Virtual equine treadmill tour

Have you ever wondered what goes on in an equine exercise physiology laboratory? Well, now you can see behind the scenes thanks to the Rutgers Equine Science Center, which has launched a virtual tour of the Equine Exercise Physiology Laboratory.

A photographic storyboard takes visitors through the laboratory, showing the processes involved in completing a graded exercise test and a simulated race test, the two types of equine exercise tests conducted at the treadmill lab.

The virtual tour is presented in three sections: Preparing for an Exercise Test; Performing an Exercise Test; and Exercise Test Data Analysis. Each section contains pictures and descriptions of the various stages of the test.

The equine exercise physiology laboratory is an extremely popular research site on the G.H. Cook Campus of Rutgers University primarily because of the treadmill. By creating the online virtual tour of the lab, visitors to the Equine Science Center website get an inside look at how and why equine scientists use a treadmill, and a complete overview of the entire process.

"We had to turn people away at the laboratory door on Rutgers Day earlier this year; people were standing in line for a half hour to witness our research mare on the treadmill,” said Karyn Malinowski, director of the Equine Science Center. “The treadmill always draws a big crowd as people are eager and excited to see such a majestic and powerful animal galloping full-speed. It is an exhilarating sight.”

According to Malinowski, the virtual tour of the treadmill laboratory, as well as a video demonstration of a horse exercising, offers equine enthusiasts an opportunity to learn about the science and research of the Equine Science Center as well as the thrilling experience of witnessing a horse on a treadmill. Best of all, the tour is available at anytime from the comfort of one’s home.

"At the Equine Science Center, we firmly believe in broadening our horizons as we bring better horse care through research and education,” added Malinowski. “The virtual tour of the exercise physiology laboratory provides another modality to enable us to reach the equine community.”

The virtual tour is accessible through the Rutgers Equine Science Center’s website on the Equine Exercise Physiology Laboratory page.

Horses that won't lose weight may need stricter diet

Some obese horses and ponies may need to have their diets restricted more severely than previously thought in order to help them lose weight according to new research.

The studies were conducted  at the University of Liverpool. They showed that although some obese animals will lose weight, in an appropriate way,  on a diet restricted to 1.25% of body weight (on a dry matter basis), others may need their diet restricted to as little as 1% of body weight in order to shift those surplus pounds. Such animals have been described as being ‘weight loss resistant’ in a  report  presented at the WALTHAM International Symposium in September.

The work has been published as an abstract in the proceedings of the 5th European Workshop on Equine Nutrition and will be written up and published as a full paper in due course. It was funded by the government-initiated Knowledge Transfer Partnership and the WALTHAM Equine Studies Group.

The study, which was conducted over 16 weeks, involved 12 overweight/obese horses and ponies of mixed ages and breeds, with body condition scores of between 7 and 9 (1 being emaciated and 9 being obese). They were individually housed on wood-shavings and provided with a balanced fibre-based diet at 1.25% of body weight. They were allowed daily access to a bare paddock but no structured exercise was given. Eight of the horses achieved a slow, gradual but consistent loss of body weight over the study period, but weight loss was much slower in the remaining four.

These four horses, deemed to be weight loss resistant, were monitored for a further four weeks during which their diet was reduced to 1% of body weight daily. This significantly increased their rate of weekly weight loss, to a level comparable to the weight loss seen in the other eight horses in the original study. It is thought that genetics may account for such individual differences in sensitivity to weight loss. In all cases the horses remained healthy and no stereotypic behaviours were seen.

Dr Caroline Argo explained: “It is important to understand that the appetite of obese ponies will drop to around 2% of body weight (dry matter) yet their body weight will be maintained or they may even continue to gain in weight. If weight loss is to be stimulated, food intake must be limited quite severely.”

Clare Barfoot BSc (Hons) RNutr, the research and development manager for SPILLERS® and a member of the research team added: “Controlled but balanced nutrition, under careful veterinary guidance, is essential to promote weight loss in overweight or obese horses and ponies, especially when exercise is not an option but we have had little evidence-based advice on how far the diet can be restricted safely to help shed weight in stubborn cases until now.”

“In practice where exercise can be used to increase energy expenditure, such severe restriction may not be required; in this situation access to grazing must be reduced, exercise increased and a low calorie high fibre forage fed in a monitored way alongside an appropriately formulated forage balancer.”

