Tag: Horse Care

Scientists suspect that inflammation is the connecting factor in a Polish study which has shown a clear link between episodes of severe asthma in and palate disorders in horses.

Though equine airway disease is often categorized into “upper” and “lower” airway issues, problems often affect both the upper and the lower airways since they act as a functional unit.

Dr. Natalia Kozłowska and researchers from the Institute of Veterinary Medicine at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences sought to investigate the occurrence of palatal disorders in horses actively experiencing severe asthma flare-ups. They wondered whether controlling asthma symptoms may resolve palate issues.

Equine asthma is not thoroughly understood, but it stems from a complex interaction of environmental and genetic factors. The condition can affect horses of all breeds and ages. 

To investigate the possible connection with palate problems, the scientists used 46 privately owned horses that had severe asthma. All were in the midst of active asthma attacks when they were examined for study inclusion. The study team gathered each horse's medical history and completed a physical and detailed respiratory tract exam. A dynamic endoscopy was also performed the next day to determine whether disorders of the palate were present.

One day after the exam was completed, the horses began 21 days of asthma treatment and then were re-evaluated in the same manner.

The team found that palatal disorders were less common after the 21-day asthma treatment, suggesting that both asthma and palatal disorders may respond to similar treatments. Prior to treatment, 67.4 percent of the horses having asthma flare-ups showed evidence of palatial disorders – 39.1 percent showed evidence of palatal instability and 28.3 percent showed dorsal displacement of the soft palate. 

After treatment, when the horse's asthma was controlled, no horses showed evidence of palatal instability, but dorsal displacement of the soft palate was still diagnosed in 8.7 percent of horses. Based on these results, a horse diagnosed with palatal instability only – no displacement – and with lower-airway inflammation may have his palate issues resolved once the inflammation has been treated.

The study team concludes that the findings support the idea that inflammation plays a significant role in both diseases. They suggest that a more conservative approach of treating horses with palatal disorders with anti-inflammatories could be attempted before opting for surgical intervention.

Read more at HorseTalk.

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Veterinarians treating horses with musculoskeletal injuries may prescribe radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy, which uses a mechanical wave generated outside the body to increase the skin's surface temperature over a target muscle. 

Focused shockwave therapy, another common type of treatment, uses a focused wave on a specific area to achieve maximum pressure. This type of shockwave treatment can penetrate tissue to twice the depth of radial waves – nearly 4 inches compared with 1 to 1.3 inches in human tissue. Though not nearly as strong, radial shockwave therapy does assist with pain reduction and a reduction in the muscle tone of treated tissue.

Researchers in Poland, led by Dr. Karolina Śniegucka, sought to assess how shockwave therapy affected the surface temperature of the skin covering the longissimus dorsi muscle, which runs under where the saddle sits. The scientists used 24 Thoroughbreds that were between two and three years old. Each was healthy and had similar fitness levels; all were being trained for flat racing.

The horses were divided into two groups; half received the radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy treatment, which lasted about 3.5 minutes, and the other half received a “treatment” of similar length where the probe was not activated. 

The horses were examined thermographically and palpated before treatment and just after treatment to determine whether the skin surface temperature over the muscle changed or whether the muscle tone was affected. An additional thermographic exam was done 10 minutes after the treatment. 

The scientists found that both groups had an increase in skin surface temperature immediately following the treatment, though the horses receiving treatment had significantly higher skin surface temperature. Both groups also saw a decrease in skin surface temperature to below the initial value 10 minutes after the treatment concluded. 

The treatment group also had average muscle tone before the treatment that was significantly higher than just after the shockwave procedure. 

The scientists concluded that radial shockwave therapy increases the temperature of the skin surface, indicating an increase in blood flow. It also contributed to a significant reduction in pain sensation and muscle tone in the treated area. 

More work is needed to determine the optimum number of shockwave treatments to positively influence back issues long-term, they say.

Read more at HorseTalk. 

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Just as the heat of summer is starting to increase, so are the numbers for responses during the 2023 American Horse Council Equine Economic Impact Survey. The survey launched in April and runs through September 29, and so far, more than 5,000 responses have been received.

Leading the way in state responses should be no surprise, with Texas, New York and California having the most (in that order), followed by Maryland and Ohio. The states with the least responses, so far, include Hawaii, Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nevada.

“We're really hoping to get a good variety of answers from all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C.,” says Julie Broadway, president of the AHC. “This is going to be the biggest study the AHC has launched in more than 50 years, with different aspects of the industry covered, so we want to get the word out to everyone.”

