Does obesity influence inflammatory responses in horses with equine asthma?

(c) Abby Khoriaty Dreamstime.com

 Equine asthma is a chronic respiratory condition that affects many horses, particularly those kept in stabled
environments or exposed to dust and allergens. It is characterised by airway inflammation (primarily driven by neutrophils)  leading to symptoms such as coughing, nasal discharge, and laboured breathing. Inflammatory flare-ups can significantly impair lung function and reduce performance.

 At the same time, equine obesity is becoming increasingly prevalent among domestic horses, largely due to overfeeding, limited exercise, and modern management practices. Obesity is already known to affect metabolic health and immune function in other species, including humans. This raises an important question: Could excess body fat make equine asthma worse by altering how the immune system responds to inflammation?

 A research team led by Alejandro Albornoz at the Universidad Austral de Chile set out to investigate whether obesity influences the inflammatory profile of horses with equine asthma. Their study, published in the open-access journal Animals, focused specifically on neutrophils - the white blood cells central to the airway inflammation seen in asthmatic horses.

 The researchers compared two groups of asthmatic horses that were in clinical remission (i.e. not experiencing active symptoms). The horses were divided into obese and non-obese groups, based on their body condition scores (BCS). Blood samples were taken to assess systemic inflammatory markers and to analyse how the horses’ neutrophils responded to immune challenges in the lab.

The results showed clear differences between the two groups:

• ·       Obese horses had significantly higher blood levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), a potent inflammatory cytokine involved in many immune responses.
• ·       They also had increased peripheral neutrophil counts, indicating a more active systemic inflammatory state.

When stimulated in the lab, neutrophils from obese horses:

• ·       Produced more reactive oxygen species, a marker of a strong oxidative response.
• ·       Showed greater expression of IL-1β genes after exposure to inflammatory triggers (such as lipopolysaccharide).

These responses point to a hyperinflammatory neutrophil phenotype - meaning these immune cells were more reactive and potentially more damaging to lung tissue if activated in the horse’s airways.

To better understand these changes, the team also conducted metabolomic profiling of the neutrophils - essentially examining the small molecules and biochemical pathways active within the cells.

They identified 139 different metabolites, and found key differences in:

• ·       Fatty acid biosynthesis
• ·       Branched-chain amino acid metabolism
• ·       Glutathione-related antioxidant pathways
• ·       Tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates

In particular, levels of itaconate, citraconic acid, and citrate were significantly elevated in the obese group. These molecules are known to regulate immune cell activity, and their presence suggests a state of metabolic reprogramming that primes neutrophils for a heightened inflammatory response.

The researchers conclude that obesity alters neutrophil metabolism and function in horses with asthma, making these immune cells more reactive to inflammatory stimuli. This may contribute to more persistent or severe airway inflammation, potentially making the disease harder to control. 

The findings highlight the importance of addressing obesity as part of asthma management. Controlling body condition may reduce systemic inflammation and help prevent disease flare-ups. The study also opens the door to future therapies that target neutrophil metabolism as a way to modulate inflammation in chronic equine diseases.

For more details, see:

Albornoz, Alejandro, Beatriz Morales, Valentina Bernal Fernandez, Claudio Henriquez, John Quiroga, Pablo Alarcón, Gabriel Moran, and Rafael A. Burgos. 

Obesity-associated metabolomic and functional reprogramming in neutrophils from horses with asthma

Animals (2025) 15, no. 13: 1992. 

https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15131992

Warning of possible adverse effects of SGLT2i on horses.

© Brian Sedgbeer Dreamstime.com

A group of veterinary experts have issued a warning regarding the potential adverse effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) in horses. In a letter published in the Veterinary Record, Bruce McGorum and clinicians from leading veterinary hospitals like the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh, Rossdales Equine Hospital, the University of Liverpool, and the Royal Veterinary College expressed their concerns.

These medications, such as ertugliflozin and canagliflozin, are increasingly used to treat equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), particularly in horses with laminitis that hasn't responded to dietary adjustments. While these drugs have shown promise in reducing serum insulin concentrations, promoting weight loss, and managing laminitis related to hyperinsulinemia, concerns have been raised about significant adverse effects.

