Latest News – The Horse

Zenyatta finished second to Olympic gold medal-winning American skier Lindsey Vonn as The Associated Press’ 2010 Female Athlete of the Year, the second year in a row she was the runner-up for the award.

The gene responsible for causing the swaybacked appearance of many American Saddlebred horses might be playing an advanced game of “hide and go seek,” but genetic researchers at the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center are one step closer to uncovering this gene and, thus, helping breeders one day avoid perpetuating the trait. Swayback, also referred to as lordosis, lowback, or

To give the everyday horse owner or manager access to a set of relatively easy-to-use budgets, the University of Kentucky departments of Agricultural Economics and Animal and Food Sciences have developed online budgeting tools available on their website.

People combat cold weather by putting on additional clothing, but horses fight the elements by using more energy to maintain body temperature. While most people can address their own needs, horses are dependent upon their owners to provide proper nutrition and protection from the weather, said Dave Freeman, PhD, PAS, Dipl. ACAN, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension equine specialist.

Oxidation is a normal metabolic process that allows horses to transform the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins they devour in meals into energy. An unavoidable side effect of oxidation is the creation of free radicals–compounds that have the

The 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) have come and gone, but the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture hopes to reap the benefits of a worldwide exposure for years to come. From prospective students to new partnerships to general awareness about equine programs at UK, much was gained by the university’s involvement in the Games. Some of the key highlights of

When Merial put out the call for the next face and voice of ULCERGARD, a gastric ulcer prevention product for horses, the company received an overwhelming response. Horse owners, competitors, and veterinary professionals from throughout the country submitted entries that demonstrated their love and trust of the product, as well as their commitment to guarding their horses against sto

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has distributed financial grants to more than 30 equine rescue groups. The grants were made possible by a horseback riding fundraiser organized by the American Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA) this summer.

Horses constantly ingest dirt when they graze. While excessive dirt consumption sometimes causes problems such as sand accumulation in the large intestine, the dirt that horses normally consume while grazing supplies some essential nutrients–most notably iron. Forages and grains contain additional dietary iron for horses.

The concept of a balanced foot can be subjective, but farriers are now using technological advances to take some of the guesswork out of the process. Patrick T. Reilly, chief of farrier services at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, discussed evaluating hoof balance with in-shoe force measurements.

Horses with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) are at a higher risk for laminitis than the average horse, but veterinarians are learning more about diagnosing EMS early and minimizing its effects, including laminitis. At the Sept. 17-18 Laminitis West Conference in Monterey, Calif., Thomas J. Divers, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ACVECC, professor and Chief of Large Animal Medicine at Cornell University,

Roundups are necessary for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to control population growth among wild horse herds, according to a report by the Department of the Interior’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG). In the report issued on Dec. 13 the auditors also called on the BLM to be more aggressive in researching and testing approved science for population control methods to minimize the need

Law enforcement authorities in St. Martin’s Parish, La., are seeking those responsible for the shooting death of a horse earlier this year. Sgt. Terrell Bergeron, animal control coordinator for the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Department, said that on Aug. 8, the horse’s owner contacted the Sheriff’s Department after finding the Appaloosa mare and a pregnant cow both wounded in their pasture.