Obesity has become a serious health problem with frequent occurrence both in human and animal populations. It is estimated that it may affect over 85% of the human population and 70–80% of horses and cows by 2030. Fat cow syndrome (FCS) is a combination of metabolic, digestive, infectious, and reproductive disorders that affects obese periparturient dairy cows, and occurs most frequently in loose-housing systems, where periparturient and dry cows are fed and managed in one group disregarding the lactation stages. Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) was named after human metabolic syndrome (MetS) and has insulin dysregulation as a central and consistent feature. It is often associated with obesity, although EMS may occur in a lean phenotype as well. Other inconsistent features of EMS are cardiovascular changes and adipose dysregulation. Laminitis is the main clinical consequence of EMS. MetS holds a 30-years old lead in research and represents a clustering of risk factors that comprise abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and hyperglycemia (impaired fasting glucose or type 2 diabetes mellitus—T2DM), which are associated with doubled atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk, and a 5-fold increased risk for T2DM. The main aim of this review is to provide critical information for better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of obesity-related metabolic dysfunction in animals, especially in cows and horses, in comparison with MetS. Human medicine studies can offer suitable candidate mechanisms to fill the existing gap in the literature, which might be indispensable for owners to tackle FCS, EMS, and their consequences.

Both as an aid for less experienced clinicians and to enhance objectivity and sharp clinical skills in professionals, quantitative technologies currently bring the equine lameness diagnostic closer to evidence-based veterinary medicine. The present paper describes an original, inertial sensor-based wireless device system, the Lameness Detector 0.1, used in ten horses with different lameness degrees in one fore- or hind-leg. By recording the impulses on three axes of the incorporated accelerometer in each leg of the assessed horse, and then processing the data using custom-designed software, the device proved its usefulness in lameness identification and severity scoring. Mean impulse values on the horizontal axis calculated for five consecutive steps above 85, regardless of the leg, indicated the slightest subjectively recognizable lameness, increasing to 130 in severe gait impairment. The range recorded on the same axis (between 61.2 and 67.4) in the sound legs allowed a safe cut-off value of 80 impulses for diagnosing a painful limb. The significance of various comparisons and several correlations highlighted the potential of this simple, affordable, and easy-to-use lameness detector device for further standardization as an aid for veterinarians in diagnosing lameness in horses.

Obesity is a common feature in horses suffering from metabolic syndrome. While adipokines involvement as biomarkers is better established in human pathology, little data are available on horses. This study aimed to investigate the possible association and relationship between selected metabolic parameters and morphological traits in equine metabolic syndrome. Adiposity was evaluated using body condition score (BCS) and cresty neck score (CNS). Plasma levels of total cholesterol, insulin, NEFA, and adipokines (omentin and chemerin) were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Spearman correlation, univariate linear regression analysis and hierarchical clustering were performed. Significant positive correlations were observed between NEFA and bodyweight (r = 0.322; p = 0.006), BCS (r = 0.295; p = 0.013), and CNS (r = 0.267; p = 0.024), total cholesterol and bodyweight (r = 0.262; p = 0.027), and omentin and CNS (r = 0.234; p = 0.049). Cluster analysis supported these results and provided more details on the relationships between studied variables within and between the four resulting groups. These findings highlight NEFA, chemerin, and omentin as valuable biomarkers that could be further analyzed in other horse breeds for a better understanding of equine metabolic pathology.

Background: Equine spermatozoa acquire maturation and fertilization capacity during their passage from the testis towards the cauda epididymis and are concurrently stored in the cauda epididymis and ampullae of the ductus deferens. In case of sudden death or emergency castration, epididymal spermatozoa can be harvested and successfully preserved. Ampullar aspiration was not previously described, even though the ampullae of the ductus deferens and the ductus deferens are valuable sources of mature spermatozoa in equines. The aim of this study was to describe a technique to collect spermatozoa from the ampullae of the ductus deferens and the ductus deferens of stallions during routine castration and to compare kinematic parameters of these spermatozoa to spermatozoa harvested from the cauda epididymis of the same stallion. Methods: Fourteen ampullae of the ductus deferens were successfully aspirated during the routine castration of 10 stallions, followed by epididymal sperm harvest. Concentration and motility parameters were assessed, computer-assisted and were compared to epididymal spermatozoa. Result: Ampullar and ductus deferens spermatozoa increased the total number of spermatozoa recovered by approximately 6%. Progressive motility (PM), velocity of the average path (VAP), velocity of the curved line (VCL) and linearity (LIN) did not differ significantly (P≤0.05) between the ampullar spermatozoa (AS) and the epididymal spermatozoa (ES). Total motility (TM) was significantly lower (P= 0.04) in the AS group.

This case report describes the surgical management of a severe congenital deformity in a Shetland pony. A two-week-old foal was presented with the right hind limb showing a 90-degree torsion of the tarsal region towards the medial side and the metatarsophalangeal joint forced in a 90-degree extension behind the right tarsus. As assessed through radiography, the tibial malleoli and the trochlea of the talus were poorly developed, the flexor tendons inserted topographically correctly on the phalanges but due to articular torsion, the tenaculum of long and lateral digital extensor tendons were projected laterally and the common digital extensor tendon on the medioplantar aspect. At the age of one month, a corrective ostectomy of the tibial malleoli, trochlear ridge, and talus was performed to reposition the adjacent bones. The tarsal bones were repositioned through an arthrotomy and subsequently the tarsal region fused by means of two cortex screws inserted in a lag fashion. Complete correction of the torsion was achieved through metatarsal osteotomy. A 20-hole 3.5-mm reconstruction plate was used for stabilization of the tibia and metatarsus, resulting in a pantarsal arthrodesis. Partial tibia shortening was performed to improve angulation of the tarsal region. At nine months after surgery, the pony was keeping the right limb hoof sole on the ground.

Horses maintained under traditional management systems and dependent on natural forages are often exposed to seasonal and compositional variations that can affect metabolic homeostasis. This study examined associations between forage nutrient composition and metabolic–morphometric indicators in horses from four agroecologically distinct regions of northwestern Romania. Eighty-eight horses managed under semi-extensive rural conditions underwent clinical examination, body condition scoring (BCS), cresty neck scoring (CNS), and fasting blood sampling. Forage samples (n = 34) from daily rations were analyzed for fermentable carbohydrate content, while serum insulin, leptin, and adiponectin were quantified using validated equine-specific ELISA assays. Forage composition varied substantially among regions, influencing both endocrine and morphometric outcomes. Horses consuming carbohydrate-rich forages exhibited higher insulin (0.95–219 μIU/mL) and leptin concentrations (925–28,190 pg/mL), accompanied by elevated BCS and CNS scores, whereas adiponectin levels tended to decrease with increasing carbohydrate content. These findings demonstrate that naturally occurring variation in forage quality can significantly influence metabolic regulation in horses managed under low-input, traditional systems. Integrating forage nutrient evaluation with clinical and endocrine assessments provides a practical framework for identifying animals at risk of metabolic dysfunction and guiding nutritional strategies to mitigate the incidence of laminitis and related disorders.