 

Minor side effects reported include increased serum triglycerides and liver enzymes, dullness, and increased drinking and urination. However, more serious cases have shown markedly elevated serum triglycerides (above 40 mmol/L), increased liver enzymes (such as GGT, GLDH, LDH), and bile acids, indicating potential liver damage or dysfunction. These biochemical changes were also accompanied by clinical signs such as dullness, loss of appetite, gastric impaction, bilateral laryngeal paralysis, hepatic encephalopathy, and, in some cases, death.

 

Due to these risks, the experts recommend that SGLT2 inhibitors be used only in horses that have not responded to adequate dietary or exercise management, or those with severe laminitis. 

 

Additionally, they advise against using these medications in horses with pre-existing liver disease or hyperlipaemia and emphasize the importance of regular monitoring of diet, liver enzymes, serum triglycerides, and bile acids. Horse owners should be educated about the signs of hyperlipaemia and the potential risks involved in the use of these drugs.

 

Further research is needed to fully understand the risk factors and adverse effects of SGLT2 inhibitors in horses. Until then, their use should be restricted to cases where other treatment options have failed.

For more details, see:

B C McGorum, J A Keen, S McCullagh, CM Marr, C MacKenzie, H Carslake, N Menzies-Gow, Bettina Dunkel, M Hewetson, J Reed, E Knowles.

Potential adverse effects of SGLT2i in horses 

Veterinary Record (2024) vol 195, 253

Advances in endocrinology take centre stage in latest EVJ

The endocrine system plays an essential role in balancing the horse's health. Unfortunately, it is
prone to malfunction.

The March issue of the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) highlights the latest work advancing veterinary understanding of equine endocrinology.

  

In a press release, EVJ guest editor Melody de Laat, said “Knowledge, diagnosis and treatment of equine endocrinopathies has improved dramatically over the past 25 years, with progress driven by the publication of peer-reviewed papers and the application of evidence-based medicine.” 

   

Obesity, PPID (Equine Cushing’s), insulin dysregulation (ID), thyroid disorders and the effects of corticosteroid administration are all covered. Articles include:

 

• ·     The BEVA Primary Care Clinical Guidelines provide evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and management of PPID, directed at equine practitioners in an ambulatory setting. The evidence review supports clinical signs such as hyperhidrosis, regional adiposity, epaxial muscle atrophy, laminitis, weight loss, recurrent infections or delayed healing, behaviour changes, or polyuria and polydipsia as prompts for moderate suspicion of PPID in animals of more than 10 years of age. The review supports the assessment of basal plasma ACTH concentrations or ACTH responses to exogenous thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) administration. It also supports the use of pergolide as a therapy for PPID.

• ·   Lumbar vertebral bone density is decreased in horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction explores the infrequent finding of pathological fractures in aged horses with advanced PPID.

• ·       Influence of feeding and other factors on adrenocorticotropin concentration and thyrotropin-releasing hormone stimulation test in horses and ponies and Clinical implications of imprecise sampling time for 10- and 30-minute thyrotropin-releasing hormone stimulation tests in horses stresses the importance of exact timing when these samples are collected. 

• ·      Obesity and obesity-associated metabolic disease conditions in Connemara ponies in Ireland showed a 50% prevalence of laminitis in obese ponies. 

• ·       Development of a body condition index to estimate adiposity in ponies and horses from morphometric measurements presents an alternative method for measuring adiposity.

• ·          Associations between feeding and glucagon-like peptide-2 in healthy ponies looks at the role of glucagon-like peptide-2 in the development of hyperinsulinaemia in ID.

• ·         Expression of the GCG gene and secretion of active glucagon-like peptide-1 varies along the length of intestinal tract in horses demonstrates that both the large and small intestines are sites of equine GLP-1 secretion and that the genetic coding is identical in horses with and without ID.

• ·            Relationships between total adiponectin concentrations and obesity in native-breed ponies in England and Short-term induced hyperinsulinaemia and dexamethasone challenge do not affect circulating total adiponectin concentrations in insulin-sensitive ponies show that total adiponectin is not as strongly correlated with body condition, body shape and breed as expected and inducing short-term ID does not alter total adiponectin concentrations. 

