Horse breeding in South Africa started in 1652, shortly after the 1st European settlement in the Cape. African horsesickness posed a serious problem and after a devastating outbreak of the disease in 1719, horses were largely replaced by oxen for agricultural and transport purposes but remained important from a sporting and military point of view. Examples of the latter are the export of horses...

Gastric Ulceration in the Adult Gastric ulceration syndrome (GUS), a complicated and multi-factorial problem, is a common disorder of the stomach of mature horses. Horses that are turned out to pasture and are not involved in work have normal stomachs as do most horses used for light work or pleasure (Murray 1994). In recent years the widespread nature of this disorder has gained increased reco...

OBJECTIVE To determine clinical characteristics of and outcome in Thoroughbred racehorses with tibial or humeral stress fractures. DESIGN Retrospective study. ANIMALS 99 Thoroughbreds with tibial or humeral stress fractures. PROCEDURE Information obtained from the medical records included history, signalment, and clinical, radiographic, and scintigraphic findings. Outcome was determined b...

Variants of the MSTN gene encoding myostatin are associated with muscle hypertrophy phenotypes in a range of mammalian species, most notably cattle, dogs, mice, and humans. Using a sample of registered Thoroughbred horses (n = 148), we have identified a novel MSTN sequence polymorphism that is strongly associated (g.66493737C>T, P = 4.85x10(-8)) with best race distance among elite racehorses (n...

BACKGROUND Inflammatory airway disease (IAD) in horses is a widespread, performance-limiting syndrome believed to develop in response to inhaled irritants in the barn environment. OBJECTIVES To evaluate changes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology and exposure to particulates, endotoxin, and ammonia during horses' first month in training. ANIMALS Forty-nine client-owned 12- to 36...

This retrospective study aimed to investigate the relationship between exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) and upper airway disorders in Thoroughbred racehorses that competed at Sao Paulo Jockey Club 1999 2005. Data were collected from 4,036 endoscopic examinations performed 30 min after a race by same examiner. The association EIPH was assessed using chi-square test. In total, 2299 17...

Adaptation of osteochondral tissues is based on the strains experienced during exercise at each location within the joint. Different exercise intensities and types may induce particular site-specific strains, influencing osteochondral adaptation and potentially predisposing to injury. Our hypotheses were that patterns of equine distal tarsal subchondral bone (SCB) thickness relate to the type a...

The race-horses are prone to injuring their leg tendons, especially the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT). The SDFT injuries have a significant impact on the performance horse industry, accounting for an estimated 8-12% of all racing injuries. Historical data indicate that with traditional modes of therapy, there is approximately 4050% chance the horse will retum to athletic activity aft...

In the first four decades of the twentieth century, horse racing was one of America’s most popular spectator sports. Members of America’s elite took to breeding and racing horses as one of their preferred pastimes. Coinciding with an increase in immigration and the rediscovery of Mendelian genetics, the idea that careful breeding of thoroughbreds would result in improved horses resonated with A...