Stress in horses refers to the physiological and behavioral responses of equines to various stressors, including environmental changes, social dynamics, and physical exertion. These responses can manifest through alterations in heart rate, cortisol levels, and behavior, among other indicators. Stress can affect a horse's overall health, performance, and welfare, making it a significant area of study in equine research. This topic encompasses research on identifying stressors, measuring stress responses, and understanding the implications of stress on equine health and behavior. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the mechanisms, effects, and management of stress in horses.
Hedia M, Angel-Velez D, Papas M, Peere S, Gerits I, De Coster T, Van den Branden E, Govaere J, Van Soom A, Leroy JLMR, Smits K.The in vitro production of equine embryos via ovum pick-up (OPU) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has increased rapidly. There is a marked effect of the individual mare on the outcome of OPU-ICSI, but little is known about the influence of the mare's health condition. This study aimed to investigate the potential associations between the concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6), reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs), and biological antioxidant potential (BAP) in serum of oocytes' donor mares and the subsequent embryonic development. Just before OPU, a blood sample was collected from 28...
Carvalho Seabra J, Martinez do Vale M, Spercoski KM, Hess T, Patricio Viviani de Moura P, Dittrich JR.Keeping horses in single stalls can lead to the development of abnormal and stereotypic behaviors (ASB). Opportunities for social interactions and stall architecture can influence behavior. The current study aimed to identify how three different stall architectures influenced time-budget and physiological parameters in horses. Stall types included: (1) 3.2 × 3.7 m with tactile contact between horses (B1); (2) 2.6 × 3.5 m with visual contact between horses and outside view (B2); (3) 2.3 × 3.4 m with visual contact and outside view (B3). Ten horses from B1 and B3, and nine from B2 were ...
Dorrego A, Camino E, Gago P, Buendia-Andres A, Acurio K, Gonzalez S, de Juan L, Cruz-Lopez F.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, transmitted by tick vectors. Horses can suffer an acute, subacute, and chronic forms of the disease, with clinical signs such as poor performance, fever, pale mucosal membranes, and jaundice. The diagnosis of EP subclinical cases is complex due to the sensitivity of real-time PCR and the limited parasite load in some carriers, making it challenging to differentiate them from seropositive, PCR negative (S+PCR-) individuals. This study aimed to describe haematological and biochemical changes in asymptomatic EP carriers, E...
Bergstrom TC, Spriet M, O'Brion J, Carpenter R.To assess 18F-sodium fluoride (18F-NaF) positron emission tomography (PET) findings associated with metacarpal/metatarsal condylar fractures at the time of fracture repair and through healing. Methods: Prospective descriptive study. Methods: Fourteen Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: 18F-NaF PET was performed within 4 days of surgical metacarpal/metatarsal condylar fracture repair, on both the injured and contralateral limb. Follow-up PET scans were offered at 3- and 5-months post fracture repair. Areas of abnormal uptake were assessed using a previously validated grading system. Results: Ei...
Gueguen L, Henry S, Delbos M, Lemasson A, Hausberger M.(1) Background: Since antiquity, it is considered that sounds influence human emotional states and health. Acoustic enrichment has also been proposed for domestic animals. However, in both humans and animals, effects vary according to the type of sound. Human studies suggest that frequencies, more than melodies, play a key role. Low and high frequencies, music tuning frequency and even EEG slow waves used for 'neurofeedback' produce effects. (2) Methods: We tested the possible impact of such pure frequencies on racehorses' behavior and physiology. A commercial non-audible acoustic stimulus, co...
Bourebaba N, Sikora M, Qasem B, Bourebaba L, Marycz K.Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), which encompasses insulin resistance, low-grade inflammation and predisposition to laminitis is a critical endocrine disorder among the most prevalent conditions affecting horses from different breeds. According to the most recent research, low human sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) serum levels correlate with an increased risk of obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes, and may contribute to overall metabolic dysregulations. This study aimed to test whether exogenous SHBG could protect EMS affected adipose-derived stromal stem cells (EqASC) from apoptosis,...
