Latest News – The Horse
Non-Thoroughbred Breeding Farms Wanted
Attention to all non-Thoroughbred horse farms in Kentucky with more than 20 mares. If mares were bred between March 1 and May 1, examined by ultrasound as being in foal prior to 40 days and also after 60 days of gestation we strongly encourage
Daily MRLS Information Updates Cease
As of May 25, we will be discontinuing the posting of daily reports from the UK Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center (LDDC). Both field reports from equine practitioners and submissions to the LDDC, indicate a sharp decline in number of MRLS
May 25 MRLS Update
Following is from the University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture as of Friday, May 25, at 5 p.m. More information can be found on their web site at
Foals To Be Microchipped In Ireland
All non-thoroughbred horses born in Ireland from this year onwards are to be microchipped and DNA typed in a joint venture between the Northern Ireland Horse Board and the Irish Horse Board.
Weatherbys introduced the microchipping of all
Armadillo Linked to EPM
A recent study from the University of Florida found that the nine-banded armadillo is an intermediate host for Sarcocystis neurona, the single-celled protozoan parasite that causes the neurological disease equine protozoal
Dead Crow Found In Milford, Connecticut Tests Positive For West Nile Virus
From the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
On May 23, the State Mosquito Management Program announced the first bird positive for West Nile virus (WNV) in Connecticut, submitted from Milford and tested
AVMA Wants Legislation Preparing For Foreign Animal Disease Outbreaks
The AVMA is working with officials in Washington, DC, to draft legislation outlining procedures for preventing the introduction of a foreign animal disease in North America, and a well-coordinated emergency response plan to be implemented in the
Grass Sickness Remains Research Priority
The death of Dubai Millennium from grass sickness has again highlighted the devastating effects of the disease, and brought to prominence research tied to finding causes and a cure.
In Great Britain, research is being carried out at Edinburg
CDC Links E.coli Illnesses to Farm Visits, Agency Issues New Strategies
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in late April released the results of a study linking outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Washington and Pennsylvania to contact with farm animals.
Along with the study, the CDC
Researchers Zero In on Cyanide as Cause of Foal Loss Syndrome
Researchers at the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Center have made significant progress in their quest to find the cause of the Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome.
According to reports presented Thursday during an informational forum at
Central Kentucky Pastures Deemed ‘Safe’ For Mares
Dr. David Powell of the Gluck Equine Research Center said at the Keeneland informational meeting on the evening of May 24 that he is “confident at this stage that the incidence of problems has dropped significantly.” Therefore, he offered the
Questions and Answers From May 24 Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome Meeting
Following are some of the questions and answers from the informational meeting Thursday about Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome.
Q: A veterinarian from Minnesota asked if there were alterations in immune functions in mares
Latest Twist in Foal Loss Syndrome: Mycotoxins Out, Cyanide In
No longer does the mysterious Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome appear to be the result of incredibly high mycotoxin levels in pasture grasses; now the most likely cause appears to be cyanide brought onto pastures from wild black cherry trees, carrie
Study Shows Nearly 30% Foal Loss On Four Major Farms
A reproductive study examining the breeding records of four Central Kentucky Thoroughbred farms reveals that nearly 30% of mares bred between early February and early May 2001 who were declared at one time to be in foal, lost those foals.
Dr
Facts About Black Cherry Trees and Tent Caterpillars
The good news is if the Eastern tent caterpillars were responsible in some way for this spring’s outbreak of foal loss, that they are gone now, cocooned and growing into the next generation of moths. The bad news is that next year, they could be



