Equine
How do horses and humans differ in their preference for treats?
The use of treats for companion animals is common. The use of treats by equine caregivers is increasing, although has been little studied to date, especially in comparison to treat use and choice for other companion s...
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How does the packaging of horse treats affect their palatability and shelf-life?
The use of treats in animal training and management is becoming commonplace. The packaging that treats are stored and sold in varies but should protect the contents from environmental challenges and maintain the integ...
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Does Light Therapy Aid Wound healing?
Light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) are commonly used for treating a variety of disorders in horses, including wounds. Despite anecdotal claims that these LEDs shorten healing times, there is a lack of scientific evaluation ...
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Is obesity linked to low grade systemic inflammation in horses?
It is well recognised that human obesity is linked with systemic inflammation and predisposes the individual to multiple diseases. However, it is unproven if obese equines also produce more inflammatory mediators and ...
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How to tell if your horse is in pain from dental disorders
Dental problems can cause significant discomfort and pain in horses. Sadly, many horses do not demonstrate obvious clinical signs of dental pain leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment which could impact welfare an...
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Severe equine asthma is associated with thickening of the pulmonary arteries
Severe equine asthma leads to raised blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries (pulmonary hypertension) which, if sustained over a long time, can result in right sided heart failure.
Lung inflammation and narrowing of ...
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Do supplements containing turmeric and devil’s claw irritate the equine stomach?
Supplements containing turmeric and devil’s claw are frequently recommended and fed to horses with inflammatory conditions such as arthritis due to the inhibitory effect these compounds have on the production of the i...
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The effect of feeding and stable management on stereotypic behaviours in horses
Many horses demonstrate abnormal behaviour patterns as a result of domestic management practices1. These abnormal behaviours are termed ‘stereotypic’ and tend to be repeated and predictable in their occurrence. Horses...
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How do ‘pressure headcollars’ affect equine behaviour?
Despite domestication and careful management, horses retain many of their innate flight and fright behaviours in response to environmental challenges. Consequently, the use of equipment to manage and reduce the likeli...
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“Falling back” – How does changing daylength affect equine health and wellbeing?
Winter is coming, and that means some fundamental changes for our horses. Changing daylength and decreased temperatures are two of the most obvious impacts of winter. Cold, dark mornings and evenings become the standa...
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Are alterations in the gut microbiota responsible for equine Faecal Water Syndrome?
Faecal Water Syndrome (FWS) is a condition where affected equids pass droppings of normal consistency but they are accompanied by watery faecal content either before, during or afterwards1. The cause of FWS remains un...
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Antibiotic resistance in bacteria associated with equine respiratory disease in the United Kingdom
Bacterial infection, often secondary to viral respiratory disease, is an important cause of upper and lower respiratory diseases in horses. The cytological examination and bacterial culture of lower airway respiratory...
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