Latest News – The Horse
California Panel Calls for Ban on Use of Venom in Horses
California has taken the first step to ban the backstretch use of snake venom, which officials believe can be used as a nerve- or joint-numbing agent in sore or injured horses.
If approved by California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), the action by its medication committee April 1 would add snake and snail venom to the list of prohibited substances banned at any facility under the CHRB’s
White Named Interim Director at Scott Equine Medical Center
Nathaniel White, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, has been named Interim Director of the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center (EMC) in Leesburg, Va. White, who assumed leadership responsibilities for the equine clinical and research center on April 1, succeeds G. Frederick Fregin, DVM, the center’s founding director.
White joined the center as Assistant Director in 1985 and was appointed the
EEE and WNV Hit Florida
Ten cases of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) and one case of West Nile virus (WNV) have been confirmed by serological testing as of April 3 in eight Florida counties, according to Leroy Coffman, DVM, Florida’s state veterinarian and director of the Division of Animal Industry. This is the first reported case of WNV in Florida this year, and possibly the first in the United States this
Keeneland Requiring Health Certificate for Horses
Keeneland, which opens for its spring meet April 4, is requiring all horses that enter the grounds to have a health certificate written within 72 hours of arrival.
River Downs in Ohio implemented a similar policy in the wake of the detection of equineherpes virus at Turfway Park in mid-March. The virus was contained through quarantine procedures, and horses in the affected barn are
African Horse Sickness Outbreak Kills 300 Horses in South Africa
An outbreak of African horse sickness detected last week in South Africa has killed 300 horses, according to a Pro-Med report. African horse sickness is a lethal virus spread by the Culicoides bolitinos midge, a species of small fly. Although African horse sickness is endemic to all parts of Africa, except the Western Cape, rain in the region has increased the midge population.
Next Steps Toward Solving MRLS Involve Think Tank
Veterinarians and researchers trying to pinpoint the cause of mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) have joined together to create an MRLS “think tank,” the progress and goals of which were discussed April 1 at a joint meeting of the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers’ Club and the Kentucky Association of Equine Practitioners (KAEP) in Lexington.
The veterinarians returned ofte
Cremello Gene Found
The researchers developed a molecular test to detect the cream gene in DNA found in the blood or hair. Guerin says the test will help owners identify heterozygous carriers of the gene (those able to pass on the cremello gene to offspring).
TRF to Create Secretariat Center at Kentucky Horse Park
Two of Kentucky’s most famous industries, bourbon and horse racing, have united to raise money for a new 25-acre center at the Kentucky Horse Park to facilitate adoption of former racehorses. Since 1996, Maker’s Mark and Keeneland have produced a limited edition Maker’s Mark bottle to benefit a good cause. This year’s beneficiary is the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, which hopes to put
Kentucky Ag Commissioner Issues Agro-Terrorism Statement
As the United States fights a war in Iraq and a larger war against terrorism, Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Billy Ray Smith has called upon farmers and farm businesses to do their part to secure the nation’s food supply.
“Since Sept. 11, 2001, agro-terrorism–malicious and intentional acts intended to disrupt our food supply–has become a new word in our vocabularies, and bio-security
Heel Pain in Horses
Many conditions that cause heel pain can be successfully treated, so a “heel pain” diagnosis is certainly not an athletic death knell for many horses. Some horses confirmed with navicular disease itself can also be treated successfully and continue with useful careers, at least for a period of time.
Responsible Horse Ownership
Animal rights, owner responsibility, health and welfare, and all the attendant issues occupy more and more of our time and energy these days as we horse owners struggle to find a place in our busy lives for what once was a routine part of life in a long-ago society. Now, a few generations removed from our agrarian roots, we are bombarded, it seems, with ethical and political questions unasked
Caring for a Newly Blind Horse
We have a 19-year-old Appaloosa gelding that is going blind fast from a genetic disease. He is not coping with it well; he stumbles around, runs into things, leaves the herd, then gets confused and panics. Any advice?
Foaming at the Mouth
My friend’s 3-year-old filly plays with her tongue so much that she foams at the mouth (without a bit). She also plays with the rails in her stalls at feeding time such that she has foam all over. What could be the problem?
Mare vs. Stallion Genes
I hear people talking about how genetic lines all trace through the paternal side of the horse. What about the mares?
Kicking Out at Feeding Time
My gelding is stall kicking. I’m not there at feeding time, but my trainer tells me the stall kicking occurs when it’s feeding time. The same thing happened the last two places he lived. She has tried feeding him first, but that didn’t help. His care at this barn couldn’t be better, and we are at a loss as to how to stop the kicking. A suggestion was made to me about kicking chains used
Faulty Bone Formation
A disease that can be debilitating in young horses is osteochondrosis. This affliction has its genesis during the youngster’s growing years and can compromise the horse’s ability to perform later in life if it is not dealt with early. Osteochondrosis is one of the diseases that comes under the general umbrella of developmental orthopedic disease (DOD), a term coined in 1986 by a blue
