FSIS Establishes Fee-For-Service Program For Horsemeat
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced an interim final rule establishing a voluntary fee-for-service program under which establishments that slaughter horses can continue to receive
Kansas Barn Fire Kills 43 Horses
A Feb. 5 fire in a barn at Eureka Downs in Eureka, Kan., killed 43 horses and remained under investigation as of Feb. 6, officials said.
Both Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses, most of which were 2-year-olds in training, were killed.
Pregnant Mares
The mare from which you have always wanted to raise a foal has just been pronounced pregnant by your veterinarian. Now you just have to wait about 11 months and see what she produces, right? Not so fast! There is much more involved than just
Five Years Hence…
Morris Animal Foundation has set a tremendous goal for 2006–with input from industry leaders they will determine one priority area of equine health where research should be conducted, seek the most gifted researchers to tell them what specific
Synovial Joints and How They Work
First we’ll look at how the horse’s synovial joints are constructed, then we’ll outline where they are located, the functions they serve, and some of the problems that can develop.
AAEP Convention 2005: Vaccine Efficacy and Controversies
“There are a huge number of (vaccine) choices out there and it’s hard sometimes to see our way through the forest,” said Julia Wilson, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, associate professor in Veterinary Population Medicine at the University of Minnesota. “What
Genome Sequencing
In 1991, Eliane Marti, Dr. Med. Vet., published a study as a graduate student in Switzerland, showing that chronic hypersensitivity bronchitis (a.k.a. heaves) had a strong hereditary component among Swiss horses. She meticulously defined the
Can Immunomodulators Help Herpesvirus Victims?
Human and animal scientists have been researching ways to stimulate the immune system in order to prevent or mitigate disease, especially just prior to or during stressful events. Options include vaccination, antimicrobial therapy, and
Will Eating Grass Seeds Hurt My Horse?
Could eating buckwheat, red clover, and twitch grass seeds be harmful to my horse?
Five Horses Test Positive for Equine Herpesvirus
As 2005 neared its end, equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) killed two horses that were stabled at Turfway Park, a Northern Kentucky racetrack. The victims–one Thoroughbred in training and a lead pony–were euthanatized after they developed the
Pony Girthing/Mounting Issues
My 11-year-old daughter is having trouble with her pony nipping at her when she is girthing him, and when she goes to mount without an assistant. He also smacks his tail and pins his ears, almost looking like he might cow-kick at her sometimes.
Plant Causes Complaints
On Nov. 29, the Kaufman, Texas Board of Adjustments moved a step closer to closing Dallas Crown Inc., one of two horse meat processing plants in Texas, because many residents consider it a nuisance to the community. The board voted 4 to 0 to
Semen Collecting from a Blind Stallion
We have a Standardbred stallion that had a minor neurologic episode a few months ago that was never really figured out. He has recovered slowly back to normal, except that he has gone completely blind. He does well at pasture and you would hardl
MRLS Update
“We can prevent mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) as we experienced in 2001 and 2002 by keeping horses away from caterpillars,” said Bruce Webb, PhD, a University of Kentucky (UK) researcher who has been studying the condition that
Dealing with Dummy Foals
At first, everything seems fine: Your foal was born without incident and started nursing as he should. But two days later, the baby quit suckling and began acting strangely–wandering around and pressing his head against the stall wall. Your
Microchips Not Mandated in Racehorses
Putting microchips in racehorses for identification purposes will remain secondary to standard ID procedures such as tattooing and DNA testing, according to a panel of industry experts at The Syamposium on Racing and Gaming held Dec. 6-8, 2005,