 25-gauge needles, and exposure to collagen [10 and 20 μg/mL]). Concentrations of platelet-derived growth factor, isoform BB (PDGF-BB); transforming growth factor β, isoform 1 (TGFβ₁); and insulin-like growth factor, iso...
Quintero-Moreno A, Miró J, Teresa Rigau A, Rodríguez-Gil JE.The aim of this study was to test the presence of separate sperm subpopulations, with specific motility characteristics, in stallion ejaculates by using a computer-assisted semen motility analysis (CASA) system. Motility data were analyzed with a hierarchical clustering of variables based on a correlation or covariance matrix to select like parameters of sperm motility descriptors that better explain the kinetics of spermatozoa. The statistical analyses clustered the whole motile sperm population in both fresh and 24 h stored ejaculates into four separate groups. There were significant differe...
Abu-Zidan FM, Rao S.Horse riding and handling are uniquely dangerous. Knowledge of the risk factors of horse-related injuries is essential to prevent them. We aimed to define the factors that affect the severity of horse-related injuries and the length of hospital stay. A number of 231 patients (136 females and 95 males) with horse-related injuries were studied. A generalized linear model was used to test the effect of age, sex, cause of injury, complexity of the mechanism of injury, year, place of injury and profession of the injured, on the injury severity score (ISS) and the hospital stay. Fall from a horse wa...
León CA.The purpose of this study was the identification of possible sequelae of the infection of human individuals with Virus of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis (VEE). Special emphasis was laid on exploring neurological, psychological and behavioural aspects and particularly on the search for a possible association of the disease with epileptic phenomena, brain damage and/or mental deficiency. A four-year period of observation was conducted on a sample of children from El Carmelo (Colombia) where an epidemic of VEE took place in 1967. A group of seven children who presented the encephalitic type of th...
Proudman CJ.The records of 200 colic episodes, collected prospectively, over a two year period, from first opinion cases, were analysed and compared with a control sample selected at random from the same population. Analysis by colic type revealed 72% spasmodic/undiagnosed; 7% surgical; 5.5% flatulent; 5% pelvic flexure impactions; 9.5% other implications and 1% colitis. A possible predisposing cause was identified in 43% of the spasmodic/undiagnosed cases. The total incidence of colic in each age group showed no statistically significant differences from the control population. Stallions were significant...
Argo CM, Curtis GC, Grove-White D, Dugdale AH, Barfoot CF, Harris PA.Evidence-based, weight loss management advice is required to address equine obesity. Changes in body mass (BM), body condition score (BCS), heart (HG) and belly circumference (BG), direct (ultrasonographic) and indirect (D(2)O dilution, bioelectrical impedance analysis [BIA]) measures of body fat as well as indices of insulin resistance (IR) were monitored in 12 overweight (BCS ≥ 7/9) horses and ponies of mixed breed and gender for 16 weeks. Animals were randomly assigned to two groups (Group 1, n=6, BCS 7.6/9 ± 0.6, 489 ± 184.6 kg; Group 2, n=6, BCS 8.1/9 ± 0.6, 479 ± 191.5 kg). Daily d...
Pascoe JR, Ferraro GL, Cannon JH, Arthur RM, Wheat JD.Of 235 Thoroughbred racehorses examined with a flexible fiberoptic endoscope within 2 hours of racing to determine the frequency of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), 103 (43.8%) had various degrees of hemorrhage in the tracheal lumen. Two of these horses (0.8%) subsequently had blood flow from the nostrils. Blood seemed to originate from the lung. Statistical analysis of frequency data for 191 horses which finished in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places did not show any relationship between EIPH and horse's age, sex, or finishing position. However, a trend toward an increased frequency of EIP...
Zimmerman M, Dyson S, Murray R.There has been no objective study comparing radiological features of spinous processes (SPs) in the thoracolumbar region and/or scintigraphic findings with clinical signs. Objective: To investigate the relationship between the presence or absence of clinical signs of back pain and: 1) radiological findings of close, impinging or overriding SPs; 2) increased radiopharmaceutical uptake (IRU) in the SPs; and 3) the combination of radiological findings and IRU. Also to determine the prevalence of concurrent osseous pathology. Methods: Five-hundred and eighty-two horses, presented for perceived bac...
Estberg L, Stover SM, Gardner IA, Johnson BJ, Case JT, Ardans A, Read DH, Anderson ML, Barr BC, Daft BM, Kinde H, Moore J, Stoltz J, Woods LW.To characterize and contrast data from Thoroughbreds that incurred a fatal musculoskeletal injury (FMI; injury resulting in death or euthanasia) during racing or training and data from all California race entrants during a 9-month period in 1991. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: Thoroughbreds that incurred a FMI during racing or training at a California race-meet and all California race entrants from January through June and October through December 1991. Methods: Age and sex were compared with chi 2 and Fisher's exact tests among horses fatally injured while racing and training. A log-li...
