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.
Kovár J.Single biochemical analyses can be used for the diagnosis of animal diseases only with the knowledge of the effects that may distort the single result. The study of the repeatability of analyses is described in the four basic enzymes (AST, ALP, GMT, LD), which are most frequently used for diagnosis. The experiment was conducted in a group of ten Kladrub mares. Six blood samples were taken from each of the mares within ten days. The measured values were subjected to statistical processing and repeatability coefficients (r op) were calculated. All the r op values were high (ALP--0.96, LD--0.93, ...
Tolley EA, Notter DR, Marlowe TJ.Repeatabilities (t) and heritabilities (h2) of racing time were estimated from data on 7,206 2- and 3-yr-old Standardbred pacers and trotters competing in 1-mile (1.6 km) charted races at six tracks between 1975 and 1978. A total of 38,487 records representing 2,387 sire progeny groups were divided into subsets by gait, age and track. Initially, the designation "class of race" was recognized as a subjective categorization that reflected nonrandom assignments of horses to races. After extensive investigation, we concluded that racing times should be adjusted by linear regression for the time of...
Pascoe PJ, McDonell WN, Trim CM, Van Gorder J.A retrospective survey of 300 surgical treatments for colic involving 341 interventions was carried out to determine mortality rates and associated factors. These horses had been referred to the Ontario Veterinary College over the period September 1974 to February 1980. Data from the case records was collected and stored on a computer and statistical analysis was carried out using X(2) tests.Fifty percent (150/300) of the horses survived to be discharged from the hospital. Fifty-two horses were euthanized during the operation and another ten horses should have been; if these cases are excluded...
Reiffsteck A, Dehennin L, Scholler R.Estrone, 2-methoxyestrone and estradiol-17 beta have been definitely identified in seminal plasma of man, bull, boar and stallion by high resolution gas chromatography associated with selective monitoring of characteristic ions of suitable derivatives. Quantitative estimations were performed by isotope dilution with deuterated analogues and by monitoring molecular ions of trimethylsilyl ethers of labelled and unlabelled compounds. Concentrations of unconjugated and total estrogens are reported together with the statistical evaluation of accuracy and precision.
Raphel CF.A flexible fiberoptic endoscope was used to examine the upper respiratory tract of 479 horses and 41 (8.6%) had abnormalities. Pharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia (PLH) was found in 141 horses (29.5%). Statistical analysis showed a relationship between the age of the horse and the prevalence of PLH. Sixteen (3.3%), 10 (2.1%), and 6 (1.3%), of the horses had laryngeal hemiplegia, epiglottic entrapment, and dorsal displacement of the soft palate, respectively. There was no association between the age of the horse and the prevalence of any of these abnormalities; nor was there a positive correlation ...
Raphel CF, Soma LR.Thoroughbred horses (n = 191) were examined with a flexible fiberoptic endoscope within 2 hours of racing on a dirt track; 147 (75.4%) had evidence of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), and 13 (9.0%) had blood at the nostrils. Of 107 Thoroughbreds examined within the same period after breezing, 41 (38.3%) had evidence of EIPH. One horse (2.4%) of this group had blood at the nostrils. Statistical analysis of frequency data showed that a relationship existed between EIPH and the horse's age or distance raced or breezed. Relationship did not exist between EIPH and sex or finishing posi...
Rose RJ.Blood counts and noradrenaline estimations were performed in 14 horses competing in a 160 km endurance ride. Samples were collected before the ride, immediately after the ride. 30 minutes after the ride and the day after the ride. For statistical analysis, a group of seven horses that completed the ride at a mean speed of 234 m/minute (fast group) was compared with seven horses that completed the ride at a mean speed of 144 m/minute (slow group). Immediately after the ride the fast group of horses had higher packed cell volume, haemoglobin, neutrophils and lower lymphocyte counts than the slow...
