Topics

Breeding and Reproduction

Horse breeding from planning through foal care

Hoof Care

Prevention and treatment for problems of the equine foot

Nutrition

Proper feeding practices for foals, adult horses, and older horses

Welfare and Industry

Discussions about the welfare of our equine friends

Diseases and Conditions

Horse-heath-problem risk factors, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment

Horse Care

How to care for the basic health needs of horses

Sports Medicine

All aspects of caring for performance horses

All Topics

Farm and Barn

Design and maintain a healthy horse operation

Lameness

Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of leg lameness

Vet and Professional

News and issues for equine health professionals
Magazine
Cover Story

Supporting Your Horse's Immune System

What does it take to optimize the equine immune response and fight off disease?

Also in this Issue

Rhodococcus equi Pneumonia: Rethinking Treatment to Fight Resistance
Skill, Science, and Sensitivity: Unpacking Horse Training Misconceptions
Rehabilitating the Neurologic EPM Horse
Building a Balanced Diet for Your Mare and Foal
Joint Health Matters: Top Therapies for a Successful Season
The Abscess Ruptured, But My Horse is Still Lame. Now What?
Understanding Horse Aggression
Digital Edition

Give a Gift

Subscribe

Manage My Subscription
News

Latest News

Equine Hoof Care Teams at Work

Smart Manure Management for Small Horse Farms

Florida Mare Tests Positive for Strangles

2 Washington Horses Positive for Equine Influenza

EHV Case Confirmed in Utah

Managing Laminitic Pain in Horses: What’s New?

More News

Disease Alerts

EDCC Health Watch

Event Coverage

2024 AAEP Convention
2024 EquiSUMMIT
2024 Olympics
Features

Latest Features

Managing Your Performance Horse’s Joints

April 9, 2025

Understanding, Recognizing, and Managing Pain in Horses

March 20, 2025

Additional Features

How Much Does It Cost to Own a Horse?

Dealing With Equine Colic: Here are 33 Do’s and Don’ts

Promoting Longevity in Performance Horses

Everything You Need to Know About Laminitis in Horses

How to Feed Your Horse

All Features
Q&As

Latest Q&A

Smart Manure Management for Small Horse Farms

April 15, 2025

Equine Nutrition FAQ Series

Sponsored by Purina Animal Nutrition

Learn More

Q&As

Equine Behavior

Our animal behavior experts field your questions about why your horse does XYZ.

Horse Nutrition

Equine nutritionists respond to queries about forage, grain, supplements, and other related topics.

Performance Horse Health

Veterinarians and researchers tackle questions about equine athletes.
Visuals

Featured Media:

Wound Care Strategies for Healing Wounds in Horses

Tips for Feeding Senior Horses

Quick Links

Webcasts

Infographics

Slideshows
Podcasts

Featured Podcasts

Keeping Horses With Joint Disease Fit

Equine Joint Pain and DSLD

Podcasts

Ask 'TheHorse' Live

The Horse’s experts answer your questions during a monthly live audio event.

Equine Innovators

Join us as we interview leading equine researchers from the University of Kentucky.

All Podcasts
Free Reports

Fact Sheet: Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID)

Fact Sheet: Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) in Horses

Free Reports:

View All Free Reports

Quick referenced of horse conditions, diseases and health topics

Forms

Checklists and identification forms for horse owners
Tools

Normal Horse Vital Signs and Health Indicators

Mare Gestation Calculator

Adult Horse Weight Calculator

Additional Resources

Event Calendar
Horse Health Glossary
Get-A-DVM
New Products
Polls
TheHorse.com en Español
StableManagement.com

Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB

Sue M. McDonnell, PhD, is a certified applied animal behaviorist and the founding head of the equine behavior program at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine. She is also the author of numerous books and articles about horse behavior and management.

Articles by: Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB

Common Senior Horse Behavior Problems

Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB May 5, 2023

What is the most common behavior problem in aging horses? Dr. Sue McDonnell weighs in.

Minimizing Foal Stress Levels in the Breeding Shed

Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB July 16, 2020

What would be the best plan for handling a foal whose dam is being covered by a stallion?

Stressed in the Stall

Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB July 7, 2020

My horse recently started pacing and digging holes in his stall. What could be causing this behavior?

Water Temperature and Horse Drinking Behavior

Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB November 18, 2019

Why might our horses drink from an ice cold creek or tank rather than from the heated water buckets? Equine behaviorist Dr. Sue McDonnell explains.

Does a Racehorse Know if He Wins or Loses?

Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB November 1, 2019

And what difference would it make to the horse if he wins or loses? An equine behaviorist weighs in.

Donkey Dynamics

Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB October 24, 2019

What might cause a young male donkey to suddenly split from the herd? An equine behaviorist offers insight.

Why Does My Horse Play With His Tongue?

Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB August 5, 2019

What could be the cause behind this young horse’s strange tongue lollying at feeding time? Dr. Sue McDonnell answers.

Selenium and Cribbing: Is There a Relationship?

An Old Horse Starts Cribbing

Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB July 11, 2019

A reader’s 17-year-old horse started trying to crib recently, which she’s never seen him do before. Why would he start now? An equine behaviorist offers insight.

senior horse; old horse; old; senior; keeping senior horses happy

Older Creature Comforts: Keeping Senior Horses Happy

Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB June 27, 2019

I’m concerned about my senior horse’s happiness. How can I keep him comfortable and content?

Watching the Herd

Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB June 13, 2019

How can watching horses interact in a herd help improve my relationship with my horse?

Happy and Unhappy Horses at Home

Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB June 6, 2019

Has any research been done regarding what horses might like and dislike about their homes?

Tail Blocking’s Effects on Horse Communication

Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB May 30, 2019

If a horse’s tail has been blocked or nerved, is he at a social disadvantage when turned out with others? An equine behaviorist weighs in.

How to Teach Your Horse to Behave in Cross-Ties

Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB May 16, 2019

Does your horse refuse to stand still in the cross-ties? An equine behavior expert shares how to instill good grooming manners in a young horse or curb existing rude behavior in the cross-ties.