While transporting a horse of any age raises health and safety concerns, horses in their late teens and older require extra attention, especially during a long haul.
The most common angular limb deformity in foals is carpus valgus (sometimes called toeing out) in which affected foals have limbs that flare outward below the carpus (knee). This deformity can be corrected surgically with hemi-circumferential periosteal transection and elevation (HCPTE). The procedure involves lifting the fibrous layer, called the periosteum, off of the outside of the carpal
Horses which survive an episode of severe colic can be temporarily unable to eat. Anorexia, nasal regurgitation, and ileus (lack of bowel movement) prevent oral feeding. After several days of malnutrition, the horse’s ability to heal is impaired. Humans who are unable to eat normally are fed intravenously; this method is known as parenteral nutrition (PN). While PN has been used in horses, it
The researchers developed a molecular test to detect the cream gene in DNA found in the blood or hair. Guerin says the test will help owners identify heterozygous carriers of the gene (those able to pass on the cremello gene to offspring).
In most cases of navicular disease, the condition affects both front feet with lameness as described previously. Horses most at risk are those with certain heritable conformation features such as upright pasterns and small foot size relative to body mass.
Two of Kentucky’s most famous industries, bourbon and horse racing, have united to raise money for a new 25-acre center at the Kentucky Horse Park to facilitate adoption of former racehorses. Since 1996, Maker’s Mark and Keeneland have produced a limited edition Maker’s Mark bottle to benefit a good cause. This year’s beneficiary is the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, which hopes to put
What is the best feeding practice for horses before competition exercise or a hard training session? There is no real consensus on this issue and, similar to the field of human performance nutrition, there are many opinions on what is best. Some trainers will withhold all feed, some will decrease the amount of hay fed, and others will increase the amount of grain or other high-energy feed
As the United States fights a war in Iraq and a larger war against terrorism, Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Billy Ray Smith has called upon farmers and farm businesses to do their part to secure the nation’s food supply.
“Since Sept. 11, 2001, agro-terrorism–malicious and intentional acts intended to disrupt our food supply–has become a new word in our vocabularies, and bio-security
By the time this magazine is in your hands, the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) will have released a report they commissioned to answer some of the questions raised in the industry about horse slaughter. The TRF is, of course, strictly a Thoroughbred rescue group. However, the issue of slaughter is one that touches every horse owner, so the information they provide is important to
Many conditions that cause heel pain can be successfully treated, so a “heel pain” diagnosis is certainly not an athletic death knell for many horses. Some horses confirmed with navicular disease itself can also be treated successfully and continue with useful careers, at least for a period of time.
Ohio and Pennsylvania have confirmed or reported cases of the neurologic form of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1, see Pennsylvania information on page 15). But the worst problems reported thus far have occurred in Ohio, where 12 horses died in an outbreak at the University of Findlay (see article #4127 at www.TheHorse.com) and three other Ohio horses die
Animal rights, owner responsibility, health and welfare, and all the attendant issues occupy more and more of our time and energy these days as we horse owners struggle to find a place in our busy lives for what once was a routine part of life in a long-ago society. Now, a few generations removed from our agrarian roots, we are bombarded, it seems, with ethical and political questions unasked
While Ohio veterinarians are busy fighting what seems to be an especially aggressive strain of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), two horses were euthanized due to illness from the virus at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Penn., in an outbreak that appears to be a more typical, sporadic episode. Additionally, at least two Iowa horses have been euthanized after battling what officials
We have a 19-year-old Appaloosa gelding that is going blind fast from a genetic disease. He is not coping with it well; he stumbles around, runs into things, leaves the herd, then gets confused and panics. Any advice?
A new Horse/Human Age Relationship Chart was recently released that seeks to better explain the relationship between the stages of life for humans and horses. This information reveals that, beginning at birth, horses age 6.5 years for each human year until puberty. Once a horse reaches age four, that rate slows to 2.5 years for each human year.
The Age Relationship Chart, created by
My friend’s 3-year-old filly plays with her tongue so much that she foams at the mouth (without a bit). She also plays with the rails in her stalls at feeding time such that she has foam all over. What could be the problem?
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