September 11, 2001, did more to the American consciousness than make us aware that we are vulnerable to something as heinous as hijacked airplanes being crashed into densely populated office buildings. The September 11 attacks also brought with them the realization that if terrorists want to strike a blow against this country, there are a variety of approaches they might take, including the

More and more horse owners across America are turning to trail riding as their recreational equine-based activity of choice. Breed registries such as the American Quarter Horse Association, American Paint Horse Association, and Appaloosa Horse Club are recognizing this phenomenon and are encouraging it with special awards for miles ridden.

As more horses take to the trails in all parts o

Producing a foal year in and year out takes its toll on the overall health of a mare, and the wear and tear on the reproductive system often makes it more and more difficult for her to conceive and carry a foal to term. The advances of science have given the breeder more tools with which to combat the aging process, but eventually time will win out and the mare will become barren.

The battle over the slaughter of horses in the United States has shifted directly to Texas, where two slaughter plants operate. At the moment, operations at the two plants continue while the issue is being decided in federal court.

The two horse slaughter plants are Beltex in Fort Worth, Texas, and Dallas Crown in nearby Kaufman.

The background that led to the current battle is this

The question of whether to feed foals concentrate separate from mares (called creep feeding) has often posed a dilemma for horse owners. On one hand, owners want to be certain that foals are getting all required nutrients and growing to their genetic potential. On the other hand, there is concern that too much rich feed can cause bone and joint growth problems. Is there a correct approach to

One of the most traumatic times in a young horse’s life is when he is separated from his mother at weaning time. From birth, he has been dependent on the mare for sustenance and protection. At weaning time that changes, and the youngster must cope with the world, minus his mother’s protective presence.

True, the youngster has become less and less dependent on the mare’s milk for a food

Preventing communicable diseases from striking horses should be the goal of every horse owner. Despite our best efforts, however, there are going to be occasions when a communicable malady afflicts one or more horses at a private farm or public stable. When that occurs, efforts must be made to treat the afflicted animals and to prevent the disease from spreading to others on the premises or i

Internal parasites are insidious culprits. They steal, damage, and even kill. The worst part of the whole scenario is that they can’t be totally eliminated, only controlled. In the theft department, internal parasites rob in two ways: First, they steal nutrients from the horse’s body; second, they take money from the owner’s pocket in the form of lost food value. Adding to the problem is the

One of the most complex and least-studied subjects involving the horse is heritability of behavior. Do horses truly inherit behavioral traits, or do these traits simply come into being as the result of environmental factors and influences? There are a couple of reasons why there are few learned answers to this question. First, it is a complex issue because a great many factors are involved in

A disease that can be debilitating in young horses is osteochondrosis. This affliction has its genesis during the youngster’s growing years and can compromise the horse’s ability to perform later in life if it is not dealt with early. Osteochondrosis is one of the diseases that comes under the general umbrella of developmental orthopedic disease (DOD), a term coined in 1986 by a blue

A bill to ban the slaughter of horses in the United States as well as the transportation of horses to slaughter has been re-introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, only this time there is a new player in the game. The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has gone on record as being in full support of the bill.

Officially, the bill is The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act

Equine chiropractic is a complementary modality that can be used in veterinary medicine for the diagnosis, treatment, and potential prevention of select musculoskeletal disorders in horses.

Horseman’s Day, held for the third time as part of the annual AAEP convention, was another rousing success. Helping stimulate the interest and enthusiasm was the quality of the speakers. They couched their talks in terms the average horse owner could understand, but they certainly didn’t talk down to them. It was the right mixture of scientific terminology and backyard talk to get the message

The reproduction session was something of an A to Z seminar. It started with discussions on endometrial echotexture (ultrasound results) and using computer analysis to determine when a mare will ovulate, or has ovulated, and along the way included a French researcher describing how to turn an unbred mare which has previously given birth into a nurse mare capable of producing enough milk to