Search Results (161)

Capacitive and resistive electric transfer (TECAR) therapy is increasingly used in equine physiotherapy; however, objective evidence regarding its immediate effects on equine back muscles remains limited. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effects of TECAR therapy on body surface temperature and muscle tone of the longissimus dorsi muscle in Thoroughbred racehorses. A randomized, single-blinded experimental study was conducted in 20 clinically healthy Thoroughbred racehorses aged 2–3 years. Horses were randomly assigned to either a TECAR treatment group (n = 10) or a sham-treatment control group (n = 10). Thermographic imaging and palpation-based muscle tone assessment were performed before treatment, immediately after treatment, and 10 min post-treatment in the thoracolumbar region (Th15–L6). Differences between groups and changes over time were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA for temperature data and Friedman’s test with post hoc Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for palpation scores. TECAR therapy was associated with a significant increase in body surface temperature, with mean values rising from 25.3 ± 1.5 °C before treatment to 28.9 ± 1.3 °C immediately after treatment (p < 0.001) and remaining elevated after 10 min (27.6 ± 1.3 °C; p = 0.002). In contrast, only minor temperature changes were observed in the sham group. Palpation assessment demonstrated a significant reduction in muscle tone following TECAR therapy, with median scores decreasing from 3 [2–3] before treatment to 0 [0–1] immediately afterward (p < 0.001). These findings indicate that TECAR therapy induces an immediate thermal response, which persists for at least 10 min, and is associated with reduced longissimus dorsi muscle tone in racing horses. Further studies are warranted to investigate its clinical applications and long-term effects in equine rehabilitation. Full article

Dorsal metacarpal disease (DMD) is a common musculoskeletal injury in young racehorses, and effective non-invasive treatments remain of clinical interest. This study aimed to evaluate whether high-intensity laser therapy (HILT), which was applied as the sole intervention in horses retired from training, reduces the clinical signs of DMD compared with untreated controls. During the 2023–2024 racing seasons, 15 Arabian racehorses diagnosed with DMD were enrolled; 9 received HILT and 6 served as controls without laser therapy. The treatment protocol consisted of five daily HILT sessions followed by five sessions administered every other day. Thermographic, orthopedic, and radiographic examinations of the third metacarpal bones were performed before and after the treatment period in both groups, with additional thermographic and clinical assessments conducted throughout therapy. The results showed that horses treated with HILT did not exhibit a significant reduction in pain and lameness accompanied by thermographic changes consistent with decreased inflammation. These findings indicate that HILT did not alleviate clinical signs associated with DMD in the affected horses; however, further controlled studies are required to determine its effect on tissue healing processes and to optimize treatment duration. Full article

This study evaluated the reliability of five treadmill protocols that assess heart rate (HR) and blood lactate (Bla) responses in Thoroughbred horses to determine their effectiveness in serving as potential tools for monitoring fitness and the wellbeing of racehorses. Of the five exercise tests, four consisted of repeated interval gallops at constant speeds (8 m/s and 10 m/s) and grade (6°) and one test of a continuous gallop at constant speeds (8 m/s) and grade (6°). Eight hundred and twenty-three gallops in total were performed by 64 horses. The test–retest reliability and absolute agreement between treadmill tests were assessed using Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) with a two-way mixed-effect model. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Overall, the mean of the mean HR for each of the five test gallops was 203 ± 11.3 bpm. The mean HR ICC of the five tests of 0.756 indicates good reliability of the tests, as HRs during each gallop were consistent between tests. Protocol comparison showed that all protocols have good reliability with gallops 1 and 5 scoring highest (0.79: 0.81) and gallop 4 lowest at 0.621. The recovery mean HR ICC for 30 s, 60 s, 90 s and 120 s recovery were 0.421, 0.504, 0.595 and 0.571 respectively. Overall, the data suggests that gallop HR is the more reliable variable with recovery HRR reliability improving to an acceptable level at 60 s and 90 s recovery. Together, the treadmill tests demonstrated acceptable reliability to measure both gallop HR and HHR responses, whereas BLa responses were less consistent. Full article

The global horse racing industry relies heavily on elite breeding. Therefore, a molecular understanding of athletic traits is crucial for the industry’s advancement. This study utilized Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of 869 publications in the Web of Science Core Collection (2011–2025), decoding the academic landscape and evolutionary trajectory of equine genetics. The results indicate a significant upward trend in academic output since 2019, with the United States, South Korea, and the United Kingdom emerging as the primary contributors. Institutions such as the University of California, Davis, and University College Dublin serve as key hubs within a highly structured global collaborative network. Analysis of keyword co-occurrence and bursts reveals a distinct paradigm shift: research has evolved from early single-gene identification (e.g., MSTN) to large-scale genome-wide scans, and more recently to functional genomics and bioethical issues. Contemporary research frontiers increasingly focus on “gene doping” “homozygosity” and “risk factors” signaling that horse genetics is shifting from performance-oriented selection toward a comprehensive framework that integrates phenotypes, health, and genetic diversity. This study provides researchers with a strategic roadmap to help them align with emerging trends and foster international collaboration in equine genomic selection. Full article

