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.
Kayar SR, Hoppeler H, Mermod L, Weibel ER.Individual mitochondria were reconstructed from ultrathin serial sections of selected muscle fibers in the M. semitendinosus of a horse, over a length of nearly two sarcomeres. Mitochondria were found to be highly variable, with size and complexity of single mitochondria increasing with the fractional part of a fiber occupied by mitochondria. In fibers with a mitochondrial volume density of less than 4%, corresponding to the mitochondrial content of fast-twitch glycolytic fibers, mitochondria were generally rather simple cylindrical shapes, oriented parallel to the myofibrils. In fibers with a...
Gallagher JR, McMeniman NP.It has been reported that the increasing nutritional demands from mid to late pregnancy of grazing mares may not be met when these stages of gestation coincide with pastures being affected by frost. It was established in this study that grass/legume pastures could support the nutritional requirements of brood mares by providing digestible energy intakes of 68.0 and 91.7 MJ/day and digestible nitrogen intake of 91.2 and 138 g/day during mid and late pregnancy, respectively.
Smyth GB, Brown RG, Juzwiak JS, Swaim SF, Vaughan JT.A vascularized full-thickness Estlander flap was used to repair a defect involving approximately 40% of the left lower lip of a colt. Postoperative problems were (1) providing nutritional support, (2) minimizing movement at the surgical site, and (3) partial wound dehiscence resulting in a salivary fistula. The surgical site healed well and the colt was left with a fully functional and cosmetic lower lip.
Blach EL, Amann RP, Bowen RA, Sawyer HR, Hermenet MJ.Transmission electron microscopy was used to confirm that a monoclonal antibody (F79.3E2; class IgG1 kappa) was specifically localized to an antigen in the acrosomal ground substance of stallion sperm. This antibody was used to develop and validate an indirect immunofluorescent procedure to evaluate integrity of the plasma-acrosomal membranes of stallion sperm. The concept was that primary monoclonal antibody would be "shielded" from its acrosomal antigen by an intact plasma membrane. Conversely, sperm with damaged plasma-acrosomal membranes would exhibit green acrosomal fluorescence when view...
Ellendorff F, Schams D.The neuroendocrine reflex theory of milk ejection was investigated in the horse under natural suckling conditions. To this end 12 lactating mares were provided with acute jugular catheters and with intramammary pressure (IMP) recording catheters. The foal had free access to the contralateral mammary complex. Intramammary pressure could thus be recorded while blood was drawn simultaneously for oxytocin analysis from the undisturbed animal. Suckling periods associated with a characteristic increase in IMP lasted significantly longer than unsuccessful nursing attempts. Elements of successful suck...
Todhunter RJ, Parker JE.A recently castrated horse was examined because of preputial and ventral abdominal swelling, prolapse of the preputial fold, and serosanguinous fluid dripping from the external urethral orifice. After a poor response to initial medical management, a urethral laceration was found during exploratory surgery. Half of the ventral portion of the corpus cavernosum penis had been transected. Primary closure was followed by healing without complications.
Alvinerie M, Houin G, Toutain PL.The binding of prednisolone to total plasma proteins of dogs, horses, cows, and sheep was characterized using equilibrium dialysis. Prednisolone was bound to a first protein with high affinity but low capacity (transcortin) and to a second protein according to a nonsaturable mechanism (albumin). Interspecies differences were observed, with cows and dogs exhibiting the lowest, and sheep and horses the highest specific binding capacities. The results are in good agreement with known pharmacokinetic properties of prednisolone in domestic species.
Godovac-Zimmermann J, Conti A, Napolitano L.The complete primary structure of donkey lysozyme has been established by pulsed liquid-phase sequencing of tryptic and chymotryptic peptides isolated by RP-HPLC. The positions of the Cys residues were identified by labeling the Cys residues with DABIA-reagent. Donkey lysozyme is a c-type lysozyme which is 129 amino acids long. It exhibits 50% homology to the human protein. We observe the full Ca(II) binding site suggested for the homologous alpha-lactalbumines. Although horse lysozyme has been reported to contain asparagine in position 61, which was in conflict with the three-dimensional stru...
