Latest News – The Horse
Mules, Glorious Mules!
As promised last month Mule Day of Columbia, Tenn., is upon us! And with Mule Day, we have a wealth of mule-related news! Walking Horse
Kentucky Ice Storm Illustrates Anatomy of a Disaster
A winter weather warning for Kentucky had been issued, and all the horses were in the barn for the night as a precaution. After all, how often have the weather forecasters been overenthusiastic about “catastrophic” storms?
Overnight the electricity went out; both landline and cell phones were dead. Trees, limbs and telephone poles were down, blocking roads and causing major damage to
Big Brown Farrier Managing Quarter Crack in New Derby Contender
Farrier Ian McKinlay, who was in the news last year dealing with Big Brown’s quarter crack prior to the Belmont Stakes, is back on the Triple Crown trail once again, treating a lesser quarter crack suffered by Quality
Pfizer Donates $50K to NTRA Safety Alliance
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Safety and Integrity Alliance has received a contribution of $50,000 from Pfizer Animal Health.
“Pfizer Animal Health is proud to support the work of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance in its efforts towards improved health and wellness for the equine athletes,” said Kristin Ruff, equine senior
Corneal Ulcer Correction and Improving Visual Outcomes: Scar Wars
Brooks reviewed a variety of treatment and management strategies for corneal ulcers, with a focus on not only resolving the ulcer in each case, but maintaining the horse’s vision.
Equine Ulcers and Stress: Danish Study Looks at Link
It is not unusual for horses to get stomach ulcers. But how important are the ulcers? Is it because the horse is stressed that it gets stomach ulcers? And does a horse with stomach ulcers have a greater tendency to crib or have other types of abnormal behavior?
National Wild Horse Adoption Day Sets Goal of 1,000 Homes
Wild horse and humane animal advocacy groups from across the nation are joining forces to encourage the American public to consider and act on the adoption of a wild horse or burro. A goal of 1,000 adoptions has been set for the first National Wild Horse Adoption Day to be held Sept. 26, 2009.
More than 65 events will take place across the country in support of national wild horse
Tendon Issue Takes The Pamplemousse Off Kentucky Derby Trail
The morning after the scratch of pre-race favorite The Pamplemousse from the Santa Anita Derby due to a tendon flare-up, co-owner Alex Solis II said the promising colt is off the Kentucky Derby trail.
Later, Solis said The Pamplemousse would be out of action a minimum of six months.
“He has a small lesion (on the tendon in his left front leg) and we’ll do the best thing by the
How to Take Foot Radiographs (AAEP 2008)
Radiographs provide information for making diagnoses, planning treatments, and guiding trimming and shoeing. “The quality of the radiographs and the final product generated are dependent on the preparation of the foot, the position of the foot, and the views required for a particular study,” he noted.
Kentucky Group to Offer Low Cost Gelding Services
In an effort to help horse owners manage herd populations and breed responsibly, the Kentucky Horse Council, in partnership with Morehead State University (MSU), is offering a low cost gelding clinic April 28 and 30, 2009.
The service, funded by Save Our Horses, a tax deductible fund to support KHC health and welfare programs, will allow Kentucky horse owners to pay for
Commentary: Epidemiology a Key Component of Equine Health
“Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specific populations and the application of this study to control health problems.”
– J.M. Last: A Dictionary of Epidemiology, ed 2. New York, Oxford University Press, 1988.
While a definition is a good place to start when thinking about the role of epidemiology in equine health,
Lameness in the Gaited Horse
There were comments from practitioners representing both the Morgan and American Saddlebred Horse breeds, stating that they had heard many positive breed industry comments in support of this white paper. Everyone in the room showed support for maintaining the welfare of all gaited breeds.
Coma patient
Dr. Niklas Drumm, an intern, tends to a patient in the intensive care unit that was apparently kicked into a head by another horse. The
Racehorse Exercise Predicts Bone Strength (AAEP 2008)
Nearly 20% of fatal musculoskeletal injuries in Thoroughbred atheletes are due to complete humeral (forearm bone) fractures, which often occur early in training or following an prolonged layup.
Marion duPont Scott Barn Name Honors Trainer Fout
The late Paul R. Fout, a renowned horse breeder and trainer who passed away in 2005, will be posthumously honored when a new equine barn on the campus of Virginia Tech’s Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center is dedicated in his name on Fri., April 17.
The public is invited to attend the ceremony, which will be held on the grounds of the Leesburg medical center from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Inspection Team to Review Churchill Downs
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) announced April 3 that Churchill Downs will be the first U.S. racetrack reviewed by an inspection team as part of the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance accreditation process. The inspection visit will begin Monday, April 6.
In preparation for the accreditation visit, Churchill Downs completed a 48-page written application that serves a



