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an economic model demonstrating the long-term cost benefits of incorporating fertility control into wild horse (equus caballus) management programs on public lands in the united states.in recent years, the bureau of land management's (blm) wild horse and burro management program costs have increased dramatically due to a rise in the number of animals removed from public lands coupled with significantly decreased adoption rates. to assist with development and implementation of effective, cost-containing management programs, a robust economic model to project the costs and optimize outcomes of various management scenarios was created. for example, preliminary demonstration model ...201324437083
physiological, behavioral, and serological responses of horses to shaded or unshaded pens in a hot, sunny environment.housing recommendations for horses invariably include providing access to shade on hot, sunny days, but the potential benefits have not been scientifically studied. this experiment measured physiological, behavioral, and serological responses of horses confined individually to completely shaded (sh) or completely unshaded (sun) drylot pens during the summer in davis, ca. twelve healthy adult horses in a crossover design experienced both treatments for 5 d each. rectal temperature, respiration ra ...201324126269
molecular phylogeny of indian horse breeds with special reference to manipuri pony based on mitochondrial d-loop.manipuri pony is the geographically distant breed of horse from the five recognized horse breeds found in the indian subcontinent. the phylogenetic relationship of manipuri pony with the other breeds is unknown. the diversity in the mitochondrial (mt) dna d-loop region is employed as an important tool to understand the origin and genetic diversification of domestic horses and to examine genetic relationships among breeds around the world. this study was carried out to understand the maternal lin ...201324068432
the feral horse foot. part a: observational study of the effect of environment on the morphometrics of the feet of 100 australian feral horses.to better understand the morphology of, and the effect of different travel patterns and varying substrate environments on, the feral horse foot to better manage the feet of domestic horses.201323356367
genome-wide analysis reveals selection for important traits in domestic horse breeds.intense selective pressures applied over short evolutionary time have resulted in homogeneity within, but substantial variation among, horse breeds. utilizing this population structure, 744 individuals from 33 breeds, and a 54,000 snp genotyping array, breed-specific targets of selection were identified using an f(st)-based statistic calculated in 500-kb windows across the genome. a 5.5-mb region of eca18, in which the myostatin (mstn) gene was centered, contained the highest signature of select ...201323349635
plasma cortisol and faecal cortisol metabolites concentrations in stereotypic and non-stereotypic horses: do stereotypic horses cope better with poor environmental conditions?stereotypic behaviours, i.e. repetitive behaviours induced by frustration, repeated attempts to cope and/or brain dysfunction, are intriguing as they occur in a variety of domestic and captive species without any clear adaptive function. among the different hypotheses, the coping hypothesis predicts that stereotypic behaviours provide a way for animals in unfavourable environmental conditions to adjust. as such, they are expected to have a lower physiological stress level (glucocorticoids) than ...201323289406
adaption of horses to a novel dynamic feeding system: movement and behavioural responses.many domestic horses and ponies are sedentary and obese due to confinement to small paddocks and stables and a diet of infrequent, high-energy rations. severe health consequences can be associated with this altered lifestyle.201323216599
analysis of stomach bacterial communities in australian feral horses.we investigated the community structure of bacteria that populate the stomach of the brumby, a breed of feral horses from the australian outback. using a 16s rrna gene clone library, we identified 155 clones that were assigned to 26 otus based on a 99.0 % sequence identity cutoff. two otus represented 73.5 % of clones, while 18 otus were each assigned only a single clone. four major bacterial types were identified in the brumby stomach: lactobacillaceae, streptococcaceae, veillonellaceae and pas ...201323065252
genetic studies of blood markers in przewalski's horses.ninety-six przewalski's horses (equus przewalskii) were blood typed using systems of inherited blood variants known to be highly effective for parentage testing of domestic horses (e. caballus). sixteen red cell antigenic factors detected using sera prepared by alloimmunization of domestic horses were shown to be inherited in six systems (a, c, d, p, q, and u) and in the same patterns as domestic horses. family data confirmed autosomal, codominant inheritance at five loci of serum protein varian ...20133584938
the responses of young domestic horses to human-given cues.it has been suggested that the process of domestication, at least in some species, has led to an innate predisposition to be skilled at reading human communicative and attentional cues. adult domestic horses (equus caballus) are highly sensitive to subtle bodily cues when determining if a person is attending to them but they are less adept at using human communicative cues in object choice tasks. here we provide the first study into the ontogeny of such skills in order to gain insights into the ...201323840572
use of pcr to estimate the prevalence of equus caballus papillomavirus in aural plaques in horses.aural plaques occur on the skin of the medial surface of the pinnae of horses. in this study the presence of equus caballus papillomavirus (ecpv)-3 and -4 dna was assessed in 45 such plaques using a 'touchdown' pcr. papillomaviruses (pvs) were detected in 62.3% (28/45) of samples: ecpv-3 and -4 dna in 8.89% (4/45) and 37.78% (17/45) of samples, respectively, with 15.56% (7/45) of samples exhibiting co-infection. viral dna was not detected in 37.78% (17/45) of samples, suggesting the possible exi ...201323773810
an assessment of the aversive nature of an animal management procedure (clipping) using behavioral and physiological measures.animal management often involves procedures that, while unlikely to cause physical pain, still cause aversive responses. the domestic horse (equus caballus) regularly has excessive hair clipped off to facilitate its use as a riding/driving animal and this procedure causes adverse behavioral responses in some animals. the aim of this study was to compare behavioral and physiological measures to assess the aversive effect of this procedure. ten horses were selected on the basis of being either com ...201323685232
novel variants in the kit and pax3 genes in horses with white-spotted coat colour phenotypes.variants in the ednrb, kit, mitf, pax3 and trpm1 genes are known to cause white spotting phenotypes in horses, which can range from the common white markings up to completely white horses. in this study, we investigated these candidate genes in 169 horses with white spotting phenotypes not explained by the previously described variants. we identified a novel missense variant, pax3:p.pro32arg, in appaloosa horses with a splashed white phenotype in addition to their leopard complex spotting patter ...201323659293
