Does exercising foals reduce risk of later fracture?

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 Can putting foals on a controlled exercise program reduce the risk of fractures later in life?
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) are investigating.

Limb fractures risk ending not only a horse’s career but its life as well.

 

Led by Dr. Annette McCoy and Dr. Mariana Kersh, the research team are looking at the benefits of a carefully controlled exercise program in foals. The study is funded by the Morris Animal Foundation.

 

“We know from another study that mild exercise early in life is associated with positive effects in horses, but exactly how it stimulates bone growth in areas susceptible to fractures is still unknown,” says Dr. Annette McCoy, Associate Professor of Equine Surgery. “Exercise interventions earlier in their lives might better prepare a horse’s bones to face the mechanical forces they will see in their late adolescence and adulthood.”

 

The research draws on information from human medicine, where studies show that children who exercise are less prone to injury as adolescents and adults, and that bone changes are sustained over time. 

 

In an earlier study, Dr. McCoy found that pasture-raised foals in their first year of life are relatively inactive about 85% of the time. The research group wondered whether this low level of voluntary exercise during the period of most rapid growth could contribute to bone injuries when horses are put into work as young adults.

 

The team also knew that too much exercise could have a detrimental effect on foals. Any exercise program should increase activity without over-stressing the foal.

 

The project, being conducted on the University of Illinois Horse Farm, is due to run over two years.  The first six Standardbred foals were enrolled in 2021. A further six foals joined the study this year.

 

When each foal was 8 weeks old, the group performed baseline computed tomography (CT) exams on each foal’s forelimbs to create a three-dimensional picture. The exams measured bone properties, including density and volume. 

 

Foals were then divided into two equal groups. Three foals participated in an 8-week exercise plan, consisting of 1,500 yards of fast trotting in a field once per day, five days per week. The other three foals served as non-exercised controls. 

 

When each foal reached 16 weeks of age, the team performed another CT scan of their limbs to compare differences in bone development. When the foals are about 1 year old, the team will take one final CT scan to see if any changes remain after the conclusion of the program.

 

All the data will be combined into a computer model to help predict the effects of a variety of exercise interventions on bone properties without having to test them in live horses. 

Although horses come in many shapes and sizes, Dr. McCoy hopes the results will help better manage foals of all breeds destined for activities where front leg fractures are common.

 

“Most foals, regardless of breed, spend the first year of their lives sleeping, standing and walking,” said Dr. McCoy. “Because we’re really focused on the pre-training period, I think that our findings should be applicable across breeds.”

 

“One of our goals with this project was to create a computer model that we could use in the future to virtually test exercise interventions in foals,” she said. “What one of our graduate students discovered is that the bones of foals react differently than adult horses to mechanical forces. This meant we couldn’t use the existing adult horse modelling systems for our study – we created something completely new. Nobody had demonstrated this before, and our student won the PhD competition at a recent meeting for this discovery!”

Dr. McCoy hopes to have all their data analyzed by the end of summer 2023.

 

For more details, see:

https://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/article/horse-exercise-key-to-preventing-leg-fractures

 

Long term horse-owner relationship helps horses cope with change

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A new study shows that horses can be more reluctant in new situations if they have multiple riders or have had several owners, or if the horse has been with its current owner for only a short time. 

 The international research team, including scientists from Turku and Helsinki Universities in Finland, and the INRAE of Nouzilly in France, studied interactions between horses and humans as well as how horses react in new situations. The findings are published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 

 

Over the millenia horses have been living with humans, they have developed impressive social skills: they are receptive to human emotions and are very good at understanding human demands.

 

"Domestic horses may spend several hours daily in close contact with humans, which can affect horse welfare, physiology, and behaviour” says the lead author of the study, Doctoral Researcher Océane Liehrmann from the Department of Biology at the University of Turku, Finland.

 

“Therefore, it is important to understand which factors can influence the horses' emotions during interactions with humans and what shapes their relationship -- particularly in novel situations that can be very stressful to the animals," 

 

The researchers recruited 76 privately owned leisure horses from the Turku area to perform two behavioural tests, in which they observed and analysed the horses' reactions to novel objects. 

