Veterinary science and horses encompass the study and application of medical, surgical, and therapeutic practices to maintain and improve the health and welfare of equines. This field addresses a wide range of topics, including disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, as well as nutrition, reproduction, and behavior. Research in veterinary science for horses often involves understanding the pathophysiology of equine-specific diseases, developing advanced diagnostic techniques, and improving treatment protocols. This page gathers peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various aspects of veterinary science related to horses, providing insights into the latest advancements and methodologies in equine healthcare.
Swinburne J, Gerstenberg C, Breen M, Aldridge V, Lockhart L, Marti E, Antczak D, Eggleston-Stott M, Bailey E, Mickelson J, Røed K, Lindgren G....Two 3-generation full-sibling reference families have been produced and form a unique resource for genetic linkage mapping studies in the horse. The F(2) generations, now comprising 61 individuals, consist of 28- to 32-day-old embryos removed nonsurgically from two pairs of identical twin mares. The same stallion sired all F(2)s such that the two full-sibling families are half-sibling with respect to each other. The families are crossbred to maximize levels of heterozygosity and include Arabian, Thoroughbred, Welsh Cob, and Icelandic Horse breeds. Milligram quantities of DNA have been isolated...
Cooper JJ, McDonald L, Mills DS.Stabled horses commonly perform stereotypic patterns of weaving, where the horse shifts its weight from side to side often swinging its head. Ten warm-blood types, of which five were known to reliably weave, were housed in similar 12x12 ft wooden loose boxes in a single stable block surrounding a courtyard. Each horse was exposed to each of five stable designs. These were: the conventional front top-half of the door open only with a view of the stable courtyard (F); front half-door open and a similar half-door open at the back of the stable with a view to the surrounding fields (FB); back open...
Ginther OJ.The nature of selection of the dominant follicle is reviewed by comparing research results between cattle and horses. In both species, emergence of a follicular wave is stimulated by an FSH surge. The surge reaches a peak by the time the follicles attain 4 mm in diameter in cattle and 13 mm in mares. In cattle, all of the growing follicles >/=5 mm contribute to the decline in FSH concentrations. However, the declining FSH concentrations are still needed by the growing follicles. Several days after the peak of the FSH surge and emergence of the wave, the two largest follicles reach means of 8.5...
Betteridge KJ.The developmental changes in the equine conceptus, its maternal environment and their interaction during the first 4 weeks following fertilization are reviewed. Attention is drawn to species-specific events to show why the horse is such a valuable model in which to study early pregnancy.
Sharp DC.This paper will discuss development of the equine conceptus, especially from the perspective of the maternal environment in which it develops and to which it has considerable influence.
Brama PA, Tekoppele JM, Bank RA, Barneveld A, van Weeren PR.Biochemical heterogeneity of cartilage within a joint is well known in mature individuals. It has recently been reported that heterogeneity for proteoglycan content and chondrocyte metabolism in sheep develops postnatally under the influence of loading. No data exist on the collagen network in general or on the specific situation in the horse. The objective of this study was to investigate the alterations in equine articular cartilage biochemistry that occur from birth up to age one year, testing the hypothesis that the molecular composition of equine cartilage matrix is uniform at birth and b...
Schramme MC, Boswell JC, Hamhougias K, Toulson K, Viitanen M.Numerous different techniques for injection of the navicular bursa have been described but there is little conformity between these descriptions. A literature review was performed and techniques for injection of the navicular bursa were categorised into 5 approaches. This study was performed to evaluate the reproducibility of each technique and to assess which technique was consistently most successful. Five inexperienced operators performed each technique on 5 cadaver forelimbs. Once a needle had been placed, a radiograph was taken to confirm placement was in accordance with the description o...
Collinder E, Lindholm A, Midtvedt T, Norin E.The aim of this study was to investigate 6 microflora-associated characteristics (MACs) in faecal samples from horses and to compare the results with baselines previously established in other mammals. A MAC is defined as any anatomical structure, physiological, biochemical or immunological characteristic in a host, which has been acted on by microorganisms. When the active microbes are absent, as in germ-free animals and healthy newborn organisms, the corresponding characteristic is defined as germ-free animal characteristic (GAC). The MACs studied were degradation of mucin, conversion of chol...
