Young horses are generally defined as those under five years of age, transitioning from foals to adults. Research in this area examines the study of equine development, behavior, and health across different life stages. This includes the physiological and anatomical changes that occur as horses mature from foals into adults. Additionally, understanding behavioral aspects such as socialization, learning, and adaptation to training is key to this field. This page gathers peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the developmental processes, health considerations, and management practices relevant to young horses and their transition into adulthood.
Punzón E, García-Castillo M, Rico MA, Padilla L, Pradera A.Mesenchymal stem cells are multipotent cells with a wide range of therapeutic applications, including, among others, tissue regeneration. This work aims to test the safety (EUC-MSC) of intra-articular administration of equine umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells in young healthy dogs under field conditions following single and repeated administration. This was compared with the safety profile of allogenic canine adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (CAD-MSC) and placebo in order to define the safety of xenogeneic use of mesenchymal stem cells when administered intra-articular. Twenty-four p...
Sloan PB, White B, Santschi EM.Osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) is common in the femoropatellar joint in Thoroughbred yearlings for sale at auction and there is no consensus on the effect on racing outcomes. Objective: Describe femoropatellar OCD in juvenile Thoroughbreds and compare the racing performance of affected Thoroughbred horses to siblings and unaffected horses from the same sale. Methods: Retrospective case-control study of juvenile horses born 2010-2016. Methods: Radiographic reports from 27 Thoroughbred auctions of weanling (5-11 months of age) and yearling (12-22 months of age) horses were reviewed to ident...
Arfuso F, Piccione G, Guttadauro A, Monteverde V, Giudice E, Giannetto C.Inflammaging or chronic, low-grade inflammation is a phenomenon characterizing age-related pathologies and natural processes in aging tissues. This study aimed to investigate the effect of age on the serum levels of C-reactive protein and protein electrophoretic pattern in horses. Thirty Italian Saddle horses from the same horse training center, were enrolled and divided in three equal groups according to their age: Group A (2-4 years), Group B (7-10 years), Group C (15-20 years). Blood samples were collected from each horse to evaluate hematological parameters and the serum concentration of C...
Moshage SG, McCoy AM, Kersh ME.Density-modulus relationships are necessary to develop finite element models of bones that may be used to evaluate local tissue response to different physical activities. It is unknown if juvenile equine trabecular bone may be described by the same density-modulus as adult equine bone, and how the density-modulus relationship varies with anatomical location and loading direction. To answer these questions, trabecular bone cores from the third metacarpal (MC3) and proximal phalanx (P1) bones of juvenile horses (age <1 yr) were machined in the longitudinal (n = 134) and transverse (n ...
Kawahisa-Piquini G, Bass L, Pezzanite LM, Moorman VJ.The role of hoof morphology is increasingly recognized as a factor associated with lameness incidence in performance horses. The primary objective was to evaluate effect of training initiation on hoof unevenness in Quarter Horses (n = 42; 29 2-year-olds, 13 3-year-olds) over 6-months (m) in training (m0, m2, m4, and m6). Horses were objectively assessed for lameness (inertial sensor system) and photographs and radiographs of feet were taken. Hoof measurements were taken (palmar/plantar angles, frog base width/length, toe length/angle, heel length/angle, heel/foot width, wall height/angle), a...
Zetterberg E, Leclercq A, Persson-Sjodin E, Lundblad J, Haubro Andersen P, Hernlund E, Rhodin M.Many horses, just before and during their athletic career, show vertical movement asymmetries, to the same degree as clinically lame horses. It is unknown whether these asymmetries are caused by pain or have alternative explanations, such as inherent biological variation. In the latter case, movement asymmetries would be expected to be present at a very young age. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of movement asymmetries in foals. Motion analysis, using an inertial measurement unit-based system (Equinosis), was performed on 54 foals (31 Swedish Warmbloods, 23 Standardbreds) during...
Pressanto MC, Pepe M, Coomer RPC, Pilati N, Beccati F.The purpose of this prospective study was to investigate the prevalence and severity of radiographic abnormalities of the interspinous spaces (ISSs) in the thoracolumbar vertebral column of unbroken yearlings and to compare these findings with a group of older trained Thoroughbred horses without perceived back pain. Yearlings (n = 47) and trained horses (55); 102 total. Each horse underwent a digital radiographic study of the thoracolumbar vertebral column (T7-L3) and each space graded for narrowing of the ISSs, increased opacity, radiolucency, and modeling of the cranial and caudal margins of...