 

In the first test, horses were led to walk on two surfaces that were new to them, a white tarpaulin sheet, and a fluffy blanket. They were led to one of the surfaces by their owner and to the other one by an unfamiliar researcher. 

 

Secondly, the researchers studied whether, when presented with a new object, the horse reacted differently depending on whether they were with a familiar owner or with a stranger. Horses were shown a fluffy stuffed toy by either their owner or an unfamiliar researcher. The horse had one minute in which to freely come and interact with the toy. Then the person approached the horse and tried to touch its neck with the toy.

 

"Interestingly, horses with an exclusive relationship with their owner were the calmest when approaching the novel surfaces and easily agreed to be touched with the toy. Horses that are regularly ridden or trained by different persons showed more stress behaviours in the test situations," Liehrmann says.

 

Similarly, Horses that had spent their whole life with their owner agreed more often to be touched with the new toy than horses that had had several owners during their life. These horses presented more stress behaviours and refused more often to be touched with the toy.

"Horses often have to change ownership, which restricts their ability to make a long-term bond with specific humans. We were particularly interested in studying how the length of the relationship between the horse and the owner affects the horse's behaviour in new, potentially stressful situations," Liehrmann says.

 

The results showed that horses with shorter relationships with their owner were more reluctant in novel situations and presented more stress behaviours when asked to interact with novel objects and surfaces. On the contrary, horses that had at least 6 to 8 years of relationship with their owner, were mostly very calm when introduced to the surfaces or the stuffed toy.

 

Horses older than 17 years old refused more often to step on the tarp or the blanket when they were led by a stranger, while they almost all agreed to do so when they were led by their owner.

 

"Geriatric horses often suffer from poorer eyesight, and it has been shown that they may feel more anxiety towards new situations than younger horses. Therefore, older horses may perceive someone familiar as a secure base, feeling safer to walk over an unknown material when led by a familiar person."

 

The study shows that having a shorter relationship with the owner, multiple handlers and numerous owner-changes can increase the horse's reluctance to novel objects and surfaces and therefore may negatively impact the horse-human interactions in new situations.

 

"Our findings suggest that a positive horse-human relationship may take time to develop as it is shaped by multiple factors, such as the horse's previous interactions with humans. Overall, the results show that animals' relationships with their human caretakers should be better considered in animal welfare and its research," Liehrmann concludes.

 

For more details, see:

 

Multiple handlers, several owner changes and short relationship lengths affect horses’ responses to novel object tests. 

Océane Liehrmann, Alisa Viitanen, Veera Riihonen, Emmi Alander, Sonja E. Koski, Virpi Lummaa, Léa Lansade. 

Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2022; 254: 105709 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105709

New test for Lyme disease in horses

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A new DNA test developed at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School helped confirm a diagnosis of Lyme disease in a horse. A report is published in the Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation.

 

Lyme disease (LD) is caused by the corkscrew-shaped bacterium (spirochete) Borrelia burgdorferi. The organism infects white blood cells and cells lining synovial cells, resulting in an inflammatory response. 

 

It is transmitted by ixodes ticks – (typically I ricinus in UK, I scapularis (deer tick) in the north eastern US and Atlantic coast, and I pacificus on the US west coast.) 

 

Many horses in areas where the infection is present carry antibodies without showing signs of disease. Conversely, infected animals may take a long time to produce a detectable antibody response.

  

Signs are generally non-specific. Swollen joints and uveitis (inflammation within the eye) have been reported. Other possible signs include stiffness, lameness, lethargy and behaviour change.

Rare cases may develop neuroborreliosis, in which the bacteria reach the central nervous system, resulting in neurological signs, fever, muscle wasting and difficulty eating.  

 

Clinicians at the Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine were struggling to diagnose a neurologic case of LD in a sick Swedish Warmblood mare. Although they suspected Lyme disease, standard PCR and antibody tests did not detect the organism. 

 

The new “genomic hybrid capture assay,” a highly sensitive test developed by Steven Schutzer and the team at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, identified the pathogen in a sample of the horse’s spinal fluid, allowing it to be diagnosed and successfully treated. 

