There is bucolic tranquility in the sight of two horses dozing in the sun, side by side, nose to tail, with their tails rhythmically swishing as they leisurely work at keeping flies off their bodies. That is the basic purpose of the equine tail
The horse industry in the United States contributes $39 billion in direct economic impact and generates about $102 billion in total spending, according to a detailed economic impact study released June 28.
“The Economic Impact of the Horse
Researchers found that heart size correlated with athletic performance in Standardbred trotters.
Morris Animal Foundation, the world’s largest private funding source for companion animal and wildlife health studies, gathered some of the nation’s top authorities in equine research to pinpoint equine health priorities and address the
An interesting dichotomy exists when we turn our attention to the horse’s foot. On the one hand, without a healthy foot, a modern-day horse really has no value. On the other hand, the foot often is the most neglected part of the horse’s anatomy.
Whether you’re a heavy horse fancier or not, a big hitch of fancy draft horses is an arresting sight. But what’s the connection between all this flash and the ideal function of a heavy horse? Show ring insiders say you’re seeing an animal
Hoof care is one of the most important aspects of quality horse management. Hoof trimming, good nutrition, and
It is widely believed that exercise and limb-loading in foals help joint cartilage functionally adapt to the rigors of athletic activity. In 2005, Dutch researchers set out to find out if they could verify the concept of functional adaptation of
The immune systems of humans and horses are what keep us alive. Without a properly functioning immune system, disease would run rampant, with serious illness and death being the ultimate outcome.
Gain an understanding of how the horse is constructed and what this means in the realm of form to function.
I read about horses dying of “heart attacks,” but I’ve had veterinarians tell me there’s no such thing as a horse having a heart attack. What are people talking about when they say a horse died of a heart attack?
Management of severe skeletal pain in the horse can be a challenging task in practice, and is complicated by the fact that many drugs used for this purpose are controlled substances.
During colic surgery, it can be difficult to judge whether twisted bowel deprived of oxygenated blood, a process called ischemia, will recover sufficiently once it is replaced and blood flows again. While the bowel might look healthy on the outside,
Acute and chronic disease (especially osteoarthritis) of the sacroiliac joint(s) is not uncommon in competition horses and racehorses, affecting up to 8% of Standardbreds in training and 15% of competition horses (particularly hunters, jumpers,
We all should be aware of our level of competence with foot problems–horse owners, veterinarians, and farriers. Since there is no formal education in the field of podiatry, training must be sought on an individual basis.
While the term sports medicine is of modern extraction, exercise physiology in humans and horses has been around for more than 100 years. During the decline of the use of work horses in the early to mid-20th Century, not much research was done.
Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with
