[Prevalence of hereditary diseases in three-year-old horses of the Freiberger breed].
Abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate clinical signs indicating diseases with known or suspected hereditary components like equine sarcoid, insect bite hypersensitivity, osteochondrosis, allergic airway diseases, podotrochleosis, prognatism and wind-sucking in the franches-montagnes horse. We performed a clinical examination on 702 three-year-old, privately owned franches-montagnes horses, which were shown at the Swiss-Field-Tests in 2004. With the help of the owners a questionnaire on health, environment and feeding habits of the animals was completed. In 11.9% of the horses, sarcoids were detected, 6.2% carried one tumor and 5.7% had several. The prevalence was higher in chestnuts (16.6%) than in bays (10.1%). The prevalence of sarcoids in offspring from sires with known sarcoids (data from Station-Tests 1994-2005) was not significantly higher than in descendants from stallions without a known history of sarcoids. Clinical signs of insect bite hypersensitivity were only found in six horses (0.9%). In 12.0% hoof abnormalities like brittle horn, ring hoofs or hoof cracks of different degrees were recorded. The angle between hoof base and hoof wall was 56.7 +/- 0.1 degrees, the average hoof width was 13.7 +/- 0.3 cm in the front feet. For both of these measures we found no significant difference between left and right feet. With the exception of a high sarcoid prevalence, our results indicate that the franches-montagnes horse is a healthy breed overall.
Publication Date: 2007-04-28 PubMed ID: 17461390DOI: 10.1024/0036-7281.149.4.151Google Scholar: Lookup
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- English Abstract
- Journal Article
Summary
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This study examines the occurrence of genetic diseases such as equine sarcoid, insect bite hypersensitivity, osteochondrosis, allergic airway diseases, podotrochleosis, prognatism and wind-sucking in a Swiss horse breed known as the Franches-Montagnes. Through clinical examinations and owner-provided information, the research determines that the breed is largely healthy, albeit with a notable occurrence of sarcoids.
Objective and Methodology
- The study sought to explore the prevalence of diseases thought to have hereditary roots in the Franches-Montagnes horse breed.
- A total of 702 three-year-old horses of this breed underwent clinical examination for signs of these hereditary diseases.
- Owners of these horses filled out questionnaires supplying additional information about the animals’ health, environment, and feeding habits.
Findings
- Sarcoids were found in 11.9% of the horses examined, with 6.2% bearing one tumor while 5.7% had multiple tumors.
- The prevalence of sarcoids was higher (16.6%) in chestnut horses compared to their bay counterparts (10.1%).
- The rate of sarcoid occurrence in offspring from males with known sarcoids did not significantly outstrip that in progeny from males without a known history of this condition.
- Signs of insect bite hypersensitivity were present in just six horses, representing 0.9% of the sample.
- Hoof abnormalities such as brittle horn, ring hoofs, or varying degrees of hoof cracks were noted in 12% of the examined horses.
- The average angle between the hoof base and hoof wall was calculated to be 56.7 +/- 0.1 degrees, the average hoof width was noted as 13.7 +/- 0.3 cm in the distal forelimbs.
- There were no significant differences found between left and right feet with regards to these measures.
Conclusion
- Despite a high prevalence of sarcoids, the study concludes that the Franches-Montagnes horse breed is generally healthy, with relatively low occurrences of the other investigated disorders.
Cite This Article
APA
Mele M, Gerber V, Straub R, Gaillard C, Jallon L, Burger D.
(2007).
[Prevalence of hereditary diseases in three-year-old horses of the Freiberger breed].
Schweiz Arch Tierheilkd, 149(4), 151-159.
https://doi.org/10.1024/0036-7281.149.4.151 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Nationalgestüt Avenches, Avenches.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Breeding
- Female
- Genetic Predisposition to Disease
- Genetics, Population
- Hoof and Claw / pathology
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / genetics
- Horses
- Hypersensitivity / epidemiology
- Hypersensitivity / genetics
- Hypersensitivity / veterinary
- Inbreeding
- Insect Bites and Stings / immunology
- Insect Bites and Stings / veterinary
- Male
- Pedigree
- Prevalence
- Skin Neoplasms / epidemiology
- Skin Neoplasms / genetics
- Skin Neoplasms / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Cosandey J, Hamza E, Gerber V, Ramseyer A, Leeb T, Jagannathan V, Blaszczyk K, Unger L. Diagnostic and prognostic potential of eight whole blood microRNAs for equine sarcoid disease. PLoS One 2021;16(12):e0261076.
- Kehrli D, Jandova V, Fey K, Jahn P, Gerber V. Multiple hypersensitivities including recurrent airway obstruction, insect bite hypersensitivity, and urticaria in 2 warmblood horse populations. J Vet Intern Med 2015 Jan;29(1):320-6.
- Signer-Hasler H, Neuditschko M, Koch C, Froidevaux S, Flury C, Burger D, Leeb T, Rieder S. A chromosomal region on ECA13 is associated with maxillary prognathism in horses. PLoS One 2014;9(1):e86607.
- Quatember H, Nell B, Richter B, Rigler D, Dolezal M, Sykora S, Wallner B. Studying the Impact of the DDB2 T338M Missense Mutation on the Development of Equine Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Sarcoid. Animals (Basel) 2025 Mar 22;15(7).
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