Temperature regulation in horses involves physiological processes that maintain the animal's core body temperature within a narrow, optimal range despite external environmental changes. Horses, being homeothermic animals, rely on mechanisms such as sweating, respiration, and blood flow adjustments to dissipate excess heat or conserve warmth. These thermoregulatory processes are influenced by factors such as exercise, humidity, and ambient temperature. Variations in temperature can affect a horse's performance, health, and overall well-being. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the mechanisms, effects, and implications of temperature regulation in equine physiology.
Wesson JA, Ginther OJ.Thirteen 6-8 month-old fillies were assigned to 3 treatment groups: Group 1 had a 16-h fixed daily photoperiod (16L:8D, N = 4), Group 2 a daily photoperiod equivalent to ambient daylength (control, N = 5), and Group 3 a 9-h fixed daily photoperiod (9L:15D, N = 4). The light treatments extended from 17 December to 9 August. Hair shedding occurred first in Group 1 followed by Group 2, then Group 3. The proportions of fillies with 1 or more ovulations (puberty) by the end of the project were 2/4, 5/5, 2/4 in Groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The hypothesis that a fixed daily photoperiod which corr...
Harry TO, McCollum WH.The Bucyrus strain of equine arteritis virus, previously modified to avirulence and vaccinal virus by 131 serial passages in primary cell cultures of horse kidney followed by 111 passages in primary cell cultures of rabbit kidney, was further passaged in cultures of the E. Derm (NBL-6) cell line, a continuous diploid cell line. Pools of the 16th and 25th passages of the virus in this last equine dermal cell line were lyophilized and stored in lots at 37 C, 23 to 28 C, 4C, and -20 C. The viability of the vaccinal virus deteriorated rapidly during storage at 37 C and at 23 to 28 C, but was relat...
Magilton JH, Swift CS, Ghoshal NG.The heads of 5 ponies were embalmed and the vessels were double injected with latex. Dissection of these specimens revealed venous pathways (1) from the nasal area to the cavernous sinus and (2) from the parietofrontal region to the ventral petrosal sinus. Thermistors were chronically implanted near the orbital emissary veins of 3 additional ponies. Hot and cold packs were applied alternately to the parietofrontal regions. The temperature near the orbital emissary veins increased during the 5 trials with cold application and decreased during the 5 trials with hot application. The authors were ...
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...
Combarnous Y, Salesse R, Garnier J.Pregnant mare serum gonadotropin exhibits a dissociation at acid pH as shown by the drop of s20,w values from 3.52 S at pH 8.1 to 2.52 S at pH 2.0. The dissociation is accompanied by an absorbance change with a maximum at 287 nm and a parallel loss of both follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) activities as followed by radioreceptor assays. The apparent pKa of the acid transition is 3.45 with an extremely slow and temperature-dependent rate at pH 2.0 (1.8 . 10(-4) s-1 at 37 degrees C). By gel filtration the molecular weight of the active hormone is estimated to be 45 ...
Palmer SE.Evaluation was made of the portable infrared thermometer to measure limb surface temperature in 3 horses--first standing in a stall and then placed in lateral recumbency under general anesthesia. To determine the effect of pigment, black and white targets were examined with the instrument under various clinical conditions. In each horse, thermal gradient measurements were consistent along the extremities. Mean limb surface temperatures were less than rectal temperature and greater than ambient temperature. Limb surface temperatures measured in lateral recumbency under general anesthesia were u...
Hillman RB, Olar TT, Squires EL, Pickett BW.Stallion semen was collected, using artificial vaginas at 44 to 46, 48 to 50, and 52 to 54 C, to study the effects of temperature on seminal quality and sexual behavior. The temperature of the artificial vagina had no significant effect on motility, gel volume, gel-free seminal volume, total seminal volume, pH, number of mounts per ejaculate, total time to ejaculation, or seminal temperature. Spermatozoa were collected, then exposed to water-bath temperatures of 38, 45, 49, or 53 C for 1 minute. Mean motility was similar after exposure to temperatures of 38 or 45 C, but exposure to temperature...
Crichlow EC, Yoshida K, Wallace K.Over a period of 4 months, in winter, the mean concentration of airborne particles in the ambient air of a riding stable was 0.41 mg/m3. This value was significantly higher than that found outdoors (0.04 mg/m3). During the day, levels of airborne particles were highest when stalls were cleaned and soiled bedding from the previous night replenished, and lowest when all stable activities had ceased. Fine particles, capable of entering the pulmonary alveoli, constituted 30 to 40 per cent of the total mass concentration of airborne particles.