Hajimohammadi A, Ghane M, Ghari Tehrani M, Paravar B, Mirzaei A, Razavi S, Nikzad M.Sixty-one horses were enrolled in this study and divided into 3 different groups according to their severity of colic (heart rate, oral mucous membrane color, and abdominal distention): a strangulating colic (SC) group (n=21), non-strangulating colic (NC) group (n=20), and control group (n=20) consisting of randomly selected normal horses without signs of colic. The serum concentrations of haptoglobin, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), zinc, iron, and copper were evaluated in all horses. The average concentration of TNFα in the SC group was higher tha...
Daniel CR, Taylor SE, McPhee S, Wolfram U, Schwarz T, Sommer S, Kershaw LE.Fatigue-related subchondral bone injuries of the third metacarpal/metatarsal (McIII/MtIII) bones are common causes of wastage, and they are welfare concerns in racehorses. A better understanding of bone health and strength would improve animal welfare and be of benefit for the racing industry. The porosity index (PI) is an indirect measure of osseous pore size and number in bones, and it is therefore an interesting indicator of bone strength. MRI of compact bone using traditional methods, even with short echo times, fail to generate enough signal to assess bone architecture as water protons ar...
Murphy K, Lufkin T, Kraus P.Back pain caused by intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration has a major socio-economic impact in humans, yet historically has received minimal attention in species other than humans, mice and dogs. However, a general growing interest in this unique organ prompted the expansion of IVD research in rats, rabbits, cats, horses, monkeys, and cows, further illuminating the complex nature of the organ in both healthy and degenerative states. Application of recent biotechnological advancements, including single cell RNA sequencing and complex data analysis methods has begun to explain the shifting infl...
Bukhari SSUH, Parkes RSV.About 112 million working equids are the source of income for 600 million people globally. Many equids are used for pulling loads (up to 15,000 kg per day) to transport goods. Most of them are associated with brick kilns, mining, and agriculture industries in developing countries. They may suffer from welfare issues such as overloading, being beaten, and being forced to work for long periods. These issues may occur due to a poor understanding of load-pulling equids. Understanding their capabilities and the elements that influence them is critical for efficient performance and welfare. The me...
Shakeel M, Yoon M.This study investigated the effect of heat stress on stallion testicular cells (TCs) and the effect of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 on TC viability, proliferation, and apoptosis, including different stages of germ cells. TCs were divided into control or treatment groups with 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 ng/mL of recombinant human IGF-1 (rhIGF-1) for 24 h at 34 °C and 37 °C. The population and viability were measured before and after treatment. The effects of rhIGF-1 on TC viability, proliferation, and apoptosis were determined using RT-qPCR. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) a...
Jaramillo FM, Oliveira TM, Silva PEA, Trindade PHE, Baccarin RYA.Horse racing is a major sport practiced worldwide. The environment to which horses are exposed during race meetings can influence their behavior. However, to the best of our knowledge, a method for assessing a horse's response to its surroundings during the pre- and post-race periods has not yet been reported. This study aimed to create a standard list of descriptors for use in a qualitative behavioral assessment (QBA) focused on assessing the emotional expressivity of horses before and after racing events. Unassigned: Seventy pre- or post-race 30-second videos of horses were randomly selected...
Massányi M, Halo M, Mlyneková E, Kováčiková E, Tokárová K, Greń A, Massányi P, Halo M.The performance of sport horses is conditioned not only by the quality of its gene pool, but also by a large number of external factors. The most dominant being nutrition, quality of breeding, level of zootechnical care and the quality of the sports rider and coach. Important factor is the process of individuals' adaptation to the training load occurring during the training itself. This study was focused on the analysis of salivary cortisol levels as well as hematological and biochemical blood parameters in relation to load to which the tested horses were subjected. In the study 14 horses of s...
Eichler F, Poźniak B, Machnik M, Schenk I, Wingender A, Baudisch N, Thevis M, Bäumer W, Lischer C, Ehrle A.Cannabidiol (CBD) products gain increasing popularity amongst animal owners and veterinarians as an alternative remedy for treatment of stress, inflammation or pain in horses. Whilst the use of cannabinoids is banned in equine sports, there is limited information available concerning CBD detection times in blood or urine. The aim of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetic properties of CBD following oral administration in the horse to assist doping control laboratories with interpreting CBD analytical results. Part 1: dose escalation study: Single oral administration of three escalatin...
