“Unwanted horses” within the domestic equine population have been determined by someone to be no longer needed or useful, or their owners are no longer interested in or capable of providing care for them physically or financially. Many unwanted horses will be sent to slaughter, euthanatized, or simply abandoned and left to die. Fortunate ones find new homes or jobs when their physical
If a bit is causing pain or discomfort, communication breaks down and your horse’s performance, as well as his mouth, suffers.
What can you tell me about Tyzzer’s disease? I’ve heard of only two cases in the last 20 years.
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a 12-part series of articles on vaccinations for horses.
Ask veterinarians anywhere in North America and they’ll likely agree: If you vaccinate for nothing else, at the very least vaccinate for tetanus and rabies. The two diseases have much in common. They’re endemic–meaning your horse could be exposed to the causative organisms at any
My 5-year-old mare has been suffering from an odd gait problem for a few weeks. She has been diagnosed with a form of tenosynovitis involving the tendon sheath of the digital deep flexor tendon in the area of the Achilles tendon above the hock.
A few dollars vs. thousands of dollars, or total loss? Do you sometimes wonder if horse owners should be made to act more like car owners? For cars, it’s mandated that you must have insurance to protect you, and the people around you. Bad things happen. You aren’t always in control. The same is true for your horses. Except in the case of horses, your insurance often comes from a bottle
A recent study at Colorado State University (CSU) found that your horse might have the ability to fight off West Nile virus (WNV) less than a month after receiving a single-dose vaccination against the disease. The challenge study tested Merial’s RECOMBITEK equine WNV vaccine 26 days after immunization and found that the treated horses resisted infection.
The results are particularly
The Illinois Department of Agriculture has promoted a longtime staff veterinarian to fill key positions responsible for protecting the health of the state’s livestock.
Mark Ernst, DVM, of Washington, Ill., has been named state veterinarian and bureau chief of Animal Health. The appointments are effective immediately.
Ernst worked in private practice for five years after earnin
A recent study conducted at the University of Berne Equine Clinic in Switzerland demonstrated that the prokinetic (promoting movement) drug tegaserod stimulated gut motility and accelerated gastrointestinal transit in healthy horses. The study findings, published in the Equine Veterinary Journal, are consistent with those observed in large clinical trials involving human patients and
The preparation of a horse first aid kit for your stable is easy to make and–in an emergency–can be of great importance. Once you have assembled such a kit, make sure everyone knows this golden rule: its contents are for emergency use only.
Michigan Department of Agriculture Director Dan Wyant announced the confirmation of a third case of equine herpes virus type-1 (EHV-1) at Northville Downs in Northville, Mich., on Jan. 20. One barn at Northville Downs has been placed under quarantine while the source of infection and extent of spread is investigated by regulators.
On Jan. 14, 2005, animal health surveillance
Probably the best-attended session at the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention, the Kester News Hour features brief reports of new research that was too new or brief for inclusion in the scientific program. The information is presented in a fun, rapid-fire format by two of the country’s top equine veterinary specialists–internal medicine guru John Madigan, DVM, MS,
As breeding stallions age, their reproductive abilities can wane, leaving their breeding managers with a problem–too many mares to breed, and not enough sperm. J. Scott Weems, DVM, of Weems & Stephens Equine Hospital in Aubrey, Texas, has successfully incorporated low-dose hysteroscopic insemination (LDHI)–direct placement of sperm at the site of the oviductal papilla (an ideal site for
The Racing Medication and Testing Consortium has set a deadline for adoption of recommended uniform medication violations and testing protocol for “milkshakes,” which are mixtures of bicarbonate of soda and a liquid given to a racehorse before it competes.
The consortium met Jan. 24 for about eight hours in Southern California. It set a deadline of March 1 for adoption of the rules an
SmartPak Equine has teamed up with the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) to offer Kensington’s line of durable and functional horse products in a striking pink plaid design, dubbed SmartPink, available exclusively through SmartPak. SmartPak will donate 20% of the net profit from the sales of the SmartPink line to NBCF, which works to increase breast cancer survival rates through
Congressman Nick Rahall of West Virginia introduced a bill (H.R. 297) to the House of Representatives on Jan. 25 that would restore the prohibition on the commercial sale and slaughter of wild horses and burros.
In a speech to the 109th Congress, Rahall said, “My legislation is necessary because of 36 lines that were hidden away in the recently enacted Consolidated Appropriations Act
Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with
