Sports Medicine

All aspects of caring for performance horses

Methods for Diagnosing Lameness

After an exciting day of cross country at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event on April 27, horse owners and enthusiasts gathered to hear top equine veterinarians from Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital speak on health issues pertaining to the sport

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Superstar Seattle Slew Dead at 28

Seattle Slew, the only horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated, died Tuesday morning in his sleep at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm near Lexington. On May 7, 1977, exactly 25 years ago, Slew won the Kentucky Derby. Seattle Slew had been the last

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Buddha’s Prognosis?

Kentucky Derby pre-race second choice Buddha was declared out of the race on Friday morning because of a sore left front foot.


Buddha worked on Thursday and cooled out sound. But on Friday morning when he was taken from his stall at 5

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Animal Supplement Crackdown

Many supplements used by horse owners and veterinarians every day are illegal and thus could be taken off the market. State regulators say that after five years of trying to get manufacturers to meet legal requirements, they are cracking down on

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Jump Landings and Tendon Strain

Lameness in show jumpers is often caused by forelimb tendon injury. The superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) is most frequently injured, followed by the interosseus tendon (IT), and the accessory ligament (AL), while the deep digital flexor

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Prolonged Bute Use Detrimental to Joints

Chronic use of phenylbutazone, or Bute, in horses with joint problems could be causing more problems than it’s preventing. A recent study showed that Bute and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) might be detrimental to

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Investigating Poor Performance

For a horse to perform well as an athlete, all body systems must be in good working order. When one or more systems “breaks down,” the horse is no longer able to perform up to his potential, and the owner, rider, and trainer will likely notice a

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Supplement Loss?

There are some regulatory rumblings that could change the way all of us feed and take care of our horses every day, whether you are a horse owner or a veterinarian. Many nutritional supplements are sold illegally. “What?” you might say. “How can

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Supplemental Work

The threat of a supplement crackdown motivated a group of 25 manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and distributors to join with the National Animal Supplement Counsel (NASC) on April 3-4 to hammer out a proposed Compliance Plus program. This

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Rare White Thoroughbred Born in Kentucky

Patchen Beauty, the rare white Thoroughbred mare who garnered a lot of attention when she competed on the Kentucky circuit in the mid-1990s, produced a white colt on April 5 at Warren Rosenthal’s Patchen Wilkes Farm near Lexington,

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Combat Stiffness

In many cases, you can completely cure the horse of the underlying ailment that causes his stiffness. And even in cases where the horse suffers from a chronic condition such as arthritis, your careful, consistent efforts to battle stiffness can improve his performance and, more important, his quality of life and his pleasure of performing with you.

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Tendons and Ligaments

It should come as no surprise that horses suffer from tendon and ligament injuries. When one considers these vital parts of the equine anatomy and the stresses placed upon them, it’s a tribute to the horse’s physical make-up that there aren’t

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Is Your Horse Fit for the Task?

Regardless of whether your horse is used for high-level competition or weekend trail riding, it’s important that he be fit for the task. “Fitness” is a rather vague expression, but in general terms it can be defined as the ability to complete th

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Supplements Facing Federal Regulation, Ban

There are some regulatory rumblings that could change the way all of us feed and take care of our horses every day. Unless the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an ingredient for use in an animal feed or supplement product, it is

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Racetrack Vets Could Form Own Organization

As the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Racing Integrity and Drug Testing Task Force prepared for its March 12 meeting, some racetrack veterinarians moved closer to forming their own organization.


Representatives from The Race

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