Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director

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

Equine Herpesvirus Type-1 Outbreak Resolving; Strain Might be Atypical

The worst is over in the unusual equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) outbreak that led to the death of 10 horses and has affected the remaining equine population at the University of Findlay’s English riding facility in Findlay, Ohio, since Jan. 12. Veterinarians have not detected any new cases of the respiratory and neurological illness in the last five days at the facility. Ten horses with

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Ohio Disease Confirmed as Equine Herpesvirus Type-1

Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) officials have reported that equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) has been confirmed as the cause of the respiratory and neurologic illness that has plagued University of Findlay horses since Jan. 12.

“Our laboratory test results substantiate the initial clinical diagnosis by veterinary experts a few days ago that EHV-1 caused the current outbreak of

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Care of Sick Horses in Ohio Outbreak

The battle against the paralyzing disease that hit the English riding facility at the University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio was lost for 10 horses, but is still being waged for the 22 others which have been affected neurologically (see article #4079 at www.TheHorse.com). C. Michael Kerns, DVM, Director of University Equine Veterinary Services at the

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Ten Ohio Horses Dead; Possible Equine Herpesvirus-1 Outbreak

At least 10 horses have died or have been euthanized at the University of Findlay (UF) in Findlay, Ohio, after battling a respiratory and neurologic illness. Preliminary polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests completed on tissue samples from affected horses by the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s (ODA) Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory this morning came back as “presumptive positive” for

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Drugs and Medications Rules Revised at USA Equestrian Meeting

A rule change designed to reduce incidence of corticosteroid abuse in equine athletes was among several topics discussed in the Veterinary and Equine Drugs and Medications (D&M) committee meetings and D&M Open Forum Jan. 16-17 at the 2003 USA Equestrian (USAE) Convention in Lexington, Ky. Veterinarians, competitors, and industry officials on these committees convened to vote on rules

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AAEP Convention Attracts Record Crowd

Over 5,200 veterinary professionals, guests and exhibitors attended the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (AAEP) 48th Annual Convention in Orlando, Fla., setting a new attendance record for the meeting. The convention, held Dec. 4-8, 2002, featured nearly 100 scientific presentations, a sold-out trade show and an equine health seminar for horse owners.

“Dr. Tom Lenz and th

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AAEP 2002: Prevention of EPM

 “Why should we be concerned about EPM (equine protozoal myeloencephalitis)?” asked William J.A. Saville, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, PhD, of The Ohio State University (OSU) at the 2002 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) convention. “Because it is still an important equine disease, although we have a low incidence of the disease, and regardless of therapies available to treat EPM,

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AAEP 2002: Possible Environmental Sources of Drug Positives

As post-performance drug testing methods become more sensitive, racehorse and show horse owners, veterinarians, handlers, and trainers have become more aware that positive drug tests could be the result of inadvertent contamination of the horse with chemicals present in the environment. Cynthia Kollias-Baker, DVM, PhD, director of the Racing Laboratory at the University of Florida, recently

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Importance of Antimicrobial Resistance

The introduction of antimicrobial drugs to veterinary medicine has made a dramatic improvement in the health of our horses, but it’s alarming when infections do not respond to these drugs. “It is not a new phenomenon, but there has been ever-growing concern about antimicrobial resistance,” said Josie Traub-Dargatz, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, of Colorado State University, in her presentation at the

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WNV Vaccination in Mares and Foals

There were nearly 14,000 reported cases of West Nile virus (WNV) in the United States in 2002 by the end of November, and many broodmares were exposed to the virus even if not clinically affected. As the country begins its fifth year of handling

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West Nile Virus Detected in Florida Alligators

Three farm-raised alligators from Central Florida have tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV), according to officials at the University of Florida (UF) College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). This is the first time the virus has affected U.S. reptiles. Multiple agencies were involved in the diagnosis, including the CVM, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Florida

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Educational Brochures

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has recently revised and redesigned 21 client education brochures with the support of Bayer Animal Health and Purina Mills. The brochures are available to veterinarians and come in packages of 25 at a low cost. According to Dana Roberts, AAEP’s Owner Education Coordinator, several other brochures are in the works and will be available in

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West Nile Virus Changed to Endemic Disease Status; Fees will be Charged for Some WNV Testing

Government veterinary officials recently designated West Nile virus (WNV) as an endemic disease in the United States. The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services (VS) previously had considered WNV a Foreign Animal Disease (FAD), since it had never been detected in the United States prior to 1999. (Read more about WNV at

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West Nile Virus Vaccination in Mares and Foals

There were nearly 14,000 reported cases of West Nile virus (WNV) in the United States in 2002 by the end of November, and many broodmares were exposed to the virus even if not clinically affected. As the country begins its fifth year of handling

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Stretching Out the Kinks

There’s nothing like a good stretch–when you wake up in the morning, during breaks at work, or before and after your workout. In human physiology, we know about stretching and its benefits for the athlete. Many practitioners and physical

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West Nile Virus Still Spreading

As of Nov. 3, cases of equine illness caused this year by West Nile virus (WNV) confirmed at the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories had risen to 12,843; 12,105 cases more than the final case count for 2001. Vaccinating for WNV and

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More From The Horse

Foal Resting in Stall, sick foal
Happy Horses in Modern Stable
Spring Cleaning Your Feed Room;
hair loss in horses; Improving Dry Equine Skin and Coats With Nutrition; IBH vaccine for horses

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