Research | Mad Barn Academy

A Leptospirosis Outbreak in a Riding Stable in Central Italy.

Veterinary sciences July 28, 2026 Volume 13, Issue 8 750 doi: 10.3390/vetsci13080750

Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonotic disease of major concern for both veterinary and public health. In horses, it is associated with equine recurrent uveitis, a painful condition that may lead to blindness and affects approximately 10% of the global horse population. In May 2025, following the occurrence of three uveitis cases in a riding stable in Central Italy, 94 equine blood samples were collected and tested using the microscopic agglutination test (MAT) for spp. Antibody titres against serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae were detected in 68 horses (72.4%). An on-site investigation was condu...

Behavioural processes July 28, 2026 105415 doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2026.105415

Lewis K, McBride SD, Parker MO, Faithfull R, Proops L.Recent cross-species analyses suggest that the different forms of stereotypic behaviour have heterogeneous causal mechanisms. In ungulates, there are indications that some forms of locomotor stereotypy may be linked to social factors. Using the domestic horse as a model species within this clade, we investigated whether individuals displaying the locomotor stereotypy box-walking (n=6) demonstrated greater responses to a stable mirror, intended to mimic presence of a conspecific, than horses displaying the oral stereotypy crib-biting (n=5) and non-stereotypic horses (n=5). After a 24hr baseline...

Journal of equine veterinary science July 28, 2026 106104 doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2026.106104

Dobrin AA, Dungu C, Stanciu AG, Gagniuc E, Stan MS, Militaru M.Dermal melanomatosis is a common tumor in grey horses, characterized by cutaneous/subcutaneous lesions with metastatic potential. While clinically well-described, oxidative stress involvement remains poorly understood. This case report compared oxidative stress markers and antioxidant enzymes' activities in total protein extracts from melanomatosis lesions (grey horse) versus healthy control skin (black horse), alongside histopathology and immunohistochemistry, to correlate oxidative imbalance and tumor behavior. Melanomatosis tissue exhibited decreased antioxidant defenses confirmed by catala...

Journal of virology July 27, 2026 Volume 100, Issue 8 e0082826 doi: 10.1128/jvi.00828-26

Zhang X, Ma W, Ma X, Guo X, Zhang W, Wang X-F, Wang X.Equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) is a member of the genus of the family and serves as an important model for studying lentiviral pathogenesis. A novel EIAV-encoded protein, designated Mat, was previously identified in our laboratory, yet its biological functions remained unclear. Here, we demonstrate that disruption of Mat moderately reduced EIAV replication in equine monocyte-derived macrophages, and this defect was restored when Mat was supplied in . Further analyses revealed that Mat exhibits nuclear localization and enhances Tat-mediated transcriptional activation of the long termin...

The Journal of parasitology July 27, 2026 Volume 112, Issue 4 426-434 doi: 10.1645/26-35

Ripley NE, Gravatte HS, Reinemeyer CR, Nielsen MK.Habitat preferences of gastrointestinal nematodes are well-documented in small hosts, but equine cyathostomin diversity has largely been characterized only at farm or regional levels. While organ-level site preferences are known, within-organ spatial distributions remain unexplored. We investigated the longitudinal and radial distribution of adult cyathostomins within the large-intestinal lumen. Intact large intestines from 5 Shetland ponies were frozen post-necropsy and transected into 4-cm sections. Three micro-habitat samples (2.5 cm diameter) were collected per section. We recovered 2,444 ...

American journal of veterinary research July 27, 2026 1-6 doi: 10.2460/ajvr.26.05.0207

Larriva DS, Lopez JS, Garcia-Collao M, Farnsworth K, Villarino NF, Hall NP.To determine whether dexamethasone sodium phosphate (dexamethasone SP) prolongs the sensory blockade produced by perineural bupivacaine during medial and lateral palmar digital nerve blocks in horses. Unassigned: 8 healthy adult horses were enrolled in a blinded, randomized 4 X 4 crossover trial. Each horse received 1 of 4 perineural treatments over the palmar digital nerves of the left forelimb: bupivacaine, bupivacaine + dexamethasone SP, dexamethasone SP alone, or saline. A minimum 7-day washout was used between treatments. Mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT) was measured at baseline and...

