Histopathological examination of chronic laminitis in Kaimanawa feral horses of New Zealand

Hampson, Brian; Laat, Melody A. de; Beausac, C; Rovel, Tibor; Pollitt, Christopher C.

doi:10.1080/00480169.2012.682271

Cited by 11 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…This problem recurred in one mare in seasons when the mare was barren [33], thus confirming the higher susceptibility of mares to laminitis than stallions [38]. In Australian studies, despite no visible symptoms of laminitis, morphological and histopathological postmortem examinations of hooves evidenced laminar rings in 80% [41] and chronic laminitis in 25% of the feral horses studied [42]. The starvation periods in winter lead to decreased body condition, and recurrent summer obesity may be controversial from the welfare standpoint, with both states being negatively scored in welfare protocols [8,9].…”

Section: Welfare Of Koniks Related To Feeding Drinking and Locomotomentioning

confidence: 71%

“…Thanks to slow locomotion and no predation, lame horses can survive; nonetheless, their welfare is reduced during such critical periods. However, a lack of lameness is not evidence that the hooves are healthy, since lameness may not occur during the on-going laminitis [38,42] or self-trimming [76,80]. Frequent histopathological changes in feral horses' hooves observed in post mortem studies indicate that the feral horse foot type cannot be used as a model for the domestic horse foot [41,80].…”

Section: Health Aspectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Welfare of Free-Roaming Horses: 70 Years of Experience with Konik Polski Breeding in Poland

Górecka-Bruzda

Jaworski

Jaworska

et al. 2020

Animals

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To prevent abuse and to assure the welfare of domestic horses, attempts to assess welfare in a standardized way have been made. Welfare-assessment tools often refer to the physical and social environments of feral domestic horses as examples of welfare-friendly conditions for horses. However, free-roaming horses are often exposed to conditions or states that may be regarded as welfare threats or abuse. The aim of this review was to present cases of welfare compromises as well as natural ways to restore high standards of welfare to Konik polski horses (Koniks) living in semiferal conditions in a forest sanctuary over the course of 70 years. Welfare problems in Koniks related to feeding, locomotor, social, reproductive, and comfort behavior, as well as health issues concerning hoof trimming and parasitism in Koniks, are discussed. Periodic food scarcity or abundance, stressful events around weaning and gathering, the consequences of fights among stallions, exposure to sire aggression during dispersal, lameness during “self-trimming,” exposure to insect harassment, high levels of parasitism, and specific landscape formations may endanger free-roaming horses. It has to be underlined that despite the excellent adaptability of horses to free-roaming conditions, one should be aware that welfare problems are to be expected in any semiferal population. Here, we present the management system applied for 70 years in free-roaming Konik polski horses that minimizes welfare threats. It allows close follow-up of individual horses, the strict monitoring of health and welfare on a daily basis, and if necessary, instant reactions from caretakers in cases of emergency. Moreover, it addresses the problem of starvation due to overgrazing and thus, the ethical controversy related to the eradication of surplus animals causing environmental damage.

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Section: Welfare Of Koniks Related To Feeding Drinking and Locomotomentioning

confidence: 71%

Section: Health Aspectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Welfare of Free-Roaming Horses: 70 Years of Experience with Konik Polski Breeding in Poland

Górecka-Bruzda

Jaworski

Jaworska

et al. 2020

Animals

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“…89 This form of laminitis seems to be unrelated to body condition or carbohydrate overload, but the contribution of pony breeds to the genetic makeup of some feral horses diagnosed with chronic traumatic laminitis has been noted. 98 …”

Section: Traumatic Laminitismentioning

confidence: 97%

Musculoskeletal Pathology

Peat

Kawcak

2015

Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice

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The current understanding of pathology as it relates to common diseases of the equine musculoskeletal system is reviewed. Conditions are organized under the fundamental categories of developmental, exercise-induced, infectious, and miscellaneous pathology. The overview of developmental pathology incorporates the new classification system of juvenile osteochondral conditions. Discussion of exercise-induced pathology emphasizes increased understanding of the contribution of cumulative microdamage caused by repetitive cyclic loading. Miscellaneous musculoskeletal pathology focuses on laminitis, which current knowledge indicates should be regarded as a clinical syndrome with a variety of possible distinct mechanisms of structural failure that are outlined in this overview.

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“…Abattoir surveys from horses systematically culled from the New Zealand Kaimanawa feral horse population have provided data to demonstrate presence of osteoarthritis in the metacarpaophalangeal joint, the severity of which increased with age, similar to that observed in racing and sporting horses [ 43 ]. There was also evidence of a high prevalence of chronic laminitis (45%) within this population identifying that laminitic insult is not just a problem associated with the domesticated horse [ 44 , 45 ].…”

Section: Reason For Loss From Sportmentioning

confidence: 99%

Proactive Management of the Equine Athlete

Rogers

Bolwell

Gee

2012

Animals

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Simple SummaryThe athletic career of a horse is relatively short. Career length can be positively influenced by the trainer and the age at which the horse starts competition. There are opportunities for a team approach of health professionals and changes in management to improve functional/competition life. The ability to improve the tolerance of the tissue to exercise load via the introduction of early exercise, which reflects the horse’s evolutionary cursorial lifestyle, could provide a proactive mechanism to attenuate injury risk.AbstractAcross many equestrian disciplines the median competition career of a horse is relatively short. One of the major reasons for short career length is musculoskeletal injury and a consistent variable is the trainer effect. There are significant opportunities within equestrian sport for a holistic approach to horse health to attenuate musculoskeletal injury. Proactive integration of care by health professionals could provide a mechanism to attenuate injury risk and the trainer effect. However, the limited data available on current exercise regimens for sport horses restricts interpretation of how management and exercise volume could be modified to reduce injury risk. Early exercise in the juvenile horse (i.e., pre weaning) has a positive effect on stimulating the musculoskeletal system and primes the horse for an athletic career. The early introduction to sport competition has also been identified to have a positive effect on career length. These data indicate that management systems reflecting the cursorial evolution of the horse may aid in attenuating loss from sport due to musculoskeletal injury.

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Histopathological examination of chronic laminitis in Kaimanawa feral horses of New Zealand

Abstract: It is an important finding that the feral horse lifestyle in the environment of the Kaimanawa Ranges in New Zealand offers no protection against foot disease. The finding suggests that horses are vulnerable to laminitis whether in domestic care or in a feral habitat.

Cited by 11 publications

References 14 publications

Welfare of Free-Roaming Horses: 70 Years of Experience with Konik Polski Breeding in Poland

Welfare of Free-Roaming Horses: 70 Years of Experience with Konik Polski Breeding in Poland

Musculoskeletal Pathology

Proactive Management of the Equine Athlete

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