Equine Herpesvirus research planned

 Equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) is a global concern with a significant impact on both animal
health and the equine economy. Recent years have witnessed major EHV-1 outbreaks in the USA and Europe, sometimes leading to the neurological form of the disease, Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM).

EHV-1/EHM outbreaks not only jeopardise equine health, but they also necessitate strict biosecurity and quarantine measures that restrict horse transportation, racing, and competitions. As a result, the equine industry incurs significant economic losses, including costs related to horse ownership, equine businesses, and the industry as a whole. Moreover, the loss of severely affected horses only exacerbates the financial impact.

 

To tackle this issue, the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation has announced funding for two research projects. 

 

Gisela Soboll Hussey of Michigan State University will receive a grant to study the use of nucleic acid vaccines to protect from EHV-1 / EHM.  

 

“This proposal is to develop a novel mRNA-based equine herpesvirus (EHV) vaccine that protects horses from EHV-1 myeloencephalopathy and will also likely cross-protect against other equine herpesviruses” she explains. 

 

She adds:”The goal of this application is to exploit innovations in RNA vaccine technology that have come about during the COVID-19 pandemic and are currently the first line of defense. We propose to refine this mRNA vaccine technology for immunization of horses. Based on our extensive preliminary data, we will test vaccines containing the parts of EHV-1 that are important for inducing protective immunity in horses.”

 

In separate research, Bettina Wagner and Diego Diel at Cornell University aim to develop an effective DNA vaccine for equine herpesvirus to protect horses against infection and disease and to prevent EHV outbreaks. 

“We are combining our expertise in equine immunology and EHV-1 research (Dr. Wagner) and virology and vaccine design (Dr. Diel) to first perform a comprehensive analysis of the best DNA vaccine candidate and then test the optimized vaccine candidate for its protective effects in horses. The DNA vaccine platform that we are testing in this project has already been used successfully for induction of immunity and protection from infectious disease in other species.”

For more details, see:

 

https://www.grayson-jockeyclub.org/default.asp?section=2&area=Research&menu=2

Does equine facilitated therapy help chronic low back pain?

(c) Jordi Mora Igual Dreamstime.com

Equine-facilitated therapy (EFT) could help patients dealing with chronic low back pain, according to a
recent study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland.

 

In Finland, equine-facilitated therapy as a form of medical rehabilitation has been subsidised by the country’s Social Insurance Institution since 2019. In the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal disorders, however, equine-facilitated therapy is less well established.

 

The research, published recently in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, found that individuals who participated in EFT for 12 weeks experienced a decrease in perceived pain and an improvement in their ability to carry out daily tasks. 

 

The study, which included 22 participants dealing with low back pain, assessed the impact of EFT on physical performance, pain levels, pain acceptance, anxiety, depression, and overall quality of life. Lead researcher was Sanna Mattila-Rautiainen, who has more than 20 years of experience of using EFT in the rehabilitation of patients with back pain, working in close collaboration with regional social welfare and healthcare authorities in the Kainuu region, Finland.

 

The intervention consisted of 12 weekly EFT sessions. The first four sessions lasted 10 minutes each. They increased to 20 minutes for the next four weeks and 30 minutes for the final four weeks.

 

Through the 12-week study, the researchers observed that EFT had the potential to enhance individuals' daily lives. Significant improvements were noted in several activities, including the ability to sleep, reach and bend forward, and stand for extended periods of time. 

They also noted that EFT could help reduce the amount of pain perceived by the patients, increase their participation in social activities, and improve their psychological well-being. 

During a six-month follow-up, only two of the chronic pain patients returned to the clinic due to pain. 

 

In follow-up interviews, patients highlighted physical, psychological and social effects of EFT, showing that the intervention had a comprehensive impact on their rehabilitation.

The researchers also observed significant improvement in mental health. During the intervention, they found that patients’ social functioning improved and their depression decreased – something that was also emphasised in the interviews: “The created group effect was a positive experience.”  

 

Sitting on a horse to 100 walk-like movements per minute was found to be beneficial. Comments from participants included:“The movement felt good - the horse moved me correctly” and “There is no other way to exercise like this.”

 

However, matching the patient to the horse was important: “One horse felt good and other made my pain worse.” 

 

“Chronic back pain is a multidimensional experience involving not only physical pain but also learned thinking patterns and emotional reactions” says Mattila-Rautiainen.

 

  “Traditionally, physical therapy has been recommended for the rehabilitation of patients with chronic pain, as physical exercise has been found to be the most effective way to treat spinal pain.”

 

She points out that Equine-facilitated therapy brought relief to patients with chronic pain who had been incapable for work for several years.

 

Incorrect movement maintains a vicious circle of pain and affects people’s physical, psychological and social well-being. The compatibility of the patient with the horse’s movements, along with a suitable exercise load, played a key role in the intervention. The exercise load was gradually increased, within the limits of pain. Patients’ opinions were also considered regarding the choice of their horse and equipment.

