Christy M. West
Christy West has a BS in Equine Science from the University of Kentucky, and an MS in Agricultural Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Articles by Christy West
Medication in Racing and Performance Horses
February 15, 2009
Medication issues in equine competitions might have reached their highest level of public focus in 2008 due to high-profile situations such as Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown's steroid regimen and the disqualification of several Olympic horses for Read More
AAEP 2008: Olympic Veterinary Care
February 10, 2009
What's it like to be an equine veterinarian behind the scenes at the Olympic Games? Horse owners got to hear about the experience at the Healthy Horses Workshop of the 2008 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention (held Dec. 6-10 Read More
MRSA More Common in Horse People
February 05, 2009
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacterial infections have become hot news lately, especially among horse people. This topic likely won't die down soon because recent research shows that MRSA is up to 10 times more common in equine Read More
Paraplegic Foal Update: Lucky as a Long Yearling
August 22, 2008
Last year we brought you the unique story of Lucky, a Quarter Horse foal rendered paraplegic at about two weeks of age by an abscess pressing on his spinal cord. Veterinarians at North Carolina State University devised a special treatment for hi Read More
Tail Blocking Gone Wrong
July 18, 2008
No one likes a rebellious horse, particularly in the show ring, and excessive tail swishing or wringing is often penalized by judges as a sign of resistance. To avoid this penalty, or simply to ensure low tail carriage, trainers and exhibitors Read More
Big Brown Quarter Crack 'Not a Setback'
May 29, 2008
Anyone following Triple Crown races this year knows there's a lot of controversy about the soundness of Kentucky Derby/Preakness winner Big Brown's feet. But despite a third hoof problem in his short career--a quarter crack that showed up in his Read More
Big Brown's Feet Not So Bad, Farriers Say
May 16, 2008
(PHOTOS/VIDEO) Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown clearly owns some of the Thoroughbred industry's fastest feet. But many question their soundness, fueled by reports of layoffs, quarter cracks, and special shoes. His current farriers Tom Curl and Ian Read More
Fiber in Hay: What's the Magic Number?
May 01, 2008
Horses evolved to eat a lot of fiber, spending up to 17 hours a day grazing various forage plants. But not all fiber is created equal, especially when it comes to hay.
Hay carries a few challenges compared to living forages. One, compared t Read More
Repairing Hernias with Subcutaneous Mesh
April 29, 2008
Incisional hernias (protrusion of abdominal contents through a gap in an incision beneath the skin) occur in up to 17% of horses receiving abdominal surgery, reported Gal Kelmer, DVM, MS, clinical assistant professor at the University of Read More
MRI for Diagnosing Sesamoidean Ligament Desmitis
April 28, 2008
The high degree of detail seen with MRI has made it possible for veterinarians to find equine injuries they've never seen before. One example of this--MRI evaluation of desmitis in the oblique and straight distal sesamoidean ligaments--was discussed. Read More
Review of Available MRI Systems
April 26, 2008
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a very powerful tool for imaging limbs and even heads of horses to detect injuries and other problems. However, not all MRI units are created equal; differences in field strength affect their price tags and Read More
Bioabsorbable Cisplatin Beads for Skin Cancers
April 24, 2008
Skin cancers are seen in horses, and many methods and technologies have been used to treat them. One of the more recent strategies is intralesional chemotherapy, or placing a chemotherapeutic agent directly in the tumor to kill the abnormal cells. Read More
Wooden Shoes for Chronic Laminitis
April 23, 2008
The chronically laminitic horse is often a very tough case to manage because displacement of the coffin bone within the foot leads to a lot of pain and damage, in addition to the damage that allowed the displacement in the first place. Read More
How to Apply a Half-Limb Cast and Elevated Support Limb Shoe
April 22, 2008
There are many situations when casting a horse's lower limb can be beneficial, such as when he has a fracture of a pastern bone, a tendon or ligament injury, or a wound that won't heal because of excess movement. At the 2007 American Association of Read More
Diagnosing Upper Cannon Area Injuries
April 21, 2008
Pain originating in the upper cannon bone area, just below the knee or hock, is common in all types of equine athletes. However, it can be difficult to determine exactly what structure is injured; some injuries can only be seen with high-field MRI. Read More
How Important Is That Airway Exam Grade?
April 17, 2008
The airways of many breeds of horses, particularly Thoroughbreds, are evaluated via an endoscope and graded before sale. The intent is to identify horses whose airways might have problems that could limit the horses' performance at maximal Read More
ACell Tendonitis Treatment Study
April 16, 2008
"Tendonitis of the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) is a common injury in horses, especially racehorses and event horses," began Ty Wallis, DVM, a third-year resident in equine surgery at Colorado State University (CSU). "It's usually Read More
Sacroiliac Injection Technique
April 15, 2008
The sacroiliac joint, which forms the articulation between the pelvis and the spine, is often considered a location of elusive pain in horses. However, its deep location and, thereby, limited accessibility make diagnosis (via nerve blocks) and Read More
Making, Placing, and Removing Transphyseal Staples
April 14, 2008
Many methods have been used to straighten crooked limbs on foals, and in the past staples placed across the "long" side's growth plate have received somewhat mixed reviews. However, some researchers suggest that this was due to poor staple choic Read More
Investigating Horse Poisoning
April 13, 2008
When an owner suspects that a horse might have eaten something poisonous, the veterinarian is generally the first person he or she calls. In addition to treating any health problems, that veterinarian is uniquely suited to investigate the cause Read More
Hyaluronic Acid vs. Triamcinolone Acetate for Osteoarthritis
April 11, 2008
Osteoarthritis has a major impact on pain and athleticism of horses, and many medications are used to combat it. At the 2007 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 1-5 in Orlando, Fla., an in vitro study comparing Read More
Specificity of Digital Flexor Tendon Sheath Nerve Blocks
April 10, 2008
Diagnosing lameness in horses has often been termed an art and a science, in part because the use and interpretation of nerve blocks to isolate sources of pain is more art than exact science. In recent years, several blocks have been found to Read More
Risk Factors for Gastric Ulcers in Thoroughbreds
April 09, 2008
Up to 86% of Australian Thoroughbred racehorses have been reported to have gastric ulcers. Many factors can contribute to ulcers, and researchers at Murdoch University set out to determine which ones were the most significant for this population Read More
High-Tech Fetlock Joint Fragment Removal
April 08, 2008
VIDEO | Joint chips plague many high-performance horses--up to 29% of Standardbred yearlings and 2% of Thoroughbred yearlings. Often the chips must be removed, Read More
Alternate Catheter Site
April 07, 2008
Catheters placed in the jugular vein are commonly used to medicate or give fluids to horses in equine hospitals. One potential complication of catheters is thrombophlebitis, or blood vessel wall inflammation resulting in clot formation. When thi Read More
