Latest News – The Horse

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KRHC) said Nov. 8 it is “continuing its inquiry” into the circumstances surrounding the performance of Life At Ten in the Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. The 3-year-old filly finished last in the Ladies Classic as the second choice in the wagering at 7-2.

Equine grass sickness (EGS) is an often fatal neurologic disease affecting primarily young grazing horses, and a team of researchers from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland are working to find its cause. Their findings regarding bacteria in the feces of affected horses compared to non-affected horses were recently published in the Equine Veterinary Journal.

A Texas horse dealer accused of misrepresenting the health and nature of horses she offered for sale online will pay more than $65,000 in restitution to clients who were misled about the animals they purchased, under a civil judgment agreement finalized last week.

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) announced today the unanimous election of Patricia Hogan, VMD, Dipl. ACVS to its board of directors. Hogan is known for treating 2004 Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones as a 2-year-old after the colt suffered a fracture to his left eye socket, and being instrumental in the design and construction of the new Ruffian Medical Center at Belmont Park.

More than 860 readers of TheHorse.com responded to a poll asking, “What kind of identification does your horse have?”

A juvenile faces criminal mischief charges in connection with the alleged vandalism of a horse barn in Lexington, Ky., this past weekend. Police were called to a farm on Jacks Creek Pike, where the farm operator reported discovering that the manes and tails of horses residing in the barn had been cut and that horse feed had been destroyed.

Several New Jersey horse owners have filed a lawsuit against the highway toll collecting company E-Z Pass and the Delaware River Port Authority, claiming the electronic toll collection system has overcharged them repeatedly to cross the Commodore Barry Bridge, which spans the Delaware River and connects New Jersey to Pennsylvania.

According to a new study by European equitation scientists, horses might prefer to avoid rein tension rather than just get used to it. And beyond a certain force threshold, rein tension can cause conflict behavior. To make the most of training and to keep the horse’s mouth sensitive, riders need to know when to apply less rein tension, generally when the horse displays conflict behavior.

Blame, winner of the Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup Classic, has been retired from racing for stallion duty at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Ky. Mine That Bird, who stunned the racing world when he won the 2009 Kentucky Derby at 50-1 odds, has also been retired.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has awarded this year’s Henry Bergh award to Kathleen Schwartz-Howe and Days End Farm Horse Rescue Inc. In 1989, after witnessing horse neglect at a local stable, Schwartz-Howe and her family made the commitment to help save equines in her community and founded Days End Farm Horse Rescue Inc. in Woodbine, Md.

In recognition of her unwavering dedication, extraordinary generosity, and exemplary service to Virginia Tech’s Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center, Beverly “Peggy” Steinman was awarded the 2010 Distinguished Service Award on Oct. 14. Steinman currently serves on the EMC’s Council and Executive Committee.

Law enforcement authorities in Montana are seeking the public’s help in identifying whoever is responsible for shooting two horses in Gallatin County in September.

Zenyatta’s history-making winning streak ends by a nose to Blame in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I). Blame is a homebred son of Arch for Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider.

The Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) General Assembly has unanimously accepted the recommendations of the FEI List Group, and it has approved the updated Equine Prohibited Substances List for the 2011 season. The list was put forward by the FEI List Group following a year of consultation with National Federations and experts.

Just because turned-out horses might not use run-in sheds often does not mean these structures are not an important part of husbandry, says Camie R. Heleski, MS, PhD, a Michigan State University instructor and researcher with an interest in studying horse behavior and welfare . Heleski and her colleagues recently completed a study in which they examined daytime shelter-seeking among horses.

Team Valor International’s homebred Pluck came from last at top of the lane and used a devastating turn of foot to pick off his rivals in winning the $909,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IIT) by one length Nov. 6 at Churchill Downs.