International Journal of Equine Science

Comparative Evaluation of 2-Port Laparoscopic Ovariectomy Using LigaSure versus Standard 3-Port Laparoscopic Ovariectomy with a Bipolar Electrode in Mares

2023-11-19T23:23:43-07:00

Ensuring fast and efficient hemostasis is crucial for achieving optimal outcomes in laparoscopic ovariectomy surgery. This study compared the clinical outcomes of standing laparoscopic ovariectomy for medium-sized granulosa cell tumors (≤15 cm in size) using a 2-port LigaSure versus a 3-port bipolar electrode, focusing on operating time, mean blood loss, intraoperative and postoperative complications, and the duration of the prospective hospital stay. Twelve mares were divided into two groups: six underwent standing laparoscopic ovariectomy with LigaSure through a 2-port approach, while the remaining six underwent the standard 3-port procedure with the bipolar electrode. Our findings demonstrated that 2-port laparoscopic ovariectomy using LigaSure was not only technically feasible and safe but also offered several advantages, including shorter operating times, simplified procedures, decreased postoperative analgesic requirements, and improved cosmetic appearance of surgical wounds. Moreover, this technique proved to be a reliable method for achieving hemostasis of the mesovarium while also being technically straightforward, time-saving, and cost-effective. Overall, our study suggests that 2-port laparoscopic ovariectomy with LigaSure is a promising alternative to the standard 3-port approach. This approach not only benefits patients by potentially reducing postoperative discomfort and enhancing recovery but also provides advantages for surgeons in terms of efficiency and resource utilization.

A Preliminary Study on Amateur French Show Jumper and Dressage Riders: Can Riders Accurately Recall the Duration and Content of Their Warm-Up Routines?

2023-10-15T00:45:04-06:00

Effective warm-up (WU) prior to exercise can increase performance and decrease injury risk. Little is known about how riders design and implement WU routines in training and competition. A two-phase study aimed to understand show-jumper and dressage rider decision-making when selecting WU routines during flatwork sessions at home. An initial survey identified the rider's perception of warm-up use and decision-making. Then, ten riders competing at intermediate levels in dressage (DR) (n = 7: 39 warm-ups) and show-jumping (SJ) (n = 3: 22 warm-ups) videoed their horses' WU; duration, gaits, transitions, and specific movements were recorded by a single observer. A post-warm-up form was completed by riders (DR: 4; SJ: 2; total WU = 44) to assess riders' memory and perception of their warm-up and gain information on external temperature, and horse/rider age. Rider WU profiles were formulated and differences were assessed through a series of Friedmans and Kruskal-Wallis analyses. Riders warmed up for a total of 24 mins ± 7.1 mins (DR: 22 mins 3 secs ± 6 mins; SJ 27 mins, 29 secs ± 8 mins). Riders spent the most time in walk (DR: 48.3%; SJ: 56.4%). Riders (88%), who recorded > 3 WUs, WU sessions significantly differed over time (p < 0.03). Out of the 44 WU analyzed, riders accurately recalled 13.6% of the routines. No significant differences in total WU duration or total time spent warming up in walk were found between temperatures < 5°C and > 30°C even though riders said they adapted their warm-up to the weather during stage 1 of this study. Warm-ups at home seem to be rider and horse-dependent but are not discipline or climate-specific when preparing for a flatwork session at home.

Taking the Bitter with the Sweet - A Preliminary Study of the Short-Term Response of Horses to Various Tastants in Solutions