The Horse Nutrition Handbook

Pour-on deworming

Topical applications are easy to administer and may reduce the risk of injury to the operator. Pour-on anthelmintics have become popular for treating cattle and have been shown to be effective. However, experts disagree on the value of pour-on preparations for deworming horses.

A study, supervised by Professor Adolfo Paz-Silva at the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, and published in the Equine Veterinary Journal, examined the use of a pour-on anthelmintic in naturally infected Pura Raza Galega horses.

Over a 21-week period, the researchers compared the fecal worm egg production in untreated animals and in horses treated with ivermectin pour-on (at double the cattle dose rate.)

The feces were clear of strongyle eggs between 3 and 9 weeks after treatment. Strongyle eggs reappeared in the feces 10 weeks after treatment. Topically administered ivermectin suppressed fecal egg production of Parascaris equorum and Oxyuris equi for the whole of the study period.

The researchers concluded that the pour-on ivermectin preparation was highly successful against gastrointestinal nematodes. They suggest that it appears to provide a useful treatment option for large groups of horses at pasture.

However, a report by Dr Cengiz Gökbulut and others published in Veterinary Parasitology paints less favorable picture.

The study looked at the absorption of ivermectin after oral, topical or intravenous administration and how the mode of administration influenced the efficacy of the treatment.

One group of horses was treated with equine oral ivermectin paste (at 0.2mg/kg); a second with bovine pour-on (at the recommended cattle dose rate of 0.5mg/kg) and a third group was treated with an injectable cattle preparation (given intravenously at 0.2mg/kg).

Compared with the oral paste, the pour-on preparation resulted in lower but more persistent plasma concentrations. It was also less effective at reducing the fecal strongyle worm egg count.

The authors of the report warn that the poor plasma availability after topical application could result in sub-therapeutic levels of ivermectin, which could encourage the development of ivermectin-resistant parasites.

Read more about research into pour-on ivermectin in horses.

Lavender Foal Syndrome test now available.

The Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University is now offering a genetic test for Lavender Foal Syndrome (LFS).

LFS is a fatal disease of newborn Arabian foals, particularly those of Egyptian Arabian breeding.

Signs shown by affected foals include seizures, nystagmus (involuntary movement of the eyeballs), limb rigidity, paddling movements, and opisthotonus (hyperextension of the head, neck, and spine).

The condition gets its name from the abnormal coat color with which most affected foals are born, variably described as silver sheen, lavender, pale chestnut or pale, dull pinkish grey.

Scientists at Cornell University and the Maxwell H Gluck Equine Research Center have found that Lavender Foal Syndrome is the result of a mutation in a gene called myosin Va (MYO5A). All affected foals tested in the study were homozygous for this mutation (i.e. both copies of the gene were defective).

Lead researcher was Samantha A. Brooks, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Animal Science at Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.  “Our results suggest that the population frequency of carriers of this deletion is 10.3% in the Egyptian Arabian,” she reports.

“From a practical standpoint, this discovery and the development of a diagnostic test for the LFS allele provides a valuable new tool for breeders seeking to avoid the disease in their foal crop.”

Testing of breeding animals is recommended to identify carrier horses. The breeding program can then be arranged to avoid mating two carriers, and so prevent the birth of an affected foal.

The test can be run on hair roots pulled from the mane or tail, or whole blood samples.

Normally, the AHDC only accepts samples from accredited veterinarians. However, for this test, Arabian owners are encouraged to submit their own pre-paid samples directly to the laboratory.

The Lavender Foal Syndrome test is not restricted to horses within the USA. Shipment of EDTA whole blood samples from abroad requires a USDA permit. However, according to the laboratory no permit is required for sending hair samples.

(Permits may not be available for the import of blood specimens from some countries. Please contact the laboratory (Lisa Bowen-Laue; 607-253-3938) for the appropriate permit if you wish to submit EDTA whole blood for LFS testing from outside the USA.)

Each sample must be sent with a completed LFS assay submission form. Payment, ($47 for each horse tested) must accompany the samples unless they are submitted by a licensed veterinarian.

Information on the new test, including full instructions on how to submit samples, can be found on the LFS page of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine website.

Do shock waves aid healing?

