Feeding Foals, Weanlings and Yearlings
Fewer topics in equine nutrition stir more controversy than feeding the growing horse. Many factors add to the confusion of providing nutrition throughout these critical stages of life. For example, growing horses may have different commercial end points. Some will be...
The ethics of genetically modifying horses
With science and technologies advancing at such a rapid rate, it is important that the horse industry remains aware of the repercussions, real and potential, of genetically modifying horses. Taken to an extreme, genetic engineering can be used to alter the appearance...
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...
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...
Hairy Caterpillars: A Foal’s Life Saved
Abortions and premature births can happen when pregnant mares are accidentally exposed to some types of hairy caterpillar. In this article, Equine Reproduction Specialist Dr John Chopin shares a case that could have ended in tragedy but resulted in a healthy foal...
Researchers Question Artificial Weaning
Weaning foals Six months old. That landmark age when your baby foal isn’t a baby anymore. Time to wean... As in, time to take him away from his dam, lock her up so she doesn’t injure anyone trying to get to her baby. And time to make him try to get past the anxiety of...
Are Female Racehorses Better than they Used to be?
Introduction by Cristina Wilkins A little over a year ago, the Australian racing industry was rocked by news that traces of banned anabolic steroids had been detected in products that are regularly administered to performance mares around the world. Despite being...
Breeding Thoroughbreds is far from natural in the race for a winner
Breeding Thoroughbreds. August 1 is considered the birthday of each and every Australian Thoroughbred racehorse and the official “horse birthday” in the southern hemisphere, no matter what date they were actually born. (The “horse birthday” date is January 1 for...
Embryo Transfer in Horses: A Research and Ethics Review
Is the equine science of embryo transfer ethical? The practice of equine embryo transfer is becoming more and more accessible to breeders as a way of obtaining offspring from mares who might be compromised through age, fertility problems or injury in their ability to...
Responsible Horse Breeding
Breeders large and small should be the first to assume the long-term responsibility for every foal produced. The first question to seriously consider is: Why do you want to breed a foal? This 12-point list helps to check if you are breeding responsibly. 1 Market: The...
Upper Respiratory Disease and Equine Herpes Virus
Upper respiratory infections are a significant problem across all equine industries and within the racing industry, in particular. Studies have demonstrated considerable economic losses resulting from subclinical disease (when horses don’t look obviously sick, but are...
Weaning Strategy: The Best Time May Be Never
Weaning strategy. Whilst some will argue over the best timing or weaning method, the question horse owners are asking is why wean at all? Is it really necessary to intervene in what is a normally occurring and natural process? And, what might happen if you didn’t...
Equine Embryo Transfer
Equine reproduction by embryo transfer allows a competitive mare to continue performing, achieving multiple foals from one mare in a season and can ensure valuable genetics are not lost if a mare can no longer carry a foal. In this article, Dr Gillian Rickard from the...
Feeding the Broodmare
Feeding the broodmare. The feeding program of the broodmare is an important management aspect. Feeding can affect the fertility, milk production, and the skeletal development and growth of the foal. Understanding the nutritional needs of the maiden/barren, pregnant...
