A new equine surgery and sports medicine center is set to open its doors in Lexington, Ky. Lexington Equine Surgery and Sports Medicine is a group veterinary referral practice focusing on outpatient medicine and elective surgery. Established by Bill Bernard, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, the surgery center is expected to fill a need for additional surgical facilities in Central Kentucky.

All horses staying or racing at Tampa Bay Downs in Tampa, Fla., during the 2010-2011 racing season will be required to test negative for equine piroplasmosis (EP) before admission to track stabling, according to a statement on the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association’s website.

Veterinary specialists at Virginia Tech’s Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center (EMC) in Leesburg, Va., have been awarded several research grants to support their efforts to improve horse health–not only for their own patients, but for all horses.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KRHC) said Nov. 8 it is “continuing its inquiry” into the circumstances surrounding the performance of Life At Ten in the Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup Ladies Classic at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. The 3-year-old filly finished last in the Ladies Classic as the second choice in the wagering at 7-2.

Equine grass sickness (EGS) is an often fatal neurologic disease affecting primarily young grazing horses, and a team of researchers from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland are working to find its cause. Their findings regarding bacteria in the feces of affected horses compared to non-affected horses were recently published in the Equine Veterinary Journal.

A Texas horse dealer accused of misrepresenting the health and nature of horses she offered for sale online will pay more than $65,000 in restitution to clients who were misled about the animals they purchased, under a civil judgment agreement finalized last week.

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) announced today the unanimous election of Patricia Hogan, VMD, Dipl. ACVS to its board of directors. Hogan is known for treating 2004 Kentucky Derby winner Smarty Jones as a 2-year-old after the colt suffered a fracture to his left eye socket, and being instrumental in the design and construction of the new Ruffian Medical Center at Belmont Park.

More than 860 readers of TheHorse.com responded to a poll asking, “What kind of identification does your horse have?”

A juvenile faces criminal mischief charges in connection with the alleged vandalism of a horse barn in Lexington, Ky., this past weekend. Police were called to a farm on Jacks Creek Pike, where the farm operator reported discovering that the manes and tails of horses residing in the barn had been cut and that horse feed had been destroyed.

Several New Jersey horse owners have filed a lawsuit against the highway toll collecting company E-Z Pass and the Delaware River Port Authority, claiming the electronic toll collection system has overcharged them repeatedly to cross the Commodore Barry Bridge, which spans the Delaware River and connects New Jersey to Pennsylvania.

According to a new study by European equitation scientists, horses might prefer to avoid rein tension rather than just get used to it. And beyond a certain force threshold, rein tension can cause conflict behavior. To make the most of training and to keep the horse’s mouth sensitive, riders need to know when to apply less rein tension, generally when the horse displays conflict behavior.

Blame, winner of the Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup Classic, has been retired from racing for stallion duty at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Ky. Mine That Bird, who stunned the racing world when he won the 2009 Kentucky Derby at 50-1 odds, has also been retired.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has awarded this year’s Henry Bergh award to Kathleen Schwartz-Howe and Days End Farm Horse Rescue Inc. In 1989, after witnessing horse neglect at a local stable, Schwartz-Howe and her family made the commitment to help save equines in her community and founded Days End Farm Horse Rescue Inc. in Woodbine, Md.

In recognition of her unwavering dedication, extraordinary generosity, and exemplary service to Virginia Tech’s Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center, Beverly “Peggy” Steinman was awarded the 2010 Distinguished Service Award on Oct. 14. Steinman currently serves on the EMC’s Council and Executive Committee.

Law enforcement authorities in Montana are seeking the public’s help in identifying whoever is responsible for shooting two horses in Gallatin County in September.

Zenyatta’s history-making winning streak ends by a nose to Blame in the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I). Blame is a homebred son of Arch for Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider.