Fracture rate in Thoroughbred racehorses is affected by dam age and parity

This study's aim was to determine the effects of dam age and parity on the rate of fracture in offspring in Thoroughbred racehorses in training for flat racing. It was hypothesised that first foals and those from older mares would have a higher fracture rate than subsequent foals and those from younger mares. A two-year observational cohort study collected data from eight trainers on 335 horses that were monitored since the start of their training as yearlings. Multivariable Poisson regression analyses showed that first foals had a significantly lower fracture rate than subsequent ones (RR=0.33; 95% CI=0.12, 0.89; P=0.02) and rate of fracture decreased with increasing dam age (RR=0.91 per year increase in dam age; 95% CI=0.83, 0.99; P=0.03). This study shows for the first time that the rate of equine injury may be influenced by factors that affect skeletal development. Further research on intra-uterine and peri-natal determinants of injury risk in later life in horses is needed.     

A survey of reproductive performance in Thoroughbred mares and morbidity, mortality and athletic potential of their foals

A survey was performed to evaluate the reproductive performance of Thoroughbred mares, estimate risks of dystocia and of morbidity and mortality in foals during the first year post partum and their physical acceptability at age one year. The study population consisted of registered Thoroughbred mares and their foals owned by residents of 4 Western Canadian provinces. Owners were identified using information obtained from the North American Jockey Club, and questionnaires were mailed regarding mares bred in 1988 and their foals born in 1989. Eighty-three per cent of mares were reported to be pregnant at some stage following breeding, and 80% of pregnant mares subsequently gave birth to live foals. Estimates of morbidity and mortality were greater than previously reported, 25% of foals had health problems and 5% died during the first 2 weeks postpartum. Twenty-seven per cent of foals surviving 2 weeks were reportedly affected by some health problem between age 15 days and one year, and 6% died during this period. The case fatality rates of horses with upper respiratory tract infections and diarrhoea were much lower than case fatality rates for infectious diseases occurring less frequently. The rate of death or euthanasia among horses with musculoskeletal problems was relatively high after age 2 weeks. Foals with health problems up to age 2 weeks, or between age 15 days and one year were 5 to 7 times more likely to be classified as physically unacceptable for athletic use. Angular limb deformity was the health problem most commonly reported in foals receiving unacceptable physical assessments, and assessments of longterm athletic potential were apparently not affected by the occurrence of infectious diseases.     

The Influence of Stable Management and Feeding Practices on the Abnormal Behaviors Among Stabled Horses in Malaysia

The present study aimed to provide preliminary data on the prevalence of oral stereotypic, locomotory stereotypic, and redirected behaviors as well as their associations with stable management and feeding practices. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 207 working horses used for leisure riding, equestrian sport, polo, endurance, and patrolling were selected from seven equine facilities. Data on the stable management and feeding practices were obtained through the stable records, interviews, and on-site monitoring visits, whereas the prevalence of abnormal behaviors in the studied population was determined using the instantaneous scan sampling method. Most horses in the present study worked for more than 8 hours per week (n = 93). In addition, more horses were fed three times per day (n = 65) with different amounts of hay, concentrate, and chaff. Among the study population, oral stereotypic behaviors had the highest prevalence (n = 281; 54%), followed by redirected behavior (n = 181; 34%), and locomotory stereotypic behaviors had the lowest prevalence (n = 63; 12%). The oral stereotypic behavior was found to be significantly influenced (P < .05) by the working hours, amount of hay, and amount of concentrate. Both locomotory stereotypic and redirected behaviors were found to be influenced (P < .05) by the number of feedings per day and the amount of hay. In summary, the present study has proven that the stable management and feeding practices could influence the prevalence of different abnormal behaviors in the majority of working horses, with oral stereotypy being the most common abnormal behavior in this country.     

Epidemiological studies of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) in Thoroughbred foals: a review of studies conducted in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales between 1995 and 1997.

