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

Headshaking Problem

My horse is driving me crazy! Every time we go out to ride, he starts flipping his head. What is his problem?

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AQHA Offers Day Camp For Kids

It’s camp time again and the American Quarter Horse Heritage Center & Museum is gearing up for the third annual Camp It Up! With overwhelming response from the last two years, there will be two sessions of the half-day camp this

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Shock Wave Therapy: Use it Logically

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is an established medical treatment (see The Horse of May 2001). Originally utilized to treat human kidney stones non-invasively, additional applications for this technology have been discovered.

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Stepping Ahead: Bluegrass Laminitis Symposium 2001

Laminitis is one of the most serious and difficult-to-treat diseases horses can get, and only by learning everything about this problem can we prevent and treat it successfully. Enter the 14th annual Bluegrass Laminitis Symposium held Jan. 25-27

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Form and Function of Joints

There is a definite correlation between joint angle, hoof flight pattern, and weight bearing. One might even wax a bit poetic and declare that as the joint angles, so flies and lands the hoof. That’s where the poetry ends, however, because if

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Buying or Building a Farm

Buying or building a horse farm can be a challenging venture where dreams might or might not become reality, and where budgets dictate compromise. The buyer needs to consider what is more advantageous: To build on empty land, or to buy a

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Muscle Toning and Development

A number of horses I’ve seen appear to have asymmetrical muscle development, particularly over the shoulder area, which can make saddle fitting difficult. Many publications seem to say that the larger shoulder indicates that the horse is

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Administering Foal Enemas

With a newborn foal, you observe a checklist of progressive behaviors: Regular breaths, ears up, standing, and nursing. Once the foal has survived these adjustments to life after birth, you’re tempted to sigh with relief (and go back to bed!).

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Gas Colic

Can you explain a little more about what causes gas colic in horses and what can be done to help prevent it?

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More West Nile Virus Findings In New Jersey

Two crows collected in Edison, New Jersey, May 22 and 24 tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV). To date, 118 crows and 1 hawk have been tested by the N.J. Department of Health and Senior Services’ Public Health and Environmental Laboratory.

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Maryland Crow Tests Positive For West Nile Virus

The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) Laboratories confirmed May 24 that a crow found in Baltimore City tested positive for the West Nile Virus (WNV). This first confirmed crow of the 2001 season was found in the 3100 block

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Results From Informal Spring Loss Questionaire

We thank those of you who participated in last week’s survey of farms experiencing symptoms similar to the spring loss syndromes. We had over 150 individuals respond since May 25, from all areas of North America. We received many replies from

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Enjoying Veterinary Visits

In our referral equine behavior practice, we frequently rehabilitate horses perceived to be uncooperative with one or more veterinary procedures such as injections, nasogastric tubing, genital examination, etc. We have found that straightforward

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Slings for Horses–Getting A Lift

Rescuers can employ equine-specific manufactured slings, or fabricate a temporary sling from rope or a fire hose. A sling gives rescuers mechanical advantage–it can help them move a horse up an inclined plane (dragging up a ramp) or get a horse out

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