Nutrition and Exercise in the Management of Horses and Ponies at High Risk for Laminitis

Body mass conversion and improved insulin response in Colombian Paso horses subjected to a swimming training program

Overweight and obesity in horses affect their athletic performance negatively, making it therefore necessary to develop training protocols that reduce their body fat without causing hoof injuries. The objective of the study was to describe the effect of the application of a swimming training program on metabolic and endocrine variables, in addition to evaluating the changes in subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT) in a group of overweight Colombian Paso Horses (CPHs). Six CPHs were subjected to a decreasing intensity swimming program for four months. The effect of this training on metabolic variables (i.e. aspartate aminotransferase, creatine kinase, triglycerides, cholesterol, glucose) and endocrines (cortisol and insulin) was studied every two months. Additionally, changes in the neck, lumbar, and gluteal SFTs were evaluated. The information was analysed using descriptive statistics, in addition to repeated measures analysis of variance for non-parametric data in the three training moments (P<0.1) and correlation analysis between the SFT and the metabolic and endocrine variables of interest. The swimming training program for CPHs tested in this study produced more evident redistribution of adipose tissue in the gluteal region (Initial SFT = 5.2±2.08 mm; Final SFT = 3.45±2.8 mm), conversion of body mass without weight modification, and use of energy sources such as triglycerides and increased sensitivity to insulin. A limitation of the study was that the horses were not selected according to age, nor were control animals used. In addition, the limited number of horses makes extrapolation of the results inappropriate. In conclusion, the swimming training program with decreasing intensity carried out over a four-month period modified body adipose tissue in CPHs, promoting the use of energy sources, such as triglycerides and increased insulin sensitivity.

Public Roads as Places of Interspecies Conflict: A Study of Horse-Human Interactions on UK Roads and Impacts on Equine Exercise

Real or perceived traffic risk is a significant barrier to walking and cycling. To understand whether similar barriers influence equestrians, this study obtained exercise behaviours, road use and experiences of road-related incidents from UK equestrians (n = 6390) via an online questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with road use and experiencing a near-miss or injury-causing incident in the previous year. Content analysis identified themes around equestrians' decisions not to use roads. Our results show that most equestrians (84%) use roads at least once weekly, and in the previous year, 67.7% had a near-miss and 6.1% an injury-causing incident. Road use differs regionally, with exercise type and off-road route availability. Road-using equestrians covered greater daily distances and were younger. However, younger equestrians were at higher risk of near-misses. Respondents' decisions not to use roads were based on individualised risk assessments arising from: the road itself, perceptions of other road users, the individual horse and the handler's own emotional management. Roads were perceived as extremely dangerous places with potentially high conflict risk. Injury-causing incidents were associated with increasing road-use anxiety or ceasing to use roads, the proximity of off-road routes, having a near-miss and type of road use. Targeted road-safety campaigns and improved off-road access would create safer equestrian spaces.

Genomewide association study reveals a risk locus for equine metabolic syndrome in the Arabian horse

Equine obesity can cause life-threatening secondary chronic conditions, similar to those in humans and other animal species. Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), primarily characterized by hyperinsulinemia, is often present in obese horses and ponies. Due to clinical similarities to conditions such as pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (formerly equine Cushing's disease), conclusive diagnosis of EMS often proves challenging. Aside from changes in diet and exercise, few targeted treatments are available for EMS, emphasizing the need for early identification of at-risk individuals to enable implementation of preventative measures. A genomewide association study (GWAS) using Arabian horses with a history of severe laminitis secondary to EMS revealed significant genetic markers near a single candidate gene () that may play a role in cholesterol homeostasis. The best marker, BIEC2-263524 (chr14:69276814 T > C), was correlated with elevated insulin values and increased frequency of laminitis ( = 0.0024 and = 9.663 × 10, respectively). In a second population of Arabian horses, the BIEC2-263524 marker maintained its associations with higher modified insulin-to-glucose ratio (MIRG) values ( = 0.0056) and BCS ( = 0.0063). Screening of the predicted coding regions by sequencing identified a polymorphic guanine homopolymer and 5 haplotypes in the 3' untranslated region (UTR). An 11 guanine (11-G) allele at was correlated with elevated insulin values in the GWAS population ( = 0.0008) and, in the second population, elevated MIRG and increased BCS > 6.5 ( = 0.0055 and = 0.0162, respectively). The BIEC2-263524-C and the 3' UTR -11(G) polymorphisms were correlated at a 98% frequency, indicating strong linkage disequilibrium across this 150-kb haplotype. Assays for these markers could diagnose horses with a genetic predisposition to develop obesity. Additionally, discovery of FAM174A function may improve our understanding of the etiology of this troubling illness in the horse and warrants investigation of this locus for a role in metabolic- and obesity-related disorders of other species.