Sero-epidemiological studies conducted between 1995 and 1997 on two large Thoroughbred stud farms in the Hunter Valley of NSW showed clear evidence of EHV-1 infection in foals as young as 30 days of age. Similarly, serological evidence suggested that these foals were infected with EHV-1 from their dams or from other lactating mares in the group, with subsequent foal to foal spread of infection prior to weaning. These studies also provided evidence of EHV-1 infection of foals at and subsequent to weaning, with foal to foal spread of EHV-1 amongst the weanlings. These data indicated that the mare and foal population was a reservoir of EHV-1, from which new cases of infection propagated through the foal population both before and after weaning. The results of these studies support the long standing management practices of separating pregnant mares from other groups of horses to reduce the incidence of EHV-1 abortion. Also, these results have important implications for currently recommended vaccination regimens, as the efficacy of vaccination in already latently infected horses is unknown.     

A follow up study on antibodies against Lawsonia intracellularis in mares and foals from two breeding farms in Germany

Equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) caused by Lawsonia (L.) intracellularis is an emerging disease in foals, particularly in North America. Since a case report in Germany exists, the objective of this study was to examine the incidence of L. intracellularis-antibodies in healthy horses from two German breeding farms. In group 1, serum samples from 24 (year 1) and 16 (year 2) Haflinger mares and their foals were taken. In group 2, over a period of five months, serum samples of six warmblood mares and foals were collected monthly from birth until the foals became seronegative. Serum samples were tested using an ELISA system. Results are expressed as Percentage of Inhibiton (PI). All adult mares (100%) of both groups were seropositive at each point in time (PI-value > 30). In group 1,7/24 foals (29.2%) in year 1 and 4/16 foals (25%) in year 2 had antibodies.The seropositive foals from year 2 had the same dams as the seropositive foals from year 1. In group 2 five of six foals were seropositive after birth. Antibodies decreased from March to July in mares and foals. In July, all five foals tested negative for the first time between the ages of 82 and 141 days (median 115 days). PI-values of mares were significantly correlated with PI-values of their foals. Higher PI-values were seen in younger foals and early in spring. Loss of antibodies in foals at the age of three to five months could be a risk factor for infection and appearance of EPE.     

断奶前马驹与母马粪便菌群多样性分析

试验旨在探究断奶前马驹和母马粪便菌群多样性,为丰富此阶段马驹肠道菌群多样性提供依据。选取5匹5岁（2胎）、平均体重（453.34±54.23）kg、健康的纯血马母马,以及母马所生的5匹马驹,出生日期相近（±5 d）,平均体重（185.65±9.54）kg,3公2母。母马和马驹在相同环境下饲养,母马日粮组成及营养水平相同,马驹除哺乳外采食的粗饲料和精料补充料相同。马驹6月龄断奶,在断奶前1周用灭菌收粪袋采集母马和马驹的粪便样品。结果显示,母马粪便中菌群α多样性Chao1和ACE指数显著高于马驹（P < 0.05）,分别比马驹高18.94%和15.62%;母马与马驹共有的菌种数为1 399个,母马与马驹特有的菌种数分别为150和68个;在门水平,母马与马驹粪便中排在前十的菌分别是厚壁菌门、变形菌门、拟杆菌门、放线菌门、广古菌门、疣微菌门、螺旋体菌门、Unidentified_Bacteria、纤维杆菌门和无壁菌门,母马粪便中厚壁菌门丰度显著高于马驹（P < 0.05）;拟杆菌门母马比马驹高33.93%,差异不显著（P > 0.05）。由此可见,母马粪便菌群多样性显著高于断奶前马驹;母马与断奶前马驹粪便主要菌是厚壁菌门、拟杆菌门和变形菌门,母马粪便中厚壁菌门和拟杆菌门丰度均高于断奶前马驹。     

A cross-sectional survey of Thoroughbred stud farm management in the North Island of New Zealand

AIM: To obtain initial baseline data on the management of Thoroughbred stud farms in the North Island of New Zealand.

METHODS: Data on the management of Thoroughbred stud farms were collected from a sample of 22 stud farms located in the south Auckland/Waikato region (n=15) and lower North Island (n=7) of New Zealand, using a face-to-face survey. The studmaster provided information on the size, scope and management of the farms during the 2004/2005 breeding season. Analysis was based on the location of the farm and size of the breeding operation (number of resident mares).

