Latest News – The Horse

Breeders with mares in late gestation need to remember that the mothers-to-be have different nutritional needs than open (nonpregnant) mares. In the last 90 days of pregnancy, fetal growth increases the mare’s energy requirements. Since grain mixes typically have more digestible energy per pound than pastures or grass hay

Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky., welcomes Laura Werner, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, to its surgery department. Werner specializes in lameness and equine emergency services and she is returning to Hagyard after having previously spent a year there as a surgical intern during her advanced training.

Equine herpesvirus-1 disease is “one of the costliest equine diseases worldwide,” said Dr. Rebecca McConnico.

Two barns are under quarantine at Beulah Park, located near Columbus, Ohio, as state veterinary officials continue to investigate a possible equine herpesvirus (EHV) outbreak. Ohio State Racing Commission (OSRC) executive director Tom Fries Jr. said the state Department of Agriculture got a “presumptive positive” on Dec. 31 from a horse stabled in Barn 24, one of the two barns under quarantine.

As 2010 came to a close, so did the racing career of a highly celebrated Thoroughbred racehorse named Zenyatta. She is retired now, and after more than three years and 20 races, she walked away from the track completely sound. This fact alone should garner as much fanfare as her stunning performances.

After years of intensive research, a product called SucroMate has achieved the coveted status of FDA-approved for reproductive health in mares. This is no easy feat as only two veterinary drugs obtained FDA approval in 2010. SucroMate is licensed to induce ovulation in mares being bred with fresh, cooled, or frozen semen.

The Kentucky Horse Council (KHC) will once again offer Kentucky students the opportunity to learn about careers in the equine and related industries at the “Your Future in Agriculture & Horses” event. The bulk of the event provides an opportunity for students to meet with representatives from programs participating in the Agricultural Trade Show, which is part of the KHC Annual Conference schedule

You might already know that vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect cell membranes and tissues from damage by reactive free radical molecules. You might even know that it’s been recommended to help treat several neurologic diseases in horses. But did you also know that just feeding vitamin E might not be enough, and that having the right source of that vitamin E is also key?