EVJ Special Issue Focuses on Equine Dental Health

  

(c) Rossdales

Dental disease remains one of the most common health problems affecting horses, yet it often
goes unnoticed until it is well advanced. A new Special Focus Issue of the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) aims to help veterinary practitioners improve the diagnosis and treatment of equine dental and sinus disease by bringing together the latest research in this rapidly developing field.

 

The collection includes 18 papers covering equine dentistry, sinus disease and related conditions. Dental disease is estimated to affect around 93% of horses worldwide and is responsible for between a quarter and two-thirds of equine sinus disease cases. Although these conditions are rarely life-threatening, they can cause chronic pain, poor performance, reduced quality of life and, in severe cases, euthanasia.

 

Guest editor Tim Barnett notes that dental disease can be surprisingly difficult for owners to recognise. In one study, more than half of the horses examined had moderate to severe dental disease, yet only a quarter of owners had reported concerns about their horse's mouth or teeth. He says the aim of the Special Focus Issue is to make current research readily available so that clinicians can improve diagnosis, treatment and long-term outcomes.

 

The papers cover a broad range of topics, from basic science through to new surgical techniques. Several studies improve understanding of the biology of dental disease, including research identifying distinctive protein patterns within diseased teeth. These findings may eventually contribute to regenerative treatments that repair rather than simply remove damaged tissue. Another study investigated whether dental procedures cause bacteria to enter the bloodstream, finding no significant increase in bacteraemia following treatment.

 

Advances in imaging also feature prominently. The increasing availability of standing computed tomography (CT) has transformed the investigation of dental and sinus disorders by allowing detailed assessment with minimal stress for the horse. The issue includes new descriptions of previously poorly understood sinus anatomy, together with case reports demonstrating how CT can assist diagnosis, surgical planning and follow-up.

 

Several papers describe innovative surgical approaches adapted from other species. These include an interdental wire and acrylic splinting technique for repairing jaw fractures, the use of piezoelectric surgery to remove an ossifying fibroma, and a successful single-stage correction of the congenital deformity known as "wry nose". 

 

A large multicentre study involving more than 1,600 horses from 19 equine clinics provides valuable new information on the presentation, diagnosis and prognosis of sinonasal disease, offering clinicians stronger evidence on which to base treatment decisions and discussions with owners.

 

The Special Focus Issue also addresses practical aspects of equine dentistry. One paper reports that elderly horses undergoing tooth extraction do not experience higher complication rates than younger animals, challenging a common assumption that advanced age alone increases surgical risk. Other studies examine techniques for oral tooth extraction and investigate emerging endodontic (root canal) treatments. While current evidence suggests that single-stage endodontic procedures may not completely eliminate infection in severely diseased teeth, researchers report encouraging early results using a novel calcium silicate cement for restoring treated teeth.

 

Education is another theme running through the collection. One study reviews equine dental teaching in veterinary schools and concludes that there is considerable scope to strengthen undergraduate training, helping future veterinarians develop the skills needed to manage these common conditions.

 

Barnett believes the Special Focus Issue represents one of the most comprehensive collections of research on equine dental and sinus disease published to date. He hopes it will advance understanding of these often-overlooked conditions and ultimately improve the health, welfare and quality of life of affected horses.

 

The Special Focus Issue is available here:

 

 https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/20423306/2026/58/6

Study explores how rider weight and pony age influence back muscle responses

How much weight can a horse or pony comfortably carry? It is one of the most frequently debated questions in equestrianism, with implications for both equine welfare and the sport's social licence to operate. Despite strong opinions on the subject, there is still relatively little scientific evidence to guide recommendations.

New research, recently published in the International Journal of Equine Science, sheds fresh light on the issue by examining how rider weight influences back muscle sensitivity and physiological stress in Exmoor ponies. 

The study has already attracted recognition within the equestrian community. Its findings were first presented as a scientific poster at the Horses Inside Out Conference 2026, where the work was judged the Best Scientific Poster by Professor Meriel Moore-Colyer, who led the judging of the conference's scientific research poster exhibition.  

Lead researcher, Jenna Payne, studied ten trekking Exmoor ponies with an average age of 18 years and an average bodyweight of 345 kg. Each pony completed the same 4.28 km ride on three consecutive days, carrying three different riders whose body weights represented between 9.7% and 23.1% of the pony's body weight. The riders were categorised as lightweight (LW), middleweight (MW) and heavyweight (HW).