 

“Patients with chronic pain tend to avoid the sensation of pain that comes from moving the affected part of their body. However, when sitting on a moving horse, a person with low back pain will end up moving to the gait of the horse, which encourages the right kind of lumbar movement,” Mattila-Rautiainen says.

 

These findings suggest that EFT could be a valuable therapeutic option for those experiencing difficulties due to chronic low back pain.

 

 

For more details, see:

The impact on physical performance, pain and psychological wellbeing of chronic low back pain patients during 12-weeks of equine-facilitated therapy intervention.

Sanna Mattila-Rautiainen, Mika Venojärvi, Heta Rautiainen and Alice Keski-Valkama

Front. Vet. Sci., (2023) vol 10

 https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2023.1085768

Investigating the impact of drones on horse behaviour

(c) Howell et al   (CC BY 4.0)

Over the past few years, the use of drones, also known as small unmanned aerial vehicles(sUAV), has become increasingly prevalent across various industries, including agriculture. Their use has been advocated as a means of improving efficiency, productivity, and cost-effectiveness. However, the implementation of drones has sparked concerns among horse owners and ranchers who rely on grazing horses.

 

To address this issue, researchers at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, have conducted a study to investigate the impact of drones on grazing horses. The team's findings have been published in the journal Rangelands, with lead author Ryan Howell and his colleagues hoping that their research can be used to inform both private livestock managers and public agencies that manage horse populations about the potential uses of drones.

 

The study involved observing horses owned by private individuals on various properties in Utah, with the horses' responses to drones approaching at different heights above ground level (AGL) being assessed. Some drone flights focused on individual horses, while others involved groups of up to ten horses.

 

Before the drone flight, the research team used binoculars to observe the horses from a distance. Video footage was also available from the on-board camera. The drone was launched well away from the horses, and the researchers classified their behaviour into categories such as walking, trotting, grazing, laying down, standing, and vigilance.

 

The researchers monitored the horses' behaviour before the drone was launched, and then at 5-second intervals as the drone approached at three different heights above ground level: 3m, 15m, and 33m. The recording continued while the drone hovered over the horses before departing.

 

The study found that prior to the drone's launch, grazing was the most common "at ease" behaviour exhibited by the horses. However, once the drone approached, grazing decreased significantly and was replaced primarily by vigilance, followed by walking.

 

“No animals were observed grazing after 50 seconds and did not return to grazing throughout the duration of the observation period.”

 

They observed “a downward trend in grazing and subsequent increased tendencies toward evasive movement and vigilance demonstrated by our study horses.” 

 

They add: “This may suggest that horse foraging can be impaired with drone activity, and overall heath, stress, and diet could be compromised by fear induced from drone activities and their flight patterns.”

 

For more details, see:

 

Ryan G. Howell, Kaylee Draughon, Haley Johnston, Melissa Myrick, Val J. Anderson, Dennis L. Eggett, Steven L. Petersen,

Evaluating changes in horse behavior as a response to small unmanned aerial vehicles,

Rangelands (2022) Vol 44, (2), pp 121-128.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rala.2021.12.004

Risk factors for heat stress in UK racehorses

(c) Viacheslav Nemyrivskyi Dreamstime.com

 New research suggests that a Thoroughbred racehorse's likelihood of experiencing exertional heat illness (EHI) can be influenced by hotter, more humid weather conditions and a history of overheating. The findings, based on data from British racecourses, have implications for mitigating the risk of EHI in racehorses, particularly considering the warming climate and increasing frequency of hot race days.

During racing, Thoroughbred racehorses are at risk of overheating due to the exertion required, which can result in exhaustion and even death in extreme cases. Racing authorities in countries such as Japan and Australia, where temperatures are often high, have explored various factors that contribute to EHI, but no conclusive evidence has been found to predict which horses are at greatest risk.

 

Dr. Leah Trigg from the Bristol Veterinary School, Professor Siobhan Mullan, of the University College Dublin School of Veterinary Medicine and colleagues at the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), examined data on 704,434 runners at British racecourses recorded in the BHA database between July 2010 and April 2018. 

 

The research is published in Scientific Reports.

 

There were 702 EHI incidents (defined in the database as either heat stress or heat exhaustion), accounting for 0.1% of runners. 

 

The authors modelled the probability that a racehorse would present with EHI based on factors including age, whether the horse had had a previous EHI incident, race distance, race start time, ground conditions (going), average temperature in the five days prior to a race, and a measure of weather conditions (based on temperature, humidity, windspeed, and solar radiation) called wet bulb globe temperature index (WBGT).

 

Overall, the model correctly predicted 83.5% of EHI events, although the authors cautioned it produced a high number of false positives. Longer race distances increased the probability of EHI – the odds of a horse developing EHI in a two-mile race was 5.66 times higher than in a one-mile race. WBGT was also a predictive factor, with a horse running when it was 30 degrees Celsius 10.14 times more likely to develop EHI than a horse running at 20 degrees.

 

However, higher temperatures during the five days preceding a race were associated with reduced risk of EHI – the odds of EHI were 0.33 times lower when the preceding temperature averaged 25 degrees compared to 15 degrees. This suggests that horses may acclimatise to ongoing warmer temperatures and lose heat more effectively when they come to race.

