Florida Governor Charlie Crist yesterday signed HB 169, a bill that mandates the use of protective helmets by young equestrians when riding on public property or roads.

Sponsored by Rep. Joseph Abruzzo and Sen. Dave Aronberg, the law applie

A horse trainer in Australia has been fined for “conduct prejudicial to the image of racing” after he publicly threatened to cut off his horses’ heads if jump racing was banned, according to

Bailey Wick, a chestnut Irish Sport Horse gelding ridden by Philip Dutton, was euthanized Saturday after falling at an obstacle while competing in the CCI3* at the Jersey Fresh event.

According to a release posted by event organizers, the horse fell at obstacle 20 on course. A necropsy was not performed, per the request of the horse’s owners, listed as Acorn Hill Farm.

The ongoing investigation into contagious equine metritis (CEM) now includes more than 820 exposed or positive horses, according to the USDA.

The investigation began in mid-December 2008, when a Quarter Horse stallion on a Kentucky farm tested positive during routine testing for international semen shipment.

Accordin

The pharmacy involved in the investigation into the recent death of 21 polo ponies in Wellington, Fla., has released a statement verifying that selenium was the excess ingredient in the medication prepared for the ponies.

Florida State Veterinarian Thomas J. Holt, DVM, reported yesterday that the animals had “significantly

The horse that died at this year’s Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event succumbed to an abdominal hemorrhage, according to a statement from Canadian Eventing Team Veterinarian Christiana Ober, DVM, released via Equine Canada.

Kingpin, a 13-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding ridden by Canadian Mike Winter, collapsed on landing after negotiating cross-country fence 10.

Can horses get swine flu?

Probably not, said Tom Chambers, PhD, who heads the OIE Reference Laboratory for Equine Influenza at the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center in Lexington.

Influenza viruses have an amazing ability to mutate and change their characteristics, so scientists who study them never say “never.” But, while it’s perhaps not impossible for a

Professional rider Ian Olding was killed in a fall at the Belton Park Horse Trials in Lincolnshire, U.K., on Sunday, according to a statement released by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI).

Olding, 47, was competing in the advanced class on a 12-year-old horse named Gran Kiki. The accident occurred at fence 13a, a square spread fence. The FEI said an investigation into the

It could be weeks before the results of toxicology tests on the 21 polo ponies that died in Wellington, Fla., on Sunday just prior to competing at the U.S. Open Championship are known, according to Mike Short, DVM, equine programs manager for Florida’s Division of Animal Industry.

The Division of Animal Industry, headed

It is our hope that through sharing the experiences of injury and recovery, other riders may be able to prevent some accidents from happening. Or, if they do sustain a horse-related injury, they will utilize the rehabilitation services offered to them during their recovery to ensure they achieve their maximum recovery possible.

In a year that saw increased public scrutiny of equine welfare and medication issues both on the track and in the competition field, veterinarians at the 2008 Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) in San Diego, Calif., gathered in a forum to discuss these and other performance horse issues.

Forum leaders Stephen Soule, VMD, of West Palm Beach, Fla.,

Brooks reviewed a variety of treatment and management strategies for corneal ulcers, with a focus on not only resolving the ulcer in each case, but maintaining the horse’s vision.