stress modulates instrumental learning performances in horses (equus caballus) in interaction with temperament.the present study investigates how the temperament of the animal affects the influence of acute stress on the acquisition and reacquisition processes of a learning task. after temperament was assessed, horses were subjected to a stressor before or after the acquisition session of an instrumental task. eight days later, horses were subjected to a reacquisition session without any stressor. stress before acquisition tended to enhance the number of successes at the beginning of the acquisition sess ...201323626801
peeling back the evolutionary layers of molecular mechanisms responsive to exercise-stress in the skeletal muscle of the racing horse.the modern horse (equus caballus) is the product of over 50 million yrs of evolution. the athletic abilities of the horse have been enhanced during the past 6000 yrs under domestication. therefore, the horse serves as a valuable model to understand the physiology and molecular mechanisms of adaptive responses to exercise. the structure and function of skeletal muscle show remarkable plasticity to the physical and metabolic challenges following exercise. here, we reveal an evolutionary layer of r ...201323580538
harnessing the power of personality assessment: subjective assessment predicts behaviour in horses.objective assessment of animal personality is typically time consuming, requiring the repeated measure of behavioural responses. by contrast, subjective assessment of personality allows information to be collected quickly by experienced caregivers. however, subjective assessment must predict behaviour to be valid. comparisons of subjective assessments and behaviour have been made but often with methodological weaknesses and thus, limited success. here we test the validity of a subjective assessm ...201323500483
development of an in vitro model system for studying the interaction of equus caballus ige with its high-affinity receptor fcɛri.the binding of immunoglobulin e (ige) to its high-affinity receptor (fcɛri) is the central protein interaction in ige-mediated allergic reactions. the cross-linking of the ige/fcɛri complex, through cognate allergens, on the surface of mast cells and basophil cells results in mediator release, and thus leads to the symptoms of type i hypersensitivity responses in mammals. to develop a baseline value for subsequent equine anti-allergy drug and vaccine research, the interaction of equine ige with ...201323485176
removal experiments indicate that subordinate stallions are not helpers.relationships between males defending the same harem are described as cooperative or competitive and explained by mutualism, reciprocal altruism, and reproductive concessions or limited control between unequal contestants. these alternate hypotheses can be tested by removing males from harems. some feral horse (equus caballus) harems are defended by more than one and up to five stallions. we temporarily removed the subordinate stallion from two of six multi-stallion bands (a harem and its stalli ...201323428706
contraception can lead to trophic asynchrony between birth pulse and resources.abiotic inputs such as photoperiod and temperature can regulate reproductive cyclicity in many species. when humans perturb this process by intervening in reproductive cycles, the ecological consequences may be profound. trophic mismatches between birth pulse and resources in wildlife species may cascade toward decreased survival and threaten the viability of small populations. we followed feral horses (equus caballus) in three populations for a longitudinal study of the transient immunocontrace ...201323383018
genome-wide association study of osteochondrosis in the tarsocrural joint of dutch warmblood horses identifies susceptibility loci on chromosomes 3 and 10.equine osteochondrosis is a developmental joint disease that is a significant source of morbidity affecting multiple breeds of horse. the genetic variants underlying osteochondrosis susceptibility have not been established. here, we describe the results of a genome-wide association study of osteochondrosis using 90 cases and 111 controls from a population of dutch warmblood horses. we report putative associations between osteochondrosis and loci on chromosome 3 (biec2-808543; p = 5.03 × 10(-7) ) ...201323278111
spatial cognition and perseveration by horses, donkeys and mules in a simple a-not-b detour task.we investigated perseveration and detour behaviour in 36 equids (equus caballus, e. asinus, e. caballus × e. asinus) and compared these data to those of a previous study on domestic dogs (canis familiaris). the animals were required to make a detour through a gap at one end of a straight barrier in order to reach a visible target. after one, two, three or four repeats (a trials), the gap was moved to the opposite end of the barrier (b trials). we recorded initial deviations from the correct solu ...201323271641
assessment of motor laterality in foals and young horses (equus caballus) through an analysis of derailment at trot.the conflicting results regarding the study of motor laterality in horses may indicate that there does not exist a proper method to assess the degree and the direction of motor bias in these animals. unfortunately, even less is known about the development of laterality in horses, and to what extent early manipulations can still exert their effects in adulthood. we propose a new method that can be easily applied at a very early age thus avoiding testing adult horses eventually biased by human han ...201323201413
lateralized suckling in domestic horses (equus caballus).brain lateralization enables preferential processing of certain stimuli and more effective utilization of these stimuli in either the left or the right cerebral hemisphere. horses show both motor and sensory lateralization patterns. our aim was to determine whether a lateralized response could be detected in foals during the naturally side-biased behaviour, suckling. the foals' preferred suckling side could be the effect of either visual or motor lateralization. in the case of a visual lateraliz ...201323117229
sulfate influx on band 3 protein of equine erythrocyte membrane (equus caballus) using different experimental temperatures and buffer solutions.the aim of this study was to assess the anion transport in equine erythrocytes through the measurement of the sulfate uptake operating from band 3 using different experimental temperatures and buffer solutions. blood samples of six clinically healthy horses were collected via jugular vein puncture, and an emochrome-citometric examination was performed. the blood was divided into four aliquots and by centrifugation and aspiration the plasma and buffy coat were carefully discarded. the red blood c ...201323015199
phylogenetic and structural studies of a novel equine papillomavirus identified from aural plaques.papillomaviruses (pvs) infect a wide range of animal species and show great genetic diversity. to date, excluding equine sarcoids, only three species of pvs were identified associated with lesions in horses: equus caballus papillomavirus 1 (ecpv1-cutaneous), ecpv2 (genital) and ecpv3 (aural plaques). in this study, we identified a novel equine pv from aural plaques, which we designated ecpv4. cutaneous samples from horses with lesions that were microscopically diagnosed as aural plaques were sub ...201322995874