Boemer F, Detilleux J, Cello C, Amory H, Marcillaud-Pitel C, Richard E, van Galen G, van Loon G, Lefère L, Votion DM.Equine atypical myopathy (AM) is caused by hypoglycin A intoxication and is characterized by a high fatality rate. Predictive estimation of survival in AM horses is necessary to prevent unnecessary suffering of animals that are unlikely to survive and to focus supportive therapy on horses with a possible favourable prognosis of survival. We hypothesized that outcome may be predicted early in the course of disease based on the assumption that the acylcarnitine profile reflects the derangement of muscle energetics. We developed a statistical model to prognosticate the risk of death of diseased a...
Marti E, Gerber H, Essich G, Oulehla J, Lazary S.The genetic influence on chronic hypersensitivity bronchitis (CB) was investigated in families at two studs and among half-siblings of three affected and three non-affected sires at several farms. The family members at the two studs were born and raised under the same conditions, whereas the half-siblings were kept individually under very different conditions and were exposed to various environmental factors. The diagnosis was based on long-term observations and multiple clinical examinations at each of the two studs. In the half-sibling group, the diagnosis was based on the individual history...
Merkies K, Ready C, Farkas L, Hodder A.Physiological changes provide indices of stress responses, however, behavioural measures may be easier to determine. Spontaneous eye blink rate has potential as a non-invasive indicator of stress. Eyelid movements, along with heart rate (HR) and behaviour, from 33 horses were evaluated over four treatments: (1) control-horse in its normal paddock environment; (2) feed restriction-feed was withheld at regular feeding time; (3) separation-horse was removed from visual contact with their paddock mates; and (4) startle test-a ball was suddenly thrown on the ground in front of the horse. HR data wa...
Dugdale AH, Obhrai J, Cripps PJ.To determine the mortality rates associated with equine anaesthesia for elective and emergency (colic and non-colic) cases in one equine, university teaching hospital and to investigate the effect of several horse- and anaesthetic-related variables on anaesthetic recovery quality. Methods: Retrospective data analysis. Unassigned: In total, 1416 horses undergoing anaesthesia between May 2010 and December 2013. Methods: Patient information and details of the anaesthetic, recovery period and immediate complications were extracted from an archiving database. Statistical evaluation of factors affec...
Wilk I, Wnuk-Pawlak E, Janczarek I, Kaczmarek B, Dybczyńska M, Przetacznik M.It was assumed that a horse with its rider body weight found in the upper limit may negatively impact the horse's welfare. The objective of this paper was to analyze the differences in body temperature and selected heart rate parameters in horses in response to physical exercise accompanied by various rider's body weight loads. The study was carried out on 12 leisure, 10-15-year-old warmblood geldings. The horses were ridden by two equally qualified riders whose body weights were about 20% and 10% of the average body weight (BW) of the animals (about 470 kg). Each rider rode each of the 12 hor...
Rustin M, Janssens S, Buys N, Gengler N.Genetic parameters for the height at withers, 27 linear type and six linear gait traits were estimated for the Belgian warmblood horse. Observations on 987 mares, mostly 3 years old, were analysed using a multi-trait animal model. The statistical model included appraiser, age and location (date x place of appraisal) as fixed effects. Genetic parameters were estimated using a canonical transformation and an expectation-maximization restricted maximum likelihood algorithm with an additional deceleration step. Estimates of heritability for the 33 linear traits were between 0.15 and 0.55. Heritabi...
Lumsden JH, Rowe R, Mullen K.Reference hematology and biochemistry intervals are presented for a number of variables of clinical interest determined for blood samples obtained from 60 thoroughbred mares, 12 thoroughbred foals and 50 standardbred horses in training. The observations for each variable were examined for outliers and Gaussian distribution. Parametric analysis was used where the observations were Gaussian initially or after any of four transformations, otherwise nonparametric analysis was required for estimation of the 2.5 and 97.5 percentiles. Description of the sample collection procedures, laboratory method...
Librado P, Tressières G, Chauvey L, Fages A, Khan N, Schiavinato S, Calvière-Tonasso L, Kusliy MA, Gaunitz C, Liu X, Wagner S, Der Sarkissian C....Horses revolutionized human history with fast mobility. However, the timeline between their domestication and their widespread integration as a means of transport remains contentious. Here we assemble a collection of 475 ancient horse genomes to assess the period when these animals were first reshaped by human agency in Eurasia. We find that reproductive control of the modern domestic lineage emerged around 2200 BCE, through close-kin mating and shortened generation times. Reproductive control emerged following a severe domestication bottleneck starting no earlier than approximately 2700 BCE, ...
Casella S, Fazio F, Giannetto C, Giudice E, Piccione G.The modifications of Haptoglobin (Hp), Serum Amyloid A (SAA), Fibrinogen (Fbg) and White Blood Cells (WBCs) were evaluated in 15 Saddle Italian horses. Ten horses were transported covering a distance of about 320 km within 4 h with an average speed of 80 km/h (experimental group) and five horses were not subject to transportation (control group). Blood was collected via jugular venipuncture before the transportation (T0), immediately after the transportation (T1), 12 (T12), 24 (T24) and 48 (T48)hours after the transportation in experimental group and at the same time point in control group. Fo...