Understanding how horses experience their lives is essential for improving their welfare, particularly in high-performance industries such as horseracing. Quality of Life (QoL) frameworks highlight the balance between positive and negative experiences over time, yet there is limited evidence on how racing professionals assess horse emotions and QoL, especially positive emotional states. This study reports findings from an international online survey of 230 racing industry participants. It explored confidence in assessing racehorse emotions, the perceived importance of emotional state for performance and welfare, views on racehorse QoL, and changes in understanding over time. Most respondents (92.5%) reported high confidence in judging racehorse emotions, and 94.8% of these considered emotional state important or very important for performance. The majority (87.7%) believed racehorses experience a good life at least sometimes, although this varied depending on management practices, individual horse characteristics, and human factors. Turnout, social contact, health management, staff experience, and regulatory environments were identified as key influences on QoL. Recognition of the importance of emotional state and QoL within the industry is increasing, alongside a shift towards more individualized, welfare-focused approaches. These findings support developing practical, industry-informed emotional state measures within equine QoL tools for assessing horses’ experiences and inform management decisions. Full article

Routine monitoring in racehorses requires indicators that are reproducible and practical under real training conditions. This observational study evaluated the short-term reproducibility of cardiovascular and speed indicators in French Standardbred trotters, with a particular focus on cardiac cost (CC), defined as the ratio of heart rate to speed (beats·m⁻¹). The full dataset comprised 483 sessions from 60 trotters and was used to describe age-related patterns. For reproducibility analyses, consecutive monitored sessions within the same horse were grouped into follow-up blocks when the interval between two successive sessions did not exceed 7 days. Only follow-up blocks containing at least three sessions were retained, resulting in 36 blocks, 126 sessions, and 18 horses. Each session included a warm-up, two 2000 m work blocks at increasing intensity, and recovery periods, while heart rate and speed were recorded using a Polar Team Pro system. Adjusted intraclass correlation coefficients indicated moderate reproducibility for CC during the first work block (CC B1: 0.67, 95% CI 0.48–0.78), heart rate recovery (HRR) after B1 (0.60, 0.40–0.73) and B2 (0.66, 0.47–0.78), and V150 (0.59, 0.39–0.73), whereas V180, recovery speed, and CC during B2 showed poor reproducibility. Reproducibility of CC B1 and HRR was preserved after adjustment for ambient temperature. In the full dataset, V200 increased with age, consistent with previous field-test literature. The minimal detectable change was 0.04 beats·m⁻¹ for CC B1 and 26 bpm for HRR after B1. These findings suggest that CC B1, HRR, and V150 may be useful indicators for short-term monitoring, although results should be interpreted considering the single-yard design. Full article

Diffuse alveolar haemorrhage (DAH) is rare but associated with high morbidity and mortality. It is underpinned by mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and vascular remodelling, yet its pathogenesis remains incompletely understood. Progress in translational research is currently limited by the absence of robust animal models of this condition. Equine exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage (EIPH), a common and progressive disorder in racehorses, may represent a novel and underutilised translational model for studying DAH, which can be a complication of or associated with other cardiopulmonary conditions, such as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). EIPH occurs spontaneously in up to 95% of thoroughbreds after repeated strenuous exercise and is characterised by haemorrhage into the alveoli, capillary stress failure, inflammatory infiltration, and subsequent parenchymal remodelling. These processes closely parallel the vascular injury and immune activation observed in DAH. Horses further offer distinct advantages as models for human respiratory disease, including large lung size, long lifespan, and comparable pulmonary architecture. The regional distribution of haemorrhage in equine lungs additionally enables within-animal control studies. By leveraging the mechanistic overlaps between equine and human pulmonary pathology, EIPH provides a unique opportunity for biomarker discovery, mechanistic insight, and therapeutic testing in pulmonary vascular disease. Full article

