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Study: Does Living Near An Industrial Area Place Horses At Risk?

Though minerals and trace elements are necessary for horses to survive, the ingestion of too many can be toxic. Researchers from The University of Messina in Italy created a study to learn about the bioaccumulation of vanadium, chromium, cobalt, copper, zinc, cadmium, lead and bismuth in horses that live in an industrial area of Sicily.

Drs. Francesco Fazio, Enrico Gugliandolo, Vincenzo Nava, Giuseppe Piccione, Claudia Giannetto and Patrizia Licata took blood and hair samples from 20 horses to determine the distribution and concentration of mineral elements. They also analyzed hay, water and feed.

The scientists found that minerals were not distributed evenly in the horses; vanadium, copper, zinc and cadmium concentrations were higher in serum than in whole blood and higher in tail har than mane hair. Copper content was affected by season and geographic area, but in each test, copper was within “normal” range.

Zinc was higher in whole blood than in other samples. While zinc was higher than values found in 1992, the authors note that the increase could be from a variety of factors, including smoke from nearby galvanizing operations.

Cadmium was found to be higher in whole blood and cobalt was highest in tail samples. Chromium was found to be significantly higher in tail hair samples than in other samples. Lead was higher in whole blood and serum than in hair samples. The mineral concentration in hay and feed were below toxic levels.

The researchers conclude that hair samples could be used to monitor element concentrations in horses, but further investigation is needed to “body map” the bioaccumulation of different essential trace elements.

Read the study here.

Study: Chubby Horses Don’t Eat More Than Leaner Counterparts

Though it's long been assumed that fat horses would eat more than their leaner peers if given an option, a study from North Carolina State University shows that this isn't actually the case. When allowed to make their own choices, chubbier horses not only eat similar quantities of food, they also exercise the same amount as their thinner herd mates.

Drs. Jennifer Moore, Paul Siciliano and Shannon Pratt-Phillips used 10 horses that they separated into two groups: one group included six horses that had body condition scores of more than 7; the other group included leaner horses with body condition scores of 4 or 5. Over the course of 25 days, both groups transitioned from a diet that relied heavily on grazing to one that was based on free-choice hay. Once the horses were transitioned over, the scientists monitored their hay intake and metabolic state for the next 11 days.

Horses had blood drawn regularly throughout the study. Fecal samples were also collected from each horse to determine dry-matter digestibility and gross energy digestibility. The horses also wore heart rate monitors that had GPS trackers that collected data to calculate each horse's energy expenditure.

The study team found no significance difference in the energy intake and expenditures between the two groups of horses. Interestingly, the obese horses were more active for longer periods of time than the lean horses. They also spent less time eating. The scientists concluded that obesity in horses does not appear to be related to excess food intake or reduced activity; obesity is most likely related to metabolic issues.

Horses In North Carolina Dying From Mystery Illness

New Hope Stables in North Carolina has had four horses die from a mystery illness that veterinarians cannot isolate or explain. Treasure, an 18-year-old rescue horse used in the stable's lesson program, was the first horse afflicted and was originally suspected to be colicking when barn workers found him down on September 23.

When the veterinarian arrived, however, it was apparent that Treasure was not colicking, but the horse was experiencing gastrointestinal irritation. The gelding was sent to Woodside Equine Clinic in Richmond, VA, where he deteriorated and was euthanized.

On Sept. 28, several other horses at the farm became ill and three died. Three horses remain in the clinic and nearly half of the farm's stable is on intravenous fluids.

Treating veterinarian Dr. Shanna Edwards has asked colleagues all over the United States for opinions; thus far no conclusive diagnosis has been reached, even after a necropsy of one of the horses.

Affected horses have diarrhea, colic and fever, and become bloated and lethargic. Edwards suspects a toxin may be in the horse's hay, grain or water as every horse in the farm is affected, which doesn't typically happen with an infectious disease. The farm has stopped using their well water and has brought in new hay and grain.

A GoFundMePage has raised nearly $30,000 of the $20,000 goal.

Research Update: Hay Intake Of Blanketed And Non-Blanketed Horses

Thermoregulation in the horse is an energy-expensive process, which can be mitigated by blanketing horses in cold climates, potentially preventing weight loss or leading to decreased feed intake.

The objective of a recently published research project, conducted at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, was to evaluate feed intake, body weight, and body condition scores in blanketed and non-blanketed horses.

Starting in October, 16 adult horses were either blanketed (n = 8) or not blanketed (n = 8). From December through January data was collected, including body weight, body condition scores, hay nutritive value, and round bale weights. Round bales were offered continuously to the horses, and hay waste and any remaining hay was weighed to calculate horse dry matter intake.

Average bale weight, forage nutritive value, body weight, and body condition score were not different between blanketed and non-blanketed horses. However, the daily dry matter intake was different. Blanketed horses consumed 2.3 percent of their body weight, while non-blankets horses consumed 2.5 percent of their body weight. These results suggest blanketed horses conserve energy, leading to decreased feed intake.

For more information on this research, read the article in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science.

Subscribe to the University of Minnesota e-newsletter here.

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