Cecilia E. Müller

Research Interests
Equine nutrition and management, especially forage production and utilization for horses, hygienic quality of feeds, equine health and welfare in relation to feeding and nutrition. Equine metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, carbohydrates in feeds and their impact on equine nutrition and health. Nutrition- and management factors in colic, diarrhea, free faecal liquid, hindgut microbiota and digestion in horses. 

Research Goal
To understand factors affecting forage nutritive and hygienic quality in relation to equine feeding, and how these factors affect the health and welfare of the horse. Implement and use this knowledge to improve forage production, conservation and utilization in equine nutrition and feeding, as well as for improving forage hygienic quality. 

Research Skills
Forage production experiments, equine feeding experiments, feed evaluation, hygienic and nutritive analysis of forages, faeces, digesta. Survey studies. 

Activity in the scientific society
Member of the Horse Committee at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science. Previous member of Docent Board at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science for two 3-year periods.

Activity with stakeholders outside the scientific society
Continous activities with stakeholders within the equine and farming society. Consultant equine feed rations and feeding advice to University Animal Hospital at SLU.

Distinguished University Teacher. Pedagogic education and education in supervision of PhD-students.
Teaching on bachelor-, master- and PhD-courses, supervision of students on all levels in animal science, hippology, veterinary nursing science and veterinary science. 

Ongoing projects: https://www.slu.se/institutioner/husdjurens-utfodring-vard/forskning/hast/

Müller, C. E. 2005. Fermentation patterns of small-bale silage and haylage produced as a feed for horses. Grass and Forage Science 60, 109-118. 

Müller, C.E. and Udén, P. 2007. Preference of horses for grass conserved as hay, haylage or silage. Animal Feed Science and Technology 132, 66-78. 

Müller, C.E., Möller, J., Krogh-Jensen, S. & Udén, P. 2007. Tocopherol and carotenoid levels in baled silage and haylage in relation to horse requirements. Animal Feed Science and Technology 137, 182-197. 

Müller, C.E., Pauly, T.M. & Udén, P. 2007. Storage of small bale silage and haylage – influence of storage period on fermentation variables and microbial composition. Grass and Forage Science 62 (3), 274-283.

Müller, C.E., von Rosen, D. and Udén, P. 2008. Effect of forage conservation method on microbial flora and fermentation pattern in forage and in equine colon and faeces. Livestock Science 119, 116-128. 

Müller, C.E. 2009. Long-stemmed vs. cut haylage in bales – Effects on fermentation, aerobic storage stability, equine eating behaviour and characteristics of equine faeces. Animal Feed Science and Technology 152, 307-321.

Müller, C.E. 2009. Influence of harvest date of primary growth on microbial flora of grass herbages and haylage, and on fermentation and aerobic stability of haylage conserved in laboratory silos. Grass and Forage Science 64, 328-338.

Müller, C.E., Hultén, C., Gröndahl, G. 2011. Assessment of hygienic quality of haylage fed to healthy horses. Grass and Forage Science 66, 453-463. 

Müller, C.E. 2011. Equine ingestion of haylage harvested at different plant maturity stages. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 134, 144-151.

Müller, C.E. 2012. Equine digestion of diets based on haylage harvested at different plant maturities. Animal Feed Science and Technology 177, 65-74.

Müller, C.E., Johansson, M., Salomonsson, A-C., Albihn, A. 2013. Effect of anaerobic digestion residue vs. livestock manure and inorganic fertilizer on the hygienic quality of silage and haylage in bales. Grass and Forage Science 69, 74-89. 

Schenck, J., Müller, C.E. 2013. Microbial composition before and after conservation of grass-dominated haylage harvested early, middle or late in the season. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 34, 593-601. 

Müller, C.E., Nostell, K., Bröjer, J. 2015. Microbial counts in forages for horses – effect of storage time and water soaking before feeding. Journal of Equine veterinary Science 35, 622-627.

Müller, C.E., Nostell, K., Bröjer, J. 2016. Methods for reduction of water soluble carbohydrate content in grass forages for horses. Livestock science 186, 46-52. 

Zhao, X., Müller, C.E.  2015. Macro- and micromineral content of wrapped forages for horses. Grass and Forage Science 71, 195-207. 

Lindåse, S.S., Nostell, K. E., Müller, C.E., Jensen-Waern, M., Bröjer, J.E. 2016. Effects of diet-induced weight gain and turn-out to pasture on insulin sensitivity in moderately insulin-resistant horses. American Journal of Veterinary Research, 77, 300-309. 

Larsson, A., Müller, C.E. 2018. Owner reported management, feeding and feed-related health problems in Arabian horses in Sweden. Livestock Science 215, 30-40.

Lindåse, S., Müller, C., Nostell, K., Bröjer, J. 2018. Evaluation of glucose and insulin response to haylage diets with different content of nonstructural carbohydrates in 2 breeds of horses. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 64, 49-58.

Müller, C.E. 2018. Silage and haylage for horses. Review paper. Grass and Forage Science 73, 815-827. (Top 20 most downloaded paper in 2017-2018 in Grass and Forage Science).

Schenck, J. S., Djurle, A., Jensen, D.F., Müller, C.E., O’Brien, M., Spörndly, R. 2019. Filamentous fungi in wrapped forages determined with different sampling and culturing methods. Grass and Forage Science 74, 29-41.

Schenck, J. S., Müller, C.E., Djurle, A., Jensen, D.F., O’Brien, M., Johansen, A., Rasmussen, P., Spörndly, R. 2019. Occurrence of filamentous fungi and mycotoxins in wrapped forages in Sweden and Norway and their relation to chemical composition and management. Grass and Forage Science 74, 613-625. doi 10.1111/gfs.12453

Lindroth, K., Johansen, A., Båverud, V., Dicksved, J., Lindberg, J.E. and Müller, C.E. 2020. Differential Defecation of Solid and Liquid Phases in Horses—A Descriptive Survey. Animals 10, 76, doi: 0.3390/ani10010076

Müller, C.E., Lindberg J. E. 2020. Demographics, body condition scores and feeding of aged horses (≥20 years of age) – a Swedish survey. Livestock Science 233, 103949.

Müller, C.E, Johansen A. 2020. Rebaling of silage and haylage and its effect on forage microbial and chemical composition – a pilot study. Grass and Forage Science 75, 216-226, doi: 10.1111/gfs.12480

Lindroth, K.M., Dicksved, J., Pelve, E., Båverud, V., Müller, C.E. 2021. Faecal bacterial composition in horses with and without free faecal liquid: a case control study. Scientific Reports 11, 4745. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83897-4

Lindroth, K.M., Lindberg J-E., Johansen, A., Müller, C.E. 2021. Feeding and Management of Horses with and without Free Faecal Liquid: A Case–Control Study. Animals 2021, 11, 2552. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/ani11092552 

Lindroth, K. M., Dicksved, J., Vervuert, I. Müller, C.E. 2022. Chemical composition and physical characteristics of faeces in horses with and without free faecal liquid – two case control studies. BMC Vet Res 18:2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-021-03096-1

Lundqvist, H., Müller, C.E. 2022. Feeding time in horses provided roughage in different combinations of haynets and on the stable floor. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 253, 105685. Permanent link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159122001435

Stang, F.L., Bjerregaard, R., Müller, C.E., Ergon, Å., Halling, M., Thorringer, N.W., Kidane, A., Jensen, R.B. 2023. The effect of harvest time of forage on carbohydrate digestion in horses quantified by in vitro and mobile bag techniques. Journal of Animal Science 101, skac422
https://academic.oup.com/jas/article/doi/10.1093/jas/skac422/6964640