Rogers LJ.The specialized functions of each hemisphere of the vertebrate brain are summarized together with the current evidence of lateralized behavior in farm and companion animals, as shown by the eye or ear used to attend and respond to stimuli. Forelimb preference is another manifestation of hemispheric lateralization, as shown by differences in behavior between left- and right-handed primates, left- and right-pawed dogs and cats, and left- and right-limb-preferring horses. Left-limb preference reflects right hemisphere use and is associated with negative cognitive bias. Positive cognitive bias is ...
Shakeel M, Yoon M.The threat posed by increased surface temperatures worldwide has attracted the attention of researchers to the reaction of animals to heat stress. Spermatogenesis in animals such as stallions is a temperature-dependent process, ideally occurring at temperatures slightly below the core body temperature. Thus, proper thermoregulation is essential, especially because stallion spermatogenesis and the resulting spermatozoa are negatively affected by increased testicular temperature. Consequently, the failure of thermoregulation resulting in heat stress may diminish sperm quality and increase the li...
Marchand WR, Smith J, Nazarenko E, Joubert K, Black H, Osborne M, Andersen S, Bell K, Baldwin S, Klinger W, Connelly H, Sheppard S, Hoopes K.Veterans have high rates of substance use disorders and other mental health conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder. Effective treatments for these conditions exist; however, high attrition rates and residual symptoms after completing treatment are common. Complementary treatment approaches could enhance treatment engagement and/or response among this population. We previously reported a study of one such intervention, an equine-assisted learning, and psychotherapy incorporating horses intervention provided to veterans admitted to a Veterans Health Care Administration residential s...
Marchand WR.Equine-assisted services (EASs) are being increasingly used as complementary interventions for military veterans who have experienced trauma. However, there is limited evidence of benefit for this population and almost no literature describing the desired potential outcomes and possible mechanisms of action. The aim of this article is to address these gaps by reviewing the extant literature of animal-assisted interventions in general, and equine-assisted services in particular, with the goal of providing guidance for future investigations in the field. Currently, the field is in the early stag...
Janicka W, Wilk I, Próchniak T.Living in a herd has multiple advantages for social species and is a primary survival strategy for prey. The presence of conspecifics, identified as a social buffer, may mitigate the individual stress response. Social isolation is, therefore, particularly stressful for horses, which are gregarious animals. However, they are not equally vulnerable to separation from the group. We tested whether more and less socially dependent horses and independent individuals would differ in their responses to novel and sudden sounds occurring in two contexts: non-social and social motivation. Twenty warmbloo...
Fletcher KA, Limon G, Padalino B, Hall GK, Chancellor N, Grist A, Gibson TJ.Current legislation in the United Kingdom stipulates that horses should not be slaughtered within sight of one another. However, abattoir personnel anecdotally report that, for semi-feral horses unused to restraint, co-slaughtering alongside a conspecific could reduce distress through social buffering and improve safety, but there is a lack of evidence to support this. CCTV footage from an English abattoir was assessed retrospectively with welfare indicators from when horses entered the kill pen until they were killed. Of 256 horses analysed, 12% (32/256) were co-slaughtered (alongside a consp...
Colbath AC, Frye CW.Biologic therapies are becoming increasingly utilized by veterinarians. The literature regarding the interaction of biologic therapies with other therapeutics is still in its infancy. Initial studies have examined the effects of exercise, stress, various pharmaceutical interventions, extracorporeal shockwave, therapeutic laser, and hyperbaric oxygen on biologic therapies. Continued research is imperative as owners and veterinarians increasingly choose a multimodal approach to injury and illness. Further, understanding the effects of concurrently administered treatments and pharmaceuticals as w...
Jacquay ET, Harris PA, Adams AA.Transportation of horses on short journeys can lead to an increase in stress. There are known age-associated changes in immune and metabolic responses in horses; however, no research exists evaluating how age may influence these responses to transportation stress. Eleven mares within two age groups, aged (n = 5, 22 ± 1 year) or young (n = 6, 2 ± 1 year), were transported 1 hour and 20 minutes. Peripheral blood and saliva were collected before and after transportation at baseline (2 to 3 weeks prior to transportation), 24 hours pre-transport, 1 hour before loading, 15 minutes, 30 minutes,...
