| Double-Decker Disaster Leaves 17 of 42 Horses Dead |
December/2006 |
A truck carrying 42 horses bound for slaughter overturned early Sept. 27 on Interstate 44 in Franklin County, Mo. Seventeen horses died immediately or were later euthanatized due to extensive injuries, and the remaining 24 horses and a hinny are in the care of area veterinarians and the Humane Society of Missouri (HSMO), which directed the rescue effort at the scene. The HSMO is currently trying to obtain custody of the animals from the horse owner's insurance company.
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| Officials Break Ground for Minnesota Equine Center |
October/2006 |
A pair of bay Percherons turned the soil at a construction site in St. Paul, Minn., on Aug. 9 and ushered in a new era of equine diagnostics and treatment at the University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). University officials and friends grabbed shovels to break ground for the $14-million Equine Center that is set to be completed by fall 2007.
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| Equine VS Cases Confirmed in Wyoming |
October/2006 |
On Aug. 17, the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory announced the first confirmed U.S. case of vesicular stomatitis (VS) in 2006. The primary case, a 10-year-old horse, is located near Casper in Natrona County. A second case was confirmed a few days later in Converse County.
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| 13 Kentucky Potomac Horse Fever Cases |
October/2006 |
A few cases of Potomac horse fever (PHF) occur each fall in Kentucky. This year they were detected earlier than normal. Nathan Slovis, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute in Lexington, Ky., said the early occurrence probably was due to the dry weather in July and August.
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| Teeth Floater Files Suit Against Veterinary Group |
October/2006 |
Jim Johnson has been floating horses' teeth in Minnesota for some 20 years. His son, Christopher, would like to join the family business, but he cannot do so without violating state law. Enacted a year ago, Minnesota Statute § 156.
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| Canada's Vet Definition Dilemmas |
October/2006 |
The Supreme Court of British Columbia's recent injunction prohibiting a farrier from practicing equine dentistry is the latest episode in an ongoing conflict between the veterinary associations of Canada's three westernmost provinces, animal owners, and industry stakeholders.
The Court ruled Bill Bishop, who operated a busy equine dental business, was breaching the provincial Veterinarians Act, which includes dentistry in its definition of veterinary medicine.
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| Blanchard Named Reproduction Specialist of the Year |
October/2006 |
Terry L. Blanchard, DVM, MS, received the American College of Theriogenologists' (ACT) annual "Theriogenologist Of The Year" award for 2006. The award was developed to recognize outstanding achievements in the field of reproductive research and clinical Theriogenology. Blanchard is the eighth recipient since the award was established in 1999.
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| Barbaro Might Soon Get Cast Removed |
October/2006 |
Based on the latest examination of Barbaro's injured right hind leg, there is a possibility the classic winner will soon have the cast removed completely.
The cast on the right leg was changed Aug.
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| Barbaro's Surgeon Answers Questions From the Public |
October/2006 |
Dean Richardson, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, the head of surgery at the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center, has been in the public eye since May 20 when he began treating Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro for a catastrophic right hind leg injury sustained during the Preakness Stakes. He developed laminitis in his left hind foot in the months following his injury.
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| Canadian Anthrax Outbreak Worsens |
October/2006 |
An anthrax outbreak that began in early July has claimed 687 animals and caused 147 premises to be quarantined in Saskatchewan, Canada, as of Aug. 25, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The outbreak is the largest on record to ever hit Saskatchewan.
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| EIA Not Spread in Virginia |
October/2006 |
After two horses tested positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA) on June 28 in Pulaski County, Va., 19 other horses within a one-mile radius were tested and confirmed negative for the disease, according to Elaine Lidholm, director of communications for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS).
The two horses were diagnosed after the owner's veterinarian submitted blood samples to the Wytheville Regional Animal Health Laboratory in Wytheville, Va.
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| EVA Outbreak and Vaccine Shortage Affects Western U.S. |
October/2006 |
An outbreak of equine viral arteritis (EVA) resulted in quarantine restrictions in 18 states, with nine states reporting positive cases. A vaccine shortage is hampering efforts to control the outbreak.
Although the virus has been limited to Quarter Horse breeding farms, Peter Timoney, FRCVS, PhD, of the University of Kentucky's Maxwell H.
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| Equine ID Topics Info Expo |
October/2006 |
Bobby Smith of Middleburg, Va., was not alone when he said he was confused about equine identification. That's why he came to the National Institute of Animal Agriculture (NIAA) ID/Info Expo in Kansas City, Mo., Aug.
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| Barbaro "Stable," Has Laminitis |
September/2006 |
In early- to mid-July, Barbaro developed "acute, severe" laminitis in his uninjured left hind foot, and his prognosis for recovery was pronounced "poor" by Dean Richardson, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, chief of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center in Kennett Square, Pa.
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| Horse Genome Map in the Works |
September/2006 |
A Thoroughbred mare will soon join the human, mouse, dog, and other species on the list of mammals whose genomes have been sequenced and mapped. The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) is currently working on a high-level equine sequence, which is a major breakthrough for researchers who want to better understand and solve common health conditions in the horse. Additionally, the horse genome map will assist human researchers in unlocking human health mysteries.
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| Genome Chosen as $2.5-Million Consortium Project |
September/2006 |
Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) and the University of Minnesota's College of Veterinary Medicine (UM) announced on Aug. 9 that the foundation has committed to raise $2.5 million over five years to fund the consortium project titled "Program in Equine Medical Genetics.
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| Accidental Poisoning Kills 27 Horses at Texas Boarding Barn |
September/2006 |
Twenty-seven horses died the week of July 16 from apparent accidental poisoning at a boarding farm in College Station, Texas.
Researchers at nearby Texas A&M University (TAMU) suspect a pesticide fumigant used in a feed silo nearby was responsible for the deaths. However, the reason for the extreme reaction to the chemical is still unknown.
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| West Nile Virus in 31 States |
September/2006 |
Thirty-one states have reported detecting West Nile virus (WNV) in 2006, according to the latest data reported on the U.S. Geological Survey web site (last updated July 25). The disease has infected horses in 10 states: Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, North Dakota, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
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| House Subcommittees Hear Slaughter Bill |
September/2006 |
In late July, two House subcommittees heard testimonies from horse industry leaders on H.R. 503, a bill to ban horse slaughter. On July 27, Agricultural Subcommittee members voted 37-3 to send the bill to the House floor and strongly recommended against its passage.
Before casting their votes, several legislators proposed what Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), the head of agricultural committee, referred to as "unusual" amendments to H.
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| Scientists Investigate Dewormers' Effects |
September/2006 |
Recent research indicates that when selecting a dewormer, a horse owner should consider the season, the horse's access to grass, and the animal's body condition. German scientists have shown that the bowel walls of small strongyle-infected ponies become inflamed when they are treated with the European dosage of fenbendazole (25% lower than the U.
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| Clone of Show Jumping Gelding Born |
September/2006 |
Researchers announced the June 2 birth of a clone of the Warmblood show jumping champion E.T. The colt, named E.T.Cryozootech-Stallion, was produced to further the 20-year-old gelding's line.
According to release from Cryozootech, a French company that banks equine genetic material, E.
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| Canadian Anthrax Outbreak Worst on Record |
September/2006 |
Saskatchewan, Canada, is experiencing its worst anthrax year on record. Animal health authorities have quarantined more than 86 premises in Saskatchewan for suspected anthrax contamination and have deemed 409 animal deaths (including one horse) suspicious as of July 31, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
On July 6, Saskatchewan Agriculture officials issued a bulletin warning farmers in the area about the disease, and encouraging them to vaccinate their animals.
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| EVA Outbreak Reported in New Mexico |
September/2006 |
On June 26, the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) Reference Laboratory for Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA) at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture's Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center confirmed an EVA outbreak involving fetal losses on a Quarter Horse breeding farm in New Mexico.
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| MRLS Cases Confirmed in New Jersey |
September/2006 |
A horse farm in Northern New Jersey experienced high abortion rates in early June in pastures where there was an abundance of Eastern tent caterpillars.
Samples from those aborted fetuses were sent to the University of Kentucky's Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center in Lexington for testing.
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| Preparing for Disaster |
September/2006 |
The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) reminds horse owners and veterinarians that when an emergency or natural disaster strikes, it is in the best interest of the horse for everyone to be prepared. With this in mind, the AAEP updated its online equine emergency and disaster preparedness resources in light of the Atlantic hurricane season.
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| Flicka, the Motion Picture, to Open October 20 |
September/2006 |
"Flicka," a contemporary motion picture adaptation of Mary O'Hara's novel My Friend Flicka, will open in theaters Oct. 20.
The filmmakers have re-engineered the story, changing the main character from a boy to a girl. In the new film, 16-year-old Katy McLaughlin (Alison Lohman) dreams of fulfilling her family legacy by working on her father's ranch in modern-day Wyoming.
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| The Horse Named Top Magazine |
August/2006 |
The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care was honored on June 24 as the best overall publication in the General Excellence category at the 2006 American Horse Publications Annual Awards. Sixty publications were entered.
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| 2006 ACVIM Forum |
August/2006 |
The 24th annual American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Forum hosted nearly 3,000 veterinary specialists, general practitioners, technicians, and students in Louisville, Ky., May 31-June 3.
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| Authorities Find Equine Infectious Anemia in Ireland |
August/2006 |
Three horses tested positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA) at two Thoroughbred stud farms in County Meath, Ireland. It is suspected the disease was introduced through the use of infected blood products. This is the first time the disease had been detected in Ireland, and agriculture officials report the two farms are under quarantine and no further cases have been detected.
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| Barbaro Visitor Comes Bearing a Large Gift |
August/2006 |
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell paid a special visit June 8 to the George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton Center, where he checked on the condition of Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro. During his visit, Rendell also presented a $13.
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| Barbaro Update |
August/2006 |
Barbaro was recovering well after his second cast change at the University of Pennyslvania's New Bolton Center. "Barbaro is back in his stall and is doing well," said Chief of Surgery Dean W. Richardson, who on July 3 replaced the cast he had put on Barbaro on June 13.
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| Cloned Mules Race Into History |
August/2006 |
Cloned mules Idaho Gem and Idaho Star made their racing debuts on June 3 and 4 in Winnemucca, Nev., each winning a qualifying heat before placing third and sixth, respectively, in the final 350-yard dash. This was the first time clones competed in athletic events.
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| Conference Stresses Disaster Planning and Large Animal Rescue |
August/2006 |
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) hosted the 2006 National Conference on Animals in Disaster (NCAD) May 31-June 3 in Arlington, Va. A variety of animal rescue organizations sponsored the event, which was attended by more than 650 individuals, including veterinarians, emergency response professionals, and animal care and control professionals. The meeting was dedicated to learning from the 2005 hurricanes, and it included a focus on animal disease/avian influenza preparation.
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| Examining Equine Vocalizations |
August/2006 |
Horse owners know that a low-pitched nicker indicates friendly recognition, and an anxious call is a sign of stress. Now researchers are looking for a scientific link between the acoustic properties of equine communications and their possible meanings.
David G.
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| Neurologic Herpes 24-Hour Test |
August/2006 |
A rapid (24-hour) test is now available to identify neuropathic strains of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1). This means in the event of an outbreak of herpesvirus, or if a horse has neurologic signs of undetermined origin, a veterinarian can take a blood sample or nasal swab and know by the next day whether the horse tests positive for neuropathic EHV-1. The test was developed by George Allen, PhD, professor in veterinary science at the University of Kentucky's Gluck Equine Research Center.
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| Platelet-Rich Plasma Treats Tendon and Ligament Problems |
August/2006 |
A Cornell University scientist recently showed that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy can enhance healing and quality of repair at the cellular level in treating tendonitis and suspensory ligament desmitis. Lisa A.
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| Unwanted Horse Coalition Folded Into American Horse Council |
August/2006 |
The Unwanted Horse Coalition, which started with an Unwanted Horse Summit during the American Horse Council’s (AHC) annual convention in April 2005, is being folded into the AHC.
"The issue of 'unwanted horses' has faced this industry for some time," said American Horse Council Chairman Nick Nicholson, who is also president of Keeneland Association.
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| Spinal Taps Not Necessary for EPM Testing? |
August/2006 |
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) testing for equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) has been widely regarded as the only definitive way to diagnose the disease. This test can be difficult, expensive, and potentially dangerous, and according to new research from Colorado State University, it might not be necessary.
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| Horse Rescued from Creek |
August/2006 |
It took nearly 40 people to extract a 1,600-pound Hanoverian gelding from a creek near Orlando, Fla., on June 6. The 17.1-hand dressage horse and jumper had been trapped in the marshy, 25-foot-wide creek with slippery banks for at least three hours before he was found.
The owner of Rex's boarding facility found the horse.
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| Derby Winner Barbaro Injured |
July/2006 |
Barbaro's breakdown after the start of the May 20 Preakness Stakes captured the concern of horse owners and enthusiasts watching on network television and at the Baltimore, Md., track.
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| Landmark DNA Sequencing to Begin |
July/2006 |
The same government agency that completed the human genome in 2003 has identified the horse as a probable target for future DNA sequencing research. While a final decision will be announced in the near future, the Broad Institute, a member of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), has begun preliminary work to sequence the horse genome. DNA sequences are already publicly available to help scientists perform their studies more efficiently and at a reduced cost.
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| Ferdinand Derby Anniversary Impetus for Slaughter-Ban Push |
July/2006 |
Supporters of legislation that would ban the transport of horses to slaughter for human consumption hope the measure will pass Congress this year, a co-sponsor of the bill said in May.
A media teleconference on the issue was held the week of the 20th anniversary of Ferdinand's victory in the Kentucky Derby (gr.
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| Buyers Surveyed on Disclosure of Surgeries |
July/2006 |
Thousands of Thoroughbred buyers were sent surveys asking what they think about the mandatory disclosure of surgeries that cause permanent changes in the conformation of sale horses.
Distribution of the questionnaires began in mid-April.
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| Use Caution at Railroad Crossings |
July/2006 |
While completing a research project on horse trailer accidents, Tomas Gimenez, Dr.Med.Vet, and his wife, Rebecca, PhD, clinicians in large animal emergency rescue, and USRider, a roadside assistance plan for equestrians, noticed an alarming trend. The Gimenezes studied more than 200 incidents involving horse trailers and noticed an inordinate number of accidents involving gooseneck horse trailers becoming stuck on railroad crossings.
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| Badminton Veterinarian Weighs in on Eventing's New Short Course |
July/2006 |
At the May 4-7 Badminton Horse Trials in England, veterinarians conducted an informal study to assess weight loss of elite eventing horses during the sport's new shortened endurance phase. Preliminary results suggest weights of well-conditioned horses change the least during the cross country phase.
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| MRLS and Vesiviruses? |
July/2006 |
Oregon State University (OSU) researchers announced on June 23 that they linked vesiviruses to abortions seen during Central Kentucky's bout with mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) in 2001 and concluded that vesivirus-specific reagents should be included in the diagnostic panel for aborting mares. A University of Kentucky (UK) scientist disagrees with the findings, cautioning that a more causative relationship needs to be established before labs put tests in place.
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| American Horse Council Considers Unwanted Horse Coalition Proposal |
June/2006 |
The American Horse Council (AHC) board of trustees is considering a proposal that would place under the organization's umbrella a coalition working on the issue of unwanted horses.
At the AHC issues forum in April 2005, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) held an "Unwanted Horse Summit" to bring industry representatives together to address the issue.
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| Awards Presented at American Horse Council Meeting |
June/2006 |
On April 4, the American Horse Council (AHC) presented its Rolapp Award to Rep. Ron Lewis of Kentucky. Lewis serves on the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee and has been instrumental in passage of horse industry-related bills. For more information see
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| Drought Forces Bureau of Land Management to Limit Births |
June/2006 |
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has proposed the use of a non-hormonal contraceptive--porcine zona pellucida (PZP)--over the next five years to limit equine overpopulation of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range. BLM officials say the range has been taxed by drought conditions and growing herds.
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| Florida Farms on Alert in Wake of Confirmed MRLS Case |
June/2006 |
About 200 people gathered at an April 6 meeting at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. pavilion in Ocala, Fla., for an update on mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS). The syndrome is believed to be responsible for at least three equine deaths in Alachua and Marion Counties.
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| Ford Raises $200,000 to Help Wild Horses |
June/2006 |
More than 26,000 wild horses and burros are currently housed in temporary Bureau of Land Management (BLM) holding sites, and Ford Motor Company is offering $200,000 to eligible rescue groups to reduce that number.
In May 2005, Ford introduced the "Save the Mustangs" fund with the help of the BLM and Take Pride America (
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| Grayson-Jockey Club Funds Record Research |
June/2006 |
The board of directors of Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation has approved a record total of $957,260 for equine research projects in 2006. In a meeting in Palm Beach, Fla., on Feb.
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| HSUS Makes Statement on Cloning |
June/2006 |
On March 30, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) reacted to the announcement of two successful commercial cloning ventures and additional clones that were expected to be born this spring. (See
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| Micro Management |
June/2006 |
As Congress considers legislation that would establish the National Animal Identification System (NAIS), horse industry officials are seeking to drive home the message that microchips are a means of identifying equines--not an avenue for the federal government to invade privacy.
During the April 4 American Horse Council (AHC) national issues forum in Washington, D.
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| Senate to Vote on Florida Veterinary Practice Act |
June/2006 |
Two years after the Florida Board of Veterinary Practice formally interpreted the state's Veterinary Practice Act to include a number of alternative therapies among practices limited to licensed veterinarians--to the dismay of many horse owners and alternative therapy practitioners--the state legislature is close to resolving the dispute. House Bill 641 expands the exemption now provided in Sec.
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| Study Leads to Safer Caterpillar Insecticides |
June/2006 |
Experts predicted that Eastern tent caterpillars (ETC) would begin showing up in greater numbers in Central Kentucky this spring, making it an especially important time for area horse farms to be implementing control strategies. One such strategy might be a re-cently released product resulting from research to find ways to prevent mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS), which scientists generally link to ETC.
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| USDA Announces Method for Enforcing Horse Protection Act |
June/2006 |
The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced on April 14 the use of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) to enforce the Horse Protection Act. The method will detect horses that have been subjected to soring, a practice used to accentuate a horse's gait.
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| Training Emphasizes Horse Handling Skills, Practical Equipment |
June/2006 |
Preparation for taking care of horses in emergencies and disasters starts with training emergency responders (firefighters, rescue squad members, veterinarians, police, humane, animal control and sheriff's officers, and search and rescue volunteers) to be able to properly and safely manipulate and "package" an injured animal for transport from an incident scene. In mid-March, back-to-back Technical Large Animal Equine Rescue classes were held at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in Richmond, Ky.
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| Texas Fires Kill Horses, Cattle |
May/2006 |
Quenching rains over the weekend of March 18 slowed the progress of Texas panhandle fires that consumed more than 800,000 acres of land and killed an estimated 10,000 head of livestock in less than a week. At least 30 horses in the McLean area of Texas succumbed to smoke or flames.
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| African Horse Sickness Outbreak in South Africa |
May/2006 |
South African horse owners and veterinarians are managing an outbreak of African horse sickness (AHS) in the George area of southern South Africa, in the southeast region of the Western Cape. As of Feb.
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| Medicating for Equine Colic |
May/2006 |
When a horse shows signs of colic, his owner should call a veterinarian immediately to ensure that he receives the best treatment for the particular situation. Anthony Blikslager, DVM, PhD, Dipl.
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| $2.5 Million Research Initiative Draws 27 Pre-Proposals |
May/2006 |
The announcement of a $2.5-million equine health consortium initiative was met with great enthusiasm, says Kristin Benjamin, vice president of scientific programs and advancement for Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) in Englewood, Colo. Twenty-seven research groups met a Feb.
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| Stable Leveled Second Time by Tornado |
May/2006 |
Nearly three years after a tornado destroyed the barn at Stokely Farms near Battlefield, Mo., another tornado decimated the farm's new barn (which was completed last fall) on March 12. One horse was killed during the storm, and the rest had a variety of injuries.
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| Carriage Company Rebuilds |
May/2006 |
The horses and mules rescued last September from the flooded stables of Charbonnet Mid-City Carriages ushered in Valentine's Day in Baton Rouge and Mardi Gras in New Orleans to the delight of many residents in hurricane-stricken Louisiana. Business is slower than it was before Hurricane Katrina, and the barns are in disrepair, but little successes have kept the Mid-City family hopeful.
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| Herpesvirus Situation Ends in Maryland |
May/2006 |
Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) outbreaks in Maryland drew to a close on March 8, after the Maryland Department of Agriculture lifted hold orders on the detention barn at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore and an isolation barn at the Bowie Training Center in Bowie. The final four horses in those barns tested negative for EHV-1 and were permitted to resume normal activities.
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| First Commercially Cloned Mares Born |
May/2006 |
On March 30, scientists announced the birth of the first commercially cloned mare created from the cells of champion cutting horse Royal Blue Boon. The filly, Royal Blue Boon Too, was carried to term by a recipient mare and born on Feb. 19 at Royal Vista Southwest Farms in Purcell, Okla.
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| Nightshade and Ivermectin: A Deadly Mixture |
May/2006 |
Editor's note: When researching the unknown illness story on this page, the following study on ivermectin's interaction with a noxious weed was discovered. Nightshade and other poisonous plants should be eliminated from pastures.
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| Four Horses Dead, One Ill; Dewormer Questioned |
May/2006 |
Four horses on a South Texas farm died from unknown causes in February; one horse is recovering. The horses' owner suspects the problems might have been caused by a dewormer; she has necropsy and other test results, but she has not released them. The dewormer's manufacturer found nothing unusual about the product lot in question, and it has notified the FDA of the complaint.
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| Interval Training: A Better Option? |
May/2006 |
Musculoskeletal injury is the main cause of wastage in Thoroughbred racehorses worldwide, with nearly 30% of all fractures being pelvic and tibial stress fractures. California studies in the late 1990s suggested fast work increased the risk of injuries, while Kentucky studies implied high-speed exercise was protective.
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| Vaccine Helps Treat Pythiosis |
May/2006 |
The Horse recently discussed pythiosis in the aftermath of hurricanes. In 1994, Michigan State University (MSU) researchers teamed with scientists at Pan American Veterinary Laboratories (PAVL) to complete development of an immunotherapeutic vaccine to help treat pythiosis (Pythium insidiosum) in dogs and horses. In 1999, Leonel Mendoza, PhD, an associate professor at MSU, patented the vaccine, and four years later, PAVL licensed the marketing rights to it.
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| MRLS in Florida |
May/2006 |
Three cases of mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) have been confirmed by necropsies in Florida, according to Dana Zimmel, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, ABVP, of the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
The first case was a Thoroughbred foal from the University of Florida research herd born on March 18 that died on March 20.
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| Judge Dismisses Slaughter Suit |
May/2006 |
On March 14, a federal judge ruled in favor of the USDA to allow fee-for-service inspections at horsemeat processing plants despite efforts of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and other animal rights groups to prevent the inspections and close the plants.
The USDA implemented the fee-for-service inspections on March 10 after the 2006 Agriculture Appropriations bill eliminated funding for the inspections through October 2006.
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| Kaufman Residents Slam the Door on Horsemeat |
May/2006 |
On March 3, the Kaufman, Texas, zoning board unanimously voted to close Dallas Crown Inc., one of three horsemeat processing plants in the United States. The board ordered the Kaufman-based plant to close its doors by Sept.
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| First 2006 Florida EEE Cases Emerge |
April/2006 |
By March 1, the Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) season in Florida was already underway, and Florida veterinarians remind horse owners to make sure their horses are vaccinated against the disease, which can have a mortality rate of up to 90%.
Six of Florida's 67 counties had reported EEE this year.
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| Handwashing: Bar Soap or Liquid? |
April/2006 |
With much information about biosecurity revolving around current equine herpesvirus infections, salmonellosis, and the upcoming foaling season, one small but important item has been often omitted. Animal workers and veterinarians should wash their hands after handling infected or suspect animals, but with what?
In the February 2006 Journal of Hospital Infection (Letters to the Editor), a study was reported evaluating 12 cakes of soap and 10 samples of liquid soap used in different human hospital wards.
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| Neurologic Case Shows Difficulty of Rule-Outs |
April/2006 |
A 24-year-old pleasure mare in Brunswick, Ga., has been diagnosed with concurrent infections of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) and equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1). Both can cause neurologic disease.
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| Maryland and USDA Officials Distribute Biosecurity Information |
April/2006 |
The Maryland Department of Agriculture has released the following tips on avoiding transmission of illness in horse facilities. The USDA has published a separate brochure on the same topic (shown at right), which is available online at aphis.
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| Premises Registration in Texas Postponed |
April/2006 |
Commissioners for the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) have postponed taking action on proposed regulations that would require identification of physical locations where livestock, including horses, are held, managed, or handled.
TAHC commissioners were to reconsider the proposed rule at a March 23 meeting.
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| Toronto Police Horse Killed On Duty |
April/2006 |
The city of Toronto is mourning the death of 9-year-old "Brigadier," a member of the Metro Police Mounted Unit. The horse had both front legs broken in what is being described as the deliberate impact of a minivan on Friday, Feb. 24.
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| Groups Band Together to Provide Hay for Hurricane Victims |
April/2006 |
Five equine organizations joined together in Feburary to provide 6,500 bales of hay to nearly 800 horses in Vermilion Parish, La., that were affected by Hurricane Rita. The United States Equestrian Federation, the American Association of Equine Practitioners Foundation, and the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association (LVMA) Equine Committee Foundation donated approximately $59,000 to the relief effort.
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| Lessons Learned From the Hurricanes |
April/2006 |
Microchips were helpful in reuniting horses with owners after the 2005 hurricanes, but it was usually because owners had proof of horses' microchip numbers. Since 1994, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry (LDAF) has required horses' Coggins or equine infectious anemia tests to be linked with permanent identification, including microchips, tattoos, or freeze/hot brands.
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| California Requires Synthetic Racing Surface |
April/2006 |
The California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) decided on Feb. 16 that California racing associations operating meets of at least four continuous weeks will be required to install a synthetic racing surface by the end of 2007 or face a loss of race dates. This decision was in response to concerns about the safety of California track surfaces.
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| New Sling Shows Promise in Clinical Setting |
April/2006 |
When an equine patient can't stand, practitioners need to quickly assess his prognosis, and that can be difficult with him lying down. Putting a horse in the Andersen Sling Support Device (ASSD), the gold standard for equine slings, requires at least six people and an anesthetized horse. University of California, Davis, veterinarians have used a new sling in a clinical setting and found it was easily applied by fewer people and could be used with minimal to no sedation.
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| Kentucky Drug Penalties Changed |
April/2006 |
A 90-day emergency regulation governing violation of Thoroughbred racing medication rules expired Feb. 15, so the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority (KHRA) reverted to the old penalty rules.
The regulation expired after a legislative subcommittee declined to give final approval two days before the expiration date.
