At least two horses at Northville Downs Standardbred racetrack in Northville, Mich., contracted equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) and were euthanatized. The first case was discovered Dec. 14, when a 6-year-old Standardbred gelding began exhibiting classic signs of the neurological form of herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) myeloencephalopathy (EHM). After the horse was taken to the Diagnostic Center

California horse owners have been keenly aware of the problem presented by West Nile virus (WNV) in 2004, but the problem took a deadly turn last year. The virus was discovered in all but one of the Golden State’s 58 counties, leaving only Del Norte County without any reported cases.

According to the California Department of Health Services, 42.2% of reported equine WNV cases in 2004

A new web site, now available at www.SucceedDCP.com, offers horse owners and trainers a single source for a wide variety of facts on the critical topic of equine digestive health. Created by Freedom Health, LLC, the site strives to educate in an engaging, easy-to-use environment.

Britain’s Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that its recent case of equine viral arteritis (EVA) occurred in a non-Thoroughbred stallion which was passing through the country from Holland to New Zealand.

The 5-year-old Warmblood stallion was in quarantine at the time at the National Stud in Newmarket when a routine blood test in October reveale

Even if a fetus is dead before foaling is finished, the time spent manipulating the fetus is still critical. If you are far from an equine hospital where a Cesarean section could be performed to extract the fetus, a fetotomy might be your best option to save the life and future fertility of the mare.

“The aim of a fetotomy is to rapidly decrease the size of a fetus such that safe

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has announced plans for hosting an Unwanted Horse Summit. The Summit, a one-day conference bringing equine industry leaders together to address the problem of unwanted horses, will take place Tuesday, April 19, 2005, during the American Horse Council’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

“Just as in the dog and cat populations,

High incidences of leptospirosis-induced abortions in Central Kentucky horses 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 Masters thesis on the subject at the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center in Lexington on Dec. 15.

Leptospirosis is one of the most widespread

The United Kingdom’s Department for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) announced Dec. 17 that it imposed restrictions on Oct. 29 on a 5-year-old stallion on a premises in the Newmarket area of Suffolk following a positive blood test result for equine viral arteritis (EVA). The horse’s semen was tested, the outcome of which was also positive.

The stallion has been in

Nearly 6,300 veterinary professionals, guests and exhibitors attended the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (AAEP) 50th Annual Convention in Denver, Colo., breaking the meeting’s attendance record once again. The convention, held Dec. 4-8, featured nearly 100 scientific presentations, a sold-out trade show and successful equine health seminar for horse owners.

“Once again,

The millions and millions of dollars on the table for successful stallions make it imperative that the training they receive for their second careers be exact, coordinated to give the young stallion the right environment and encouragement to ply his new trade.

Artificial insemination (AI) is becoming an increasingly popular method for breeding horses, and with that comes advances in the timing methods used to inseminate mares. “Breeders have embraced the use of transported cooled semen for all the benefits associated with shipping semen to mares as opposed to shipping valuable mares and foals to stallions for live cover or on-farm AI,” said Paul R.

According to an AP story on Bloodhorse.com, racehorse trainer Glenn Hild pleaded innocent Dec. 7 to misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty.

Hild, former owner of Broken Word Farm, near Hots Springs, Ark., is “charged in Hot Springs District Court with 17 counts, and is scheduled to go to trial Feb. 3.”

Seventeen horses were

Track to test every horse in every race 

Santa Anita Park isn’t waiting for a statewide ban to make its stand against “milkshakes.” At the meet that begins Dec. 26, the Arcadia, Calif., racetrack will test every horse in every race for excess bicarbonate in its blood. “Nothing is more important for us than maintaining the highest standards of integrity for California

As both human and veterinary medicine continue to advance, client expectations also increase. Clients have grown used to being able to bring their pets to veterinary specialists. Now, veterinary technicians are also starting to organize specialties so they can serve patients even better.

Veterinary technicians at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine are at

The Virginia Equine Extravaganza announced today that it will partner with the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) to host an educational seminar series in 2005. Along with clinics and demonstrations from leading horse industry clinicians and trainers, the Virginia Equine Extravaganza will include three full days of educational seminars with some of the equine industry’s