Equine Science Update

Ivermectin-resistant strongyles.

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 23:36:00 +0000

Anthelmintic compounds should be used only when significant faecal egg counts are found warn scientists in Australia, after finding a horse with a strongyle (cyathostome) infection that was resistant to treatment with ivermectin.

Growing resistance problem.

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 23:34:24 +0000

Worm control routines that have been used successfully for many years may no longer be appropriate. Further evidence that ivermectin is becoming ineffective against the large horse roundworm has been found in Sweden.

Escaping threats.

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 23:32:23 +0000

Horses respond differently to a threat depending on which eye first sees it (and hence which side of the brain first deals with the threat), according to scientists in Australia.

Breeding racehorses

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 23:31:19 +0000

Stud fees are not necessarily a good indicator of future success on the racecourse according to research carried out at the University of Edinburgh.

Do horses suffer from jet lag?

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:44:58 +0000

Recent studies suggest that horses are better able than humans to readjust to a sudden change in daylight hours...

Does tryptophan calm horses?

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:43:40 +0000

Research suggests that a single dose of tryptophan has no calming effect on horses....

New threat to horses teeth.

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:41:25 +0000

A new species of bacteria threatens horses' teeth. Research from Sweden implicates a previously unknown bacterium in the development of tooth decay (caries) in horses.

Insulin and laminitis

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:39:27 +0000

Work at the University of Queensland has shown that prolonged high levels of insulin can induce laminitis ...

Detecting gastric ulcers in foals.

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 09:59:05 +0000

Work carried out in the Rakuno Gakuen University School of Veterinary Medicine suggests that it may be possible to use blood samples to identify foals with gastric ulcers.

Effect of fasting on gut sounds.

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 09:57:24 +0000

A study carried out at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada looked at the effect of fasting on gastrointestinal sounds.

Chorioptic mange treatment.

Sat, 29 Sep 2007 09:55:02 +0000

Glasgow scientists compare the effect of two treatments for chorioptic mange in horses..

How much does that foal weigh?

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:32:56 +0000

A new formula provides a simple way of estimating a foal’s weight from a single measurement, claim researchers in Chile.

Effect of floating teeth on performance.

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:32:00 +0000

Despite the growing interest in equine dentistry, there is actually little scientific evidence that routine floating is beneficial. One clinician who has been at the forefront of research into the benefit of routine dental care is Dr James Carmalt. In a recent study he assessed the benefit of floating on performance in horses undertaking standard dressage tests.

Look out for bloodworms!

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:30:52 +0000

A Danish Ph.D. student from the University of Copenhagen has developed a novel diagnostic method for detection of the horse bloodworm, Strongylus vulgaris.

Energy from manure.

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 00:46:29 +0000

It’s a perennial problem. What do you do with the horse manure? One possibility suggested by recent research is to ferment the manure to produce gas, which could be used for heating. Sigrid Kusch and fellow workers at the University of Hohenheim in Germany have been investigating the methane-producing potential of horse manure.

What colors do horses see?

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 00:44:52 +0000

How do horses see color? Dr Evelyn Hanggi and Jerry Ingersoll of the Equine Research Foundation, Aptos, California, with the help of Terrace L Waggoner of the Eye Clinic at the Naval Hospital at Pensacola, Florida, performed a study to investigate what colors horses could distinguish.

Feeding behavior.

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 00:44:13 +0000

When horses are kept in a group, competition for food and the herd social hierarchy conspire to make feeding time a potentially dangerous affair. Which is the safest way to feed groups of yearlings turned out at pasture? A study at Pennsylvania State University investigated how horses responded to three different feeding systems.

Monitoring cyathostomin treatment.

Mon, 4 Jun 2007 21:33:17 +0000

Recent work suggests a commonly used test is not helpful for monitoring larval cyathostominosis.

HERDA - a new test.

Mon, 4 Jun 2007 21:31:53 +0000

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a new test that should help eliminate the debilitating skin disease HERDA.

Supraspinous ligament damage - a pain in the back?

Mon, 4 Jun 2007 21:26:13 +0000

Signs of damage to the supraspinous ligament are often found in horses with back pain. But how significant are these changes?