Research | Mad Barn Academy

Sperm Energy-restriction and Recovery (SER) enhances equine sperm function and embryo development after ICSI.

Journal of animal science July 10, 2026 skag213 doi: 10.1093/jas/skag213

Arroyo-Salvo C, Rio S, Bogetti ME, Clerico G, Morado S, Turner R, Visconti PE, Gambini A, Perez-Martinez S, Gervasi MG.Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are extensively used in domestic animal reproduction; however, improving their efficiency and consistency remains a major challenge for achieving reliable reproductive outcomes. The equine industry faces unique challenges related to sperm capacitation, which limited the success of conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) for many years. Consequently, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) became the most widely used technique for commercial in vitro embryo production. Even though a successful IVF protocol was recently developed, substantial opportunit...

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI July 9, 2026 Volume 16, Issue 14 2131 doi: 10.3390/ani16142131

MacKechnie-Guire R, Clayton H, Williams J, Marlin D, Fisher M, Fisher D, Walker V, Murray R.In a paper published in 2017, Doherty et al [...].

The Veterinary clinics of North America. Equine practice July 9, 2026 Volume 42, Issue 2 231-248 doi: 10.1016/j.cveq.2026.04.013

Chope K.Ultrasound is readily available to most practitioners and can be used in a straightforward manner to assess the liver. The liver can be assessed for size, shape, echogenicity, and architecture. Findings such as masses, cysts, granulomas, and biliary distention can be relatively specific as to suspected disease process. Other findings may be nonspecific but are useful to confirm concerns and aid in refining differential diagnosis. Findings should be interpreted considering the clinicopathologic picture and sampling performed when appropriate. Ultrasound can and should be used to identify optima...

Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997) July 9, 2026 Volume 318 106772 doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2026.106772

Cristina VM, Alessio C, Augusto C, Isabella P, Massimo F, Monica P, Ippolito A.The period after parturition/birth represents a delicate time for the dam and the offspring, during which several physiologic changes occur under finely tuned hormonal control, with the hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenal (HPA) axis playing a key role. This period, well studied in horses, received little attention in donkeys, despite the importance of species-specific knowledge for population preservation programs in many endangered donkey breeds. The present study aimed to investigate cortisol (C), DHEA(S), 17-β-estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4), testosterone (T), and allopregnanolone (AlloP) ha...

Science (New York, N.Y.) July 9, 2026 Volume 393, Issue 6807 155 doi: 10.1126/science.aei6076

Thulin CG.No abstract available

BMC veterinary research July 9, 2026 doi: 10.1186/s12917-026-05700-8

Andrews KE, Smith HL, Spence RJ, Sillence MN, de Laat MA.The hormone ghrelin has had limited attention in Equidae, despite connections with appetite and metabolic health in other species. Ghrelin influences hunger and food intake, energy expenditure and storage, glucose metabolism, and thermoregulation, through its receptor-mediated effects on tissues and via interaction with other hormones. There are two circulating forms, acylated and des-acylated ghrelin, considered to have distinct effects on metabolism in other species. The aims of this study were to confirm the presence of ghrelin receptors in equine tissues, to validate an assay for the measu...

Disability and rehabilitation July 9, 2026 1-12 doi: 10.1080/09638288.2026.2700787

Helmer A, Avrech Bar M, Bart O.This study examined how parents experienced the ASTride Equine-Assisted Occupational Therapy intervention for their children with ADHD, and the meanings they ascribed to changes observed in their children and themselves. Unassigned: Thirteen parents of children aged 7-12 who completed the ASTride intervention participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. A grounded theory approach guided the analysis, which included open coding, category mapping, and thematic modeling to identify central processes across narratives. Unassigned: (1) Parents' perceived benefits for children including emo...

