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Janczarek I, Stachurska A, Pieszka M, Dracz K, Tkaczyk E, Kędzierski W, Łuszczyński J. Effect of fearfulness and cortisol reactivity to stress on the spatial learning performance in mountain primitive horses. J Vet Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2022.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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2
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Female horses are more socially dependent than geldings kept in riding clubs. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Domino M, Borowska M, Trojakowska A, Kozłowska N, Zdrojkowski Ł, Jasiński T, Smyth G, Maśko M. The Effect of Rider:Horse Bodyweight Ratio on the Superficial Body Temperature of Horse's Thoracolumbar Region Evaluated by Advanced Thermal Image Processing. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:195. [PMID: 35049815 PMCID: PMC8772910 DOI: 10.3390/ani12020195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Appropriate matching of rider-horse sizes is becoming an increasingly important issue of riding horses' care, as the human population becomes heavier. Recently, infrared thermography (IRT) was considered to be effective in differing the effect of 10.6% and 21.3% of the rider:horse bodyweight ratio, but not 10.1% and 15.3%. As IRT images contain many pixels reflecting the complexity of the body's surface, the pixel relations were assessed by image texture analysis using histogram statistics (HS), gray-level run-length matrix (GLRLM), and gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) approaches. The study aimed to determine differences in texture features of thermal images under the impact of 10-12%, >12 ≤15%, >15 <18% rider:horse bodyweight ratios, respectively. Twelve horses were ridden by each of six riders assigned to light (L), moderate (M), and heavy (H) groups. Thermal images were taken pre- and post-standard exercise and underwent conventional and texture analysis. Texture analysis required image decomposition into red, green, and blue components. Among 372 returned features, 95 HS features, 48 GLRLM features, and 96 GLCH features differed dependent on exercise; whereas 29 HS features, 16 GLRLM features, and 30 GLCH features differed dependent on bodyweight ratio. Contrary to conventional thermal features, the texture heterogeneity measures, InvDefMom, SumEntrp, Entropy, DifVarnc, and DifEntrp, expressed consistent measurable differences when the red component was considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata Domino
- Department of Large Animal Diseases and Clinic, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS–SGGW), 02-787 Warsaw, Poland; (M.D.); (N.K.); (T.J.)
| | - Marta Borowska
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Białystok University of Technology, 15-351 Bialystok, Poland;
| | - Anna Trojakowska
- The Scientific Society of Veterinary Medicine Students, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland;
| | - Natalia Kozłowska
- Department of Large Animal Diseases and Clinic, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS–SGGW), 02-787 Warsaw, Poland; (M.D.); (N.K.); (T.J.)
| | - Łukasz Zdrojkowski
- Department of Large Animal Diseases and Clinic, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS–SGGW), 02-787 Warsaw, Poland; (M.D.); (N.K.); (T.J.)
| | - Tomasz Jasiński
- Department of Large Animal Diseases and Clinic, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS–SGGW), 02-787 Warsaw, Poland; (M.D.); (N.K.); (T.J.)
