2024-2025 Equine Research Program Funded Projects

“A Pilot Study to Validate Novel Wearable Sensor Technology”

Colorado State University - $17,699.65

Young Investigator Award

The ability to collect real-time data of limb loading during training and competition provides an opportunity to improve research data collection leading to improved animal welfare. This project will validate the use of novel inertial sensor technology and machine learning techniques compared to current “gold-standard” techniques using force plates and sophisticated camera systems. Utilizing a reversable lameness induction model, the researchers will validate the superiority of the initial measurement unit scanners to detect differences in limb kinetics and kinematics. In the future, the use of this technology may help in identifying risk of injury or detecting subtle lameness in racing or performing horses.

“Inhibition of Ocular Fungal Mycelia and Associated Biofilms using Cold Atmospheric Plasma Therapy”

North Carolina State University - $19,959.00

Young Investigator Award

Eye injuries and infections are common in horses but prove difficult to treat, particularly when fungus is involved. This grant will evaluate a new treatment, Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP), on fungal growth isolated from horses with corneal fungal infections. To do this, researchers will use a novel corneal model using cadaver corneas. Early evidence suggests efficacy of CAP which will be an important advancement in the treatment of fungal eye disease saving horses from potential pain and even blindness.

“The Mystery of SnROP9, a Rhoptry Protein of Sarcocystis neurona”

Purdue University - $20,000.00

Young Investigator Award

Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a severe disease of the nervous system and can result in lameness, muscle weakness, and incoordination, yet treatment is difficult and clinical recurrence is common. This study will investigate the causative agent, a protozoan Sarcocystitis neurona, and whether specific proteins may be enabling the protozoa to escape the drugs used in treatment. Identifying the proteins responsible for this survival and subsequent recurrence will allow more targeted, more effective treatments to be developed, reducing the emotional and economic burden of the disease on the horse industry.

“Enhancing Quarter Horse Welfare through Novel Identification of β2-agonist Use”

Texas A&M University - $81,980.00

Beta-2-agonists are drugs developed to manage respiratory conditions such as COPD. However, these drugs can be performance enhancing due to their effects on muscle, including the heart; therefore, have been identified as a welfare concern, being banned in racing and performance events. This project seeks to identify markers of β2-agonist use as well as determine the negative effects of two such drugs on cardiac and skeletal muscle. Better understanding the impacts of these drugs as well as identifying consistent markers of their use can improve the health and well-being of American Quarter Horses while also maintaining competition integrity.

“Evaluation of Exhaled Nitric Oxide as a Diagnostic Tool in Adult Horses with Asthma”

Texas Tech University - $50,000.00

Equine asthma is a debilitating disease negatively impacting the health and use of horses. Clinical presentations of the disease vary according to the use of the horse, but asthma remains underdiagnosed until advanced clinical signs are observed. The goal of this project is to examine the utility of exhaled nitric oxide as a stall-side diagnostic for two types of asthma in horses. This could provide an easy mechanism to earlier identification of horses with asthma in a non-invasive way, even in a field setting.

“Investigating the Immune Modulation of microRNAs and their Association with the Microbiota Profile of Horses with Severe Equine Asthma”

Texas Tech University - $20,000.00

Young Investigator Award

Severe equine asthma (sEA) is a chronic respiratory disease characterized by intense inflammation in the lungs of older horses. It has been noted that these horses may also experience gut microbiome imbalance. MicroRNA is a type of RNA that can regulate inflammation. The objective of this study is to identify the microbiome composition and the types of microRNAs found in horses with severe asthma compared to healthy horses. This study could lead to a better understanding of the mechanism underlying pulmonary inflammation and gut imbalance in horses affected by severe equine asthma. The results from this study can potentially contribute to the faster identification of effective treatment options for horses with severe asthma.

“Analgesic, Neurologic Effects, and Pharmacokinetics of Detomidine and Morphine as Administered via Cervical Epidural Catheter in Horses”

University of Georgia - $40,561.00

Pain management in the horse remains a challenge, with many options having gastrointestinal consequences. Poor pain management can lead to prolonged disease, suffering, and even euthanasia. This study will examine the use of epidural administration of three drugs or drug combinations through a catheter in the horse’s cervical spine (neck). The results of the study will provide veterinarians more information to maximize pain relief while minimizing side effects.

“Interrogation and Integration of the Equine Gastrointestinal Microbiota during and after Colic”

University of Georgia - $62,152.00

Acute abdominal pain, or colic, remains the leading cause of death in adult horses. Recently, additional attention has been paid to the microbiome, or bacterial community within the equine gut and the interaction of the microbiome with the host (the horse). This study is designed to understand these complex interactions in the context of colic. Researchers will document changes before and after an episode of colic, identifying bacteria which may be associated with onset of- and recovery from colic. In turn, this may lead to the development of prevention and treatment strategies.

“Alterations in the Gastric Microbiota in Horses with Reflux”

University of Illinois - $15,250.00

In some episodes of colic, fluid may backfill into the horse’s stomach, a painful condition known as reflux that, if not treated, may result in the stomach rupturing. Reflux may result from inflammation of the intestine, a mechanical obstruction, or after surgery (post-operative ileus). This grant seeks to investigate the microbial populations within the stomach in horses presenting with reflux compared to normal controls, as well as to determine differences attributable to the underlying cause of the reflux. This work is an important step towards understanding the development of these diseases, which will ultimately direct research to improve diagnosis and treatment of equine patients.

“Novel Therapeutics for the Control of Multidrug-Resistant Rhodococcus equine in Foals”

University of Kentucky - $50,072.00

Infections of Rhodococccus in foals can be devasting to the welfare of the foal as well to the economics of the breeder. With no vaccine available and costly treatments that are not completely effective, as well as concerns over widespread antibiotic use, a need exists to develop new mechanisms of treatment or prevention. This study is designed to test a novel probiotic treatment which shows promise in controlling R. equi-associated pneumonia and reducing the emergence of drug resistant strains. A new successful treatment has potential to save lives of foals while also reducing antibiotic use.

“Evaluation of Disease-Modifying Effects and Multi-Dose Pharmacokinetics following Oral Administration of Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Inhibitor and Cyclooxygenase-2 Selective Inhibitor in Horses with Naturally Occurring Osteoarthritis”

University of Tennessee - $40,000.00

Development of effective new drugs for control of inflammation and pain without the adverse effects of current drugs is important for improving animal welfare. Recent in-vitro studies show soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitors may provide beneficial disease modifying effects for the treatment of osteoarthritis. This study seeks to examine the effect and pharmacokinetics of multidose administration of a new sEH inhibitor, t-TUCB, in horses with naturally occurring osteoarthritis. This is a key step in the development of a potential new analgesic for use in horses.

For more information on the American Quarter Horse Foundation’s equine research program, please contact us at:

American Quarter Horse Foundation
Equine Research Program
PO Box 32111
Amarillo, TX 79120
aqha.com/foundation
(806) 378-5021 phone
foundation@aqha.org