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.
Broadley C, Menzies GS, Bramley TA, Watson ED.Corpora lutea were obtained from mares at days 3, 10 and 14 after ovulation, and examined histologically. The morphology of isolated luteal cells obtained by either mechanical or collagenase dissociation of the tissue was examined and the cells stained to detect the steroidogenic enzyme delta 5, beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase. The ratio of large:small cells was significantly higher for cells obtained from mechanically dissociated luteal tissue than for cells obtained by collagenase dissociation (P < 0.01). Cells obtained by both mechanical and collagenase dissociation secreted progestero...
Sims D, Horne MM, Creighan M, Donald A.The objective of this ultrastructural investigation was to determine if populations of pericytes in equine dermal and skeletal muscle capillaries increase in a head-to-foot direction, as has been reported in human skeletal muscles. Samples of equine microvessels were obtained from the longissimus dorsi skeletal muscle 150 cm. from the ground, from the dermis above this muscle, from the extensor carpi radiali muscle at 55 cm. from the ground, from the dermis adjacent to that muscle, and from dermis 15 cm. from the ground, just above the hoof wall. Tissues were processed for transmission electro...
Crenon I, Granon S, Chapus C, Kerfelec B.Pancreatic colipase plays an essential role in the intestinal fat digestion by anchoring lipase on lipid/water interfaces in the presence of bile salts. In contrast to other species, two molecular forms of colipase, A and B, have been found in horse. The two corresponding cDNAs were isolated from a horse pancreatic library and their nucleotide sequences were determined. Moreover, for the first time, active colipase has been obtained after transfection of COS cells by either colipase A or B cDNA.
Klaus AM, Hapke HJ.Drug treatment of horses which are used in horse-racing is restricted by the regulations of the anti-doping control. Veterinarians and anti-doping control commissions are faced with the problems resulting from the discrepancy between the demand "no drugs in blood/urine of horses at the time of competition" and the need for treatment. The pharmacokinetic data of important antiphlogistics/analgetics (NSAID) for horses given in this article shall facilitate the decision of the veterinarians and commissions whether a horse having been treated with NSAID may participate in a competition or not. Fur...
Acharya KR, Stuart DI, Phillips DC, McKenzie HA, Teahan CG.Similarities in amino acid sequences, three-dimensional structures, and the exon-intron patterns of their genes have indicated that c-type lysozymes and alpha-lactalbumins are homologous proteins, i.e., descended by divergent evolution from a common ancestor. Like the alpha-lactalbumins, echidna milk, horse milk, and pigeon eggwhite lysozymes all bind Ca(II). Models of their three-dimensional structures, based on their amino acid sequences and the known crystal structures of domestic hen eggwhite and human lysozymes and baboon and human alpha-lactalbumins, have been built. The several structur...
Richardson JD, Lane JG, Waldron KR.It is widely accepted that the age of a horse can be determined from an examination of its teeth, but there is no evidence that the accuracy of the systems of ageing used has been validated. A dental record was made of 80 horses of known age. There was a good correlation between the actual and apparent age of the horses up to five years, but older horses showed much greater variability and accuracy declined markedly after 11 years of age. The disappearance of the 'cup', but not the 'mark', proved to be one of the more reliable features. The average age at which the dental star appeared was one...
Eisenhauer KM, McCue PM, Nayden DK, Osawa Y, Roser JF.Stallion testes secrete large amounts of estrogens, but the cellular location of the enzyme that converts androgens to estrogens, cytochrome P450 aromatase, has not been determined. The goal of the present study was to immunocytochemically localize stallion testicular aromatase using a polyclonal antibody generated against human placental cytochrome P450 aromatase. Testes were obtained from 12 stallions from 2 to 23 years of age, during both the breeding and non-breeding seasons. Immunoreactivity was confined to the Leydig cells in all testes examined. No immunostaining was observed in the Ser...
Smith BL, Jones JH, Carlson GP, Pascoe JR.To determine whether body direction in a trailer affects the degree to which a horse is excited (and presumably stressed) during transport, heart rates were measured in 8 Thoroughbred geldings transported over a 32-km route of county roads while tethered facing forward or backward in a 4-horse stock trailer. Heart rates also were measured on the horses while they were tethered facing forward or backward in the same trailer while it was parked. Heart rates decreased during the first 10 minutes for both groups, and remained stable after the first 15 minutes. Heart rates were not significantly di...
