Conversations in Equine Science

Equine research on icing the laminitic hoof.

Horseshoe effects on equine gait.

This episode Kate and Nancy discuss a scoping review of 46 research papers on the effects of horseshoe type on equine gait.
Open Access Research Reference/Link:
Aoun, R., Takawira, C., & Lopez, M. J. (2025). Horseshoe effects on equine gait-A systematic scoping review. Veterinary surgery : VS, 54(1), 31–51.
https://doi.org/10.1111/vsu.14162

Equestrian Back pain and Stirrup Length Associations

This week Kate and Nancy discuss rider back pain and it's association with 3 different stirrup lengths and 2 rider positions.
Research Reference:
Keener, Michaela M.1; Critchley, Meghan L.1; Layer, Jacob S.1; Johnson, Evan C.1; Barrett, Steven F.2; Dai, Boyi1. The Effect of Stirrup Length on Impact Attenuation and Its Association With Muscle Strength. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 35(11):p 3056-3062, November 2021. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003278
Link:
https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/fulltext/2021/11000/the_effect_of_stirrup_length_on_impact_attenuation.12.aspx

Horses and the science of harmony.

This week Nancy and Kate discuss the new movie produced by Sue Dyson. Watch the movie at the link below.
https://youtu.be/3ulkLHqHZ3g?si=Xla9VAal6ilL85sm

Craniosacral Therapy for Horses

Nancy and Kate discuss a research paper on adjusting human craniosacral therapy to horses.
Reference: Kanik, W.; Augustyn, J.; Tombarkiewicz, B. Adapting Craniosacral Therapy to Treat Horses. Acta Vet. Brno 2017, 86, 75–84.
https://actavet.vfu.cz/media/pdf/actavet_2017086010075.pdf
Article Link: https://www.equinecraniosacral.com/articles/hands-on-light-touch.pdf

The Benefits of Human Habits on Equine Welfare

This week Kate and Nancy discuss the habit loop of cue-routine-reward and the benefits that horses derive from its formation.
Research Reference/Link:
White, J.; Sims, R. Improving Equine Welfare through Human Habit Formation. Animals 2021, 11, 2156. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082156

Can horses think ahead and plan strategically?

This week Nancy and Kate discuss a just published research paper on the complex cognitive abilities of horses.
Research Reference:
Louise Evans, Heather Cameron-Whytock, Carrie Ijichi,
Whoa, No-Go: Evidence consistent with model-based strategy use in horses during an inhibitory task,
Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Volume 277,
106339, SSN 0168-1591,
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159124001874?via%3Dihub
Press Releases:
https://phys.org/news/2024-08-horses-intelligent-previously-thought.html
https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/aug/12/horses-can-plan-ahead-and-think-strategically-scientists-find

Can ponies distinguish human facial expressions?

This week Nancy and Kate discuss this 2022 paper that demonstrates ponies are able to distinguish between facial expressions presented by a live human.
Research Reference/Link:
Merkies, Katrina, Yuliia Sudarenko, and Abigail J. Hodder. 2022. "Can Ponies (Equus Caballus) Distinguish Human Facial Expressions?" Animals 12, no. 18: 2331.
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/18/2331

The effects of cortisol on equine bone health.

In this episode Kater and Nancy discuss a recently published paper correlating consistent high cortisol levels in horses with lower osteocalcinin levels.
Research Reference/Link:
Ayodele BA, Pagel CN, Mackie EJ, Armour F, Yamada S, Zahra P, et al. Differences in bone turnover markers and injury risks between local and international horses: A Victorian Spring Racing Carnival study. Equine Vet J. 2024. 
https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14098

A review of 30 years of equine bone research and what we now know about making bones stronger..

This week Kate and Nancy review past research on Equine bone management.
Research Reference/Link:
Nielsen, Brian D. 2023. "A Review of Three Decades of Research Dedicated to Making Equine Bones Stronger: Implications for Horses and Humans" Animals 13, no. 5: 789. 
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/5/789