Conversations in Equine Science
By Nancy McLean
Conversations in Equine ScienceFeb 13, 2023
Highlighting relevant genes for equine behavior.
In this episode Nancy and Kate discuss a 2023 paper on equine genomics and behavior traits.
Research reference/link:
Holtby, A.R., Hall, T.J., McGivney, B.A., Han, H., Murphy, K.J., MacHugh, D.E. et al. (2023) Integrative genomics analysis highlights functionally relevant genes for equine behaviour. Animal Genetics, 54, 457–469.
Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/age.13320#:~:text=t%20p%20s%3A%20//d%20o%20i.or%20g%20/10.1111/a%20g%20e.1332%200
Interview with Christine Sanchez on the Equine Gut Biome
Today's episode is about the variability of the Equine Gut Biome. Christine Sanchez has been researching the importance of biome health in all horses.
For more information contact Christine at chrisiesanchez@gmail.com
or
Dr. Tom Schell @ secondvet.com
Donkey Hide Legislation Update
This week Kate and Nancy revisit the Donkey Skin Trade (ejiao) crisis and the African Union Ban of February 2024.
Research Reference/Link:
Shan Su, Ewan A. Macdonald, Nico Arcilla, Maurice Beseng, Felipe Thomaz, David W. Macdonald (2023). Characterising the links between the trade in donkey skins for traditional Chinese medicine and timber of conservation concern, Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 46.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423002330
Link to 2021 Donkey hide episode: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/dj6qsbfiIIb
Link to The Brooke: https://www.thebrooke.org/
Interview with "MadBarn" Owner/Founder Scott Cieslar
This episode Nancy and Kate interview Scott Cieslar owner of MadBarn. Madbarn is a nutrition, and supplement company that also fuels equine research. Listen in and check out the website @ https://madbarn.com/ (USA) or https://madbarn.ca/ (Canada).
Emotion and Pain Recognition in Horses using Artificial Intelligence Applications.
This week Kate and Nancy discuss using smartphone apps to help in the recognition of emotions and pain in horses.
Research Reference/Link
Corujo, Luis A., Emily Kieson, Timo Schloesser, and Peter A. Gloor. (2021). "Emotion Recognition in Horses with Convolutional Neural Networks" Future Internet 13, no. 10: 250.
https://doi.org/10.3390/fi13100250
Equine Pain and Welfare App:
Link to Training Program for EPWA:
Horse health research and how it is helping humans.
Nancy and Kate talk about Dr. Manfredi's equine metabolic research at Michigan State University.
Reference/Link to article:
Manfredi, J. (2023). Horse health research will help humans stay healthy, too, with insights on reining in diabetes and obesity, The Conversation; Michigan State University.
Bell Mares...a look back in history.
This week Nancy takes a look at the use of Bell Mares during the 1800s up to WWII.
Research References:
L. Proops et al (2012).Social relations in a mixed group of mules, ponies and donkeys reflect differences in equid type, Behavioral Processes.
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376635712000654
Górecka-Bruzda A, Jastrzębska E, Drewka M, Nadolna Z, Becker K, Lansade L (2022) Female Horses are more socially dependent than geldings kept in riding clubs. Appl Anim Behav Sci 254:105714.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105714
Equine Assisted Services
This episode Kate and Nancy discuss a listeners' recently published research. This research is a 2024 update to our past episodes on Equine Assisted Therapy.
Research Reference:
Seery, Rita, and Deborah Wells. 2024. "An Exploratory Study into the Backgrounds and Perspectives of Equine-Assisted Service Practitioners" Animals 14, no. 2: 347.
The Impact of Weather on Equine Activity
This week Nancy and Kate discuss a listeners' email request via a recently published paper on the effects of weather on pastured horses.
Research Reference and Link (not open access-snippets available.):
Keller, G.A.; Nielsen, B.D.; Vergara-Hernandez, F.B.; Robison, C.I. Tracking the Impact of Weather on Equine Activity While Pastured. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2022, 116, 104052.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0737080622001903
Using the Equine Brief Pain Inventory (EBPI) to assess osteoarthritis in horses.
Kate and Nancy discuss using the EBPI to manage osteoarthritis in horses.
References and Link:
Howard DL, Lancaster B, de Grauw J. Development and Preliminary Validation of an Equine Brief Pain Inventory for Owner Assessment of Chronic Pain Due to Osteoarthritis in Horses. Animals. 2024; 14(2):181.
A look back at the equine flu epidemic of 1872
Nancy and Kate discuss the horses role in 1872 and how an equine flu epidemic shut down the US economy, but also led to improved horse welfare.