Adepu S, Lord M, Hugoh Z, Nyström S, Mattsson-Hulten L, Abrahamsson-Aurell K, Lützelschwab C, Skiöldebrand E.We aimed to delineate a novel soluble Biglycan Neo-epitope-BGN262 in saliva from young reference and osteoarthritic horses in conjunction with the influence of short-term training exercise, riding surface hardness, circadian rhythm, and feeding on its soluble levels. Unassigned: A custom-made inhibition ELISA was used for the quantification of BGN262 in saliva. Cohort 1: A cross-sectional study comprising reference (N = 19) and OA horses (N = 9) with radiographically classified subchondral bone sclerosis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to evaluat...
Nazari-Ghadikolaei A, Fikse F, Gelinder Viklund Å, Eriksson S.Assessment protocols to describe the various aspects of conformation, gait and jumping traits on a linear scale were introduced at young horse tests for Swedish Warmblood horses in 2013. The traits scored on a linear scale are assumed to be less subjective and more easily compared across populations than the traditional evaluated traits that are scored relative to the breeding goal. However, the resulting number of traits is considerable, and several of the traits are correlated. The aim of this study was to investigate the interrelationship between the different evaluated and linearly scored ...
Siegers E, van Wijk E, van den Broek J, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan M, Munsters C.Friesian stallions have to complete a 10-week studbook approval test (70-day test) consisting of dressage and driving training for acceptance as a breeding stallion. Training response of the horses to this approval program was evaluated. External workload (EW) of 16 stallions (3.2 ± 0.4 years old) was registered during the 9 weeks preceding the 70-day test (preparation period) and during 70-day test. Ridden indoor standardized exercise tests (SET), measuring heart rate (HR) and plasma lactate concentration (LA) at walk, trot and canter, were performed in week 1 (SET-I), 6 (SET-II) and 10 (SET...
Siegers E, van den Broek J, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan M, Munsters C.Young Friesian stallions have to complete a 10-week training program (70-day test) for acceptance as a breeding stallion. Part one of this study showed that the 70-day test was too intense and led to reduced fitness. In the present (part two) study, the effects of an adapted training program were studied. Training frequency and minutes of cantering per week were lowered compared with part one. The external workload (EW) of sixteen stallions (3.4 ± 0.8 years) was monitored during the 6-weeks before testing (preparation period) as well as during the 70-day test. Standardized exercise tests (SET...
Staniszewska M, Kowalik S, Sadok I, Kędzierski W.Catabolism of tryptophan (Trp) is modulated by physical activity and provides a pool of active compounds: Trp is considered a calmative agent, kynurenine (Kyn) and 3-hydroxykynurenine (3-HKyn) show neurotoxic effects, kynurenic acid (Kyna) and xanthurenic acid (XA) have neuroprotective properties like nicotinamide (NAm), while serotonin is the neurotransmitter. The study was conducted to investigate the dependence of exercise intensity, measured by plasma lactic acid (LA) concentration, on the level of Trp, its catabolites (serotonin, Kyn, 3-HKyn, Kyna and XA), and NAm in Thoroughbred horses. ...
Poradowski D, Chrószcz A.The study consisted of the immunohistochemical analysis of fundic and pyloric mucosa in the equine stomach between the 4th and 11th month of gestation. The accessible material was classified into three age groups using the CRL method. The adult reference group was used to define potential differences between foetal and adult populations of gastric APUD cells. The samples were preserved, prepared, and stained according to the standard protocols. The immunohistochemical reaction was assessed using the semi-quantitative IRS method. The results were documented and statistically analysed. The most ...
Kimura R, Borankulova S, Maratbek SZ.This study aimed to evaluate the effect of differences in trainer skills on horse training during the early stages of riding habituation by measuring the levels of stress and changes in stress levels. Among nine untrained horses employed, five in Group A were trained by two low-skilled trainers, whereas the remaining four in Group B were trained by two high-skilled trainers using the traditional Kazakh method. Salivary α-amylase concentration was measured as a biomarker of stress immediately before and after each riding session during the training period. In the duration of riding and mooring...
