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.
Rey-Conejo R, Toribio RE, Möller S, Müller E, Fores-Jackson P.Insulin dysregulation is a key component of equine metabolic syndrome and is commonly assessed using basal insulin concentrations. Different analyzers may yield variable insulin results, limiting comparability. Objective: To assess the analytical performance of the ADVIA Centaur XPT chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) for equine insulin measurement and to establish adapted decision thresholds based on comparison with a previously used CLIA method. Methods: Precision, linearity, and dilution recovery were assessed for the ADVIA Centaur XPT. A total of 89 equine serum samples submitted for basal...
Bazvand B, Rashidi A, Zandi MB, Moradi MH, Rostamzadeh J, Mahmoudi P.Iran is home to genetically distinct horse breeds shaped by geography and history. Breeds like the Kurdish, Caspian pony, and Turkmen reflect deep-rooted diversity and unique adaptive traits. Objective: This study aimed to identify genomic regions exhibiting signatures of selection and to detect candidate genes and biological pathways related to body size that may influence performance in various Iranian and exotic horse breeds. Methods: Samples were collected from three Iranian native breeds (Caspian pony, Turkmen, and Kurdish) and three exotic breeds (Fell pony, Arabian, and Akhal-Teke) orig...
McGuire CJ, Knowles EJ, Harris PA, Menzies-Gow NJ.Circulating insulin concentrations are used to quantify risk of laminitis in currently non-laminitic ponies. Basal serum activin A (AA) concentration has previously been positively correlated with serum insulin concentrations 60 minutes (T60) following an oral sugar test (OST) in ponies with equine metabolic syndrome. Therefore, circulating AA might be a useful marker for insulin dysregulation (ID) and laminitis risk. Objective: To explore the relationship between circulating AA concentrations at baseline (T0) and T60 in ponies that developed laminitis within six months and non-laminitic ponie...
Gelinder Viklund Å, Blom Y, Eriksson S.The breeding goal of the Swedish Warmblood horse (SWB) is to produce internationally competitive horses in dressage and show jumping. In the current genetic evaluation, breeding values are estimated in multiple-trait animal models where competition performance is the target trait and results from two different young horse tests serve as indicator traits. However, preselection of horses, both for young horse tests and for competitions, is not considered in the current evaluation. The overall aim of this study was to analyse the all-or-none trait start status, in competition and in young horse t...
Legg KA, Gibson MJ, Gee EK, Rogers CW.Injury modelling based on changes in speed and stride characteristics of racehorses has become a primary industry focus for the Thoroughbred racing industry. However, speed and stride characteristics are strongly associated with track condition; therefore, reliable quantification of surface variables for use in future models is imperative. Objective: This study aimed to understand the interaction of objective turf track condition score (TCS) measurement with racing speed and injury in flat racing Thoroughbred horses. Methods: Retrospective time series analysis. Methods: Race-day data from 16 f...
Vermedal H, Hellings IR, Fretheim-Kelly ZL, Fintl C, Olsen HMB, Strand E.Exercise-related upper respiratory tract (URT) disorders are common in racehorses. Objective assessment of URT mechanics is essential to quantify degrees of obstruction caused by URT disorders identified upon dynamic endoscopy. Objective: To establish reference values for inspiratory and expiratory tracheal pressures (cmHO) during high-speed treadmill endoscopy in harness racehorses with clinically normal URTs. Methods: Prospective observational study. Methods: Tracheal pressures were measured in harness racehorses (Standardbreds and Norwegian-Swedish coldblooded trotters) in which no URT abno...
Douglas M, Williams J, Randle H.Recent research has highlighted the detrimental impact of an ill-fitting saddle on equine health, welfare and performance. A correctly fitting saddle may not fit if positioned incorrectly. Objective: This study assessed riders' ability to visually evaluate saddle position and examine factors that influenced accuracy of assessment. Methods: Survey participants were provided with photographs of a series of saddles on horses obtained from the lateral aspect of the left side of the horse. Saddles were either correctly positioned (n = 5), too far forward (n = 5) or too far back (n = 2). This was in...
