Daily hoof checks are the cornerstone of wintertime hoof care. Mud, snow, ice and substrate materials combine to make it difficult for horses to walk, often leading to shoe loss. Craig Lesser, DVM, CF, shares a variety of issues horse owners may encounter if routine hoof care is ignored. Source: The Paulick Report, February 18, 2025. Link. INSIGHTS: This is a good … [Read more...]
Tips to lower winter colic risk for horses
A cold snap, a few inches of snow, or holiday events coupled with family activities can cause delays in winter horse care transitions. Hannah Lochner shares tips to help horse owners reduce the risk of colic as winter advances. While horse owners may already know what they should do, posting this article on social media or linking it in newsletters might help avoid a cold farm … [Read more...]
Can fecal microbiota transplantation help treat diarrhea in foals?
Fecal microbiota transplantation is a medical procedure that transfers healthy bacteria from a donor's stool into a patient's colon. In adult horses, FMT has been shown to improve intestinal diversity. Australian researchers explored the effects of treating diarrhea in foals using FMT and found it to be safe for foals. Source: The Paulick Report, November 11, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
Alternatives to baled hay for horse owners
When hay is in short supply, there are alternative forages, writes Marcia Hathaway, DVM. She shares information about different choices and guidance for transitioning animals to new sources slowly. Consider sharing the article on social media or in newsletters. Source: The Paulick Report, November 3, 2024. Link. When feeding alternative forages with smaller particle sizes, … [Read more...]
Research: Cushing’s treatment improves quality of life, but does not prolong life
Research by Hal Schott, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, provides evidence that long-term treatment of PPID with pergolide, an oral medication, over a period of five years or greater produced clinical improvement in nearly all affected horses. His study examined 15 PPID positive horses over 9.5 years, with seven of those receiving a dosage increase from years 1.7 to 4.7. His research showed … [Read more...]
Allogrooming serves an important function in horses
It’s believed that grooming areas on the body that they can’t reach establishes and maintains social relationships, and may also foster trust and cooperation in horses. It also helps remove sweat, dirt, mud, lice, fleas and ticks and distributes natural oils throughout the coat. Sources: More than scratching an itch, The Paulick Report, October 4, 2024. Link. A … [Read more...]
Larval therapy decreases layup time for coffin bone infection
A post from the Rood & Riddle Equine Podiatry unit is shared in the article here. The case described shares a thoroughbred with a recurrent abscess. Instead of debriding the infection and starting the horse on regional perfusions and systemic antibiotics, the doctors used larval therapy to debride the diseased tissue. The larval therapy technique involved a shorter layup … [Read more...]
“Social license to operate” topic drives equine gathering agenda
Public scrutiny of equine welfare is increasing despite humans having a relationship with horses for centuries. Horse owners, trainers, breeders, and riders must show the public that they are mindful of their horses' physical and mental well-being. To continue to enjoy horses, the equine industry must understand that issues cross all breed and discipline boundaries. Though the … [Read more...]
Busting biofilm on tissues
Natalie Voss’ article addresses why endometritis is difficult to combat in broodmares. However, the discussion of biofilms on tissues is interesting. Of particular note, some drug treatment combinations are counterproductive, effectively canceling out the benefits of the individual drugs. Bacteria can’t “think” but can behave as though they have a herd mentality in a biofilm … [Read more...]
Why equine disease reporting varies between states
Some equine diseases trigger alerts in some states but aren't reported at all in others, writes Leslie Barlow. She shares why disease reporting can be confusing including the alphabet soup of organizations involved in determining what to report or not. Barlow manages communications at the Equine Disease Communication Center. Source: The Paulick Report, August 20, 2024. Link. … [Read more...]
Does cold therapy safeguard horses from injury?
It’s hard to say whether cold therapy reliably prevents or treats any particular condition or if it speeds recovery or improves athletic performance, shares Matt Leshaw, DVM, in this Q and A. He addresses the hosing or icing commonly used as treatment for musculoskeletal injuries. Source: The Horse, via The Paulick Report, June 24, 2024. Link. There's not much research to … [Read more...]
PPID caution: Trailering prior to testing could produce false positive result in horses
Research completed by Boehringer Ingelheim and Middle Tennessee State University determined that a 40-minute trailer ride gave multiple false-positive PPID diagnoses up to 30 minutes post-trailering when using a basal ACTH test. The results are a warning for horse owners and veterinarians to avoid a horse getting incorrectly diagnosed. Source: The Paulick Report, July 31, … [Read more...]
Do hay preservatives matter to horses?
Hay producers in many parts of the country are dealing with a lot of rain and moisture. When hay is baled between 17 percent and 22 percent moisture, preservatives are effective at reducing mold growth. Studies conducted by Cornell University and the University of Illinois showed treated hay did not affect clinical measures of the yearlings' well-being. This indicates … [Read more...]
Jockey Club plans to launch traceability initiative
The Jockey Club Interactive Registry encourages anyone with a digital certificate of foal registration in their account who no longer has possession of the horse to transfer the certificate to the current owner or appropriate certificate manager. Source: The Paulick Report, may 1, 2024. Link. There is no cost to file a transfer of ownership, and the report can be filed … [Read more...]
We geld stallions, but spaying may not be the way for mares
Sharing the perspectives and experiences of researchers at the Clinical Endocrinology Laboratory at the University of California-Davis, Megan Arszman covers the gamut regarding spaying of female horses in this article. Sudden changes in a horse’s behavior or performance can be many things besides hormones, explain the researchers. Source: The Paulick Report, March 15, 2024. … [Read more...]
