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Topic:Veterinary Research
Veterinary research in horses encompasses the study of diseases, health management, and medical treatments specific to equine species. This field investigates various aspects of horse health, including infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, and musculoskeletal conditions. Researchers focus on understanding the pathophysiology of equine ailments, developing diagnostic tools, and evaluating therapeutic interventions. The study of horse health also involves examining preventive measures such as vaccination protocols and nutritional management to promote overall well-being. This page collects peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the diverse areas of veterinary science related to horses, providing insights into disease mechanisms, treatment strategies, and advancements in equine healthcare.
Immunisation of the equine uterus against Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus using an intranasal attenuated Salmonella vector. Attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium MGN707, expressing the SzP protective protein of the MB9 serovar of Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (SzP-MB9) was tested for its safety and efficacy as a nebulised intranasal vaccine against streptococcal uterine infections in mares. In a preliminary study, vaccinated mares (n=5) displayed serum, nasal and uterine responses (P<0.05) to S. Typhimurium lipopolysaccharide (St-LPS). Subsequently, vaccinated mares (expressor group, n=7), but not mares vaccinated with the vector only (control group, n=7), displayed significant increas...
A retrospective analysis of renal carcinoma in the horse. Renal carcinoma is a rare tumor of horses. Objective: Presenting complaints and clinical signs of this disease are vague and early diagnosis increases survival time. Methods: Data were collected from the medical records of 4 horses presented to Washington State University as well as the 23 previously published case reports of horses with renal carcinoma. Methods: Retrospective study. Results: Renal carcinoma affects horses of all ages with most cases observed in geldings and Thoroughbreds. The most common presenting complaints are nonspecific and usually do not occur until late in the course o...
Dimensions of diastemata and associated periodontal food pockets in donkey cheek teeth. Equine cheek teeth (CT) diastemata often cause deep periodontal food pocketing and are therefore regarded as a painful dental disorder of equidae. However there appears to be no information available on the size or shape of these diastemata. This post mortem study examined 16 donkey skulls (mean age = 32-years) containing 45 CT diastemata to define the anatomical shape and dimensions of these diastemata, and of the associated periodontal food pockets that occur with this disorder. Diastemata were found to more commonly involve mandibular (56.0%) compared with maxillary CT (44.0%), and 71.0% of...
Laboratory findings in respiratory fluids of the poorly-performing horse. Any disorder impairing a performance horse's ability to ventilate its lungs and exchange oxygen compromises exercise performance in any discipline. Since bronchoalveolar lavage was described in horses in the early 1980s, laboratory evaluation of respiratory fluids, along with clinical and functional assessment of the respiratory system, has become a relevant step in the diagnosis of respiratory disease affecting performance. The aim of this review is to provide objective information to assist clinicians in interpreting laboratory findings by (1) summarising published cytological references val...
Mechanical recovery of inhibited cyathostomin larvae from equine intestinal tissue. The Stomacher is very widely used in food and medical research for extracting tissues. To determine whether nematode larvae were disrupted by the Stomacher, L3 larvae of Haemonchus contortus were homogenised for up to 40 min at full power but no larval disruption occurred. Therefore, tissue from the mucosa and submucosa of the caecum of horses collected from a licenced abattoir was treated to determine whether inhibited cyathostomin larvae could be extracted. The optimum time on full power for a 10-g sample was 20 min, and in three out of five caecal samples from different horses, significantl...
Evaluation of discriminant analysis based on dorsoventral symmetry indices to quantify hindlimb lameness during over ground locomotion in the horse. Advances in gait analysis techniques have led to assessment tools that can aid in detecting and quantifying lameness; here, bilateral tubera coxae and pelvic movement during over ground locomotion are compared in order to investigate a practical method to assess hindlimb lameness in the horse. Objective: To evaluate which parameters from anatomical landmarks on trunk and proximal hindlimbs are the best indicators of degree and side of hindlimb lameness. Methods: Fifteen horses (age 11-23 years, 6 nonlame and 9 unilaterally hindlimb lame horses 1/10 to 2/10 lame) were fitted with 4 inertial sen...
The relationship between range of motion of lumbosacral flexion-extension and canter velocity of horses on a treadmill. Research into kinematics of the healthy equine back, has been performed in the walk and trot. This study focuses on back kinematics during canter, over a range of velocities. Flexion extension (FE) movements in canter are greatest in the lumbosacral (LS) region. Previous research has focused on canter velocity of 7 m/s; therefore quantification of LS kinematics at varying velocities is required to understand LS functions in equine locomotion. Objective: Range of flexion-extension movement through the lumbosacral joint increases with increasing velocity. Methods: Six Thoroughbred horses (mean a...