The test works by first selectively isolating DNA from the microorganism causing the disease.

 

“The method is like having a special, specific ‘fishhook’ that only grabs Borrelia DNA and not the DNA of other microbes, nor the DNA of the host (animal or human),” Schutzer said. “Detecting DNA of the disease is a direct test, meaning we know you have active disease if it’s circulating in the blood or spinal fluid.”

 

“The diagnosis of Lyme neuroborreliosis (neurologic Lyme disease) in horses is rarely confirmed antemortem and has frustrated veterinarians for years,” said Thomas Divers, the veterinarian who led the equine team on the paper and who is a professor of medicine and co-chief of the Section of Large Animal Medicine at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in New York. “This is a very promising technique. Focused treatment against B. burgdorferi administered in this case resulted in the horse’s complete athletic recovery.”

 

For more details, see: 

 

Genomic hybrid capture assay to detect Borrelia burgdorferi: an application to diagnose neuroborreliosis in horses

Thomas J. Divers, Emmanuel F. Mongodin, Christopher B. Miller, 

Rodney L. Belgrave, Rachel B. Gardner, Claire M. Fraser, Steven E. Schutzer

Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation (2022). 

https://doi.org/10.1177/10406387221112617

North American horse owners sought for biosecurity study

Even with vaccination and modern medicines, biosecurity plays a crucial role in preventing the spread of infectious disease.

 The Equine Disease Communication Center, with the support of the United States Department of Agriculture, is conducting a study into the awareness and knowledge of biosecurity in the horse industry. Based at the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky, the EDCC provides real-time and accurate information about diseases, vaccination and biosecurity.

 

They have devised an online survey, which they say will take about ten minutes to complete. The findings will be shared with all parts of the horse industry and used to create educational information and resources to help owners protect their horses. 

 

“Dealing with Covid-19 has highlighted the need for biosecurity procedures to reduce risk of infection; however, most horse owners are still not fully aware of the threat to their horses from both endemic and foreign animal diseases either at home or when traveling,” said Dr. Nathaniel White, EDCC director. “We need to understand the gaps in biosecurity knowledge. Armed with that information, we will create specific plans for facilities and events, enabling the industry to react to domestic and foreign disease threats.”

 

Owners or carers of horses in the USA and Canada are asked to participate in the survey

 

To take part in the survey, go to:

 

https://www.research.net/r/EDCCowner

 

For more about the EDCC, see:

 

https://www.equinediseasecc.org

How well do horses hear electric cars?

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Electric cars are becoming more common. They make less noise than vehicles with petrol or diesel engines, raising a concern that people may not hear them coming. What about horses? Can they hear electric cars in time? 

A new study instigated by the British Horse Society (BHS) in conjunction with the Electric Vehicle Association (EVA) Scotland. and Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland, investigated the reaction of horses to the noise of an electric car.

 

They research team monitored the response of three different horses to approaching cars (three electric and one petrol).

 

A horse, with rider, stood facing along the road with the car approaching from behind. The noise produced by the car was recorded using a high sensitivity microphone. The horse’s reaction to the car was recorded using a smartphone video camera. 

 

They conclude that: “the low-level noises produced by electrical vehicles are being detected by the horses quite early on and they are aware of the presence of the vehicle much before the humans are.”

 

Presenting the report at a launch in Eglington Country Park (Scotland), Alan Hiscox, Director of Safety at The British Horse Society said:

 

“With more and more electric cars on Britain’s roads, this report’s new data and analysis provides significant insight. Not only will it help to alleviate concerns from riders about how their horse reacts to electric vehicles due to limited sound levels, but it will also be a vital tool when it comes to encouraging drivers, regardless of whether they are driving an electronic or conventional vehicle, to be careful when passing horses on the road.” 

 

Professor James Njuguna, Research Strategic Lead at Robert Gordon University, added: “The number of horse and electrical vehicle accidents and incidents are on the rise with society's shift to electric vehicles, bicycles, and scooters. A better understanding of horse behaviour in the presence of an electric vehicle is a step forward for the shared road safety of all road users: drivers, riders, and horses alike. It is a pleasure to support this effort alongside the BHS and EVA Scotland in this campaign. The findings clearly indicate the horse is cautiously recognising EVs long before the rider does and forms a baseline for detailed studies in future.”