Exuberant granulation tissue ("proud flesh") is a common complication of wounds to the horse's lower limbs. It may delay healing and make scar formation more likely.

Dr Andressa Silveira and colleagues at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, have been examining whether shock wave therapy could be used to promote healing and reduce the risk of exuberant granulation tissue.

They found that wounds treated with unfocussed extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) seemed to produce less exuberant granulation tissue, and looked healthier than untreated wounds, although they did not heal more quickly.

The researchers made five full-thickness skin wounds, (2.5 cm x 2.5cm) on the dorsal aspect of the metacarpus of both fore limbs of each of six horses.

They treated one leg from each horse with ESWT, and left the other limb untreated to act as a control.

The wounds were treated immediately after they were made and then at weekly intervals for a total of four occasions. Each treatment comprised 625 pulses - distributed evenly around the wound and surrounding healthy skin edges.

The researchers found that control wounds were more likely (1.9x) to appear inflamed than were treated wounds. Untreated wounds also had higher exuberant granulation tissue scores.

However, there was no significant difference between biopsies taken from treated and untreated wounds at weekly intervals throughout the study. Neither did treatment have any effect on wound size.

Further investigations are required before shock wave therapy can be recommended for wound treatment. ESWT may be helpful, but so far, there is not enough evidence to support its use in clinical cases.

Not all bad news about dewormers

There are numerous reports of the spread of resistance to dewormers.  So it is encouraging to receive some good news for a change.

Research carried out by Dr Craig Reinemeyer and others at East Tennessee Clinical Research Inc., has revealed some positive findings.

In separate studies they examined the efficacy of dewormers against Oxyuris equi, and against macrocyclic lactone resistant Parascaris equorum.

Oxyuris equi (equine pinworm) rarely causes serious problems for the horse, but does cause irritation when the female lays the sticky eggs on the skin around the anus of the host. It has been assumed that most routine dewormers will control it. However, anecdotal reports that anthelmintic treatments were not as effective against Oxyuris equi as expected prompted Dr Reinemeyer’s study.

Dr Reinemeyer found that pyrantel pamoate (at 13.2mg/kg) was 91.2% effective, and ivermectin (200mcg/kg) 96.0% effective, against the adult worms. Both products were more than 99% effective against the fourth-stage O. equi larvae.

Unlike O. equi, Parascaris equorum does cause significant problems, especially in foals, in which heavy infestations can lead to intestinal obstruction or rupture.

Recent reports have recorded an increasing problem of reduced efficacy of macrocyclic lactone anthelmintics (such as ivermectin) against these parasites.

In a study of experimentally infected foals, the researchers found that pyrantel pamoate administered at 13.2mg/kg was effective against a macrocyclic lactone -resistant (ML-R) isolate of Parascaris equorum.

Mean ascarid egg counts were reduced by 98.8% two weeks after treatment - compared with a reduction of only 47% two weeks after ivermectin (200mcg/kg). Post mortem examination of intestinal contents showed that the paste formulation of pyrantel pamoate was 97.3% effective against the MLR P. equorum.

It is reassuring to know that these drugs were effective under the specific conditions of the study.  But that’s not to say that they will always remain so, or that the results are representative of all worm populations. The advice to treat for worms only when necessary and to monitor the effectiveness of any treatment still stands.

Measuring tear production

We may need to look again at how we treat eye infections in the light of research that found that horses produce more tears than previously thought.

Tears protect the eye by keeping the cornea moist. The tear film also carries nutrients to the cornea, which has no blood supply of its own.

The same route is also used to deliver medication to the cornea.

How many tears does a healthy horse produce? How quickly is the tear film replaced? There have been few studies into this, yet it is important to know, as it will affect the concentration of drugs applied to the eye - and so may affect their efficacy.

Dr Thomas Chen and Dr Daniel A. Ward examined the rate of production of tears in normal horses' eyes, in a study carried out at the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. They instilled fluorescein dye onto the eye and then collected small samples of the tear film, measured the fluorescein concentration, and noted how it changed with time.

They used two mathematical approaches to analyse the results. One method, which was considered the more accurate, suggested that the rate of tear production was 33.6mL /min. The mean tear film volume was estimated to be 233.74 mL.

The results showed that the tear film was likely to be completely replaced within a matter of 7 minutes. This suggests that current treatment protocols may not be adequate, and that drugs may need to be administered more frequently.

