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.
Graham-Thiers PM, Bowen LK.Twelve horses weighing 570 ± 35 kg were split into two groups (standard protein, STD, and balanced protein, BAL) to evaluate the effect of balanced vs. unbalanced protein on muscle mass. Groups were fed grass hay and a 12% CP feed (one formulated for balanced protein). Horses were out of work for 14 wk prior and participated in 1 to 2 h of light-to-moderate exercise 5 d/wk for 12 wk. A 4-d total urine and feces collection period was conducted at the start and end of the study. Urine and feces samples were analyzed for nitrogen (N) to calculate N balance. Muscle mass status was evalua...
Pudert T, Fries GF, Lotz H, Röcken M, Cruz AM.To assess the use of a newly developed aiming compression device (ACD) for screw insertion in non-fractured navicular bones (NB) in cadavers. Methods: Cadaveric study. Methods: A total of 10 cadaveric front limbs of adult horses. Methods: Placement of a 3.5 mm cortical screw in non-fractured NB under radiographic guidance was performed in 10 cadaver limbs in a standing position. An ACD was used to stabilize the NB and to guide the drilling process. Preparation and surgical time as well as the number of radiographic images were noted. A postoperative scoring system was used to assess screw pl...
Armstrong D.The tick Hyalomma marginatum is expanding its geographical range, reinforcing the need for surveillance and control to prevent the emergence of tickborne equine disease. Daniel Armstrong, policy adviser for exotic animal diseases at Defra, explains more.
Šenica P, Žele Vengušt D, Vengušt G, Kuhar U.Rotaviruses A (RVA) are a major cause of acute viral gastroenteritis in humans worldwide and are responsible for about two million hospitalizations per year. They can also infect other mammals such as pigs, calves, goats, lambs, and horses, in which they are also considered a major cause of viral diarrhea. While RVA is well studied in humans and domestic animals, its occurrence in wild ruminants is not well known. The RVA genome is a double-stranded RNA consisting of 11 segments, and genotyping is based on the VP7 (G) and VP4 (P) segments. Currently, there are 42G genotypes and 58P genotypes. ...
Izquierdo-Moreno J, de Paz MI, Manso-Díaz G, Villalba-Orero M, López-Sanromán J.An accurate evaluation of the degree of sedation is mandatory to adjust the dosage of sedative drugs. Objective: To determine the correlation between head height above the ground and ataxia degree in horses sedated with detomidine and the correlation existing between accelerometric variables and both parameters. Methods: Retrospective study. Methods: Twelve horses were given 0.01 mg/kg of detomidine hydrochloride iv. Measured accelerometric parameters, with one accelerometer positioned between both sacral tuberosities, included speed, stride frequency and length, regularity, dorsoventral, lo...
Irandoust S, O'Neil LM, Stevenson CM, Franseen FM, Ramzan PHL, Powell SE, Brounts SH, Loeber SJ, Ergun DL, Whitton RC, Henak CR, Muir P.Catastrophic injury has a low incidence but leads to the death of many Thoroughbred racehorses. Objective: To determine sensitivity, specificity, and reliability for third metacarpal condylar stress fracture risk assessment from digital radiographs (DR) and standing computed tomography (sCT). Methods: Controlled ex vivo experiment. Methods: A blinded set of metacarpophalangeal joint DR and sCT images were prepared from 31 Thoroughbreds. Four observers evaluated the condyles and parasagittal grooves (PSG) of the third metacarpal bone for the extent of dense bone and lucency/fissure and assigned...
Pasch L, Stefanovski D, Dobbie T, Lewis G, Turner RM.Historically, 8 × 0.5 ml straws, containing approximately 800 million sperm and 250 million progressively motile sperm were provided as a single 'breeding dose' of cryopreserved stallion semen. With the use of deep horn artificial insemination, there is a trend to reduce the number of 0.5 ml straws sold as a breeding dose, sometimes down to as little as one straw. Our aims were to determine if the number of straws provided as a breeding dose, as well as other mare, stallion and management factors, have an impact on pregnancy outcome in mares inseminated with cryopreserved semen. Unexpectedly,...