Godsey MS, Amoo F, Yuill TM, Defoliart GR.A serologic survey and experimental virus transmission studies were done to assess the role of domestic animals as amplifier hosts of La Crosse (LACV) and Jamestown Canyon (JCV) viruses. Serum from 319 cows, 88 dogs, 122 equines, 47 swine, 10 goats, and 4 cats were tested for neutralizing antibody to LACV, JCV, trivittatus (TVTV), and snowshoe hare (SSHV) viruses. Antibody prevalences of LACV, TVTV, and SSHV were less than 10% in all species. Antibody to JCV was detected in all species except cats. Prevalence ranged from 10% in goats and swine to 29% in dogs. No age-associated trends in JCV pr...
Blancquaert AM, Colgan SP, Bruyninckx WJ.Although equine neutrophils did not respond towards formylated methionyl peptides, Streptococcus faecalis culture supernatant caused an in vitro stimulation of equine neutrophil motility when measured by an under-agarose assay. The migration of neutrophils towards the culture supernatant increased sigmoidally with the logarithmic concentration of the culture supernatant in the chemoattractant wells. The streptococcal culture supernatant was chemokinetic because it stimulated the random motility of the phagocytes. Because granulocytes migrated further towards the supernatant than could be expla...
Thompson KN, Jackson SG, Baker JP.Effects of high dietary levels of energy, protein and Ca and deficient levels of Ca on skeletal growth and development in the equine were studied in two experiments. The weanlings were fed grain-based diets. In Exp. 1, Group 1 (Ctl) received all nutrients at NRC recommended levels for growth; Group 2 (HE) received 150% of their digestible energy (DE) requirement; Group 3 (LC) received 150% of DE and 35% of Ca requirements. In Exp. 2, Group 1 (Ctl) again received all nutrients at NRC recommended levels for growth; Group 2 (HEP) received 150% of DE and 275% of CP requirements; Group 3 (HEPC) rec...
Smith P, Samuelson D, Brooks D.The anterior vasculature of the pony eye was examined by the corrosion cast method. The anterior segment of the pony eye has a vascular pattern which is similar but distinct from that of other mammalian species. Large iridal veins collateralized directly with the anterior vortex venous system. The intrascleral plexus was present but formed a fine, radially oriented, extensive network. This contrasted to the circumferential larger-diameter intrascleral plexus noted in dogs and the canal of Schlemm present in primates. The intrascleral plexus only drained posteriorly in the pony as compared to t...
Art T, Lekeux P.A preliminary study attempted to assess the influence of atmospheric conditions on the breathing pattern of ponies. The respiratory airflow, tidal volume, breathing frequency, minute volume, total pulmonary resistance and heart rate of five ponies (257 +/- 9 kg and three to five years old) were measured by a standardised procedure. Data were collected at rest, during a nine minute period of treadmill exercise and during a five minute recovery period. The ambient temperature (degrees C) and relative humidity (%) were recorded at the time of each investigation and the respiratory parameters were...
Scotti E, Jeffcott LB.An in vitro study on the calcaneus of adult horses (n = 5) and foals (n = 10) was carried out using radiographic photodensitometry, single photon absorptiometry, transmission ultrasound velocity and chemical analysis. Data for trabecular bone content, ash, calcium and phosphorus levels were obtained. As techniques for assessing bone quality, ultrasound velocity was not sufficiently sensitive nor accurate and radiographic photodensitometry was found to be limited value. Photon absorptiometry was both accurate and reproducible, although some variation in bone mineral content and bone mineral den...
Wilson BD, Neal RJ, Howard A, Groenendyk S.Standardbred pacers have been studied under race conditions to describe the gait of the pacer, and to determine relationships between stage of the race, finish order and selected gait kinematics. Overlap increased with the stage of the race while pacing speed decreased marginally for low order pacers and increased for high order finishers. High order finishing pacers appear to have greater stance and stride lengths than do low order finishers. Pacers could be separated into low order and high order groups on the basis of their movement patterns. High order pacers exhibited greater ranges of li...
Allen D, Korthuis RJ, Clark ES.Microvascular permeability characteristics were evaluated in digits of 7 adult horses. After capillaries were isolated and an extracorporeal perfusion circuit for the digit was established, a lymphatic vessel draining the distal portion of the phalangeal region was cannulated at the level of the coronary band. Venous pressure was increased in a stepwise manner, and lymph flow, lymph protein concentration (Cl), and plasma protein concentration (Cp) were determined after measured variables were allowed to reach steady state. Lymph-to-plasma protein concentration ratios (Cl/Cp) and lymph and plas...
