Surgery to correct “roaring” in National Hunt Thoroughbred racehorses can restore racing performance to levels similar to a matched group of peers in the short term, but career longevity appears to be negatively impacted following these procedures, report a team of UK researchers led by Safia Barakzai, BVSc, MSc, DESTS, Dipl ECVS, from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies

Horses’ beauty in motion is achieved via the culmination of a complex and highly integrated interaction between muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and a variety of other connective tissues. Successful coordination of all musculoskeletal system components is imperative for smooth, fluid, pain-free movement.

Equine veterinarians can now objectively monitor tendon healing using a technique called ultrasonographic tissue characterization (UTC), said researchers from The Netherlands.

While a number of novel therapies for tendon healing have been introduced recently, means of evaluating their clinical utility is difficult. Developed by Gerco Bosch, DVM, PhD, an assistant professor at Utre

A simple, noninvasive urine test to diagnose cryptorchidism in horses that appear to have been castrated has been developed by a group of researchers from the Racing Laboratory at the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Male horses that appear or are presumed to be castrated can in fact have one or even two retained testicles. Retained testes should be removed to help eliminate objectionable b

While many veterinarians have long suspected that infected joints from which bacteria can be cultured result in a poorer outcome than horses from which no bacteria could be cultured, this hypothesis was recently substantiated by a group of United Kingdom researchers led by Tim Mair, BVSc, MRCVS, DEIM, DESTS, Dipl. ECEIM, of the Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic.

Infections of synovial

A variety of environmental factors might be related to West Nile virus infections in horses, reported a Florida research team lead by Leslie M.V. Rios, PhD, from the Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

After identifying a lack of reliability and repeatability in experienced veterinarians’ evaluation of lameness, a group of vets have challenged the industry to search for and develop “a more objective and reliable method of lameness evaluation for us in the field,” and noted that such efforts “should be encouraged and supported.”

ESPA is a “new” name for an old disease: degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis (DSLD), a heritable, debilitating syndrome characterized by “an insidious onset of either bilateral or quadrilateral lameness with no history of trauma or injury,”

As if equine Cushing’s, metabolic syndrome, laminitis, and insulin resistance weren’t enough to worry about in our aging horses, we can now add “immunosenescence” and “inflammaging” to the list.

Insulin resistance has profound consequences for affected horses, yet there are currently no licensed treatment options. Management of the condition is primarily aimed at modifying the affected horse’s diet, maintaining a healthy body condition score, and instituting a regular exercise program. Considering the “distinct lack of equine-specific research,” Glenys

Immunocontraception is a technique that uses the body’s own immune system to prevent pregnancy.

“For almost four decades we have known that antibodies against the membrane of a mammal’s unfertilized egg can be used to inhibit fertility,” explained Jay F. Kirkpatrick, PhD, director of the science and conservation center at ZooMontana, located in Billings,

After collecting and analyzing five years’ worth of data on the welfare of working equids in developing countries, researchers have identified some factors associated with potential welfare issues and means of intervening and improving the welfare of the most susceptible animals can now be devised.

Since more than 85% of the world’s equids (estimated at 94 million) live in developing countries

The diet you offer your gestating mare, particularly in the last trimester, can influence development of the placenta as well as the level of immunoglobulins (IgGs) in the colostrum, reports a research team from North Dakota and Texas.

“Foals subjected to external stimulants, such as reduced nutrient supply to the fetus, can have lasting effects on development including

Electroacupuncture–the electrical stimulation of acupuncture points–can be an effective method of controlling laryngeal hemiplegia (roaring), reported researchers performing the technique on horses presented to the Veterinary Medical Center of the University of Florida.

Over the past three decades, equine surgeons have become more adept at repairing even the most devastating fractures. Long gone are the days when horses sustaining fractures were humanely euthanized with a sad shake of the head. Now, horses are largely salvaged–and even return to athletic careers–with a little help from skilled hands, an arthroscope, power drill, plates, wires, and/or screws.