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| Maryland EHV-1 Outbreaks Winding Down |
April/2006 |
Veterinarians suspect the recent deadly outbreaks of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) in Maryland have subsided. The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) had reported on EHV-1 outbreaks at two Maryland tracks, a race training facility, and a private sport horse boarding farm in Kent County. The last new neurologic sign of EHV-1 in the state was detected at the Kent County farm on Feb.
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| Final Kentucky Track Quarantine Ends |
April/2006 |
Equine herpesvirus quarantines at two Kentucky Thoroughbred facilities have been released, ending the recent outbreak of the neurologic disease. Robert Stout, DVM, Kentucky state veterinarian, lifted the quarantine at Turfway Park in Florence on Feb. 2, and removed the quarantine at the Western Kentucky Training Center in Henderson on Feb.
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| Lameness Diagnosis at Home |
April/2006 |
A University of Missouri-Columbia (UM) veterinarian and his associates have developed a motion detection system for diagnosing and quantifying equine lameness and spinal ataxia (incoordination). Kevin Keegan, DVM, MS, Dipl.
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| New Product Reduces Clinical Signs of Herpes |
April/2006 |
Pfizer Animal Health on Feb. 8 announced the release of Zylexis in the United States, which according to the company's research prepares the horse's immune system to function more efficiently against equine herpesvirus-1 and -4 (EHV-1 and EHV-4) pathogens. The immunomodulator is offered specifically as an aid in reducing upper respiratory disease caused by these viruses.
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| Herpesvirus in Five States |
March/2006 |
T he neurologic form of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) has been diagnosed in at least five different states in January and February (The Horse learned of a fifth state with herpes after the cover went to press). While many of the cases were detected at racetracks, it is important to note that this not a disease limited to the racing industry--any horse facility can be affected by this illness.
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| Q&A Neurologic Equine Herpesvirus |
March/2006 |
The University of Kentucky's Gluck Equine Research Center has the only Office International des Epizooties (OIE, or World Organization for Animal Health) reference laboratory for equine herpesvirus in the Western hemisphere. Samples from most of the outbreaks are sent there so George Allen, PhD, professor in the department of veterinary science and head of the OIE laboratory, can type these viruses to see which strains are circulating.
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| USDA Considers Inspection Alternative |
March/2006 |
Horsemeat processing plants in Texas and Illinois have petitioned the USDA to allow plants to pay inspectors' salaries on a per-service basis, according to Steven Cohen, a USDA spokesperson. The Nov.
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| Breaking News - Voluntary Fee-For-Service |
March/2006 |
On Feb. 7, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service announced an interim rule establishing a voluntary fee-for-service program, which allows horsemeat processing plants to continue to receive federal antemortem inspections.
The fee-for-service system will go into effect March 10, 2006.
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| Horse Owners' Needs Still Urgent After Hurricanes |
March/2006 |
Salty water drowned pastures in Louisiana and Mississippi months ago, but the needs of horses in areas left incapacitated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita remain critical, say area veterinarians and residents. Most Gulf Coast horse owners need quality square bales of hay and horse feed.
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| Animal Health Trust Cuts Made |
March/2006 |
In November 2005, The Horse reported on studies at the U.K.'s Animal Health Trust Centre for Equine Studies in Newmarket. In December, the research staff changed significantly. For more information see
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| Helping Horses and Students |
March/2006 |
For the past six years, the Young Horse Research and Teaching Program has held a yearling sale of horses purchased from pregnant mare urine (PMU) farms through the auspices of the North American Equine Ranching Information Council (NAERIC). On April 30 at Cook College, part of Rutgers University in New Jersey, the seventh benefit auction will be held with a roster of 12 yearlings.
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| Wild Horse Shot in Outer Banks |
March/2006 |
Investigators are searching for information on the shooting death of a pregnant wild horse found Dec. 27, 2005, on the Outer Banks of Currituck County, N.C.
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| New York Enacts Pre-Race |
March/2006 |
The New York State Racing and Wagering Board voted Jan. 19 to adopt an emergency rule allowing for the collection of pre-race blood samples from horses entered into races at the state's Thoroughbred and harness tracks to test for excess alkalizing agents (milkshaking) that could affect the outcome of the race.
Cornell University's Equine Drug Testing Program detects and confirms the presence of elevated levels of total carbon dioxide (TCO2) in the horse's system.
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| Using GPS to Train Racehorses |
March/2006 |
An Australian researcher says he's found a reliable way for trainers to monitor Thoroughbred racehorse fitness using global positioning system (GPS) technology measurements of velocity and heart rate during fast gallop training routines. He presented the study at the 2005 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec.
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| Why Vets Get Kicked |
March/2006 |
A Swiss study of kick injuries to veterinarians found that the risk of injury to those treating horses is highest when performing painful procedures on the horse. In the study, Sabina Jaeggin, an assistant in the Vetsuisse Fakulty in Zurich, reviewed questionnaires from 216 Swiss vets.
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| California Owner Charged with Cruelty |
March/2006 |
On Jan. 13, prosecutors filed criminal charges against a California owner of 35 horses seized by animal control officials in December 2005. The bony, malnourished horses ranged from weanlings to geriatrics.
Mendocino County Animal Care and Control officers raided James DeNoyer's ranch in Westport on Dec.
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| Jockey Club Inspects Thoroughbred Broodmares |
March/2006 |
As a follow-up to a rule revision last August that added provisions for field inpections, The Jockey Club (TJC) sent two teams of representatives to Thoroughbred farms in six states in December 2005 to examine broodmares with early 2005 breeding or foaling dates.
Thoroughbreds born on or after Jan.
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| AAEP Convention 2005: WNV DNA Vaccine Effective in Young Horses |
February/2006 |
Scientists recently showed that the Fort Dodge Animal Health West Nile virus (WNV) DNA vaccine, which is licensed but not yet commercially available, should protect foals from the virus regardless of residual antibodies received at birth from their dams that often interfere with vaccine effectiveness (maternally derived antibodies, or MDA). Prior studies showed protection in yearlings and older horses.
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| Can Immunomodulators Help Herpesvirus Victims? |
February/2006 |
Human and animal scientists have been researching ways to stimulate the immune system in order to prevent or mitigate disease, especially just prior to or during stressful events. Options include vaccination, antimicrobial therapy, and immunomodulation (altering the immune system).
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| Five Horses Test Positive for Equine Herpesvirus |
February/2006 |
As 2005 neared its end, equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) killed two horses that were stabled at Turfway Park, a Northern Kentucky racetrack. The victims--one Thoroughbred in training and a lead pony--were euthanatized after they developed the neurologic form of the disease. The Kentucky state veterinarian's office said as of Jan.
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| Horse Facts Launched at AAEP Convention |
February/2006 |
In order to raise awareness about the vital role of animal research in advancing the health of horses, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Foundation and the Foundation for Biomedical Research (FBR) announced on Dec. 6, 2005, a new educational program entitled Horse Facts.
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| America's Healthy Horse Announced at AAEP |
February/2006 |
The American Association of Equine Practitioners and Fort Dodge Animal Health announced on Dec. 5, 2005, a joint initiative to raise awareness about the importance of twice-a-year veterinary wellness exams.
According to a 2002 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) survey, 45% of horses are not seen by a vet during the year, which means approximately 2 million U.
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| Plant Causes Complaints |
February/2006 |
On Nov. 29, the Kaufman, Texas Board of Adjustments moved a step closer to closing Dallas Crown Inc., one of two horse meat processing plants in Texas, because many residents consider it a nuisance to the community. The board voted 4 to 0 to reverse a grandfather clause that had exempted the company from city zoning ordinances, according to the Dallas Morning News.
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| MRLS Update |
February/2006 |
"We can prevent mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) as we experienced in 2001 and 2002 by keeping horses away from caterpillars," said Bruce Webb, PhD, a University of Kentucky (UK) researcher who has been studying the condition that terminated thousands of mare pregnancies in Central Kentucky and nearby states. The pervading theme at a Nov.
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| Microchips Not Mandated in Racehorses |
February/2006 |
Putting microchips in racehorses for identification purposes will remain secondary to standard ID procedures such as tattooing and DNA testing, according to a panel of industry experts at The Syamposium on Racing and Gaming held Dec. 6-8, 2005, near Tucson, Ariz.
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| Alliance Works to Control Wild Horse Fertility |
February/2006 |
A non-hormonal contraceptive, porcine zona pellucida (PZP), has given birth to an alliance between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The two organizations agreed to work together on using this drug to control the wild horse population at a November 2005 meeting in Santa Fe, N.
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| Cornell Researcher Warns About Herpesvirus |
February/2006 |
Klaus Osterrieder, DVM, DVM Habilitation (German equivalent to a PhD), an associate professor of virology at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., studies equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1). He shared his views with The Horse on recent EHV-1 problems.
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| Slaughter Bill Passed By President Bush |
January/2006 |
On Nov. 10, 2005, President Bush signed the 2006 Agricultural Appropriations bill containing an amendment prohibiting the use of federal funds to inspect horse meat. The amendment includes a 120-day phase-in period that allows slaughter plants in Texas and Illinois to process horse meat for human consumption until mid-March.
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| KHRA Approves Drug Regulations |
January/2006 |
The Kentucky Horse Racing Authority (KHRA) on Nov. 14, 2005, gave unanimous approval to revised medication rules that were controversial when implemented under an emergency order signed in August by Gov. Ernie Fletcher.
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| Fractured Ribs in Foals |
January/2006 |
Surgically repairing or stabilizing fractured ribs in a newborn foal can reduce the risk of further complications such as puncturing a vital organ, say Robert Hunt, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVS, and Fairfield Bain, DVM, MBA, Dipl.
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| Morris Donates $500,000 For Equine Research |
January/2006 |
Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) has committed more than $500,000 toward 12 new and continuing equine veterinary studies in 2006.
Foundation-funded scientists at universities throughout the United States will study issues including foal diseases, colic, endotoxemia, genetic diseases, laminitis, neurologic disorders, and pain management.
In 2005, MAF gathered top equine researchers to organize equine health priorities and address the possibility of new consortium grants that will fund large-scale programs to advance equine health.
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| Filly's Damaged Ear Repaired With Surgery |
January/2006 |
Horses' ears are designed for distinguishing fine sounds, protecting sensitive inner ear structures, and communicating with herdmates. An 18-month-old Belgian Warmblood filly's ear was injured (likely on a fence), resulting in the ear bending backward, exposing the ear canal and causing an unsightly blemish. However, surgeons were able to reshape the ear into a normal appearance.
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| Inheritance of RER in Thoroughbreds: One Affected Parent Required |
January/2006 |
Recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER, tying-up) causes affected Thoroughbreds to suffer recurring episodes of muscle cramping, stiffness, excessive sweating, and a reluctance to move after exercise. With no cure available, information on how RER might be inherited is welcome news to the Thoroughbred industry.
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| Veterinarians Watch for Hurricane-Related Illnesses |
December/2005 |
With water pooling everywhere and sharp debris all around, horse owners can't help but wonder if conditions left by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita will cause an increase in illnesses such as tetanus, encephalitis, botulism, and Potomac horse fever (PHF). Area veterinarians say they haven't seen an increase in horses exhibiting these diseases, but they're remaining on guard should any hurricane-related cases flare.
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| Equine Flu Virus Infects Dogs; Can Horses Be Re-Infected? |
December/2005 |
Researchers recently identified a highly contagious canine influenza virus strain that is thought to be an adaptation of an equine flu strain, which was transferred from horses to dogs in 2004. It is unclear at this time whether the strain can re-infect horses.
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| EEE in Michigan Horses and Deer |
December/2005 |
Four cases of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) were recently confirmed in horses in two neighboring Michigan counties (three in Kent County in September, one in Montcalm County in October). The disease was also confirmed in seven free-ranging white-tailed deer in both counties.
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| Fires Force Horse Evacuations |
December/2005 |
Smoke rising from wildfires in Los Angeles County, Calif., provided an uneasy backdrop for rescue teams tending to animal evacuees housed at Pierce College, located just eight miles from the fires. The college housed up to 225 horses along with a few mules and other livestock during September and early October.
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| Microchips Aid Horse Recovery After Katrina |
December/2005 |
Microchip manufacturers report they have experienced recent increased interest in microchips, presumably due to the microchips' help in recovering animals following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Microchipping horses involves the use of transponders about the size of a grain of rice enclosed in a glass vial implanted in the left nuchal ligament (about halfway up the horse's neck).
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| Growing Grass After the Hurricanes |
December/2005 |
Will grass re-establish in Gulf Coast area pastures that were covered in murky, salty, or contaminated floodwaters for several weeks in September? That is a question agronomy researchers at Louisiana State University (LSU) aim to answer in the coming months. Plant and soil scientists are analyzing how best to manage pastures and hay fields that were swamped by water in the weeks following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
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| Equine Researchers Honored |
December/2005 |
At a dinner Oct. 10 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., Travis C. McGuire Jr., DVM, PhD, of Washington State University, and C. Wayne McIlwraith, BVSc, PhD, DSc, FRCVS, Dipl. ACVS, of Colorado State University, were inducted into the Equine Research Hall of Fame.
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| Kentucky Considered for 2010 World Equestrian Games |
December/2005 |
The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky., is one of three locations being considered to host the 2010 World Equestrian Games (WEG). The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI, the governing body for international equestrian sport) will announce the location of the 2010 games when it meets this month. France (Normandy) and the United Arab Emirates (Dubai) are also being considered for the event.
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| Texas D.A. Appeals Horse Meat Ruling |
December/2005 |
On Sept. 23, Tim Curry, district attorney of Tarrant County, Texas, filed a notice of appeal in the case that many thought would have permitted the slaughter of horses in Texas.
A month earlier, U.
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| Researchers Examine Racehorses' DNA |
December/2005 |
Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and Cambridge University researchers, plan to extract DNA from the bones of three of history's greatest Thoroughbred racehorses--Eclipse, Hermit, and St. Simon.
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| Afleet Alex Misses Breeders' Cup |
December/2005 |
Trainer Tim Ritchey and veterinarian Patricia Hogan, DVM, said in mid-October that Thoroughbred Afleet Alex's injured leg, a hairline cannon bone fracture, is still healing and he would not run in the Oct. 29 Breeders' Cup Classic.
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| Filly Recovering from Tail Burning and Amputation |
November/2005 |
"I knew right away that it was definitely a burn," stated Brian K. Garrett, DVM, of Animal Hospital of Fayetteville in Fayetteville, N.C., Dixie's treating veterinarian. Trespassers maliciously burned the 2-year-old Spotted Saddle Horse filly's tail and legs during the night of Aug.
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| New England States Report Cases of EEE |
November/2005 |
Four New England states have confirmed 15 cases of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) this year; none of the horses survived. This suggests that horse owners should take further measures to protect horses against this deadly disease, such as making sure their horses are vaccinated and reducing mosquito populations.
Eastern equine encephalitis is a mosquito-borne viral disease that affects all equids and progresses rapidly.
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| Florida Mobile Diagnostic Unit |
November/2005 |
The University of Florida (UF) College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville is on the cutting edge with its first-of-a-kind Mobile Equine Diagnostic Science rig, which is referred to as the MEDS unit. The $450,000 custom-made truck takes modern technology to the field.
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| Sun Cured/Dehydrated Alfalfa |
November/2005 |
In 2005, feed regulatory officials were informed that sun-cured alfalfa products might be used in products labeled as dehydrated alfalfa, thereby substituting a product of possibly inferior nutritional quality to unsuspecting consumers. This prompted an investigation into the distinction between sun-cured and dehydrated alfalfa products, and whether the processing method makes any difference to your horse.
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| Electroacupuncture Alleviates Chronic Back Pain |
November/2005 |
University of Florida (UF) researchers have reported success with using electroacupuncture to alleviate chronic back pain in horses. The study was published in a recent edition of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
"Chronic back pain in horses is common and debilitating, and is therefore an important condition economically and humanely," UF Clinical Assistant Professor Huisheng Xie, DVM, PhD, MS, explained.
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| Diagnosing Endometritis--Biopsies vs. Swabs |
November/2005 |
Is an endometrial swab the best screening tool for endometritis, or inflammation of the uterine lining (endometrium)? Not according to a recently published study from Denmark in Theriogenology that compared endometrial swabs with biopsies to determine which method was more reliable for diagnosis.
"We want to be able to diagnose mares with endometritis," says Jesper Nielsen, DVM, who conducted the study, "because when left untreated, endometritis results in barren mares.
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| Deworming Strategies and Hurricane Recovery |
November/2005 |
The level of equine parasite transmission should be diminished on pastures evacuated due to flooding, said Craig Reinemeyer, DVM, PhD, president of East Tennessee Clinical Research in Knoxville, Tenn. "Many larvae would get washed away, and others would go down into the soil," he said.
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| Katrina Increases Gulf Coast Mosquito Population; WNV Outbreak Not Expected |
November/2005 |
The mosquito population of the Gulf Coast's hurricane-affected areas is expected to increase at a staggering rate, according to Joe Conlon, spokesman of the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA). However, he added that the possibility of a West Nile virus (WNV) epidemic is unlikely.
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| Study Compares Cost of Castration Methods |
November/2005 |
Even considering a higher rate of complications, castrations performed in the field are less expensive than sterile procedures performed in a hospital setting, according a United Kingdom study.
The study compared the intial cost and costs from complications in these two methods of castration: Standing with a non-sutured incision (group 1), and recumbent under general anesthesia in sterile conditions with the incision sutured (group 2).
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| Hock MRI Studies |
November/2005 |
A U.K. researcher examined how age, exercise, and riding discipline and level affect hock joints, and she hopes to make recommendations on how to take better care of equine athletes' hocks.
Orthopedic research technician Marion Branch, MV, of the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, England, used magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) to examine 130 horses' hocks in a study published in the Equine Veterinary Journal.
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| Antioxidants and Heaves |
November/2005 |
When a horse inhales mold spores or other irritants, neutrophils (specific types of white blood cells) release reactive oxidants--generally very reactive substances that can break down mold in the airways. That's not a bad thing, really.
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| AAEP Hosts Wet Labs |
November/2005 |
The American Association of Equine Practitioners held its annual Equine Veterinary Wet Labs on Sept. 6-7. The labs, held for the first time at the Kentucky Horse Park, focused on dentistry, musculoskeletal ultrasound, lameness, and reproduction.
"The wet labs provided hands-on experience that could not be obtained through textbooks," said Kathleen Paasch, DVM, one of the 170 veterinarians in attendance.
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| Unwanted Horse Summit |
November/2005 |
Representatives from 20 equine-related organizations that make up the unwanted horse coalition met Sept. 21 at the American Veterinary Medical Association headquarters in Schaumburg, Ill., to focus on the group's mission and to create a long-term organizational structure.
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| Senate Passes Slaughter Funding Amendment |
November/2005 |
On Sept. 20, the U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan amendment (68-29) to the Agriculture Appropriations bill will eliminate federal funding for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspectors in slaughter houses for one fiscal year. Under the Federal Meat Inspection Act, all livestock slaughtered, including horses, must be inspected by USDA personnel.
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| Katrina Pounds the Southeast |
October/2005 |
Hurricane Katrina made its second landfall on Aug. 29 as a Category 4 storm, striking the Louisiana and Mississippi coastlines just days after damaging parts of south Florida. See
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| Study Compares Castration Methods |
October/2005 |
Even considering the higher potential for complications, castrations performed in the field are still less expensive (including complications) than sterile procedures performed in a hospital setting, according a United Kingdom study.
The study compared these two methods of castration: Standing horse with a non-sutured incision, and recumbent using general anesthesia in sterile conditions with the incision sutured.
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| Horse Rescue Receives Seal of Approval |
October/2005 |
Independent Charities of America has awarded Days End Farm Horse Rescue in Lisbon, Md., with the "Best In America" seal of approval for adhering to high standards of accountability and successfully managing the organization's finances. For more information, see
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| Ulcers From Shows and Training |
October/2005 |
New research indicates that the normal stresses of traveling and showing can cause ulcers and stomach lining changes in as little as five days.
Scott McClure, DVM, PhD, of Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, used 20 privately owned Paint horses with no gastric ulcers for the study. All were housed and managed identically prior to the study.
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| Drought Stress and Pasture |
October/2005 |
Drought causes pastures to dry up, weeds to flourish, and horses might require additional feeding to maintain weight when grass is sparse. But there are other things going on in your fields that you need to know about in order to protect your horses from problems such as laminitis, colic, diarrhea, and toxic weeds.
While green grass is higher some nutrients, brown grass under drought stress can have very high concentrations of sugar, starch, or fructan, collectively known as non-structural carbohydrates (NSC).
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| Dangerous Strangles |
October/2005 |
Strangles, the upper respiratory disease in horses caused by Streptococcus equi, has a low mortality rate (2.6%), but it is highly contagious and spreads rapidly. Complications can occur in as many as 20% of cases.
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| Texas Judge Rules on Horsemeat |
October/2005 |
On Aug. 25, U.S. District Judge Terry Means ruled that the possession of horse meat for sale for human consumption was not illegal under Texas law. The judge also issued a permanent injunction against Tarrant County, Texas, District Attorney Tim Curry to keep him from prosecuting the plaintiffs for violating chapter 149 of the Texas Agriculture Code. The plaintiffs in this case were the two Texas-based equine slaughter plants--Beltex in Fort Worth and Dallas Crown in Kaufman--and one Mexican-based plant--Empacadora de Carnes de Fresnillo, that ships horse meat internationally from Texas airports.
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| Vesicular Stomatitis Now in Five States |
October/2005 |
Montana and Wyoming have joined the list of states affected by vesicular stomatitis; cases were announced in mid-August in both states. They have 17 and 21 affected premises, respectively.
Utah tops the list of the states with the most premises under quarantine--as of Aug.
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| "Dreamer" Features Racehorse with Fracture |
October/2005 |
John Gatins, the writer/director of the upcoming movie "Dreamer," used the story of Thoroughbred racehorse Mariah's Storm as the movie's inspiration. In "Dreamer," a Thoroughbred filly named Soñador breaks her leg. The movie tells the story of Thoroughbred trainer and father (Kurt Russell, an avid horseman in real life, shown here) who, for the love of his daughter, Cale (Dakota Fanning, also pictured), sacrifices almost everything to save Soñador's life and bring the promising filly back to her former glory.
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| Rabies Vaccination Revisited |
October/2005 |
Each year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) releases a comprehensive report detailing the number of reported rabies cases in the United States and Puerto Rico. The most up-to-date report, which details cases from the year 2003, reveals that more than 7,000 cases were reported in a variety of wild and domestic animal species across 49 states (Hawaii recorded no cases).
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| Detecting Rhodococcus equi Faster |
October/2005 |
Rhodococcus equi pnemonia is an insidious disease of foals--by the time one sees clinical signs, the pnemonia can be well advanced. Thus, tests that have greater sensitivity for R. equi are needed because they might permit earlier diagnosis.
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| Study Might Link American Robins To West Nile Virus |
October/2005 |
A recent DNA study of the blood consumed by 300 mosquitoes in Connecticut over the past three years found that 40% fed on American robins, while only 1% fed on American crows, a known host of West Nile virus (WNV). Theodore Andreadis, MS, PhD, from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, led the study.
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| An Unusual Case of Septic Arthritis |
October/2005 |
Septic or infectious arthritis in healthy adult horses usually develops rapidly, creating significant lameness, but a recent case report found that septic arthritis might appear chronic rather than acute, and that it can be caused by an unusual bacterium.
Septic arthritis is almost always exquisitely painful, and the lameness it causes only gets worse until the infection is treated.
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| Anthrax Flares Continue |
October/2005 |
Livestock anthrax cases are dispersed over Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and southern Manitoba, Canada. North Dakota is having a record year, with more than 300 cases since early July.
Minnesota has reported five anthrax premises in three counties since mid-July, with 21 animals dead as of Aug.
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| Mandatory Disclosure of Veterinary Practices Postponed |
October/2005 |
The Monitoring Committee for the Sales Integrity Program has postponed implementation of the mandatory disclosure of acceptable veterinary practices, says the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association.
The program's code of ethics defines these practices as surgeries designed to affect permanent changes in a horse's conformation, including transphyseal bridges and periosteal transsections, manipulations, and elevations.
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| Shipping Mix-Up Sends Studs To the Wrong Countries |
October/2005 |
The search for the Thoroughbred stud Dubai Excellence has turned to Ukraine. This is where the horse thought to be Samood, who was identified as the stallion believed initially to be Dubai Excellence in Australia, is meant to have gone, sources close to the situation have said.
Michael Ford, keeper of the Australian Stud Book, confirmed the week of Aug.
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| Company Offers Commercial Cloning |
October/2005 |
A San Francisco, Calif., company announced in late July its intention to clone one individual's horse for profit, at a cost of $367,593 for implanting clone embryos into 100 mares plus additional patent royalties based on the number of clones that are produced and their value. The announcement marks the first U.
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| Influenza Vaccine Updates |
October/2005 |
According to Equine Disease Quarterly, which is published by the University of Kentucky's Gluck Equine Research Center and sponsored by Lloyd's, the Influenza Expert Surveillance Panel this year recommended that influenza vaccines contain the following:
American Lineage Virus:
An A/eq/South Africa/4/03 (H3N8)-like virus.*
*A/eq/Ohio/03 is acceptable.
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| Government Agencies and Private Adoption Group Team Up for Mustang Event |
October/2005 |
In the second annual event sponsored by the Bureau of Land Management, the USDA Forest Service, and the Central Oregon Wild Horse Coalition (COWHC), nine wild mustangs gathered from eastern Oregon public lands were to be offered to qualified adopters on Sept. 18, after two days of gentling by area horse trainers.
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| West Nile Virus DNA Vaccine Approved for Horses |
September/2005 |
Commercial vaccines leapt toward state-of-the-art on July 8 when the USDA granted a license for the world's first DNA vaccine for any species. This equine vaccine springs from more than four years of collaborative research between Fort Dodge Animal Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Fort Dodge, CDC, and the USDA jointly announced the achievement on July 18.
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| EEE in Alabama Horses and Humans |
September/2005 |
Seven cases of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) were confirmed recently in southwestern Alabama. The disease has also infected two people, one of whom did not survive. The Alabama Department of Public Health has recommended the public reduce exposure to mosquitoes, which are thriving due to the copious amounts of standing water left by Hurricane Dennis.
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| WNV Patients Have a Long Road Ahead |
September/2005 |
Maureen Long, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, assistant professor of large animal veterinary medicine at the the University of Florida, knows of at least four horses that appeared to make full recoveries from West Nile virus (WNV) before getting sick again, without apparent re-exposure.
"We wonder if it's the equivalent to the human post-poliomyelitis syndrome," she says of this condition, in which the patient recovers and later develops spinal cord degeneration and muscle wasting.
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| EIA-Positive Horse Auctioned Off in Two States |
September/2005 |
Equine infectious anemia (EIA) was confirmed July 13 in a Pennsylvania horse, said Bruce Schmucker, VMD, of the state's Department of Agriculture. The horse hasn't shown any clinical signs of EIA and passed through an auction in Meadville, Pa., on June 29.
