Publications by authors named "C A Cavinder"

Article Synopsis
  • Psychotherapy incorporating equine interaction (PIE) is being explored as a potential enhancement to traditional treatments for substance use disorder (SUD) by addressing stress through interaction with horses.
  • This study measured cortisol levels, a stress hormone, in SUD patients undergoing either PIE or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) over two weeks.
  • Results showed no significant differences in cortisol levels between the two therapy groups, suggesting that short-term interventions might not effectively reduce stress levels, indicating a need for more research on the best therapeutic practices and durations.
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Registration numbers for the Palomino Horse Breeders of America (PHBA) have risen with the assistance of new registration guidelines. These changes in guidelines allowed for registration of any horse with a palomino body color, including those with unknown pedigrees. While this promoted registry growth, documenting the breed's orgins from those known pedigrees making up the breed's foundation is important with the introduction of unknown pedigrees.

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Article Synopsis
  • Insulin dysregulation (ID) is a critical aspect of equine metabolic syndrome that can occur in horses without obesity, highlighting the need for testing beyond just breed and body condition.
  • A study assessed 62 non-obese stock-type horses to determine the prevalence of ID and explored the correlation between neck measurements and ID, finding only 4.8% had ID.
  • The study revealed some differences in insulin and glucose levels between mares and geldings, but found only a weak relationship between neck measurements and glucose response post-insulin test, suggesting limited predictive value for neck morphology in assessing ID risk.
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Mental health concerns are common among college students and more prevalent during examination periods when stress and anxiety are heightened. While the benefits of equine interaction have been reported, the impact of short-term equine interaction on coping skills valuable for managing test anxiety have yet to be studied. Therefore, the purpose of this preliminary study was to evaluate the impact of short-term equine interaction during the college examination period on development of coping skills and anxiety levels associated with testing, both self-reported and those reflected in physiological measures.

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Oxidative stress caused by routine physical stressors may negatively impact the performance of equine athletes; thus, the present study identifies oxidative biomarkers in the blood plasma of exercising horses. Stock-type horses were subject to a standardized moderate-intensity exercise protocol 3 times per week for 8 wk. Exercise protocol followed NRC guidelines consisting of 30% walk, 55% trot, and 15% canter, with a target heart rate (HR) of 90 BPM.

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