Journal of Equine Science最新文献

Hippotherapy in patients with neuromuscular dysfunction creates high focal pressure on the pony's back due to bareback riding and an asymmetrical riding position. This study aimed to investigate the acute effect of asymmetrical bareback riding on the pony's spinal kinematics, blood lactate, serum creatine kinase, heart rate, and temperament score. Eight ponies were selected, and they were walked on a treadmill for 45 min on each experimental day, including warm-up (5 min), weight-loading by mannequin (30 min), and cool-down (10 min) sessions. During the weight-loading session, three different weight distributions on the pony's back were applied between the left and right side: 50:50 (treatment M), 70:30 (treatment L), and 30:70 (treatment R) on the first, second, and third day of the experiment, respectively. The spinal kinematics at the end of the weight-loading session revealed a slight reduction in range of motion in both flexion-extension and lateral bending during treatment R. Stride length and stride duration showed no differences between treatments. The levels of blood lactate and serum creatine kinase and results of a back examination were normal. Heart rates and temperament scores revealed that all ponies were calm throughout loading of the mannequin. This information suggests that asymmetrical bareback riding did not cause acute or serious back injury, which indicates good equine welfare in ponies used for hippotherapy.

The antibody response in horses inoculated with 2 doses of a live equine herpesvirus type 1 vaccine with different vaccination intervals (1 to 3 months) was evaluated with regard to the persistence of virus-neutralizing (VN) antibodies. The durations for which the geometric mean VN titers were maintained significantly higher than those before the first vaccination (P<0.05) were up to 5 months in horses that received the vaccination with a 1-month interval (n=17) and 7 months for those that received it with a 2-month (n=17) or 3-month interval (n=14 or 17). The vaccination program with the 2-month interval was the most effective in maintaining VN antibodies for a long duration with the smallest gap of antibody decline between the first and second vaccinations.

Information regarding the lactational performance of mares in relation to metabolic parameters can help practitioners to manipulate animal rearing management for sustainable mare milk production. The aim of this study was to characterize the lactational performance of Mongolian native mares grazing on natural pastureland by revealing the seasonal effects on metabolic parameters. In this study, 8 multiparous mares were used. Milk yield and composition and serum metabolic parameters, such as alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), glucose (GLU), triacylglycerol, total cholesterol (TCH), non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), albumin, urea, total protein, cortisol (Cort), and insulin, were determined at 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, and 270 days of lactation. During the lactation period, milk yield peaked at around the 90th day and declined sharply in the following period. While the milk fat and protein contents decreased gradually from the early stages of lactation to the late stages, the lactose content was highest at mid-lactation and stayed constant until the end of the lactation period. Meanwhile, changes were observed between the stages of lactation, and the differences in metabolic parameters were significant (P<0.05), except for AST and GLU. The strongest correlation was found with NEFA (P<0.01), followed by the Cort (P<0.05) concentration, with both parameters showing negative correlation, and strong positive correlation was detected between the milk yield and TCH (P<0.05) concentration.

The Kushum is a relatively new breed of horses in Kazakhstan that was established in the middle of the 20th century through a cross between mares of Kazakhstan local horses and stallions of Thoroughbred, Trotter, and Russian Don breeds to supply military horses. To reveal the genetic characteristics of this breed, we investigated haplotypes of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the Y chromosome, as well as genotypes of five functional genes associated with coat color, body composition, and locomotion traits. We detected 10 mtDNA haplotypes that fell into 8 of the 17 major haplogroups of horse mtDNA, indicating a unique haplotype composition with high genetic diversity. We also found two Y-chromosomal haplotypes in Kushum horses, which likely originated from Trotter and/or Don breeds. The findings regarding the mtDNA and Y-chromosomal haplotypes are concordant with the documented maternal and paternal origins of the Kushum horses. The allele frequencies of ASIP, MC1R, and MATP associated with coat color were consistent with the coat color variations of Kushum horses. The allele frequencies of MSTN associated with endurance performance and those of DMRT3 associated with gait suggested that the observed allele frequencies of these genes were the result of selective breeding for these traits. As a result of this study, we were able to obtain useful information for a better understanding of the origin and breeding history of the Kushum horse breed using molecular markers.

Enterobacter cloacae is an opportunistic pathogen of horses. Thirty isolates obtained from horses and their environments and identified as Enterobacter cloacae by biochemical methods were reidentified by taxonomic identification based on multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) and by a commercial identification system based on matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). MLSA identified the 30 equine isolates as E. ludwigii (9/30), E. asburiae (1/30), or E. cloacae (1/30); 19 isolates were not identified. The MALDI-TOF MS system could not clearly distinguish isolates to the species level, and the limited numbers of reference spectra for Enterobacter species might have contributed to the poor identification.

West Nile virus (WNV) causes a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease of public health importance. The aim of this study was to determine the state of WNV infection in horses and detect the virus antigen in mosquitoes trapped in stables in Kaduna State Nigeria. The study was carried out in Kaduna State, Nigeria, and 368 horses were screened for the presence of antibodies against WNV using an IgG competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Of the 368 samples tested, 331 (89.9%) were positive for WNV antibodies. Mosquitoes from the stables were tested for WNV antigen using a VectorTest kit, and of the 31 pools of adult mosquitoes tested, only 5 (16.1%) pools tested positive for WNV antigen. This finding showed that WNV infection has occurred in horses and that there is evidence of circulation of the virus by mosquitoes in Kaduna State, Nigeria.

Grullo is a dun dilution on a black coat that is common in the Campolina horse: an autochthonous Brazilian breed. The aims of this case study were to evaluate inconsistencies in grullo coat color registration and to explain their possible causes. A total of 3,270 grullo Campolina horses were evaluated. To confirm the genetic possibility of having grullo animals, the coat color genotypes of parents were inferred by phenotype and compared with those of progeny. A total of 242 horses that were registered as grullos could not have this coat based on their parents' information. Possible explanations for incorrect registration are errors of paternity and in coat color identification. We suggest maintaining obligatory paternity testing and enhancing training in coat color identification.

A neurofibroma was excised from the subcutis on the medial side of the left thigh of a 15-year-old Warmblood gelding, which had shown lameness of the left hind limb. No other source of lameness was found. Two weeks after surgery, the horse was sound at a lameness examination.