Influence of different exercise regimes on the proximal hoof circumference in young Thoroughbred horses. Most lameness in horses relates to foot problems and may be associated with changes in hoof shape, but there is a lack of information on the influence of normal exercise on hoof shape. Objective: To investigate the effect of training on proximal hoof circumference in young Thoroughbred racehorses being prepared for racing. Methods: Thirty-seven young Thoroughbred racehorses were included in this study. Front hoof circumference immediately below the coronary band was measured weekly with a measuring tape in all horses present at the stable. Most horses accomplished a minimum of 2 training perio...
Back kinematics of healthy trotting horses during treadmill versus over ground locomotion. Treadmill locomotion is frequently used for training of sport horses, for diagnostic purposes and for research. Identification of the possible biomechanical differences and similarities between the back movement during treadmill (T) and over ground (O) locomotion is essential for the correct interpretation of research results. Objective: To compare the kinematics of the thoracolumbar vertebral column in treadmill and over ground locomotion in healthy horses. Methods: Six sound Dutch Warmblood horses trotted on a T and O during 10 s at their own preferred velocity (mean +/- s.d. 3.6 +/- 0.3 m/s...
The effects of limb posture on relationships between in vitro radial hoof strain, load and joint angles. Radial strain in normal hooves has been found to vary with strain gauge location, limb posture and sample limb but reported magnitudes were considered to be low. More accurate measurement of radial strain may enhance the understanding of hoof function. Objective: To explore in vitro radial hoof strain in relation other kinetic and kinematic variables that may be related. Methods: Five normal forelimbs were removed at the proximal articular surface of the third metacarpal bone (McIII). The limbs were loaded using a modified Instron test machine. Six calibrated infrared cameras captured movement...
In vitro evaluation of metacarpophalangeal joint loading during simulated walk. Insight into the loading pattern of the articular cartilage surface during the complete stride is important as biomechanical factors play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of joint trauma and osteoarthritis (OA). Objective: To determine the loading pattern in the equine MCP articulation in vitro during simulated walk. Methods: Eight cadaveric limbs from mature Dutch Warmblood horses were loaded in a pneumatic loading device in 6 different positions (A1-A6). The pressure distribution on the articular surface of the proximal phalanx (P1) was measured at 7 sites (S1-7) using intra-articularly pl...
Use of a 3D dynamometric horseshoe to assess the effects of an all-weather waxed track and a crushed sand track at high speed trot: preliminary study. Track surface quality is considered a risk factor of musculoskeletal injuries. Ground reaction force (GRF) measurement is a relevant approach to study the interaction between the hoof and the ground. Force plates are not adapted to compare different surfaces at high speed. A 3D dynamometric horseshoe (DHS), using 4 triaxial piezoelectric sensors, has been developed and validated. Objective: To use the DHS to compare the effects of 2 track surfaces, an all-weather waxed track and a crushed sand track, on the GRF in trotter horses under training conditions. Methods: The right forelimb of 3 Frenc...
Horizontal moment around the hoof’s centre of pressure during walking in a straight line. Joint congruity and ligaments restrain the distal limb joints from excessive motion in the transverse and frontal planes, but the magnitudes and direction of the horizontal twisting moments around the hoof's centre of pressure (CoP) that induce these motions are unknown. Objective: To quantify the horizontal moment around the vertical axis through the hoof's CoP at walk, and to determine whether these are symmetric. Methods: Nine sound Thoroughbred horses (mean age 53 years; mean mass 502 kg) were led at walk in a straight line across a Kistler force platform. Five trials were collected for ea...
Thirty-two component finite element models of a horse and donkey digit. The finite element (FE) method is the most powerful modelling technique available to explicate the biomechanics of the digit. It has already proved to be of high value in human podiatry. However, accurate models of the complex anatomy of the horse and donkey digit are currently lacking. Objective: To develop FE models of the horse and donkey digit from computed tomography data, including all functionally relevant anatomy, and to perform simulations to replicate prestrain in the flexor tendons and quasistatic weightbearing. Methods: Computed tomography data of the front right digits were obtain...