Research Reference/Link:
Freeberg, Ernest (2020). How a flu virus shut down the US economy in 1872 – by infecting horses. The Conversation US, Boston, MA. December Issue.
Year End Review for Episodes of 2023
Nancy and Kate review their favorite episodes and then reveal the favorite episodes of the listeners.
Welcome Everyone to 2024 - Season 5
The Influence of Podcasting on Equine Welfare
Kate and Nancy discuss their recently published research paper on the preliminary results of their Conversations in Equine Science listener survey.
Reference and Link: Acton, K., McLean, N. & MacKay, J.R.D. (2023) Preliminary evidence supporting the use of equine science podcasts to bridge the gap between scientists and horse enthusiasts to improve horse welfare. Equine Veterinary Education, 00, 1–11. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/eve.13926
Horses as teachers for human-robot interactions.
This week Nancy and Kate discuss how horses are once again helping humans navigate the new frontier of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Research Reference and Link:
Eakta Jain and Christina Gardner-McCune. 2023. Horse as Teacher: How human-horse interaction informs human-robot interaction. In Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '23). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 536, pp. 1–13.
What do rider’s want from an arena surface?
This week Nancy discusses two peer reviewed papers on how to assess arena surface safety and usefulness.
Research References and Links:
Holt, D., Northrop, A., Martin, J., Daggett, A. and Hobbs, S. (2014), What do Riders Want from an Arena Surface?. Equine Vet J, 46: 41-42.
https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.12267_126
Northrop, A., Martin, J., Blundell, E., Owen, A. and Hobbs, S. (2014), Development of the Equestrian Arena Surfaces for the 2012 Olympic Games. Equine Vet J, 46: 45-46.
Results of the massage trial.
This week Nancy gives a summary of her results with replicating the hind-end massage study using her own horses.
Research Reference/Link:
Mabbutt, C., Yarnell, K., and Ferro de Godoy, R. (2022). Comparative Exercise Physiology Vol. 18 (5), pp. 419-426
https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/epdf/10.3920/CEP220022?role=tab
Social License to Operate (SLO); The Grand National.
This week Kate and Nancy discuss the recently published paper questioning the protests and disagreements that occurred at this years (2023) Grand National at Aintree.
Research Reference and Link (Open Access):
Pearson, G.; Douglas, J.; Wolframm, I.; Furtado, T. Used like Pawns or Treated like Kings? How Narratives around Racehorse Welfare in the 2023 Grand National May Affect Public Acceptance: An Informed Commentary. Animals 2023, 13, 3137. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13193137
Forces and pressures on the horses back during bareback riding versus riding in a conventional saddle.
This week Nancy discusses a research paper comparing pressures/forces in bareback riding with riding in a well fitted conventional saddle.
Research Reference with Link: H.M. Clayton et al.(2013). Forces and pressures on the horse’s back during bareback riding. The Veterinary Journal.
Update on Deworming Protocols for Gastrointestinal Parasites in Adult Horses.
This week Nancy and Kate discuss a paper that investigated a herd of 18 mares that were housed on a pasture since 1979 without a deworming program. Nancy also relates the lecture information from a seminar she attended about deworming horses to combat parasite resistance.
Reference and Link to Research Paper:
Steuer, A.E., Anderson, H.P., Shepherd, T. et al. (2022). Parasite dynamics in untreated horses through one calendar year. Parasites Vectors 15, 50.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-022-05168-z
Link to a Veterinary article describing the newest thoughts on deworming programs for adult horses:
Deworming Programs- One Size Does Not Fit All. https://www.steinbeckpeninsulaequine.com/post/deworming-programs-one-size-does-not-fit-all
Assessing Welfare of Domestic Horses using the Wild Horse Herd Model.
This episode Kate and Nancy discuss a paper revealing updated research on the requirements of horses using the 5 domains model. This is a foundational start to assessing welfare.
Research Reference:
Harvey, A.M.; Ramp, D.; Mellor, D.J. Review of the Foundational Knowledge Required for Assessing Horse Welfare. Animals 2022, 12, 3385.
How Happy Are Equine Athletes ?
This week Nancy and Kate discuss welfare issues in equestrian sports and leisure riding.
Research Reference/Link:
Furtado, T.; Preshaw, L.; Hockenhull, J.; Wathan, J.; Douglas, J.; Horseman, S.; Smith, R.; Pollard, D.; Pinchbeck, G.; Rogers, J.; et al. How Happy Are Equine Athletes? Stakeholder Perceptions of Equine Welfare Issues Associated with Equestrian Sport. Animals 2021, 11, 3228.
