Recent News for Anatomy & Physiology
Article
Testicular Descent
April 01, 1999
A discussion of cryptorchidism in young stallions is fraught with controversy. Everyone agrees on what constitutes cryptorchidism, but that sometimes is as far as agreement goes. We know that the condition involves the retention of one or both... Read More
Article
Colostrum For Foals
March 01, 1999
Now that foaling season is here, equine veterinarians who routinely treat and care for foals will be thinking about colostrum--who has it, who needs it, and where they can get it. You might wonder if colostrum actually is that important. To a newborn... Read More
Article
Pasture Paranoia: Laminitis Prevention
February 01, 1999
Lush pasture is the arch enemy of horses susceptible to laminitis and founder. Yet few horse owners can resist the kindness of turning horses out in green meadows, and do so with the best intentions. Horses most at risk include ponies and overweight... Read More
Article
AAEP Convention 1998 Wrap-Up
February 01, 1999
Wonder where your veterinarian was the first week in December? If he or she is at the top of the game as an equine practitioner, you probably could find him or her enjoying the weather in Baltimore, Md., site of the 44th American Association of... Read More
Article
Fetal Development and Foal Growth
January 01, 1999
Foals born to mares which do not receive proper nourishment during gestation could be born weak and be susceptible to more health problems than the foal born of a well-fed mare. ... Read More
Article
Regulating Estrus in Mares
December 01, 1998
When a mare is left to her own devices reproductively, she will fall into a rhythm with Nature. When the days are short, dark, and cold, her reproductive system will shut down. When the longer, warmer days of spring arrive, her reproductive system ... Read More
Article
Hoof Wall and White Line Disease
November 01, 1998
The more you read about white line disease, and the more you talk to farriers and veterinarians about it, the more you think there might be some wisdom to those who shrug and say, "White line disease? Never see it. Not in any of my clients' horses." ... Read More
Article
Feeding the High-Octane Horse
August 01, 1998
But because forages are not high-energy feeds, the athletic horse's diet needs to be supplemented in order to provide enough energy for him to perform at peak capacity. Traditionally, this is done by feeding grains, which are rich in carbohydrates... Read More
Article
Determining Conditioning
July 01, 1998
Among the animals we call "livestock," horses are unique because they are the only ones we regard as athletes. Unlike other animals that are bred for better milk production or tastier flesh, horses are bred for athletic performance, each type... Read More
Article
Understanding Hoof Cracks
June 01, 1998
Hoof cracks can be as simple as something that merely irritates the observer from an aesthetic point of view to something so serious that the horse is dead lame and unable to perform. Hoof cracks come in a variety of types and sizes, and they... Read More
Article
Equine Back Problems
May 01, 1998
Equine back problems are common, particularly in performance horses. The conditions involved can be primary or can result from lameness, ill-fitting tack, or even inadequate schooling. It is noteworthy that the most common reaso... Read More
Article
Navicular Bursography
March 01, 1998
Navicular disease once was called 'the last resort of the diagnostically destitute (practitioner),' based on the syndrome's ambiguous symptoms and the practitioner's inability to isolate definitely the source of the horse'... Read More
Article
The Sub-Fertile Stallion
March 01, 1998
When we consider that foaling rates overall range somewhere in the neighborhood of 55-60% it becomes instantly obvious that simply covering a mare and getting a foal are not a sure thing. The problem is not always with the mare. ... Read More
Article
Sub-Fertile Mares
February 01, 1998
A broodmare which fails to conceive or carry a foal to term can be an emotional and financial liability. For the backyard breeder, the liability might be primarily emotional, when that special mare you wanted to produce your next trail horse or... Read More
Article
Estrous Cycle Primer
January 01, 1998
For all things there is a time and a season. Nowhere is this more true than in equine reproduction. Nature has established a definite time and season for mares to conceive and bear foals. It is a very sensible approach on the part of... Read More
Article
The Power of Protein
November 01, 1997
Of all the components of your horse's diet, protein is probably the most misunderstood. Long assumed to be an energy source, protein actually has quite a different function--it provides amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of bones,... Read More
Article
Bone Cysts
November 01, 1997
The first thing to address in this story is that most "bone cysts" are not typically "cysts," by strict definition. The medical dictionary definition of a "cyst" is, "a structure lined with epithelium (a special cell type) and... Read More
Article
Electrolytes and Endurance Horses
November 01, 1997
Not all horses are alike in their needs for electrolyte replacement after strenuous exertion. Some deplete the... Read More
Article
Tendon Injuries Part 3: Suspensory Desmitis
September 01, 1997
Although the suspensory is considered a ligament, it is appropriate to discuss this structure in our tendon series since technically it is a vestigial ("existing as a rudimentary structure") tendon. To review the anatomy, the suspensory... Read More
Article
When the Bone Breaks
September 01, 1997
They shoot horses, don't they? We all know about the rather depressing traditional "cure" for a horse with a broken leg. But there's good news--they "shoot" them a lot less often these days. The reason is that remarkable advances in equine... Read More
Article
Equine Tendon Lacerations: Part 2
August 01, 1997
Electric fence wire, barbed wire, sheet metal...What do these things have in common? They all have caused catastrophic tendon injuries in horses. The structure and function of tendons, as well as flexor tendon desmitis, were reviewed in the... Read More
Article
Feeding Fat for Energy and Performance
July 01, 1997
If there wasa nutritional buzzword that was started in the '90s, it was fat. We fitness-conscious (and frequently overweight) North Americans still might not fully understand the differences between "good" cholesterol and "bad" cholesterol... Read More
Article
Focus: Physitis
April 01, 1997
Developmental orthopedic disease (DOD) remains one of the top concerns of breeders worldwide. Not one condition, but rather a series of related syndromes, DOD encompasses anything that contributes to poor skeletal development in foals: angular... Read More
Article
Proximal Sesamoid Bones
April 01, 1997
This information will help you as a breeder, owner, or trainer understand better the area of the sesamoids, how they can be injured, and how they can be treated.... Read More
Article
Arthritis: When Bones Collide
March 01, 1997
Osteoarthritis probably accounts for the end of more equine performance careers than any other single cause. And until recently, it was considered an irreversible process. ... Read More