The use of force plate measurements to titrate the dosage of a new COX-2 inhibitor in lame horses. Lameness is a highly prevalent condition in horses and the principal cause of removal from athletic activity. In clinical studies to evaluate nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug therapies, force plates are commonly used to assess improvement of lameness objectively. Objective: To use a force plate to determine the optimal dose of a new COX-2 inhibitor (firocoxib) that will reduce lameness, when administered orally to horses once daily. Methods: Sixty-four horses that exhibited chronic lameness presumed due to osteoarthritis, including navicular disease, in at least one of the frontlimbs and at...
Trunk deformation in the trotting horse. Estimates of the position of the centres of mass (CM) of body segments are usually extrapolated relative to bony landmarks as determined in cadaver studies. This extrapolation assumes that segments are rigid bodies. Since the trunk represents a large percentage of the total body mass in horses, violation of the rigid body assumption by the trunk segment has important consequences for studying the biomechanics of equine locomotion. Objective: To assess the magnitude of error in CM position due to deformability of the trunk segment and the timing of these errors during the trotting stride. The h...
Quantification of surface EMG signals to monitor the effect of a Botox treatment in six healthy ponies and two horses with stringhalt: preliminary study. Therapeutic options for stringhalt in horses are limited, whereas medical experiences with botulinum toxin type A (Botox) have been positive. To evaluate its effectiveness in horses, surface electromyography (sEMG) signals before and after injection need to be quantified. Objective: Treatment of healthy ponies and cases with Botox should reduce muscle activity in injected muscles and reduce spastic movements without adverse side effects. Methods: Unilaterally, the extensor digitorum longus, extensor digitorum lateralis and lateral vastus muscles of 6 healthy mature Shetland ponies and 2 talent...
Kinetics and kinematics of the horse comparing left and right rising trot. At rising trot the rider sits alternately down on one diagonal pair of limbs and rises up on the other. The possible effects on asymmetry of locomotion induced by rising trot have rarely been studied. Objective: To demonstrate whether, and if so to what extent, rising trot causes asymmetrical loading in the vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) and/or asymmetrical effects on the locomotion pattern, comparing left and right side. Methods: Seven elite horses were ridden in left and right rising trot on a treadmill, while VGRF and kinematics were measured, with the horses' neck raised, the poll h...
Ex vivo calibration and validation of in vivo equine bone strain measures. Data are required to confirm that strain gauges recording high bone strains in Thoroughbred racehorses provide an accurate record of bone strain. Objective: To test the accuracy and reliability of very high in vivo strain recordings made during fast exercise in Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Strains were recorded during exercise from rosette gauges implanted onto the mid-shaft dorsal cortex of each third metacarpal bone (MC3) in 6 yearling and 6 mature Thoroughbreds in a previous experiment. Bulk elastic modulus (E(US)) was calculated from ultrasound speed and single photon absorptiometry m...
Influence of track surface on the equine superficial digital flexor tendon loading in two horses at high speed trot. Although track surfaces are a risk factor of tendon injuries, their effects on tendon loading at high speed are unknown. Using a noninvasive ultrasonic technique, it is now possible to evaluate the forces in the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) in exercise conditions. Objective: To compare the effects of an all-weather waxed track (W) vs. a crushed sand track (S), on the SDFT loading in the trotter horse at high speed. Methods: Two trotter horses were equipped with the ultrasonic device (1 MHz ultrasonic probe, fixed on the palmar metacarpal area of the right forelimb). For each trial,...
Deformation of the equine pelvis in response to in vitro 3D sacroiliac joint loading. Sacroiliac joint injuries can cause poor performance; however, the interaction between pelvic mechanics and the sacroiliac joint is poorly understood. Objective: To measure pelvic displacement during 3D sacroiliac joint loading. Methods: Nine reflective triads were attached rigidly to bony prominences in sacropelvic specimens harvested from 14 horses for stereophotogrammetric analysis of triad displacements and joint kinematics. The sacrum was coupled to a load cell and mounted vertically within a material testing system (MTS). A pneumatic actuator was used to apply 90 Nm moments to the ischia...
Basic kinematics of the saddle and rider in high-level dressage horses trotting on a treadmill. A comprehensive kinematic description of rider and saddle movements is not yet present in the scientific literature. Objective: To describe saddle and rider movements in a group of high-level dressage horses and riders. Methods: Seven high-level dressage horses and riders were subjected to kinematic measurements while performing collected trot on a treadmill. For analysis a rigid body model for the saddle and core rider segments, projection angles of the rider's extremities and the neck and trunk of the horse, and distances between markers selected to indicate rider position were used. Results...