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| Breaking News: Kentucky Officials Extend VS Embargo |
September/2005 |
According to a July 26 memo from Kentucky State Veterinarian Robert Stout, DVM, officials have extended Kentucky's vesicular stomatitis (VS) embargo to include livestock (including horses), wild animals, and exotic animals from La Plata and Mesa Counties in Colorado, Rio Arriba County in New Mexico, and Grand County in Utah. For more information, see
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| Fans Honor Slain Saddlebred |
September/2005 |
A crowd of about 300 people overflowed the Kentucky Horse Park's (KHP) Hall of Champions pavilion on July 10 in Lexington to honor Saddlebred champion Wild Eyed & Wicked following his burial at the park. Wicked was one of three Saddlebreds that perished in July 2003 after malicious injections in their left front pasterns left them too debilitated to survive (two horses recovered).
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| Veterinarian Alexander Harthill Dead at 80 |
September/2005 |
Alexander Harthill, DVM, a renowned Central Kentucky racehorse veterinarian known as "Derby Doc" to his colleagues, died July 16 at 80 years old.
Harthill died at Hospice and Palliative Care in Louisville, Ky., after complications from a stroke and pneumonia, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.
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| Open-Access Veterinary Journal Launched |
September/2005 |
Afleet Alex, dramatic winner of the Preakness and runaway winner of the Belmont Stakes, underwent surgery July 27 at the New Jersey Equine Clinic (NJEC) in Clarksburg, N.J.
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| South African Bleeders Study Begins |
September/2005 |
An international collaboration of researchers launched a study in July to examine the prevalence and severity of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) in more than 800 South African Thoroughbreds. The group from the University of Pretoria, The Ohio State University (OSU), and the University of Kentucky (UK) also will examine the effect of altitude on EIPH.
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| U.S. Department of the Interior Asks for Help with Mustangs and Burros |
September/2005 |
Editor's Note: The U.S. Department of the Interior sent this press release on July 28 requesting help with the increasing populations of mustangs and burros that are exceeding the carrying capacity of government acreage and holding facilities.
The crisis facing wild horses and burros on public lands has reached a critical point.
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| Alternative Horse Bedding |
August/2005 |
Research has shown that Kenaf, a fairly new plant to North America that is a relative of cotton and okra, could be a viable product for horse bedding. Michael Yoder, MS, extension associate in the department of animal science at North Carolina State University, compared Kenaf to traditional bedding at the Equine Science Society Symposium held May 31-June 3 in Tucson, Ariz.
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| Giacomo Out for the Year |
August/2005 |
Giacomo, upset winner of the Kentucky Derby, will be sidelined for the remainder of the year with a bone chip in his left front fetlock that he suffered in the Belmont Stakes. Trainer John Shirreffs said the prognosis is excellent, and he is optimistic the colt will return to the races as a 4-year-old.
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| Horses Still Learn While Tranquilized |
August/2005 |
You can teach a tranquilized horse, concluded Samantha Griffith, a graduate student in the Department of Animal Science at Auburn University, in a study she presented at the Equine Science Society Symposium May 31-June 3 in Tucson, Ariz.
She found that horses tranquilized with acepromazine maleate, or Ace, perform similarly to non-tranquilized horses when asked to perform a series of spatial and discrimination tests.
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| USDA Horse Slaughter Inspectors Face Elimination |
August/2005 |
The House of Representatives passed the 2006 Agriculture Appropriations bill (H.R. 2744) on June 8. Included in the bill was amendment 236, which will end funding for horse slaughter plant inspectors during the 2006 federal fiscal year.
The amendment states: "An amendment to prohibit the use of funds in the bill to pay salaries and expenses of personnel to inspect horses under the Federal Meat Inspection Act or under the guidelines issued under the Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform Act of 1996.
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| U.S. Equine Economic Impact Study Released |
August/2005 |
The horse industry in the United States contributes $39 billion in direct economic impact and generates about $102 billion in total spending, according to a detailed economic impact study released June 28.
"The Economic Impact of the Horse Industry in the United States" was conducted by Deloitte Consulting and commissioned by the American Horse Council (AHC).
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| Hold Order Lifted at Maryland Horse Facility |
August/2005 |
After nearly three months of state-mandated quarantine for neurologic equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), the Columbia Horse Center in Columbia, Md., was declared free of the disease on June 11.
"The farm managers, private veterinarians, horse owners, and all other parties involved have done everything properly and with the utmost professionalism to bring a long and trying situation to closure," said James I.
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| California: Three 2005 Equine WNV Cases |
August/2005 |
As of July 5, three cases of West Nile virus (WNV) have been detected in California horses. All three cases are recovering.
The first case was reported on June 1 in Plumas County. The second and third cases were from Sonoma and Kern Counties and were reported on June 10.
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| C. Immitis Antibody Prevalence |
August/2005 |
Horses can get the potentially severe and fatal disease coccidioidomycosis from the fungus Coccidioides immitis, which grows in portions of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah. However, researchers have discovered that just because a horse has been exposed (has C.
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| Breaking News: Anthrax in Texas |
August/2005 |
Two ranches in Sutton County, Texas, had laboratory-confirmed cases of anthrax in horses, deer, and cattle on July 6. Tests on more cases are pending. More information:
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| MRSA Surveillance in Horses at a Hospital |
August/2005 |
Screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) upon arrival to a vet hospital is useful for detecting cases of the "superbug" early so affected horses can be isolated, said Scott Weese, DVM, DVSc, Dipl. ACVIM, an associate professor at the University of Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College (OVC).
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| Young Researchers Honored |
August/2005 |
Research awards are given each year to American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) residents authoring the best abstracts at the ACVIM forum. Two equine projects received awards on June 4 in Baltimore, Md.
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| 80 Eastern Encephalitis Cases in Florida |
August/2005 |
Florida officials had tallied 80 confirmed cases of the mosquito-borne disease Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in 2005 as of July 5 (75 of them since May 1), and the state could be approaching a record year for EEE infections. Florida vets received a letter in early June from Michael A.
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| Killing Resistant Parasites |
August/2005 |
2005 EQUINE SCIENCE SOCIETY SYMPOSIUM, TUCSON, ARIZ., MAY 31-JUNE 3
"Parasite resistance has emerged as a dilemma in the livestock industry as many classes of parasites are becoming resistant to dewormers," began Meghan Blanek, graduate student in the Department of Animal Science at Texas Tech University. Her research found a deworming regimen that would decrease parasite resistance in horse herds.
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| Bigger Thoroughbreds Sell Better |
August/2005 |
2005 EQUINE SCIENCE SOCIETY SYMPOSIUM, TUCSON, ARIZ., MAY 31-JUNE 3
"Pedigree, conformation, and the racing performance of siblings are the main selection criteria utilized by buyers to evaluate the athletic potential of Thoroughbred yearlings," said Joe Pagan, PhD, president of Kentucky Equine Research in Versailles, Ky. He also noted a positive correlation between size of a yearling and selling price at the Keeneland September Yearling Sales in Lexington, Ky.
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| Treatment of Equine Heart Arrhythmia |
July/2005 |
Human defibrillators are being used successfully to treat horses with irregular heartbeats (fibrillation). Kim McGurrin, DVM, a graduate student at the University of Guelph's College of Veterinary Medicine, developed a procedure as part of her doctoral research that can cure horses of an irregular heartbeat without the use of medication. The procedure has recently been implemented for the first time in the United States at the University of Florida and Cornell University.
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| Ad-Painted Horse Causes Welfare Warning |
July/2005 |
Not many people think of using their horses as painted billboards, and the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says you shouldn't. At least, they say, not with regular paint, as it could harm the horse.
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| Memorial Service Set for Slain Saddlebred |
July/2005 |
A memorial service for Wild Eyed & Wicked will be held on July 10 at 4 pm at the Kentucky Horse Park (KHP), where his remains will be reburied. The service will be hosted by Wicked's owners, Joe and Sally Jackson, and the KHP.
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| Wild Horse Amendment Passes House |
July/2005 |
Wild horses and burros that are eligible for slaughter had a victory on May 19 when the appropriations bill for the Department of the Interior 2006 budget (H.R.
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| Farrier Licensing Controversy |
July/2005 |
Horseshoers (farriers) in the United States have long practiced with no regulation and only voluntary certification, but some in the industry think that should change--soon. An American Farrier's Association (AFA) task force presented a proposal to the AFA Board of Directors in late February on this issue, and that proposal has generated an explosion of controversy.
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| Herpesvirus Breakthrough |
July/2005 |
Preliminary research on equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) from Cornell University indicates that the commercial vaccine containing modified live virus (Rhinomune) appears to be more effective in preventing infection than killed vaccines, and offers some protection against the neurologic form of EHV-1. Klaus Osterrieder, DVM, DVM Habilitation (a German equivalent to a PhD), associate professor of virology in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell, announced his findings prior to peer-reviewed journal publication because of the recent deadly outbreaks of EHV-1.
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| EHV-1 Outbreak Confirmed at Churchill Downs |
July/2005 |
The neurologic form of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) was confirmed as affecting horses at Churchill Downs in mid-May. Three barns remained under quarantine until horses in those barns met requirements by May 24 to begin training on the track during separate hours from the general horse population. Triple Crown horses that ran in the Preakness were in unaffected barns at Churchill, so they were not impaired by the quarantines and were able to travel to Maryland for the May 21 race.
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| Update on Maryland EHV-1 Outbreak |
July/2005 |
As of May 26, there are no new clinical equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) cases among horses at the Columbia Horse Center in Maryland. The facility has been handling an outbreak of the neurologic form of the virus since late March. During the week of May 22, one horse that had been diagnosed with the virus more than a month prior had to be euthanatized.
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| VS Outbreak Hits the Southwest |
July/2005 |
Texas on May 20 joined New Mexico and Arizona as states with confirmed cases of vesicular stomatitis (VS) this spring. Two Travis County horses were hauled home May 10 from a trail ride in Arizona, where they apparently were exposed to the VS virus. The virus can cause animals to develop blisters and sores in the mouth and on the tongue, muzzle, teats, and hooves.
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| Foot and Mouth Disease Confirmed in China |
July/2005 |
Confirmed in China
On May 26, China's Ministry of Agriculture confirmed outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Beijing, Xinjiang, and Hebei.
While horses cannot be infected by FMD, they can carry the virus on their hooves, skin, hair, and possibly in their nasal passages. Restrictions on livestock transport in a foot and mouth outbreak could severely hamper the equine industry of a country.
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| Whisper Syndrome Update: Titer Results Inconclusive |
July/2005 |
A treating vet in Virginia still isn't sure what made three of his clients' horses sick this spring while generating widespread concern on an Internet message board as "Whisper Syndrome" (for background information, see thehorse.
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| Gastric Ulcer Research in Racehorses |
July/2005 |
Two articles on the use of omeprazole paste (Merial's GastroGard) in racehorses were published in the May 15 edition of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA). The first study looked at using omeprazole paste to prevent gastric ulcers in horses entering race training.
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| Roping Horse Lameness |
June/2005 |
A study from Texas A&M University (TAMU) on roping horses determined, "Horses used for heading were most commonly affected by lameness in the right forelimb. Horses used for heeling had more bilateral hind limb lameness than horses used for heading.
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| No Added Benefits from Higher Bute Dosage |
June/2005 |
Higher dosages of phenylbutazone (Bute) don't make chronically lame horses any sounder than standard doses, according to a study in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Thus, giving a lame horse extra Bute gives no benefit, costs more, and carries a higher risk of toxicity and/or gastrointestinal problems.
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| Champion Horse Cloned |
June/2005 |
Italian researchers announced on April 14 that the first clone of a sterile horse is healthy and thriving. The Arabian colt, a genetic copy of U.S. endurance rider Valerie Kanavy's two-time World Champion horse Pieraz, proves that researchers can preserve a gelding's genetic material. Pieraz-Cryozootech-Stallion (Pieraz 2), will be used for breeding only.
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| American Horse Cloning Project Successful |
June/2005 |
America's first cloned horse turned six weeks old on April 27, according to Texas A&M University (TAMU) researchers who partnered on the successful cloning venture with French scientist Dr. Eric Palmer of Cryozootech.
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| Horse Smart Card in the Works in Colorado |
June/2005 |
The horse industry in Colorado is instituting an Equine Smart Card identification program that will meet National Animal Identification System (NAIS) standards. The NAIS is being developed by the USDA and state agencies, and it is intended to identify specific U.
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| Equine Evolution: Characteristics Dependent on Geography, Climate |
June/2005 |
While conventional wisdom suggests that horses simply became bigger throughout history and changed from diminutive shrub nibblers to the masterful grass-eating specimens we have today, current evidence seems to discount that theory. Bruce MacFadden, MPh, PhD, an equine forensic paleontologist at the University of Florida, has been working with horse evolution since the 1970s, and he is considered a world authority on equine evolution.
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| Summit Charts Course for Unwanted Horses |
June/2005 |
More than 25 equine-industry organizations and one U.S. congressman participated in the nation's first Unwanted Horse Summit on April 19 in Washington, D.C.
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| Triad Specialty Products Licenses Fly Control Product to Pfizer |
June/2005 |
Piedmont Pharmaceuticals' wholly owned company Triad Specialty Products announced on April 7 that it has licensed its equine feed-through fly control product to Pfizer Animal Health. Triad developed the product and received regulatory clearance to market it in early 2004.
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| EPM: Not So Common? |
May/2005 |
"Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a common cause of neurological disease of horses in North and South America, and results from a protozoal infection with Sarcocystis neurona or Neospora hughesi (less commonly)," said Steve Reed, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, of The Ohio State University (OSU), at the Western Veterinary Conference held Feb.
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| Wild Horse Dispersal Under New Legislation |
May/2005 |
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has begun selling the wild horses and burros under its care due to the new stipulations of the amended 1971 Wild Horse and Burro Act.
The first group to benefit from the new legislation was Wild Horses Wyoming, LLC (WHW).
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| Strangles Strikes |
May/2005 |
Several strangles outbreaks across the country have complicated the spring showing, training, and racing plans for some horse owners. Several racetracks in Florida, Kentucky, and New York have established restrictions on animals from affected areas. For more information, see the Strangles section under Infectious Diseases at
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| Neurologic EHV-1 in New York |
May/2005 |
Three horses have died or were euthanatized following infection with equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) at a boarding facility in Tioga County, N.Y. The first case was detected in early March, said officials at the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets.
Clinical signs included fevers, nasal discharge and increased breathing effort, anorexia (not eating), and neurological problems ranging from weakness and stumbling to an inability to rise.
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| Maryland Horses Succumb to Neurologic EHV-1 |
May/2005 |
Three horses were euthanatized due to severe neurologic signs caused by equine herpesvirus type-1 at the Columbia Horse Center in Columbia, Md., the week of March 21, according to the animals' attending vet. Two more horses at the facility developed signs of disease, but are recuperating well, he added.
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| Rhodococcus Equi Pneumonia Linked to Large Farms, Lots of Horses |
May/2005 |
Farms with large acreage and many mares and foals are more likely to have cases of Rhodococcus equi foal pneumonia than smaller farms with fewer horses, according to a recently published Texas A&M University (TAMU) study. Additionally, farms that are intensively managed and use what are considered desirable practices to prevent disease are more likely to have R.
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| Conformation of Racehorses |
May/2005 |
"Forelimb conformation receives lots of attention because of perceived predisposition to injury (with various conformational problems)," began Liz Santschi, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, clinical associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, at the Western Veterinary Conference held Feb.
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| Ophthalmology for Ambulatory Practitioners |
May/2005 |
"I have a special interest in eyes, but they're only about 5% of my work," began Ann Dwyer, DVM, of Genesee Valley Equine Clinic in Scottsville, N.Y., at the Western Veterinary Conference Feb. 20-24 in Las Vegas, Nev.
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| Vaccine Care and Handling |
May/2005 |
"A lot of very smart people are not aware of how to properly handle vaccines," said Rocky Bigbie, DVM, MS, director of field veterinary services with Fort Dodge Animal Health, at the 2005 Western Veterinary Conference held Feb. 20-24 in Las Vegas, Nev.
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| Farnam/Purina Partner on New Feeding Program |
May/2005 |
On March 7, Farnam and Purina announced they were partners in the manufacturing and promotion of a new line of feeds and supplements. The line was created to avoid over-supplementation while delivering state-of-the-art nutrition to horses of all ages and uses. The line, called Platform, was to be available by late April.
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| "Seabiscuit" Star Euthanatized |
May/2005 |
Thoroughbred "I Two Step Too," known for his role in "Seabiscuit," was euthanatized on March 7 at the Kentucky Horse Park near Lexington after battling a rare type of tumor called a neuroblastoma in his nasal cavity. I Two Step Too was cast as one of the equine actors playing Seabiscuit--he was a "blow by" horse since he could turn on speed and blow by the other horses pulling into the lead.
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| Neurologic Herpesvirus in Canada and Pennsylvania |
April/2005 |
The neurologic form of equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) has been detected in horses in two additional areas of North America--Nova Scotia, Canada, and Meadowlands, Pa. At least four affected horses were put down (three in Canada and one in Pennsylvania).
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| Breaking News: Neurologic Herpesvirus Strain Mutation |
April/2005 |
New equine herpesvirus type-1 findings from a research collaboration between George Allen, PhD, professor in the Department of Veterinary Science at the University of Kentucky's Gluck Equine Research Center in Lexington, and Nicholas Davis-Poynter, PhD, head of equine infectious diseases at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket, England, have been released. They consented to a lay press release of the results of "the ongoing and as yet unpublished research on neurological strains of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1).
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| Strangles Guidelines Released to the Public |
April/2005 |
In 2005, the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) released its consensus statement on guidelines for treatment, control, and prevention of strangles, which is caused by Streptococcus equi. The 12-page paper took a year to complete and reflects the input of researchers and veterinary clinicians across the country.
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| Saddlebred to be Reburied at Kentucky Horse Park |
April/2005 |
The body of champion Saddlebred Wild Eyed and Wicked will be re-interred at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington after forensic study.
Wicked, a two-time winner of the Saddlebred Triple Crown, was one of five Saddlebreds that were injected with a tissue-killing substance in the pasterns of their left forelegs during the summer of 2003 at the Double D Ranch near Versailles, Ky. He was euthanatized after his condition deteriorated severely and was buried on July 17, 2003 (two other horses were also euthanatized).
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| Horse Slaughter Legislation Reintroduced |
April/2005 |
The Horse Slaughter Prevention Act has been reintroduced to Congress as bill H.R. 503. Congressman John Sweeney of New York is the lead sponsor of H.R. 503 and introduced the bill on Feb.
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| Respiratory Disease Seminar |
April/2005 |
Influenza, equine herpesvirus, and strangles were highlighted by Bonnie Rush, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, professor and section head of equine internal medicine at Kansas State University, at a Feb. 4 seminar sponsored by Fort Dodge Animal Health in Lexington, Ky.
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| Olympic Appeal Over Drugs |
April/2005 |
According to the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI), German Olympian Ludger Beerbaum filed an appeal on Feb. 3 with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the decision taken by the FEI Judicial Committee. The committee disqualified Beerbaum and his horse, Goldfever 3, from the 2004 Athens Olympic Games Show Jumping competitions--competitions in which the pair helped lead the German team to a gold medal victory.
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| Jurisdictions Begin Milkshake Testing |
April/2005 |
Following recommendations issued in January by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium, several racing jurisdictions have approved plans to test horses for evidence of "milkshaking" or excess levels of total carbon dioxide (TCO2). Milkshakes are a mixture of a bicarbonate of soda and liquid given to a horse before it races.
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| Breeding Efficiency in Kentucky Thoroughbred Mares |
April/2005 |
Management and veterinary care are important factors that contribute to the overall pregnancy rate of the Thoroughbred mare, said Karin Bosh, a graduate research assistant in the University of Kentucky's Department of Veterinary Science. Bosh presented research supporting the link at the university's Gluck Equine Research Center on Feb.
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| Central Kentucky Abortion Submissions Suggest Normal Foaling Season |
April/2005 |
Central Kentucky equine abortion submissions to the University of Kentucky's Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center (LDDC) so far in 2005 do not indicate mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS). MRLS struck horses in several states (including Kentucky) and Canada in 2001 and 2002, causing late-gestation foal loss, birth of weak foals, early fetal loss, pericarditis (heart problems), and uveitis (eye problems).
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| Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test Still the Gold Standard for Detecting Anthelmintic Resistance |
April/2005 |
Swedish veterinarians recently determined that the larval development assay (LDA, a fecal test) is not a reliable alternative to the fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) in measuring anthelmintic (dewormer) resistance of strongyles in the horse.
Studies in sheep nematodes (roundworms) had suggested that the LDA method might be a useful alternative to the FECRT in equine parasitology, in which the number of parasite eggs in the feces after deworming is compared to the number present before treatment.
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| Rutgers Annual NAERIC Yearling Benefit Auction |
April/2005 |
Twelve Belgian/Quarter Horse cross yearlings will be sold on May 1, 2005, at the sixth annual auction of its kind to benefit the Rutgers Cook College Young Horse Teaching and Research Program in New Brunswick, N.J.
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| Hendra Virus Resurfaces in Australia |
March/2005 |
Ten years after a deadly virus was first discovered in Australia, it has reared its ugly head once again. A horse near the Townsville area of Australia was diagnosed with Hendra virus, a deadly equine morbillivirus, on Dec. 14, 2004, and it was later euthanatized.
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| Update on Rabies in Illinois |
March/2005 |
Illinois agriculture and health officials reported in early January that a LaSalle County horse tested positive for rabies at the Illinois Department of Agriculture laboratory in Galesburg on Dec. 10, 2004.
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| VS Embargoes Lifted |
March/2005 |
New Mexico and Colorado have been removed from the Kentucky list of vesicular stomatitis (VS)-embargoed states. Neither state is experiencing active cases of VS and there are no premises currently under quarantine as a result of past infection.
Bans were imposed beginning in May 2004 after a VS outbreak was reported in Texas.
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| NAHMS to Study Equine Industry in 2005 |
March/2005 |
The USDA's National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) will be conducting an Equine 2005 study, which will examine equine events and on-farm health management factors as they relate to the control of equine infectious diseases.
NAHMS conducts national studies on the health and management of America's domestic livestock populations.
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| Risk Factors for Horse Falls in U.K. Hurdle and Steeplechase Racing |
March/2005 |
It is well documented that the equine fatality rate for hurdling and steeplechase racing is significantly higher than that of flat racing. The disparity in fatality rates is likely due to the fact that the types of injuries sustained in jump racing differ from those sustained in flat racing. Some catastrophic injuries, such as vertebral fractures, occur more frequently in horses racing over jumps.
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| Vaccination of Wild Mice Could Reduce Transmission of Lyme Disease |
March/2005 |
Vaccinating large populations of wild mice against the bacterium that causes Lyme disease could one day help reduce the risk of transmission of the infection to horses.
A recent study, supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, demonstrated that the vaccination of wildlife hosts might be a promising, ecologically based strategy to help prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases like Lyme disease and West Nile virus.
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| Texas Rangers Help Locate Stolen Horses Nationwide |
March/2005 |
The Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) launched its nationwide Horse Identification Program (HIP) and web site this past January. HIP, a voluntary-enrollment service designed to help retrieve stolen horses throughout the United States, draws from the extensive animal recovery experience of the TSCRA and its rangers in Texas and Oklahoma.
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| U.S. Horse Abuse Cases in January |
March/2005 |
Numerous horse abuse cases have been reported during the month of January throughout the United States.
Miami, Fla., humane officials are working with the unnamed owner of five malnourished horses removed from his property on Jan. 4.
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| Judge Orders Exhumation of Champion Saddlebred |
March/2005 |
A federal judge in Lexington, Ky., has ordered that the body of American Saddlebred champion Wild Eyed and Wicked be exhumed for additional forensic testing. The exhumation was set to begin on Feb.
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| Heaves and Saline Treatment |
March/2005 |
Rapid intravenous administration of isotonic saline solution does not relieve airway obstruction in heaves-affected horses, says Daniel Jean, MedVet, MS, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, professor of clinical sciences at the University of Montreal.
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| Bill Rider Makes Wild Horses Eligible for Slaughter |
February/2005 |
Some wild horses and burros rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are now eligible to be sold at public auctions to the highest bidder, including slaughter buyers.
The appropriations bill for 2005 (H.
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| WNV Vaccine: Safe for Broodmares |
February/2005 |
Researchers at Texas A&M University (TAMU) have just completed a retrospective study into the safety of administering the killed West Nile virus (WNV) vaccine to pregnant broodmares, the first study on this topic in equine reproductive research. The study looked at 595 mares from four different farms in Texas and Kentucky.
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| Additional Treatment Receives Conditional License |
February/2005 |
In the treatment of horses suffering from West Nile virus (WNV), vets have only a few choices besides supportive care. A novel WNV serum antibody product received conditional approval from the USDA in November 2004. Colorado Serum Company (CSC) announced the product's availability on Dec.
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| EHV-1 Kills Two Michigan Racehorses |
February/2005 |
At least two horses at Northville Downs Standardbred racetrack in Northville, Mich., contracted equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) and were euthanatized in December. The first case was found Dec.
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| Leptospirosis in Central Kentucky |
February/2005 |
High incidences of leptospirosis-induced abortions in Central Kentucky mares could be caused by a tandem effect of temperature and precipitation in certain years, said Capt. David Hall of the U.
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| FEI Appoints Task Force on Doping and Medications |
February/2005 |
At its recent meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI, the international governing body of equine sport) Bureau established a six-person task force to reassess policies necessary to eliminate abusive and illegal performance-enhancing drugs and to review the general medication control of horses.
The task force will examine the following:
Differences between medication and doping (welfare vs.
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| AQHA Set to Drug Test 300 Shows |
February/2005 |
The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) was to begin testing for performance-enhancing medications at approximately 300 approved shows in January as a result of a recommendation made by the drug and medications task force.
The task force had met to discuss the increased cost of drug testing and the decreasing number of states voluntarily testing at their shows.
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| Equine Ulcers--More Than Just a Stomach Ache |
February/2005 |
The creation of the long fiberoptic flexible endoscope opened a new world to equine veterinarians and researchers who for the first time were able to view a living horse's stomach. What they found was that horses get gastric ulcers frequently associated with exercise and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use.
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| Track Surface Conditions Influence Likelihood of Racing Fractures |
February/2005 |
A study recently published in the Japan Racing Journal found that as turf courses become wetter and softer, fracture risk is reduced. In contrast, muddy conditions on dirt courses lead to a greater risk of horses sustaining a fracture. Masa-aki Oikawa, DVM, PhD, of the Japan Racing Association's Equine Research Institute, noted that although several biological and non-biological factors contribute to racehorse injuries, some are more important than others.
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| Transport and the Immune System |
February/2005 |
In a study published in the Equine Veterinary Journal investigating the effects of long-term transport on horses, Carolyn Stull, DVM, showed measurable changes in immunological status. She also found the immune systems of transported horses took about 24 hours to recover, making travel-stressed horses more prone to problems upon arrival at their destinations.