 

Horses that had experienced previous EHI incidents were 18.59 times more likely to present with EHI, compared to horses who had not experienced EHI previously. Running on soft or heavy ground or in races before 5pm also increased the risk of EHI. 

 

The research findings highlight the significance of ensuring that adequate cooling facilities are available, as well as identifying horses with a history of EHI to allow for early intervention if required. The authors of the study emphasize that these results are particularly relevant given the evolving climate, which is characterized by more frequent and intense periods of hot weather, and the need for the sport to address this challenge.

 

Dr Trigg, Honorary Research Fellow at the Bristol Veterinary School, said: "Racecourse officials should monitor WBGT at race meetings to help decide whether racing should go ahead, or if it does go ahead whether additional resources such as extra cool down areas should be provided. This data should be used to develop evidence-based policy to protect the welfare of racehorses in current and future climates."

 

For more details, see:

 

Risk factors for, and prediction of, exertional heat illness in Thoroughbred racehorses at British racecourses

Leah E Trigg, Sally Lyons & Siobhan Mullan 

Scientific Reports (2023) vol 13, Article number: 3063 

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-27892-x

Foundation for the Horse research grants

(c) Livingsee Dreamstime.com

Funding proposals are currently being accepted by The Foundation for the Horse until May 31st for its two equine research grant programs. 

 

One program aims to support emerging researchers, while the other is intended for established investigators. Both programs strive to drive medical advancements in equine health. 

 

Although proposals on any subject will be considered, the Foundation has a particular interest in musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, respiratory, and endocrine diseases, as well as laminitis, and methods to enhance racing safety. 

 

Young Investigators Research Grants worth up to $20,000 are available to

graduate students, fellows and residents. Pilot studies or preliminary studies that are part of a major study or which will lead to a major project are of particular interest; small standalone projects will also be considered.  

 

Innovation and Discovery Research Grants are available to individuals with a background in equine research and a previous record of research publication. A minimum of two projects will each receive up to $50,000 in funding in 2023.

 

For more details, see:

Young Investigators Research Grants

https://www.foundationforthehorse.org/young-investigators/

 

Innovation and Discovery Research Grants

https://www.foundationforthehorse.org/innovation-discovery-research-grants/ 

Investigating umbilical cord torsion as a cause of abortion

Approximately 1 in 25 Thoroughbred pregnancies in the UK result in pregnancy loss during mid to late gestation, a statistic that has not shown any significant improvement in the past three decades. 

In the UK, umbilical cord torsion (UCT) is recognised as the primary cause of this phenomenon, accounting for almost half of the cases that are sent for laboratory analysis. 

 

UCT occurs when there is excessive twisting of the umbilical cord, which restricts the blood supply to the foetus and eventually causes its death.

 

Interestingly, in all other countries (except Australia), the proportion of pregnancy loss attributed to UCT is much lower. In North America, the occurrence of UCT is one tenth of that in the UK. The rate of abortion attributed to umbilical torsion varies from 2.4% to 6.0% in studies conducted in the United States, while it reaches 35.7% in the United Kingdom. 

 

Umbilical cords from torsion cases tend to be longer than 85 cm on average. The reasons why certain pregnancies are more prone to develop long or excessively twisted umbilical cords, as well as the dramatic geographic variation in occurrence, are not well understood. 

 

Researchers at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) are leading a collaboration with colleagues at Cornell University, Rossdales Laboratories and Hagyard Equine Medical Institute to explore the reason why the umbilical cord twists excessively mid-pregnancy. The research, funded by the Alborada Trust, continues the first ever comprehensive study of UCT in the world. Together, the research team hope to establish new ways of detecting the twisting prior to the pregnancy being aborted.

 

They will also characterise subcomponents and key proteins of the umbilical cord in both normal and diseased cords to identify any potential regions of the cord that could be monitored clinically. These areas will then be examined using ultrasonography in mid-gestation to assess the diagnostic potential for mares that are at risk of UCT abortion.

The researchers hope to develop novel diagnostic tools that will enable veterinarians to predict mares at risk of suffering a UCT pregnancy loss and monitor the efficacy of novel treatments for the condition. Ultimately, the findings from this project will push forward the understanding of this cause of equine pregnancy loss, and abortion more widely.    

 

Jessica Roach, Research Fellow at the RVC, said: “The generous funding from The Alborada Trust will allow us to build on our understanding of umbilical cord torsion, which is such a frustrating cause of abortion to breeders and veterinarians alike. This project brings together researchers who are leading their field and I hope that this will allow us to forward our understanding of this condition. Our aim is to develop novel diagnostic tools to identify pregnancies with a torsed umbilical cord, and ultimately prevent or decrease the risk of pregnancy loss.”

 

For more information on the study, see : https://www.rvc.ac.uk/research/projects/investigation-of-clinical-predictors-of-equine-umbilical-cord-torsion-and-abortion

Could high intensity laser help in the treatment of bone spavin?