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/11/3228#app1-animals-11-03228
When lightning strikes.
This week Kate and Nancy discuss lightening strikes in animals and how to lessen the odds of having a horse struck by lightning.
Research Reference:
Gomes, C., (2012). Lightning safety of animals. International Journal of Biometeorology (56), pp. 1011–1023.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-011-0515-5
Additional Information: https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning
Do you see what I see? Looking into equine personality testing.
This week Nancy and Kate discuss the Equine Personality Test (EPT) and it's reliability scores.
Research Reference: A. Jolivald, K. Yarnell, C. Hall, C. Ijichi (2022). Do you see what I see? Investigating the validity of an equine personality questionnaire. Applied Animal Behaviour Science., 248, Article 105567
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159122000259
Improving gait symmetry through a hindlimb massage program.
This week Kate and Nancy discuss a hindlimb massage routine that improved hindlimb gait flexibility and symmetry in a peer reviewed research study.
Research Reference: Mabbutt, C., Yarnell, K., and Ferro de Godoy, R. (2022). Comparative Exercise Physiology Vol. 18 (5), pp. 419-426
Link: https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/epdf/10.3920/CEP220022?role=tab
Gymnastic Training and Dynamic Mobilization Exercises for Horses.
This week Nancy and Kate discuss an equine exercise program using Gymnastic Training coupled with Dynamic Mobilization Exercises to improve stride quality and strength. Epaxial muscles also were targeted for increased muscle strength and size.
K. de Oliveira et al., (2015). Gymnastic training and dynamic mobilization exercises improve stride quality and increase epaxial muscle size in therapy horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, Vol 35, pp. 883-893.
Using a goniometer to assess equine joint flexibility.
This episode Kate and Nancy discuss goniometry in horses and humans. They also have additional content from an orthopedic professional (for humans) talking about the practice of using goniometers.
Research Reference:
Liljebrink , Y. and Bergh , A. ( 2010 ). Goniometry: is it a reliable tool to monitor passive joint range of motion in horses? Equine Veterinary Journal 42 ( Suppl. 38 ): pp. 676 – 682 .
https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00254.x
App Store GoniMeter Plus (free) Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/goniometer-plus/id1081939665
Stretching Exercises for Horses: Are They Effective?
Nancy and Kate discuss static and dynamic stretching and how implementing a stretching program, in your routine, can help your horse's performance and also prevent injuries.
Research Reference: A. Frick, (2010). Stretching Exercises for Horses: Are They Effective? Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, Volume 30 (1),
pp. 50-59.
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0737080609007072
Contact Information for Dr. Frick: e-mail: drfrick@lifeextendmethod.com
Evaluation of the Effects of Chiropractic Therapy on Sport Horses
This week Kate and Nancy discuss a paper that evaluates the effects of chiropractic therapy on sport horses. Evaluations are done via static bioimpedence and dynamic acoustic myography.
Research Reference:
Acutt, E.V.; le Jeune, S.S.; Pypendop, B.H. Evaluation of the effects of chiropractic on static and dynamic muscle variables in sport horses. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2019, 73, 84–90.
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0737080618304015
Measuring and categorizing bit lesions to assist riders in the management of bitted horses.
This week Kate and Nancy discuss a paper that proposes owners and riders can measure and categorize bit lesions to assist them in the management of bitted horses. These measurements can also assist in research across the board by offering measurable comparisons.
Research Reference (Open Access):
Tuomola K, Mäki-Kihniä N, Kujala-Wirth M, Mykkänen A and Valros A (2019) Oral Lesions in the Bit Area in Finnish Trotters After a Race: Lesion Evaluation, Scoring, and Occurrence. Front. Vet. Sci. 6:206.
Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2019.00206/full
Equine Asthma and Allergies.
This episode Nancy and Kate discuss 2 papers; the first is a paper that gives an update on the current understanding of Equine Asthma and also gives the future direction of research goals for this devastating disease.
The 2nd paper tracks a molecule, IL-8, which has been found to signal equine allergic immune responses. This may be a component as to how horses and humans develop allergic responses.
Both papers are referenced below.
Couetil, L., Cardwell, J. M., Leguillette, R., Mazan, M., Richard, E., Bienzle, D., Bullone, M., Gerber, V., Ivester, K., Lavoie, J. P., Martin, J., Moran, G., Niedźwiedź, A., Pusterla, N., & Swiderski, C. (2020). Equine Asthma: Current Understanding and Future Directions. Frontiers in veterinary science, 7, 450.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.00450
Elisabeth M. Larson, Susanna Babasyan, Bettina Wagner; IgE-Binding Monocytes Have an Enhanced Ability to Produce IL-8 (CXCL8) in Animals with Naturally Occurring Allergy. J Immunol 15 May 2021; 206 (10): 2312–2321.
https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.2001354
Breed differences in the anatomical configuration of the equine vertebral column
This week Kate and Nancy discuss the equine vertebral column and how this research discovered breed differences in the anatomy of the vertebral column.
