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Freeze Stops European Atypical Myopathy Reports

The largest outbreak of equine atypical myopathy in Europe has ended with freezing winter temperatures, with a record number of 371 reported cases, according to a group of researchers in Belgium.

Equine Grass Sickness Reviewed

A fatal gastrointestinal disease once limited to Scotland is being seen more frequently in certain parts of the world due to geographical progression, said British researchers.

Rider Position, Horse Back Movement Evaluated

A rising trot is less loading to a horse's back than a sitting trot, producing less vertical force as measured through new biomechanical techniques, according to Dutch researchers.

Horses Demonstrate Ability to Count in New Study

It's no circus trick: researchers have shown that horses can count, despite 100 years of belief to the contrary.

Horse Genome Publication Key to Enhanced Research, Understanding

Where does an Appaloosa get its spots? What makes one horse more naturally suited for Western pleasure than dressage? Why do some horses get laminitis, and others don't? The short answer we all know is, "It's in the genes." Accurate, but abstract.

Study: Topical Allergy Cream Can Produce Systemic Effects in Horses

Glucocorticoid cream applied at normal doses onto healthy equine skin will be quickly absorbed into the body's system and can generate adverse systemic effects, said German researchers in a new study report. As a result, it can also cause a horse to test positive in performance drug tests within two days.

Transport Precautions Reduce Risks to Traveling Horses

Horses being transported have specific needs and appear to be at increased risk of disease, injury, distress, and poor performance when these needs are not met, said an equine welfare study group in the United Kingdom.

Study: Horse Whinnies Packed with Information

Through their whinnies, horses convey specific information about their identities, including sex, height, and weight, according to French researchers. Acoustic analyses of whinnies and the reactions of horses to various recorded whinnies also suggest that the vocal calls play an important social role and appear to be unique to each horse.

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West Nile Virus Returns to Italy

West Nile virus (WNV) has re-emerged in Italy, resulting in 28 equine clinical cases, including seven deaths as of last week, according to an epidemiological bulletin produced by the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell'Abruzzo e del Molise "Giuseppe Caporale" (IZSA&M), an Italian public health institute.

The epidemic began in central ea...

Heparin Might Prevent Laminitis after Colic Surgery

Low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) is proving highly effective in preventing laminitis and reducing the severity of laminitis following colic surgery, according to Belgian researchers.

Prior to the study period, more than 10% of colic surgery patients at the Equine Clinic of the University of Liège developed laminitic pain and lameness following ...

Equine Heat Tolerance Parameters Examined in Study

In a step toward understanding heat tolerance in horses, Brazilian researchers recently concluded that respiratory rate (RR), heart rate (HR), and rectal temperature (RT) are the most useful parameters for distinguishing equine adaptation to elevated temperatures. 

As part of an ongoing project on equine heat tolerance, the study authors...

Horses Read Human Body Cues, Researchers Say

Do you ever feel like your horse might be watching your every move? He very well might be, according to a new behavior study by British scientists. Their research indicates that horses are highly sensitive to the attention we attribute to them, including our gaze.

In a series of tests involving 36 horses and ponies aged 10 months to 38 years, two ...

Saddle Pad Research Shows Variable Changes in Rider Pressure

Saddle pads might help reduce painful pressure on a horse's back caused by ill-fitting saddles, but the ideal pad will vary from horse to horse and from saddle to saddle, according to a new study by Austrian researchers.

Optimum pressure relief will also depend on the discipline and even the gait, said primary study author Anja Kotschwar, DVM, res...

Equine Respiratory Disease Diagnosis Aided by Fluid Evaluation

Respiratory disease in horses can be accurately assessed through laboratory evaluation of respiratory fluids, according to a new review by French and Belgian researchers.

When combined with clinical examinations, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and tracheal washes reveal important information leading to the diagnosis and proper treatment of respirato...

Grazing Horses in Moderately Polluted Areas

Horses might serve as good management tools for pastures moderately polluted by trace elements, according to Spanish researchers. And provided the animals receive adequate, systematic monitoring through biological sampling, they can be kept on this land without adverse health consequences.