Latest News – The Horse
Selection Trials Take Shape
The 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky, may still seem a ways off (they commence September 25 and conclude October 10), but for
Arabian Horses Removed from Ohio Farm
More than 30 allegedly malnourished Arabian horses are receiving rehabilitative care after officials removed them from a farm in Oak Harbor, Ohio.
On Friday, Animal welfare authorities from the Humane Society of Ottawa County discovered 37 animals allegedly living in filth without food or water. One horse was dead and another five were euthanized at the scene. The remaining 31 hor
Normal Vital Signs in Your Horse
The time to pull out the thermometer and stethoscope to check your horse’s temperature, pulse (heart rate), and respiration (TPR) for the first time is not when he’s looking a little puny and you and the veterinarian are on the phone trying to decide whether it’s an emergency. Instead, these baseline measurements should be part of a horse’s routine care.
The ‘Skinny’ on Skin Conditions
Diagnosing skin diseases is probably one of the greatest challenges to horse handlers and veterinarians alike.
Local Analgesia Aids Castration Pain Control
Adding a local analgesic to the systemic pain medications used during castration relieved pain in colts, researchers recently reported.
The researchers observed three groups of 12 colts. All of the horses received pain medication before and after surgery. One group received butorphanol, a morphine derivative; one received phenylbutazone, an anti-inflammatory; and the third receive
Horse Nutrients in Tandem
Your horse needs certain nutrients in his diet, but they don’t work unilaterally on his body. Instead, they help each other to help your horse. If you understand how these nutrients support each other, you can make better feeding choices.
Winter Care for Older Horses
Owners must consider how they will meet their older horses’ nutrient requirements during the winter. Providing adequate energy is the prime concern, and how you will provide those extra calories depends on available feed and each horse’s needs.
Pregnant Personality
I have a 7-year-old Morgan mare who is pregnant for the first time. She has always been overly friendly and sweet; however, at several months in foal she has become aggressive. Is there an explanation for this change in personality?
I’m Knocking, But Don’t Answer!
Whenever my mare is in her stall, she constantly stands at the door and paws, knocking her hoof or knee against the door. If you approach the door and yell at her, or go open the door a bit, she stops, but only for a little while.
More Equine Piroplasmosis Cases Reported
Animal health authorities have discovered more cases of equine piroplasmosis, including 13 positive horses tested as part of a routine racetrack screening program in New Mexico, and one horse in Texas that was a cohort of a positive trace-out from an ongoing investigation.
The information was included in a Jan. 25 report issued to the World Organization for Animal Health (Office I
All Eyes and Ears
The horse in the wild depends on keen eyesight and acute hearing to detect danger and flee from predators before they get close enough to attack.
San Diego Police Horses Up for Auction
Seven San Diego police horses will be sold in an online auction after their unit was disbanded in December. San Diego Police Assistant Chief Bob Kanaski said the seven horses, which range in age from 9 to 12 years old, will likely bring opening bids of $500 to $1,500. Their equipment will also be offered for sale.
The auction will begin today. Potential buyers can see the horses
Single-Dose WNV Booster Effective for Pregnant Mares (AAEP 2009)
When we only had one vaccine for West Nile virus (WNV) in horses, vaccination was quite simple. Then when different types of vaccines came along, the waters got a little muddier, especially for pregnant mares in which breeders feared risking not one, but two equine lives with new vaccine technologies.
At the 2009 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 5
Lower Palmar Digital Nerve Blocks Concerns (AAEP 2009)
Several recent studies have focused on whether these nerve blocks really block the areas we think they do. In some cases, that anesthetic might migrate and numb more structures than expected.
British Vets Encourage Responsible Anthelmintic Use
The British Veterinary Association (BVA) recently launched a campaign to remind veterinarians to use anthelmintics in grazing animals, such as horses, responsibly. The campaign which includes a poster that outlines Do’s and Don’ts in the use of anthelmintics, is in response to a growing concern to the resistance to these dewormers in horses.
Evolution of Critical Care in Private Equine Practice (AAEP 2009)
Changes in equine critical care are in large part due to improved skills, training, and experience of practitioners that facilitate expeditious case assessment. In today’s electronic world, this is coupled with networking opportunities to obtain information and guidance from other clinicians. Also noteworthy are the improved availability of tools for rapid diagnosis and improved qual