 

Location of MNT. readings

© 2026 Payne et al (CC-BY-4.0)

To assess how the ponies responded, she measured the mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) of the epaxial muscles. These muscles run alongside the spine and play a key role in supporting both the horse's movement and the rider's weight. MNT testing uses a pressure algometer to determine how much pressure can be applied before the horse reacts. A higher threshold means more pressure is needed to provoke a response, indicating reduced sensitivity, while a lower threshold suggests increased sensitivity or tenderness.

She also measured heart rate variability (HRV), an indicator of activity within the autonomic nervous system that is commonly used to assess stress and recovery.

All ponies showed changes in back muscle sensitivity after ridden exercise. Immediately after carrying the heaviest riders, pressure thresholds increased significantly, meaning that greater pressure was required to elicit a response. This suggests that the back muscles were temporarily less sensitive to pressure immediately after exercise. No such overall effect was seen following the lightweight or middleweight rides.

Age also influenced the ponies' responses. Older ponies (18 years and above) showed increased pressure thresholds immediately after exercise regardless of rider weight. Younger ponies (17 years and under), however, only showed this response after carrying the heaviest riders.

Two hours after exercise, pressure thresholds had fallen again, indicating that muscle sensitivity had increased as the ponies recovered. In the younger ponies, thresholds after the lightweight and middleweight rides were significantly lower than they had been before exercise, suggesting that the muscles were actually more sensitive than at baseline. Older ponies did not show this pattern, pointing to possible age-related differences in short-term recovery. The authors caution, however, that the reasons for these differences remain unclear and require further investigation.

In contrast, heart rate variability changed very little throughout the study. No significant effects of rider weight or pony age were detected, apart from a small increase during the two-hour recovery period following the lightweight ride. Overall, the HRV results suggest that none of the rider weights produced sustained physiological stress in these experienced trekking ponies. 

The authors conclude that rider weight and pony age both influence short-term changes in back muscle sensitivity following ridden exercise, particularly in the mid-thoracic and lumbar regions of the back. However, the absence of marked changes in heart rate variability suggests that these local muscular responses were not accompanied by prolonged physiological stress.

The researchers emphasise that this was a preliminary study involving only ten experienced trekking ponies. They say larger studies involving different breeds, ages and fitness levels, together with longer follow-up periods, are needed before firm evidence-based recommendations can be made about appropriate rider-to-horse weight ratios.

 

For more details, see:    

Payne J, Routledge N, Charlton S, Hunnisett A.

Effects of Rider Weight and Pony Age on Epaxial Muscle Pain Sensitivity and Heart Rate Variability in Exmoor Ponies: A Preliminary Study.

Int J Equine Sci 2026;5(2):138–144.

https://rasayely-journals.com/index.php/ijes/article/view/229/161

 

See the poster

For details of Horses Inside Out Conference 2027, see: https://www.hioconference.com/

 

Neuroproteins could improve diagnosis of Neonatal Maladjustment Syndrome in foals

   

 The first few hours after birth are critical for every foal. While most are on their feet and nursing within a short time, others fail to recognise their dam, cannot suckle properly or develop alarming neurological signs. Distinguishing neonatal maladjustment syndrome (NMS) from other serious conditions can be challenging, but new research suggests that naturally occurring proteins in the blood may provide veterinarians with valuable clues.

A study recently published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine found that several neuroproteins and neurosteroids differ between healthy foals and those affected by NMS, raising the possibility of more accurate diagnosis and improved monitoring of this complex neurological disorder, sometimes known as "dummy foal syndrome."

Neonatal maladjustment syndrome is a complex condition that usually develops at birth or within the first two days of life. Although the exact cause remains uncertain, many affected foals recover if serious brain injury during foaling can be ruled out and they receive appropriate supportive care.

Clinical signs vary widely. The most common problem is failure to develop a normal suckling reflex, making it difficult for foals to nurse. More severely affected foals may become disorientated, develop seizures or even lapse into a coma. Treatment is largely supportive, often involving tube feeding or teaching the foal to drink from a bucket until it is able to nurse normally, together with intensive veterinary care where needed.

Researchers from North Carolina State University investigated whether naturally occurring substances associated with the brain could provide useful biological markers of the disease. They focused on three neuroproteins: brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and S100B, a protein produced mainly by astrocytes, specialised cells that support nerve cells within the brain.

These biomarkers are already used in human medicine to investigate neurological disorders, including neonatal brain injury, but their potential role in equine medicine has received little attention.

The study followed 72 foals less than seven days old. Fourteen were healthy, 19 had NMS and 39 were hospitalised with other conditions, including sepsis, diarrhoea and prematurity. Blood samples were collected on admission and again after one and two days in hospital. Of the 58 hospitalised foals, 48 survived.

