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A new species of lobosean amoeba, Stenamoeba polymorpha n. sp., was isolated from the diarrheic stool of a domesticated horse in Great Falls Virginia, U.S. It shares characteristics with the five other described Stenamoeba species. However, electron microscopy revealed S. polymorpha has a substantially thickened cell surface lamina. Under light microscopy, the amoebae had a dynamic polymorphic appearance because hyaloplasm readily formed and resorbed subpseudopodia from any peripheral region of the cell. While in locomotion, the amoebae produced subpseudopodia that led and alternated the direction of movement with an apparent zigzag path. Sometimes, stationary amoebae had a vertical cell posture that was substantially taller than wide or long. The new species description is also supported by small subunit ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene analyses using phylogenies with both broad and narrow taxon sampling, pairwise nucleotide comparisons, and in-silico secondary structure predictions. The latter suggested Stenamoeba spp. discriminatory motifs in variable region eight. Stenamoeba polymorpha n. sp. is the first of its genus to be recovered from mammal feces, the first to yield a potential group one intron and the second described from North America. Here, the phylogenies suggest Stenamoeba limacina is this new species' nearest known relative.

In New York State (NYS), Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) was first reported in a human in 1971, in horses in 1970, and in pheasants in 1952.Following work for the interval from 1970 to 1991, we identified cases in vertebrates from 1992 to 2012, through a passive surveillance system involving veterinarians in clinical practice, county health departments, and the Departments of Agriculture and Markets, Environmental Conservation, and Health, of the State of New York.During an 11-year hiatus, from 1992 to 2002, no case in any vertebrate was observed. In a re-emergence, from 2003 to 2012, disease occurred in 12 counties, including 7 counties where disease had never been documented. Vertebrate cases included 4 cases in humans and 77 nonhuman occurrences; in 58 horses, Equus ferus caballus L.; 2 deer, Odocoileus virginianus Zimmermann; 6 dogs, Canis familiaris; 10 birds; and 1 flock of pheasants, Phasianus colchicus L. These were the first reported cases in NYS in white-tailed deer, the domestic dog, and in five species of birds: American crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos Brehm; American goldfinch, Carduelis tristis L.; bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus L.; blue jay, Cyanocitta cristata (L.); and red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis Gmelin. One crow was dually infected with EEE virus and West Nile virus. The northern, southern, and southeastern borders of the state were newly affected.The geographic area, time periods, and vertebrate species with risk of EEE disease expanded from 1992 to 2012.

Emotional recognition has been demonstrated to occur between members of different species. However, the majority of studies on interspecific communication of emotions so far focused on the senses of vision and hearing while the contribution of the sense of smell has rarely been studied in this context. Thus, the aim of our study was to assess if horses display differential behaviour in response to human fear and non-fear odour. Body odour samples were collected from 10 adult humans (Homo sapiens) in fear and happiness condition, respectively. The human body odour samples collected in these two conditions, together with a control condition, were then presented to a total of 21 horses (Equus ferus caballus). We found that the horses displayed some differential behaviour in response to human fear and non-fear odour. The horses lifted their heads significantly more frequently and for longer in the fear and in the control condition compared to the happiness condition. Similarly, the horses tended to touch a familiar person that was present during the test more frequently and for longer in the fear condition compared to the happiness condition. Additionally, depending on odour condition, the horses differed in the time they spent keeping their ears back. These results can be explained in the context of the process of domestication which may have favoured the development of the ability to recognize heterospecific emotions. To conclude, in the present study we provide evidence for a possible purely olfactory recognition of human emotions by horses.

Inglés: The horse is one of the species most represented in cave art during the Paleolithic in the southwest of Europe. These representations show an equine with phenotypical characteristics close to two present-day species which are considered as ancient horses: tarpans (Equus ferus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) and Pzrewalski (Equus caballus przewalskii Poliakov, 1881) horses. There are no paleontological evidence at sites dating from the Upper Paleolithic in this area of the last species, and furthermore various authors compare these representations with Pzrewalski horses. The comparative anatomical analysis of these representations is difficult due to the variety of styles and the different sizes of the figures. In this case, we carry out a study of the body proportions on six variables measured in 42 pictures of horses represented in 15 caves (eleven from Spain and four from France) from different cultures and styles. These measurements have been compared with data obtained from pictures of present-day horses: 22 pictures of hemiones or Asian asses (Equus hemionus Pallas, 1775), 20 tarpans of Konik breed (Equus ferus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) and 25 Pzrewalski’s horses. The results of these analyses were three different equations to distinguish these three current equine species and their relationship with cave art. The equids represented in the caves studied show similar body proportions to Konik horses and similar lengths of mane, tail and ears to present-day Pzrewalski’s horses. The results of this analysis significantly discriminate the three current equine species, which shows that the method is reliable and that the equids represented in the caves studied have body proportions similar to Konik horses and similar lengths of mane, tail and ears to the Pzrewalski horses. Francés: Les équidés représentés dans l’art rupestre et les chevaux actuels : une proposition pour déterminer différences et similitudes morphologiques. Le cheval est l’une des espèces les plus représentées dans l’art rupestre paléolithique du sud-ouest de l'Europe. Ces représentations montrent un équidé avec des caractéristiques phénotypiques proches de deux espèces de chevaux actuels: les tarpans (Equus ferus caballus Linnaeus, 1758) et les chevaux de Pzrewalski (Equus caballus przewalskii Poliakov, 1881). Bien qu’il n’y ait aucun enregistrement osseux de cette dernière espèce dans les sites du Paléolithiques supérieur de la zone d’étude, certains auteurs considèrent que ces représentations correspondent aux chevaux de Pzrewalski. Nous essayons de voir les différences et les similitudes entre les représentations des chevaux et les deux plus anciennes espèces de chevaux européens, les tarpans Konik et les chevaux de Pzrewalski. Bien que l’analyse anatomique comparative de ces représentations soit difficile en raison de la variété des styles et de la différence de taille des figures, nous avons étudié les proportions du corps avec six variables mesurées sur 42 images de chevaux représentées dans 15 grottes (onze en Espagne et quatre en France) de différents cultures et styles. Ces mesures ont été comparées aux données obtenues à partir de 22 images d’ânes asiatiques (Equus hemionus Pallas, 1775), 20 de chevaux Konik (Equus ferus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 ) et 25 de chevaux de Pzrewalski. Les résultats de cette analyse différencient significativement les trois espèces d'équidés actuelles, ce qui montre que la méthode est fiable et que les équidés représentés dans les grottes étudiées ont des proportions corporelles similaires à celles des chevaux Konik, mais des longueurs de crinière, de queue et d’oreilles similaires à celles des chevaux de Pzrewalski.

