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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.
Immunity to equine influenza: relationship of vaccine-induced antibody in young Thoroughbred racehorses to protection against field infection with influenza A/equine-2 viruses (H3N8). Field outbreaks of influenza that occurred in vaccinated Thoroughbred racehorses in Newmarket in 1995 and 1996 were investigated by nucleoprotein ELISA and serology. Investigations showed that serum levels of vaccine-induced single radial haemolysis (SRH) antibody correlated closely with protective immunity against equine influenza and were consistent with observations made in previous experimental studies using nebulised aerosol challenge. In the second part of this study, antibody levels stimulated by vaccination were investigated to examine probable protection in high risk groups, such as y...
Postmortem findings of gastric ulcers in Swedish horses older than age one year: a retrospective study of 3715 horses (1924-1996). The present study was performed to estimate retrospectively the prevalence of gastric ulceration in necropsied Swedish horses and to evaluate some potential risk factors. Horses (n = 3715) older than age one year and necropsied 1924-1996 were included. Information about breed, gender, age, season of death, clinical signs of colic, Gasterophilus larvae and documentation of diseases in different organs was recorded. Data on size, number and anatomical distribution of gastric ulcers were also obtained. The cold-blooded horses and the Standardbreds were the 2 most dominating breeds in our material...
In vitro evaluation of a novel prosthesis for laryngoplasty of horses with recurrent laryngeal neuropathy. A prosthesis, composed of a steel cable and stress-reducing washers, was developed to prevent failure of laryngoplasty, a common treatment for horses affected by recurrent laryngeal neuropathy. Laryngoplasties were performed on 15 cadaveric larynges using a polyester suture on one side and the cable prosthesis on the other. Each prosthesis was distracted at a displacement rate of 20 mm/s using a servohydraulic materials testing machine until laryngoplasty failed. Distraction force and actuator displacement were recorded and analysed. All 15 laryngoplasties performed with a suture failed at the...
Is ventilation during maximal exercise limited by dynamic airway closure? A study was undertaken to find if the reason why horses hypoventilate when running is that they experience expiratory flow limitation due to dynamic airway closure. To test this hypothesis, we measured peak expiratory flows on a Thoroughbred galloping on a treadmill and hypoventilating and compared those flows with the peak dynamically-limited flow that the same horse could achieve during a forced expiratory flow-volume manoeuvre. At the approximate lung volumes at which the horse was ventilating while running, it did not appear to be mechanically limited and appeared to have reserve capacity ...
Influence of rough track surfaces on components of vertical forces in cantering thoroughbred horses. No kinetic data are available to indicate the influence of a rough track surface and the resultant loss of footing on the components of hoof vertical forces. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of rough track surfaces on the components of hoof vertical forces. Seven clinically sound 2-year-old Thoroughbred horses had instrumented shoes attached to both of the fore hooves to obtain the magnitudes of consecutive forces exerted in the hoof. All horses were cantered at approximately 10 m/s on straight tracks of smooth and rough surfaces of woodchip and dirt. The instrumented...
Repeated administration of frusemide does not offer an advantage over single dosing in attenuating exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension in thoroughbred horses. The objective of the present study was to ascertain whether administration of a second dose of frusemide would attenuate exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension more than a single dose. Right atrial, right ventricular and pulmonary vascular pressures were determined in 7 healthy, sound, exercise-trained Thoroughbred horses at rest and during exercise (14.2 m/s + a 3.5% uphill grade) performed at maximal heart rate (217 +/- 3 beats/min [mean +/- s.e.]). Horses were studied during the following 3 treatments in random order 7 days apart: control (no medication), frusemide single dose (250 mg i.v....
Application of V200 values for evaluation of training effects in the young thoroughbred under field conditions. The purpose of this investigation was to study, under field conditions, the usefulness of an incremental exercise test to measure V200 (running velocity [V] at heart rate HR[ of 200 beats/min) for evaluation of training effects in the young Thoroughbred. Five to 112 two-year-old Thoroughbreds were used over 4 years to investigate the correlation between HR and V, the influence of the track and rider's weight to V200, reproducibility of V200 and the changes of V200 as training progresses. The high correlation coefficient between HR and V, and V200 were obtained in horses that exercised smoothly...
