Latest News – The Horse
Diagnostic Imaging for Lameness
There was a time when diagnosing lameness was basic-watch the horse travel, determine where you think the problem might be, and take a guess at what’s causing it. Then came X rays, ultrasound, CT (computed tomography) scans, scintigraphy (bone
Emergencies on the Road
Traveling with horses is no longer the big deal it once was, but the risks attached to hauling are as great as ever; as we all know, accidents happen, even to the most responsible of us. And while it’s essential to take precautions to protect
Feeding Laminitic Horses
What’s the best diet for a laminitic horse? It depends. When considering diets for laminitic horses, equine…
Pain Management for the Laminitic Horse
Laminitis is an incredibly painful hoof disease in the horse. We should all be very aware of this since despite top-notch care, 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was humanely euthanatized due to unresolvable pain from laminitis.
Laminitis
Horse Abandonment
Any domestic horse in the United States that doesn’t have an owner who is managing the horse on a regular basis is abandoned. All domestic horses start out life in the United States as the property of someone. Even the Bureau of Land Management
Understanding Horses Part 5: Trailer Loading Part 1
The reason most horses don’t load in trailers is that owners have studiously trained them to not load. Horses learn this by accident. The horse gets led up to the trailer and decides not to go in and turns sideways. Then the owner leads him away an
Chronic Laminitis
When a horse founders and the damaged laminae that hold the coffin bone to the hoof wall release their grip, the coffin bone is no longer held in place. It rotates (tips down at the front) or slips downward in the hoof. The goal when shoeing these
Stop! You’re Killing Me!
Linda Jones makes it no secret that Katy is the light of her life. Purchasing the Saddlebred mare six years ago fulfilled a dream Jones had nurtured since childhood. And she was determined to get their relationship off on the right foot. From day
Stall Stuff
The care of horse stalls is an inherently messy part of horse management. There are a variety of opinions on how to cope with this daily chore. Let’s face it: urine and manure reek. Additionally, an excess of these two elements creates unsafe and
The Quest to Conquer Laminitis
“Owners and trainers worldwide have the feeling that every veterinarian and every farrier have years of experience and vast knowledge about laminitis and podiatry (foot care). Unfortunately, this is not the case,” said Ric Redden, DVM, founder of
Learning to Read Radiographs (X Rays)
When you’re talking about evaluating a horse’s foot, a radiograph or X ray can tell you a whole lot more than just whether there’s a fracture or not. When the radiograph is taken to show soft tissue detail as well as bone, it can provide tons of info
Venograms for Laminitis: The Difference Between Success and Failure (Bluegrass Laminitis Symposium)
Venograms have added to our knowledge of laminitis and other common foot problems, in large part because for the first time we can see the structural components of the vascular supply to the horse’s foot.
How to Use Digital Venograms to Evaluate Laminitis
“The venogram is the ticket to fixing all those laminitis cases you’ve been missing,” Amy Rucker, DVM, said at the Bluegrass Laminitis Symposium (held Jan. 25-28 in Louisville, Ky.). Rucker, a practitioner with Midwest Equine in Columbia, Mo., discus
Equine Equity Act Introduced by McConnell
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky introduced legislation April 30 designed to promote investment in the horse industry by removing unfair provisions of federal law that favor other investments. The Equine Equity Act of 2007 would reduce the
Strategies for Improving Vet-Client-Farrier Relations
When a horse has a foot problem, effective communication bewteen farrier, vet, and owner is key.
Polytrack Founder Admits Problems at American Tracks
Martin Collins, the creator of the Polytrack artificial surface, admitted to having faced problems in North America in an interview with the British monthly racing magazine, Thoroughbred Owner & Breeder.
Interviewed in the May
