A Pike County, Ohio, resident reported suspected abuse in a 52-horse herd in mid-December 2003 to a veterinarian, who asked local law enforcement officials to have the horses examined. By Jan. 9, the horses in question had been examined by three veterinarians , were monitored, then were seized by local authorities. In the meantime, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) had become

On many breeding farms, Parascaris equorum (roundworms) and other intestinal parasites in young foals are now controlled with one class of dewormer. This has become common because of the belief that certain drugs, like ivermectin, are highly effective and free from parasite resistance. However, a recent report from Ontario, Canada, describes foals from a breeding farm with fecal egg

It is tempting for veterinarians to use laboratory reference ranges collected from full-sized horses when treating miniature horses. This is not always appropriate, however, as miniature horses have some breed characteristics that are only now becoming apparent. In fact, researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) have been diagnosing ocular abnormalities in miniature horses more frequentl

In today’s world, a natural or man-made disaster can strike at any time. The only defense we have is preparation. Unfortunately, many animals are dragged, stranded, drowned, or dropped during attempted rescues by untrained personnel. Rescuers often get hurt, and the animals might be more injured by the rescue than they were during the accident. Rescuing these animals shouldn’t be a rodeo. Man

Although the Horse Protection Act (HPA) was enacted 34 years ago, show ring abuse of the Tennessee Walking Horse and other high-stepping gaited breeds is still a significant, ongoing problem. Horses are intentionally abused through mechanical and chemical means to obtain an unnatural, high-stepping gait that leads to the winner’s circle. Winning brings prestige, breeding fees, sales, and

I have an 8-year-old mare which delivered a filly recently and since the second feeding, she is protective of her teat area. She is constantly nipping when the baby tries to nurse. Is there anything I can do to make this less painful for my mare?

No matter your position on equine slaughter, there is a question in the minds of horse owners of whether a penetrating captive bolt is a “humane” form of euthanasia for horses. Many individuals and groups are dismissing captive bolt as inhumane, even if they have not researched the method, have not discussed it with someone knowledgeable in equine euthanasia, or haven’t witnessed it first-han

I’d like to see more information on alsike clover sensitivity, especially in horses with large areas of white skin such as Paints, pintos, and Appaloosas.

“West Nile virus (WNV) is coming to a state near you if it hasn’t already arrived,” said Eileen Ostlund, DVM, PhD, head of the equine/ovine viruses section at the Diagnostic Virology Laboratory, National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, during the Western Veterinary Conference held Feb. 15-19 in Las Vegas, Nev. In a comprehensive overview of WNV’s activity in the United States

My 12-year-old daughter’s 9-year-old Welsh Pony gelding (named Taffy) was moved to a new stable about eight weeks ago. Six weeks after the move, Taffy was introduced to the mares and allowed to graze and socialize with them. Since four of the 16 mares had two- to four-month-old foals, we were more than a little nervous that the mares would not take well to Taffy. However, one mare and

In a question and answer session at the Western Veterinary Conference, Eileen Ostlund, DVM, PhD, head of the equine and ovine viruses section at the Diagnostic Virology Laboratory, National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, offered these answers to the audience’s West Nile virus questions.

Q. Can you use Merial’s recombinant canarypox vaccine to booster horses after