RESULTS: Effective farm size ranged from 20 to 526 ha and averaged 167 (standard error (SE) 36) and 88 (SE 49) ha in the south Auckland/Waikato and lower North Island areas, respectively. Some farms in the Auckland/Waikato region stood shuttle stallions. The median number of stallions per farm was three (range 0.9), and the median mare-to-stallion ratio was 43 (range 10.250). The farms had a mean of 50 (range 7.180) wet mares and 21 (range 0.100) dry mares. The number of mares per breeding stallion increased with increasing size of breeding operation (p=0.04), being 28 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 10.56) vs 40 (95% CI=16.74) vs 74 (95% CI=44.113) for moderate (≤70 mares), medium (90–199 mares) and large (≥200 mares in total) operations, respectively. Seventy-one percent of farms aimed to breed dry mares early in the breeding season, and used a combination of lights, hormone therapy, and rising plane of nutrition to achieve this.

Foaling took place in foaling paddocks monitored using a night foaling attendant (17/22) or with foaling alarms (5/22). At birth, 17/22 studmasters routinely administered antibiotics, 14/22 administered tetanus antitoxin, 9/22 administered an enema to foals, and 2/22 did not routinely administer prophylactic treatments. Weaning occurred at 5 (range 3.7–7) months of age, and foals were confined to a box for 1–2 weeks on 16/22 farms. Weaned foals were drenched with anthelmintics every 7 (range 4–9) weeks, and were fed 2.9 (range 1–6) kg of concentrate feed while at pasture until intensive management associated with preparation of the horses for auction began 13 (range 6–20) weeks before the yearling sales. Eight farms weighed the weanlings, at least monthly, to monitor growth.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The management of Thoroughbred horses was relatively consistent throughout the regions surveyed. Utilisation of breeding stallions tended to be more efficient on the larger stud farms in the south Auckland/Waikato region. Even though foals are grown at pasture they are often provided with large quantities of concentrate feed.     

A cross-sectional survey of Thoroughbred stud farm management in the North Island of New Zealand

AIM: To obtain initial baseline data on the management of Thoroughbred stud farms in the North Island of New Zealand. METHODS: Data on the management of Thoroughbred stud farms were collected from a sample of 22 stud farms located in the south Auckland/Waikato region (n=15) and lower North Island (n=7) of New Zealand, using a face-to-face survey. The studmaster provided information on the size, scope and management of the farms during the 2004/2005 breeding season. Analysis was based on the location of the farm and size of the breeding operation (number of resident mares). RESULTS: Effective farm size ranged from 20 to 526 ha and averaged 167 (standard error (SE) 36) and 88 (SE 49) ha in the south Auckland/Waikato and lower North Island areas, respectively. Some farms in the Auckland/Waikato region stood shuttle stallions. The median number of stallions per farm was three (range 0-9), and the median mare-to-stallion ratio was 43 (range 10-250). The farms had a mean of 50 (range 7-180) wet mares and 21 (range 0-100) dry mares. The number of mares per breeding stallion increased with increasing size of breeding operation (p=0.04), being 28 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 10-56) vs 40 (95% CI=16-74) vs 74 (95% CI=44-113) for moderate (or=200 mares in total) operations, respectively. Seventy-one percent of farms aimed to breed dry mares early in the breeding season, and used a combination of lights, hormone therapy, and rising plane of nutrition to achieve this. Foaling took place in foaling paddocks monitored using a night foaling attendant (17/22) or with foaling alarms (5/22). At birth, 17/22 studmasters routinely administered antibiotics, 14/22 administered tetanus antitoxin, 9/22 administered an enema to foals, and 2/22 did not routinely administer prophylactic treatments. Weaning occurred at 5 (range 3.7-7) months of age, and foals were confined to a box for 1-2 weeks on 16/22 farms. Weaned foals were drenched with anthelmintics every 7 (range 4-9) weeks, and were fed 2.9 (range 1-6) kg of concentrate feed while at pasture until intensive management associated with preparation of the horses for auction began 13 (range 6-20) weeks before the yearling sales. Eight farms weighed the weanlings, at least monthly, to monitor growth. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The management of Thoroughbred horses was relatively consistent throughout the regions surveyed. Utilisation of breeding stallions tended to be more efficient on the larger stud farms in the south Auckland/Waikato region. Even though foals are grown at pasture they are often provided with large quantities of concentrate feed.     