Medill SA, Janz DM, McLoughlin PD.Steroid-hormone concentrations from non-invasively obtained biomarkers, like hair, can provide a representation of circulating hormones diffused over relatively long time periods (e.g., weeks or months). The hormone cortisol is often associated with physiological or even psychological stress, while testosterone is strongly associated with male development and reproductive success. Increasingly, studies are using hormone levels derived from hair to make inferences among both domestic animals and wildlife. For horses, all previous hair hormone analysis has been done on companion or working anima...
Medill SA, Janz DM, McLoughlin PD.Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone produced during activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) in response to psychological or physiological demands. High amounts of circulating cortisol can be found in individuals experiencing energetically demanding physiological events, such as pregnancy, lactation, injury, or starvation, but, also, in individuals who may have less obvious HPA activation from social situations. The feral horse population on Sable Island (Nova Scotia, Canada) provides an opportunity to look at hair cortisol concentration (HCC) as a proxy for circulating cor...
Palomar-Ciria N, Bello HJ.Alternative treatments for Post-traumatic-Stress Disorder (PTSD) have attracted attention, especially Equine-Assisted Services (EAS) including psychotherapy and occupational therapy involving horses. In this work, we measured the effectiveness of EAS in PTSD through a meta-analysis. An intensive bibliography search focusing in EAS and PTSD was conducted following the PRISMA recommendations. The search was not restricted by date. For the quantitative analyses, 5 works were selected. They were chosen based on the instrument utilized for the assessment of PTSD symptoms: the PTSD Checklist for DSM...
This study aimed to evaluate the change of white blood cell count, serum concentration of cortisol, C-reactive protein, albumin and globulin fractions in horse after road transport, and to assess the linkage among hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) and inflammatory reaction. From 10 horses blood samples were collected at rest, before road transport (218 km) (BT); after unloaded (AT), 30 and 60 min after unloaded (AT30 and AT60) in order to assess white blood cell count (WBC), serum cortisol, C-reactive protein (CRP), total proteins, albumin, α1-, α-2, β1-, β2- and γ-globulins. WB...
Thomson-Parker TL, Fikes KK, Anderson MJ, Wagner AL, Girard ID, Suagee-Bedore JK.Calming supplements are common in the equine industry. This study tested the hypothesis that Phytozen EQ, a blend of citrus botanical oils, magnesium, and yeast would reduce startle response as well as reduce behavioral and physiological signs of stress in young (1.5-6 years of age) horses (n = 14) when tied in isolation and when trailered in isolation. During the 59-day trial, horses were assigned to either the control (CON; n = 7) or treatment (PZEN; n = 7) group that received 56 g of Phytozen EQ daily. Horses underwent a 10-minute isolation test on d 30 and a 15 minute individual trai...
Vaziri GJ, Jones MM, Carr HA, Nuñez CMV.The disruption of animals' symbiotic bacterial communities (their microbiota) has been associated with myriad factors including changes to the diet, hormone levels, and various stressors. The maintenance of healthy bacterial communities may be especially challenging for social species as their microbiotas are also affected by group membership, social relationships, microbial transfer between individuals, and social stressors such as increased competition and rank maintenance. We investigated the effects of increased social instability, as determined by the number of group changes made by femal...
Hole C, Murray R, Marlin D, Freeman P.Despite numerous studies investigating responses to visual perception, there is limited research into how horses respond to different auditory stimuli. Although 'noise-damping' ear covers are frequently used on sport horses to minimise distraction from external auditory stimuli, the effectiveness of ear covers has not been established. This study aimed to (i) investigate the responses of horses to different sounds commonly present in a competition environment, and (ii) compare these responses in the presence and absence of ear covers. A total of 18 horses were presented with 5 sounds commonly ...
Kendall A, Lützelschwab C, Lundblad J, Skiöldebrand E.Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotrophin that is increased in osteoarthritic joints of horses. In humans, NGF has been associated with pain, and both synovial and serum NGF concentrations are increased in osteoarthritic patients. Studies in humans also have shown that serum NGF concentration can increase with stress. Serum NGF concentration should be evaluated in horses with osteoarthritis-associated lameness. Objective: Quantify and compare serum NGF concentration in horses with osteoarthritis-associated lameness and sound horses. Additionally, the impact of short-term stress on serum NGF ...