Barbis DP, Bainbridge D, Crump AL, Zhang CH, Antczak DF.A panel of monoclonal antibodies was used to characterize the expression of equine Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) class II antigens on lymphocytes of horses of different MHC types. MHC class II antigen expression was compared between adult horses and foals, and the level of expression of MHC class II antigens on horse T cell subpopulations was also determined. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from young and adult healthy horses of different MHC haplotypes were labeled with the antibodies and assayed by single- and two-color immunofluorescence flow cytometry. A variation in the expres...
Pool-Anderson K, Raub RH, Warren JA.Six pairs of full-sibling Quarter Horse foals were produced by non-surgical embryo transfer and immediate rebreeding of donor mares. Each pair of donor/recipient mares consisted of one multiparous (donor) and one nulliparous (recipient) mare of similar body type and size. Milk yield was determined within 2 d of 8, 15, 22, 29 d (early lactation); 45, 60 d (midlactation); and 90, 120 d (late lactation) postpartum by the weigh-suckle-weigh method. On the following day, milk samples were collected, and foals were weighed and measured for wither height, heart girth, metacarpal length, metatarsal le...
Odendaal JS.A survey conducted in 1992, using a standardised, stratified sample was used to determine companion animal numbers in South Africa as a single geographical entity. The results indicated that there were 3.93 million dogs, 0.97 million cats, 0.98 million birds, 0.22 million other companion animals and 0.1 million horses in South African households. Thirty-seven per cent of households keeping companion animals, kept dogs; cats (13.4%); birds (4.8%); other companion animals (1.1%) and horses (2%). These results may provide information about possible markets in terms of numbers of species kept.
Zicker SC, Lonnerdal B.Separation of whey protein from casein in equine milk was achieved by adjustment of pH to 4.3 without addition of calcium, and by ultracentrifugation at 189,000 g for 1 hr. True protein, whey protein, and casein decreased significantly during the first 28 days of lactation with the magnitude of decrease being greatest for whey protein. The proportion of nitrogen in whey protein:casein decreased from 85:15 to 54:46 during the 28 day time period. The concentration of non-protein nitrogen remained relatively constant at 500 mg nitrogen/l but increased in proportion from 2 to 13% of the total nitr...
Jaspers U, Thiele D, Krauss H.A competitive ELISA system for the detection of antibodies against Coxiella (C.) burnetii in cattle, sheep, goats, horses and humans is described. The ELISA is based on a biotinylated monoclonal antibody with specificity for C. burnetii lipopolysaccharide in combination with streptavidin peroxidase. For evaluation and statistical analysis, 413 sera from cattle, sheep, goats, horses and humans were tested in parallel in the indirect immunofluorescence test (IFT). Furthermore, a total of 448 bovine and human sera were also tested with an indirect ELISA and 47 sheep sera were investigated using t...
Bowling AT.The genetic make-up of Great Basin wild (feral) horses was investigated by blood typing studies. Blood samples of 975 feral horses from seven trap sites in Nevada and Oregon were tested by serological and electrophoretic techniques for genetic markers at 19 polymorphic loci. The average number of variants for the seven feral populations [72.1 +/- 3.2 (SEM), range 62-85] was not significantly different from that of 16 domestic breeds (75.0 +/- 11.5, range 58-105). The expected average frequency of heterozygotes per locus (average heterozygosity) for the feral populations (0.402 +/- 0.009, range...
Bailey E, Lear TL.We compared pools of DNA from 10 Thoroughbred horses and 10 Arabian horses for the presence of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers which might be useful in distinguishing between the breeds. Using 212 decamer oligonucleotides and our polymerase chain reaction (PCR) conditions, 173 of the primers produced scoreable bands. The number of bands ranged from 0 to 9 with an average of 3.6. In family studies using 11 arbitrarily selected primers, five of the 11 primers produced polymorphic bands which exhibited Mendelian inheritance as dominant markers. When comparing the pooled DNA from...