Semik-Gurgul E, Pawlina-Tyszko K, Gurgul A, Szmatoła T, Rybińska J, Ząbek T.DNA methylation and microRNA (miRNA) expression are epigenetic mechanisms essential for regulating tissue-specific gene expression and metabolic processes. However, high-resolution transcriptome, methylome, or miRNAome data is only available for a few model organisms and selected tissues. Up to date, only a few studies have reported on gene expression, DNA methylation, or miRNA expression in adult equine tissues at the genome-wide level. In the present study, we used RNA-Seq, miRNA-seq, and reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) data from the heart, lung, and liver tissues of healt...
Elkhawagah AR, Donato GG, Poletto M, Martino NA, Vincenti L, Conti L, Necchi D, Nervo T.This study aimed to investigate the effect of mitochondria-targeted antioxidants (Mitoquinone, MitoQ) on the quality of frozen-thawed stallion semen. Semen samples collected from three fertile stallions aged 10 - 13 years, were filtered, centrifuged in a skimmed milk-based extender, and diluted to a final concentration of 50 × 106 sperm/mL in freezing medium. Diluted semen was divided into five experimental groups supplemented with MitoQ at concentrations of 0 (control), 25, 50, 100, and 200 nM and then subjected to freezing after cooling and equilibration. After thawing, semen was evaluated ...
Mendoza FJ, Pérez-Écija A, Kappmeyer LS, Suarez CE, Bastos RG.Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is a global tick-borne disease of equids caused by the intraerythrocytic apicomplexan parasites and , and the more recently discovered . These parasites can be transmitted by several tick species, including , , and , but iatrogenic and vertical transmission are also common. Clinical signs of EP include poor performance, fever, icterus, abortions, among others, and peracute or acute forms of infection are associated with high mortality in non-endemic areas. EP is a reportable disease and represents an important barrier for the international trade of horses and other e...
Verstraete MH, Dini P, Orellana D, Uribe-Salazar JM, Veras MM, Carneiro F, Daels P, Fernandes CB.The proper function of the placenta is essential for the health and growth of the fetus and the mother. The placenta relies on dynamic gene expression for its correct and timely development and function. Although numerous studies have identified genes vital for placental functions, equine placental molecular research has primarily focused on single placental locations, in sharp contrast with the broader approach in human studies. Here, we hypothesized that the molecular differences across different regions of the equine placenta are negligible because of its diffuse placental type with a macro...
Jacobs RD, Grum D, Trible B, Ayala DI, Karnezos TP, Gordon ME.Probiotics are commonly incorporated into equine diets to impart health and performance benefits; however, peer-reviewed evidence supporting their efficacy in horses is limited. Interestingly, bacteria from the Bacillus genus are gaining interest for their unique ability to impact metabolic, immune, and inflammatory pathways. The objective of this trial was to evaluate a selection of Bacilli for their role in altering the inflammatory response in horses to exercise. Eighteen horses were utilized in a randomized cross-over trial. Horses were randomly assigned to one of 6 starting treatments inc...
Hu B, Gao S, Zhang H, Li Q, Li G, Zhang S, Xing Y, Huang Y, Han S, Tian Y, Zhang W, He H.Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) is a Gram-positive zoonotic pathogen that frequently leads to illness and death in young horses (foals). This study presents the complete genome sequence of R. equi strain BJ13, which was isolated from a thoroughbred racehorse breeding farm in Beijing, China. Results: The BJ13 genome has a length of 5.30 Mb and consists of a complete chromosome and a plasmid measuring 5.22 Mb and 0.08 Mb, respectively. We predicted 4,929 coding gene open reading frames, along with 52 tRNAs and 12 rRNAs. Through analysis of mobile genetic elements, we identified 6 gene islands and ...
Werner LC, de Oliveira GM, Daros RR, Costa ED, Michelotto PV.The use of grimace scales enables the clinical identification of changes in the facial expressions of animals caused by pain. The Horse Grimace Scale (HGS) is one such tool, comprising a pain coding system based on facial expressions and assessing six Facial Action Units (FAUs). Each FAU is accompanied by descriptions and anatomical details to assist the evaluator. However, the morphological descriptions for certain FAUs in the HGS are not sufficiently detailed, potentially hindering accurate interpretation. This study is an analytical investigation aimed at enhancing the morphoanatomical deta...
