In horse training we really have two goals: first, to condition (train) the horse to perform a particular action in response to a particular stimulus (cue), and second, to motivate the horse to perform that action each and every time that stimulus is presented.
There was a time when trail riding was pretty much confined to where one lived. The choices might include a country road or a ditch along a busy highway. That, however, is in the past. Powerful trucks and sophisticated trailers have opened endless windows of opportunity for the horse owner who wants to travel. However, there is more to it than just loading up a horse and heading off across th
Of the 5.32 million horses and ponies in the United States, 400,000 (over 7.5%) are 20 years or older and considered geriatric, according to Frank Andrews, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM. About 50 horse owners convened at the University of Tennessee’s (UT) College of Veterinary Medicine on Jan. 31, 2004, to attend a seminar highlighting techniques for managing older horses.
Loss of muscle mass,
Cushing’s disease has been around for a long time in people, horses, and other animals. For years, theories and information concerning the affliction all centered on one source for the problem–tumors of the pituitary gland, which is located at the b
The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) is accepting applications for its annual Equine Public Service Award until May 1. The award recognizes American Quarter Horses which are specifically used in the public service sector, including, but not limited to, police horses, park and mounted rangers, beach patrol, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, border patrol, and sheriff’s posse.
The
Today, it is primarily through Poco Bueno’s bloodline, say researchers at Mississippi State University and Cornell University, that the recessive gene that causes hyperelastosis cutis (HC) has passed. In some scientific circles, the disease is called hereditary equine regional dermal asthenia (HERDA).
The shipment of PMU (pregnant mare urine) mares from farms in the United States and Canada was put on hold in February until after the foaling season, unless the shipping distance is very short.
The reason, says Nat Messer IV, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, associate professor at the University of Missouri, and a member of an advisory board created by Wyeth Industries in Brandon, Manitoba, is because
Two of my equestrian dreams came true in August 2001 in Nova Scotia, at the beautiful 350-acre Beaverdam Farm owned by Arthur and Carol Rivoire. Our family vacation is usually spent at Chincoteague, Va., where the wild ponies roam on nearby Assateague Island, but after reading about the Beginner’s Driving Vacation in Nova Scotia, I convinced certain members of my family that we should head
New legislation to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the state of Illinois was introduced Feb. 6, 2004, in the Illinois House of Representatives in the form of HB 6570. On Feb. 18, 2004, the bill was referred to the House Executive Committee. The legislation would also make it illegal to transport horses into or out of the state for slaughter.
The wording of the newly
WNV isn’t the only threat posed by the common mosquito. All forms of arboviral encephalitis (arthropod-borne neurologic disease)–some of which, like WNV, can afflict both horses and humans–are mosquito-borne, as are malaria, dengue fever, and deadly canine heartworm disease.
One item in the debate on equine slaughter is the use of captive bolt for euthanasia. This is the same method used on other livestock killed during slaughter or during a disease outbreak (such as foot and mouth disease on farms in England).
The Horse sent out a small survey to veterinarians and researchers around the world on the question: Is captive bolt a humane euthanasia for
Researchers recently revealed that Cushing’s disease is a major contributing factor to laminitis among horses in a primary care veterinary practice, and that the median age of laminitic Cushing’s horses was 15 1/2 years–disproving tha
What the research findings suggest is that young, growing foals, horses that are prone to tying-up or laminitis, those with Cushing’s disease, and some that tend to be excessively ‘hot’ mannered could possibly be managed better on low-glycemic diets.
Comments collected on the draft U.S. Animal Identification Plan (USAIP) have been largely characterized by misunderstanding and frustration, according to one government official. The plan, which at this time is not an official program of the USDA, was designed to establish a timely traceback system to minimize the spread of foreign animal diseases, such as foot and mouth disease, and to
Horse owners and veterinarians alike have wondered if they can use Merial Limited’s Recombitek equine West Nile virus (WNV) vaccine in horses previously vaccinated with Fort Dodge’s West Nile-Innovator. Recently, Merial released the results of a
When it comes to pest control products, the safest choices lie with EPA-approved chemical formulations developed for horse use, such as DEET, pyrethrins/pyrethroids, and organophosphates, or the EPA GRAS (“generally regarded as safe”) products like citronella and geraniol.
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