Evaluation of equine breeding farm characteristics as risk factors for development of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals

OBJECTIVE: To identify farm characteristics as risk factors for the development of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals. DESIGN: Prospective matched case-control study. ANIMALS: 2,764 foals on 64 equine breeding farms with 9,991 horses. PROCEDURE: During 1997, participating veterinarians completed paired data collection forms, 1 for a farm with > or = 1 foal with R equi pneumonia and 1 for an unaffected control farm. Matched data were compared by use of conditional logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Farm characteristics found in bivariate analyses to be associated with increased risk for pneumonia caused by R equi in foals included > 200 farm acres, > or = 60 acres used in the husbandry of horses, > 160 horses, > or = 10 mares housed permanently on the farm (resident mares), > 17 foals, > 0.25 foals/acre, and the presence of transient mares (mares brought temporarily to the farm for breeding or foaling) and their foals. Affected farms were significantly more likely to be > 200 acres in size and have > or = 10 resident dam-foal pairs, whereas control farms were significantly more likely to have > or = 75% of their dam-foal pairs housed permanently on the farm. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Breeding farms with large acreage, a large number of mares and foals, high foal density, and a population of transient mares and foals are at high risk for foals developing pneumonia caused by R equi.     

Studies on serum selenium and tocopherol in white muscle disease of foal

In order to clarify the cause of white muscle disease (W.M.D.) in foals, tocopherol and selenium concentrations in serum and glutathione peroxidase activities in blood were measured. Examination was made on the samples from horses affected with W.M.D., the foal kept with them in the same stable, the foals kept in the stables without affected foals, and respective mares. The heavy-breed horses in Fukuoka prefecture and Tokachi district were also examined for comparison. Serum tocopherol levels of these foals were normal because after intake of colostrum. Mares of affected foals showed lower tocopherol levels than other examined mares (p less than 0.01). Serum selenium levels of all foals were below 65 ppb, showing deficient levels. The mares of affected foals had lower selenium levels than other mares (p less than 0.01). There was a good correlation between serum selenium concentration and blood glutathione peroxidase activity (r = 0.81). Selenium levels in the liver of affected foals were lower than the foals which succumbed with other diseases. Diet supplied in the stables with affected foals showed low alpha-tocopherol and selenium contents. These findings suggest that W.M.D. in foals is attributed to nutritional muscular dystrophy caused by tocopherol and selenium deficiency of their mares in late gestation period.     

Serological status of mares in parturition and the levels of antibodies (IgG) against protozoan family Sarcocystidae from their pre colostral foals

Protozoa from the family Sarcocystidae are agents of reproductive and neurological disorders in horses. The transmission of these protozoa may occur via horizontal or vertical means, and the frequency and potential of the later is not fully elucidated in horses. Thus, the aim of study was to correlation levels of antibodies in mares with pre colostral foals seropositive and assess the level and distribuition of antibodies against Neospora spp., Sarcocystis neurona and Toxoplasma gondii, in mares and pre colostral foals at the parturition. The blood samples were collected from mares immediately after parturition and from newborns before the ingestion of colostrum, and sera were analyzed for the presence of IgG by ELISA. It was found that 21.5%, 33.7% and 27.6% of mares were seropositive for Neospora spp., S. neurona and T. gondii, respectively; foals had antibodies at a rate of 8.3%, 6.6% and 6.6% for Neospora spp., S. neurona and T. gondii, respectively. Additionally, paired samples from mares and pre-colostral foals revealed an overall negative correlation between the serum reactivity against these three parasites and suggested that seronegative mares, or those with low to intermediate antibody levels, have a higher risk of giving birth to seropositive foals.     

Interpretation of the detection of Sarcocystis neurona antibodies in the serum of young horses

Horses that are exposed to Sarcocystis neurona, a causative agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, produce antibodies that are detectable in serum by western blot (WB). A positive test is indicative of exposure to the organism. Positive tests in young horses can be complicated by the presence of maternal antibodies. Passive transfer of maternal antibodies to S. neurona from seropositive mares to their foals was evaluated. Foals were sampled at birth (presuckle), at 24h of age (postsuckle), and at monthly intervals. All foals sampled before suckling were seronegative. Thirty-three foals from 33 seropositive mares became seropositive with colostrum ingestion at 24h of age, confirming that passive transfer of S. neurona maternal antibodies occurs. Thirty-one of the 33 foals became seronegative by 9 months of age, with a mean seronegative conversion time of 4.2 months. These results indicate that evaluation of exposure to S. neurona by WB analysis of serum may be misleading in young horses.     