In Chuckwagon racing, teams of four Thoroughbred horses pull wagons at high speeds. Movement symmetry is a key locomotion metric linked to force production, racing direction, and lameness. Racehorse symmetry in trot during on-track warmups and cooldowns was assessed. Over 10 days, 60 horses (average 8 per day) were fitted with Global Navigation Satellite Systems combined with Inertial Measurement Unit (GNSS-IMU) sensors. Weight-bearing asymmetry was quantified using the minimum difference (MnD) in vertical trunk displacement between diagonal limb pairs, and push-off asymmetry was quantified using the upwards difference (UpD). Absolute (mm) and normalized (% ROM) asymmetries were compared between warmups and cooldowns using linear mixed models. Mean MnD was similar between warmup (6.2 mm; 17.6%) and cooldown (6.4 mm, 19.7%). Mean UpD increased from warmup (11.3 mm, 31.7%) to cooldown (12.8 mm, 38.0%), with UpD% significantly higher in cooldown (p = 0.046). No other differences were significant (all p ≥ 0.202). One horse sustained a catastrophic musculoskeletal (MSK) injury. This horse’s UpD ranged from 3.3–29.7 mm (11.4–69.3%) during warmups and 24.3–25.5 mm (47.8–76.4%) during cooldowns. Push-off asymmetry may increase after Chuckwagon racing. The injured horse showed high asymmetries, but high values also occurred in uninjured horses. Further work needs to establish normal asymmetry ranges in Chuckwagon racing and identify patterns associated with MSK injuries. Full article

N-Lactoyl-phenylalanine (Lac-Phe), identified in 2022 as an exercise-inducible signaling metabolite, is formed by carnosine dipeptidase 2 via conjugation of lactate and phenylalanine. Its circulating levels rise sharply after intense exercise in mice, humans, and racehorses, reflecting increased glycolytic flux. Beyond exercise, Lac-Phe also rises with feeding and metformin, positioning it as a potential integrator of energy intake, expenditure, and metabolic homeostasis. Centrally, Lac-Phe may contribute to appetite suppression by inhibiting hypothalamic orexigenic agouti-related protein neurons, primarily observed in obese rodent models, while sparing anorexigenic pro-opiomelanocortin neurons, thereby reducing food intake, promoting weight loss, and improving glucose tolerance in obese models without altering energy expenditure. Peripherally, it drives anti-inflammatory M2 macrophage polarization, ameliorating colitis and aiding recovery after spinal cord injury via NF-κB suppression and reactive oxygen species reduction. As a biomarker, Lac-Phe may offer advantages over lactate in reflecting mitochondrial dysfunction in conditions such as MELAS, sepsis, and NADH-reductive stress; however, these observations derive mainly from small-scale or exploratory studies and require prospective validation. Recent studies from 2024 to 2025 further reveal its partial and context-dependent role in mediating metformin’s effects, intensity- and sex-dependent responses, renal clearance via SLC17A1/3 transporters, and links to exercise-induced redox adaptations. The first human phase I trial (NCT06743009), launched in 2025, is assessing the metabolic effects of Lac-Phe in obesity. This Perspective summarizes Lac-Phe biosynthesis, physiological mechanisms, including its emerging but largely correlative connections to redox homeostasis, and therapeutic promise, underscoring its potential relevance for exercise-mimicking strategies in metabolic, inflammatory, and redox-related disorders. Full article

Physical exercise represents a physiological stressor capable of activating the acute-phase response (APR) in horses. However, the relative contribution of exercise intensity versus duration to acute-phase protein (APP) dynamics remains incompletely defined. This study compared the effects of short, high-intensity gallop exercise (2400 m flat race; n = 12) and prolonged, low-intensity endurance exercise (40 km; n = 13) on serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp), and ceruloplasmin (Cp) in Thoroughbred racehorses. Blood samples were collected before exercise and at defined post-exercise time points. Between-group comparisons were performed at shared time points (72 h and 96 h post-exercise) using mixed-effects modeling and effect size analysis. The significant Group × Time interaction for SAA indicates that exercise duration plays a key role in determining the magnitude and persistence of the late-phase systemic inflammatory response. Serum amyloid A emerged as the most sensitive biomarker of cumulative physiological stress following prolonged exercise. These findings support the use of SAA monitoring during recovery to assist training management in equine athletes. Because early post-exercise sampling was not performed in the gallop group, conclusions primarily reflect differences in late-phase (72–96 h) APP kinetics. Full article

There are limited data on sequential computed tomographic (CT) evaluation and objective CT assessment of the metacarpal condyles in Thoroughbred racehorses. This longitudinal study aimed to document changes in attenuation of the metacarpal condyles during the first two years of training and racing. Fan-beam CT examination of the metacarpophalangeal regions was performed on 40 non-lame Thoroughbred yearlings, and repeated four more times, approximately six months apart. Mean Hounsfield Unit (HU) measurements were obtained on sagittal reconstructions of the dorsal and palmar halves of the medial and lateral condyles and parasagittal grooves. One-way ANOVA with a post hoc Tukey’s Test was used to investigate differences between mean HU values over time at the different regions of interest. Multivariable mixed-effects linear regression models assessed the association between dorsal and palmar HU and potential explanatory variables. Mean HU increased significantly with training, especially during the first six months, with a maximal sequential mean increase found in the medial parasagittal groove (119.8 [95% confidence interval 85.3, 154.30], p < 0.001). Dorsal regions had higher HU than palmar regions, with the highest HU recorded in the dorsal aspect of the medial condyle at time 3 (mean HU 1120.1 ± 63.4). Condyles had higher HU than parasagittal grooves (p < 0.001), the palmar half of the right condyles had higher HU than the left (p = 0.045) and the dorsal aspect of the medial condyle had higher HU than the lateral (p < 0.001). An increasing number of race starts and higher body weight:height ratio were associated with higher HU (p < 0.001). The main limitation was the loss of horses to follow-up as the study progressed. In conclusion, density of most regions of the metacarpal condyles increased with time spent in training, reflecting adaption to racehorse training. Full article