The objective of this study was to determine the major nutrient composition of Indian rhinoceros milk ( Rhinoceros unicornis) over the first 13 mo of an 18-mo lactation period and to compare the results to those of previous studies on rhinoceros, African elephant ( Loxodonta africana), and horse milk ( Equus ferus caballus). The following parameters were measured: dry matter (DM), crude ash (ASH), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), nitrogen-free extract (NFE; calculated), lactose, calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), fatty acids (FAs), and gross energy (GE). DM, ASH, CP, and EE were determined with a proximate analysis, lactose with infrared spectroscopy and an enzymatic method, minerals with an autoanalyzer, FA with gas chromatography, and GE with bomb calorimetry. Milk samples were collected from two Indian rhinoceros cows from Zoo Basel. Rhino A gave birth to her third calf on 10 September 2012; three samples were collected and analyzed (colostrum, milk 1 wk and 2 wk postpartum). Rhino B gave birth to her eighth calf on 05 October 2013; samples were collected and 15 were chosen for the analyses (from colostrum to 13 mo postpartum). The composition of rhino B's colostrum was 13.8% DM (wet-weight basis), 4.8% ASH, 61.8% CP, 0.7% EE, 32.6% NFE, 26.7% lactose, 0.59% Ca, 0.54% P, 0.2% Mg (DM basis), and 20.3 MJ GE/kg DM. Rhino B's sample collected 13 mo postpartum averaged 8.0% DM (wet-weight basis), 3.6% ASH, 16.3% CP, 1.8% EE, 78.3% NFE, 84.7% lactose, 0.54% Ca, 0.48% P, 0.09% Mg (on DM basis), and 17.43 MJ GE/kg DM. The main FAs in rhino B's and rhino A's samples were C10 : 0, C12 : 0, C16 : 0, C18 : 1n9c, and C18 : 2n6c. Milk of the Indian rhinoceros is low in fat and protein but high in lactose, which is comparable to the milk composition of other rhinoceros species and horses, but not African elephants.

Equine grass sickness (EGS) is a neurodegenerative disease affecting grazing equids of which a single case of the chronic clinical presentation has previously been reported in a Przewalski's horse (Equus ferus [caballus] przewalskii). A group of 8 Przewalski's horses were moved to a new enclosure, recently vacated by a group of 4 Eastern kiang (Equus kiang holdereri) that showed no evidence of disease. After 23 days the first Przewalski's horse showed clinical signs of acute EGS including flank sweating, belly kicking, rapid loss of body condition, cessation of faecal passage, nasogastric reflux and mouthing water. It was subjected to euthanasia within 48 h due to lack of therapeutic response. Within 24 h of this first case developing clinical signs, a further 5 Przewalski's horses showed similar clinical signs of acute EGS and were subjected to euthanasia. Post mortem examinations confirmed acute EGS, with all animals demonstrating typical chromatolysis, cytoplasmic hypereosinophilia, cellular swelling, vacuolation, pyknosis and loss of nuclei in approximately 90% of neurones in the cranial cervical and cranial mesenteric ganglia and myenteric and submucosal plexi of the ileum. Two Przewalski's horses within the group showed no clinical signs of disease. No single pathogen was identified as the causal agent, but the epidemiological pattern of the outbreak was typical for that previously reported for acute EGS in domestic equids. All affected animals and the 2 surviving Przewalski's horses had low antibody titres to Clostridium botulinum type C. This is the first report of acute EGS in a herd of Przewalski's horses.

Conflicting data predominantly describes the equine nuchal ligament lamellae (NLL) attachments as C2–C6 or C2–C7; however, preliminary evidence suggests C2–C5. This study aimed to identify morphological variations in the attachments of the NLL in four species of the family equidae and determine if the variations were species or breed linked. Cadaveric examination evaluated 98 equids; Equus asinus (n = 2), Equus ferus caballus (n = 93), Equus przewalskii (n = 2), and Equus quagga boehmi (n = 1). Twenty breeds of E. f. caballus were included according to breed type—modern horse (n = 81), ancient type (n = 10), primitive (n = 4). Of the 98 equids, observations were divided into three categories according to the NLL attachments: C2–C5, C2–C6, and C2–C7; in category C2–C7, E. f. caballus (n = 3/93), modern horse 0 of 81, ancient 1 of 8, primitive 2 of 4; in category C2–C6, modern horse 2 of 81; in category C2–C5, modern horse 79 of 81, ancient type 7 of 8, primitive 2 of 4. Equus asinus, E. przewalskii, and E. q. boehmi all expressed category C2–C7. In total, 88 of 98 expressed category C2–C5; 2 of 98 category C2–C6; and 8 of 98 category C2–C7. These findings suggest that category C2–C5 provides sufficient evidence to suggest a normal occurrence. The high incidence of an absent NLL on C6 and C7 may be considered a contributing factor in caudal cervical osteoarthritis. Furthermore, category C2–C7 still exists in an ancient and primitive breed closely related to the tarpan, implying the NLL may have been attached from C2 to C7 in prehistoric horse before domestication. This hypothesis is supported by the findings of E. asinus, E. przewalskii, and E. q. boehmi, displaying attachments from C2 to C7.