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| DNA Vaccine Awaits Approval |
January/2005 |
A new vaccine to protect horses against West Nile Virus (WNV) has been developed and submitted for USDA review. If approved, it would be the first commercially available DNA vaccine for any mammalian or animal species.
Steve Chu, DVM, PhD, senior vice president, Global Research and Development, Fort Dodge Animal Health, explained the conceptual DNA vaccine to The Horse.
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| Whip Use and Racing Falls |
January/2005 |
A study conducted by scientists at the University of Liverpool in England found that the risk of falling in hurdle and steeplechase races was significantly associated with whip use and a horse's progress while competing. The results of the work appeared in a recent issue of the Equine Veterinary Journal.
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| Australian Mystery Disease |
January/2005 |
Reports are circulating that a disease similar to mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) is occurring in Australia. In a correspondence, Nigel Perkins, BVSc, MS, Dipl. ACT, FACVSc, of the private consulting firm AusVet Animal Health Services, said, "Between March and November 2004, a number of mares in the Hunter Valley region and in Queensland suffered abortions due to a similar disease process.
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| Adverse Effects Associated With Systemic NSAIDs |
January/2005 |
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) drugs are an important component of therapy for equine pain, but according to researchers at North Carolina State University's (NCSU) College of Veterinary Medicine, overuse and misuse of NSAIDs can result in gastrointestinal injury, kidney damage, and even death in horses.
Because NSAIDs such as Bute, Banamine (flunixin meglamine), ketoprofen, and naproxen are absorbed systemically and are transported throughout the body via the bloodstream, they reach unintended targets where they can have adverse effects.
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| Tips for Stallion Handlers |
January/2005 |
"Starting a novice breeding stallion can range from a quick and easy project accomplished in a few brief sessions to a challenging and time-consuming effort over many sessions and even a few weeks," said Sue McDonnell, PhD, a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and head of the Equine Behavior Lab of the Veterinary School of the University of Pennsylvania (New Bolton Center), at the Hagyard Bluegrass Equine Symposium held Oct. 20-23, 2004, in Lexington, Ky.
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| USEF Permits Use of Surpass |
January/2005 |
Effective Dec. 1, 2004, the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Equine Drugs and Medications Rule permitted the therapeutic use of Surpass, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory product (NSAID) recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in horses. This is a topical preparation of 1% diclofenac cream from IDEXX Pharmaceuticals.
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| AAEP Guidelines for Rescue and Retirement Facilities |
January/2005 |
Because of the vital services provided to unwanted, neglected, or abused horses by equine rescue and retirement groups, the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has developed a new resource guide titled Care Guidelines for Equine Rescue and Retirement Facilities. The guide is designed to help the non-veterinary caregiver successfully provide care to a rescued horse or a horse in need of rehabilitation.
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| A New Orleans Vet's Perspective |
January/2005 |
"It's just so amazing to me that in one day, it can all be lost and suddenly you live in a dangerous place," said Allison Barca, DVM, who has served many of the horses in and around New Orleans for years. Most of Barca's clients were affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
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| All Vesicular Stomatitis Quarantines Released in Texas |
December/2004 |
For the first time since May 19, Texas has no livestock restrictions due to vesicular stomatitis (VS), a blistering disease thought to be transmitted by sand flies and black flies that appears every few years in the Southwest. Sick livestock usually begin to heal several weeks after exhibiting blisters, sloughing skin, or sores in and around the mouth, above the hooves, or on the muzzle or teats.
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| Canadian Breeders Devastated by Disease |
December/2004 |
Veterinarians in western Canada report that 2004 has been a disappointing year for many breeders because of an increase in cases of fatal congenital hypothyroidism (CH) in foals. Newborns with the disease can exhibit clinical signs such as contracted tendons, protruding lower jaws, and an inability to stand.
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| Royal Kaliber Euthanatized |
December/2004 |
Royal Kaliber, a prominent U.S. showjumper, was euthanatized Oct. 8 in the Netherlands. The stallion underwent colic surgery for intestinal adhesions on Sept. 27 and had been recovering well until his progress considerably slowed.
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| Gold Medal Horse Tests Positive for Drugs |
December/2004 |
Four horses that competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece--including one gold medalist--have tested positive for banned substances. The four positive horses are Irish show jumping gold medal winner Waterford Crystal, ridden by Cian O'Connor; German showjumper Goldfever, ridden by Ludger Beerbaum; German event horse Ringwood Cockatoo, ridden by Bettina Hoy; and Austrian event horse Foxy, ridden by Harald Riedl.
According to England's Horse and Hound, James Sheeran, BVSc, veterinarian for Waterford Crystal, had given the horse a mild sedative during hydrotherapy treatment for a fetlock injury on July 22, but felt the drug residues should have dissipated before the Olympics.
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| Plaintiff Would Cooperate in Saddlebred's Exhumation |
December/2004 |
The owner of the ranch near Versailles, Ky., where an American Saddlebred was buried after brutal attacks led to his eventual euthanasia, has expressed in court documents that she would cooperate with requests for exhuming the horse's body if it were to be reburied at her farm and other conditions were met. Additionally, the lawyers of both parties in the case have been instructed to prepare for a settlement conference and pre-trial conference next June.
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| Seal Signifies Quality of Animal Supplements |
December/2004 |
The Animal Supplement Council (NASC) has initiated a Quality Seal Program as part of its ongoing effort to improve and standardize the animal supplement industry. The seal is a way for consumers to know that when they buy a product, they buy from a reputable manufacturer.
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| Quarantine Lifted at Kentucky Harness Track |
December/2004 |
Standardbred racehorse owners got a scare in early October when officials quarantined three barns of horses at the Red Mile, a harness track in Lexington, Ky., because of serologic test results that suggested a horse might have had equine infectious anemia.
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| Contact Lenses for Horses |
December/2004 |
While they aren't used to improve vision in horses, soft contact lenses can be used to protect the eye and facilitate healing in horses with non-infected ulcerations. Robert Lowe, BVSc, MRCVS, CertVOphthal, of Downland Veterinary Group in Hampshire, United Kingdom, discussed the use of contacts for horses at the 43rd annual British Equine Veterinary Association Congress held Sept.
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| Noted Equine Researcher Jack Bryans Dead at 80 |
December/2004 |
John T. "Jack" Bryans, MS, PhD, 80, an equine researcher who developed numerous vaccines, died Oct. 2 in Lexington, Ky.
Bryans was internationally recognized for his infectious disease research. Bryans and E.
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| Doug Corey Named 2005 AAEP Vice President |
December/2004 |
Doug Corey, DVM, of Adams, Ore., has been selected as the 2005 vice president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). He will be inducted into office at the AAEP 50th Annual Convention, taking place Dec. 4-8 in Denver, Colo.
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| Equine Working Group Provides Views to USDA |
November/2004 |
The Equine Species Working Group (ESWG) said it supports the approach the USDA is taking to organize a national animal ID system to deal with animal diseases and their effects. But, the group cautioned, the horse industry has unique issues and concerns that must be considered.
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| New Equine Performance Centre |
November/2004 |
The University of Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, has unveiled plans to build a new multi-million-dollar Equine Performance Centre for diagnosing and treating problems in performance horses. The facility is designed to rival those of the New Bolton Center, Cornell University, University of California, Davis, and other equine diagnostic centers in North America.
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| Maximizing Benefits of Influenza Vaccines |
November/2004 |
"Beware the vaccination paradox!" began J. Richard Newton, BVSc, MSc, PhD, FRCVS, DLSHTM, DipECVPH, of the Animal Health Trust in Suffolk, United Kingdom, during his session on influenza vaccination at the 43rd annual British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress, held Sept. 15-18 in Birmingham.
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| Eastern Tent Caterpillars Cause Early Fetal Loss, Too |
November/2004 |
The case against Eastern tent caterpillars (ETC) causing mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) is getting stronger, say researchers. Gavage (tubing into the stomach) of caterpillar larvae has been shown to cause late-term abortions that are characteristic of MRLS, which hit Kentucky and surrounding states in 2001 and 2002. Researchers in Lexington, Ky.
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| Equine Obstetric Lubricants |
November/2004 |
"With such long necks and long limbs, it's a wonder any foal can be born normally," observed Grant S. Frazer, BVSc, MSc, MBA, Dipl. ACT, associate professor in reproduction at The Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine at the recent American College of Theriogenology (ACT) annual meeting on Aug. 4-7 in Lexington, Ky.
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| Recent Advances in Equine Obstetrics |
November/2004 |
Equine obstetrics is more than "pulling a foal out." At the American College of Theriogenology (ACT) meeting held in August in Lexington, Ky., the basics of this specialty--as practiced with today's advanced capabilities--were defined by Grant S. Frazer, BVSc, MSc, MBA, Dipl.
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| Equine Dentistry Position Statement |
November/2004 |
The board of directors of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has approved a revised organizational position statement on equine dentistry. The revised position was prepared by the AAEP Equine Dentistry Committee and approved by the board at its July 2004 meeting.
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| Tufts Vet School Gets $50 Million |
November/2004 |
Tufts University officials announced Aug. 8 that Cummings Foundation, Inc., has committed to investing $50 million in the university's veterinary school over the next 15 years. The gift is the largest in Tufts' history, and it could be the largest gift ever made to a U.
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| Electronic ID Debate |
November/2004 |
When you have a radio frequency identification (RFID) microchip implanted in your horse, chances are you feel secure in knowing that if he were lost or stolen, he would be easily identified and returned. However, incompatible microchip technologies could undermine that confidence.
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| Equimax Receives FDA Approval for Pregnant and Nursing Mares |
October/2004 |
The broad-spectrum dewormer Equimax (also labeled for tapeworms) recently received FDA approval for safety in pregnant and nursing mares. A French study confirmed the safety of ivermectin/praziquantel--the active ingredients in Equimax--for this use in December 2003 (thehorse.
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| BET Pharm Kentucky Raided by FDA; Drugs Seized |
October/2004 |
At the request of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky issued a seizure warrant on Aug. 11 for what it called various illegally compounded drug products for use in horses found at BET Pharm, LLC, in Lexington, Ky.
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| New Bolton's Widener Hospital Reopens |
October/2004 |
The University of Pennsylvania's George D. Widener Hospital for Large Animals began accepting equine emergency patients on Aug. 30. The hospital reopened on Aug. 2 for outpatients and scheduled elective surgeries.
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| Saddlebred Won't be Exhumed--Yet |
October/2004 |
The motion by Sally and Joe Jackson to have Wild Eyed and Wicked exhumed for further investigation was heard Aug. 13 before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and it will be "held in abeyance" pending further information. U.
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| Smarty Jones Retired Due to Bone Bruises |
October/2004 |
Smarty Jones, whose Triple Crown quest came up short in the Belmont Stakes, has been retired due to bone bruises in all four cannon bones. He will enter stud at Three Chimneys Farm near Midway, Ky. (he moved there on Aug.
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| West Nile Virus Infiltrates the Upper 48; EEE Sprinkled Throughout |
October/2004 |
Every state in the 48 contiguous United States has now experienced a taste of West Nile virus (WNV) since it first was detected in the Western Hemisphere in 1999. Having their first encounters with West Nile virus this year were Nevada (WNV found in birds, mosquitoes, horses, and humans) and Oregon (in birds and horses).
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| Olympic Veterinary Care |
October/2004 |
A summary of veterinary experiences at the Athens Olympic Games will appear in our November issue, but here are some tidbits, including insights from Jack Snyder, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, professor in the University of California, Davis' Department of Surgical and Radiologic Services and a director of the Olympic Veterinary Clinic.
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| Annual Rescue Training and Exhibitions Held in Central Kentucky |
October/2004 |
"We are not here to re-invent the wheel," said Tomas Gimenez, DrMedVet, a professor at Clemson University, addressing a group of first-responders and equine rescue personnel at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington in August. The event was sponsored by Hagyard-Davidson-McGee (HDM) PLLC, the Kentucky Horse Park, Throughbred Charities, Fort Dodge Animal Health, US Rider, and The Horse.
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| Horses and Hurricane Charley |
October/2004 |
Despite widespread structural damage and economic devastation to areas of Florida, the horse population fared well in the path of Hurricane Charley. At least three horses were euthanized in Florida from injuries resulting from flying debris during Charley's strike, said Alan Schwartz of Days End Farm Horse Rescue of Lisbon, Md. Friday, Aug.
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| Vaccinating Strategically |
September/2004 |
Every spring, you ask your veterinarian to vaccinate your horse to protect her from disease while she's showing, racing, carrying a foal, or hanging around your pasture. But is this yearly routine the best way to confer immunity with the vaccines currently available?
Hugh Townsend, BSc, DVM, MSc, a professor in the Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, addressed the issue of strategic vaccination on June 12 at the 22nd annual conference of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine in Minneapolis, Minn.
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| U.K. Equine Passport Issuing Underway |
September/2004 |
United Kingdom horse owners should have applied for passports for their animals from one of the registered passport-issuing organizations (PIOs) by June 30. Beginning Feb.
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| AAEP's Focus on Joints |
September/2004 |
The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) held its annual Focus meeting on July 22-24 at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Ky., to commemorate the first gathering of the group 50 years ago at that site. Two of the founding veterinarians attended meetings this year: Robert Copelan, DVM, and Alex Harthill, DVM, both of Kentucky.
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| Nevada's First WNV Case Detected |
September/2004 |
The Nevada Department of Agriculture's Animal Disease & Food Safety Laboratory confirmed West Nile virus (WNV) in a Fallon County horse on July 22.
The horse was euthanized June 21 after exhibiting signs consistent with WNV.
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| First EEE Case in Alabama |
September/2004 |
According to a July 3 report from the Mobile Register, a horse in Baldwin County, Ala. died from Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in late June. This was Alabama's first case of EEE for 2004.
EEE is a mosquito-borne disease that causes clinical signs much like those seen with West Nile virus infection, including behavioral changes, ataxia, loss of muscle mass, diminished energy level, and weak hind limbs.
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| Neurologic Herpesvirus Confirmed in Maryland |
September/2004 |
The neurologic form of equine herpesvirus type-1 (EHV-1) was confirmed as the cause of disease in two Maryland horses infected during a deadly disease outbreak this spring. Twelve horses exhibited signs of neurologic illness in the outbreak at a single Montgomery County farm; five of them died.
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| Tendon Healing, Aged Broodmares Featured at Convention |
September/2004 |
Smarty Jones won a little sympathy Saturday night, July 24, as Patricia Hogan, VMD, Dipl. ACVS, board-certified veterinary surgeon, recounted the tale of how the Pennsylvania-bred colt reared up in the starting gate of Philadelphia Park last year and slammed his head into an iron bar, suffering multiple fractures around his left eye. The tale of Smarty Jones' severe injury was told at the General Session of the 141st American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Convention, which began July 24 and ran through July 28 at the Philadelphia Convention Center.
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| Kentucky Embargoes and Bans Extended, Revised |
September/2004 |
In response to the detection of vesicular stomatitis (VS), Kentucky officials have prohibited entry of horses and some other species into Kentucky from Colorado, New Mexico, and part of Texas. (New Mexico had horses on 35 premises under VS quarantine on August 2; read about Colorado's cases above.
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| VS Regulation Planning Continues |
September/2004 |
Nine premises remain under quarantine in Texas due to vesicular stomatitis (VS), says Max Coats, DVM, MSc, deputy director for Animal Health Programs for the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC). In mid-July, the TAHC, Breeders' Cup, and other parties received the USDA's draft of VS guidelines related to Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie, Texas, for the Breeders' Cup races to ensure that participants aren't exposed to the disease.
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| First Look Inside the Live Equine Heart |
September/2004 |
On July 9, a human interventional cardiologist and an equine veterinarian in Lexington, Ky., successfully completed the first step of a landmark procedure to repair a heart problem in a 5-month-old Thoroughbred colt called a ventricular septal defect (VSD). At best, the problem could cost him his athletic career if not corrected.
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| Saddlebred Attacks: What Really Happened? |
September/2004 |
A year after five American Saddlebreds were brutally attacked in Kentucky, there have been no arrests, and many questions remain unanswered. Only two of the five horses survived the ordeal, one of which made a dramatic comeback last fall to finish second in a major competition. The attacks have generated a $100,000 reward offer, state legislation, lawsuits, and continuous investigation.
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| Motion Filed in Federal Court to Exhume Maimed Saddlebred |
September/2004 |
Scientists might soon have a chance to necropsy (perform an animal autopsy) the body of the champion Saddlebred euthanized July 17, 2003, and buried following a brutal attack that left him too lame to stand. Four other Saddlebreds were injected in the same attack with a necrotizing substance in their left forelegs, and only two of the five survived (see
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| Vesicular Stomatitis Case Counts Climb in Texas and New Mexico |
August/2004 |
Horses on nine sites in Texas and four premises in New Mexico have vesicular stomatitis (VS), a painful blistering disease of livestock such as horses, cattle, sheep, swine, and deer. Because of the findings, emergency VS regulations in Florida and Kentucky have taken effect to help keep out VS.
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| Slaughter Plant Reopens |
August/2004 |
The Cavel International horse slaughter plant in DeKalb, Ill., opened for business June 2. The plant was destroyed by fire on March 31, 2002, and a new facility was constructed at the same location.
James Tucker, manager, said that the new plant opened in early June, but had not yet reached full capacity by the end of the month.
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| EPM: Still an Enigma or Under Control? |
August/2004 |
Dynamic discussions about future equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) diagnostic methods and current EPM treatments were sparked at a June 11 meeting of the Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis Society (EPMS) in Minneapolis, Minn. The event, titled "EPM: Still an Enigma or Under Control?" was held in conjunction with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine annual convention, and it attracted more than 50 veterinarians.
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| EIA Detected in Australia |
August/2004 |
On June 8, the Queensland, Australia, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) reported that equine infectious anemia (EIA) was confirmed on a central coast property. While the disease is detected frequently along western Queensland's river systems and on the Central Highlands, detection along the Queensland coast and in southeast Queensland is uncommon.
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| African Horse Sickness In Lesotho |
August/2004 |
African horse sickness (AHS) has claimed the life of another horse in Lesotho, in southern Africa, raising the death toll to two and the confirmed 2004 case count to 23 as of late April. According to Dr.
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| WNV Cases Accumulate--States Await Detection |
August/2004 |
By late June, West Nile virus (WNV) cases had popped up in areas of the United States, Canada, and Central America. Twenty-six of the United States had WNV detected in at least one species (birds, horses, humans, or mosquitoes). Six states had recorded equine cases in 2004, and while horse owners are more educated than ever on WNV prevention, officials expect to see more cases in late summer and fall, when equine and other case counts typically soar.
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| 21 Horses Lost in Kentucky Flooding |
August/2004 |
A Stanton, Ky., farm on the Red River lost 15 foals, five broodmares, and a stallion to flooding on May 30. Heavy rains rapidly forced waters higher in the already swollen river, and within three hours the river had covered pastures with up to six feet of water. H.
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| Emergency Demonstrations and Training Offered |
August/2004 |
Hagyard-Davidson-McGee Associates (HDM) veterinary hospital will be offering equine emergency demonstrations to the general public on Aug.14, 2004, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. A more extensive three-day training course will be offered on Aug.
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| Arizona Horse Attack Mystery Solved |
August/2004 |
The necks of more than 20 horses were mysteriously slashed near their jugular veins at Tanque Verde Guest Ranch in Tucson, Ariz., beginning in July, 2003. The attacks launched an investigation, and concern about area horses' safety erupted.
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| VS in Texas: Breeders' Cup Moving Ahead With Plans |
August/2004 |
Breeders' Cup, which has plans to set up a "disease-free zone" to allow horses to ship in and out of Lone Star Park, is moving full-steam ahead with preparations for this year's World Thoroughbred Championships even as a vesicular stomatitis (VS) outbreak continues in Texas.
Thus far, the Texas VS cases have been located at least 350 miles away from the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, where Lone Star is located.
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| Fatal Genetic Disease Identified |
August/2004 |
Researchers have identified the gene mutation responsible for a disease that causes stillbirths and deaths in young foals of the American Quarter Horse breed. They have also developed a genetic test that will identify carriers of the lethal disorder, called glycogen branching enzyme deficiency (GBED), which should help breeders reduce the disease's prevalence in Quarter Horses.
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| Topical Osteoarthritis Treatment Now Available |
July/2004 |
The FDA recently approved SURPASS, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that can be applied to the skin over a horse's joint to relieve pain from osteoarthritis. The drug is the first topical equine pharmaceutical formulation of diclofenac that uses liposome technology--allowing medication to be absorbed straight to the site of the joint problem.
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| Vesicular Stomatitis Hits Texas |
July/2004 |
Vesicular stomatitis (VS), a disease with international implications for animal movement because symptoms mimic those of foot and mouth disease (FMD), was confirmed May 19 in western Texas. Kentucky was the first state to respond--officials initially banned the import of Texas horses and other livestock.
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| Guidelines for Horse Operations Established |
July/2004 |
Rutgers Cooperative Extension and the Rutgers Equine Science Center recently published "Agricultural Management Practices for Commercial Equine Operations." Considered to be the first comprehensive set of U.
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| Illinois Slaughter Bill Stalled; Possibly Dead |
July/2004 |
Illinois HR649 amendment 4, which would ban equine slaughter for human consumption in the state and make it illegal to transport horses into or out of the state for slaughter, passed the Illinois Senate (as SB1921) in late May. However, it was defeated in the House by nine votes and has been referred to a rules committee as a result of objections from some representatives.
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| Slaughter Legislation Stuck In Committee |
July/2004 |
Legislation designed to prevent horse slaughter at the national level could be indefinitely stuck in committee.
In January 2003, U.S. Rep. John Sweeney, a Republican from New York, proposed HR 857, the American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act. HR 857 seeks to prohibit the slaughter of horses for human consumption; the sale, possession, and trade of horseflesh for human consumption; and the sale, possession, and trade of live horses for slaughter for human consumption.
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| Salmonella Basics: What You Should Know |
July/2004 |
Clinically normal horses can shed Salmonella bacteria, especially when stressed. Reports on the percentage of horses shedding Salmonella have ranged from 1.5% to 64.
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| Salmonellosis in Central Kentucky |
July/2004 |
On May 8, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky, sent out letters to area clients, farm managers, and veterinarians notifying them that an increased number of salmonella cases had been detected at the clinic this year, and explaining the methods staff were using to eliminate the Salmonella organisms and safeguard the health of patients. According to several area veterinarians, this was a situation that is not unusual for an equine veterinary hospital with a large caseload to face at some point.
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| $1M Awarded in Equitrol Lawsuit; Farnam Plans Appeal |
June/2004 |
A jury awarded $1,007,500 to plaintiffs who alleged in a lawsuit that Farnam's Equitrol, a feed-through fly control product, was defectively designed and caused harm to their Thoroughbred and Warmblood sport horses. Farnam countered with a press release stating that it is appealing the decision and believes that the court decision is incorrect on legal and factual grounds.
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| Rolex Three-Day Footing Sticky, But Safe |
June/2004 |
Multiple deluges did not prove dangerous for horses at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, held April 22-25 in Lexington. Many well-conditioned horses slogged through the mud on April 24 to meet--if not beat--their optimum cross country course times with few injuries. The April 25 jumping test was much wetter, but still safe.
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| LSU Dedicates New Facilities |
June/2004 |
Louisiana State University's (LSU) College of Veterinary Medicine is an exciting place to be right now. The reinvigoration of the personnel and campus are obvious even to the casual observer. But to those who have horses treated there, or who are working at LSU to advance their educations or delve deeper into various equine research projects, there is a palpable air of anticipation that while they are galloping along now, the best days are still to come.
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| Equine Disease--Fourth Quarter, 2003 |
June/2004 |
From the April 2004 issue of Equine Disease Quarterly, funded by Lloyd's of London underwriters, brokers, and their Kentucky agents
The International Collating Centre in Newmarket, England, and other sources reported the following disease outbreaks in the fourth quarter of 2003:
Two cases of contagious equine metritis on separate premises were diagnosed among Thoroughbreds on the island of Hokkaido, Japan, and a single case in a non-Thoroughbred stallion during routine screening in Italy.
Respiratory disease attributable to equine herpesvirus was reported extensively among several breeds in France and on several premises in the United Kingdom.
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| Newsletter Supported |
June/2004 |
Lloyd's of London underwriters, brokers, and their Kentucky agents recently presented a check for $40,000 to the University of Kentucky's Department of Veterinary Science in continued support for Equine Disease Quarterly. Now in its 12th year, this award-winning newsletter has been sponsored by Lloyd's since its inception.
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| USEF Powers Upheld |
June/2004 |
The United States Equestrian Federation's (USEF) authority to enforce its own rules and regulations has been affirmed, at least temporarily, in a federal court in Lexington, Ky. A decision on whether the injunction should be made permanent is expected in a few weeks.
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| African Horse Sickness Cases Lessen |
June/2004 |
The African horse sickness (AHS) death toll in the Western Cape of South Africa has risen to 15 confirmed cases since the first death on the Elsenburg Agricultural Research Farm was confirmed on Feb. 25.
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| Eastern Tent Caterpillars Still Targeted in Kentucky |
June/2004 |
The forsythia were blooming at the end of March, and in Kentucky, that means that Eastern tent caterpillars (ETC) were hatching. In 2001 and 2002, those caterpillars crawled across many farms in Central Kentucky and left in their path what was later termed mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS), which caused abortions in thousands of Thoroughbred broodmares.
The anticipated 2004 ETC population isn't expected to come anywhere near the number of the hatched insects in 2001 and 2002, but University of Kentucky (UK) researchers are still working to find the mechanism by which the caterpillars cause abortions and to control the ETC population to limit their exposure to horses.
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| Rutgers Auction Raises $15K for Research |
June/2004 |
Over two dozen bidders came out April 25 for a chance to own one of 12 Belgian-cross fillies and five Belgian and Belgian-cross mares available this year at the 5th Annual North American Ranching Information Council (NAERIC) auction of incentive registered yearlings at the Rutgers University's Cook College Campus in Brunswick, N.J.
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| Georgia Herd Hit by Strangles |
June/2004 |
According to an April 16 AccessNorthGa.com report cited on Pro-MED, a herd of about 115 horses in western Georgia has been quarantined because of a strangles outbreak at the farm.
"Under an order by Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin dated 1 Apr 2004, no horses from the herd can be removed, nor any new animals brought to the farm in Talbot County, just east of Waverly Hall off Georgia Highway 208," according to the
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| Veterinarian Lectures at Western States |
June/2004 |
Veterinarians representing the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) are delivering educational lectures on a variety of equine health topics during the Western States Horse Expo, June 11-13, at the Cal Expo in Sacramento, Calif. The sessions are designed for horse owners and other individuals interested in equine health.
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| Equine Research Program Suspended |
June/2004 |
The University of Kentucky's (UK) equine drug research program, funded by pari-mutuel handle under the auspices of the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority, has been suspended indefinitely.
A memorandum obtained by The Blood-Horse indicates the decision was made March 31, but it wasn't immediately known if there was a grace period.