The researchers also measured concentrations of progesterone-derived neurosteroids, known as pregnanes. These compounds are present at high concentrations in healthy newborn foals immediately after birth but normally fall rapidly within the first 24 to 48 hours. Previous studies have suggested that foals with NMS continue to have elevated concentrations for much longer.

That pattern was confirmed. Pregnane concentrations remained significantly higher in foals with NMS than in both healthy foals and those hospitalised for other illnesses throughout the first 48 hours.

The research team also found important differences in the neuroproteins. Blood concentrations of BDNF fell during the first day of hospitalisation in foals with NMS. S100B concentrations were particularly high in septic foals that also had NMS, compared with septic foals without neurological disease. GFAP concentrations were lower in both NMS foals and other sick foals than in healthy newborns, suggesting it may be less useful as a specific marker for the condition.

Lead researcher Dr Katarzyna Dembek believes the findings are encouraging. She suggests that BDNF, S100B and pregnanes could become valuable biomarkers not only for neonatal maladjustment syndrome, but also for identifying neurological involvement in premature foals and those with sepsis.

However, the authors caution that the work represents an early step rather than a new diagnostic test. The study involved relatively small numbers of foals, and further research will be needed to establish normal reference ranges, determine how these biomarkers change during recovery and evaluate how reliably they can distinguish NMS from other neurological disorders in clinical practice.

If confirmed in larger studies, measuring neuroproteins alongside neurosteroids could provide veterinarians with a more objective way of assessing newborn foals with suspected neurological disease, allowing earlier diagnosis and potentially improving treatment decisions during the critical first days of life.

For more details, see:

Javier Perez Quesada, Kinnidy Coley, David Wong, Nimet Browne, Myriah Albrecht, Katarzyna Dembek,

Biomarkers of brain injury in foals with neonatal maladjustment syndrome, 

Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, (2026) Vol 40, (5) aalag228

https://doi.org/10.1093/jvimsj/aalag228

University of Liverpool Healthy Horse AMR Project

(c) Avrezn. Dreamstime.com

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the biggest challenges facing both human and veterinary
medicine. As bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, infections become increasingly difficult to treat, highlighting the need to monitor how resistant organisms emerge and spread.

While national surveillance programmes already track antimicrobial resistance in livestock, there is currently no equivalent scheme for healthy horses in the UK. Researchers at the University of Liverpool hope to address this gap and are inviting horse owners, trainers, carers and others responsible for horses in England to take part in a new study.

Healthy horses can carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria without showing any signs of illness. These bacteria include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and strains of Escherichia coli that are resistant to important antibiotics, including cephalosporins. Because resistant bacteria can spread between animals, people and the environment, identifying them in healthy horses could provide an early warning of emerging resistance before it becomes a wider health problem.

The Healthy Horse AMR project, led by researchers at the University of Liverpool's Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, aims to establish how common antimicrobial resistance is in healthy horses in England. The findings will provide valuable baseline data and help develop practical, sustainable methods for monitoring resistance in the equine population.

The research team is also investigating the clinical and environmental factors that contribute to the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance, alongside the development of new antimicrobial treatment strategies.

Horse owners can support the project by collecting a faecal sample from their horse using a free sampling kit supplied by the researchers and returning it to the laboratory by post.

To be eligible, horses must be kept in England, must not be receiving antibiotics at the time of sampling and must not have been admitted to hospital during the previous 10 days.

The team is also recruiting a small number of horses to take part in a related nasal swab study. Owners interested in either study can register through the project's online sign-up form.

For more details, see:

https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/infection-veterinary-and-ecological-sciences/research/healthy-horse-amr/

Vets with Horsepower raise more than £100,000

  

More than £100,000 raised by the Vets with Horsepower team during its 2026 European charity tour has now been distributed to the organisations it supports.

The annual initiative sees a team of equine veterinarians travel by motorcycle to equine veterinary centres across Europe, delivering continuing professional development (CPD) lectures while raising money for projects that improve the lives of animals and children worldwide.

This year's tour took the team through Germany, Poland and the Baltic states. Funds were raised through lecture admission fees, sponsorship and donations, with all proceeds going to charity.

Although the tour has ended, there is still an opportunity to support the project. Recordings of the educational webinars remain available in return for a modest donation. The programme includes approximately 15 hours of CPD for veterinary surgeons and eight hours of presentations for horse owners. 

Any additional income generated through webinar sales or further donations will be added to the funds distributed to the charities supported by next year's tour.

The team has already announced plans for its 2027 expedition, which will take place in Iberia in September. Among the causes it hopes to support are veterinarians working in Ukraine, alongside its ongoing charitable work benefiting animals and children around the world.

Further information about the webinars and opportunities to support the project is available at www.vetswithhorsepower.com