Indholdsfortegnelse for Autumn 2025 i Equus

New technology developed at the University of Missouri promises to provide real-time insights into the health and welfare of horses, even when they are turned out on pasture with their herdmates. Drawing from his previous work on a blood pressure sensor for people, Morgan Miller, PhD—together with his supervisor Jian Lin, PhD’s research team—is developing a sensing system that can capture and transmit biometric and location data from horses in real time and from a distance. The system centers on a wearable device that incorporates a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that measures heart rate, a GPS module for location tracking and an accelerometer and gyroscope for motion detection. Attached to the base of a horse’s tail, the device is connected to an “Internet of Things” (IoT) network that includes a cloud-based…

Researchers are closer to understanding the heritability of recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN), a respiratory condition in horses that is often referred to as “roaring.” In RLN, the nerves serving the larynx weaken, leading to paralysis of the organ’s muscles, which in turn inhibits airflow, especially during exercise. In addition to causing wheezing or rasping (roaring) respiratory sounds, RLN often interferes with performance. The condition is more common in larger horse breeds that tend to have longer necks, suggesting a genetic component that researchers at the University College Dublin in Ireland set out to investigate. Their study was based on 235 Thoroughbreds—110 had an RLN diagnosis, confirmed with endoscopic exams as they exercised, and the remaining 125 served as controls. The researchers took blood samples from the horses, then extracted…

Many Asian breeds have LP-generated appaloosa spots. Some of them may be related to each other, but there is no evidence whatsoever that any Asian breed contributed to the ancestry of ApHC horses or any other appaloosa-patterned horse of the New World. This photo shows a Karabair horse, a breed found in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in Central Asia. The Altai is another Asian breed that sometimes sports appaloosa patterns. It is probably related both to the Karabair and to the Tuva horses. The Tuva are a people of Turkic extraction who inhabit the Republic of Tuva located in southern Siberia. Their horses frequently show appaloosa patterning. This interesting example appears in Horace Hayes’ 1893 magnum opus, Points of the Horse. Hays says that the photo was sent to him by…

Rare is the horse owner who hasn’t retrieved a horse from the field only to find a fresh wound of some sort. Horses seem to always look for new ways to hurt themselves and, as their caretakers, we are the first responders when they succeed. Effective first aid, of course, requires having access to woundcare supplies and the skills to use them correctly. Equally important is having the knowledge base to determine which wounds you can manage on your own and which require a call to the veterinarian. To help you on both fronts, we’ve prepared a practical guide to equine wound first aid. Read it now, before there’s a crisis, so you can stock up on supplies and fill in any knowledge or skill gaps you might have. Then,…

A study suggests that neurological damage can trigger cardiac complications in horses, a phenomenon well known in human medicine. Researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia and Sydney and Cardenal Herrera University (CEU) in Valencia, Spain, documented three cases where horses with no previous heart problems developed severe cardiomyopathy (weakening and/or dysfunction of the heart muscle) after neurological injury. The first case involved a Shetland pony stallion diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, including arrhythmias, in the wake of seizures brought on by the accidental injection of the sedative xylazine into an artery. In the second case, a 20-year-old crossbred mare was diagnosed with acute cardiomyopathy after episodes of seizures brought on by a venous air embolism that occurred after the accidental disconnection of a fluid line during recovery from surgery. The…

On a torrid summer day in 1922, three French teenagers set out on a hike from their village in southern France. Climbing into the foothills of the Pyrenees, they were hopeful of finding the coolness afforded by a hillside cave. They knew that many caves existed in the region because their parish priest, Fr. Amédée Lemozi, had told them so and even taken them on hikes to introduce them to the joys of spelunking. Lemozi, however, had a further objective in showing the young people his favorite caves: an amateur archaeologist fascinated with prehistoric rock art, he needed more pairs of eyes, and he encouraged the teens to search for new images to add to his catalog. Thus Marthe David (then only 13 years old) and her older brother André…

Spotted chariot horse depicted upon the wall of the Tomb of the scribe Menna, dating to the reign of Amenhotep III in the 18th Dynasty, about 1350 B.C. Although Haines cites it as an example of appaloosa color and pattern, the image more closely resembles frame overo, possibly with sabino (note the white streaks or “lightning marks”, very characteristic of sabino, that go down the sides of the legs). This piece of artwork cited by Haines shows at least one horse that is undoubtedly appaloosapatterned (the chestnut with leopard blanket to right of center). Other horses in this painting are grays, tobianos and various solid colors. The painting is a miniature depicting the battle between Gav and Talhand, from the “Shahnamah” of Muhammad Juki, the finest surviving Persian illustrated manuscript…

Many examples of appaloosa-patterned horses come from China in all periods. This image dates from the period of the Yuan Dynasty which ruled from 1271 to 1368. It is a detail close-up of a famous scroll entitled “Five Drunken Princes Returning on Horseback.” The non-appaloosas are a sandy bay with a blaze face, possibly reflecting sabino genes, and a light bay tobiano. This example (cited by Haines) comes from the Tang Dynasty which ruled China from 618 to 907 A.D. It was discovered in a 7th-century tomb at Astana Turfan, Sinkiang Province (Photo courtesy, British Museum). Another elegant example from the Ming period, showing a mounted archer upon what appears to be a blue grulla with leopard blanket. The Ming Dynasty ruled China from 1368-1644 A.D. Two images excerpted from…