 

For more details, see:  

https://www.bhs.org.uk/media/j4vntucq/bhs-horseev-feild-study-report_final-1.pdf

Use of tools by horses

(c) Krueger et al

It used to be thought that using tools was one of the things that set us apart from the animal kingdom. 

However, it is now known that some species use tools. Reports include chimps using sticks to reach food, sea otters using stones to break open shellfish and even elephants deactivating an electric fence by dropping rocks on it.

What about horses? Konstanze Krueger and co-workers conducted an investigation into “unusual” behaviour in horses.

The topic did not lend itself to conventional methods. Instead, they collected reports and video records of unusual behaviour using a dedicated website*. They also searched online for videos showing equids using tools. 

Analysing 635 reports, including 1014 behaviours, they found 20 cases of tool use, 13 of which they termed “unambiguous,” in that it was clear that the behaviour was not trained, caused by reduced welfare, incidental or accidental.

Their findings are published in the journal Animals. 

They report that “the most frequent tool use, with seven examples, was for foraging, for example, equids using sticks to scrape hay into reach. There were four cases of tool use for social purposes, such as horses using brushes to groom others, just one case of tool use for escape, in which a horse threw a halter when it wished to be turned out, and one case of tool use for comfort, in which a horse scratched his abdomen with a stick.”

 

They then assessed the effect of management conditions on tool use and whether the animals used tools alone, or socially, involving other equids or humans. 

They report that management restrictions were associated with tool use in 12 of the 13 cases – such as the use of sticks to scrape hay within reach when feed was restricted. 

“Furthermore, 8 of the 13 cases involved other equids or humans, such as horses using brushes to groom others. The most frequent tool use was for foraging, with seven examples, tool use for social purposes was seen in four cases, and there was just one case of tool use for escape. There was just one case of tool use for comfort, and in this instance, there were no management restrictions.”  

They conclude: “Equids therefore can develop tool use, especially when management conditions are restricted, but it is a rare occurrence.”

For more details, see

Tool Use in Horses. 

K Krueger; L Trager; K Farmer; R Byrne. 

Animals 2022, 12, 1876. 

Possible blood marker for lymphoma?

 Thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) could prove to be a useful biomarker to identify horses with lymphoma, according to recent research.

 Lymphoma is the most common hematopoietic neoplasm (tumour affecting the blood-producing cells) in horses. Lymphomas are less common than sarcoids, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma, and account for about 2% of all equine neoplasia.

 

Lymphomas can appear in different forms depending on which tissues are involved. Those involving the skin are easier to identify and treat. Tumours involving lymphoid tissue in the chest or abdominal organs are more of a challenge. They tend to produce non-specific signs such as fever, weight loss, colic, ventral oedema, and diarrhoea.

 

Confirmation of a diagnosis relies on identification of malignant lymphoid cells in blood or bone marrow, or in pleural or peritoneal fluid. An accurate serum biomarker would make the task much easier.

 

Thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) plays an important role in DNA replication and cell division. It is only present in cells when they are dividing and is quickly broken down afterwards. Cells dividing normally do not release significant amounts of TK1 into the extracellular body fluids, but cancer cells do.

 

Serum TK1 activity has been used as a biomarker for health screening for malignant diseases and to monitor response to treatment in humans and in dogs.

 

Liya Wang and colleagues at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden and the University of Bern, and Agroscope, Bern, Switzerland, conducted a study to evaluate the serum level of TK1 as a biomarker for equine lymphoma. 

 

They collected serum samples from healthy and diseased horses, and measured the levels of TK1.

 

They took blood from seven horses with confirmed lymphoma, five horses with suspected lymphoma, 107 control horses with concurrent diseases and 42 healthy horses.

 

They found that “serum TK1 activity was significantly higher in the lymphoma (p <  0.0005), suspected lymphoma (p <  0.02) and tumour-free with concurrent diseases (p <  0.03) groups than in the controls without concurrent diseases, and there was a significant difference between the lymphoma group and the tumour-free group with concurrent diseases (p <  0.0006).” 