The economic impact study is an anonymous survey that will examine the effect the horse industry has on the economy. The survey measures changes in business revenue, business profits, personal wages, and/or jobs. As a large, economically diverse industry, the United States horse industry contributes significantly to the American economy.

The purpose of the study is to demonstrate the value of the equine industry in the national and state economies by analyzing the direct, indirect, and induced economic impacts of horse ownership, recreation, and equine-related services. Broadway stressed to attendees of the 2023 AHC National Issues Forum that the United States Department of Agriculture's Farm Census is not an accurate picture of the horse industry, thus handicapping the amount of support the industry is eligible to receive to the government. Having more accurate numbers, such as you can find in the AHC Equine Economic Impact Survey will help push for a unique sponsored Horse Census where “Every Horse Counts.”

The first two surveys are for owners of horses, ponies, donkeys, drafts, etc., as well as owners of businesses who supply the horse industry. The latest survey is the Competition Organizer Survey, which will be sent out to groups that host all types of equine-related competitions. Other surveys and data collection will include equine-assisted services facilities, racetracks, the Native American population, the Amish and Mennonite population, equine-related academia, veterinarian, mounted police, etc.

Members of the American Quarter Horse Association lead in terms of responses for the survey with 53 percent of the responses being Quarter Horses. The American Paint Horse Association makes up 22.5 percent of the responses and the United States Trotting Association rounds out the top three with 17.8 percent of the responses, so far.

Data collected will inform public and private investments in equine-related businesses, equine health care, education, land use decisions, tax policy, tourism, employment incentives, etc.

New this year are sponsored incentives for individuals and groups who participate in the survey, including a John Deere Z545R ZTrak Mower valued at $7,500, one year of Nutrena feed for one horse (a $2,000 value); one year of Purina feed for one horse (a $500 value/horse); gift certificates from Trafalgar Square Books (total value $180); free enrollment in Texas A&M AgriLife Equine Reproductive Management Online Course valued at $300/enrollment; plus more.

“The Economic Impact Study is the most effective tool in our advocacy quiver,” says Julie Broadway, president of the AHC. “When the industry needs to take aim at an issue, this data is invaluable in helping us paint the picture of the contributions the industry makes and the breath and depth of its composition.”

The 2023 Economic Impact Study can be found here.

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New research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has identified the different cell populations in horses' tendons and established which cells are most affected by ageing. These findings will help develop a better understanding of why older horses (and humans) are more prone to tendon injuries and inform future treatments.

Tendons connect muscle to bone and are essential for skeletal movement. However, tendons are prone to injury, both in humans and horses, and the risk of injury increases with ageing. The cells within tendons are responsible for maintaining tendon structure by repairing any damage within the tendon. The main type of cells in tendons are called tenocytes, which are well-researched yet, little is known about other types of cells present and how they are affected by ageing.

Lead researcher, Dr Chavaunne Thorpe, Lecturer in Basic Sciences at the RVC and her post-doctoral research associate Dr Danae Zamboulis, alongside Professor Peter Clegg at the University of Liverpool, Professor Hazel Screen at Queen Mary University of London and Professor Helen Birch at UCL, set out to identify the different cell populations in horses' superficial digital flexor tendon, similar in function to the human Achilles tendon, and discover which are most affected by ageing. They used a technique called single cell RNA sequencing to identify the different cell types in superficial digital flexor tendons from both young and old horses.

In total, the research team identified 11 different types of cells. This included several different populations of tenocytes as well as cells associated with blood vessels and the immune system. Findings concluded that one tenocyte population and one blood vessel-associated population were particularly affected by ageing, with an altered ability to maintain tendon structure and respond to injury in these cell types.

Identifying and characterising the different cell populations and establishing their function in healthy tendons is the first step to understanding how altered cell function contributes to age-related tendon injury. This work will allow the development of treatments for tendon injury targeted at those cells affected most by ageing.

Dr Chavaunne Thorpe, Lecturer in Basic Sciences at the RVC and lead author, said: “Our results uncover just how complex and variable cell populations within tendons are and show that some cells are particularly prone to age-related alterations, helping to explain why the risk of tendon injury is higher in older individuals. The findings of these experiments will allow future studies to develop therapeutics for tendon injuries targeted at specific cell populations.”

Dr Danae Zamboulis, Postdoctoral Researcher at the RVC, said: “This study is an exciting step towards understanding the cells that regulate tendon function and injury.”

The full paper is available here: http://www.aginganddisease.org/EN/10.14336/AD.2023.0425-1

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