2024-01-09T04:30:31-07:00

Horses can distinguish sweet, salty, sour, and bitter tastes, but little is known about their preferences for various tastants. Understanding horse taste preferences can aid in increasing water intake by adding a preferred tastant or by masking an unpleasant taste to encourage administration of medications, for example. The quantity of water intake by horses was examined over five separate trials involving a two-choice preference test between tap water and water containing varying concentrations of sucrose (0-50g/100ml), citric acid (0-2.43mg/100ml), quinine (0-30mg/100ml) or a mix of sucrose (10mg/100ml)/citric acid (1.31mg/100ml) and sucrose (10mg/100ml)/quinine (20mg/100ml). Horses (n = 5) showed a weak preference for sweetened water up to 10mg/100ml (p < .001), with a rejection at higher concentrations. Horses rejected all concentrations of both sour (n = 12 horses; p < .001) and bitter (n = 6 horses; p < .001) solutions. In the mixed tastant trials, sucrose mixed with citric acid was only weakly rejected compared to the sucrose solution alone, which was moderately rejected (n = 5 horses; p < .001). Similarly, mixed sucrose/quinine solution intake increased over the quinine solution alone (n = 9 horses; p < .001). There was a large variation among individual horses within each trial, with some horses strongly rejecting sucrose solutions and others strongly preferring citric acid solutions. No horse indicated a preference for bitter solution in any trial. Age (p < .001), breed (p < .001), and exercise (p = .004) all influenced total fluid intake in the sour trial, not dependent on treatment (p = .063). These preliminary results show that some horses appear to prefer sweet and a preferred tastant can mask a less preferred tastant.

Are Current Efforts to Prevent Grooms from Leaving the Industry Effective? An Analysis Based on Principles of Behavior Change

2024-02-11T01:50:28-07:00

Grooms play a vital role in the equestrian sector, providing horses with expert care. Yet the grooming industry is finding itself amid continued outflow of experienced staff due to poor working conditions, insufficient remuneration, and lack of respect towards the profession. In 2022, four high-profile initiatives, the formation of the International Grooming Association (IGA), the 2022 FEI ECCO World Championships, the #ChampionsAsOne initiative, and the Cavalor Best Groom Award aimed to galvanize the grooming industry. Drawing on the COM-B model and Behaviour Change Wheel as a theoretical framework and using a four-part online questionnaire, the current study aimed to determine whether these initiatives were perceived by grooms (N = 1389) as addressing prevalent barriers that currently prevent them from staying in the industry. Statistical analysis using chi-square tests, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests revealed that the initiatives were not perceived as effective. 58.5% of the grooms indicated that the initiatives had no impact on them personally, arguably because the initiatives failed to address those issues perceived as most pressing, namely a high mental and physical workload (physical opportunity) and insufficient remuneration and time off (physical capability). Grooms considered employers, followed by the FEI and the IGA as the most important stakeholders to work towards sustainable change in the grooming industry.

The Impact of Online Educational Talks on Young Equestrians' Knowledge of Breast Health and Breast Issues

2024-02-19T03:29:14-07:00

The breasts are a barrier to female participation in physical activity. Breast and bra issues are prevalent in female horse riders. Wearing a sports bra can minimize these issues, but many do not exclusively wear one for horse-riding. This study investigated the impact of live online breast educational talks on subsequent self-perception of knowledge and understanding. Two online surveys (GoogleForms™), one immediately pre-talk and one immediately post-talk, were created to assess perceived impact. The talks consisted of five sections: breast anatomy; types of sports bras; breast issues in relation to exercise; breast issues specifically related to horse riders and the importance of increasing awareness in the horse-riding community. Four educational talks were delivered to different groups of college and university students (n = 67) studying equine courses. Completed pre- and post-talk surveys (40 female, 2 male) were analyzed using a generalized linear model and post hoc Tukey tests. Comfort talking to others about breast health issues increased significantly after the talks, particularly for larger-breasted (≥ D cup) participants (p = 0.032). Knowledge of bra fit, breast support, and breast pain significantly increased (p < 0.01) post-talk, particularly in those who had not previously experienced breast pain whilst horse-riding (p ≤ 0.001). The intervention was successful at increasing participant understanding and knowledge of breast health issues, although different educational tools such as access to online resources or in-person talks may prove beneficial to equestrians to further increase comfort in broaching breast health issues with peers and support networks in future.