Strigazzi A, Bianchi M.The dimensional distributions of the adipocytes in Equus caballus in many subjects and in many regions have been studied: such distributions turn out to be in good approximation galtonian ones. Furthermore, all the logarithm populations of the cell diameters have significantly the same variance. The used statistical methods (ANOVA two way with replications, and TUKEY -test) indicate an extremely significant different among the various regions (the smallest cells are in the supra-orbital fossa, the greatest ones are in the abdominal subserous floor).
Dusek J, Munk Z.In a set of mares of English Thoroughbred horse of the Napajedla stock the gravidity length in the time period from 1880 to 1972 was evaluated. The variability of the gravidity length was evaluated in sets which were put together by combination of two age groups with a division of the studied time period into ten-year stages. Variance and sample means of the gravidity lengths in these sub-groups are significantly different in the period under study. In order to eliminate the action of non-genetic influences qualifying the variability of the gravidity length, and to increase the objectivity of ...
Webb AI, Weaver BM.The solubilities of halothane at a concentration of 0.77% v/v in 5% carbon dioxide in air at 37 degrees C were determined for a variety of equine tissues. The mean values for the tissue/gas partition coefficients for visceral tissue taken from 36 horses were 5.42 for whole brain, 4.82 for grey matter, 7.41 for white matter, 4.18 for myocardium, 2.76 for lung, 8.51 for liver, 3.21 for kidneys, 2.66 for gastrointestinal tract, 1.77 for blood and 2.45 for spleen. The mean coefficients for eight different muscles taken from 23 horses ranged from 2.43 for extensor carpi radialis to 4.91 for psoas m...
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...
The Journal of heredityJanuary 1, 1981
Volume 72, Issue 1 65-66 doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a109433
Dring LA, Hintz HF, Van Vleck LD.Average gestation periods for bay, chestnut, dark bay, gray, and black Thoroughbred mares were compared. A total of 1359 gestation periods were used. A linear model including factors for age of mare, sex of foal, month and year of breeding, and sire effects was used in the analysis. Dam and sire coat-color combinations were also investigated in a similar manner. No significant differences in gestation length could be attributed to coat color of the mare of to dam and sire coat-color combinations. Heritability of gestation length was estimated to be 0.38. The results of this study strongly sugg...
Camici G, Manao G, Cappugi G, Ramponi G.We have predicted the secondary structure of horse muscle acylphosphatase by the statistical method of Chou and Fasman. In addition, we have studied the circular dichroism spectra of the enzyme, obtaining values for comparison to the predicted results. Discrepancies were found for the alpha-helix content estimated by the two methods.
Reuber MD.Dichlorvos, 2,2-dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate, an organophosphate insecticide, is widely used for the control of agricultural, industrial, and domestic pests (Fig. 1) [1]. Dichlorvos is administered orally as an anthelmintic to swine, horses, cats, and dogs. It is applied by dermal application to cattle, goats, sheep, swine, and chickens to control fleas, flies, and mites. Cucumbers, radishes, lettuce, and tomatoes are treated with dichlorvos in greenhouses. Aerosols and strips are used for the control of ants, bedbugs, ticks, cockroaches, flies, mosquitoes, silverfish, spiders, and wasps. ...
Georgi JR, Rendano VT, King JM, Bianchi DG, Theodorides VJ.Albendazole was effective in destroying Strongylus vulgaris larvae in verminous lesions of the cranial mesenteric artery when administered as a 20% suspension by stomach tube to ponies. Fifty mg/kg body weight administered twice a day for 2 days caused death and gradual disintegration of larvae over a period of 3 to 6 weeks with mild toxic signs appearing in 3 of 11 ponies. Higher total doses of albendazole (50 mg/kg twice a day for 4 days and 25 mg/kg three times a day for 5 days) lead to more rapid disintegration of the larvae but fatal toxicity was observed in 3 of 6 ponies so treated. In a...
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...
Gabel AA.During 1975 and 1976, 70 Standardbred horses with cunean bursitis-tarsitis were treated by cunean tenectomy or by more conservative approaches (rested, given corticosteroid injections in the cunean bursa and distal hock articulations, given an oral course of phenylbutazone, a combination of these) or were sold. In 1975, owners were urged to have cunean tenectomy done to horses that appeared to have potential to race well, and in 1976, the more conservative methods of management and treatment were recommended. Statistical analysis of racing performance data led to the conclusion that there was ...
