Les Sellnow

Les Sellnow was a prolific freelance writer based near Riverton, Wyoming. He specialized in articles on equine research, and operated a ranch where he raised horses and livestock. He authored several fiction and nonfiction books, including Understanding Equine Lameness and Understanding The Young Horse. He died in 2023.

Articles by: Les Sellnow

European Disease Affects Slaughter Industry

Concerns over mad cow disease and the resurgence of foot and mouth disease in Europe has had a devastating effect on the European beef cattle industry, and has brought about an increased demand for horse meat. Mad cow disease has created fears

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The Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract

Then there is the matter of the large colon, with its sacculated construction that seems made to order for twisting or strangulating when the pouches become distended by gas during a bout with colic.

There is also the matter of length. If

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Caesarean Sections

When your favorite basketball team is leading by a point and the clock is ticking down to the final seconds with your team in possession, time seems to move at a snail’s pace. Not so when your favorite mare is in labor and can’t seem to deliver

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Persistent Uterine Infections

T he question that begs an answer concerning uterine infections, in the mind of Jim Briddle, DVM, Riverton, Wyo., isn’t so much why they occur, but, rather, why they don’t occur more frequently.

It has always been amazing to me, says the”P>T he question that begs an answer concern

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Without Warning: Dystocia

Eleven months is a long time to wait for the birth of a foal. Even with the best of care, things can go wrong and interrupt the normal development of the fetus and/or compromise the health of the mare.

When the day (or as is often the case,

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It’s in the Blood

Blood tests aren’t magic, but they do have broad capability that ranges all the way from helping determine pregnancy to diagnosing rare diseases. So helpful are blood tests in making diagnoses that in most equine clinics and hospitals, they are

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The Equine Foot — Form and Function

There is an adage that is as old as the modern-day horse. It goes something like this: No foot, no horse. My late father, who could pick out a minute leg or foot unsoundness at a glance, used to lecture his young son about the importance of good

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Uterine Cysts

The equine uterus, in a manner of speaking, could be compared to a house. When a house is snug and solid with no broken windows, holes in the roof, drafts, or plugged drains, it is a comfortable place in which to live. If, however, there are

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Late Gestation Mare Management

The final months of a mare’s gestation period are anxious ones. As an owner during those final weeks, one is filled with anticipation now that the date of birth is approaching. At the same time, there are those disquieting concerns about

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Joints: Part 1

The mechanical engineering involved in the structuring of equine joints is both complex and masterful. Not only do healthy joints allow the horse to move freely, but they also help to effectively absorb concussion, especially when the horse is

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The Equine Eye

Because it is a prey animal, the horse has both monocular and binocular vision. Its monocular vision is the result of having one eye located on each side of the skull instead of both eyes in the front. This means that the horse has far greater periph

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Hoof Wall Repair

In one study involving Moyer and Sigafoos at New Bolton Center, 19 horses were admitted with severe hoof crack problems that were of a severity that the horses were lame and unable to perform. In each case, the damage was repaired by using a fabric

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A Breed Apart: Cooled and Frozen Semen

The shipping of cooled and frozen semen has opened the door to a wide variety of breeding opportunities for horse owners, providing, of course, that their breed organization permits artificial insemination (AI) with shipped semen. A mare in New

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Maternal Behavior

She can go from sweetheart to witch in a split second, is often an apt description for a broodmare with foal at side, or, in some cases, a mare which is approaching parturition. Maternal behavior in mares can range all the way from being a”P>She can go from sweetheart to witch in a split second, is often an apt description for a broodmare with foal at side, or, in some cases, a mare which is approaching parturition. Maternal behavior in mares can range all the way from bein”>She can go from sweetheart to witch in a split second, is often an apt description for a broodmare with foal at side, or, in some cases, a mare which is approaching parturition. Maternal behavior in mares can range all the way from be”She can go from sweetheart to witch in a split second, is often an apt description for a broodmare with foal at side, or, in some cases, a mare which is approaching parturition. Maternal behavior in mares can range all the way from b”She can go from sweetheart to witch in a split second, is often an apt description for a broodmare with foal at side, or, in some cases, a mare which is approaching parturition. Maternal behavior in mares can range all the way from b”he can go from sweetheart to witch in a split second, is often an apt description for a broodmare with foal at side, or, in some cases, a mare which is approaching parturition. M”e can go from sweetheart to witch in a split second, is often an apt description for a broodmare with foal at side, or, in s” can go from sweetheart to witch in a split second, is often an apt des”can go from sweethea

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Encephalomyelitis

The initials are innocuous enough–EEE, WEE, VEE–but the diseases they stand for can be deadly to both equines and humans. They are, in order, Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE), Western Equine Encephalomyelitis (WEE), and Venezuelan Equine

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AESM Convention

Researchers, veterinarians, and horse people from around the world gathered in San Antonio in April for the 16th meeting of the Association for Equine Sports Medicine (AESM). The program included three full days of presentations concerning the

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