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Introduction
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November 2015 - April 2016
January 2012 - December 2015
April 2003 - September 2015
Publications
Publications (126)
The human plasma proteome is rather well studied, but not that of other species, including horses. The aims of this study were to (1), explore differences in plasma proteomic profile of young elite harness trotters kept under standardised conditions and subjected to two different training programmes for 2 years and (2) explore changes in proteomic...
The plasma metabolomic profile of elite harness horses subjected to different training programmes was explored. All horses had the same training programme from 1.5 until 2 years of age and then high-intensity training was introduced, with horses divided into high and low training groups. Morning blood samples were collected at 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3.5 y...
Many horse breeds are used for a variety of tasks and studies have shown within breed variations in conformation depending on the task. The Icelandic horse is used for several tasks, e.g. leisure riding, competitions and tour riding. Research about conformation and relationship to subjectively assessed performance (usability) in Icelandic horses us...
Barefoot racing is a common practice within the harness racing industry, but not all horses have hooves of sufficient quality to race sustainably without shoes. There is currently no objective approach available to assess whether a horse’s hooves are suitable for barefoot racing, raising animal welfare issues if trainers misjudge the functional qua...
Knowledge of endogenous nutrient losses is important when estimating the nutrient requirements of animals. It has been suggested that faecal endogenous phosphorus (P) losses differ between growing and adult horses, but studies on foals are scarce. In addition, studies on foals on forage‐only diets with different P contents are lacking. Thus this st...
Edible insects are worldwide promoted as an alternative protein, trace mineral and lipid source in animal feed and human food. The house cricket (Acheta domesticus) is already being reared at an industrial scale, yet current mass-rearing practices and facility design may still leave room for improvement. Behavioral tests have been suggested as an i...
Grassland ecosystems are species-rich habitats that are rapidly declining globally posing serious concerns for biodiversity conservation. This situation is particularly relevant in agricultural areas in Europe. As traditional management practices and livestock grazing regimes ceased, rewilding could be a potential avenue to tackle current biodivers...
Disease-induced personality change results from endogenous and adaptive host responses or parasitic manipulation. Within animal husbandry systems understanding the connection between behaviour and disease is important for health monitoring and for designing systems considerate to animal welfare. However, understanding these relationships within ins...
Insects, such as crickets, are being used as a viable food source in many regions of the world, given their nutritional value for human and animal consumption. This study investigated the viral communities present in European house crickets and whether feed influences the composition of the crickets’ virome. The crickets were reared under environme...
This study investigated plasma insulin like growth factor (IGF)-1 concentrations in 16 young Standardbred horses introduced to systematic high-intensity training at two different levels of intensity. Growth and locomotion asymmetry and correlations between these and plasma IGF-1 concentrations were also examined. From September as 1-year olds to Ma...
This study evaluated whether front and hind limb symmetry patterns observed from 1.5 through 3 years of age in Standardbred trotters in training affect racing activity at older age. The hypothesis tested was that asymmetries observed during this period are linked to reduced number of lifetime races and low earnings. Sixteen Standardbreds were subje...
Straw’s low energy content means it is a roughage option for horses with low energy requirements. Previously, in a field study, straw was associated with an increased risk for gastric ulcers. This study evaluated the effect on gastric ulcers, metabolic profile and behaviour of replacing, in a forage-only ration, 50% of the daily allowance with whea...
Fasting, i.e. depriving the animals of food prior to harvesting, has been practised in the production of house crickets (Acheta domesticus). However, the effectiveness of this method in reducing microbial loads is still unclear. In addition, there may be costs of fasting to the organism, which could compromise product quality and animal welfare. He...
This study examined the effect of altered body weight (BW) and body fat content on exercise performance and recovery. Nine horses were divided into two groups, and changes in BW and fat content were induced by feeding a high (HA) or restricted (RA) energy allowance for 36 days in a cross-over design. In the last week of each treatment, BW and body...
Interest in insects as food is increasing worldwide, particularly in industrialised countries. Insect-based ingredients are considered novel foods in Europe and there are unresolved concerns regarding food safety. Microbial counts in insects can be high, posing potential health risks to consumers and possibly causing rapid deterioration by spoilage...
This study examined the effects of two housing systems (control housing and loose housing) on musculoskeletal condition during recovery from race-like exercise in Standardbred horses. The hypothesis was that a loose housing system provides better conditions for musculoskeletal recovery than the control housing. Eight adult geldings (mean age 11 yea...
Insects generally have high reproductive rates leading to rapid population growth and high local densities; ideal conditions for disease epidemics. The parasites and diseases that naturally regulate wild insect populations can also impact when these insects are produced commercially, on farms. While insects produced for human or animal consumption...