population dynamics of feral horses (equus caballus) following above-average rainfall in a semi-arid environment of australia.recent record rainfall in much of semi-arid central australia is the most likely reason for a feral horse population increase in excess of normal. uncontrolled numbers of feral horses have habitat degradation and animal welfare implications.201324571305
genetic polymorphism of hucul horse population based on 17 microsatellite loci.short tandem repeat (str) loci, i.e. microsatellites are a class of genetic markers commonly used for population studies and parentage control. this study determined the usefulness of microsatellite markers recommended by international society for animal genetics (isag) for identification and pedigree analysis in horses based on the example of polish hucul horse population (equus caballus). the set of seventeen microsatellites loci was tested (aht4, aht5, asb2, hms2, hms3, hms6, hms7, htg10, htg ...201324432328
the effect of environmental factors on sister chromatid exchange incidence in domestic horse (equus caballus) chromosomes.the sce test is often used as a sensitive and reliable technique in the biomonitoring of genotoxicity of mutagenic and carcinogenic agents. this study analysed the frequency of sister chromatid exchange in domestic horse chromosomes depending on the habitat and age of the analysed horses. the chromosome preparations were obtained from an in vitro culture of peripheral blood lymphocytes stained using the fpg technique. both the habitat and the age significantly influence sce frequency. a higher s ...201324279169
a free-ranging, feral mare equus caballus affords similar maternal care to her genetic and adopted offspring.adoption of nongenetic offspring occurs in a variety of species but is rare in equids. we report a case of adoption by a free-ranging, feral mare equus caballus and compare the maternal care received by her genetic offspring (born 1995) to that of her adopted offspring (born 1996) for the first 30 weeks of development. we compare five measures of care: (1) total time spent suckling, (2) mare aggression during suckling, (3) number of mare-terminated suckling bouts, (4) contact maintenance, and (5 ...201324107374
phylogenetic relationships among perissodactyla: secretoglobin 1a1 gene duplication and triplication in the equidae family.secretoglobin family 1a member 1 (scgb 1a1) is a small anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory protein that is abundantly secreted in airway surface fluids. we recently reported the existence of three distinct scgb1a1 genes in the domestic horse genome as opposed to the single gene copy consensus present in other mammals. the origin of scgb1a1 gene triplication and the evolutionary relationship of the three genes amongst equidae family members are unknown. for this study, scgb1a1 genomic data wer ...201323988306
sucrose bobs and quinine gapes: horse (equus caballus) responses to taste support phylogenetic similarity in taste reactivity.evidence suggests that behavioural affective reactions to sweet and bitter substances are homologous in humans, nonhuman primates, and rodents. the sweet taste of sucrose elicits facial responses that include rhythmic tongue protrusions whereas the bitter taste of quinine elicits facial responses that include gapes, featuring an opening of the mouth and protrusion of the tongue. the present study using the horse (equus caballus) was undertaken for three reasons: (1) there is debate about the pre ...201323973764
comparison of the levels of equus caballus papillomavirus type 2 (ecpv-2) dna in equine squamous cell carcinomas and non-cancerous tissues using quantitative pcr.equus caballus papillomavirus type 2 (ecpv-2) infection has been associated with equine genital squamous cell carcinomas (sccs). however, quantitative pcr (qpcr) has not been performed to determine viral copy numbers within these lesions. additionally, the frequency with which ecpv-2 can be detected in other common sites of equine scc development remains uncertain. the aim of this study was to develop a qpcr assay to estimate the viral load in a variety of equine tissue samples. these included 4 ...201323845733
dimensions of temperament modulate cue-controlled behavior: a study on pavlovian to instrumental transfer in horses (equus caballus).pavlovian to instrumental transfer (pit) is a central factor in how cues influence animal behavior. pit refers to the capacity of a pavlovian cue that predicts a reward to elicit or increase a response intended to obtain the same reward. in the present study, using an equine model, we assessed whether pit occurs in hoofed domestic animals and whether its efficacy can be modulated by temperamental dimensions. to study pit, horses were submitted to pavlovian conditioning whereby an auditory-visual ...201323798994
modelling biomechanical requirements of a rider for different horse-riding techniques at trot.the simplest model possible for bouncing systems consists of a point mass bouncing passively on a mass-less spring without viscous losses. this type of spring-mass model has been used to describe the stance period of symmetric running gaits. in this study, we investigated the interaction between horse and rider at trot using three models of force-driven spring (-damper)-mass systems. the first system consisted of a spring and a mass representing the horse that interact with another spring and ma ...201323785107
global distribution of group a rotavirus strains in horses: a systematic review.group a rotavirus (rva) is a major cause of diarrhea and diarrhea-related mortality in foals in parts of the world. in addition to careful horse farm management, vaccination is the only known alternative to reduce the rva associated disease burden on horse farms. the precise evaluation of vaccine effectiveness against circulating strains needs enhanced surveillance of equine rvas in areas where vaccine is already available or vaccine introduction is anticipated. therefore, we undertook the overv ...201323994380
close association between paralogous multiple isomirs and paralogous/orthologues mirna sequences implicates dominant sequence selection across various animal species.micrornas (mirnas) are crucial negative regulators of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. next-generation sequencing technologies have identified a series of mirna variants (named isomirs). in this study, paralogous isomir assemblies (from the mirna locus) were systematically analyzed based on data acquired from deep sequencing data sets. evolutionary analysis of paralogous (members in mirna gene family in a specific species) and orthologues (across different animal species) mirna ...201323856130
first evidence of autochthonous cases of leishmania (leishmania) infantum in horse (equus caballus) in the americas and mixed infection of leishmania infantum and leishmania (viannia) braziliensis.this study reports the first evidence of infection by leishmania infantum in equus caballus in americas and the first mixed infection of l. infantum/leishmania braziliensis on this mammalian species in the world. the diagnoses was based on presence of parasites in lesions and bone marrow aspirates, their identification by using specific primers for l. infantum and l. braziliensis complexes and also serological methods ifat and elisa. the analysis of the pcr products suggested mixed infection in ...201323845306
