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

The Natural Hoof: A Sign of the Times

The feet of wild horses have been able to adapt to their environment, while the feet of domestic horses seem to consistently fail at adapting and instead collapse, crack, flare, and bruise.

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EPM: Hope At Last

It seems to work! Because of research on new drug treatments for equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), horse owners might soon be able to kill the parasite that they now only can control effectively about 60% of the time. Preliminary researc

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Breeding on Foal Heat

The mare has a long gestational period and to be a yearly producer she must be back in foal, on average, 25 days from giving birth. It is important to understand all the processes that take place in the period from parturition to the restoration

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Venereal Disease in Horses

Venereal diseases are those that can be sexually transmitted. "Vener" is the Latin term for sexual intercourse and, hence, the origin of the term "venereal." The outcome of sexually transmitted diseases in horses can vary

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HYPP: Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis

They gave the muscular Quarter Horse colt an ambitious name: Impressive. He lived up to the name in such dramatic fashion that it became a household word in Quarter Horse circles – especially among breeders and exhibitors involved in showing

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Questions of Balance

There is no consensus on alternative or complementary approaches to equine health care. In fact, it would be hard to find a more controversial topic. For every expert who terms acupuncture, chiropractic, and other new therapies”P align=left>There is no consensus on alternative or complementary approaches to equine health care. In fact, it would be hard to find a more controversial topic. For every expert who terms acupuncture” align=left>There is no consensus on alternative or complementary approaches to equine health care. In fact, it would be hard to find a more controversial topic. Fo”align=left>There is no consensus on alternative or complementary approaches to equine health care. In fact, it would be hard t”lign=left>There is no consensus on alternative or complementary approaches to equine heal”ign=left>There is no consensus on alternative or compl”gn=left>There is no co

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Fescue Toxicosis

Mares grazing on tall fescue pastures infected with a toxin have increased gestation lengths, mare and foal deaths, agalactia (absent milk secretion after birth), retained placentas, premature separation of the placenta at birth, and increased placental weights and thickness.

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Focus on Discipline: Endurance

Uphill, downhill, through brush, over rocks and deep sand, across streams–this equine athlete carries his rider to a destination. The trail horse travels along a sometimes none-too-defined path, replicating the centuries-old use of the horse as

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Bioabsorbable Screws

A unique type of bone screw made of a most unlikely material is making waves in equine fracture repair at the Equine Research Centre in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The results indicate that the screws also could have important applications in human

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Injured Riders Can’t Help Horses

Why doesn’t every rider wear an approved safety helmet, and wear it correctly, every ride? Statistics show that most people who are severely hurt in riding-related incidents suffer from head injuries. I guess it’s a lot like the debate concernin

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Navicular Syndrome Treatment: The Brave New World

In spite of the best care given to horses in the history of their domesticated lives, record numbers of carefully bred, reared, and trained saddle horses are prevented from fully athletic lives by the crippling disease known as navicular syndrome.”n spite of the best

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Studies on Vitamin E

Researchers at Oregon State University and elsewhere are continuing to examine the role of vitamin E in horse health, including disease prevention and therapy. In particular, vitamin E deficiencies and/or supplementation could be important

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Puncture Wounds in the Foot

Within this subject, it is also a good time to discuss simple foot abscesses, as they are a common–and often the best possible–outcome for a puncture wound to the foot. Generally before infection can take hold, the puncture must penetrate the dead

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Grains of Glory

It’s five p.m., and up and down the aisle of a large boarding stable, the nickering and rumbling begin. What’s the cause of the excitement? Nothing more than a metal scoop digging into a bin of grain, a sound that tips off every equine resident

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Therapeutic Options – What is AAEP’s Position?

Today, therapeutic options such as acupuncture, chiropractic and physical therapy are experiencing wider clinical use. Although the mechanisms by which these therapeutic options may work are not fully understood, they do offer the

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