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.
Gygax D, Fürst A, Picek S, Kummer M.To report internal fixation of a fractured axis with a dynamic compression plate (DCP). Methods: Case report. Methods: A 7-year-old Warmblood gelding. Methods: Surgery was performed under anesthesia in sternal recumbency. After fracture reduction the complete transverse fracture in the cranial third of the axis was stabilized with a 7-hole 4.5 mm DCP. Optimal positioning of the plate and the length of the screws were facilitated by fluoroscopy. Recovery from anesthesia was supervised in a pool. Results: The horse had an excellent outcome and returned to its previous activity level. Conclusions...
van de Goor LH, van Haeringen WA, Lenstra JA.As a consequence of the close integration of horses into human society, equine DNA analysis has become relevant for forensic purposes. However, the information content of the equine Short Tandem Repeat (STR) loci commonly used for the identification or paternity testing has so far not been fully characterized. Population studies were performed for 17 polymorphic STR loci (AHT4, AHT5, ASB2, ASB17, ASB23, CA425, HMS1, HMS2, HMS3, HMS6, HMS7, HTG4, HTG6, HTG7, HTG10, LEX3 and VHL20) including 8641 horses representing 35 populations. The power of parental exclusion, polymorphic information content...
Bründler P, Frey CF, Gottstein B, Nussbaumer P, Neuhaus S, Gerber V.An association between equine recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) and increased resistance to intestinal parasites has been demonstrated in descendants of an RAO-affected stallion. It was hypothesised that members of another high-incidence RAO family (F) and unrelated RAO-affected Warmblood horses (UA) would shed fewer strongylid eggs than unrelated RAO-unaffected pasture mates (PM) under the same environmental conditions. Faecal worm egg counts were performed on faecal samples (63 F, 86 UA, 149 PM) and classified into three categories: 0, 1-100 and >100 eggs per gram. While results for F di...
Bringewatt T, Hopster K, Kästner SB, Rohn K, Ohnesorge B.The influence of a modified open lung concept (mOLC) on pulmonary and cardiovascular function during total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) in horses was evaluated. Forty-two warmblood horses (American Society of Anesthesiologists class 1 to 2), scheduled for elective surgery (mean [sd] weight 526 [65] kg, age 6.4 [5.4] years) were randomly divided into three groups: ventilation with mOLC, intermittent positive-pressure ventilation (IPPV), and spontaneous breathing. Premedication (0.8 mg/kg xylazine), induction (2.2 mg/kg ketamine and 0.05 mg/kg diazepam) and maintenance of anaesthesia with TIVA...
Claerhoudt S, Pille F, Vanderperren K, Hauspie S, Duchateau L, Van der Vekens E, Saunders JH.To investigate whether in navicular bones (NB) from warmbloods, distal border fragmentation is associated with the shape of the proximal articular border or other radiological findings. Methods: Radiographs of the front feet of 325 normal, subadult horses presented for admission as breeding stallions were reviewed. Results: The proximal articular border of the total of 650 NB was classified as straight (n = 278), convex (n = 184), undulating (n = 147) or concave (n = 41). Distal border fragments were present in 57 NB (8.8%). They were significantly more prevalent in NB with a concave (9/41; 22...
Jensen RB, Brokner C, Knudsen KE, Tauson AH.Four Icelandic (ICE) and four Danish Warmblood (DW) horses were used in a crossover study with two treatments to investigate the effect of breed and the effect of stage of maturity of haylage on the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of a diet consisting of sugar beet pulp, black oats and haylage early or late cut. Fibre was analysed as crude fibre (CF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and dietary fibre (DF = non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) plus lignin). In haylage all analysed fibre fractions increased with advancing stage of maturity, with the cell wall comp...
Brooks SA, Makvandi-Nejad S, Chu E, Allen JJ, Streeter C, Gu E, McCleery B, Murphy BA, Bellone R, Sutter NB.Horses, like many domesticated species, have been selected for broad variation in skeletal size. This variation is not only an interesting model of rapid evolutionary change during domestication, but is also directly applicable to the horse industry. Breeders select for complex traits like body size and skeletal conformation to improve marketability, function, soundness and performance in the show ring. Using a well-defined set of 35 measurements, we have identified and quantified skeletal variation in the horse species. We collected measurements from 1215 horses representing 65 breeds of dive...