Orthopteran insects have high reproductive rates leading to boom-bust population dynamics with high local densities that are ideal for short, episodic disease epidemics. Viruses are particularly well suited for such host population dynamics, due to their supreme ability to adapt to changing transmission criteria. However, very little is known about...
Denna rapport bygger på det yttrande som SLU:s vetenskapliga råd för djurskydd
sammanställt på uppdrag av Jordbruksverket om sammanställd forskning kring
hållande av nötkreatur och får utomhus, med eller utan ligghall, under förutsättningar
som är relevanta för svenskt vidkommande.
The aim was to measure the mean and maximum speed and the range of speed in all gaits of Icelandic horses shown at a breed evaluation field test (BEFT). In addition, the effect of speed on scores for the gaits and whether speed was affected by age, sex and conformation measurements were investigated. The study was carried out in Iceland on 266 hors...
House crickets (Acheta domesticus) are increasingly being used as food. This has the potential for a more efficient food production that also may benefit agroecosystems. As the first study to compare feeds based on European wild flowering plants as feed for house crickets we examined five common plants known to support biodiversity of wild
insects...
Infrared thermography (IRT) is a popular technology used for the detection of thermal changes given its non-invasive nature and lack of direct contact with the individual. Accordingly, the maximal eye temperature (MaxET) measured with IRT has been extensively applied in equine research. However, there is little information available about the poten...
In an approach combining microbiological culture methods with high-throughput sequencing, this study investigated the microbial communities (bacteria, moulds and yeasts) in Swedish-produced edible crickets (Acheta domesticus) reared in a controlled environment. The effects of different feeds on microbial loads and populations in crickets were also...
There is a lack of research on the benefits and risks of shoeing conditions in harness racing. Our objectives were thus to: 1) investigate whether velocity times (VT; s/km) are affected by racing unshod (N=76,932 records on 5247 horses); 2) determine the potential risks of galloping, being penalized and disqualification when competing unshod (N=111...
Large herbivores play key roles in terrestrial ecosystems. Continuous defaunation processes have produced cascade effects on plant community composition, vegetation structure, and even climate. Wood-pastures were created by traditional management practices that have maintained open structures and biodiversity for millennia. In Europe, despite the b...
This study evaluated the potential of red clover as a sole diet for house crickets (Acheta domesticus, AD) and the effect of ensiling or drying red clover biomass on growth, survival and water consumption of AD. Wild AD were caught near Uppsala, Sweden, and reared in a climate-controlled room under a 12-h light regime. One day-old third-generation...
The house cricket (Acheta domesticus) is one of several cricket species with great potential to be farmed as a sustainable protein source. In order to succeed in large-scale cricket farming, knowledge of cricket digestion is essential. The digestive tract morphology of A. domesticus is well documented, but knowledge of the salivary glands is lackin...
Horse grazing can be favorable from a biological diversity perspective. This study documented the occurrence of endo- and ectoparasites and sought to reduce parasite egg excretion with the anthelmintic drug pyrantel in 12 Gotlandsruss stallions maintained in a year-round grazing system for 2.5 years. Feces samples were collected monthly and all hor...
This study examined the effects of two housing systems (free-range and box stalls) on recovery of energy balance after competition-like exercise in Standardbred horses. Eight adult geldings (mean age 11 years) were used. The study had a change-over design, with the box stall (BOX) and free-range group housing (FreeR) treatments each run for 21 days...
Horse grazing may benefit biodiversity, but the impact of year-round grazing on nutrient dynamics has not been evaluated previously. This study compared pasture quality in a forest-grassland landscape grazed year-round by horses with that in exclosed mown areas. Twelve Gotlandsruss stallions were kept without supplementary feeding in three enclosur...
Background
Molecular serum markers that can identify early reversible osteoarthritis (OA) in horses are lacking.
Objectives
We studied serum concentrations of a novel cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) neo‐epitope in horses subjected to short‐term exercise and with acute lameness. The effects of circadian rhythm and age were also evaluated...
Novel foods represent sustainable alternatives to traditional farming and conventional foodstuffs. The house cricket (Acheta domesticus) is considered as one of the most promising reared insects due to their attractive nutritional profile and lower feed conversion ratio compared to other animals. However, putative health hazards associated with con...
Semi‐natural grasslands are rich in biodiversity and thus important habitats for conservation, yet they are experiencing rapid declines due to agricultural intensification and abandonment. Promoting a more diverse mammalian herbivore community, including large and megaherbivores, may result in positive cascade effects for biodiversity and ecosystem...
The emerging insects-as-food industry is increasingly promoted as a sustain- able alternative to other animal protein production systems. However, the exact nature of its environmental benefits are uncertain because of the overwhelming lack of knowledge concerning almost every aspect of production: from suitable species, their housing and feed requ...