What is Welfare? A Qualitative Study into Perceptions of Equine Welfare of the Dutch Equestrian Community

2024-02-29T00:08:41-07:00

Equine welfare is an increasingly important topic in the Netherlands and abroad. While existing literature broadly captures equine welfare concerns, research focused on Dutch horse enthusiasts is sparse. This study aims to identify what aspects horse enthusiasts in the Netherlands consider essential to safeguard equine welfare. An online survey comprising four binary yes-no questions, and 12 open questions was disseminated via social media. Survey data were analyzed qualitatively using inductive thematic analysis. The survey received 875 complete responses. Thematic analysis led to the identification of three higher-order themes: Equine Husbandry, Human-Horse Interaction, and Equitation. Aspects relating to Equine Husbandry were mentioned most, suggesting that Dutch equine enthusiasts consider aspects relating to housing and management more important to overall equine welfare. Within this theme, lower-order themes such as the ability to perform natural behavior and feeding were most prominent. On the theme of Human-Horse Interaction, respondents highlighted the importance of understanding horse behavior and human-horse communication to ensure their welfare, as well as ethical considerations for treating horses as sentient beings deserving respect. On the theme of Equitation, various aspects of training the rider and the horse were highlighted, including a sound knowledge of tack and equipment. Respondents emphasized the importance of qualified instruction on horse care and welfare. Despite evident awareness of a wide variety of welfare aspects among equestrians, considerable discrepancy between knowledge and practice persists, pointing to the need for tailored education and training to facilitate better application of welfare principles.

Postbiotic Activity of Enterococcus asini EAs 1/11D27 Strain Originating from the Norik of Muráň Breed

2024-03-13T09:37:36-06:00

The Norik of Muráň breed is a Slovak horse breed mainly intended for forestry and agriculture-related work. It is also a unique type among the cold-blooded horse breeds. In general, the microbiota influences animal health status. However, limited information regarding the microbiota of this horse species is available. Similarly, few aspects are known about the species Enterococcus asini bacteriocin (postbiotic) potential. Therefore, this study investigated the E. asini strain EAs 1/11D27, isolated from mucosal samples obtained from horses, along with the evaluation of its molecular characteristics and bacteriocin (postbiotic) activity. Taxonomic allocation of the strain EAs 1/11/D27 was confirmed using the sequencing method, reaching 99.86% similarity (match) with the nucleotide sequence of the strain E. asini NR113929.1. E. asini EAs 1/11D27 has been assigned the GenBank accession number (AN) MN822908. This strain is hemolysis-negative, deoxyribonuclease-negative, and gelatinase-negative. EAs 1/11D27 lacks genes encoding for virulence factors such as gelatinase, enterococcal surface protein, adhesins, hyaluronidase, and aggregation substance. It does not produce damaging enzymes and is susceptible to antibiotics. Additionally, it produces bacteriocin-like substances with inhibitory activity against 165 out of 170 indicator bacteria tested (97%). The highest inhibitory potential was recorded against staphylococci (88), enterococci (57), lactococci (7), and streptococci (4/8). The growth of 9 out of 10 Gram-negative strains was also inhibited. These results suggest a valuable postbiotic potential of the studied bacteriocin substance, and further studies are needed to establish its applications in horses.

Can Repeated Exposure to Music Mitigate Horses' Reactions to Sudden and Unexpected Stimuli?

2024-03-12T02:44:15-06:00

The living conditions imposed on horses mean that they are inevitably confronted with situations that can induce stress. Music is a promising tool for managing such situations, but its benefits could be attenuated by repeated exposure. In this study, we aim to determine whether music can mitigate horses' reactions to unexpected stimuli and if playing the same music daily leads to a loss of its efficiency. We compared three groups of 12 horses that were led on a route punctuated by potentially stressful stimuli for 10 consecutive days. Each group of individuals wore headphones and was consistently subjected to one of the three experimental conditions: a "music" test condition during which the same music track was played, a "noise" condition during which pink noise was played, and a "no-music" control condition. We found that music has a relaxing effect on horse behavior and heart rate. Interestingly, parameters with the pink noise were intermediate between the music and no-music conditions. Regarding the music's loss of efficiency through repeated playing, our results show that this tool continues to effectively mitigate the behavioral expression of stress after seven consecutive exposures, but this effect was not found every day. Music can therefore help make human-horse interactions safer by limiting the stress of horses faced with unexpected events, but further investigation is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms and ensure a safe and consistently efficient use in the field.