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New Research: Could A Horse’s Skin Provide Clues To DSLD Diagnosis?

Degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis (DSLD) is a condition that causes progressive deterioration of the tendons and suspensory ligaments in horses. Though it has been documented for decades, there has been no cause—or cure—identified.

A horse with DSLD often has bilateral dropped fetlocks or straight hocks. They often have trouble standing up once they're lying down. Their limbs may swell, especially around the suspensory ligaments and their branches. As the disease progresses, horses often become lame and are euthanized.

DSLD is often only confirmed via necropsy as taking tendon or ligament samples for analysis is risky – it can damage the structure, leading to poor healing and possible permanent impairment.

Dr. Jennifer Hope Roberts of the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine and a research team have found that the overexpression of two genes in a horse's skin and hair may be able to be used as a biomarker to diagnose the disorder in living horses. The disease can occur in any breed, to horses of any age or gender, but there are some breeds in which the disease is more prevalent, including Arabians, Peruvian Paso Finos, Quarter Horses, and Warmbloods.

The disease actually affects more than just ligaments: it also affects tendons, the aorta, and the whites of horse's eyes. Skin changes are also often noted.

DSLD skin biopsies that were examined during necropsies via RNA sequencing have shown the overexpression of multiple genes, including genes for keratins (KRT). The scientists hypothesized that some of these genes could be used as biomarkers for diagnosing the disease.

Upon further study, the scientists confirmed a significant increase in KRT83 and BMP-2 genes in the hair follicles of horses with DSLD. These horses also had high FOS expressions in the dermis.

Testing confirmed a significant increase in BMP-2 genes in hair follicles in DSLD cases, as well as abnormally high expression of FOS in the epidermis, especially in aging horses. The team recommended using these markers to diagnose DSLD in living horses, specifically with aged horses.

The team says further research is needed to determine whether this panel could be used to identify the disease in horses as they age. They are unsure if this expression is the result of a mutation on these genes, other genes, or a result of a separate genetic alteration.

Further studies are needed to determine if DSLD is a heritable genetic disorder that could be tested for.

Pudgy Pony: Should He Work More Or Eat Less?

A reader asked The Horse whether it would be more beneficial to cut back her overweight horse's rations, increase his workload, or introduce a combination of the two.

Dr. Janice Holland responded, lauding the owner for understanding the health implications an obese horse may face, including a propensity for laminitis, arthritis, heat stress and more.

Involving the horse's veterinarian is key, as some weight issues may be related to metabolic diseases, which often require medication as well as feed and exercise adjustments.

Working with an equine nutritionist is also helpful to ensure that the horse is receiving adequate calories. Weighing the horse at least bi-monthly – preferably with a scale – is preferred.

Decreasing calories or increasing exercise can help a horse lose weight, but doing them both together will garner faster results.

Mature, mostly grass hay is recommended for horses that need to lose weight since it's lower in calories than other hays. A slow feeder or a haynet with smaller holes can force the horse to consume his hay more slowly, preventing him from getting bored in his stall. His turnout time doesn't need to be decreased, but consider using a grazing muzzle to limit how much grass he can consume. This is particularly important when grasses are lush.

Increase his workload, if possible, to include a minimum of 30 minutes of trotting three to five days a week. If the horse is mainly trail riding, increase the total amount of time on the trails each week.

It takes about two months for a horse to safely drop one body condition score, which is about 50 pounds.

Sniff Test: Horses Can Discriminate Between Scents Of Joy And Fear

A horse's sense of smell is incredibly keen, often alerting them to any sign of danger before it can be seen. Researchers in France, led by Plotine Jardat, sought to determine whether horses could differentiate human emotion by smell, as well.

To test the theory, the scientists created a habituation-discrimination test, which presents an odor in two successive trials, then presents that odor and a new, novel odor simultaneously. Researchers expect the duration of sniffing to decrease in the first phase, called the habituation phase, then increase when introduced to the new odor in the discrimination phase.

During the test, the scientists observed whether a horse preferred to use an ear, eye, or nostril to evaluate the sample. Auditory and vision are contralateral, meaning they might look or hear out of the left eye or ear, but the input is processed on the right side of the brain. Smell is ipsilateral, meaning it occurs on the same side of the body.