twenty years of immunocontraceptive research: lessons learned.the national wildlife research center (nwrc) began immunocontraception vaccine research by testing porcine zona pellucida (pzp) on white-tailed deer (odocoileus virginianus). early pzp research demonstrated that pzp induced infertility; however, increased length of the rut was observed in pzp-treated deer. an alternative vaccine using a keyhole limpet hemocyanin-gonadotropin-releasing hormone (klh-gnrh) conjugate formulated with modified freund's adjuvant was developed at nwrc. suppression of gn ...201324437088
[development and application of real-time pcr for identification and detection of horse meat in animal-origin products].to develop a real-time pcr method for identification and detection of domestic horse meat (equus caballus) in animal-origin products.201324459914
complementary dna cloning, sequence analysis, and tissue transcription profile of a novel u2af2 gene from the chinese banna mini-pig inbred line.u2 small nuclear rna auxiliary factor 2 (u2af2) is an important gene for pre-messenger rna splicing in higher eukaryotes. in this study, the banna mini-pig inbred line (bmi) u2af2 coding sequence (cds) was cloned, sequenced, and characterized. the u2af2 complete cds was amplified using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rt-pcr) technique based on the conserved sequence information of cattle and known highly homologous swine expressed sequence tags. this novel gene was deposited ...201323613239
il26 gene inactivation in equidae.interleukin-26 (il26) is a member of the il10 cytokine family. the il26 gene is located between two other well-known cytokines genes of this family encoding interferon-gamma (ifng) and il22 in an evolutionary conserved gene cluster. in contrast to humans and most other mammals, mice lack a functional il26 gene. we analyzed the genome sequences of other vertebrates for the presence or absence of functional il26 orthologs and found that the il26 gene has also become inactivated in several equid sp ...201323808390
localization of alkali-labile sites in donkey (equus asinus) and stallion (equus caballus) spermatozoa.the presence of constitutive alkali-labile sites (als) has been investigated using a protocol of dna breakage detection-fluorescence in situ hybridization and comet assay in spermatozoa of donkey (equus asinus) and stallion (equus caballus). these results were compared with those obtained using a similar experimental approach using somatic cells. the relative abundance of als was of the order of four times more in spermatozoa than in somatic cells. alkali-labile sites showed a tendency to cluste ...201424182740
isolation, molecular cloning, and characterization of a novel porcine lymphotoxin beta receptor gene.the lymphotoxin beta receptor (ltβr) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor family of receptors (tnfr). it plays a role in regulating lymphoid organogenesis and homeostasis of the immune system. in the present study, the full coding region of a putative ltβr gene of sus scrofa was amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (rt-pcr) and cloned for the first time (accession nos. jx457347 and afu74012). in addition, analysis of the tissue expression profile was carried out via r ...201425501186
molecular characterization and expression analysis of equine vascular endothelial growth factor alpha (vegfα) gene in horse (equus caballus).the objective of this study was to determine the molecular characteristics of the horse vascular endothelial growth factor alpha gene (vegfα) by constructing a phylogenetic tree, and to investigate gene expression profiles in tissues and blood leukocytes after exercise for development of suitable biomarkers. using published amino acid sequences of other vertebrate species (human, chimpanzee, mouse, rat, cow, pig, chicken and dog), we constructed a phylogenetic tree which showed that equine vegfα ...201425050010
the symbiotic intestinal ciliates and the evolution of their hosts.the evolution of sophisticated differentiations of the gastro-intestinal tract enabled herbivorous mammals to digest dietary cellulose and hemicellulose with the aid of a complex anaerobic microbiota. distinctive symbiotic ciliates, which are unique to this habitat, are the largest representatives of this microbial community. analyses of a total of 484 different 18s rrna genes show that extremely complex, but related ciliate communities can occur in the rumen of cattle, sheep, goats and red deer ...201424703617
bovine calves as ideal bio-indicators for fluoridated drinking water and endemic osteo-dental fluorosis.relative susceptibility to fluoride (f) toxicosis in the form of osteo-dental fluorosis was observed in an observational survey of 2,747 mature and 887 immature domestic animals of diverse species living in areas with naturally fluoridated (>1.5 ppm f) drinking water. these animals included buffaloes (bubalus bubalis), cattle (bos taurus), camels (camelus dromedarius), donkeys (equus asinus), horses (equus caballus), goats (capra hircus), and sheep (ovis aries). of these mature and immature anim ...201424671615
hallmarks of hepatitis c virus in equine hepacivirus.equine hepacivirus (ehcv) has been identified as a closely related homologue of hepatitis c virus (hcv) in the united states, the united kingdom, and germany, but not in asian countries. in this study, we genetically and serologically screened 31 serum samples obtained from japanese-born domestic horses for ehcv infection and subsequently identified 11 pcr-positive and 7 seropositive serum samples. we determined the full sequence of the ehcv genome, including the 3' untranslated region (utr), wh ...201425210167
little evidence of avian or equine influenza virus infection among a cohort of mongolian adults with animal exposures, 2010-2011.avian (aiv) and equine influenza virus (eiv) have been repeatedly shown to circulate among mongolia's migrating birds or domestic horses. in 2009, 439 mongolian adults, many with occupational exposure to animals, were enrolled in a prospective cohort study of zoonotic influenza transmission. sera were drawn upon enrollment and again at 12 and 24 months. participants were contacted monthly for 24 months and queried regarding episodes of acute influenza-like illnesses (ili). cohort members confirm ...201424465622
phylogenetic analysis and positive-selection site detecting of vascular endothelial growth factor family in vertebrates.vascular endothelial growth factor (vegf), known to play an important role in vascular homeostasis, vascular integrity and angiogenesis, is little known about the evolutionary relationship of its five members especially the role of gene duplication and natural selection in the evolution of the vegf family. in this study, seventy-five full-length cdna sequences from 33 vertebrate species were extracted from the ncbi's genbank, uniprot protein database and the ensembl database. by phylogenetic ana ...201424200960
development of a method for absolute quantification of equine acute phase proteins using concatenated peptide standards and selected reaction monitoring.the aim of this study was the development of a quantitative assay that could support future studies of a panel of acute phase proteins (apps) in the horse. the assay was based on a quantification concatamer (qconcat) coupled to selected reaction monitoring methodology. thirty-two peptides, corresponding to 13 putative or confirmed apps for the equus caballus (equine) species were selected for the design of a qconcat construct. the gene encoding the qconcat was synthesized and expressed as an iso ...201425250876
