Unexpected guests often drop in over the holidays, but what if your drop-ins were an entire herd of Quarter Horses?

That’s what happened to Falmouth, Ky., equine rescue facility Speak Up For Horses, when 48 mares, stallions, and foals were signed over to them by Breckenridge County Judge Executive Ray Powers, upon culmination of a local animal cruelty case and the recent for

Dutch Warmblood gelding Ravel, owned by Akiko Yamazaki of Woodside, Calif., and ridden by Steffen Peters of San Diego, Calif., was named the 2009 Adequan/U.S. Dressage Federation Grand Prix Horse of the Year. Ravel’s median score of 75.574% made him the top horse in the United States competing at this level and the recipient of USDF’s highest honor.

Ravel was recognized at

The Art Museum at the University of Kentucky will present a groundbreaking exhibition to coincide with the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in 2010. Hoofbeats and Heartbeats will be the first significant exhibition to critically examine the role of the horse in American art, history, and culture.

More than 40 paintings and sculptures will be brought together from museums

A 31-year-old horse is recovering after firefighters in Milford, Conn., used a boom truck to rescue him from deep snow Sunday morning, the New Haven Register reported.

The horse, named Konradin, was extricated after a two-hour ordeal. Firefighters massaged the sluggish

You’re planning to take your horse to a big event several hundred miles away. To reach your destination, you might travel through states you’ve never before visited. Since equine transportation regulations vary from state to state, how will you know if you are in compliance each time you cross a state line? To help equestrians keep up with these requirements, USRider is providing up-

The Nevada Department of Wildlife is supporting the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in a court battle over the planned Dec. 28 removal of about 2,700 wild mustangs from the Calico Mountain Complex Herd Management Area to long-term holding facilities.

On Dec. 16, animal advocates asked a federal court judge to forbid the round-up on grounds that it violates federal law. BLM Spokesm

Two “Moneigh” paintings created by Zenyatta will be available for sale in ReRun’s eBay store December 26, 2009. On that day Zenyatta, the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner with an unbroken 14 for 14 win record, will make her final appearance at Santa Anita Racetrack’s Opening Day in a parade before fans. There will also be a special Winners Circle ceremony to honor her spect

Just in time for Christmas, more than 250 horses have found new homes via their free listings on TheHorse.com’s adoption service.

The service is a bulletin board on which owners can list any horse (of any breed!) offered for free to a good home. It also features resources on horse adoption. Interested individuals cont

Calder Casino & Race Course lifted a virus-related quarantine Dec. 21, allowing 60 horses to resume normal training and racing.

The quarantine was enacted at the Miami Gardens, Fla., track in late November, after one horse was diagnosed with equine herpesvirus-1.

Horses are now permitted to ship to Calder for racing.

“While the quarantine w

After identifying a lack of reliability and repeatability in experienced veterinarians’ evaluation of lameness, a group of vets have challenged the industry to search for and develop “a more objective and reliable method of lameness evaluation for us in the field,” and noted that such efforts “should be encouraged and supported.”

Heavy rainfall in South Florida Dec. 18 forced officials at Gulfstream Park to take immediate action to protect horses and people. About 600 horses were relocated to other area stabling facilities and there was an evacuation of one backstretch dormitory.

This brief composting introduction was written as a guide for on-farm composting of horse mortalities and can assist in designing and troubleshooting composting systems.

United States Equestrian Federation finalists for 2009 Farnam/Platform USEF Horse of the Year are: Courage to Lead, Morgan mare, owned by Beverley Lesher; Kripton-Seni II, Andalusian stallion, Joe & Nancy Latta; CH Our Charming Lady, American Saddlebred mare, Jack and Donna Finch; Ravel, Dutch Warmblood gelding, Akiko Yamazaki; Sapphire, Belgian Warmblood mare, McLain Ward & Bluechip Bloodstock

The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) will sponsor a new business education workshop Feb. 5-6, 2010, in Dallas, Texas. The meeting, which offers essential skills for building a successful equine practice in the 21st century, is sponsored by AAEP Educational Partner Boehringer-Ingelheim.