| | - Graham Smyth
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University School of Medicine, Southport, QLD 4222, Australia;
| | - Małgorzata Maśko
- Department of Animal Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS–SGGW), 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
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Masko M, Borowska M, Domino M, Jasinski T, Zdrojkowski L, Gajewski Z. A novel approach to thermographic images analysis of equine thoracolumbar region: the effect of effort and rider's body weight on structural image complexity. BMC Vet Res 2021; 17:99. [PMID: 33653346 PMCID: PMC7923647 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-021-02803-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The horses' backs are particularly exposed to overload and injuries due to direct contact with the saddle and the influence of e.g. the rider's body weight. The maximal load for a horse's back during riding has been suggested not to exceed 20% of the horses' body weight. The common prevalence of back problems in riding horses prompted the popularization of thermography of the thoracolumbar region. However, the analysis methods of thermographic images used so far do not distinguish loaded horses with body weight varying between 10 and 20%. RESULTS The superficial body temperature (SBT) of the thoracolumbar region of the horse's back was imaged using a non-contact thermographic camera before and after riding under riders with LBW (low body weight, 10%) and HBW (high body weight, 15%). Images were analyzed using six methods: five recent SBT analyses and the novel approach based on Gray Level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM) and Gray Level Run Length Matrix (GLRLM). Temperatures of the horse's thoracolumbar region were higher (p < 0.0001) after then before the training, and did not differ depending on the rider's body weight (p > 0.05), regardless of used SBT analysis method. Effort-dependent differences (p < 0.05) were noted for six features of GLCM and GLRLM analysis. The values of selected GLCM and GLRLM features also differed (p < 0.05) between the LBW and HBW groups. CONCLUSION The GLCM and GLRLM analyses allowed the differentiation of horses subjected to a load of 10 and 15% of their body weights while horseback riding in contrast to the previously used SBT analysis methods. Both types of analyzing methods allow to differentiation thermal images obtained before and after riding. The textural analysis, including selected features of GLCM or GLRLM, seems to be promising tools in considering the quantitative assessment of thermographic images of horses' thoracolumbar region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malgorzata Masko
- Department of Animal Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS - SGGW), Nowoursynowska 100, 02-797, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta Borowska
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Białystok University of Technology, Wiejska 45C, 15-351, Bialystok, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Domino
- Department of Large Animal Diseases and Clinic, Veterinary Research Centre and Center for Biomedical Research, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS - SGGW), Nowoursynowska 100, 02-797, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Tomasz Jasinski
- Department of Large Animal Diseases and Clinic, Veterinary Research Centre and Center for Biomedical Research, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS - SGGW), Nowoursynowska 100, 02-797, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Lukasz Zdrojkowski
- Department of Large Animal Diseases and Clinic, Veterinary Research Centre and Center for Biomedical Research, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS - SGGW), Nowoursynowska 100, 02-797, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Zdzislaw Gajewski
- Department of Large Animal Diseases and Clinic, Veterinary Research Centre and Center for Biomedical Research, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS - SGGW), Nowoursynowska 100, 02-797, Warsaw, Poland
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Maśko M, Zdrojkowski L, Domino M, Jasinski T, Gajewski Z. The Pattern of Superficial Body Temperatures in Leisure Horses Lunged with Commonly Used Lunging Aids. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:ani9121095. [PMID: 31817842 PMCID: PMC6940826 DOI: 10.3390/ani9121095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In the training of horses, special lunging aids may be used to regulate head and neck position during exercise without the intervention of a rider. The rubber band and triangle side reins and the chambon have an impact on thoracolumbar kinematics and the motion of the fore- and hindlimbs. Lunging aids are assumed to modulate the work of horses’ muscles, which results in altering the superficial thermographic patterns. Thermography is a non-invasive, contactless imaging technique based on detecting emitted infrared radiation representing the temperature of the body surface, influenced by muscle metabolism and blood circulation. Training sessions for 16 horses performed in the study included exercises at walk, freely active trot, and canter. Surface temperatures of 11 regions of interest were evaluated on all images, corresponding to areas influenced by neck fixation and engaging hindquarters. In conclusion, thermography was shown as a useful tool in lunging aids’ usefulness evaluation. Different types of lunging aids influence the mobility of horse neck and back and its choice for leisure horses lunging should be made individually. Lunging aids change the surface temperature of different body parts during the leisure horse work on the lunge. Abstract Background: The natural head and neck position (HNP) of horses differs from the position in horse riding when bit is used. The special lunging aids (LAs) are applied in order to modify HNP. Different types of LAs have the potential to affect the work of horse muscles and the superficial thermographic patterns (STPs). The effects of thre LAs on STPs of neck, chest, back, and hindquarters were investigated. Methods: Sixteen leisure horses were lunged with freely moving head (FMH), rubber band (RB), chambon (CH), and triangle side reins (TRs). The thermographic images (n = 896) were analyzed before/after lunging for mean temperatures (Tmean) and minimum–maximum difference (Tdiff). Results: Superficial Tmean increased (p < 0.001) in cranial part of neck, back, thoracic area, and limbs after lunging regardless of LAs application or its type. In comparison to other LAs: With RB, Tmean was higher in regions of interest (ROIs) 2,7 and lower in ROIs 3–4 (p < 0.05); with CH, Tmean was higher in ROIs 2–4 and 7 (p < 0.01); and with TRs, Tmean was higher in ROIs 2–4,7,9–11 (p < 0.01). In ROIs 2–4 and 7, Tdiff was lower with LAs than with FMH (p < 0.01) and in ROIs 9–10 with TRs. Conclusions: The choice of LAs should be dictated by the expected effect; however, all LAs increase the quality of the leisure horse lunging. LA use is more desirable than lunging with FMH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malgorzata Maśko
- Department of Animal Breeding, Faculty of Animal Science, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS–SGGW), 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-609-346-669
| | - Lukasz Zdrojkowski
- Department of Large Animal Diseases with Clinic, Veterinary Research Centre and Center for Biomedical Research, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS–SGGW), 02-787 Warsaw, Poland; (L.Z.); (M.D.); (T.J.); (Z.G.)