Mazzuchini MP, Lisboa FP, Segabinazzi LG, Canisso IF.Endometritis is the leading cause of mare subfertility. Most mares respond to standard therapy, but alternative therapies have been developed for mares failing to respond. This study aimed to investigate a commercially available, yet unassessed, product labeled as a uterine sanitizer to determine the in vitro antimicrobial activity against microorganisms associated with endometritis and its in vitro stability to dilute antibiotics. In experiment 1, the microdilution broth technique and antimicrobial effects were assessed against Escherichia sp, Staphylococcus sp., Klebsiella sp., Pseudomonas s...
Molento MB, Dall'Anese J, Pontarolo DV, Brandão YO, Yoshitani UY.Cyathostomins are the largest group of parasites in horses that can be controlled by ivermectin (IVM). This study aimed to run a four-dose titration trial of IVM in 28 naturally infected Thoroughbred yearlings. The local Strongyle population had been recorded to be resistant to IVM (200 µg/kg). The parasite fecal egg count (FEC) was performed to investigate the egg reappearance period (ERP) of two and five weeks (w2pt and w5pt) after IVM treatment. FEC was > 1000 on day zero for all groups. Although 100% FEC reduction was reported at w2pt for all concentrations, the FEC at w5pt revealed < 83%...
The diagnosis of mild-moderate equine asthma (MEA) can be confirmed by airway endoscopy, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALf) cytology, and lung function evaluation by indirect pleural pressure measurement. Oscillometry is a promising pulmonary function test method, but its ability to detect subclinical airway obstruction has been questioned. Objective: To evaluate the differences in lung function measured by oscillometry between healthy and MEA-affected horses. Methods: Prospective case-control clinical study. Methods: Thirty-seven horses were divided into healthy and MEA groups, based on hist...
Wagner LH, Aurich J, Claaßen S, Melchert M, Kaps M, Aurich C.Transrectal and transabdominal ultrasonography is an established method to monitor pregnancy, fetal growth and wellbeing in different species. Growth charts with multiple bio-morphometric parameters to estimate days of gestation and days before parturition exist in small companion animals, sheep and goats, riding type horses and large ponies but not in small horse breeds like Shetland ponies. The aim of this study was to apply fetal biometric assessment and detailed description of physiologic fetal development to mid and late term pregnancies in Shetland mares and to generate reference data fo...
Stevanović J, Glavinić U, Ristanić M, Erjavec V, Denk B, Dolašević S, Stanimirović Z.This review aims to present current knowledge on the effects of honey bee products on animals based on in vivo studies, focusing on their application in clinical veterinary practice. Honey's best-proven effectiveness is in treating wounds, including those infected with antibiotic-resistant microorganisms, as evidenced in horses, cats, dogs, mice, and rats. Propolis manifested a healing effect in numerous inflammatory and painful conditions in mice, rats, dogs, and pigs and also helped in oncological cases in mice and rats. Bee venom is best known for its effectiveness in treating neuropathy an...
Zhong D, Zheng J, Ma Z, Wang Y, Wei J.The prevalence and impact of Getah virus (GETV) are significant concerns in China. GETV can infect a wide range of animals, including horses, pigs, sheep, cattle, birds, and humans, resulting in substantial losses in the livestock and agricultural industries. GETV infection can cause the development of ulcers and inflammation in the mouth and gums of horses, which result in pain and discomfort and lead to symptoms such as reduced appetite, drooling, and difficulty chewing. As a result, there is a pressing need for efficient and rapid disease diagnosis methods. However, the currently available ...
Goudet G, Beauclercq S, Douet C, Reigner F, Deleuze S, Nadal-Desbarats L.Successful reproductive management of domestic mammals depends primarily upon timely identification of oestrous cycle stages. There is a need to develop an alternative non-invasive, welfare-friendly, accurate and reliable method to identify reproductive cycle stages. This is of particular interest for horse breeders, because horses are high-value farm animals that require careful management and individual monitoring. Saliva sampling is non-invasive, painless and welfare-friendly. Thus, we performed a metabolomic analysis of equine saliva during different reproductive stages to identify changes...
Verhaar N, Reineking W, Hewicker-Trautwein M, Grages AM, Kästner SBR, Geburek F.To evaluate the use of laser Doppler flowmetry and spectrophotometry (LDFS) for large intestinal viability assessment in horses with naturally occurring large intestinal strangulations. Methods: By use of LDFS, intestinal microperfusion was quantified as tissue oxygen saturation (tSo2), hemoglobin (tHB), and blood flow (tBF) in cases with large colon volvulus and small colon strangulations undergoing colic surgery (n = 17). Intestinal biopsies were taken from the pelvic flexure in all large colon cases and in small colon cases that underwent intraoperative euthanasia. Measurements were compare...
Trevisiol S, Popot MA, Garcia P, Boyer S, Caroff M, Drif L, Taleb W, Tendon S, Moulard Y, Bailly-Chouriberry L.The non-psychoactive cannabinoids cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) are available on the market in different forms, mostly for their anti-inflammatory and potential analgesic properties. These substances are prohibited during equine competitions. CBD and CBDA are naturally present in hemp straw, commonly used as a bedding substitute for wheat straw. Unfortunately, horses can eat it, which therefore could lead to a possible risk of positive findings for CBD/CBDA in biological samples after doping control tests. The goals of this study were, first, to provide recommendations on the...
Woodrow JS, Palmisano M, Kulp J, Hopster K.Complications from general anesthesia, including pneumonia and decreased wound healing, are influenced by changes in immune cell function secondary to sedatives and anesthetics. It was hypothesized that immune cell function would be depressed in the early postanesthetic period. The objective was to investigate airway immune cell function before and after a general anesthetic episode in an equine in vivo model using ex vivo cell stimulations with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for assessment of immune function. Methods: Prospective experimental study. Methods: Six healthy, adult, institution-owned ...
Bermukhametov Z, Suleimanova K, Tomaruk O, Baimenov B, Shevchenko P, Batyrbekov A, Mikniene Z, Onur Girişgin A, Rychshanova R.A total of 396 samples were taken from the hearts, oesophagi, and diaphragms of 132 horses slaughtered at slaughterhouses in 2023 for subsequent examination. Methods: The histological method revealed pathomorphological changes in the muscle tissue. The molecular method identified the pathogen species. Results: Histological examination revealed thick-walled cysts with internal septa and numerous bradyzoites, and mononuclear inflammatory cells with pericyst infiltrates. Microcyst samples were amplified by polymerase chain reaction. Molecular genetic analysis allowed for the identification of 18 ...
Michanek P, Bröjer J, Lilliehöök I, Fjordbakk CT, Löwgren M, Hedeland M, Bergquist J, Ekstrand C.Canagliflozin (CFZ) is a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor that has shown promising results as a drug for the treatment of insulin dysregulation in horses. Even though CFZ is used clinically, no pharmacokinetic data has previously been published. In this study, the pharmacokinetics of CFZ after administration of a single oral dose of 1.8 mg/kg in eight healthy Icelandic horses was examined. Additionally, the effect of treatment on glucose and insulin levels in response to a graded glucose infusion was investigated. Plasma samples for CFZ quantification were taken at 0, 0.33, 0.66, 1, ...
Tan Yi Shean L, Milne EM, Shaw DJ, Maxwell S, Del-Pozo J.Lipofuscin is a complex mixture of highly oxidized, cross-linked macromolecules that accumulates in neurons with age and some neurodegenerative diseases. Equine dysautonomia (ED) is a polyneuropathy that mainly affects autonomic and enteric nervous systems, resulting in alimentary tract dysfunction. Our main aim was to determine whether neuronal lipofuscin increased with increasing duration of ED. We investigated the prevalence of lipofuscin in cranial cervical ganglia of horses with acute (AED), subacute (SED), and chronic ED (CED), young controls (of similar age to ED cases), and aged contro...
Serra Bragança FM, Broomé S, Rhodin M, Björnsdóttir S, Gunnarsson V, Voskamp JP, Persson-Sjodin E, Back W, Lindgren G, Novoa-Bravo M, Gmel AI....For centuries humans have been fascinated by the natural beauty of horses in motion and their different gaits. Gait classification (GC) is commonly performed through visual assessment and reliable, automated methods for real-time objective GC in horses are warranted. In this study, we used a full body network of wireless, high sampling-rate sensors combined with machine learning to fully automatically classify gait. Using data from 120 horses of four different domestic breeds, equipped with seven motion sensors, we included 7576 strides from eight different gaits. GC was trained using several ...
Gilkerson JR, Whalley JM, Drummer HE, Studdert MJ, Love DN.The prevalence of EHV-1 and EHV-4 antibody-positive horses was determined using a type specific ELISA on serum samples collected from 229 mares and their foals resident on a large Thoroughbred stud farm in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales in February 1995. More than 99% of all mares and foals tested were EHV-4 antibody positive, while the prevalence of EHV-1 antibody positive mares and foals were 26.2 and 11.4%, respectively. Examination of the ELISA absorbance data for the individual mares and foals suggested that the EHV-1 antibody positive foals had been infected recently with EHV-1 and...
Lavoie-Lamoureux A, Moran K, Beauchamp G, Mauel S, Steinbach F, Lefebvre-Lavoie J, Martin JG, Lavoie JP.Neutrophils are potent contributors to the lung pathophysiological changes occurring in allergic airway inflammation, which typically involve T helper type 2 (Th2) cytokine overexpression. We have previously reported that equine pulmonary endothelial cells are activated by the Th2 cytokine IL-4 and express chemotactic factors for neutrophils after stimulation. We have further explored the possible mechanisms linking Th2-driven inflammation and neutrophilia by studying the effects of recombinant equine IL-4, a prototypical Th2 cytokine, on peripheral blood neutrophils (PBN) isolated from normal...
Goodrich LR, Grieger JC, Phillips JN, Khan N, Gray SJ, McIlwraith CW, Samulski RJ.A gene therapeutic approach to treat osteoarthritis (OA) appears to be on the horizon for millions of people who suffer from this disease. Previously we described optimization of a scAAVIL-1ra gene therapeutic vector and initially tested this in an equine model verifying long-term intrasynovial IL-1ra protein at therapeutic levels. Using this vector, we carried out a dosing trial in six horses to verify protein levels and establish a dose that would express relevant levels of therapeutic protein for extended periods of time (8 months). A novel arthroscopic procedure used to detect green fluore...
Nielsen MK, Banahan M, Kaplan RM.Anthelmintic resistance in equine cyathostomins is both widespread and highly prevalent in the benzimidazole and tetrahydropyrimidine classes; however, reports of resistance to macrocyclic lactone (ML) drugs are sparse and sporadic. This study reports a case of clear ML resistance in a group of Thoroughbred yearlings imported from Ireland to the US in 2019. Fecal egg count reduction (FECR) following ivermectin administered in February 2020 demonstrated 100% reduction in the US bred yearlings, but 93.5%, 70.5%, and 74.5% reduction in three groups of the imported yearlings. The two former groups...
Lagutina I, Lazzari G, Duchi R, Turini P, Tessaro I, Brunetti D, Colleoni S, Crotti G, Galli C.Nuclear transfer (NT) is a complex procedure that requires considerable technical skills. Over the years attempts have been made to simplify the micromanipulations involved and to make the procedure more user-friendly. A significant step forwards has been the development of the zona-free NT methods. We have used zona-free NT with mechanical aspiration of the metaphase plate as a mean of enucleation, in a comparative approach with the conventional nuclear transfer zona-enclosed method in cattle, horse, sheep and pig. The absence of the zona considerably facilitates the enucleation step and sign...
Taylor J, Thompson K, Annand EJ, Massey PD, Bennett J, Eden JS, Horsburgh BA, Hodgson E, Wood K, Kerr J, Kirkland P, Finlaison D, Peel AJ, Eby P....In October 2021, the first contemporary detection of Hendra virus genotype 2 (HeV-g2) was made by veterinary priority disease investigation in a horse near Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, as part of routine veterinary priority disease surveillance. This discovery followed an update of Hendra virus diagnostic assays following retrospective identification of this variant from 2015 via sentinel emerging infectious disease research, enabling timely detection of this case. The sole infected horse was euthanized in moribund condition. As the southernmost recognised HeV spill-over detection to...
Hong CB, Donahue JM, Giles RC, Petrites-Murphy MB, Poonacha KB, Roberts AW, Smith BJ, Tramontin RR, Tuttle PA, Swerczek TW.Placentas from aborted, stillborn, and premature foals were examined during the 1988 and 1989 foaling seasons, and 236 of 954 (24.7%) had placentitis. Microorganisms associated with placentitis were isolated or demonstrated from 162 of 236 (68.6%) placentitis cases. Leptospira spp. and a nocardioform actinomycete were 2 important, newly emerging bacteria associated with equine placentitis. Major pathogens identified in decreasing order were Streptococcus zooepidemicus, Leptospira spp., Escherichia coli, a nocardioform actinomycete, fungi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus equisimilis, Ente...
Dayaram A, Franz M, Schattschneider A, Damiani AM, Bischofberger S, Osterrieder N, Greenwood AD.For viruses to utilize environmental vectors (hard surfaces, soil, water) for transmission, physical and chemical stability is a prerequisite. There are many factors including pH, salinity, temperature, and turbidity that are known to contribute to the ability of viruses to persist in water. Equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) is a pathogenic alphaherpesvirus associated with domestic horses and wild equids. EHV-1 and recombinants of EHV-1 and EHV-9 are able to cause infections in non-equid animal species, particularly in captive settings. Many of the captive non-equid mammals are not naturally s...
Nergadze SG, Lupotto M, Pellanda P, Santagostino M, Vitelli V, Giulotto E.The insertion of mitochondrial DNA in the nuclear genome generates numts, nuclear sequences of mitochondrial origin. In the horse reference genome, we identified 82 numts and showed that the entire horse mitochondrial DNA is represented as numts without gross bias. Numts were inserted in the horse nuclear genome at random sites and were probably generated during the repair of DNA double-strand breaks. We then analysed 12 numt loci in 20 unrelated horses and found that null alleles, lacking the mitochondrial DNA insertion, were present at six of these loci. At some loci, the null allele is prev...
Bukhari SSUH, McElligott AG, Parkes RSV.There are approximately 112 million working equids in developing countries, many of which are associated with brick kilns. Brick kilns and overloading are associated with welfare problems in working equids. Understanding equids' abilities and influencing factors are important for both effective performance and welfare. Traditionally, measurement of the amount of 'bone' was used, and more recently, gait symmetry has been identified as a potential marker for loading capacity. Assessment of stride parameters and gait kinematics provides insights into adaptations to loading and may help determine ...
Negussie H, Gizaw D, Tesfaw L, Li Y, Oguma K, Sentsui H, Tessema TS, Nauwynck HJ.Infections with equine herpesviruses (EHVs) are widespread in equine populations worldwide. Whereas both EHV-1 and EHV-4 produce well-documented respiratory syndromes in equids, the contribution of EHV-2 and EHV-5 to disease of the respiratory tract is still enigmatic. This study describes the detection and genetic characterization of EHVs from equids with and without clinical respiratory disease. Virus-specific PCRs were used to detect EHV-1, -2, -4 and -5. From the total of 160 equids with respiratory disease, EHV-5 was detected at the highest prevalence (23.1%), followed by EHV-2 (20.0%), E...
Freeman DE, Hammock P, Baker GJ, Goetz T, Foreman JH, Schaeffer DJ, Richter RA, Inoue O, Magid JH.The records of 74 horses that recovered from anaesthesia after surgery for a small intestinal lesion from 1994 to 1999 were reviewed. Sixty-three horses (85%) had a strangulating lesion and 43 of these (68%) had a resection and anastomosis. Four of 11 horses (36%) without a strangulating lesion had a resection and anastomosis. Sixty-three horses (85%) survived to discharge, with a survival rate of 53/63 in horses with a strangulating lesion (84%) and 10/11 (91%) in others. For all lesions, short-term survival for all end-to-end anastomoses (91%; 21/23) and for no resection (92%; 23/25) were su...
Hobbs SJ, Licka T, Polman R.Locomotion adaptation mechanisms have been observed in horses, but little information is available in relation to banked and nonbanked curve locomotion, which might be important to optimise training environments. Objective: To determine if adaptation mechanisms in horses existed when moving on a banked compared to a flat curve and whether adaptation was similar in different gaits. Methods: Eight infrared cameras were positioned on the outside of a 10 m lungeing circle and calibrated. Retroreflective markers were used to define left and right metacarpus (McIII) and proximal phalanges (P1), meta...
Pedersen SK, Cribb AE, Windeyer MC, Read EK, French D, Banse HE.Prevalence of, and risk factors for, equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) are well established. Limited data exists on risk factors for equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD). Objective: To identify management factors associated with EGGD in show jumping Warmbloods in training. A secondary objective was to identify management factors associated with ESGD. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Gastroscopies were performed in horses following a 12-16 h fast. Management questionnaires were collected for each horse. Risk factors were determined using multivariable logistic regression modelling. Re...
Dyer J, Al-Rammahi M, Waterfall L, Salmon KS, Geor RJ, Bouré L, Edwards GB, Proudman CJ, Shirazi-Beechey SP.Experimental and epidemiological evidence suggests that consumption of hydrolyzable carbohydrate, hCHO (grain), by horses is an important risk factor for colic, a common cause of equine mortality. It is unknown whether the small intestinal capacity to digest hCHO and/or to absorb monosaccharides is limiting, or even if horses can adapt to increased carbohydrate load. We investigated changes in the brush-border membrane carbohydrate digestive enzymes and glucose absorptive capacity of horse small intestine in response to increased hCHO. Expression of the Na(+)/glucose co-transporter, SGLT1, was...
Ireland JL, McGowan CM, Clegg PD, Chandler KJ, Pinchbeck GL.This study reports on aspects of preventive health care and on the prevalence of disease in geriatric (≥30 years old) horses and ponies in North-West England and North Wales. Of 128 questionnaires mailed to horse owners, 87 useable responses were received and 69 horses were subject to veterinary examination. Of the animals examined, 16% were underweight with body condition scores (BCS)3/5). This contrasted with the owner responses that reported 23% of the animals surveyed to be underweight and only 3% to be overweight. When assessed at trot, 77% of the horses were lame on at least one limb, ...
Davis KU, Sheats MK.Equine asthma syndrome (EAS) is a common problem that affects horses of any age. Severe EAS is reported to affect 10-20% of adult horses in the northern hemisphere, while mild/moderate EAS is reported to affect 60-100% of adult horses, depending on the population and geographic region. For both severe and mild/moderate EAS, the presence of lower airway inflammation is attributed to airborne "triggers" such as dust, mold, and bacterial components that horses encounter in hay and stable-environments; and treatment recommendations for horses with EAS often include full-time pasture turnout. The c...
Nathan H, Gloobe H.The myocardial fibres of the posterior wall of the atrio-venous junctions were examined in 35 large domestic mammals. In the majority of specimens a common pattern in the course and organization of the fibres could be observed. The most obvious features were the following: (1) a main circular fascicle surrounding the pulmonary trunks; (2) fibres encircling the atriovenous junctions; and (3) myocardial sleeves extending along the veins, occasionally as far as the lung. The superior part of the left atrial wall was consistently thicker than the inferior section. Individual variations of this wal...
Haussler KK, Erb HN.An objective measure of neck, back and croup pain is needed in horses with musculoskeletal injuries, vague upper limb lameness or poor performance. Objective: To establish mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) within the axial skeleton and evaluate the effects of subject status and ridden exercise. Methods: Thirty-six mature horses (10 nonridden; 26 actively ridden) were used to assess MNTs evoked by a pressure algometer (PA) with a 1 cm2 rubber plunger tip at 62 midline and bilaterally symmetrical anatomical landmarks along the axial skeleton. Pressure was applied at a uniform rate of appl...
Allen KJ, Tremaine WH, Franklin SH.Inflammatory airway disease (IAD) is thought to be an important cause of poor performance in young Thoroughbred racehorses. However, little study has been made of IAD in older National Hunt (NH) horses. Objective: To determine the prevalence of IAD in NH racehorses referred for investigation of poor athletic performance and identify some of the risk factors that may be associated with IAD in this group of horses. Methods: Tracheal mucus was graded, and tracheal wash (TW) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) performed after treadmill exercise in 91 NH horses referred to the University of Bristol. C...
Mohanty N, Gulati BR, Kumar R, Gera S, Kumar P, Somasundaram RK, Kumar S.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from umbilical cord blood (UCB) in equines have not been well characterized with respect to the expression of pluripotency and mesenchymal markers and for tenogenic differentiation potential in vitro. The plastic adherent fibroblast-like cells isolated from 13 out of 20 UCB samples could proliferate till passage 20. The cells expressed pluripotency markers (OCT4, NANOG, and SOX2) and MSC surface markers (CD90, CD73, and CD105) by RT-PCR, but did not express CD34, CD45, and CD14. On immunocytochemistry, the isolated cells showed expression of CD90 and CD73...
MacLachlan NJ, Conley AJ, Kennedy PC.A number of viruses have the capacity to cross the placenta and infect the fetus to cause, among other potential outcomes, developmental defects (teratogenesis), fetal death and abortion. Bluetongue virus (BTV) infection of fetal ruminants provides an excellent model for the study of virus-induced teratogenesis. This model has shown that only viruses modified by passage in cell culture, such as modified live virus vaccine strains, readily cross the ruminant placenta, and that the timing of fetal infection determines the outcome. Thus, cerebral malformations only occur after fetal infection at ...
Burk J, Berner D, Brehm W, Hillmann A, Horstmeier C, Josten C, Paebst F, Rossi G, Schubert S, Ahrberg AB.Tendon disease has been treated with multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in the equine large-animal model with promising success. The aim of this study was to gain more insight into the fate and biodistribution of MSCs after local application into tendon lesions by long-term cell tracking in this large-animal model. Superficial digital flexor tendon lesions were induced in all limbs in six horses and injected with 10106 Molday ION Rhodamine B-labeled MSCs suspended in serum or serum alone. Follow-up was performed using low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), flow cytometry, and hi...
Schaffartzik A, Marti E, Torsteinsdottir S, Mellor PS, Crameri R, Rhyner C.Salivary gland proteins of Culicoides spp. have been suggested to be among the main allergens inducing IgE-mediated insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH), an allergic dermatitis of the horse. The aim of our study was to identify, produce and characterize IgE-binding salivary gland proteins of Culicoides nubeculosus relevant for IBH by phage surface display technology. A cDNA library constructed with mRNA derived from C. nubeculosus salivary glands was displayed on the surface of filamentous phage M13 and enriched for clones binding serum IgE of IBH-affected horses. Ten cDNA inserts encoding putat...
Soroko M, Howell K, Dudek K.The aim of the study was to describe the dependence on ambient temperature of distal joint temperature at the forelimbs of racehorses. The study also investigated the influence of differing ambient temperatures on the temperature difference between joints: this was measured ipsilaterally (i.e. between the carpal and fetlock joints along each forelimb) and contralaterally (i.e. between the same joints of the left and right forelimbs). Sixty-four healthy racehorses were monitored over 10 months. At each session, three thermographic images were taken of the dorsal, lateral and medial aspects of t...
Goodwin S.Body temperature of goats, horses, and sheep was measured, using 3 methods. Tympanic temperature was measured with a tympanic infrared thermometer, subcutaneous temperature was measured with an implantable microchip transponder, and rectal temperature was measured with a digital thermometer. For goats, rectal and subcutaneous temperatures were significantly higher than tympanic temperatures, but rectal and subcutaneous temperatures did not differ significantly. For horses and sheep, rectal temperatures were significantly higher than tympanic and subcutaneous temperatures, and tympanic temperat...
Boegheim IJM, Leegwater PAJ, van Lith HA, Back W.Impairment of bone growth at a young age leads to dwarfism in adulthood. Dwarfism can be categorised as either proportionate, an overall size reduction without changes in body proportions, or disproportionate, a size reduction in one or more limbs, with changes in body proportions. Many forms of dwarfism are inherited and result from structural disruptions or disrupted signalling pathways. Hormonal disruptions are evident in Brooksville miniature Brahman cattle and Z-linked dwarfism in chickens, caused by mutations in GH1 and GHR. Furthermore, mutations in IHH are the underlying cause of creep...
