Subluxation of the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ or pastern joint) is an uncommon condition that occurs in the forelimb or hindlimb. Thoroughbred racehorses rarely show dorsal pastern subluxation (Thoroughbred ringbone) secondarily to an injury to the soft tissues supporting the fetlock. A 4-year-old Thoroughbred mare was presented with signs of lameness, swelling of the dorsal aspect of...

BACKGROUND Cytosine-phosphate-guanosine oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG-ODN) has been used successfully to induce immune responses against viral and intracellular organisms in mammals. The main objective of this study was to test the effect of CpG-ODN on antigen presenting cells of young foals. METHODS Peripheral blood monocytes of foals (n = 7) were isolated in the first day of life and monthly th...

Despite a large body of safety data, concern exists that porcine zonae pellucidae (PZP) immunocontraception--used to manage wild horse populations--may cause out-of-season births with resulting foal mortality. Our study at Assateague, Maryland indicated the effects of immunocontraception on season of birth and foal survival between 1990 and 2002 on wild horses from Assateague Island. Among 91 m...

Physiological responses to weaning procedures were studied in 21 foals assigned to one of five treatments: (1) abrupt, total separation of mare and foal, no preweaning creep feed (TSNC); abrupt, total separation with preweaning creep feed (TSC); partial separation of mare and foal allowing fenceline contact, no preweaning creep feed (PSNC); (4) partial separation with creep feed (PSC); and (5) ...

Newborn foals are very susceptible to infections by opportunistic pathogens such as Rhodococcus equi. This susceptibility is thought to be due to the immaturity of their immune system, in particular their inability to produce interferon-gamma. This deficiency may result from an insufficiency in accessory signals. We therefore compared monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDC) from foals and from ...

Introduction Gastric ulcer disease has been recognized in foals and adult horses. It is a complex disease and lesions vary in anatomic distribution, severity and cause. In the neonatal foal (<30 days of age) gastric ulcers and mucosal desquamation have been documented in clinically normal foals [1-4]. Due to this finding many clinicians feel it is necessary to treat critically ill neonates prop...

Objectives The goal of this study was to quantify external and internal anatomical characteristics of the foal foot throughout the first year of age. Methods Digital radiographs and photographs were taken bimonthly of the forefeet of nine Arabian foals, beginning at about 2 weeks of age until 12 months of age. Sixty-eight linear and angular variables were measured using NIH (National Institutes...

Pinhooking is a speculative investment where investors assume a risk position in the purchase and resale of Thoroughbred horses. Thoroughbred auction markets provide a unique data set to analyze investment risk. This study estimates the profitability of weanling to yearling pinhooks sold at the Keeneland September Sale using three years of sale data. Maximum-likelihood estimates of probability ...

The potency, toxicity and clinical value of two synthetic analogues of Prostaglandin F2(ICI-7()939 and ICI-8ioo8) for inducing luteolysis in mares is discussed. Measurement of peripheral plasma progestagen levels in over 4oo Thoroughbred mares has demonstrated that abnormal persistence of luteal function (prolonged dioestrus) is the major cause of the failure of nonpregnant mares to exhibit reg...