Research Reference:
Spoormakers, T.J.P., Veraa, S., Graat, E.A.M., van Weeren, P.R. and Brommer, H. (2021), A comparative study of breed differences in the anatomical configuration of the equine vertebral column. J Anat, 239: 829-838.
Medicine and Horses.
This episode Nancy and Kate discuss medical students gaining insight and empathy skills by working with horses. These medical students were also able to lessen their own stress levels by being around horses and learning about them.
Research Reference and Link (Open Access):
Chakales P A, Locklear J, Wharton T (2020). Medicine and Horsemanship: The Effects of Equine-assisted Activities and Therapies on Stress and Depression in Medical Students. Cureus 12(2): e6896.
Impacts of adiposity on exercise and performance in horses.
This week Kate and Nancy discuss a paper detailing the negative effects that adiposity fat can have on the health and welfare of our horses.
Research reference/link (open access):
Pratt-Phillips, Shannon, and Ahmad Munjizun, (2023). "Impacts of Adiposity on Exercise Performance in Horses" Animals 13, no. 4
Electrocardiograms in horses...using a fitness tracker.
This week Nancy and Kate discuss the findings of a research paper comparing the electrocardiograms of the Televet ECG device with the Equimetre fitness tracker.
Research Reference:
Ter Woort, F., Dubois, G., Tansley, G., Didier, M., Verdegaal, E.L., Franklin, S. and Van Erck‐Westergren, E., 2023. Validation of an equine fitness tracker: ECG quality and arrhythmia detection. Equine Veterinary Journal, 55(2), pp.336-343.
Link: https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/evj.13565
Thanks everyone for listening in so regularly! Please let us know if you have any research inquiries.
Equine Neck Pain
This episode Kate and Nancy discuss Equine Cervical Pain, clinical signs and treatment.
Research Reference/Link (open access):
Story, Melinda R., Kevin K. Haussler, Yvette S. Nout-Lomas, Tawfik A. Aboellail, Christopher E. Kawcak, Myra F. Barrett, David D. Frisbie, and C. Wayne McIlwraith. (2021). "Equine Cervical Pain and Dysfunction: Pathology, Diagnosis and Treatment" Animals 11, no. 2: 422.
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/2/422#app1-animals-11-00422
Rein Tension Research
This week Nancy and Kate discuss a study involving harness trotters and the rein tension that occurred in different gaits.
Research Reference/Link (open access):
Egenvall A, Byström A, Pökelmann M, Connysson M, Kienapfel-Henseleit K, Karlsteen M, McGreevy P and Hartmann E (2022) Rein tension in harness trotters during on-track exercise. Frontier Veterinary Science. 9:987852.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2022.987852/full
Get Your Horses "Into The Zone".
This week Kate and Nancy discuss the theory of "Flow" and is it possible to achieve/measure it in horses and other animals.
Research Reference and Link (open access):
Hintze, S. and Yee, J.R. (2023), Animals in flow – towards the scientific study of intrinsic reward in animals. Biological Reviews.
The effect of stress and exercise on the learning performance of horses.
In this episode Nancy and Kate discuss a paper on the effects of inactivity, moderate exercise and uncontrolled stress on the learning capability of horses.
Research Reference and Link (Open Access):
Henshall, C., Randle, H., Francis, N. et al (2022). The effect of stress and exercise on the learning performance of horses. Scientific Reports, 12, 1918.
Three Decades of Research Dedicated to Making Equine Bones Stronger.
This week Kate and Nancy discuss the newest research paper by Professor Brian Nielsen Of Michigan State University.
Research Reference and Link (Open Access):
Nielsen, B.D. A Review of Three Decades of Research Dedicated to Making Equine Bones Stronger: Implications for Horses and Humans. Animals 2023, 13, 789.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13050789
Work Satisfaction in the Veterinary Profession.
This week Nancy and Kate discuss Kate's research paper that was recently published in the Frontiers in Veterinary Science Journal.