Hopkins E, Whitrod S, Marlin D, Blake R.Noseband tightness has received increasing attention within equitation science, however, there is little research into how this effects equine behaviour or performance. Objective: 1) determine the peak pressures under noseband in vivo at three different tightness; 2) assess limb and back kinematics at different noseband tightness. Methods: Noseband tightness (n = 8 horses) was set using an International Society for Equine Science (ISES) taper gauge with the three settings being; "two fingers (2F)", "one finger (1F)" and "zero fingers (0F)". Peak pressure under noseband was determined using pre...
Maas LT, Louie EW, Finno CJ, Donnelly CG, Stern JA, Hill AE, Morgan JM.Cardiac arrhythmias are common in horses, but their clinical relevance remains controversial. Objective: To describe prevalence and identify risk factors for arrhythmias that may warrant additional screening in a sedentary mixed-breed population of horses. Methods: Prospective cross-sectional. Methods: Ninety-four clinically healthy, university-owned, sedentary horses underwent 24-h ambulatory electrocardiograms and echocardiograms. Potential risk factors were recorded for all horses. Affected individuals were defined as those with >1 supraventricular premature complex/h or with any ventric...
Share ER, Mastellar SL, Rumble JN, Eastridge ML.Equine industry housing and feeding management strategies vary widely. Management choices are important as horses spend most of their time in housing environments and demonstrating ingestive/foraging behavior. As of 2023, over 1.4 million Ohioans identified as horse owners and/or enthusiasts. The objectives of this survey were to determine demographics of the Ohio horse industry, commonly used sources of information, knowledge gaps regarding equine management practices, and to explore what may influence equine management choices. Using Qualtrics (Provo, UT), a 52-question online, anonymous sur...
Ding W, Gong W, Bou T, Shi L, Lin Y, Shi X, Li Z, Wu H, Dugarjaviin M, Bai D.The core objective of racehorse breeding is to enhance the speed and endurance of the horses. The Grassland-Thoroughbred is an emerging horse breed developed in northern China in recent years, characterized by excellent speed performance, enduring stamina, and strong environmental adaptability. However, research on the genetic characteristics within this breed and the genes associated with athletic performance remains relatively limited. We conducted whole-genome resequencing of Grassland-Thoroughbred F1, F2, F3, and the crossbred population (CY) and obtained a total of 4056.23 Gb of high-qual...
Fennouh C, Mokrani D, Dahmani H, Salhi O, Ouchetati I, Nabi M, Aouina K, Chettih I, Ouchene N, Khelifi Touhami NA.Fasciolosis, a parasitic disease of ruminants, poses significant economic and animal-health challenges in Algeria. This study aimed to assess spatial, temporal, and species-specific patterns of fasciolosis prevalence across diverse agro-climatic zones and to estimate associated economic losses. Between 2013 and 2023, eight wilayas El-Tarf, Skikda, Jijel (Region I), Blida, Mila (Region II), and M'Sila, Medea, Laghouat (Region III) were surveyed. Systematic postmortem inspections of 1,569,392 animals (349,176 cattle; 982,669 sheep; 235,639 goats; 1,882 camels; 26 horses) were performed by qualif...
Gobbo E, Topal O, Novalija I, Mladenić D, Zupan Šemrov M.This study extends previous findings by applying artificial intelligence (AI) methods to a larger dataset to identify key features that predict fear reactivity (i.e., immediate reaction to fear inducing stimuli) and fearfulness (i.e., a stable personality trait) in 101 Lipizzan horses. The analysis included 221 morphological, kinematic, behavioral and management measurements per horse. Previous findings were confirmed, as body and head size were identified as promising predictors of aspects of fear-related trait. Using an iterative AI approach, six key features for fear reactivity and nine for...
Andueza D, Martin-Rosset W.The nutritive value of forage for horses is closely dependent on the digestibility of organic matter (OMD), which is typically measured in vivo. Researchers have developed a variety of prediction methods to estimate the digestibility value of hay. In ruminants, pepsin-cellulase degradability, expressed as dry matter enzymatic degradability (dCS) and organic matter enzymatic degradability (dCO), is a commonly employed method for predicting OMD in forage types. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of predicting the dry matter digestibility (DMD), OMD, energy digestibility ...