Insulin sensitivity and glucose dynamics during pre-weaning foal development and in response to maternal diet composition

Nutritional management of animals during pregnancy can affect glucose and insulin dynamics in the resulting offspring through influences on fetal development. Additionally, high starch feeding in mature horses is associated with reduced insulin sensitivity and an increased risk for diseases such as obesity and laminitis. However, no study has yet evaluated the effect of feeding a high starch diet to pregnant mares on glucose and insulin dynamics in their offspring. Twenty late-gestation mares maintained on pasture were provided two-thirds of digestible energy requirements from isocaloric, isonitrogenous low starch (LS, n = 10) or high starch (HS, n = 10) feed. Their foals were assessed with an insulin-modified frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test at 5, 40, 80, and 160 d of age. Baseline glucose concentrations, insulin sensitivity, and insulin-independent glucose clearance in 5-d foals were all greater than values observed in mature horses and declined towards mature values as foals reached 160 d of age. Baseline glucose concentrations were all within normal range, but higher in foals born from HS mares through 80 d of age. Insulin sensitivity was not different between dietary groups until a trend for lower insulin sensitivity in HS foals emerged at 160 d of age. These data are the first to characterize decreasing insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in Thoroughbred foals from 5 to 160 d of age. This study also presents the first data examining glucose and insulin dynamics in developing foals in response to maternal high starch diet.     

The ontogeny of serum insulin-like growth factor-I concentration in foals: Effects of dam parity,diet, and age at weaning

The effects of dam parity, age at weaning, and preweaning diet were examined in the ontogeny of serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentrations in foals. Foals born to 13 primiparous and 19 multiparous draft-cross mares were weighed and bled near birth. About one-half of the foals in each group were weaned early (about 13 wk old); the remaining foals were weaned late (about 16 wk of age). Pooled values for serum IGF-I concentrations between birth and 17 wk of age were higher (P < 0.065) for foals born to multiparous (386 ng/ml) than to primiparous mares (237.5 ng/ml). Colts (378 ng/ml) had higher (P < 0.05) serum IGF-I concentrations than fillies (254.5 ng/ml), regardless of dam parity. Colts (173.5 kg) also tended (P = 0.12) to be heavier than fillies (159.2 kg). Weaning, whether at 13 or 16 wk of age, reduced (P < 0.05) growth rates and serum IGF-I concentrations. Serum IGF-I values recovered to preweaning values within 1–3 wk postweaning concurrent to an improved weight gain. Fifteen 1-d-old foals in a second study were fed milk replacer for 7 wk and were compared with five foals that nursed their mares for 8 wk. During the first 2 wk, replacer-fed foals (0.46 kg/d) did not gain as rapidly (P < 0.03) as mare-nursed foals (1.73 kg/d). The associated serum IGF-I values for replacer foals (139.4 ng/ml) were lower (P < 0.0001) than values for mare-nursed foals (317.4 ng/ml). Despite similarity in gains for both groups thereafter, serum IGF-I concentrations of replacer-fed foals were only 36 and 60% of values obtained for mare-nursed foals at 8 (weaning) and 18 wk of age, respectively. The intrinsic differences between mare-nursed and milk-replacer foals in serum IGF-I concentrations persisted to 1 yr of age despite similarities in dietary management and body weight of the foals. At 1 yr of age, the serum IGF-I concentration of mare-nursed foals (1,203 ng/ml) was 48% higher than that of replacer-fed foals (815 ng/ml). These data indicate that dam parity, sex of foal, and preweaning nutrition affect the ontogeny of serum IGF-I concentration in the foal. The chronic, persistent difference in serum IGF-I values created by the early nutritional management of growing animals has implications in the interpretation of longitudinal serum IGF-I studies in all species.     