Hair whorl patterns are usually used as a predictor of equine laterality, temperament and reactions to various environmental stimuli. Thus, temperament and motor laterality may be deducted in order to ease the daily work, training, handling and transportation of Thoroughbreds. We aimed to identify the number, position and orientation of hair whorl patterns to find the association between environment stimuli and the laterality, affability, trainability and anxiety of 81 individuals. We analyzed hair whorls with SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) accompanied by a laterality paddock test and temperament questionnaire. All of our examined Thoroughbreds showed at least one circular whorl on their head. Mostly, the whorls were located on the top of the head. Compared to previous studies, the presence of linear whorls on the body was also high. We found that the counterclockwise head and clockwise whorls were associated with left and right front leg preference (p < 0.001). Full article

This study evaluated a 181-day finishing system for horses entering the Korean meat chain by comparing retired thoroughbred geldings and Belgian-crossbred geldings under identical management and an ad libitum forage-based total mixed ration. Ten geldings (n = 5 per group) were individually housed, with body weight and feed intake recorded monthly. After slaughter, carcass traits and meat quality grade were assessed, and longissimus thoracis et lumborum samples were analyzed for proximate composition. Belgian-crossbreds consumed more dry matter (18.68 vs. 13.60 kg DM/day), corresponding to 2.3% vs. 2.4% of body weight, but showed markedly greater growth (average daily gain 1.063 vs. 0.290 kg/day) and higher gain-to-feed (0.059 vs. 0.024) than retired Thoroughbreds. Carcass weight and marbling-related traits favored Belgian-crossbreds, including higher intramuscular fat in longissimus thoracis et lumborum (9.15% vs. 3.22%). Despite higher total feed cost per head, the economic feed conversion ratio was substantially lower in Belgian-crossbreds (13,133 vs. 35,088 KRW/kg gain), resulting in a positive gross margin estimate, whereas retired Thoroughbreds showed a negative margin under the same system. These results suggest that meat-type horses may be better suited to short, intensive finishing, while alternative utilization or tailored finishing strategies may be needed for retired racehorses. Full article

Fractures are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Thoroughbred racehorses, posing a significant threat to their welfare and careers. This study introduces a deep learning model specifically designed to facilitate fracture detection in equine athletes. By leveraging extensive training on human fracture data and refining the model with equine imaging, it highlights the transformative potential of transfer learning across species and medical contexts. This approach is not limited to equine fractures but could be adapted for use in detecting injuries or conditions in other veterinary species and even human healthcare applications. A comprehensive databank of radiographs, sourced from public archives and equine hospitals, was curated to encompass diverse conditions (fracture and non-fracture), ensuring robust pattern recognition. The architecture integrates a Vision Transformer for global context modelling with a ResNet backbone and loss function to optimize local feature extraction and cross-species adaptability. The pipeline achieved 96.7% accuracy for modality classification, 97.2% accuracy for projection recognition, and fracture localization intersection over union values of 0.71–0.84 across equine datasets. This work bridges advancements in human and veterinary medicine, opening pathways for AI-driven solutions that extend beyond fractures, fostering improved diagnostic precision and broader applications across species (felines, canines, etc.). By integrating advanced imaging techniques with AI, this study aims to set a foundation for more comprehensive and versatile health monitoring systems. Full article

This retrospective report investigated whether starting racehorses’ training and racing early is associated with a less successful and a shorter racing career. The data of 600 Thoroughbred racehorses from the German Racehorse Association’s archiving programme were evaluated. The horses were classified into three groups regarding their different ages when starting training and racing: early training (16–24 months old)/early racing (two years old); early training/late racing (>two years old); and late training (25–30 months). Statistical models investigated effects on the horses’ length of career. The results showed that the length of their racing career was influenced by sex; geldings showed the longest career as they do not enter breeding programmes, and were analyzed separately. Geldings entering training early, with their first race at two years old, showed higher ratings and a similar length of racing career than those with their first race at three years old or more. Thus, early racing appeared to have had no negative effect on the length of the racing career or perseverance in racing in the geldings investigated. Further studies researching training effects and physiological resilience should consider alternative explanations for racing selection criteria (e.g., early maturation advantage and prior unsoundness) and the reason for ending a racing career. Full article