Jaskulak M, Rorat A, Grobelak A, Kacprzak M.The aim of the study was to evaluate sensitivity and potential applications of selected biomarkers in phytoremediation under complex heavy metal contamination in Sinapis alba L., Robinia pseudoacacia L. and Lupinus luteus L as a potential tools in effective phytoremediation management. The toxicity assessment was conducted using selected measurement endpoints, both classical and advanced, i.e., germination index, roots length, guaiacol peroxidase activity (GPX), chlorophyll and protein content, the amount of total phenolic compounds (TPC) and level of expression of one of the ribulose-bisphosp...
McClure SR, Carithers DS, Gross SJ, Murray MJ.To determine whether conditions representing activities that are typical in the recreational use of horses, including transport to and from show grounds, stall confinement in unfamiliar surroundings, and light exercise, are associated with increased incidence of gastric ulcers in horses. Methods: Randomized controlled study. Methods: 20 client-owned horses. Methods: Horses had no gastric ulcers as determined by endoscopic examination on study day -1. Ten control horses were maintained on-site with no changes in management variables. Ten horses were transported via trailer for 4 hours on day 0 ...
Schefer KD, Bitschnau C, Weishaupt MA, Schwarzwald CC.Stress echocardiography is used to diagnose myocardial dysfunction in horses, but current methods are not well standardized. The influence of heart rate (HR) on measurements is largely unknown. Objective: To investigate the use of 2-dimensional echocardiography (2DE), anatomical M-mode (AMM), tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and 2D speckle tracking (2DST) at rest and after exercise for quantification of regional and global left-ventricular (LV) function. Methods: Five athletic Warmblood horses; 11.6+/-3.6 years; 529+/-48 kg. Methods: Prospective study. Three separate echocardiographic examination...
Visser EK, VanDierendonck M, Ellis AD, Rijksen C, Van Reenen CG.In 'sympathetic horsemanship' the importance of the natural behaviour of the horse and the use of body language in communication is emphasised. However, it is unclear what effect sympathetic horsemanship has on the welfare of horses. During a 5-week starting period the effect of a sympathetic (ST) versus a conventional (CT) training method was studied using 28 young Warmblood horses. Behavioural observations during the starting period as well as during a standardised final riding test were performed by trained observers. A Wilcoxon matched-pair test was used to detect differences within groups...
Asheim A, Lindblad G.Forty-five race-horses with arthritis of non-in-fectious type in 54 joints were treated with sodium hyaluronate intra-articularly. All joints had previously been treated without lasting success by conventional methods, such as firing, blistering or intraarticular injection of cortisone. In most cases only 1 injection of 2 ml (20 mg) sodium hyaluronate was needed. To avoid subjective evaluation, the effects of the treatment were based on the joint’s capacity of withstanding extreme stress, which means that the horse should be able to train and race again. The treatment was concentrated on the...
Starling MJ, Branson N, Cody D, McGreevy PD.Animal training relies heavily on an understanding of species-specific behaviour as it integrates with operant conditioning principles. Following on from recent studies showing that affective states and arousal levels may correlate with behavioural outcomes, we explore the contribution of both affective state and arousal in behavioural responses to operant conditioning. This paper provides a framework for assessing how affective state and arousal may influence the efficacy of operant training methods. It provides a series of three-dimensional conceptual graphs as exemplars to describing putati...
Science (New York, N.Y.)September 14, 1984
Volume 225, Issue 4667 1172-1174 doi: 10.1126/science.6089344
Lagerweij E, Nelis PC, Wiegant VM, van Ree JM.The twitch procedure in horses attenuates the increase in the heart rate evoked by pain-inducing stimuli and the reaction of the animals to such stimuli. Endorphin systems are probably involved in the effectiveness of the twitch, since its action is blocked by naloxone and its application increases plasma concentrations of immunoreactive beta-endorphin. The mode of action of the twitch cannot be explained by the generally accepted theory of divertive pain and may resemble that of classical acupuncture.