(c) Silviu-florin Salomia Dreamstime.com

 High intensity laser therapy (HILT) uses high-powered (Class IV) lasers that emit light in the
infrared range, to deliver light energy to the affected area, The goal is to reduce inflammation and pain, and promote healing. 

Some studies have suggested that HILT may be effective in treating bone spavin, a condition characterized by degeneration and inflammation of the hock joint in horses.

 

To investigate this possibility, researchers in Poland, used HILT in clinical cases of bone spavin referred to the Department of Surgery in Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences.

 

Paulina Zielińska, Karolina Śniegucka, Zdzisław Kiełbowicz describe their findings in a report published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science.

 

For the study, horses were required to exhibit hindlimb lameness that was aggravated by flexion of the limb but improved with anaesthesia of the tarsometatarsal joint. They also needed to show radiographic evidence of hock changes consistent with bone spavin. None of the horses had received any treatment for spavin in the previous six months. Eleven horses met the criteria for inclusion.

 

A course of treatment consisted of 10 HILT sessions over a two-week period.

 

Using the American Association of Equine Practitioners 5-point lameness scale, the researchers evaluated the severity of lameness before and after treatment. They found that four horses (36%) improved by 2 lameness grades, four (36%) improved by 1 lameness grade, and three horses (28%) showed no improvement.  Of the horses that did improve after HILT, three were reported to be sound at the post-treatment examination. 

 

In terms of the limb flexion (spavin) test, 5 horses (45%) showed improvement after treatment, while 6 horses (55%) maintained the same spavin test grade as before treatment. However, all horses still exhibited lameness following the limb flexion (spavin) test.

 

The researchers' findings suggest that HILT can be safely used for horses with bone spavin, as it helps to decrease joint pain and lameness. However, it appears to have limited effectiveness in reducing the response to a flexion test in the short term.

 

Although it's still too early to definitively determine whether HILT is a viable alternative for managing joint pain in horses with bone spavin, the researchers note that the initial results are promising enough to warrant further investigation.

 

For more details, see:

 

Paulina Zielińska, Karolina Śniegucka, Zdzisław Kiełbowicz,

A Case Series of 11 Horses Diagnosed with Bone Spavin Treated with High Intensity Laser Therapy (HILT),

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science,

Volume 120,

2023,

104188,

ISSN 0737-0806,

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2022.104188

 

Investigating injuries in British horse riders on public roads

(c) Sitikka Dreamstime.com

Female equestrians and younger riders are more likely to be injured in incidents involving horses on
public roads in Great Britain according to recent research.

 Horses and road vehicles are not ideal partners and can be a dangerous combination. In any confrontation between a horse and a vehicle, the horse and rider are at a significant disadvantage, and usually come off worst.

 

In England and Wales, (but not Scotland) equestrians are only permitted to use public off-road routes that have been specifically designated for horse use. This means that only a limited number of public off-road routes are available for horse riders to use. Consequently, they often find themselves riding on public roads.

 

A study, led by Danica Pollard for the British Horse Society, looked at the human injuries resulting from interactions between ridden horses and other road users on public roads in Great Britain. The work is published in the Journal of Safety Research.

 

The researchers extracted data from the Department for Transport (DfT) database on road incidents involving ridden horses, recorded by the police between 2010 and 2019. The records were analysed (using multivariable mixed-effects logistic regression modelling) to identify factors that were associated with severe or fatal injuries.

 

The data included 1,031 injury incidents involving ridden horses, involving 2,243 road users. 

 

Analysis showed that 81% of casualties were female, 84% were horse riders and 25% were 20 years old or younger. Horse riders accounted for 238/267 serious injuries and 17/18 fatalities. 

 

Vehicles most often involved in serious or fatal injuries were cars (53.4%) and vans (9.8%).

 

Other points to emerge were that the risk of severe or fatal injury increased with increasing road user age, and on roads with higher speed limits.

 

The researchers also found that the risk of severe or fatal injury was higher among older road users and on roads with higher speed limits.

 

They conclude: “Improved equestrian road safety will largely impact females and young people as well as reducing risk of severe/fatal injuries in older road users and those using modes of transport such as pedal-cycles and motorcycles. 

 

“Our findings support existing evidence that reductions in speed limits on rural roads would help reduce the risk of serious/fatal injuries.” 

 

 

For more details, see: 

 

Cars dent, horse riders break: Analysis of police-recorded injury incidents involving ridden horses on public roads in Great Britain.

Danica Pollard, John Duncan Grewar.

Journal of Safety Research (2023), Vol 84, pp 86-98

 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2022.10.010

The world’s first horse riders

Excavations in Malomirova, Bulgaria (c) Michal Podsiadlo

New evidence suggests that people were riding horses as much as 5000 years ago.

The origins of horseback riding are still unknown. Research suggests that horses were domesticated for their milk around 3500 to 3000 BCE. However, this does not conclusively demonstrate that they were being ridden at that time.

Now, researchers have unearthed evidence of horse riding by analysing the remains of human skeletons discovered in ancient burial mounds dating back 4500-5000 years.