The European house cricket (Acheta domesticus) is a species of interest for the emerging insect-as-food industry.Acheta domesticusdensovirus (AdDV) is a member of the Parvoviridae virus family which infectsA. domesticus,causing widespread mortality and even extinction of local cricket populations. Despite the well-known detri-mental effects of AdDV...
As wild harvesting of insects gives way to mass rearing, there is an urgent need to develop expertise and methods in insect animal husbandry and facility design. In order to advance the science of animal husbandry and production in this field, comparisons and contrasts of different insect rearing facilities currently in production are likely to be...
Abstract Novel foods could represent a sustainable alternative to traditional farming and conventional foodstuffs. Starting in 2018, Regulation (EU) 2283/2015 entered into force, laying down provisions for the approval of novel foods in Europe, including insects. This Approved Regulation establishes the requirements that enable Food Business Operat...
This study investigated the effect of providing extra water and nesting material to Moo Lath sows on piglet survival and growth. Three treatments were evaluated in a randomized block design with six sows/treatment. In the Control treatment, sows were not provided with nesting material or extra water apart from that included in the feed (conventiona...
Insect production has been suggested as a food production system that could be more sustainable than many conventional livestock systems. Insects are a promising source of nutrients for humans containing high amounts of good quality protein, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. A sustainable insect industry could have large impacts on land use, ecol...
This study evaluated diets including whole or peeled (legs removed) crickets (Teleogryllus testaceus) in terms of diet digestibility, growth and nitrogen retention, using pigs as an animal model. The experiment included three isonitrogenous diets (18.4% crude protein) including either whole cricket meal (WC), body cricket meal (legs removed, BC) or...
This study investigated the effects of transport and diet on metabolic response during a subsequent race-like test in Standardbred horses in training fed a forage-only diet and a 50:50 forage:oats diet. Six trained and raced Standardbred trotter mares were used. Two diets, 1 forage-only diet (FONLY) and 1 diet with 50% of DM intake from forage and...
In this study, a survey was used to document the type and amount of training to which 2-to 3-year old Swedish Standardbred horses are generally subjected. Moreover, an experimental study was conducted to examine the ability to achieve conventional performance goals in 16 Standardbred geldings fed a forage-only diet and allocated to either a control...
A survey was performed in small-holder pig farms (SHPF) and larger-scale pig farms (LSPF) in two provinces in the Northern part of Laos to identify factors with potential to improve performance and to reduce piglet mortality. Sows in SHPF produced fewer litters per year with a smaller number of live born piglets and weaned piglets per litter compar...
The overall purpose of this study was to assess how domestic Gotland Russ, a Swedish horse, manage under semi-feral conditions. In this part of the study, we evaluated the habitat use in the Gotland Russ. Furthermore, we investigated how habitat selection and feeding behaviour changed during late, boreal winter (January-April) in relation to change...
This study evaluated the physiological response to an experimental 100 m flying pace race (EPR) in Icelandic horses with pace-competition experience, and whether there was an effect of rider. A cross-over design with nine horses and two riders was used. The EPR was performed twice (once with each rider) with four days of rest in-between. The EPR co...
This study examined feed intake, growth, body condition, muscle glycogen content and nutrition-related health in 16 Standardbred horses fed a high-energy, forage-only diet ad libitum and allocated to either a control training programme (C-group) or a training programme with the high-intensity training distance reduced by 30% (R-group), from January...
This study examined the effect of increasing BW ratio (BWR) between rider and horse, in the BWR range common for Icelandic horses (20% to 35%), on heart rate (HR), plasma lactate concentration (Lac), BWR at Lac 4 mmol/l (W4), breathing frequency (BF), rectal temperature (RT) and hematocrit (Hct) in Icelandic horses. In total, eight experienced scho...
This study investigated the effects of rider weight in the BW ratio (BWR) range common for Icelandic horses (20% to 35%), on stride parameters in tölt in Icelandic horses. The kinematics of eight experienced Icelandic school horses were measured during an incremental exercise test using a high-speed camera (300 frames/s). Each horse performed five...
Background
This study investigated the variation in plasma insulin concentration (PIC) in a group of Icelandic horses in training, considered to be healthy and examined possible relationships between PIC and gender, age, body size, body condition score and management factors such as feed allowance and subjective level of fitness.
Results
Plasma in...
The horse is a non-ruminant herbivore adapted to eating plant-fibre or forage-based diets. Some horses are stabled for most or the majority of the day with limited or no access to fresh pasture and are fed preserved forage typically as hay or haylage and sometimes silage. This raises questions with respect to the quality and suitability of these pr...
This study evaluated survival and growth of Cambodian field crickets (Teleogryllus testaceus) during captivity when fed a set of local weed species, agricultural and food industry by-products. Wild individuals were caught at two locations in Cambodia, kept in pens and fed commercial chicken feed until the second generation off-spring hatched. First...
