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28 TheHorse.com THE HORSE October 2015 Group, also in Calgary, tested whether the same was true in horses. The team used a #40 blade to clip hair from the jugular area of 12 horses—six with PPID and six healthy controls—and used an enzyme immunoassay to mea- sure each sample's cortisol levels. ■ They found no difference in total hair cortisol concentrations between the PPID and healthy horses; ■ But when the PPID horses' hair was di- vided into proximal (near the body) and distal (farther from the body) segments, the proximal sections' cortisol levels were higher than that of the entire hairs from the controls; and ■ They found no correlation between ACTH and hair cortisol levels. Banse said these findings could indicate differences in hormone output associated with a horse's disease state, but stressed that the difference was only significant when comparing the proximal aspect of the PPID horses' hair to the entire hair from healthy horses. "However, it may be that cortisol declines over time in the distal segments, resulting in decline of hair cortisol along the distal fragment of the hair shaft in control horses," Banse suggested. In other words, cortisol could fade in the ends of the hair over time, resulting in lower concentrations than those observed in segments closer to the root. She also noted that the time of year hair is tested and other variables could impact the test results. "Although fall was chosen based upon seasonal variation in pituitary-derived hormones, investigation into the impact of season, hair length, and hair location may improve the diagnostic potential of hair cortisol," she said. "Greater differ- ences between blood cortisol concentra- tions in PPID compared to control horses are observed in June over September, so summer may be a more ideal sampling time for hair cortisol." Gastric Ulcer Prevalence in Feral, Domestic Horses Compared Scientists have said we can contribute to equine gastric ulcer development if we don't manage horses as nature intended— allowing them to eat small quantities of grass almost continuously throughout the day. But are feral horses really ulcer-free? And, if not, how do their rates compare to domestic horses'? Ben Sykes, BSc, BVMS, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, ECEIM, MBA, of BW Sykes Consultancy in Upper Orara, New South Wales, Australia, presented his study results on the topic. A horse's stomach consists of two sections: the acid-producing glandular region (the bottom half) and the smooth squamous region that has a lining similar When PPID horses' hair was divided into proximal (near the body) and distal (farther from the body) segments, the proximal sections' cortisol levels were higher than that of the entire hairs from the healthy horses. ISTOCK.COM Our "Snow Cold" technology provides continuous cold therapy for over two hours per application. See our science at IceHorse.net cold care QUALITY FOR EFFECTIVE Now available in Pony Size! ACVIMForum