Equine veterinary journal July 9, 2026 doi: 10.1002/evj.70225

Wright AL, Broman A, Chiero N, Griffin C, Hunt J, Rice M, Tanner B, Henry T.Repair options for maxillary and mandibular fractures in horses are dictated by the proximity of dentition, fracture configuration, and implant design. Jaw fractures can be repaired by minimising tension forces via intraoral splint constructs when dentition is present on either side of the fracture line. This repair option reduces iatrogenic damage to dentition while achieving reduction and stability until appliance removal. Objective: To first report a modified technique for jaw fracture repair in horses with cadaveric example images. Second, to report the clinical outcome of maxillary and ma...

Transboundary and emerging diseases July 9, 2026 Volume 2026, Issue 1 e6061208 doi: 10.1155/tbed/6061208

Zhang F, Wang S, Xu T, Ren W, Zou Y, Ren Y, Zhao Y, Fang L, Liu S, Zeng B, Zheng M, Qin J, Zhao H, Zhou Q, Wu J, Nuermaimaiti A, Chen R, Wang N, Li J....African horse sickness (AHS) is a vector-borne and noncontagious disease caused by African horse sickness virus (AHSV) that poses a severe threat to the global equine industry. As a country historically free from AHS, China faces elevated risks due to recent outbreaks in Southeast Asia in 2020 and its ecological suitability of its border regions for AHSV vectors. Therefore, we conducted consecutive molecular and serological surveillance for AHSV in high-risk border regions from 2020 to 2024. A total of 3203 equine serum samples, 2909 whole-blood samples, and 1037 collections of blood-sucking...

Journal of equine veterinary science July 8, 2026 Volume 166 106081 doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2026.106081

Santana ML, Bignardi AB.Barrel racing performance reflects a complex interplay among genetic merit, rider ability, training strategies, and competition-specific conditions. In practice, events differ substantially in their economic scale, and prize money can serve as a proxy for management intensity, rider expertise, and selection pressure. Objective: This study investigated whether economic stratification, represented by total prize money per event, is associated with changes in (co)variance components for barrel racing time in Brazilian Quarter Horses. Methods: A reaction-norm model was implemented using 349,262 ra...

Animal genetics July 8, 2026 Volume 57, Issue 4 e70166 doi: 10.1002/age.70166

Ross AC, Lumsden ES, Flood C, Dudhia J, Psifidi A, Guest DJ.Bone fractures in Thoroughbred racehorses are a major welfare problem. Genetic factors contribute to fracture risk. Cell models have previously identified 112 differentially expressed genes in bone-forming osteoblasts derived from horses at high and low genetic risk of fracture. However, 42 of these genes have no published role in bone. In this study, we identified novel roles for a subset of these genes in bone formation. Twenty-six of the 42 genes were expressed in Saos2 cells during basal culture and/or after 21 days of osteogenic culture. Five of these genes (ADSSL1, CABP1, ENO2, SPARCL1...

Veterinary research communications July 8, 2026 Volume 50, Issue 5 445 doi: 10.1007/s11259-026-11388-w

Yehulashet AA, Wondmnew F, Abat AS, Alamere EA, Birhan M, Tafere FA, Malede BA, Sechu A, Mersha AC, Tsehay EM, Temesgen AB.African horse sickness is a severe vector-borne viral disease of equines, associated with high mortality and substantial economic losses. In Ethiopia, where equines are essential for transport and agriculture, the disease remains endemic, yet epidemiological data are limited in many areas. This study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of African horse sickness virus (AHSV) and describe variation in seropositivity across selected factors in equines in the Central Gondar Zone, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2024 to August 2025, during which 384 serum samples were...

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association July 8, 2026 1-8 doi: 10.2460/javma.26.04.0244

Choi Y, Parkin TD.To identify risk factors associated with proximal sesamoid bone fractures in Thoroughbreds in South Korea. Unassigned: A retrospective case-control design with multivariable logistic regression was used. This study included 138 Thoroughbreds diagnosed with proximal sesamoid bone fractures following racetrack activity between 2020 and 2025. Additionally, 580 healthy Thoroughbreds (635 observations) with at least 1 racetrack activity during the same period were included as controls. Unassigned: A total of 7 risk factors were identified. Races or trials had markedly higher fracture risk than race...

Veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia July 8, 2026 Volume 53, Issue 5 101284 doi: 10.1016/j.vaa.2026.101284

Hernández-Magaña EZ, Gutiérrez Bautista ÁJ, Viscasillas J, Redondo JI.To evaluate agreement between a veterinary-specific oscillometric noninvasive arterial blood pressure monitor and invasive arterial blood pressure (IBP) measurements in anaesthetised horses. Methods: Prospective clinical method-comparison study. Methods: A group of 46 horses undergoing general anaesthesia in dorsal recumbency. Methods: Paired invasive and oscillometric blood pressure measurements were recorded at 15-minute intervals. IBP was measured via a facial artery catheter, and systolic (SAP), diastolic (DAP), and mean arterial pressures (MAP) were recorded. Oscillometric measurements we...

Veterinary medicine and science July 8, 2026 Volume 12, Issue 4 e71061 doi: 10.1002/vms3.71061

de Oliveira RA, Correa ADS, Monteiro FDO, Teixeira PPM.Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) is common in horses, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a known risk factor for gastrointestinal ulceration. Although COX-2 selective NSAIDs such as firocoxib theoretically offer a better safety profile, endoscopic evidence for their mucosal safety at high off-label doses is lacking. Objective: To compare the effects of label-dose flunixin meglumine and high-dose firocoxib on the gastric mucosa of a small selected group of horses using serial gastroscopy and histopathology in a descriptive pilot study. Methods: Twenty mixed-breed horses w...

Journal of veterinary internal medicine July 8, 2026 Volume 40, Issue 4 aalag135 doi: 10.1093/jvimsj/aalag135

Furr MO.Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis is a critical component in the diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). Test results obtained may differ based on different collection sites. Objective: Compare results of EPM-specific diagnostic tests obtained from different collections sites in EPM-affected and non-EPM affected horses. Methods: Twenty control and 7 EPM-affected horses. Methods: Prospective observational study. CSF was collected from the lumbosacral (LS) and cranial sites (atlantooccipital or C1-2) in 27 horses and EPM-specific diagnostic tests were performed. Data were summari...

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association July 8, 2026 1-8 doi: 10.2460/javma.26.02.0149

Cohen ND, Nakajima R, Morris ERA, de Assis RR, Hughes EV, Gonzales DM, Baker RM, Klein RL, Liu W, Bordin AI, Felgner PL.To develop an accurate serological test for detecting horses infected with Streptococcus equi subsp equi (SEE). Unassigned: The study was designed as a prospective experiment. First, 89 proteins either expressed on the surface or secreted by SEE were cloned, expressed in a cell-free culture system, and printed onto a microarray. Microarrays were probed with serum from 30 horses with strangles, 30 horses with no history of infection or immunization against SEE, and 18 horses infected with Streptococcus equi subsp zooepidemicus (SEZ); serum samples were collected between 2020 and 2021 from Texas...

Journal of equine veterinary science July 8, 2026 Volume 166 106079 doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2026.106079

Satué K, Fazio E, Colomer-Selva R, Damiá Giménez E, Cravana C, La Fauci D.Lactation and parity are physiological factors influencing platelet (PLT) indices, yet their combined effects in mares remain poorly characterized. As a dynamic process, lactation involves metabolic and endocrine changes that may influence thrombopoiesis; therefore, reproductive history and lactation stage may modulate PLT indices. Objective: To characterize longitudinal platelet (PLT) indices during early lactation in mares and evaluate the influence of parity on thrombopoietic responses. Methods: Fifty-five clinically healthy Spanish Purebred mares were included (20 primiparous and 25 multip...

Veterinary sciences July 7, 2026 Volume 13, Issue 7 659 doi: 10.3390/vetsci13070659

Ericsson AC.Molecular microbiology has revolutionized our understanding of the complex host-associated microbiomes required for normative development and physiology. Horses and other members of the family are particularly reliant on the early maturation and lifelong maintenance of an unusually rich hindgut microbiome for optimal digestion and overall health and performance. Research on the equine gut microbiome has accelerated in the past several years, necessitating a renewed appraisal of the field. The present work is a comprehensive and critical review of the literature regarding the bacterial gastroi...