Read more at  the Equine Science Update website

Measuring weight loss

Belly girth measurements provide  a better way of assessing early weight loss according to recent research.

One of the problems faced by owners of overweight horses, is monitoring the response to weight loss programmes. Obviously weighing the horse would be ideal but is often not possible. Weigh tapes placed around the heart girth (just behind the elbow) may not detect any change despite a decrease (or increase ) in body weight, because that is not where the excess fat is deposited.

Two recent weight loss studies have both shown that belly girth measurements are more closely related to changes in bodyweight in early weight loss (after the first week of feed restriction) as opposed to the more commonly used heart girth measurements. Belly girth measurements are taken at the widest point of the belly - approximately two thirds of the way between the point of the shoulder and the point of the hip. They may even be more accurate than some ultrasound fat measurements.

One study conducted last year by researchers at the Department of Veterinary Clinical Science at the University of Liverpool and supported by World Horse Welfare, highlighted the need for a more accurate method for monitoring early weight loss in overweight ponies rather than relying on conventional equine body condition scoring.

A further study comparing two practical weight loss protocols for the management of overweight and obese horses and ponies was conducted earlier this year by the Department of Veterinary Clinical Science at the University of Liverpool. It was funded by the government-initiated Knowledge Transfer Partnership and the WALTHAM Equine Studies Group. It confirmed that the proportional change in belly girth was more closely associated with changes in body weight than the proportional change in heart girth in the early stages of weight loss.

Dr Caroline Argo and Alex Dugdale of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Science at the University of Liverpool said: “It is important for owners to understand that early weight loss is not immediately recognisable as a change in the horse or pony’s overall appearance or body condition score. However, owners do need some assurance that measures taken to promote weight loss are being effective. Simply measuring belly girth at regular (weekly) intervals can provide this. Without such reassurance, we might be inclined to either give up or more alarmingly, harmfully increase our efforts to induce weight loss.”

See Equine Science Update for more information

Equitation science discussed in Sweden

Horse welfare and rider safety can be enhanced by the application of new technology to the training of both horse and rider. That was one of the messages to come out of the 6th International Society for Equitation Science conference held recently in Sweden.

In the past few years there has been a growing interest in equitation science (the science of horse riding and horse training.) A selection of recent research, covering a wide range of topics, was presented at the conference, held this year at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala.

Presentations covered training and education of horses and riders, from both a scientific and a practical perspective, and highlighted the importance of a thorough understanding of learning theory and physical capacities of the horse to safeguard horse welfare and human safety.

The first day focused on the mental and physical capacity for training and learning in both horses and humans.

The conference, attended by almost 200 delegates, also included practical demonstrations which took place at the Swedish National Equestrian Centre at Strömsholm.

Teachers from Strömsholm and the national stud at Flyinge demonstrated their approach to teaching young riders and training horses. Scientists from SLU presented examples of ongoing research projects, and showed how emerging technologies can measure important variables such as the pressure under saddle and the distribution of lameness.

The last day focused on the latest research in the field of horse welfare and human safety and, in a final panel discussion, the conference explored how these two topics can positively affect each other.

Abstracts of the presentations are available in pdf format for (free) download from the ISES website.

Managing pasture to reduce laminitis risk

A new report provides owners with practical information on how to manage their pasture to reduce the risk of laminitis in horses and ponies.

The search for improved meat, milk and fibre production has led to the development of grasses containing high levels of non structural carbohydrates (NSC- sugar, starch, and fructan).

The non-structural carbohydrate content can increase dramatically if the pasture is exposed to extreme conditions - such as intense sunshine, drought and cold stress. Such pasture presents a high risk for horses and ponies susceptible to obesity, insulin resistance and laminitis.

But with good pasture management, these conditions can be minimised.

The report, entitled "Equine Laminitis - Managing pasture to reduce the risk", is written by US -based agronomist Kathryn Watts and Professor Chris Pollitt, Director of the Equine Laminitis Research Unit at the University of Queensland, and published by Australia's Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC). It outlines how horse owners can reduce the level and concentration of sugar, starch and fructan in their pastures. High levels of these carbohydrates can cause laminitis in horses and ponies.

According to Professor Pollitt, the report represents an important step forward in the understanding of pasture associated laminitis.

