Various supplements are commonly given to breeding stallions in hopes of improving semen quality, but conflicting reports exist on their effectiveness. Researchers have found, however, that the supplement ingredient DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oil, does have a positive effect on semen quality.

The care and management of aging horses is the overarching theme of the upcoming horse management seminar hosted by the Rutgers Equine Science Center and Rutgers Cooperative Extension. The seminar, scheduled from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 13 at the Cook Campus Center in New Brunswick, N.J., will feature presentations by several equine industry authorities.

Law enforcement authorities in Mason County, Wash., are seeking whoever is responsible for the shooting deaths of two horses. According to a Mason County Sheriff’s Department press release, Sheriff’s Deputies discovered the animals on Jan. 11, after a tipster reported seeing the horses dead in their pasture located just west of Shelton, Wash. The tipster also reported that the animals appeared to

More than 2,090 readers of TheHorse.com responded to a poll asking, “Do you blanket your horses in winter?”

Laminitis is not a modern condition–it has been recognized for well over 2,000 years. The Greek philosopher Aristotle even referred to it around 350 B.C. as ‘Barley Disease,’ presumably because it was associated even then with excessive grain consumption. However, according to Patricia Harris, MA, PhD, Dipl. ECVCN, VetMB, MRCVS, there has recently been an increased interest in pasture-associated

From Jan. 28-30, the Kentucky Horse Council (This year, for the first time, the Summit will offer two sessions designed for the brand new trail rider. These sessions will address how to prepare a horse for the trail, how to prepare the rider for the trail, trail saddles and gear, and how to link into the Kentucky trail riding community.

In the first study of its kind performed on 2-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses, Daniel T. Meagher, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, of Valley Equine Associates, in Ranson, W.Va., set out to determine the prevalence of radiographic lesions and their effect on race performance. A similar study was previously carried out on radiographic abnormalities in yearlings, but Meagher’s study was the first to examine the

A bill that would shift $30 million from the Casino Redevelopment Authority to the horse racing industry in the state of New Jersey over a three-year period progressed in the legislature on Jan. 10. The money would be paid on a sliding scale: $15 million in 2011, $10 million in 2012, and $5 million in 2013 under the premise other funding would become available as legislation is passed to spur

The Office of the Inspector General in the Kentucky Transportation Department is assisting the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) in its probe of Life At Ten’s participation in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic. Although the commission staff, under direction of its director of security, is conducting the bulk of the investigation, representatives from the Transportation Department were brought

New regulations to assure that the medicines animal owners purchase for their pets and horses are safe were announced in late December 2010 by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), an agency of Great Britain’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The 21st annual Thoroughbred Charities of America (TCA) Stallion Season Auction raised a gross amount of nearly $1.7 million during a three-day telephone auction and a live auction held Jan. 8 at the Keeneland Entertainment Center.

Every horseperson has seen the telltale signs of a thin horse: the disproportionately skinny neck, the protruding spine, the row of ribs, and the jutting hipbones. Thanks in part to advances made in feeding management, veterinary care, parasite control, and dentistry, educated caretakers can fatten horses safely and easily. But when is it time to switch from a “weight-gain” diet to a “maintenance”

Before purchasing a yearling it’s important to review his health records to ensure he is healthy and sound enough for a successful racing career. Jennifer L. Higgins, DVM, gave potential buyers insight into specific lesions that could reduce a horse’s career earnings when she presented a retrospective study on the subject at the 56th Annual Convention of the American Association of

One barn at Beulah Park near Columbus, Ohio, has been released from quarantine, but a possible new case of equine herpesvirus (EHV) is being investigated in another barn, officials said Jan. 8.

The 2011 Pennsylvania Horse World Expo is slated to take place Feb. 24 -27 at the Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg, Pa. During the event many equine professionals will be on hand to share their knowledge on a diverse list of topics. Join them for research-based discussions on the many issues that today’s horse owners are facing. There are three arenas and two seminar halls

The capacity of feeds and forages to counteract changes in gastric pH (their buffering capacity) plays an important role in the prevention of gastric ulcers in horses. Alfalfa hay has been shown to be more effective in reducing the severity of ulcers in horses by providing superior buffering capacity compared to grass hay.