Effects of a synthetic all-weather waxed track versus a crushed sand track on 3D acceleration of the front hoof in three horses trotting at high speed. Inadequate track surfaces are believed to be a risk factor in the occurrence of musculoskeletal injuries, but quantification of the shocks and vibrations provoked by hoof impact on different ground surfaces (including new synthetic tracks) has been insufficiently documented in trotters under high-speed training conditions. Objective: To test the reliability and sensitivity of an accelerometric device to discriminate between the biomechanical effects of 2 different tracks at high speed. Methods: Three French Trotters were used and their right front hooves were equipped with one triaxial acceler...
Isolation, growth and differentiation of equine mesenchymal stem cells: effect of donor, source, amount of tissue and supplementation with basic fibroblast growth factor. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are increasingly used as therapeutical aid for the orthopaedic injuries in the horse. MSC populate different tissues but the most commonly used for clinical purposes are isolated from bone marrow or adipose tissue. The first objective of this study was to investigate if the donor animal, the tissue of origin and the technique of isolation could influence the number of MSC available for transplantation after a short-term expansion. The second aim was to devise a culture system capable of increasing MSC lifespan and we tested the effect of basic fibroblast growth fac...
A biphasic malignant mesothelioma of the peritoneum and pleura in a horse. This report describes the macroscopic, histologic, immunohistologic and ultrastructural characteristics ofa biphasic malignant mesothelioma in the peritoneal and pleural cavity of a 13-year-old Icelandic pony mare, which exhibited recurrent ascites clinically. Immunohistology was performed employing multiple monoclonal antibodies against cytokeratins (CK) and vimentin. The ultrastructural examination included the quantitative evaluation of the length to diameter ratio of the microvilli. Post mortem examination revealed a severe ascites and hydrothorax. The serosal surfaces of the peritoneum an...
Significant injuries in Australian veterinarians and use of safety precautions. A high injury prevalence has been reported among veterinarians. Studies describing the factors associated with injury have been limited. Objective: To describe the characteristics of serious injuries and the use of safety precautions at the time of injury in Australian veterinarians. Methods: Graduates in veterinary medicine from Australian universities completed questionnaires asking about injuries during their professional career including type of injury and circumstances during which injury occurred. Results: A total of 2188 significant injuries were reported. Injuries were most frequently ...
Osmotic stress stimulates generation of superoxide anion by spermatozoa in horses. The objective of this study was to examine the interplay between osmotic and oxidative stress as well as to determine mechanisms by which osmotic stress increases superoxide generation in spermatozoa of horses. Superoxide production, as measured by dihydroethidium (DHE), increased when spermatozoa of horses were incubated under either hyperosmotic or hyposmotic conditions. This increase in superoxide production was inhibited by the MAP kinase p38 inhibitor, SB203580, and by the superoxide scavenger, tiron. Incubation of spermatozoa under hyperosmotic conditions increased overall protein tyrosi...
A single-nucleotide polymorphism in a herpesvirus DNA polymerase is sufficient to cause lethal neurological disease. Epidemiological studies have shown that a single-nucleotide polymorphism in the equid herpesvirus type 1 DNA polymerase gene is associated with outbreaks of highly lethal neurological disease in horses. Reverse genetics experiments further demonstrated that a G(2254) A(2254) nucleotide mutation introduced in neurovirulent strain Ab4, which resulted in an asparagine for aspartic acid substitution (D(752) N(752)), rendered the virus nonneurovirulent in the equine. Here, we report that the nonneurovirulent strain equid herpesvirus type 1 strain NY03 caused lethal neurological disease in horses af...
Reproductive efficiency of Thoroughbred mares under Indian subtropical conditions: A retrospective survey over 7 years. Service records of 253 mares (1181 mare-years) spanning over 7 consecutive years, from nine organized Thoroughbred stud farms, situated in the subtropical northwestern India were retrospectively analyzed to assess their reproductive performance. The overall per cycle pregnancy rate at Day 16 and overall foaling rates were 50.30% and 68.95%, respectively, and were significantly higher in mares aged 3-7 years than > or =18 years old mares. The late embryonic losses (9.86%) that occurred between Days 16 and 39 post-ovulation contributed more than 50% of the overall detected pregnancy losses (1...
