Equine Science: Weekly News and Trivia Question - July 17, 2009

Welcome to the first of many weekly posts rounding up the latest equine science news.

I’m Chloé Sharrocks, a keen scientist with an interest in all things equestrian, and every Friday I’ll be blogging about the most recent research developments in the international horse-world. I’ll be covering everything from the latest veterinary science news through to nutrition, sports psychology and even research into the biomechanics of riding. At the end of each week’s post I’ll also be asking an equine science trivia question, so make sure you read all the way to the end. Please also get in touch with me via my profile page if there’s anything else you’d like to see covered by this blog. I Hope you enjoy my column:

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Last Friday, it was announced that the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) would be stepping up their game when it comes to doping in the horse world. HRH Princess Haya, the president of the FEI, has set up an ethics panel which would investigate recent allegations of doping, such as the German Equestrian team allegations and the nine cases of failed drugs tests in the United Arab Emirates. The FEI are currently taking steps to rid doping from all equestrian disciplines.


In the United States, the first 2009 case of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) has been confirmed in Virginia, by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). The EEE virus occurs in the eastern half of the US and is transmitted by mosquitoes which cause disease not only in horses but also in humans and some bird species. In the case of equines it can lead to in-coordination, depression, and fever and sadly, in most cases, is fatal. Horse owners in the area are encouraged to work with their local vets to plan an effective vaccination programme to protect their horses.

Across the Atlantic, in the United Kingdom, vets and emergency response teams, such as the fire service, have been joining together to help make horse rescues both safer for the equines and humans involved. On July, 7 local vets and fire crews met in the South East of England to talk through the importance of sedation and anaesthesia in emergency rescues. This meeting is one of several arranged throughout the UK by the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) and follows on from the “emergency services protocol” launched in 2007 by BEVA and the British Horse Society. This protocol came about after the magazine Horse and Hound reported worrying variations in how police and fireman handle emergency calls involving horses.

Danish researchers from the University of Copenhagen have also discovered that micro-chipping horses is less painful than using traditional hot-branding irons to identify them. By studying seven adult horses, Casper Lindegaard and his colleagues compared both the immediate and post reactions following micro-chipping and hot-branding and discovered the latter is not only initially more painful, but that the symptoms carry on for at least a week. This research shows that it is far kinder to inject a microchip transponder into the horse’s neck in order to identify them, than using traditional branding irons. However, this study should not stop horse owners from using freeze-marking, a common practice in the UK which uses super-chilled markers to brand the horse.


African Horse Sickness (AHS) is the most lethal disease to equines and although it currently only occurs in sub-Saharan Africa, there are concerns that in the future it may be transmitted worldwide through a transported infected horse or a biting midge. However now an international group of scientists have developed and tested a new vaccine against one particular strain of AHS. Previous vaccines have been developed, but none of these have been licensed in North America amid concerns of the subsequent problems that can arise, such as death. But this new vaccine created by researchers from South Africa, Canada, France and the US avoids many of these associated problems. This study is therefore welcome news in case AHS spreads worldwide.


And finally, researchers at the Royal Veterinary College in London have discovered why jockeys really crouch on top of their horses when racing. Their results, reported in the journal Science, have found that this position allows the jockeys to isolate their bodies from the horse’s movement. When the horse’s feet hit the ground, the equine’s motion is temporarily slowed. However, by balancing on their horses as they do, the jockeys’ legs act as springs and allow them to go with the flow of the horse. This helps the jockeys remain at a constant speed and stops them exerting forces on the horses’ backs, which might otherwise slow them down.

That’s all for this week’s round-up of equestrian science news, but here’s a question to leave you with:

White-line disease in horses is more commonly known by what name?
1. Anaemia
2. Seedy-Toe
3. Jaundice
4. Navicular


The answer can be found on my profile page by clicking here.

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Comment by Sarah at HorseJobs.ca on July 17, 2009 at 3:49pm
Great Post - Thanks! :)
Comment by Rosemary Courser on July 17, 2009 at 3:20pm
I'm very interested in the Equine Sciences! Your Blog Posts are great and informative! I look forward to more of the same.....Love the Trivia Questions!! :}
Comment by Lee Kelly on July 17, 2009 at 11:25am
very interesting, looking forward to future posts.
Comment by Chloé Sharrocks on July 17, 2009 at 9:37am
Thanks Jackie - glad you enjoyed it!
Comment by Jackie Cochran on July 17, 2009 at 9:28am
Good post. I am looking forward to future ones.

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