Latest News – The Horse
2011 KHC Conference Features Equine Business, Farriery Seminars
The Kentucky Horse Council (KHC) Annual Conference will be held Jan. 14 at the Lexington Convention Center in conjunction with the Ag Industry Trade Show, Kentucky Cattlemen’s Convention, and Burley Tobacco Coop Conference. The conference officially begins at 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 14, with an Ag Industry pancake breakfast featuring an address from Governor Steve Beshear on the state of Kentucky
Breeding Efficiency Analysis Useful for Breeders
If a horse farm experiences consistently low conception or foaling rates, it is likely that a step in breeding management is the cause rather than the breeding efficiency of the mare, according to Dave Freeman, PhD, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension equine specialist.
Horses Being Rescued from Australian Floods
The extreme flooding in Queensland, Australia, has reached what some reporters are calling “biblical proportions.” The still-rising water now covers an area as large as France and Germany combined, according to a report on the ABC Brisbane website. The damage from the water (which could rise to 30 feet or more) is expected to exceed $1 billion, according to the U.K.-based Telegraph.
Arkansas Horse Trader Faces Cruelty Charges
An Arkansas man is facing more than 100 animal cruelty charges in connection with the alleged maltreatment of horses on his Fulton County property. On Dec. 7, Fulton County Sheriff’s Deputies discovered 117 allegedly malnourished and neglected animals after responding to a call for help in rounding up horses that had escaped from a corral and wandered onto a nearby highway. The responding deputy
Equine Gastrointestinal Medicine (AAEP 2010)
Internal parasite control programs, abdominal abscesses, the use of hypertonic saline, and many more were discussed at the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention medicine/GI session (interview with Dr. Robert Franklin).
In-Depth: Reproduction in Horses (AAEP 2010)
Update on assisted reproduction techniques, fetal programming, and stallion management strategies from the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention. (Interview with Dr. Katrin Hinrichs of Texas A&M University)
Rachel Alexandra’s First Breeding: One for the History Books
Amidst all the hoopla surrounding Zenyatta’s retirement and the speculation regarding the identity of her first mate, last year’s Horse of the Year has been all but forgotten. Yet Rachel Alexandra also occupies a unique place in racing history, and her broodmare career should be one of some interest.
Fescue: A Danger to Pregnant Mares
In many parts of the world horse pastures contain a fair percentage of fescue, a hardy perennial grass that thrives despite heavy hoof traffic, intense grazing, and adverse growing conditions. Unfortunately, there’s a drawback: 75% of all fescue is infected with the endophyte Acremonium coenophialum.
Unwanted Horse Coalition Newsletter Continues to Educate
The Unwanted Horse Coalition’s (UHC) Media Roundup newsletter has been educating its readers through articles and events relating to unwanted horses since November 2009.
Chronic Equine Weight Loss
While there are numerous causes for weight loss, a methodical evaluation of these horses is more important than the lengthy list of possible diagnoses.
The Equine Compulsion to Crib
What options exist to treat behavioral vices? In my case, a 5-year-old mare that I acquired off the track this spring is a cribber–something I was not aware of before I got her home. I have tried a few options so far, with no positive result.
Equine Navicular Disease
The navicular bone, a small, boat-shaped bone nestled deep in the protective womb of the hoof, only measures approximately 6 cm wide and 2 cm deep (top to bottom) in an average 1,200-pound horse, so how can such a small bone be such a nuisance? Part of the problem is that, despite its cushy abode and small stature, the navicular bone has a big job.
Bran Mash: What’s it Really Good For?
During the colder months, many horse owners go on a quest for wheat bran, probably so that they can make their four-legged friends a bran mash–a warm treat for horses on frosty winter days.
Equine Dystocia Advancements
Never is timing more important than during a dystocia; managing a difficult birth is truly a matter of life or death. But better understanding of dystocias and the urgency for veterinary intervention means more mares and foals are surviving than ever before.
2010: A Year in Review
With 2010 officially in the books, TheHorse.com decided to take a look back at a year that was filled with developments in equine medicine, breakthroughs in horse health, and, of course, a few chuckles along the way. With a new year just beginning, five of our fabulous freelance writers took a few minutes to recall their favorite news events of 2010.
The Fight to Conquer Equine Laminitis
Teams of veterinarians and farriers from around the country gathered at the fifth International Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot to discuss the most cutting-edge information available for the fight to conquer laminitis. This devastating hoof disease is caused by an inflammation of the horse’s laminae–interlocking leaflike tissues attaching the hoof to the coffin bone.
