News.
It's always fun to share horsey news with fellow horse folks. Please send us your news, wrap up of events and clinics, comings and goings at your barn and don't forget to add a photo or two. We'll share it on our facebook page. If you'd like us to give you press coverage of an event please email us the details as far in advance as possible.
Brooke USA Launches Fire Horses Emergency Campaign Supporting Equines Affected by California Blazes
Lexington, KY – Brooke USA Foundation is committed to helping equines in need during times of disaster and to this end, the organization is launching the Fire Horses Emergency Campaign to support these animals which have been abandoned, lost, displaced or separated from their owners during the California Blazes. Read the full article...
AQHA Announces 2025 Dates
Mark your calendar with the tentative dates for these 2025 AQHA events.
The American Quarter Horse Association has an exciting line-up of events planned for 2025. Mark your calendars and set your reminders today with these dates, organized by category. Dates are tentative and subject to change. Read the full article...
Laying the Foundation: The Architecture of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame exhibition to open Jan. 15
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Coinciding with the 75th anniversary of its founding, which will be recognized and celebrated throughout 2025, the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will open its latest exhibition, Laying the Foundation: The Architecture of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, to the public on Wednesday, Jan. 15. Located in the Museum’s Link Gallery, this new exhibition will chronicle how the Museum has physically evolved with the times since its founding in 1950 Read the full article...
The Foundation for The Horse Announces 2024 Recipients of $75,000 Coyote Rock Ranch Scholarships
Four future horse doctors in their fourth year of outstanding veterinary school performance are the 2024 recipients of $75,000 Coyote Rock Ranch Veterinary Scholarships. The Foundation for the Horse presented their awards Dec. 8 during the American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (AAEP) 70th Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida.
The scholarship recipients, selected from 53 distinguished applicants, are:
• Fred Holcomb, Texas A&M University
• Angela Mangine, University of Pennsylvania
• Meghan Poth, University of California, Davis
• Alexandra Wethington, Texas A&M University
Holcomb intends to pursue an internship, residency, and surgical career. “When starting veterinary school, I thought that would be as a podiatrist,” said Holcomb. “Three years (and many broken sterile fields) later, I have found a passion for surgery. Where I once saw four feet and their necessary attachments, I now see a complex mass of muscle, bone, and ever-clogging intestines. This career pursuit will best inform me toward understanding and supporting my future patients.” Read the full article...
Minnesota Surgery and Sports Medicine Specialist Takes Reins of AAEP
Tracy Turner, DVM, MS, DACVS, DACVSMR, partner in Turner Wilson Equine Consulting in Stillwater, Minn., was installed as president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners during the President’s Luncheon on Dec. 10 at the AAEP’s 70th Annual Convention in Orlando, Fla.
Dr. Turner retired from private practice in December 2023 after concentrating exclusively on equine sports medicine, lameness and surgery at his Turner Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery. He established the practice in 2016 following 12 years with Anoka Equine Veterinary Services in Elk River, Minn. He joined Anoka Equine after 23 years in academia as an assistant professor at University of Illinois (1981–1983); tenured associate professor at University of Florida (1983–1990); and tenured professor at University of Minnesota (1991–2004). Dr. Turner received his veterinary degree from Colorado State University in 1978. Read the full article...
Study Looks at Welfare of Lesson Horses
University of Guelph researchers share preliminary results of a study suggesting bigger may not necessarily be better when it comes to riding school programs and equine welfare. Other researchers have shown that riding lesson horses have poorer welfare compared to pleasure horses, when comparing incidences of abnormal behaviors, physical injuries, health issues, aggression towards humans, and “depressed-like” postures. The variability in injury and death rates among lesson horses across different barns suggests that management practices play a significant role in their health and longevity; with larger lesson facilities reporting higher incidences. Read the full article...
THE COWBOY and THE QUEEN coming soon to Apple TV
Monty Roberts, a nonviolent horse trainer who rejected traditional “breaking” methods, formed an unlikely friendship with Queen Elizabeth II. Bonding over their shared love for animals, they overcome Monty’s doubters to broadcast his gentle approach globally. From Academy Award Nominee Andrea Nevins, this uplifting film shows how trust can build a better world for both horses and humans.The award-winning documentary film premiered in November 2023 at the Doc NYC film festival and couldn’t be more timely in its message of non-violent training and peaceful interactions than right now.
The film has received significant critical acclaim and awards and was released in theaters in September 2024. The film recently won the 2024 HUMANITAS WINNER and is in theaters and streaming on MasterClass. “Visually stunning. A historical feat.” Daily Nexus“A moving portrait of a friendship.” Santa Barbara Independent“Powerful, moving, and enlightening.” Royals Extra Royal Biographer Sally Bedell Smith called the film “…powerful, moving, and enlightening.”Monty Roberts’ 30+ year friendship is chronicled beautifully by Academy Award Nominee Andrea Nevins. Read the full article...
Revisions to Horse Protection Act Effective February 1, 2025
The American Horse Council (AHC) is releasing this advisory to inform the industry of important changes to the Horse Protection Act (HPA). Background on the HPA can be found at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/hpa.
As ageneral reminder, the HPA covers all equine breeds and disciplines to eliminate the practice of soring horses. The AHC and other industry stakeholders have engaged in numerous meetings with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) to obtain clarifications and details on the new revisions to the HPA Rule.
New requirements Effective February 1, 2025: Horse show and event managers will be required to:
Provide notice to APHIS at least 30 days in advance of the event via mail or email.
Provide any event updates 15 days in advance of the event
Report any violations of the horse protection act within 5 days post event
Note, the new rule defines horse show as a public display of any horses in competition except where speed is the prime factor, rodeo events, parades, or trail rides.
One of the key changes to the rule is that USDA will be responsible for training Horse Protection Inspectors which will be licensed veterinarians or individuals with extensive equine experience with a governmental agency. These will be the individuals performing inspections at events. A video of the inspection process is on the website. Historically, USDA has inspected fewer than 50 events nationally per year. Read the full article...
Understanding Reportable Diseases
For a horse owner, receiving a positive test result from your veterinarian for an equine infectious disease can be scary and overwhelming. What is the disease? How did my horse contract it? What happens now? What is the role for state and federal animal health officials in disease control management?
Because some infectious diseases can cause significant number of sick horses and deaths and are easily spread, individual states and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) act on reportable diseases to prevent disease spread. Read the full article...
A New Approach for Treating Kissing Spine
Overriding Spinous Process, otherwise known as Kissing Spine can cause back pain and poor performance, especially when two or more vertebrae touch or overlap. Assistant Professor Dr. Nathalie Cote in the department of Large Animal Surgery at Ontario Veterinary College recently presented a new less invasive surgical approach to treat this issue that is showing great preliminary results. Read the full article...
MMP Enzymes and Laminitis
Eleanor M. Kellon, VMD
MMPs are matrix metalloproteinases – enzymes that break down connective tissue protein/collagen in the body. If you follow news releases and articles about equine laminitis, you have surely seen mention of MMP enzymes since the late 1990s. Turns out they are not the major players as was originally thought.
The basement membrane (BM) in the hoof is a thin layer of connective tissue lining the junction between the dead laminae of the hoof wall, and the live laminae of the inner hoof. This system locks the hoof wall to the tissues inside like Velcro.
In laminitis caused by things like colic/gut infections, black walnut shavings, grain, or experimental fructan overload, it was noted the basement membrane is damaged or destroyed and that the level of MMP enzymes is increased. This led to the theory that the activation of MMP is what causes laminitis. Read the full article...