Call for abstracts for the 2024 ISES conference

(c) Lifeontheside Dreamtime.com

 What constitutes a “Good Life” for a horse and why is it necessary, or indeed possible? How can we ensure every horse enjoys a fulfilling life?

These questions will be the focus of the forthcoming annual conference of the International Society for Equitation Science, scheduled to take place in New Zealand next year.

 

The ISES 2024 Scientific Committee eagerly awaits pertinent contributions and insights that align with the following themes:

• Measuring the impact of Tack and Equipment
• New directions in Training and Riding
• What happens in the ‘Other 23 Hours’ (Outside of Competition and Training)
• Understanding Equine Emotions
• Safe Human-Horse Interactions
• Setting the Horse up for Success (Early experiences, weaning, a second life)
• Sustainable Equine Management and Practice

For more details, see: 

https://www.equitationscience.com/2024-conference

Does bit-chewing promote gut motility?

 Giving horses a bit to chew may provide a simple and inexpensive way of promoting gut motility in horses with ileus, according to a recent study.

Ileus is a disorder where the normal rhythmic contractions that move food and waste through the intestines are disrupted, without an identifiable physical obstruction. It is a potentially life-threatening problem for horses and may be seen especially after abdominal surgery. 

 

Studies in human patients with ileus, have shown that sham feeding, such as giving the patient gum to chew, may improve clinical signs and promote gastrointestinal motility. 

 

Bit chewing, a form of sham feeding adapted for horses, has shown positive effects by reducing gastrointestinal total transit time (TTT). However, previous research has mainly focused on the large intestine; the impact of bit chewing on the small intestine relatively unexplored.

 

In a prospective crossover study, Molly Patton and colleagues compared gastrointestinal motility in horses under both bit-chewing conditions and control conditions (with no bit chewing)

 

Reporting the work in the journal Animals, they write: “Our objective in this study was to investigate whether bit chewing could effectively reduce gastric emptying time (GET), small intestinal transit time (SITT), and total orocecal transit time (OCTT) in clinically normal horses.” 

 

Nine healthy horses participated in the study. The researchers evaluated gastrointestinal motility using a dual approach: employing self-contained videoendoscopy capsules known as ALICAM® and monitoring acetaminophen absorption. ALICAM® capsules, designed for single-use, captured video images stored in their onboard memory as they traversed the digestive tract. These capsules, accompanied by acetaminophen, were introduced into the stomach using a naso-gastric tube.

 

To carry out the study, the horses were randomly divided into two groups: one group with a bit and the other without a bit. This allocation was reversed a month later, ensuring each horse served as its own control.

 

Acetaminophen serum samples were used as a marker to gauge gastric emptying time (GET). Additionally, ALICAM capsules helped in determining not only GET but also small intestinal transit time (SITT) and overall orocecal transit time (OCTT).

 

The research findings indicate a significant reduction in orocecal transit time following bit chewing, without any observed adverse effects.

 

“The findings from our study not only revealed no adverse effects associated with bit chewing but also demonstrated a significant reduction in OCTT following this activity.”

 

They conclude: “This suggests that bit chewing could provide a safe, cost-effective, and efficient treatment to enhance small intestinal motility in horses. These results hold promising implications for improving the management and treatment of ileus in equine patients, potentially leading to better outcomes and enhanced overall well-being for these animals.”

 

For more details, see:

 

"Effects of Bit Chewing on Gastric Emptying, Small Intestinal Transit, and Orocecal Transit Times in Clinically Normal Horses" 

Molly E. Patton, Frank M. Andrews, Sophie H. Bogers, David Wong, Harold C. McKenzie, III, Stephen R. Werre, and Christopher R. Byron. 

Animals (2023) 13, no. 15: 2518. 

https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13152518

Herd dynamics in a multilevel society of Przewalski’s horses

Photo: Katalin Ozagány

 A team of researchers from the Hungarian Research Network (HUN-REN), the University of Debrecen
(UD), Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), and the Hortobágy National Park Directorate studied the social system of the Przewalski's horse herd in Hortobágy. The research involved a combination of drone-based movement analysis and long-term population monitoring data.

The researchers used drones to monitor the 278 Przewalski's horses, individually identifying most of them, and found that these wild horses, like humans, live in a complex, multilevel society. They used high-resolution aerial videos to understand the structure of this society and its past and future group changes.

 

The research is published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

 

Studying the social behaviour of a large group of animals using traditional methods is time-consuming. Nevertheless, this study shows that collecting high-resolution data, even just a few minutes of animal movement footage, can yield sufficient information to understand the population's social structure and make predictions about its past and future dynamics.

