Behavior Quiz: If you put five breeding stallions together in an open pasture, what do you get? A) the Kentucky Derby, minus the jockeys, B) a new pro basketball team, or C) dramatic chaos?

Believe it or not, according to a new study by a Swiss research team, the answer is D) none of the above. In fact, the scientists, led by Sabrina Briefer, DVM, MSc, researcher at the Swiss National

The development of sarcoids–the most frequent of equine skin tumors–appears to have a genetic basis, and Swiss researchers are now honing in on the exact genes responsible for the disease. A new major study involving 222 horses yielded three chromosomal regions of the equine genome that could be further investigated for candidate genes responsible for sarcoids, according to Vend

A new, simple muscular microbiopsy technique can reveal important information about a horse’s athletic potential as well as possible pathologies that can affect performance, according to a new study by Belgian researchers.

By analyzing mitochondrial respiration via high resolution respirometry (HRR), researchers can attribute values to the functional capacity of muscle cells t

Computer-assisted surgery (CAS) with a passive optical tracking system is the new future for repairing internal hoof fractures, providing highly accurate placement of screws and the chance for “perfect” results, according to a new study by Swiss researchers.

When it comes to forming couples, do opposites really attract? Or does it boil down to chemistry? New research in Switzerland suggests that, at least for horses, both of these phenomena play into the process of selecting mates. The reactions of mares at different stages of their estrus cycles to various stallions were investigated and compared to the “chemistry”–or more specifical

Breeding colorful horses, especially with various white markings, seems to breed good business without raising significant health concerns, according to Swiss researchers. Representing the primary breed of the Swiss national stud, 974 Franche-Montagne horses were evaluated for the effects of their colors and white markings on their health and marketability. Breeders and buyers wer

All’s well that ends well, and so it is for Cherrios, a pony who tumbled 50 feet deep into a well on May 18 and is cheerfully running around again today with his pasturemates. “He’s a very playful pony, and he probably accidentally got bumped over the edge when playing with the other pony in the field,” said a riding instructor and tour guide at the Ferme Equestr

Iceland’s national horse festival, the Landsmót, will continue as scheduled despite an outbreak of a yet-undiagnosed infectious respiratory disease, according to a statement from the Landsmót’s executive committee and a veterinary official.

The country’s preliminary breeding shows, currently in progress, will also continue as planned. However, additional

Drizzle, a cherished polo pony belonging to the Royal Family of Wales, died during a polo match May 8 following a cardiac event, according to several sources.

The 10-year-old dark brown and white spotted mare “could not be saved,” said a spokesperson for the Royal Family at the Clarence House in London. Prince Harry of Wales had been riding her for approximately three mi

If you see spots before your eyes when you look at your Appaloosa, chances are your horse’s night vision is as strong as any other horse. But if your Appaloosa is lacking spots on his blanket area, he might not be seeing much at all in the dark.

Survival rates are low in the current European atypical myopathy outbreak, according to an alert group led by Belgian researchers.

To date, at least 49 horses have died from the disease, as opposed to only four confirmed survivals in a total of 83 reported cases, said Gaby van Galen, DVM, MSc, Dipl. ECEIM, a primary researcher for the Atypical Myopathy Alert Group (AMAG) at the Un

Diseases and prevention, genetics and breeding, behavior, performance, and the horse industry made up the categories of this year’s Swiss Equine Research Network Meeting held April 30 in Avenches, Switzerland.

The country’s top researchers met in the ancient Helvetian capital to present and discuss their findings with other researchers as well as owners, breeders, and equi

Give your horse two choices: tall grass or low grass. Which one will he choose?

That answer depends a lot on the quality and nutritional composition of the grass, according to a new study by French researchers.

Although horses select the tallest grass when the quality of turfs is equally good, their main objective appears to be efficient intake of major nutrients, espec

An ongoing spring outbreak of atypical myopathy has caused a reported 47 cases in Europe to date, according to an alert group led by Belgian researchers.

Reports of new cases continue to stream into the data being collected by the Atypical Myopathy Alert Group (AMAG) at the University of Liége, according to Gaby van Galen, DVM, MSc, Dipl. ECEIM, one of the group’s two p

When a yearling is separated for a few days from other horses for practical reasons, it’s a great opportunity to get in some good quality training with that youngster, according to a new study by French equine behavior researchers.

Yearling colts and fillies housed in individual stalls over a period of 11 days were easier to train to walk and back up on command than their coun

In the hunt for healthier horsehair, researchers in Poland claim to have found basic dietary ingredients that will improve the strength and elasticity of individual strands of manes and tails.