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

Cardiovascular Changes With Moldy Corn Poisoning

Fumonisins are toxic byproducts of the fungus Fusarium verticilloides, which often grows on corn. These mycotoxins can cause leukoencephalomalacia (moldy corn poisoning) in horses, and are undetectable to the naked eye. Horses exposed to

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Clostridium in Mares and Foals

Newborn foals are especially susceptible to gastrointestinal diseases such as clostridial enterocolitis, which is characterized by abdominal pain, diarrhea, toxemia, shock, or death without prior signs. While this disease occurs only

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Hoof Dressings: What Studies Show

Hoof dressings aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be–at least not in the opinions of some experts. Ilka P. Wagner, DVM, owner of Equine Veterinary Services (Texas), and Susan Kempson, BSc, PhD, senior lecturer in Preclinical Veterinary

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Diagnosing Breathing Problems

Many of you are familiar with the respiratory condition known as “heaves,” also termed recurrent airway obstruction (RAO). Primarily caused by chronic exposure to dusts and molds in hay and bedding, heaves can cripple the function of a horse’s

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You Should Be Afraid, But…

West Nile virus is here to stay. Just like its cousins Eastern and Western equine encephalitis, it can be controlled, but only with diligence and hard work. West Nile virus (WNV) is deadly in about 40% of the horses which get the disease. It

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Sexually Transmitted Diseases

You’re preparing your mare for the upcoming breeding season. The stud owner insists on a bacterial culture of your mare’s uterus prior to live breeding to reduce the chances of her passing any sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) she might have

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Alberta Drought

A severe drought in northern Alberta is taking its toll on the horse population of that Canadian province. Canadian newspaper reports have indicated that many Alberta horses have been sent to slaughter (because the drought has made feeding

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EIA in Georgia: Four Horses Test Positive, 94 Quarantined

Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin announced last week that four horses in Chattooga County tested positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA) and have been euthanized. At press time, 94 other horses in the county had been

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West Nile Virus Moves West in Canada

Horse owners in Canada are becoming just as wary of the neurological disease West Nile virus (WNV) as their U.S. neighbors (see “West Nile Virus Alert” on page 32). The virus, which is harbored by birds and spread by the bite of an infected

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Controlling Mosquitoes with Pheromones

A new product that can help control mosquito populations is currently under development. Materia, Inc., has developed a cost-effective synthesized version of the natural pheromone called Mosquito Oviposition Pheromone (MOP). MOP is naturally

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More Kentucky Potomac Horse Fever Cases

Two additional cases of Potomac horse fever (PHF) have been confirmed at Hagyard-Davidson-McGee (HDM) veterinary hospital in Lexington, Ky., bringing the clinic’s total to five confirmed cases since the end of July. Two other PHF cases previousl

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Sunday Silence (1986-2002)

Kentucky Derby winner and top Japanese sire Sunday Silence died of heart failure Aug. 19 following an infection in his leg and the debilitating effects of laminitis. The horse had been fighting illness for 14 weeks prior to his death. Sunday

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