BloodHorse.com | Horse Racing News

New Method for Scoring Sweat Losses in Horses Proposed

Warm summer weather is just around the corner, which means many owners will be hosing sweaty horses after exercise on a regular basis. But how much sweat are you rinsing down the drain after each ride? The National Research Council and German Society for Nutrition Physiology's current estimation methods depend on the amount of work the horse performs,...

Caring for the Disciplines: Racing

When more than 50,000 people cheered Zenyatta to victory in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic, they were responding to the mare's personality and charisma as well as the sheer athletic prowess with which she defeated rivals repeatedly.

Endophyte-Infected Fescue Seeds' Effects on Equine Exercise Recovery

Tall fescue is a common grass species that makes up more than 40 million acres of pasture in the United States. This grass is commonly infected with a fungus capable of producing the ergot alkaloid ergovaline, an agent responsible for late abortion, prolonged gestation, dystocia (difficult birth), and agalactia (poor milk let-down) in broodmares, reduced ...

Managing Dehydration, Exhaustion in Horses (AAEP 2012)

Horses can lose up to 15 liters of sweat per hour during strenuous exercise, leaving them in a precarious metabolic balance that cold water hosing alone can't touch. At the 2012 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, held Dec. 1-5 in Anaheim, Calif., Emma Adam, BVetMed, Dipl. ACVIM, ACVS, an equine practitioner performing research at...

Advances and Challenges in Equitation Science Technology

Twenty-first century technology brings us into the once-science fiction world described by fantasy writers in the 1950s. We've got retina screens, hybrid vehicles, and a million different apps (not short for "Appaloosas," in this case). We can video chat with people on the other side of the planet in real time, and we can carry 50,000 photog...

Creating a Sustainable Equine Athlete

Editor's note: This article is part of TheHorse.com's ongoing coverage of topics presented at the 2012 International Society of Equitation Science conference, held July 18-20 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Placentitis and Foals' Athletic Prognosis

Editor's Note: This article is part of TheHorse.com's ongoing coverage of the 14th Hagyard Bluegrass Equine Symposium, held Nov. 1-4 in Lexington, Ky.

Veterinary Care for the Sport Horse

From the start of his career to the end, an upper-level equine athlete is constantly exposed to stressors that could negatively impact his health, including strenuous exercise and long-distance travel. But starting even before you purchase your next sport horse, there are steps you can start taking to ensure he has a long and healthy career.

Conditioning Joint Cartilage through Early Exercise

Editor's Note: This article is part of TheHorse.com's ongoing coverage of topics presented at the British Equine Veterinary Association's 51st annual Congress, held Sept. 12-15 in Birmingham, U.K.

Equine Performance and Psychological Factors Linked

Ever feel like your horse is in a bad mood? Well, according to a British equine behavior research team, you could be right. In fact, team members said, paying attention to all of horses' main psychological factors--temperament, moods, and emotional reactions--is key to ensuring their mental well-being and their success.

The American Racehorse

Racing consultant Earl Ola talks about the relationship between conditioning and exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhaging (EIPH), also known as bleeding

read blog

Benefits of "Tapering" in Athletic Horses Studied

According to the results of a recent study, the effects of tapering--the practice of reducing exercise prior to a big competition commonly used in human athletics--could be beneficial to equine athletes as well.

Understanding Equine Osteochondrosis

Many equine athlete owners worry about bone and joint problems as their four-legged partners age. But these issues are just as important in young developing horses as they are in mature horses. One of the most common and potentially damaging developmental orthopedic disorders is osteochondrosis. Earl M. Gaughan, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, clinical professor of larg...