Briefer Freymond S, Bardou D, Briefer EF, Bruckmaier R, Fouché N, Fleury J, Maigrot AL, Ramseyer A, Zuberbühler K, Bachmann I.Stereotypies are repetitive and relatively invariant patterns of behavior, which are observed in a wide range of species in captivity. Stereotypic behavior occurs when environmental demands produce a physiological response that, if sustained for an extended period, exceeds the natural physiological regulatory capacity of the organism, particularly in situations that include unpredictability and uncontrollability. One hypothesis is that stereotypic behavior functions to cope with stressful environments, but the existing evidence is contradictory. To address the coping hypothesis of stereotypies...
Toribio RE.Critical illness challenges many endocrine homeostatic systems to overcome diseases, stress, and hostile conditions that threaten survival. Coordinated and consecutive responses by the autonomic nervous system, endocrine metabolic adaptations to mobilize and conserve energy and electrolytes, cardiovascular adjustments to maintain organ perfusion, and immunomodulation to overcome infections and inflammation are required. Because most admissions to equine intensive care units are related to horses with gastrointestinal disease and septic foals, most endocrine information during critical disease ...
Ralston SL.Abnormally high or low blood glucose and insulin concentrations after standardized glucose tolerance tests can reflect disorders such as pituitary dysfunction, polysaccharide storage myopathies, and other clinical disorders. Glucose and insulin responses, however, are modified by the diet to which the animal has adapted, time since it was last fed, and what it was fed. Body fat (obesity), fitness level, physiologic status, and stress also alter glucose and insulin metabolism. Therefore, it is important to consider these factors when evaluating glucose and insulin tests, especially if only one ...
Ott EC, Cavinder CA, Wang S, Smith T, Lemley CO, Dinh TTN.Oxidative stress caused by routine physical stressors may negatively impact the performance of equine athletes; thus, the present study identifies oxidative biomarkers in the blood plasma of exercising horses. Stock-type horses were subject to a standardized moderate-intensity exercise protocol 3 times per week for 8 wk. Exercise protocol followed NRC guidelines consisting of 30% walk, 55% trot, and 15% canter, with a target heart rate (HR) of 90 BPM. Blood plasma was collected in wk 1, 2, 7, and 8 immediately before and 0, 30, 60, and 90 min after exercise and analyzed for total antioxidant...
Ijichi C, Collins LM, Creighton E, Elwood RW.Objective assessment of animal personality is typically time consuming, requiring the repeated measure of behavioural responses. By contrast, subjective assessment of personality allows information to be collected quickly by experienced caregivers. However, subjective assessment must predict behaviour to be valid. Comparisons of subjective assessments and behaviour have been made but often with methodological weaknesses and thus, limited success. Here we test the validity of a subjective assessment against a battery of behaviour tests in 146 horses (Equus caballus). Our first aim was to determ...
Kinnunen S, Laukkanen R, Haldi J, Hanninen O, Atalay M.Endurance training induces changes in autonomic nervous system functions. High intensity training includes the risk of overtraining, in man and horse. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a noninvasive measurement of the autonomic regulation of the heart rate, which is quick and easy to measure with modern telemetric technology. Objective: Since HRV is affected by changes in the autonomic nervous system, it might be an early stage indicator of poor recovery from a previous bout of exercise or overreaching or overtraining in horses in general. Methods: The aim of the study was to monitor recovery an...
Mengoli M, Pageat P, Lafont-Lecuelle C, Monneret P, Giacalone A, Sighieri C, Cozzi A.Modern day horse-human relationships entail different types of sport and riding activities, which all require learning. In evaluating the interaction between learning and emotions, studying normal coping strategies or adaptive responses to the surroundings is critical. 34 horses were involved in a cognitive test, in the absence of physical effort, to analyze performance, as well as physiological and behavioral responses related to learning, memorization and recall, associated to the capacity to reverse a learned model. Synthetic Equine Appeasing Pheromone (EAP) was used in 17 horses in order t...
Grimmett A, Sillence MN.Preparations that contain tryptophan are marketed world wide as calmative agents to treat excitable horses. Tryptophan is the amino acid precursor for serotonin, a neurotransmitter implicated in sedation, inhibition of aggression, fear and stress, in various animal species and humans. Experiments have shown that tryptophan supplementation decreases aggression in humans, dogs, pigs, poultry, and fish, and that it may reduce fearfulness and stress in calves, vixens and poultry. However, behavioural characteristics more closely linked to excitement, such as hyperactivity in dogs, are not modified...
