Latest News – The Horse

A new vaccine to protect horses against West Nile virus (WNV) has been developed and submitted for USDA review. If approved, it would be the first commercially available DNA vaccine for any mammalian or animal species.

Steve Chu, DVM, PhD, senior vice president, Global Research and Development, Fort Dodge Animal Health, explained the conceptual DNA vaccine to The Horse. The vaccine ha

The Kentucky Equine Drug Research Council, which hasn’t met since the fall of 2003, has been officially reconstituted. The council serves in an advisory capacity to the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority.

The terms of members of the previous council expired this summer. Gov. Ernie Fletcher announced the new appointments Nov. 23 in a release.

Connie Whitfield, vice chairwoman of

While they aren’t used to improve vision in horses, soft contact lenses can be used to protect the eye and facilitate healing in horses with non-infected ulcerations. Reasons to avoid contacts for a particular horse include reduced tear production, infection, deep corneal ulceration where there’s a risk of rupture during lens placement, and abnormal corneal curvature.

The Animal Supplement Council (NASC) has initiated a Quality Seal Program as part of its ongoing effort to improve and standardize the animal supplement industry. The seal is a way for consumers to know that when they buy a product, they buy from a reputable manufacturer. Different from the NASC logo, the seal signifies that the company has been independently audited for the implementation of

Four horses that competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece–including one gold medalist–have tested positive for banned substances. The four positive horses are Irish show jumping gold medal winner Waterford Crystal, ridden by Cian O’Connor; German showjumper Goldfever, ridden by Ludger Beerbaum; German event horse Ringwood Cockatoo, ridden by Bettina Hoy; and Austrian event horse

Royal Kaliber, a prominent U.S. showjumper, was euthanatized Oct. 8 in the Netherlands. The stallion underwent colic surgery for intestinal adhesions on Sept. 27 and had been recovering well until his progress considerably slowed. Royal Kaliber took Chris Kappler to a team silver and an individual bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

According to Tim Ober, DVM, a veterinarian

As lead sponsor of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (H.R. 857) in the U.S. House of Representatives, I feel it is important to respond to articles recently published in The Horse that grossly misrepresent my bill and the issue of horse slaughter as a whole.

Several misleading themes continue to be put forward by opponents of the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act

In the days leading up to Hurricane Frances’ landfall in Florida, it became apparent that if Marion County were to sustain significant damage from the storm, there was no plan to address ensuing problems relative to the equine population. On Sept. 4, a pre-storm meeting was held at the Ocala Breeders Sales pavilion for area equine veterinarians and representatives of the University of Florida

What makes our horses “acceptable” to us, even when they might not be “acceptable” to another owner? As someone who has taken her share of bucks, falls, bounces, and near-misses, at this stage in my life I’m not looking for a new “challenge” or a “project” horse. There are others like me out there. We want a horse that is easy to catch, doesn’t destroy a stall, stands tied, has impeccable

With the recent Athens Olympics as our inspiration, we might all be pondering what it takes to go “faster, higher, and stronger.” Whether you’re a human, a hamster, or a horse, the answer, at least in part, is muscle fibers–each of which holds within it a certain potential for athletic performance.

When muscle fibers work together, they can provide the impetus for explosive forward or

Dantrolene sodium (Dantrium) is used to control exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER, also called tying-up) in horses. Diagnosis of ER is typically confirmed by a finding of increased serum creatine kinase (CK), which is often greater than 1,000 IU at its peak (normal CK levels are around 200 IU). While Dantrium has been in use for about 20 years, there is little published data regarding its efficac

Has laparoscopic unilateral tubal ligation reached a level of safety and success for mares, or is it a procedure yet to be useful and/or effective or cost prohibitive? Why or why not?

The ability to accurately locate and inject the cervical vertebral facet joints, the joints that lie between the transverse processes of the vertebrae, has significant advantages, including the performance of regional nerve blocks and intra-articular (within the joint) injection treatments. Unfortunately, unlike humans, horses don’t have readily palpable cervical facet joints. Therefore,

Tendonitis of the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) in horses is a newly recognized cause of foot pain. Radiography and even ultrasonography have failed to detect abnormalities in this tendon, especially as it travels within the hoof capsule and attaches to the pedal or coffin bone. In an effort to improve the ability of practitioners to diagnose DDFT lesions within the foot, a study was

It has been reported that more than 80% of highly trained horses will develop gastric ulcers. But only one anti-ulcer drug, GastroGard, has been found to significantly decrease the risk of developing moderate to severe gastric ulcers during training (see Research Reports, The Horse, August 2004,

Even though horses are primarily forage eaters, many also seem to like candy, soft drinks, potato chips, and even meat.