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI July 7, 2026 Volume 16, Issue 13 2105 doi: 10.3390/ani16132105

Dyson S.Many horses undergo a pre-purchase examination (PPE) prior to acquisition by a new owner; however, despite evidence that lameness and canter dysfunction may only be apparent during ridden exercise, ridden exercises assessing gait quality is not a routine part of PPEs. The objectives were to determine the influence of the results of ridden exercise on decision-making concerning risk assessment for purchase and to establish the long-term performance of horses. Twenty-five sports horses underwent PPEs including ridden exercises to assess gait quality and to apply the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (R...

Veterinary sciences July 7, 2026 Volume 13, Issue 7 660 doi: 10.3390/vetsci13070660

Apitzsch RC, Handel S, Krueger K.There has been little research on the social behaviour of stallions and geldings kept together in group housing systems. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in behaviour and movement activity between stallions and geldings kept together in group housing. Behavioural observations and GPS measurements were conducted in Germany from July to September 2024 in four mixed groups of horses in Germany. The groups comprised 35 animals, 18 stallions and 17 geldings. The horses were observed for three consecutive days over eight hours per day. No injuries or stereotypic behaviours were o...

Animal genetics July 7, 2026 Volume 57, Issue 4 e70158 doi: 10.1002/age.70158

Santana ML, Bignardi AB.Resilience, defined as the capacity to maintain consistent performance under variable conditions, has emerged as a relevant breeding objective in livestock systems, yet remains largely unexplored in equine populations. The objectives of this study were to (1) derive indicators of resilience from longitudinal barrel racing time (BRT) records in Brazilian Quarter Horses, (2) estimate genetic parameters for these indicators, and (3) quantify their genetic relationships with BRT and accumulated career earnings (ACE). The dataset comprised BRT records from barrel racing events held between 2010 and...

Journal of veterinary internal medicine July 7, 2026 Volume 40, Issue 4 aalag132 doi: 10.1093/jvimsj/aalag132

Lam J, Eckert A, Rhiner T, Waldern N, Schwarz E, Birkmann K, Widmer D, Dietrich M, Kündig TM, Fettelschoss-Gabriel A.Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is the most common allergic skin disease in horses, but existing clinical scoring systems lack extensive validation, limiting standardized disease monitoring and therapeutic evaluation. Objective: Develop and validate a standardized, sensitive, and reproducible clinical scoring system for IBH in horses. Methods: Forty-four privately-owned horses with clinically diagnosed IBH examined under field conditions in Switzerland. Methods: In this prospective field validation study, the equine IBH severity score (EqIS) integrates a lesion severity score and an area sc...

Research in veterinary science July 7, 2026 Volume 210 106316 doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2026.106316

Tsuzuki N, Tsuchiya T, Tsuihiji T, Kusano K, Kambayashi Y, Takeyama A.Arthritis is a major cause of lameness in racehorses. Even when lameness improves, it may recur after training resumes, making it difficult to determine the disease state and when to end treatment. This retrospective observational study examined whether oxidative stress in synovial fluid could assess arthritis status in racehorses. Synovial fluid samples obtained during routine clinical practice from horses with arthritis and control samples obtained from horses without clinical or radiographic evidence of carpal joint disease were retrospectively analyzed. A total of 72 Thoroughbreds in Japan...

Animal : an international journal of animal bioscience July 7, 2026 Volume 20, Issue 8 101897 doi: 10.1016/j.animal.2026.101897

Vostra-Vydrova H, Moravcikova N, Kasarda R, Shihabi M, Druet T, Halvonik A, Hofmanova B, Dovc P, Zorc M, Molina A, Demyda-Peyrás S, Valera M....Baroque horses represent a distinctive group of breeds that emerged mainly between the 16th and 18th centuries, shaped by the demands of European royalty and their courts. Although recognised as separate breeds, they share common ancestry, breeding goals, and historical gene flow. This study aimed to evaluate their genomic diversity, population structure, and admixture patterns. We analysed 1 160 individuals from eight breeds - Lipizzan, Old Kladruby Horse, Pura Raza Española, Lusitano, Friesian, Criollo, Peruvian Paso, and Puerto Rican Paso Fino - using 34 026 single-nucleotide polymorphis...

