Far from being a topic rooted only in science, how we protect animal welfare is affected by such diverse elements as politics, ethics, and semantics, said international speakers at a welfare symposium at Michigan State University held earlier this month.

The three-day Joint International Educational Symposium on Animal Welfare was developed and co-sponsored by the American

The Donkey Sanctuary has acquired a rare apple and is asking supporters to vote for their favorite Christmas donkey to decide which animal will get to eat it.

Old Friends, a racehorse retirement farm located near Georgetown, Ky., has opened its first satellite for retired Thoroughbreds. Cabin Creek, a 40-acre farm just outside Saratoga Springs, N.Y., will begin receiving horses immediately. An official opening and celebration is planned for July 22, 2010.

The auxiliary space will be named in honor of trainer Bobby Frankel, who died

A reproductive technique called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), in which a sperm cell is injected directly into an egg, has resulted in foals from many mares that were no longer able to produce. However, it might be equally as important in reviving valuable genetics from stallions that have been dead for decades.

The ability to freeze semen on stallions has been

Emerald Downs of Auburn, Wash., is on alert this winter for possible flooding in the Green River Valley, and has outlined procedures to ensure the safety of employees, patrons, and horses.

Although Emerald Downs, which sits on 167 acres just north of downtown Auburn, is in a safe zone on a map outlining Green River Flood Impact, the track is taking potential flooding

The Horse Trust of Buckinghamshire, UK, is now taking orders for its Christmas cards and 2010 calendar, which feature retired horses, donkeys, and ponies living at the sanctuary.

All proceeds from The Horse Trust's Christmas cards and calendars go to the charity. It costs the charity around £17 ($28) a day to look after each horse at the sanctuary.

The Horse

Troxel LLC is now accepting submissions for its new "Safety in Focus" online photo contest. Judges will award prizes, including a grand prize of $250 worth of Troxel merchandise, to five winning photos and showcase all the best entries online.

The contest is in support of Troxel's newly upgraded Safety

The ability to have stallion semen sorted for sex-selected foals is being offered on a commercial basis through a new alliance between Sexing Technologies and Equine Reproduction Innovations. The use of sex-selected semen in conjunction with intracytoplasmic sperm injection will be offered to horse breeders for the 2010 breeding season.

Why used sexed semen?