Zicker SC, Vivrette S, Rogers QR.Concentrations of 16 of 24 amino acids in plasma of foetuses were significantly higher, while four of 24 were lower, than their concentration in maternal plasma. The higher foetal concentrations of amino acids in plasma are similar to other species, with some exceptions, and suggest that equine placenta actively transports and concentrates amino acids into the umbilical circulation. Concentrations of nine of 24 amino acids were significantly lower in plasma from the umbilical artery compared to plasma from the umbilical vein, while no significant differences were present between maternal arter...
Robert P, Amsellem S, Christophe S, Benifla JL, Bellet D, Koman A, Bidart JM.To investigate the possibility that specific structural determinants within the equine follitropin receptor (eFSHR) are critical to the enhanced specificity of this receptor compared to other FSHRs, we used the RACE-PCR technique to clone the eFSHR from equine testis. Sequence analysis revealed that the eFSHR is highly homologous to other mammal FSHRs, but it presents 10 unique amino acid residue replacements in the extracellular domain. Furthermore, a potential N-glycosylation site was detected at a position not encountered in other receptors. Northern blot analysis identified three transcrip...
Ward NI, Savage JM.The elemental (Br, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, V, and Zn) content of blood and wool or hair from animals (sheep, horses and alpacas) exposed to motor vehicle emissions alongside the London Orbital (M25) motorway is reported. Elemental values were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) quality control assessment using flameless atomic absorption spectroscopy (for Pb, correlation coefficients of whole blood r = +0.87, and hair r = +0.82), and replicate (n = 10) analysis of the international reference material IAEA A13 Animal Blood. For Pb very good agreement was obta...
Blakley BR, Bell RJ.The purpose of the study was to determine normal baseline levels of vitamin A and vitamin E in clinically normal horses under typical field conditions in Saskatchewan and Alberta. Heparinized blood samples were collected from approximately 400 clinically healthy horses selected from 24 locations in Alberta and Saskatchewan during a two-year period. For each horse, historical information including feed type, vitamin supplementation, time of year, sex, and age were recorded. From each blood sample, the plasma vitamin A (all-transretinol) and vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) levels were measured usin...
The Journal of heredityMay 1, 1994
Volume 85, Issue 3 222-224 doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a111439
Bowling AT.Analysis of selected studbook records of the American Paint Horse Association, consisting of 687 foals sired by 13 overo stallions from non-overo mares, supports the inheritance of overo spotting as an autosomal dominant gene. More than one gene may control patterns registered as overo. Additional studies are necessary to explain the sporadic occurrence of overo spotting from nonspotted quarter horse parents and to confirm the inheritance of overo spotting in other breeds.
Accorroni L, Bazzano M, Marchegiani A, Spaterna A, Laus F.Knowledge of the normal ultrasound anatomy in the donkey is essential to understand pathological changes and to reach an early diagnosis, considering the "dullness" and stoicism of these animals in pain manifestations. The aims of this study were to document which abdominal viscera could be identified using a transcutaneous ultrasonography technique under field conditions in unsedated, standing donkeys to determine where the different abdominal structures could be easily displayed and to describe any variation that occurred between different donkeys and horses. In this work, the manual techniq...
Littiere TO, Costa GB, Sales NAA, Carvalho JRG, Rodrigues IDM, Ramos GV, Ferraz GC.In humans, there is an ongoing academic discussion about measuring plasma lactate concentration ([La]) during an incremental exercise test (IET) to establish thresholds that can predict the maximal lactate steady state (MLSS). Training studies on horses have utilized the onset of [La] (OBLA), also known as V, the velocity at which the [La] of 4 mM is reached. This study assesses the effectiveness of four methods for estimating the MLSS in teaching horses. Ten teaching horses underwent a single IET to determine four exercise intensity thresholds for predicting MLSS and performed several constan...
Skurková L, Matulníková L, Peťková B, Florian M, Slivková M, Lešková L, Mesarčová L, Kottferová J.This study aimed to assess the seasonal changes of the cortisol concentrations in horsehair (HCC), as an indicator of long-term or chronic stress. Hair samples were taken four times throughout one year from 12 horses (aged from 1.5 to 30 years), and analysed by the ELISA method. The sampling interval (interval between two collections of the samples representing two different seasons) ranged between 102-115 days. Seasonal dynamics have been confirmed with a pattern: August ˃ November ˃ January ˃ April (F (3.93) = 50.28, P < 0.001). The lowest cortisol concentrations were detected in A...
