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Topic:Warmblood Horses
Warmblood horses are a group of middle-weight horse breeds known for their versatility and performance in equestrian sports such as dressage, show jumping, and eventing. They are characterized by a combination of athleticism, temperament, and conformation, which make them suitable for competitive disciplines. Breeds within this group include the Hanoverian, Dutch Warmblood, and Holsteiner, among others. The breeding and selection processes for Warmbloods focus on traits such as movement, trainability, and soundness. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that investigate the genetics, breeding practices, performance traits, and health considerations specific to Warmblood horses.
Genotype imputation accuracy in multiple equine breeds from medium- to high-density genotypes. Genotype imputation is now a key component of genomic analyses as it increases the density of available genotypes within a population. However, many factors can influence imputation accuracy. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the accuracy of imputation of high-density genotypes (Affymetrix Axiom Equine genotyping array, 670,806 SNPs) from two moderate-density genotypes (Illumina Equine SNP50 BeadChip, 54,602 SNPs and Illumina Equine SNP70 BeadChip, 65,157 SNPs), using single-breed or multiple-breed reference sets. Genotypes were available from five groups of horse breeds: Arab (A...
Horses Referred to a Teaching Hospital Exclusively for Acupuncture and Herbs: A Three-Year Retrospective Analysis. Equine acupuncture and herbal medicine are increasingly popular and have been anecdotally used in the treatment of a number of conditions. There is, however, a lack of data on the most commonly treated conditions in horses. The medical records of 164 horses presented exclusively for acupuncture and herbal therapy over a three-year period from October 2012 to October 2015 were evaluated from a mixed animal integrative medicine service at a veterinary academic teaching hospital. Horses were presented primarily for musculoskeletal conditions (62.0%), gastrointestinal disorders (9.5%), and anhydro...
Muscle glycogen concentrations and response to diet and exercise regimes in Warmblood horses with type 2 Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy. Type 1 polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM1) is a glycogen storage disorder of known cause whereas the basis for type 2 PSSM (PSSM2) is unknown. The same diet and exercise regime prescribed for PSSM1 is recommended for PSSM2; however, the benefit of these recommendations for PSSM2 is undocumented. The objectives of this study were to determine traits of PSSM2 Warmblood horses (WB), determine the changes in exercise responses that occur with a recommended low-starch/fat-supplemented diet and exercise regime, and determine if glycogen concentrations correspond to the severity of signs. Owners ...
Polymorphisms in selected genes and analysis of their relationship with osteochondrosis in Polish sport horse breeds. The aim of this research was to evaluate the polymorphisms of selected genes and to find their potential effect on the occurrence of osteochondrosis in Polish Warmbloods (sport horse breeds). The study was conducted on a group of 198 horses subjected to official performance tests. Investigated joints-fetlock, hock and stifle-were X-rayed twice, once before and again at the end of the tests (first and second examination), and on this basis the degree of disease was evaluated. Based on the results of previous research, 13 candidate genes potentially associated with the occurrence of osteochondro...
Emotional excitability and behaviour of horses in response to stroking various regions of the body. Touching the skin by gentle stroking is frequently used to reward horses. The objective of the study was to examine emotional excitability and behaviour of horses in response to stroking different regions of their bodies. The study included 15 adult warmbloods and 15 adult ponies, nine geldings and six mares within each type of horse. First, a novel-object test was conducted. For five successive days, one of five regions of the horse's body was stroked on each side for 5 min. Heart rate and heart rate variability were monitored at rest, during the test and stroking. Simultaneously, horse beha...
eQTL discovery and their association with severe equine asthma in European Warmblood horses. Severe equine asthma, also known as recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), is a debilitating, performance limiting, obstructive respiratory condition in horses that is phenotypically similar to human asthma. Past genome wide association studies (GWAS) have not discovered coding variants associated with RAO, leading to the hypothesis that causative variant(s) underlying the signals are likely non-coding, regulatory variant(s). Regions of the genome containing variants that influence the number of expressed RNA molecules are expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs). Variation associated with RAO ...
Study of the relationship between overjet development and some skull bone measurements in Warmblood foals. Overjet is defined as the projection of the maxillary incisors labial to their antagonists in a horizontal direction. This malocclusion in horses can lead to incorrect dental wear and is aesthetically undesirable. Whether lengthening of the maxilla or shortening of the mandible causes the condition has not yet been determined. Therefore, a measurement technique was developed to investigate the correlations between skull bone measurements in overjet-affected individuals. The position of the incisors in 650 Warmblood foals born in a private German stud was examined at two weeks of age, revealing...