identification of blood meal sources of lutzomyia longipalpis using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the cytochrome b gene.an analysis of the dietary content of haematophagous insects can provide important information about the transmission networks of certain zoonoses. the present study evaluated the potential of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (pcr-rflp) analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene to differentiate between vertebrate species that were identified as possible sources of sandfly meals. the complete cytb gene sequences of 11 vertebrate species available in ...201424821056
multiple glucagon-producing pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors in a horse (equus caballus).pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors of glucagon-producing cells are extremely rare in domestic animals. in this report, we describe for the first time, to our knowledge, the incidental finding of multiple glucagon-producing neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas of a horse. the animal was euthanized due to severe local infection after tooth extraction. on postmortem examination, multiple white nodules of up to 4 cm in diameter were observed in the pancreas. histologically, pancreatic nodules had the ...201423774746
linking social environment and stress physiology in feral mares (equus caballus): group transfers elevate fecal cortisol levels.feral horses (equus caballus) have a complex social structure, the stability of which is important to their overall health. behavioral and demographic research has shown that decreases in group (or band) stability reduce female fitness, but the potential effects on the physiological stress response have not been demonstrated. to fully understand how band stability affects group-member fitness, we need to understand not only behavioral and demographic, but also physiological consequences of decre ...201424275609
the effects of age, rank and neophobia on social learning in horses.social learning is said to meet the demands of complex environments in which individuals compete over resources and cooperate to share resources. horses (equus caballus) were thought to lack social learning skills because they feed on homogenously distributed resources with few reasons for conflict. however, the horse's social environment is complex, which raises the possibility that its capacity for social transfer of feeding behaviour has been underestimated. we conducted a social learning exp ...201424170136
behavioral and transcriptomic fingerprints of an enriched environment in horses (equus caballus).the use of environmental enrichment (ee) has grown in popularity over decades, particularly because ee is known to promote cognitive functions and well-being. nonetheless, little is known about how ee may affect personality and gene expression. to address this question in a domestic animal, 10-month-old horses were maintained in a controlled environment or ee for 12 weeks. the control horses (n = 9) lived in individual stalls on wood shaving bedding. they were turned out to individual paddocks t ...201425494179
thiol-disulfide proteins of stallion epididymal spermatozoa.thiol groups of cysteine residues represent redox centers involved in multiple biological functions. it has been postulated that changes in the redox status of mammalian epididymal spermatozoa contribute to the sperm maturation process. the present work shows the thiol-disulfide protein profile of stallion epididymal spermatozoa achieved by two-dimension electrophoresis and maldi-tof/tof mass spectrometry of proteins labeled with a thiol-reactive fluorescent tag, monobromobimane. our results hav ...201424418125
the brain of the horse: weight and cephalization quotients.the horse is a common domestic animal whose anatomy has been studied since the xvi century. however, a modern neuroanatomy of this species does not exist and most of the data utilized in textbooks and reviews derive from single specimens or relatively old literature. here, we report information on the brain of equus caballus obtained by sampling 131 horses, including brain weight (as a whole and subdivided into its constituents), encephalization quotient (eq), and cerebellar quotient (cq), and c ...201424335261
detection of papillomavirus in equine periocular and penile squamous cell carcinoma.squamous cell carcinoma (scc) is the most common tumor arising in the periocular and penile areas of horses. both ultraviolet radiation and papillomaviruses have been implicated in the pathogenesis of scc in various species, including the horse. this retrospective study used polymerase chain reaction (pcr) to detect papillomavirus dna in archival biopsy samples from equine periocular and penile scc from 3 different geographic areas (northeast, southeast, and central united states). forty-two per ...201424323055
horses (equus caballus) discriminate body odour cues from conspecifics.knowledge about social recognition and memory in animals can help us to determine appropriate management and husbandry techniques. in this study, we used a habituation-discrimination procedure to investigate the ability of horses (equus caballus) to distinguish between the body odour samples of unfamiliar conspecifics. to pick up body odour, we rubbed material on the coat of horses and presented these unknown body odours to 16 different conspecifics of the same sex and similar age. the test cons ...201424305997
molecular characterization and evolutionary analysis of horse baff-r, a tumor necrosis factor receptor related to b-cell survival.b-cell survival depends on signals induced by b-cell activating factor (baff) that binds to the baff receptor (baff-r). herein, a baff-r homolog was identified in a horse (equus caballus). the horse baff-r gene, located on chromosome 28, spans 1444 base pairs and encodes a 183-amino acid protein. the protein is structurally conserved, in which the dxl motif plays an important role in binding to baff. furthermore, the horse baff-r extracellular domain was expressed and purified, which specificall ...201424291174
development of an in vitro model system for studying the interaction of equus caballus ige with its high-affinity receptor fcεri.the interaction of ige with its high-affinity fc receptor (fcεri) followed by an antigenic challenge is the principal pathway in ige mediated allergic reactions. as a consequence of the high affinity binding between ige and fcεri, along with the continuous production of ige by b cells, allergies usually persist throughout life, with currently no permanent cure available. horses, especially race horses, which are commonly inbred, are a species of mammals that are very prone to the development of ...201425406512
trained quantity abilities in horses (equus caballus): a preliminary investigation.once believed to be a human prerogative, the capacity to discriminate between quantities now has also been reported in several vertebrates. to date, only two studies investigated numerical abilities in horses (equus caballus) but reported contrasting data. to assess whether horses can be trained to discriminate between quantities, i have set up a new experimental protocol using operant conditioning. one adult female was trained to discriminate between 1 and 4 (test 1) in three different conditio ...201425379278