 

"We wanted to investigate the group movements of the Przewalski’s horse herd in Hortobágy, Hungary. However, observing nearly 300 horses at the same time is not an easy task," says Katalin Ozogány, the first author of the study, member of the HUN-REN–UD Behavioural Ecology Research Group of the Hungarian Research Network and the University of Debrecen (Hungary). 

 

"We took aerial videos of the herd using drones while they were moving around the reserve, and based on the footage, we determined the movement routes of all the individuals of the herd with high spatio-temporal resolution."

 

They used two drones to record the herd’s movements.  One recorded a wide-angle view to track the movement of all individuals in the herd. A second drone scanned through the herd providing close-up views to allow identification of individual animals.

 

In the past, wild horses ranged across the vast expanses of the Eurasian steppes, but today, they are confined to just a few national parks. The Przewalski's horse, classified as endangered, represents the sole surviving sub-species, with a worldwide population numbering less than 3,000 individuals. 

 

Przewalski’s horses have been living in Hortobágy since 1997, in the Pentezug reserve. In the first years after founding the population, the harems (each consisting of a stallion and a group of breeding mares) lived in their own home ranges and rarely interacted with each other. Now, for over a decade, the harems have grouped together to form a large herd, in which harems can still be distinguished, but they move together in the reserve. 

 

Such a multilevel social structure, characteristic of humans, is uncommon in animals. It is mainly found in primates, but also occurs in cetaceans, elephants, and some ungulates. 

 

Analysis of the herd’s movements yielded surprising results. "The individuals of the group coordinate their movements and align with each other, and by detecting these fine interactions between the individuals, it turned out that we can assess the herd's social network based on the group movements," explains lead author Máté Nagy, head of the Collective Behaviour 'Lendület' Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary).

 

The researchers combined the short-term movement observations of a few minutes with long-term population data going back two decades. allowing them to reconstruct the development of the harem groups over more than 20 years. 

 

Since the establishment of the reserve, the wild horses have been individually recognized by the park staff who regularly collected data on population changes. "Thanks to population monitoring, we know the parentage of the animals, which we also confirm with genetic sampling, as well as their place in the social system, that is, we regularly record which individual belongs to which harem," says co-author Viola Kerekes, project leader of the Hortobágy National Park Directorate.

 

The analyses showed that the social relations of wild horses are related to kinship and familiarity of the animals. For example, mares are closer to each other in the social network if they have been harem mates for a longer time. Kinship may play a significant role in the organization of harems into herds since harems of sibling stallions are closer to each other in the social network than harems of unrelated stallions. Between the closer harems, at the same time, the dispersal of mares was greater, which also contributes to the relations between harems through familiarity.

 

"It is an exceptional opportunity to explore the social network of an entire population and its dynamics," explains co-author Attila Fülöp, a researcher at the Babeş-Bolyai University (Romania) and the HUN-REN–UD Behavioural Ecology Research Group. It turned out that older and larger harems, which typically belong to older and more experienced stallions, occupy more central locations in the herd’s social network. A possible explanation is that harem stallions form an alliance to protect their harems more effectively against the bachelor males. Harems moved as cohesive units within the herd, while bachelor males were typically found on the outer margins of the herd.

 

"One of the surprising outcomes of the study is that we can infer future group dynamics by observing current movement," adds Zoltán Barta, lead author, head of the Department of Evolutionary Zoology of the University of Debrecen and the HUN-REN–UD Behavioural Ecology Research Group. The researchers showed that mares that lived in different harems at the time of the aerial observations but became harem mates within two years after the observations, were already moving in more similar routes than the other mares. So, through the movement analysis, it was also possible to conclude which mares will leave their harem in the next two years and which harem they will transfer to.

 

"Not only did we learn new, previously unknown details about the social life of Przewalski's horses, but we highlighted that drone observations, which can be applied even in wild populations, can provide very detailed information."

 

For more details, see:

 

Fine-scale collective movements reveal present, past and future dynamics of a multilevel society in Przewalski’s horses

Katalin Ozogány, Viola Kerekes, Attila Fülöp, Zoltán Barta & Máté Nagy 

Nature Communications (2023) vol 14, Article number: 5096 (2023) 

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-40523-3

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2BhFjEbZDE

Study into management of riding lesson horses in Canada

(c) Lajos Sidlovsky Dreamstime.com

If you are involved in providing riding lessons in Canada, researchers at the University of Guelph would like your help. 