Lopes MS, Diesterbeck U, Machado Ada C, Distl O.Navicular disease is characterized by a progressive degenerative alteration of the equine podotrochlea. In this study, we refined a previously identified quantitative trait locus (QTL) on horse chromosome 10 for the abnormal development of canales sesamoidales (DCS) of the navicular bone in Hanoverian warmblood horses. Genotyping was done in 192 Hanoverian warmblood horses from 17 paternal half-sib groups. The whole marker set comprised 45 markers including seven newly developed microsatellites and 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within positional candidate genes. Chromosome-wide sig...
Viklund A, Näsholm A, Strandberg E, Philipsson J.For Swedish Warmblood sport horses, breeding values (BVs) are predicted using a multiple-trait animal model with results from competitions and young horse performance tests. Data go back to the beginning of the 1970s, and earlier studies have indicated that some of the recorded traits have changed through the years. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of including all performance data or excluding the older ones compared to a bivariate model (BM) considering performance traits in early and late periods as separate traits. The bivariate approach was assumed to give the mo...
Claerhoudt S, Bergman EH, van der Veen H, Vanderperren K, Raes EV, Saunders JH.The morphological features of the distal border synovial invaginations (SI) of the distal sesamoid bone (DSB) in horses were described by the use of computed tomography (CT). Transverse CT images were obtained on 50 cadaver forefeet from 25 Warmblood horses. Dorsal and sagittal planes were reformatted. The CT images allowed the evaluation of the number, shape, depth of penetration and direction of the SI into the bone. The total number of SI was 295 (mean 5.9). The number of invaginations in a particular DSB ranged from 3 (n = 3), 4 (n = 6), 5 (n = 11), 6 (n = 12), 7 (n = 13), 8 (n = 3), 9 (n ...
Simhofer H, Niederl M, Anen C, Rijkenhuizen A, Peham C.The objective of this study was to compare masticatory movements before and after dental treatment using kinematic analysis. The masticatory movements of 15 adult Warmblood horses with mild dental pathology chewing standardised hay were recorded on three consecutive days before and three times after (days 7, 21, 28) dental correction. The results of the leading mandibular tracking marker, located at the caudal edge of the inter-mandibular suture, were compared statistically. Reproducibility of measurements prior to dental treatment was excellent (P<0.05). Rostrocaudal mandibular motion was ...
Levine JM, Scrivani PV, Divers TJ, Furr M, Mayhew IJ, Reed S, Levine GJ, Foreman JH, Boudreau C, Credille BC, Tennent-Brown B, Cohen ND.To compare signalment of horses with cervical vertebral malformation-malarticulation (CVM) with that of control horses and to describe results of clinical examination, diagnostic imaging and necropsy findings, and reported outcome in horses with CVM. Methods: Retrospective case-control study. Methods: 270 horses with CVM and 608 control horses admitted to 6 veterinary hospitals from 1992 through 2007. Methods: Medical records of participating hospitals were reviewed to identify horses with CVM (ie, case horses) and contemporaneous control (non-CVM-affected) horses that were admitted for treatm...
Govaere J, Maes S, Saey V, Blancke W, Hoogewijs M, Deschauwer C, Smits K, Roels K, Vercauteren G, de Kruif A.This paper describes a case of uterine fibrosarcoma in an 18-year-old Warmblood mare. The mare had exhibited bloody fluid accumulation inside the uterus and vaginal haemorrhagic discharge since the previous foaling. The mare was euthanized, and on pathological examination, in addition to the uterine neoplasia, multiple metastases were found in the lungs, liver and spleen. The histological and immunohistochemical examination determined that the tumour was a fibrosarcoma. To our knowledge, this is the first paper to describe a uterine fibrosarcoma in a mare.
Hauspie S, Martens A, Declercq J, Busoni V, Vanderperren K, van Bree H, Saunders JH.To describe the radiographic appearance of the dorsoproximal aspect of the sagittal ridge of the third metacarpal/metatarsal bone in Warmblood horses. Methods: The lateromedial radiographic projections of the metacarpo-/metatarsophalangeal joints performed on horses as a part of stallion selection were used. The dorsal aspect of the distal third metacarpal/metatarsal bone was divided in two areas. The appearance of the bone surface in area I was classified as normal, irregular, notch, indentation and lucency. For area II, the categories were normal, irregular, depression or lucency and flatten...
