The quest to breed a better horse has led Thoroughbred breeders to try many unorthodox theories and systems, all with mixed results. To date, the success (or lack thereof) of most of these tools has been anecdotal, with no way to quantify whether a horse’s achievements were due to one or more of these breeding aides. Now, thanks to the rapidly developing advances within DNA co
The names, addresses, and photographs of convicted animal abusers residing in one New York county will soon be displayed online thanks to a new law that establishes the first animal abuse offender database in the nation. Unanimously passed by the Suffolk County Legislature on Tuesday, IR1879 establishes an online animal abuser registry similar to databases containing information a
A recent study found that using rectal swab samples could be an alternative way to test for the Lawsonia intracellularis bacteria that causes equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) if the foal has decreased or no fecal output. EPE is an emerging intestinal disease found in weanlings. Because th
When Alison LaCarrubba, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, head of the College of Veterinary Medicine’s equine ambulatory section, learned the Unwanted Horse Coalition (UHC) would lend financial support to establish a castration clinic at the university, she recognized the program as a way to deliver a valuable veterinary service to cash-strapped horse owners a
Horses are an integral part of Kentucky’s culture. They possess qualities of balance, coordination, speed, reflex, strength, endurance, and stamina. Outside the traditional setting of a racetrack or an open field, though, horses can also be healers.
More than 840 readers of TheHorse.com responded to a poll asking, “Is your horse vaccinated against rabies?”
My vet recommended I soak my mare’s hay for an hour, but I see some indications to just wet it down. Is it just unnecessary to soak or actually harmful in some way?
The Breeders’ Cup announced Oct. 12 the launch of www.Zenyatta2010.com, a Zenyatta-focused website built in advance of the upcoming Breeders’ Cup World Championships Nov. 5-6 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., where she will attempt to become the first North American Thoroughbred to ever go 20-0. The site, which
Horseback riding is more dangerous than motorcycle racing, according to Heather S. Havlik, MD, director of the sports medicine program at Charlotte Medical Clinic in North Carolina. “Never take for granted the fact that your partner in equestrian sports is much larger and much less predictable than in any other sport out there, and that situation requires constant awareness t
Six of the 10 major vaccines to protect against equine infectious diseases were developed and created at the University of Kentucky’s Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center. But that’s not the only major research accomplishment the world-renowned Gluck Center has contributed to the equine and veterinary fields.
Fall is a good time to take stock of the quality of horse pastures. The weeds that were most prevalent and uncontrolled during the summer will now be large and producing seeds.
A group of wild horse advocates has asked a federal judge to stop the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from carrying out a scheduled mustang gather in Colorado on grounds that the roundup violates federal regulations. The agency plans to gather an estimated 138 wild horses residing outside of the Piceance-East Douglas Herd Management Area southwest of Meeker, beginning Oct. 11, sai
Animal welfare authorities have filed multiple animal cruelty warrants for a Thoroughbred horse breeder who allegedly maltreated 35 animals on property he leased in Davie County, N.C. Bob DeWitt, animal cruelty investigator for the Davie County Sheriff’s Department said the warrants were issued after county animal welfare authorities acting on a tip about the horses’ condi
In what has been a long, hot, dry summer, more cases of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) have been confirmed in Ohio and New York recently. Two horses were euthanized in Ohio, bringing the total for EEE cases in that state to four. Williams and Sandusky counties each have had one case in the past couple of weeks, while Mercer County reported two cases earlier this year.
Because horses afflicted with equine Cushing’s disease often develop laminitis, advances in diagnosis and treatment of Cushing’s can help veterinarians better prevent and/or treat the laminitis that stems from it. Nora Grenager, VMD, Dipl. ACVIM, of the Steinbeck Country Equine Clinic, in Salinas, Calif., updated attendees on Cushing’s at the Sept. 17-18 Laminitis West Conference
Champion racehorse and successful sire Pleasant Tap was euthanized Oct. 8 because of laminitis at William S. Farish’s Lane’s End Farm near Versailles, Ky. The 23-year-old son of Pleasant Colony is represented as a stallion by 53 stakes winners and the earners of more than $51.5 million. “We are saddened by the loss of Pleasant Tap,” Farish said. “He was an o
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