Metabolic and hormonal changes after exercise in relation to muscle glycogen concentrations. To test whether, in horses, the concentration of muscle glycogen can be influenced by increasing the uptake of glucose into the muscle cells or by providing a gluconeogenic precursor, 9 trained half-bred riding horses performed on a treadmill a 1.5 h competition exercise test (CET). Each horse performed CET 3 times and 30 min after CET, each was given one of the following solutions: isotonic glucose-electrolyte (GE) solution, GE supplemented with 50 g leucine (GEL) to increase insulin secretion, or GE supplemented with 200 ml propionic acid (GEP), a gluconeogenic precursor. Administration of G...
Modelling impact-initiated wave transmission through lung parenchyma in relation to the aetiology of exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage. Recently we proposed that exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) results from locomotory-impact-induced trauma by impact of the scapula on the chest wall during footfall and the consequent transmission of waves through the lung. A computational model has been developed to demonstrate that wave amplification and focusing occur in the dorsocaudal tip of the lung for waves originating on the anterior subscapular surface. The propagation of an acoustic wave was investigated in a simplified 2-dimensional representation of a vertical anterio-dorsal section of horse lung. It was demonstrated t...
Effect of diet on thoroughbred horses with recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis performing a standardised exercise test. Previous studies have associated recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER) with a diet high in soluble carbohydrate (CHO). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 3 diets on clinical and metabolic parameters in 5 Thoroughbred horses with RER and 3 healthy Thoroughbreds performing a standardised exercise test (SET). Two diets were formulated to meet energy requirements for the amount of exercise being performed in the form of CHO or fat (21.4 Mcal DE/day). The third diet was formulated to provide 135% of the DE of the other 2 diets in the form of an excessive amount of carboh...
Feasibility of scintigraphy in exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage detection and quantification: preliminary studies. We hypothesised that scintigraphic imaging of the lungs following injection of 99mTc labelled red blood cells (99mTc-RBC) in the exercising horse might enable exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) quantification. Ideally, to favour detection of bleeding, circulating 99mTc-RBC not involved in the haemorrhage should be removed from the circulation quickly. Altering RBC during labelling to stimulate splenic uptake of 99mTc-RBC may encourage this. In order to investigate this hypothesis, 99mTc-RBC distribution was followed for 1 h in 2 groups of horses. Group 1 was injected i.v., at rest, ...
Forelimb kinematics and net joint moments during the swing phase of the trot. The purpose of this study was to calculate net moments of force at the joints of the forelimb during the swing phase of the stride. An optoelectronic system was used to measure segmental kinematics for 3 strides in 5 sound, Warmblood horses trotting at a mean velocity +/- s.d. of 3.03 +/- 0.16 m/s. A link segment model was used to determine the net moments of force about the joints of the left forelimb. The model combined kinematic data with morphometric data describing the inertial parameters of the limb segments of warmblood horses, and incorporated correction factors for skin displacement. ...
Standardisation of muscular biopsy of gluteus medius in French trotters. Morphometric measurements were taken from 41 French trotters of various ages and both sexes. Biopsy location was determined for the dorsal compartment as being one-third of the distance from the tuber sacrale to the tuber coxae and for the ventral compartment as being one-third of the distance from the tuber coxae to the caudal Cd1-Cd2 intervertebral joint. Ten horses were biopsied at these 2 sites at a sampling depth equal to half the total depth of the compartment as measured by ultrasonography. The percentage of slow and fast myosin heavy chain fibres was measured by using an immunoenzymati...