 

They conclude: “These results demonstrated that serum TK1 could serve as a useful biomarker to distinguish individuals with lymphoma from control horses with and without concurrent diseases.”

 

For more details, see: 

 

Molecular characterization of equine thymidine kinase 1 and preliminary evaluation of its suitability as a serum biomarker for equine lymphoma. 

Wang, L., Unger, L., Sharif, H. et al.

BMC Mol and Cell Biol (2021). 22, 59. 

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12860-021-00399-x

Morris Animal Foundation invites funding requests

 Morris Animal Foundation, one of the largest non-profit animal health research organizations in the
world, is now inviting requests for funding for studies focusing on equine behavior and welfare.

“This call for proposals provides researchers the opportunity to take a closer look at behavior issues that impact the health of equid species,” said Dr. Janet Patterson-Kane, Morris Animal Foundation Chief Scientific Officer.

“We recognize the importance of behavior as a component of animal health and overall welfare. This call will advance our knowledge of equine behavior, with a particular emphasis on guiding interventions and improving well-being.”

Proposals should focus on improving the lives of horses by increasing our understanding of the behavioral domain. This includes areas such as cognition, learning, stereotypies, separation anxiety, affiliative behavior toward (bonding with) humans, equine psychopharmacology, and the effects of equine temperament on welfare. Proposals may involve domesticated or wild horses.

The maximum project duration is 12 months, and the budget cannot exceed $10,000 USD.

This Donor-Inspired Study grant is funded by long-time Morris Animal Foundation supporter, Dr. Wendy Koch. Dr. Koch, a veterinarian, has closely followed equine behavior and welfare research over the years and wanted to increase the amount of funding available for studies in these fields.

All proposals submitted to Morris Animal Foundation will be reviewed by a Scientific Advisory Board. Interested researchers can find additional information, including award types and funding levels at:

https://morrisanimalfoundation.org/apply

Easing intramuscular injections

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Applying topical anaesthetic to the skin a couple of minutes before vaccinating horses can reduce signs of discomfort recent research has shown.

Puncturing the skin for Intramuscular injections and collecting blood samples are common procedures in equine medicine. However, many horses show signs of discomfort, and may become “needle shy”.

Catherine Torcivia  and Sue McDonnell at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton Center,  conducted a study to see if  applying topical anaesthetic before inserting the needle reduced the signs of discomfort..

They explain: “Our experience indicates that horses can begin to develop an injection aversion after only one uncomfortable experience. From that point forward, the typical progression for many horses involves increasingly aggressive handling techniques to attempt to restrain or punish increasingly animated avoidance behavior. This experience can quickly lead to conditioned fear that may generalize beyond injections, making those horses dangerously challenging to handle for other health care procedures.”

“If we can reduce the discomfort of injections, we may be able to avoid development of aversions to injections and other health care procedures, thereby improving welfare both at the time of vaccinations and lifelong.”

The study involved semi-feral ponies from the University’s herd. They were restrained in a holding pen while various management procedures were carried out – such as measuring height and weight with a girth tape, body condition scoring, palpating and estimating the size of testicles, and administering oral anthelmintic - as well as administering two intramuscular vaccinations.

Torcivia and McDonnell applied topical anaesthetic (5% an 10% lidocaine) or a  placebo to the injection site two minutes before injecting the ponies.  Each pony was given two vaccinations – one on either side of the neck, and the researchers, blinded to which concentration of ointment had been used, recorded the ponies’ responses at the moment of each injection

They found that reaction scores for both the 5% and 10% lidocaine groups were significantly lower ( ie showed less reaction) than for the control group. The difference between the 5% and 10% lidocaine groups was not significant. 

They conclude that applying topical anaesthetic can reduce the reaction of horses to intramuscular injection.

“Both the 5% and 10% lidocaine products commercially available for numbing human skin were effective when applied only two minutes before vaccination, making the procedure practical for routine use.”

They suggest that further work should be helpful in optimizing benefit from these and other topical numbing preparations.