Internal neurolysis of the maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve for the treatment of equine trigeminal mediated headshaking syndrome. A 5-year-old Hannovarian warmblood gelding was presented for recurrent headshaking exacerbated with exercise. The horse displayed clinical signs of repetitive vertical head movements, face rubbing on the forelimbs and on the ground, repetitive sneezing, and striking the muzzle with his forelimbs. The clinical signs resulted in a horse that could not be ridden and was dangerous. Clinical signs were most persistent in direct sunlight, but occurred with excitement, exercise, or bridling indoors. A diagnosis of equine trigeminal mediated headshaking syndrome was made. Surgical treatment was perfor...
Evaluation of age-dependent changes of myocardial velocity using pulsed wave and colour tissue Doppler imaging in adult warmblood horses. Our aim was to evaluate the influence of the ageing process on the myocardium using pulsed wave tissue Doppler (PW-TDI) and colour tissue Doppler imaging (cTDI) to measure myocardial velocities at three different myocardial regions (right ventricular free wall: RVFW, interventricular septum: IVS, left ventricular free wall: LVFW). A total of 60 healthy warmblood horses, aged from 3 to 30 years, were examined. The horses were divided into five age groups (group 1: 3-8 years, n = 14; group 2: 9-13 years, n = 9; group 3: 14-18 years, n = 10; group 4: 19-23 years, n = 14; group 5: 24-...
Lateral movement of the saddle relative to the equine spine in rising and sitting trot on a treadmill. Saddle slip, defined as a progressive lateral displacement of the saddle during ridden exercise, has recently been given attention in the scientific press as a potential sign of lameness. The aim of this study was to objectively quantify the normal lateral movement (oscillations) of the saddle relative to the horse in non-lame horses, and associate this movement to the movements of the horse and rider. Data from seven Warmblood dressage horses competing at Grand Prix (n = 6) or FEI Intermediate (n = 1) level, ridden by their usual riders, were used. Simultaneous kinetic, kinematic and saddle p...
Electrocardiographic confirmation of a twin pregnancy in a mare at 8 months of gestation. A 15-year-old Warmblood mare, at 8 months of gestation, was presented to the Ghent University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine for evaluation of suspected stage one labor. Transrectal ultrasonography revealed no clear signs of placentitis or stage one labor. The combined thickness of uterus and placenta was 11 mm and the cervix was closed. Twin pregnancy was suspected by transabdominal ultrasonography but could not be confirmed with certainty. An electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded from the mare's abdominal wall to register a fetal ECG. To confirm twin pregnancy, registration of both fetal ECG...
The development of hoof balance and landing preference in the post-natal period. Foals can follow the herd within hours of birth, but it has been shown that kinetic gait parameters and static balance still have to mature. However, development of dynamic balance has not been investigated. Objective: To objectively quantify landing and pressure pattern dynamics under the hoof during the first half year of life. Methods: Prospective, cohort study performed at a single stud farm. Methods: Pressure plate measurements at walk and trot from ten Dutch warmblood foals during the first 24 weeks of life were used to quantify toe-heel and medial-lateral hoof balance asymmetry indexes ...
Vertical movement symmetry of the withers in horses with induced forelimb and hindlimb lameness at trot. The main criteria for lameness assessment in horses are head movement for forelimb lameness and pelvic movement for hindlimb lameness. However, compensatory head nod in horses with primary hindlimb lameness is a well-known phenomenon. This compensatory head nod movement can be easily misinterpreted as a sign of primary ipsilateral forelimb lameness. Therefore, discriminating compensatory asymmetries from primary directly pain-related movement asymmetries is a prerequisite for successful lameness assessment. Objective: To investigate the association between head, withers and pelvis movement asy...
Anti-Müllerian hormone profiling in prepubertal horses and its relationship with gonadal function. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) has gained increasing interest as a biomarker for assessment of gonadal activity. The ability to predict the ovarian follicular reserve of prepubertal female horses (fillies) or to identify stallions with testicular pathologies already during their prepubertal life has not been analyzed so far. Both would help to select fertile horses and reduce costs associated with keeping animals. The objectives of the present study were to (1) assess AMH, LH, FSH, progesterone (females) and testosterone (males) dynamics in prepubertal horses from birth onwards and (2) determin...