Previous studies have shown that domestic mammals use the right brain hemisphere for negative or intense stimuli and the left hemisphere for familiar or positive stimuli.

The team used 30 Welsh mares to see whether they could discriminate between human scents related to joy or fear. They collected sweat via cotton pads placed in the armpits of 18 women and 6 men who had been shown a 20-minute video that encouraged fear or joy. One day later, the video viewing was repeated. Participant pads and shirts were then frozen in air-tight bags for up to six weeks; they were thawed at room temperature before the study began.

Once the samples were unfrozen, they were presented to the horses on a 5-foot pole so there was no co-mingling of scents. Three pads of one scent (joy or fear) and one of the opposite scent were used in total. The first odor was offered twice (habituation), then the same odor and a novel odor were offered simultaneously (discrimination), 20 inches apart.

The results show that horses used their left nostril more than their right during the habituation phase, which indicated that the scent was familiar or positive. During the discrimination phase, horses used their right nostril more, indicating a negative or intense stimuli.

The researchers concluded that horses can discriminate between human odors related to fear or joy, and that they can emotionally respond to the scents. They feel this information may affect how horses interact with their owners, riders or caretakers.

Registration Open For Kentucky Horse Council’s Large Animal Emergency Rescue Training Sept. 15-17

Kentucky Horse Council's three-day Large Animal Emergency Rescue (LAER) training is slated to return to the Kentucky Horse Park on September 15-17, 2023.

LAER is taught by Justin and Tori McLeod of 4Hooves Large Animal Services, LLC, a North Carolina-based company that specialized in large animal technical rescue emergency response and training for emergency responders and veterinary professionals. The course is geared specifically toward veterinarians, emergency responders and animal control officers, but horse owners and industry professionals will also find the course beneficial in learning how to care for and extract equines in potentially hazardous situations while remaining safe.

The course will cover topics like animal behavior; handling and restraint; containment; motor vehicle accidents and overturned trailers; entrapments; unstable ground incidents (mud, ditch, ice, etc.); water rescues; and natural disaster preparation and response. Specialized instruction will be given to participants based on their background and auditors are welcome.

“After taking the Kentucky Horse Council's Large Animal Emergency Rescue class, we learned what type of equipment we needed to be able to respond to an emergency involving a large animal, and how to use it,” says Kenny Pratt, chief of the Marshall County Rescue Squad. “After I took the class, I applied for – and received — grants to help us purchase the necessary equipment.”

Soon after the equipment arrived, the rescue squad had the opportunity to use it, assisting with animals that had been involved in the devastating tornadoes that swept through Western Kentucky. Pratt and his team responded to horses that were down and entangled in barbed wire. “Because of the training we received, we were able to go up to the horses, calm them and protect their faces the way we had been taught. We then used our new equipment to secure the horse's safety. We would not have been able to work as well or efficiently had we not taken the KHC class. I highly recommend this training to any emergency service or rescue squad — when you least expect it is when you're going to have to figure out how to get a horse or a cow out of a tricky situation.”

“The Large Animal Emergency Rescue training has proven to be a great learning experience for all attendees, but specifically for veterinarians, who learn how to work alongside both first responders and volunteers. All participants receive in-depth, technical training on how to safely handle emergency situations in which they may be asked to work together,” says Dr. Rocky Mason, owner of Lexington Equine Medical Group and head of the Kentucky Horse Council Health and Welfare committee. “This training also focuses on situational awareness and preparedness, both of which are necessary for a favorable outcome for the animal involved while keeping everyone safe.”

Continuing education credits for veterinarians are available through the American Association of Veterinary State Boards. Sponsorship opportunities are available here. For more information, click here or contact the Kentucky Horse Council at 859-367-0509 or info@kentuckyhorse.org.

Learn more about 4Hooves Large Animal Services at 4hoovessmart.com.

ABOUT THE KENTUCKY HORSE COUNCIL: The Kentucky Horse Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and development of the Kentucky equine community through education and leadership. The Kentucky Horse Council provides educational programming; health and welfare programs; outreach and communication to equine enthusiasts; equine professional networking opportunities through the Kentucky Equine Networking Association; and trail riding advocacy. Learn more at kentuckyhorse.org

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