Think Blue Tongues may be Harmless in Elite Sport Horses? Think Again.
Unlike most reports quoting only veterinarians, this analysis comes from Dr James Cooling—a medical doctor, qualified bit-fitter, and rider. He explains why blue tongues in elite horses are not cosmetic, but clear evidence of pressure, pain, and compromised welfare.
The Mouth-Iron-Free Solution for Sudden Death in the Racehorse
In this final paper, the late Dr Robert Cook reviews decades of anatomical, physiological, and behavioural research showing how bits cause pain, breathing restriction, and performance loss in horses. He argues that allowing bit-free options across all disciplines would improve welfare, enhance safety, and restore public trust in equestrian sport.
Illustrating Two Approaches to Equine Sports Welfare Research
Not all opinions are equal, and not all research holds water. A simple saying helps illustrate why that matters. There is an Indian saying that captures the situation where someone with many foibles criticises someone with very few: “That is like the sieve telling the...
Bit Blindness and Questioning the Concept of Pain-induced Musculoskeletal Lameness
Bit Blindness The term “bit blindness”, coined in 2020, emphasises that after its inception four millennia ago, bit use in horses has long been normalised [1,2]. Moreover, not only has the use of bits been normalised, so too were the distinctive behaviours associated...
Critique of the film Horses and the Science of Harmony
A critique of the Horses and the Science of Harmony film by Emeritus Professor Robert Cook, FRCVS, PhD. “Horses and the Science of Harmony” is, as stated in its introduction, a “Full length feature film, seen through the lens of cutting-edge science and groundbreaking...
Racing Horses on Forage-only
Forage is the preferred and ideal diet for most classes of horses, but can it meet the needs of the performance horse with high energy & nutrient demands? To help us in our quest, we spoke to Dr Brian Nielsen, a licenced racehorse trainer and Professor of Equine...
Exclusive Interview with Thoroughbred Geneticist, Dr Emmeline Hill
Dr. Emmeline Hill is an Irish equine geneticist and horsewoman who has dedicated her career to understanding the genetics behind thoroughbreds. An early fascination with genetics led her to study human genetics and cattle genetics during her PhD. However, time and...
Study identifies genes linked to successful galloping performance in horses
A new DNA study has identified a set of genes linked to successful galloping performance in horses selectively bred for racing. Horses have been selected for athletic characteristics for thousands of years. Traits that first evolved in the wild when horses needed to...
Has Thoroughbred inbreeding reached breaking point?
From winning it in 1964 to being in the pedigree of all 20 runners in the Kentucky Derby fifty years later, Northern Dancer’s impact on the thoroughbred breed continues to grow. And while this ‘sire of sires’ sprinting legacy has been long celebrated, the recent news...
The biometric data that could predict racehorse injury
By Dr Adelene Wong, Dr Ashleigh Morrice-West, Dr Peta Hitchens and Professor Chris WhittonThis article was first published on Pursuit under a CC licence. Read the original article. Imagine having the knowledge to prevent a catastrophic event from occurring ahead of...
Is Bigger Really Better?
When it comes to research studies, most people are impressed by big numbers. But how do you define ‘big’? Against what? Weldome to Part 2 of the Science Critique 101 Series. In the first part of this Science Critique 101 series, I highlighted the need to be critical...
New Research Promises to Predict if Endurance Horses are Ready to Compete
In many ways, an endurance race is a test of how much physical challenge an athlete can endure. When it comes to equine athletes, though, there’s the complicating factor of ensuring we’re not asking too much of an animal—especially one who didn’t choose to...
Study of bacteria in ponies’ guts sheds light on ageing and obesity
The complex community of tiny living cells (microbes) living in the horse’s gut may provide valuable information about ageing and obesity, a new study has revealed. Initial findings have suggested that obesity in ponies may have a greater effect on gut microbes than...
Perceptions of Sport Horse Welfare Issues: New Study
There are growing concerns about the welfare of horses from within and outside sport and these concerns are threatening horse sports' social license to operate. In early 2021, the Animal Welfare Research Network (AWRN) and National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC) ran an...