Dr. Katrina Merkies, the project supervisor, and Caleigh Copelin, a master's student, are conducting research with the goal of investigating the prevalent management practices employed for riding lesson horses in Canada. Additionally, the study aims to shed light on the demographics of lesson facility owners and managers and the overall state of the Canadian riding lesson industry.

 

They invite you to take part in this study by completing a questionnaire specifically designed for riding lesson facilities. They suggest that the questionnaire is expected to require approximately 20-25 minutes of your time.

To be eligible to participate, individuals must hold the role of owner, manager, or riding coach at a riding lesson facility where one or more horses are actively involved in riding lessons, and financial compensation is received for these services. Participants should play a direct role in management decisions or have regular oversight of the care provided to these lesson horses. It is important to note that the researchers require only one response per facility.

 

The outcomes of this research will be communicated through various channels. Findings will be made available in lay magazines to reach a broader audience, presented at scientific conferences to engage with experts in the field, and submitted as a manuscript to a peer-reviewed scientific journal to ensure rigorous evaluation and dissemination within the academic community. 

 

For more details, see:

 

https://uoguelph.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bmDNdmdReKNEo3s

Insulin Dysregulation: not limited to overweight ponies

  

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

For more details, see:

 

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

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

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

Chance to influence forthcoming NAHMS study

 Horse enthusiasts in the United States are urged to take part in a survey that can help shape the next NAHMS Equine study.

The National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) is responsible for nationwide research on animal health and management, including horses, and has conducted studies in 1998, 2005, and 2015. It has also published important reports on issues like EHV-1 and piroplasmosis.

 

Now, NAHMS is planning its fourth U.S. national equine industry study, tentatively scheduled for 2026. 

 

At this stage, your involvement will ensure that the study addresses your interests and concerns, allowing you to have a say in what you'd like to learn about the equine industry.

 

You can contribute by completing a quick 10-minute survey, available until October 1, 2023.

Go to:

https://usdaanimalhealth.gov1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5njhmSQkd7ijmZM?Channel=1&Link=Web

Attitudes towards ban on trimming horse whiskers

 

(c) Tnmkiley Dreamstime.com

Only 30% of Australian show horse owners who took part in a recent survey supported the ban
on trimming facial hair.

Although trimming of horses’ whiskers isn’t thought to be painful, many authorities have banned it on welfare grounds.

 

Whiskers, also known as sensory hairs or vibrissae, are hair-like structures present around a horse's eyes and muzzle. They play a role in conveying sensory information about the horse's environment and surroundings, aiding in tasks such as recognizing grass textures and enhancing spatial awareness. These whiskers are crucial because they balance out the blind spots in front of the horse's forehead and under its nose. This helps overcome the limitations these blind spots place on the horse's awareness of its environment.

 

The German Equestrian Federation (FN) took the lead in 1998 by implementing the first ban on trimming whiskers and ear hairs of competitive horses, making it officially prohibited.

Subsequently, in July 2020, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) followed suit and enforced a similar ban, except in cases where individual sensory hairs had been removed by a veterinarian to alleviate the horse's pain or discomfort.

 

In 2022, British Dressage introduced a rule change that unequivocally prohibited the practice of trimming facial hairs. They stated that trimming the sensory hairs around the horse's mouth, nose, eyes, and ears was not allowed as it could impair the horse's sensory capabilities.

 

New research, published in the CABI journal Human-Animal Interactions, has revealed that only 30% of show horse owners surveyed in Australia agreed with a ban on the trimming of facial hair prior to its implementation in July 2022

 

The study discovered that when people were questioned about whether facial hair trimming should be prohibited in all horse competitions, most disciplines were generally in favour (ranging from 60.5% to 84.6%), except for showing, where only 22.9% of those surveyed supported a ban. Interestingly, some participants in the research also held the view that horses didn't require muzzle or ear hairs for their daily lives.

 

The study emphasized that individuals who participated in horse show competitions thought that trimming muzzle and ear hair increased their chances of winning, and they considered this practice to be usual and widespread in their field. Nevertheless, equine organizations worldwide, including those in Australia, implemented a ban on this practice during competitions due to concerns about animal welfare. 

 

Researchers from the University of Adelaide and the University of Newcastle in Australia conducted a survey involving 422 horse owners in Australia. Among these respondents, 85% took part in competitions with their horses, with showing and dressage being the most popular categories. The majority of those surveyed were women (96%) residing in South Australia (56%). The participants represented a diverse age range, spanning from 18 to 24 years old up to 55 to 64 years old, and there were fewer respondents over the age of 65. 