Rose RJ, Ilkiw JE, Hodgson D.Thirty-one horses competing in a 100 kilometre endurance ride had electrocardiograms recorded before and after the ride from which the heart score of each horse was calculated. Blood was also taken to determine the packed cell volume (PCV) and total plasma protein (TPP) before the ride, after 60 kilometres (mid ride) and at completion of the ride. Statistical analysis of the heart scores showed that a faster group of horses had significantly higher heart scores than either a slower group or those eliminated due to inadequate recovery of heart rate. No horses developed electrocardiogram abnorma...
Rose RJ, Ilkiw JE, Hodgson D.Thirty-one horses competing in a 100 kilometre endurance ride had electrocardiograms recorded before and after the ride from which the heart score of each horse was calculated. Blood was also taken to determine the packed cell volume (PCV) and total plasma protein (TPP) before the ride, after 60 kilometres (mid-ride) and at completion of the ride. Statistical analysis of the heart scores showed that a faster group of horses had significantly higher heart scores than either a slower group or those eliminated due to inadequate recovery of heart rate. No horses developed electrocardiogram abnorma...
Coffman JR, Johnson JH, Tritschler LG, Garner HE, Scrutchfield WL.Fourteen horses (7 treated with orgotein and 7 treated with a placebo) with navicular disease were studied on a double blind basis. All 14 horses had clinical and radiographic evidence of navicular disease. Orgotein and the placebo were administered by juxtabursal injection. Of the 7 orgotein-treated horses, 3 responded but none of the 7 placebo-treated horses responded. The difference was statistically significant (P less than 0.05).
Webb AI, Weaver BM.The density of the following equine tissues was measured: white and grey brain matter, myocardium, lung parenchyma, liver, spleen, gastrointestinal tract and contents, renal medulla and cortex, muscle, fat, tendon and bone. Statistical analysis indicated that there were highly significant differences in the values for density between horses and between tissues within horses. Values for density of eight different muscles were obtained for 18 horses and these were shown to differ highly significantly between horses and between muscles within horses. The values for splenic density differed highly...
Chvátal O, Hanák J.Surface electric potentials of the heart of four horses were measured by use of unipolar leak with the so called central Wilson's clip; the measurements were performed on 95 precisely fixed places of the equine body. Potentials found out in this way were re-measured with bipolar leaks: the negative electrode was fixed in the place of the highest negative potentials, the positive electrode was gradually attached to places with the highest values of positive potentials. The largest potential differences when the negative electrode was placed in the region of the heart were obtained from the regi...
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...
Augustinsson KB, Bartfai T, Mannervik B.The steady-state kinetics of the butyrylcholinesterase-catalysed hydrolysis of butyrylthiocholine and thiophenyl acetate were shown to deviate from Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The ;best' empirical rate law was selected by fitting different rate equations to the experimental data by non-linear regression methods. The results were analysed in view of two alternative interpretations: (1) the reaction is catalysed by a mixture of enzymes, or (2) the activity is due to a single enzyme displaying deviations from Michaelis-Menten kinetics. It was concluded that the second alternative applies, and this...
To evaluate the effect of four recumbent body positions on intraocular pressure (IOP) in anesthetized normal horses. Methods: Ten nonglaucomatous adult horses. Methods: Intraocular pressure was measured with a rebound tonometer in both eyes of standing sedated horses (baseline), then under general anesthesia during four randomized recumbent body positions, including Trendelenburg (Tr; 15-degree head down), reverse Trendelenburg (RTr; 15-degree head up), dorsal, and lateral; only the superior eye was measured in lateral positions. The mean of 3 IOP readings was taken at each position, allowing ...
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...
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...