Edwards VL, Loux S, Embertson R.Juvenile Thoroughbreds can be expensive to raise and train to race. Part of the economic return in these juveniles are the weanling, yearling and 2-year-old in training sales at which major surgeries must be declared. Objective: To determine if surgically corrected large colon displacements were associated with a reduction of sales price and racing performance. We hypothesised that the surgery would be associated with a reduced sales price but would not be associated with a reduction in race earnings or starts. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: The medical, sales and racing records...
Coelho CS, Silva ASBA, Santos CMR, Santos AMR, Vintem CMBL, Leite AG, Fonseca JMC, Prazeres JMCS, Souza VRC, Siqueira RF, Manso Filho HC, Simões JSA.The purpose of this study was to investigate stressful responses during a 6-week training protocol in young Lusitano horses used for dressage. The hypothesis was that the proposed training protocol would improve fitness and ensure the welfare of the animals by reducing stress predictors. Nine 4-year-old horses were evaluated before (M1) and six weeks after (M2) beginning a training protocol. The training program was performed six times per week and included 40−80 min of individually intensity-adjusted preparatory exercises for dressage. For both moments, the horses were examined before (T0) ...
Soroko-Dubrovina M, Górniak W, Zielińska P, Górniak A, Čebulj-Kadunc N, Korczyński M.The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of shiitake mushroom () supplementation on the hematology and biochemical blood parameters of young Thoroughbred racehorses. The study was conducted with 20 horses divided into two groups: the supplemented and the control group. The supplemented group was given 30 g of daily for four months. One blood sample was collected four times from each horse at four-week intervals. The hematology analysis in the supplemented group showed a higher level of monocytes at day 56 when compared to the control group ( = 0.000986). Biochemical analysis showed th...
Rotavirus species A (RVA) is a pathogen mainly affecting children under five years old and young animals. The infection produces acute diarrhea in its hosts and, in intensively reared livestock animals, can cause severe economic losses. In this study, we analyzed all RVA genomic constellations described in animal hosts. This review included animal RVA strains in humans. We compiled detection methods, hosts, genotypes and complete genomes. RVA was described in 86 animal species, with 52% (45/86) described by serology, microscopy or the hybridization method; however, strain sequences were not de...
Hobbs SJ, Curtis S, Martin J, Sinclair J, Clayton HM.Conformation of the hooves and distal limbs of foals and factors influencing their morphological development have not been reported in detail for the Thoroughbred breed. In this paper we explore morphogenesis of the equine distal limb in Thoroughbred foals with emphasis on adaptations in response to weight bearing early in life that prepare the foal for an athletic career. Novel data from four studies are presented chronologically during key time periods to illustrate specific aspects of distal limb growth and adaptation. Dorsal epidermal thickness increased from 2.84 ± 0.41 mm in utero to 4....
Cain JL, Norris JK, Ripley NE, Suri P, Finnerty CA, Gravatte HS, Nielsen MK.Parasitic nematodes, including large roundworms colloquially known as ascarids, affect the health and well-being of livestock animals worldwide. The equine ascarids, Parascaris spp., are important parasites of juvenile horses and the first ascarids to develop widespread anthelmintic resistance. The microbiota has been shown to be an important factor in the fitness of many organisms, including parasitic nematodes, where endosymbiotic Wolbachia have been exploited for treatment of filariasis in humans. Methods: This study used short-read 16S rRNA sequences and Illumina sequencing to characterize...
Mowry KC, Thomson-Parker TL, Morales C, Fikes KK, Stutts KJ, Leatherwood JL, Anderson MJ, Smith RX, Suagee-Bedore JK.Rice bran oil and flaxseed oil contain omega-3 fatty acids with the potential to reduce post-exercise inflammation and muscle damage. This study measures plasma interleukin-1β and creatine kinase and fatty acid profiles in lightly worked, young horses (Equus caballus) undergoing an exercise test after 60 days (d) of oil consumption, where the oil replaced 25% of concentrate calories. Treatments consisted of CON (no oil), FLAX (flaxseed oil blend), and RICE (crude rice bran oil). Blood was collected pre-exercise, and again at 1 min, 30 min, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h post-IET. Data were analyzed by ...
Novotna A, Birovas A, Vostra-Vydrova H, Vesela Z, Vostry L.The aim of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters of a one-day performance test together with the linear type traits of 3-year-old warmblood horses. The study of genetic parameters was based on 5958 tested horses in the period 1998-2021. A total of 22 traits of linear description, three quantitatively measured traits, and one summary mark from the performance test were tested. The model equation included the fixed effect of gender and combination effects of classifier-year of evaluation-place. A single-trait animal model was used for the estimation of heritability and genetic varian...
