Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director, grew up riding and caring for her family’s horses in Central Virginia and received a B.A. in journalism and equestrian studies from Averett University. She joined The Horse in 1999 and has led the editorial team since 2010. A 4-H and Pony Club graduate, she enjoys dressage, eventing, and trail riding. Her heart horse, It Happened Again (“Happy,” pictured), a former graded-stakes-winning Thoroughbred gelding, was her longtime partner in the saddle and remains a lasting inspiration. Stephanie is based in Lexington, Kentucky.
Articles by: Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director
Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director
September 10, 2003
Veterinarians have been using an antibody product to treat West Nile virus (WNV) clinical signs, but its use for this purpose is currently off-label (not approved by the USDA). Currently, the hyperimmune plasma product HiGamm-Equi, by Lake Immunogenics, is being examined by the USDA for conditional approval.
HiGamm-Equi is typically used for failure of passive transfer in foals–the
Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director
September 5, 2003
Novartis Animal Vaccines announced Aug. 19 the conditional licensing and availability of the only antibody product approved by the USDA to help control disease caused by West Nile virus (WNV) in equids. This product helps an exposed animal by
Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director
September 1, 2003
In a malicious attack that garnered nationwide news coverage, five top American Saddlebreds were injected with an unknown, necrotizing (tissue-killing) substance the weekend of June 28-29 at Double D Ranch in Versailles, Ky. These were five of the most valuable horses at the 30-stall facility. The injuries were discovered the morning of June 30, and in the following weeks, three were
Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director
September 1, 2003
Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) case reports have risen into the hundreds already this year, with confirmation of equine cases in at least nine states. Florida has been hit hardest, with a total of 183 equine cases reported from 47 counties as of July 31. The EEE mortality rate is up to 90% in some areas, and veterinarians continue to advise horse owners to vaccinate their animals against
Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director
September 1, 2003
At press time, three horses had died of blister beetle poisoning in Clay County, Fla., and two others returned home following treatment at the University of Florida after eating alfalfa hay contaminated with blister beetles. The hay was delivered from a supplier in Oklahoma.
Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director
September 1, 2003
The Thoroughbred International Exposition and Conference (TIEC) held in Lexington, Ky., June 20-22, featured seminars given by prominent racing and equine health experts covering a range of issues related to health, farm management, sales, and the business of racing. Tours of renowned sales and breeding facilities, a trade show, and live demonstrations on video endoscopy, hoof balance, and
Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director
September 1, 2003
Maryland state veterinarian Phyllis Cassano, DVM, announced on July 3 that an Anne Arundel County, Md., horse had tested positive for rabies. The 7-year-old Quarter Horse mare had competed at the East Coast Barrel Bash in Harrington, Del., June 19-21.
The mare began showing clinical signs July 20, while still at the show. According to the owner’s report, she was acting aggressively,
Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director
September 1, 2003
On July 18, Pfizer Animal Health announced the U.S. release of Equimax, a dewormer designed to kill all major equine parasites in one dose–including tapeworms.
The apple-flavored paste dewormer combines praziquantel with ivermectin to treat horses four weeks of age and older.
According to the company, Equimax has been proven safe and effective in over 25 countries with more than 2
Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director
September 1, 2003
Why does my stallion not perform as eagerly in the breeding shed as in the past? Why does my mare’s ground behavior become nearly unbearable during estrus? Is there a reason that my gelding isn’t moving along as easily in his training as other horses I’ve worked with in the past? What can be done about each situation? These are all questions that a unique group of equine veterinarians,
Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director
August 25, 2003
The death of at least one Oklahoma horse has been definitively linked to Potomac horse fever (PHF), a disease rarely found in the state, and two of her stablemates likely died of the same illness. The horse manager at the farm with the confirmed
Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director
August 20, 2003
West Nile Virus Antibody is a prescription product, administered intravenously by a licensed veterinarian. It is an antiserum product that increases the antibody level in the circulatory system. This enhances an animal’s ability to neutralize virus present in the blood.
Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director
August 20, 2003
So you want to have your own horse farm. Should you build or buy? Hire a real estate agent or go out looking on your own? What about once you’ve acquired a facility–how do you manage the soil, fencing, employees, security, and manure? Four individuals versed in purchase, design, and management of horse farms shared their knowledge about establishing and getting the most out of your equine
Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director
August 19, 2003
A recent Austrian study has shown that melanomas in gray horses are less malignant than those found in solid-colored horses characterized by early metastases (cancer that started from cancer cells from another part of the body). Researchers believe this might be because gray horses have specific genetic factors that inhibit the metastatic processes. Additionally, the researchers found that th
Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director
August 19, 2003
The USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a conditional license to Novartis Animal Vaccines, Inc., for the manufacture and distribution of West Nile Virus Antibody, Equine Origin, for treatment of disease caused by West Nile virus (WNV).
Typically, antibody products are very specific and mimic the activity of naturally occurring molecules used by the body’s immune
Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director
August 15, 2003
The West Nile virus (WNV) 2003 season is well underway. Reports of equine cases are steadily rolling in from states where the virus has been detected before, and veterinary and public health officials in those states that haven’t experienced cases in the past four years are likely readying for their first detection of WNV. The USDA reported Aug. 11 that 309 equine cases of West Nile virus
Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director
August 12, 2003
Texas officials have detected the state’s first case of anthrax for 2003 in a white-tailed deer near Del Rio. “It’s not unusual to have a few cases of anthrax in livestock or deer each year in Texas,” said Bob Hillman, DVM, state veterinarian and executive director for the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC), the state’s livestock health regulatory agency.