| | - Malgorzata Domino
- Department of Large Animal Diseases with Clinic, Veterinary Research Centre and Center for Biomedical Research, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS–SGGW), 02-787 Warsaw, Poland; (L.Z.); (M.D.); (T.J.); (Z.G.)
| | - Tomasz Jasinski
- Department of Large Animal Diseases with Clinic, Veterinary Research Centre and Center for Biomedical Research, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS–SGGW), 02-787 Warsaw, Poland; (L.Z.); (M.D.); (T.J.); (Z.G.)
| | - Zdzislaw Gajewski
- Department of Large Animal Diseases with Clinic, Veterinary Research Centre and Center for Biomedical Research, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS–SGGW), 02-787 Warsaw, Poland; (L.Z.); (M.D.); (T.J.); (Z.G.)
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Masko M, Krajewska A, Zdrojkowski L, Domino M, Gajewski Z. An application of temperature mapping of horse's back for leisure horse-rider-matching. Anim Sci J 2019; 90:1396-1406. [PMID: 31461205 DOI: 10.1111/asj.13282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Leisure riding is a popular way of using horses however, unlike sport or racing horses, those are mostly not associated with one rider with high skills. Constant overload of equine musculoskeletal system causes pathologies, which are affecting horse mobility and decreases the horse-rider communication. The aim was to propose the new scoring system of thermograph analysis as an aspect of differences in heat distributions on horseback before and after leisure ridings. The study was conducted on sixteen Polish warmblood horses, scanned with a non-contact thermographic camera. Heat pattern of the thoracolumbar area was evaluated on thermograms taken before and after exercise. The criteria with point values for horse-rider-matching were created: heat points on the dorsal midline of saddle-back contact area and degree of muscle unit overload. The results of thermograph analysis were compared with the results of a questionnaire on horse-rider communication during riding in order to estimate the relevance of matching. The maximum score was obtained in 38.3% and 39.8% of combinations based on the thermograph analysis and questionnaire, respectively. Results of both scoring systems were strongly positive correlated (r = .937), demonstrating high sensitivity (61.72%) and specificity (90.23%) of the matching. The horse-rider matching may improve horse comfort during leisure type of work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malgorzata Masko
- Department of Animal Breeding, Faculty of Animal Science, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS - SGGW), Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Krajewska
- Department of Animal Breeding, Faculty of Animal Science, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS - SGGW), Warsaw, Poland
| | - Lukasz Zdrojkowski
- Department of Large Animal Diseases with Clinic, Veterinary Research Centre and Center for Biomedical Research, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS - SGGW), Warsaw, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Domino
- Department of Large Animal Diseases with Clinic, Veterinary Research Centre and Center for Biomedical Research, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS - SGGW), Warsaw, Poland
| | - Zdzislaw Gajewski
- Department of Large Animal Diseases with Clinic, Veterinary Research Centre and Center for Biomedical Research, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS - SGGW), Warsaw, Poland
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It's all about the sex, or is it? Humans, horses and temperament. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216699. [PMID: 31086385 PMCID: PMC6516668 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
We propose that the anthropomorphic application of gender stereotypes to animals influences human-animal interactions and human expectations, often with negative consequences for female animals. An online survey was conducted to explore riders’ perceptions of horse temperament and suitability for ridden work, based on horse sex. The questionnaire asked respondents to allocate three hypothetical horses (a mare, gelding and stallion) to four riders compromising a woman, man, girl and boy. Riders were described as equally capable of riding each horse and each horse was described as suitable for all riders. Participants were also asked which horses (mares, geldings or stallions) were most suitable for the three equestrian disciplines of show-jumping, dressage and trail-riding. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate people’s perceptions about suitability of horse types for particular riders, to evaluate if age, strength or gender were important in rider choice and to investigate riders’ allocation of various descriptors to a gelding, stallion or mare. There were 1,233 survey respondents, 94% of whom were female and 75% of whom were riders with at least eight years of experience. Binomial logistic regression revealed the girl had 2.5 times the odds of being allocated the gelding compared to the boy (p < 0.001). Respondents were significantly more likely to allocate the stallion to the man and nearly 50% of respondents did not allocate a horse to the boy, even though they ranked rider gender as least important to their choice (p < 0.001). In a forced choice selection of a positive or negative descriptor from a series of nine paired terms to describe horse temperament, a greater proportion of respondents assigned geldings positive ratings on terms such as calm, trainable, reliable and predictable. In terms of suitability for the three equestrian disciplines of show-jumping, dressage and trail-riding, participants overwhelmingly chose geldings for trail-riding, with mares being least preferred for both dressage and show-jumping disciplines. The results suggest that female riders are entering the horse-human dyad with gendered ideas about horse temperament and view horse-riding as an activity primarily for women and girls. This could have far-reaching implications for equine training and welfare.
