Muscle problems are fairly common in athletic horses. Muscle pain and cramping associated with exercise have been recognized for more than 100 years: Various terms have been used to describe the condition (azoturia, Monday morning disease, etc.).
If a horse can't breathe optimally, he can’t run as fast or as far. Respiratory health is important for any racehorse, so preventing and minimizing respiratory disease are crucial.
Many racehorses develop ulcers in the digestive tract, partly due to the stresses of an unnatural environment, increased exercise and athletic competition, unnatural diet, etc. Strategic feeding management can help minimize the severity of ulcers.
There are several types of hoof cracks, and some are more serious. Splits often start at the ground surface. Quarter cracks are located in the rear third of the hoof and can be either proximal (along the side) or distal (more toward the rear).
The goal when raising foals is to optimize health and growth. This means proper and adequate nutrition, avoiding extremes—before and after weaning—that could lead to developmental problems.
Occasionally a mare will foal too early, and the foal arrives prematurely. Foals born at less than 320 days’ gestation are considered premature, and chances for survival decrease considerably if a foal comes earlier than 300 days.
Nutrition is critical for the in-foal broodmare to deliver a healthy foal
Recent EHV-1 (Equine herpesvirus 1) outbreaks have again focused attention on this nasty disease.
Before entering the breeding shed a race horse needs some re-training, a fertility evaluation, and some time to refocus on his new job and prepare for his first breeding season.
To get every mare safely in foal, it pays to start preparing for breeding well ahead of when you plan to breed her.
New Techniques for Harvesting and Administering Stem Cells
Muscle pain and cramping associated with exercise have been recognized for more than 100 years. In recent years veterinary researchers have found several different forms of this syndrome, with different causes.
Trauma to the inner tissues of the foot beneath the horny sole can rupture small blood vessels, creating a bruise.
Equine ulcers were first recognized in horses more than 30 years ago.
Dealing with the Arthritic Horse
A few days after weaning your foal, you notice his dam's udder is hot and tender. While this veteran broodmare's udder has been quite large at weaning time before, she's never been so grumpy about having it touched. A veterinary examination confirms your suspicions: The mare has mastitis. Udder problems such as this are not terribly common, bu...
Veterinarians and breeders can now detect pregnancy in mares using an ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test that detects estrogen molecules in a mare's blood sample and is cheaper and easier to perform than an ultrasound.
<DIV class=deck>Whether your horse has downtime for an injury or just a much-needed vacation, how you bring him back can dictate his eventual competitive success.</DIV> <P>After any layup, an athletic horse needs to be brought back to peak condition gradually. If time off was simply a vacation over winter, you can start the horse back into work at a lowe...
<P>Only a handful of racehorses continue racing for more than a few years. The most talented runners are retired to stud or join a broodmare band, but often horses must move out to make room for new prospects. The problem of what to do with ex-racehorses is ongoing, and several organizations have been created to help resolve this. <P><B>Thoroughbred Ret...
