We sought to determine the prevalence of pharyngeal, laryngeal and tracheal disorders in Thoroughbred racehorses in South Africa and to determine their relationship with racing performance. A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted over 3.5 months on 1,005 Thoroughbred racehorses. After racing, videoendoscopic examination of the pharynx, larynx and trachea was performed on unsedated, pr...

Adoption of nongenetic offspring occurs in a variety of species but is rare in equids. We report a case of adoption by a free-ranging, feral mare Equus caballus and compare the maternal care received by her genetic offspring (born 1995) to that of her adopted offspring (born 1996) for the first 30 weeks of development. We compare five measures of care: (1) total time spent suckling, (2) mare ag...

Coordinating suckle-swallow and breathing activities requires a complex integration of motor and sensory signaling. This ability is only partly perfected in the newborn, and disease can disrupt this process easily, resulting in hypophagia or dysphagia. Nutritional support is an important component in the treatment of the sick foal, whether the animal is an orphan or accompanied by its dam. Indw...

The following case report describes the diagnosis and surgery of bilateral polydactyly of unknown origin in a colt. A 7-month-old Berber colt was referred for cosmetic and curative excision of supernumerary digits. Radiographic examination revealed bilateral polydactyly and welldeveloped first carpal bones. Surgery consisted of an osteotomy of both second metacarpal bones combined with an amput...

Medical problems in the last month of pregnancy may have devastating effects on the foal or both the mare and the foal. This paper will review the most common medical complaints in the last month of pregnancy in the mare. A general overview of the evaluation of the colicky mare in advanced pregnancy is provided as a guideline for differentiation between genital and nongenital causes of colic. D...

Sequence variation at the equine myostatin gene (MSTN) locus has previously been shown to have a singular genomic influence on optimum race distance in Thoroughbred racehorses. Myostatin, encoded by the MSTN gene, is a member of the TGF-β superfamily that regulates skeletal muscle development in a range of mammalian species including the horse. In the Thoroughbred, the C-allele at the g.6649373...