Influence of oral beta-alanine and L-histidine supplementation on the carnosine content of the gluteus medius. The aim of this work was to test the hypothesis that in vivo carnosine biosynthesis is dependent upon endogenous beta-alanine availability, by studying the effect of sustained dietary beta-alanine supplementation in the horse on the carnosine concentration in types I, IIA and IIB skeletal muscle fibres. The diets of 6 Thoroughbred horses were supplemented 3 times/day with beta-alanine (100 mg/kg bwt) and L-histidine (12.5 mg/kg bwt) for a period of 30 days. Percutaneous biopsies of the m. gluteus medius from a depth of 6 cm were taken on the days immediately before and after the supplementatio...
Effects of electrolyte and glycerol supplementation on recovery from endurance exercise. Incomplete recovery from endurance exercise after an overnight rest period is reflected by persisting weight loss and an elevated plasma aldosterone concentration, even in successful competitors. To determine whether supplementation with high doses of electrolytes, with or without glycerol, enhances recovery, the following were measured in 6 Arabian horses before and after completion of a 60 km treadmill exercise test simulating an endurance ride and after 12, 24, 48, and 72 h of recovery: bodyweight; plasma osmolality; plasma concentrations of protein, electrolytes, aldosterone and cortisol; ...
Muscle adenine nucleotide degradation during submaximal treadmill exercise to fatigue. The aim was to investigate metabolic response in muscle during submaximal treadmill exercise to fatigue, with a special emphasis on adenine nucleotide degradation products such as inosine monophosphate (IMP) in muscle and hypoxanthine, xanthine and uric acid in plasma. Five Standardbred trotters performed treadmill exercise on 2 occasions, once at 7 m/s and once at 10 m/s. Venous blood samples were taken at rest, during exercise and at the end of exercise. Muscle biopsies were taken before and after exercise and muscle temperature was measured before and after exercise. Running time differed a...
Phytate and phosphorus movements in the digestive tract of horses. This experiment was conducted to study phytate degradation and the effect of dietary phytate level on phosphorus absorption in the gastrointestinal tract of horses. Six Thoroughbred horses were fed diets containing low-phytate diet or high-phytate diet for 5 days. The diets were supplemented with Cr2O3 as an unabsorbable marker. The horses were killed 3 h after the last feeding and digesta in some segments of the intestine were collected. In both dietary groups, the daily passage of phytate phosphorus was decreased in the upper small intestine and in the lower large intestine. The daily passag...
Biomechanical analysis of horse shoeing. Most of the principles of farriery have been derived from practical experience and traditional skills of individual farriers. To date, there has been little done in the way of good science and few publications have appeared to advance the discipline. Therefore, opinions or policies on horse shoeing vary greatly between farriers and members of the veterinary profession. The aim of this workshop was to present the latest information on biomechanical analysis of horse shoeing as it relates to modern day farriery and could have direct benefits for the future of shoeing in performance horses.
Plasma glutamine status in the equine at rest, during exercise and following viral challenge. The variation over 24 h of plasma glutamine concentration in nonexercising horses was studied in 3 Thoroughbreds (TB) fed at 1600 h and 0700 h. This indicated a small but regular change associated with feeding. Starting at a mean of 482 mumol/l at 1600 h the concentration increased to 522 mumol/l at 2000 h, falling to 476 mumol/l at 1600 h and increasing again to 525 mumol/l at 2000 h. 'Normal' values were established in 19 part-bred TB horses, lacking clinical signs or remarkable pathology and in light training, by sampling weekly at 1000 h over a 10 week period. The mean concentration was 49...
Sweating and skin temperature responses of normal and anhidrotic horses to intravenous adrenaline. Anhidrosis has been recognised for over half a century, but despite some excellent epidemiological studies, there has been little progress in understanding the aetiology of the condition. Using a modified ventilated capsule, we obtained dynamic, quantitative data on sweating responses in anhidrotic horses and normal sweating controls from the same environment. Ten horses with current seasonal anhidrosis and 10 matched normal sweating controls were selected. Each horse was given two 10 min infusions of 1 and 2 micrograms/kg/min adrenaline, separated by at least 6 h. Sweating responses and skin ...