For more details, see:

Efficacy of Lidocaine Topical Solution in Reducing Discomfort Reaction of Horses to Intramuscular Vaccination
Catherine Torcivia , Sue McDonnell 
Animals (Basel) (2022) 28;12(13):1659.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12131659

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

Effect of retraining racehorses on gait

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 Retraining of Thoroughbred racehorses for use as saddle horses results in changes in gait more
suited to their new career, according to a study in Korea.

 The research, by Taewoon Jung and Hyoungjin Park, examined the effects of 12-week saddle horse conversion training on Thoroughbred gait.

 Twelve horses, six geldings and six mares, were involved in the study. Their gaits, at walk and canter, were motion-captured before and after saddle horse conversion training. 

 Describing their findings in Applied Sciences, the authors report:

 “The retraining program applied to the Thoroughbreds in this study induced significant changes in the kinematic parameters. After training, retired Thoroughbred racehorses had shorter stride lengths and a reduced center of mass displacement, center of head displacement, displacement between the center of the head and the center of the neck, and head–neck angles, bearing in mind that no significant differences in the duration of gaits and the center of mass and head velocities were observed.”

 “Although the effect of retraining was not statistically significant in the stride lengths, all stride lengths were reduced in both walk and canter.” Changes were more marked in the right fore and hind limbs than in the left limbs.

 All races on Korean tracks run in a counterclockwise direction. The authors suggest that the resulting asymmetry explains the greater changes in the stride lengths of the right compared with the left. “These changes mean that the retraining positively affected the imbalance of the horse’s body”

 They conclude: “Through saddle horse conversion training, the horse’s movement changes may be considered as the habitual movements in the life of a racehorse being gradually transformed into ideal movements for a saddle horse.”

           

For more details, see:

The Effect of 12 Weeks of Saddle Horse Conversion Training on Thoroughbred Horse Gait
Taewoon Jung and Hyoungjin Park
 Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(13), 6411;
https://doi.org/10.3390/app12136411

International Equitation Science Conference

 

The International Society for Equitation Science conference returns this year after missing 2020 and taking place
online last year,

Hartpury University and College, Gloucester, is set to host the 18^th annual event from 10 - 12 August, with the title ‘Succeed with Science: Performance, Practice and Positive Partnerships’.

Delegates have the option to attend either in-person or online.

Over three days, the event aims to give delegates a fresh perspective on the current state of Equitation Science with thought-provoking plenaries, workshops, research presentations, keynotes, and research studies. Here’s a rundown of the key conference themes.

Performance: Dr Andrew Hemmings and Linda Greening will take a trip inside the horse’s mind with a head-first approach to equine management and training, while Dr David Marlin and Prof Tim Parkin will explore relationships between equine performance and welfare, by examining how we can define and measure performance, and the role science can play to enhance health and welfare – not just competitive success.

Practice: Dr Marc Pierard will showcase how learning theory can be applied in the ridden horse, while Christopher Bartle FBHS will discuss his personal philosophy for training horse and rider partnerships. Prof Lars Roepstroff and Dr Russell Mackechnie-Guire will consider how rider performance and horse and rider asymmetries can influence training and performance and affect quality of life for the ridden horse.

Positive Partnerships: The horse-human relationship is the foundation of positive partnerships, and the conference will consider this partnership from both the horse and the human perspective. Dr Natalie Waran will explore how this knowledge can underpin and promote ethical equitation practices and positive relationships alongside Dr Hayley Randle and Dr Jane Williams..

Professor Natalie Waran, Chair of Trustees at ISES and Executive Dean and Professor (One Welfare) at the Eastern University of Technology (EIT) New Zealand, said:

“It’s important that we remember that a partnership is a two-way exchange, with both parties enjoying the benefits resulting from the interaction. If we are to be certain that horses can enjoy a positive experience when being handled, trained, ridden, driven and in performance, we need to ensure that we know what is positive from the horse’s perspective, and how we provide for this in practice.

“This year’s ISES conference theme ‘Succeed with Science’ will provide an opportunity for scientists, students, and practitioners to engage with a rich mix of the latest equitation science research and advanced practice, as well as showcase how technology can be harnessed to further our knowledge about how to ensure that the horse-human partnership is mutually rewarding.”

