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Renovating the High-Traffic Paddock

Kentucky is known for its beautiful rolling green pastures filled with broodmares and their young, but there can be an ugly side to this picture: the half acre turnout paddock next to every barn. You know the one—new mares and foals, mares close to foaling, or horses on layup are turned out here every day.

Lawsonia Prevalence Patterns Investigated

Yearly variability in exposure to a severe disease-causing bacterium of young horses appears to be different than previously thought. Despite the common belief that the incidence of equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE), a severe gastrointestinal disease of foals and long yearlings, spikes higher in some years than in others, researchers have recently fo...

Study Examines Off-The-Track Thoroughbred Adoption Issues

Researchers recently investigated two issues related to the adoption of off-the-track Thoroughbreds: identifying individual horse characteristics that influence the length of stay at an adoption facility, and determining any identifiable horse characteristics that make adopted animals more likely to be returned to the adoption facilities.

S. vulgaris, Selective Deworming Association Studied

Results from a recent study performed on American and Danish horses identified an association between selective treatment and occurrence of the most pathogenic (capable of producing disease) parasite, Strongylus vulgaris, said Martin Nielsen, DVM, PhD, EVPC, assistant professor in the Department of Veterinary Science at the Gluck Equine Research Center.

Fall Pasture Management Following a Drought

The recent drought has affected crop production severely, and many horse farm managers and horse owners have noticed that pastures have suffered as well. Here are some practical steps that can be taken on cool season grass pastures to help them recover for fall and spring grazing.

New Diagnostic Assay for EPM Developed

Dan Howe, PhD, a molecular parasitologist at the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Center, has developed a new assay to aid in diagnosing equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). This enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, or ELISA, measures antibodies to the surface antigens (SAGs) SnSAG2, SnSAG3, and SnSAG4 of Sarcocystis neurona, the parasite t...

Revise Equine Management Strategies for Hot, Dry Weather

With the intense weather hitting Kentucky and much of the United States this summer, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture experts are recommending horse owners take stock of their pastures and consider other management options such as supplementing with hay.

Livestock Heat-Stress Emergency Issued as High Temps Persist

This summer continues to be dry and hot, to the extreme, in Kentucky and other parts of the country. As highs soar to the upper 90s and lower 100s toward the end of June and into the first part of July, the Livestock Heat Stress Index will reach the emergency category. Horse owners and livestock producers should take notice and precautions.

Grazing Management During Drought

Much of Kentucky has been behind on rainfall since spring began, but the drought has been exceptional in Western Kentucky with some cities 8 and 9 inches below normal rainfall totals. With some of the state's historically driest months ahead, good pasture management is critical for livestock producers, said forage extension specialists from the Univer...

Environmental Best Practices for Horse Owners

Managing horses can be both rewarding and challenging. Horse owners often struggle to balance their horses' needs with environmental concerns, while remaining within their farm's budget. In the United States farmers must comply with both federal and state regulations concerning agricultural sediment, pathogens, and nutrient pollution to the air an...

Sarcocystis Neurona Genome Project Almost Complete

Dan Howe, PhD, a professor and molecular parasitologist at the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Center, and colleagues are finishing up a three-year Sarcocystis neurona genome project. The primary goal of the project, titled "Genome Sequence for the apicomplexan Sarcocystis neurona," has been to sequence and assemble the genome of S....

Fertilization and Early Pregnancy Loss in Mares

According to Barry Ball, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACT, the Albert G. Clay Endowed Chair in equine reproduction at the University of Kentucky's Gluck Equine Research Center, there are a variety of potential causes for pregnancy loss in mares.

Eastern Tent Caterpillar Egg Hatch Under Way in Central Ky.

Experts report that this year's Eastern tent caterpillar egg hatch is about a week ahead of the past 10 years' average. 

Ionophore Intoxication in Horses

A recent recall of horse feed contaminated with the ionophore antibiotic monensin has prompted many questions about this feed additive and its risks to horses. 