Skinny horses can founder, too
Low levels of adiponectin, a hormone from fat deposits, reflect an increased risk of laminitis. Traditionally thought to be a problem in obese horses, new study results show that obesity is not a reliable indicator of laminitis risk and poor metabolic health. Body condition score alone should not be used to assess metabolic risk factors in horses: thinner horses may still have … [Read more...]
Pathologist sees shift in causes of California racehorse fatalities
Francisco A. Uzal, MS, DVM, PhD, is in charge of the necropsy program at the University of California, which examines any horse that dies on a state-sanctioned racetrack. He believes various state- and track-level reforms, as well as the increased availability of high-tech imaging modalities, has allowed officials and trainers to intervene before a horse suffers an orthopedic … [Read more...]
Nose twitches versus ear twitches – different impacts and welfare considerations
Twitching is used to help subdue horses and avoid using drugs. Twitching the upper lip causes endorphins that kick in as soon as the twitch is activated and subside once the twitch is removed without any sedative effect. An alternative method involves twitching the ear which likely involves fear or stress compared to lip twitching. … the use of a nose twitch could be … [Read more...]
Rebound gastric hyperacidity in horses after discontinuing omeprazole
Omeprazole is often used to treat equine gastric ulcer syndrome and is effective when the horse is being dosed daily. Once treatment stops, the ulcers may recur rapidly. Glandular ulcers may recur as rapidly as within three days. Tapering the medication dose is unlikely to minimize this rebound effect as previously thought. Australian researchers found gastrin production in … [Read more...]
Equine experts refute standard cooling out practices; restricting water to hot horses
Two experts challenge some standard practices asserting horses need to rehydrate promptly after exercise so their body's cooling mechanisms function effectively, especially if the horse is receiving the diuretic Lasix (furosemide). They also shared thoughts on hosing horses down and using cooling sheets. “A horse has to sweat; it's their basic mechanism to dissipate heat. . … [Read more...]
Causes of surgical site infection unclear in post-colic surgeries
Commentary Surgical site infections are a major concern regardless of the species. There are myriad articles and studies of specific surgery types and conditions. Surgery suite sanitation and infection control papers add more content to libraries. Estimates suggest that four percent to 10 percent of horses will experience colic at least once in their lifetimes. Although … [Read more...]
The horse owner’s role in fighting gastric ulcer syndrome
With treatment and care information given in different forms yearly, it's assumed most owners will follow prescribed actions to help their horses battle their gastric ulcers. But, it requires owners to make adjustments to their daily routines. Ideally, the ulcer medication omeprazole needs to be given to horses on an empty stomach to allow the stomach to thoroughly absorb … [Read more...]
Is there an appropriate age for horses to wear leg wraps?
Protective boots designed specifically for the task at hand are better-suited for leg protection than wrapping, according to Matthew Mackay-Smith, DVM. He says to avoid wraps unless using them under veterinary direction for a specific treatment and comments on the value of stable bandages. Source: The Paulick Report, May 10, 2023. Link. A healthy horse does not need to … [Read more...]
Horse bites are serious business
Portuguese researchers reported that horses are considered reservoirs of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Horses can spread bacteria in their mouths throughout the environment, to other animals and to humans through their saliva. . . . equine bite wounds should be taken seriously because of the plethora of highly resistant bacteria and its zoonotic capabilities found inside … [Read more...]
Ramey: Which vaccinations are worth a shot for your horse?
Don't fall for all of the negative stuff that some people say about vaccines, says David Ramey, DVM. They aren't 100 percent effective at preventing disease, but they don't cause widespread harm, either. There are a lot of dopey things said about vaccines. Ramey shares information about individual vaccines and how likely they are to prevent the disease they are supposed to … [Read more...]
Do opossum feces guarantee EPM transmission?
Equine protozoal myeloencephalitiscan can spread to horses who eat hay, feed or drink water that is contaminated with opossum feces. EPM is a rare disease. Studies suggest that about one third of opossums are infected in Missouri compared to one tenth of opossums infected in Michigan. Not every horse that eats contaminated feed develops EPM and not every opossum is infected … [Read more...]
Soft tissue therapy opening new doors in equine wellness (video)
Soft tissue therapy is proving to be a powerful tool in the fight for animal wellness. It is increasingly becoming an important part of the conversation about how to care for horses and help them reach their full potential. Well-known for his viral TikTok videos, Christian Langeder explains how massage and other soft tissue treatments can help horses feel better physically … [Read more...]
Nearly 100 U.S. horses suspected ill with botulism, 45 have died
Horse owners are being asked to not feed Top of the Rockies alfalfa cubes as U.S. Food and Drug Administration, along with state departments of agriculture in Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico and Texas, continue to investigate the illness and deaths of horses suspected to have contracted botulism from it. Source: The Paulick Report, December 16, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
Ramey: Can horses have mental illness?
There's no objective way to tell if a horse might have mental illness, writes David Ramey, DVM. While he thinks it's possible, it is admittedly hard to tell. Source: The Paulick Report, August 22, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
In case you missed the 148th Kentucky Derby
Coming from way back in the field, late entry Rich Strike wins at 80:1. Watch his incredible Run for the Roses. Source: BLOODHORSE, May 7, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]