 

The earthen burial mounds, or “kurgans”, were associated with the Yamnaya culture. The Yamnaya people were nomadic herders who primarily raised cattle and sheep, and they migrated to present-day Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Serbia from the Pontic-Caspian steppes. This region is a vast area of grasslands and semi-arid plains situated in Eastern Europe and Western Asia, spanning from the Danube River in the west to the Ural Mountains in the east, and from the Black Sea in the south to the Volga River in the north. The area encompasses parts of modern-day Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Romania, Moldova, and Georgia.

 

According to a study published in Science Advances, researchers have identified five Yamnaya individuals, dated from 3021 to 2501 BCE, from burial mounds located in Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary. These individuals displayed changes in bone structure and distinct pathologies that are typically associated with horseback riding. The study authors note that these individuals are the oldest known humans to be identified as riders to date.

 

“Horseback-riding seems to have evolved not long after the presumed domestication of horses in the western Eurasian steppes during the fourth millennium BCE. It was already rather common in members of the Yamnaya culture between 3000 and 2500 BCE”, says Volker Heyd, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Helsinki and a member of the international team, which made the discovery.

 

“We studied over 217 skeletons from 39 sites of which about 150 found in the burial mounds belong to the Yamnayans” explains Martin Trautmann, Bioanthropologist in Helsinki and the lead author of the study. 

 

Deducing activity patterns from human skeletons can be a complex process. According to Trautmann, there are no specific physical traits that can definitively indicate a particular occupation or behaviour. “Only in their combination, as a syndrome, symptoms provide reliable insights to understand habitual activities of the past,” he says.

 

The research team used a set of six diagnostic criteria as indicators of riding activity (the so-called “horsemanship syndrome”):

1. Muscle attachment sites on pelvis and thigh bone (femur);

2. Changes in the normally round shape of the hip sockets;

3. Imprint marks caused by pressure of the acetabular rim on the neck of the femur;

4. The diameter and form of the femur shaft;

5. Vertebral degeneration caused by repeated vertical impact;

6. Damage that typically can be caused by falls, kicks or bites from horses.

 

Altogether, out of the 156 adult individuals of the total sample at least 24 (15.4%) can be classified as 'possible riders', while five Yamnaya and two later as well as two possibly earlier individuals qualify as 'highly probable riders'. 

 

Overall, after analysing the skeletal remains of 156 adult individuals in the sample, the researchers were able to classify at least 24 (15.4%) as "possible riders". In addition, they identified five Yamnaya individuals, two later individuals, and two possibly earlier individuals as "highly probable riders".

 

“The rather high prevalence of these traits in the skeleton record, especially with respect to the overall limited completeness, show that these people were horse riding regularly”, Trautmann states.

 

“We have one intriguing burial in the series” remarks David Anthony, emeritus Professor of Hartwick College USA and also senior co-author in the study.

 

“A grave dated about 4300 BCE at Csongrad-Kettöshalom in Hungary, long suspected from its pose and artifacts to have been an immigrant from the steppes, surprisingly showed four of the six riding pathologies, possibly indicating riding a millennium earlier than Yamnaya. An isolated case cannot support a firm conclusion, but in Neolithic cemeteries of this era in the steppes, horse remains were occasionally placed in human graves with those of cattle and sheep, and stone maces were carved into the shape of horse heads. Clearly, we need to apply this method to even older collections.”

 

The researchers recommend conducting additional research to ascertain the main purpose of horseback riding among the Yamnaya people. It is unclear whether riding was primarily used for convenience in a mobile pastoral lifestyle to enable more efficient cattle herding, as a means of swift and far-ranging raids, or simply as a symbol of social status. Further investigation could shed more light on the role of horseback riding in Yamnaya culture and its impact on their way of life.

 

For more details, see:

 

First bioanthropological evidence for Yamnaya horsemanship

Martin Trautmann, Alin Frînculeasa, Bianca Preda-Bălănică, Marta Petruneac, Marin Focşǎneanu,  Stefan Alexandrov, Nadezhda Atanassova, Piotr Włodarczak, Michał Podsiadło, János Dani, Zsolt Bereczki, Tamás Hajdu, Radu Băjenaru, Adrian Ioniță, Andrei Măgureanu, Despina Măgureanu, Anca-Diana Popescu, Dorin Sârbu, Gabriel Vasile, David Anthony, Volker Heyd.

SCIENCE ADVANCES (2023) Vol 9, Issue 9

https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ade2451

Horses can distinguish between men and women based on the tone of their voice.

Recent research suggests that domesticated horses can use multiple senses, such as vision, and hearing, to identify human males and females. 

Several studies have shown that horses can recognise humans by associating their voice with their physical appearance. This ability to recognize a person, or object, based on information from multiple senses, such as sight, sound and smell, is known as “cross-modal recognition”. 

“To date, it remains unknown whether horses that are regularly in contact with humans are able to cross-modally recognize women and men. Thus, we sought to evaluate this ability in the current study.” wrote Chloé Gouyet and colleagues in the article published in Scientific Reports. 