Sinding MF, Berg LC.The aetiological factors behind impinged or overriding of dorsal spinous processes ('kissing spine syndrome', KSS) are not clearly understood. Back conformation, breed, age, training and gender may play important roles in this condition. Radiographic changes vary and abnormalities are seen in many clinically normal horses, but the conclusion of previous studies in mature horses is that interspinous spaces <4 mm are considered too narrow and potentially indicative of KSS. Objective: To evaluate whether narrowing of the interspinous space was present in a population of normal Warmblood foals....
Kearney CM, van Weeren PR, Cornelissen BP, den Boon P, Brama PA.The flexion test is used routinely as part of lameness and prepurchase examinations. However, little is known about the mechanisms that cause a positive response to a flexion test. Objective: To determine which anatomical regions play a role in a positive outcome of a flexion test of the distal aspect of a forelimb in a nonlame horse. Methods: Eight clinically sound Dutch Warmblood horses were subjected to a standardised flexion test (force 250 N, time 60 s) inducing a consistent lameness. To discriminate between different areas of the distal aspect of a forelimb, effects of various nerve bloc...
van Heel MC, van Dierendonck MC, Kroekenstoel AM, Back W.Foot stance in grazing significantly influences hoof conformation and development from foal to yearling age. Objective: To conduct a longitudinal study to establish if the relationship between motor laterality and uneven front feet persisted in 3-year-old horses at the time of studbook selection and to investigate if such laterality and unevenness might influence the horses' ability to perform symmetrically while trotting, cantering and free jumping. Methods: Seventeen clinically sound but untrained (with only minimal experience of handling) and sound Warmblood horses that had participated in ...
Schmidt A, Aurich J, Möstl E, Müller J, Aurich C.Based on cortisol release, a variety of situations to which domestic horses are exposed have been classified as stressors but studies on the stress during equestrian training are limited. In the present study, Warmblood stallions (n=9) and mares (n=7) were followed through a 9 respective 12-week initial training program in order to determine potentially stressful training steps. Salivary cortisol concentrations, beat-to-beat (RR) interval and heart rate variability (HRV) were determined. The HRV variables standard deviation of the RR interval (SDRR), RMSSD (root mean square of successive RR di...
Schefer KD, Bitschnau C, Weishaupt MA, Schwarzwald CC.Stress echocardiography is used to diagnose myocardial dysfunction in horses, but current methods are not well standardized. The influence of heart rate (HR) on measurements is largely unknown. Objective: To investigate the use of 2-dimensional echocardiography (2DE), anatomical M-mode (AMM), tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and 2D speckle tracking (2DST) at rest and after exercise for quantification of regional and global left-ventricular (LV) function. Methods: Five athletic Warmblood horses; 11.6+/-3.6 years; 529+/-48 kg. Methods: Prospective study. Three separate echocardiographic examination...
Johnson EB, Mackay RJ, Hernandez JA.OBJECTIVE-To estimate prevalence of and identify factors associated with anhidrosis in horses in Florida. Design-Cross-sectional study and case-control study. ANIMALS-4,620 horses on 500 farms. PROCEDURES-A questionnaire was structured and mailed to farm owners or managers to obtain information related to diagnosis of anhidrosis in horses and exposure factors associated with this condition. The frequency of investigated farm- and animal-level factors was compared between farms and horses affected and not affected with anhidrosis, respectively. RESULTS-The prevalence of anhidrosis was 11% at th...
Viklund A, Braam A, Näsholm A, Strandberg E, Philipsson J.For many years, the breeding value estimation for Swedish riding horses has been based on results from Riding Horse Quality Tests (RHQTs) of 4-year-olds only. Traits tested are conformation, gaits and jumping ability. An integrated index including competition results is under development to both get as reliable proofs as possible and increases the credibility of the indexes among breeders, trainers and riders. The objectives of this study were to investigate the suitability of competition data for use in genetic evaluations of horses and to examine how well young horse performance agrees with ...
