Latest News – The Horse

University of Florida (UF) research has shown that any exercise above a walk could force acidic gastric juices up into sensitive areas of the equine stomach, which could be why ulcers develop or worsen in horses in training (affecting more than 80% of performance horses in some studies).

Alfred Merritt, DVM, MS; and Mireia Lorenzo-Figueras, DVM, have found that gastric tension changes

The long-awaited reference Diagnosis and Management of Lameness in the Horse was recently released by Elsevier Science. The book was co-authored by Mike W. Ross, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, of the University of Pennsylvania’s school of veterinary medicine; and Sue J. Dyson, FRCVS, of the Center for Equine Studies at the Animal Health Trust in the United Kingdom. Ross and Dyson offer comprehensive

A question has been raised whether the increased number of West Nile virus (WNV) cases in Kentucky in late summer and fall 2002 contributed to a rise in fall abortions. A retrospective study by the University of Kentucky’s Livestock Disease and Diagnostic Center (LDDC), from July of 2002 through early 2003, looked at 400 equine abortions for evidence of WNV. Their findings were “surprising,”

A new Horse/Human Age Relationship Chart was recently released that seeks to better explain the relationship between the stages of life for humans and horses. This information reveals that, beginning at birth, horses age 6.5 years for each human year until puberty. Once a horse reaches age four, that rate slows to 2.5 years for each human year.

The Age Relationship Chart, created by

While Ohio veterinarians are busy fighting what seems to be an especially aggressive strain of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), two horses were euthanized due to illness from the virus at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Penn., in an outbreak that appears to be a more typical, sporadic episode. Additionally, at least two Iowa horses have been euthanized after battling what officials

Ohio and Pennsylvania have confirmed or reported cases of the neurologic form of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1, see Pennsylvania information on page 15). But the worst problems reported thus far have occurred in Ohio, where 12 horses died in an outbreak at the University of Findlay (see article #4127 at www.TheHorse.com) and three other Ohio horses die

By the time this magazine is in your hands, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) will have released a report they commissioned to answer some of the questions raised in the industry about horse slaughter. The TRF is, of course, strictly a Thoroughbred rescue group. However, the issue of slaughter is one that touches every horse owner, so the information they provide is important to

What is the best feeding practice for horses before competition exercise or a hard training session? There is no real consensus on this issue and, similar to the field of human performance nutrition, there are many opinions on what is best. Some trainers will withhold all feed, some will decrease the amount of hay fed, and others will increase the amount of grain or other high-energy feed

In most cases of navicular disease, the condition affects both front feet with lameness as described previously. Horses most at risk are those with certain heritable conformation features such as upright pasterns and small foot size relative to body mass.

Horses which survive an episode of severe colic can be temporarily unable to eat. Anorexia, nasal regurgitation, and ileus (lack of bowel movement) prevent oral feeding. After several days of malnutrition, the horse’s ability to heal is impaired. Humans who are unable to eat normally are fed intravenously; this method is known as parenteral nutrition (PN). While PN has been used in horses, it

The most common angular limb deformity in foals is carpus valgus (sometimes called toeing out) in which affected foals have limbs that flare outward below the carpus (knee). This deformity can be corrected surgically with hemi-circumferential periosteal transection and elevation (HCPTE). The procedure involves lifting the fibrous layer, called the periosteum, off of the outside of the carpal

Lufenuron is a once-a-month flea control product for dogs and cats. The active ingredient inhibits chitin production; chitin is a component of the outer surface of many insects. Fungal organisms also contain chitin in their cell walls, making them susceptible to lufenuron. Researchers at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine recently published a series of cases where

Eleven months is a very long time to wait for a foal. I know from personal experience that the further along the mare is, the more your hopes and dreams for your “perfect foal” grow. It doesn’t matter if the foal is bred to gallop to the wire or jump to the moon, or whether you are dreaming about lots of markings or a perfect blanket, everyone wants one thing–a healthy foal. So, it’s no

The body condition of a broodmare can affect reproductive performance and milking ability. Recent research has indicated that mares should be kept in a minimum body condition score of 5.5 (see “Selected Body Condition Scores and Descriptions,” below or download this Body Condition Score poster here). This body condition is

A disease that can be debilitating in young horses is osteochondrosis. This affliction has its genesis during the youngster’s growing years and can compromise the horse’s ability to perform later in life if it is not dealt with early. Osteochondrosis is one of the diseases that comes under the general umbrella of developmental orthopedic disease (DOD), a term coined in 1986 by a blue