Trainor AC, Ahern BJ, Strounina EV, Pauwels FE, Young AC.Subchondral bone sclerosis of the distal third palmar/plantar metacarpal/metatarsal condyles is a common radiographic finding in Thoroughbred racehorses. Traditionally, assessment has relied on two-dimensional (2D) linear measurements; however, advances in imaging software now allow three-dimensional (3D) volumetric quantification of subchondral bone. This study aimed to assess the relationship and agreement between computed tomography (CT)-derived 2D linear and volumetric measurements of condylar sclerosis and computer-generated 3D volumetric measurements and determine whether 2D measurements...
Halvarsson P, Hedberg-Alm Y, Tydén E.Cyathostomin nematodes are ubiquitous in grazing horses. The overuse of anthelmintics has led to increasing problems with drug resistance to benzimidazoles and pyrantel. Although macrocyclic lactones (ML), such as ivermectin, generally retain the highest efficacy, reduced ML efficacy has increasingly been reported. A shortened egg reappearance period (ERP) is frequently used as an indicator of reduced susceptibility. However, the species-specific response dynamics after ivermectin treatment are inadequately characterized in cyathostomins. The objective of this study was to compare the cyathost...
Tually P, Blache D, Meadows J, Tagore S, O'Callaghan P, Hathway M, Fulton I, Currie G.Musculoskeletal injury is a major welfare and economic challenge in racehorses, with stress-related bone injury contributing to training interruption and catastrophic failure. Advanced imaging modalities can detect early skeletal pathology but remain limited in routine screening environments. Circulating biomarkers of bone turnover may provide complementary indicators of skeletal remodelling but require validation against objective imaging findings. Objective: Evaluate whether osteocalcin (OC) and C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX), or the CTX/OC ratio, are associated with scintig...
Tanaka R, Kasuga H, Kawai M, Shirai K, Amano T.Genes and loci regulating horse coat color have been investigated in many breeds, but their associations with the 16 coat colors of the Hokkaido Native Horse (HKD) remain unknown. HKDs were classified according to coat-color groups based on pedigree-recorded coat color, and genome-wide association (GWA) analyses were performed. Except for gray and roan, a clear single signal corresponding to the known locus was obtained for each coat color, suggesting that the reported loci are the primary causes of these coat colors. Because gray and roan are difficult to distinguish visually and may therefor...
Mizobe F, Mita H.While race-day musculoskeletal injuries are well-documented, a considerable gap exists regarding fractures sustained during training, where Thoroughbred racehorses accumulate the majority of their high-speed exercise. In Japan, compliant woodchip tracks are frequently used, and uphill track geometries are a foundational element of conditioning. Objective: To quantify and describe the incidence and anatomical distribution of fractures occurring during training on flat versus uphill woodchip tracks over a 15-year period (2008-2022). Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using centr...
Pizzigatti D, Inocente B, Silva LCLC, Alcántara I.Accurate body weight (BW) estimation in horses is essential for clinical and nutritional management; however, calibrated scales are often unavailable under field conditions. Objective: To compare the longitudinal accuracy and consistency of a commercial weigh tape and the Carroll and Huntington morphometric formula against calibrated digital scale measurements in adult horses. Methods: In a prospective longitudinal experimental study, six clinically healthy adult crossbred horses (mean real body weight [Rbw] 355.5 ± 21.2 kg) were monitored weekly for 63 days under controlled management condit...
Del Rincon A, Duggan MJS, Baltrimaite M, O'Kane A, O'Leary JM, Brama PAJ, Kearney C.This prospective, randomised, ex vivo study investigated the effects of manual double-spin centrifugation protocols on the cellular and growth factor composition of equine platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Blood from 20 healthy horses was evaluated in two phases. In Phase A (n = 10), nine first-spin protocols were compared, and two were selected based on platelet enrichment and leukocyte reduction. In Phase B (n = 10), these were combined with nine second-spin conditions, generating 18 PRP preparations. Platelet (PLT), leukocyte (WBC) and erythrocyte (RBC) concentrations and PDGF-BB and TGF-β conce...