Becker K, Lewczuk D.The application of commercial inertial measurement units has become popular in equestrian sports, which may help to eliminate a gap of knowledge concerning many aspects of biomechanics in training. This study employed the Seaver IMU system to measure jumping characteristics of horses with differing age-competition experience during regular training. It was hypothesized that experience level results in lower variability of jumping parameters. Twelve Warmblood horses aged 5 to 6 years with/without competition experience and 7 to 11 years with experience were investigated during regular training ...
Ishimaru M, Matsui A, Seki K, Korosue K, Akiyama K, Mizukami H, Yoshida T, Taya K.Changes in the body composition of 50 Thoroughbreds colts and fillies, born between 2004 and 2010, were compared between those reared at the Hidaka Training and Research Center (Hidaka), Hokkaido, which is extremely cold in winter, and those reared at the Miyazaki Yearling Training Farm (Miyazaki), Kyushu, which is mildly cold in winter. The horses were divided into two sex groups and reared and trained in Hidaka or Miyazaki for 7 months from October of one year of age to April of two years of age. Body weight (BW), rump fat thickness (RFT), fat-free mass (FFM), and percentage of fat (%F) were...
Lansade L, Lévy F, Parias C, Reigner F, Górecka-Bruzda A.Under natural conditions, foals stop nursing from their dam at approximately-9 months old, but their bond persists until 1.5-2.5 years of age. In contrast, in horse breeding, foals are generally artificially weaned and totally separated from their dam at 5-7 months. However, it is not known whether the bond between the dam and her foal is maintained after artificial weaning. The aim of this study was (1) to assess whether foals still recognise and prefer their dam over other familiar mares several months after weaning and (2) to evaluate whether the preference for the dam is more pronounce...
Mandal S, Denham MM, Spencer SJ, Denham J.Ageing causes a gradual deterioration of bodily functions and telomere degradation. Excessive telomere shortening leads to cellular senescence and decreases tissue vitality. Six proteins, called shelterin, protect telomere integrity and control telomere length through telomerase-dependent mechanisms. Exercise training appears to maintain telomeres in certain somatic cells, although the underlying molecular mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here, we examined the influence of a single bout of vigorous exercise training on leukocyte telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and shelterin gene...
Cain JL, Nielsen MK.The equine ascarids, Parascaris spp., are important nematode parasites of juvenile horses and were historically model organisms in the field of cell biology, leading to many important discoveries, and are used for the study of chromatin diminution. In veterinary parasitology, Parascaris spp. are important not only because they can cause clinical disease in young horses but also because they are the only ascarid parasites to have developed widespread anthelmintic resistance. Despite this, much of the general biology and mechanisms of anthelmintic resistance are poorly understood. This review co...
Kondo T, Sato F, Tsuzuki N, Yamada K.Cervical vertebral stenotic myelopathy (CVSM), a common cause of cervical spinal cord compression, is a neurological disease characterized by general proprioceptive ataxia and weakness of hindlimbs that tends to develop in young adult Thoroughbred horses. Although male horses seem to be at increased risk for CVSM, the mechanism for the occurrence of sex differences in the prevalence of CVSM is still poorly understood. Hence, we hypothesized that sex differences in the development of cervical spinal cord and spinal canal would affect the development of CVSM. This study aimed to evaluate sex dif...
Owen RN, Semanchik PL, Latham CM, Brennan KM, White-Springer SH.Maintenance of mitochondrial health, which is supported in part by dietary antioxidants such as selenium (Se) and vitamin E (vitE), is pertinent to optimizing athletic performance. Deficiencies in Se and vitE negatively impact muscle health but mitochondrial adaptations to various levels of dietary Se and vitE are poorly understood. Young Quarter Horses (mean ± SD: 17.6 ± 0.9 mo) undergoing submaximal exercise training were used to test the hypothesis that a proprietary antioxidant blend containing elevated Se yeast (EconomasE, Alltech, Inc., Nicholasville, KY) would improve mitochondrial ch...
Bonow S, Eriksson S, Thorén Hellsten E, Gelinder Viklund Å.In many European warmblood studbooks, clear specialization toward either jumping or dressage horses is evident. The Swedish Warmblood (SWB) is also undergoing such specialization, creating a possible need for separate breeding programs and a discipline-specific Young Horse Test (YHT). This study investigated how far specialization of the SWB breed has proceeded and the potential consequences. Individuals in a population of 122,054 SWB horses born between 1980 and 2020 were categorized according to pedigree as jumping (J), dressage (D), allround (AR), or thoroughbred (Th). Data on 8,713 J horse...