• ·            Factors associated with insulin responses to oral sugars in a mixed-breed cohort of ponies and Epidemiological investigation of insulin dysregulation in Shetland and Welsh ponies in Australia determine that the insulin response to oral sugar is associated with multiple variables but cannot be predicted from the physical appearance. 

• ·            Insulin, but not adiponectin, is detectable in equine saliva using an automated, commercial assay in a pilot study in the UK demonstrates that insulin is measurable in equine saliva, but this method is not currently a viable alternative to blood. 

• ·        The effect of pre-dosing with metformin on the insulin response to oral sugar in insulin-dysregulated horsesshows the lack of efficacy of metformin (dosed at 30 mg/kg) on the insulin response to an oral sugar test.

• ·           Intra-articular trimacinolone acetonide injection results in increases in systemic insulin and glucose concentrations in horses without insulin dysregulation shows that intra-articular triamcinolone does not result in circulating insulin concentrations likely to induce laminitis in insulin-sensitive animals. 

• ·           Diagnosis and management of thyroid disorders and thyroid hormone supplementation in adult horses and foals reviews thyroid gland pathophysiology in adult horses and foals, blood thyroid hormone concentrations and the use of T4 supplementation in equine practice. 

 

“This robust collection reflects the continual dedication of equine veterinary researchers to developing our understanding of equine endocrinology,” said Professor Celia Marr, Editor of the EVJ. “Such work is enabling the application of evidence-based medicine to improve the diagnosis, management, treatment and quality of life of animals with endocrine disorders.”

 

The March issue is available to read free:

 

https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/20423306/2024/56/2

Effect of different hay feeders on behaviour

 Horses, being continuous grazers, have a natural inclination to feed steadily. Feral and wild horses may spend about 16 hours per day grazing. 

Allowing domesticated horses free access to roughage aligns with their natural feeding behaviour, representing a potentially optimal approach for horse health and welfare.

However, there are instances where restricting their food intake becomes necessary for management or health reasons. Nevertheless, such restrictions may impact their welfare and behaviour.

 

Implementing tools like hay-nets/bags and slow-feeders may prove helpful in decreasing food waste, extending the time horses spend consuming roughage, and potentially reducing undesirable behaviours.

 

The introduction of automatic hay boxes, providing scheduled feeding times throughout the day, contributes to minimising food waste. Despite this advantage, timed feeding through these devices may lead to abnormal behaviours in horses due to limited access to roughage.

 

A recent study evaluated the impact of three different hay feeders and the availability of roughage on horse behaviours in dry feed lots. The goal was to identify improved feeding techniques that could optimize feeding management, diminish abnormal behaviours, and improve the overall welfare conditions of horses in equine establishments.

 

Fifteen healthy thoroughbred cross horses from the Polo Club at Colorado State University participated in the research, employing a 3x3 Latin square design. The study comprised three groups, each consisting of five horses, with each group undergoing 15 days of one of the three treatments: free choice hay, slow feeder, or box feeder. At the conclusion of each treatment period, the horses underwent weighing, and blood samples were collected to monitor cortisol levels. Behaviour was  monitored throughout the final day of each treatment session.

 

The research, funded by Morris Animal Foundation, is published in Journal of Equine Veterinary Science.

 

Lead author, Jéssica Carvalho Seabra, said “Taking care of horses means more than just giving them a place to stay, food and water. It means giving them an environment where they can do things that are part of their natural behaviour like grazing.”

 

The researchers found that horses using automatic boxes and slow feeders consumed less and exhibited slower weight gain, indicating effective regulation of food intake. 

 

Horses with the freedom to choose when to eat had the highest hay utilization and weight gain rates, suggesting that this approach might not be optimal for overweight horses.

Horses with access to free choice feeding or a slow feeder spent more than half their day doing natural activities such as foraging. 

 

In contrast, horses using box feeders spent only about a quarter of their day eating, leading to increased time spent standing, sniffing the ground, and consuming their own faeces.

