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

Wild Horse Killings Anger Community

Corolla, N.C., residents have pulled together to help find the killer of four wild horses that were shot to death in Nov., 2001. A $10,000 bounty has been posted for information that leads to a felony conviction of the killer, according to an Associated Press report.

Authorities believe that the killer used a high-powered rifle to shoot a stallion, three mares, and one resident’s mule

Read More

Breeding Planning: Selecting A Sire


When you drive by a farm and see a bright, playful young foal romping in a lush pasture with his dam, it’s easy to forget how much work, money, and planning went into his breeding. Many people underestimate the planning that goes into a

Read More

Strategic Layoffs

Many equestrian sports are seasonal, with a competition season alternating with an off season. Even in sports that continue year-round, most trainers schedule a break from competition, which gives the horse a chance to recover mentally and

Read More

Get A Handle on Your Footing

Good footing is important for optimizing performance and reducing the risk of lameness. The main reason why sport horses retire early is due to osteoarthritis from constant wear and tear of the joints, sometimes from long-term schooling on bad

Read More

Dewormer Resistance in Small Strongyles

Small strongyles are some of the most problematic internal parasites in horses. Infected horses can experience a wide range of symptoms, from rough hair coat, poor growth, and suboptimal performance to life-threatening chronic diarrhea, colic,

Read More

Navicular Disease: Genetic or Acquired?

Navicular disease can derail a performance horse’s career. Arthritis-like changes in the navicular bone, including cysts, channels, chip fragments, and bony spurs, become visible on radiographs, but there is controversy about the connection

Read More

Diagnosing West Nile Virus

A recent report outlined a series of cases of West Nile virus infection in horses seen at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center. The findings might help horse owners and veterinarians identify this infection more readily.

Read More

Mother’s Milk: Understanding Mare Lactation

Many think that lactation in the mare is not that important, especially compared to the dairy cow, from which milk is taken directly for human consumption. However, the importance of lactation in the mare must not be underestimated. Indeed, some

Read More

Rodeo Horses

Rodeo is a rough and tumble sport. It was born on the wide open rangelands of the West, but through the years it has been transformed into an entertainment package that knows no geographic boundaries. Despite that change, it remains a sport wher

Read More

Does Feeding Affect Behavior?

Next time you visit your local feed and tack store, peruse the horse supplement section. Chances are you will find at least one that claims to have a “calming” effect on horses. Whether or not these supplements live up to these claims is

Read More

Slaughter Transport Rule to be Published

The equine industry should receive a final rule from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the near future on regulations pertaining to the commercial transportation of horses to slaughter facilities. At press time, the rule had

Read More

Wild Horse and Burro Management

“Be it enacted by the Senate and Horse of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, The Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of

Read More

More From The Horse

sweaty horse rolling
When is an Older Horse Ready for Senior Feed?
1--Pharnygeal-Wash_StranglesFeature_CourtesyEliseKahn
cutting horse

Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with

FREE weekly newsletters from TheHorse.com

Sponsored Content

Weekly Poll

sponsored by:

How do you plan to keep your horse safe during fireworks and Fourth of July festivities? Please select all that apply.
102 votes · 126 answers

Readers’ Most Popular

The Horse
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.