Risvanli A, Hatipoglu F, Salykov R, Timurkaan N, Kadiralieva N, Kasymalieva KK, Seker I, Ekinci E.In the current study, we aimed to determine the distribution of telocytes in the ovary, oviduct and uterus of Kyrgyz mares depending on whether they were pregnant. We also studied the progression during the first 6 months of pregnancy. To this end, ovary, oviduct and uterus tissues from 53 Kyrgyz mares were obtained post-mortem. The mare tissue samples were divided into two groups: pregnant (n = 43) and non-pregnant (n = 10). Telocyte levels in the tissues were determined using light microscopic and immunohistochemical methods. Subsequently, the data acquired were evaluated based on ...
Navas de Solis C, Ramseyer A, Stefanovski D, Haughan J, Solomon CJ, Kirsch K.Exercising arrhythmias are common in horses participating in eventing competitions. Heart rate variability (HRV) and a specific measure of the degree of heart rate fluctuation (Detrended Fluctuation Analysis alpha1; DFA-α1) are proposed as exercise intensity and fatigue markers. Objective: (1) To describe exercising arrhythmias and DFA-α1 values during 2-4* level eventing cross-country competitions in horses from two European countries; (2) to identify associations between exercising arrhythmias, DFA-α1 and competition results and (3) to evaluate whether markers of the intensity of exercise...
Ulaangerel T, Mu S, Sodyelalt J, Yi M, Zhao B, Hao A, Wen X, Han B, Bou G.The success or failure of embryo fixation is crucial for embryo attachment and later development. As an epithelial chorioallantoic placenta-type animal, the horse has a special process of embryo implantation, and the mechanism of embryo fixation in horses is still unclear. Methods: In this study, the structural and transcriptomic characteristics of endometrial tissue from the fixed and nonfixed sides of 20-day gestation embryos in Mongolian horses were investigated to search for important genes and potential molecular markers associated with the fixation phase of equine embryos. Results: A com...
Arantes JA, Di Pietro R, Ratté M, Arroyo LG, Leclère M, Costa MC.Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been used as a treatment option for horses (Equus caballus) with gastrointestinal diseases. Several preparation and conservation protocols to improve bacterial survival have been studied in other species. Unassigned: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of oxygen exposure and different protectant solutions on bacterial viability before and after freezing using horse feces. Fecal samples from 10 healthy horses were aliquoted and diluted in cryoprotectant solutions containing antioxidants (n = 40) or 10% glycerol (n = 40). Half of the aliquots from e...
Navarrete-Calvo R, Morgaz J, Ruíz-López P, Gómez-Villamandos RJ, Domínguez JM, Quirós-Carmona S, Granados MM.Spectral entropy and bispectral index (BIS) can differentiate between conscious and unconscious levels in horses. This study aimed to determine whether spectral entropy and BIS parameters can distinguish between different end-tidal isoflurane concentrations (EtIso, %), and whether these parameters change when a nociceptive stimulus is applied. Ten clinically healthy horses were anaesthetized using xylazine, diazepam, ketamine, and isoflurane. The following parameters were monitored: EtIso, response entropy (RE), state entropy (SE), RE-SE difference, BIS, and electromyography (EMG). Three EtIso...
Cuervo-Arango J, Necchi D, Clutton-Brock A, Profaska M, Crabtree J, Claes A.This retrospective clinical study describes different techniques for transvaginal follicle aspiration in mares and compares results from 5 different commercial ovum pick-up (OPU) clinics in which the same operator aspirated mares using different systems and equipment: Clinic 1 (n = 42 mares, two-operator OPU technique, double-lumen-echogenic-tip needle, and manual syringe-assisted flushing of follicles), Clinic 2 (n = 28 mares, single-operator-OPU-technique, double-lumen-echogenic-tip needle, infusion pump controlled by foot-pedal for follicle flushing), Clinic 3 (n = 18 mares, sin...