 

The primary goal of the study was to assess the prevalence of horse owners trimming their horses' facial hairs (ear and muzzle hair) in various equestrian disciplines in Australia. The researchers aimed to understand which facial hairs were commonly trimmed, whether horses were restrained during the process, and the attitudes associated with this practice.

 

Dr Kirrilly Thompson, a co-author on the paper, from the University of Newcastle, Australia, said, “The results of this study provide valuable insight into the widespread trimming of horse muzzle and ear hairs in some horse disciplines prior to the implementation of the ban in Australia in July 2022.

 

“The information gained may also be useful for the design and implementation of behaviour change interventions for other management and presentation practices used for horses and other animals.”

 

The researchers pointed out the scarcity of studies investigating the methods of facial hair trimming in horses and people's attitudes towards this practice. They emphasized that their study offers preliminary insights into the prevalence of this practice in Australian equestrian sports before the introduction of bans. Furthermore, their research sheds light on the rationales and perspectives within the equine industry concerning the trimming of horse facial hairs.

 

Dr Susan Hazel, lead author of the research, from the University of Adelaide, said, “Further studies are needed to determine if and how the practice and attitudes to facial hair trimming in horses have changed with the enforcement of the ban.

 

“Findings from the present study, however, may also be useful for understanding and addressing other non-regulated horse presentation practices that can compromise welfare, such as clipping hair from the ear canal and ‘pulling’ manes and tails.”

 

For more details, see:

 

What’s the fuzz: The frequency, practice and perceptions of equine facial hair trimming revealed in survey of horse owners in Australia, 

Susan Hazel; Carly Holman; Kirrilly Thompson. 

Human-Animal Interactions, (2023)

DOI: 10.1079/hai.2023.0023

https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/10.1079/hai.2023.0023

Horses know when you are happy or sad

 

A horse in the experimental set-up, wearing the heart rate monitor belt.
Two video projectors at the back of the testing box project images
onto two screens in front of the horse. Photo: Plotine Jordan

New research shows that horses can distinguish between human expressions of happiness and sadness conveyed through facial movements or vocal tones. The study found that horses were more attracted by facial expressions of happiness than sadness, and they seemed more excited by the happy voices. 

Emotions are a part of how people interact and talk to each other, and they could also play a role when we interact with other species. 

 

Many types of animals, as diverse as orangutans and pigeons, are known to sense human emotions. Recently, studies on domestic animals such as dogs, cats, horses, and goats have shown they can recognize various human emotions shown on our faces. However, this area of research has mainly focused on two emotions: joy and anger. What about other emotions, such as sadness?

 

The study, conducted by an international research team from the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) in France, the University of Tours in France and the University of Turku in Finland, observed and analysed horses’ behaviour when presented with human faces and voices expressing joy or sadness. The heart rate of the horses was also recorded during the experiment.

 

“Sadness is a particularly interesting emotion, because it is not only of negative valence – contrary to joy, which is positive – but it is also of low arousal. Previous studies have shown that horses react to high-arousal emotions like anger or joy. Could they also detect signals of sadness, a low-arousal emotion? We wanted to study whether horses can associate the vocal and facial signals of human sadness, as they can for joy and anger,” says the lead author of the study, Doctoral Researcher Plotine Jardat from the French National Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment and the University of Tours, France.

 

During the study, horses faced two screens. One showed a video of a person looking happy, while the other showed the same person looking sad. At the same time, a voice played, either sounding happy or sad.

 

The horses’ first look indicated they matched the face and voice expressing sadness or happiness. The researchers noticed that when the horses first saw the pictures, more of them spent longer looking at the picture that didn't match the sound, compared to the one that did match.

 

So, when the horses looked at the pictures for the first time, they were surprised when a sad face was paired with a happy voice, and the other way around. The researchers suggest this implies that horses can link a human face and voice showing the same emotion, whether it's sadness or happiness.

 

“This is interesting because it would mean that when horses observe our faces and hear our voices, they don’t just see and hear separate things, but they are able to match them across different modalities. You could imagine that they have a particular box in their mind labelled ‘human sadness’ containing the characteristics of both a human sad face and a human sad voice,” says Doctoral Researcher Océane Liehrmann from the University of Turku.

A similar setup has been used in several previous experiments by the team. Its purpose is to explore the animals’ mental processing of the images and sounds and their congruence. In the previous experiments on anger and joy as well as on the perception of adults and children, the horses reacted to the setup by looking more at the image that did not match the sound. The researchers believe that horses look more at the incongruent image because they are intrigued by the lack of correspondence between this image and what they hear.