analysis of the 227 bp short interspersed nuclear element (sine) insertion of the promoter of the myostatin (mstn) gene in different horse breeds.the myostatin (mstn) gene encodes a protein known to be a negative regulator of muscle mass in mammalian species. different polymorphisms of the horse (equus caballus) mstn gene have been identified, including single nucleotide polymorphisms and a short interspersed nuclear element (sine) insertion of 227 bp within the promoter of the gene. the sine insertion has been associated with performance traits in thoroughbred racehorses and it was proposed as a predictor of optimum racing distance. the ...201425273961
the influence of nutrition on the insulin-like growth factor system and the concentrations of growth hormone, glucose, insulin, gonadotropins and progesterone in ovarian follicular fluid and plasma from adult female horses (equus caballus).feed intake affects the gh-igf system and may be a key factor in determining the ovarian follicular growth rate. in fat mares, the plasma igf-1 concentration is high with low gh and a quick follicular growth rate, in contrast to values observed in thin mares. nothing is known regarding the long-term effects of differential feed intake on the igf system. the objective of this experiment was to quantify igfs, igfbps, gh, glucose, insulin, gonadotropin and progesterone (p4) in blood and in preovula ...201425078409
the relationship of dominance, reproductive state and stress in female horses (equus caballus).maintaining a dominant position in a hierarchy requires energetically expensive aggressive displays and physical exertion. lab based winner-loser studies, often conducted with individuals from non-social species, have shown that subordinates have higher stress hormone levels than dominant individuals. however, in wild studies on cooperative breeders, displays of aggression used to maintain dominance status are associated with elevated stress hormone levels. the effect of reproductive state on do ...201425058621
a highly sensitive and specific tetraplex pcr assay for soybean, poultry, horse and pork species identification in sausages: development and validation.a tetraplex pcr assay was developed for a rapid and reliable identification of horse, soybean, poultry, and pork species in sausages simultaneously. the method merges the use of horse (equus caballus), soybean (glycine max), poultry (gallus gallus), and pork (sus scrofa) specific primers that amplify small fragments (horse; 85bp, soybean; 100bp, poultry; 183bp and pork; 212bp) of the mitochondrial cyt b, lectin, 12s rrna and atpase subunit 6 genes respectively. good quality dna was isolated from ...201424980471
influence of emotional balance during a learning and recall test in horses (equus caballus).modern day horse-human relationships entail different types of sport and riding activities, which all require learning. in evaluating the interaction between learning and emotions, studying normal coping strategies or adaptive responses to the surroundings is critical. 34 horses were involved in a cognitive test, in the absence of physical effort, to analyze performance, as well as physiological and behavioral responses related to learning, memorization and recall, associated to the capacity to ...201424875282
shetland ponies (equus caballus) show quantity discrimination in a matching-to-sample design.numerical competence is one of the aspects of animal cognition with a long history of research interest, but few results are available for the horse. in the present study, we investigated the ability of three shetland ponies to discriminate between different quantities of geometric symbols presented on a computer screen in a matching-to-sample arrangement. in experiment 1, the ponies had to relate two similar quantities to another, paired in contrasts (1 vs. 2, 3 vs. 4 and 4 vs. 5) of the same s ...201424831887
exposure to stallion accelerates the onset of mares' cyclicity.horses (equus caballus) belong to the group of seasonally polyestrous mammals. estrous cycles typically start with increasing daylight length after winter, but mares can differ greatly in the timing of onset of regular estrus cycles. here, we test whether spatial proximity to a stallion also plays a role. twenty-two anestrous mares were either exposed to one of two stallions (without direct physical contact) or not exposed (controls) under experimental conditions during two consecutive springs ( ...201424815602
comparative analysis of the methanogen diversity in horse and pony by using mcra gene and archaeal 16s rrna gene clone libraries.comparative analysis of methanogen compositions in the feces of horse and pony was carried out by constructing the α -subunit of methyl coenzyme-m reductase (mcra) gene and 16s ribosomal rna gene (16s rrna) clone libraries. the mcra clone library analysis indicated that methanomicrobiales was predominant in both horse and pony. furthermore, most of the clones of the 16s rrna gene library showed that methanomicrobiales was also predominant in horse and pony, but the libshuff analysis showed that ...201424678264
estimation of body weight and development of a body weight score for adult equids using morphometric measurements.excessive bw has become a major health issue in the equine (equus caballus) industry. the objectives were to determine if the addition of neck circumference and height improved existing bw estimation equations, to develop an equation for estimation of ideal bw, and to develop a method for assessing the likelihood of being overweight in adult equids. six hundred and twenty-nine adult horses and ponies who met the following criteria were measured and weighed at 2 horse shows in september 2011 in m ...201424663191
the use of a novel combination of diagnostic molecular and cytogenetic approaches in horses with sexual karyotype abnormalities: a rare case with an abnormal cellular chimerism.sex chromosome aberrations are known to cause congenital abnormalities and unexplained infertility in horses. most of these anomalies remain undiagnosed because of the complexity of the horse karyotype and the lack of specialized laboratories that can perform such diagnoses. on the other hand, the utilization of microsatellite markers is a technique widely spread in horse breeding, mostly because of their usage in parentage tests. we studied the usage of a novel combination of diagnostic approac ...201424612694
visual attention, an indicator of human-animal relationships? a study of domestic horses (equus caballus).as visual attention is an intrinsic part of social relationships, and because relationships are built on a succession of interactions, their establishment involves learning and attention. the emotional, rewarding or punishing, content can modulate selective attention. in horses, the use of positive/negative reinforcement during training determines short and long-term human-horse relationships. in a recent study in horses, where either food or withers' grooming were used as a reward, it appeared ...201424592244
characterisation of the horse transcriptome from immunologically active tissues.the immune system of the horse has not been well studied, despite the fact that the horse displays several features such as sensitivity to bacterial lipopolysaccharide that make them in many ways a more suitable model of some human disorders than the current rodent models. the difficulty of working with large animal models has however limited characterisation of gene expression in the horse immune system with current annotations for the equine genome restricted to predictions from other mammals ...201424860704
