Recent News for Breed-Specific Health Issues
Article
Venereal Disease in Horses
October 10, 2001
Venereal diseases are those that can be sexually transmitted. "Vener" is the Latin term for sexual intercourse and, hence, the origin of the term "venereal." The outcome of sexually transmitted diseases in horses can vary... Read More
Article
Dual Hemisphere Breeding
October 03, 2001
Thoroughbred breeding stallions truly have joined the jet set. These four-legged Romeos are flying from one part of the world to another these days as they perform breeding duties on both sides of the equator. Hundreds of... Read More
Article
Big Appetites In Big Horses (Drafts)
September 13, 2001
Nothing says sheer power like a draft horse. Nothing else exudes such strength with such a mild-mannered attitude. To watch these gentle giants in action is to get a sense of our own history and the invaluable role horses played, and continue to... Read More
Article
British Study Looks At Training and Injury
August 01, 2001
Racehorse owners might one day be able to handicap a horse's risk of injury. A new study in its early stages at the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in the United Kingdom is monitoring a group of two-year-olds with the intention of using the data... Read More
Article
Deadly Spring Syndromes
July 01, 2001
Good news travels fast in the horse business; bad news travels even faster. In the case of an outbreak of mysterious early fetal loss and late-gestation foal loss, cooperation and quick sharing of information served to help researchers... Read More
Article
Lasix Has A New Name
June 08, 2001
The name has changed, but the drug has not. Lasix is now SALIX in the veterinary industry. When Intervet acquired Hoechst Roussel Vet in November 1999, Intervet agreed that Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Hoechst AG) would retain Lasix as the... Read More
Article
Sales Prepping Yearlings
May 01, 2001
As spring moves into summer, the primary focus of activity on many breeding farms is preparation of yearlings for sale. There isn't much scientific research on exercising horses at that young age, yet many farms are using forced exercise to make... Read More
Article
Can You Breed for Speed or Stamina?
March 01, 2001
For centuries, horsemen have tried to breed for speed and endurance and found that the greatest genetic potential can yield disappointment as easily as reward. Consider the indomitable Secretariat, who sired a string of mostly unremarkable... Read More
Article
Yearling Radiographic Studies
February 01, 2001
Radiographs of a yearling’s legs offer a unique glance into the horse’s athletic future, according to Albert Kane, DVM, MPVM, PhD, Post-Doctoral Fellow in Biomedical Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Colorado State University... Read More
Article
Young Horses in Training and Injury Risks
January 01, 2001
Everyone involved in the racing industry knows that one of the major problems in training horses is keeping them free from injury. Bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments are placed under considerable strain during training and racing,... Read More
Article
Reproductive Problems in the Draft Horse
January 01, 2001
Draft mares usually make excellent mothers, providing a large amount of milk and rarely rejecting a foal. Because of these traits, draft mares make good nurse mares; some mares can even support and feed two foals. Also, the tendency for multiple... Read More
Article
Endoscopic Exams Indicate Racing Potential
January 01, 2001
Recent research indicates that endoscopic examination of yearlings can help determine their eventual racing success. However, researchers also showed that certain abnormalities previously considered to be indicators of poor performance were not... Read More
Article
Mule Makes Mark as an Athlete
January 01, 2001
Arco Rudy, a cross between a Quarter Horse mare and a Mammoth jack, recently won the "Best Condition Award" at the American Endurance Ride Conference's National Finals in the 50-mile division. The finals were held Oct. 15, 2001, in Salt Lick, Ky... Read More
Article
Wind Soundness Exam Studies
October 01, 2000
Thoroughbred yearlings sold at public auction here and abroad often are subject to endoscopic examination of their upper respiratory tracts. Veterinarians and potential buyers are looking for evidence of deformities that could affect the ability... Read More
Article
The Breaking Point--Catastrophic Injuries
October 01, 2000
Catastrophic injuries, involving the fracture of a bone, take a heavy toll on racehorses in training and in competition. Research through the years has given the veterinary surgeon additional tools and knowledge to deal with these... Read More
Article
What Causes Poor Exercise Performance?
September 01, 2000
A huge amount of time, effort, and money often are invested in the preparation of horses for various athletic events, including Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing, three-day eventing, steeplechasing, dressage, hunter-jumper events, reining,... Read More
Article
Tendon Injuries: Treatments and Prevention
September 01, 2000
Tendon injuries quickly can end a performance horse's career. There are no definitive statistics concerning how many horses in the world suffer from tendon injuries of some sort, but the number is considerable. The most common injury is the one... Read More
Article
Alternatives for Selling Untested Equids
April 01, 2000
In fall l999, House Bill 1732 of the 76th Texas Legislature went into effect, requiring equids, including horses, donkeys, mules, and asses to be tested for Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) within 12 months prior to undergoing a change of... Read More
Article
Feeding Racehorses
August 01, 1999
On several occasions in the past year or two, we’ve discussed in this series the intricacies of feeding young horses for optimum growth. We’ve also walked you through the pertinent points of fueling the high-performance equine athlete, for... Read More
Article
Bone Formation With Exercise
June 01, 1999
Strong bones are essential if a horse is to perform successfully and still remain sound. Bones that are weakened by disease, injury, or inappropriate training regimens can result in catastrophic injury, as anyone involved with racing well knows.... Read More
Article
Thoroughbred Thermography Trials
February 01, 1999
A three-month study of Thoroughbred horses in training at two racetracks has proven the benefit of thermography in competitive horses, said Tracy Turner, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVS, of the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. His... Read More
Article
Health Concerns of Mules and Donkeys
November 01, 1998
Mules and donkeys are a lot like horses, to be sure, but in many ways, including some health concerns, they are most definitely different. First, we should have a basic understanding about what constitutes these unique four-footed creatures.... Read More
Article
Out On A Limb: Young Burro Receives Artificial Leg At Colorado State
October 16, 1998
A five-month-old burro named Primrose got a leg up on life in the form of a prosthetic hind limb at Colorado State University recently, and her owner, a professional storyteller, put a happy ending on a sad tale.... 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
Texas Horses Cooler Than Humans In Sweltering Heat At Racetracks
July 24, 1998
The United States is experiencing a record-setting summer, with temperatures in the Southwest topping the 100-degree mark day after day. The suspects among the causes of this heat streak range from global warming to La Niña,... Read More
