The immune system allows humans and animals including horses to survive in a complex world filled with harmful bacteria and viruses that can use our bodies for nourishment and reproduce within us. The immune system protects us from those organisms
Expected birth date is an age-old question for horse breeders tending to four-legged mothers-to-be. Most mares are bred naturally in a scheduled breeding with the stallion or through artificial insemination. Dave Freeman, PhD, Oklahoma State
When it comes to a mare’s uterus, ultrasound examination and cytology (examination of cells under a microscope) can give a veterinarian a pretty good picture of what’s going on inside that could be confounding conception. However, comparing these
This year the University of Kentucky’s Animal Genetics Testing & Research Laboratory (AGTRL) will celebrate 25 years of offering a variety of genetic testing services to horse owners and breed registries. Established in 1986 and formerly known as the Parentage Testing Laboratory, the AGTRL is located in the Gluck Equine Research Center after being housed in the Dimmock Animal Pathology building at
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.
Live cover breeding of horses remains a popular choice. Whatever your reason for choosing this method, these 10 tips will be useful as you plan a mating. Attention to safety and behavior go a long way in making the experience positive and successful.
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.
Early this year, frozen embryos that had undergone genetic testing were thawed and successfully transferred into the uteri of surrogate mares at Minitube International Center for Biotechnology in Mount Horeb, Wis.
The benefit of genetic testing of embryos is the ability to detect genetic diseases and traits prior to establishing a pregnancy. There are numerous diseases for which
Horses with allergic diseases, like recurrent airway obstruction, might have fewer parasites.
Koko the horse appeared to be a typical mare, but when she began acting overly aggressive and trying to mount her female counterparts, her owner became suspicious.
After a barrage of tests at the University of Guelph’s Ontario Ve
Equine metabolic syndrome is a devastating disease characterized by the three main features of obesity, insulin resistance, and laminitis. Certain breeds or individual horses are predisposed to EMS, and are often referred to as “easy keepers.” These
When Paul Megson attended the 2007 Keeneland November breeding stock sale with his young daughter, Valerie, he had his eye on a particular weanling that stood out from the hundreds of other catalog entries because of one obvious reason: his pur
Veterinarians might be able to prevent abortions in some pregnant mares that show premature mammary development, Dietrich H. Volkmann, BVSc, MMedVet (Gyn), Dipl. ACT, told equine veterinarians at the 2010 Western Veterinary Conference, held Feb
Dr. Ernie Bailey explains how advances in equine genetics have benefited veterinary medicine.
The High Risk Pregnancy in the Mare session at the 2009 AAEP Conference was very well attended.
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