Gone are the days of just taking your best guess at whether your horse’s wound requires a veterinary visit. Smartphones have made “telemedicine” or virtual consults a reality, providing a level of convenience and reassurance for both owners and veterinarians. The cost of a virtual consultation can ensure you provide the best possible care for your horse and in some cases save you hundreds of dollars on an emergency visit. “Photos will never replace a hands-on physical exam, and things can be missed in a photo,” says Jesslyn Bryk-Lucy, DVM, cAVCA, an assistant professor of equine studies at Centenary University in Hackettstown, New Jersey, but “I think pictures of wounds are very helpful in determining their severity.” For equine telemedicine to be helpful in wound triage, a few guidelines need…

“ Rescue cat” and “rescue dog” seem to roll off the tongues of many Americans. The concept of rescuing a pet became mainstream so many years ago, that it’s practically a breed to many. Now, the perception of horse rescues and adopting horses has evolved to become nearly as universal, and horse rescues play a vital role in the horse industry at large. “Thanks to the tireless work of many rescues and initiatives like A Home for Every Horse, along with the reach and impact of social media, I’ve seen much greater awareness of the work of rescues as well as a change in public perception about horse adoption,” shared Amy Cairy, Vice President of Marketing and Innovation for W.F. Young. “There’s widespread understanding of dog and cat rescues and…

Have you ever noticed that when horse people meet, we often ask, “What type of riding do you do?” And most of us, even Olympians, will answer with something along the lines of, “Oh, nothing too special.” I suspect the impulse to play down our abilities rather than go the other way comes from experience—many of us have learned the hard way that if you let on that you’re an experienced rider, a host will assign you the barn’s most notorious rascal. But in a social setting, follow-up questions eventually demand a more specific answer, something like, “Hunter-jumpers,” or “Western pleasure.” These days, I give the most catchall response there is: “Just some trail riding.” Of course, “trail riding” can refer to a variety of things, ranging from hiring a…

Scientists are one step closer to understanding the connection between the hair whorls on a horse’s forehead and his temperament. The equivalent of “cowlicks” in people, whorls are circular patterns in a horse’s coat where hair grows in a swirling, circular direction. They are commonly seen on a horse’s forehead but can appear anywhere on his coat. Hair-whorl formation and neurological development occur simultaneously during fetal development in humans, suggesting a genetic association. In the horse world, anecdotal evidence has long suggested a link between the number and positioning of forehead whorls and a horse’s temperament. For example, some believe that a horse with a single whorl at the center of his forehead is likely to be more docile and trainable. Others postulate that a horse with multiple or…

Allele: An alternative form of a gene, i.e., in simplistic terms, alleles are either dominant or recessive. Aurignacian: The early stages of Upper Paleolithic culture in Europe and the Near East; associated with Cro-Magnon people, i.e., humans with fully modern bone structure. Autosome: A chromosome other than a sex chromosome. Chromosome: A linear strand of DNA and associated proteins in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells that carries the genes and functions in the transmission of hereditary informfation. Dominance: Effectiveness of a given allele, i.e. its likelihood to be manifested in the phenotype visible to observers. Genetic dominance has nothing to do with sexual or social potency, masculinity or femininity. The opposite of a dominant allele is a recessive allele. In heterozygous individuals, the dominant allele will be expressed. Gene: A…

Which product is best for helping a wound heal can be the source of lively discussions—or likely, disagreements—among horse owners. Everyone has their favorites, and old habits die hard, even as the science of wound-care treatments advances. Today, in addition to staples like Betadine, triple antibiotic ointment and ichthammol, consumers can choose from a whole new generation of wound-care products, including soothing, physiologically balanced hydrogels, and products containing infectionfighting silver particles and manuka honey. Many modern wound-care products are formulated for specific stages of healing or offer several delivery options containing the same active ingredients. If you’re still using the same wound powder or spray you used in the '90s, it’s certainly worth the time to learn more about the innovations and talk to your veterinarian about updating your…

Horses in pain typically have an elevated heart rate, so knowing how to detect and interpret that can be an important step in wound triage. A normal resting heart rate in an adult horse is between 30-40 beats per minute. The easiest way to determine this is to use a stethoscope to listen to the heart on the left side of the horse. Place the head of the stethoscope just behind the elbow in the girth area, pressing in and upward slightly. Listen for a distinct and regular “lub-dub,” which is the sound of a single heartbeat. Count these for 15 seconds, then multiply by four to determine beats per minute. You can also determine heart rate by feeling a horse’s pulse. One of the easiest ways to do this…

On a frigid January night in 1861, three months before shots were fired upon Fort Sumter, more than 2,000 sportsmen, society ladies, clergy members and schoolboys gathered outside of Niblo’s Garden theater in Lower Manhattan. Those New Yorkers likely had little in common except for one thing: They were eager to see the most famous horse trainer in the world. Finally, the doors opened and the crowd rushed in, with six policemen en shouting orders to keep control. As they took their seats, spectators likely noticed an unusual scent permeating the theater air, coming from the thick layer of sawdust that had been laid down over the stage floor. An hour later, the curtain rose on a stable scene with hay and a makeshift stall. A rope separated the stage…

ORTHOPEDICS How can I tell whether my horse’s back hurts? Q: I’m in the process of retraining my 6-year-old off-the-track Thoroughbred for lower-level dressage. Things have been going well, but he’s pretty tense when we canter. My last instructor told me it was because his back hurts and “proved” it by poking him pretty aggressively along each side of his spine with the pointy end of a hoof pick. He reacted by dipping his back and scooting sideways. My veterinarian says she doesn’t see any sign of back pain and my horse’s tension is likely due to his personality. How accurate is the hoof-pick poke test? Should I get a third opinion? A: I would recommend getting another opinion, but I am also happy to provide some guidance for checking…