Trail Riding at Night: Plan for a Safe Experience
Fall nights, with cool temperatures and a full harvest moon, seem to beckon trail riders to get outside after dark. Nighttime trail riding can be fun if safety is a prime consideration in the planning...
View ArticleHemp May Become the Latest Bedding Material for Horse Stalls
Thirteen different strains of industrial hemp were planted at a research farm in Kentucky in the spring of 2014. The crops grew well, and the harvested plants will be assessed for uses including...
View ArticleDon’t Count on Breeding Date and Moon Phase to Determine Fetal Sex in Horses
Statistics examined in a study conducted in Argentina showed that the percentage of colts and fillies did not correlate in any way to the phase of the moon when mares were bred.
View ArticleBe Safe if You Ride During Hunting Season
Though hunters might venture out at any time of year, trail riders should be able to enjoy their rides if they take reasonable precautions to avoid being mistaken for a deer or rabbit.
View ArticleProvide Plenty of Forage to Keep Horses Warm
The temperature is plummeting, and you’re worried that your horses will get cold. You remember your grandfather saying that corn is a heating feed, so you decide to double their grain ration; that...
View ArticleLeishmaniasis Cases Reported
Leishmaniasis, a disease caused by Leishmania protozoa, is common in tropical regions around the world. It is uncommon in horses in the United States, though a few cases have been reported in horses...
View ArticleNew Ruling Limits Use of Shockwave Therapy
Shockwave treatment is effective for helping to heal soft tissue injuries in horses, so why is its use being limited before horses compete?
View ArticleEquestrian Events at the Olympic Games
Equestrian competition is already ahead of the game on some recommendations being considered by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The recommendations, which would not be applied until the 2020...
View ArticleGrain Processing for Horses: How Much Difference Does It Make?
Horses can be fed various grains in whole or processed forms. Evidence suggests that with oats, barley, corn, and wheat, the use of a processing method such as dry rolling or crimping may not result in...
View ArticleThoroughbred Foal Crop for 2015 Predicted to be Similar to 2014
Based on the number of mares bred in 2014, The Jockey Club is predicting a 2015 Thoroughbred foal crop of 22,000. Any figure for a foal crop is an educated guess because it is usually made before all...
View ArticleInternational Thoroughbred Industry Stays Healthy
If figures from the most recent Keeneland yearling sale in Kentucky are any indication, the Thoroughbred industry is staying strong. This international sale is the largest Thoroughbred auction in the...
View ArticleHorses Are Odd-Toed Ungulates
The term “ungulate” indicates that horses are mammals with hooves, and “odd-toed” means that they have an uneven number of toes on their rear feet. Odd-toed ungulates are grazing animals with simple...
View ArticleA Long Walk to Raise Money for Equine Charities
In some endurance races, riders ask their horses to cover as much as 100 miles, usually over two days. In contrast, how many riders would walk more than 2,000 miles in 171 days for their horses?
View ArticleSafe Electricity in Horse Barns
The “fire triangle” is a classic concept that demonstrates the three things necessary for fire: heat, oxygen, and fuel. Fuel—any combustible material such as hay, bedding, feed, cloth, leather, wood,...
View ArticleDo Horses Need to Take Vitamin Pills?
Horses produce all necessary vitamins except A and E in their bodies. These vitamins must be provided by the horse’s diet. Many of these vitamins have key roles in the regulation of calcium and...
View ArticleWorld Grain Harvest Predicted to Set Record
The total international grain harvest for 2013-2014 topped all previous records, and despite early doubts about this year’s yield, the numbers are now expected to be even better for 2014-2015.
View ArticlePaleontologists Uncover Fossils from Equine Ancestors
Fossils found at the edge of a coal mine excavation in India could offer clues to the early evolution of horses.The fossils, dated to about 54.5 million years old, are from Cambaytherium thewissi.
View ArticleGenetically Engineered Grains are Here to Stay
Genetically engineered (GE) crops are well established in the United States and in various other counties around the world. An article in Feed Management indicated that these altered plant strains...
View ArticleProgress in Treatment of Equine Melanoma
Gray horses often develop melanomas as they age. These skin tumors are unsightly, sometimes growing quite large and breaking open to expose raw tissue, but they are not considered as dangerous as...
View ArticleMagnetic Blankets for Horses: Helpful or Not?
To test the effect of magnetic blankets, Swedish scientists conducted research designed to measure skin temperature, pain indicators, and blood flow in 10 healthy horses.
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