Mild Winter Impacts Weed Emergence

The mild winter weather and excellent soil moisture have resulted in rapid growth of many cool-season weeds this year in Kentucky. Weed growth is currently about three to four weeks ahead of "normal" development. This means pasture managers need to scout fields now and be prepared to initiate control tactics sooner than normal. Henbit, purple de...

UK Graduate Student Spotlight: Sanjay Sarkar

Sanjay Sarkar

Earlier Pasture Growth in 2012: Implications for Tall Fescue

In Kentucky and surrounding states, winter has been abnormally mild. Thus, most cool season pasture grasses have not had a real dormancy period. Unless there is a late cold spell, we expect pastures to "green-up" earlier this year.

Weed of the Month: Yew, Taxus

Common name:Yew, Taxus
Scientific name:Taxus species

Breeding Soundness Exams for Stallions

With breeding season fast approaching, stallions should undergo breeding soundness exams before starting to breed mares, whether via artificial insemination or live cover.

Broodmares' Nutritional Needs During Late Gestation

Late-pregnancy mares need to be fed adequately so they are not undernourished, because the last few months of fetal development see the most growth, tissue accumulation, and weight gain. This growth particularly accelerates in the last two months, according to Laurie Lawrence, PhD, professor in the department of animal and food sciences at the University ...

Broodmare Nutrition: Preparing for Fall and Winter

Body Condition

Mare Response to Endometritis Treatment

In September Mats Troedsson, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACT, ECAR, professor and director of the University of Kentucky (UK) Gluck Equine Research Center and chair of the department of veterinary science, lectured at UK's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (UKVDL) on endometritis.

Tips for Overseeding Central Kentucky Horse Pastures

Fall is the optimal time for horse pasture improvement in Kentucky, according to researchers at the University of Kentucky (UK). And within that window of time, mid-August through mid-September is considered the sweet spot for pasture establishment. This is the time of year when weed competition is low and ideal growing conditions exist for cool-season gr...

Customized Daily Weather Information for Kentucky Farms

Detailed agricultural weather information that can be customized to a horse farm's exact location is just one of the pieces of information available to Kentucky horse owners through the University of Kentucky's College of Agriculture Weather Center.

Horse Lysine Requirements Focus of Study

Lysine is one of the 20 amino acids essential to horses, but it often is the most deficient in their diets due to its inadequate levels in commonly-fed cereal grains. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, which form muscle, enzymes, and hormones throughout the body. Horses can only use them if all essential amino acids are present at sufficient ...

Colic in Horses: General Review

Among the species of domestic livestock, the horse is the animal that most commonly suffers from colic. Colic is a general term indicating abdominal pain. The anatomy of the horse's digestive tract, how the tract works, and the management practices imposed by man seem to contribute to colic's occurrence. Colic might not be caused solely by disease...

Equine Influenza PCR Assay Available in Kentucky

The Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center (LDDC) at the University of Kentucky now offers a molecular diagnostic assay to detect the H3N8 equine influenza virus (also known as type 2 equine influenza virus) in clinical specimens. Currently only the H3N8 subtype is associated with equine influenza virus outbreaks around the world.

Rabies Vaccinations: An Equine Care Basic

According to a recent report issued by the Kentucky State Veterinarian's office, the number of reported cases of rabies rose from 45 in 2008 to 46 in 2009. However, the number of cases has doubled in the last five years.

Cartilage Repair Tissue 'Substantially Different'

When a horse sustains a serious injury to articular cartilage in one of its joints, a repair process occurs in the wound. The hope of the horse's owner is for the injury to sufficiently heal and restore normal joint function. Unfortunately, for much of the horse's life, there is a high probability that osteoarthritis will cause chronic pain and co...

Composting: A Viable Alternative for Mortality Disposal

Proper livestock stewardship does not cease when an animal dies. Despite sound management, all horse producers will experience losses due to weather, disease, or other natural causes. Options for carcass disposal are dwindling due to enhanced regulation and decreased availability of rendering services. To address growing environmental and biosecurity conc...