First-ever Equine Speedometer and Tracking System for Horses
Ever wished your horse had a speedometer? Good news! That technology may be just around the corner. By training a software program to adjust data from inertial measurement units (IMUs) to horse-specific movements, Dutch and Swiss researchers have just created the...
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...
Predicting Catastrophic Racehorse Injuries a Step Closer
Predicting catastrophic racehorse injuries After a string of deadly accidents on horserace tracks in recent years, science has aimed at finding ways to recognize which horses are most at risk of sustaining a fatal fracture. And the work is paying off. According to a...
Here’s How to Make Eventing Safer
“There are known knowns, known unknowns and unknown unknowns” is a phrase US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld used in a news briefing in February 2002 when speaking about the lack of evidence linking the government of Iraq with the supply of ‘weapons of mass...
Australia’s Risk of African Horse Sickness Outbreak Explained
An African Horse Sickness outbreak has ferociously killed hundreds of Thai horses in less than three weeks. How at risk is Australia? In some languages, it’s called “The Equine Plague.” And given its rapid transmission, fierce symptoms, and haunting mortality rates,...
Mounting and Dismounting Causes Stress in Therapy Horses
Therapy horses. It can be a tough, but noble job. The equine assisted therapy horse might experience stress during his work—but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be doing the work, according to Canadian scientists. Still, a few tweaks in therapy programs—in particular in...
Horses Get Asthma Too!
We all know that asthma is a common respiratory disorder in people but, did you know that horses get asthma too? “Equine asthma” is a broad term that has recently been used to describe a spectrum of non-infectious respiratory diseases in horses, previously known...
The Ripple of her Legacy: A Story of Sox who Suffered From C6/C7 Malformation
C6/C7 Malformation This is my story of Sox. Sox came to me as a very sweet, very talented, yet very immature rising four-year-old in October 2014. I was excited about her bright future but I was prepared to give her time. I am very much against rushing the training of...
Evidence of cross-grazing benefits
Cross grazing benefits. The practice of cross or mixed grazing is often suggested as a useful strategy to manage intestinal parasite infestation, but until recently, evidence of its efficacy was limited. A French team has provided the first evidence of the benefits of...
Early Playtime Builds a Foal’s Bones – For Life
Playtime Builds a Foal's Bones A playful foal hops, leaps, rears, attacks, threatens to bite and kick, and flees imaginary predators. But his behavior isn’t just a cute and charming show for his breeders (or seemingly a nuisance for his dam who gets caught in his line...
Stress Can Be Seen in The Horse’s Eyelid Blinks and Twitches
Eyelid twitches and blinks. A horse will blink less and twitch its eyelids more when it's under mild stress, the research team found -- a new finding that could offer handlers a simple, easy-to-spot sign their animal is becoming agitated. The study, published in the...
Best Horse Practices Conference Promises Educational Opportunities
Equine Guelph will be attending the third annual Best Horse Practices Summit at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Maine, United States, October 19 – 20, 2019. “We are looking forward to attending this evidence-based conference and networking with industry...
Research Into Arena and Racetrack Surfaces
Arena and Racetrack Surfaces: Two research projects that contribute new knowledge into the interaction between the equine hoof and the ground were presented at the 15th International Equitation Science Conference, hosted by the University of Guelph. The findings are...
Diagnosing Mild Equine Asthma
Diagnosing Mild Equine Asthma. Veterinarians and engineers at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine have developed a tool help diagnose mild forms of horse asthma. Behind lameness, respiratory issues are the second-leading cause of poor performance in...
Life-Saving Standardbreds
Standardbreds are saving lives. If your dream foal survives after receiving life saving plasma therapy you may thank a Standardbred. Plasma therapy is an effective way to supplement the immune response system and Standardbreds are the plasma donors of choice for many...
Your Spooky Horse Explained: The Limbic Motor System
Spooky horse? Improving your understanding of the inbuilt instinct for survival in the horse - how it is triggered and what it looks like - will improve your training methods, reduce the instances of injury to both, you and other people around the fearful horse and...
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...
Science answers: Do whips hurt horses?
The racing industry insist that padded whips don't hurt horses. But two humans who volunteered to be struck by a padded whip on camera said it hurts bad - so, is there any anatomical reason to believe that horses don't feel pain in the same way we do? As part of an...
