Latest News – The Horse
New Hampshire Begins 2006 Testing for EEE, WNV
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health Services (DPHS) this week announced the beginning of statewide Eastern Equine encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile virus (WNV) surveillance season. The bird testing
Ellis Park Reopens for Training; Repairs Ongoing
Ellis Park, the western Kentucky racetrack hit by a tornado last fall, took a major step forward in its recovery when it reopened for training June 1.
It marked the first time in nearly seven months the 1 1/8-mile racing surface will be
Barbaro: Importance of Hind Leg in Breeding Explained
Dean W. Richardson, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, chief of surgery at the
Training Emphasizes Horse Handling Skills, Practical Equipment
Preparation for taking care of horses in emergencies and disasters starts with training emergency responders (firefighters, rescue squad members, veterinarians, police, humane, animal control and sheriff’s officers, and search and rescue
USDA Announces Method for Enforcing Horse Protection Act
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on April 14 the use of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to enforce the Horse Protection Act. The method will detect horses that have been subjected to soring, a
Tennessee Bill Would Allow Artificial Insemination Without Veterinary Supervision
A Tennessee bill, which was to reach Gov. Phil Bredesen’s desk in late April, would consider artificial insemination (AI) a farm management practice, meaning the state would no longer require veterinary supervision in order to artificially
Study Leads to Safer Caterpillar Insecticides
Experts predicted that Eastern tent caterpillars (ETC) would begin showing up in greater numbers in Central Kentucky this spring, making it an especially important time for area horse farms to be implementing control strategies. One such strategy
Senate to Vote on Florida Veterinary Practice Act
Two years after the Florida Board of Veterinary Practice formally interpreted the state’s Veterinary Practice Act to include a number of alternative therapies among practices limited to licensed veterinarians–to the dismay of many horse owners
Micro Management
As Congress considers legislation that would establish the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), horse industry officials are seeking to drive home the message that microchips are a means of identifying equines–not an avenue for the
HSUS Makes Statement on Cloning
On March 30, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) reacted to the announcement of two successful commercial cloning ventures and additional clones that were expected to be born this spring. (See
Florida Farms on Alert in Wake of Confirmed MRLS Case
About 200 people gathered at an April 6 meeting at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. pavilion in Ocala, Fla., for an update on mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS). The syndrome is believed to be responsible for at least three equine deaths in
Drought Forces Bureau of Land Management to Limit Births
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has proposed the use of a non-hormonal contraceptive–porcine zona pellucida (PZP)–over the next five years to limit equine overpopulation of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range. BLM officials say the range
Awards Presented at American Horse Council Meeting
On April 4, the American Horse Council (AHC) presented its Rolapp Award to Rep. Ron Lewis of Kentucky. Lewis serves on the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee and has been instrumental in passage of horse industry-related bills. For more informatio
American Horse Council Considers Unwanted Horse Coalition Proposal
The American Horse Council (AHC) board of trustees is considering a proposal that would place under the organization’s umbrella a coalition working on the issue of unwanted horses.
At the AHC issues forum in April 2005, the American
Young Riders’ Championships a Springboard to Success
For many competitors, the CN North American Junior and Young Riders’ Championships (NAJYRC) is their first experience riding on a team, as well as their first time competing under international rules. The Championships serve as a proving ground
Anatomy and Physiology Part 6: The Head and Neck
The equine head can be compared to a computer. Housed within the skull are the major components–the brain and the sense organs. In addition to functioning like a computer, the equine head contains teeth for cropping grass and chewing food, and all