Placentitis Research Could Help Prevent Late-Term Abortions

Placentitis, which often is caused by an ascending infection that enters the mare's uterus through the cervix, is the single most important cause of premature delivery of a foal. Placentitis accounts for nearly one-third of late-term abortions and fetal mortality in the first day of life. During the past six years, the University of Kentucky (UK) Live...

Gestational Weight Gain in Mares

It's generally known that a mare gains weight during gestation, but University of Kentucky (UK) researchers are studying how much weight a normal mare should gain for the health of the fetus.

Weeds of the Month: Henbit and Purple Deadnettle

Common names: Henbit, Lamium amplexicaule L. Purple deadnettle, Lamium purpureum L. Life Cycle: Winter annual Origin: Europe Poisonous: No

Donors Recognized at Equine Reproduction Facility Groundbreaking

A groundbreaking ceremony for the University of Kentucky (UK) Equine Reproduction Facilities was held Oct. 26 at UK's Maine Chance Equine Campus. The ceremony recognized supporters who generously donated money to fund the remodeling of facilities for equine reproduction research that will be conducted by scientists at the Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Resea...

Weed of the Month: Common Ragweed

Common ragweed is distributed widely across the United States and occurs in pastures and cultivated crops. Infestations in pastures are usually more of a problem during periods of drought or when overgrazing occurs. Leaves usually alternate between the upper and lower portions of the stem. Stems can be smooth or hairy and are usually branched. Mature plan...

Establishing Pastures and Hayfields: Fall Conditions Ideal

Cool temperatures and abundant rainfall create ideal conditions for forage producers to establish or thicken grass pastures and hayfields.

"The continuous rainfall this summer was very good for forage growth, and soil moisture levels are ideal across most of the state," said Ray Smith, MS, PhD, forage extension specialist in the University of Kent...

Rhodococcus equi Researcher Receives $200K Grant from USDA

David Horohov, PhD, the William Robert Mills Chair in Equine Immunology at the University of Kentucky's Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, has received a $200,000 grant from the USDA-CSREES (United States Department of Agriculture-Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service) Competitive Grants Program to study the development of ...

Kentucky Hay Supply Rebounds, Testing Important

Wet conditions in Kentucky this spring and summer have created an abundance of hay in the state for the upcoming winter feeding season.

The increase in volume is welcome news to many hay and livestock producers who suffered through the droughts of 2007 and 2008 that kept hay supplies below normal across much of the state. The increase in supply me...

Apply Nitrogen to Horse Pastures in the Fall

Fall nitrogen application has long been promoted within the turfgrass industry to improve stand density. Researchers conducted a field study on four well-managed horse farm pastures in the Central Bluegrass region of Kentucky from September 2006 through March 2007 and repeated again during the same timeframe in 2007 and 2008. The objective of this stud...

MRLS Foal Losses in Kentucky Increased Slightly in 2009

Between May 5 and June 15, the Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center (LDDC) diagnosed 13 foal loss cases caused by mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) in Central Kentucky. This number was up slightly from 2003-2008 when only three to five cases were reported each breeding season.

Research in the past five years concluded the stiff hairs on Easter...

CEM Study: Antibiotic-Treated Semen Can Reduce Transmission Risk

Researchers at the Gluck Equine Research Center will publish a study this fall on contagious equine metritis (CEM), a sexually transmitted disease in horses. Stallions are asymptomatic carriers of Taylorella equigenitalis, the causative agent of CEM, while mares may develop signs of an endometritis/cervicitis/vaginitis following exposure to an infe...

Weed of the Month: Poison Hemlock

Common name: Poison Hemlock Scientific name: Conium maculatum L.

University of Kentucky Equine Research Newsletter Coming Soon

The Bluegrass Equine Digest, a new monthly e-newsletter providing information from the country's premier equine-only research facility and the University of Kentucky's new Equine Initiative, will launch June 28. It was developed through a partnership with UK's Gluck Equine Research Center and the Equine Initiative, and presented by T...