Genetic analyses of new movement traits using detailed evaluations of warmblood foals and mares

Detailed movement evaluations of warmblood foals and mares were performed in connection with regular breeding events of the Oldenburg horse breeding societies in 2009 and 2010. Unfavourable movement characteristics considered indicative for impaired balance were noted by a special judge (SJ) and the regular judges of the breeding events (RJ) and served as the basis for definition of new movement traits. Detailed movement information on 3374 foals and 2844 mares showed that more severe findings like irregular motion pattern in hind legs or irregularity in general motion pattern occurred only sporadically (prevalences of 1-2%). Irregular tail tone or posture was documented for 4% of the foals and 5% of the mares, resulting in prevalences of the comprehensive trait indications of imbalance (IMB) of 6.2% (foals) and 5.5% (mares). Binary coding was used for all traits, and genetic parameters were estimated bivariately in linear animal models with residual maximum likelihood. Comparative analyses between judges revealed that differences between trait definitions of SJ and RJ were larger in the mares than in the foals, but justified combined use of SJ and RJ information in both age groups. Heritability estimates for the movement traits ranged on the original scale from 0.02 to 0.26 in the foals and from 0.03 to 0.12 in the mares, with heritabilities for IMB on the underlying liability scale of 0.46 (foals) and 0.22 (mares). Comparative analyses between age groups indicated that common genetic factors may be responsible for findings of impaired balance in foals and mares. The results implied that horse breeding may benefit from using the early available information on the movement of foals obtained by detailed movement evaluations, although favourable combination of foal and mare data in future genetic evaluations may require refined recording of unfavourable movement characteristics in the adult horses.     

The effect of the sedative and analgesic detomidine for laryngoscopy of adult horses and foals]

Detomidine was used in this field trial effectively as a sedative and analgesic for laryngoscopic examinations in a total of 193 foals and 806 mature horses (Hanoverians). Detomidine was given either i.v. in foals 3 to 11 months old (20 micrograms/kg) and in mature horses (15 micrograms/kg), or i.m. in foals below 6 months of age (35 micrograms/kg). After i.v. administration, laryngoscopy was tolerated in more than 90% of all animals without additional use of a twitch, while in foals treated i.m. more than 70% required a twitch in order to enable this procedure. The effectiveness of detomidine was influenced by dose, route of administration, the time interval between treatment and examination and the degree of excitement before treatment, but not by sex. Profound bradycardia was evident in all treated animals, but arrhythmias were seen only in animals older than 4 months and were more pronounced in horses with a lower resting heart rate. These cardiovascular responses never endangered any of the treated animals. A transient dyspnea was seen in 13 foals (6.7%) and 10 horses (1.2%). Other side effects were rare. The foaling rate of 297 mares treated at any time during the first 8 months of pregnancy was 66.7%. A comparison with 5499 untreated, contemporary controls revealed a foaling rate of 61.0%. Hence treatments had no adverse effects on pregnancies.     

Serological responses of mares and weanlings following vaccination with an inactivated whole virus equine herpesvirus 1 and equine herpesvirus 4 vaccine

Equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) is a major cause of respiratory disease and abortion in horses worldwide. Although some vaccines have been shown experimentally to reduce disease, there are few reports of the responses to vaccination in the field. This study measured antibody responses to vaccination of 159 mares (aged 4-17 years) and 101 foals (aged 3-6 months) on a large stud farm with a killed whole virus EHV-1/4 vaccine used as per the manufacturer's recommendations. Using an EHV glycoprotein D (gD)-specific ELISA and a type-specific glycoprotein G (gG) ELISA, respectively 13.8 and 28.9% of mares, and 42.6 and 46.6% of foals were classed as responding to vaccination. Additionally, 16.4 and 17.6% of mares were classified as persistently seropositive mares. Using both assays, responder mares and foals had lower week 0 mean ELISA absorbances than non-responder mares and foals. Responder mares were ten times more likely to have responder foals, and non-responder mares were six times more likely to have non-responder foals than other mares using the gG ELISA. Mares aged 7 years or less and foals aged 4 months or more were more likely to respond to vaccination than animals in other age groups. There was no association between response of mares and the number of previous vaccinations received and persistently seropositive mares did not respond to vaccination. This study documents the responses of mares and foals to vaccination in a large scale commercial environment in 2000, and suggests that knowledge of antibody status may allow a more selective vaccination strategy, representing considerable savings to industry.     