Parker RA, Bladon BM, McGovern K, Smith KC.To describe and discuss previously unreported complications associated with intraosseous perfusion with gentamicin in horses. Methods: Case report. Methods: Ten-year-old Warmblood gelding. Methods: Intraosseous perfusion with gentamicin into the proximal phalanx (P1) was used as part of the treatment regimen for distal interphalangeal joint and navicular bursa synovial sepsis. Although the sepsis responded favorably complications developed at the perfusion site, including persistent osteomyelitis, progressive osteonecrosis, and ultimately pathologic fracture of P1. Results: The progression of ...
Niedermaier G, Poth T, Gehlen H.Two warmblood horses with a history of chronic weight loss and inappetence were referred to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Germany, for further examination. The clinical signs in horse 1 were fever, tachycardia and tachypnoea, and chronic ulcerative keratopathy of both eyes. Horse 2 had severe oral ulcerations and was coughing during feeding. In both horses, increased bronchovesicular sounds were heard during auscultation of the lungs. Laboratory findings included mild anaemia, lymphopenia and hypoalbuminaemia. Radiographic examination of the thora...
Rüfenacht S, Straub R, Steinmann B, Winand N, Bidaut A, Stoffel MH, Gerber V, Wyder M, Müller E, Roosje PJ.Hereditary equine dermal asthenia (HERDA) is an autosomal recessive skin disease that affects predominantly Quarter Horses and related breeds. Typical symptoms are easy bruising and hyperextensible skin on the back. The prognosis is guarded, as affected horses cannot be ridden normally and are often euthanised. In the Quarter Horse, HERDA is associated with a mutation in cyclophilin B (PPIB), an enzyme involved in triple helix formation of collagen. Here we describe the case of a Swiss Warmblood filly with symptoms of HERDA without PPIB-mutation and in which we also could exclude Ehlers-Danlos...
Laumen E, Doherr MG, Gerber V.The horse owner assessed respiratory signs index (HOARSI-1-4, healthy, mildly, moderately and severely affected, respectively) is based on owner-reported clinical history and has been used for the investigation of recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) genetics utilising large sample sizes. Reliable phenotype identification is of paramount importance in genetic studies. Owner reports of respiratory signs have shown good repeatability, but the agreement of HOARSI with an in-depth examination of the lower respiratory tract has not been investigated. Objective: To determine the correlation of HOARSI ...
Alberghina D, Giannetto C, Visser EK, Ellis AD.Concentrations of tryptophan (TRP) and serotonin (5-HT) in plasma were measured in 36 moderately trained Dutch warmblood horses after eight weeks on a high fibre (n=18) or high starch (n=18) diet. Samples were taken three hours after feeding, when the horse was at rest, either at 11.00 or 14.00 hours. Plasma 5-HT and pH were significantly higher in horses fed a high fibre diet than those fed a high starch diet (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively), and significantly higher levels of TRP were found in mares than geldings (P<0.05). Plasma 5-HT may therefore be a good marker of serotonergic activity....
The Journal of heredityNovember 25, 2009
Volume 101, Issue 2 246-250 doi: 10.1093/jhered/esp091
Mittmann EH, Lampe V, Mömke S, Zeitz A, Distl O.The availability of a high-quality draft sequence of the horse makes known the physical location of microsatellites. The aim of the present study was to establish a highly polymorphic minimal screening set of microsatellite markers for horses (MSSH) annotated on the horse genome assembly EquCab2.0. We have used the previously reported linkage and radiation hybrid maps and have extended these marker sets by filling in gaps as noted from annotation on the horse sequence. This MSSH covers all autosomes and the X chromosome with 322 evenly spaced microsatellites whose positions were determined on ...
IJzer J, van den Ingh TS.A 15-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare presented with respiratory distress and anorexia. Clinical examination revealed liquothorax and an abdominal mass. At necropsy, an infiltrating tumour was found in the visceral trunk, continuing through the diaphragm into the mediastinum. Histopathology, immunohistochemistry and electronmicroscopy showed empty channels lined by atypical endothelial cells, and neoplastic cells in a disorganized pattern, consistent with the diagnosis of a lymphangiosarcoma.