Furthermore, horses using the box feeder displayed more signs of aggression. During the study, the researchers noticed that horses became more aggressive as the feeders' size decreased and access to the food became more difficult. To address this issue, researchers recommend ensuring adequate space for each horse to eat without feeling crowded, especially when providing a limited amount of food.

 

"Selecting the right feeding technique can extend the time horses engage in natural behaviours, reducing the incidence of chronic stress and potentially curbing the emergence of abnormal and stereotypic behaviours in the long run," Carvalho Seabra said.

 

For more details, see:

 

Jéssica Carvalho Seabra, Tanja Hess, Marcos Martinez do Vale, Katherinne Maria Spercoski, Ryan Brooks, João Ricardo Dittrich,

Effects of Different Hay Feeders, Availability of Roughage on Abnormal Behaviors and Cortisol Circadian Rhythm in Horses Kept in Dry Lots,

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science (2023) Vol 130, 104911,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104911.

Insulin Dysregulation: not limited to overweight ponies

  

Body condition score alone does not reliably predict the risk of a pony developing laminitis
according to recent research. 

 

The study, by Edd Knowles, Post-doctoral researcher at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and Internal Medicine Specialist at Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic. with colleagues at the RVC, and Pat Harris of the Waltham Equine Studies Group, is published in the Equine Veterinary Journal.

 

The findings show that insulin dysregulation (ID), which is linked to an increased risk of laminitis, may occur in ponies across a wide range of body conditions, ages and levels of exercise, not just in those that are overweight. The study also showed that ID was less common in ponies that undertook more exercise, including low-intensity activities.

 

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas. The release of insulin is the signal for cells, largely in muscle and liver tissue to absorb glucose (sugar) from the blood. Insulin dysregulation (ID) is a term that includes a high basal or ‘resting’ insulin (in the blood), an exaggerated insulin response to consuming starch and/ or sugar and tissue insulin resistance (a failure of cells to respond to insulin). 

 

An association between ID and laminitis is well-established, and early detection of ID is likely to be useful in helping to prevent the disease.

 

In this study, the concentration of insulin was measured in the blood of ponies before and sixty minutes after they were given, orally, a sugar syrup (an oral sugar test (OST)). 

 

A total of 1763 OSTs were taken from 367 non-laminitic ponies over four years. The ponies were visited and tested in the Spring and Autumn unless they developed laminitis. Various physical parameters were recorded at the time of each OST including weight, height, body length, neck length, heart girth, belly girth, body condition score and cresty neck score. Owners/carers were asked to complete a questionnaire concerning the specific characteristics, diet, management, duration and intensity of exercise and health for each pony at each visit. 

 

The study concluded that associations between InsulinT60 and physical and owner-reported variables were limited. Season, owner-reported and physical features only explained 10%– 27% of the differences in InsulinT60 risk status in the study population.

 

The findings support previous work that suggested body condition scoring alone was not sufficient to determine insulin dysregulation (ID) status and emphasises the value of using an oral sugar test to screen for ID status.

 

Lead author Edd Knowles stated: “Our work has shown that while physical and owner-reported features can be used to identify ponies with a higher risk of ID, veterinarians should not limit testing for ID to ponies in which these risk factors are present. Doing so would miss identifying ponies at moderate to high risk of laminitis.” 

 

The study also indicates that relatively small increments in equine exercise routines may be beneficial. 18% of samples from ponies that were reported to do no trotting exercise were in the high-risk InsulinT60 category compared with only 9% of samples from those reported to undertake 1–2 h of trotting per week. 

 

This finding supports earlier research, on the benefits of low intensity exercise, conducted in collaboration with the WALTHAM® Equine Studies Group, which provides the science behind SPILLERS®,

 

“This work confirms that while body condition is a useful indicator, we can’t simply assume that ponies with obvious physically apparent attributes such as excess weight are the only group likely to have ID,” said Sarah Nelson, Product Manager at Mars Horsecare, home of the SPILLERS brand. 

 

“We must consider multiple variables when targeting ponies for ID screening, in order not to miss those potentially at increased risk of laminitis, who may have a ‘healthy’ body condition score.” 