Sahu SP, Dardiri AH, Rommel FA, Pierson RE.Survival of bacteria that cause contagious equine metritis (CEM) was evaluated in Amies modified transport (AMT) medium, in AMT medium with charcoal, and in Stuart transport medium at 37, 22, 4, and -70 C. The CEM bacteria suspended in transport media survived at 22, 4, and -70 C for longer periods in AMT medium with charcoal than they did in AMT and Stuart transport media. In 1 day, the number of bacteria in exudate stored in the absence of any transport medium decreased 15-fold at 22 C and twofold at 4 C. The CEM bacteria were isolated from exudate on cotton-tipped swabs from all three trans...
Carlson GP, Rumbaugh GE, Harrold D.Eight normal horses were held without access to food or water for 72 hours during a period of high environmental temperatures. During this period, the horses had an average weight loss of 51.6 kg (10.7% of body weight). Highly significant (P less than 0.001) decreases in extracellular fluid volume (18.6 L) and plasma volume (5 L) were observed during this period as compared with base-line values. Plasma protein, sodium, chloride, and osmolality progressively increased in response to the dehydration, whereas packed cell volume, plasma potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphate were not signif...
Timoney PJ, O'Reilly PJ, Harrington AM, McCormack R, McArdle JF.The ability of Haemophilus equigenitalis, the causal agent of contagious equine metritis 1977, to survive in various antibiotic-containing semen extenders was studied at different environmental temperatures. Gentamicin sulphate was found to be markedly superior to ampicillin or a combination of sodium benzyl penicillin and polymyxin B sulphate, Semen treated with the former antibiotic was either sterile at cultural examination or else yielded appreciably fewer colonies of H. equigenitalis than the untreated semen control. Ampicillin had no observable effect on the survival of this organism. Ge...
Assal AN, Poulsen JS.The changes in pH, pCO2, pO2, BE, SBC, and lactic during storage of equine venous and arterial blood in 24 hours at different temperatures were measured (tables I, II), and illustrated (fig, 1, 2, 3). Correction tables (tables VI, VII) for determination of the initial acid-base data are constructed based on regression equations (tables IV, V) of the in vitro changes of the blood. The changes in the acid-base values of equine blood differ from that of bovine and canine blood (table III).
Webbon PM.Skin temperature measurements were recorded of the legs of 13 racehorses between 2 and 5 years old. The normal limb temperature patterns are described. In over 90 per cent of the normal horses the difference between contralateral limbs was less than 1 degree C, but in the remainder differences of up to 8 degree C were recorded due to the excessive cooling of one limb. One horse had a constant temperature elevation of one foreleg, but it remained in training for 7 weeks without any obvious ill effects. Because of the small numbers of horses in the survey and their freedom from tendon injuries i...
Berti A, Stefani M, Camici G, Manao G, Ramponi G.The thermal stability of horse muscle acylphosphatase was investigated by measuring the inactivation constants at various pH and temperature values, and by differential spectra technique. This enzyme has high thermal stability in an acidic environment but is inactivated in an alkaline medium. It was found that the enzyme can be protected against such inactivation at pH 8.0 by increasing its concentration and the ionic strength of the solution. The effect of high urea concentrations on stability was also measured. It was found that spectral changes at 230 nm are related to urea inactivation of ...
Dixon PM, Brown R.Equine blood containing different levels of methaemoglobin was stored under varying conditions and the methaemoglobin content was monitored during the storage period. Only under aerobic storage at 4 degrees C did the methaemoglobin content of all samples appear to remain stable.
Honstein RN, Monty DE.Field investigations were conducted under natural environmental conditions to determine the physiologic responses of rested, hydrated horses (Equus caballus) to the very hot, dry weather characteristic of the summer season in southern Arizona. The emphasis of the investigation was placed on those thermoregulatory mechanisms which are involved in the maintenance of homoiothermy. Rectal temperature of the horses studied remained relatively stable throughout the day, during both cool and hot weather seasons. However, when horses were exposed to hot summer temperatures, rectal temperature (heat st...
