Latest News

Belmont Ball Raises $175,000 for Research

The Blood-Horse Staff June 23, 2003

The Belmont Ball, hosted by the New York Racing Association on June 5 at Belmont Park, raised more than $175,000 for the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation. The black-tie event this year honored internationally renowned equine artist Richard Stone Reeves and also paid tribute to Affirmed on the 25th anniversary of his Triple Crown triumph.

“I cannot adequately thank the New York

Veterinarians Debunk Suggested Link Between WNV Vaccine and Birth Problems

Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director June 23, 2003

Despite recent media reports, Wyoming, Colorado, and USDA veterinarians say that there is currently no scientific proof to link the West Nile virus vaccine to aborted, stillborn, or deformed foals, and that horse owners should continue to vaccinate their animals to protect them from the deadly disease.

Claims by a Denver newspaper that some pregnant mares may have been adversely

Anesthesia Options for Foals

Susan Piscopo, DVM, PhD June 20, 2003

Young foals are notoriously difficult to anesthetize because of their extreme sensitivity to most anesthetic drugs. Ideally, foals are anesthetized using only an inhaled anesthetic. One inhalant, isofluorane, has proven itself easy to use with relatively mild adverse effects. A newer inhalant, sevofluorane, has been successful in adult horses which are poor candidates for anesthesia. Recently

Dietary Clues to Tying-Up

Susan Piscopo, DVM, PhD June 20, 2003

Recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER, a type of tying-up) is an inherited disorder in Thoroughbreds. Research suggests that RER involves an abnormality in the regulation of calcium in muscle cells. High-grain diets have been implicated as triggers of acute episodes, perhaps because of their influence on calcium balance.

Research in cattle has shown that electrolytes and minerals, suc

Overtraining in Standardbreds

Susan Piscopo, DVM, PhD June 20, 2003

There is a fine line between striving to maximize a horse’s performance and pushing the animal beyond his physical limits. Standardbred racehorses experience a decrease in body weight and an abnormal decrease in blood cortisol when they are overtrained. Researchers from New Zealand recently conducted a study to see if there are any other physiologic changes associated with overtraining. The

84 Florida EEE Cases

Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director June 18, 2003

The number of cases of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in Florida has risen to 84. The cases have been found in 30 counties. Only 22 of the horses were alive at the time of reporting the disease, but according to officials, many of the horses probably did not live through the days following diagnosis. Bill Jeter, DVM, diagnostic veterinary manager for Florida’s Division of Animal Industry,

Internal Medicine Conference Highlights Timely Topics

Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director June 18, 2003

The 27th annual American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Forum gave equine veterinarians an opportunity to discuss and share the latest advances in veterinary medicine. The ACVIM is the official organization of the veterinary specialties of small animal internal medicine, large animal internal medicine, cardiology, neurology, and oncology.

Seven Cases of EEE Confirmed in SC

Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director June 17, 2003

According to an Associated Press story in The Post And Courier, a newspaper in Charleston, Clemson University tests show that Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) has killed four horses in Berkley County, S.C., during the past several weeks.

A donkey in Dorchester County and another horse in Georgetown County have tested positive for

Magazine Raises Help for Driver Who Lost Leg

Press Release June 17, 2003

Caring and carriage driving go hand in rein, as evidenced by Carriage Driving World‘ s $4,400 donation to help Andy Marcoux recover from the loss of one of his legs. Raising the funds through online auctions and a donation collection, the magazine’s top publisher, Donna Hornsby, also paid all of the fees and commissions (more than $250) that otherwise would have been taken out of the

Seabiscuit Premier will Benefit The Race For Education

The Blood-Horse Staff June 17, 2003

Seabiscuit, a feature film from Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, and Spyglass Entertainment, will premiere in Louisville, Ky., on Sat., July 19, 2003. The premiere, which will be held at the historic Louisville Palace and presented by Team Valor Racing Partnerships, will benefit The Race for Education, a scholarship foundation dedicated to reaching out to young people

IVERCARE–Because You Care Award Finalists Announced

Stephanie L. Church, Editorial Director June 17, 2003

Public to Decide the Winners

Nearly 31,000 online votes were received from the public in the semifinals of the IVERCARE–Because You Care award program sponsored by Farnam Horse Products. Earlier this year, more than 100 organizations and individuals were nominated for the award program, which was initiated by Farnam to recognize non-profit organizations and individuals that

Tax Bill Includes Provisions Beneficial to Horse Industry

Press Release June 13, 2003

(From the American Horse Council)

On May 28, U.S. President George Bush signed the $350 billion Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 into law, the third federal tax reduction in as many years. The bill, which is intended to prompt investment, provide jobs, and get the economy jump-started, includes some attractive incentives for investing in the

Ivercare Because You Care Award Finalists Announced

Press Release June 13, 2003

Nearly 31,000 online votes were received from the public in the semifinals of the Ivercare–Because You Care award program sponsored by Farnam Horse Products. Earlier this year, more than 100 organizations and individuals were nominated for the award program, which was initiated by Farnam to recognize nonprofit organizations and individuals that strive to improve the health and welfare of horses

Farnam Teams with Universal Pictures

Press Release June 12, 2003

Farnam Horse Products, which furnished period props for the upcoming movie Seabiscuit, has teamed up with Universal Pictures for a major cross-promotional campaign supported by national and regional advertising. To help the film’s set dressers create a realistic tack room from the 1930s for the film, Farnam Horse Products supplied products. Now Farnam is offering horse owners a chance to

Fort Dodge Speaks Out on WNV Vaccine

Press Release June 12, 2003

Over the course of the past few weeks, news articles and Internet rumors have surfaced regarding the West Nile-Innovator vaccine, the USDA-approved vaccine for protecting horses against West Nile virus. The rumors and misinformation pertain specifically to abortions and deformed foals following vaccination for West Nile virus. An article published in the Denver Post on May 30, 2003, has

Second Cloned Mule Born

Press Release June 11, 2003

The same research team that produced the world’s first cloned member of the horse family, a mule, has repeated its success with the birth of “Utah Pioneer” early Monday morning.

Researchers Gordon Woods, DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl. ACT, and Dirk Vanderwall, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACT, from the University of Idaho and Ken White, PhD, from Utah State University said the male mule foal’s