Equine Health

In a study related to the benefits of soaking hay for horses with laminitis, COPD or heaves, hyperkalemic periodic paralysis, and polysaccaride storage myopathy, researchers at the University of Minnesota set out to determine the impact of water temperature and soaking duration on removal of non soluble carbohydrates (NSC), crude protein (CP), minerals, and dry matter (DM) from alfalfa and orch

PepsiCo has canceled its sponsorship of the annual Tennessee Walking Horse championship, the Celebration after an ABC News investigation revealing extreme animal cruelty involving Tennessee Walking horses.

Recent studies in England have addressed problems related to horse health and the feeding of hay. Many veterinarians recommend soaking hay fed to horses that are prone to laminitis. In addition, studies have been done to research the benefits of steaming hay to rid it of bacteria, fungi and yeast to improve the hygienic quality of the hay especially when it is fed to performance horses.

The University of Liverpool is offering a funded three-year PhD program for a veterinary graduate or other candidate with a background in bioveterinary science to study how human behavior affects equine health and welfare. Until now, most veterinary research has focused on pathological and environmental aspects of equine health and disease.

Saying that BLM's attempt to exclude expert declarations of "material scientific evidence" from the agency's decision-making process in planning to castrate stallions in eastern Nevada,  US District Judge Howell ruled that the agency "may not simply remain studiously ignorant of material scientific evidence well know to the agency and brought directly to it

Most horse riders and trainers are aware that sweaty horses become the norm during strenuous workouts as summer weather approaches and the temperature increases. Riders need to be aware that some sweating is normal and healthy, but when the sweat becomes a lather of white foam, the horse's body is in the danger zone. 

Insect bite hypersensitivity or IBH, also known as sweet itch, makes the summer months miserable for many horses, ponies, and donkeys. Research is continuing into understanding why only some horses are affected by IBH and designing vaccines that might be used to block the immune response in affected animals.

The use of mesenchymal stem cells has been reported as a treatment for a number of disease processes in both humans and animals. The peer reviewed literature contains a substantial number of scientific studies performed in the laboratory, but there are few clinical reports showing improved outcomes following stem cell treatment, especially in horses.

Spring brings foaling time, and horse owners need to be aware of how a healthy foal looks, and acts. Once born, foals follow a pattern of development that gives clues to their relative health and well-being. According to veterinarians, a foal should stand within 30-60 minutes after birthing and should be nursing by 2 hours of age.

Research by equine specialists at the University of Illinois shows that what horse owners often think is sunburn, is actually dermatitis due to photosensitization which is caused by toxins from plants leading to sun-mediated skin damage as the plant toxins circulate through capillaries in sensitive light-skinned areas on the horse such as around the eyes, nose, mouth and other areas with shite