Capomaccio S, Verini-Supplizi A, Galla G, Vitulo N, Barcaccia G, Felicetti M, Silvestrelli M, Cappelli K.A large proportion of mammalian genomes is represented by transposable elements (TE), most of them being long interspersed nuclear elements 1 (LINE-1 or L1). An increased expression of LINE-1 elements may play an important role in cellular stress-related conditions exerting drastic effects on the mammalian transcriptome. To understand the impact of TE on the known horse transcriptome, we masked the horse EST database, pointing out that the amount is consistent with other major vertebrates. A previously developed transcript-derived fragments (TDFs) dataset, deriving from exercise-stimulated hor...
Medica P, Giunta RP, Bruschetta G, Ferlazzo AM.Exercise represents a physical stress that challenges homeostasis affecting central and peripheral serotoninergic systems. The influence of the exercise on circulating serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) levels depends on training state as well as the exercise protocol. The purpose of the present research was to determine changes of plasma 5-HT in sport horses in response to training (T) and simulated race (SR) and in addition to assess the possible presence of significant differences on circulating 5-HT between two different sessions of exercise. In particular, the research was carried out...
Contalbrigo L, Borgi M, De Santis M, Collacchi B, Tuozzi A, Toson M, Redaelli V, Odore R, Vercelli C, Stefani A, Luzi F, Valle E, Cirulli F.Equine-assisted interventions (EAIs) are well-known complementary practices combining physical activity with emotional/cognitive stimulation. They are especially suited for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who need a high degree of physical and psychological enrichment. Even though EAIs have become a common practice, stress responses in horses interacting with individuals that can manifest inappropriate behaviours, such as ASD children, have not been thoroughly investigated. Our multicentre study aimed to investigate behavioural and physiological indices of stress in horses involv...
Squires EL, Keith SL, Graham JK.Although use of cryopreserved stallion spermatozoa is currently accepted by many breed registries, utilization of this technique remains limited due to poor fertility for some stallions. One reason for these results is osmotic stress that spermatozoa experiences when the cryoprotectant (glycerol) is added to the cells prior to freezing and removal from the cells after thawing. In an effort to minimize osmotic damage, alternative cryoprotectants, having lower molecular weights and greater membrane permeability than glycerol, were evaluated to determine their effectiveness for cryopreserving sta...
Grzędzicka J, Dąbrowska I, Malin K, Witkowska-Piłaszewicz O.Increased training loads in both human and equine athletes are generally implemented to improve their physical performance. These loads are tolerated only within appropriate training periodization with regard to recovery time. Otherwise, training overload causes failure in the systemic adaptation, which at first leads to overreaching, and progressively to overtraining syndrome (OTS). Exercise endocrinology, and anabolic/catabolic balance as an indicator of athlete performance status and OTS has continued to attract attention. In human medicine, changes in testosterone and cortisol levels, as w...
Becker-Birck M, Schmidt A, Wulf M, Aurich J, von der Wense A, Möstl E, Berz R, Aurich C.Bringing the head and neck of ridden horses into a position of hyperflexion is widely used in equestrian sports. In our study, the hypothesis was tested that hyperflexion is an acute stressor for horses. Salivary cortisol concentrations, heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV) and superficial body temperature were determined in horses (n = 16) lunged on two subsequent days. The head and neck of the horse was fixed with side reins in a position allowing forward extension on day A and fixed in hyperflexion on day B. The order of treatments alternated between horses. In response to lunging, ...
Valigura HC, Leatherwood JL, Martinez RE, Norton SA, White-Springer SH.Mitigation of exercise-induced stress is of key interest in determining ways to optimize performance horse health. To test the hypothesis that dietary supplementation of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product would decrease markers of exercise-induced stress and inflammation in young horses, Quarter Horse yearlings (mean ± SD; 9 ± 1 mo) were randomly assigned to receive either no supplementation (CON; n = 8) or 21 g/d S. cerevisiae fermentation product (10.5 g/feeding twice daily; SCFP; n = 10) top-dressed on a basal diet of custom-formulated grain as well as ad libitum Coastal berm...
