Latest News – The Horse
Stallion Handling (AAEP 2005)
A stallion handler must be able to focus the stallion’s mind on him, as well as the mare, and make him wait for instructions. This cannot be achieved through fear or abusiveness, but through training basic cues and maneuvers to the stallion before he
AAEP Convention 2005: Lameness in Racehorses
Inconsistencies in racetrack surfaces account for a large number of lamenesses in racehorses, said Jeff Blea, DVM, of the Southern California Equine Foundation in Arcadia, Calif., during the Lameness in Racehorses Forum held at the 51st Annual
Imaging Foot Lamenesses
As the old saying goes, knowledge is power. Nuclear scintigraphy and MRI evaluation proved their worth yet again in this study by giving information about the exact nature and location of these horses’ injuries, which helped practitioners select the
AAEP Convention 2005: Tendon injuries: New Treatments
Injuries to the superficial digital flexor tendon account for as much as 30% of all Thoroughbred racing injuries, and of those that do heal there is a high incidence of reoccurrence, according to Linda Dahlgren, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, of
AAEP Convention 2005: Problems With Multiple Embryo Collection
Embryo transfer has been well-established in the horse industry as a method of obtaining multiple offspring from a valuable donor mare. The increased usage of this technique prompted Colorado State University (CSU) researchers to examine the
AAEP Convention 2005: Increasing Embryo Recovery and Fertility
In a study from the University of Saskatchewan, Canadian researchers compared ovulation rates, embryo recovery and quality, and subsequent pregnancy rate using two estrus synchronization methods–prostaglandin (PG) administration and progesteron
AAEP Convention 2005: Optimizing Pregnancy Rates for Frozen-Thawed Semen
A major disadvantage associated with frozen-thawed semen is the fertility of the semen, which can be considerably less than fresh semen. This can be problematic when deciding how many progressively motile sperm (PMS) are needed per breeding to
AAEP Convention 2005: WNV DNA Vaccine Effective in Young Horses
Scientists recently showed that the Fort Dodge Animal Health West Nile virus (WNV) DNA vaccine, which is licensed but not yet commercially available, should protect foals from the virus regardless of residual antibodies received at birth from
Equine Groups Band Together to Provide Feed for Hurricane-Affected Areas
(Edited press release)
Five equine organizations joined together this week to provide 6,500 bales of hay to nearly 800 horses in Vermilion Parish, La., that were affected by Hurricane Rita. The United States Equestrian Federatio
AAEP Convention 2005: Reproduction/Perinatology Forum
It’s important that all the players in an industry speak the same language, and the Reproduction/Perinatology Forum on Dec. 3 at the American Association of Equine Practitioners convention in Seattle, Wash., tried to help equine veterinarians do
Purchase Exam at Auction (AAEP 2005)
While consignors used to hate these exams, they are now very welcoming of it because it’s opportunity for them to assess action on the horse (how many people are seriously looking at the horse).
AAEP Convention 2005: Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage
Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), or bleeding in the lungs after exercise, costs the United States horse racing industry a great deal–estimated at up to $260 million per year by Kenneth W. Hinchcliff, BVSc, MS, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, of
AAEP Convention 2005: Inflammatory Airway Disease
A racehorse running at top speed breathes about 120 times per minute, moving about 12-15 liters of air per breath or 1,400-1,800 liters per minute. With this amount of airflow, it’s not hard to imagine that any amount of airway inflammation can
AAEP Convention 2005: Upper Airway Obstructive Disease
“Before high-speed treadmill (HSTM) endoscopy, we did not recognize the complexity of maintaining a open airway under enormous pressure swings during inspiration and expiration (breathing in and out),” said Eric Parente, DVM, associate professor
Weaving, Headshaking and Cribbing (AAEP Convention 2005)
We often punish horses for exhibiting undesirable stereotypic behaviors, but most of these behaviors are responses to suboptimal environments. Thus, punishing the horse for the behavior only increases the already heightened stress that caused
AAEP Convention 2005: Physical, Psychological, or Both?
When your horse’s behavior changes, you wonder what caused the change–did he start kicking his stall because he is in pain, or just because he hates his new stablemate? Behavior changes can stem from physical problems, psychological ones, or a