meat species identification using loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay targeting species-specific mitochondrial dna.meat source fraud and adulteration scandals have led to consumer demands for accurate meat identification methods. nucleotide amplification assays have been proposed as an alternative method to protein-based assays for meat identification. in this study, we designed loop-mediated isothermal amplification (lamp) assays targeting species-specific mitochondrial dna to identify and discriminate eight meat species; cattle, pig, horse, goat, sheep, chicken, duck, and turkey. the lamp primer sets were ...201426761677
whole genome sequence and analysis of the marwari horse breed and its genetic origin.the horse (equus ferus caballus) is one of the earliest domesticated species and has played an important role in the development of human societies over the past 5,000 years. in this study, we characterized the genome of the marwari horse, a rare breed with unique phenotypic characteristics, including inwardly turned ear tips. it is thought to have originated from the crossbreeding of local indian ponies with arabian horses beginning in the 12th century.201425521865
social networks and welfare in future animal management.it may become advantageous to keep human-managed animals in the social network groups to which they have adapted. data concerning the social networks of farm animal species and their ancestors are scarce but essential to establishing the importance of a natural social network for farmed animal species. social network analysis (sna) facilitates the characterization of social networking at group, subgroup and individual levels. sna is currently used for modeling the social behavior and management ...201426479886
a semi-automated single day image differencing technique to identify animals in aerial imagery.our research presents a proof-of-concept that explores a new and innovative method to identify large animals in aerial imagery with single day image differencing. we acquired two aerial images of eight fenced pastures and conducted a principal component analysis of each image. we then subtracted the first principal component of the two pasture images followed by heuristic thresholding to generate polygons. the number of polygons represented the number of potential cattle (bos taurus) and horses ...201424454827
single nucleotide polymorphisms of myostatin gene in chinese domestic horses.the myostatin gene (mstn) is a genetic determinant of skeletal muscle growth. single nucleotide polymorphisms (snp) in mstn are of importance due to their strong associations with horse racing performances. in this study, we screened the snps in mstn gene in 514 horses from 15 chinese horse breeds. six snps (g.26t>c, g.156t>c, g.587a>g, g.598c>t, g.1485c>t, g.2115a>g) in mstn gene were detected by sequencing and genotyped using pcr-rflp method. the g.587a>g and g.598c>t residing in the 5'utr reg ...201424368331
baseline assessment of ophthalmic parameters in the greater one-horned rhinoceros (rhinoceros unicornis).five healthy captive greater one-horned rhinoceroses (rhinoceros unicornis) were evaluated with standing sedation (detomidine hydrochloride 20-30 mg and butorphanol tartrate 50-60 mg per animal) to determine baseline values for tear production, intraocular pressure (iop), conjunctival flora, and ocular anatomy using brightness mode transpalpebral ultrasonography with a 4- to 7-mhz broadband curvilinear transducer. the mean schirmer tear test i value was 18.2 ± 3.49 mm/min. the mean iop measured ...201425632674
complex evolutionary patterns revealed by mitochondrial genomes of the domestic horse.the domestic horse is the most widely used and important stock and recreational animal, valued for its strength and endurance. the energy required by the domestic horse is mainly supplied by mitochondria via oxidative phosphorylation. thus, selection may have played an essential role in the evolution of the horse mitochondria. besides, demographic events also affect the dna polymorphic pattern on mitochondria. to understand the evolutionary patterns of the mitochondria of the domestic horse, we ...201425470284
hepacivirus infection in domestic horses, brazil, 2011-2013. 201425420101
age and group residence but not maternal dominance affect dominance rank in young domestic horses.we present a study focused on those factors influencing dominance position in young horses, with emphasis on the role of the mother. horses, as other group-living polygynous mammals, form stable linear dominance hierarchies based on agonistic interactions. higher dominance positions are believed to be connected, in both sexes, to better condition and higher reproductive success. many variables play a role in forming the dominant-submissive relationships between horses; however, the maternal effe ...201425253810
is the left forelimb preference indicative of a stressful situation in horses?evidence for behavioural and brain lateralisation is now widespread among the animal kingdom; lateralisation of limb use (pawedness) occurs in several mammals including both feral and domestic horses. we investigated limb preferences in 14 quarter horse during different motor tasks (walking, stepping on and off a step, truck loading and unloading). population lateralisation was observed in two tasks: horses preferentially used their left forelimb during truck loading and stepping off a step. the ...201425108052
the eyes and ears are visual indicators of attention in domestic horses.sensitivity to the attentional states of others has adaptive advantages, and in social animals, attending to others is important for predator detection, as well as a pre-requisite for normal social functioning and more complex socio-cognitive abilities. despite widespread interest in how social species perceive attention in others, studies of non-human animals have been inconclusive about the detailed cues involved. previous work has focused on head and eye direction, overlooking the fact that m ...201425093554
applied equine genetics.genome sequencing of the domestic horse and subsequent advancements in the field of equine genomics have led to an explosion in the development of tools for mapping traits and diseases and evaluating gene expression. the objective of this review is to discuss the current progress in the field of equine genomics, with specific emphasis on assembly and analysis of the reference sequence and subsequent sequencing of a quarter horse mare; the genomic tools currently available to researchers and thei ...201424802051
obesity prevalence and associated risk factors in outdoor living domestic horses and ponies.reasons for performing study. the prevalence of obesity in companion animals, including horses and ponies has risen drastically in recent years and risk factors have been little investigated. horses are unique amongst companion animals in that many are outdoor-living and forage independently on pasture; they also have a dual utility and companionship role. the body condition of wild and free-living equines is known to vary seasonally, yet previous estimates of the prevalence of obesity and assoc ...201424711963
the domestic horse harbours y-chromosomal microsatellite polymorphism only on two widely distributed male lineages. 201424684376