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| Ireland Officials Issue EVA Alert |
June/2004 |
Ireland's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) issued advice on April 5 to horse breeders because of concerns over the perceived risk increase for equine viral arteritis (EVA).
Tests on horses from two Irish studs have shown evidence of exposure to the disease, and the positive test results are believed to be linked to a previously reported outbreak of EVA at an Irish stud in 2003 (an unvaccinated stallion tested seropositive for EVA during 2003).
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| Cicadas are Coming--But Shouldn't Affect Horses |
June/2004 |
After a 17-year absence from Kentucky, one of the largest-known broods of periodical cicadas will emerge this spring, but it doesn't appear that the cicadas' arrival should cause any harm to horses. Periodical cicadas--having black bodies, bright red eyes, and amber wings with orange veins--usually emerge in mid- to late May.
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| Buyer Beware: Some Pesticides Might Be Duds |
June/2004 |
In the spring and early summer each year, vendors might appear in your area, selling ineffective chemicals at seemingly cut-rate prices. Rule of thumb: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture receives many complaints in the spring from consumers who have purchased ineffective chemicals over the telephone or on the Internet because the sellers claimed they were comparable to well-known national brands.
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| WNV: Prevention is Key |
May/2004 |
"West Nile virus (WNV) is the number one diagnosed neurologic disease in horses, or close to it," said William Saville, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, of The Ohio State University, at a March 10 Fort Dodge Animal Health educational seminar for veterinarians held in Lexington, Ky. "Because of the decreased number of cases in 2003 compared to 2002, people are starting to think we've got WNV under control, but we haven't," he said.
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| WNV Vaccine Research |
May/2004 |
Horse owners and veterinarians alike have wondered if they can use Merial Limited's Recombitek equine West Nile virus (WNV) vaccine in horses previously vaccinated with Fort Dodge's West Nile-Innovator. Recently, Merial released the results of a study investigating this issue.
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| Deadly African Horse Sickness Outbreak |
May/2004 |
Thirteen horses in the Western Cape, South Africa, are believed to have succumbed to an outbreak of African horse sickness (AHS) by March 22, according to several news reports. The affected horses were from the Stellenbosch magesterial district and surrounding areas, reported
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| AAEP Issues Call For Adjunct Bleeder Medications Research Proposals |
May/2004 |
The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) issued a call in March for proposals to research the efficacy of aminocaproic acid and/or conjugated estrogens related to use as race day medications for the prevention of exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH).
The use of aminocaproic acid and conjugated estrogens, commonly known as adjunct bleeder medications, was cited as a priority need for investigation by the AAEP Racing Forum.
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| Farriers Hammer Home Their Message |
May/2004 |
Anvils on wheels, horses on loading docks, and a fleet of oversized pickup trucks from nearly every state in the union were evidence that the farriers had come to town. Close to 1,000 farriers, friends, and trade show exhibitors jammed the Rochester Convention Center in Rochester, N.
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| Morris Animal Foundation Names New Executive Director |
May/2004 |
Patricia N. Olson, DVM, PhD, joined Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) as executive director on April 19. Olson brings more than 30 years of experience in the veterinary profession, education, non-profit, corporate, and public policy fields to the 56-year-old animal health-focused organization. She replaces Robert Hilsenroth, DVM, who is retiring as the executive director after 12 years of service.
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| AQHA Board Votes on Key Rule Changes at Convention |
May/2004 |
The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Board of Directors voted March 9 on the recommendations of the AQHA standing committees as approved in the general membership meeting at the annual convention. The following are the final results of the vote regarding hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP) and the "white rule.
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| Grass Sickness Linked to Clostridium botulinum Bacterium |
May/2004 |
United Kingdom (U.K.) researchers recently found that grass sickness is strongly associated with low antibody levels to the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, indicating that affected horses couldn't fight off infection. Findings from the study, which was conducted at the U.
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| Gait Monitoring System Introduced |
May/2004 |
Farriers got an eyeful of what the future might hold for them at the highest levels of equestrian sport at the American Farrier's Association (AFA) Convention, held in March in Rochester, N.Y.
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| Alberta Court Upholds Farrier's Right to Float Horse Teeth |
May/2004 |
The technicalities of defining veterinary medicine were tested in February in the Alberta, Canada, Court of Appeal when three appeal court justices ruled that a farrier was not guilty of illegally practicing veterinary medicine when he floated horses' teeth as a service to horse owners.
According to reports in The Western Producer, an agricultural news publication for Western Canada, farrier Louis Pequin was found innocent in a previous trial, the verdict of which was appealed to the higher court by the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association.
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| Arkansas, Illinois Clamping Down on Equine Milkshakes |
May/2004 |
Arkansas and Illinois have altered their medication policies to, among other things, provide harsher penalties for trainers if a horse in their care tests positive for a milkshake (a sodium bicarbonate mixture administered via stomach tube, intended to decrease blood acidity, countering the lactic acid that is produced during high speed performance and which increases fatigue).
Milkshake screening has been added to all post-race tests in Arkansas and is conducted at the discretion of the state veterinarian in Illinois.
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| West Nile Virus--An Evolving Epizootic |
April/2004 |
"West Nile virus (WNV) is coming to a state near you if it hasn't already arrived," said Eileen Ostlund, DVM, PhD, head of the equine/ovine viruses section at the Diagnostic Virology Laboratory, National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, during the Western Veterinary Conference held Feb. 15-19 in Las Vegas, Nev.
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| West Nile Virus Questions and Answers |
April/2004 |
In a question and answer session at the Western Veterinary Conference, Eileen Ostlund, DVM, PhD, head of the equine and ovine viruses section at the Diagnostic Virology Laboratory, National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa, offered these answers to the audience's West Nile virus questions.
Q.
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| Texas Horse Owners Aware of WNV Threat |
April/2004 |
Reports have surfaced that horse owners in Texas are becoming complacent and have backed off vaccinating their animals for West Nile virus (WNV), which has infected nearly 2,400 horses in the state since late 2002. Angela Pelzel, DVM, an epidemiologist with the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC), reported that she doesn't believe that is the case--Texas horse owners have not grown complacent, are well aware of the threat of WNV, and are continuing to vaccinate.
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| Research Foundation Announces 2004 Grants |
April/2004 |
The Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation (GJCRF) has announced $850,888 in funding for 20 projects in 2004, which will be distributed to investigating scientists at a dozen universities. This brings the GJCRF's total funding since 1983 to $11,047,105 to underwrite 189 projects at 31 universities.
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| Old Horse Care and Feeding |
April/2004 |
Of the 5.32 million horses and ponies in the United States, 400,000 (over 7.5%) are 20 years or older and considered geriatric, according to Frank Andrews, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM.
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| AQHA Equine Public Service Award |
April/2004 |
The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) is accepting applications for its annual Equine Public Service Award until May 1. The award recognizes American Quarter Horses which are specifically used in the public service sector, including, but not limited to, police horses, park and mounted rangers, beach patrol, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, border patrol, and sheriff's posse.
The winning horse will be recognized in June 2004.
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| Shipping of In-Foal PMU Mares on Hold |
April/2004 |
The shipment of PMU (pregnant mare urine) mares from farms in the United States and Canada was put on hold in February until after the foaling season, unless the shipping distance is very short.
The reason, says Nat Messer IV, DVM, Dipl.
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| North Carolina Vet Chosen as First "My Vet Matters" Honoree |
April/2004 |
Ellen Tinsley Hoots, DVM, MS, of Hoof Beats Veterinary Practice in Willow Spring, N.C., was selected from more than 140 veterinarians as the January 2004 honoree of the American Association of Equine Practitioners' (AAEP) My Vet Matters Contest. Hoots was nominated by Denise Bricker of Clayton, N.
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| Illinois Slaughter Legislation |
April/2004 |
New legislation to ban the slaughter of horses for human consumption in the state of Illinois was introduced Feb. 6, 2004, in the Illinois House of Representatives in the form of HB 6570. On Feb.
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| Captive Bolt: Comments From The Industry |
April/2004 |
One item in the debate on equine slaughter is the use of captive bolt for euthanasia. This is the same method used on other livestock killed during slaughter or during a disease outbreak (such as foot and mouth disease on farms in England).
The Horse sent out a small survey to veterinarians and researchers around the world on the question: Is captive bolt a humane euthanasia for horses? Most said while no form of euthanasia is without problems (including chemical euthanasia solutions), penetrating captive bolt is considered humane when done properly.
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| Animal Identification Plan Largely Misunderstood |
April/2004 |
Comments collected on the draft U.S. Animal Identification Plan (USAIP) have been largely characterized by misunderstanding and frustration, according to one government official. The plan, which at this time is not an official program of the USDA, was designed to establish a timely traceback system to minimize the spread of foreign animal diseases, such as foot and mouth disease, and to minimize its detrimental effects.
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| Welfare Involvement at Local Levels |
April/2004 |
A Pike County, Ohio, resident reported suspected abuse in a 52-horse herd in mid-December 2003 to a veterinarian, who asked local law enforcement officials to have the horses examined. By Jan.
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| Neurologic EHV-1 Case Confirmed at University of Wisconsin |
April/2004 |
The Hoofer Equestrian Center (HEC) at the University of Wisconsin, Madison (UWM), voluntarily quarantined its lower barn on Feb. 8 after two horses housed there showed neurologic signs of equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1). Both horses were later euthanatized and one tested positive for EHV-1.
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| Spaying Mares With Newer, Safer Methods |
March/2004 |
Spaying a mare (ovariectomy) means removing her ovaries so she no longer comes into heat and has a more mellow attitude, like a gelding. An ovariectomy can be done standing (under sedation and local anesthesia) through a flank approach or a vaginal approach.
An infrequent complication associated with the old method of spaying (using a very old surgical instrument, a chain escraseur) is bleeding from the ovarian stump or uterine artery.
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| Purina Mills Horse Owner's Workshops Across America |
March/2004 |
Purina Mills officials recently announced plans to roll out Purina Mills Horse Owner's Workshops (HOW), which will give horse enthusiasts across the country the opportunity to hear about the latest in equine nutrition, veterinary care, and training tips from expert clinicians.
The workshops, hosted by local Purina dealers, will feature speakers from Purina, and will also feature local American Association of Equine Practitioners veterinarians, who will speak on horse health issues specific to local and regional markets.
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| Lepto in Kentucky |
March/2004 |
Leptospirosis, often called just "lepto," can cause flu-like illness in horses that sometimes results in abortion or uveitis (moon blindness). In Kentucky, there seems to be a cyclic pattern to abortions caused by leptospirosis. In 2001, there were about 40 cases, but the past two years there were less than 10 each year.
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| Mad Cow Disease and Horses |
March/2004 |
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was first identified in the United Kingdom in 1986. A fact sheet from Iowa State University said BSE is one of several diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE). There are three rare forms of TSE diseases in humans, scrapie in sheep (not transmissible to man), chronic wasting disease in deer and elk (not transmissible to man), and mink encephalopathy (not transmissible to man).
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| IVERCARE--Because You Care Winners Announced |
March/2004 |
Five winners are sharing prize money totaling $17,500 in the IVERCARE--Because You Care award program. The program, sponsored by Farnam Horse Products, rewards nonprofit organizations and individuals who strive to improve the health and welfare of horses and/or humans who love them.
All nominees were posted on
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| Compensating for Lameness; Not What You Thought |
March/2004 |
When a horse is lame, he often seems to be changing his gait in the diagonal limb to compensate. Recent research has shown this to be true, but the manner in which the horse does this is surprising.
Research was conducted at the McPhail Equine Performance Center at Michigan State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.
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| Preventing Supporting Limb Laminitis |
March/2004 |
"Laminitis in the contralateral (opposite fore or hind) limb is a well-recognized and potentially devastating sequela (result) in conditions that cause unilateral non-weight-bearing lameness," said Ric Redden, DVM, founder of the International Equine Podiatry Center in Versailles, Ky., in his presentation on the topic.
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| Promising New Treatment for Equine Sarcoids |
March/2004 |
One of the most effective treatments for sarcoids, the most common equine tumors, is chemotherapy using the drug cisplatin. However, its main disadvantage is that it spreads poorly into tumor cells.
Youssef Tamzali, DVM, PhD, of the Ecole Nationale Veterinaire (National Veterinary School) in Toulouse, France, presented preliminary results from a study in which he and associates found that electrochemotherapy (ECT) can enhance cisplatin effectiveness.
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| Residual Effects of WNV |
March/2004 |
Horse owners should have equine survivors of West Nile virus (WNV) re-examined by their veterinarians before putting the animals back into work. In a study of Minnesota horses which survived clinical WNV infection, 40% showed WNV residual effects at six months after diagnosis; these neurologic effects can make the horse more dangerous to ride or drive. Julia Wilson, DVM, Dipl.
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| No Increase in PMU Mares At Slaughter Plants |
March/2004 |
Thousands of horses from shut-down PMU (pregnant mare urine) farms in Canada and North Dakota are finding new homes in the United States, but few are winding up at slaughter houses at this time, according to slaughter plant managers.
Dick Koehler, general manager of the Beltex plant in Fort Worth, Texas, said that his firm is never in the market for PMU horses because many of them are draft types that do not fit the plant's needs.
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| JEB in Belgian Draft Horses |
March/2004 |
John D. Baird, BVSc, PhD, of Ontario Veterinary College, reviewed the cause, characteristics, and prevalence of junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB) in Belgians. The lethal inherited disease causes large areas of skin loss and other abnormalities in newborn foals, which usually are euthanized shortly after birth.
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| Safety Issues of Shock Wave Therapy |
March/2004 |
Scientists have confirmed that shock wave therapy (SWT) has an analgesic (pain-killing) effect on horses that had been observed anecdotally, and they also found the therapy does not have a harmful effect on bone.
Scott McClure, DVM, PhD, Dipl.
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| Lyme Disease Treatment and Vaccine |
March/2004 |
Nearly 50% of adult horses in areas of the northeastern United States are or have been infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. Thomas Divers, DVM, Dipl.
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| New WNV Equine Recombinant DNA Vaccine Approved |
February/2004 |
Editor's note: A thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=4924#letter">letter to the editor from Fort Dodge Animal Health cited inaccuracies in this article and has been included below.
A new West Nile virus (WNV) equine recombinant canarypox vaccine received USDA registration approval on Dec.
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| Purdue Team Solves WNV Structure |
February/2004 |
Purdue University biologists recently determined the viral structure of the West Nile virus (WNV), a development that could greatly augment our understanding of the virus' life cycle.
Using cryoelectron microscopy and advanced imaging techniques, the Purdue team has determined the orientation of the major surface proteins in a West Nile viral particle.
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| New Electronic Certificates of Veterinary Inspection |
February/2004 |
The USDA's Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health announced to industry stakeholders Oct. 22, 2003, that Veterinary Services (VS) is working with six states on an electronic Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI) project. This would allow state and federal animal health officials to have real-time access to information regarding livestock movements in and out of their states using electronic health certificates logged by state, federal, and private practitioners, and thus allow immediate trace back and other reports relevant to disease control and surveillance.
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| Cloned Pregnancy Lost at Texas A&M |
February/2004 |
A research mare at Texas A&M (TAMU) carrying a cloned foal recently lost her pregnancy. "We lost it at nine months of gestation via premature separation of the placenta and placentitis (placental infection), which we treated for three weeks before she slipped," said Katrin Hinrichs, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACT, professor in TAMU's College of Veterinary Medicine.
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| Mare/Foal Interaction |
February/2004 |
Abby L. Fowden, of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, discussed nutritive and endocrine functions of the placenta at the first Equine Placenta Workshop held at the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Center on Dec. 5-6, 2003.
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| Cribbing and Colic |
February/2004 |
Cribbing, the oral stereotypic behavior in which the horse grabs an object with his teeth while flexing his neck and sometimes swallowing air, has long been suspected as a cause of colic. A study from the Universities of Illinois and Liverpool suggests that cribbing increases the risk for entrapment of the small intestine in the epiploic foramen (the passage between the liver and the pancreas).
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| Multiple Ovulations |
February/2004 |
Colorado State University's Ed Squires, PhD, an honorary Diplomate in the American College of Theriogenology (reproduction), presented several lectures at the 2003 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention. One presentation was on using a new commercially available product called equine follicle-stimulating hormone (eFSH, from Bioniche Animal Health) to have mares superovulate (ovulate more than one follicle at a time).
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| American Quarter Horse Assn. Position on Slaughter |
February/2004 |
The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) reiterated its position on euthanasia and horse slaughter in the wake of an accusatory Blue Horse Charities letter that was disseminated to the racing industry in early November (see article #thehorse.
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| Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot |
February/2004 |
Laminitis was the primary focus of the Second International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot, held Nov. 10-11 in West Palm Beach, Fla. This conference is held every other year and sponsored in large part by John K.
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| Evaluating and Measuring Hoof Shape |
February/2004 |
Researchers at the University of California, Davis, recently developed a new three-dimensional system for measuring various aspects of the horse's sole. One day their work might help ascertain if hoof shape abnormalities can be predictors of impending injury.
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| New EPM Treatment Approved |
January/2004 |
On Nov. 19 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Navigator for treating equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM). This drug has been under development for more than six years.
IDEXX Laboratories of Westbrook, Maine, received approval for the 32% nitazoxanide antiprotozoal oral paste designed to kill the single-celled protozoan parasite Sarcocystis neurona, which causes EPM.
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| New Vaccine for WNV Awaits Approval |
January/2004 |
A new West Nile virus (WNV) equine recombinant canarypox vaccine awaits USDA approval, and once available, could pave the way for a new generation of equine vaccines in the United States. Merial developed this Recombitek equine WNV technology, and assembled a group of researchers, clinicians, and private practitioners in New Orleans, La.
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| Rapid Testing for West Nile Virus |
January/2004 |
By the 2003 West Nile virus (WNV) season, a majority of state laboratories had obtained (or were establishing) the capacity to run the IgM Capture ELISA, the most common quick test for the disease. The test measures a class of antibody produced early after infection, can be performed on serum samples drawn from suspect cases, and takes two to three days to process.
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| Why Is Your Vet The Best? |
January/2004 |
The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) wants horse owners to share why his or her veterinarian is the best by participating in the My Vet Matters Contest.
From Jan.
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| Beaten Arkansas Horses Recovering |
January/2004 |
Two Arkansas Quarter Horses, a 3-year-old filly named Puddin' and a 5-year-old mare called Fat Girl, were seriously injured when they were attacked Aug. 6 while owner Patrice Swan was away.
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| Cutting Down on Carbohydrates |
January/2004 |
In an attempt to avoid the rich diets that can worsen obesity and laminitis in insulin-resistant horses (those said to be suffering from peripheral Cushing's disease), many owners feed hay instead of lush pasture or grain. However, Kathryn Watts, BS, director of research for Rocky Mountain Research and Consulting, has found that some hay isn't safe for insulin-resistant horses, and in fact some hays could be much worse than one might think.
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| Colorado Fires Cause Evacuation |
January/2004 |
Equine evacuation plans were put to the test in Colorado when the Overland Fire in canyons northwest of Boulder grew so quickly that within just a few hours, 3,500 acres were engulfed and indefensible. The fire started early on Oct.
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| AQHA Supplemental Registry Proposed |
January/2004 |
The American Quarter Horse Association's (AQHA) Stud Book and Registration Committee will discuss various matters relating to the breed and AQHA's registration process, namely eligibility of horses with white beyond certain prescribed limits on their bodies and those of a particular lineage, during the 2004 convention in Reno, Nev., March 5-9.
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| No Grass, No Horse |
January/2004 |
Research published in Nature shows that climate changes and the highly specialized digestive system of the wild horse Equus ferus might have contributed to its extinction in North America.
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| AAEP Tail Docking Position Statement |
January/2004 |
The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) board of directors recently approved a new position statement regarding tail docking. The statement written by the Equine Welfare Committee reads:
"Tail docking in horses should only be performed when it is a medical necessity or when it is vital to ensuring the horse's safety in a work environment. Tail docking should not be performed for cosmetic reasons.
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| Septic Arthritis and Racing Potential |
January/2004 |
Septic arthritis in a Thoroughbred foal significantly reduces the likelihood the animal will race, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Glasgow in Scotland and veterinarians with Rossdale and Partners in England. The scientists evaluated the medical records of 69 foals treated for septic arthritis and compared each foal's racing record to at least one of its siblings.
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| PMU Ranch Numbers Reduced |
December/2003 |
Because of a reduction in the number of prescriptions being written for hormone replacement therapy in women, and because of recent federal approval of a lower-dose hormone replacement medication, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals met with ranchers who supply the raw product (pregnant mare urine, or PMU) on Oct. 10 and announced that the number of ranches under contract for 2004 would be reduced from 409 to 264.
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| CDC Prediction: California Might be WNV Epicenter in 2004 |
December/2003 |
A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) official has predicted that the West Coast will be hit hard with West Nile virus (WNV) next year, particularly California.
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Lyle Peterson, MD, acting director of CDC's division of vector-borne diseases, said in a speech Oct.
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| Ivermectin/Praziquantel Safe For Pregnant Mares And Foals |
December/2003 |
A recent study completed by French and Brazilian veterinarians showed that administration of ivermectin/praziquantel paste, a common equine dewormer combination, is safe for pregnant mares and their foals. Dewormers of this type have not yet been labeled for safety in pregnant mares and their foals in the United States.
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| Sabotaged Saddlebred Back At Work |
December/2003 |
Cats Don't Dance, one of two Saddlebreds which survived malicious attacks in late June, is sound and has been started back under saddle, according to his owner, Sally Jackson of Overland Park, Kan. The 6-year-old gelding and four other Saddlebreds at Double D Ranch in Versailles, Ky.
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| Police Horse Diary Launched Online |
December/2003 |
An online diary following the training of two mounted police horse prospects is underway, and since it's a new undertaking for TheHorse.com, we hope you'll share your comments and questions as we guide the educational process of these two weanlings. The goal is to work with a curriculum developed by Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist Sue McDonnell, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center, with input from Parelli Natural Horse-Man-Ship, to desensitize these weanlings so that by the time they are two years old, they will be easy to train to saddle, and by age three, they'll be ready for an experienced law enforcement officer to take on the street.
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| Purina Mills Conference for Veterinarians |
December/2003 |
Nearly 250 veterinarians from across the country attended a continuing education conference sponsored by Purina Mills Oct. 3-5.
Besides researching and developing horse feeds, which on average takes five years for a new feed to go from idea to feed store, Purina conducts research on how feeds affect and react with the physical animal.
Many of the talks discussed the "hot" topic of starch and how different types of starch move through the horse's digestive tract, and how they are absorbed and used.
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| Where Does Laminitis Start? |
December/2003 |
New research will help determine where laminitis begins and how it affects internal structures of the foot. Hoof researcher David Hood, DVM, PhD, and his staff at the Hoof Diagnostic and Rehabilitation Clinic at Texas A&M University, joined forces with histologist Sherry Morgan, DVM, PhD, of Abbott Laboratories in Abbott Park, Ill., to create an innovative new hoof tissue biopsy technique that can be analyzed with laboratory histology methods.
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| Illinois Slaughterhouse Rebuilding |
November/2003 |
Construction is under way on a new horse slaughtering facility in DeKalb, Ill. to replace a plant that burned to the ground March 31, 2002. Plans call for construction to be completed some time in December.
The capacity of the new facility will be 100 horses per day, the same as the destroyed plant, says James Tucker, comptroller for Belgian-owned Cavel International (which owns and will operate the plant).
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| Equine Herpesvirus-1 Outbreak in Oregon |
November/2003 |
Since Aug. 10, 16 horses at Brookhill Stables in Goble, Ore., and two horses from a nearby private farm have shown respiratory and/or neurologic signs consistent with equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), although not all were tested for the disease. At press time, three older victims had been euthanized--one from Brookhill Stables and two horses which visited Brookhill in early July from a private farm.
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| Twelve Belgians Dead from Bad Feed |
November/2003 |
Feed contaminated with a cattle weight gain medication (monensin) killed 12 Belgians in Wisconsin and sickened several others, said a Wisconsin Ag Connection report. The horses, owned by Wayne Huston of Cottage Grove, were treated at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM).
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| Compounding Roundtable |
November/2003 |
The Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act of 1994 states that it is illegal to produce a compounded drug designed to treat a disease or condition when an FDA-approved drug for the disease or condition is available. As an exception to this rule, compounding a particular drug is legal when the approved drug is not available in the required dosage, form, or concentration.
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| MRLS and Caterpillar Hairs |
November/2003 |
There is new evidence that the setae (hair-like projections) on Eastern tent caterpillars (ETC) can become embedded in the submucosal lining of the alimentary tract (from the mouth to the colon) of animals and cause microgranulomas (small, localized areas of inflammation only visible under a microscope). These sores could possibly allow bacteria normally found in the alimentary tract access to the circulatory system.
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| Foot Dialogue Feeds the Mind |
November/2003 |
Purina Mills nutritionist Randal Raub, PhD, began his lecture at the 2003 Purina Farriers' Conference with a little-known statistic--horse owners are most likely to discuss their horses' nutrition with their veterinarians, followed by their farriers. Moreover, farriers notice weight gain or loss in the horses they shoe, since they see them regularly.
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| AAFCO Takes Action Against Feeds Containing Kava |
November/2003 |
The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) announced to its members and to the feed industry on Aug. 4 that kava should not be used as an ingredient in animal feeds. An enforcement strategy event for kava in animal feeds, recommended to begin on Dec.
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| 4-1-9 Horse Purchasing Scam |
November/2003 |
Some scam artists in Nigeria and other West African countries have engineered a particularly nasty Internet scam, known as the 4-1-9 or advance fee fraud scheme. All classified ad web sites have been fair game to the fraudsters, including online horse ads.
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| Horses Weather Hurricane Isabel |
November/2003 |
Hurricane Isabel hit the North Carolina and Virginia coasts with fury on Sept. 18. At its peak over the Atlantic, Isabel was a Category 5 hurricane (winds greater than 155 mph), sending coastal horse owners scrambling for safe shelter for themselves and their animals. When the storm hit land, it had faded to a Category 2 hurricane (winds from 96-110 mph and storm surges of six to eight feet), then dropped to a Category 1 (winds from 74-95 mph, accompanied by four- to five- foot storm surges).
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| Barn Fire Kills 19 Horses |
November/2003 |
A proactive passerby helped save the lives of eight horses in a burning barn early Sept. 10 at Equestrian Park in College Station, Texas. Sixteen died in the fire due to burns and/or smoke inhalation and three more were euthanized shortly thereafter due to their injuries, said property owner Brazos Joe Varisco. Ten of the barn's inhabitants were racing Quarter Horses (all of which died in the fire), and the other 17 were boarders.
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| WNV Treatment Licensed |
October/2003 |
Novartis Animal Vaccines announced Aug. 19 the conditional licensing and availability of the only antibody product approved by the USDA to help control disease caused by West Nile virus (WNV) in equids. This product helps an exposed animal by increasing the antibody level in the circulatory system, which enhances an animal's ability to neutralize virus already in the blood.
