Latest News – The Horse

The trace element selenium appears to reinforce sperm quality and thus maintain a stallion’s fertility. When selenium is lacking, motility drops, sperm membranes break down, and the sperm’s acrosome (which covers the head) can deform.

The Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) takes place Oct.26-31 in the nation’s capital, and plans are already in the works to ensure the footing is up to the standard demanded by internationally ranked riders and their horses.

“Hosting a horse show in the center of a major metropolitan city is very different from a putting on a show in the country,” explained Eric Straus, WIHS CEO. “We

Fall’s arrival means it’s time to get your horse and farm ready for winter. Here are some seasonal tips which can help the horse owner transition their horses from one season to another.

Germany was nearly perfect Show Jumping World Championships Oct. 6, presented by Rolex, and they rode off with the team gold medal (17.8 faults). France jumped up to the silver medal (24.32), and Belgium climbed up to the bronze medal (24.7) at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

British riders have traditionally dominated the medals at the Para Dressage World Championships, and Sophie Wells lived up to that history by taking individual gold in the grade IV individual test, aboard the flashy chestnut Dutch Warmblood, Pinocchio. Her score of 71.677 percent gave her the definitive lead over the Netherlands’ Frank Hosmar, and Denmark’s Henrik Weber Sibbesen Oct. 7

Each year there are about 100,000 unwanted horses in the United States, too many for the registered equine rescue and sanctuary groups to handle, according to a recent survey by researchers at the University of California, Davis. They found that the 236 registered rescue and sanctuary organizations could only help about 13,400 horses a year. “Nonprofit equine rescue and sanctuary

A group of talented fourth-year veterinary students preparing for careers in equine sports medicine are assisting with the care of elite competition horses during the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Thirty-three student members of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) were selected by their veterinary schools to participate in externships during the Game

Without question, Bute and other NASAIDs help horses in training. But do we really need them on race day? Most vets will say it’s better to give a horse time off rather than medication.

“Laminitis is a very frustrating disease from a number of standpoints, including management,” explained James Orsini, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, director of the Laminitis Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. “The pain and debility are often so severe that euthanasia is often considered