Long S, Maleas G, Belacic ZA, Quam VG, Durgam S.To analyze the cellular, growth factor, and cytokine composition of equine sternal bone marrow aspirate (BMA) and laboratory-centrifuged BMA concentrate (BMAC). Unassigned: This was an in vitro experimental study. Cellular composition, growth factors (IGF-I, VEGF, PDGF, TGF-β1), and cytokines (IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and IL-1 receptor antagonist protein [IL-1Ra]) were quantified using a standard automated hematology analyzer and ELISA methods, respectively, in donor-matched BMA, BMAC (in-house centrifugation protocol), whole blood, and platelet-rich plasma (E-PET; Pall...
Morrice-West AV, Thomas M, Wong ASM, Flash M, Whitton RC, Hitchens PL.Racehorse and jockey incidents on race-days frequently occur together, yet risk factors for their occurrence have historically been investigated separately. Consideration of both horses and humans in tandem is required for a One Health approach to risk reduction. Our objectives were to therefore identify modifiable risk factors for adverse outcomes that are common or conflicting to both horses and their jockeys in Thoroughbred racing. Unassigned: Australian Single National System records for the 2004/05 to 2018/19 flat racing season were merged with the corresponding Australian Racing Incident...
Cheung HW, Wong KS, Choi YC, Kwok WH, So YM, Farrington AF, Bond AJ, Wan TSM, Ho ENM.An increasing number of novel Fc-fusion proteins and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are being developed as therapeutic agents for treating various diseases. Among these, there are inhibitors of the activin Type II receptor (ActRIIA and ActRIIB) signaling pathways and mAbs against nerve growth factor (NGF), which may be misused for performance enhancement in horseracing and equestrian sports. This study is aimed at developing a generic detection method for doping control analysis of nine targeted proteins, each containing the Fc domain of human IgG or IgG from other species in equine plasma, name...
Wang X, Liu Y, Zhu S, Bai Y, Li C, Guo J.Livestock milk is important for daily cooking and food production, but some lawless traders often adulterate the milk product using low-priced raw. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a simple, sensitive and accurate fingerprinting identification method to provide consumers with early warning of risks. Herein, we first systematically separated and authenticated the triacylglycerols composition of milks from holstein cattles, goats, mongolian horses, bactrian camels, yaks and buffaloes, which were less reported in domestic and international studies, using the SFC-Q-TOF-MS technique. Subsequently...
Mota-Rojas D, Whittaker AL, Bienboire-Frosini C, Buenhombre J, Mora-Medina P, Domínguez-Oliva A, Martínez-Burnes J, Hernández-Avalos I....Recognizing that nonhuman animals are sentient beings has increased interest in studying their emotional state. Similar to humans, research has shown that some nonhuman mammals can modify facial expressions by contraction/relaxation of facial muscles according to their affective state. From a neurophysiological perspective, emotions are processed in several brain structures, mainly from the limbic system, such as the hypothalamus, hypophysis, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. The converged pathways between the amygdala, the motor cortex, and its projections to the facial nerve cont...
Yu Y, Wang J, Ruan L, Chen L, Khan MZ, You A, Wang C, Li L, Ren H, Wang T, Liu W.Equid alphaherpesvirus type 8 (EHV-8) is a contagious pathogen that causes reproductive disorders, respiratory diseases, and viral encephalitis in equids, resulting in significant economic losses for the global horse and donkey industries. Currently, there are no approved antiviral drugs or vaccines available for EHV-8 control. In this study, we investigated the antiviral efficacy of celastrol against EHV-8 both in vitro and in vivo. Our results demonstrated that celastrol significantly inhibited EHV-8 infection in Rabbit kidney (RK-13) and equine dermal cells (NBL-6) in a dose-dependent manne...
Cuervo-Arango J, Sala-Ayala L, Márquez-Moya A, Martínez-Boví R.The objective of this study was to determine the effect of two aspiration pressures (75 vs. 150 mmHg), the follicle flushing method (injection pump controlled by a foot pedal vs. a plastic syringe) and the twisting of the OPU needle on oocyte recovery and in vitro embryo production. OPU data from a total of 104 warmblood sport mares belonging to a commercial OPU-ICSI program were collected as part of a prospective study split into three experiments. Each mare was used only once for OPU. In Experiment 1, the mares' follicles were aspirated using either a high aspiration pressure (flow rate of 1...
