ABSTRACT:
This study aimed to determine and compare corneal sensitivity values in different regions of the cornea in five horse breeds. One hundred and forty five healthy horses, adults of both sexes, of the following breeds - Arabian horse (AH; n=20), Mangalarga Marchador (MM; n=50), Pure Blood Lusitano (PBL; n=35), Quarter Horse (QH; n=20), Brazilian Sport Horse (BSH; n=20)-were investigated. Corneal touch threshold (CTT) was measured with a Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer in five different corneal regions. Measurements of the median central CTT were: 4.50±0.50cm (AH), 3.50±0.56cm (MM), 3.00±0.25cm (PBL), 2.50±0.44cm (QH) and 2.50±0.00cm (BSH). The central region was the most sensitive and the dorsal region the least sensitive corneal region for all breeds. CTT values differed for corneal regions and horse breeds. The CTT values were different among the corneal regions and the horse breeds. Arabian horses presented higher sensitivity values being the most sensitive in all of the corneal regions.
Key words:
Arabian horse; Equus caballus; Cochet-Bonnet; corneal touch threshold
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