An outbreak of equine neonatal salmonellosis

An outbreak of salmonellosis in foals occurred on a large Thoroughbred farm in California. Only foals less than 8 days of age exhibited clinical signs, which included depression, anorexia, and diarrhea. Three foals died from septicemia. The agent responsible was Salmonella ohio, which is rarely involved in salmonellosis in horses. During the course of the outbreak, S. ohio was isolated from 27 of 97 mares (27.8%) and 34 of 97 foals (35.1%). Mares were the presumed source of infection for foals. The absence of clinical signs in mares allowed for increased exposure of foals through environmental contamination. Although foals continued to become infected after strict control measures were adopted, none became ill. Salmonella serotypes of seemingly low virulence can produce serious disease outbreaks.     

Behavior of artificially suckled foals

Artificial feeding of foals is rarely practiced other than for raising orphans. This study investigated the effects of an artificial feeding system on the growth and welfare of a group of “Cavallo Agricolo Italiano da Tiro Pesante Rapido” foals (n = 12). A viable artificial rearing method could allow for the commercial supply of mare’s milk for cosmetic or pediatric purposes. Six foals were maintained on an artificial suckling (AS) regimen using a modified bovine milk replacer, and 6 remained with their dams (control group, naturally suckled [NS]).Housing and management was identical for both groups. During the 6-month trial, the foals were weighed every 3 weeks from 4 days of age, and their daily weight gains were calculated. Foals were directly observed for 6 separate 24-hour periods at 4, 10, 47, 114, 142, and 176 days of age, and an ethogram was compiled from the observed behaviors (resting, social, alimentary, and eliminative).All data were analyzed using a repeated measures analysis.At 4 days of age, the behavior of the AS foals was significantly different from that of the control group foals in that they stood up for longer duration (530 vs. 174 minutes, P < 0.01), performed fewer suckling bouts (P < 0.01), and did not play (P < 0.01) or lick (P < 0.05). AS foals were more aggressive and cross-suckled more (P < 0.01) at 10 days of age than at the first observation period.After weaning, AS foals ate more concentrate and less hay than the control group foals (P < 0.01). However, at the end of the trial, there were no significant differences between the groups in terms of weight (AS vs. NS [mean ± standard deviation]: 350 ± 15 vs. 360 ± 20 kg, P = 0.34) and daily weight gains (1630 ± 370 vs. 1600 ± 310 g/d, P = 0.88).Artificial suckling techniques could be applied to Cavallo Agricolo Italiano da Tiro Pesante Rapido foals, without negative effects on growth and welfare during the first 6 months of life. In fact, after an initial adaptation period, the AS foals did not exhibit any abnormal behavior or behavioral differences compared with NS foals. Further studies are required to improve this rearing technique, which could facilitate the efficient raising of orphan foals and/or marketing equine milk. Additional research would enable the effects of this rearing technique on the long-term growth, behavior, and health of the foals.     

Temporal detection of equine herpesvirus infections of a cohort of mares and their foals

The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of equine herpesviruses (EHV) 1-5 in the nasal secretions (NS) of a cohort of 12 mares and their foals from birth to 6 months of age, estimate the prevalence of EHV-1-5 infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of selected foals, and investigate phylogenetic relationships amongst the various strains of EHV-2 and 5. Virus-specific PCR assays were used to detect EHV-1-5 in NS and PBMC. A homologous portion of the glycoprotein B (gB) gene of the various strains of EHV-2 and 5 was sequenced and compared. EHV-2, 4, and 5 were all detected in NS from the horses, but only EHV-4 was associated with respiratory disease (P=0.005). EHV-2 and 5 infections were both common, but foals shed EHV-2 in their NS earlier in life than EHV-5 (P=0.01). Latent EHV-2 and 5 infections were detected in the PBMC of 75 and 88%, respectively, of the foals at approximately 6 months of age. The strains of EHV-2 shed in the NS of individual horses were more genetically heterogeneous than the strains of EHV-5 (95.5-99.3% versus 98.8-99.3% nucleotide identity, respectively). One-month-old foals typically shed strains of EHV-2 that were identical to those infecting their dams whereas older foals often shed virus strains that were different from those of their dams. Although herpesvirus infections were ubiquitous in this cohort of horses, there were distinct clinical consequences and clear epidemiological differences between infections with the different viruses.