Ribeiro Neto LM, Salvadori MC, Spinosa HS.As hydrocortisone is an endogenous substance, it is first necessary to establish its normal concentrations so as to be able to control its use in racing animals. This study was designed to establish the hydrocortisone concentrations in post-race urine samples of horses racing in Brazil and also to evaluate the results in relation to the international threshold set for this drug. Urine samples were analysed by HPLC-UV. The results were evaluated according to the concentration range as well as sex and time of sample collection (afternoon or evening races). The results showed a high degree of var...
Kosec M, Mrkun J.Methods for elimination of one of two embryos in twin pregnancies of mares were studied. Transvaginal ultrasound guided punction of yolk sac or allantoic cavity with fluid aspiration was used. Punction was done in 8 mares, pregnant between 22 and 46 days. In six cases, pregnancy did continue normally with one embryo only while in two cases, both embryos died following the procedure.
Woldemeskel M.A retrospective study of dermatophilosis was made in livestock (cattle, sheep, horses and goats) of Ethiopia under different situations. The disease was reported for the first time in sheep (8.5%), goats (3.14%) and horses (2.84%) from Ethiopia. The occurrence of the disease in cattle was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in wet (6%) than in dry (3.6%) season and in cross (26.9%) than local (3.2%) breeds. The highest prevalence (35%) was noted in cross breeds kept under poor management in the rainy season. The threat of dermatophilosis to animal production in Ethiopia is indicated. Environmen...
Pfeiffer CJ, Levin M, Lopes MA.This investigation examined primarily epidermal specializations of the adult horse tongue by light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Samples were collected from seven regions of the normal tongue of various breeds of horse. The filiform papillae, present on the dorsal and lateral aspects but not the ventral aspect of the tongue, were short, slender and finger-like structures with variable-shaped terminae. The epidermal thickness and height of dermal ridges were reduced on fungiform and vallate papillae, but tissue architecture and keratinocyte ultrastructure of most of the lingua...
Fouchécourt S, Métayer S, Locatelli A, Dacheux F, Dacheux JL.Proteins present in and secreted into the lumen of various regions of the stallion epididymis were characterized qualitatively and quantitatively by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Using this proteomic approach, 201 proteins were found in the lumen and 117 were found that were secreted by the epithelium in various parts of the organ. Eighteen proteins made up 92.6% of the total epididymal secretory activity, lactoferrin (41.2%) and clusterin (24.8%) being the most abundant. Procathepsin D, HE1/CTP (cholesterol transfer protein), GPX (glutathione peroxidase), beta-N-acetyl-hexosaminidase, and ...
Bosken JM, Lehner AF, Hunsucker A, Harkins JD, Woods WE, Karpiesiuk W, Carter WG, Boyles J, Fisher M, Tobin T.Isoxsuprine is routinely recovered from enzymatically-hydrolyzed, post-administration urine samples as parent isoxsuprine in equine forensic science. However, the specific identity of the material in horse urine from which isoxsuprine is recovered has never been established, although it has long been assumed to be a glucuronide conjugate (or conjugates) of isoxsuprine. Using ESI/MS/MS positive mode as an analytical tool, urine samples collected 4-8 h after isoxsuprine administration yielded a major peak at m/z 554 that was absent from control samples and resisted fragmentation to daughter ions...
Hinterhofer C, Stanek C, Haider H.The biomechanical effects of lowering and raising the heels were studied using a finite element (FE) computer model of the equine hoof capsule consisting of 18,635 finite elements. A static load of 3000 N was distributed to nodes of the inner hoof wall (80%) according to the suspension of the coffin bone, 20% loaded sole and frog. When loaded the FE hoof capsules showed the following deformations: the proximal dorsal wall moves back, the quarters flare to the side and sole and frog perform a downward movement. Stresses are high in the material surrounding the quarter nails, in the heels and in...
Lloyd JW, Rook JS, Braselton E, Shea ME.A study was designed to model the fluctuations of nine specific element concentrations in mammary secretions from periparturient mares over time. During the 1992 foaling season, serial samples of mammary secretions were collected from all 18 pregnant Arabian mares at the Michigan State University equine teaching and research center. Non-linear regression techniques were used to model the relationship between element concentration in mammary secretions and days from foaling (which connected two separate sigmoid curves with a spline function); indicator variables were included for mare and mare ...