Nielsen MK, Pfister K, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G.Since the 1960s equine parasite control has relied heavily on frequent anthelmintic treatments often applied with frequent intervals year-round. However, increasing levels of anthelmintic resistance in cyathostomins and Parascaris equorum are now forcing the equine industry to change to a more surveillance-based treatment approach to facilitate a reduction in treatment intensity. The principle of selective therapy has been implemented with success in small ruminant parasite control, and has also found use in horse populations. Typically, egg counts are performed from all individuals in the pop...
Fitzgerald BP, McManus CJ.The objectives of this study were to compare the timing and mechanisms controlling the onset of anestrus in young and mature mares treated either continuously with melatonin and in those that remained untreated. Changes in body weight, subcutaneous body fat measured to provide an estimate of total body fat, and circulating concentrations of leptin were compared throughout the 1-yr experimental period. The results demonstrate that in young mares the timing of anestrus occurs significantly earlier in the year than in mature mares and that mature mares are more likely to exhibit continuous reprod...
Nauwelaerts S, Malone SR, Clayton HM.This study used stabilographic analysis to measure and describe changes in stability during standing in foals from birth to 5 months of age. Stabilographic analysis was performed on newborn foals immediately after first suckling then daily until 1 week of age, weekly until 1 month of age and monthly until 5 months of age. Ground reaction force (GRF) data were collected for periods of 8s with the foal standing on one or two force plates recording at 1000 Hz. Stabilographic variables describing the amplitude, velocity and frequency of center of pressure (COP) movements were derived from the GRF ...
Holopainen JT, Brama PA, Halmesmäki E, Harjula T, Tuukkanen J, van Weeren PR, Helminen HJ, Hyttinen MM.The effects of growth and maturation on the mineral deposition and the collagen framework of equine subchondral bone (SCB) were studied. Methods: Osteochondral specimens (diameter 6 mm) from the left metacarpophalangeal joint of 5-(n=8), 11-(n=8) and 18-month-old (n=6) horses were investigated at two differently loaded sites (Site 1 (S1): intermittent peak loading; Site 2 (S2): habitual loading). The SCB mineral density (BMD) was measured with peripheral quantitative computer tomography (pQCT), and the data were adjusted against the volume fraction (Vv) of the bone extracellular matrix (ECM). ...
Kasashima Y, Smith RK, Birch HL, Takahashi T, Kusano K, Goodship AE.Most skeletal tissues are thought to adapt to the mechanical environment they experience. While this has been demonstrated for muscle and bone, previous studies in the mature horse have failed to demonstrate adaptation in the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT), which suffers a high frequency of injury. This study tested the hypothesis that imposed exercise during growth would result in an increase in SDFT cross-sectional area (CSA). Fourteen Thoroughbred foals were divided into 2 sex-matched groups. A control group received 4 h pasture exercise and an exercise group had the same amount o...
Bailey CJ, Reid SW, Hodgson DR, Rose RJ.A prospective study of injuries and disease in a cohort of Australian thoroughbreds in training was conducted with the participation of 24 trainers. From the horses catalogued at a major yearling sale in 1995, 169 were enrolled in the study and followed through their two- and three-year-old racing seasons. The principal aim was to quantify the time lost in training as a result of the various categories of injuries and disease, recorded as either days of modified training, or weeks rested at pasture. Shin soreness was the most common condition in two-year-olds (affecting 42 per cent of the hors...
Young LE.Guided M-mode echocardiography was performed in seven 2-year-old Thoroughbreds before commencement of commercial flat-race training, and 18 weeks later, when all horses were either racing regularly (5 horses), or at racing fitness (2 horses). M-mode echocardiography was performed using a 2.5 MHz annular phased array ultrasound transducer and a Vingmed 800 Supervision echocardiograph. Images were obtained from the right hemithorax; a short axis view of the left ventricle (LV) at the level of the chordae tendinae was used to position the M-mode cursor. The following variables were measured: left...
