Latest News – The Horse

Topics in equine health that are timely and relevant to today’s horse owner will be featured this year as part of the American Association of Equine Practitioner’s “Ask the Vet” online discussion on aaep.org/horseowner. Each month an AAEP-member veterinarian will answer questions submitted by horse owners pertaining to

A hearing officer has ruled that the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission acted properly when it handed a five-year suspension to veterinarian Dr. Rodney Stewart after cobra venom and other prohibited substances were found in a barn and in his truck at Keeneland in June 2007.

Hearing officer Robert Layton, who conducted a two-day hearing in December into Stewart’s appeal of the suspension,

In a year that saw increased public scrutiny of equine welfare and medication issues both on the track and in the competition field, veterinarians at the 2008 Annual Convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) in San Diego, Calif., gathered in a forum to discuss these and other performance horse issues.

Forum leaders Stephen Soule, VMD, of West Palm Beach, Fla.,

The crowd-pleasing Westfalen mare Rocher, who might be known best for her flopping ears and hair-raising extended trot, will retire from international competition, according to Gypsy Woods Farm owners Charles (Chuck) and Joann Smith.

State regulators in New York have begun an investigation into undernourished mares that were given away by Thoroughbred owner and breeder Ernie Paragallo.

The New York State Racing and Wagering Board will examine the circumstances under which the horses were given away by Center Brook Farm in upstate New York, as well as ownership questions that have arisen concerning the horses. The

The ruler of Dubai is being investigated by equestrian authorities after a horse he owns and rides failed drug tests after two races.

Sheik Mohammed said he was unaware of the drugs but accepts full responsibility. The drug use came to light following testing by his staff after endurance races this year in Bahrain and Dubai.

The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) said April 7

It is not unusual for horses to get stomach ulcers. But how important are the ulcers? Is it because the horse is stressed that it gets stomach ulcers? And does a horse with stomach ulcers have a greater tendency to crib or have other types of abnormal behavior?

Brooks reviewed a variety of treatment and management strategies for corneal ulcers, with a focus on not only resolving the ulcer in each case, but maintaining the horse’s vision.

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Safety and Integrity Alliance has received a contribution of $50,000 from Pfizer Animal Health.

“Pfizer Animal Health is proud to support the work of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance in its efforts towards improved health and wellness for the equine athletes,” said Kristin Ruff, equine senior

Farrier Ian McKinlay, who was in the news last year dealing with Big Brown’s quarter crack prior to the Belmont Stakes, is back on the Triple Crown trail once again, treating a lesser quarter crack suffered by Quality

A winter weather warning for Kentucky had been issued, and all the horses were in the barn for the night as a precaution. After all, how often have the weather forecasters been overenthusiastic about “catastrophic” storms?

Overnight the electricity went out; both landline and cell phones were dead. Trees, limbs and telephone poles were down, blocking roads and causing major damage to

There were comments from practitioners representing both the Morgan and American Saddlebred Horse breeds, stating that they had heard many positive breed industry comments in support of this white paper. Everyone in the room showed support for maintaining the welfare of all gaited breeds.

“Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specific populations and the application of this study to control health problems.”
– J.M. Last: A Dictionary of Epidemiology, ed 2. New York, Oxford University Press, 1988.

While a definition is a good place to start when thinking about the role of epidemiology in equine health,

In an effort to help horse owners manage herd populations and breed responsibly, the Kentucky Horse Council, in partnership with Morehead State University (MSU), is offering a low cost gelding clinic April 28 and 30, 2009.

The service, funded by Save Our Horses, a tax deductible fund to support KHC health and welfare programs, will allow Kentucky horse owners to pay for