Davie AL, Evans DJ.The associations between velocity during a standardized, submaximal 800-m exercise test and blood lactate concentration after exercise were investigated in Thoroughbred racehorses on sand and grass racetracks. Predicted lactate concentrations for each horse's exercise test velocity were calculated from the line of best fit derived from results at each racetrack. The repeatability of the differences between the measured and predicted blood lactate response to exercise was also investigated. Exercise tests were conducted at speeds ranging from 12.8 to 16.6 m/s. The variability of velocity within...
Hinrichs K, Schmidt AL.Horse oocytes were collected from an abattoir over a 15-mo period. After classification of follicle size and cumulus morphology, oocytes were either fixed immediately (0 h) or matured in vitro (24 h). There was no effect of season on the number of antral follicles present on the ovaries, or on oocyte maturation rate for any class of oocyte. The proportion of oocytes having condensed chromatin at 0 h increased with increasing follicle size. The oocyte maturation rate also increased with follicle size, and for follicles </= 20-mm diameter, was higher for oocytes initially having expanded cumu...
Olivares R, Michalland S, Aboitiz F.A cross-species morphometric study of the corpus callosum was performed in the rat, rabbit, cat, dog, horse, cow and human. Across species, the results indicate a strong, although less than linear, dependency of callosal size on brain weight. This relation tends to lose significance within species. This is consistent with other morphometric studies indicating a tendency to decrease the correlations between morphometric variables in within-species analyses as compared to between-species analyses. There are species differences in the relative size of some callosal segments particularly in the po...
Douglas JE, Thomason JJ.Circumferential and proximodistal variations in the morphology of the primary epidermal laminae of six neonatal and five adult equine feet were documented. Three parameters were quantified: interlaminar spacing, the orientation of the laminae with respect to the overlying wall, and any angulation within the laminae themselves ('internal angle'). In adult feet, the laminae were most closely spaced at the dorsum, the spacing increasing gradually towards the heels. In foals there was a non-significant trend for the dorsal laminae to be more widely spaced than those in more caudal parts of the foo...
Dubin A, Potempa J, Schnebli HP, Koj A.Highly purified horse leucocyte proteinases 1, 2A and 2B hydrolyze synthetic substrates which are decomposed also by human leucocyte elastase but they are unable to hydrolyze typical substrates of cathepsin G. Thus in distinction to other mammalian species horse leucocytes are devoid of cathepsin G and contain only elastases.
Contreras A, Martínez R, Devés R, Marusic ET.Marked differences in the activities of three monovalent cation transport systems in horse versus human erythrocytes are reported. Whereas horse erythrocytes exhibit a 6-fold higher sodium-lithium countertransport, the unidirectional flux of potassium through the sodium pump is 3-4 times slower and the sodium-potassium cotransport system cannot be detected. In spite of this, horse and human cells are able to maintain similar Na+ and K+ gradients.
Gastal EL, Neves AP, Mattos RC, Petrucci BP, Gastal MO, Ginther OJ.Follicular dynamics were studied during 12 interovulatory intervals (IOIs) and 36 preovulatory periods in Miniature mares. The percentage of IOIs with the following follicle events was: ovulatory wave with only one follicle>or=10 mm (55%), diameter deviation similar to previous reports in larger mares (25%) and minor waves emerging before or after the ovulatory wave (55%). Follicle data were compared among Miniature ponies, large ponies and Breton horses (n=12 IOIs per breed). The IOI was longer (P<0.001) in Miniature ponies (23.3+/-0.9 days) and in large ponies (23.9+/-0.5 days) than in...
Hughes K.Cases of Hendra virus infection in horses in Australia have been seen regularly since the virus was first isolated in 1994. Kristopher Hughes, associate professor of equine medicine at Charles Sturt University in Australia, gives an overview of how knowledge of the virus has developed in the past 20 years.
Boucher C, Higgins R, Nadeau M, Vincent C.A sexagenarian couple operating a dairy farm, where there were also many horses, suffered a severe respiratory infection associated with the bacterium Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus. The investigation revealed that the source of infection was due to contacts with a horse having an infected wound from which we isolated this zoonotic agent. A sexagenarian couple operating a dairy farm, where there were also many horses, suffered a severe respiratory infection associated with the bacterium Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus. The investigation revealed that the source of infection was du...