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Pfeiffenberger M, Bartsch J, Hoff P, Ponomarev I, Barnewitz D, Thöne-Reineke C, Buttgereit F, Gaber T, Lang A. Hypoxia and mesenchymal stromal cells as key drivers of initial fracture healing in an equine in vitro fracture hematoma model. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214276. [PMID: 30947253 PMCID: PMC6449067 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Fractures in horses–whether simple fractures with just one clean break, or incomplete greenstick with stress fractures, or complications such as shattered bones can all be either minimal or even catastrophic. Thus, improvement in fracture healing is a hallmark in equine orthopedics. The fracture healing process implements a complex sequence of events including the initial inflammatory phase removing damaged tissue, re-establishment of vessels and mesenchymal stromal cells, a soft and hard callus phase closing the fracture gap as well as the remodeling phase shaping the bone to a scar-free tissue. Detailed knowledge on processes in equine fracture healing in general and on the initial phase in particular is apparently very limited. Therefore, we generated equine in vitro fracture hematoma models (FH models) to study time-dependent changes in cell composition and RNA-expression for the most prominent cells in the FH model (immune cells, mesenchymal stromal cells) under conditions most closely adapted to the in vivo situation (hypoxia) by using flow cytometry and qPCR. In order to analyze the impact of mesenchymal stromal cells in greater detail, we also incubated blood clots without the addition of mesenchymal stromal cells under the same conditions as a control. We observed a superior survival capacity of mesenchymal stromal cells over immune cells within our FH model maintained under hypoxia. Furthermore, we demonstrate an upregulation of relevant angiogenic, osteogenic and hypoxia-induced markers within 48 h, a time well-known to be crucial for proper fracture healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moritz Pfeiffenberger
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- German Rheumatism Research Centre (DRFZ) Berlin, a Leibniz Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Janika Bartsch
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Paula Hoff
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- German Rheumatism Research Centre (DRFZ) Berlin, a Leibniz Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Igor Ponomarev
- Research Center of Medical Technology and Biotechnology, Bad Langensalza, Germany
| | - Dirk Barnewitz
- Research Center of Medical Technology and Biotechnology, Bad Langensalza, Germany
| | - Christa Thöne-Reineke
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Frank Buttgereit
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- German Rheumatism Research Centre (DRFZ) Berlin, a Leibniz Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Timo Gaber
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- German Rheumatism Research Centre (DRFZ) Berlin, a Leibniz Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - Annemarie Lang
- Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- German Rheumatism Research Centre (DRFZ) Berlin, a Leibniz Institute, Berlin, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Jastrzębska E, Wilk I. Influence of age and experience rider on differentiate the behaviour of recreational horses being prepared for use. Anim Sci J 2018; 89:1712-1718. [DOI: 10.1111/asj.13109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Jastrzębska
- Department of Horse Breeding and Riding; University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn; Olsztyn Poland
| | - Izabela Wilk
- Department of Horse Breeding and Use; University of Life Sciences in Lublin; Lublin Poland
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