 

“The association with even low-level exercise is also an important practical management message for horse owners” she added.

 

For more details, see:

 

EJ Knowles, PA Harris, J Elliott, Y-M Chang, NJ Menzies-Gow.

Factors associated with insulin responses to oral sugars in a mixed-breed cohort of ponies. Equine Vet J. 2023.

https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13983

Study of ertugliflozin in management of hyperinsulinaemia and laminitis

 A recent report suggests that a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes in people could be effective in reducing insulin levels in horses and ponies with equine metabolic syndrome. 

Hyperinsulinaemia, characterised by abnormally high insulin levels in the bloodstream, is a primary contributor to most cases of laminitis. The exact mechanism by which elevated insulin levels lead to laminitis is still not fully understood.

 

Managing insulin dysregulation can be challenging, with diet and exercise (unless laminitis is already present) being the primary strategies. Unfortunately, these methods may not always yield satisfactory results.

 

Currently, there are no approved medications specifically designed to address this issue. 

 

However, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), a class of drugs commonly employed in the treatment of type 2 diabetes in humans, show promise in reducing insulin concentrations in horses by promoting the excretion of glucose through urine.

 

Studies have demonstrated that these drugs can limit the increase in insulin levels after meals and prevent diet-induced laminitis. One such drug in this class is ertugliflozin, which some veterinarians have been using off-label to manage laminitis associated with hyperinsulinaemia.

 

A study conducted by Tania Sundra from Avon Ridge Equine Veterinary Services, in Western Australia, along with Erin Kelty and David Rendle, reviewed the clinical records of 51 horses that received ertugliflozin for the treatment of hyperinsulinaemia. The findings of this study are published in Equine Veterinary Education.

 

According to the authors, horse owners were informed about potential side effects such as loss of appetite, colic, increased drinking and urination, lethargy, or changes in behaviour, and were instructed to report any unusual signs or events immediately.

 

All horses had already been placed on a restricted diet. The diet and management for each horse remained consistent during the treatment period, allowing for a comparison of pre- and post-treatment results. Similarly, the timing of testing in relation to feeding was kept consistent for each horse.

 

After 30 days of treatment with ertugliflozin, the authors report a significant reduction in insulin levels, with the median dropping from >300 μu/ml to 43 μu/ml. This reduction was accompanied by a significant improvement in lameness, as indicated by Modified Obel lameness scores, which decreased from a median of 10/12 to 1/12.

 

During the treatment, there was an increase in serum triglyceride concentrations (from 0.6 mmol/L before treatment to 1.4 mmol/L after treatment). However, none of the horses developed clinical signs of hyperlipaemia.

 

Owners reported that 10 horses experienced increased drinking and urination while undergoing treatment with ertugliflozin, but no other adverse effects were noticed.

 

The authors suggest that ertugliflozin could potentially reduce insulin levels in horses and ponies affected by equine metabolic syndrome. Moreover, they propose that its use might speed up the recovery from laminitis that is linked to hyperinsulinaemia.

 

 

For more details, see:

 

Preliminary observations on the use of ertugliflozin in the management of hyperinsulinaemia and laminitis in 51 horses: A case series.

Tania Sundra, Erin Kelty, David Rendle

Equine Veterinary Education (2023) Vol 35, Pp 311-320

https://doi.org/10.1111/eve.13738  

Strip grazing reduces eating but not moving, new study shows

Studies have already shown that strip grazing is an effective way of restricting grass intake in ponies.

Now, new work indicates the added benefit that eating less doesn’t automatically mean moving less.

Restricting grass intake is an essential part of many weight management programmes. Having shown in a previous study that strip grazed ponies gain significantly less weight than ponies with free access to restricted grazing over a 28-day period, SPILLERS and their research collaborators set out to discover whether eating less as a result of strip grazing also means moving less in the field. 

To evaluate the effects on ‘activity levels’ of ponies strip grazing individually, behavioural data from the previous study was analysed. In addition, a second study was evaluated, that had been carried out in collaboration with the Royal Veterinary College, to look at the effects of strip grazing on the behaviour of ponies turned out in groups.

