Latest News – The Horse

New material about hoof maintenance, shoes and boots, and diagnostics has been added to the revised edition of Heather Smith Thomas’ Understanding Equine Hoof Care, now available from Eclipse Press.

This handy reference covers a wide array of topics including cleaning and tri

The Kentucky Horse Council said Jan. 12 it has modified its mission statement to offer a “more accurate reflection” of how its role in the equine community has evolved.

The KHC board of directors recently adopted the new mission statement, officials said. It reads: “The Kentucky Horse Council is a non-profit organization dedicated, through education and leadership,

The five-year project, titled “Environmental Impacts of Equine Operations,” will focus on three areas: horse and pasture interaction; nutrient management and manure management; and water, soil, and air quality in horse operations.

Equine veterinarians commonly prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for horses to treat a myriad of diseases, including colic, respiratory disease, and lameness. NSAIDs are also very common in human medicine, and include such drugs as aspirin and ibuprofen. Most horse owners have probably used NSAIDs too, such as phenylbutazone, or “bute,” in one of their horses

A Texas man remains in jail following his arrest on animal cruelty charges for allegedly maltreating donkeys and horses on his property.

Acting on a complaint on Sunday, Fannin County Sherriff’s Office and Habitat for Horses investigators discovered the carcasses of at least 22 Miniature Donkeys and three horses on a Leonard, Texas, ranch. Nine allegedly malnourished Miniature

It was revealed at the World Thoroughbred Rankings press conference in London, England on Jan. 12 that Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra, instead of being fourth and fifth, respectively, in the final global standings for 2009, should really be third and fourth.

Zenyatta’s official rating of 128 should increase 131 bec

Zenyatta has received another boost. The 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner was rated one pound ahead of Rachel Alexandra in the World Thoroughbred Rankings, comprising horses that raced worldwide last year and achieved a rating of 115 or more. But Goldikova earned the top ranking of any other female.

Zenyatta was awarded a rating of 128, with her archrival at 127, by the offic

Authorities are testing several solutions, including weather shields and heating elements. Until a solution is found, USRider reminds all drivers, but especially those trailering horses, to be extra cautious at intersections during inclement weather.

For more than 150 years veterinarians have been performing prepurchase exams, also referred to as vetting, purchase exams, and soundness exams. The definition of “sound” in England in 1842 implied “an absence of disease or seeds of disease” as a qualification for being used for an intended purpose, noted Steve Soule, VMD, who gave a presentation on the subject