Background: Breed specific reference ranges for selected blood parameters are recommended for proper interpretation of blood tests, but there are only few reports dealing with ponies. The purpose of this study was to investigate if blood parameters differ among ponies’ classes and to check if general normal values for equine species are applicable to ponies.Results: All, except total protein concentration, biochemical parameter significantly (p < 0.05) differed among ponies’ classes. The most pronounced difference was noted in blood lactate concentrations, higher (p < 0.001) in the smallest ponies (class A). In all groups of ponies muscle enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase and creatine kinase) and urea were high when compared to normal values for equine species, but triglycerides and creatinine were low. Blood lactate concentration was high in comparison with normal values for horses only in class A ponies’.Conclusions: In healthy ponies, blood lactate concentration significantly differs between height classes. Normal values for equine species should not be directly applied to interpret the lactate, triglycerides, aspartate aminotransferase and creatine kinase values in ponies.

The article aimed to review the current literature analysing the complexity of an exercise-induced acute phase response in athletic horses undergoing intense training and endurance competitions. Since the endurance discipline demands physical fitness, exceptional health and excellent adaptation to an increasing workload, diagnostic methods of assessing the factors mentioned above are highly required. Athletic horses in endurance training undergo numerous metabolic but also immune adaptations, including changes in pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels. The inflammatory reaction resembles typical inflammation only to some extent; therefore, the term exercise-induced acute phase response (APR) has been introduced. Among many biomarkers, acute phase proteins (APPs), like serum amyloid A (SAA) and different types of cytokines, especially interleukin 1 (IL-1), interleukin 6 (IL-6), and tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α), appear to play a key role. These markers may be modulated by many factors; however, proper training seems to result in the occurrence of an “anti-inflammatory state”, which is beneficial for the horse’s health and highly required in high-performance equine athletes. Further understanding of the inflammatory reaction associated with extreme physical effort is crucial for ensuring the long-term career and welfare of endurance horses.

Introduction: Gastrointestinal mycobacteriosis in horses is difficult to diagnose because of the pathogen’s intracellular nature and the non-specific clinical symptoms. Effective accurate diagnosis facilitates prognosis and treatment. Current diagnostic procedures and methods of collecting material do not permit definitive antemortem diagnosis. However, culturing, acid-fast bacilli staining, histopathology, PCR and immunological marker evaluation may prove useful. Material and Methods: Three horses were admitted to a clinic for intensive care and a final diagnosis. Physical examination and additional tests were performed. Unfavourable prognoses and lack of treatment response prompted euthanasia decisions. Necropsy was performed, as were histological, microbiological and molecular investigations. Results: The clinical condition of the animals deteriorated despite therapy. Two horses were euthanised when they did not respond to treatment and had poor prognoses. Intestinal mycobacteriosis caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis was diagnosed postmortem using laboratory investigations. One horse’s diagnosis was established antemortem by cytological and microbiological examination of biopsy material from an abdominocentesis, and this animal was also euthanised because of its poor prognosis. Conclusion: Mycobacteriosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of chronic debilitating equine diarrhoea in addition to rhodococcosis, lawsoniosis, salmonellosis, gastric ulcers and food intolerance. Peritoneal fluid obtained by abdominocentesis proved to be an effective diagnostic method for microbiological and molecular identification of Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis in horses with suspected enteric mycobacteriosis and concomitant ascites.

In this case series, four equines were diagnosed with cystitis, resulting in divergent clinical outcomes. Three animals achieved complete clinical resolution without recurrence, whereas one required euthanasia due to progressive clinical deterioration. All diagnoses were established through a dual-modality investigative protocol comprising cystoscopic evaluation and histopathological examination of bladder mucosal biopsies. The cohort exhibited considerable etiological heterogeneity. One case was classified as chronic idiopathic cystitis, while another was attributed to an opportunistic bacterial infection involving Facklamia spp. A third case demonstrated histopathological features consistent with mild chronic-active inflammation, characterized by mucosal hyperplasia and focal ulceration. Of particular pathological significance was one equine presented with marked epithelial denudation accompanied by pronounced submucosal edema, notably in the absence of appreciable inflammatory cellular infiltration. These characteristic morphological features and lesions observed in the horses share certain histopathological features with inflammatory bladder lesions described as interstitial cystitis in other species. However, these conclusions should be interpreted with caution, as the findings are based on only four horses.