For horses that are sensitive to inhaled irritants, eating hay can be a problem. Even the cleanest, highest-quality hay is likely to contain a moderate amount of fine material.
Geneticists have created tools and tests that help horse breeders select for healthy foals. Furthermore, access to the equine genome means scientists can examine common diseases and conditions and find ways to prevent (and one day treat) them.
I have a 5-year-old horse that has one blue eye and one brown eye. I have been that told he is going blind in the blue eye and will proceed to go blind in the other within the next couple years. Is it common for a horse with blue eyes to lose sight?
Is it possible to hear a fetal horse’s heart rate with a high-quality stethoscope? If so, at about what stage of gestation, and what is the optimal position of the drum?
Have you ever heard of a bilateral goiter in a horse? My gelding has had a goiter all his life that has not caused any problems. I’ve noticed a second lump, and possible goiter, on his neck. Can horses get Grave’s disease?
Teasing is essential to detect when a broodmare is in estrus, but it’s no easy feat due to the size and power of the animals involved. Safety should be top priority–to avoid injury to horses and people. Teasing is particularly useful on farms with more than a dozen mares, according to…
When planning a horse breeding operation, consider how many mares and stallions you can handle, if you will offer live cover, artificial insemination, or both, and then determine your equipment and building needs from there (seeking expert advice).
My gelding panics and becomes terrified when something changes in the environment. My veterinarian suggested vitamin B and sacking him out (systemic desensitization). Is there any evidence that vitamin B supplements help the abnormally panicky horse?
Mares must have a well-balanced diet and healthy body condition to cycle properly and conceive and carry a foal. If adequate nutrients are not accessible to the mare as stored body fat or available in the feed, she will not cycle.
Whether reproduction occurs through natural breeding or artificial insemination, techniques and tools exist to help mare and stallion owners achieve their final goal: a complication-free conception, a problem-free pregnancy, and a healthy foal. When fertility problems occur, a veterinarian with a specialty in equine reproduction can help provide the tools to ensure breeding success.
Patricia M. Comerford, extension equine specialist in Penn State’s Department of Dairy and Animal Science (DAS), received the 2010 Outstanding Service Award at the Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup last week in Louisville, Ky.
Gainesway Farm stallion Mr. Greeley was euthanized early Nov. 30. The 18-year-old son of Gone West was diagnosed with laminitis several weeks ago. His condition recently deteriorated.
A simple blood test to measure plasma D-Dimer concentration in horses with colic might help veterinarians predict severity of cases, as concentrations are higher in horses with severe gastrointestinal (GI) disease, according to a group of University of Barcelona researchers.
More than 910 readers of TheHorse.com responded to a poll asking, “Do you change your horse’s shoes during the winter?”
A 4-year-old gelding was euthanized Nov. 27 after a collision during a race at Aqueduct Race Track in Jamaica, N.Y.
Cutting-edge research conducted on microscopic tunnels in horses’ intestinal walls has revealed that these channels play a key role in helping intestines heal after life-threatening colic episodes.
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