Rørvang MV, Ahrendt LP, Christensen JW.Social animals should have plenty of opportunities to learn from conspecifics, but most studies have failed to document social learning in horses. This study investigates whether young Icelandic horses can learn a spatial detour task through observation of a trained demonstrator horse of either the same age (Experiments 1 and 2, n = 22) or older (Experiment 3, n = 24). Observer horses were allowed to observe the demonstrator being led three times through the detour route immediately before being given the opportunity to solve the task themselves. Controls were allowed only to observe the d...
Pagamjav O, Sakata T, Matsumura T, Yamaguchi T, Fukushi H.Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is a pathogen causing rhinopneumonia in young horses, abortion in mares, and myeloencephalitis in adult horses. Two types, EHV-1 P and EHV-1 B, have recently been dominant among 16 electropherotypes. EHV-1 P and EHV-1 B viruses were compared by long and accurate polymerase chain reaction (LA-PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Differences in restriction sites were found to be focused in ORF64, which encodes the infected cell protein 4 (ICP4), and downstream of the ICP4 gene. The 3 ' -end and downstream of ICP4 gene of EHV-1 B were fou...
Del Piero F.Equine viral arteritis (EVA) can cause prominent economic losses for the equine industry. The purpose of this review is to provide the pathologist some familiarity with the clinical history, lesions, pathogenesis, and diagnosis of EVA. EVA is caused by an arterivirus (equine arteritis virus, EAV), and the vascular system is the principal but not unique viral target. EVA has variable presentations, including interstitial pneumonia, panvasculitis with edema, thrombosis and hemorrhage, lymphoid necrosis, renal tubular necrosis, abortion, and inflammation of male accessory genital glands. EAV anti...
Ginés-Díaz A, Martínez-Romero MT, Cejudo A, Aparicio-Sarmiento A, Sainz de Baranda P.Previous research has analyzed how the sport influences sagittal spinal curvatures in young athletes and has found that spinal curves may be modified as a consequence of repeated movement patterns and postures of each discipline. Objective: To analyze sagittal spinal alignment by equestrian discipline and its relation to training load, and to describe "sagittal integrative morphotype" in young riders. Methods: Observational descriptive study. Methods: Training room. Methods: A total of 23 riders (aged 9-17 y)-13 dressage riders (3 males and 10 females) and 10 show jumping riders (5 males and ...
Firth EC, Rogers CW, van Weeren PR, Barneveld A, McIlwraith CW, Kawcak CE, Goodship AE, Smith RK.This study recorded the response to training of the diaphysis of the proximal phalangeal bone and the third metacarpal bone (Mc3) and the Mc3 proximal metaphysis. Nineteen 2- and 3-year old horses in training were exposed either to spontaneous exercise at pasture (PASTEX group) or additional imposed exercise (CONDEX group) from a very young age. Quantitative computed tomography scans were analysed for bone mineral content, size, bone mineral density, periosteal and endosteal circumference, cortical thickness and an estimate of bone strength. The bones of the CONDEX horses were bigger and stron...
Schuetz A, Farmer K, Krueger K.This study examines whether horses can learn by observing humans, given that they identify individual humans and orientate on the focus of human attention. We tested 24 horses aged between 3 and 12. Twelve horses were tested on whether they would learn to open a feeding apparatus by observing a familiar person. The other 12 were controls and received exactly the same experimental procedure, but without a demonstration of how to operate the apparatus. More horses from the group with demonstration (8/12) reached the learning criterion of opening the feeder twenty times consecutively than horses ...
Proops L, Rayner J, Taylor AM, McComb K.It has been suggested that the process of domestication, at least in some species, has led to an innate predisposition to be skilled at reading human communicative and attentional cues. Adult domestic horses (Equus caballus) are highly sensitive to subtle bodily cues when determining if a person is attending to them but they are less adept at using human communicative cues in object choice tasks. Here we provide the first study into the ontogeny of such skills in order to gain insights into the mechanisms underlying these abilities. Compared with adult horses, youngsters under the age of three...
Kane AJ, Park RD, McIlwraith CW, Rantanen NW, Morehead JP, Bramlage LR.Radiography in presale examinations of TB yearlings has become standard practice in recent years. Objective: To describe the prevalence and distribution of radiographic changes in the fetlocks, carpi, tarsi, stifles and fore feet of Thoroughbred yearlings in central Kentucky when these joints were examined as part of routine pre- and post sale evaluations. Methods: Horses subjected to radiographs included the fore (n = 1127) and hind (n = 1102) fetlocks, carpi (n = 1130), tarsi (n = 1101), stifles (n = 660) and fore feet (n = 300). Radiographic changes were categorised by location and type of ...