Foglesong MA.The antibiotic activity of cephalothin, cephaloridine, cephalexin, cephaloglycin, cefazolin, and cefamandole was determined after storage for up to 30 days in horse serum at -10 and 4 degrees C. Cephalothin, cefamandole, cefazolin, and cephalexin were stable for at least 30 days at -10 degrees C, whereas cephaloridine lost 29% of its initial activity and cephaloglycin lost more than 50%. Cefamandole, cefazolin, and cephalexin could only be stored for 3 days at 4 degrees C without significant loss in activity, whereas cephalothin, cephaloridine, and cephaloglycin could be stored for only 1 day....
Yu DT, Gale RP, Kacena A, Pearson CM.Rosette formation between human lymphocytes and horse red blood cells could be promoted by a low pH medium, overnight incubation and a temperature of 4 degrees C. The percent of sheep, horse and human rosette-forming cells in the peripheral blood were 71.7 +/- 1.8, 30.5 +/- 2.8 and 28.3 +/- 3.4 respectively. However, their percentages in thymuses were 97.1 +/- 1.1, 91.4 +/- 2.4 and 89.0 +/- 3.4. Using preparations of isolated subpopulations, it was observed that the horse and human red cell rosette-forming cells were probably also "early" sheep red cell rosette-forming cells. Rosette formation...
Harvey JW, Kaneko JJ.Partially purified haemoglobin solutions of man, horse, car and dog were oxidized with ascorbate, acetylphenylhydrazine, nitrite, and H2O2 at 25 degrees C and with ascorbate and acetylphenylhydrazine at 37 degrees C. Haemoglobins of the carnivores were more easily oxidized with ascorbate, nitrite, and H2O2 than equine and human haemoglobins. Feline haemoglobin, in general, appeared more susceptible to oxidation, particularly oxidative denaturation, than those of the other species. In addition, results of the incubations at 37 degrees C suggest that feline haemoglobin B might be more susceptibl...
Heinze W, Ptak W.The metacrylate and latex corrosion techniques were used to establish that the vascular system of testes is based on one coherent principle in common domestic mammals. The cone-shaped Plexus pampiniformis consists of numerous venous rami, between 0.25 mm and 1.0 mm in thickness and forming a dense vascular network, which practically encase the spiral-shaped A. spermatica interna (cooling coil principle). The testicular veins and arteries in the Tunica albuginea constitute a somewhat voluminous layer of vessels for dissipation of heat, with rami branching off radially into the testicular parenc...
Dott HM, Foster GC.Semen from boar, bull, ram, rabbit, reindeer and stallion was diluted in formol citrate or formol saline and stained with eosinnigrosin. The proportion of eosinophilic spermatozoa did not differ from that in fresh semen after storage for 48 hr in the formol diluent at temperatures ranging from 4 degrees C to 40 degrees C. Some samples were kept for periods up to 3 weeks with very little increase in the proportion of eosinophilic spermatozoa.
Jauregui-Adell J.Mare milk and aqueous solution of mare milk lysozyme were incubated for variable times between 30 C and 100 C at pH 3, 6, or 9. Lysozyme activity was stable at acid and neutral pH and labile at alkaline pH. Some of the results show the existence of a reactivation process in mare's milk and in aqueous solution. reaching 30 to 40% after incubation of the aqueous solution at 4 C for 20 days at pH 3 or 6.
Brown DG.Physiologic responses of irradiated and nonirradiated Shetland Ponies to controlled exercise were measured over a period of 5 years. The 5-year test began when the ponies were 3 years old and 5 months after they were exposed to 650 R of 60-Co gamma radiation. Significant differences in heart rates, respiratory rates, and rectal temperatures were demonstrated between irradiated and nonirradiated ponies when subjected to exercise and high ambient temperatures. Inthe irradiated group, heart rates were usually slower, especially during recovery immediately after exercise, and respiratory rates and...
Munsters C, Siegers E, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan M.To optimise the performance and welfare of horses during equestrian competitions in hot climates, it is advised to acclimate them to the heat. The effects of training in a heated indoor arena were studied. Four Olympic horses (13.3 ± 2.2 years; three eventers, one para-dressage horse) were trained for 14 consecutive days in a heated indoor arena (32 ± 1 °C; 50-60% humidity) following their normal training schedule in preparation for the Tokyo Olympic games. Standardised exercise tests (SETs) were performed on Day 1 and Day 14, measuring heart rate (HR; bpm), plasma lactate concentration (LA...