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| EEE Case Update |
October/2003 |
That "other" mosquito-borne illness, Eastern equine encephalitis, continues to spread through the United States faster than in previous years. The disease has appeared in areas that don't often experience EEE, such as in Maryland, New Jersey, and Wisconsin horses; Ohio mosquitoes; and in Indiana and Delaware birds.
EQUINE CASES AS OF:
STATE
8/1/03
8/29/03
Alabama
23
28
Florida
183
192
Georgia
58
85
Louisiana
1
12
Mississippi
19
25
South Carolina
80
126
Tennessee
1
2
Virginia
1
5.
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| Remaining Saddlebred Healing Well |
October/2003 |
Cats Don't Dance, the remaining injured Saddlebred under treatment at Hagyard-Davidson-McGee (HDM) Associates in Lexington, Ky., is recovering well, according to his treating veterinarian. On Aug.
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| Third Mule Clone Born |
October/2003 |
The scientists who produced the world's first equine clone announced that the third cloned mule foal was born about 1:30 a.m. on July 27.
The team includes Gordon Woods, DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl. ACT, and Dirk Vanderwall, DVM, PhD, Dipl.
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| The World's First Cloned Horse |
October/2003 |
The world's first cloned horse, created by Italian scientists from a mare's skin cell, has been born, according to a Washington Post article.
The birth of the healthy foal, announced in the Aug. 7 issue of the journal Nature, brings to nine the number of mammalian species that scientists have cloned from adult cells, along with sheep, mice, rabbits, goats, cats, pigs, cattle, and mules.
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| Parelli Natural Horsemanship University is Country's First Approved Private Vocational School of Its Kind |
October/2003 |
Approval of the Parelli Natural Horsemanship University in late June as a private occupational school by the Colorado Department of Higher Education distinguished Parelli Natural Horse-Man-Ship (PNH) as the first such institution in the country to do so, according to Neil Pye, dean of instructors and of the group's international study centers. Key to the unanimous approval given by Colorado's division of private occupational schools was the sound curriculum and acknowledgment of the program's "university" status.
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| New Tufts Veterinary Conference |
October/2003 |
The inaugural "Bridge to the Future" veterinary conference, hosted by Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, was held in Providence, RI, on Aug. 10-11.
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| First Case of Anthrax in 2003 |
October/2003 |
Texas officials have detected the state's first case of anthrax for 2003 in a white-tailed deer near Del Rio. "It's not unusual to have a few cases of anthrax in livestock or deer each year in Texas," said Bob Hillman, DVM, state veterinarian and executive director for the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC), the state's livestock health regulatory agency.
Anthrax naturally occurs in Texas and other Great Plains states, and horses occasionally get the disease.
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| Large Animal Rescue Video Deemed a Success |
October/2003 |
USRider, a member-based organization providing trailering assistance throughout North America, has widely distributed a new safety video to increase awareness of the need for correct rescue training with large animals. The organization seeks to minimize large animal injury and death that occurs during attempted rescues because of emergency responders without proper training for rescuing large animals.
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| Potomac Horse Fever in Oklahoma |
October/2003 |
The death of at least one Oklahoma horse has been definitively linked to Potomac horse fever (PHF), a disease rarely found in the state. Two of her stablemates likely died of the same illness. The horse manager at the farm with the confirmed case said 11 other horses in the area have died with similar clinical signs, but blood and tissue samples from those horses were not submitted for diagnosis.
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| Death of a Derby Winner |
October/2003 |
The Blood-Horse magazine reported that 1986 Kentucky Derby winner Ferdinand died sometime in 2002. He likely met his end in a slaughterhouse in Japan, where his career at stud was unsuccessful.
Ferdinand earned nearly $4 million, retiring as what was then the fifth-leading money winner of all time.
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| Gary's Good Grub |
October/2003 |
For those of you attending the 2003 AAEP Convention or Horseman’s Day in New Orleans, La., the end of November, we asked Gary Norwood, DVM, a local racetrack practitioner, to help us put together a list of the best eating places in the city. We’ve broken it down to help you find the right places for the nights you’ll be in town.
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| Sabotaged Saddlebreds |
September/2003 |
In a malicious attack that garnered nationwide news coverage, five top American Saddlebreds were injected with an unknown, necrotizing (tissue-killing) substance the weekend of June 28-29 at Double D Ranch in Versailles, Ky. These were five of the most valuable horses at the 30-stall facility.
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| Eastern Equine Encephalitis: Still on the Offense |
September/2003 |
Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) case reports have risen into the hundreds already this year, with confirmation of equine cases in at least nine states. Florida has been hit hardest, with a total of 183 equine cases reported from 47 counties as of July 31.
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| Blister Beetle Poisoning in Florida |
September/2003 |
At press time, three horses had died of blister beetle poisoning in Clay County, Fla., and two others returned home following treatment at the University of Florida after eating alfalfa hay contaminated with blister beetles. The hay was delivered from a supplier in Oklahoma.
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| The Latest on EPM Research |
September/2003 |
The annual American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists met July 19-22 with presentations on many equine-related topics. The EPM Society held a roundtable during that meeting after presentations from top EPM (equine protozoal myeloencephalitis) researchers, discussing topics such as whether horses can be a natural intermediate hosts in the Sarcocystis neurona life cycle, and whether other parasites can cause EPM.
Life Cycle Includes Horse?
The S.
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| TIEC Brings Health Topics to Horse Owners |
September/2003 |
The Thoroughbred International Exposition and Conference (TIEC) held in Lexington, Ky., June 20-22, featured seminars given by prominent racing and equine health experts covering a range of issues related to health, farm management, sales, and the business of racing. Tours of renowned sales and breeding facilities, a trade show, and live demonstrations on video endoscopy, hoof balance, and heart rate monitoring were offered at the event.
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| Safe Horse Handling |
September/2003 |
Colorado State University (CSU) and Parelli Natural Horse-Man-Ship have agreed to jointly create a safe horse-handling program for veterinary students, veterinarians, and horse owners, educating them about how to work around horses on a daily basis for routine veterinary care and in the event of an emergency.
The project is a result of the parties' mutual dedication to educating veterinarians and the general public on safe horse handling.
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| Maryland Horse Tests Positive for Rabies |
September/2003 |
Maryland state veterinarian Phyllis Cassano, DVM, announced on July 3 that an Anne Arundel County, Md., horse had tested positive for rabies. The 7-year-old Quarter Horse mare had competed at the East Coast Barrel Bash in Harrington, Del., June 19-21.
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| Tapeworms Implicated in Some Types of Colic |
September/2003 |
The evidence is growing steadily that heavy infestations with tapeworms in horses can lead to increased incidence of certain types of colic. For years, tapeworms have been considered a fairly benign parasite to horses because they are rarely found on normal fecal exams that look for parasite eggs. However, recent research shows that the exposure of horses to tapeworms in the United States ranges from 12.
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| Pfizer Releases New Tapeworm Dewormer |
September/2003 |
On July 18, Pfizer Animal Health announced the U.S. release of Equimax, a dewormer designed to kill all major equine parasites in one dose--including tapeworms.
The apple-flavored paste dewormer combines praziquantel with ivermectin to treat horses four weeks of age and older.
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| West Nile Virus Vaccine: Adverse Reproductive Effects? |
August/2003 |
Top veterinarians and the USDA dispute allegations made in a May 30 article in The Denver Post that the West Nile virus (WNV) vaccine might have caused widespread abortions and deformed foals. Mare owners calling themselves the "Lost Foals Group" claimed the vaccine caused up to 1,200 abortions and nearly 300 deformed or dummy foals.
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| Second Mule Clone Born |
August/2003 |
The research team that made headlines in May after producing the world's first equine clone--a mule named Idaho Gem--on June 9 has repeated its success with the birth of another mule--Utah Pioneer.
Researchers Gordon Woods, DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl.
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| Is There A Horse Doctor in the House? |
August/2003 |
If the job trend for veterinary school graduates continues as it has for the past few years, then the answer might be "no." Concern was raised at the 2002 American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention due to the declining number of students entering equine practice when finishing veterinary school. "There is an acute shortage of new graduates entering equine practice," noted Bill Rood, DVM, a founding partner in Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky.
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| Slaughter Legislation in Texas |
August/2003 |
The battle over the slaughter of horses in the United States has shifted directly to Texas, where two slaughter plants operate. At the moment, operations at the two plants continue while the issue is being decided in federal court.
The two horse slaughter plants are Beltex in Fort Worth, Texas, and Dallas Crown in nearby Kaufman.
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| Chemical Implicated in Causing MRLS |
August/2003 |
Research has shown that it probably isn't a virus or bacteria (a biological agent) that links the Eastern tent caterpillar (ETC) to mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS). Bill Bernard, DVM, Dipl.
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| Tufts Conference Examines the Foot, Inside and Out |
August/2003 |
Adapting to the environment, informed by genetic codes, and endeavoring to meet human demands, the horse's hoof is like an individual fingerprint on the human hand. Decoding the process the horse uses to arrive at his ideal hoof form filled three days of lectures, discussions, and demonstrations at the May 2-4 Natural Hoofcare Conference at Tufts University College of Veterinary Medicine.
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| Intestinal Aspects of Laminitis |
August/2003 |
How laminitis starts and proceeds through the horse's body is being charted by Jonathan Elliott, MRCVS, PhD, and other researchers at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in the United Kingdom. Elliott spoke at a conference organized by the Veterinary Advisory Committee of the Horserace Betting Levy Board in England this spring, where he outlined the RVC's progress in charting a pharmacological vision of the laminitis disease process.
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| EEE Strikes South Carolina; Georgia and Florida Continue to Log Cases |
August/2003 |
Veterinarians are scrambling to keep up with the Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) cases emerging in the southeastern United States. Since the beginning of June, South Carolina has had 17 confirmed equine cases, with about 25 pending confirmation. Florida's EEE case count is up to 113 this year, and Georgia has 30.
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| First Equine Clone is a Mule |
July/2003 |
The landscape of equine reproduction research dramatically changed May 29, when a University of Idaho (UI) and Utah State University team announced they were the first to clone a member of the equine family--the mule--according to an article to be published in the journal Science. The research team includes Gordon Woods, DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl.
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| Florida EEE Case Count Escalates to 70; Georgia Count is Nine |
July/2003 |
The number of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) cases in Florida had risen to 70 as of May 30, further substantiating an earlier suspicion that 2003 will be a tough year for fighting the disease. Florida's case count for all of 2002 was 25 horses.
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| U.K. Transportation Conference to be Held |
July/2003 |
The 2nd International Conference on the transportation of sport/breeding horses will be held July 12-13, 2003, at Hartpury College, Hartpury, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom.
Officials expect that up to 300 delegates from all over the world will attend the conference, which is specifically aimed at horse transport industry representatives.
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| 2002 Economic Impact of WNV on Colorado and Nebraska |
July/2003 |
A study led by researchers at Colorado State University (CSU) found that West Nile virus (WNV) cost equine owners in Colorado and Nebraska more than $1.25 million in 2002, and prevention costs for WNV vaccination likely topped another $2.
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| Alltech Symposium Serves International Audience |
July/2003 |
Attended by delegates from more than 60 countries, Alltech's International Feed Industry Symposium provided an abundance of information for those involved with horses, poultry, pigs, dairy and beef cattle, agronomy, aquaculture, and companion animals. Each year, the meeting, held in Lexington, Ky.
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| Throat Studies |
July/2003 |
A pair of recent studies conducted by researchers in New York, Ireland, and Australia have provided new information about the equine throat. Articles about both research projects appeared in the May 2003 issue of the Equine Veterinary Journal.
In New York, scientists at Cornell University looked at dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP), which interferes with breathing in horses.
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| Effects of Imprinting |
July/2003 |
Results of Texas A&M University's research into imprinting's effects on six-month-old foals conclude that neither the frequency of imprinting sessions nor their timing after birth influenced foals' later behavior. Some veterinarians disagree with the findings.
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| MRLS Workshop Proceedings Available |
July/2003 |
The Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station has published the scientific papers from the August 2002 workshop on mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) convened at the University of Kentucky's (UK) Gluck Equine Research Center. This information is available in book form or electronically at
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| Making Cross Country Jumps Safer |
July/2003 |
A company in the United Kingdom has created a jump design to lessen the severity of cross-country jumping falls. In 1999, several U.K. riders died from accidents on cross-country jumps. The resultant British Horse Trials Association study committee hired the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), an expert in transportation safety, for scientific investigation, data analysis, accident investigation, and engineering.
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| 44 Florida EEE Cases |
June/2003 |
The number of confirmed Eastern equine encephalitis cases (EEE) in horses has risen to 44 as of May 6 in north central Florida, according to Bill Jeter, DVM, diagnostic veterinary manager for Florida's Division of Animal Industry. This confirmed earlier speculations that 2003 will have higher-than-normal numbers of EEE cases this year.
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| First WNV Case of 2003 Detected In Florida |
June/2003 |
One equine case of West Nile virus (WNV) in Florida had been confirmed by serological testing as of May 1, according to Leroy Coffman, DVM, Florida's state veterinarian and director of the Division of Animal Industry. This was the first reported equine case of WNV in the state this year, and possibly the first in the United States this year.
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| Uterine Lavage Before Insemination Not Harmful to Fertility |
June/2003 |
Uterine lavage can be performed immediately prior to artificial insemination in mares without adversely affecting fertility, according to a recent study completed at the University of Idaho (UI) in Moscow, Idaho. The uterine lavage process is used to clear the uterus of inflammatory fluids that could decrease the viability of semen in mares.
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| Uniform Drug Policy Years Away |
June/2003 |
A standardized medication and testing policy for Thoroughbred racing in the United States is three to five years away, said Rick Arthur, DVM, vice president and director of the Oak Tree Racing Association and a member of the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium. He said this during an April 1 California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) Medication Committee meeting.
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| FDA Approves New Equine Dewormer |
June/2003 |
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a new, broad-spectrum parasite control product from Merial that will treat and control 61 species and stages of equine parasites, including tapeworms.
Zimecterin Gold combines two active ingredients, ivermectin and praziquantel, to provide a broad spectrum of parasite control.
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| Equine Influenza Spreads in the U.K. |
June/2003 |
Equine influenza has spread to nearly 20 premises--mostly Thoroughbred training stables--in the eastern, central, and southern parts of the United Kingdom. "The reason (it's unusual) is because despite the fact that horses have been very well vaccinated and have very high antibody levels, they are still becoming infected," according to James Wood, BSc, BVetMed, MSc, PhD, MRCVS, DLSHTM, Dipl.
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| African Horse Sickness Outbreak Kills 300 Horses in South Africa |
June/2003 |
An outbreak of African horse sickness (AHS) detected in late March in South Africa has killed 300 horses, according to a Pro-MED report. African horse sickness is a lethal virus spread by the Culicoides bolitinos midge, a species of small fly. Although AHS is endemic to all parts of Africa (except the Western Cape), rain has increased the midge population.
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| EHV Outbreak in England Unusual; Some Cases Could be EHV-4 |
June/2003 |
"It's very unusual to get EHV-1 outbreaks all at the same time on different premises," said James Wood, BSc, BVetMed, MSc, PhD, MRCVS, DLSHTM, Dipl. ECVPH, head of epidemiology at the Animal Health Trust (AHT) in the United Kingdom, about the recent flare-up of neurologic equine herpesvirus-1 cases in his country. At least 12 U.
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| New Advisory Board Members Appointed |
June/2003 |
A new board will serve in an advisory capacity to The Horse magazine. Each of these American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) members is volunteering to mentor the publication by answering questions and helping us understand topics of importance to horse owners. Each person brings a wealth of knowledge and years of service to the industry.
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| FDA Approves New Equine Dewormer With Additional Label Claims |
June/2003 |
The Food and Drug Administration recently announced that it has approved additional label claims for Zimecterin (ivermectin), adding several species and stages of small strongyles to the list of parasites controlled by the equine dewormer. The announcement means that Zimecterin has been proven to control 60 species and stages of equine parasites, 32 of which are in the small strongyle group.
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| What Only Veterinarians Can Do |
May/2003 |
Each state has a veterinary practice act, which is a legal interpretation of what constitutes veterinary practice in that state on all species. For example, chiropractic or acupuncture might be considered veterinarian-only skills in some states, while in other states they can be performed by a skilled lay person under a licensed veterinarian's direction.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has begun the complex process of revising the organization's model veterinary practice act (MVPA), a document that serves as a resource tool for states that are rewriting or revising practice acts.
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| Genetic Defects Statement Issued by the American Association of Equine Practitioners |
May/2003 |
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recently re-stated a policy that surgical correction of "genetic defects" for the purposes of concealing the defect is unethical. The policy states that if surgical correction is undertaken for the purpose of improving the health of the individual, then it should be accompanied by sterilization to prevent the perpetuation of the genetic flaw.
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| American Live Stock Insurance/AAEP Scholarships |
May/2003 |
Eight veterinary students have been selected to receive $2,500 scholarships from the American Live Stock Insurance Company (ALSIC) and the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). The scholarships are presented annually to fourth-year veterinary students who plan to pursue a career in equine veterinary practice.
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| California West Nile Virus Seminar |
May/2003 |
California is bracing for West Nile virus (WNV). N. James MacLachlan, BVSc, PhD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology at the University of California, Davis, said that he and his colleagues expect to see the first dead birds infected with WNV in April, followed by the first horse and human cases in June and July. To help California horse owners prepare, the UC Davis Center for Equine Health (CEH) conducted a WNV seminar on March 9.
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| Box Containing WNV Explodes at Fed Ex Site |
May/2003 |
A package containing West Nile virus (WNV) exploded on March 18 at a Federal Express building in Columbus, Ohio, near the Port Columbus International Airport, the Associated Press reported. Fifty workers were evacuated.
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| West Nile Virus Innovator Vaccine |
May/2003 |
Rob Keene, DVM, field veterinarian for Fort Dodge Animal Health, talked about the West Nile virus (WNV) vaccine at the West Nile Virus Workshop held March 7 at the University of Kentucky's Gluck Equine Research Center. Keene explained plans for packaging and marketing the vaccine--which received a full license from the USDA on Feb.
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| Colorado State West Nile Virus Study |
May/2003 |
Colorado State University (CSU) researchers released results March 25 from a study that examined the characteristics of 2002's West Nile virus (WNV) equine outbreaks in Colorado and Nebraska. The study was a collaborative effort between the state veterinarians in Colorado and Nebraska, the Veterinary Diagnostic Center in Nebraska, and CSU's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
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| A Florida Practitioner's Perspective on WNV |
May/2003 |
Maureen Long, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, of the University of Florida (UF), spoke about West Nile virus (WNV) protective strategies for horse owners and veterinarians at a March 7 meeting in Lexington, Ky. Veterinarians and public officials gathered at the University of Kentucky's Gluck Equine Research Center for a workshop designed to educate local practitioners about the disease.
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| Findlay Classes Resume After EHV-1 Outbreak |
May/2003 |
Classes resumed March 10 at the University of Findlay's James L. Child Jr. Equestrian Complex, which had been under quarantine since the weekend of Jan. 18 because of an outbreak of equine herpes virus type 1 (EHV-1).
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| Expanding Laminitis Vocabulary |
May/2003 |
"Equine Metabolic Syndrome" (EMS) is the latest addition to the horse health lexicon. Speaking at the University of Wisconsin's School of Veterinary Medicine's 2003 Equine Symposium on Laminitis on Jan. 31, Philip J.
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| Joint Pressure in the Foot |
May/2003 |
New research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in the United Kingdom has advanced hoof balance from a farrier's art form to a measurement of pressure inside the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint (coffin joint). Some day, a horse's ideal balance might be determined by a pressure reading of this type.
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| Herpesvirus Type 1 Hits Hard |
April/2003 |
Ohio and Pennsylvania have confirmed or reported cases of the neurologic form of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1, see Pennsylvania information on page 15). But the worst problems reported thus far have occurred in Ohio, where 12 horses died in an outbreak at the University of Findlay (see article #4127 at
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| EHV-1 in Penn., Possible Iowa Cases |
April/2003 |
While Ohio veterinarians are busy fighting what seems to be an especially aggressive strain of equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), two horses were euthanized due to illness from the virus at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Penn., in an outbreak that appears to be a more typical, sporadic episode.
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| WNV and Equine Abortions? |
April/2003 |
A question has been raised whether the increased number of West Nile virus (WNV) cases in Kentucky in late summer and fall 2002 contributed to a rise in fall abortions. A retrospective study by the University of Kentucky's Livestock Disease and Diagnostic Center (LDDC), from July of 2002 through early 2003, looked at 400 equine abortions for evidence of WNV.
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| New Text Examines Equine Lameness |
April/2003 |
The long-awaited reference Diagnosis and Management of Lameness in the Horse was recently released by Elsevier Science. The book was co-authored by Mike W. Ross, DVM, Dipl.
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| Exercise and Ulcers: Is it the Norm? |
April/2003 |
University of Florida (UF) research has shown that any exercise above a walk could force acidic gastric juices up into sensitive areas of the equine stomach, which could be why ulcers develop or worsen in horses in training (affecting more than 80% of performance horses in some studies).
Alfred Merritt, DVM, MS; and Mireia Lorenzo-Figueras, DVM, have found that gastric tension changes during intense exercise can push acidic stomach contents up into the vulnerable upper squamous cell-lined portion of the stomach.
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| Ohio EHV-1 Outbreak; Strain Might Be Atypical |
March/2003 |
The worst is over in an equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) outbreak that thus far has caused the death of 12 horses, and scientists are still studying the virus to see if it is somehow different from the normal EHV-1 strain. The outbreak, which began Jan.
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| Emerging Disease in Foals |
March/2003 |
A bacteria that causes weight loss, colic, diarrhea, and hypoproteinemia (abnormally low protein in the blood) in foals is being seen more often in North America and Europe. The affected foals are usually four to eight months old, but can be older.
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| Medication Rules Revised |
March/2003 |
The USA Equestrian (USAE) Board of Directors approved a rule change on Jan. 19 that should reduce the incidence of corticosteroid abuse in equine athletes. The USAE sets rules for 27 breeds and disciplines competing in the United States, and is the U.
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| West Nile Virus Found In Aborted Kentucky Fetuses |
March/2003 |
Evidence of West Nile virus (WNV) was found in 35 aborted fetuses in Kentucky since July of 2002, according to Lenn Harrison, VMD, head of the Kentucky Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center in Lexington. "We have handled about 400 aborted fetuses and tested them, so this is less than 10%," he reported on Feb.
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| New Treatment for Endotoxemia |
March/2003 |
Michelle Henry Barton, DVM, PhD, of the University of Georgia, recently completed a project on treating endotoxemia with polymyxin B (PMB), an alternative to endotoxin antibody products. The drug PMB kills many Gram-negative bacteria and also binds endotoxin, preventing interaction of endotoxin with white blood cells (WBC) as do endotoxin antibody products--thus heading off the damaging effects created by that reaction.
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| More Pigeon Fever in Kentucky |
March/2003 |
The bacterial disease "pigeon fever," also known as dryland distemper, usually is seen west of the Mississippi--especially in California and southwestern states--but it has been recognized in Kentucky and Florida in increasing numbers in recent years. There was a small outbreak in Kentucky in November 2002 (see article #4040 at
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| Lower Limb Research at the Bluegrass Laminitis Symposium |
March/2003 |
Probably the foremost biomechanics researcher in the country, Hilary Clayton, BVMS, PhD, MRCVS, McPhail Dressage Chair in Equine Sports Medicine at Michigan State University's McPhail Equine Performance Center, discussed recent lower limb research during the 16th annual Bluegrass Laminitis Symposium. Some of the studies she described were performed in collaboration with researchers at California State Polytechnic University.
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| Pasture Monitoring In Kentucky |
February/2003 |
A week following the Dec. 23 release of information about the University of Kentucky's pasture monitoring related to mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS), Jimmy Henning, PhD, extension forage specialist at the University of Kentucky (UK) discussed some of the findings. There are some "real positive things" contained in the report, he said; the most important was that "we know a lot more about what is normal" in Kentucky pastures.
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| West Nile Virus Gets Endemic Disease Status; Fees Will be Charged for Some WNV Testing |
February/2003 |
Government veterinary officials recently designated West Nile virus (WNV) as an endemic disease in the United States. The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services (VS) previously had considered WNV a Foreign Animal Disease (FAD), since it had never been detected in the United States prior to 1999. (Read more about WNV at www.
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| 2002 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention |
February/2003 |
Thousands of equine veterinarians visited Orlando, Fla., Dec. 4-8, 2002, with the health and welfare of their equine patients at heart. The annual convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) served up research presentations and current events appropriate for the equine practitioner seeking valuable continuing education, and also a day for horse owner education. Look for more information in the AAEP Wrap-Up, which will arrive with the March issue of The Horse, or in the
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| CEM Exemptions Rescinded for Spanish Purebred Horses |
February/2003 |
Officials from the USDA's National Center for Import/Export recently rescinded a contagious equine metritis (CEM) exemption once given to Spanish purebred horses. The exemption allowed these horses to pass through the import center with an abbreviated form of CEM testing, an allowance that was revoked due to repeat violations of U.
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| WNV Vaccination in Mares and Foals |
January/2003 |
There were nearly 14,000 reported cases of West Nile virus (WNV) in the United States in 2002 by the end of November, and many broodmares were exposed to the virus even if not clinically affected. As the country begins its fifth year of handling the disease, broodmare owners have many questions about how to vaccinate mares and foals appropriately.
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| West Nile Virus Detected in Florida Alligators |
January/2003 |
Three farm-raised alligators from Central Florida have tested positive for West Nile virus (WNV), according to officials at the University of Florida (UF) College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM). This is the first time the virus has affected U.
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| Actinobacillus Species Resistance |
January/2003 |
Colorado State University's (CSU) Orthopaedic Research Center (ORC) was launched Nov. 1 with a formal dedication ceremony and open house. Led by Wayne McIlwraith, BVSc, PhD, FRCVS, Dipl. ACVS, Dipl.
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| Pigeon Fever (Dryland Distemper) in Kentucky |
January/2003 |
An unusual outbreak of the bacterial disease "pigeon fever," also known as dryland distemper, occurred in Kentucky in early and mid-November 2002, according to Doug Byars, DVM, a specialist in internal medicine and equine critical care. He said 15 cases have been confirmed with bacterial cultures in the same period by Hagyard-Davidson-McGee veterinary associates in Lexington, and about 15 more cases have been diagnosed via clinical signs.
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| Morris Funds Studies |
January/2003 |
Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) has announced funding for eight new 2003 equine studies. Research topics include laminitis, endotoxemia, colic, genetics, immunology, and foal diseases. Nine continuing projects focus on similar issues as well as tying-up, equine infectious anemia, and neurological disease.
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| Outside of Caterpillar Might Be Linked to MRLS |
January/2003 |
Since the beginning of the mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) in 2001, there have been many theories as to the cause of the problems. Honing in on the extreme number of Eastern tent caterpillars (ETC) in 2001 and 2002, studies have shown that early fetal loss can be caused by feeding ETC to pregnant mares. It also has been shown that freezing the caterpillars does not destroy whatever toxin or organism (virus or bacteria) is causing problems, since frozen ETC have been used experimentally.