Mutillod C, Buisson E, Tatin L, Mahy G, Dufrêne M, Morvan N, Mesléard F, Dutoit T.The urgency of restoring ecosystems over vast areas has placed rewilding using wild herbivores at the forefront. However, few scientific studies address its effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning compared to more traditional conservation interventions with domestic herbivores. Equus ferus przewalskii horses introduced 30 years ago in the National Park of Cévennes, France - as a step of a conservation program of the species for its reintroduction in Mongolia - now occur as a semi-wild horse population, socially natural (i.e., management is based on natural selection). This introduct...
Wen X, Bou G, He Q, Liu Q, Yi M, Ren H.The reproductive ability of equine species is a critical component of equine breeding programs, with sperm quality serving as a primary determinant of reproductive success. In this study, we perform an integrative analysis of proteomics and metabolomics in seminal plasma to identify proteins and metabolites associated with sperm quality and reproductive ability in equine species. Methods: We utilized the CEROS instrument to assess the morphology and motility of sperm samples from three horses and three donkeys. Additionally, we statistically analyzed the mating frequency and pregnancy rates in...
Knudsen AR, Marsh JS, Pye JL.To describe reproductive performance in Thoroughbred broodmares post-large colon resection and to compare to performance post-colopexy. Methods: A single-institution retrospective study. Methods: A total of 29 client-owned horses: post-large colon resection (LCR) n = 19, post-colopexy: n = 10. Methods: Thoroughbred broodmares that survived until discharge following LCR (Group R) or colopexy (Group P) between 2006 and 2023 were included. Clinical data were collected from clinical records. Breeding and foaling data were collected from the Australian and New Zealand Studbooks. Statistical...
Kerley BS, Harris P, Jacquay E, Askins M, McClendon M, Adams AA.Feeding small meals (∼1 g/kg BW DM basis) providing >10% nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC; starch + water soluble carbohydrate; WSC) has resulted in an augmented insulin response (AIR) in insulin dysregulated (ID) horses, but it's unclear if AIR reflects NSC content or the g NSC/kg BW/meal. Objective: The insulinemic responses of ID (n = 7) and non-insulin dysregulated (NID; n = 8) horses fed four feeds (A = 6.8% NSC; B = 14.9% NSC; C = 35.5% NSC; D = 44.6% NSC) at three levels of NSC intake (0.06, 0.11-0.12 and 0.17-0.18 g/kg BW) were evaluated in a randomized Latin square design across two...
Avila F, Esdaile E, Bellone RR. Standardbreds, a breed of horses used in harness racing at either the trot or the pace, established a closed studbook in 1973. Concerns about genetic diversity within the breed led the United States Trotting Association (USTA) to establish a limit of mares bred per stallion (i.e., a studbook cap) in 2009. Here, we aimed to evaluate the impact of the breeding restrictions on genetic diversity between and among subpopulations. : Sixteen short tandem repeats (STRs) were analyzed across a dataset of 176,424 Standardbreds foaled in the United States between 1998 and 2021. We examined allelic richn...
Bowkett-Pritchard C, Bolt DM, Chang YM, Berner D.Equine foot radiographs are commonly obtained to measure anatomical conformation parameters. Comparison of measurements between radiographs and low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has not been extensively explored. Objective: To compare foot parameter measurements between radiographs and low-field MRI, and assess the effect of hoof wall markers on visualising the hoof capsule (during MRI) and facilitating measurements. Methods: Comparative cadaveric analytical study. Methods: Radiography and MRI of nine equine cadaver front feet were performed with and without hoof wall markers, which w...
Loder RT, Walker AL, Blakemore LC. Equestrian activities can result in spine injuries. Most studies are from single centers, and none use a national database. It was the purpose of this study to describe the demographics, injury mechanisms, and types of equestrian-associated spinal injuries using a US national ED database. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database was queried for equestrian-related spine injuries from 2000-2023. ED disposition was categorized as discharged or not discharged. Statistical analyses accounted for the weighted, stratified nature of the data to obtain national estimates. There we...
Vicenti C, Cercone M, Nieman G, Habashi NM, Andrews P, Satalin J, Velarde P, Mitchell KJ, Louie EW, Albano V, Ali H, King A, Staffieri F, Gleed R....To compare early versus late time-controlled adaptive ventilation (TCAV) for setting airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) on arterial oxygenation in dorsally recumbent anesthetized horses. Methods: A crossover, nonrandomized, experimental study. Methods: Six healthy adult horses. Methods: Each horse underwent two anesthetics: 1) volume-controlled ventilation (VCV) began for 30 minutes before switching to APRV using the TCAV method (late TCAV, TCAV); and 2) ventilation began immediately with TCAV (early TCAV, TCAV). The study lasted 180 minutes, with arterial blood gases and respiratory m...