In the second study 10 ponies were randomly assigned to one of two adjacent paddocks. Both paddocks were the same size, had been managed in the same way and subjectively had the same amount of very limited grazing available. Paddock B was divided into seven strips (using electric fencing) with ponies given access to one additional fresh strip of grazing every day; ponies in paddock A had access to the entire paddock for the duration of the study.

In both studies, behaviour and activity levels were assessed on several occasions using a combination of direct observation and activity monitors attached to the poll strap of the ponies’ headcollars. 

The research team found no significant difference in the over-all time strip grazed ponies spent grazing, standing, or moving regardless of whether a back fence was used or if they were turned out individually or as a group.

“The results of both studies showed that the strip grazed ponies moved just as much as the unrestricted ponies,” said Clare Barfoot RNutr, Marketing and Research and Development Director at Mars Horsecare UK, home of the SPILLERS brand. “Similar amounts of time were spent grazing, standing and locomoting (which included walking, trotting and cantering) within the different groups and encouragingly, performance of behaviours related to stress and frustration were low in both studies too.”

“While we were unsurprised to see that the strip grazed ponies preferred to graze the newly accessible grass and spent most time grazing in the four hours after the fence had been moved, we believe this finding could be useful when deciding if and how those prone to laminitis should have access to grass.”

The researchers are now looking into the effects of strip grazing on the water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) or ‘sugar’ content of the grass as well as pasture recovery.

For more details, see:

The effect of strip grazing on physical activity and behaviour in ponies.
A Cameron, A Longland, T Pfau, S Pinnegar, I Brackston, J Hockenhull,  PA Harris, NJ Menzies-Gow. (2021).
Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, (2022) 110, 103745. 
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2021.103745

App to help monitor equine body condition

 A new Equine Body Condition Scoring app has been produced by scientists at the University of
Glasgow.

Obesity in equines is not a new problem. However, the increasing number of obese horses and ponies, predominantly in the leisure industry, has now become a globally recognised welfare concern.  

 

Carrying excess weight contributes to various problems: it increases the stress on the horse’s skeletal system, can limit reproductive performance, adversely affect athletic performance and may lead to an increased risk of laminitis, osteoarthritis, heat intolerance and certain types of colic. 

The Equi-BCS app was developed by Katie Williams, an equine nutritionist, as part of her PhD research at the University.

The app lets owners record and share their horse’s weight data, which should make it easier for professionals to help horse owners keep their horse’s weight on track. This feature also supports horses that are not holding their weight, so health issues can be spotted early.

Ms Williams said: “One of the toughest challenges for any horse owner is keeping weight off their horse, and previous studies have shown that horse owners tend to underestimate their horse’s body condition score.

“To succeed, a collaborative approach is required including vets, nutritionists and farriers working together with horse owners.”

The app contains detailed images and instructions to help horse owners score their horse accurately and photos can be uploaded and stored so that horse owners can remind themselves of how their horse has looked in the past.

Research in human weight tracking apps has shown that frequency of use correlates with greater success and so an important feature of the app is that it will notify users when they are due to assess their horse again.

Ms Williams added: “It is incredible how quickly a horse can change and so monitoring regularly, ideally every two weeks, is key. Receiving a reminder will provide the prompt that many people need to ensure they take time to assess their horse and either make adjustments to the ration, or seek advice from their vet or nutritionist.”

The Equi-BCS app can be downloaded for free from Apple’s app store or Google Play

Brush up on your nutrition and laminitis knowledge with free webinar

Horse owners can take advantage of a series of free nutrition-themed webinars, thanks to SPILLERS™.

The first webinar, to be held on 20th January 2022 at 8pm (GMT), will be hosted by SPILLERS™ nutritionist Gina Burgoyne, and is entitiled “Tips for winter weight gain.” It will cover forage, calories, fibre and oil diets and practical advice.

 

On Thursday 10th February, 8pm, Gina Burgoyne will present a webinar on “Tips for horses prone to gastric ulcers.” The discussion will cover: who is at risk; what to look out for; how nutrition plays a role; and forage.

