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.
Derksen FJ, Brown CM, Sonea I, Darien BJ, Robinson NE.Comparisons were made between transtracheal aspirate (TTA) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology obtained from 50 horses with chronic lung disease and from 10 control horses. There was no significant correlation between the TTA cytology and the BAL cytology, suggesting that the cell population in the trachea is not representative of the cell population in the lower airways. In control horses the range of differential cell counts obtained from TTA fluid was remarkably large, whereas the variability in cell populations observed in BAL fluid was smaller. In the principal horses the total and ...
Harris RC, Snow DH, Katz A, Sahlin K.Muscle biopsies taken after exercise, in comparison to those at rest, contain increased amounts of blood and this is a particular problem in studies of the horse. The inclusion of blood in muscle will introduce an upward bias in values of pH measured in muscle homogenates. In an attempt to control this, muscle biopsy samples of the middle gluteal from Thoroughbred horses were freeze-dried and dissected free of blood before determination of pH. Following exercise, muscle pH measured after freeze-drying was similar to that measured in homogenates prepared from frozen samples. In contrast, freeze...
Jeffery EH, Noseworthy R, Cherian MG.1. Analysis of livers and kidneys from 28 horses for cadmium, zinc and metallothionein showed low cadmium content in liver. There was a gradual increase in cadmium content in kidney with age. 2. Metallothionein values varied with zinc content in the liver and with cadmium content in the kidney; copper values did not vary in either tissue. 3. Metallothionein was localized mainly in the cytoplasms in liver and kidney of horses by immunohistochemistry.
Staudacher G.23 horses and one donkey with congestive heart failure are treated with a standardized methyldigoxin dose (0.0032 mg/kg of body weight). The therapy is controlled by the serum concentration of the cardiac glycoside. 4 horses have a higher and 13 horses a lower serum concentration as necessary for therapeutic approach. The influence of additional diseases and medications is demonstrated. Finally a rule for the evaluation of the individual therapeutic glycoside-dose is given.
Morgan SJ, Storts RW, Stromberg PC, Sowa BA, Lay JC.Factors involved in the proliferation of equine vascular smooth muscle cells were studied in vitro. The most prominent proliferative responses in cultured vascular smooth muscle cells were induced by Strongylus vulgaris larval antigen extract (LAE) and platelet-derived factors. Less significant proliferative responses were obtained with conditioned media from S. vulgaris LAE stimulated and from unstimulated equine mononuclear leukocytes. Additionally, vascular smooth muscle cells exposed to S. vulgaris LAE developed numerous perinuclear vacuoles and were more spindle-shaped than control or smo...
Kobluk CN, Schnurr D, Horney FD, Sumner-Smith G, Willoughby RA, Dekleer V, Hearn TC.High-speed cinematography with computer aided analysis was used to study equine hindlimb kinematics. Eight horses were filmed at the trot or the pace. Filming was done from the side (lateral) and the back (caudal). Parameters measured from the lateral filming included the heights of the tuber coxae and tailhead, protraction and retraction of the hoof and angular changes of the tarsus and stifle. Abduction and adduction of the limb and tarsal height changes were measured from the caudal filming. The maximum and minimum values plus the standard deviations and coefficients of variations are prese...
Al-Izzi SA, Al-Bassam LS.Pseudomonas mallei was isolated from pus samples obtained from 34 mallein-positive horses. The isolates were subjected to in vitro sensitivity test using 16 different antimicrobial discs. All isolates (34) were sensitive to sulfamethizole, gentamycin, tetracycline, sulfathiazole, kanamycin, tobramycin, streptomycin and a combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole while none of them were sensitive to cephalothin, colistin, ampicillin, penicillin and nitrofurantoin. Rifapicin, chloramphenicol and carbenicillin were effective against 32, 26 and 18 isolates respectively. The minimum inhibito...
Gerber H, Ueltschi G, Diehl M, Schatzmann U, Straub R.For various anamnestic reasons the cervical vertebral column of 78 horses was examined radiologically. Statistical comparisons showed that male "warmbloods" were more frequently affected than was expected. Our horses were older than comparable animals in the international literature. Independently of their history the radiologic diagnosis of "cervical spondylarthrosis" was established in 56 horses. Arthrosis and other conditions were clinically manifested by spinal ataxia (44 horses) or mechanical impairment of the neck's mobility (21 horses). 10 of the arthrotic patients had synovial cysts ca...