Abdul-Latif SAK, Yousif AA.Strangles is a highly contagious equine respiratory disease caused by . It is a globally significant pathogen and one of the most common infectious agents in horses. In Iraq, no sequencing data on this pathogen are available, and only two molecular studies have been published to date. This study provides preliminary insights into strain diversity and provides a foundation for future large-scale investigations. Unassigned: This study aimed to investigate the molecular characteristics, identify gene alleles, and perform a phylogenetic analysis of isolates from horses in Baghdad, Iraq. Unassign...
Battistin L, Moya LFA, Ferreira LVO, Braz AMM, Carvalho M, Golim MA, Amorim RM.Cell-based therapy using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) shows promise for treating several diseases due to their anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. To enhance the therapeutic potential of MSCs, in vitro priming strategies have been explored. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound derived from cannabis, may influence MSC proliferation, differentiation, and immunomodulatory properties. This study evaluates the immunomodulatory potential of equine adipose tissue-derived MSCs (EqAT-MSCs) primed with a CBD-rich cannabis extract. EqAT-MSCs (P3) were primed with CBD concentrati...
Wonghanchao T, Sanigavatee K, Poochipakorn C, Huangsaksri O, Chanda M.Changes in resting heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV) are utilised to assess training effects in horses. However, limited research has examined how these variables reflect training effects during exercise sessions and recovery periods, particularly in horses of different ages. This study investigated how HR and HRV changed during exercise sessions and recovery periods in untrained adult horses (UAHs; = 9) and geriatric horses (UGHs; = 9). HR and HRV were measured before and during a 54 min exercise bout over a 12-week training programme. Mixed-effects model with Greenhouse-Geisser corr...
Kawaida MY, Kwon OS, Ahn A, Reiter AS, Tillquist NM, Noh SG, Lee JW, Moore TE, Reed SA.This study investigated the effects of astaxanthin (ASTX) supplementation on oxidative status during a deconditioning-reconditioning cycle. Twelve polo ponies were assigned to no supplementation (CON) or an ASTX supplemented group, which received oral administration of a supplement containing 75 mg ASTX daily for 32 weeks. Polo ponies underwent a 16-week deconditioning period (DECON) followed by a 16-week reconditioning program (RECON). Submaximal exercise tests (SETs) were performed at the beginning of the study (Baseline), after DECON, and after RECON. Blood samples were collected at -30...
Hernández-Avilés C, Ramírez-Agámez L, Love CC.In vitro production of equine embryos by Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is commonly utilized to maximize the availability of stallion sperm, particularly from stallions with limited semen supply. The relationship between standard measures of sperm quality in frozen/thawed semen (i.e., sperm motility, normal morphology, DNA quality) and embryo production after ICSI of in vitro-matured equine oocytes has not been thoroughly studied. In this study, frozen/thawed semen from 47 stallions utilized in a commercial ICSI program was analyzed for post-thaw sperm total and progressive motility (...
Wienhold S, Bär L, Ringleb Z, Zirpel V, Gomolla A, Denk BF, Volkmer N, Gaertner RJ, Klink ESC, Pruessner JC.In any therapeutic setting, the outcome depends in part on the therapeutic alliance, characterized by mutual understanding, empathy and trust among the participants. This also manifests through physiological synchronization (PS) processes involving breathing, heart and brain. This study examined the dynamics of heart rate variability (HRV) synchronization patterns during horse-assisted therapy. We explored the correlations between the therapist's horse preference, levels of early life adversity (ELA), and PS relationships within and across dyads of participants, therapists, and therapy horses....
Szczepek Reed B, Lundesjö Kvart S.In many types of embodied skills instruction, the learnables-that is, the local and jointly negotiated foci of instruction-emerge from a combination between a pre-existing lesson plan and the spontaneous interaction between teacher and student. Through the analytical lens of Conversation Analysis, this paper investigates the interspecies instruction setting of horse-riding lessons and shows how here, it is not only the human teachers and learners that determine the emergence of new learnables but also the horses. Horses' actions can initiate new courses of action in a lesson, and horses can th...