Viruses may have a dramatic impact on the health of their animal hosts. The patho-physiological mechanisms underlying viral infections in animals are, however, not well understood. It is increasingly recognized that oxidative stress may be a major physiological cost of viral infections. Here we compare three blood-based markers of oxidative status in herpes positive and negative individuals of the domestic horse (Equus ferus caballus) and of both captive and free-ranging Mongolian khulan (Equus hemionus hemionus) and plains zebra (Equus quagga). Herpes positive free-ranging animals had significantly more protein oxidative damage and lower glutathione peroxidase (antioxidant enzyme) than negative ones, providing correlative support for a link between oxidative stress and herpesvirus infection in free-living equids. Conversely, we found weak evidence for oxidative stress in herpes positive captive animals. Hence our work indicates that environment (captive versus free living) might affect the physiological response of equids to herpesvirus infection. The Mongolian khulan and the plains zebra are currently classified as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Thus, understanding health impacts of pathogens on these species is critical to maintaining viable captive and wild populations.

Using Elephas maximus (Asian Elephant) and Equus ferus caballus (Domesticated Horse) as ecological analogs to extinct Pleistocene mammals, we tested the effect of gut passage on 3 proposed anachronistic fruits: Diospyros virginiana (American Persimmon), Maclura pomifera (Osage Orange), and Asimina triloba (Paw Paw). We found that elephant-gut passage of persimmon seeds increased their germination success and decreased their time to sprout, while Osage Orange seeds showed no benefit to gut passage. Neither American Persimmon nor Osage Orange seeds survived gut passage through horses. Both mammals refused to consume Paw Paw fruits. Assuming a similar physiology and behavior compared to our modern analogs, we suggest that extinct North American elephant species could have been important seed dispersers for American Persimmons but were unlikely to be effective for Osage Orange or Paw Paw, while horses would have been poor dispersers for all plant species tested.

Management of excessive feral horse (Equus ferus caballus) and burro (Equus asinus) populations in the United States and globally has been a controversial subject for decades. I reviewed all available US federal feral horse and burro daily gather reports from 2010 to 2019 to extract equine species, technique (bait trapping or helicopter gathering), reason (emergency or other), number gathered, number of mortalities, and mortality attributes (acute or chronic/pre-existing condition, specific cause). I found 70 reports (bait trapping burros n = 10, bait trapping horses n = 24, helicopter gathering horses n = 21) from 9 states (AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WY) representing 28,821 horses and 2,005 burros. For bait trapping, 100 animals died (4 burros, 96 horses) with 16 acute causes (1 burro, 15 horses) and 84 chronic/pre-existing causes (3 burros, 81 horses). For helicopter gathering, 268 horses died with 62 acute causes and 206 chronic/pre-existing causes. Mortality ratios did not differ by capture technique (P > .05) for broken necks, emaciation, acute causes, or chronic/pre-existing causes. The most common mortality-causing problems were structural deformations, club foot, blindness, and emaciation. The more horses gathered per day resulted in a greater proportion of chronic/pre-existing mortalities for both trapping techniques, but only an increase of acute mortalities for helicopter gathering. The slope suggests 1 acute mortality for every 300 horses gathered. The capture mortality rate across all gathers [1.1% (368 mortalities out of 30,826 horses and burros captured)] is below a general threshold of 2% suggested for wildlife studies.

Knowledge of the welfare status of wild animals is vital for informing debates about the ways in which we interact with wild animals and their habitats. Currently, there is no published information about how to scientifically assess the welfare of free-roaming wild animals during their normal day-to-day lives. Using free-roaming horses as an example, we describe a ten-stage protocol for systematically and scientifically assessing the welfare of individual non-captive wild animals. The protocol starts by emphasising the importance of readers having an understanding of animal welfare in a conservation context and also of the Five Domains Model for assessing welfare. It goes on to detail what species-specific information is required to assess welfare, how to identify measurable and observable indicators of animals’ physical states and how to identify which individuals are being assessed. Further, it addresses how to select appropriate methods for measuring/observing physical indicators of welfare, the scientific validation of these indicators and then the grading of animals’ welfare states, along with assigning a confidence score. Finally, grading future welfare risks and how these can guide management decisions is discussed. Applying this ten-stage protocol will enable biologists to scientifically assess the welfare of wild animals and should lead to significant advances in the field of wild animal welfare.