For more details, see:

https://equitationscience.com/conferences/

 

Drones for monitoring feral horses

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 Drones provide a way to monitor feral horse populations while causing only low levels of disturbance.

Javier Lenzi and co-workers at the Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, evaluated the behavioural response of feral horses in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, to a fixed wing drone (Trimble UX5), as part of larger surveying project. 

 

The drone has a 1 metre wingspan, a rear propellor and weighs 2.5 kg. It was flown directly above the animals at an altitude of 120m. Video recordings were analysed by the research team in ten second sections.

            

They found that, although horses did respond to the presence of the drone, they did not show escape responses, which would have been expected in ground surveys or traditional low-level aerial surveys. Feeding, traveling, and vigilance behaviours increased, while resting and grooming decreased in response to the drone flight.

 

The researchers also observed the reaction of bison to the drone. Bison also showed increased feeding and travelling and decreased resting and grooming.

 

Reporting their findings in the journal Drones, the authors suggest that “the drone used in this study might have been perceived by horses and bison as low risk, possibly given the high altitude and small drone size. Our results showed that individuals did not display escape behaviour, and even increased feeding activities in response to drone flights at 120 m above ground level.”

 

They conclude that that drones “may serve as an appropriate tool for surveys of these species with low levels of disturbance, unlike other stressful sources.”

 

For more details, see:

 

Feral Horses and Bison at Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota, United States) Exhibit Shifts in Behaviors during Drone Flights 

Javier Lenzi, Christopher J. Felege, Robert Newman, Blake McCann and Susan N. Ellis-Felege

Drones (2022), 6(6), 136.

https://doi.org/10.3390/drones6060136

Obesity and cardiovascular changes

 Obesity has a significant impact on the structural changes in cardiovascular tissue in horses, a recent study has found.

Obesity is known to have significant adverse effects on horse health.  Laminitis is an obvious example, but it can also contribute to other problems such as those affecting soundness or fertility

 

In humans, obesity is recognised as a risk factor for cardiovascular problems. However, until now there has been little research into the effect of obesity on the wider cardiovascular tissues of horses. 

 

A recent study by Natalia Siwinska and colleagues at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences assessed the impact of obesity on the microscopic structure of the heart muscle and selected arteries in horses.

 

They conducted post-mortem examinations on 19 draft slaughter horses, comparing specimens from twelve extremely obese (body condition score (BCS 9/9) and seven with normal body condition (BCS 4-5/9). They examined specimens of heart muscle and major blood vessels (aorta, pulmonary, coronary and palmar arteries). A report of the work is published in the journal Animals.

 

The researchers found significant changes in the heart muscle and vessels in obese horses compared with those in normal condition. 

 

Obese animals had increased amounts of pericardial and cardiac fat, and the intima (the inner layer) of the pulmonary artery, coronary arteries and palmar arteries was thicker, compared with the healthy animals. They also found changes in palmar arteries in obese horses, which had a larger lumen diameter and the lumen-to-total diameter ratio compared to the control group.

 

The structural changes that they found are like those observed in people. The researchers suggest that these changes “may be an indicator of subclinical dysfunction, which could lead to severe disease.” 

 

They suggest that the direct effects of obesity on cardiovascular health and function in horses require further exploration

 

 

For more details, see:

 

Influence of Obesity on Histological Tissue Structure of the Cardiovascular System in Horses. 

Siwinska, N.; Janus, I.; Zak-Bochenek, A.; Noszczyk-Nowak, A. 

Animals 2022, 12, 732.

https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12060732

Worm control in Hungary

For some time now, experts have advocated a targeted or strategic approach to worm control, rather than relying on treatment at regular intervals, because of the growing threat of anthelmintic resistance. 

 

A traditional approach to equine parasite control, involving rotating anthelmintic treatments at regular intervals, is still widely used in Hungary, according to a recent report. Almost no farms utilize faecal egg counts (FECs) on a regular basis to guide deworming treatments. 

 

Kinga Joó and her co-workers conducted a study to investigate risk factors associated with strongylid egg counts.The work is reported in Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports.

