Latest News

Vet’s Role in Physical Therapy

Terry Swanson, DVM May 1, 2003

The health and soundness management of any horse–regardless of his level of use or the problems he might be encountering–horse owner or trainer’s responsibility. The person responsible for the diagnosis, prescribing the treatment, and assessing progress and the effectiveness of the therapies is the veterinarian. The horse benefits from the cooperative efforts of everyone on th

The Sound Barrier

Deirdre Biles April 30, 2003

The debate over fast workout times for sale 2-year-olds

The specter of catastrophic injury continues to haunt sales of Thoroughbred 2-year-olds in training. Every time a horse breaks down during an under-tack show, the debate heats up again. Are immature racing prospects being asked to work too fast too soon?

John Kimmel, a trainer who has a veterinary degree, believe

Thoroughbred-Interest Veterinarians Join AAEP On-Call Program

American Association of Equine Practitioners April 30, 2003

Three veterinarians with specific interests in the Thoroughbred athlete are the newest spokespersons for the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) “On Call” Program. Randolph Hayes, DVM; Scott Hopper, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS; and Keith Merritt, DVM, join the team of nearly 30 AAEP-member veterinarians who provide accurate and timely health-care information during televised equine

FDA Approves Innovative New Equine Dewormer

Press Release April 30, 2003

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new, broad-spectrum parasite control product from Merial that will treat and control 61 species and stages of equine parasites, including tapeworms.

Zimecterin Gold (ivermectin/praziquantel) combines two active ingredients, ivermectin and praziquantel, to provide a broad spectrum of parasite control. Praziquantel is proven to

Eastern Tent Caterpillar Update

TheHorse.com April 30, 2003

By Lee Townsend, Extension Entomologist
Department of Entomology
University of Kentucky College of Agriculture

Eastern

Alltech Appointed University of Kentucky Presidential Fellow

The Horse Staff April 29, 2003

The University of Kentucky’s President, Lee Todd, announced the appointment of Alltech Inc, a global leading manufacturer of natural technologies for the feed, food and alcohol industries, as one of its Presidential Fellows.

President Todd said, “Alltech’s continued support for the University of Kentucky is a source of immense pride to all of us. Alltech receives this Presidential

Canada Reports First 2003 Presumed WNV-Positive Bird

United States Department of Agriculture April 29, 2003

York Region Acting Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Hanif Kassam, has announced that a dead crow has undergone testing and is presumed to be positive for West Nile virus (WNV ). The crow was found in the town of Newmarket. The bird is the first presumed WNV-positive bird reported in the York Region of Ontario, and the first in Canada this year.

Equine cases haven’t been reported in

Extra-Label Drug Use in Veterinary Medicine

Gillian Comyn, DVM, MPH. Dipl. ACVPM April 29, 2003

Reprinted from the FDA Newsletter, March/April 2003

Since 1994, when Congress passed the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act of 1994 (AMDUCA), veterinarians in the U.S. have enjoyed legitimate extra-label use (ELU) privileges. Veterinarians can safeguard ELU privileges by following AMDUCA, and by educating clients (particularly food animal producers) on AMDUC

Lloyd’s Continues Support of Equine Disease Quarterly

Press Release April 29, 2003

Forewarned is forearmed. That is why Lloyd’s of London Underwriters, Brokers, and their Kentucky Agents have made a gift of $40,000 to the University of Kentucky’s Department of Veterinary Science for continued support of the Equine Disease Quarterly newsletter.

“Horses are our business, and that means the health of horses is also our business,” said Tony Cecil, president of

Hoof Pain and Performance

Christy M. West April 29, 2003

When a performance horse slowly goes off form, any number of things can be the cause. Could he have ulcers? Is he being overtrained? Is something subtle and mysterious going on with his metabolism? The problem could be much simpler than that–his feet might just hurt.

Racing Industry Joins to Provide for Retirees at TRF-Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center

Press Release April 28, 2003

Thanks to the generosity of Maker’s Mark, charitable donations from some of the most respected names in the Thoroughbred racing industry, and the vision of Penny Chenery, the owner of the great Secretariat, dozens of retired race horses will have a home among the splendor of the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Instead of a future that may have included neglect or abuse, the horses will be

Mosquito Disease Could Slow Spread of West Nile Virus

The Horse Staff April 25, 2003

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.

Uterine Lavage Before Insemination Not Harmful to Mare Fertility

Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director April 23, 2003

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

Equine Influenza Spreads in the U.K.

Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director April 23, 2003

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,”

USDA Wants More Medical Records Kept

Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director April 21, 2003

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

Authorities Probe Horse Deaths in Pennsylvania

The Blood-Horse Staff April 21, 2003

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.