Bayramoğlu B, Tuna YT.Morphometric information on ambling horses raised in Türkiye remains limited. This study aimed to characterize the morphometric traits of ambling horses according to breeding origin, age, and sex and to provide baseline phenotypic information on the studied population. A total of 102 naturally ambling horses were evaluated, including indigenous horses raised in Bursa ( = 28), indigenous horses raised in Nazilli, Aydın Province ( = 65), and Afghan-origin horses raised in Bursa ( = 9). Morphometric measurements of the head, body, and limbs were recorded, and the effects of breeding origin, age...
Pimenta J, Moreira D, Prada J, Monteiro L, Garcez F, Delgado L, Cotovio M.Equine melanoma is one of the most important oncological diseases in horses and exhibits a distinct biological behavior compared with melanoma in other species. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) has been associated with tumor aggressiveness and metastasis in human and canine melanoma, but its expression in equine melanoma remains unknown. Objective: Evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of MMP-9 in equine melanomas and investigate its association with clinicopathological features. Methods: 68 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded equine melanomas from 48 gray horses were evaluated immunohis...
Keller J, Hassenstein MJ, Jung K, Geburek F.Force plates (FP) are considered the gold standard for quantitative equine gait evaluation but are limited to experimental use. An instrumented hoof boot (IHB) with pressure sensors and an inertial measurement unit would allow clinicians to objectively assess kinetic parameters and gait symmetry. Objective: To validate the IHB by comparing kinetic parameters with obtained FP data. Methods: In vivo experiments. Methods: Twenty-seven horses were measured with IHBs on FPs at walk and trot. Mean value kinetic parameters recorded were: (1) peak vertical force (PVF) [N/kg]/peak vertical pressure (PV...
Massie S, Léguillette R.The contribution of reduced airway patency from heightened inspiratory pressure or active muscular contraction to the pathophysiology of pharyngeal collapse is unknown. Existing classifications refer to the entire pharyngeal region; however, anatomical differences are evident between rostral and caudal collapse. Novel classifications and grading systems are proposed to differentiate 2 pathologies: nasopharyngeal collapse (NPC; collapse of ≥ 1 pharyngeal wall rostral to the tip of the epiglottis; grades 0 through 4), and laryngopharyngeal collapse (LPC; collapse of ≥ 1 pharyngeal wall cauda...
Tognetti E, Mannini A, Freccero F, Bindi F, Cingottini D, Mariella J, Marmorini P, Sgorbini M.Smartphone-based electrocardiography (ECG) is increasingly explored as a practical tool for cardiac assessment in veterinary species. Objective: The aim of this prospective observational study was to investigate the usability and reliability of a new smartphone-based ECG system (Eko DUO) in healthy foals. Methods: A total of 39 foals, aged 1 to 59 days, were enrolled. ECGs were recorded using the smartphone device in all animals, while a subgroup of 10 foals also underwent simultaneous recording with a conventional base-apex ECG (rECG) to enable direct comparison. All tracings were reviewed bl...
MacKechnie-Guire R, Clayton HM, Williams JM, Marlin D, Walker V, Murray R.Appropriate fitting of equipment provides horse comfort and avoids compromising equine welfare. In May 2025, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) introduced an evidence-based measuring device that is passed beneath the noseband to ensure sufficient laxity. Objective: To study the use of the FEI noseband device during mandatory tack and equipment checks at British Dressage Championships. Methods: Observational. Methods: Noseband testing was observed for a total of 523 horses competing at the 2025 British Dressage National Championship, Middle Tour Championship and Area Festival Champi...
Giannetto C, Rizzo M, Faggio C, Sisia G, Giudice E, Attanzio A, Piccione G, Arfuso F.An involvement of melatonin in the regulation of glucose homeostasis and insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells has been proposed. To evaluate the features of the daily rhythms of plasma melatonin, blood glucose, and insulin in horses, ten clinically healthy Italian Saddle geldings, 9-10 years old with a mean body weight of 490 ± 25 kg, were enrolled. The animals were housed in individual boxes under natural environmental conditions (sunrise 06:10; sunset 18:10; 12-15°C, 77% RH). All horses were cannulated the day before the start of the study for sample collection, which was perfo...