 

After the first glance, the researchers saw that horses paid more attention to the screen displaying the happy face. They looked at it more often and for a longer time. Also, the horses’ heart rates went up more when they heard the happy voice compared to the sad one. This indicates that the horses were more alert and excited when the voice was joyful.

 

The researchers suggest three possible explanations for these findings. First, the horses might have been more interested in the happy images due to their movement, and more excited by the joyful voices because of the way they sounded, like changes in pitch. Second, the horses could have connected human happy faces with positive situations, making them want to look at these expressions that remind them of good memories. Third, the horses might have felt more positive when looking at the happy pictures and more stimulated when hearing joyful voices due to something called "emotional contagion." This is when the emotions of an observer match the emotions of the one they're observing. It has been seen in humans and primates, and studies suggest it could also happen between humans and other animals, like horses. This phenomenon is often seen as a basis for empathy.

 

“Overall, our study shows that horses can differentiate audible and visual signals of human joy and sadness, and associate the corresponding vocal and facial expressions. Horses were also more attracted and seemed more animated by joyful expressions, so people who interact with horses could benefit from expressing joy during these interactions,” Plotine Jardat concludes.

 

The researchers point out that further studies are needed to better understand horses’ perception of human sadness. In the future, they aim to find out, for example, whether horses can also differentiate sadness from other negative emotions, or whether sad expressions from humans can influence horses’ behaviour, especially during human-horse interactions.

For more details, see:

Horses discriminate between human facial and vocal expressions of sadness and joy. 

Plotine Jardat, Océane Liehrmann, Fabrice Reigner, Céline Parias, Ludovic Calandreau & Léa Lansade 

Anim Cogn (2023) 26, 1733–1742 

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-023-01817-7

Participants sought for behaviour study

 Would you like to help advance scientific research on horse behaviour? If you are 18 years old or older and own at least one horse, you can help to better understand the human-horse relationship by taking part in an online survey.

The survey is part of a research project conducted by Alisa Viitanen, Oceane Liehrman and Prof. Virpi Lummaa from the University of Turku, Finland. The survey aims to investigate how human and horse personality interact and how this is reflected in the horse's environment and behaviour. 

 

To accomplish this, they are looking for participants who are at least 18 years old and own at least one horse. The survey can be completed for multiple horses if applicable.

 

If you decide to participate, the researchers say that the survey will take at least 40 minutes to complete, but you can stop and come back to it later on the same device. 

 

In the survey, you will be asked to provide responses to personality assessments for both yourself and your horse. Additionally, information about your interactions with your horse and details regarding your horse's living environment will be requested. You can fill the survey anonymously, and you retain the option to withdraw your consent and prohibit the use of your information at a later point.

 

By taking part in the study, you will help researchers to get a better insight to the human-horse relationship and how it may affect horse behaviour.

 

For more details, and to fill out the survey, go to:

 https://link.webropol.com/s/humanhorsesurvey

Prospects for osteo-arthritis treatment

(c) Goce Risteski Dreamstime.com

Researchers have unveiled a treatment that appears to slow down the progression of osteoarthritis (OA)
for the first time. 

A clinical study conducted jointly by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the University of Gothenburg has yielded remarkable results. Horses afflicted with OA, treated with a novel drug combination, not only achieved freedom from lameness but also experienced a simultaneous inhibition of joint tissue degradation. 

 

Osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative disease involving the whole joint, arises from the deterioration of joint cartilage and the underlying bone structure. This condition is the primary cause of joint pain and lameness in horses. Racehorses often become lame early in their careers, and every year many horses retire due to the disease.

 

The new potential treatment for OA is a result of a long-term collaboration between researchers at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the University of Gothenburg, resulting in a series of basic science publications. Through extensive cell culture studies, the researchers had been able to evaluate and present a drug combination consisting of a local anaesthetic drug and an anti-inflammatory drug (sildenafil), in extremely low concentrations, When coupled with glucose, this combination demonstrated the capacity to rejuvenate and repair damaged cartilage cells, known as chondrocytes, extracted from horses affected with OA.

 

“We have successfully demonstrated the drugs’ potential in receding inflammation and in restoring derailed chondrocytes from OA horses. Such restored cartilage cells began to produce more matrix molecules, which are important building blocks of cartilage tissue. This further strengthens the drug combinations’ potential to cure osteoarthritis," says Elisabeth Hansson, professor at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, who is one of the research leaders in the collaboration.

 

The research team has developed assays to screen horses’ synovial fluid from the joints and diagnose OA much earlier, i.e. even before the clinical indications of OA. They have found two biomarkers that are elevated in both synovial fluid and blood, in horses with OA. 

