Researchers suspect tying-up in horses is a heritable condition; however, they have yet to determine the gene–or genes–responsible. But a team of Japanese researchers recently moved the investigation forward with a groundbreaking study of affected Thoroughbred racehorses’ DNA. Muscle disorders such as polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM, recognized mainly in Quarter Horses) and recurrent

Neuroaxonal dystrophy (NAD) is a degenerative central nervous system disease of horses, humans, and other animals. Horses affected with NAD usually appear dull or depressed with weakness and mild to severe gait abnormalities (ataxia) that affect all four limbs, although the hind limbs are usually more severely affected. Clinical signs of NAD are usually first observed in young horses under the

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has offered input to help smooth implementation of proposed new federal guidelines on a useful and effective induction agent, propofol. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has proposed making propofol a Schedule IV drug (drugs that have a safe and accepted medical use in the United States, including those certain narcotic and non-narcotic drugs,

On Dec. 22, Paramount Pictures released the remake of the 1969 John Wayne classic, True Grit. Among the star-studded cast of the film are Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, and a slew of equine actors that bring the Western movie to life. The “director” of the equine stars for True Grit was Rusty Hendrickson, who has worked with horses on movie sets for more than three decades and has been the head horse

An analysis of statistics compiled by the Equine Injury Database (EID) for a two-year period shows a slight decline in the number of catastrophic injuries to Thoroughbred racehorses during that time, officials said Dec. 15.

Angular limb deformities (ALDs) of the carpus (knee) are a common problem in foals and yearlings, and researchers have narrowed the surgical treatment options down to the two that present the best results. Eric R. Carlson, DVM, an equine surgery resident at the University of Illinois’ Veterinary Teaching Hospital, gave a presentation on these options at the 56th Annual Convention of the American

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (ASPCA), the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and the American Humane Society recently seized 117 horses from a farm in Viola, Ark.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) executive board has elected Barbara A. Schmidt, DVM, of Union, Ky., as the association’s next treasurer. Schmidt, an equine practitioner, will officially begin serving as AVMA treasurer in July. The treasurer is a nonvoting member of the executive board.

Authorities in Smith County, Texas, have removed 43 horses from a Lindale property. An investigator with the Smith County District Attorney’s office served a seizure warrant to the horses’ owner Dec. 14, allowing the horses to be removed the next day and placed them at a temporary holding facility. Many of the horses on site were severely emaciated and showed signs of neglect.

A team of German researchers might have pinpointed the genes responsible in part for the development of navicular syndrome as the result of a study of Hanoverian Warmbloods.

The NARHA Equine Specialist Certification Subcommittee and the NARHA staff announced the Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning Certification. Equine-Facilitated Learning and Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy are rapidly growing fields, and this certification is meant to improve the experience for all involved. A lot of hard work has been done by the Equine Specialist Certification S

A Wyoming woman has asked the Speaker of the State’s House of Representatives and other officials to investigate Representative Sue Wallis on grounds that the lawmaker violated ethics laws when she sponsored legislation to allow horse processing plant development in that state. Wallis was the primary sponsor of HB 122

Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) has added a Masters of Science in Horse Science (MSHS) program to its curriculum. With this addition, MTSU is positioning itself to be one of the Southeast’s premier undergraduate and postgraduate educational facilities in the horse industry.

Exactly 740 readers of TheHorse.com responded to a poll asking, “What are your horse’s favorite holiday treats?”

Zenyatta’s California connections were in Versailles, Ky., on Dec. 20 to visit the great mare and watch her stretch her legs in a paddock for the first time at Lane’s End Farm. Owners Ann and Jerry Moss, trainer John Shirreffs and his wife Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs (the Mosses’ racing manager), groom Mario Espinoza, and Espinoza’s wife hotwalker Carmen Zamona made the trip. They arrived at the

University of California, Davis, doctoral candidate Carrie J. Finno, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, has received the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Foundation Past Presidents’ Research Fellow for her contributions to advancing equine research.