Gasthuys F, Parmentier D, Goossens L, De Moor A.Romifidine (STH 2130-Cl or Sedivet) is an alpha 2-agonistic imino-imidazol sedative for intravenous use in horses recently developed by Boehringer Ingelheim, Vetmedica GmbH. An exploratory study was done in nine warm-blood horses, randomly divided into three groups, which received different dosages of romifidine (0.04, 0.08 and 0.12 mg/kg of body weight (BWT) intravenously (i.v.)) with at least one week's interval between tests. Romifidine induced a marked bradycardia accompanied by second degree atrioventricular (AV) block and some sinus blocks at all tested dosages. A placebo (NaCl 0.9% i.v....
Gehlen H, Bildheim LM.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-...
van Weeren PR, van den Bogert AJ, Barneveld A.Displacement of skin over the underlying skeletal structures in the proximal parts of the limbs was investigated in four walking Dutch Warmblood horses. Movement of the skin was visualised with self adhesive spot labels whereas that of the skeletal parts was visualised indirectly by means of a plastic strip connected to a transcutaneous Steinmann pin, driven into the bone of interest. Consistent results for all four horses were found. Individual and mean total displacements ranged from 1 to 4 cm (distal scapula) to 13 to 17 cm (caudal part of the greater trochanter of the femur). Displacements...
Jaqueth AL, Turner TR, Iwaniuk ME, McIntosh BJ, Burk AO.Warm season wear-tolerant turfgrasses, such as those used on golf courses and athletic fields, may be valuable forages on equine operations because of their potential to remain viable during heavy hoof traffic. Crabgrass may also be suitable as it thrives in conditions where other grasses have limited success. The objective of this study was to assess the relative traffic tolerance and nutritional composition of five warm-season (WS) turfgrass cultivars of bermudagrass and zoysiagrass and one WS forage-type crabgrass. All cultivars were established by seed in replicated monoculture plots. Simu...
Escribano BM, Castejón FM, Vivo R, Agüera S, Agüera EI, Rubio MD.The aim of the present paper was: (1) to find out if there were any differences in the nonspecific immunological pattern of peripheral blood neutrophil between two breeds of horses (AA and SA); (2) to evaluate the effects of an exercise in the aerobic-anaerobic threshold. This has been observed in a group of 11 untrained horses (6 SA and 5 AA) of 2.5 years old. No statistically significant differences were found in the different stages of immune response between the rest and immediately after physical exercise to two breeds. However, the chemotaxis was significant higher at rest in the AA than...
Wijnberg ID, Franssen H, van der Kolk JH.To determine the influence of age on results of quantitative analysis of electromyographic (EMG) needle examination in the subclavian, triceps, and lateral vastus muscles of Dutch Warmblood horses. Methods: 7 healthy young Dutch Warmblood horses (range, 13 to 18 months old), 7 healthy adult Dutch Warmblood horses (range, 4 to 10 years old), and 7 healthy elderly Dutch Warmblood horses (range, 18 to 21 years old). Methods: An EMG needle examination was performed to evaluate insertional activity, spontaneous activity, and motor unit action potential (MUAP) variables. Although all horses were con...
Rijkenhuizen AB, Németh F, Dik KJ, Goedegebuure SA.A macroscopical, arteriographical and histological study was made of the arterial supply of the navicular bones of horses with clinical and/or radiographic signs of navicular disease. Based on the clinical and radiological findings the navicular bones of 40 Warmblood horses are divided into four different groups. In the pattern of the arteriogram obvious changes are noticed: an imbalance and a distal to proximal shift between the distal and proximal arterial supply occur, indicating a reduction of the distal blood supply with a compensatory reaction of the proximal, medial and lateral supply. ...
Stadler P, Deegen E, Kroker K.Echocardiographic evaluation of 45 horses (43 warm-blooded horses, one Thoroughbred and one Standardbred) with atrial fibrillation was performed, using M-mode, B-mode and pulsed-wave Doppler echocardiography. Seventeen (38%) of these horses had a history of poor performance. An increase of left ventricular shortening fraction was found in 25 horses (56%). Atrial dilatation was seen in 37 horses (82%). Eight horses (18%) had normal atrial dimensions. In nine horses only left atrium and in six horses only right atrium was enlarged. In the other 22 horses both atria were dilated. Correlation was ...