Main SC, Ivey JLZ, Strickland LG, Rhinehart JD, Sun X.Land-Grant Institutions and Cooperative Extension Services seek to disseminate information to the public; however, Extension agents differ in areas of expertise, leaving some counties with minimal ability to provide 4-H horse project members with sufficient content knowledge while agents in other counties are more well versed in equine-specific areas. Results from the 2021 and 2023 Tennessee regional and 2022 Eastern National 4-H Hippology contests were used to determine areas of knowledge deficiency. Nutrition, tack, selection, health, and breeds were categories identified as areas in which 4...
Gazzano V, Curadi MC, Capsoni S, Baragli P, Kêdzierski W, Cecchi F, Gazzano A.In humans, aging is often accompanied by cognitive decline, as seen in Alzheimer's disease. In contrast, the aging process in horses remains poorly characterized. This study aims to explore the presence of blood-based biomarkers associated with cognitive degeneration in this species. Twenty-three Arabian horses were enrolled, and 5 mL of blood was collected from each to measure serum levels of β-amyloid peptides (Aβ40 and Aβ42) and phosphorylated tau protein (pTau181), both considered reliable indicators of cognitive impairment in other species. Aβ42 was undetectable in all samples, while ...
Toishimanov M, Zhanten O, Kanat R, Beishova I, Ulyanov V, Assanbayev T, Sharapatov T, Daurov D, Daurova A, Sapakhova Z, Nametov A, Shamekova M.This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition of milk from Kazakh mares kept under free-grazing conditions on natural pasture without supplementary feeding. Fifty Kazakh mares were aged 3 to 13 years, kept in herds, and categorized by age, number of foalings, and lactation stage for statistical analysis. Milk samples were collected, chilled, and analyzed on the same day using a Milkoscan FT2. The composition of fat, protein, lactose, total solids, casein, and other components was examined. Statistical analyses, including ANOVA, PCA, CDA, and Pearson correlation analysis, were performed...
Walz KR, McCormick ME, Fedorka CE.Breed bias exists within many of the top disciplines of equestrian sport. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of breed on performance at the CCI5*-L level of eventing. To do so, the results of all CCI5*-L events from 2014 to 2024 were assessed. Initially, Thoroughbreds were compared to all non-Thoroughbreds, and this was followed by assessing the ten primary breeds. Data included penalties accrued in dressage, cross country, show jumping, and overall. Additionally, the likelihood of completing each phase was assessed. It was found that Thoroughbreds accrued mor...
Liedtke AM, Meijer H, Horstmann S, von Reitzenstein C, Rump I, Kirsch K.Eventing is an Olympic equestrian discipline comprising dressage, cross-country, and show jumping, with the cross-country phase imposing the greatest physical demands on horses. This study presents a composite model to estimate energy expenditure during the cross-country phase, integrating physiological data (heart rate-derived VO2 and lactate-based anaerobic estimates) with external workload indicators (GPS-derived speed, elevation, and course complexity). Model development was based on 691 rides from 256 horses across 232 events at 2-star to 5-star competition levels. The analysis showed tha...
Chen J, Yablon A, Metaxas C, Guedin M, Hu J, Conover K, Simpson M, Ralston SL, Krishnamurthy K, Pelczer I.: There are a few very specific inflammation biomarkers in blood, namely lipoprotein NMe signals of protein clusters (GlycA and GlycB) and a composite resonance of phospholipids (SPC). The relative integrals of these resonances provide clear indication of the unique metabolic changes associated with disease, specifically inflammatory conditions, often related to serious diseases such as cancer or COVID-19 infection. Relatively complicated, yet very efficient experimental methods have been introduced recently (DIRE, JEDI) to suppress the rest of the spectrum, thus allowing measurement of these ...
