Two separate research teams have identified the myostatin gene as a crucial indicator of athletic ability in a Thoroughbred’s genetic makeup and are continuing to study the potential of this marker for race distance selection.
Everyone has a different mental picture of how a skinny horse looks, acts, and appears. Often the easiest way to determine if a horse needs to be investigated by authorities is to determine his or her body condition score using the Henneke Scale.
The newly-renamed UK Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory recently welcomed scientist Erdal Erol, DVM, MSc, PhD, as the laboratory’s new head of diagnostic microbiology.
A mare should be brought inside at night beginning 30 to 45 days before her due date. This is done for two reasons. The first is so she can become comfortable with the surroundings and feel that the foaling stall is a safe, private place. Mares that are not at ease might delay foaling and prolong their labor until they feel more secure. Such a delay can lead to complications.
In the not-so-distant future, researchers believe they will be able to genetically modify stem cells to create a “vaccine,” so to speak, to treat a large number of musculoskeletal and other disorders in both humans and horses. An Italian research group has made recent strides in further understanding the potential of using stem cells derived from fat (adipose) tissue in this capacity.
The level of nursing care needed by ill or post-surgical horses who have returned home often falls somewhere between the capabilities of the horse owner and what is provided by a veterinarian. To fill that gap, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton Center, in Kennett Square, Pa., is launching an Equine Home Nursing Care Program called Equi-Assist. The program …
Kentucky Equine Research (KER) will be featured on the Discovery Channel’s hit series “Dirty Jobs,” airing on Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2010, at 9 p.m. EST.
A panel of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KRHC) looking into possible changes in the state’s breeders’ incentive fund met again Nov. 22 and discussed various options but came to no solid conclusions.
The Kentucky Thoroughbred Breeders’ Incentive Fund (KTBIF) Advisory Committee is considering all aspects of the program–from the registration process and fees to w
Imagine sustaining a fracture or undergoing orthopedic surgery and being prescribed a drug that helps control pain and inflammation. This medication is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). But there is a catch: the drug that helps control your pain inhibits bone healing.
A horse died Nov. 23 after a fall in the show jumping phase in the modern pentathlon competition at the 2010 Asian Games, which are currently under way in Guangzhou, China.
The Kentucky Horse Council (KHC) Board of Directors welcomed new and returning board members on Nov. 8 following elections at the annual membership meeting held in Lexington, Ky.
According to a press release from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, department animal health officials are investigating a case of equine herpesvirus (EHV) that prompted a quarantine of one barn at Finger Lakes Racetrack, located in Farmington, N.Y.
The Kentucky Equine Management Internship (KEMI) program will benefit from the sale of the Horse Mania 2010 horse “Cloisonneigh”, which was sponsored by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, at the Dec. 3 Keeneland Sales Pavilion auction.
Genetics is one of the many research focus areas at the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center. A subset of this emphasis area is the Animal Genetic Testing and Research Laboratory (AGTRL), which allows horse owners to investigate their horses’ DNA and offers a range of tests to the public, including those for genetic disorders and coat color patterns.
Neurologic signs observed in horses undergoing treatment with the commonly used antibiotic combination of trimethoprim (TMP) and sulfonamide have prompted researchers to warn veterinarians and owners about this potential side effect. They also recommend that veterinarians report potential adverse drug reactions (AEs, or adverse events).
Nearly 900 readers of TheHorse.com responded to a poll asking, ” How do you keep your horses’ water in the barn from freezing during the winter?”
Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with
