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Clone Of Show Jumper Generated From Equine Skin Sample

Gemini Genetics and ViaGen Pets & Equine animal cloning have created a clone of a showjumping stallion using a skin sample, reports EQUUS magazine.

Owned by Pat, John and Lisa Hales of Shaw Farm, Arko III was by the world famous Argentinus, out of Unika. Arko III was the top showjumper in Europe in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and he was the British Equestrian Showjumper of the Year on five occasions.

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Arko's clone was created from a small skin sample that had been preserved by Gemini Genetics. ViaGen Pets & Equine completed the cloning process. Gemini Genetics is a new animal genetic preservation company that specializes in regenerative genetic banking.

In addition to regenerating a horse or other animal, genetic preservation and cloning also allows for breeding from geldings. Sporthorses Gem Twist, Cruising and Chilli Morning have all been cloned. Experts say the technology can also be used to support rare horse breeds.

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.

‘Vacations’ Not Always Relaxing For Horses

Though vacations can be a good way to relieve stress and relax for humans, new research has found that the same can't be said for horses that experience time off from work. A study out of Spain shows that horses that are in work regularly become stressed when they're turned out for a lengthy break. However, after a few weeks, the horse's stress levels decrease, allowing them to get in some quality vacation time, reports The Horse.

Dr. Manel Lopez-Bejar, of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, noted that the downtime is difficult on horses as it changes almost everything about their environment, including feeding, management and work routines.

Lopez-Bejar and a study team tested eight Spanish stallions owned by the Municipal Police of Barcelona, Spain, for stress caused by an increase in leisure time. The horses were turned out in a pasture for three weeks and not worked. The researchers clipped hair from each horse's abdomen once a month from August through February to analyze the hair for the presence of long-term stress, denoted in the cortisol levels. Five police stallions were used as controls and had their hair samples taken from November to October.

The police horses went on vacation during the last 22 days in August. They were removed from the stalls where they are traditionally housed while working, loaded on a van for a 45-minute trip and turned out in fields. The horses had no set routines and were exposed to unknown caretakers and horses.

The researchers found a significant increase in cortisol in the hair samples during the rest period. Though the move itself didn't stress the horses, everything else that lasted throughout the period did. Lopez-Bejar noted that this doesn't indicate that a vacation is bad, but that the horse is responding physiologically to an environmental change. The cortisol response should return to normal once the horse adapts to his new environment.

It's important to ensure that the horses don't remain in a constant state of stress, however, as this could compromise his welfare. When giving horses time off, it's imperative to monitor him to be sure he's adapting to his new normal—no matter how long that will be.