“While there are still significant gaps in our knowledge about laminitis, a source of great frustration to horse owners and veterinarians alike, we do know that what the horse or pony has eaten over the last few days, weeks or months may trigger laminitis,” Professor Pollitt said.

Equine Laminitis – Managing pasture to reduce the risk can be purchased in hard-copy for $A25 or downloaded (free) in PDF format. See: www.rirdc.gov.au

Response of aged horses to vaccination

How does age affect the horse’s ability to respond to vaccination?

As with other body systems, the immune system undergoes age-related changes (known as "immunosenescence"). This may make the animal more prone to infections and autoimmune and neoplastic diseases.

A research team from the Atlantic Veterinary College, Prince Edward Island, Canada conducted a study to investigate the  specific systemic antibody response in horses by looking at how they responded to vaccination. They compared the response of young adult horses (aged 4 - 12 years) with aged horses (20years or older).


To investigate the primary immune response to an antigen that the horses would not have experienced before, they used rabies vaccine. Prince Edward Island is rabies-free and none of the horses had been vaccinated  previously for the disease.

They found that healthy aged horses vaccinated against rabies  showed a primary immune response similar to that of younger adults. However, by 6 months after vaccination the rabies antibody titres fell significantly in both age groups.

To test the anamnestic response (the rapid production of specific antibodies on renewed exposure to the antigen) they monitored the response to influenza vaccination. The anamnestic response was significantly reduced in the aged horses. Younger horses showed a significantly greater increase in two classes of anti-influenza antibody (IgGa and IgGb) after vaccination, compared with aged horses. This was despite the older horses having higher antibody levels at the start of the study.

Tiludronate effective for bone spavin

Horses suffering lameness due to bone spavin can show marked improvement following treatment with a tiludronate infusion, in combination with controlled exercise, according to recent research.

Bone spavin is a common cause of hindlimb lameness in horses and ponies. Often both hind legs are affected to some extent. Horses with straight or sickle-shaped hocks seem to be at greater risk of developing the condition.

There is little movement between the lower rows of bones in the hock. However these joints are subjected to considerable compressive forces. This can lead to degenerative changes within the bone and destruction of the joint cartilage

In a paper published in the Equine Veterinary Journal, Dr Martin Gough and others describe a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 108 clinical cases of bone spavin.

The horses were treated at day zero with a single tiludronate infusion or a placebo and reassessed 60 days later after a period of controlled exercise.

Eighty seven horses completed the trials: 42 tiludronate treated horses and 45 placebo cases. By day 60 approximately 60% of the Tiludronate treated horses had improved in lameness by two grades or more, scored on a ten point system.

Tiludronate is believed to work by alleviating the pain associated with abnormal bone lysis.

This research was funded by CEVA Animal Health, manufacturers of Tildren®. For more information visit the website:
www.tildren.com

Making racing safer

What can be done to limit the number of horses dying as a result of racing injuries? It is hoped that  analysis of data on  fatal injuries will offer some suggestions. 

At the third Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit held at Keeneland, Kentucky on June 28 and 29, Dr. Tim Parkin, epidemiologist from the University of Glasgow’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, presented a preliminary analysis of racing fatalities in North America from data compiled in the Equine Injury Database (EID).

The analysis was based on data on Thoroughbred flat racing in the EID collected on 73 racetracks between November 1, 2008 and October 31, 2009  - a total of 378,864 starts. Horses that suffered a fatal injury during or immediately after a race, or that died later as a result of an injury that occurred during racing, were included in the analysis.

Among Dr Parkin's findings were:

Starts made by 2-year-olds were less likely to end in fatality than starts made by older horses. Females were not at increased risk of fatality when racing against males. Starts made by females were less likely to end in fatality than starts made by intact males.

No statistically significant difference was found in the incidence of fatality on different surfaces, with different surface conditions, in different race distances, or in horses carrying different weights.

No firm recommendations can be made at this stage. As the data contained in the EID continues to grow, some of the current statistical conclusions may change as a reflection of increased certainty associated with a larger data set.

“This preliminary analysis just scratches the surface,” said Parkin, who serves as a consultant on the Equine Injury Database. “As the number of starts recorded in the database continues to grow, more complex statistical analyses can focus upon multiple variables studied in concert to better understand the myriad of factors which may contribute to fatal and non-fatal injuries. In addition, differences that may not have achieved statistical significance after one year of data collection may do so with additional observations recorded in the database.”

