Coprophilous fungi of the horse.

The research article focuses on the study of microfungi found in horse feces. A total of 1267 microfungi were recorded from the feces of 60 horses with varying uses, including saddle horses, race horses, and working horses. The researchers identified 82 species from these fecal samples, detailing which were most common and which were exclusively found in certain types of horses.

Objective and Methodology

• The primary goal of the study was to identify and catalogue the variety of microfungi present in horse feces, specifically observing diversity among saddle horses, race horses, and working horses.
• This was achieved through collecting fecal samples from 60 horses and using laboratory analysis to identify the different types of microfungi present within them.

Findings

• From the collected samples, the researchers discovered a total of 1267 microfungi, which included 35 Myxomycetes.
• The identification process led to 82 species from 53 genera being recorded, representing a variety of microfungi types such as Zygomycetes, Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes, Fungi Imperfecti, and Myxomycetes.
• The authors listed the most common coprophilous fungi in order of decreasing frequency.
• Some species were found to be exclusive to certain types of horses. For example, species like Myrothecium verrucaria, Actinomucor elegans, among others were only found in working-horses feces. On the other hand, species like Badhamia sp. and Geotrichum candidum were only found in saddle-horses feces.

Implications

• The research provides valuable insights into the micro-ecosystem of horse feces and the variety of fungi that inhabit them.
• The identification and documentation of these fungi could be useful for further studies on equine health, as the presence and distribution of these microorganisms could potentially have implications for horse nutrition, digestive health, or susceptibility to disease.
• The different types of fungi found in the feces of different types of horses also suggests a possible link between the horse’s lifestyle and the diversity of its gut microflora.