Nishita T, Matsushita H.Sections of equine thymus were examined for the presence of carbonic anhydrase (CA) isozymes by an immunohistochemical method. Carbonic anhydrase III, a major enzyme of skeletal muscle, was localized in some of the epithelial-reticular cells of the equine thymus. This finding suggests the presence of a new type of cell in the thymic cortex. The concentration of CA-III in the thymus was 17 micrograms/g wet tissue. CA-I and CA-II were not found in equine thymus.
Nunamaker DM, Butterweck DM, Provost MT.Geometric properties of the third metacarpal bone were compared between the young and adult Standardbred and Thoroughbred racehorse. The change in shape during growth and superimposed training was dramatic in both breeds but the Thoroughbred showed the greatest difference in the minimum moment of inertia as the animal matured. Males had larger moments of inertia throughout the length of the diaphysis than did females. The differences in geometric properties of the third metacarpal bone between the Thoroughbred and Standardbred were related to the incidence of fatigue fractures which are common...
Ginther OJ.Ultrasonography was used to determine whether there is embryo reduction in mares with unilaterally fixed twins when a major portion of the vascularized area of the wall of one of the embryonic vesicles is in apposition with the wall of the adjacent vesicle, rather than with the endometrium (deprivation hypothesis). In addition, the effect of ovulatory pattern (synchronous and asynchronous) on the incidence of embryo reduction was studied. Twin vesicles were ultrasonically detected on days 11 to 15 (ovulation = day 0) and were examined daily until there was embryo reduction or until day 40. In ...
Jedruch J, Gajewski Z, Kuussaari J.The effect of detomidine on the electrical activity of the uterus was studied during the last trimester of pregnancy in 6 mares. The effect was observed in 3-5 min after the i.m. injection and it lasted for 50-70 min. 20 and 40 micrograms/kg b.w. doses of detomidine decreased the myometrial electrical activity, whereas 60 micrograms/kg dose did not have any effect on the activity. The results suggested that 20, 40 and 60 micrograms/kg b.w. doses of detomidine can be administered to mares during the last trimester of pregnancy without the risk of abortion induced by increased uterine electrical...
Weiss DJ, Kraemer R, Schmit K.A simple discontinuous Percoll density-gradient technique was adapted for isolation of granulocytes and mononuclear cells from cats, dogs, horses and cattle. Separation was accomplished at low speeds using a standard tabletop centrifuge. Cell purity was 100% for both granulocytes and mononuclear cells and cell viability exceeded 95%. Percent recovery of leukocytes ranged from 69 to 83%.
Durchfeld B, Rüdiger J.Bilateral rupture of the musculus longus capitis from the tuberculum musculare of the os occipitale and of the musculus rectus capitis ventralis from the os occipitale combined with a synchondrolysis of the synchondrosis sphenooccipitalis in a 17 months old thoroughbred stallion is reported.
Jolly RD, Dalefield RR.The lipopigments are a heterogenous group of pigments whose pathogenesis and terminology is confused. Whereas there is epidemiological and observational evidence that ceroid is derived from degeneration and peroxidation of unsaturated lipid, the assumption that all so-called lipopigments are similarly formed, is questioned. In particular, recent studies have distanced the pathogenesis of the pigment found in the ceroid-lipofuscinoses from that perceived for ceroid. The importance of protein rather than lipid in the pathogenesis of the pigment of ceroid-lipofuscinosis and of age pigment from th...
Tobin T, Kwiatkowski S, Watt DS, Tai HH, Tai CL, Woods WE, Goodman JP, Taylor DG, Weckman TJ, Yang JM.We have developed and evaluated a one step enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test for sufentanil and a 125I radioimmunoassay test for alfentanil as part of a panel of pre- and post-race tests for narcotic analgesics in racing horses. Our sufentanil ELISA test detects sufentanil with an I-50 of about 0.5 ng/ml. The test is rapid and economical in that it can be read with an inexpensive spectrophotometer, or even by eye. The test readily detects the presence of sufentanil or its metabolites in equine blood and urine from 1 to 24 hours respectively after administration of therapeutic or s...
Colles CM.A study was carried out on five horses and four ponies to assess the effect of altering frog pressure on hoof expansion. Measurements of hoof expansion were made using strain gauges. It was concluded that whereas frog pressure affects hoof expansion, it is only one of several factors. Increasing frog pressure may result in increased expansion, or contraction, or may have virtually no affect. The variable results of changing frog pressure should be taken into account when considering therapeutic shoeing.
