Latest News – The Horse

Blood-Horse Publications announces its second annual book warehouse clearance sale will be held Friday, May 9 and Saturday, May 10 at 349 Virginia Avenue in Lexington, Kentucky.

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

In 1982, I was working as an athletic trainer when a veterinarian came in for help in rehabilitating a sprained ankle. As I applied electrical stimulation and range of motion exercise, I asked him what would be done for a horse with a similar injury. He told me of blistering and firing and of extended stall rest, followed by turnout. This concept of rehabilitation was counter to everything an

I’d like to ask a question about my horse’s skin problem–depigmentation. He is a 10-year-old chestnut Hanoverian gelding with dark eyes and eyelids. But now there is a pink spot on his left upper eyelid and I think it’s getting larger.

Is it possible for a horse to get Lyme disease from eating a tick with his pasture grass, or from eating an infected tick or other source of the bacteria in his hay or feed?

I have a 3-year-old filly which has prominent white around her eyes. Most farriers and several others tell me this is a sign of madness in a horse. I always thought that this was an old wives’ tale. Could you please clarify this for me?

Last October, we shared letters from three readers describing horses killing and/or eating small mammals and birds (see “Carnivous Horses,” article #3832 at www.TheHorse.com). We asked for reader response, and I agreed to contact experts in equine nutrition, behavior, and husbandry from aroun

Equine pharmaceutical companies are developing new drugs every year that have the ability to reduce inflammation and pain associated with various horse injuries.

As the breeding season winds down and spring becomes summer, the primary focus on breeding farms is preparation of yearlings for the sales. The stakes are clearly high as vast sums of money are on the line–rightly or wrongly, the overall “presentation” of a yearling at the sales has a strong bearing on price, regardless of breeding. Plain and simple, poorly “fitted” yearlings won’t cut the

Glucosamine is a popular nutritional supplement that horses are fed in hopes of protecting them from osteoarthritis. Researchers studying the mechanisms of osteoarthritis have identified several compounds, called markers, that are unique to the cartilaginous joints. Increased concentrations of these markers in the blood signify damage to cartilage and/or bone. Recently, a group of researchers

Because of its subjective and complex nature, the severity of a horse’s pain is very difficult to assess. Recently, a comprehensive review was published by the University of Minnesota outlining the definitions of the types of pain and the difficulties associated with its assessment in animals.

Pain is broadly classified as acute (of short duration) or chronic (persisting over time), then

Spinal cord disease in horses is fairly common, but it can be difficult to precisely diagnose. Ancillary tests such as cerebrospinal fluid analysis, contrast myelography, and electromyelography can be helpful, but also somewhat risky. There is another diagnostic technique used in humans that is not painful and has no serious side effects. The technique is called transcranial magnetic

Thrush is very common, and it typically is a mild disease that can be easily treated. More importantly, it can be prevented with adequate foot management and good stable husbandry. However, if you choose to ignore these preventive measures, or you come into possession of a horse with thrush, it needs to be addressed immediately and aggressively as complications and chronic lameness issues can resu

Call it what you will–equine physical therapy, equine therapy, physiotherapy, rehabilitation therapy, equine sports therapy, or even alternative therapy. The treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention of movement dysfunctions, orthopedic ailments (soft tissue, joint, and bone problems), and neurologic disorders through manual therapies, electrical therapies, and exercise has become