Delivery Problems Cause Perinatal Asphyxia
Perinatal or neonatal asphyxia is a syndrome caused by decreased oxygenation of a foal's tissues during the birth process.
Horse Health
Health news, veterinary advice, and educational tools to keep your horse healthy.
Yearling Fillies Often Sexually Mature
Fillies mature sexually as early as the yearling year, but it can depend on the season.
Hay Cubes Have Benefits, Dangers
Hay cubes are favored by many trainers of Thoroughbred and Standardbred racehorses because they tend to be highly digestible and less "bulky" in the gut than long-stemmed hay. But that very digestibility -- the ease and speed with which they are chewed and swallowed -- can be a potential problem.
Imprinting Controversy
If imprinting is done correctly, a foal will be much less likely to resist such things as shoeing and having its ears clipped. However, there are some equine behaviorists and veterinarians who aren't convinced that the procedure is a good idea in theory, or in practice.
Endoscopic Exams Indicate Racing Potential
Recent research indicates that endoscopic examination of yearlings can help determine their eventual racing success. However, researchers also showed that certain abnormalities previously considered to be indicators of poor performance were not predictive of actual athletic performance in the adult horse.
Young Horses in Training and Injury Risks
Everyone involved in the racing industry knows that one of the major problems in training horses is keeping them free from injury. Bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments are placed under considerable strain during training and racing, and it seems inevitable that, at one time or another, all horses will suffer some kind of musculoskeletal injury. "Was...
Conditional License Issued for EPM Vaccine
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that Fort Dodge Laboratories, Inc., has been issued a conditional license for a vaccine intended to aid in the prevention of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, more commonly known as EPM.
West Nile Virus Update
Researchers at the United States Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis., recently discovered that West Nile virus can be passed from bird to bird in a laboratory setting without the bite of a mosquito.
Proper Use of Twitch Can Control Unruly Horse
The twitch provides minimal restraint and it also is mildly aversive, directing the horse's attention away from veterinary or breeding shed activity.
Suspensory Disease Common in Equine Athletes
Proximal suspensory desmitis is a common injury in equine athletes. It can affect both the front limbs and the hindlimbs, but it is most often seen in the front legs of Thoroughbred racehorses, according to Dr. Rick Arthur, a veterinarian who practices at Southern California tracks.
Seattle Slew Returning to Breeding Shed
Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew is heading back to the breeding shed in 2001 after recovering from neck surgery in April and passing recent semen tests that indicate his fertility problems were temporary.
Abnormal Maternal Behavior in Mares
Mares, as a rule, are excellent mothers to their offspring, but abnormal or inadequate maternal behavior does occur in rare instances.
Baffert to Vets: 'We Need Medication'
Race-day medication is a necessity, but there should be limits on the use of therapeutic drugs to treat horses that are competing, Eclipse Award-winning trainer Bob Baffert told the American Association of Equine Practitioners on Sunday. Baffert was the keynote speaker for the organization's annual convention in San Antonio, Texas.
Official Says Disease Won't Affect Hong Kong Races
Calling a fatal incident of Japanese encephalitis an "isolated incident," an official with the Hong Kong Jockey Club said its international racing festival on Dec. 17 will go on as scheduled and that it will be "business as usual" for one of the world's most successful Thoroughbred operations.
Dryland Distemper Common in Western U.S.
Dryland distemper usually is associated with very deep abscesses and multiple sores along the chest and midline.
Gift for Communicable Disease Research
A $1.2-million gift to the Center for Equine Health at the University of California, Davis, will be used to support a basic scientific study of communicable disease.
Auction Raises $1 Million for Equine Research
The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announced Thursday that $1-million in research funds were raised by the auction of seasons at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.
Quick Care Essential for Laminitis
Laminitis is a condition that, once observed, should be treated immediately.
AAEP Preview
The results of a landmark, three-year study on radiographic changes in Thoroughbred yearlings will be presented during the American Association of Equine Practitioners annual convention.
Most Adoption Programs Unite Under One Umbrella
Through a joint effort involving input from Thoroughbred adoption and retirement groups across the country, the Thoroughbred Adoption and Retirement Association has been established. TARA will be based in Lexington, Ky., with initial support provided by California Equine Retirement Foundation, Days End Farm Horse Rescue, and ReRun.
Internal Bleeding Claims Life of Spanish Fern
Juddmonte Farms' Spanish Fern died Saturday evening from internal bleeding that resulted from a fractured pelvis, suffered at the start of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) at Churchill Downs. The 5-year-old daughter of El Gran Senor pulled herself up shortly after the break, noticeably favoring her left hind leg.
Internal Bleeding Claims Life of Spanish Fern
Juddmonte Farms' Spanish Fern died Saturday evening from internal bleeding that resulted from a fractured pelvis, suffered at the start of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) at Churchill Downs.
Not All Horses Benefit from Going Barefoot
In a well-conformed, well-built horse, the barefoot state is the most natural situation and probably the healthiest, depending on the work the horse is asked to do. But taking the shoes off a horse and leaving them off is not a good idea for every animal.
Good Management Can Ease Separation Distress
A certain amount of distress is a normal part of life in animals that have social attachments or home territory.
