Latest News – The Horse
West Nile Virus Detected in South Carolina For First Time
A dead blue jay found in Lexington County has tested positive for the West Nile virus (WNV), making it the first confirmed evidence of the disease in South Carolina, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) reported Aug.
Churchill Downs, Farms Take Steps Against West Nile Virus
Churchill Downs’ primary weapon against the West Nile virus (WNV) sits in a clear, plastic vial on the desk of track superintendent Butch Lehr, according to AP writer Chris Duncan.
The vial holds birdseed-like pellets that release a
Industry Members Discuss Future of Equine ID
Equine identification was a lively topic of discussion during the National Institute of Animal Agriculture’s (NIAA) Identification and Information Expo held in Arlington Heights, Ill., the last week of July. The conference featured a first-of-its-kind Equine ID Symposium to address the industry’s need for a universal ID system in light of emerging diseases, emergency preparedness, theft
More Kentucky Potomac Horse Fever Cases Confirmed
Two additional cases of Potomac horse fever (PHF) have been confirmed at Hagyard-Davidson-McGee (HDM) veterinary hospital in Lexington, Ky., bringing the clinic’s total to five confirmed cases since the end of July. Two other PHF cases previously were reported at Lexington’s Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital. Typically, Kentucky veterinarians see only one or two cases per year.
It is
UK Announces New Forage-Animal Program to Solve Farm Problems & Enhance Profitability
Through a unique collaboration with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the University of Kentucky is launching an innovative new forage-animal research initiative. The program will discover new technologies to enhance the health and
Kentucky Has Fourth West Nile Virus Horse
A fourth horse has tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV) in Kentucky. The 5-year-old draft-cross gelding first showed signs on July 26, and he was euthanized on July 29 after becoming recumbent and unable to rise, according to Rusty Ford of the Kentucky State Veterinarian’s office. The gelding was from Greenup County. Ford said there are three other WNV cases pending laboratory testing
Watch For Potomac Horse Fever in Kentucky
Four additional cases of Potomac horse fever (PHF) have been confirmed at two veterinary hospitals in Lexington, Ky. Three of the cases were treated at Hagyard-Davidson-McGee (HDM) Veterinary Hospital, where two of the horses are recovering
First Equine West Nile Virus Cases in Georgia for 2002
Tests confirmed July 31 that West Nile virus (WNV) led to the death of a Pike County horse earlier in July. Tests also confirmed that a horse in Putnam County had contracted the disease, but fully recovered. The Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic
Woodbine Barn Fire Toll: 32 Horses Dead
Woodbine Entertainment reported Monday that 32 Thoroughbreds were killed in Sunday’s barn fire at Woodbine Racecourse near Toronto, Ontario. The damage estimate was set at $3 million.
The horses were stabled in barns 7 and 7A at Woodbine
LSU Equine Health Studies Program Holds Second Annual Stallion Auction
The Equine Health Studies Program (EHSP) in the Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Veterinary Medicine will launch its second annual Internet Stallion Service Auction in October to generate funds for expansion of the school’s Equine
Malicious Mycotoxins
Leave your saddle sitting in a corner of your tack room after you and your horse are caught in a rainstorm, and you’ll get an eye-opening look into the world of fungi and molds. Within days, your leather tack will have sprouted a patchy coat of

The Dreaded Corneal Stromal Abscess
The corneal stromal abscess is a very serious and potentially vision-threatening condition in horses. Here’s what you need to know.
Locked Into Place
Much has been learned about exertional rhabdomyolysis (tying-up) in recent years, but unfortunately some of that knowledge has been troubling. For example, at least one newly recognized cause of tying-up in foals has, in identified cases, always
West Nile Virus Encephalitis
In August 1999, West Nile virus (WNV) was identified as the cause of encephalitis in birds, horses, and humans in New York. Since then, WNV activity has spread north and south along the East Coast, and west to several states following bird
Help Limit Laminitis
To be sure, we don’t yet know everything about laminitis. We don’t know exactly why it occurs, why some horses have more acute attacks than others, or why some severe cases bounce back while seemingly lesser cases go downhill until euthanasia is the
Eye Removal
I was just informed that my young Quarter Horse needs to have his eye removed. What does this procedure consist of?