“This study aimed to investigate whether horses are able to associate a woman’s voice with a woman’s face and a man’s voice with a man’s face, using a preferential looking paradigm.” 

In equine research, the “preferential looking paradigm” is often used to investigate whether horses have visual preferences for different stimuli. For example, researchers may present horses with pairs of images, such as a natural pasture scene set against a man-made environment, or an angry face compared with a happy face. By measuring which of the pair of images the horse spends more time looking at, researchers can infer the horse's preference. 

(c)Gouyet et al (CC BY 4.0)

The researchers explain: “We simultaneously presented two videos of women and men’s faces, while 

playing a recording of a human voice belonging to one of these two categories through a loudspeaker.” 

This procedure was repeated in six trials. The videos changed at each trial, so each horse saw six different women and six different men. “Our hypothesis was that horses would look preferentially at one of the videos depending on the vocal stimulus.” 

Analysis of the results showed that the horses looked significantly more towards the man’s face when hearing the male voice; and towards the woman’s face when hearing the female voice. The findings suggest that horses can associate women’s voices with women’s faces and men’s voices with men’s faces.

“Further investigation is necessary to determine the mechanism underlying this recognition, as it might be interesting to determine which characteristics horses use to categorize humans” the researchers suggest.

“These results suggest a novel perspective that could allow us to better understand how horses perceive humans.” 

 For more details, see: 

 Horses cross-modally recognize women and men Chloé Gouyet, Monamie Ringhofer, Shinya Yamamoto, Plotine Jardat, Céline Parias, Fabrice Reigner, Ludovic Calandreau & Léa Lansade 

Scientific Reports vol 13, 3864 (2023) 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-30830-6

Funding available for Equine Assisted Services research

(c) Photojogtom Dreamstime.com

Proposals for research grants are invited for projects to investigate the impact of Equine Assisted Services (EAS).

Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF), have announced the availability of up to $75,000 in research funding. and are now inviting applications.

HHRF specify that grant applications should include rigorous research proposals measuring the impact of the horse-human interaction on the wellbeing of the human participant including but not limited to the social, physical, cognitive, mental, and/or spiritual elements of the whole person.  

 

“All proposals undergo a four-tier review process completed by the Scientific Advisory Council. Preference will be given to investigators with solid credentials and research experience. The maximum award is $75,000 for up to two years. The winning proposal will have scientific merit, scientific and clinical significance, and relevance. “

 

Deadline for submission of proposals is Friday, May 26, 2023

 

Information for applicants, including the recently updated application and review guidelines, previously funded projects, and more are available at:

 

https://www.horsesandhumans.org

Compression therapy boosts lymphatic flow

(c) Drew Koch et al

Researchers from North Carolina State University have taken technology aimed at helping humans suffering from lymphedema and developed a medical device to aid horses suffering from the same condition. 

 There is a fine balance between fluid leaving the blood vessels and being taken up by the lymphatic system, which transports it from the tissues back to the bloodstream. Lymphedema occurs when that balance is disturbed and there is an accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the tissues of the limb. 

In a pilot study, Drew Koch and colleagues, found that the device, called the EQ Press, was successful in moving fluid up the limbs and into the lymph nodes. Its developers suggest it could lead to relief for horses with chronic conditions, as well as with temporary swelling due to injury or inactivity. 

“Across the board, horses are predisposed to lower limb swelling,” says Lauren Schnabel, associate professor of equine orthopaedic surgery at NC State and co-author of the study. “Lymphatic flow is driven by muscle contractions that circulate lymph fluid through the lymphatic system – horses are prone to lymphatic issues because they have very little musculature in the lower limbs.” 

The severity of the condition can vary widely – from temporary swelling due to restricted mobility, to lymphangitis caused by infections that can scar the lymphatic system. Treatment is often frustrating, but may include cold water, ice, bandaging and encouraging exercise. 

“Humans suffer from the exact same type of lymphedema horses do, but the difference is that human medicine has a very effective treatment option – pneumatic compression devices,” Schnabel says. “So, we wanted to create a horse-specific version of those devices and see if it would be similarly effective.”

Working closely with a company that manufactures human pneumatic compression devices, Schnabel developed the EQ Press in collaboration with former NC State veterinary student Irina Perdew. 

In the study, six healthy thoroughbreds were injected with a tracer isotope – a Tc-99m labelled sulfur colloid - at the coronary band in the front legs. The colloid is taken up and excreted through the lymphatic system. A specialised camera followed the movement of the isotope up the lymphatic system and into a lymph node in the upper limb, a process known as lymphoscintigraphy. 

Each horse underwent lymphoscintigraphy twice – once with treatment by the compression device on the front limbs and once without – randomized between treatment and control. 

In all EQ Press treated horses, the camera showed the tracer isotope moving from the lower limb to the lymph node in the upper limb within a 60-minute window. Of the control horses, only one showed that the tracer isotope was able to reach the lymph node in the same time. 