Risk factors for equine glandular and squamous gastric disease in show jumping Warmbloods. Prevalence of, and risk factors for, equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) are well established. Limited data exists on risk factors for equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD). Objective: To identify management factors associated with EGGD in show jumping Warmbloods in training. A secondary objective was to identify management factors associated with ESGD. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Gastroscopies were performed in horses following a 12-16 h fast. Management questionnaires were collected for each horse. Risk factors were determined using multivariable logistic regression modelling. Re...
Semi-quantitative methods yield greater inter- and intraobserver agreement than subjective methods for interpreting 99m technetium-hydroxymethylene-diphosphonate uptake in equine thoracic processi spinosi. Scintigraphy is a standard diagnostic method for evaluating horses with back pain due to suspected thoracic processus spinosus pathology. Lesion detection is based on subjective or semi-quantitative assessments of increased uptake. This retrospective, analytical study is aimed to compare semi-quantitative and subjective methods in the evaluation of scintigraphic images of the processi spinosi in the equine thoracic spine. Scintigraphic images of 20 Warmblood horses, presented for assessment of orthopedic conditions between 2014 and 2016, were included in the study. Randomized, blinded image ev...
Speckle-tracking analysis of myocardial deformation in correlation to age in healthy horses. An effect of aging on cardiac morphology and function has been shown in humans. In horses, cardiac wall motion analysis using two-dimensional speckle tracking (2D-ST) has not yet been reported. Our study included 57 horses of different warmblood breeds between 3 and 30 years old. Age had a significant influence on left ventricular free wall (LVFW) systolic strain rate ( ≤ 0.05) and early diastolic relaxation ( ≤ 0.01). In the interventricular septum (IVS), systolic ( ≤ 0.01) and late diastolic ( ≤ 0.05) contraction velocities also increased with age. In our study, 2D-ST revealed import...
Elevated urinary excretion of free pyridinoline in Friesian horses suggests a breed-specific increase in collagen degradation. Friesian horses are known for their high inbreeding rate resulting in several genetic diseases such as hydrocephaly and dwarfism. This last decade, several studies focused on two other presumed hereditary traits in Friesian horses: megaoesophagus and aortic rupture. The pathogenesis of these diseases remains obscure but an important role of collagen has been hypothesized. The purpose of this study was to examine possible breed-related differences in collagen catabolism. Urinary specimens from Friesian (n = 17, median age 10 years old) and Warmblood horses (n = 17, median age 10 years...
Comparison of different methods to calculate venous admixture in anaesthetized horses. The aim of this study was to compare different methods to determine venous admixture (Q˙/Q˙) in anaesthetized horses. The first objective was to estimate Q˙/Q˙ using jugular venous blood oxygen content (Q˙/Q˙), and a fixed value for the oxygen extraction (F-shunt). The second objective was to assess the influence of blood pressure and positioning on oxygen extraction. The third objective was to perform regression analysis between jugular and mixed venous blood oxygen tensions. Methods: Prospective, experimental trial. Methods: The study was performed with seven warmblood horses that were...
Novel insights into Sabino1 and splashed white coat color patterns in horses. Within the framework of genome-wide analyses using the novel Axiom® genotyping array, we investigated the distribution of two previously described coat color patterns, namely sabino1 (SBI), associated with the KIT gene (KI16+1037A), and splashed white, associated with the PAX3 gene (ECA6:g.11429753C>T; PAX3C70Y ), including a total of 899 horses originating from eight different breeds (Achal Theke, Purebred Arabian, Partbred Arabian, Anglo-Arabian, Shagya Arabian, Haflinger, Lipizzan and Noriker). Based on the data we collected we were able to demonstrate that, besides Quarter horses, the ...
Comparison of pathological lesions in navicular bone (os sesamoideum distale) and analysis of remodelling capacity in warmblood and coldblood horses. The problem of navicular bone lesions is better understood in warmblood horses. The aim of our research was to compare pathologic lesions of navicular bone of different types of horses divided into age groups. An extra goal was to compare radiographs with anatomical status of navicular bone dissected from the hoof capsule. The study group included 161 horses, out of which 100 individuals were warmbloods, and 61 - coldbloods. In total 280 navicular bones were analysed. The flexor surface, distal border fragments, enthesophytes and the process of obliteration of nutrient foramina were analysed. ...
The use of a rein tension device to compare different training methods for neck flexion in base-level trained Warmblood horses at the walk. Debate surrounds the use of high rein tension for obtaining different head and neck positions in the training of sport horses on account of possible welfare issues. Objective: To compare auxiliary rein tension in two methods (Draw Reins and Concord Leader) for obtaining a standardised head and neck position on a hard and a soft surface. Methods: Intervention study. Methods: Left and right rein tensions were measured in 11 base-level trained client-owned sport horses (mean age ± s.d.; 10 ± 3.2 years) exercised in-hand with, in a random order, conventional draw reins or the newly developed Con...