Abstract Data from animals equipped with global positioning system collars have advanced our understanding of vertebrates, but this technology has rarely been employed to study feral equids. Hesitation to equip feral equids with telemetry collars in the USA can often be attributed to safety concerns stemming from one study from the 1980s, where injuries were sustained by feral horses (Equus ferus caballus) equipped with radio-collars. Improvements in collar design over the ensuing quarter-century may have decreased risk of collar-related complications; however, telemetry-based studies on feral equids continue to be limited. In the present review, studies from wild and feral equids worldwide were systematically reviewed to better understand the mortality and injury risk in application of telemetry collars to equids. Our goals were to: (1) report the number of individual equids fitted with telemetry collars (1979–2017); and (2) document the number of individual equids that reportedly died or suffered injuries from collars or other sources. A comparative review of elk (Cervus canadensis), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) was also conducted to evaluate the relative risk of collar-related complications among equids and routinely collared North American ungulates. In total, 1089 wild and feral telemetered equids were identified across 48 studies. Of these, 87 (8.0%) were reported to have died, with only one (0.09%) mortality attributable to a collar. Comparatively, 23.0% (1095) of 4761 elk, mule deer and pronghorn fitted with telemetry collars were found to have died in the same number of studies, though no mortalities were reported to be related to the collar. Although wild and feral equids did not experience increased natural mortality compared with the other ungulates, studies have not provided sufficient information to assess relative risk of collar-related complications. Explicit reporting and discussion of telemetry collar impacts in future publications of all animal species are recommended, especially equids, to improve understanding of how telemetry collars can affect study individuals.

Heck" cattle (Bos taurus primigenius, 23 individuals) and Exmoor ponies (Equus ferus caballus,11 individuals) were introduced in a 171 ha tract of forest and pasture. Time budgets of behavior and habitat preferences were calculated. Horses showed significantly more grazing (p < 0.001), standing (p < 0.01) and comfort behavior (p < 0.05) and more lying (p < 0.001) and relocation (p < 0.001) than cattle. The overall preference indices (Chesson index) had positive values at both species in open pastures (cattle 0,42 and horses 0.33) and for the edges of the wood (0.16, 0.13). The closed wood was avoided by the cattle with -0.51 and horses with -0.57. The highest preference values based on feces dispersion were +0.84 for the cattle in open pasture and +0.64 for the horses in the alder marsh. Both species showed the highest habitat preferences for feeding in open pastures (0.81, 0.77) and for moving in edges of the wooded areas (0.75, 0.69). Horses preferred the closed wooded area for resting (0.17). The median of the daily distances walked was larger for cattle than for horses (p

A survey was conducted on the detection of the larval Gasterophilus species in 90 equines via necropsy or after administering oral ivermectin in Xinjian, China, from 2008 to 2013. All 90 (100%) equines were infested by larval Gasterophilus, and 3723second instar larvae (L2) and 63,778 third instar larvae (L3) were collected from faecal samples and the digestive tract, a ratio of L2:L3=1:17. Over 84.45% of the animals contained ≤1500 larvae and 7.78% had >2000 larvae. The highest totals of L2 and L 3 larvae in any one animal were 1208 in Mongolian wild ass (Equus hemionus hemionus), 2491 in Przewalski's horse (Equus ferus przewalskii), and 1785 in the domestic horse (Equus ferus caballus). Six species of Gasterophilus were identified, with the following proportions of overall parasite abundance: Gasterophilus pecorum 88.94%, Gasterophilus nigricornis 4.94%, Gasterophilus nasalis 3.93%, Gasterophilus haemorrhoidalis 1.91%, Gasterophilus intestinalis 0.19%, and Gasterophilus inermis 0.087%. A majority of equines (n=32, 35.57%) was infested with five Gasterophilus species, while 29 animals (32.22%) harboured four species, 13 animals (14.44%) had six, 12 animals (13.33%) had three, three (3.33%) had two, and one (1.11%) had only one species. The percentage of Przewalski's horses infested was higher than local domestic horse or Mongolian wild ass.

Movement away from an area or social group in response to increasing density (density-dependent dispersal) is known for most species; why it evolves is fundamental to our understanding of ecology and evolution. However, we have yet to fully appreciate how individuals of varying conditions (e.g., age and sex) might differently consider effects of density (quorum) when deciding to disperse or not, and scale dependence in their sense of quorum. We tracked movements of all individuals of a naturalized population of feral horses (Equus ferus caballus; Sable Island National Park Reserve, Nova Scotia, Canada) during a period of rapid population growth (N increased from 375 to 484 horses from 2008 to 2010). Permanent dispersal from breeding groups (bands) was positively density dependent for all age and sex categories with respect to local density (horses/km(2), bounded by the 99th percentile of individual movements [8000 m]), but was negatively and positively density dependent for males and females, respectively, in relation to group (band) size. Dispersal was generally female biased, with the exception of foals which moved with their mothers (no sex effect), and for yearlings and subadults when band sizes were smaller than average, in which case males dispersed at higher rates than females. Dispersal distance was positively related to local density. We conclude that dispersal rate can be both positively and negatively density dependent for feral horses, contingent on the state of individuals and the scale at which quorum with respect to choosing to disperse or not is assessed. Scale effects and interactions of density-dependent and sex- and age-biased dispersal may have both ecological and evolutionary consequences through effects on resource and mate competition.

International audience; Costs associated with reproduction are widely known to play a role in the evolution of reproductive tactics with consequences to population and eco-evolutionary dynamics. Evaluating these costs as they pertain to species in the wild remains an important goal of evolutionary ecology. Individual heterogeneity, including differences in individual quality (i.e., among-individual differences in traits associated with survival and reproduction) or state, and variation in environmental and social conditions can modulate the costs of reproduction; however, few studies have considered effects of these factors simultaneously. Taking advantage of a detailed, long-term dataset for a population of feral horses (Sable Island, Nova Scotia, Canada), we address the question of how intrinsic (quality, age), environmental (winter severity, location), and social conditions (group size, composition, sex ratio, density) influence the costs of reproduction on subsequent reproduction. Individual quality was measured using a multivariate analysis on a combination of four static and dynamic traits expected to depict heterogeneity in individual performance. Female quality and age interacted with reproductive status of the previous year to determine current reproductive effort, while no effect of social or environmental covariates was found. High-quality females showed higher probabilities of giving birth and weaning their foal regardless of their reproductive status the previous year, while those of lower quality showed lower probabilities of producing foals in successive years. Middle-aged (prime) females had the highest probability of giving birth when they had not reproduced the year before, but no such relationship with age was found among females that had reproduced the previous year, indicating that prime-aged females bear higher costs of reproduction. We show that individual quality and age were key factors modulating the costs of reproduction in a capital breeder but that environmental or social conditions were not, highlighting the importance of considering multiple factors when studying costs of reproduction.