Thick Hair Coat Horse's Best Protection Against Cold
A horse with a long, thick coat of winter hair can walk around outdoors in total comfort even in sub-zero weather, if he has been properly fed.
Canker's Cause is Mystery
Canker is an anaerobic infection in the superficial epithelium of the hoof (the horn-producing tissue of the foot).
Prognosis Guarded for Tendon Lacerations
Somewhere between 50%-60% of horses that suffer tendon lacerations return to some type of performance, which is often less strenuous than the previous level of work.
Treadmills Can Detect Performance-Related Problems
The main advantage of treadmill tests is the ability to monitor closely the horse during exercise. More sophisticated measurements, such as oxygen consumption and gait analysis, can be made.
Conformation: Is Your Horse Built Right for His Job?
Conformation in horses should be evaluated carefully, and all good judges, veterinarians, and horse owners should have a system to prevent missing any aspect.
The Breaking Point--Catastrophic Injuries
Catastrophic injuries, involving the fracture of a bone, take a heavy toll on racehorses in training and in competition. Research through the years has given the veterinary surgeon additional tools and knowledge to deal with these life-threatening injuries, and the result has been a higher survival rate than was recorded in the past.
To help make ...
Wind Soundness Exam Studies
Thoroughbred yearlings sold at public auction here and abroad often are subject to endoscopic examination of their upper respiratory tracts. Veterinarians and potential buyers are looking for evidence of deformities that could affect the ability of that young horse to breathe normally when it reaches adulthood as a trained athlete. Since some people bu...
Emergency: Preparedness Key to Equine Disease Surprises
Maybe you don't often think about what you would do in the event you're impacted by an equine disease. Well, maybe you should think about it, and begin taking preventative measures.
Vitamin Deficiency Linked to Motor Neuron Disease
Through a series of clinical studies and observations the past 10 years, researchers at Cornell University in New York have discovered that a vitamin E deficiency is the cause of equine motor neuron disease (EMND).
Teeth Grinding a Sign of Discomfort
Teeth grinding is almost always associated with physical pain or discomfort, probably of a fairly high degree.
Guttural Pouch Empyema Affects All Ages
Guttural pouch empyema involves pus in the guttural pouches, which usually results from upper respiratory tract infection. It also can develop as a complication of guttural pouch diseases, local treatment with irritating drugs, or birth defects.
Pin Firing Acceptable Form of Therapy
The driving idea behind pin firing is that it makes chronic inflammations acute and allows them to heal.
Airway Disease Workshop Gathers World's Leading Researchers
The first International Workshop on Equine Chronic Airway Disease was held in mid-June at Michigan State University.
Grooming Good Way to Inspect Horse's Health
Since a horse's skin is his largest organ, and the only one you can inspect in total, use it to determine his overall health.
Early, Accurate Diagnosis Key to 'Popped Knees'
"Popped knees" is a layman's term used to describe enlargement in the front of the carpal joints of a horse.
Tendon Injuries: Treatments and Prevention
Tendon injuries quickly can end a performance horse's career. There are no definitive statistics concerning how many horses in the world suffer from tendon injuries of some sort, but the number is considerable. The most common injury is the one referred to as a bowed tendon, but other injuries, such as lacerations, also can compromise a horse's capabil...
What Causes Poor Exercise Performance?
A huge amount of time, effort, and money often are invested in the preparation of horses for various athletic events, including Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing, three-day eventing, steeplechasing, dressage, hunter-jumper events, reining, cutting, and endurance racing, to mention but a few. Regardless of discipline, we expect that a well-trained an...
Web-Based Veterinary Advice Not Always Accurate
When you seek factual information about equine health topics on the Internet, apply detective skills to analyze how a list of results or a page on the web site answers your information needs.
Osselets
An osselet is a traumatic arthritis of the fetlock of the equine front leg. Left unchecked, osselets compromise the horse's athletic potential and his ability to move soundly and fluidly.
Report Confirms Safety of Sportsman's Portable Track
The removable track built over an asphalt auto-racing surface for Sportsman's Park's 2000 horse racing meet turned out to be extraordinarily kind to horses, according to a state veterinarian.
Pour-on Fly Repellent Available Through Vets
A new insecticide is touted as controlling horn, stable, deer, and horse flies at a fairly high rate for up to two or more weeks with one application, based on efficacy control information.
Study Shows Echinacea Improves Blood Quality in Horses
A study demonstrates that echinacea acts as an immuno-stimulant and a hematinic agent in horses, providing a unique scientific rationale for feeding this popular herb as a supplement to both improved immune function and overall blood quality.
Headshaking Has Many Possible Causes
If you own or care for a headshaker and the behavior persists despite fly control and properly fitted tack, you should contact your veterinarian.
Spleen Injuries Uncommon But Serious in Horses
Splenic rupture and hemorrhage can occur when the horse receives a kick from another horse to the left abdominal wall.
Creatine: Performance Enhancer?
There is no evidence that creatine supplementation will help the performance horse.
Keep Bugs Away to Avoid Equine Allergies
Signs of allergies in many horses appear with the arrival of summer and become progressively worse each year.
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