Abstract
<jats:p>For many centuries, there has been and continues to be a special relationship between horses and humans, which has changed significantly over time. Thus, from the middle of the last century and at the beginning of this century, due to the rapid development of scientific and technological progress, the number of domestic horses has significantly decreased, as their main role, which was to transport passengers and cargo, perform agricultural work, supply the army, etc., has been taken over by mechanical means. However, today there is a revival of human interest in horses, due to their use in sports, recreation, rehabilitation therapy for children with cerebral palsy (hippotherapy), etc. In addition, horses are used for the production of meat, milk from which kumis is made, blood serum from pregnant mares, gastric juice, gamma globulin, horsehair and hoof horn. Horses are also used for public order protection, in various equestrian sports, national equestrian games and tourism. Due to the development of equestrian sports in our country and the expansion of international relations, there is an increased demand for high-quality, strong, well-developed and hardy horses. Breeding and sport horses are highly valuable animals. When raising, using, and caring for these animals, it is important to obtain high-quality offspring from them. Under normal conditions of mare pregnancy, there is a close relationship between the metabolic processes of the mother and the foetus [106]. Foetal development largely depends on the strengthening or weakening of the functions of the mother's organs, which have a correlative effect on its condition [19]. Therefore, all measures for the effective reproduction of a healthy horse population should begin not at the moment of the foal's birth, but with the targeted care of pregnant mares. This, to a large extent, allows the development of prenatal and postnatal pathologies in foals to be avoided. Unfortunately, in recent years, science has moved away from the problems of horse breeding, which has now had a negative impact on this industry. At the same time, there are many problems in creating proper conditions for keeping, feeding and training horses, because even minor violations of these three factors can lead to the emergence of various diseases that affect many organs and systems. Bio-geocenotic pathology in adult horses and foals has become widespread in Ukrainian stud farms. It is particularly acute during periods of greatest physiological stress on the organism (growth, pregnancy, lactation) [14]. This affects the course of pregnancy, the health of the mare and foal, and subsequently its growth, development and athletic performance. Biogeocenotic pathology manifests itself in metabolic disorders, the development of immunodeficiency, respiratory tract diseases, and the birth of non-viable, poorly developed young with congenital or acquired diseases in the first months of life. Such animals are subsequently culled. One of the main aetiological factors in the occurrence and development of biogeocenotic pathology in horses is the deficiency (or excess) of macro- and microelements in the soils of the corresponding biogeochemical zones of Ukraine, as well as in feed, water and, accordingly, in the animals' bodies [25, 32], metabolism disorders in pregnant mares and foals, as well as the search for and creation of effective therapeutic and prophylactic agents, is a pressing issue in the horse breeding industry of our country, which requires an effective solution.</jats:p>