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| Educational Brochures |
January/2003 |
The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) has recently revised and redesigned 21 client education brochures with the support of Bayer Animal Health and Purina Mills. The brochures are available to veterinarians and come in packages of 25 at a low cost.
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| Compounding Study |
December/2002 |
A recent University of California, Davis, study showed that administration of one type of compounded omeprazole suspension was ineffective in healing ulcers in racehorses, while treatment with the FDA-approved form of omeprazole (GastroGard) was effective in attenuating ulcers.
Jack Snyder, DVM, PhD, chief of equine surgery and lameness at the University of California, Davis, and his research team that included Jorge E.
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| West Nile Virus Still Spreading |
December/2002 |
As of Nov. 3, cases of equine illness caused this year by West Nile virus (WNV) confirmed at the USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories had risen to 12,843; 12,105 cases more than the final case count for 2001. Vaccinating for WNV and considering horses with signs of neurological disease as potential WNV cases has become an everyday practice for most U.
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| Diagnosing Problems Using Equine Hair |
December/2002 |
A horse's hair can be used as a diagnostic tool in assessing nutritional status, environmental poisoning, and drug use and abuse, according to Mark Dunnett, BVSc, of the UK's Royal Veterinary College. Dunnett presented this topic at the Kentucky Equine Research conference held in Lexington, Ky.
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| Unusual Fall Abortions in Kentucky |
December/2002 |
Pathologists at the Kentucky Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center (LDDC) in Lexington noticed that a few more fetal losses were being seen than was usual during August, September, and October. That prompted increased surveillance and reporting, and meetings by the Kentucky Association of Equine Practitioners (KAEP) committee that was formed during the mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) crisis.
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| One More Piece in MRLS Puzzle |
December/2002 |
Researchers at the Kentucky Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center (LDDC) have uncovered one more piece in the puzzle that is known as mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS). Whatever caused early fetal losses and late-term abortions in 2001 and 2002 also has been related to a few cases of uveitis (eye) and pericarditis (heart).
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| Moyer Receives Distinguished Alumnus Award |
December/2002 |
William Moyer, DVM, head of the Department of Large Animal Medicine & Surgery at Texas A&M University and a member of The Horse's Editorial Advisory Board, recently was awarded a Distinguished Alumnus award by Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colo. Moyer was recognized Oct.
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| Equine Salmonellosis |
December/2002 |
Salmonella spp. can cause diarrhea, abscesses, septicemia, and other ailments in horses. The October 2002 issue of Equine Disease Quarterly, published by the University of Kentucky (UK) and sponsored by underwriters at Lloyd's of London and their Kentucky agents, included an in-depth article on the topic, including numbers on the most common types, written by Roberta M. Dwyer, DVM, Dipl.
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| Intracranial Pressure |
December/2002 |
Two studies done at the University of California, Davis, have allowed researchers to measure the intracranial pressure (ICP, the pressure that the cerebrospinal fluid exerts on the brain) in the horse for the first time and determine how body position affects ICP during anesthesia.
In the first study, researchers were able to measure the ICP and cerebral perfusion pressure (the pressure that pushes blood into the brain) in standing adult horses for the first time.
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| AQHA Considers Changes to Coat Color Requirements |
December/2002 |
Cremellos or perlinos, which are horses that exhibit lightly pigmented or pink skin over the body, white or cream-colored hair, and blue eyes, might soon be eligible for registration in the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). In early October, the AQHA Stud Book and Registration Committee voted in a special meeting to recommend to the Board of Directors (and general membership) that Rule 227 (i) be deleted (which has in the past excluded cremellos and perlinos) based on information presented by veterinarians, geneticists, and veterinary ophthalmologists.
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| Periodontal Disease in Horses |
December/2002 |
University veterinary hospitals and private practitioners have begun to treat and prevent periodontal disease in horses with a new piece of dental equipment called the Equine Dental System. The Universities of Georgia (UGa), Illinois, and California (Davis) are working with the equipment developer and dental equipment companies to study the benefits of tooth cleaning and restoration in horses.
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| The Adaptive Equine Stomach |
December/2002 |
A study at the Island Whirl Equine Colic Research Laboratory at the University of Florida has determined that the horse's stomach can adapt to meals of various sizes and compositions, giving researchers a better understanding of how the normal stomach works. Following other studies, this could provide insight into the relationship between feeding practices and risk for development of colic.
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| WNV Vaccine Challenge Study |
November/2002 |
Research and development representatives from Fort Dodge Animal Health (FDAH) presented results from their challenge study of the West Nile virus (WNV) vaccine on Sept. 18.
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| USDA Vaccine Licensing |
November/2002 |
Any company trying to put a new vaccine on the market must follow a specific process to obtain a license from the USDA before the product can be used in the horse population. A vaccine receives either a conditional or full license after a series of purity, safety, efficacy (does it work?), and potency (how much is in there?) tests.
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| WNV Holds Up Australian Quarantine |
November/2002 |
The Australian Horse Industry Council congratulated quarantine authorities for their actions in the case of a horse which became sick during quarantine in Sydney and later was determined to have West Nile virus (WNV). Horse Council president Paul O'Callaghan, BVSc, said, "The horse was only released after a risk assessment based on sound science and good consultation.
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| Comfrey Targeted for Removal |
November/2002 |
Earlier this year, the Association of Animal Feed Control Officers (AAFCO, a non-profit organization of state and federal feed regulators that has no regulatory power, but helps guide national interpretation of feed laws) planned to select one or more animal feed supplement ingredients and stage a nationwide "regulatory event" in order to bring attention to the problem of illegal animal supplements. The first target ingredient for upcoming enforcement actions, identified at the AAFCO annual meeting in August, is comfrey contained in feed, feed ingredients, or supplements to be added to feed.
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| Preakness Runner-Up Positive for WNV |
November/2002 |
Magic Weisner, the popular Thoroughbred gelding who finished second at long odds in the Preakness, was diagnosed Sept. 9 with West Nile virus (WNV), said Bob Vallance, DVM, the horse's local veterinarian in Maryland.
Vallance was in daily contact with veterinarians at the New Bolton Center in Pennsylvania, where Magic Weisner was a patient beginning Sept.
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| New Surgical Treatment for Suspensory Injury |
November/2002 |
Suspensory injuries are common in athletic horses. The suspensory ligament extends down the back of the lower leg from the knee or the hock and lies between the flexor tendons and the cannon bone. There are a number of treatments for injured suspensory ligaments including shock wave therapy, therapeutic ultrasound, injections of corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid into the area surrounding the injured ligament, electromagnetic stimulation, bone marrow injections, and magnetic therapy.
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| Hoof Project Foundation Will Fund Lameness Research |
November/2002 |
Combining scientific research with real-life case management is the mission of the new Hoof Project Foundation headed by David Hood, DVM, PhD. Noted for his research on hoof problems such as laminitis, Hood hopes to work with the horse-owning community to treat and prevent laminitis, utilizing owner observation and management in the overall study of hoof disease.
Hood, a longtime faculty member at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine in College Station, Texas, has worked with initial donors to design a three-part mission for the Foundation--education, rehabilitation, and research.
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| Feeding Management for Stressful Situations |
November/2002 |
"Anytime you ask a horse to be a performance horse (taking him out of his natural environment), you put him in a stressful situation," said Joe Pagan, PhD, owner of Kentucky Equine Research (KER) in Versailles, Ky., during his presentation "Feeding Management of Horses Under Stressful Situations" at the 2002 KER Equine Nutrition Conference.
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| Eventing Recommended for Exclusion from the 2008 Olympics |
November/2002 |
The Olympic Programme Commission report recommending that eventing be excluded from the 2008 Olympics was presented to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board on Aug. 28 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
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| New Flair Nasal Strip Study |
November/2002 |
A recent study completed by researchers at Michigan State University (MSU) suggests that Flair nasal strips decrease the amount of work required for respiratory muscles in equine athletes during intense exercise, and might reduce the amount of energy required for breathing in these horses.
A Flair nasal strip is a disposable, adhesive device that is placed above the horse's nostrils, and was designed to promote respiratory health and performance by holding nasal passages open for optimal breathing during strenuous activity.
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| Flair Strips Acquired By Merial |
November/2002 |
Merial, the company which makes GastroGard (omeprazole), Eqvalan (ivermectin) and Zimectrin (ivermectin) recently acquired Flair Equine Nasal Strips. The strips were invented by two equine veterinarians and developed in 1999 by CNS, Inc., which also developed Breathe Right Nasal Strips for humans in 1993.
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| Renowned Artist Supports Equine Research |
November/2002 |
Richard Stone Reeves is designating a portion of the proceeds from his limited edition Mr. Prospector lithograph to the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation (GJCRF). Mr.
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| Equine Registry To Require DNA Testing |
October/2002 |
DNA testing using hair roots will replace blood typing as the Arabian Horse Registry of America's required tool for parentage verification. This will begin with registration of the 2002 foal crop. This announcement follows a similar one by The Jockey Club, which will require DNA testing in Thoroughbreds beginning with the 2001 foal crop.
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| Alberta Drought |
October/2002 |
A severe drought in northern Alberta is taking its toll on the horse population of that Canadian province. Canadian newspaper reports have indicated that many Alberta horses have been sent to slaughter (because the drought has made feeding horses very difficult), and horse prices have dropped to historic lows. One source close to the slaughter market, however, says media reports that hundreds of horses are without feed and awaiting slaughter are "overblown.
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| EIA in Georgia: Four Horses Test Positive, 94 Quarantined |
October/2002 |
Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Tommy Irvin announced last week that four horses in Chattooga County tested positive for equine infectious anemia (EIA) and have been euthanized. At press time, 94 other horses in the county had been quarantined due to possible exposure.
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| West Nile Virus Moves West in Canada |
October/2002 |
Horse owners in Canada are becoming just as wary of the neurological disease West Nile virus (WNV) as their U.S. neighbors (see "West Nile Virus Alert" on page 32). The virus, which is harbored by birds and spread by the bite of an infected mosquito, has already affected at least 10 horses in the Manitoba province, and officials are recommending mosquito control techniques and equine vaccination.
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| Controlling Mosquitoes with Pheromones |
October/2002 |
A new product that can help control mosquito populations is currently under development. Materia, Inc., has developed a cost-effective synthesized version of the natural pheromone called Mosquito Oviposition Pheromone (MOP). MOP is naturally produced by female mosquitoes of the Culex genus when laying eggs as a signal to other female mosquitoes to lay their eggs in the same location.
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| Zimbabwe Horse Farms Under Attack |
October/2002 |
Horses in Zimbabwe are facing injury and slaughter due to a government land grab. According to reports from racing officials in South Africa, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has instituted a program whereby all white farmers must leave their land immediately, with the farms ostensibly being given over to the poor. However, according to Robin Bruss of the South African Jockey Club, those lands are being allocated to Mugabe's family and high-ranking militia members.
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| More Kentucky Potomac Horse Fever Cases |
October/2002 |
Two additional cases of Potomac horse fever (PHF) have been confirmed at Hagyard-Davidson-McGee (HDM) veterinary hospital in Lexington, Ky., bringing the clinic's total to five confirmed cases since the end of July. Two other PHF cases previously were reported at Lexington's Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital.
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| Sunday Silence (1986-2002) |
October/2002 |
Kentucky Derby winner and top Japanese sire Sunday Silence died of heart failure Aug. 19 following an infection in his leg and the debilitating effects of laminitis. The horse had been fighting illness for 14 weeks prior to his death.
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| Updates from the American Association of Equine Practitioners |
October/2002 |
New Board Members Elected
Recently, four new directors were elected by the membership of the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) to serve on the organization's board. The terms for the new directors will begin right after the 2002 AAEP Annual Convention in Orlando, Fla.
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| Equine Sports Medicine Center Dedicated |
October/2002 |
The Scott Center for Equine Sports Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center was dedicated on June 29. The 10,000-square-foot addition to the College of Veterinary Medicine's large animal program will improve patient care and treatment and provide better and more efficient working space for the faculty and staff. The Scott building houses the section of cardiology and imaging under the direction of Virginia Reef, DVM, Dipl.
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| MRLS Workshop |
October/2002 |
Since the devastating disease process known as mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) appeared on the scene in 2001 (and reappeared in 2002), concerted efforts have been focused on understanding and controlling the problem. Economic losses to the horse breeding industry have been staggering.
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| Foal Loss Possible in Caterpillar Areas |
September/2002 |
Four interesting facts were brought to light because of the late-term abortion and Eastern tent caterpillar (ETC) study that was recently completed at the University of Kentucky, according to Thomas Tobin, MVB, MSc, PhD, MRCVS, Dipl. ABT, of the Gluck Equine Research Center:
Since live ETC were shipped in from Michigan for the study, it was proven that this isn't a Kentucky problem, but rather a caterpillar-associated problem.
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| Potomac Horse Fever Fatality in Kentucky |
September/2002 |
A Thoroughbred filly in central Kentucky recently succumbed to Potomac horse fever (PHF), a disease that is detected only once or twice per year in the Commonwealth. The cause of death was a mystery until test results were received from the University of Kentucky Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center (LDDC) on June 27.
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| Horse Health at AVMA |
September/2002 |
The annual convention of the American Veterinary Medical Association, held July 13-17, drew practitioners from around the world. One topic of particular timeliness was the growing use of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) for various lameness and back problems, and was presented by Rick Mitchell, DVM, of Fairfield Equine Associates in Newtown, Conn. California and New York have new regulations limiting the use of ESWT in racehorses, and Mitchell discussed ESWT for providing short-term relief of acute foot soreness in show jumpers.
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| First Foal Produced from Deceased Mare's Shipped Oocytes |
September/2002 |
The first foal produced from oocytes that were harvested from the shipped ovaries of a deceased mare was born recently. This successful procedure, completed by researchers at Colorado State University (CSU), opens a door for owners with valuable, difficult-to-breed mares or mares incapable of carrying a foal to term.
Ed Squires, MS, PhD, Director of the Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory (ARBL) at CSU, explained the challenging case.
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| West Nile Virus in 32 States and D.C. |
September/2002 |
West Nile virus (WNV) has continued its advance across the United States, making its debut in states untouched by the virus before 2002. In all, 32 states and Washington, D.C.
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| Production of Banamine Temporarily Halted |
September/2002 |
Production of the popular anti-inflammatory drug Banamine (flunixin meglumine) and many other drugs manufactured by Schering-Plough Corporation was temporarily halted in May when the manufacturer signed a consent decree of permanent injunction with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). "FDA found significant violations of the current good manufacturing practices (CGMP) regulations related to facilities, manufacturing, quality assurance, equipment, laboratories, and packaging and labeling," said an FDA release.
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| Horse Behavior and Welfare Conference |
September/2002 |
A recent gathering of equine behavior and welfare specialists in Holar, Northern Iceland, gave scientists from around the world the opportunity to present their work and review the science underpinning management practices on the horse. The workshop, which featured expertise spanning five decades of research, was sponsored by the Dorothy Russell Havemeyer Foundation, and was co-organized by Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB, of the University of Pennsylvania, and Daniel Mills, DVM, of the University of Lincoln, in the United Kingdom.
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| Is Your Horse Getting the Right Medications? |
August/2002 |
Unethical medication production and marketing is a serious problem in the equine industry, said Joe Bertone, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, in a presentation at the American Horse Publications convention on June 21. "The equine industry is a huge target for snake-oil salesmen," he stated.
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| West Nile Virus in Texas Birds, Kentucky Horse |
August/2002 |
West Nile virus (WNV) has continued its march westward, recently being detected for the first time in Texas in two blue jays in northwest Houston. Additionally, the disease made its 2002 Kentucky equine debut in a Thoroughbred yearling.
Since its first detection in the Western Hemisphere in 1999, WNV, which is harbored by birds and transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes, has infiltrated 28 states after migrating from its original epicenter in New York.
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| Poison Control: Spraying Insecticides on Pastures |
August/2002 |
During the optimal Eastern tent caterpillar (ETC) eradication period (when larvae are still in trees), Lee Townsend, PhD, extension entomologist at the University of Kentucky (UK), recommended a list of insecticides for horse owners and farm managers to use to keep ETC off their pastures. The talk about insecticides had some individuals asking which are safe to use, and which, if any, should be avoided.
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| Fire Relief in Arizona and Colorado |
August/2002 |
Hundreds of horses have been displaced by wildfires that spread across Colorado and Arizona throughout June. Various members of the horse industry have offered support through their time and donations.
At press time, an estimated 320 horses remained at two Colorado facilities housing horses in the Latigo, Cripple Creek, and Durango areas.
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| Ponies Just Heal Better Than Horses |
August/2002 |
Horses are more problematic healers compared to ponies, according to a recent study completed by the faculty of veterinary medicine at the University of Utrecht in The Netherlands. The study also suggests that ponies with traumatic limb wounds have a better prognosis than horses with comparable injuries.
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| Can Garlic Help Your Horse Fight Disease? |
August/2002 |
Garlic has been touted to have many health-related properties, from boosting your horse's immune system to repelling bugs just by the garlic odor in his sweat. In a recent study completed at the Equine Research Centre in Guelph, Ontario, a garlic metabolite showed antibacterial properties.
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| New Ohio Laboratory to Benefit Horses, Humans, and Other Species |
August/2002 |
The Orthopedic Molecular Medicine Suite recently opened in The Ohio State University's (OSU) new veterinary medical academic building. Alicia Bertone, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS (shown working), is the new Trueman Family Chair in Equine Clinical Medicine and Surgery, which is the first endowed chair in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
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| West Nile Virus Education is Key |
July/2002 |
"Whether or not West Nile virus (WNV) is going to become a serious concern in your state, the media is going to make it one," stated Bill Saville, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, of The Ohio State University's (OSU) Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.
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| West Nile Virus Vaccine: Where It's Been, Where It's Going |
July/2002 |
West Nile virus (WNV) has become a 365-day-a-year virus--new cases of disease have been detected every month in Florida since its initial appearance there last year, except for March of 2002. Where there are mosquitoes year-round, there will be arboviral diseases year-round.
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| Study Associates Caterpillars and Reproductive Losses |
July/2002 |
A recently completed collaborative effort at the University of Kentucky (UK) associated the Eastern tent caterpillar and its frass (excrement) and mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS). This is only the first step in looking at the caterpillar/MRLS connection.
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| Update on the Eastern Tent Caterpillar |
July/2002 |
The newest study on early fetal loss and Eastern tent caterpillars (funded by the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation) began on May 21 and was scheduled to continue for three weeks. The research is led by internal medicine specialist Bill Bernard, DVM, Dipl.
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| Down, Not Out: Training For an Emergency |
July/2002 |
Moving a horse which can't get up might seem like an impossible task. However, with the proper training, a down horse can be moved safely and easily onto a trailer and to a veterinary hospital. The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) is providing that training, and also teaching people how to convert a trailer into an equine ambulance.
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| Horse Dies of Rabies at Pennsylvania Race Course |
July/2002 |
According to a recent report from the Daily Racing Form, a horse with rabies died May 12 at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, Pa. The 7-year-old Thoroughbred gelding showed symptoms of rabies and was placed in quarantine before he succumbed to the illness.
A veterinarian on the premises believed that the horse was probably bitten by a rabid wild animal that somehow made it into the barn, the report said.
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| The Science Behind Herbs |
July/2002 |
Science is beginning to catch up with traditional uses of "holistic" medicine, and it is important to understand the reasons and risks behind using herbal products. The third annual Nutraceutical Alliance (NA) conference was held May 10-11, 2002, at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.
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| Researchers Share West Nile Virus Tips |
July/2002 |
Veterinarians experienced in the surveillance, treatment, and public education of West Nile virus (WNV) presented their research and observations of the disease at the recent annual meeting of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine held in Dallas, Texas, May 29-June 1. West Nile virus has been recognized in 27 states, and it is important that veterinarians who do not yet have experience with WNV are prepared to handle cases.
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| West Nile Virus Testing |
July/2002 |
A key in West Nile virus (WNV) surveillance is reporting disease incidence--WNV is a reportable disease in all states. Testing of suspect clinical cases is a service provided by the federal and state governments. It costs nothing at the national level if the submission is approved by a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Area Veterinarian-in-Charge and accompanied by an appropriate clinical history, and little if anything at the state level.
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| Supplement Regulation News |
June/2002 |
The threat of a supplement regulatory crackdown motivated 25 ingredient suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors to join with the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) on April 3-4 to hammer out a proposed Compliance Plus program. This program is a "work in progress," according to NASC president Bill Bookout.
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| UK Legislation Threatens to Change Medication Policy |
June/2002 |
Legislation is under consideration in the United Kingdom that would drastically affect the way horse owners obtain medications such as dewormers for their horses. Amendments to the legislation would require a veterinary prescription for the supply of all medicines (including dewormers and over-the-counter products such as sweet itch treatments or insecticide shampoos) for food-producing animals, according to an announcement by the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA), an association of United Kingdom companies.
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| Foal Hyperbaric Chamber Studies Commence In Kentucky |
June/2002 |
Two landmark clinical studies examining the effects of treating foals with septic (infected) joints and "dummy foals" (those which suffered from lack of oxygen prior to or during delivery) in hyperbaric chambers have begun in Lexington, Ky. Hagyard-Davidson-McGee (HDM) veterinary hospital has two of these devices that deliver 100% oxygen in a pressurized chamber to sick animals.
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| MRLS Study Reaches Task Force |
June/2002 |
A new study has pinpointed several factors that predisposed mares to early fetal loss in Central Kentucky and nearby areas in 2001, but was unable to identify a specific cause. Feeding hay in pasture prior to abortion, a history of abortion in mares, the presence of deer or elk, and an abundance of white clover in pastures were associated with higher incidences of early fetal loss (EFL).
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| Animal Supplement Crackdown |
May/2002 |
Many supplements used by horse owners and veterinarians every day are illegal and thus could be taken off the market. State regulators say that after five years of trying to get manufacturers to meet legal requirements, they are cracking down on illegal ingredients in animal supplements, even though the products have been manufactured, advertised, and sold for years.
Many of these "nutraceuticals" or "nutritional supplements" are illegal because the manufacturer has not complied with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ingredient recognition processes, ingredient definition applications as designed by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), has not followed state licensing requirements, and/or because the product makes false label claims.
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| Prolonged Bute Use Detrimental to Joints |
May/2002 |
Chronic use of phenylbutazone, or Bute, in horses with joint problems could be causing more problems than it's preventing. A recent study showed that Bute and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS) might be detrimental to equine joint cartilage regeneration.
The study was performed by scientists in The Ohio State University's (OSU) Orthopedic Research Laboratory and appeared in a recent issue of the American Journal of Veterinary Research.
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| Carpenter Takes Top Job At AQHF |
May/2002 |
The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) has announced that Gary Carpenter will join the organization as Executive Director of the American Quarter Horse Foundation (AQHF) on May 6. Carpenter brings more than 20 years of service and leadership in the equine industry to AQHF and he will start on May 6.
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| New Products and Distribution |
May/2002 |
Four new deworming products and a shift in distribution of the popular Zimecterin and Equimectrin dewormers are offering horse owners new options in deworming their horses. Zimecterin, developed and manufactured by Merial Limited but largely marketed and distributed by Farnam, now will be distributed over the counter (OTC) by Merial.
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| First National Equine Identification Symposium |
May/2002 |
The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) has announced that the first National Equine Identification Symposium--ID/INFO EXPO 2002--will take place in Chicago, Ill., July 29-Aug.
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| Cyanide Study in Caterpillars |
May/2002 |
Terry Fitzgerald, PhD, a distinguished university professor of biological sciences at the State University of New York College at Cortland, said recent research has shown that the Eastern tent caterpillar does a very good job of depleting the cyanide it ingests when eating the leaves of black cherry trees. Fitzgerald is an expert on tent caterpillars and their habitats.
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| West Nile Virus Education |
May/2002 |
A live satellite broadcast within Ohio March 20 disseminated information about West Nile virus (WNV) to extension and health personnel at remote locations, who then could ask questions of the expert presenters. The broadcast from Columbus, Ohio, was linked to 94 sites throughout the state.
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| Publication Educates on Land Conservation for Horses |
May/2002 |
The Equestrian Land Conservation Resource (ELCR) has released a new publication, Equestrian Economic Impact Analysis: How your Community Benefits, to educate non-horse owners (primarily legislative officials) about the positive economic impact of horse keeping and horse activities.
"People who do not keep horses themselves or participate in equestrian activities often do not realize the tremendous economic impact horses have on local community," said Kandee Haertel, Executive Director of ELCR.
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| Bill to Ban Horse Slaughter |
April/2002 |
A bill to ban the slaughter of horses in the United States and to prohibit the transportation of horses from the United States to other countries for slaughter has been introduced in the U.S.
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| Solving Health Problems Through Genetics |
April/2002 |
The solution to health and soundness problems facing horses might be as close as the horse itself. Laminitis, colic, respiratory disease, and even joint problems could be prevented or treated using genetics. At the Blue Ribbon Horse Genome conference on March 2, researchers and horse industry representatives debated whether the main objective of genetic research should be to create a complete gene map of the horse, or with limited funding, if projects should focus on specific health-related questions.
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| International Group Protects Horses; Celebrates Anniversary |
April/2002 |
The International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH) was formed in Great Britain in 1927. It has grown into a "caring, but pragmatic" organization that is the world's leading international equine welfare charity. The ILPH is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.
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| Tufts Conference to Examine Risks and Benefits of Barefoot Hoofcare Methods |
April/2002 |
A unique seminar will be held at Tufts University May 4-5 to review the controversial barefoot hoof care methods put forth by German veterinarian and author Hiltrud Strasser, DVM.
In England, concern about harm to horses by Strasser devotees has resulted in public warnings from the International League for the Protection of Horses, Farriers Registration Council, Worshipful Company of Farriers, Laminitis Trust, and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
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| Wanted: Colorado Horses With Navicular |
April/2002 |
Researchers at Colorado State University's (CSU) Equine Orthopaedic Laboratory are once again recruiting horses suffering from navicular disease to participate in the second phase of a horseshoe study. The first study, which began last August, exhibited success using different types of shoes to diminish lameness caused by imbalances in hoof conformation.
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| Collapsible Cross-Country Fences to be Tried in Britain |
April/2002 |
In the wake of several fatal injuries to international-level three-day event competitors in 1999 and 2000, cross-country course designers began working to come up with safer fence designs, including fences which "give" on impact. Over the past three years, several designs for "frangible" (readily or easily broken) cross-country fences have been brought forward, and a few have been used on a trial basis at international competitions, but none has gained wide acceptance.
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| Saville Joins Advisory Board for The Horse |
April/2002 |
William J.A. Saville, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM of The Ohio State University's (OSU) Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, is the newest addition to the Editorial Advisory Board of The Horse. Saville joins a group of 49 equine practitioners that help review content for accuracy and integrity, and help keep the staff abreast of new developments in the field of equine health.