Filho HCM, Trindade KLG, Silva CJFL, Cruz RKS, Vilela CF, Coelho CS, Filho JDR, Manso HECCC.Equestrian sports require precise animal welfare and health evaluations. To test the hypothesis that horses maintain their welfare when subjected to two three-barrel (3TB) races with 2 min intervals, an experiment was designed to evaluate their surface temperature using infrared thermography (IRT) in regions of interest (barrel, flank, neck, jaw, corner of the mouth, and ocular caruncle) and also measure blood biomarkers (hemogram, total plasma protein, fibrinogen, urea, creatinine, GGT, CK, cortisol, IL-6, and IL-1β). Ten Quarter Horses were monitored through thermography (pre-race, +1, +4, ...
Hermange T, Ruault B, Couroucé A.The aim of this study is to describe clinical data associated with acorn intoxication and to find variables associated with survival. Data from horses presented at CISCO-ONIRIS from 2011 to 2018 with a diagnosis of acorn intoxication were included. Diagnosis was based on the following: season, the presence of acorns in the environment, clinical and hemato-biochemical parameters suggestive of a digestive/renal disease, the co-morbidity of companion animals, and post-mortem findings. Statistical analysis was completed using Student's t-test for mean comparisons and a Chi-square test for group co...
do Nascimento AGCR, de Paula AM, Busato JG, da Rocha GC, Perecmanis S, da Silva SG, Neto ART.Equine farming generates a significant amount of waste, prompting the need for effective management. Composting enhanced by filamentous fungi holds promise for this purpose. This study focused on inoculating Aspergillus fumigatus isolates in composting horse bedding made with wood shavings (Pinus elliottii) The experiment lasted 90 days, with two treatment groups, control and inoculated, analyzing temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, total organic carbon and nitrogen content, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignina contents. Both treatments entered the thermophilic phase by the fourth day, r...
Zhang Y, Zhang K, Wang M, Wu X, Liu J, Chu H, Zhang D, Li K, Huang H.Endangered Przewalski's horses have faced severe infections from (Diptera, Gastrophilidae) in Xinjiang's Kalamaili Nature Reserve (KNR). This study examines 's development and infection patterns in embryonic and larval stages, crucial for understanding horse botfly disease in desert grasslands. For the incubation of fertilized eggs, we established the six distinct temperature gradients: 16 °C, 20 °C, 24 °C, 28 °C, 30 °C, and 32 °C. Using the least squares method, we calculated the correlation between the developmental threshold temperature of the eggs and their cumulative effecti...
Zobrist CN, Bishop RC, McCoy AM.To assess the repeatability of infrared thermometer temperature readings and evaluate the correlation between digital rectal temperature and infrared thermometer temperatures taken at different locations in healthy afebrile horses. Methods: 101 afebrile horses ≥ 1 year old. Methods: Digital rectal temperatures and infrared temperatures from the eye, gingiva, neck, axilla, and perineum were obtained in a climate-controlled environment and at 2 outdoor ambient temperatures (study period, November 1, 2021, to April 30, 2023). Results: Infrared temperature measurements were well tolerated by hor...
Wall KE, Prestel AL, de Oliveira BIC, Darós R, de Freitas Santi T, Michelotto PV.In the present study we aimed to investigate superficial skin temperature of racehorses' distal limbs after training in a racetrack. Male and female Thoroughbred racehorses were investigated in summer, after light training, and in the winter, after light and intense training. Horses were exercised (Exercise group, EG) under trainers' protocol while others were maintained inside their stalls (Control group, CG). Thermographic images were obtained from the front (fetlock, cannon, and carpus) and hindlimbs (fetlock, cannon, and tarsus), before exercise and 45, 60, 120 and 180 min after exercisin...
Wonghanchao T, Sanigavatee K, Poochipakorn C, Huangsaksri O, Yalong M, Poungpuk K, Thanaudom K, Lertsakkongkul P, Lappolpaibul K, Deethong N, Chanda M.Cooling down is essential for horse recovery before veterinary inspection during an endurance ride. As salt potentially decreases water temperature, we tested whether adding salt to the water used to cool horses could aid their recovery. Twelve healthy Arabian horses participating in a novice endurance ride were divided evenly into two groups. Heart rate variability (HRV) variables, including time and frequency domains, non-linear results, and autonomic nervous system indices, were determined before recovery and at 1-min intervals for 9 min during recovery using either cold or cold-saline wa...
