Further evidence that weaning is stressful for foals
There is strong evidence to show that weaning (artificially removing foals from their mothers) causes foals considerable stress. A variety of factors can affect just how stressful weaning is for foals, including their age and management factors (e.g., feeding, social...
Learn to Recognise the Early Signs of Laminitis
There is a lot still to learn about laminitis but, for the horse, extreme pain is the eventual result. The changes to the hoof capsule that happen after full-on laminitic event are well-known and easier to recognise. Lameness, in some cases severe and the angle...
Feeding for Coat Shine
Everyone wants to see their horses with a sleek, glowing coat and not only for aesthetic reasons, but also because the quality of a horse’s hair coat is directly related to his overall health. Providing the horse with plenty of roughage and a balanced diet along with...
Stifle Lameness
The stifle is the largest and most complex joint in the horse and, as such, it is an important cause of hindlimb lameness. Equivalent to the human knee, the stifle is controlled by some of the most powerful muscles in the horse’s hindquarters and is subject to...
The Role of Veterinary Specialists and Referral Equine Hospitals
Like specialists in human medicine, veterinary specialists have extensive experience and expertise in a relatively narrow aspect of veterinary medicine. As such, specialists in equine surgery or medicine are often able to provide services that might be beyond what is...
A Fly Went By… The Cutaneus Muscle Reflex in Horses
'A fly went by' is the title of a children’s book by Mike McClintock that I love to read. If you haven't, Google it! It is funny and it inspired me to write about this fascinating but often overlooked muscle group. We have all seen horses twitch their skin to get rid...
Racing Victoria’s ‘Medicare for Thoroughbreds’ Aims to Minimise Injury Risk
Racing Victoria (RV) has announced a new subsidy scheme for owners and trainers to offset the cost of advanced diagnostic imaging on Victorian thoroughbreds. The Diagnostic Imaging Subsidy Program is a proactive approach to injury prevention for thoroughbred...
Technology Solutions for Assessing Lameness Under Study
To better assess lameness in horses, researchers are using 3D motion capture technology. They want to quantify how a horse’s muscles and limb movements adjust to accommodate the lameness. The findings of their studies could provide a greater understanding of the...
The Impact of Birth Trauma on Horse Welfare and Performance
Help! My horse is girthy, crooked and has uneven front hooves… What can I do? This problematic trio is one of the most common reasons owners decide to seek some form of body therapy for their horse. After treating more than 10,000 horses and analysing related...
Novel Rotavirus Linked with Increased Foal Diarrhoea Cases in the USA
Researchers at the University of Kentucky’s Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center and the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory have made a preliminary identification of a novel Rotavirus associated with diarrhoea in very young foals. The discovery followed a significant...
Strengths and Weaknesses of a National Equine Database
French researchers investigate the strengths and weaknesses of a 45-year-old National Equine Database. Their findings can help all countries optimise the efficiency and management of horse traceability systems. A national equine database can help keep track of where...
Vaccination in Horses
The mantra that prevention is better than cure is recited so often these days that it is fast becoming a cliché. It is true though, and vaccination is probably the cardinal example of this. By priming your horse’s immune system before it is exposed to a disease, it...
Body Language a More Reliable Indicator of Mild Pain
General body language may be more reliable as an indicator of mild pain than the equine pain face. What if you could tell your horse were lame, even mildly, just by watching his behaviour at rest? According to Swedish researchers, it could be possible. At least in...
Tough Decisions and Community Support Key in Fighting EHV-1 Outbreak
The official death toll from the EHV-1 outbreak has risen to 17, with three more horses dying in Germany, two in Belgium, and one more horse dying in a Valencia equine hospital. The FEI is following through with their promise of full transparency and improved...
Equine Herpes Virus Outbreak: FEI World Cup Final Cancelled as Death Toll Rises
Equine herpesvirus outbreak spreads through Europe forcing cancellation of FEI World Cup Finals. An Equine Herpesvirus outbreak in the Spanish city of Valencia has locked down the equestrian sector and forced the cancellation of the FEI World Cup Finals. The first...
Hendra Vaccine Class Action Commences as New Strain Identified
The Class Action against Zoetis, the pharmaceutical company responsible for manufacturing and marketing the Hendra vaccine, has commenced in the Federal Court of Australia as researchers announce they have identified a new strain was the cause of a previously...
Conformation Fault or Compensation Pattern?
When you look at a horse, are you evaluating the bone structure, leg alignment, musculature, balance and body proportions; that is, are you judging the horse’s conformation? What if I told you that many of the so-called conformation faults are not inherited or fixed...
Horses and Floods
Horses and floods Floods are one of the most frequent natural disasters that horse owners have to deal with because many of the properties horses are kept in are floodplains. Despite this, it is easy to become complacent. This helpful information has been compiled by...