Bianchi M.In 13 horses from both sexes, between 5 months and 18 years of age, in good nutritional state, statistical evaluations of fat cell sizes were performed in 16 body regions. From direct and indirect measurements referred to the cell diameter and cell number in equivalent areas, carried out on sections from paraffin embedded material and on preparations of dissociated whole cells, it emerged that the adipose cells of the subserous fat of the abdominal floor are consistently the largest, whereas those of the orbital fat body and supraorbital fossa are the smallest. In the other regions the cells h...
Ball BA, Little TV, Weber JA, Woods GL.The estimated embryonic loss rate between Days 4 and 14 after ovulation for young, normal mares (9%) was significantly lower (P less than 0.01) than the estimated embryonic loss rate for aged subfertile mares (62%). Fertilization rates, which were based on the recovery of embryos at Day 4 after ovulation, were 96% and 81% (P less than 0.1) for normal and subfertile mares, respectively. Day-4 embryos were collected from the oviducts of normal and subfertile donors mares. These embryos were transferred to the uteri of synchronized, normal recipient mares to test the hypothesis that the high inci...
Hesford F, Lazary S, Curty-Hänni K, Gerber H.A number of horse alloantisera were characterized biochemically as being directed against MHC class I or class II antigens by immunoprecipitation of the corresponding antigens from lysates of biosynthetically radioactively labelled lymphocytes and determination of their molecular weights by SDS-PAGE and fluorography. Sera recognizing A2 and A3 specificities precipitated antigens of 44,000 Daltons molecular weight (class I heavy chain), whereas sera with specificities W13, W22 and W23 precipitated antigens corresponding to class II dimers (30,000 and 32,000 Daltons). Comparison with antigens pr...
McMurphy RM, Cribb PH.This study was designed to investigate the effect of the nasotracheal insufflation of oxygen at a flow rate of 15 L/min on the arterial partial pressure of oxygen during the recovery period following inhalation anesthesia in the horse. It has been stated that this is a suitable flow rate to prevent postoperative hypoxemia but without any experimental evidence to support those statements. Horses being used for the study of healing of cartilage were anesthetized on two separate occasions. Following one period of anesthesia they were allowed to recover breathing room air, and following the other ...
Tajima M, Araiso T, Koyama T, Fujinaga T, Otomo K, Koike T.The membrane viscosity of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) of equine, bovine and canine was measured by the use of time-resolved fluorescence depolarization technique with 1, 6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH). The viscosity values were 0.55, 0.59 and 0.50 poise for equine, bovine and canine PBLs, respectively. These values were compared with steady-state anisotropies and order parameters measured from electron spin resonance (ESR) of 5-doxyl stearic acid. Both values were increased with increase of viscosity. The fluid property of the membranes stimulated with phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA) was...
Lagier R.Spinal hyperostosis, an anatomical and radiological concept primarily described in man, is characterized by enthesopathic bony overgrowth on vertebral bodies in the form of spurs or intervertebral bridges. It can also be part of a more diffuse enthesopathic condition, including the appendicular skeleton. These changes are distinct from those of osteoarthrosis. Similar changes can be observed in all kinds of mammals, independent of their type of locomotion (bipodic, quadrumanous, quadrupedic, or aquatic). An anatomical and radiological study is presented of six cases (with histological examinat...
Browning GF, Studdert MJ.The BamHI, EcoRI, and HindIII physical maps of the genomes of 14 isolates of equine herpesvirus 2 (EHV 2) were determined by Southern blot analysis using DNA fragments of a previously mapped EHV 2 strain 86/67. No two isolates had identical maps for all 3 enzymes, the number of differing cleavage sites between pairs of isolates varying from 3 to 21. Overall 75 cleavage sites were mapped, of which 40 were variable. Cleavage sites occurred throughout the genome, including within the terminal repeat regions. Additionally, fragment length polymorphisms, independent of cleavage site loss or gain, w...
Schuetz AW, Whittingham DG, Legg RF.Granulosa cells at different stages of differentiation were collected from ovarian follicles and oviducts during the periovulatory period, and their nuclear DNA content was monitored by flow cytometry to establish their cell cycle characteristics (G0 + G1, S, G2 + M). The proportion of cells in the three phases of the cell cycle varied in characteristics patterns depending upon the time they were collected, before or following ovulation. Granulosa (cumulus) cells recovered from ovulated oocytes were mitotically inactive as shown by the large proportion of cells with a 2C amount of DNA and the ...