Markowitz JS.Unseat events in steeplechase racing, including falls and lost-rider incidents, affect equine welfare and jockey safety. Timber races are often perceived as higher risk than hurdle/fence races, but are also longer. Methods: This retrospective observational study analyzed 3070 U.S. National Steeplechase Association hurdle/fence and timber starts from 2023 to 2025. Flat, steeplethon, training, and apprentice/amateur-apprentice starts were excluded. Crude rates of falls, lost-rider incidents, and combined unseat events were compared between race types. Multivariable Poisson regression examined ...
Boucher L, Karmacharya R, Arroyo LG, Leclère M, Suchodolski JS, Pilla R, Powledge S, Cruz VD, Richardson M, Arnold C, Costa MC.Alterations in intestinal microbiota composition, as determined by DNA sequencing, are reported in horses with acute colitis compared with healthy horses. Objective: Changes in specific bacterial populations can detect overall intestinal disruption of the normal intestinal microbiota. Identify bacterial taxa that indicate intestinal dysbiosis or health in horses using quantitative PCR (qPCR). Methods: Thirty horses with undifferentiated colitis, 13 with colitis associated with Salmonella spp., 14 with antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD), 52 healthy horses from Canada and 48 from the United St...
Campoy L, Martin-Flores M, Araos J, Parry SA, Gleed RD.To analyze kinematic data extracted from an inertial measuring unit to assess quality of recovery in horses emerging from general anesthesia. Unassigned: Horses undergoing anesthesia from February 2024 through March 2026 were enrolled in this study. Collected data from the inertial measuring unit included 3-axis acceleration, angular velocity, and orientation. Recoveries were evaluated by 3 scorers using a modified composite grading scale. The mean of the scores was used as the dependent variable. A Python pipeline was written to detect attempts to stand using the first derivative of the accel...
Farnia H, Sautejeau-Rizzoni P, Chekchouk M, Belala R, Mimoune N, Teixeira Fangueiro L, Thorin C, Leborgne I, Le-Guiriec M, Bencharif D.Cryopreservation of stallion semen remains suboptimal, with approximately one-third of stallions producing semen that is poorly tolerant to freezing. As optimization of pre-freezing procedures may improve post-thaw sperm quality, this study evaluated the effect of different equilibration times before freezing on the post-thaw quality of stallion semen. For this purpose, 21 ejaculates were initially collected from 5 stallions and 15 were included in the final analysis after predefined exclusions. These ejaculates were separated from the seminal plasma via centrifugation in INRA 96 medium. After...
Huang H, Yan Z, Chen X.(1) Background: Rider-horse coordination underpins equestrian performance; yet, its definition, quantitative indicators, and measurement methods remain inconsistent across Olympic disciplines. This scoping review mapped the constructs, metrics, and measurement approaches in dressage, show jumping, eventing, and transferable equestrian contexts, with show jumping as the principal application context. (2) Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR guidance and a Population-Concept-Context framework, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and PubMed were searched from database inception to 10 September 2026....
Taned M, Zandi MB, Nasab MPE, Khanteymoori A.Accurate prediction of breeding values (BVs) is fundamental to genetic improvement in racehorses. Although single-trait mixed models (STM), typically implemented using BLUP-based procedures, remain the standard framework for genetic evaluation, machine learning (ML) methods offer a flexible, data-driven approach for learning complex relationships among phenotypic, environmental, and pedigree-derived information. These capabilities have encouraged researchers to explore the application of ML methods for predicting breeding values. Objective: This study compared the performance of 13 ML algorith...
Raspa F, Favaro M, Penazzi L, Vasile C, Bordin C, Cavallini D, Ellis AD, Harris P, Valle E.This study evaluated a novel Automatic Feeding Device (AFD) for hay provision in group-housed and individually housed horses. Unassigned: In Phase 1 (P1), behavioral responses to ground hay feeding (Control-Hay) and to hay delivery through the AFD were assessed in three group-housed mares under two conditions: AFD continuously open (O-AFD) and AFD alternating between open and closed periods (OC-AFD). In Phase 2 (P2), four individually housed horses were used to evaluate the behavioral effects of three AFD opening-closing schedules: long opening (LO-OP), medium opening (ME-OP), and short openin...