 

The third webinar, on Thursday 3rd March, 8pm, “Managing your laminitic horse” will be hosted by Isabel Harker and Sarah Nelson. Topics will include: who is at risk; symptoms; how nutrition plays a role; body condition; and grazing tips.

“Whether you have a horse or a pony, and whether you are looking for safe weight gain, weight loss or a maintenance diet these webinars are for you,” said Clare Barfoot RNutr, Marketing and Research and Development Director at Mars Horsecare UK, home of the SPILLERS brand. 

“The webinars incorporate answers to many of the questions we receive via our Care-Line, together with the latest in equine nutrition science, making them highly relevant for every level of horse owner. And the best news is they are free and accessible to all.”

The webinars will be hosted on Microsoft Teams. Each session is free of charge and will last for approximately one hour. 

 

If you would like to join, sign up at:

 

https://www.spillers-feeds.com/webinars

 

 A link to join the webinar will then be emailed to you the day before the session.

Effects of lockdown on horses and owners

 The impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on horses, owners and people working with them, has been
studied in new research. 

The work was conducted at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) in collaboration with the Waltham Petcare Science Institute, during the lockdown restrictions imposed by the pandemic.

 

It showed that the coronavirus lockdown had a negative impact on the mental health and wellbeing of horse owners. It also highlighted the need for guidelines on care of horses and ponies at risk of obesity and laminitis during such restrictions.

 

The researchers explored how horse owners and those working with horses were affected by challenges brought about by the Covid-19 lockdown.

 

The study questioned 22 members of the equestrian community in Aberdeenshire, including horse owners, equine veterinarians, and farriers, as well as two welfare centre managers in England. A report of the work is published in the journal Animals.

 

Findings from the interviews indicate that pandemic-related obstacles to communication and limitations on horse owner interaction with their animals were sources of distress and frustration for interviewees.

 

The report also highlighted the stress placed on equine veterinarians who could be at risk of overwork and burnout as they managed their responsibility to protect public health during emergency scenarios such as the pandemic.

 

However, the study also identified several positive outcomes where the equine community undertook action to help overcome financial stresses and social isolation.

 

Ashley Ward, PhD student and lead author of the report, said: “From this study, we have been able to better understand the importance of human-animal interactions and the role that horses played in lessening the detrimental impacts of isolation and anxiety associated with uncertainty around lockdown.

 

She added: “It is also of note that the pro-social actions undertaken by individuals to benefit the community had the potential to improve the wellbeing of those undertaking the activities - as well as the community they sought to benefit.

 

“It is hoped that such information will promote action within the industry to protect the mental health and wellbeing of its community, using actions which combat the issues raised in this research.”

 

In a related study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, the research team assessed the impact of the pandemic on the management of horses and ponies susceptible to laminitis.

 

Their findings suggested that recommendations for supporting the management needs of horses under reduced supervision were not clearly defined, or were not sufficiently disseminated, across the equine industry.

 

“We discovered that lockdown-associated factors had the potential to compromise the welfare of horses and ponies at risk of obesity and laminitis,” said Ashley Ward. “These included: disparate information and guidance, difficulties enacting public health measures in yard environments, and horses having reduced exercise during the pandemic.

 

“Our conclusion was that guidelines should be developed for the care of horses and ponies at risk through collaborative input from veterinary and welfare experts. This would help to reduce the negative impacts of future lockdown events in the UK.”

 

For more details, see:

 

The Human Aspect of Horse Care: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted the Wellbeing of Equestrian Industry Stakeholders 

Ward A, Stephen K, Argo C, Watson C, Harris P, Neacsu M, Russell W, Grove-White D, Morrison P. 

Animals 2021, 11(8), 2163

https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082163

 

 

COVID-19 impacts equine welfare: Policy implications for laminitis and obesity. 

Ward AB, Stephen K, Argo CM, Harris PA, Watson CA, Neacsu M, et al. (2021) 

PLoS ONE 16(5): e0252340. 

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0252340

Monitoring signs of laminitis

A new scoring method has been shown to be useful for monitoring the progress of cases of endocrinopathic-laminitis. Endocrinopathic-laminitis or hyperinsulinaemia-associated laminitis (HAL) is a common form of the condition, typically encountered in overweight animals.
Being able to grade the severity of the signs is useful, both for assessing the response to treatment in clinical situations, but also for assessing potential new treatments when they become available.
 
