Latest News – The Horse

September 15th is a day I will never forget. The Dearborn County Sheriff’s office asked if I would respond to a horse trailer accident involving 50 horses, and I was on my way. I was the only vet present to help fire and rescue personnel extract 20 horses from an overturned horse trailer. Once that was done, my tech and I began triage of 30 horses suffering from traumatic injuries.

I hop

I purchased a 3-year-old Thoroughbred gelding with a fractured knee. My veterinarian put him on lay-up for an additional four months of stall rest. I am concerned about nutrition during both the period of stall rest and the subsequent turnout.

My 2-year-old filly clipped a fence post in a pasture eight months ago. The result was a slab fracture of the right hind long pastern bone. My vet attempted to repair it with a screw, which failed to hold the fragment in place

Your answer to the question about the fellow with the peculiar method of “dominating stallions” (December 2003, www.TheHorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?id=4749) led to a very long discussion where I work. We all agreed that the guy’s method sounded weird and disgusting. But then our discussion drifted into a little war of the sexes. We

Fresh water is important to horses all year, especially in winter. Some waterers are designed to remain functional in cold weather–with an insulated tank or bowl, a heater, or a combination of a heating unit and insulation. Following are some of the ways you can keep water flowing to your horses even when it’s below freezing.

Insulated Buckets

Buckets made of insulating

If your performance horse does well on a balanced diet, can he do better with some extra, immune-boosting nutrients? What about young horses and aging horses, ill horses and healthy horses, working horses and lightly ridden horses?

For sure, studies show that extra amounts of certain nutrients benefit the immune system–but not in every case. Some horses don’t need and can’t use extra

Learn about this disease in young horses that leads to enlarged, painful areas just above the knees or hocks.

The amazing part of the problem for our horses is that while stress is a known cause for ulcers, it can take only a matter of days for ulcers to start. And besides GastroGard, the only approved treatment is to take horses out of training and put them out to pasture. So, it looks like gastric ulcer syndrome in horses is often a man-made disease, and we should be aware of it and help our horses.

A new vaccine to protect horses against West Nile Virus (WNV) has been developed and submitted for USDA review. If approved, it would be the first commercially available DNA vaccine for any mammalian or animal species.

Steve Chu, DVM, PhD, senior vice president, Global Research and Development, Fort Dodge Animal Health, explained the conceptual DNA vaccine to The Horse. The vaccin

A study conducted by scientists at the University of Liverpool in England found that the risk of falling in hurdle and steeplechase races was significantly associated with whip use and a horse’s progress while competing. The results of the work appeared in a recent issue of the Equine Veterinary Journal.

The researchers looked at video recordings of races conducted at six British

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) drugs are an important component of therapy for equine pain, but according to researchers at North Carolina State University’s (NCSU) College of Veterinary Medicine, overuse and misuse of NSAIDs can result in gastrointestinal injury, kidney damage, and even death in horses.

Because NSAIDs such as Bute, Banamine (flunixin meglamine),

“Starting a novice breeding stallion can range from a quick and easy project accomplished in a few brief sessions to a challenging and time-consuming effort over many sessions and even a few weeks,” said Sue McDonnell, PhD, a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and head of the Equine Behavior Lab of the Veterinary School of the University of Pennsylvania (New Bolton Center), at the Hagyard

Effective Dec. 1, 2004, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Equine Drugs and Medications Rule permitted the therapeutic use of Surpass, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory product (NSAID) recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in horses. This is a topical preparation of 1% diclofenac cream from IDEXX Pharmaceuticals.

The rule change, which was adopted by

Because of the vital services provided to unwanted, neglected, or abused horses by equine rescue and retirement groups, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has developed a new resource guide titled Care Guidelines for Equine Rescue and Retirement Facilities. The guide is designed to help the non-veterinary caregiver successfully provide care to a rescued horse or a