Selection of Thoroughbred horses for racing and breeding is based primarily on equine performance, pedigree, and phenotype (physical characteristics). Although conformation plays a critical role in the evaluation of horses, current methods of analyzing equine conformation are largely subjective and vary according to personal opinion and individual experience.

To develop practical,

Central Kentucky equine abortion accessions so far in 2005 do not indicate mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS). The University of Kentucky’s Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center (LDDC) is posting the number of abortion accessions of all breeds weekly along with comparisons to totals from 2004. MRLS struck horses in several states (including Kentucky) and Canada in 2001 and 2002. The problem

As one might expect in a gathering of equine veterinarians discussing colic, much of the Sunrise Session dedicated to the topic covered evaluation of the colicky horse to determine severity and decide on medical vs. surgical management.

“Ask the Expert,” a new feature of the Rutgers Equine Science Center web site, www.esc.rutgers.edu, invites horse owners and enthusiasts to seek science-based answers to their questions about horse health and management.

The Equine Science Center, located at Rutgers-Cook College, taps the expertise of some 30 faculty, researchers

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service recently announced the launch of a new web site to inform stakeholders about the national animal identification system (NAIS). The web site, www.usda.gov/nais, is designed to be a one-stop resource for information about NAIS.

“We hope our stakeholders will visit the site

Officials from Michigan’s Office of Racing Commissioner (ORC) are requiring all horses entering any of seven licensed pari-mutuel facilities in the state be vaccinated for equine herpesvirus (EHV), in an effort to keep the virus confined to Northville Downs, where it has been detected in four horses. Three of those horses had to be euthanatized because the neurologic form of EHV type-1 caused

A New York state authority that supports Standardbred purses and breeding has lax internal financial controls, according to an audit released Tuesday by state Comptroller Alan Hevesi.

The New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund helps support the state’s harness industry, but gets part of its funding from the state’s four Thoroughbred tracks and off-track betting

Much of the discussion involved sharing professional information, such as specific instruments involved, but they also addressed such matters as preparation of the recipient mare and the most optimum state of embryo maturation for transfer.

This forum revolved around the on going issue of drug compounding. The take-home message for veterinarians was: If there is an FDA-approved product out there, it should be used even though it might be more costly.

Robert Holland, DVM, PhD, of Lexington, Ky., discussed West Nile virus and appropriate vaccination protocol. He said the disease is now considered endemic to the United

Discussion in the session primarily revolved around personal experiences with courses in acupuncture and chiropractic, incorporation of what they’ve learned in these courses, payment for these services, and the reminder that Western medicine should never be forgotten when treating patients.

“Death or euthanasia of a valuable mare results in loss of her genetic potential,” she said. “However, when a mare dies, her ovaries still contain potentially viable oocytes that can be harvested to produce additional offspring. Some mares seem to have a lot of viable oocytes, while others have very few.”

Approximately 55,000 horses are slaughtered each year in the United States. These horses are most often sent to a processing facility because they are no longer serviceable, are infirm, dangerous, or their owners are no longer able to care for them. The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), a professional association with a membership of 7,500 equine veterinarians and veterinar

Tablet computers, Metron PX, Hi-8, true digital, megapixels, lithium vs. NiMH batteries, inverters, iGo Juice, Photoshop–what do all these things have to do with the equine veterinarian? The message of the Emerging Technologies Table Topic was they can do quite a lot to help.

“You get into a lot of these things out of necessity, not fun and games,” said moderator Dick Galley, DVM, a

Milton McClure, DVM; and Gary Norwood, DVM, chaired an open forum on racing at the 50th annual American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention in Denver, Colo., Dec. 4-8, 2004. Bobby Lewis, DVM, the AAEP’s representative to the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC), gave an update on what had transpired with that group in the past year. The biggest news was that the

Since then, more advanced drugs including new inhalant anesthetics have been developed to reduce stress on horses being put under anesthesia, and during recovery. Since the 1980s, research into the importance of monitoring blood pressure, respiration, and blood gases during anesthesia has also been documented.