Genomics, proteomics & bioinformatics July 27, 2026 qzag071 doi: 10.1093/gpbjnl/qzag071

Gong Y, Liu X, Zheng Z, Zeng S, Zhang Y, Pu Y, Pan J, Ma Y, Jiang L.The selection of horses has been instrumental in shaping long-range mobility, advancing warfare strategies, and diversifying equine phenotypes. However, the structural variants (SVs) favored by this process remain largely unexplored. Utilizing high-fidelity Pacific Biosciences sequencing, we assembled three high-quality horse genomes, incorporating 237 Mb (9.48%) of novel sequences relative to the existing reference genome. These assemblies achieved an average Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs completeness of 95.1%. By employing a graph-based approach, we genotyped 23,163 high-con...

New Zealand veterinary journal July 27, 2026 1-4 doi: 10.1080/00480169.2026.2692593

Munday JS, Panizzi L, Pagé AS, Gans C, Grant KA, Smedley RC.No abstract available

Equine veterinary journal July 27, 2026 doi: 10.1002/evj.70215

Allen SE, Taylor S, Given J, Verheyen KLP.Horse falls are an important safety and welfare concern in jump racing, as they are associated with an increased risk of equine fatality and injury, as well as jockey injury. Objective: To identify risk factors for horse falls in British jump racing. Methods: Retrospective cohort. Methods: All jump race starts made on British racecourses between January 2010 and April 2023 were considered. Available horse, race, racecourse, trainer and jockey data were collated and combined with faller data recorded in official databases. Horses that were 'brought down' by another horse were not considered a f...

American journal of veterinary research July 27, 2026 1-7 doi: 10.2460/ajvr.26.05.0209

Hart RE, Richardson LM, Nguyen T, Gordon J, Tull AR, Bryan LK, Whitfield-Cargile C.To characterize and compare the distribution of peroxisomal markers in the right dorsal colon (RDC) and left ventral colon (LVC) of healthy horses and horses treated with NSAIDs. Unassigned: Archived colonic tissues were evaluated from 10 horses (n = 5/group) administered phenylbutazone (4.4 mg/kg, PO, twice daily for 10 days) or placebo prior to euthanasia. Samples from the RDC and LVC were analyzed using immunofluorescence to assess peroxisomal biogenesis factor 14 (PEX14) and acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1 (ACOX1) distribution. Marker abundance was quantified within colonic crypts and compared b...

Theriogenology July 27, 2026 Volume 265 118111 doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2026.118111

Ramírez-Agámez L, Love CC, Hernández-Avilés C.In a clinical setting, Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)-derived equine blastocysts can be obtained either by transvaginal oocyte aspiration (TVA) or post-mortem ovary harvest (OH). Most peer-reviewed retrospective reports have described the suitability of these techniques for obtaining blastocysts, pregnancies, and live foals, particularly in Warmblood horse populations in Europe. In this study, retrospective data from Quarter Horse client-owned mares subjected to TVA-ICSI (n = 105; 151 cycles) or OH-ICSI (n = 42) at an academic institution in North America between 2023 and 2025...

Equine veterinary journal July 26, 2026 doi: 10.1002/evj.70207

Dockery A, Whitfield-Cargile C, Knopp V, Sinay T.Transient bacteremia after dental procedures is well-documented in the literature, but the prevalence and clinical significance in horses remains largely unexplored. Objective: To assess whether routine dental prophylaxis in clinically healthy horses is associated with detection of bacteria in blood, using culture and 16S rDNA sequencing. Our central hypothesis is that a percentage of horses would demonstrate detectable but transient bacteremia in the immediate post-procedural period following dental prophylaxis. Methods: Prospective, observational study. Methods: Venous blood samples from 20 ...

