Effect of shoeing horses with eggbar shoes and shoes with wedge pads on blood flow parameters in the lateral digital artery in the Doppler ultrasound.

A sound knowledge of horseshoe impact on blood flow parameters is required for making shoeing decisions and selecting the most appropriate types of shoes. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of horse shoeing with egg bar shoes and shoes with wedge pads on blood flow parameters in the lateral palmar digital artery measured by Doppler ultrasound. The study was conducted on 16 horses divided into two groups. Horses from group 1 were shod with egg bar shoes. Horses from group 2 were shod with shoes with wedge pads. Doppler ultrasound parameters of the lateral palmar digital artery at the level of the metacarpophalangeal joint were evaluated. Doppler tests were performed before and after shoeing within a monthly interval. The results of the study indicate that egg bar shoes have a greater impact on blood circulation in the distal part of the equine limb than shoes with wedge pads. However, the only parameters to have changed substantially after shoeing with egg bar shoes were end-diastolic velocity (EDV) and mean velocity (Vmn) in the lateral palmar digital artery. A low-resistance blood flow pattern was noted before shoeing. After shoeing in group 1, it remained unchanged in 5 horses, whereas a high-resistance pattern was observed in 3 animals. A low-resistance blood flow pattern was noted in all group 2 horses after shoeing. The difference between the analyzed shoeing techniques could be attributed to increased pressure in the heel bulb area in horses shod with egg bar shoes. Wedge pads shift the load away from the heel bulbs, which might reduce the pressure on the palmar digital vessels and exert a smaller influence on the parameters measured in the Doppler ultrasound test.

Desmopathy of the collateral ligaments of the equine distal interphalangeal joint - a prevalence in Poland between 2016-2019.

Desmopathy of the collateral ligaments of the equine interphalangeal joint is caused by a combination of factors, including hoof shape, excessive loading and ground surface. This complex problem poses a diagnostic challenge due to the non-specificity of perineural analgesia and the limitations associated with the most popular imaging methods such as radiography and ultrasonography. The aim of this study was to retrospectively determine the prevalence of desmopathy of the collateral ligaments of the equine distal interphalangeal joint in Poland between 2016 and 2019, and to establish the frequency and type of the associated pathologies. Desmopathy of the collateral ligaments of the distal interphalangeal joint was diagnosed in 14% of 152 horses examined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In 64% of the cases, other changes were observed in the equine digit, and in 36% of the cases, desmopathy was the only diagnosed problem. Desmopathy of the collateral ligaments is not a frequently reported pathology in the distal part of the equine limb. The diagnostic difficulties described in this article suggest that considerable caution should be exercised when formulating the final diagnosis, prognosis and treatment options.

Effects of alterations in auditory feedback and speech rate on stuttering frequency.

This study investigated the effects of altered auditory feedback on stuttering frequency during speech production at two different speech rates, Nine stutterers, who exhibited at least 5% dysfluency during a reading task, served as subjects. They read eight different passages (each 300 syllables in length) while receiving four conditions of auditory feedback: nonaltered, masking, delayed, and frequency altered. For each auditory feedback condition, subjects read at both a normal and a fast rate. Results indicated that stuttering frequency was significantly decreased during conditions of delayed and frequency altered auditory feedback at both speech rates (p < 0.05). These findings refute the notion that a slowed speech rate is necessary for fluency enhancement under conditions of altered auditory feedback. Considering previous research and the results of this study, it is proposed that there may be two interdependent factors that are responsible for fluency enhancement: alteration of auditory feedback and modification of speech production.