Latest News – The Horse

Dietary fats are important components of performance horses’ diets because they are calorie-dense and energy-rich. Previous studies have shown, however, that diets high in soybean oil interfere with fiber digestion in trotters. It is unclear whether feeding poorly digestible carbohydrates, like cornstarch, compounds this problem by overloading the cecum and altering its bacterial population.

What does a movie like Seabiscuit have to do with general horse owners? In my opinion, anything that draws positive attention to horses is a good thing. Universal Studios has given this movie every chance to be a success. Based on the best-selling book by Laura Hillenbrand, it’s a story about unlikely people with a big-hearted horse which has tremendous talent. The horse is the hero, although

The landscape of equine reproduction research dramatically changed May 29, when a University of Idaho (UI) and Utah State University team announced they were the first to clone a member of the equine family–the mule–according to an article to be published in the journal Science. The research team includes Gordon Woods, DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl. ACT, UI professor of animal and veterinary

The number of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) cases in Florida had risen to 70 as of May 30, further substantiating an earlier suspicion that 2003 will be a tough year for fighting the disease. Florida’s case count for all of 2002 was 25 horses.

The disease is caused by a virus found in wild birds, and it’s transmitted to horses and humans via the bite of an infected mosquito. Horses d

The 2nd International Conference on the transportation of sport/breeding horses will be held July 12-13, 2003, at Hartpury College, Hartpury, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom.

Officials expect that up to 300 delegates from all over the world will attend the conference, which is specifically aimed at horse transport industry representatives.

The conference, funded by the Federation

A study led by researchers at Colorado State University (CSU) found that West Nile virus (WNV) cost equine owners in Colorado and Nebraska more than $1.25 million in 2002, and prevention costs for WNV vaccination likely topped another $2.75 million for the equine industry in those states last year. In 2002, Colorado reported 378 confirmed cases of WNV in equids, and Nebraska reported 1,100.

Attended by delegates from more than 60 countries, Alltech’s International Feed Industry Symposium provided an abundance of information for those involved with horses, poultry, pigs, dairy and beef cattle, agronomy, aquaculture, and companion animals. Each year, the meeting, held in Lexington, Ky., provides a forum for researchers and international industry leaders to gather, exchange ideas,

A pair of recent studies conducted by researchers in New York, Ireland, and Australia have provided new information about the equine throat. Articles about both research projects appeared in the May 2003 issue of the Equine Veterinary Journal.

In New York, scientists at Cornell University looked at dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP), which interferes with breathing in

Results of Texas A&M University’s research into imprinting’s effects on six-month-old foals conclude that neither the frequency of imprinting sessions nor their timing after birth influenced foals’ later behavior. Some veterinarians disagree with the findings.

The study, published in the Equine Veterinary Journal, was conducted by Jennifer L. Williams, PhD, and colleagues in

The Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station has published the scientific papers from the August 2002 workshop on mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) convened at the University of Kentucky’s (UK) Gluck Equine Research Center. This information is available in book form or electronically at

A company in the United Kingdom has created a jump design to lessen the severity of cross-country jumping falls. In 1999, several U.K. riders died from accidents on cross-country jumps. The resultant British Horse Trials Association study committee hired the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), an expert in transportation safety, for scientific investigation, data analysis, accident

Owners of mares should know correct anatomical terminology, have a working knowledge of the normal reproductive cycle, and be acquainted with common problems that could occur. The following article is designed to help mare owners understand the normal reproductive tract of the mare, and the words that veterinarians use to describe normal and abnormal aspects of that anatomy.

See diagrams

As the foal takes his initial stance, a proud owner takes stock to see how straight and strong the youngster’s legs are. Many foals are born with seemingly crooked legs (congenital). Most of these crooked legs straighten by the time the foal is a couple of weeks or months old. Some limb deformities develop after birth, as the foal grows (acquired). In determining what specific veterinary

Noise and exercise intolerance…those are the usual signs of an upper airway disorder. Many things can go wrong with a horse’s breathing mechanisms that don’t involve the lungs. The diagnoses aren’t always accurate, and treatments aren’t totally effective, but researchers are finding new ways to handle these complicated problems.

Diseases of the upper airway can occur in the hard or sof

One of the most traumatic times in a young horse’s life is when he is separated from his mother at weaning time. From birth, he has been dependent on the mare for sustenance and protection. At weaning time that changes, and the youngster must cope with the world, minus his mother’s protective presence.

True, the youngster has become less and less dependent on the mare’s milk for a food