Blazyczek I, Hamann H, Deegen E, Distl O, Ohnesorge B.Between 1994 and 2001, guttural pouch tympany was diagnosed in 51 foals; there were approximately three times as many fillies as colts, of Arabian, different German warmblood breeds and Western horse breeds. There were significantly more Arabian and paint horse foals than expected in comparison with the breed distribution of the foals hospitalised at the Clinic for Horses. The foals' breed and sex did not influence the age of onset, the type and severity of the clinical signs or the recurrence rate. A surgical laser technique was used on 50 of the foals; in 35 cases only one surgical treatment...
Parlevliet JM, Kemp B, Colenbrander B.The semen characteristics and testicular size of 398 3-year-old maiden Dutch Warmblood stallions were studied during February and March. Mean values (+/- SD) of age (1030 +/- 88 days) and testicular size (9.8 +/- 0.9 cm) of the maiden stallions were determined as well as the following semen characteristics (mean of two ejaculates, taken 1 h apart): volume (65 +/- 26 ml), sperm concentration (2.061 +/- 1.685 x 10(8) ml-1), total number of spermatozoa (1.129 +/- 0.71 x 10(10)), percentage of progressively motile spermatozoa (68 +/- 9%), percentage of live spermatozoa with normal morphology (66 +...
Eisersiö M, Byström A, Yngvesson J, Baragli P, Lanata A, Egenvall A.When a rider maintains contact on the reins, rein tension will vary continuously in synchronicity with the horse's gait and stride. This continuous variation makes it difficult to isolate the rein tension variations that represent a rein tension signal, complicating interpretation of rein tension data from the perspective of horse-rider interaction. This study investigated (1) the characteristics of a rein tension signal and (2) horse response to a rein tension signal for backing, comparing pressure applied by a bit (bridle), or by a noseband (halter). Twenty Warmblood horses (10 young, 10 adu...
Parlevliet JM, Colenbrander B.In the selection procedure to acquire a breeding licence, 3-year-old Dutch Warmblood stallions have to undergo a breeding soundness test It is questioned whether this evaluation is predictive of the stallion's fertility results in the first breeding season. Therefore, semen parameters at the beginning of their first breeding season were evaluated and correlated to nonreturn at first cycle and foaling rate of mares bred by stallions (n = 13). The total number of mares inseminated with chilled semen from those stallions was 1055. Semen parameters were recorded on 2 ejaculates, collected 1 h apar...
Johnson EB, Mackay RJ, Hernandez JA.OBJECTIVE-To estimate prevalence of and identify factors associated with anhidrosis in horses in Florida. Design-Cross-sectional study and case-control study. ANIMALS-4,620 horses on 500 farms. PROCEDURES-A questionnaire was structured and mailed to farm owners or managers to obtain information related to diagnosis of anhidrosis in horses and exposure factors associated with this condition. The frequency of investigated farm- and animal-level factors was compared between farms and horses affected and not affected with anhidrosis, respectively. RESULTS-The prevalence of anhidrosis was 11% at th...
Ambrisko TD, Lammer V, Schramel JP, Moens YP.A spirometry device equipped with mainstream CO2 flow sensor is not available for large animal anaesthesia. Objective: To measure the resistance of a new large animal spirometry device and assess its agreement with reference methods for volume measurements. Methods: In vitro experiment and crossover study using anaesthetised horses. Methods: A flow partitioning device (FPD) equipped with 4 human CO2 flow sensors was tested. Pressure differences were measured across the whole FPD and across each sensor separately using air flows (range: 90-720 l/min). One sensor was connected to a spirometry ...
Diesterbeck US, Hertsch B, Distl O.The aim of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for pathologic changes in the navicular bone in Hanoverian warmblood horses. Seventeen paternal half-sib groups comprising 192 individuals were analyzed in a whole-genome scan. These families included 144 progeny and grandchildren, which were randomly chosen from the Hanoverian warmblood. Three different traits were considered: deformed canales sesamoidales and radiographic changes in the contour and in the structure of the navicular bone. The genome scan included in total 214 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers. The pu...