Hormones and behaviorMarch 18, 2024
Volume 161 105526 doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105526
Granweiler J, Cristóbal-Azkarate J, Morton N, Palme R, Shultz S.In seasonal environments, maintaining a constant body temperature poses challenges for endotherms. Cold winters at high latitudes, with limited food availability, create opposing demands on metabolism: upregulation preserves body temperature but depletes energy reserves. Examining endocrine profiles, such as thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (T3) and glucocorticoids (GCs), proxies for changes in metabolic rate and acute stressors, offer insights into physiological trade-offs. We evaluated how environmental conditions and gestation impact on faecal hormone metabolites (fT3Ms and fGCMs) from late...
Paranjape VV, Knych HK, Berghaus LJ, Cathcart J, Giancola S, Craig H, James C, Saksena S, Reed RA.Matrix type transdermal buprenorphine patches have not been investigated in horses and may provide an effective means of providing continuous pain control for extended period and eliminating venous catheterization. Unassigned: Assessment of the physiological variables (heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature) and thermal nociceptive threshold testing, and describing the pharmacokinetic profile of transdermal buprenorphine matrix-type patch (20 μg h and 40 μg h dosing) in healthy adult horses. Unassigned: Randomised experimental study with a Latin-square design. Unassigned: Six adu...
Pala S, Martínez-Sáez L, Llobat L, Marín-García PJ.Leishmaniasis and toxoplasmosis are two of the most common parasitic zoonoses. Leishmaniasis is endemic to 98 countries around the world, whereas toxoplasmosis is widely distributed throughout the world, causing significant health expenditure. Horses can play a relevant role in the transmission of the disease, being a silent reservoir, as clinical signs are not common. Serum samples from 166 horses living in eastern Spain (Mediterranean basin) were analysed to determine the presence of antibodies against Leishmania spp. and T. gondii by ELISA (Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay.) The risk facto...
Vullo C, Gugliandolo E, Biondi V, Biffarella M, Catone G, Tambella AM.The aim of this study was to determine the most appropriate sedation protocol for a standing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination in horses, comparing continuous rate infusions (CRIs) of detomidine and romifidine combined with a single bolus of morphine. Sixteen horses referred for standing low-field open-magnet MRI were randomly assigned to one of two sedation protocols. The horses were premedicated with 0.03 mg/kg of intramuscular acepromazine, and those animals belonging to Group D received an intravenous (IV) loading dose of detomidine (0.01 mg/kg) 30 min later, while those of Grou...
Freitas ML, Viana JHM, Dode MAN, Braga TRC, de Oliveira RA.Scrotal surface thermography is a non-invasive method for assessing testicular thermoregulation in stallions; however, few studies have explored the application of this technique concerning the thermal physiology of equine reproductive systems. This study aimed to evaluate the consistency of testicular thermoregulation in stallions over a year using thermography to measure the scrotal surface temperature (SST). Moreover, we assessed the best region for measuring the surface body temperature compared with the SST. Ten light-breed stallions were used in the experiment. Thermographic images of th...
Reed RA, Berghaus LJ, Reynolds RM, Holmes BT, Krikorian AM, Sakai DM, Ishikawa Y, Knych HK.Understanding the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of fentanyl in horses is crucial for optimizing pain management strategies in veterinary medicine. Unassigned: Six adult horses were enrolled in a randomized crossover design. Treatments included: placebo, two 100 mcg/h patches (LDF), four 100 mcg/h patches (MDF), and six 100 mcg/h patches (HDF). Patches were in place for 72 h. Blood was obtained for fentanyl plasma concentration determination, thermal threshold, mechanical threshold, heart rate, respiratory rate, and rectal temperature were obtained prior patch placement and at m...
Taesuji M, Rattanamas K, Yim PB, Ruenphet S.The Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) card, a cotton-based cellulose membrane impregnated with a chaotropic agent, effectively inactivates infectious microorganisms, lyses cellular material, and fixes nucleic acid. The aim of this study is to assess the stability and detection limit of various RNA viruses, especially the avian influenza virus (AIV), Newcastle disease virus (NDV), and African horse sickness virus (AHSV), on the FTA card, which could significantly impact virus storage and transport practices. To achieve this, each virus dilution was inoculated onto an FTA card and stored at r...