preference of domestic horses for shade in a hot, sunny environment.provision of shade is recommended by best practice guidelines for horses living in hot, sunny environments despite a lack of research focused on potential benefits. we found in a previous study that horses without access to shade showed greater rectal temperature (rt), respiration rate (rr), and skin temperature (sk) and exhibited more sweat than horses that were completely shaded. yet not known is whether horses will choose to stand in the shade when given a choice of areas with and without thi ...201424492578
worldwide frequency distribution of the 'gait keeper' mutation in the dmrt3 gene.for centuries, domestic horses have represented an important means of transport and served as working and companion animals. although their role in transportation is less important today, many horse breeds are still subject to intense selection based on their pattern of locomotion. a striking example of such a selected trait is the ability of a horse to perform additional gaits other than the common walk, trot and gallop. those could be four-beat ambling gaits, which are particularly smooth and ...201424444049
prehistoric genomes reveal the genetic foundation and cost of horse domestication.the domestication of the horse ∼ 5.5 kya and the emergence of mounted riding, chariotry, and cavalry dramatically transformed human civilization. however, the genetics underlying horse domestication are difficult to reconstruct, given the near extinction of wild horses. we therefore sequenced two ancient horse genomes from taymyr, russia (at 7.4- and 24.3-fold coverage), both predating the earliest archeological evidence of domestication. we compared these genomes with genomes of domesticated ho ...201425512547
copy number variation in the horse genome.we constructed a 400k wg tiling oligoarray for the horse and applied it for the discovery of copy number variations (cnvs) in 38 normal horses of 16 diverse breeds, and the przewalski horse. probes on the array represented 18,763 autosomal and x-linked genes, and intergenic, sub-telomeric and chry sequences. we identified 258 cnv regions (cnvrs) across all autosomes, chrx and chrun, but not in chry. cnvs comprised 1.3% of the horse genome with chr12 being most enriched. american miniature horses ...201425340504
analysis of horse genomes provides insight into the diversification and adaptive evolution of karyotype.karyotypic diversification is more prominent in equus species than in other mammals. here, using next generation sequencing technology, we generated and de novo assembled quality genomes sequences for a male wild horse (przewalski's horse) and a male domestic horse (mongolian horse), with about 93-fold and 91-fold coverage, respectively. portion of y chromosome from wild horse assemblies (3 m bp) and mongolian horse (2 m bp) were also sequenced and de novo assembled. we confirmed a robertsonian ...201424828444
improved sperm cryosurvival in diluents containing amides versus glycerol in the przewalski's horse (equus ferus przewalskii).two studies were conducted to understand sperm cryosensitivity in an endangered equid, the przewalski's horse (equus ferus przewalski), while testing the cryoprotectant ability of formamides. the first assessed the toxicity of permeating cryoprotectants (glycerol, methylformamide [mf] and dimethylformamide [dmf]) to przewalski's horse spermatozoa during liquid storage at 4°c. the second examined the comparative influence of three diluents (with or without formamides) on cryosurvival of sperm fro ...201424508651
increasing density leads to generalization in both coarse-grained habitat selection and fine-grained resource selection in a large mammal.density is a fundamental driver of many ecological processes including habitat selection. theory on density-dependent habitat selection predicts that animals should be distributed relative to profitability of habitat, resulting in reduced specialization in selection (i.e. generalization) as density increases and competition intensifies. despite mounting empirical support for density-dependent habitat selection using isodars to describe coarse-grained (interhabitat) animal movements, we know litt ...201423931034
interspecific communication from people to horses (equus ferus caballus) is influenced by different horsemanship training styles.the ability of many domesticated animals to follow human pointing gestures to locate hidden food has led to scientific debate on the relative importance of domestication and individual experience on the origins and development of this capacity. to further explore this question, we examined the influence of different prior training histories/methods on the ability of horses (equus ferus caballus) to follow a momentary distal point. ten horses previously trained using one of two methods (parelli™ ...201425111631
movement initiation in groups of feral horses.herds of ungulates, flocks of birds, swarms of insects and schools of fish move in coordinated groups. computer models show that only one or very few animals are needed to initiate and direct movement. to investigate initiation mechanisms further, we studied two ways in which movement can be initiated in feral horses: herding, and departure from the group. we examined traits affecting the likelihood of a horse initiating movement i.e. social rank, affiliative relationships, spatial position, and ...201424220794
population genetic structure of gasterophilus pecorum in the kalamaili nature reserve, xinjiang, based on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase (coi) gene sequence.gasterophilosis is a significant threat to equids in the desert steppe of xinjiang, china, where gasterophilus pecorum (fabricius) (diptera: gasterophilidae) is the dominant botfly species. a population analysis was conducted on 195 individual g. pecorum larvae from three host species, przewalski's horse, the domestic horse and the asiatic wild ass. the distribution of haplotypes of the maternally inherited mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit i (coi) gene was analysed to assess the populati ...201425171609
evolutionary genomics and conservation of the endangered przewalski's horse.przewalski's horses (phs, equus ferus ssp. przewalskii) were discovered in the asian steppes in the 1870s and represent the last remaining true wild horses. phs became extinct in the wild in the 1960s but survived in captivity, thanks to major conservation efforts. the current population is still endangered, with just 2,109 individuals, one-quarter of which are in chinese and mongolian reintroduction reserves [1]. these horses descend from a founding population of 12 wild-caught phs and possibly ...201526412128
an assessment of horse (equus ferus caballus) responding on fixed interval schedules of reinforcement: an individual analysis.we assessed different measures of temporal control of horse (n=16) responding on fixed interval schedules of reinforcement and a peak procedure. subjects were trained to insert their heads into a response hoop to break an infrared beam in order to receive horse treats from an automatic feeder. we analyzed cumulative response records, binned response levels, quarter life, latency to first response, breakpoint, and inter-response patterns of the fixed interval trials. to analyze the peak procedure ...201526297471
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