 

The research team collected faecal samples from 216 sport and pleasure horses, kept on 13 farms in Hungary. The horses ranged from 5 months to 30 years of age, and had last received anthelmintic (dewormer) treatment at least 60 days previously.

 

None of the farms involved in the study had previously used FECs to guide deworming treatments on a regular basis. 

 

Analysis of the results showed:

• most of the faecal worm egg production was due to a limited number of horses. Only 22% of horses were responsible for 80% of the total strongyle egg output. This is in line with findings of other studies.

• young horses (less than 5 years of age) had significantly higher FECs than horses 5–17 years old and those aged over 17 years.

• horses treated with benzimidazoles (eg fenbendazole) at least once a year had significantly higher FECs than equids that had not received benzimidazoles.

• horses kept at very high stocking densities (>30 horses/ha) had significantly higher EPG-values than horses kept at lower stocking densities.

 

They conclude “the results demonstrate the value of FEC monitoring and indicate that the efficacy of benzimidazoles should be investigated in Hungary. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that reducing stocking density should be considered in cases of high strongylid FECs.”

 

 

For more details, see:

 

Evaluation of risk factors affecting strongylid egg shedding on Hungarian horse farms

Kinga Joó, Roxána L Trúzsi, Csenge Zs Kálmán, Virág Ács, Szilárd Jakab, András Bába, Martin K Nielsen.

Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports (2022) 27:100663

doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2021.100663

Can probiotics help reduce parasite shedding in foals?

Probiotics are frequently added to horses’ diets with the goal of promoting a healthy microbial environment in the intestinal tract. But does their use have any effect on the worm burden in the gut?

 Research by Dr Robert Jacobs and colleagues at the Purina Animal Nutrition Center suggests that giving probiotics to foals may reduce the number of intestinal parasites they carry.

 

The research was presented at the 2021 virtual Equine Science Symposium. An abstract is published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science.

 

Twenty-nine quarter horse foals took part in the study over three consecutive foaling seasons.  Fifteen foals chosen at random were given a probiotic paste twice daily for eight days starting two days after being born. Fourteen foals received no probiotic.

 

(Each dose of probiotic paste contained 2.5 × 109 cfu each of B. subtilis, B. infantis, and L. acidophilus.)

 

The groups were managed similarly – being fed twice daily and being turned out into dry lots during the day.

 

When the foals were 150 days old, the researchers collected faecal samples. The foals had not received any anthelmintic before then. 

 

Analysis showed that “foals in the treatment group had fewer strongyle (1.07 vs 4.57/gm of feces; P = 0.02) and roundworm eggs (101.33 vs 216.00/gm of feces; P = 0.01) than those from the control group.”

 

The authors conclude “that the administration of the probiotic paste to otherwise identically managed groups of foals may reduce their overall parasite load. “

 

They suggest that “further research is needed to understand the mechanisms by which this is occurring and to determine if these effects persist.”

 

For more details, see:

 

Probiotic administration post-foaling may reduce parasite shedding in foals

R.D.Jacobs, M.L.Jerina, B.A.Tremayne

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science (2021)

Volume 100, May 2021, 103565

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2021.103565

Smoothing the transition for retired Australian racehorses

What physical and behavioural qualities are desired in retired racehorses to help them adapt to a new equestrian career? 

Mollie Buckley, at the Charles Sturt School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, in Australia, is conducting research to address the current lack of knowledge about what makes former racehorses succeed in their new occupations. 

 

She is looking for owners of retired racehorses in Australia to take part in an online survey. The project aims to identify attributes shown in retired racehorses (Thoroughbred and Standardbred) that are enjoying a successful post-racing career.

 

The survey will ask questions related to the characteristics and temperament of the retired racehorse, both on the ground and when ridden.

 

Buckley hopes that this research will help the Australian racing industry smooth the process of re-homing racehorses after they retire from the track.

All previous and current owners of retired racehorses are encouraged to participate in the research.

 

The online survey closes on Monday 25 July, and takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.

 

For more details, and to complete the survey, go to:

 

https://www.research.net/r/Retired-Racehorses