Parasitic gastroenteritis (PGE) caused by infection of the gut with parasitic nematodes is one of the most important diseases of livestock animals from both financial and welfare perspectives. Parascaris equorum and Habronema microstoma are of the most endemic nematodes of the world which are currently the major cause of PGE of the domestic horses in Egypt. The present investigation introduced the first morphological description of these nematodes recovered from the domestic horse, Equus ferus caballus (Equidae), in Egypt by light and scanning electron microscopy. Seven P. equorum (fifth stage) and 18 adults of H. microstoma were recovered from the gastrointestinal tracts of four young domestic horses collected during the year of 2015. Microscopic examination of the isolated fifth stage P. equorum revealed that it possessed a long body with a broad anterior end equipped by large shamrock-like lips with deep transverse groove on medial surface set off from the rest of the body by a deep post-labial constriction giving the body a shouldered appearance. The total body length was 12–15 (14 ± 2) cm for males and 13–18 (16 ± 2) cm for females. Lips were three in number in the form of one dorsal and two sub-ventral surrounding the central stoma. The isolated adult worms of H. microstoma were whitish in color narrowed slightly at the anterior end. Single lateral ala in the cephalic region in both sexes was observed. The buccal vestibule was markedly thickened and equipped by two tridentate teeth. The adult worms had two bilobed lateral lips surrounding the mouth with four sub-median cephalic papillae and two amphids. The males were 14.5–18.0 (17.2 ± 0.3) mm long and 1.23–1.57 (1.42 ± 0.3) mm wide. The posterior end was spirally coiled and had wide caudal alae. The spicules were unequal. The females were 13.5–21.0 (16.2 ± 0.3) mm long and 1.55–1.75 (1.69 ± 0.3) mm wide. The anal pore had a thin upper rim and was located 177.0 μm from the posterior end.

Viruses related to human hepatitis C virus infect horses in the United Kingdom without evidence of hepatic or other systemic disease., Although the origin of hepatitis C virus infections in humans remains undetermined, a close homolog of this virus, termed canine hepacivirus (CHV) and found in respiratory secretions of dogs, provides evidence for a wider distribution of hepaciviruses in mammals. We determined frequencies of active infection among dogs and other mammals in the United Kingdom. Samples from dogs (46 respiratory, 99 plasma, 45 autopsy samples) were CHV negative by PCR. Screening of 362 samples from cats, horses, donkeys, rodents, and pigs identified 3 (2%) positive samples from 142 horses. These samples were genetically divergent from CHV and nonprimate hepaciviruses that horses were infected with during 2012 in New York state, USA. Investigation of infected horses demonstrated nonprimate hepacivirus persistence, high viral loads in plasma (105–107 RNA copies/mL), and liver function test results usually within reference ranges, although several values ranged from high normal to mildly elevated. Disease associations and host range of nonprimate hepaciviruses warrant further investigation.

SUMMARYRecent results suggest that the wild ancestor of the horse, the Przewalski horse, exhibits signs of a hypometabolism. However, there are speculations that domestic animals lost the ability to reduce energy expenditure during food shortage and adverse environmental conditions. Therefore, we investigated physiological and behavioural strategies employed by a robust domesticated horse breed, the Shetland pony, over the course of a year under temperate conditions by measuring ambient temperature (Ta), subcutaneous temperature (Ts), locomotor activity (LA), lying time, resting heart rate, body mass and body condition score. Ten animals were kept on pasture in summer and in open stables in winter; further, in winter the animals were allocated into one control and one feed-restricted group of five animals each to simulate natural seasonal food shortage. The annual course of the mean daily Ts of all horses showed distinct fluctuations from a mean of 35.6±0.5°C, with higher variations in summer than in winter. Diurnal amplitudes in Ts were highest (P

Carcasses represent an important source of tissue for many studies, but there are few data regarding which tissues to collect, and how best to treat them. We compared the quantity and quality of DNA from skin and muscle samples from horse carcasses (Equus ferus caballus) in relation to: length of storage at −20 °C, lysis buffer, and carcass decomposition. DNA yields were ~70 % higher from skin than muscle, and DNA in skin was less susceptible to degradation. Freezing tissues at −20 °C did not prevent DNA degradation, and DNA yields decreased ~9 % annually. Yields were similar across lysis buffers, but the forensic lysis buffer was most tractable. Increased carcass decomposition did not significantly impact overall yields of DNA, but did increase the degree of DNA degradation, thus researchers should assess DNA quality (not just quantity) when deciding what samples to use.

Use of the terms “wild” and “feral” characterizes ongoing debate over management of free-ranging horses. However, the focus on terminology tends to obscure complex differences in meanings and cultural perception. Examining a case study in the Chilcotin region of British Columbia, we explore how the terms “wild” and “feral” distract from the underlying issues at stake in management of horses and the landscape: different ways of valuing, understanding, and relating to land and animals. To be effective in the long term, and to avoid an unwitting continuation of outdated culturally biased land management practices, future decisions regarding management of lands and free-roaming horses in the Chilcotin would benefit from an integrated process informed by both ecological and socio-cultural information.