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI July 26, 2026 Volume 16, Issue 15 2307 doi: 10.3390/ani16152307

Egli P, Williams Louie E, Stirn M, van Loon G, Decloedt A, Schwarzwald CC, Mitchell KJ.In human medicine, homocysteine, a sulfur-containing amino acid, is used as a biomarker reflecting endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, thrombogenesis, oxidative stress and cardiovascular disease. An automated enzyme-cycling assay for homocysteine, established for humans, has been validated and reference ranges have been created for horses. In this study the homocysteine assay was further evaluated by assessing short-term stability (whole blood and plasma samples stored at 4 °C and room temperature for 24 h), long-term stability (two years), the effect of different anticoagulants (lithium h...

Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997) July 25, 2026 106795 doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2026.106795

Buczkowska R, Hecold M, Verwilghen D, Lewczuk D.The hock bone proportions in young Polish Warmblood horses (69) were studied based on x-ray image measurements done during official breeding horse performance testing. Six measurements were used to identify 4 width and length proportion indices. The radiological examinations were done before and after horse training, which consists of work with or without the rider at walk, trot and canter (40-50min) with some light class (< 100cm) jumping (<12 jumps) 6 days a week. The training effect was investigated using analysis of variance (procedure MIXED, Statistical Analysis System). The statist...

Endocrinology July 25, 2026 Volume 167, Issue 9 bqag083 doi: 10.1210/endocr/bqag083

Malin K, Conley AJ, Verstraete M, Norris J, Hsu YC, Holl W, van Heule M, Vieira F, Scoggin KE, Ball B, Takahashi K, de la Fuente A, Newman JW....The endocrinology of equine pregnancy is unique, but many of its unusual phenomena closely resemble pregnancy in women. Placental estrone synthesis uses fetal adrenal androgen precursors in women, but from the fetal gonads in mares, peaking midway through the 11-month gestation. Unique to equine pregnancies, other estrogens like equilin, typified by an unsaturated B-ring sterol structure, are synthesized from 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC), the immediate precursor to cholesterol, without cholesterol formation, peaking later in gestation. Currently, the spatial and temporal regulation underlying ...

Veterinary research communications July 24, 2026 Volume 50, Issue 5 482 doi: 10.1007/s11259-026-11424-9

Vanivska K, Kollárová I, Mezeyová I, Galovičová L, Dianová L, Halo M, Slanina T, Lenický M, Greń A, Reisenauer R, Massányi P.This study evaluated the effects of Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (fenugreek) seed extract on stallion spermatozoa quality in vitro, focusing on motility, vitality, and functional competence. In vitro spermatozoa analyses showed that fenugreek seed extract did not demonstrate overt cytotoxicity under the tested conditions: S1 = 1562 µg/mL; S2 = 781 µg/mL; S3 = 390.5 µg/mL; S4 = 195.25 µg/mL; S5 = 97.62 µg/mL; S6 = 48.81 µg/mL; S7 = 24.40 µg/mL. Computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) revealed a concentration- and time-dependent Treatment × Time interac...

Journal of chromatography. B, Analytical technologies in the biomedical and life sciences July 24, 2026 Volume 1282 125222 doi: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2026.125222

Ledeck J, Dubrowski T, Peeters S, Le Goff C, Deleuze S, Ponthier J, Cavalier E.Steroids are potential biomarkers for monitoring equine pregnancy. However, immunoassays currently used for their quantification suffer from cross-reactivity and limited specificity, thus requiring more accurate methods. This study reports the development and validation of a robust liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for simultaneous quantification of 25 steroids covering the main biosynthetic pathways of progestogens, corticosteroids, androgens, and estrogens. Steroids were extracted by protein precipitation followed by evaporation, derivatization, and reconstitut...

Equine veterinary journal July 24, 2026 doi: 10.1002/evj.70286

Buschmann E, Van Steenkiste G, Vernemmen I, Schauvliege S, Decloedt A, Duytschaever M, van Loon G.Myocardial sleeves in the caudal vena cava and pulmonary veins are a potential trigger for initiation and perpetuation of atrial fibrillation (AF) in horses. Objective: Isolation of myocardial sleeves in the caudal vena cava or pulmonary veins might reduce the risk for AF recurrence. Methods: Case series. Methods: Records from seven horses with persistent, recurrent, naturally-occurring AF that were treated with three-dimensional electro-anatomical mapping and radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) in order to reduce recurrence risk were reviewed. Mapping of the caudal vena cava was performed...

