Latest News – The Horse

A sign of the economic hard times, the Don MacBeth Memorial Jockey Fund’s annual Celebrity Team Penning competition at the Kentucky Horse Park has been postponed until spring, according to Fund co-founder Judy McCarron.

The event was originally scheduled for this evening (Oct. 19).

The Don MacBeth Memorial Jockey Fund is a 501(c)(3) charity established in 1987 by Judy McCarron

The Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission said Monday it is investigating the death of a Texas jockey who was thrown from his horse during a Thoroughbred race at Blue Ribbon Downs in Sallisaw over the weekend.

Racetrack general manager Blaine Storey said Mark Pace, 58, died Sunday after falling off his mount, Reep What You Sow, during the first race. According to the race chart, the horse, a

A new Pfizer Animal Health was unveiled last week as Pfizer’s acquisition of Wyeth, including its subsidiary Fort Dodge Animal Health, was completed.

The acquisition of many of Fort Dodge’s U.S. products allows Pfizer Animal Health to greatly diversify its U.S. portfolio, as well as broaden its offering in all animal health segments. Pfizer Animal Health now offers an enhanced portfolio

The majority of the Egyptian Arabian horses removed from a Texas breeding farm in August are now residing in new homes.

More than 70 animals were removed from the Renazans Arabians Ranch in Pilot Point, Texas, after authorities discovered them allegedly living in filthy conditions and inadequate food and water. Ranch operato

Keeneland Race Course President and Chief Executive Officer Nick Nicholson in the first presenter in the inaugural University of Kentucky Equine Initiative Distinguished Industry Lecture Series.

More than 800 readers of TheHorse.com responded to a poll asking, “Do you know how to check your horse’s vital signs?”

What do you get when you “scope” 1,005 horses after 230 races, each within 24 minutes of the race, with the cooperation of 97 trainers over 28 race meets? A great deal of valuable data about the equine throat and the impact disorders of the throat can have on racing.

“Considering that upper respiratory tract abnormalities are widely thought to be a leading cause of poor performance in

One of the irritating compounds that can accumulate inside a horse barn is ammonia (NH₃). High concentrations of ammonia in the air can irritate the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth and possibly increase the susceptibility of animals to respiratory infections. In animal buildings aerial ammonia arises from urine and feces, so ammonia concentrations are usually highest nea

On Oct. 14, the FDA posted an open letter to veterinarians on its product safety Web site regarding the legal and illegal use of phenylbutazone. Included was a list of FDA-approved bute medications (listed below).

Here is the open letter:

Dear

On Dec. 11 and 12, SUCCEED and Wellington Classic Dressage will host an exciting Holiday Gala Fundraiser featuring some of the biggest names in the equestrian world.

The USET Holiday Gala Fundraiser will be held at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., andwill feature a combination of clinics, fun demonstrations, team competitions, and many holiday surprises. The

Join Ric Redden, DVM, for an in-depth teaching session designed to help farriers, veterinarians, and horse owners advance to a higher level of education concerning commonly occurring foot problems. This in-depth symposium will be held Jan. 15-17, 2010, at the Falling Springs Theater in Versailles, Ky.

Weight gain and obesity in horses should be avoided to prevent insulin resistance, increased insulin and leptin blood levels, and laminitis, and to maintain a healthy metabolic state.

To date, “it is unknown whether obesity is the primary cause of or contributes to metabolic abnormalities or whether these abnormalities are inherent characteristics of the animal,” wrote a group of

Research suggests that Kentucky’s horse industry represents what Harvard Business School economist Michael Porter calls an economic cluster.