In recent years, South African conservation officials have noted the appearance of sarcoid tumour-like growths in Cape mountain zebra (Equus zebra zebra) populations. In domestic horses (Equus ferus caballus), a genetic predisposition for this bovine papillomavirusinduced tumour is reported. This investigation compared population genetic parameters within tumour-affected populations in Bontebok National Park and Gariep Dam Nature Reserve against Cape mountain zebra populations having few or no tumours in Karoo National Park and Karoo Nature Reserve in South Africa and Hartmann's mountain zebra populations from Namibia. Tumour-affected populations had the lowest levels of expected heterozygosity, gene diversity and polymorphism and highest values of internal relatedness and homozygosity by loci but not reaching levels of significance (P = 0.05). Wright's FIS values indicated an overall deficit of heterozygotes in both affected and non-affected Cape mountain zebra populations. Considerable population substr...

Flies constitute a cost to animals by feeding from them, passing on disease or by preventing them feeding effectively. These costs could be more severe to animals suffering from some kind of stress such as reintroduction as part of a conservation programme. This study focused on the effects of fly disturbance on Przewalski horses (Equus ferus przewalskii) reintroduced into Hustai National Park in Mongolia. As the reintroduced horses could not be handled, we took three approaches: direct fly sampling, sampling flies on a ridden domestic horse (Equus ferus caballus) and monitoring their behaviour, and observations of Przewalski horse behaviour. Flies were sampled in traps and on a domestic horse in grazing and resting places used by the Przewalski horses; more flies were found in valley grazing places than ridge resting places. The number of flies was related to temperature, with most found between 15 °C and 30 °C, peaking at 22 °C, however taken together no environmental or seasonal variable satisfactorily explained the number of flies. Comfort behaviour, the behavioural response of horses to the presence of flies, increased with temperature and decreased with wind speed in both domestic and Przewalski horses, and increased with elevation for Przewalski horses. During warm months Przewalski horses had a daily pattern of moving up to high, bare places where there was no forage during the warmer hours of the day. It is likely that they moved to escape flies, but were followed by them. The cost of flies to horses and their potential impact on the reintroduced population is discussed.

During winter, free-living herbivores are often exposed to reduced energy supply at the same time that energy needs for thermoregulation increase. Several wild herbivores as well as robust horse breeds reduce their metabolism during times of low ambient temperature and food shortage. Thyroid hormones (THs) affect metabolic intensity and a positive effect of THs on basal metabolic rate (BMR) has been demonstrated in mammals and birds. As BMR and field metabolic rate (FMR) are often assumed to be intrinsically linked, THs may represent a reliable indicator for FMR. To test this hypothesis, 10 Shetland pony mares were kept under semi-extensive central European conditions. During the winter season, one group was fed 60% and one group 100% of their maintenance energy requirements. We measured FMR, locomotor activity, resting heart rate and TH levels in summer and winter. FMR, locomotor activity, resting heart rate and total T3 concentrations decreased substantially in winter compared with summer, whereas total T4 increased. Food restriction led to a reduced FMR and resting heart rate, while THs and locomotor activity were not affected. Across both seasons, FMR, resting heart rate and locomotor activity were positively correlated with total T3 but negatively and more weakly correlated with total T4.

Use of the right hand by humans for speech-related hand gestures, writing and throwing exemplifies motoric asymmetry. There are reports of asymmetry in many other animal species, including reports of left preference in emotional responsivity, spontaneous behaviour and the trained performance of the horse, Equus ferus caballus. The present study used the novel approach of using judges' scores to examine asymmetry in an equestrian event. The study analysed the scores of five judges evaluating the reining performance of 482, three-year-old American Quarter Horses competing in a major competition. Reining requires that the horses perform the manoeuvres of spin, circle and stop directed to either the left or right and symmetrical performance is featured in the judging criteria. The scores were sensitive to performance level, sex and manoeuvre, but there was no evidence of a population asymmetry in the left vs. right direction of the manoeuvres. The results are discussed in relation to need of using a large number of subjects in measuring asymmetry, the expression of individual vs. population asymmetry as a function of morphological and behavioural measures, and the influence of behavioural training on asymmetry.

Evaluating the costs and benefits of dispersal on individual life history is critical to understanding its importance to ecology and evolution. In feral horses (Equus ferus caballus), females may permanently move among breeding groups (bands) during their lifetime (termed social dispersal). Here, we assess costs and benefits of adult female social dispersal using 7 years of movement and life history data from an individual-based study of feral horses on Sable Island. Using path and survival analyses, we explored relationships between social dispersal, female reproduction, and survival of offspring. Dispersal negatively correlated with a female’s next reproduction (probability to produce a living foal that was observed during our summer census) and reproductive success (RS) over the longer term (probability of producing foals in subsequent years). Females that dispersed had longer latency before next reproduction than nondispersing (philopatric) females. We could not measure costs in terms of induced abortions or neonatal survival, but we observed no evidence of infanticide during our summer censuses. Furthermore, overwinter survival of foals to 3 years of age was not affected by either dispersal of its mother before conception or as pregnant. Despite a 10% higher rate for foals dispersing with mothers to survive to 3 years compared with those of philopatric females, the difference was not statistically significant. Overall, our results suggest that dispersing individuals have lower RS that may be a cost of social dispersal on future reproduction.

