Latest News – The Horse

A disease that kills mosquitoes could be one way to slow the spread of West Nile virus (WNV), the USDA said in an Associated Press story.

Jim Becnel, a scientist with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, said Wednesday he and a team of researchers have come up with a new method to kill mosquitoes by infecting them with an illness called baculovirus that works only on mosquitoes.

Equine influenza has spread to nearly 20 premises—mostly Thoroughbred training stables–in the United Kingdom, and it has been detected in the eastern, central, and southern parts of the country. “The reason(it’s unusual) is because despite the fact that horses have been very well vaccinated and have very high antibody levels, they are still becoming infected with this strain of virus,”

Uterine lavage can be performed immediately prior to artificial insemination in mares without adversely affecting fertility, according to a recent study completed at the University of Idaho (UI) in Moscow, Idaho. The uterine lavage process is used to clear the uterus of inflammatory fluids that could decrease the viability of semen in mares.

Researchers already knew that uterine lavag

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is seeking comments on a proposed change to Animal Welfare Act regulations that would require registered research facilities that use equids in research, other than for agricultural research purposes, to maintain medical records as part of their program of adequate veterinary care.

Currently, the maintenance of veterinary

The number of confirmed Eastern equine encephalitis cases (EEE) in horses has risen to 23 in north central Florida, according to Bill Jeter, DVM, Diagnostic Veterinary Manager for Florida’s Division of Animal Industry. This confirmed earlier speculations that 2003 will have higher-than-normal numbers of EEE cases this year. The virus has been confirmed in 12 counties, and 14 of the 23 cases

At least 20 thoroughbred horses on two farms in Pennsylvania have died in the past month and the remaining group of about 30 horses has been impounded, according to animal control officials quoted in an Associated Press story on bloodhorse.com.
 
The horses were being kept on farms run by Terry L. Painter, a former North Huntington Township commissioner, officials said.

“It’s very unusual to get EHV-1 outbreaks all at the same time on different premises,” said James Wood, BSc, BvetMed, MSc, PhD, MRCVS, DLSHTM, Dipl. ECVPH, Head of Epidemiology at the Animal Health Trust in the United Kingdom, about the recent flare of neurologic equine herpesvirus-1 cases in his country. At least 12 horses have been euthanized after infection with the debilitating virus.

Following the first day of dressage at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event on Thursday afternoon, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital will be sponsoring an educational event at the Kentucky Horse Park South Theater in Lexington, Ky. The sessions will run from 4:00-6:00pm, and a light suppe

A man in Bullitt County, Ky., has been charged with shooting two horses on his neighbor’s farm under unusual circumstances, according to WLEX 18 (www.lex18.com).

“Steven Smith told police the horses were chasing him and his dog,” said the article.

Owner Pat Conway heard gunshots and went to check on the horses which were in the barn. One of

When evaluating horseshoeing, many people don’t look at the hoof correctly, according to Hans Castelijns, DVM and farrier based in Italy. “There are the sagittal, frontal, and horizontal planes (illustration included in this story),” he said in his presentation “Shoeing in the Frontal and Horizontal Planes” at the 16th annual Bluegrass Laminitis Symposium in Louisville, Ky. “You can have

A 24-year-old gelding in the United Kingdom suffered severe burns after being doused in gasoline and set on fire in early March. At first, owners Geoffrey and Kath McWilliams believed they would have to euthanize Gus, but according to an article in the Manchester Evening News (https://www.manchesteronline.co.uk, 4/15/03), he’s recovering graduall

Last year’s drought continues to affect horse owners in Franklin, North Carolina, according to WRAL.com, the web site of News Channel 5 in Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville, NC. Many of the horses have ended up on horse rescue farms like The North Carolina Equine Rescue League, which currently has 47 horses in its care; 24 of those have arrived since January.

The article quoted rescue

Pennsylvania health official announced April 14 that Pennsylvania has launched this year’s effort to detect and control mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus (WNV).

“It’s that time of the year againtime to get your yard back in shape or just get out and enjoy Pennsylvania’s natural wonders,” Acting Secretary Dr. Robert Muscalus said. “But don’t forget about the mosquitoes. In 2002,

A massive out-of-competition drug-testing raid was conducted at Randwick racecourse Monday morning in Australia as 30 trainers had blood samples taken from horses in their stable.

The Australian Racing Forensic Laboratory (ARFL) Racing tested the samples for performance-enhancing drugs, including EPO and peptide hormone. New South Wales chairman of stewards Ray Murrihy said the ARFL

The United Kingdom’s Animal Health Trust (AHT) has detailed the country’s EHV-1 outbreak that began in early March. At least 12 horses have been euthanized due to advanced neurologic deterioration resulting from infection.

The first reported cases were detected in Gloucestershire. Two Thoroughbreds showed neurologic signs on March 12-13. Both had rapid progression of hindlimb ataxia

Equine influenza has been confirmed to date in 14 Thoroughbred race training stables since March 13, according to the United Kingdom’s Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, Suffolk.

Influenza is not usually life threatening, but rather makes a horse uncomfortable and vulnerable to other diseases. Treatment typically includes a minimum of three to four weeks of rest to avoid long-term