Verschooten F, Roels J, Lampo P, Desmet P, De Moor A, Picavet T.Radiographic measurements from the lateromedial projection of the equine foot were compared in three groups of horses. Group 1 consisted of 143 normal horses, group 2 were 60 horses with clinical navicular disease and group 3 were 161 horses with clinical and radiographic navicular disease. Several measurements tended to be larger in group 3 than group 1. An enlargement of the navicular bone was observed in proximodistal and dorsopalmar directions. Partial enlargement of the pedal bone was observed in groups 2 and 3. Few differences were observed between age classes. All horses aged four years...
Björkman C.1. Comparative data are presented of the activities of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex and acetyl-CoA synthetase and of the acetate content in homogenates from ventral grey matter in spinal cord from cows and two non-ruminant species, pigs and horses. The methods used in the study are evaluated and discussed. 2. The total pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity was 24.9-29.9 mU/mg protein and did not differ between the species. The part of the complex that was in active form at the sampling occasion was 60, 85 and 95% in cows, pigs and horses, respectively. 3. Acetyl-CoA synthetase activity dif...
Boatwright RB, Williams DO, Rugh KS, Sarazan RD, Ross CR, Garner HE, Griggs DM.Coronary collateral growth was stimulated in chronically instrumented conscious ponies by a previously validated intermittent coronary occlusion method. Changes in regional myocardial function (sonomicrometry) and reactive hyperemia (Doppler method) were used to monitor collateral growth and to program measurements of regional myocardial blood flow (microsphere method). A serial analysis of the transmural and lateral distributions of collateral blood flow was performed at the native and three superimposed levels of collateral growth. Results in nine animals undergoing an average of 553 +/- 188...
Hunyadi L, Papich MG, Pusterla N.The purpose of this study was to determine if a low dose of diclazuril (0.5mg/kg of 1.56% diclazuril pellets) given to six healthy adult horses every 3-4 days for a total of five administrations would achieve steady-state plasma concentrations known to be inhibitory to Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora caninum. Blood was collected via venipuncture immediately before (trough concentrations) and 10h after (peak concentrations) each diclazuril administration and analysed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The mean population-derived peak concentration was 0.284μg/mL and the mean terminal hal...
Cox D.Many clinicians are experiencing consumer resistance to the prescription of equine HRT (that is hormone replacement therapy which has been manufactured from mare's urine). In this paper I consider the ethical implications of prescribing these preparations. I decide that patients should have a right to refuse such treatment but also ask whether a prescribing doctor should choose one preparation over another on moral grounds. I determine that there is prima facie evidence to suggest that mares may suffer and that prescription of equine HRT (instead of synthetic oestrogen-oestriol) would therefor...
Malekinejad H, Alizadeh-Tabrizi N, Ostadi A, Fink-Gremmels J.The pathogenesis of equine grass sickness (EGS) has not fully understood. A better understanding of the exact pathogenesis of diseases can help to make an accurate diagnosis. Previous studies reported some pathological damage of neuronal cells in EGS patients. In this study, primarily cytotoxicity of serum from three clinically EGS-diagnosed horses on PC12 Tet-off (PTO) cells was assessed. Subsequently, the apoptotic tests including cytochrome C release, caspase-3/7 activity measurement and DNA fragmentation assay were conducted to clarify the apoptotic effect of serum from EGS patients. Addit...
Iqbal J, Edington N.Equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is the most common cause of virus-induced abortion in horses. After primary infection the virus becomes latent predominantly in the respiratory tract lymph nodes and the genome can also be detected in the peripheral nervous system. The role of mouse as a feasible model for the establishment of latency and reactivation of EHV-1 was investigated. Intracerebral and intranasal infections of 3- and 17-day-old mice were made and virus replication was confirmed by virus isolation and detected by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) in brain. For reactivation studies, the mice...
Osz E, Réthy L.The authors have compared the anaphylaxis due to active and passive sensitization of mice. In the case of active sensitizing, anti-mouse anti-thymocyte horse serum (ATS), and/or normal horse serum (NHS), whereas in the case of passive sensitizing, plasma, peripheral leukocytes, spleen cells and thymocytes of sensitized animals were used. Provocation of shock was carried out by intravenous administration of ATS or NHS. Irreversible anaphylaxis occurred in a significantly higher rate in the case of ATS than NHS sensitivity, produced either actively, or passively. Differences have been found also...