 

These biomarkers, (BGN262 , which reflects subchondral bone degradation, and COMP156 which  is associated with articular cartilage degradation in equine early OA) have been crucial in the development of the new drug treatment.

 

The current clinical study, published in the journal Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open, uses these assay methods both to diagnose the disease and to measure the efficacy of the new drug treatment.

 

"With the aid of these biomarkers, we can now diagnose the disease in an early stage (which was not possible previously), measure the efficacy of the drug and also screen for the drugs’ side effects," says Eva Skiöldebrand, professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

 

In this study, the new drug combination was tested in a randomised triple-blinded controlled clinical trial. The study was conducted at Hallands Djursjukhus (Kungsbacka Hästklinik). Principal investigator, Kristin Abrahamsson-Aurell was responsible for the study with veterinarian Cecilia Grahn as the treating veterinarian. 

 

Twenty lame trotters with mild radiological changes in the carpal joint were included in the study. The horses were randomised into groups for treatment with the novel drug combination or with a standard treatment (betamethasone  - Celeston® bifas®). The horses were followed up for 60 days after treatment.

 

“The horses treated with the new drug combination became free from lameness. The drug treatment efficiently lowered the analysed biomarkers’ levels in the synovial fluid when compared to the horses that received the control substance. The drug intervention did not cause any side effects in this study. Moreover, several of the treated horses remained sound during the follow up period, which gives great hope for the future of the drug as a disease-modifying agent. This will have a tremendous positive impact on horse welfare,” says Eva Skiöldebrand

 

In Sweden, OA is also the most common joint disease in humans, especially among the elderly. About one in four people over the age of 45 develop osteoarthritis. Currently there is no cure for this. Moreover, the available drugs on the market can only reduce pain and limit inflammation in the joint.

 

“Horses and humans are genetically very similar. Horses develop OA spontaneously, which makes the horse an excellent model for studies of OA in humans. Additionally, the biomarkers that were identified and evaluated in the clinical trial are identical in horses and humans. Therefore, the biomarkers and the analytical methods are equally relevant in human OA," says Eva Skiöldebrand.

 

The research team has a patent for the new drug combination and aims to commercialise it as a licensed drug for horses with OA, starting in Sweden. They will now also seek authorisation to conduct a clinical trial of the drug treatment in humans.

 

For more details, see:

 

A randomized, triple-blinded controlled clinical study with a novel disease-modifying drug combination in equine lameness-associated osteoarthritis. 

E. Skiöldebrand, S. Adepu, C. Lützelschwab, S. Nyström, A. Lindahl, K. Abrahamsson-Aurell, E. Hansson. 

Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open, Volume 5, Issue 3, 2023.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocarto.2023.100381

What do retired racehorses do?

(c) Nigel Baker Dreamtime.com

 Britain’s first ever thoroughbred census has been launched to help improve traceability of former racehorses after they retire from the sport.

All ex-racehorse owners are urged to participate by completing the census before the deadline of December 31, 2023.

 

The census is being conducted by equine research specialists at Hartpury University and is designed to address a significant data gap arising from the infrequent updates to equine passports once thoroughbreds retire from racing.

 

By collecting information such as equine identification document (passport) numbers, microchip numbers, ages, current residences, second careers, and more, the census hopes to construct a comprehensive and detailed database concerning the lives of former racehorses.

 

Partnering with key bodies like Retraining of Racehorses (RoR), the official aftercare charity of British Racing, the census is supported by the Racing Foundation, World Horse Welfare, and Weatherbys General Stud Book. 

 

By enhancing the traceability of retired thoroughbreds, it is hoped it will be easier to support owners in terms of access to educational resources, avenues for participation in competitions, and the cultivation of informed and supportive communities.

 

It is also expected that this data-driven approach will improve communication in the event of an equine disease outbreak, safeguarding the equine population. 

 

Ultimately, the census endeavours to bring about positive transformations in the aftercare and welfare of retired racehorses in Britain.

 

Jane Williams, Head of Research at Hartpury University, stated: “We’re delighted to be part of this proactive initiative as Hartpury is committed to supporting the equine sector to improve the quality of life of the horses we all love. The census will present an opportunity to understand more about the lifetime care of thoroughbreds, generate evidence to safeguard against future disease outbreaks, and showcase the huge benefits thoroughbreds bring to so many people.”