The aim of this study was to characterize the composition of follicular fluid (FF) collected from the small and large follicles of three mammalian species, Bos taurus, Sus scrofa domesticus, and Equus ferus caballus, that display distinct ovulatory properties. For each species, five large FF samples and five small FF samples were analyzed using (1)H-NMR spectroscopy. The FF metabolic profiles of the three species were very distinct. In cows and mares, the metabolic profiles of large FF and small FF were also very distinct. The concentrations of seventeen identified metabolites differed significantly between the sample groups. In mares, fourteen metabolites were found at much greater concentrations in large FF than in small FF (p

The ability of many domesticated animals to follow human pointing gestures to locate hidden food has led to scientific debate on the relative importance of domestication and individual experience on the origins and development of this capacity. To further explore this question, we examined the influence of different prior training histories/methods on the ability of horses (Equus ferus caballus) to follow a momentary distal point. Ten horses previously trained using one of two methods (Parelli™ natural horsemanship or traditional horse training) were tested using a standard object choice task. The results show that neither group of horses was initially able to follow the momentary distal point. However, after more experience with the point, horses previously trained using the Parelli natural horsemanship method learned to follow momentary distal points significantly faster than those previously trained with traditional methods. The poor initial performance of horses on distal pointing tasks, coupled with the finding that prior training history and experimental experience can lead to success on this task, fails to support the predictions of the domestication hypothesis and instead lends support to the two-stage hypothesis.

Grant's zebra (Equus burchelli) are commonly kept in zoos and are subject to routine health monitoring and research studies. Recently, assays for acute phase proteins (APP) have been described in many wildlife species, and specific assays for serum amyloid A (SAA) have been well validated and studied in horses (Equus ferus caballus), in which it serves as a major APP. In the present study, serum samples from 26 Grant's zebra were subject to analysis by using assays for SAA, haptoglobin (HP), and protein electrophoresis. Reference intervals were calculated by using the robust method: SAA 1.8-31.4 mg/L and HP 0.37-1.58 mg/ml. Significant differences in SAA and HP were observed in clinically abnormal zebra; in some cases, these differences were marked and were noted in the absence of abnormal values for protein electrophoretic fractions. These data indicate that APP may be a valuable and sensitive tool in monitoring inflammation in this species.

Background: The horse (Equus ferus caballus) is one of the earliest domesticated species and has played an important role in the development of human societies over the past 5,000 years. In this study, we characterized the genome of the Marwari horse, a rare breed with unique phenotypic characteristics, including inwardly turned ear tips. It is thought to have originated from the crossbreeding of local Indian ponies with Arabian horses beginning in the 12th century. Results: We generated 101 Gb (similar to 30 x coverage) of whole genome sequences from a Marwari horse using the Illumina HiSeq2000 sequencer. The sequences were mapped to the horse reference genome at a mapping rate of similar to 98% and with similar to 95% of the genome having at least 10 x coverage. A total of 5.9 million single nucleotide variations, 0.6 million small insertions or deletions, and 2,569 copy number variation blocks were identified. We confirmed a strong Arabian and Mongolian component in the Marwari genome. Novel variants from the Marwari sequences were annotated, and were found to be enriched in olfactory functions. Additionally, we suggest a potential functional genetic variant in the TSHZ1 gene (p.Ala344>Val) associated with the inward-turning ear tip shape of the Marwari horses. Conclusions: Here, we present an analysis of the Marwari horse genome. This is the first genomic data for an Asian breed, and is an invaluable resource for future studies of genetic variation associated with phenotypes and diseases in horses.

Knowing animals’ gut retention time (GRT) for important food items is critical when using non-invasive studies based on faecal remains, e.g. when analysing nutritive quality of food, or relating diet or behaviour to movements. We analysed GRT in six captive brown bears Ursus arctos, after feeding on either berries (a mixture of bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus and lingonberry V. vitis-idaea) or animal carcasses (either reindeer Rangifer tarandus, European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus, domestic pig Sus scrofa domestica, cattle Bos taurus or horse Equus ferus caballus). Median GRT50% (i.e. when 50%of all faeces containing experimental food had been defecated) was 5 hours and 47 minutes (1st and 3rd quartiles¼4 hours and 36 minutes and 7 hours and 3minutes;N¼20) after feeding on berries and 14 hours and 30 minutes (1st and 3rd quartiles ¼ 10 hours and 9 minutes and 16 hours and 57 minutes; N ¼ 20) after feeding on carcasses. Median GRTmin (i.e. first defecation comprised of experimental food) was 3 hours and 5 minutes (1st and 3rd quartiles¼1 hour and 51 minutes and 4 hours and 12minutes;N¼21) for berries and 8 hours and 2 minutes (1st and 3rd quartiles ¼ 6 hours and 14 minutes and 10 hours and 44 minutes; N ¼ 20) for carcasses. Median GRTmax (i.e. last defecation comprised of experimental food) was 15 hours and 27 minutes (1st and 3rd quartiles ¼ 11 hours and 36 minutes and 17 hours and 16 minutes; N¼21) for berries and 16 hours and 16 minutes (1st and 3rd quartiles¼12 hours and 11 minutes and 17 hours and 27 minutes; N¼20) for carcasses. A carcass diet had 6 hours and 26 minutes 6 1 hour and 56 minutes (SE) longer GRT50% than a berry diet (N ¼ 39), despite low variation in food intake. Activity level, feeding time (midday/midnight), sex, age (subadult/adult), ingested amounts of food, prior food remains processed by the gut (i.e. cumulative faeces weight) and defecation rate did not influence the GRT50%. Our reported GRT estimates are reliable values to be used within research and management to relate diet based on faecal remains to habitat use for common and important food items used by Scandinavian brown bears. brown bear, digestibility, food intake, gastrointestinal, gut retention time, ingestion passage, transit,Ursus arctos Gut retention time in captive brown bears Ursus arctos

