Since its founding more than 20 years ago, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) has been proud of its many accomplishments, from each horse that it has saved to each new farm or facility it has opened, to every time it has helped spread the message that there is a far better way of dealing with unwanted former racehorses than sending them off to a slaughterhouse. The TRF, it has been
I’m desperate to find some way to prevent my 20-year-old Thoroughbred mare from cutting her elbow on her egg-bar shoe when lying down.
Can poison oak and poison ivy cause allergic reactions in horses? There is quite a bit of poison oak and poison ivy on the acreage where I keep my horses.
Endotoxemia in horses is usually associated with severe infections, inflammation, and colic. Endotoxin from intestinal bacteria activates release of inflammatory mediators such as thromboxane B2 (TxB2), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha),
In any of the equine behavior literature that I have read, I am unable to find any description of the sleeping behavior we see in our retired broodmare (17 years old). She has functioned as the watch horse in the small herd she was from, and she now is retired at our two-horse farm and continues to maintain that role. She is rarely seen lying down, nor shows evidence of that–no surface dirt
Healthy bone undergoes constant metabolic change to prevent bone loss or abnormal remodeling (cell turnover) that can occur with loading. Horses with navicular disease can have abnormal remodeling and formation of osteolytic lesions (areas of
Buying that first horse can be exciting and scary. Getting that dreamed-about horse is the exciting part, and being concerned that you don’t make mistakes in choosing the right one is the disconcerting and worrisome part. In this article, we’ll first look at the situation through the eyes of horse owners, then we’ll turn to a panel of veterinary experts who will discuss what to watch for
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part seven of a 12-part series on internal parasites of horses.
Back in January, in our first installment of this series, we described what makes a parasite different from other kinds of infectiou
Rutgers Cooperative Extension and the Rutgers Equine Science Center recently published “Agricultural Management Practices for Commercial Equine Operations.” Considered to be the first comprehensive set of U.S. guidelines for horse operations, the document is available for download at www.rce.rutgers.edu and
As horse owners, we care deeply about our animals. When one of our beloved horses dies, we lose a trusted friend. For many of us, the experience is emotionally devastating. Yet, just when we are at our most pronounced stage of grief, we are
Illinois HR649 amendment 4, which would ban equine slaughter for human consumption in the state and make it illegal to transport horses into or out of the state for slaughter, passed the Illinois Senate (as SB1921) in late May. However, it was defeated in the House by nine votes and has been referred to a rules committee as a result of objections from some representatives. No further action
Equine encephalitis has been around for a long time. Old-time horsemen simply referred to it as sleeping sickness. They knew that if a horse contracted it, the animal’s prognosis was not great, and that if he did recover, his ability to perform
Legislation designed to prevent horse slaughter at the national level could be indefinitely stuck in committee.
In January 2003, U.S. Rep. John Sweeney, a Republican from New York, proposed HR 857, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. HR 857 seeks to prohibit the slaughter of horses for human consumption; the sale, possession, and trade of horseflesh for human consumption; and th
Following are summaries of the emergency rules that are in effect currently in Florida and Kentucky, due to the outbreak of VS in New Mexico and Texas. Visit the web sites listed to read the exact wording of the
The quarantine of a Poolesville, Md., farm was lifted June 22 after five weeks passed with no detection of additional cases of neurologic disease. On May 18, veterinarians confirmed the last new case of what could be the neurologic form of equin
Six more premises in Texas have horses with confirmed cases of vesicular stomatitis (VS), reports the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC). The most recent cases, were confirmed this week through laboratory tests, and include horses on a ranch
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