Firdausy LW, Fikri F, Wicaksono AP, Çalışkan H, Purnama MTE.Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is a lentiviral disease affecting members of the Equidae family, with global distribution and significant implications for animal health and biosecurity. Despite numerous individual reports, a comprehensive synthesis of its global prevalence and risk factors remains lacking. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the global prevalence of EIA, identify diagnostic trends, and evaluate factors associated with heterogeneity across studies. Unassigned: A systematic search was conducted in six major databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web ...
Putnová L, Štohl R.Considering the extensive data sets and statistical techniques, animal breeding embodies a branch of machine learning that has a constantly increasing impact on breeding. In our study, information regarding the potential of machine learning and data mining within a large set of horses and breeds is presented. The individual assignment methods and factors influencing the success rate of the procedure are compared at the Czech population scale. The fixation index values ranged from 0.057 (HMS1) to 0.144 (HTG6), and the overall genetic differentiation amounted to 8.9% among the breeds. The highes...
García-Ballesteros S, Varona L, Valera M, Gutiérrez JP, Cervantes I.Ranking trait was used as a selection criterion for competition horses to estimate racing performance. In the literature the most common approaches to estimate breeding values are the linear or threshold statistical models. However, recent studies have shown that a Thurstonian approach was able to fix the race effect (competitive level of the horses that participate in the same race), thus suggesting a better prediction accuracy of breeding values for ranking trait. The aim of this study was to compare the predictability of linear, threshold and Thurstonian approaches for genetic evaluation of...
De Cozar M, Sherlock C, Knowles E, Mair T.Acute-phase proteins may help assess the nature and severity of lesions and outcome in horses undergoing colic surgery. Objective: To compare serum amyloid A and plasma fibrinogen concentrations ([SAA] and [fibrinogen]) in the immediate post-operative period after exploratory celiotomy and determine their value in assessment of post-operative complications and survival to discharge. Methods: Observational study. Methods: This study included horses over 1 year of age undergoing exploratory celiotomy. Surgical procedures, lesions, post-operative care, complications and survival to discharge wer...
Jocelyn NA, Wylie CE, Lean M, Barrelet A, Foote AK.Tracheal wash sample neutrophilia is common in lower airway inflammation of various causes; however, relevance of cytomorphological features to culture of bacterial pathogens has not been established. Objective: To investigate whether the presence of nondegenerate or degenerate neutrophils in tracheal washes is associated with culture of bacteria and, if so, whether this is influenced by age or temporal factors. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Tracheal wash samples submitted to Rossdales LLP from 1/1/2013 to 31/7/2015 were evaluated using set criteria. Neutrophilia and degenerate neut...
Mama KR, Steffey EP, Pascoe PJ.This study provides baseline information on the potential use of propofol as a general anesthetic for horses. Using a Latin square design, propofol (2, 4, and 8 mg/kg) was administered intravenously on three separate occasions to six mature horses. Information about anesthetic induction, duration, and recovery was recorded along with results of rectal temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, pHa, PaCO2 and PaO2. Statistical analysis included a mixed model analysis of variance, a general linear model analysis and least square means test for post hoc comparisons. A P < .05 was considered si...
Kamiński S, Hering DM, Jaworski Z, Zabolewicz T, Ruść A.The aim of this study was to assess the inbreeding coefficient of Polish Konik horses based on runs of homozygosity (ROH). Ninety six horses kept in 6 herds located across Poland were genotyped with the use of EquineSNP60 BeadChip (Illumina). SNP markers with a Minor Allele Frequency lower than 0.01 and SNPs assigned to chromosome X or Y were excluded from the study. A total of 50 708 SNPs were included for statistical analysis (SVS software, Golden Helix). The analysis showed that the population is in genetic equilibrium, with He and Ho estimates both equal to 0.3086. Seven categories of Runs...
Vijarnsorn M, Riley CB, Ryan DA, Rose PL, Shaw RA.To determine the feasibility of the use of Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy within the midinfrared range to differentiate synovial fluid samples of joints with osteochondrosis from those of control samples. Methods: 33 horses with osteochondrosis of the tarsocrural joint and 31 horses free of tarsocrural joint disease. Methods: FTIR spectroscopy of synovial fluid was used. Sixty-four synovial fluid samples from the tarsocrural joint were collected. Of these, 33 samples were from horses with radiographic evidence of osteochondrosis of the tarsocrural joint and 31 from control join...