Power MM.The results of Y chromosome measurements in 31 horses are presented. The Y chromosome was identified using G-, R-, and C-banding techniques. From G-banded metaphase spreads, total X and Y chromosome and separate proximal (P) and distal (D) Y-band measurements were made. Within this group, the Y/X ratio (%) for each animal varied from 18.93 to 43.95, with an overall mean of 34.85 and a coefficient of variation (CV) of 16.12. The overall mean P/X ratio (%) was 23.57 with a CV of 20.57, compared with an overall mean D/X ratio (%) of 11.26 with a CV of 15.18. The group studied included 27 Thorough...
Hendrix DV, Newkirk KM.To determine whether epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) are expressed in periocular squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of horses. Methods: Biopsy specimens of SCCs from 46 horses. Methods: Pathology records were searched retrospectively for biopsy specimens of periocular SCCs obtained from horses. Slides of the specimens were reviewed histologically to confirm the SCC diagnosis and stained for EGFR and HER2 by immunohistochemical methods. For both EGFR and HER2, the immunohistochemical staining intensity and percentage of stain-positive cel...
Coruzzi G, Poli E, Bertaccini G.The effects of nifedipine, verapamil and diltiazem were investigated in the isolated mare uterus in comparison with salbutamol. All the calcium-channel blockers and salbutamol inhibited the spontaneous, KC1- and electrically induced contractions; nifedipine and salbutamol were the most potent compounds. The calcium agonist Bay K 8644 (10(-8)-10(-6) mol/l) competitively antagonized the inhibitory effect of nifedipine (pA2 value = 8.54 +/- 0.06), whereas it was only slightly or totally ineffective against verapamil, diltiazem and salbutamol. These results indicate that calcium-channel blockers a...
Gürelli G, Göçmen B.The aim of this study was to determine the cytological features of 2 endocommensal ciliates, P. colpoidea and P. minuta belonging to genus Paraisotricha found in the hindgut of 15 Turk rahvan and 15 English and Arabic horses from Izmir, compare the morphological characters of species with their original descriptions and previous reports and discuss the similarities and differences. Methods: The cytological features of two endocommensal ciliates were investigated with the pyridinated silver carbonate impregnation and silver nitrate impregnation techniques at the level of light microscopy. Resul...
Haynes KF, McLaughlin J, Stamper S, Rucker C, Webster FX, Czokajlo D, Kirsch P.The discovery that the eastern tent caterpillar Malacosoma americanum (F.) causes mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS), and thus has the potential to continue to result in major economic losses to the equine industry of Kentucky, has resulted in an intensive effort to identify practical means to monitor and control this defoliator, including these experiments to optimize a sex pheromone trap for this pest. A pheromone-baited delta trap with a large opening, such as InterceptST Delta, was more effective than other tested traps. Orange delta traps caught more moths than other tested colors. ET...
Navas de Solis C, Gilmour LJ, Coleman MC, Watts AE, Bevevino KE, Glass KG, Hardy J, Chaney KP.To determine the effectiveness of a digital interactive multimedia tutorial (DIMT) for preparing veterinary students to perform ultrasonography in horses. Methods: 42 third-year veterinary students. Methods: Students were randomly assigned to 3 instructional methods: independent study (ie, 45 minutes to read a highlighted textbook chapter), lecture (ie, 45-minute lecture by a faculty member), or digital interactive multimedia tutorial (DIMT; ie, 45-minute narrated, interactive module). Written and practical tests were administered after each instruction session. For the practical test, each st...
Hara Y, Nakajima T, Akamatsu M, Yahiro M, Kagawa S, Petry S, Matsuda M, Moore JE.Contagious equine metritis is a bacterial infectious disease of horses caused by Taylorella equigenitalis, a Gram-negative eubacterium. The disease has been described in several continents, including Europe, North America and Asia. A novel molecular method was developed to detect clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs), which were separated by non-repetitive unique spacer regions (NRUSRs) of similar length, in the Taylorella equigenitalis EQ59 strain using a primer pair, f-/r-TeCRISPR-ladder, by PCR amplification. In total, 31 Taylorella isolates (17 T. equigenitali...
Barwise-Munro L.Lesley Barwise-Munro is an equine practitioner in Northumberland and the senior vet at Newcastle Racecourse. She is currently in Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games.