Ophthalmological findings in a closed herd of Lipizzaners.
Abstract: There are no studies on the ophthalmic health status in the Lipizzaner breed. Objective: To perform an ophthalmological survey in a closed herd in 3 housing systems. Methods: All horses at the Federal Stud Piber, Heldenberg and the Spanish Riding School Vienna were subjected to ophthalmological examination. Findings were documented and correlated with factors such as age, gender, location and housing situation. The interrelation of abnormalities of different regions was determined by calculating accuracy. Pedigree analysis of horses affected by cataract was performed. Results: A total of 267 horses met the inclusion criteria of this study. Of these, 172 horses were stabled in Piber, 72 in Vienna and 23 in Heldenberg. Ophthalmological examination revealed 203 cases with ocular findings, predominantly involving the conjunctiva (44.6%), cornea (21.7%) and fundus (37.5%). In 24 (8.9%) horses a diagnosis of cataract was made. There was no interrelation between different eye diseases. Horses stabled at Piber were significantly more affected by conjunctival and fundic abnormalities. Fewer abnormalities were found in horses stabled in open boxes. Access to free stalls resulted in more cases of conjunctivitis. Pedigree analysis showed no evidence of inbreeding as a cause of cataract formation. Conclusions: Acquired corneal abnormalities were over-represented in this study. This survey may serve as a basis for further research on the pathogenesis of ophthalmic diseases in Lipizzaners.
© 2012 EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2012-09-26 PubMed ID: 23009263DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00630.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The article records a study conducted on the eye health of Lipizzaner horses in three separate locations. The results displayed various eye diseases and disorders, primarily affecting the conjunctiva, cornea, and fundus. Interestingly, horses held in different housing conditions had varying rates of certain disorders.
Objective
This exploratory research studied the ophthalmic health status of Lipizzaner horses. As there were no prior studies on this topic, the researchers aimed to conduct an extensive ophthalmological survey in a closed herd across three distinct housing systems.
Methods
- The study was performed on the Lipizzaner horses at the Federal Stud Piber, Heldenberg, and the Spanish Riding School Vienna, encompassing all the horses at these locations.
- All the horses were subjected to detailed ophthalmological examinations, and findings were meticulously documented.
- The researchers correlated the ocular abnormalities with various factors such as the horse’s age, gender, location, and housing condition.
- In the ccase of ataracts, which were diagnosed in some horses, pedigree analysis was conducted to check whether inbreeding was a precipitating factor.
Findings
- Out of 267 horses that met the research criteria, ocular findings were prevalent in 203 cases. The predominant abnormalities involved the conjunctiva, cornea, and the fundus of the horses’ eyes.
- In particular, 24 horses were diagnosed with cataracts; however, pedigree analysis showed no indications of inbreeding leading to cataract development.
- The study found that the location and housing of the horses significantly affected the prevalence of certain eye abnormalities. Horses stabled at Piber were more prone to conjunctival and fundic abnormalities. Moreover, fewer ocular issues were observed in horses housed in open boxes, while free stalls led to a higher rate of conjunctivitis.
- Interestingly, there was no interrelation found among different eye diseases observed in the horses, suggesting that these conditions might develop independently of each other.
Conclusions
- Acquired corneal abnormalities were found to be over-represented in this study.
- The study’s findings provide a baseline for further research into the pathogenesis, or development, of eye diseases in Lipizzaner horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Rushton J, Tichy A, Brem G, Druml T, Nell B.
(2012).
Ophthalmological findings in a closed herd of Lipizzaners.
Equine Vet J, 45(2), 209-213.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00630.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Companion Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria. james.rushton@vetmeduni.ac.at
MeSH Terms
- Aging
- Animals
- Eye / pathology
- Eye Diseases / pathology
- Eye Diseases / veterinary
- Female
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses
- Male
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Ing ST, Pinard CL, James-Jenks EM, Leis ML. A retrospective survey of equine ocular diseases evaluated at a referral hospital in Ontario (2011 to 2021). Can Vet J 2025 Mar;66(3):308-317.
- Allen R, Goodhead AD. A survey of ocular pathology in Warmblood horses in South Africa. Equine Vet J 2025 Jul;57(4):889-897.
- Seo MG, Ouh IO, Lee SK, Lee JS, Kwon OD, Kwak D. Molecular Detection and Genetic Characteristics of Equine Herpesvirus in Korea. Pathogens 2020 Feb 11;9(2).
- Rushton JO, Kolodziejek J, Tichy A, Nowotny N, Nell B. Clinical course of ophthalmic findings and potential influence factors of herpesvirus infections: 18 month follow-up of a closed herd of lipizzaners. PLoS One 2013;8(11):e79888.
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