Higgins JA, Klei TR, Foil LD.Culicoides variipennis were fed under controlled conditions on two ponies that exhibited seasonal changes in Onchocerca cervicalis microfilarial (mf) skin density and skin distribution. The seasonal changes did not radically affect mf ingestion. Flies were fed on the umbilicus of infected ponies by two methods: individual feeding in consecutive order at the same site, or by mass feeding. Linear regression analysis indicated that ingestion of microfilaria was independent of feeding time and engorged weight. In the individual feeding data, there was a trend toward an increased ingestion of mf as...
Wilson BD, Neal RJ, Howard A, Groenedyk S.Standardbred pacers were studied at four different nominated speeds and selected gait kinematics were analysed to determine factors which contribute to pacing speed. A deterministic model is proposed in which pacing speed is a function of stride length and stride timing variables. Stance length and suspension time remained relatively constant over the different pacing speeds. Variables which discriminated best between pacing speeds were suspension length and overlap time. At near maximal speed, the pacers increased speeds with increased stride length. This was attributed to an increased suspen...
McCarthy RN, Jeffcott LB.Six Standardbred horses underwent a 14-week training programme on a treadmill. The training schedule consisted of five weeks of slow work of six to 12 km/day at 5 m/sec. This was followed by a nine week interval programme increasing in its intensity so that for the last three weeks the horses did three to four intervals/day from 600 to 1000 m at or above maximum heart rate. Ultrasound velocity through the third metacarpus showed a significant increase as a result of training. There was also a significant increase in modulus of elasticity, but no change in bone mineral content, bone mineral den...
Kozawa Y, Mishima H, Sakae T.During the evolution of the Equoidea, the histological structures of the teeth have become more complex as the molars have become hypsodont in form. The straight Hunter-Schreger bands of Hiracotherium have evolved into a more complex pattern in Equus. The enamel prisms changed from an arched form (about 5μm in diameter) with an alternating pattern in Hiracotherium to an oval form (about 2 μm width) arranged in straight rows in Equus. In Equus the rows of prisms are separated by interprismatic sheets. This pattern may have increased the architectural strength of the enamel, and is related to ...
ElWishy AB.The morphological changes which take place in the sperm during their passage
through the excurrent ducts have been studied in the bull (BRANTON and SALISBURY
1947; HANCOCK 1955; BAILY and SMITH 1958; AMANN and ALMQUIST 1962; GUSTAFSSON and CRABO 1971 ; RAO 1971) and boar (GUSTAFSSON, CRABO and EINARSSON 1970).
Such knowledge is of major importance in understanding the origin and significance
of the different sperm abnormalties as well as providing the basis for proper appraisal
of semen picture and devising useful spermiograms.
The aim of the present work is to study the morphological ch...
van Dijk J.Jan van Dijk, RCVS specialist in veterinary parasitology, describes how data can be used to both increase understanding of trends in equine helminth abundance and drive better treatment of individual horses.
Smith AV, Wilson C, McComb K, Proops L.In the original publication, data availability text was incorrectly published. The correct text should read as below.
Racklyeft DJ.Transtracheal aspirate (TTA) aerobic microbiology culture results from 30 ponies were compared to protected catheter brush (PCB) culture results obtained from the same ponies. The PCB procedure resulted in significantly fewer (13<0.05) isolates than those obtained by the TTA procedure and the PCB procedure resulted in significantly more samples with no bacteria growth than the TTA procedure. To address the possibility that the volume of tracheobronchial secretion obtained by PCB was insufficient as a microbiological sample, a sterile, double-sheathed, protected aspiration catheter (PAC) was de...
Aranguren-Méndez J, Gómez M, Jordana J.The hierarchical population structure of five, native-Spanish donkey breeds (Andaluza, Catalana, Mallorquina, Encartaciones and Zamorano-Leonesa) has been studied using F-statistics. In addition, nine Moroccan asses and 24 Merens breed horses were included in the analysis. Data came from 15 DNA microsatellites. The analysis shows that Spanish donkeys are substructured at both hierarchical levels studied, among breeds and within breeds (between subpopulations). In the whole population, the deficit of heterozygotes was estimated to be about 21%. The fixation indices corresponding to differences ...
Deriusheva SE, Loginova IuA, Chiriaeva OG, Iaschak K.A high-resolution cytogenetic map (670 bands per haploid set) of RBA-banded chromosomes has been constructed in the domestic horse Equus caballus. The size and distribution of the replication-based R(G)-bands were analyzed using the computer program VideoTest-Karyo. The obtained data were compared to the results of cytogenetic mapping in other mammalian species and human.