Ebisuda Y, Mukai K, Takahashi Y, Yoshida T, Matsuhashi T, Kawano A, Miyata H, Kuwahara M, Ohmura H.This study aimed to determine whether heat acclimation could induce adaptations in exercise performance, thermoregulation, and the expression of proteins associated with heat stress in the skeletal muscles of Thoroughbreds. Thirteen trained Thoroughbreds performed 3 weeks of training protocols, consisting of cantering at 90% maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) for 2 min 2 days/week and cantering at 7 m/s for 3 min 1 day/week, followed by a 20-min walk in either a control group (CON; Wet Bulb Globe Temperature [WBGT] 12-13°C; n = 6) or a heat acclimation group (HA; WBGT 29-30°...
Aragona F, Arfuso F, Rizzo M, Fazio F, Acri G, Piccione G, Giannetto C.This study aimed to evaluate changes in body temperature in athletic horses during two different road transport distances. Six Italian Saddle horses were subjected to a 100 and 300 km transport during different times of day (am and pm). Rectal and cutaneous temperatures were recorded before (T0), immediately (following 5 min- T1) and 1 hour (T2) after transport by means of a rectal digital thermometer and a thermal infrared camera (FLIR T440) respectively, for the evaluation of left and right side of four body regions: jugular, shoulder, croup and inner thigh. There were no differences between...
Nawrot K, Soroko-Dubrovina M, Zielińska P, Dudek K, Howell K.The study aimed to evaluate the impact of BEMER (Physical Vascular Therapy) on body surface temperature using infrared thermography (IRT) in the distal parts of the forelimbs in Thoroughbreds. The study tested the hypothesis that BEMER therapy leads to an increase in body surface temperature and blood vessel diameter in the distal parts of the forelimbs. The study involved 16 horses, split into 2 groups: active BEMER ( = 8) and sham ( = 8). The active BEMER group had BEMER boots applied to the distal parts of the forelimbs, whereas the sham group had BEMER boots applied without activation of t...
Animal welfare has become an increasingly important concern regarding equids working as carriage animals. In the present study, the changes in the markers of stress and inflammatory responses as a result of the work performed by tourism carriage horses under real working conditions in Sicily (Italy) were investigated. Twenty-two Standardbreds performed a normal working day in the carriage tourism business during the months of May, June and July 2022, consisting of one day of work for each month. Blood samples were collected in the stables at rest before the tour route (Pre; 07.00 AM) and withi...
de Carvalho JRG, Del Puppo D, Littiere TO, de Sales NAA, Silva ACY, Ribeiro G, de Almeida FN, Alves BG, Gatto IRH, Ramos GV, Ferraz GC.Diagnosing and treating lameness in horses is essential to improving their welfare. In equine orthopedic practice, infrared thermography (IRT) can indirectly detect soreness. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can treat painful and inflammatory processes in horses. Using IRT, the efficacy of meloxicam (Maxicam Gel) was evaluated in pre-treating transient synovitis in horses induced by a middle carpal joint injection of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from 055:B5 at a dose of 10 endotoxin units. Unassigned: In a cross-over design, six healthy horses were randomly assigned to receive either 0.6 ...
Discepolo DR, Gaare E, Handlos G, Perry EB.Cutaneous pH and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) are commonly utilized measures in dermatological research as they provide information concerning barrier function. The importance of dermal health has become more evident in recent years. Accordingly, the aim of this work was to identify natural fluctuations in the biophysical parameters of healthy equine skin. Cutaneous pH and TEWL was collected on nine mares at 6:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 6:00 PM daily for five days on the nose, withers, girth area, mid-back, and base of tail. Ambient temperature and humidity were measured at each collection. Stat...
An Q, Li Y, Sun Z, Gao X, Wang H.Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) is a vector-borne persistent viral infection in equine animals. The EIA is characterized by recurrent fever, thrombocytopenia, depression, anemia, rapid weight loss, and lower body edema. Control of EIA is achieved through the elimination or isolation of infected animals, resulting in significant economic losses. In recent years, many countries in Europe have experienced outbreaks of EIA, which could potentially develop into a new wave of epidemic and pose a significant threat to the healthy development of the equine industry. This study utilized spatiotemporal a...
Aragona F, Rizzo M, Arfuso F, Acri G, Fazio F, Piccione G, Giannetto C.The aim of the present study was to investigate eye temperature modifications after road transport in athletic horses habituated to travel. Eight adult Italian saddle horses traveled 100 km and, two weeks later, 300 km. Eye temperature (ET), rectal temperature (RT) and serum cortisol concentration were assessed before (T1), after (T2) and 60 min (T3) after the road transport. ET was evaluated with infrared thermography (IRT) in three regions of interest: EL1 (medial canthus), EL2 (central cornea) and EL3 (lateral canthus). Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures showed stati...