“The work presented today represents a starting point, not a destination,” said Dr. Mary Scollay, equine medical director for the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission and a consultant on the Equine Injury Database. “This begins to answer the question of what is happening. The ‘how’ and ‘why’ remain to be determined.”

for more details see:

http://www.grayson-jockeyclub.org/newsimages/Summitcombinerelease.pdf

Help needed with ragwort survey

British horse riders are being urged to help map the distribution of ragwort in the UK.

The risk to horses of eating ragwort are widely known throughout the equine community. The plant contains poisons that cause progressive liver damage. Even small amounts eaten over time can lead to serious disease.

Despite that, every year the British Horse Society Welfare Department receives numerous reports of horses grazing in fields containing ragwort. “It does seem that the amount of ragwort is on the increase” Lee Hackett, Senior Executive of BHS Welfare,  writes in the latest issue of British Horse, the Society‘s magazine. “This suggests that current control measures aren’t working, but to change things we need evidence.”

In an effort to gain hard data on the extent of the problem, the BHS is organising a snapshot survey during its Ragwort Awareness Week.

Anyone who spots ragwort during the week of 12-18 July is asked to spend a couple of minutes filling in a  simple survey form, which will be available on the homepage of the BHS website.

It is only necessary to report ragwort that is growing in or near to fields being used for grazing horses, sheep or cattle. 

Analysis of the data with mapping software  will show the areas where ragwort is most prevalent.
The number of animals grazing in ragwort-infested fields will also be calculated.

The intention is to repeat the survey in coming years so that trends in the distribution of the plant can be identified.

The BHS has 50 RagForks to give away, generously donated by the manufacturers, eazitools Ltd, who are sponsoring the survey. To be included in the draw for a RagFork you need to include your contact details on the survey form.

More details...

Horse Power CPD supports BEVA Trust & SPANA

Ten senior academics and equine vets from practice have come up with a novel way of raising money to help two worthy equine causes - the SPANA Disabled Riding Centre in Bamako, Mali and the BEVA Trust.

Led by Dr Derek Knottenbelt, they will undertake a 6 day CPD challenge, visiting all 7 British vet schools, to deliver  talks on a variety of subjects.

The lecturers will complete a  whistle-stop tour between the vet schools in convoy, on their motor bikes! They will cover over 1000 miles and deliver around 35 hours of lectures. The lectures are free - but donations are expected.

This marathon effort takes place at the end of July 2010. Places are limited, but anyone can contribute.

Click here to read more about it, or make a donation.

Benefits of exercise on insulin sensitivity

Unless dietary restriction below maintenance energy requirements is also employed, moderate exercise on its own is not enough to counter insulin resistance in obese or overweight horses, according to Dr Rebecca Carter and colleagues at Virginia Tech.

They examined the effects of exercise training alone on overweight or obese, insulin-resistant horses. Feed intake was limited during the study to 100% of maintenance energy requirements.

Eight horses, all either overweight or obese, followed a low intensity exercise program for 4 weeks followed by higher intensity exercise for a further 4 weeks. Finally they had two weeks without exercise (detraining). A control group of four horses received no structured exercise.

The horses’ body weight fell by 2% following the low intensity exercise and by a similar amount after the 4 weeks of higher intensity exercise. However, about half of the body weight lost during the exercise stages was put back on again within the two weeks of detraining with no exercise.

The researchers found no significant difference in glucose or fat metabolism or insulin sensitivity between the exercised and control groups throughout the study.

Dr Carter comments "even though our study did not show long-term training effects of exercise, there still are probably improvements in insulin sensitivity during and shortly after an exercise session. Therefore, ROUTINE exercise (every day) may be beneficial for improving insulin sensitivity."

Read more

Another cloning milestone has been reached by researchers at Texas A&M University with the successful birth of a foal produced using oocytes from a live mare.

Mouse, was born May 5, 2010. The efforts of his owner, Kit Knotts, to find a horse that had the same qualities as her prized Lippizaner stallion Marc, (Pluto III Marcells) led her to Texas A&M University and equine reproduction expert Dr Katrin Hinrichs.