Overall, EQ Press treated horses had significantly accelerated lymphatic flow compared to untreated horses, recorded as both time for the marker to move out of the lower limb and time for it to reach the lymph node in the upper limb. Schnabel and the research team found the results encouraging and want to determine whether pneumatic compression treatment will be as helpful for horses as it is for humans. 

“Now we have compelling evidence that pneumatic compression treatments can accelerate lymphatic flow in healthy horses,” Schnabel says. “Our next step is to study the effectiveness of the EQ Press for treatment of horses with medical conditions such as lymphedema.” 

The open-access study is published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research. 

Schnabel is co-founder and chief medical officer of Vetletics, Inc., the company that manufactures the EQ Press. 

For more details, see: 

Pneumatic compression therapy using the EQ Press accelerates lymphatic flow in healthy equine forelimbs as determined by lymphoscintigraphy 

Drew Koch, Lauren Schnabel, Justin Reynolds, Clifford Berry. 

American Journal of Veterinary Research (2023) 

https://doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.22.12.0214

Can you help in a study to monitor arthritic pain?

(c) Silviu-Florin Salomia Dreamstime.com

Do you have an arthritic horse?  Could you spare a little time to take part in a study to validate
the use of a questionnaire for monitoring signs of chronic pain in horses with osteo-arthritis. 

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of chronic pain in horses yet it remains an under-recognized and under-treated condition. Despite its common association with advanced age, it can also affect young horses. In addition to being painful, OA can severely limit a horse's athletic career, and impact the bond between horse and owner if the condition limits a horse's ability to be ridden.

 

Diane Howard, PhD, MSc., a graduate of the Equine Science Master's program at the University of Edinburgh, has developed a 15-question survey based on interviews with horse owners whose animals suffer from chronic osteoarthritic pain.

 

The study will evaluate the questionnaire's efficacy in assisting owners to identify and monitor behavioural indications of pain in their horses.

 

Initial results,presented at the Horses Inside Out conference, are promising, but additional participants are required. To date, people completing the questionnaire have found it to be both helpful and straightforward to complete, with all participants able to finish it in less than five minutes.

 

The research, in collaboration with Dr. Janny de Grauw, from Utrecht University in the Netherlands, is funded by the Morris Animal Foundation.

 

“Many horses may deal with pain that is not recognized, particularly in its early stages,” said Dr. Janet Patterson-Kane, Morris Animal Foundation Chief Scientific Officer. “Giving their caregivers effective tools for detection, monitoring and decision-making has the potential for significant animal welfare impact.”

 

For more details, and to take part, please contact Diane Howard, at:

 

dianehoward@gmail.com

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Why do horseflies avoid stripes?

 

(c) Martin How

Researchers at the University of Bristol have discovered the reason why horseflies tend to avoid attacking individuals with stripes, as opposed to those with big, solid dark patches. 

Their findings show that stark black-and-white contrasts and small dark patches are particularly
effective in preventing horsefly attack. Specifically, these features eliminate the outline of large, single-colour dark patches, which horseflies find attractive at close range. 

 

The team suggest that the thin back stripes serve to minimise the size of local features on a zebra that are appealing to the biting flies.

 

The research was led by Professor Tim Caro and Dr Martin How both from the University of Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences. An open access report of the work is published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.

 

 Prof Caro explained: “We knew that horseflies are averse to landing on striped objects - a number of studies have now shown this, but it is not clear which aspects of stripes they find aversive.

 

“Is it the thinness of the stripes? The contrast of black and white? The polarized signal that can be given off objects? So, we set out to explore these issues using different patterned cloths draped over horses and filmed incoming horseflies.”

 

The team found that tabanid horseflies are attracted to large dark objects in their environment but less so to dark broken patterns. All-grey coats were associated with by far the most landings, followed by coats with large black triangles placed in different positions, then small checkerboard patterns in no particular order. In another experiment, they found contrasting stripes attracted few flies whereas more homogeneous stripes were more attractive.

 

Professor Caro added: “This suggests that any hoofed animal that reduces its overall dark outline against the sky will benefit in terms of reduced ectoparasite attack.”

 

The team found little evidence for other issues that they tested, namely polarization or optical illusions confusing accurate landings such as the so-called ‘wagon-wheel effect’ or ‘the barber-pole effect’.

 

They conclude: “Our working hypothesis now is that horseflies are attracted to equid hosts owing to a combination of odour at a distance, then size of the animal contrasted against the sky or vegetation at a middle distance. But at close range, where they can no longer see the body's outline, flies make a visual switch to local features. If these are small dark objects contrasted against a light or white background, the horsefly no longer recognizes this as a host target and veers away. The contrast of stripes and their relatively small size are therefore the key elements of how stripes operate to thwart fly landings.”

 

Now the team want to determine why natural selection has led to striping in equids - the horse family - but not other hoofed animals.

Professor Caro added: “We know that zebra pelage – fur - is short, enabling horsefly mouthparts to reach the skin and blood capillaries below, which may make them particularly susceptible to fly annoyance, but more important, perhaps, is that the diseases that they carry are fatal to the horse family but less so to ungulates. This needs investigation.”

 

For more details, see:

 

Why don't horseflies land on zebras?