Outdoor group housing is increasingly recognized as an appropriate housing system for domesticated horses. The objective of this study was therefore to investigate the effect of potential feed shortage in semi-natural horse keeping systems in winter on animal health and welfare. In 10 female Shetland ponies blood concentrations (NEFA, total protein (TP), total bilirubin (TB), beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and thyroxine (T4)), body mass and the body condition score (BCS) were monitored for 7 months including a 4 months period of feed restriction in five of the 10 ponies. Restrictively fed animals lost 18.4 ± 2.99% of their body mass and the BCS decreased by 2.2 ± 0.8 points (BCS scale: 0 = emaciated, 5 = obese). Feed restriction led to a continuous increase in TB (P < 0.001) and NEFA (P < 0.01) concentrations compared to control ponies. The TP and BHB values only differed at the end of the trial with lower concentrations in restricted fed mares (P < 0.05). Feed restriction had no effect on thyroxine concentrations. TB concentrations in the feed restricted group were out of the reference range during the entire feeding trial. The increased NEFA concentrations in feed restricted compared to control ponies suggest that fat was mobilized. The BCS, as well as plasma NEFA and TB concentrations were good indicators for a rapid detection of possible health problems caused by undernourishment in horses when kept under semi-natural conditions. In contrast, blood parameters of the control animals were within the reference ranges, suggesting that a year round outdoor housing with additional feed supply is an adequate housing system for a robust horse breed like the Shetland pony.

In polygynous species with high reproductive skew in males, mothers often show differential investment between sons and daughters. Although consistent sex differential investment has not been found by previous studies in horses, maternal investment beyond weaning has often been overlooked. We investigated sex differences in mother-offspring relationships in nutritionally independent sub-adult feral ponies, Equus ferus caballus. Stronger affiliative bonds between mothers and their sons than with their daughters were shown by their maintenance of closer proximity, higher rates of affiliative interactions and more frequent suckling bouts. These were associated with higher aggression levels directed towards sub-adult males by other band members, particularly stallions. We suggest that aggression may serve as the proximate mechanism driving male dispersal in feral horses and that the stronger mother-son bond signals an attempt to delay dispersal, highlighting conflict within the band concerning dispersal timing. Since we used social network theory to show that males become increasingly central within the band over time, we propose that delaying colts’ dispersal allows for further development of social skills in a relatively safe environment, maximising their reproductive success. This study illustrates how social network theory can be used to quantify individuals’ social experiences, contributing to a greater understanding of the evolution of group living.

Current lack of data for equine metacarpal bone mechanical properties hinders the design of plating systems for horses. Due to the difficulties of obtaining equine bones, as well as physical similarities found in deer bones, the goals of this study are to determine if deer (Odocoileus virginianus borealis) metacarpal bones are comparable to equine (Equus ferus caballus) third metacarpal bones and to develop a model to best represent osteoporotic degeneration in these bones. The mechanical properties of deer metacarpal bones were measured using a custom, three-point bending mechanism following a 0 to 4 hour decalcification treatment. Deer metacarpal bone ultimate tensile strength (UTS) was found to be within 18% of the value reported for equine third metacarpal bone. Additionally, a relationship between acid treatment time and decrease of UTS due to decalcification was established.

Claudins, which are known as transmembrane proteins play an essential role in tight junctions (TJs) to form physical barriers and regulate paracellular transportation. To understand equine diseases, it is helpful to measure the tissue-specific expression of TJs in horses. Major equine diseases such as colic and West Nile cause damage to TJs. In this study, the expression level and distribution of claudin-1, -2, -4, and -5 in eight tissues were assessed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry methods. Claudin-1 was primarily identified in the lung, duodenum, and uterus, claudin-2 was evenly observed in equine tissues, claudin-4 was abundantly detected in the liver, kidney and uterus, and claudin-5 was strongly expressed in the lung, duodenum, ovary, and uterus, as determined by Western blotting method. The localization of equine claudins was observed by immunohistochemistry methods. These findings provide knowledge regarding the expression patterns and localization of equine claudins, as well as valuable information to understand tight junction-related diseases according to tissue specificity and function of claudins in horses.

This commentary provides additional information related to equines and suggestions for strengthening the proposed protocol for testing synchronization to a musical beat in this species.

According to the “vocal learning and rhythmic synchronization hypothesis” (Patel, 2006), only species capable of complex vocal learning, such as humans and parrots, have the capacity to synchronize their movements to a musical beat. While empirical research to date on a few species (e.g., parrots and monkeys) has supported this hypothesis, many species remain to be examined. Domestic horses are particularly important to study, as they are vocal non-learners who are occasionally reported to move in synchrony with a musical beat, based on informal observations. If these reports are substantiated by scientific experiments, this would refute the vocal learning hypothesis and provide a new species for the comparative study of musical rhythm. Here we present a new method for testing whether horses can synchronize their trotting to a musical beat, including an illustration of data analysis based on data collected from one horse.&nbsp

Equine glutathione transferase A3-3 (EcaGST A3-3) belongs to the superfamily of detoxication enzymes found in all higher organisms. However, it is also the most efficient steroid double-bond isomerase known in mammals. Equus ferus caballus shares the steroidogenic pathway with Homo sapiens, which makes the horse a suitable animal model for investigations of human steroidogenesis. Inhibition of the enzyme has potential for treatment of steroid-hormone-dependent disorders. Screening of a library of FDA-approved drugs identified 16 out of 1040 compounds, which at 10 μM concentration afforded at least 50% inhibition of EcaGST A3-3. The most potent inhibitors, anthralin, sennoside A, tannic acid, and ethacrynic acid, were characterized by IC50 values in the submicromolar range when assayed with the natural substrate Δ5-androstene-3,17-dione.