The semen of some stallions tolerates freezing well, while the semen of others does not. Researchers are trying to discover the reasons for this in order to develop freezing protocols that decrease the variability of sperm, thereby increasing the number of sperm able to withstand freezing.

“In our lab we are trying to understand why some stallions are good freezers (their sperm survives

Diarrhea acquired while staying in a hospital, termed nosocomial diarrhea, is an unfortunate risk when hospitalizing a horse, but there are steps owners and veterinarians can take to help prevent disease.

There are many reasons why horses get diarrhea while in the hospital, including infectious pathogens, diet changes, medication, exposure to sick animals, and stress, said Ann

Vaccination against Japanese encephalitis might mitigate West Nile virus (WNV) infection in some horses, said a group of researchers from Japan’s National Institute of Animal Health in a recent paper.

Outbreaks of WNV have been reported in many countries, including the United States, but it has not yet been detected in most

A dietary nutraceutical composed of mussel, shark cartilage, abalone, and Biota orientalis lipid extract (trade name Epiitalis), reduced inflammatory responses similar to those experienced by a horse with arthritis, researchers reported in a new study. “Arthritis is among the most common causes of wastage in performance horses,” said Wendy Pearson, PhD, of the Ontario Agriculture

Despite many horse owners’ belief to the contrary, researchers concluded in a new study that cribbing does not appear to be a learned disorder. However, genetic predisposition appears to be a factor, especially among Thoroughbreds.

Julia D. Albright, MA, DVM, and her colleagues at Cornell University surveyed horse owners about cribbing. Although 49% of owners thought cribbing was a

Horses with colic are at higher risk for developing a life-threatening blood-clotting disorders called disseminated intravascular coagulation, or DIC. This disorder can cause excessive bleeding or excessive clotting.

Blood clotting is a complex process. When blood vessels are injured by trauma, they release special proteins to create blood clots to stop the bleeding. In addition, the vessel

Many countries in the world outside of the United States are home to the parasite Babesia caballi, which can cause illness or death in horses. Some infected horses might recover and become inapparent carriers of the parasite.

According to a recent study high doses of imidocarb dipropionate eliminated the parasite Babesia caballi in infected horses.

B. caballi cause

Providing a stabled horse with one hour of exercise daily has beneficial effects on horse welfare, as well as handler safety, according to a new study.

“Providing horses with a daily exercise regime, as well as regular positive interactions with other horses and people, is likely to improve their welfare and make them safer to handle,” said Raf Freire, PhD, of Charles Sturt University

The convention of leading and mounting the horse from the left might be more than just tradition, according to a new study from St. Andrews University. The study, led by Kate Farmer, MA, at the Harmony Center in Austria, shows that horses generally prefer this arrangement too, and not just because this is how they are trained.

The researchers compared two groups of horses: one trained

Paranasal sinus surgery is a challenging operation that can encounter complications, such as pneumocephalus, a condition in which air is trapped inside the brain. Veterinarians recently used a computed tomography (CT) scan to decide the best way to treat a Quarter Horse with a benign bone tumor growing in the paranasal sinus. As a result, the horse survived and was able to compete with n

A horse’s risk of impaction colic might be elevated by decreased exercise, restricted water intake, administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, and poor dentition, said Amy E. Plummer, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, in a recent Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice review of intestinal impactions.

A congressional committee recently held a hearing on a bill that proposes severe restrictions on the use of antibiotics in food animals. The Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2009 would ban “non-therapeutic” uses of antibiotics that are also used in humans. It is hoped that this would prevent antibiotic resistance and preserve these drugs to treat human infections.

Today’s colicking horse has a good chance for survival, said Gal Kelmer, DVM, MS, who recently wrote a review of equine colic surgery advances for Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice.

A horse’s anatomy puts it at risk for colic: the long intestine and colon are prone to twisting and obstructions that can prevent blood and oxygen delivery, killing the tissue and

It is significantly more painful for a horse to be branded with a hot iron than it is to receive a microchip transponder for identification purposes, researchers concluded in a new study. They also found pain from hot branding lasts for at least one week.

There is some debate about how best to identify horses, with many supporters claiming that branding is best, sometimes citing the lack