A packed room during the AAEP’s Racing Forum held sometimes heated discussions about the facts and nuances of the on-going Racing Medication and Testing Consortium’s (RMTC) attempt to create a uniform medication policy for racing in the United States. Milton McClure, DVM, a racetrack practitioner from Bossier City, La., chaired the session that centered around information presented by Scott

Many options for treating equine ailments exist–some are more traditionally performed by veterinarians in some regions, and some are often labeled as alternative therapies and might tend to fall more to non-veterinarians. Who can legally handle the treatments that are not always performed by veterinarians can be a sticky problem, which is compounded by the fact that in the United

“The results of this study strongly support the use of ultrasound to diagnose soft tissue and bony abnormalities of the entire shoulder region,” Whitcomb stated. She also noted that lesions of the infraspinatus tendon and bursa had not previously been reported, but were found in this study.

“Ultrasound was the sole means of diagnosis (of pelvic fracture) in 13 horses and was corroborated by nuclear scintigraphy or radiography in the remaining 15 cases,” Almanza said. “Ultrasound was able to provide excellent detail of the bony contours of the fracture sites and was useful in identifying associated muscle tearing and hematoma formation.”

If you’ve had equine cases of West Nile virus (WNV) pop up in your county, most of the equids in the area probably were exposed to the disease or even infected by the time those infections occurred. That is why it’s extremely important to vaccinate horses at least two months before the WNV season.

“We believe that this technique (MRI) could revolutionize the assessment of certain musculoskeletal lesions of the distal limb,” Mair said. “MRI has many advantages over other conventional imaging techniques. MRI does not use ionizing radiation and provides multiplanar, 3-D imaging capabilities.

He stressed that horse owners should begin to watch their horses’ eyes because the sooner you see something wrong, the sooner your vet can get there and the sooner the horse can be healed.

Veterinarians are using hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)–treatment in a pressurized oxygen chamber–to treat certain illnesses and injuries in horses. They are extrapolating from human research to guide approaches for treating equine patients.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior, manages the majority of the wild horses and burros in the United States. The agency manages these animals on the public rangelands consistent with BLM’s multiple-use mission, which takes into consideration natural resources such as wildlife and vegetation, and other users such as ranchers and recreationists

Has there has been an increase in hind limb lameness since the round pen has become more popular?

My yearling stallion has begun his show career in longe line classes. He is beginning to lose concentration and act “studdy” at shows. It was suggested that I put him on Regumate to help control this behavior. What are the pros and cons?

I’d like information and recommendations for safe hauling of my weanlings. Should they be tied? If hauled loose, when is it time for them to be tied and confined? What’s the easiest way to proceed for happy hauling in the future?

My pony started tossing his head and cribbing at about the same time. The head tossing has increased to the point of not being able to ride him. He has had his teeth floated and has been checked by a vet for common problems. He has never had any problems before this, and has always been a great pony hunter. I’ve changed bits, used a hackamore, longed him with tack–still with the same