 

David Catlow, Managing Director, Retraining of Racehorses, added: “We are pleased to be teaming up with the Horse Welfare Board and Hartpury University to encourage owners of former racehorses to participate in the census survey. The ‘social licence’ for the use of horses in sport is under increasing scrutiny and what happens to former racehorses after they retire from racing is identified as a particular concern. This is a significant step towards ensuring thoroughbreds enjoy a healthy and caring existence during their lifetimes and will provide the racing industry with the relevant data to guide future decisions”. 

For more details, and to complete the census, see:

 

https://uwe.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8bNJFzR2FB95ZlQ

Need for vitamin D supplementation

 Stabled, non-grazing Thoroughbred racehorses should receive vitamin D supplementation to
maintain an adequate vitamin D status, according to recent research. 

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for horses, as it is for many other animals and humans. It plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health and well-being by regulating various physiological processes. The primary function of vitamin D is to help the body absorb and utilize calcium and phosphorus, which are vital for strong bones, teeth, and proper muscle function.

 

Unlike some animals that can synthesize vitamin D in response to UV radiation on their skin, horses have little or no ability to produce vitamin D this way. Consequently, they rely heavily on dietary sources to obtain an adequate supply of the vitamin. Horses primarily obtain vitamin D from their diet, including fresh forage like pasture grasses and certain types of hay, which naturally contain vitamin D. Additionally, commercial horse feeds and supplements may be fortified with vitamin D to ensure the animals receive enough.

 

What effect does limited grazing have on vitamin D status in horses?

 

In a study conducted by Miranda Dosi and colleagues, the vitamin D status of racehorses in training from both Hong Kong (HK) and the United Kingdom was assessed. A full report is published in the journal Animals. The main objective was to investigate whether the management practices and athletic activity of these horses made them more susceptible to having low vitamin D status, and to determine if appropriate dietary vitamin D supplementation could help mitigate this risk.

 

The study encompassed 101 Thoroughbred horses in training, 79 of which were from Hong Kong (HK) and 22 from the United Kingdom (UK). The HK horses did not have access to grazing and received minimal sunlight exposure, usually less than 30 minutes daily, during training and in-hand walking. In contrast, the UK horses had the opportunity to graze for at least an hour each day.

 

The research team assessed the serum concentrations of three active forms of vitamin D, namely 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 (25OHD2), 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25OHD3), and total 25-hydroxyvitamin D (total 25OHD). 

 

Forty-one of the HK horses were sampled twice to investigate the impact of their duration in HK on their vitamin D status. By taking samples at two different time points, the researchers could assess how the length of time the horses spent in HK influenced their vitamin D levels.

 

According to the research findings, the HK horses had notably lower serum concentrations of total 25OHD and 25OHD2 compared to the horses from the UK. Additionally, 15 out of 79 HK horse sera showed undetectable levels of 25OHD2. The researchers also found that the serum concentrations of 25OHD2 decreased with the length of time the horses had spent in Hong Kong.

 

Furthermore, the research team observed an inverse relationship between 25OHD2 and 25OHD3 in the study subjects. This finding suggests that oral D3 supplementation might have a negative impact on the serum concentrations of 25OHD2. In other words, increasing the intake of vitamin D3 through oral supplements could potentially lead to a reduction in the levels of 25OHD2 in the blood. They suggest that this highlights the need for further investigation and consideration when administering vitamin D3 supplements to the horses.

 

For more details, see:

 

Thoroughbred Racehorses in Hong Kong Require Vitamin D Supplementation to Mitigate the Risk of Low Vitamin D Status

Miranda C.M. Dosi, Chris M. Riggs, Jessica May, Adele Lee, Eugenio Cillan-Garcia, Joe Pagan, and Bruce C. McGorum. 

Animals (2023) 13, no. 13: 2145. 

https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13132145

Online Seminars from Horses Inside Out

Horses Inside Out have announced a series of online seminars to be held later this year. With
three expert speakers, these seminars are aimed at equine professionals and promise to enhance your knowledge in equine health, welfare, genetics, and performance.

 

Understanding Orthopaedic Problems with Dr Jessica Kidd : Saturday, 7 October 2023 

Dr Jessica Kidd will share her extensive knowledge of orthopaedic issues in horses, including caudal neck pain, neuropathic pain, and Wobbler's Syndrome. She will also address regenerative medicine, dispelling myths about joint injections and stem cell therapy. The seminar will cover common problem areas in horses such as the back, kissing spines, supraspinous ligament desmopathy, facet joint arthritis, and the sacroiliac region.

https://www.horsesinsideout.com/understanding-orthopaedic-problems

 

Nature Versus Nurture - Genetic Insights with Dr Andrew Hemmings : Saturday, 4 November 2023. 

