“Your horse is ready to be released to your care at home.” These words bring relief that the surgery is past and your horse is ready to return to the farm. But then, you have an anxious moment wondering how to manage a post-operative situation. You are wondering what you should be looking for that might portend a back-slide in your horse’s recovery, and what you can do to make him comfortable

A record crowd of nearly 6,200 attended the 49th annual convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) in New Orleans, La. Included in that total was twice the number of veterinary students who attended the 2002 convention. The convention offered nearly 100 scientific presentations, hands-on wet labs, and an equine health seminar for horse owners.

The 50th Annual

“There are really only two ophthalmic disease: Corneal ulcers and everything else,” said Brooks. Therapies are different, and some therapies for the “everything else” can make ulcers worse, cautioned Brooks.

With researchers worldwide working on solutions to various horse health problems, there is a veritable mountain of information being published continuously. Much of this information is included in AAEP convention presentations, but some of this valuable research was either too new or brief to be included in the program.

Keeping equids in a “backyard horse” situation, subdivision, or small acreage presents a different set of challenges than keeping horses on a large farm or ranch. In urban/suburban settings, some of the important considerations include zoning, building codes (if you plan to have a barn, run-in shed, indoor arena, etc.), space for exercise, waste management, fencing, and neighbors. Security an

Surgery for DDSP

Dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) occurs when the palate partially obstructs the airway by becoming displaced on top of the epiglottis. This can affect breathing, especially during intense exercise. Jennifer Smith, DVM, University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, discussed the combined effects of the surgeries

Horse owners should have equine survivors of West Nile virus (WNV) re-examined by their veterinarians before putting the animals back into work. In a study of Minnesota horses which survived clinical WNV infection, 40% showed WNV residual effects at six months after diagnosis; these neurologic effects can make the horse more dangerous to ride or drive. Julia Wilson, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, is an

“The foot is involved, either directly or indirectly, in the large majority of lameness cases,” said Ric Redden, DVM, founder of the International Equine Podiatry Center in Versailles, Ky.

Thousands of horses from shut-down PMU (pregnant mare urine) farms in Canada and North Dakota are finding new homes in the United States, but few are winding up at slaughter houses at this time, according to slaughter plant managers.

Dick Koehler, general manager of the Beltex plant in Fort Worth, Texas, said that his firm is never in the market for PMU horses because many of them are

A study to determine the clinical signs of gastrointestinal rupture during colic was done by researchers at the University of California, Davis, and results were presented by Diana Hassel, DVM, of UC Davis.