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Proposals Related To Colic Research Sought; Funding Available

Morris Animal Foundation is now accepting proposals for research studies on equine colic, with a specific focus on the intestinal tract. Grant applications are due by Monday, September 27, 2021, 4:59 p.m. EST., and will be funded in the 2022 fiscal year.

Proposals should advance the knowledge and understanding of one or more of these areas for colic: risk factors, prevention or early detection, feeding and nutrition, and pathophysiology. The Foundation is not accepting new proposals or resubmissions on other topics under this request for proposals.

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Morris Animal Foundation is one of the largest nonprofit organizations worldwide that funds health studies benefiting horses, cats, dogs, llamas, alpacas and wildlife. The Foundation currently is funding 150 studies encompassing a broad spectrum of species and diseases, with approximately $3.3 million in new research funds disbursed annually.

Each year, the Foundation opens four separate calls for its major funding areas – equine, feline, canine and wildlife. This year's equine topic is based on responses to recent surveys of both horse owners and veterinarians which indicated colic as the area most in need of further research.

To be considered for funding, applications are reviewed and rated based on scientific rigor and impact for veterinarians and horse owners by the Foundation's scientific advisory board, comprised of leaders in the international equine research community.

Grant types awarded by the Foundation include Established Investigator, First Award, Fellowship and Pilot Study.

Potential Biomarker Found For Ascending Placentitis

Ascending placentitis is an infection of a mare's placenta that commonly causes late-term abortions; it can have a devastating economic impact on the breeding industry.

A new study has helped to identify which mares might be at risk of developing this infection by focusing on one variant of an inflammation-related protein, reports The Horse. The study was led by Dr. Yatta Linhares-Boakari, who found that mares that developed ascending placentitis had more messenger RNA (mRNA) of serum amyloid A1 (SAA1) in their placental tissues than those mares who didn't. Yatta Linhares-Boakari says her research might allow scientists to determine the difference between placentitis and other causes of inflammation.

The study team bred 10 pony mares and introduced Streptococcus equi spp zooepidemicus into the cervixes of half of them to induce ascending placentitis. Three days later, the researchers took blood samples, sedated and euthanized all of the mares used in the study to investigate the tissues of the mares and the fetuses.

The scientists found that mares that had placentitis had significantly higher SAA values. They also discovered that haptoglobin (Hp, another protein associated with inflammation) values in the fetuses' blood was significantly higher in the placentitis group.

Additionally, the team found distinct patterns of proteins in the tissues of infected mares and a never-before-seen mRNA trend: Both SAA and Hp were found at increased levels in the mares with ascending placentitis. SAA1 and mRNA were found in greater numbers in the placental membranes of infected mares, as well.

The team concludes that their findings — specifically the elevation of SAA1 in blood – may eventually be able to assist in pinpointing ascending placentitis in its early stages when it might be treated more easily.

Study: 73 Percent Of Horse Owners Are Keeping Therapies Secret From Their Veterinarians

Horse owners are often interested in trying any modality or fad they feel may help their horse, even if it falls outside the realm of “traditional” Western medicine. Dubbed “complementary” therapies, these can include things like massages, herbs and supplements, and more – and many of them require no veterinarian oversight to administer.

However, owners are not always upfront with their horse's primary veterinarian about the other things they're trying on their horses, even if they don't expect pushback, reports The Horse. This withholding of information can be detrimental to horse health, says Dr. Annelies Decloedt of Ghent University's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Belgium.

Decloedt and a team of researchers surveyed 1,532 Belgian horse owners and found that a quarter of survey respondents who used complementary and alternative veterinary medicine (CAVM) did not tell their veterinarian what other therapies they were using. Some CAVM treatments have not been scientifically studied and might make traditional medicine less effective, may lead to unintended side effects or may mask signs and symptoms, preventing vets from finding an accurate diagnosis, Decloedt said.

It's imperative that horse owners share what other modalities they are using on their horses, especially when the CAVM will be combined with conventional therapies. The survey found that nearly 73 percent of respondents had used CAVM on their horses. Of those, only 75 percent had told their vets about those therapies. This could become an equine welfare issue if the CAVM interferes with traditional medical treatments or if owners try CAVM before calling a licensed vet, who can oversee other care the horse is receiving.

Research: Riding Equivalent To Jogging, Soccer In Energy Expenditure

Despite the fact that horseback riding is a popular sport, there is little information available on horseback riding as a physical activity. The objective of this experiment, conducted at Texas A&M University, was to quantify energy expenditure of participants during three riding tests: a 45 minute walk-trot-canter ride, a reining pattern ride and a cutting simulation ride while wearing a telemetric gas analyzer.

Average metabolic equivalents of task and heart rate responses were greater for riders during the long trot portion of the walk-trot-canter and cutting rides compared to the overall walk-trot-canter ride. When the walk-trot-canter ride was evaluated by gait, average metabolic equivalents of task increased as gait speed increased. Riders engaged in cutting and reining experienced more-intense exercise in short durations, while walk-trot-canter riders has a greater overall total energy expenditure due to the duration of the activity. Interestingly, all three riding activities were similar in peak metabolic output compared to activities like jogging, and playing soccer and rugby.

This study highlights the importance of horseback riding as a viable tool to support health through physical activity. As gait speed increased so did the intensity of work output by the rider, suggesting it is possible for health benefits to be achieved through horseback riding, particularly if riding at the more intense gaits.

For more information, read the abstract at the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science.

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