Training of Standardbred race horses aims to improve cardiovascular and metabolic functions but studies on the effects of different training strategies from breaking till racing are lacking. Sixteen horses with the goal to race as 3-year-olds were studied from breaking (1-year-olds) to December as 3-year-olds. Horses were allocated to either a cont...
The aim of this study was to document effects of two high-intensity training regimes on horse health. Sixteen Standardbred horses in training from September as 1-year-olds with the goal to race as 3-year-olds were used in a 2.5 year study. Horses were trained in either a control training program (C-group) or in a program with 30% reduced high inten...
This study compared the effect of ridden tölt and trot at 3 speeds on physiological responses in trained adult (15.3 ± 1.6 yr) Icelandic horses. The experiment had a crossover design with 8 horses, 2 treatments (incremental exercise test in tölt and trot), and 2 riders. Each horse performed 2 tests per day (1 gait with 2 riders, minimum 4.5 h betwe...
Obesity is believed to be an increasing health and welfare problem among companion dogs. In general, obesity is the result of imbalanced energy intake and utilisation, i.e. too much feed in relation to level of physical activity.
Performance horses are commonly fed diets including large amounts of starch-rich concentrates despite that there is little scientific evidence that such diets promote performance. In contrast, it is well known that high concentrate diets can cause gastrointestinal problems, stereotypical behaviour and perhaps also musculoskeletal problems. High ene...
This study compared the effect of ridden tolt and trot at 3 speeds on physiological responses in trained adult (15.3 +/- 1.6 yr) Icelandic horses. The experiment had a crossover design with 8 horses, 2 treatments (incremental exercise test in tolt and trot), and 2 riders. Each horse performed 2 tests per day (1 gait with 2 riders, minimum 4.5 h bet...
IntroductionMuscle conformation is often discussed among practitioners and it is sometimes suggested that specific training strategies affect muscle conformation. This study attempted to investigate; 1) if it is possible for practitioners to judge whether a horse is subjected to pace training or not based on subjective analysis of hind-end muscle c...
IntroductionThe effects of different amounts of training on performance of young horses have not yet been studied in a long term perspective. The aim of this study was therefore to assess the effect on VLa4 of two training programs performed from the age of 2 to 3 in Standardbred horses.Methods
Fourteen horses were in March as 2-year olds divided i...
IntroductionThe Icelandic horse is popular and can be found in more than 30 countries. The breed is used for a variety of competitions but mounted pace competitions have the longest history. Despite this, pace training strategies have not been well documented. The aim of this study was to describe training strategies used by experienced trainers of...
Introduction
In an official breed evaluation field test ( BEFT ) for Icelandic horses, gaits are scored from 5–10 and there is an option for judges to add standardized comments on the gaits. The aim of this study was to test if comments given on pace were related to horses′ plasma lactate concentration ( L ac) post BEFT , with the hypothesis that s...
IntroductionHigh concentrate diets increase the risk of several health problems and high energy forage diets could therefore be an alternative. The aim of this study was to compare the number of horses and the number of races performed at the age of three by a group of 16 Standardbred horses fed a forage only-diet from the age of 1.5 years (F) with...
Introduction
The aim of this study was to describe the response in heart rate, respiratory rate, rectal temperature, hematocrit and plasma lactate concentration in Icelandic horses performing the riding assessment in an official breed evaluation field test ( BEFT ) in I celand ( A pril 2011). It was hypothesized that the riding assessment constitut...
Introduction
Horses are usually transported before competitions. The aim of this study was to compare the lactate response in horses on two diets that were transported or not transported before exercise.
Methods
Six trained and raced Standardbred trotter mares, all accustomed to transportation, were used. Two diets were fed in two periods of 29 da...
Introduction
Lameness is the most common health problem of racehorses and may affect both welfare and performance. The aim of this study was to investigate if locomotion asymmetry in a group of young horses was related to delayed qualification for races.
Methods
Locomotion asymmetry was measured every 1–3 months with a wireless inertial sensor bas...
This study examined the response in terms of heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), haematocrit (Htc), rectal temperature (RT), and some plasma variables in Icelandic horses of different sexes and ages performing the riding assessment in a breed evaluation field test (BEFT). The study was conducted in Iceland on 266 horses (180 mares and 86 stalli...
The aim of this study was to document training strategies used by experienced trainers of the Icelandic pace racing horse. Data were obtained using a questionnaire, to which responses were received from nine trainers on the world ranking list in 250 m pace races and with a minimum of 12 years of experience of pace training. Training was commenced a...
This study assessed the insulin response to forage intake with varying crude protein (CP) content in horses at rest and after exercise. Six geldings were fed three grass haylage-only diets for 7 days according to a 3*3 Latin square design. On day 7, blood samples were collected before and for 120 min after feeding 15% of the daily allowance before...