Stephanie Ruff

Stephanie Ruff has spent her entire career in various facets of the equine industry. She was a freelance writer for many years, was the owner/editor of Arabian Finish Line, managing editor of Arabian Horse Life and content manager of Practical Horseman and Dressage Today before moving to The Horse. She has ridden many different disciplines, but for the last 20 years has focused on dressage. Stephanie has both a B.S. and M.S. in Animal Science from the University of Kentucky and has always had a keen interest in equine health, science, and research. A native of Pennsylvania, Stephanie enjoys hanging out with her Arabian and Half-Arabian mares, two German Shorthair Pointers, traveling and embracing the Florida lifestyle where she currently lives.

Articles by: Stephanie Ruff

Salting Hay for Storage

I was told that using rock salt on hay that is kept in a small area would keep it from molding. Is this true, and would it do anything to the hay other than keep it dry?

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Pregnant Mares in Heat?

Can you supply me with a veterinary explanation on whether a mare that is in foal can come back into season? We have had many discussions about this subject at my barn and are still divided on the answer.

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Late-Year Competition Horse Care

For many of us who compete with our horses, regardless of which discipline we compete in, fall is the time of year to seek the advice of our equine practitioners regarding any maintenance that will have our horses ready for competition next season. While many of us compete throughout the year, some of us are less active during the winter months. If your horse is still going to be used through

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Focusing on the Flu

Equine influenza can strike a horse regardless of time of year. Competitive horses which attend events where other horses are congregated or horses which live in large boarding barns are particularly at risk. Not every horse which contracts a viral infection will display overt clinical signs, but such a horse might then be a carrier capable of infecting less immune-competent individuals. In

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I Never Thought it Would Happen to Me…

Tornadoes Rip Through the Midwest,” “West Nile Races Across the U.S.,” “Ice Storm Paralyzes Central Kentucky,” “Drought, Wildfires Scorch Western States,” “Chemical Spill Forces Evacuation.”

News headlines trumpeting natural and man-made disasters have filled the front pages of newspapers at an exceptional rate in 2003, and disaster planning has become this decade’s Y2K phrase.

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Shock Wave Therapy — Does It Work?

What is shock wave therapy? Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) focuses a highly concentrated, powerful acoustical (sound) energy source to a focal area. The shock waves induce increased activity of bone-producing cells and might also lead to increased circulation in the focal region. As a result, the focal area undergoes a more rapid healing process than if left untreated. In addition,

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Roaring Down the Stretch

Most people who have been around horses long enough have heard a few make abnormal respiratory noises while exercising. These horses usually draw attention to themselves by the sheer volume of noise they create as they go around the show jumping course or trot and canter around the show ring. Other times, the noise is more subtle and the rider will complain about a horse which just runs out o

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Wanted: Crystal Ball

Wouldn’t you like to be able to foresee the future, even if just for a few little things? Nothing so dramatic as making a killing on the stock market (if that can even be done these days) or hitting the lottery. Simple things would do, such as knowing when the tire is going to go flat on the truck or trailer so you can get it fixed before you get stuck on the side of the road. Or

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Sabotaged Saddlebreds

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

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Eastern Equine Encephalitis: Still on the Offense

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

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Blister Beetle Poisoning in Florida

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.

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The Latest on EPM Research

The annual American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists met July 19-22 with presentations on many equine-related topics. The EPM Society held a roundtable during that meeting after presentations from top EPM (equine protozoal myeloencephalitis) researchers, discussing topics such as whether horses can be a natural intermediate hosts in the Sarcocystis neurona life cycle, and

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TIEC Brings Health Topics to Horse Owners

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

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Safe Horse Handling

Colorado State University (CSU) and Parelli Natural Horse-Man-Ship have agreed to jointly create a safe horse-handling program for veterinary students, veterinarians, and horse owners, educating them about how to work around horses on a daily basis for routine veterinary care and in the event of an emergency.

The project is a result of the parties’ mutual dedication to educating

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Maryland Horse Tests Positive for Rabies

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,

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Tapeworms Implicated in Some Types of Colic

The evidence is growing steadily that heavy infestations with tapeworms in horses can lead to increased incidence of certain types of colic. For years, tapeworms have been considered a fairly benign parasite to horses because they are rarely found on normal fecal exams that look for parasite eggs. However, recent research shows that the exposure of horses to tapeworms in the United States

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Insektenplage. Schönes Pferd frei zwischen gelben Blumen auf einer Wiese wird von Insekten attackiert
Beautiful horses, animals, pasture, stables, horseback riding

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