Discover the fascinating world of equine genetics with Dr Andrew Hemmings. The seminar will explore evolutionary perspectives on anatomy, management, and behaviour in horses. You will learn about the inheritance of simple traits, such as coat colour, and delve into more complex traits like racing performance and abnormal behaviours, all while examining the interaction between genes and the environment.

https://www.horsesinsideout.com/nature-nurture

 

Equine Comfort and Performance with Dr Chris Pearce & Gillian Higgins : Saturday, 2 December 2023. 

This one-day seminar will focus on the integral role of dentistry, bridle fit, and understanding anatomy in equine comfort and performance. Dr Chris Pearce and Gillian Higgins will discuss the complex anatomical and biomechanical connections of the horse's head and how it can impact the rest of the body and performance. Dental disease, bit, and bridle fit can affect performance, and recognizing signs of discomfort is crucial.

https://www.horsesinsideout.com/getahead

Help needed for study of effects of Cushing’s disease

A new study to explore the effects of Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID), commonly
known as Equine Cushing’s disease, in adult and older horses and ponies in the UK has been launched by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), in partnership with CVS Group plc.

The primary objective of the study is to gain deeper insights into how the disease affects the quality of life of these animals. Ultimately, the findings aim to improve monitoring and decision-making, concerning the treatment of PPID in horses and ponies, benefiting their well-being around the world.

 

PPID is a common hormonal disorder that typically affects older equines. It is estimated to impact around 25% of horses and ponies aged 15 years and older. The disease manifests with various clinical signs such as laminitis, weight loss, and lethargy, that can significantly affect the animals' quality of life (QoL).

 

However, in the absence of validated equine QoL assessment tools, it is a challenge to make objective evaluations and informed decisions regarding the treatment and, in some cases, euthanasia for horses suffering from PPID. 

 

In a bid to enhance the support provided to animals, veterinarians, and owners, the RVC study aims to create a validated equine quality of life tool. This tool will serve as an objective assessment measure to understand the impact of PPID on the individual horse's quality of life. By having such a tool, veterinarians will be better equipped to make well-informed decisions concerning treatment and, if necessary, euthanasia options for horses and ponies diagnosed with PPID.

 

Heading this research is Aline Bouquet, a PhD Candidate and Research Assistant, with the support of Professor Nicola Menzies-Gow, Professor in Equine Medicine, and Professor Christine Nicol, Professor of Animal Welfare.

 

To achieve their goals, the RVC team is reaching out to horse and pony owners, requesting their participation in an online survey. The data collected from this survey will play a crucial role in the initial development of the quality-of-life tool, providing much-needed insights into the real-world experiences of animals affected by PPID. By participating in the survey, horse owners can actively contribute to improving the well-being and care of their beloved animals and those around the world facing the same condition.

 

Following the development of the validated equine quality of life tool, the RVC's research team plans to conduct a comprehensive study involving more than 100 horses recently diagnosed with PPID. This study will span over a two-year period, during which the impact of the disease and its treatment on the animals' quality of life will be closely observed.

 

Owners of the participating horses will be asked to complete a standardized online questionnaire every 3 months. This questionnaire will include the assessment of the animal's quality of life using the developed HRQoL (Health-Related Quality of Life) tool. Moreover, owners will be required to record details relating to the clinical signs associated with PPID and any other veterinary-related problems their horses may encounter during the study.

 

Owners of horses and ponies over ten years of age, both with and without PPID, are encouraged to participate in the study. The completion of the survey will take no more than 15 minutes, providing valuable data for evaluating the animal's quality of life, the presence and impact of PPID-related clinical signs, and any other associated veterinary issues.

 

By involving a substantial number of horses and closely monitoring them over a significant period, this study aims to shed light on how PPID affects equine quality of life and improve decision-making regarding treatment options and overall care for these animals.

 

Aline Bouquet, PhD Candidate and Research Assistant in the Assessment of Quality of Life in Equines with PPID, said: “Results from this project will better our understanding in how this disease and its treatment impact the quality of life of individual horses and ponies, which can hopefully then help vets and owners to assess and monitor the impact, guide management decision-making and thus improve the welfare of affected horses and ponies.”

 

Owners who wish to participate can sign up for the study at:

https://rvc.uk.com/PPID-survey-2023-stage1

 

More information about the study can be found at:

https://www.rvc.ac.uk/research/projects/objective-assessment-of-the-quality-of-life-of-equines-with-pituitary-pars-intermedia-dysfunction