Latest News – The Horse
Update on the Eastern Tent Caterpillar
The newest study on early fetal loss and Eastern tent caterpillars (funded by the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation) began on May 21 and was scheduled to continue for three weeks. The research is led by internal medicine specialist Bill
Study Associates Caterpillars and Reproductive Losses
A recently completed collaborative effort at the University of Kentucky (UK) associated the Eastern tent caterpillar and its frass (excrement) and mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS). This is only the first step in looking at the
West Nile Virus Vaccine: Where It’s Been, Where It’s Going
West Nile virus (WNV) has become a 365-day-a-year virus–new cases of disease have been detected every month in Florida since its initial appearance there last year, except for March of 2002. Where there are mosquitoes year-round, there will be
West Nile Virus Testing
A key in West Nile virus (WNV) surveillance is reporting disease incidence–WNV is a reportable disease in all states. Testing of suspect clinical cases is a service provided by the federal and state governments. It costs nothing at the national
Researchers Share West Nile Virus Tips
Veterinarians experienced in the surveillance, treatment, and public education of West Nile virus (WNV) presented their research and observations of the disease at the recent annual meeting of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
Cooperative Research
Symbiosis occurs when two living creatures survive better by working together. For example, there are populations of microbes living in the digestive system of the horse that help break down feedstuffs and create nutrients needed by the horse.
Are Your Horse’s Bones Tough Enough?
Skeletal injuries–those involving bones and joints–are a major concern for all athletic horses. The usual outcome of these injuries is a lameness problem that hampers a horse’s training and competition program or, in some cases, is so severe
Mosquito Patrol
Mosquitoes are more than a nuisance, they are a public and equine health hazard. In addition to spreading West Nile virus (WNV), mosquitoes can carry malaria, yellow fever, dengue, filariasus (e.g., dog heartworm), and several encephalitis
Is Your Horse’s Soundness Chipping Away?
The old adage, “Something’s gotta give,” holds true when you accidentally bump a dinner plate on the counter and it chips or you bang your car door on the car next to you and the paint chips. Trauma inflicted upon an object can cause a chip. The
Screening for Joint Disease
Veterinarians are quite capable of identifying a painful joint in a lame horse, but determining what is occurring within the joint and how far it has progressed is not yet possible without removing synovial fluid or exploring the joint with
Controlling Cribbing
There is a new 3-year-old gelding in my barn. He cribs and wears a collar; the collar seems awfully tight to me. A respected friend says that the other horses might pick up this habit from this horse. Is that true? And how can I work with
Fatigue in Racehorses
While visibly obvious, fatigue is hard to quantify. Electromyography (EMG) measures conduction along nerves in a particular muscle group–as muscle fibers fatigue, EMG signals shift from high to low. Taking EMG readings during galloping is
New Focus on the Foot
The twenty-first century is going to be exciting for the horse world. We will see technology continually improve our ability to study, diagnose, correct, and hopefully prevent more of the hoof problems that have plagued horses for centuries.
Breathe Easier!
When Anne Thomas called me to her ranch house early one spring morning, she said it was urgent. Her 5-year-old horse, Charlie, was having trouble breathing. When I arrived at the barn, I could see the bay gelding standing in the middle of his
Think Tough to Increase Profits
For many, enjoying horses is a way of life, and we are willing to work hard in other areas to support this hobby. There are those, however, who have decided to make their involvement in the horse industry a paying supplement to their earnings. I
Cribbing and Wood Chewing: Just Gotta Gnaw
Cribbing and wood chewing by horses can create problems for horse and owner alike. Wood chewing is often considered by many owners to be a rather benign vice, while cribbing more frequently is considered to be a direct threat to the horse’s
