Nancy S. Loving, DVM
Nancy S. Loving, DVM, owns Loving Equine Clinic in Boulder, Colo., and has a special interest in managing the care of sport horses. Her recent book, All Horse Systems Go, is a comprehensive veterinary care and conditioning resource in full color that covers all facets of horse care (available at www.exclusivelyequine.com or by calling 800/582-5604). She has also authored the books Go the Distance as a resource for endurance horse owners, Conformation and Performance, and First Aid for Horse and Rider in addition to many veterinary articles for both horse owner and professional audiences.
Articles by Nancy Loving
Sepsis Treatment in Horses, AAEP 2009
January 26, 2010
Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in which the whole body is in an inflammatory state due to the presence of a known or suspect bacterial infection. The evolution and future of sepsis treatment in the horse was describe Read More
Changes in Equine Surgical and Postoperative Care, AAEP 2009
January 22, 2010
Just 20 years ago, overall equine survival of surgical colic hovered at 39-48% due to anesthetic complications and breakdown of surgical incisions. Recent overall survival rates range from 55-95%, dependent on timely intervention and clinician/ Read More
Prepurchase Exam of the Western Performance Horse, AAEP 2009
January 15, 2010
Tips on proper prepurchase examinations for horses in Western performance disciplines. The horse's physical condition, disposition/attitude, and soundness should be evaluated by your veterinarian before the sale. Read More
Prepurchase Exams: History, Important Considerations
January 12, 2010
For more than 150 years veterinarians have been performing prepurchase exams, also referred to as vetting, purchase exams, and soundness exams. The definition of "sound" in England in 1842 implied "an absence of disease" as a qualification for Read More
Equine Skeletal System
January 01, 2010
The horse's skeleton is a remarkable system of various bone types, capable of remodeling and adapting in response to exercise and training. The skeletal system is made of many interconnected tissues: bone, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. Read More
Therapy Equipment
December 01, 2009
Musculoskeletal injuries abound in horses, and there are many strategies to manage them besides confining a horse and waiting it out. Ask your veterinarian about therapeutic modalities/therapy equipment that can help your horse get back to full work. Read More
Cautions When Administering Medications
November 01, 2009
Likely lingering in our equine first aid kit, barn and tack room cabinets, or in the horse Read More
Tail Rubbing in Horses
November 01, 2009
Owners go to great lengths to keep their horses' tails pristine. So, when a horse rubs his tail into a frayed or hairless mess, there is motivation to get to the bottom of the problem as quickly as possible. Read More
TheHorse.com en Español: AAEP 2008 Causas de Laminitis
October 07, 2009
This is one of a series of articles translated as part of our partnership with A Caballo, an equine publication based in Mexico, and Jorge Murga, DVM. Keep an Read More
Trailering Anxiety or Heat?
October 01, 2009
My 24-year-old Arab gelding recently came off the trailer very sweaty and with tremors in his muscles... Read More
The Latest on Pain Relief
September 01, 2009
Short-circuiting an injured or ill horse's pain response can not only help him be happier now, it can improve Read More
Headshaking Triggers and Treatment
August 01, 2009
The amazing thing about horses is how such large, powerful animals can be exquisitely aware of the slightest Read More
Medication Threshold Review, AAEP 2008
June 23, 2009
At the 2008 American Association of Equine Practitioners convention, Keith Soring, DVM, presented material regarding withdrawal times and therapeutic thresholds of medications in horses. A threshold is a defined concentration of a "regulatory analyte Read More
Tack and Equipment: Gearing Up
June 01, 2009
One wonderful aspect of being a horse owner or enthusiast is the variety of available tack and equipment--generally innovative, cool stuff--to use under saddle or in the stable. Exciting innovations in recent years have lent safety, comfort Read More
Managing Acute and Chronic Laminitis, AAEP 2008
May 14, 2009
Belknap remarked on the latest research showing that laminitis is an intense inflammatory injury of the foot and is no longer believed to be solely a blood flow problem. Read More
Anabolic Steroid Testing in a Racing Environment
May 03, 2009
While steroid enhancement of performance is debatable, the public has the perception that it might affect performance in horses. In evidence-based analysis on purported effects of anabolic steroids, there are no documented studies that correspond to Read More
Racetrack Emergencies (AAEP 2008)
May 01, 2009
Preparation includes understanding the nature of racing emergencies along with an assessment on how to maximize available resources. Venue-specific concerns should be identified, as every situation is unique, and Scollay-Ward urged on-track veterina Read More
Racehorse Exercise Predicts Bone Strength (AAEP 2008)
April 05, 2009
Nearly 20% of fatal musculoskeletal injuries in Thoroughbred atheletes are due to complete humeral (forearm bone) fractures, which often occur early in training or following an prolonged layup. Read More
Causes of Laminitis (AAEP 2008)
April 01, 2009
Progression of obesity and insulin resistance exacerbates laminitis risk. As a horse gets fatter, insulin sensitivity decreases. Insulin resistance worsens with chronic obesity, making a horse more susceptible to laminitis and less tolerant Read More
Sacroiliac Joint Motion and Pelvic Deformation, AAEP 2008
March 29, 2009
An equine athlete uses the pelvis and sacroiliac (SI) joint in many different fashions: A rope horse uses the pelvis to rapidly accelerate and decelerate, a Standardbred races at high speed at a constrained gait, and a dressage horse Read More
Equine Oral Joint Health Supplements (AAEP 2008)
March 28, 2009
Although horse owners continue to administer oral joint health supplements (OJHS), a substantial proportion of these products are substandard in quality, efficacy, and safety, according to a presentation given at the 2008 AAEP Read More
Veterinary Care at Rodeos (AAEP 2008)
March 26, 2009
Not many injuries occur in rodeo, but PRCA requires that a veterinarian is on-site, both during the approved rodeo events as well as during "slack" competition held before or after a scheduled performance. Read More
Knee Arthritis Treatments Examined (AAEP 2008)
March 24, 2009
The objective of joint therapy is to decrease pain using an osteoarthritic drug that modifies clinical signs and to minimize further deterioration with a disease-modifying osteoarthritic drug. Read More
Emergency Services at Steeplechase and Cross-Country Events (AAEP 2008)
March 22, 2009
Due to the nature of the course terrain, it is best to have a four-wheel drive horse ambulance (and backup) with a long ramp for efficient loading. Cooling fans are desirable, and the ambulance should have curtains to form a screen around an injured Read More
Endoscopy During Exercise Without a Treadmill, AAEP 2008
March 20, 2009
Dynamic obstructions of the equine respiratory tract are often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed with resting endoscopy. So veterinarians usually perform endoscopy on exercising horses using treadmills, in order to try to reproduce the exercise Read More
