Are warmblood breeds of horses prone to endocrine disorders? Researchers say yes. Those disorders might include pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID or equine Cushing’s disease) and insulin dysregulation (ID).
The 5th Global Equine Endocrine Symposium (GEES) presented by Boehringer Ingelheim, was held in January 2023. One presentation was titled “Exploring Endocrine Disorders within Warmblood Breeds: Frequency of PPID and ID.” This retrospective analysis was performed on veterinarian-provided data from a 2016-2020 study in the United States. It included 1,485 warmbloods with suspected endocrine disorders (primarily PPID). Rachel Lemcke, MS, of Amwell Data Services LLC, in New Jersey, presented the data. She conducted the research in cooperation with Steve Grubbs, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, and Kelly Graber of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA.
This study compared rates of endocrine disorders among nine warmblood breeds. Another comparison was performed examining the frequency of endocrine-associated clinical signs in three specific warmblood breeds (Dutch Warmblood, Hanoverian, and Oldenburg) versus non-breed-specific warmbloods.
The study results showed that endocrine disorders such as PPID and ID were identified in 55-85% of specific warmblood breeds versus 69% of non-breed-specific warmbloods. Within the warmbloods tested, rates for PPID-positive only were significantly lower than rates of insulin dysregulation or no identified endocrine disorders. There was no significant difference in endocrine disorder prevalence among any warmblood breed evaluated.
Endocrine Signs in Warmbloods
Of the three warmblood breeds compared to non-breed-specific warmbloods, regional adiposity was the only endocrine-associated clinical sign statistically different among the comparisons. Oldenburgs had a lower rate of regional adiposity regardless of endocrine classification versus non-breed-specific warmbloods.
Among all warmblood breeds evaluated, regional adiposity rates were highest in those with PPID and ID versus those with PPID alone. Rates of decreased athletic performance and laminitis were not statistically associated with any endocrine classification.
The researchers said, “Rates of regional adiposity were lowest in PPID-only horses instead of horses without identified endocrine disorders, as was expected, further highlighting the need for dynamic testing.”
“Hair coat changes were statistically associated with horses with PPID as well as those without endocrine disorders. This suggested that many horses in this study may have undiagnosed PPID,” noted researchers
Final Words
Veterinarians and owners who work with warmbloods should be on the lookout for both PPID and ID. Veterinarians should use dynamic testing methods to confirm a diagnosis. The need for endocrine testing and management in older warmbloods is critical. This is especially true of those who go on to be schoolmasters in the advanced years.
Author’s note: Since the testing primarily used static testing instead of dynamic testing (i.e., TRH stimulation tests and oral sugar tests), the estimates are likely low. In addition, the sample populations were skewed (not fully representative of the breeds) since the study was trying to identify horses with at least one endocrine-associated clinical sign and looking for PPID-suspected horses.
Editor’s note: You can access the full Proceedings of the 5th GEES Symposium here.
Further Reading
- Horse Breeds, PPID, and Insulin Dysregulation. Kimberly S. Brown. MySeniorHorse.com
- What is PPID and Why Should I Care? Dr. Hal Schott. MySeniorHorse.com
- Developing a Feeding Plan for Your PPID Horse or Pony. Dr. Pat Harris. MySeniorHorse.com
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Kimberly S. Brown is an award-winning writer and publisher. She is the Editorial Director for My Senior Horse. Brown spent 10 years at Equine Network, parent company of My Senior Horse. Prior to that she worked for three years in equine nutrition after she retired from nearly 30 years working at The Blood-Horse. Brown spent the last 15 years of her time at that organization creating and developing The Horse and TheHorse.com.View all posts