"We have worked on this clone for about two years," said Hinrichs, a professor in the Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology.  "This is actually our first foal produced using oocytes, or egg cells, from live mares."  She explains that using oocytes from live mares made the process difficult as they had very few oocytes to work with at any one time.

Minnie, the surrogate mare, began to show signs of an early delivery, and was taken to the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine for observation and intervention. That’s where Mouse arrived and was cared for by a team of neonatal experts that helped make sure he would make it through this critical time.

Because of the risk of complications and problems in the period just after birth, Dr Hinrichs’ team recommends that foals derived by cloning should be treated as high-risk neonates, and their birth should be closely supervised. Facilities for intensive care should be available in case they are needed.

To read more about the problems faced by cloned foals go to www.equinescienceupdate.co.uk/clone3.htm

Lavender Foal Syndrome

Researchers have identified the genetic mutation responsible for Lavender Foal Syndrome. Lavender Foal Syndrome (LFS), also known as Coat Color Dilution Lethal (CCDL), is a fatal disease of newborn Arabian foals, particularly in those of Egyptian Arabian breeding.

The condition gets its name from the abnormal coat colour with which most affected foals are born, which has been described as silver sheen, lavender, pale chestnut or pale, dull pinkish grey.

Signs shown by affected foals include seizures, nystagmus (involuntary movement of the eyeballs), limb rigidity, paddling movements, and opisthotonus (hyperextension of the head, neck, and spine). The mare often has difficulty giving birth.

A team of scientists from Cornell University and the Maxwell H Gluck Equine Research Center have found that Lavender Foal Syndrome is the result of a mutation in a gene called myosin Va (MYO5A).

The myosin Va transport complex is responsible for the transfer of pigment to the keratinocytes and for transport of transmitter substances in the nerve cells. A mutation affecting the gene could easily result in interference with normal function of melanocytes (responsible for hair color) and nerve cells.

“Our results suggest that the population frequency of carriers of this deletion is 10.3% in the Egyptian Arabian” reports lead researcher Dr Samantha A. Brooks, assistant professor in the Department of Animal Science at Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

“Given our estimate of the number of carriers in the population we expect that around nine LFS foals would be born in the USA each year”

For more about the research on Lavender Foal Syndrome click here.

Antibiotic resistance in equine faeces

Horses can be a source of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, presenting a threat to human health, according to a recent study.

Mohamed Ahmed, of the Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology, at Al Fatah, University, Tripoli, Libya, working with colleagues at the Liverpool Vet School, examined fecal samples collected from the University’s equine hospital and from livery yards.

They found antibiotic resistant E. coli in faeces from both locations. From a total of 264 samples, 296 isolates of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli were identified.

Not only were hospitalised horses more likely to have antibiotic resistant E. coli in their faeces, they were also more likely than those maintained on livery yards to carry organisms that were resistant to multiple drugs.

Nearly half (48%) of the resistant isolates from the hospital environment showed multiple drug resistance phenotypes, compared with only 12% from the livery yards.

The researchers conclude that, in the UK, horses may provide both recipients, and sources, of antibiotic resistance, MDR, and be an extensive reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes that could pose a potential threat to human health.

For more details see:

http://www.equinescienceupdate.co.uk/aref.htm

Third Welfare and Safety of the Racehorse Summit

The forthcoming third Health and Welfare of the Racehorse Summit to be held by the  Grayson-Jockey Club Foundation  at the Keeneland Sales Pavilion in Lexington, Ky., June 28-29, 2010, aims to identify ways of enhancing the safety and soundness of Thoroughbred racehorses.

Attendance at the meeting is by invitation only. But you don't need to miss out. Thanks to modern technology and Keeneland.com the public sessions of the summit will be made available to all on a live web stream.

Among the topics to be covered will be an update and preliminary findings on data submitted to the Equine Injury Database. Veterinarian and epidemiologist, Dr. Tim Parkin, of the University of Glasgow, has been analyzing data submitted to the Database, and will provide an update and preliminary findings.

Other topics include a panel discussion on race track surfaces, and updates on the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance, and the Thoroughbred Safety Committee.

There will also be panel discussions on racing equipment and safety,  racetrack environment and training practices, and transitioning thoroughbred racehorses to second careers.


For more information, including the link to the web stream, see:

http://www.grayson-jockeyclub.org/summitDisplay.asp