The 4-point Obel scale has been used for many years to describe the severity of laminitic signs. (See below). It was devised for use with severe cases caused by sepsis or starch overload, and may not be as well suited to cases of HAL, which often show a more gradual onset. 
 

A new method was developed by Meier and colleagues (See below), which examines five key clinical signs: weight shifting, response to lifting a foot, gait at the walk and turning in a circle, and palpation of the digital pulse.

 

The value of this new method was investigated in a randomised controlled field study involving eighty horses and ponies with naturally occurring HAL, seen at 16 veterinary practices in Germany.

Independent veterinarians assessed the severity of laminitis using both the traditional Obel method and the Meier method. Assessments were made on the day of diagnosis then 4, 9, 14, 25 and 42 days later. Pain medications were withheld for 24 h before clinical examination in all cases.

 

The researchers found that the time taken for the laminitis to improve varied between individuals, and was difficult to monitor accurately using the Obel method. The Meier method could identify more subtle changes. They noted that there was considerable variation in the rate of improvement of individual clinical signs. For example, lameness when turning in a circle persisted longer than signs of weight shifting and reluctance to allow the front leg to be lifted.

 

A full, open access, report of the work is published in the journal BMC Veterinary Research. The authors conclude that the Meier method provides a reliable and consistent method for monitoring the clinical status of horses with HAL.

 

They suggest that the pattern of improvement described in their study should provide a useful benchmark against which individual cases and new treatments can be assessed.

 

 

Table 1 The Obel method of laminitis diagnosis and severity grading (Obel, 1948)

Laminitis grade	Grade description
Normal	Horse appears sound
Obel grade 1	At rest, the horse shifts its weight between the forelimbs; the horse is sound at the walk, but the gait is stilted at the trot in a straight line and on turning
Obel grade 2	The gait is stilted at the walk and the horse turns with great difficulty, but one forelimb can be lifted
Obel grade 3	The horse is reluctant to walk and one forelimb can only be lifted with great difficulty
Obel grade 4	The horse will only move if forced to

 

 Table 2 The ‘modified Obel’ or ‘Meier’ method of laminitis diagnosis and severity scoring

Order of examination	Criteria	Description	Points	Given Points
Stage 1
Examine horse standing	Weight shifting	No weight shifting	0
		Weight shifting – including shifting weight between all feet;	2
		Abnormal time spent lying down; placing forelimbs in front of body
Gently lift each foot up and put back down straight away	Forelimb lift	Prompt and willingly maintained (each forelimb)	0
		Reluctant and maintained with difficulty (each forelimb)	1
		Unable to lift foot/resists attempts to lift foot (each forelimb)	2
Stage 2
Conduct on hard surface Walk horse approx. 30 m side-on to examiner	Gait at walk	Normal gait	0
		Mild - short, stilted gait - still moves willingly	1
		Moderate - short, stilted gait - reluctant/difficult to walk	2
		Severe difficulty walking or unable to walk*	6
		*do not force horse to walk; skip gait at circle and continue with digital pulse
Turn on a short lead clockwise and anti-clockwise	Gait at circle	Normal circling	0
		Mild head rise, difficulty when turning, still moves willingly	1
		Moderate, sharp head rise, reluctance/difficulty turning	2
		Severe difficulty turning, slow and clearly painful	3
Stage 3
All feet must be square on ground	Forelimb digital pulse	Normal - able to palpate, normal magnitude but not bounding	0
		Increased magnitude or bounding digital pulse (each forelimb)	2
			Total Score

 

 Both tables from: The application of a new laminitis scoring method to model the rate and pattern of improvement from equine endocrinopathic laminitis in a clinical setting ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

For more details, see:

 

The application of a new laminitis scoring method to model the rate and pattern of improvement from equine endocrinopathic laminitis in a clinical setting. 

Meier, A., McGree, J., Klee, R. et al. (2021)

BMC Vet Res 17, 16 

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-020-02715-7