Elte Y, Acton K, Martin J, Nielen M, van Weeren R and Wolframm I (2023) Engage and enjoy–investigating predictors of employee
engagement and work satisfaction in equine veterinary professionals. Front. Vet. Sci. 10:1036388. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1036388
Link (open access): https://eprints.ncl.ac.uk/file_store/production/289354/C0AEFFCA-8F7F-46C2-A0C4-A217DBF85AB3.pdf
Force and Pressure Distribution of Treeless Dressage Saddles and Conventional Dressage Saddles.
This week Kate and Nancy discuss a paper by Hilary Clayton on force and pressures of two styles of dressage saddles; treeless and conventional.
Research Reference and Link (this paper is not open access):
Hilary M. Clayton, Katherine A. O’Connor, LeeAnn J. Kaiser, (2014).
Force and pressure distribution beneath a conventional dressage saddle and a treeless dressage saddle with panels,
The Veterinary Journal, Volume 199, Issue 1, pp. 44-48.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S109002331300508X?via%3Dihub#section-cited-by
Recognizing anxiety in horses.
This episode Nancy looks into a recent research paper that analyzed interview responses from registered Equine Behaviorists on how well their clients detected fear and anxiety behavior in horses.
Research reference and link (Open Access):
Rogers, Suzanne, and Catherine Bell. 2022. "Perceptions of Fear and Anxiety in Horses as Reported in Interviews with Equine Behaviourists" Animals 12, no. 21: 2904.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12212904
Horse-show anxiety and how mental preparation can build self confidence for competition success.
This week Kate and Nancy discuss pre-performance anxiety and how elite riders manage and control their anxiety during high pressure situations.
S. McGinn, D. Alcock, and L.J. Cameron (2018). "Straight from the horse’s mouth: understanding professional event riders’ mental preparation for maximising self-confidence prior to competition using thematic analysis." Comparative Exercise Physiology Vol 14 Issue 4, pp. 261-270.
Link to research paper:
https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/epdf/10.3920/CEP180020?role=tab
Horse Pasture Management: Horse Health and Environmental Impact.
This episode Nancy and Kate discuss a research paper that compares horse turnout systems to enhance horse health and ecosystem sustainability.
Research Reference and Link (Open Access):
Furtado, T., King, M., Perkins, E., McGowan, C., Chubbock, S., Hannelly, E., Rogers, J. and Pinchbeck, G. (2022). An Exploration of Environmentally Sustainable Practices Associated with Alternative Grazing Management System Use for Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Mules in the UK. Animals. 12(2), p.151.
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/2/151#B12-animals-12-00151
Effects of Covid-19 Lockdowns on Anxiety and Performance of Elite Riders.
This week Kate and Nancy discuss a research paper detailing the effects of the cessation of training that occurred among elite riders during the Covid 19 lockdowns.
Research Reference and Link (Open Access):
Demarie, Sabrina, Christel Galvani, and Veronique Louise Billat. (2020). "Horse-Riding Competitions Pre and Post COVID-19: Effect of Anxiety, sRPE and HR on Performance in Eventing" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 22: 8648.
Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction in Horses.
This week Nancy and Kate discuss a recent paper on the most current research findings in Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction.
Research Reference and Link:
Kirkwood, NC., Hughes, KJ., Stewart, AJ (2022). Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) in Horses.
Veterinary Science, 9(10), 556.
Summary of 2022, looking back on our favorite episodes.
This week Kate and Nancy discuss their favorite episodes of 2022. We also reveal the most popular episodes as determined by our listeners.
Thank you for your support and listenership. We appreciate each and every one of you!
Happy and Healthy 2023,
Kate and Nancy
The most popular episode of 2022....The Equine Gut Brain Connection.
This week Nancy and Kate revisit the episode with the most downloads of 2022.
Reference:
Mach, N., Ruet, A., Clark, A. et al (2020). Priming for welfare: gut microbiota is associated with equitation conditions and behavior in horse athletes. Scientific Reports 10, 8311.
(Part 2) Deciphering misinformation in the horse world.
This week Nancy and Kate continue their discussion with Dr. Sheryl King.
Dr. King is an expert on "myth-busting" horse information that occurs frequently within the horse industry. Make sure to listen to Part 1 to get her explanation on how these myths become a part of the equine management industry. This episode will discuss fact checking skills and nutrition fallacies.
Deciphering misinformation in the horse world.
This week Nancy and Kate welcome Dr. Sheryl King to the podcast. Dr. King is an expert on misinformation in the horse industry.
Please direct any questions to Kate on the Conversations in Equine Science Instagram account or Nancy on the Conversations in Equine Science Facebook page. We'll pass them onto Dr. Sheree or send her a friendship request via Sheree King at her Facebook page.
We'll continue Part 2 next week.
Thanks for listening in !