Fougerolle S, Fortier C, Legrand L, Jourdan M, Marcillaud-Pitel C, Pronost S, Paillot R.Every year, several epizooties of equine influenza (EI) are reported worldwide. However, no EI case has been identified in France between 2015 and late 2018, despite an effective field surveillance of the pathogen and the disease. Vaccination against equine influenza virus (EIV) remains to this day one of the most effective methods to prevent or limit EI outbreaks and the lack of detection of the pathogen could be linked to vaccination coverage. The aim of this study was to evaluate EI immunity and vaccine coverage in France through a large-scale serological study. A total of 3004 archived sur...
Bouwman FG, van Ginneken MM, Noben JP, Royackers E, de Graaf-Roelfsema E, Wijnberg ID, van der Kolk JH, Mariman EC, van Breda E.The major aim of the present study was to investigate the proteome of standardbred horses at different stages of training and intensified training. We searched for biomarkers using small skeletal muscle biopsies of live animals. 2D gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry were successfully applied to investigate training-induced differential expression of equine muscle biopsy proteins. Despite the poor resolution of the equine genome and proteome, we were able to identify the proteins of 20 differential spots representing 16 different proteins. Evaluation of those proteins complies with adapt...
Hare JE, Viel L.Horses are known to acquire small airway disease (SAD), an allergen-induced naturally occurring syndrome of reversible obstructive lung disease accompanied by airway hyperresponsiveness and increased inflammatory cell numbers on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). This disorder has received scant attention in young racehorses. The purpose of the present report was to examine the effect of BAL eosinophilia in young racehorses on clinical examination, BAL, hematology, airway responsiveness, and on pulmonary function at rest and after a standardized exercise challenge. Five (3 males, 2 females; age 2.6...
Oinas J, Ronkainen AP, Rieppo L, Finnilä MAJ, Iivarinen JT, van Weeren PR, Helminen HJ, Brama PAJ, Korhonen RK, Saarakkala S.Articular cartilage undergoes structural and biochemical changes during maturation, but the knowledge on how these changes relate to articular cartilage function at different stages of maturation is lacking. Equine articular cartilage samples of four different maturation levels (newborn, 5-month-old, 11-month-old and adult) were collected (N = 25). Biomechanical tensile testing, Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (FTIR-MS) and polarized light microscopy were used to study the tensile, biochemical and structural properties of articular cartilage, respectively. The tensile modulus ...
Newton JR, Wood JL.In an epidemiological study of risk factors for exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH) in young Thoroughbreds in the UK, in which 148 horses contributed 1614 horse-months of data, there were 64 (4%) episodes of endoscopically visible tracheal bleeding and 824 (51%) episodes of increased quantities of haemosiderophages in tracheal washes. There were increases in prevalence and risk of EIPH by both definitions with age from or = 4 years, season of sampling from winter (Nov-Jan) to autumn (Aug-Oct) and several different measures of airway inflammation, including tracheal mucus, neutrophil...
Christensen JW, Zharkikh TL, Antoine A, Malmkvist J.During riding, horses are frequently exposed to pressure from the rider, e.g. through the bit and reins, but few studies have investigated at which point rein tension becomes uncomfortable for the horse. Objective: To investigate how much rein tension young inexperienced horses are willing to accept in order to obtain a food reward; whether the tension acceptance changes during 3 consecutive test days; and whether rein tension correlates with the expression of conflict behaviour and heart rate. Objective: Pressure-naïve horses will apply only little rein tension in the first voluntary trial, ...
Matsumura T, O'Callaghan DJ, Kondo T, Kamada M.The virulence of the cell culture adapted KyA strain of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), which lacks at least six genes by deletions in its genome, was assessed by intranasal inoculation of six young horses that were serologically negative for EHV-1. No horses showed clinical signs, and a neutralizing antibody response against EHV-1 was detected in two horses which had antibodies against EHV-4 prior to the inoculation. A challenge experiment using a highly virulent strain of EHV-1 conducted 4 weeks later against 4 of the 6 horses inoculated intranasally with the KyA strain and 2 control hors...