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| NRHA Million Dollar Sire Dies |
April/2002 |
National Reining Horse Association Hall of Fame stallion and Million Dollar Sire Topsail Cody died Feb. 23 from colic. Foaled in 1977, Topsail Cody won the 1980 National Reining Horse Association Futurity, then earned the American Quarter Horse Association Junior Reining World Championship the next year.
Topsail Cody's foals have earned nearly $1.
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| U.K. Horses to Have Passport for Life |
April/2002 |
The United Kingdom's Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs minister Alun Michael announced on Feb. 14 that all horses and ponies in England and Wales must be given a unique registration number and a "passport" for life.
By Dec.
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| Florida Reports First West Nile Virus Cases For 2002 |
April/2002 |
The Florida Department of Health (DOH) and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) reported Feb. 18 that the first equine cases of West Nile virus (WNV) for 2002 had been found. Three horses tested positive for WNV in Marion County, which had the highest concentration of cases in 2001.
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| U.K. Foot and Mouth Disease Epidemic Officially Over |
April/2002 |
The United Kingdom has regained its status as a foot and mouth disease (FMD)-free country at an international meeting of veterinarians in Paris, France, in January. The official statement was made Jan.
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| Scientists Sequence Clostridium perfringens Genome |
March/2002 |
According to Reuters Health news, Japanese scientists recently announced that they have sequenced the genome of Clostridium perfringens. The anaerobic (active in the absence of oxygen) pathogen is widely recognized as being a causal organism of gas gangrene in Word War I. However, the organism also can cause diarrhea, scours, and other intestinal problems in horses.
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| Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome Meeting Emphasizes Communication |
March/2002 |
More than 350 veterinarians, farm managers and personnel, and other members of Central Kentucky's horse industry gathered on Feb. 4 in Lexington to review what is known about the mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) of 2001, and how to monitor and possibly prevent problems during 2002.
Jimmy Henning, PhD, extension forage specialist at the University of Kentucky (UK) and meeting moderator, stressed the importance of communication to relay information on problems or situations that might mirror the events leading up to the early and late fetal losses that began in late April of 2001.
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| FDA Will Reprimand Renegade Drug Manufacturers |
March/2002 |
Buying name-brand products is not a requirement for most consumers, but in the case of purchasing an equine bronchodilator with the active ingredient clenbuterol, it's a must. A two-year investigation has led to an official statement from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding production, ad-vertisement, sale, and use of medications using illegally obtained clenbuterol.
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| Emergency Breeding Procedures Filed for Kentucky Farms |
March/2002 |
Due to concerns resulting from last year's foal losses attributed to mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS), on Feb. 4 the Kentucky Department of Agriculture filed emergency regulations regarding procedures to be followed when breeding an imported mare in the state. The regulations will allow stallion owners to forego the 12-hour embargo on breeding after covering an imported mare if she has undergone extra testing.
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| Merger & Medical Outcome at USA Equestrian Annual Meeting |
March/2002 |
This year's USA Equestrian (USAE, formerly American Horse Shows Association) Annual Meeting, held in Charlotte, N.C., on Jan. 9-13, 2002, covered numerous topics. While the Drugs and Medications Committee discussed concerns about corticosteroid medication for horses, another forum focused on solving the battle for National Governing Body (NGB) status with the United States Equestrian Team (USET).
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| Afghan Equine Refugees |
March/2002 |
The Brooke Hospital for Animals (BHA) has three branches in Peshawar, Pakistan, a city near the Afghanistan border. The hospitals have been treating the working animals belonging to poverty-stricken Afghan refugees free of charge. The refugees rely on their horses and donkeys to pack or pull construction supplies, food items, and other loads, and many earn their living with the animals' use.
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| Thoroughbred Pedigrees Show Little Genetic Diversity |
March/2002 |
More than 95% of Thoroughbreds share the same paternal lineage, and almost half of the genetic makeup of the breed can be attributed to just 10 foundation horses. These facts are just a few of the recent findings brought to light by a research team at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.
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| Medication Summit Panel Moves Forward on Plan |
March/2002 |
In a Jan. 28 teleconference, representatives from about 20 racing industry organizations unanimously endorsed a plan to develop a national medication policy. Members of the Thoroughbred, Standardbred, and Quarter Horse racing industries originally met at the American Association of Equine Practitioners' (AAEP) Racehorse Medication Summit Dec.
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| New IgG Stall-Side Test Kit |
February/2002 |
The equine industry has new technology adapted from the livestock industry to do a "stall-side" test of whether foals received an adequate amount of protective antibodies in colostrum (IgG test). This is commonly known as failure of passive transfer.
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| Veterinary Schools Get Anderson Sling |
February/2002 |
A newly purchased Anderson sling will provide improved support for horses recovering from neurological problems or surgery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. Oregon State University's veterinary school recently added an Anderson sling to their program as well.
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| WNV Web Site Launched for Horse Owners |
February/2002 |
Fort Dodge Animal Health has taken a proactive approach to keeping horse owners informed of the spread and dangers of West Nile virus (WNV) by launching a web site and developing educational literature on the disease. In just two years, WNV has become one of the fastest-growing health threats to horses in the United States.
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| Farriers Inducted Into Horseshoeing Hall of Fame |
February/2002 |
Three men who have dedicated their lives to the horseshoeing industry have been named to the International Horseshoeing Hall of Fame. Members of the Class of 2002 are Seamus Brady of Bridgewater, N.J.
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| Equestrian Groups Take Steps to Resolve Governance Matter |
February/2002 |
USA Equestrian President Alan F. Balch and U.S. Equestrian Team President Armand Leone, Jr. have announced that the executive committees of the two organizations have agreed in principle to a resolution of the equestrian governance matter. This would result in a unified National Governing Body (NGB) for equestrian sports in the United States.
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| Kansas State's New Andrology Lab |
February/2002 |
Juan Samper, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACT, the immediate past president of the Society for Theriogenology (a group of domestic animal reproduction experts), is heading a new andrology laboratory focused on reproduction of male animals, especially horses. The program is a referral center for evaluating semen, stallions, bulls, etc.
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| High-Performance Hoof Care Meets Research at New Hampshire Farrier-Veterinarian Conference |
February/2002 |
The Rochester (NH) Equine Clinic cleverly wed research to practice in its 14th Annual Farrier-Veterinarian Conference, held Dec. 13-14, 2001 and sponsored by Hoofcare & Lameness Magazine.
Washington veterinarian/researcher Olin Balch, DVM, PhD, presented straightforward lectures on the known and unknown parameters of the equine hoof, according to gait and locomotion research.
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| Wild Horses Shot to Death in North Carolina Preserve |
February/2002 |
Local residents of the remote Outer Banks islands of North Carolina fear that a recent spree of wild horse killings in the western United States might be turning into a disturbing national trend.
In Nov.
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| Drug Quality and Antimicrobial Use |
February/2002 |
Would you administer a medication to your horse if the components of the medication were not specified? Most wouldn't unless it's marketed as a miracle drug or unless their veterinarian recommended it. At the recent convention of the American Association of Equine Practitioners, Joe Bertone, DVM, MS, Dipl.
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| Study Shows Cosequin Helps Navicular Horses |
January/2002 |
A recently published clinical study conducted at Auburn University Equine Hospital supports the use of the nutraceutical product Cosequin in navicular syndrome cases. Cosequin is manufactured by Nutramax Laboratories.
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| Slaughter Transport Rule to be Published |
January/2002 |
The equine industry should receive a final rule from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the near future on regulations pertaining to the commercial transportation of horses to slaughter facilities. At press time, the rule had been passed by the U.
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| MRLS Research Yields Answers |
December/2001 |
The University of Kentucky (UK) College of Agriculture released guidelines (below) to help horse owners and farm managers avoid mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) and the uveitis (eye) and pericarditis (heart) problems that struck horses in many states this spring. The complete recommendations can be found at
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| MRLS Kentucky Economic Impact: $336 Million |
December/2001 |
More than 30% of the anticipated 2002 Thoroughbred foal crop in Kentucky was lost due to mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS) this spring. The economic cost to the state from losses suffered by all horse breeds will total nearly $336 million, according to a study commissioned by Governor Paul Patton and conducted by the University of Louisville’s Department of Equine Business.
The survey of 1,024 breeders and breeding farm operations examined six different breeds of horses, but the results showed Thoroughbred breeders suffered the heaviest economic losses, accounting for more than $300 million (89%) of the total.
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| Equitana |
November/2001 |
Held June 15-18 at the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky., Equitana featured around 800 demonstrations and educational seminars, the Mane Event, concerts, and hundreds of booths with equine products and services. The keynote speaker was rodeo star Ty Murray (far left).
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| Associations Team Up With Merial For Ulcer Screening |
November/2001 |
Some of our nation's most competitive racehorses participated in a unique ulcer screening program this year at the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Park. The Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (KHBA) at the Derby, and the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Associ-ation (NYTHA) at Belmont each teamed up with pharmaceutical giant Merial to offer free screenings of horses for gastric ulcers.
A part of Merial's health education campaign, the screenings are designed to educate horsemen, owners, and trainers about the dangers of equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS).
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| Rabies: Eliminate The Risk |
November/2001 |
Never before have horse owners been as aware of the threat of equine illness as this spring and summer. The list of potential nasties has read like a virtual "Whoâs Who in Equine Diseases." Such terms as encephalitis and West Nile have become household words, and we have gone to great lengths to protect our horses from potential vectors of disease such as ticks and mosquitoes.
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| Model Horse Sales Help Research |
November/2001 |
Sales of a small scale horse are benefiting large horses everywhere. Beckie Kearns, the 1998 Quarter Horse Congress Queen, chose equine research as her charity after "Pressed For Change," the horse for which this Peter Stone Original is made, died of colic. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the "Pressed For Change" model--part of the American Quarter Horse Queens line--will be donated to the American Quarter Horse Foundation (AQHF).
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| New Education Building For Penn |
November/2001 |
The University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine, which is widely respected for its New Bolton Center research hospital for large animals, soon will be equipped even better. The school will receive a grant of $18 million from Pennsylvania Gov.
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| USDA Seeks EVA Comments |
November/2001 |
The U.S. Department of Agriculture needs your help to develop an equine viral arteritis (EVA) regulatory program for U.S. horses.
The equine industry regards the disease as a potentially significant and increasing economic threat. Currently, the USDA's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) doesn't have an EVA control program because outbreaks are sporadic.
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| Rescued Alumnus Drives For A Cause |
November/2001 |
Six years ago, a starved Morgan colt was rescued from the brink of death by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He was taken to Nevins Farm and Equine Centre, where he underwent a year of rehabilitation. After recovery he was adopted by Audrey Hartnett of Rockport, Mass.
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| EEE In South Carolina |
November/2001 |
Encephalitis has plagued the East Coast in 2000, with South Carolina the latest state under attack. South Carolina's bout with at least nine cases of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) had horse owners on the defensive this fall.
"We have EEE cases every year, in horses and occasionally in emus or quail," said Venaye P.
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| West Nile Continues Migration |
November/2001 |
"The inevitable has occurred," said Bruce L. Akey, DVM, when the first positive West Nile virus (WNV) bird case was confirmed in Prince Edward County, Va., on Oct.
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| Yearlings Benefit Research |
November/2001 |
The sale of 20 Virginia-bred Thoroughbred yearlings on Oct. 15 directly benefited equine research endeavors. Not only were the horses fund-raisers, they also were products of the studies their sale supports. The yearlings were residents of the Virginia Tech Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension Center (MAREC), a research and teaching facility located near Middleburg, Va.
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| Unusual Placentitis Cases Decrease |
November/2001 |
The cases of nocardioform placentitis in Central Kentucky fell from 144 cases during the 1999 foaling season to 48 in 2000, according to a report in Equine Disease Quarterly, a publication funded by Underwriters At Lloyd's of London, Brokers, And Their Kentucky Agents. Prior to 1998, the Kentucky Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center diagnosed an average of 20 cases of nocardioform placentitis each foaling season.
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| California Foreign Vet Bill Fails |
November/2001 |
To the relief of many practitioners and to the dismay of others, a California bill did not pass in August that would have drastically changed veterinary medicine in the state. California Assembly Bill 2842 would have allowed graduates of any veterinary school in the world to bypass clinical proficiency tests of the Education Commission on Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) and sit for the California veterinary medicine licensing exam.
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| ERC President Resigns |
November/2001 |
Andrew Clarke, BVSc, PhD, MRCVS, President of the Equine Research Centre (ERC) in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, returned to his alma mater, the University of Melbourne in Australia, as Chair of Equine Studies. Ken Armstrong, DVM, took over the reins after Clarke left on Sept.
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| Getting To The Guts |
November/2001 |
Ninety practitioners and members of the equine health community gathered at the Piedra Foundation's eighth annual Dan Evans Memorial Equine Conference in Del Mar, Calif., to discuss new solutions to the age-old problem of gastrointestinal disorders, specifically enteritis (inflammation of the small intestine).
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| College Equine Program Adopts Myotherapy |
November/2001 |
Whether it is a concentration on stud farm management or therapeutic riding, there's a niche for career-bound horse enthusiasts in universities all over the country. This fall, Teikyo Post University became the first college in New England to offer a career specialty in equine Trigger Point Myotherapy as a part of its bachelor's degree program in Equine Management.
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| EEE Confirmed In Virginia |
November/2001 |
Ten horses in Virginia have died of neurological symptoms thought to be caused by Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), according to Bruce Akey, DVM, director of the state's laboratory system and president of the American Associa-tion of Veterinary Lab-oratory Diagnosticians. The virus has been isolated and confirmed in six of the horses at the National Veterinary Services Laboratory in Ames, Iowa.
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| Cornell Nutritionist Joins Editorial Advisory Board |
November/2001 |
The Horse introduces its newest member to the Editorial Advisory Board. The professionals from around the world who serve on the Advisory Board offer their counsel and advice to our publication in order to ensure we have the most accurate and timely content possible, and to keep us up-to-date on their specialties of research and equine medicine.
Harold Hintz, PhD, MS, is Professor of Animal Nutrition at Cornell University.
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| New Editorial Advisory Board Members |
November/2001 |
The Horse magazine has a large group of people who volunteer their time and expertise to ensure that the information for horse owners contained in these pages is timely, and accurate. These advisors come from all areas of specialty, and from around the world.
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| Proposed Guidelines For Alternative Therapies |
November/2001 |
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), which is the organizing group for all veterinarians, in late December 2000 proposed guidelines for complementary and alternative veterinary medicine. The document states: "These guidelines are intended to help veterinarians make informed and judicious decisions regarding medical approaches known by several terms, including ‘complementary,’ ‘alternative,’ and ‘integrative.
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| Conference For Laminitis Research |
November/2001 |
Treating laminitis is a frustrating assignment for a veterinarian, who must juggle the welfare of the horse, the emotions of the owner, and the skills of collaborating farriers and therapists, and keep up with the latest information on drug therapy and research. In December 2000, the Rochester Equine Clinic (REC) in Rochester, N.
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| Vets Help Horses, People |
November/2001 |
Every year on the weekend before Thanksgiving, a group of 10-15 veterinarians travel to a remote area of Arizona that can only be reached by helicopter, pack animal, or on foot. These members of Veterinary Christian Fellowship (VCF) gather to care for the horses of the Havasupai tribe ("people of the blue-green water"), and to share their Christian faith.
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| Ultrasound Seminar At CIRALE |
November/2001 |
Ultrasound isn't just for prenatal examinations anymore. In the veterinary community in the past year, emphasis has been placed on ultrasound diagnosis of injuries, and this has been reflected in seminars all over the world. More than 20 practitioners from the Italy, Germany, Sweden, Brazil, and the United States converged on Goustranville, France, Nov.
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| West Nile Virus--Mosquito Not Required |
November/2001 |
Researchers at the United States Geological Survey's (USGS) 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. The mosquito previously was regarded as necessary for transmission between birds.
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| Health Of Pony Club Horses |
November/2001 |
Each year, hundreds of thousands of research dollars go toward investigating ways to keep money-earning, highly competitive athletic horses physically sound and at their peak performance. One researcher in Australia has chosen a different type of equine hero as her focus--the Pony Club horse.
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| Australian Research Helps Horse Owners: New Projects Down Under |
November/2001 |
The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) of Australia recently reported two projects that will be funded through 2001. One will evaluate the economics of the horse industry, and the other will look at safety.
Raymond Kripps, PhD, of the Research Centre for Injury Studies at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, is investigating a "Pilot Project to Examine Injuries to Horse Riders and Handlers.
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| Dryland Distemper |
November/2001 |
One of the most commonly diagnosed bacterial problems in California (and several other western states) is dryland distemper, otherwise known as pigeon fever. This disease is caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis and is seen worldwide.
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| Fires |
November/2001 |
Drought and wildfires that laid waste to millions of acres were twin scourges of the West this past summer. The drought came first, leaving forests and rangelands tinder dry. Then came lightning strikes and careless acts by humans that resulted in devastating fires.
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| Integrated Therapies Conference |
November/2001 |
Integrated therapies--the preferred term for complementary or alternative therapies--were one of the most popular topics at the Tufts Expo. Allen Schoen, DVM, MS, who led the three-day seminar, discussed therapies for all animals, including horses. They often were featured in his lectures and those of speakers Susan Wynn, DVM, and equine physical therapist Lin McGonagle.
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| Emergency Roundup |
November/2001 |
A total of 353 horses was gathered in an emergency roundup Oct. 2-4 in the Paisley Desert Herd Management Area (HMA) in Oregon, part of the Lakeview Resource Area of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The herd is gathered periodically to maintain a manageable number of horses for the territory's ecological balance.
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| Tufts Animal Expo: Futuristic "First" for Health Conferences |
November/2001 |
They came, they learned, they looked, and they even laughed. More than 4,000 animal health professionals descended on Boston in October for the inaugural Tufts Animal Expo, hosted by the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and a roster of supporting organizations and associations ranging from the Delta Society to the New York and Massachusetts veterinary medical associations.
Organizers envisioned an interdisciplinary conference where all parties with an interest in animal health could meet under one roof.
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| LSU Laminitis Research |
November/2001 |
Two equine researchers at the Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Veterinary Medicine recently received a USDA National Research Initiative Mech-anisms of Disease Grant to study the cause of laminitis. This disease causes chronic lameness or death in countless horses every year.
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| AAEP Encore |
November/2001 |
For any practitioner who missed the 45th AAEP Annual Convention, in Albuquerque, N.M., Florida was the place to be July 28-30. The second annual AAEP Encore Seminar was held in Orlando, reviewing the favorite 1999 Convention events, including in-depth sessions, practical how-to presentations, and a lameness panel.
Highlights of this year's Encore in-cluded in-depth sessions on radiology, which covered not only technique, but the economics of radiology in practice.
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| Bold Forbes Died At Age 27 |
November/2001 |
Bold Forbes, the oldest living Kentucky Derby winner, died Wednesday, August 9, at the Kentucky Horse Park near Lexington, Ky. at age 27. The horse was euthanized due to renal failure and complications from gastroenteritis. Winner of the 1976 Kentucky Derby, Bold Forbes had been a resident at the Horse Park since being retired from stud duty at Arthur Hancock's Stone Farm near Paris, Ky.
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| Raising Money, And Awareness |
November/2001 |
World renowned trainer Pat Parelli, his wife, Linda, and his SAVVY team of horse trainers banded together in an effort to raise money and awareness for the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA). To do this, he scheduled three clinics where he accepted donations for NARHA instead of charging his normal $65 per person charge for a seminar.
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| New Zealand Olympic Horse Dies Suddenly |
November/2001 |
The New Zealand Olympic Committee has announced the death of Chesterfield, who was scheduled compete in the Three-Day competition at the Sydney Olympics next month.
Blyth Tait rode Chesterfield to a team bronze medal in Atlanta in 1996.
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| Intervet Interview |
November/2001 |
The quality of our horses' life is directly related to the care they can be given. Among the key players in that care are the pharmaceutical companies who discover, develop, and manufacture medications and vaccines that either alleviate, prevent, or attenuate health problems in our animals. Because it is so expensive to develop products specific to horses, many of the medicines we use were created for other species, including humans.
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| New AAEP Board Member |
November/2001 |
Duncan F. Peters, DVM, MS, has been elected to a three-year term on the American Association of Equine Practitioners' (AAEP) Board of Directors.Peters, of Kalispell, Mont., will represent the members of the nine states which comprise the Western district.
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| Morris Animal Foundation Calls For Pre-Proposals |
November/2001 |
Morris Animal Foundation announces its call for pre-proposals for the fiscal year 2001. The deadline for application is Nov. 1, 2000, and funding is limited to companion animal and wildlife/special species studies. The Foundation is committed to funding $3 million in 2001.
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| AQHA Accepting Grant Applications |
November/2001 |
The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) is accepting applications for its annual research grants. AQHAâs Equine Research Committee was founded in 1960 and is comprised of leading Quarter Horse breeders, veterinarians, and individuals well-grounded in equine research methods. Since the founding year, more than $4.
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| West Nile Virus Update |
November/2001 |
Public concern has grown in New England after findings of the West Nile virus in more dead birds and mosquitoes. (For updated WNV coverage, visit thehorse.com/TopicSearch/Default.
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| Survey Attempts To Find Cause Of Headshaking |
November/2001 |
Researchers at De Montfort Universityâs (DMU) School of Agriculture in the United Kingdom are getting closer to putting a halt to headshaking, a problem that plagues some horses for an unknown reason while being ridden. The National Equine Headshaking Survey (NEHS) began at DMU in 1997, headed by Daniel Mills, MRCVS.
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| AHSA Executive Director Resigns |
November/2001 |
Kevin T. Carlon, Executive Director of the American Horse Shows Association since March 1999, has officially resigned from his position. Carlon resigned shortly after expressing concerns of inconsistencies with the Associationâs personnel procedures and professional standards. No more details about the resignations are being released due to AHSA policies.
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| First Pour-On Fly Repellent |
November/2001 |
With external pests being a considerable problem this year, owners are looking for any means to prevent attacks by flies and other insects. Boehringer Ingelheim has introduced a pour-on insecticide available only through your veterinarian. Called Buzz Off, this 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, according to efficacy control information.
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| Intervet Purchases Bayer Animal Health |
November/2001 |
Intervet became the third-largest supplier of veterinary vaccines in the United States when it recently purchased the North American Bayer Animal Health Biologicals Business.
Klaus Olbers, president of Intervet, Inc.
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| Bandaging Brochures |
November/2001 |
The care and protection of equine lower limbs through proper bandaging is the subject of a new series of client education brochures developed by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) and Educational Partner 3M Animal Care Products.
Bandaging provides protection and support for the horse while he is working, traveling, resting, or recovering from an injury.
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| EIA In Montana |
November/2001 |
Eight cases of equine infectious anemia (EIA) have been discovered in Montana in 2000, according to officials from the stateâs Department of Livestock (DoL). All of the infected horses are on or traced from the Tehinnah Ranch in Melrose, Mont.
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| Building The Equine Orthopaedic Center |
November/2001 |
Building plans for construction of the worldâs first Equine Orthopaedic Research Center are underway, and work on the 12,000-square-foot building is scheduled to begin no later than Jan. 1, 2001, at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo.
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| EPM Treatments, Vaccine |
November/2001 |
Horse owners worried about equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) take note: In the next few months, there could be several new products reaching the market designed to treat or prevent this neurological disease caused by a single-celled protozoal parasite. Some will be medications approved by the FDA for treatment; one potentially will be a daily feed additive that like a daily dewormer will protect the horse constantly at a low dose.
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| Strides Toward Safer Hunt Racing |
November/2001 |
Hunt races have thrilled spectators for years, but the competitors are subject to falls. Aintree and Cheltenham, the largest national hunt racecourses in the United Kingdom, are funding research at the University of Liverpool for the next two years to try and reduce horse injuries and fatalities in hunt racing.
"We were approached by Cheltenham and Aintree racecourses to investigate the factors leading to horses falling," says Chris Proudman, Vet MB, PhD, Cert EO, FRCVS, who is involved with the study.
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| EEE In Louisiana |
November/2001 |
Four cases of Eastern equine encephalitis had been confirmed in Louisiana at press time. According to a report from a Louisiana Public Health Epidemiologist, the earliest onset was on March 19, and the other three horses had onsets ranging from April 25 to May 11.
The first horse was in Vernon parish, and the other three were in Tangipahoa, Livingston, and East Feliciana parishes.
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| Encephalitis In California |
November/2001 |
Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus or an unrecognized, but very similar, virus, was isolated from the brain of a horse which died on April 21, 2000, in Ventura County, California. Essentially an East Coast disease, EEE rarely has been diagnosed west of the Mississippi and Texas.
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| UK Strangles Research To Begin |
November/2001 |
A leading United Kingdom horse charity has teamed up with genome researchers in an effort to beat strangles. The Home of Rest for Horses, based in Buckinghamshire, England, has financed a £250,000 ($390,000) project to decode all the genes in Streptococcus equi, the bacterium that causes strangles.
There are hundreds of strangles outbreaks in the United Kingdom each year.
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| AAEP Task Force To Review Vaccination Guidelines |
November/2001 |
A special task force formed by the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) will evaluate and recommend changes to the group's Guidelines for Vaccinating Horses. One of the Task Force's chief assignments is developing broad guidelines for the use of vaccinations as related to the age, breed, location, type, and activity level of the horse.
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| The Invincible Farrier Rig |
November/2001 |
Imagine having a farrier and vet examine your horse, take X rays, evaluate the film, and shoe your horse accordingly, all on-site and without waiting. Sound impossible? Harry Krippes, a farrier based in Lowell, Fla.
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| Unidentified Horse Disease In Hong Kong |
November/2001 |
From mid-April through the beginning of May, an unidentified disease affected racehorses and riding school horses in Hong Kong. Symptoms were very mild and included inappetence and fever (pyrexia). Horses usually regained their normal appetite and temperature within a day or two.
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| ICU Opens |
November/2001 |
Just in time for the foaling season, Hagyard-Davidson-McGee Associates opened its new intensive care unit. The clinic outgrew its old ICU several years ago, and many times staff had to section off areas of the barn aisle and bed them for neonatal patients.
Fairfield T.
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| Flu-Avert Patented; Bound For Canada |
November/2001 |
Heska received a patent for its equine intranasal influenza vaccine, Flu Avert I.N., on March 15, 2001. The unique vaccine is administered in one dose using a nasal applicator.
The modified live vaccine was introduced in November of 1999, and has since been proven safe and efficacious in protecting horses from common strains of influenza.
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| Special Report: The Year Of The Strangles |
November/2001 |
Horse owners have experienced an escalated fight with strangles in 2000-2001. Researchers have long observed that the highly contagious upper respiratory disease is more prevalent in some years than others. Historically, this happens about every seven years.
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| IN Strangles Vaccine Report |
November/2001 |
| While many practitioners and horse owners have used the Pinnacle IN intranasal strangles vaccine with no problems, there have been some reports of adverse reactions and complications. According to Tom Overbay, DVM, of Fort Dodge Animal Health, producers | |