Broux B, De Clercq D, Vera L, Ven S, Deprez P, Decloedt A, van Loon G.Heart rate variability (HRV) parameters, and especially RMSSD (root mean squared successive differences in RR interval), could distinguish atrial fibrillation (AF) from sinus rhythm(SR) in horses, as was demonstrated in a previous study. If heart rate monitors (HRM) automatically calculating RMSSD could also distinguish AF from SR, they would be useful for the monitoring of AF recurrence. The objective of the study was to assess whether RMSSD values obtained from a HRM can differentiate AF from SR in horses. Furthermore, the impact of artifact correction algorithms, integrated in the analyses ...
Kienapfel K, Preuschoft H, Wulf A, Wagner H.The activity patterns of trunk muscles are commonly neglected, in spite of their importance for maintaining body shape. Analysis of the biomechanics of the trunk under static conditions has led to predictions of the activity patterns. These hypotheses are tested experimentally by surface electromyography (EMG). Five horses, with and without a rider, were examined in the walk, trot and canter. Footfall was synchronised with EMG by an accelerometer. Averages of ten consecutive cycles were calculated and compared by statistical methods. The start and stop times of the muscle activities of 5-10 un...
Changoor A, Hurtig MB, Runciman RJ, Quesnel AJ, Dickey JP, Lowerison M.To improve osteochondral graft reconstruction of subchondral cystic lesions in the medial and lateral femoral condyles by matching the material properties of donor and recipient sites. Objective: To measure biomechanical and biochemical parameters that influence the function and healing of osteochondral grafts used to reconstruct subchondral cystic lesions. Objective: Suitable donor sites are available within the stifle joint for reconstructing the femoral condyles, despite considerable regional property variation. Methods: Fifty-six osteochondral cores were harvested from 6 distal femurs for ...
Cully P, Nielsen B, Lancaster B, Martin J, McGreevy P.Laterality can be observed as side biases in locomotory behaviour which, in the horse, manifest inter alia as forelimb preferences, most notably in the gallop. The current study investigated possible leading-leg preferences at the population and individual level in Thoroughbred racehorses (n = 2095) making halt-to-gallop transitions. Videos of flat races in the UK (n = 350) were studied to record, for each horse, the lead-leg preference of the initial stride into gallop from the starting stalls. Races from clockwise (C) and anti-clockwise (AC) tracks were chosen alternately at random to ensure...
Tozaki T, Miyake T, Kakoi H, Gawahara H, Hirota K, Nakano Y, Kurosawa M.This study evaluated the differences between linear and non-linear modelled heritability estimates of racing performance based on lifetime earnings (LE) and lifetime ranking (LR) in Japanese Thoroughbred racehorses. The heritability estimate (h(2) = 0.25) obtained from a non-linear model based on formal Japan Racing Association ranking was much higher than that obtained from a linear model based on the original trait phenotype (h(2) = 0.11). The linear models showed slightly higher heritability estimates under the trait categorizations than under the original phenotypes, while the non-linear c...
Feary DJ, Hyatt D, Traub-Dargatz J, Roach S, Jones RL, Wu CC, Morley PS.The objective of this study was to investigate the perceived increase in resistance of Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) isolated from the lower respiratory tract of horses to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT). The recorded SXT-susceptibility results of 50 S. zooepidemicus isolates from the tracheal wash fluid of equine patients examined at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital from each of 2 time periods (1987-1990 and 1997-2001) were compared and statistically analyzed using a cross-sectional study design. There was a statistically significant diff...
Steele LL, Wilkins JR.Associations between occupational exposures and spontaneous abortion (SA) in a cohort of female veterinarians were studied with pregnancy and job-exposure history data collected as part of a mixed-mode survey of all women graduating from U.S. veterinary colleges during the 11-year period 1970-1980 (N = 2,997; response rate 85.0%). Data analysis focused on SA risks among postgraduation pregnancies in relation to 1) type of clinical practice at the time of conception and 2) self-reported occupational exposures to 13 exposure entities. Multiple logistic regression was used to control for the pote...