Tim Caro, Eva Fogg, Tamasin Stephens-Collins, Matteo Santon, Martin J. How

J Exp Biol (2023) 226 (4): jeb244778.

https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.244778

Survey: medicines and horse health in Wales

(c) Miles Haegebaert Dreamtime.com

Horse owners across Wales are invited to take part in a survey: “Understanding Welsh horse
owner perceptions of medicines use and horse health care.”

The survey is run by scientists at Aberystwyth University as part of the Arwain DGC (Responsible Antimicrobial Use) project. Arwain DGC aims to prevent the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in animals and the environment in Wales. 

 

By improving productivity, animal health and welfare through new and innovative technology and ‘good practice’, the goal is to reduce the need to use antimicrobials such as antibiotics.

 

It is hoped that the survey will bring about a greater understanding of the how Welsh horse owners view medicine usage and aspects of horse health care. Lead researchers are Rebekah Stuart or Alison Bard.

 

“We hope this study will generate information that will help target future research, support and funding within the Welsh equine sector, as currently very little is known about Welsh horse owners’ views on these topics.”

 

“Our questions will explore how you view your relationship with your horse or horses, how they receive husbandry and health care and how you interact with your vet and other individuals regarding medicines use.”

 

 

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

 

 

https://aber.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/arwain-dgc-equinesurvey

Evidence that Vikings brought horses across the North Sea

Credit : Jeff Veitch Durham University

 Recent research claims to have found the first solid evidence that Scandinavians brought horses, dogs and other animals across the North Sea with them as early as the ninth century AD.

Vikings, who lived in modern-day Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, have a reputation as skilled raiders and warriors. As seafaring people, they travelled extensively from the late 8th to the early 11th centuries, establishing settlements in various parts of Europe and the North Atlantic.

 

It is likely that they acquired horses through conquest and raids. However, a study of cremated bones found at an archaeological site in the English midlands suggests that at least some of their horses had been brought with them from Scandinavia.

 

The findings are published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE.

 

Lead author Tessi Löffelmann, a doctoral researcher jointly working in the Department of Archaeology, Durham University, and the Department of Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, said: “This is the first solid scientific evidence that Scandinavians almost certainly crossed the North Sea with horses, dogs and possibly other animals as early as the ninth century AD and could deepen our knowledge of the Viking Great Army.”

 

“Our most important primary source, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, states that the Vikings were taking horses from the locals in East Anglia when they first arrived, but this was clearly not the whole story, and they most likely transported animals alongside people on ships.”

 

The work was a collaboration between academics at the Universities of Durham and York in the UK, and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, in Belgium. 

 

They explain: “The barrow cemetery at Heath Wood, Derbyshire, is the only known Viking cremation cemetery in the British Isles. It dates to the late ninth century and is associated with the over-wintering of the Viking Great Army at nearby Repton [ in present day Derbyshire] in AD 873–4.”

 

Fragments of cremated bone from the site were available for analysis: two adult humans, a child and a horse, dog and pig.

 

But how to tell where these cremated bony fragments originated?

 

Strontium analysis helps provide the answer. Strontium (Sr) is an element, related to calcium, that is taken up by plants, which are then eaten by animals. The ratio of strontium isotopes in the soil varies from one geographical location to another. 

 

Because strontium is so like calcium, it is taken up by the bone. The ratio of strontium isotopes in the bone reflects that of the soil of the area in which the animal lived.

 

The researchers explain: “The Sr isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) from the bones and teeth of an individual, who grows up while ingesting plants from the immediate surrounding area, should reflect the local biologically available Sr  (BASr). By measuring these ratios in plants from the ‘local area’, it is possible to define the local BASr and its variations around the site.”

 

Strontium ratios in one of the adults and the child showed that they could have been from the area local to the Heath Wood cremation site.

 

But the remains of the other adult and all three animals – a horse, a dog and what the archaeologists say was possibly a pig – had strontium ratios normally found in the Baltic Shield area [the geological region comprising Norway, Sweden, Finland, and parts of Russia].

As the human and animal remains were found in the same cremation pyre, the researchers believe the adult from the Baltic Shield region may have been someone important who was able to bring a horse and dog to Britain.

 

Professor Julian Richards, of the Department of Archaeology, University of York, who co-directed the excavations at the Heath Wood Viking cemetery, said: “The Bayeux Tapestry depicts Norman cavalry disembarking horses from their fleet before the Battle of Hastings, but this is the first scientific demonstration that Viking warriors were transporting horses to England two hundred years earlier.

 

“It shows how much Viking leaders valued their personal horses and hounds that they brought them from Scandinavia, and that the animals were sacrificed to be buried with their owners.

 

 

For more details, see:

 

Sr analyses from only known Scandinavian cremation cemetery in Britain illuminate early Viking journey with horse and dog across the North Sea

Tessi Löffelmann , Christophe Snoeck,  Julian D Richards , Lucie J Johnson,  Philippe Claeys , Janet Montgomery 

PLoS One (2023) Feb 1;18(2):e0280589.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280589