Ren X, Xue Y, Shen Z, Liu X, Chang X, Meng J, Ren W, Wang J, Yao X, Zeng Y.Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) play a crucial role in regulating nutritional metabolism in lactating animals. However, limited research has been conducted on BCAAs in equines. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different doses of BCAA supplementation on plasma and milk amino acid profiles in Yili mares, as well as the growth performance of their suckling foals, thereby providing a scientific basis for optimizing feeding management practices. Eighteen pairs of Yili mares and their sucklings were randomly assigned to four groups: a control group (Group D, no BCAA supplementation)...
Berni P, Del Bue M, Conti V, Andreoli V, Ramoni R, Angelone M, Squassino GP, Bari E, Torre ML, Rinaldi M, Dotti S, Rossi R, Yusuf I, Mauri P....Most in vivo studies on MSC-secretome for osteoarthritis (OA) have relied on animal models, using products lacking pharmaceutical quality, not formulated for clinical use, and insufficiently characterized, limiting knowledge of its effectiveness. This study reports veterinary clinical trials on dogs and horses with spontaneous OA: in dogs (26 subjects), the trial is randomized, double-blinded, and controlled; in horses, 5 clinical cases were treated for safety assessment. Treatment consisted of hyaluronic acid with either lyosecretome - a freeze-dried, injectable MSC-secretome obtained through...
Everts RE, Caron R, Foster G, McLoone K, Martin K, Brooks SA, Lafayette C.The roan coat color is described as the dispersion of white hairs within an otherwise solid background color coat. This phenotype is primarily expressed on the body of the horse, with the head and legs exhibiting few to no white hairs. Previous studies mapped the locus for roan to the KIT region and observed linked variants in a small number of breeds. However, utilizing those linked markers to determine the roan genotype in other breeds has seen limited success. In this communication we identify a second roan allele (RN2) which, in conjunction with a previously observed roan allele (RN1) disc...
Wilsher S, Ismer A, Grippo A, Hoogewijs M, Bussade P, Kovacsy S.Different cryoprotectants can influence the ability of embryos to successfully survive vitrification and subsequent warming before transfer. Objective: To compare pregnancy rates for embryos ≤500 μm vitrified, without puncture or aspiration of the blastocoele cavity, with one of three commercial human embryo vitrification kits containing the same penetrating cryoprotectants (DMSO and EG) but varying in their non-penetrating cryoprotectants (NPCPAs; sucrose, trehalose, dextran serum supplement [DSS], and hydroxypropyl cellulose [HPC]). Methods: In vivo experiments. Methods: Embryos (n =...
Greening L, Harkin E, Kyriazopoulou P, Heppelthwaite Z, Aragona F, Browne JA, Hemmings A, Williams JM, Murphy BA.Modern horse husbandry involves significant time spent indoors, often in suboptimal lighting conditions and with frequent night-time disturbances by humans for management purposes. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of a customised light-emitting diode (LED) lighting system and a standard fluorescent lighting fixture on equine sleep behaviours, circadian rhythmicity and spontaneous blink rates in horses. Ten riding school horses experienced two stable lighting conditions for four weeks each in a cross-over study running from January to March, 2023. The treatment lighting co...
Payette-Stroman A, Ross Y, Ma X, Boutelle C, Holschbach C, Blanton JD, Wallace R.Rabies in livestock in the United States (US) poses a significant public health concern due to the potential for human exposure and economic losses to producers. Understanding the epidemiology of rabies in livestock supports broader One Health goals by enhancing early detection of viral incursions and protecting both animal and human health. This study assessed the epidemiology of rabies in livestock in the US from 2012 to 2021 using surveillance data reported to the National Rabies Surveillance System. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to estimate economic losses, including livestock value...
Buschmann E, Easton-Jones C, Van Steenkiste G, De Wilde H, Roberts V, Durando M, Decloedt A, Marr C, van Loon G.Accessory pathways (APs) are muscular bundles directly connecting the atria and ventricles, bypassing the atrioventricular (AV) node-His-Purkinje system. Anterograde conduction along the AP results in ventricular preexcitation. A retrograde conducting AP allows ventriculo-atrial (VA) conduction, creating a reentry circuit that mediates orthodromic atrioventricular reentry tachycardia (OAVRT). This condition is well described in humans and small animals, but has not been reported previously in horses. Objective: Describe clinical and electrocardiographic findings of horses with retrograde AP co...