Cells July 24, 2026 Volume 15, Issue 15 1328 doi: 10.3390/cells15151328

Summers KM, Karagianni AE, Fernandez PL, Beard PM, Pirie RS, Keen JA, Wishart TM, McGorum BC.Equine grass sickness (EGS or equine dysautonomia) is a predominantly fatal multi-system neuropathy affecting grazing horses, likely caused by a neurotoxic phospholipase A2 (nPLA2) derived from a plant or microorganism. We studied neuronal tissue gene and protein expression patterns in EGS to elucidate the possible mechanisms of neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration. Tissue from the cranial cervical ganglion of eight EGS horses and six controls was examined histologically and used for transcriptomic analysis. These transcriptomic data were compared with previously published EGS-related proteomic...

Theriogenology July 24, 2026 Volume 265 118109 doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2026.118109

Arroyo-Salvo C, Cabrera P, Treulen F, Gambini A, Arias ME, Felmer R, Perez-Martinez S, Aguila L.Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in horses has become sufficiently efficient to be considered for clinical and commercial application; however, several factors influencing its efficiency remain poorly understood. This study evaluated whether incubating equine sperm under capacitating conditions induces capacitation-associated changes and affects embryo development following homologous equine ICSI, as well as oocyte activation, early cleavage, and 5-methylcytosine (5 mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) levels following heterologous ICSI using bovine oocytes. Equine spermatozoa were ...

Veterinary and animal science July 24, 2026 Volume 34 100782 doi: 10.1016/j.vas.2026.100782

Esey DF, Waktole H, Gelaye E, Alene DH, Minale HA.Equines are vital to global economies and support millions of livelihoods. However, their productivity and welfare are severely hindered by infectious diseases such as African Horse Sickness, which causes major socio-economic losses in Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2022 to May 2023 to isolate and detect African horse sickness virus in equines across epidemic areas of Ethiopia. In total, 30 blood samples and 2 tissue representative specimens were aseptically collected from clinically sick and recently dead animals and transported under cold chain to the National ...

International journal for parasitology. Drugs and drug resistance July 24, 2026 Volume 31 100663 doi: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2026.100663

Reduced anthelmintic efficacy against strongyles in equids is a widespread concern, but up-to-date field data are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate, over a three-year period, the efficacy of the anthelmintic (AH) molecules available in France (fenbendazole, pyrantel, ivermectin and moxidectin) against strongyles in equids using faecal egg count reduction tests (FECRTs). A total of 104 complete FECRTs (i.e., required sample size reached) were conducted in 98 groups, involving 749 equids kept in 70 facilities. Fenbendazole-resistant populations were detected in 8/9 groups (89%) from ...

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI July 24, 2026 Volume 16, Issue 15 2300 doi: 10.3390/ani16152300

Grzegorczyk W, Soroko-Dubrovina M, Dobrowolski M, Grabska D, Dudek KD.Capacitive and resistive electric transfer (TECAR) therapy is increasingly used in equine physiotherapy; however, objective evidence regarding its immediate effects on equine back muscles remains limited. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effects of TECAR therapy on body surface temperature and muscle tone of the longissimus dorsi muscle in Thoroughbred racehorses. A randomized, single-blinded experimental study was conducted in 20 clinically healthy Thoroughbred racehorses aged 2-3 years. Horses were randomly assigned to either a TECAR treatment group ( = 10) or a sham-treatment control ...

Biology July 23, 2026 Volume 15, Issue 15 1225 doi: 10.3390/biology15151225

Su Y, Ren W, Zeng Y, Meng J, Yao X, Wang J.Skeletal muscle serves as the direct executor of movement, and the proliferation and migration capacities of its constituent cells represent the key physiological foundation determining equine endurance and speed. Previous whole-transcriptome analysis has shown that Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 () is significantly upregulated in following racing and is involved in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway; however, its specific regulatory mechanism in equine skeletal muscle cells remains unclear. This study utilized primary equine skeletal muscle cells as a model. By constructing an overexpression plas...