American journal of veterinary research July 7, 2026 1-7 doi: 10.2460/ajvr.26.03.0141

Gray AP, Ledbetter EC, Thirunagari N, Irias-Valvo K, Knickelbein KE.To determine the impact of age on equine electroretinography (ERG) parameters and retinal thickness in horses with healthy eyes. We hypothesized that ERG b-wave amplitudes would be significantly lower in older horses and that total retinal thickness would not vary significantly with age. Unassigned: Horses with clinically normal eyes comprising 3 age groups (≤ 10, 11 to 20, and ≥ 21 years) underwent scotopic and photopic ERGs, high-resolution fundus photography, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Electroretinography results were compared between age groups using mean implici...

Stem cell research & therapy July 7, 2026 doi: 10.1186/s13287-026-05157-4

Cequier A, Romero A, Bernad E, Serrano B, Vitoria A, Fuente S, Fernández I, Zaragoza P, Vázquez FJ, Barrachina L, Rodellar C.Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) hold great potential for treating various conditions, but their effectiveness and safety in allogeneic therapies can be affected by the recipient's immune response, among other factors. Allogeneic MSC administration has been associated with immune recognition in different species, including horses. These animals are both veterinary patients and translational models, offering valuable insights into how allogeneic MSCs interact with the immune system in vivo. Factors such as inflammation, chondrogenic differentiation, and major histocompatibility complex (MH...

Journal of veterinary internal medicine July 7, 2026 Volume 40, Issue 4 aalag129 doi: 10.1093/jvimsj/aalag129

Ratliff B, Kilcoyne I, Dini P, Katzman SA, Miklavcic M, Chromik M, Choi E, Vaughan B.Testicular seminomas in horses are infrequently reported in the veterinary literature and long-term survival and metastatic potential are not well documented. Objective: Describe the clinical, imaging, and histologic features in 9 horses with testicular seminoma. Methods: Medical records of 9 horses diagnosed with testicular seminoma at a referral hospital between 2000 and 2024 were reviewed. Methods: Horses were included if seminoma was confirmed on histopathology from biopsy or necropsy. Information retrieved included signalment, history, clinical pathology, ultrasonographic findings, treatm...

Journal of chromatography. A July 7, 2026 Volume 1785 467244 doi: 10.1016/j.chroma.2026.467244

Yuen BP, Wong KS, Cheung HW, Ho EN, Wong WT.Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) has emerged as a new class of therapeutic agent with unprecedented potential. In particular, the lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-mRNA formulations enabled safe and effective delivery of mRNA in vivo, leading to the success of mRNA vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. To control the potential misuse of LNP-mRNA agents in equine sports, a simple and sensitive method has been developed for the detection of ionisable lipids in equine plasma using supported liquid extraction (SLE) followed by liquid chromatography-high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry. To overcome th...

Veterinary sciences July 6, 2026 Volume 13, Issue 7 654 doi: 10.3390/vetsci13070654

Duan S, Wang Z, Jia Y, Lan X, Peng C, Deng X, Jiang H, Wang W, Zhong G, Zhu Y, Li J.Equine osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of lameness and economic loss in horses. While platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has clinical potential, the biological effects of fresh PRP (F-PRP) and freeze-dried PRP (FD-PRP) remain insufficiently defined. This pilot study compared 25% and 50% F-PRP and FD-PRP in an interleukin-1β-induced equine cartilage-synovium explant co-culture model. PRP treatments reduced inflammatory responses, with significant downregulation of COX-2 and PGE2 expression, and 25% F-PRP showed the most consistent inhibition of nitric oxide production. PRP also significantly redu...