Masters TM, De Gennaro C, Messer SL, Khatib JL, Moura RA, Mallicote MF, Chiavaccini L.Subcutaneous (SQ) butorphanol administration maintains target plasma concentrations in horses longer than intravenous administration with fewer adverse effects. This study aimed to evaluate whether SQ butorphanol also produces clinically relevant antinociception in healthy horses. Unassigned: In a blinded, randomized, cross-over study, eight horses received 0.1 mg/kg butorphanol or equal volume (0.01 mL/kg) saline SQ in the cervical region. Thermal (TT) and pain pressure (PPT) thresholds at different body locations, along with physiological and behavioral variables, were assessed at baseli...
Ahn S, McLoughlin PD, Poissant J.Mixed-species parasite infections are common in wildlife, yet the ecological processes that structure these communities remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that host-mediated and extrinsic environmental filtering, alongside biotic interactions, act concurrently to shape parasite community composition, and that these structuring patterns would depend on parasite traits or evolutionary history. We applied nemabiome DNA metabarcoding to 3147 faecal samples from 916 feral horses with no history of anthelmintic treatment, collected over 10 years as part of a long-term individual-based study...
Rowse JC, Faulkner H, Hermans D, Duckworth DG.High-velocity, traumatic fracture of the clavicle is one of the most common injuries suffered by professional horse jockeys. Operative fixation represents the mainstay of treatment in this cohort. Despite this, there remains a paucity of evidence to guide post-operative recovery and time to return to riding. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to establish the safety and efficacy of open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) of acute clavicle fractures in professional horse jockeys. Methods: A prospectively maintained database was used to retrospectively identify professional horse jock...
Buzcular K, Rossow I, Pallesen S, Leino T.Previous research on gambling loss patterns has mainly relied on self-reported data, which has some inherent biases (e.g., low accuracy). While some studies are based on large samples of horse bettors, few have examined how losses are distributed among them. The aim of this exploratory study was to examine the concentration of losses among gamblers playing horse betting games. Norsk Rikstoto, the Norwegian horse betting monopoly, provided account-based gambling data for all customers who bet with them between 2021 and 2023, covering 13 horse betting formats. To describe the shape of the loss d...
Sugiura S.Horse-racing prediction was used as a case study to develop and evaluate a leakage-aware machine-learning framework based on information available after race-entry finalization and before outcomes were known. Japanese Racing Association flat-race data obtained through JRA-VAN Data Lab. and exported using TARGET frontier JV were split temporally: 2015-2022 for training, 2023-2024 for validation, and January 5, 2025 to May 10, 2026 for independent testing. The test set contained 63,910 horse-level observations from 4,556 races. Confidence intervals were estimated using 10,000 race-level bootstra...
Yanin K, Kanat R, Zhambakin K, Ulyanova T, Beishova I, Kovalchuk A, Shamshidin A, Shamekova M. The Kazakh horse comprises several locally adapted types and ecotypes of the Eurasian Steppe. The Adai is its western ecotype, kept year-round on desert pasture in Mangystau, Western Kazakhstan, and recognised as a separate breed in 2024 without genetic evaluation. We asked whether that label corresponds to a genetic unit and whether the population has remained closed. We genotyped 533 horses recorded as Adai, 500 traced to five farms in Mangystau, against 988 reference horses of 45 breeds on 36,193 shared autosomal SNPs. Structure was assessed by principal component analysis, pairwise with...
Arı HH, Pasicka E, Korkmazcan A, Akta A, Gündemir O.Cranial diversity within indigenous horse populations remains incompletely characterized. Cranial shape variation and its associations with skull size and sex were investigated in 37 adult Kyrgyz horses aged 4-5 years (18 females and 19 males). Three-dimensional configurations of 25 cranial landmarks were evaluated using Procrustes alignment, principal component analysis, and permutation-based multivariate models. Skull size was quantified using centroid size calculated from the landmark configurations. The first two principal components represented 29.41% of shape variance, with changes distr...