Journal of veterinary internal medicine July 23, 2026 Volume 40, Issue 4 aalag149 doi: 10.1093/jvimsj/aalag149

Albrecht M, Perez J, Wong D, Browne N, Burns T, Stevens ME, Dembek K.Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal gland axis (HPAA) dysfunction impairs survival and can be diagnosed with an arginine vasopressin (AVP) stimulation test. Objective: Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol response to an AVP stimulation test will be attenuated in hospitalized foals compared to healthy foals and associated with severity of disease. Methods: Fifteen healthy and 45 hospitalized foals: 19 septic, 26 sick non-septic (SNS). Methods: A prospective, observational case-control design was utilized to assess HPAA function and compare corticotropin-releasing hormone, ACTH, and cortis...

The Veterinary record July 23, 2026 doi: 10.1002/vetr.70981

White K, Hillen F, Hird J, Byrne C, Shipman R, Taylor P.Human pressures on Earth's life‒support systems have exceeded multiple planetary boundaries, highlighting the need for sectors, including veterinary healthcare, to reduce environmental impacts. Methods: A prospective convenience sample of 10 horses undergoing arthroscopy at a UK equine hospital between January and March 2025 was studied. Data were collected on anaesthesia, volatile capture, pharmaceuticals, single-use consumables, waste, building energy and travel by horses and staff. Carbon emissions (kgCOe) were calculated using published conversion factors. A hybrid methodology combined b...

Veterinary research communications July 23, 2026 Volume 50, Issue 5 476 doi: 10.1007/s11259-026-11406-x

Yehulashet AA, Wondmnew F, Abat AS, Alamerew EA, Birhan M, Tafere FA, Malede BA, Sechu A, Mersha AC, Tsehay EM, Temesgen AB.No abstract available

Animal science journal = Nihon chikusan Gakkaiho July 23, 2026 Volume 97, Issue 1 e70223 doi: 10.1111/asj.70223

Santana ML, Bignardi AB.Reining performance is influenced by subjectivity and competition structure, challenging genetic evaluation. This study estimated genetic parameters for reining performance in Brazilian Quarter Horses using random regression models (RRM) and evaluated how alternative phenotypic definitions affect genetic inference and predictive ability. A dataset comprising 21,165 longitudinal records from 1603 horses was analyzed, comparing within-group rank (RANK) and Blom-transformed rank (BLOM). Model comparison indicated that cubic RRM provided the best fit for both phenotypes. Heritability estimates wer...

Veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia July 23, 2026 Volume 53, Issue 5 101287 doi: 10.1016/j.vaa.2026.101287

Arenas Alvarez A, Martinez M, Redondo JI, Milner PI, Bardell DA.To compare peripheral arterial haemoglobin-oxygen saturation values obtained using pulse oximetry (SpO) with and without a lingual gauze swab under ambient light and light-exclusion conditions, with arterial haemoglobin-oxygen saturation derived from arterial blood-gas analysis (SaO). Methods: Prospective method-comparison study. Methods: A group of 60 healthy adult horses undergoing elective general anaesthesia. Methods: In American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification I-II horses, SpO readings were obtained under six conditions during anaesthesia: no swab, no swa...

Journal of mass spectrometry : JMS July 23, 2026 Volume 61, Issue 8 e70077 doi: 10.1002/jms.70077

Molnár A, Arko M, Troha K, Marton A, Tauber B, Iglič A, Balogh GT, Balog J, Hočevar M, Kos VK, Battelino S, Kralj-Iglič V, Schlosser G.Remnants of erythrocyte removal from blood constitute therapeutic plasma-a water-based solution containing mainly platelets, extracellular vesicles (EVs), protein and lipid complexes and ions. Plasma-based therapies, including their use to accelerate wound healing in human and animal patients, are increasingly gaining prominence in regenerative medicine; however, methods for the optimal preparation of individual plasma are still under development. Rapid and accurate analysis of plasma composition is essential for the development of therapeutic applications and for ensuring the quality of plasm...