Stock KF, Distl O.To determine whether selection schemes accounting for orthopedic health traits were compatible with breeding progress in performance parameters in Hanoverian Warmblood horses. Methods: 5,928 horses. Methods: Relative breeding values (RBVs) were predicted for osseous fragments in fetlock (metacarpo- and metatarsophalangeal) and tarsal joints, deforming arthropathy in tarsal joints, and pathologic changes in distal sesamoid bones. Selection schemes were developed on the basis of total indices for radiographic findings (TIR), dressage (TID), and jumping (TIJ). Response to selection was traced ove...
Lauper M, Gerber V, Ramseyer A, Burger D, Lüth A, Koch C, Dolf G.There is a lack of evidence regarding genetic parameters of health traits in Swiss Warmblood horses. Objective: To estimate heritabilities of equine sarcoid disease, horn quality of hooves, prognathism and increased filling of talocrural joints as a possible indicator for osteochondrosis in Swiss Warmblood horses examined at the field tests for 3-year-olds between 2005 and 2013. Methods: Retrospective analysis of breed society database. Methods: Swiss Warmblood horses were examined clinically by 13 veterinarians at field tests in Switzerland between 2005 and 2013. The presence of sarcoids, hor...
Sandersen CF, Detilleux J, de Moffarts B, Van Loon G, Amory H.The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of combined atropine low-dose dobutamine stress test on left ventricular parameters in adult warmblood horses, to establish a potential protocol for pharmacological stress echocardiography. Seven healthy untrained warmblood horses aged 9 to 22 years were used. Heart rate (HR) and left ventricular B- and M-mode dimensions were recorded at baseline and during stress testing with 35 microg/kg atropine IV followed by incremental dobutamine infusion of 2 to 6 microg/kg/min. HR increased significantly (P < .05) during the pharmacological challen...
Próchniak T, Kasperek K, Knaga S, Rozempolska-Rucińska I, Batkowska J, Drabik K, Ziȩba G.The aim of the study was to characterize the population structure and assess the genetic diversity of warmblood horses used in the show jumping discipline. Pedigree data of 1,048 horses participating in the Polish Championships for Young Horses were analyzed. The pedigree of these animals included 12 863 individuals. The study consisted in analysis of the pedigree structure of the horses and characterization of the homozygosity and genetic diversity in the population. It was found that pedigree completeness and depth were sufficient for reliable assessment of the genetic diversity in the analy...
Nagel C, Aurich J, Palm F, Aurich C.Heart rate (HR) is an important parameter of fetal well-being. In horses, HR and heart rate variability (HRV) can be determined by fetomaternal electrocardiography (ECG) from mid-pregnancy to foaling. Normal values for physiological parameters in larger breeds are often used as reference values in ponies. However, HR increases with decreasing size of the animal and in ponies is higher than in warmblood horses. It is not known if fetal HR is affected by breed and if values obtained in larger breeds can be used to assess Shetland fetuses. We have determined fetomaternal beat-to-beat (RR) interva...
Hopster K, Neudeck S, Wittenberg-Voges L, Kästner SB.To compare alteration in intestinal blood flow in anaesthetized horses with changes in oral mucosa blood flow. Methods: Prospective, randomized clinical study. Methods: Eight warmblood horses. Methods: After induction with guaifenesin and ketamine, anaesthesia was maintained with isoflurane at 1.5 vol% in oxygen. The tissue blood flow was measured using laser Doppler flowmetry at the jejunum, colon, rectal mucosa, oesophageal mucosa and the oral mucosa. After three baseline measurements, blood flow was first increased by dobutamine infusion and thereafter decreased by increasing isoflurane con...
Larsdotter S, Ley C, Pringle J.An 8-month-old Arabian-warmblood cross colt was evaluated for overt hematuria. The horse was severely anemic on presentation. A unilateral intrarenal vascular anomaly with unilateral pyelonephritis was diagnosed. Nephrectomy was attempted but was unsuccessful, and postmortem examination demonstrated the presence of an intrarenal pseudoaneurysm. Un poulain arabe de race croisée âgé de 8 mois a été évalué pour une hématurie patente. Le cheval était gravement anémique à la présentation. Une anomalie vasculaire unilatérale intrarénale avec une pyélonéphrite unilatérale a été di...
Parker RA, Bladon BM, McGovern K, Smith KC.To describe and discuss previously unreported complications associated with intraosseous perfusion with gentamicin in horses. Methods: Case report. Methods: Ten-year-old Warmblood gelding. Methods: Intraosseous perfusion with gentamicin into the proximal phalanx (P1) was used as part of the treatment regimen for distal interphalangeal joint and navicular bursa synovial sepsis. Although the sepsis responded favorably complications developed at the perfusion site, including persistent osteomyelitis, progressive osteonecrosis, and ultimately pathologic fracture of P1. Results: The progression of ...
Boegli J, Schwarzwald CC, Mitchell KJ.Noninvasive blood pressures (NIBP) and pulse pressures (PP) have not been published in horses with aortic and mitral regurgitation (AR or MR). Objective: To investigate NIBP and PP in healthy Warmblood horses and horses with AR and MR and propose PP cutoffs to identify and stage AR severity. Methods: Seventy-three Warmblood horses (healthy, 10; AR, 31; MR, 32). Methods: Retrospective study. All horses had NIBP and an echocardiogram recorded. Cases were categorized based on severity of regurgitation. Pulse pressures were compared among healthy, MR, and AR groups and among AR severity groups. Cu...
Kranenburg LC, Westermann CM, de Sain-van der Velden MG, de Graaf-Roelfsema E, Buyse J, Janssens GP, van den Broek J, van der Kolk JH.Insulin resistance in horses is an emerging field of interest as it is thought to be a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of many equine conditions. Objective: The objectives of the present study were to determine the effects of long-term oral administration of L-carnitine on insulin sensitivity, glucose disposal, plasma leptin concentrations and acylcarnitine spectrum both in plasma and urine. Methods: Six 3-year-old healthy warmblood geldings were used. In a double blind 2 × 2 Latin square design at a dosage of 100 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day for 28 days the effects of oral supplementat...
Farinelli F, de Rezende ASC, Fonseca MG, Lana ÂMQ, Leme FOP, Klein BON, Silva RHP, de Abreu AP, Damazio MJ, Melo MM.The Horse Agribusiness Complex is an important activity in the Brazilian agricultural sector. Mangalarga Marchador (MM) is the most numerous breed of horses in Brazil and its temperament and gait characteristics (4-beat stepping gait) allow for the constant growth of the breed and the performance of vs. equestrian activities. The training management currently adopted with MM horses is based on empiricism, and scientific support is necessary to improve the well-being of horses in competitions and maintain the physical integrity of these athletes. Therefore, this study aimed to verify the effect...
Dik KJ, van den Belt AJ, van den Broek J.Estimating the shape of the proximal articular border of the navicular bone and grading the radiological navicular bone condition (grades 3 and 4 representing the most severe changes), the aim of this study was to assess potential age-related implications of the previously reported shape predisposition to navicular disease in 746 normal and 174 clinically affected Dutch Warmbloods age 3-19 years. A significant, age-independent, shape-grade association found in normal and affected horses emphasises the fundamental character of the shape predisposition to navicular disease. A significant age-rel...
De Lange L, Vernemmen I, van Loon G, Decloedt A.The ductus arteriosus (DA) and foramen ovale (FO), including the septum primum (SP) and septum secundum (SS), are important structures in fetal circulation and are unexplored in neonatal equids. The objective of this study is to describe echocardiographic characteristics in a hospital-based population of neonatal foals. On days 2, 5 and 10 after parturition, cardiac ultrasound was performed, and clinical data were collected in healthy and diseased Warmblood foals. Fifty healthy ( = 15) and diseased ( = 35) Warmblood foals were examined. A left-sided and right-sided holosystolic murmur was audi...
Exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER) and its familial basis in Warmblood horses is incompletely understood. Objective: To describe the case details, clinical signs and management of ER-affected Warmblood horses from a family with a high prevalence of ER, to determine if histopathological signs of polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) and the glycogen synthase (GYS1) mutation are associated with ER in this family, and to investigate potential risk factors for development of ER. Methods: A family consisting of a sire with ER and 71 of his descendants was investigated. History of episodes of ER, husba...