Poochipakorn C, Wonghanchao T, Sanigavatee K, Chanda M.Single-confinement housing can pose welfare risks to domestic horses. This study investigated horses' stress responses when confined to single stalls in different stable designs in a tropical savanna region to address a gap in the literature. In total, 23 horses were assigned to a stable with a central corridor and solid external walls (A) (N = 8), a stable with one side corridor and solid external walls (B) (N = 6), or a stable with a central corridor and no solid external walls (C) (N = 9). Air velocity, relative humidity, air temperature, and noxious gases were measured inside the stables, ...
McGill S, Coleman R, Hayes M.Indoor arenas do not always include mechanical ventilation or stirring fans and occupancy by horses and humans can be sporadic and inconsistent, which creates a challenging space for understanding and predicting variations in temperature, moisture, and airflow. To understand the interior environment within indoor arenas, monitoring was conducted at 15 facilities within 200 kilometres of Lexington, KY. Environmental monitoring of dry bulb temperature, relative humidity, dew point temperature, air speeds, and solar radiation took place over 7 days in the winter and summer to examine temporal var...
Ferlini Agne G, Adamson K, McGlinchey L, Kravchuk O, Santos L, Schumacher J.Accuracy of a median nerve block is normally assessed by testing skin sensitivity on the medial and dorsal aspects of fetlock and pastern. The present study evaluated subjective and objective analysis of skin surface temperature obtained with two different infrared (IR) thermography cameras (a high-end [FLIR P640] and a smartphone IR thermography device [FLIR One®]) before and after anaesthesia of the median nerve. Thermographic images were obtained at 0, 30, 60 and 90 minutes after performing a median nerve block with 2% mepivacaine hydrochloride. The subjective analysis of thermographic ima...
Jacquay ET, Harris PA, Adams AA.It is unknown whether short-term transportation affects endocrine responses similarly in horses with and without insulin dysregulation (ID). Objective: To characterise the effect of short-term transportation on stress parameters and insulin responses to an oral sugar test (OST) in horses with and without ID. Methods: Longitudinal cohort study. Methods: Fourteen adult non-pregnant, non-PPID mares of mixed light breeds were grouped as either ID (n = 7) or non-ID (n = 7) based on endocrine testing. Over 2 weeks, horses were transported once, in groups of 3-4 in a horse trailer on a roun...
Kerley BS, Harris P, Lea K, McClendon M, Adams AA.Forage low in nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) is recommended for insulin dysregulated (ID) horses, indicating the importance of an accurate forage analysis. However, it remains to be fully understood how handling forage samples pre-analysis impacts nutrient values. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of fresh-forage storage-handling methods: microwave-oven (MO; 9kw; 70s then stored at -20℃), room temperature (20℃), 3℃, -20℃, and -80℃. Subsamples collected from a mixed-grass pasture and a ryegrass plot were analyzed for crude protein (CP), water soluble carbohydrat...
Canisso IF, Amorim GBAG, Magalhaes HB.The objectives of this study were (i) to determine pH and electrolyte concentrations in MGS collected prepartum and at parturition, (ii) to characterize mare milk pH during the first week postpartum, and (iii) to evaluate pre-foaling MGS pH at three storage temperatures. This study outlined two hypotheses: (i) all mares exhibit acidic pH, increased calcium, magnesium, and potassium, and reduced sodium concentrations regardless of prepartum pH and electrolytes; (ii) pre-foaling MGS pH varies with storage temperature and time in an initial value-dependent manner. Twenty-three multiparous mares w...
Majadi M, Barkó A, Varga-Tóth A, Maukenovna ZS, Batirkhanovna DZ, Dilora S, Lukacs M, Kaszab T, Mednyánszky Z, Kovacs Z.Milk powders are becoming a major attraction for many industrial applications due to their nutritional and functional properties. Different types of powdered milk, each with their own distinct chemical compositions, can have different functionalities. Consequently, the development of rapid monitoring methods is becoming an urgent task to explore and expand their applicability. Lately, there is growing emphasis on the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as a rapid technique for the quality assessment of dairy products. In the present work, we explored the potential of NIRS coupled wi...
