Owners go to great lengths to keep their horses’ tails pristine. So, when a horse rubs his tail into a frayed or hairless mess, there is motivation to get to the bottom of the problem as quickly as possible. When faced with a horse that persistently rubs his tail, one question to consider is the time of year this occurs.
This is one of a series of articles translated as part of our partnership with A Caballo, an equine publication based in Mexico, and Jorge Murga, DVM. Keep an eye on TheHorse.com for more Spanish-language resources coming soon. Read this
My 24-year-old Arab gelding recently came off the trailer very sweaty and with tremors in his shoulder muscle and hindquarters. It was only a 15-minute trailer ride, and it was sunny, but not hot. Is he suffering from heat issues because of his age?
Short-circuiting an injured or ill horse’s pain response can not only help him be happier now, it can improve his long-term outcome.
What triggers a horse to flip his head uncontrollably, sometimes to the point of endangering him and his rider?
At the 2008 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, Keith Soring, DVM, presented material regarding withdrawal times and therapeutic thresholds of medications in horses. A threshold is a defined concentration of a “regulatory analyte
One wonderful aspect of being a horse owner or enthusiast is the variety of available tack and equipment–generally innovative, cool stuff–to use under saddle or in the stable. Exciting innovations in recent years have lent safety, comfort
Belknap remarked on the latest research showing that laminitis is an intense inflammatory injury of the foot and is no longer believed to be solely a blood flow problem.
While steroid enhancement of performance is debatable, the public has the perception that it might affect performance in horses. In evidence-based analysis on purported effects of anabolic steroids, there are no documented studies that correspond to anecdotal support.
Preparation includes understanding the nature of racing emergencies along with an assessment on how to maximize available resources. Venue-specific concerns should be identified, as every situation is unique, and Scollay-Ward urged on-track veterinarians to develop team proficiency by collaborating on duties and establishing relationships prior to the need for implementing emergency procedures.
Nearly 20% of fatal musculoskeletal injuries in Thoroughbred atheletes are due to complete humeral (forearm bone) fractures, which often occur early in training or following an prolonged layup.
Progression of obesity and insulin resistance exacerbates laminitis risk. As a horse gets fatter, insulin sensitivity decreases. Insulin resistance worsens with chronic obesity, making a horse more susceptible to laminitis and less tolerant of triggering events.
An equine athlete uses the pelvis and sacroiliac (SI) joint in many different fashions: A rope horse uses the pelvis to rapidly accelerate and decelerate, a Standardbred races at high speed at a constrained gait, and a dressage horse exercises with repetitive and isometric control of his haunches. Furthermore, a vaulting horse is constrained to a circle, but he must provide stability of
Although horse owners continue to administer oral joint health supplements (OJHS), a substantial proportion of these products are substandard in quality, efficacy, and safety, according to a presentation given at the 2008 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention.
Not many injuries occur in rodeo, but PRCA requires that a veterinarian is on-site, both during the approved rodeo events as well as during “slack” competition held before or after a scheduled performance.
The objective of joint therapy is to decrease pain using an osteoarthritic drug that modifies clinical signs and to minimize further deterioration with a disease-modifying osteoarthritic drug.
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