Contreras-Aguilar MD, Lamy E, Escribano D, Cerón JJ, Tecles F, Quiles AJ, Hevia ML.This study aims to evaluate the circadian and circannual variations in a panel of analytes in horse saliva that have been previously described as biomarkers related to stress and disease, in order to interpret them correctly when they are measured in this species. This panel of analytes integrated cortisol, salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), lipase (Lip), total esterase (TEA), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), adenosine deaminase (ADA), γ-glutamyl transferase (gGT), creatine kinase (CK), urea, total bilirubin, total protein (TP), and phosphorus. These analytes were measured in saliva obtained from a p...
Kapteijn CM, Frippiat T, van Beckhoven C, van Lith HA, Endenburg N, Vermetten E, Rodenburg TB.Measuring physiological parameters of stress in horses during groundwork, for example when involved in equine-assisted interventions, is important to gain insight into the stress levels of the horses. Heart rate and heart rate variability can be used as physiological indicators of stress in horses. Heart rate monitors could be easily incorporated into practice, as they are not expensive and easy to use. However, it is questionable whether heart rate monitors present accurate heart rate variability results in exercising horses, similar to electrocardiograms. The aim of this study was to determi...
Nagata S, Takeda F, Kurosawa M, Mima K, Hiraga A, Kai M, Taya K.The responses of plasma adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), cortisol, noradrenaline and adrenaline in 5 Thoroughbred horses to an incremental exercise and 2 relative workload exercises, at 105 and 80% maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), on a treadmill were examined. These hormone concentrations increased (P < 0.05) with each exercise and the maximal plasma concentrations of ACTH, cortisol were observed between 5 and 30 min after the end of the exercise, while maximal catecholamine concentrations occurred just at exhaustion time. The plasma ACTH, noradrenaline and adrenaline responses during exerci...
Marchand WR.Equine-assisted services (EASs) are being increasingly used as complementary interventions for military veterans who have experienced trauma. However, there is limited evidence of benefit for this population and almost no literature describing the desired potential outcomes and possible mechanisms of action. The aim of this article is to address these gaps by reviewing the extant literature of animal-assisted interventions in general, and equine-assisted services in particular, with the goal of providing guidance for future investigations in the field. Currently, the field is in the early stag...
Saville WJ, Stich RW, Reed SM, Njoku CJ, Oglesbee MJ, Wunschmann A, Grover DL, Larew-Naugle AL, Stanek JF, Granstrom DE, Dubey JP.Neurologic disease in horses caused by Sarcocystis neurona is difficult to diagnose, treat, or prevent, due to the lack of knowledge about the pathogenesis of the disease. This in turn is confounded by the lack of a reliable equine model of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Epidemiologic studies have implicated stress as a risk factor for this disease, thus, the role of transport stress was evaluated for incorporation into an equine model for EPM. Sporocysts from feral opossums were bioassayed in interferon-gamma gene knockout (KO) mice to determine minimum number of viable S. neurona ...
Henry S, Sigurjónsdóttir H, Klapper A, Joubert J, Montier G, Hausberger M.Artificial weaning is a standard practice known to be one of the most stressful events in a domestic foal's life. Research has mainly focused on ways to alleviate weaning stress. However, there is still a need for more detailed research on what should constitute best practices with respect to animal welfare. The aim of this review is to address this issue by examining the natural weaning process. We first provide an overview of the scientific literature on the natural temporal dynamics of the dam-offspring bond in horses: it is to be noted that the natural process of weaning is little document...
O'Hare LM, Cox PG, Jeffery N, Singer ER.To improve understanding of the internal structure of the proximal phalanx (P1), response of the bone to load and possible relation to the pathogenesis of fractures in P1. Objective: To model the P1 and replicate the loads experienced by the bone in stance, walk, trot and gallop using finite element analysis. Methods: The geometry of the P1 was captured using micro-computed tomography (μCT) and was reconstructed in 3 dimensions. Values for material properties and forces experienced at stance, walk, trot and gallop were taken from the literature and were applied to the reconstructed model. Usi...