Intraocular lens power calculation for the equine eye. Phacoemulsification and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation during cataract surgery in horses occur with increasing frequency. To reduce the postoperative refractive error it is necessary to determine the proper IOL power. In the present study retinoscopy, keratometry and ultrasonographic biometry were performed on 98 healthy equine eyes from 49 horses. The refractive state, corneal curvature (keratometry) and the axial location of all optical interfaces (biometry) were measured. The influences of breed, height at the withers, gender and age on values obtained and the comparison between the le...
Genetic risk factors for osteochondrosis in various horse breeds. Osteochondrosis (OC) is an injury to cartilage canals with a following necrosis in the growth cartilage, from there it can develop to osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD). Due to its high impact in the equine industry, new insights into predisposing factors and potential high-risk genetic variants are warranted. This article reviews advancements in quantitative and molecular genetics in refining estimation of genetic parameters and identifying predisposing genetic loci. Heritabilities were highest for hock OC with estimates at 0.29-0.46 in Hanoverian warmblood and Norwegian trotters, whereas in Tho...
Correlations between the equine metacarpophalangeal joint angulation and toe conformation in statics. The angulation of the equine fetlock determines the load of associated tendons and probably their predisposition for injuries. However, it is questionable how the individual toe conformation and tendon properties interact with the dorsal metacarpophalangeal joint angle (DMPJ). Data are needed for a tangible evaluation of the equine limb conformation for more specific orthopaedic treatment. The aim was to evaluate the correlation between the DMPJ, toe conformation and cross-sectional area (CSA) of both flexor tendons; the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) and deep digital flexor tendon (...
Measurement variability of right atrial and ventricular monophasic action potential and refractory period measurements in the standing non-sedated horse. In human and veterinary medicine, monophasic action potential (MAP) analysis and determination of local refractory periods by contact electrode technique gives valuable information about local cardiac electrophysiological properties. It is used to investigate dysrhythmias and the impact of drugs on the myocardium. Precise measurement of total MAP duration is difficult, therefore the MAP duration is usually determined at a repolarization level of 90% (APD90). Until now, no studies are published about the feasibility of this technique in the standing non-sedated horse. In 6 healthy Warmblood hor...
Differences between horse selection based on two forms of osteochondrosis in fetlock. Horses lose potential opportunities because of health problems. Available breeding strategies are not effective enough, probably also because of the different definition used and its genetic usefulness. The aim of the study was to compare the genetic background estimated by the genome-wide association study (GWAS) for osteochondrosis using two different scaling osteochondrosis (OC)/healthy and osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD)/healthy systems for evaluating the disease status of investigated fetlock joints. Two hundred one Warmblood horses trained for performance tests (87 stallions and 114 mare...
Macroscopic characteristics of the umbilical cord in Standardbred, Thoroughbred and Warmblood horses. The umbilical cord (UC), the connection between mother and fetus via the umbilical vessels, carries nutrients and oxygenated blood to the fetus through the umbilical vein and removes deoxygenated blood and waste products via the umbilical arteries. It is designed to protect blood flow to the fetus during pregnancy. In equine medicine, only a few studies have described the UC, and most of these involved Thoroughbreds. The present study describes and compares the macroscopic features of the equine umbilical cord in three different breeds and in relation to the foal's gender. In addition, a possi...
Trabecular and subchondral bone development of the talus and distal tibia from foal to adult in the warmblood horse. Horses are precocial animals and able to stand and walk within hours after birth. To cope with associated loading, intrauterine bone development has shown to be anticipative. This study provides further insight into the post-natal development of structurally important features of trabecular and subchondral bone of the talus and sagittal ridge of the tibia of warm-blooded horses. In all areas studied, the average bone volume fraction showed a gradual increase over time, which was the result of a significant increase in trabecular thickness, without significant changes in the degree of anisotrop...
Genetic Diversity and Structure of Iranian Horses’ Population Based on Mitochondrial Markers. The source and history of horse domestication have been studied for decades in biology and archeology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genetic structure and the genetic relationship between six breeds of native horses using mitochondrial D-loop region. Blood samples were collected from 96 horses. Total DNA was extracted, and 430 bp of D-Loop region (hyper variable) was amplified and sequenced using Sanger sequencing methods. The analysis of data led to identify 48 polymorphic sites that create 52 haplotypes. The plotted phylogenic tree for haplotypes of Iranian native horses is plac...