Ricard A, Legarra A.Ranks have been used as phenotypes in the genetic evaluation of horses for a long time through the use of earnings, normal score or raw ranks. A model, ("underlying model" of an unobservable underlying variable responsible for ranks) exists. Recently, a full Bayesian analysis using this model was developed. In addition, in reality, competitions are structured into categories according to the technical level of difficulty linked to the technical ability of horses (horses considered to be the "best" meet their peers). The aim of this article was to validate the underlying model through simulatio...
Joó K, Trúzsi RL, Kálmán CZ, Ács V, Jakab S, Bába A, Nielsen MK.In Hungary, equine parasite control is mostly based on traditional approaches involving rotational anthelmintic treatment at regular intervals. Almost no farms utilize fecal egg counts (FECs) on a regular basis to guide deworming treatments. This approach is certainly not sustainable and is the major factor responsible for the current high levels of anthelmintic resistance. The aims of this study were to statistically analyze risk factors associated with strongylid egg count magnitude and prevalence. Fecal samples and horse data (age, pasture history, stocking density, anthelmintic history) we...
Gottschalk M, Sieme H, Martinsson G, Distl O.In the present study, systematic effects on semen quality traits were investigated in 381 stallions representing 22 breeds. All stallions were used for AI either at the Lower Saxon National Stud Celle or the North Rhine-Westphalian National Stud Warendorf. A total of 71,078 fresh semen reports of the years 2001 to 2014 were edited for analysis of gel-free volume, sperm concentration, total number of sperm, progressive motility, and total number of progressively motile sperm. Breed differences were studied for warmblood and light horse breeds of both national studs (model I) and for warmblood b...
Clément F, Barrey E.Variability of heart rate was analysed within a sample of 30 horses in order to determine the influence of factors (animal, age, sex and breed) associated with different behavioural patterns. The heart rate fluctuations were analysed by computing the power spectral density of a series of heartbeat intervals. A generalized linear model was used to compare the spectra and to reveal the effect of each factor: animal age, sex and breed. The scale and shape of spectral densities were significantly different between animals. This individual variability was partly explained by the sex and age effects...
Köhler L, Schulz-Kornas E, Vervuert I, Gittel C, Winter K, Berner D, Gerlach K.Despite clinical importance and frequent occurrence of sinus disease, little is known about the size of paranasal sinuses and their communication in ponies and small horses. To examine the shape and volume of the paranasal sinuses and evaluate the sinonasal communication, three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions of computed tomography (CT) datasets of 12 healthy adult Shetland ponies were performed and analysed. Linear measurements of head length and width were taken. Using semi-automatic segmentation, 3D-models of all sinus compartments were created. Volumetric measurement of the seven sinus co...
Cravana C, Medica P, Prestopino M, Fazio E, Ferlazzo A.Limited knowledge exists about the differentiated effects of competitive and noncompetitive showjumping on thyroid function and relationships with hypothalamic-hypophysis-corticoadrenal hormones. Objective: To obtain preliminary data about differentiated effects of competitive and noncompetitive showjumping on total and free iodothyronines, β-endorphin, ACTH and cortisol of horses. Methods: Five trained healthy jumper horses were studied during competitive and noncompetitive showjumping, performed in the same circuit design over 10 fences of 1.10 m. Hormone levels before, 5 and 30 min post ex...
Massányi P, Trandzik J, Nad P, Toman R, Skalická M, Koréneková B.To determine the seminal concentrations of copper, zinc, iron, cadmium, lead and nickel in bulls, rams, boars, stallions and foxes and study their correlations. Methods: Semen samples were obtained, digested and analyzed by means of the atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Data were analyzed statistically with the Student's t-test and Scheffe's test using PC programs SAS and Excel. Results: The seminal copper concentration was significantly higher in ram [(2.49+/-0.18) mg/kg] and fox [(2.16+/-0.53) mg/kg] than that in bull [(1.64+/-0.21) mg/kg], boar [(1.64+/-0.28) mg/kg] and stallion (0.86 mg...
De Marco M, Miraglia N, Peiretti PG, Bergero D.Several studies have reported data on comparisons between two methods: the total collection of feces and the internal markers method. The aim of this study was to assess the apparent digestibility of two concentrates and to compare the apparent digestion coefficients using the total collection of feces and acid-insoluble ash (AIA) as the internal marker method. In 2009, six adult geldings aged between 3 and 11 years, with an average weight per trial of 543, 540 and 542 kg, respectively, were used to determine the apparent digestibility by means of three in vivo digestibility trials on hay, hay...
