How to care for the basic health needs of horses
A stallion handler must be able to focus the stallion’s mind on him, as well as the mare, and make him wait for instructions. This cannot be achieved through fear or abusiveness, but through training basic cues and maneuvers to the stallion before he
We often punish horses for exhibiting undesirable stereotypic behaviors, but most of these behaviors are responses to suboptimal environments. Thus, punishing the horse for the behavior only increases the already heightened stress that caused
Steve O’Grady, BVSc, MRCVS, of Northern Virginia Equine, said a sheared heel is a “created situation” and a “poorly understood phenomenon.” He said the condition was first described by Bill Moyer, DVM, in 1975. “The diagnosis and treatment is th
Possibly one of the most talked-about presentations at the 2005 AAEP Convention, held Dec. 3-7 in Seattle, Wash., discussed the proper usage of the power-drill-mounted Henderson castration instrument in horses. Mark Reilly, DVM, of the South
Recovery from anesthesia after surgery can be a dangerous time for a horse as he struggles to his feet upon waking, often disoriented by unfamiliar surroundings and lingering incoordination. One way to help decrease injuries or re-injuries from
What causes laminitis? Is it the same as founder? Should I remove shoes from a horse with acute laminitis? Should I soak his feet? Does laminitis always have devastating consequences?
Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH), or bleeding in the lungs after exercise, costs the United States horse racing industry a great deal–estimated at up to $260 million per year by Kenneth W. Hinchcliff, BVSc, MS, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, of
A racehorse running at top speed breathes about 120 times per minute, moving about 12-15 liters of air per breath or 1,400-1,800 liters per minute. With this amount of airflow, it’s not hard to imagine that any amount of airway inflammation can
Injuries to the superficial digital flexor tendon account for as much as 30% of all Thoroughbred racing injuries, and of those that do heal there is a high incidence of reoccurrence, according to Linda Dahlgren, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, of
Four equine vaccines have been developed and approved for West Nile virus (WNV) in the past five years, one of which was the first DNA vaccine for any mammal. The pace of this progress is unheard of in industries that make vaccines for other
Inconsistencies in racetrack surfaces account for a large number of lamenesses in racehorses, said Jeff Blea, DVM, of the Southern California Equine Foundation in Arcadia, Calif., during the Lameness in Racehorses Forum held at the 51st Annual
University of Wisconsin researchers have shown that certain forelimb characteristics in the growing foal are associated with higher birth weights, and a foal’s carpal (knee) conformation is associated with the carpal conformation of both of its
Straight conformation in the forelimb doesn’t necessarily beget a more successful racehorse. This is what a research group from the University of Wisconsin’s School of Veterinary Medicine discovered in a recent study. However, the group also
A Colorado State University (CSU) researcher recently reported that he and his colleagues have found significant patterns of six different signals of damage or “biomarkers” in the serum of racehorses with certain musculoskeletal diseases. This means
An Australian researcher reported he’s found a reliable way for trainers to monitor Thoroughbred racehorse fitness using global positioning system (GPS) technology measurements of velocity and heart rate during normal fast gallop training
For horse owners and others who care for horses, recognizing the differences between what is normal and what is abnormal about them forms the basic foundation for good animal husbandry and veterinary medicine.
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