Finno CJ, Higgins RJ, Aleman M, Ofri R, Hollingsworth SR, Bannasch DL, Reilly CM, Madigan JE.Equine degenerative myeloencephalopathy (EDM) is a neurodegenerative disorder that has been previously associated with low vitamin E concentrations. Objective: To describe the clinical, electrophysiologic, and pathologic features of EDM in a group of related Lusitano horses. Methods: Fifteen Lusitano horses. Methods: Neurologic examinations were conducted, and serum vitamin E concentrations were measured. Three neurologically abnormal horses were further evaluated by ophthalmologic examination, electroretinography, electroencephalography, muscle and nerve biopsies, and post-mortem examination....
Billinghurst RC, Brama PA, van Weeren PR, Knowlton MS, McIlwraith CW.To identify metabolic biomarkers that can be evaluated in serum for monitoring the effects of exercise on skeletal development in mammals. Methods: Sera of foals from three groups (box-stall rest, pasture and training) were serially collected over the first 5 months of life and assayed for eight biomarkers of cartilage and bone metabolism. Sub-populations from each group were sampled for an additional 6 months of identical exercise. Results: When expressed as a percentage of baseline values, lower serum levels of the carboxy-terminal propeptides of type II collagen (CPII), and higher serum lev...
Sánchez Guerrero MJ, Cervantes I, Valera M, Gutiérrez JP.The most popular use of the Pura Raza Español horse in sport is for dressage competitions. Tests on young sport horses were first established in 2004 in Spain to collect data for the genetic evaluation of this breed's suitability for dressage. The aim of this study was to compare eight different models to find out the most appropriate way to include the rider in the genetic evaluation of dressage. A progressive removal of systematic effects from model was also analysed. A total of 8867 performance records collected between 2004 and 2011 from 1234 horses aged between 4 and 6 years old were use...
Diallo IS, Hewitson GR, de Jong A, Kelly MA, Wright DJ, Corney BG, Rodwell BJ.Twelve nasal swabs were collected from yearling horses with respiratory distress and tested for equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) and equid herpesvirus 4 (EHV-4) by real-time PCR targeting the glycoprotein B gene. All samples were negative for EHV-1; however, 3 were positive for EHV-4. When these samples were tested for EHV-2 and EHV-5 by PCR, all samples were negative for EHV-2 and 11 were positive for EHV-5. All three samples that were positive for EHV-4 were also positive for EHV-5. These three samples gave a limited CPE in ED cells reminiscent of EHV-4 CPE. EHV-4 CPE was obvious after 3 days and...
Murphy J, Arkins S.Several species demonstrate obvious motor laterality (sidedness, handedness) in their motor function. Motor laterality in the horse affects locomotion and subsequently equine performance during training and may have inherent safety implications for equitation. Some of the most commonly used identification features in the horse are hair whorls (trichoglyphs), since their specific location and character vary to some degree in every horse. We investigated the relationship between the hair flow of single facial hair whorls and the incidence of lateralised motor bias in 219 horses when under saddle...
Logan AA, Nielsen BD.Conflicting research and anecdotal evidence have created disagreement among equestrians as to whether two-year-old horses should be trained and raced. The objective of this literature review is to evaluate epidemiological studies, as well as physiological data on equine bone, articular cartilage, and tendons to better determine the impact of training and racing two-year-old horses. The evaluation of numerous studies on the topic provides evidence that a horse which is trained or raced as a two-year-old has a lower risk of injury and better adapted tissues for the rigors of racing. Unfortunatel...
Newton JR, Wood JL, Chanter N.A matched case control study was used to determine infections and other factors associated with clinically apparent respiratory disease in young racehorses in training in the UK. A total of 170 cases, defined as horses with sudden onset coughing, nasal discharge or pyrexia, were identified and matched to 632 non-affected controls by trainer and time period. Factors examined included age, sex, time since entry into the training yard, time since last race and different infections including tracheal and nasopharyngeal (NP) bacteria and viruses. Multivariable conditional logistic regression (CLR) ...
Visser EK, VanDierendonck M, Ellis AD, Rijksen C, Van Reenen CG.In 'sympathetic horsemanship' the importance of the natural behaviour of the horse and the use of body language in communication is emphasised. However, it is unclear what effect sympathetic horsemanship has on the welfare of horses. During a 5-week starting period the effect of a sympathetic (ST) versus a conventional (CT) training method was studied using 28 young Warmblood horses. Behavioural observations during the starting period as well as during a standardised final riding test were performed by trained observers. A Wilcoxon matched-pair test was used to detect differences within groups...