Zak A, Siwinska N, Slowikowska M, Borowicz H, Kubiak K, Hildebrand J, Popiolek M, Niedzwiedz A.There are no available studies describing the possible resistance of strongyles to ivermectin in horses in Poland. One hundred seventy three horses from nine stud farms from South-Western Poland were studied. The effectiveness of ivermectin was studied on the 14th day after ivermectin administration using the fecal egg count reduction test, and a long-term observation of the egg reappearance period was carried out. The fecal study was carried out using a modified McMaster method, which typically detects 20 eggs per gram of stool. The results were subjected to statistical analysis that enabled ...
von Segesser L, Jornod N, Faidutti B.The risk of repeat sternotomy is higher than that of the initial sternotomy, especially if the pericardial sac was left open at the first intervention. In 200 consecutive patients with a pericardial defect after open heart operations, the pericardium was closed with a glutaraldehyde-preserved equine pericardial patch. Precardiac adhesions at reoperation were assessed in four groups of patients on a scale of 6, ranging from 0 (no adhesions) to 5 (calcified or ossified adhesions). Group I comprised 13 patients in whom the pericardium was left open at the first operation and an equine pericardial...
Boyard-Kieken F, Dervilly-Pinel G, Garcia P, Paris AC, Popot MA, le Bizec B, Bonnaire Y.Growth hormone (GH) is a polypeptide suspected of being used in horse racing to speed up physical performances. Despite scientific advances in the recent years, the control of its administration remains difficult. In order to improve it, a metabolomics study through LC-high resolution mass spectrometry measurements was recently initiated to assess the metabolic perturbations caused by recombinant equine growth hormone administration. Few tens of ions not identified structurally were highlighted as compounds responsible for the modification of metabolic profiling observed in treated animals. Th...
Beard WL, Bramlage LR, Schneider RK, Embertson RM.Medical records for 64 Thoroughbred and 45 Standardbred horses with osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) of the tarsocrural joint that were treated by means of arthroscopic removal of the fragments before 2 years of age and before beginning racing were reviewed. Lesion site was recorded for all horses. The other foals from the dams of these surgically treated horses (siblings) were identified from mare progeny records. Racing data, including number of starts and money won during the 2- and 3-year-old racing years were obtained from the Jockey Club and the United States Trotting Association for affe...
Wallraf A, Hamann H, Deegen E, Ohnesorge B, Distl O.The prevalence of pastern dermatitis was investigated in 917 German Coldblood horses aged 2.5 to 26 years. Pastern dermatitis was prevalent in Black Forest Draught horses with 47.5% and in South German Draught horses with 58.5%. High prevalences were found in Mecklenburg (76.4%), Saxon-Thuringa (84.3%), Schleswig (86.0%), and Rhenisch German Coldblood (96.1%) horses. All four legs or both hind legs were affected most frequently. The most prevalent forms of pastern dermatitis were crusted and hyperkeratotic-hyperplastic. The occurrence of pastern dermatitis was dependent of age. The statistical...
Gündemir O, Szara T, Pazvant G, Erdikmen DO, Duro S, Perez W.In this study, it was aimed to determine the statistical differences between Arabian horses and Thoroughbred horses based on X-ray images of forelimb digital bones. Latero-medial X-ray images of digital bones of thoracic limbs were taken of 25 Arabian horses and 50 Thoroughbred healthy horses. The difference between males and females within the breed was statistically analyzed as well. Nine measurements and three indexes taken from phalanges of thoracic limbs were used. Thoroughbred horses did not differ significantly between sexes, as indicated by the ANOVA. For the Arabian horses, the length...
Farmer E, Chase-Topping M, Lawson H, Clutton RE.A significant effect of gender, experience and background, i.e. an evaluator's relationship with horses as equine anaesthetists, orthopaedic surgeons, practitioners or owners, on perceptions of recovery quality after anaesthesia would reduce the validity of recovery quality scoring systems. Objective: To determine the effects of evaluator background, experience and gender on their perceptions of recovery quality; and questionnaire response rate as a function of background. Methods: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: A total of 440 potential evaluators were invited to evaluate the video-recorded ...
