Successful breeding of horses is not always as easy as presenting a receptive mare to a fertile stallion. There are many things that can go awry with the reproductive process. Broodmares that were once fertile and produced many excellent foals might one day face the realities of repetitive foaling injuries, chronic uterine infections, or simply old age. Stallions also can experience a decreas

High incidences of leptospirosis-induced abortions in Central Kentucky mares could be caused by a tandem effect of temperature and precipitation in certain years, said Capt. David Hall of the U.S. Air Force, who defended his master’s thesis at the University of Kentucky’s (UK) Gluck Equine Research Center in Lexington on Dec. 15.

Leptospirosis is one of the most widespread zoonoses

My 12-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, Sterling Story, suffered four months with what my vet and I thought was a hoof abscess. He was retired from the track as a 6-year-old, and I have ridden him in dressage and as a trail horse since. He is that one-in-a-million people-loving horse that has bonded with me as my true friend. I ride him on the average of five days a week to keep him fit and

At its recent meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI, the international governing body of equine sport) Bureau established a six-person task force to reassess policies necessary to eliminate abusive and illegal performance-enhancing drugs and to review the general medication control of horses.

The task force will examine the following:

The United Kingdom is famous for its rich history and deeply rooted traditions, but that doesn’t mean its veterinarians are bound to ancient methods of equine medicine. Quite the contrary, the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) hosts one of the world’s most in-depth, cutting-edge continuing education meetings every year–the BEVA Congress. The 43rd annual Congress, held Sept. 15-18,

The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) was to begin testing for performance-enhancing medications at approximately 300 approved shows in January as a result of a recommendation made by the drug and medications task force.

The task force had met to discuss the increased cost of drug testing and the decreasing number of states voluntarily testing at their shows.

AQHA will spend

First, let me explain how this whole thing started. I am a sharpener who does clipper blades, scissors, and clipper repairs for professional groomers, home groomers, colleges, beauticians, etc. Basically, I work for anybody who uses these tools. During the course of my sharpening work, I have seen some of the worst-kept equipment and some of the best kept. I have talked to lots of people in

The creation of the long fiberoptic flexible endoscope opened a new world to equine veterinarians and researchers who for the first time were able to view a living horse’s stomach. What they found was that horses get gastric ulcers frequently associated with exercise and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use.

It is known in humans that long-term use of NSAIDs can cause small

Despite advances in veterinary medicine, the first few weeks of a foal’s life can still be risky. Many health problems can arise, including myriad gastrointestinal (GI) disorders that can quickly drain a youngster of health, vigor, and sometimes life. Explains Brady J. Bergin, DVM, assistant professor and rural veterinary practice clinician in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon Stat

In a study published in the Equine Veterinary Journal investigating the effects of long-term transport on horses, Carolyn Stull, DVM, showed measurable changes in immunological status. She also found the immune systems of transported horses took about 24 hours to recover, making travel-stressed horses more prone to problems upon arrival at their destinations.

According to Stull, a

Horses occasionally get lice, and a horse owner needs to know what to look for and how to treat these irritating parasites. Bill Clymer, PhD, of Amarillo, Texas (now a livestock parasitologist on the professional services staff of Fort Dodge Animal Health), has worked with horses and lice for many years. Earlier in his career, he was an extension livestock specialist with Texas A&M

Focusing on proper nutrition can play a key role in getting your sick foal back on a healthy track.

Piroplasmosis is an infectious, tick-borne disease caused by one of two parasites, Babesia equi or Babesia caballi, which attack and destroy red blood cells in horses. The mortality rate can be as high as 20% among susceptible animals. Recovered horses become chronic carriers without clinical signs. The only treatment (a type of chemotherapy) is not always succesful, and it can

The results suggest that certain mares have latent EHV-1, experience reactivation of the virus, and pass it on to their foals, allowing viral spread around the farm. Therefore, EHV-1 is continuing a silent cycle among foals even when the mares are vaccinated.

The exhumation of the body of champion Saddlebred Wild Eyed and Wicked from its resting place on Double D Ranch in Woodford County, Kentucky, is set to commence on Feb. 2.

Wicked was one of five horses injected with a necrotizing (tissue-killing) substance in their left forelegs in late June of 2003. He and two other horses were euthanatized when the brutal attacks left them too lame

Musculoskeletal injury is the most common cause of lost training days for Thoroughbred racehorses. This type of injury, particularly fractures, is also cited as a major reason horses leave the industry. But the incidence and characteristics of fractures in racing Thoroughbreds are not well understood.

Characterizing fractures was the aim of Kristien Verheyen, DVM, MSc, and James Wood,