Kinematics of the equine back: flexion-extension movements in sound trotting horses. This study was undertaken to evaluate the flexion-extension movements of the back in a group of sound trotting horses. Using a 3-D kinematic analysis system, 13 clinically sound horses fitted with 5 skin markers placed on the dorsal midline of their trunk were recorded while trotting on a track in the conditions of the routine lameness examination. These markers were used to calculate 3 back angles (thoracic, thoracolumbar and lumbosacral angle). These back angles were then filtered using Fourier series. To evaluate the repeatability of flexion-extension movements, the intra- and inter-individ...
Sequential changes in bronchoalveolar cytology after autologous blood inoculation. Six horses, free of recent exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH), each had 8 bronchial segments inoculated with 40 ml of autologous blood lavaged on Days 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 and 21 after inoculation. The bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid samples were analysed, and total leucocyte counts and differential cell percentages determined. Statistical analysis of the differences between the 8 post inoculation and 1 pre-inoculation (control) lavage sites demonstrated an early neutrophilic response, rising from < 5% of alveolar leucocytes to 10% by 24-48 h post inoculation. As this response wane...
Weak acid-concentration Atot and dissociation constant Ka of plasma proteins in racehorses. The plasma proteins are a significant contributor to the total weak acid concentration as a net anionic charge. Due to potential species difference, species-specific values must be confirmed for the weak acid anionic concentrations of proteins (Atot) and the effective dissociation constant for plasma weak acids (Ka). We studied the net anion load Atot of equine plasma protein in 10 clinically healthy mature Standardbred horses. A multi-step titration procedure, using a tonometer covering a titration range of PCO2 from 25 to 145 mmHg at 37 degrees C, was applied on the plasma of these 10 horses...
Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide during and after repeated exercise under heat exposure. Plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) responses were studied in horses during and after a competition exercise test (CET) designed to simulate the endurance test of a 3-day event and including test Phases A-D. CET was repeated 5 times at 2 week intervals at mean temperature +28 degrees C and relative humidity (RH) 58%. Heart rate (HR) was monitored during CET. After CET, the horses were rehydrated with isotonic glucose-electrolyte solution or water. ANP, NH2-terminal pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (NT-ANP), aldosterone, arginine vasopressin (AVP) and plasma proteins (PP) were measured during...
Racing performance in red blood cell hypervolaemic standardbred trotters. The association between red blood cell hypervolaemia (RCHV) and racing performance was examined in 116 Standardbred trotters referred to the clinic during a 5 year period with histories of impaired racing performance. Red cell hypervolaemia was the only significant abnormality detected in a thorough clinical examination, cell volumes ranging 116-178% of the predicted normal values. They were also compared with the performance traits of the contemporary Swedish Standardbred trotter population (n = 58,058). The performance traits were based on earnings per year and start, best annual racing time...
Temporal changes in the trot between the first and third horse inspections at a CCI*** 3-day event. Kinematic parameters were measured from horses competing in a CCI*** 3-day event. The horses were filmed during the first and third horse inspection. This provided a repeat sample on 16 horses. The horses were filmed using a panning lateral S-VHS video camera (50 Hz). Spatial measurements were taken for mean +/- s.d. 5.66 +/- 0.92 strides for the first inspection and 5.05 +/- 1.27 for the third inspection. Within the calibration zone, data of the horses accelerating and obtaining a constant velocity were collected. The horses trotted with a higher mean velocity during the third inspection (0.2...
Dietary fat supplementation and equine plasma lipid metabolism. Feeding of a fat-rich diet to horses may enhance the flux of fatty acids, in the form of triacylglycerols (TAG), through the circulation into skeletal muscle. This hypothesis was tested indirectly by measuring the concentration of plasma TAG and the activity of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in post heparin plasma. Six mature horses were fed a high-fat or a control diet according to a crossover design with feeding periods of 6 weeks. The control diet contained 1.5% fat in the dry matter and the high-fat diet 11.8%. The high-fat diet was formulated by adding soybean oil to the control diet at the exp...