Nett TM, Holtan DW, Estergreen VL.The levels of LH, prolactin and oestrogen were measured by radioimmunoassay in serum obtained from six mares during the post-partum period, and LH was also assayed in blood samples collected at 6-hr intervals from four normal cyclic mares during oestrus and at daily intervals during dioestrus. The concentrations of oestrogen and LH suggested that the mares were having ovulatory cycles during the post-partum period irrespective of behavioural oestrus, and the levels of prolactin seemed to rise in association with probable ovulatory LH peaks. In these mares levels of LH had increased significant...
Jones RD, McGreevy PD, Robertson A, Clarke AF, Wathes CM.The design of 96 racehorse stables in the south west of England were surveyed. The 'typical' racehorse is kept in a loose box, bedded on straw and remains indoors while the stable is cleaned. It is given a floor area of 12 m2 and shares its airspace of 39 m3 with seven other horses. Overall, the predicted minimum rate of air change by natural convection in calm winds is 6.6 air changes/h but this is reduced to 2.2 if the top door of the stable is closed. On balance, racehorse stables in use today are based on designs which are worse overall than the best available in the 19th century.
Nansen P, Riising HJ.The metabolism of immunoglobulin classes has been closely examined in several animal species. Although the horse has received much attention in experimental and applied immunology there seems to be little information available on immunoglobulin kinetics in this species. The present report describes the metabolism of equine IgG in 4 healthy, normoimmunoglobulinaemic horses, in 1 horse with hyperimmunoglobulinaemia and in 1 horse with relatively low immunoglobulin levels.
Alm H, Hinrichs K.The period of protein synthesis necessary for meiotic maturation in horse oocytes initially having compact or expanded cumulus cells was studied. Oocytes incubated in the presence of cycloheximide after 0, 4, 8, 12 or 16 h maturation in vitro (total incubation time 24 h) were matured for 24 h, or were incubated with cycloheximide for 24 h and then matured for 24 h. Incubation with cycloheximide from 0 h was effective in suppressing maturation (no significant increase in maturing oocytes compared with controls fixed directly after removal from the follicle) in both expanded and compact groups a...
Clayton YM, Fox EC.The research article aims to investigate the mycology of dental calculus (tartar) and its potential to harbor fungal organisms that could lead to ocular infections, particularly in those involved in […]
Kienzle E, Möllmann F, Nater S, Wanner M, Wichert B.Hay samples from 29 horse farms in Southern Upper Bavaria and 31 horse farms in Switzerland were taken and analysed for minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. The content of herbs and legumes in the hay was determined and the Weende analysis was performed. Comparison between Bavaria and Switzerland resulted in comparable calcium contents of approximately 4 g Ca/kg dry matter (DM) in grass hay. Hay with more than 10% of herbs and legumes found only in Switzerland showed higher Ca contents of >7 g Ca/kg DM in hay. The mineral contents of phosphorus and potassium were l...
Crabtree NE, Capper AM, McKinnon LH, Epstein KL.The objective was to compare perioperative factors that may influence clinician decisions regarding antimicrobial therapy duration and outcomes in horses undergoing exploratory celiotomy. Unassigned: Horses > 1 mo of age undergoing exploratory celiotomy for colic that survived without repeat celiotomy for ≥ 5 d. Unassigned: Retrospective cohort study. Cases were grouped by duration of antimicrobial therapy: G1, ≤ 24 h; G2, 1 to 3 d; G3, > 3 d. Admission, surgical, and postoperative data from the medical records and long-term outcome assessed telephone follow-up were compared among g...
Halvarsson P, Tydén E.Gastrointestinal nematode parasites are of major concern for horses, where Strongylus vulgaris is considered the most pathogenic among the Strongylus species. Diagnosis of S. vulgaris infections can be determined with next generation sequencing techniques, which are inherently dependent on reference sequences. The best marker for parasitic nematodes is internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and we provide the first complete ITS2 sequences from five morphologically identified S. vulgaris and additional sequences from two S. edentatus. These sequences have high similarity to already published part...
Ginther OJ, Lara A, Leoni M, Bergfelt DR.Four herds of pony mares, each consisting of a stallion and six mares, were used to characterize the nature of herding by the stallion and the factors that induced the herding behavior. Herding behaviors were compared among four successive treatments (six mares alone, stallion added, two new mares added, and entire herd moved to a new pasture). A new treatment was initiated every 7 days and behavior was studied for 5 consecutive days (Days 1-5) for each treatment. Observations were made every 10 min during a 2-h period for each day. The extent of herding was quantitated by the mean distances b...