Latest Articles

Lavender Foal Syndrome: Causes, Symptoms & Prognosis Camryn McNeill, B.B.R.M. | October 24, 2023 | Breeding, Conditions

Lavender Foal Syndrome (LFS), or coat colour dilution lethal (CCDL), is a rare and lethal disorder in Arabian horses and crossbreeds. Foals with LFS are born with neurological problems and a lightened...

Vitiligo in Horses
Vitiligo in Horses: Causes, Progression and Diagnosis Linaya Pot, MSc | October 24, 2023 | Conditions, Horse Health

Vitiligo in horses is a disorder that causes patches of skin and hair to lose their normal colour or pigmentation. This condition is not contagious, painful, or life-threatening, but it can be disconc...

Fescue Toxicity in Horses
Fescue Toxicosis in Horses: Signs, Causes, Treatment & Prevention Dr. Madison Ricard, DVM | October 24, 2023 | Care & Management, Conditions

Fescue toxicosis in horses results from ingestion of fescue grass contaminated with the fungus Neotyphodium coenophialum. The fungus produces ergot alkaloid toxins which cause changes in hormone conce...

Nosebleeds Epistaxis in Horses
Nosebleeds (Epistaxis) in Horses: Causes, Treatment & Prevention Camryn McNeill, B.B.R.M. | February 14, 2024 | Conditions

Epistaxis is a common condition in horses that refers to bleeding from the nostrils. Nosebleeds can range in severity and may result from trauma, underlying health conditions or exercise. The majority...

Ivermectin for Horses
Ivermectin Paste for Deworming Horses: Dosage & Side Effects Camryn McNeill, B.B.R.M. | October 24, 2023 | Medications

Ivermectin is an over-the-counter medication used to control internal parasites in horses and other animals. It is macrocyclic lactone medication and is one of the most widely used dewormers or anthel...

Equine Piroplasmosis
Equine Piroplasmosis (Babesiosis): Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention Camryn McNeill, B.B.R.M. | October 24, 2023 | Conditions, Horse Health

Equine piroplasmosis (EP), or babesiosis, is an infectious tick-borne disease that affects all equid species, including horses*, mules, donkeys and zebras. It is caused by protozoan parasites that are...

Type 1 PSSM in Horses
Type 1 PSSM in Horses: Genetic Cause, Symptoms, & Management Haley Scofield, B.Sc., M.Sc. | December 13, 2023 | Conditions

Type 1 Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM1) is a hereditary muscular disorder in horses that results in abnormal accumulation of glycogen (a stored form of sugar) and an abnormal polysaccharide in ...

Feeding Gelatin to Horses
Benefits of Feeding Gelatin to Horses Р[Research Review] Elise Lafleur Larivi̬re, B.Sc., M.Sc. | October 24, 2023 | Horse Health

Gelatin supplements are commonly fed to horses and are purported to have multiple benefits for both equine health and performance. Anecdotally, gelatin is said to improve hoof health, hair and coat qu...

Ringbone in Horses
Ringbone in Horses: Prevention, Diagnosis & Treatment Camryn McNeill, B.B.R.M. | October 24, 2023 | Conditions

Ringbone is a degenerative condition that affects the bones and joints in the horse’s lower limbs. It is characterized by the inflammation of surrounding connective tissue, triggering the formation ...

Strongyles in Horses
Strongyles in Horses: Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention Camryn McNeill, B.B.R.M. | October 24, 2023 | Conditions

Strongyles are considered the most significant internal parasite that affects horses. It is estimated that these parasites affect between 80 – 99% of equids worldwide. There are two main types of st...

Congenital Hypothyroidism and Dysmaturity Syndrome in Foals
Congenital Hypothyroidism and Dysmaturity Syndrome in Foals Dr. Madison Ricard, DVM | October 24, 2023 | Conditions

Congenital hypothyroidism and dysmaturity (CHD) syndrome is a common manifestation of hypothyroidism in foals, resulting in dysmature foals that are born weak with contracted tendons, poor ossificatio...

Bone Bruises in Horses
Bone Bruises in Horses: Signs, Treatment & Recovery Time Camryn McNeill, B.B.R.M. | December 13, 2023 | Conditions

Bone bruising is a common condition often seen in young racehorses, such as Thoroughbreds or Standardbreds. It typically arises from repetitive stress, trauma, or microfractures affecting the subchond...

Evaluating Horse Conformation
Evaluating Horse Conformation: Factors that Judges Look For Kelly Hebner, BSc (Kin), MSc | December 15, 2023 | Horse Health

The shape and structure of a horse, referred to as its conformation, significantly influence both its athletic performance and long-term soundness. How a horse is built not only determines how they ge...

Fistulous Withers in Horses
Fistulous Withers in Horses – Causes, Treatment & Prevention Casie Bazay, BS, NBCAAM | October 24, 2023 | Conditions

Supraspinous bursitis, more often known as fistulous withers, is not a common problem in horses — at least in North America. However, it is a serious condition that more often affects horses and don...

Pregnancy Loss and Miscarriage in Horses
Abortion in Horses: Causes of Pregnancy Loss in Mares Dr. Madison Ricard, DVM | December 15, 2023 | Breeding, Care & Management, Conditions

Equine abortion and stillbirth refer to delivery of a non-viable fetus or foal. Most causes of abortion and stillbirth do not affect the mare’s future fertility; however, the loss of the foal can ca...

Adequan in Horses
Adequan® i.m. for Horses: Efficacy of PSGAG Injections Elise Lafleur Larivière, B.Sc., M.Sc. | October 24, 2023 | Conditions

Adequan® i.m. is a widely used injectable medication for the treatment of arthritis and other joint disorders in horses. It is the only FDA-approved polysulfated glycosaminoglycan (PSGAG) for equines...

Prascend Pergolide for Horses with PPID
Prascend® (Pergolide) for Horses with PPID: Mechanism, Dosage & Side Effects Camryn McNeill, B.B.R.M. | October 24, 2023 | Conditions

Pergolide mesylate (Prascend®) is a medication used to treat horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), previously referred to as Equine Cushing’s disease. This common endocrine diso...

Forelimb Conformation Faults in Horses
Common Forelimb Conformation Faults in Horses – [Guide] Kelly Hebner, BSc (Kin), MSc | December 15, 2023 | Conditions, Horse Health

Your horse's conformation impacts their overall performance, soundness, and ability to excel in various disciplines. When it comes to evaluating forelimb conformation, judges will look at the withers,...

Branched Chain Amino Acid Supplements for Horses: Do they Work? Linaya Pot, MSc | October 24, 2023 | Horse Health, Nutrition, Performance

BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) are muscle-building supplements that have become popular among equine athletes for performance, recovery and fatigue. BCAA include leucine, isoleucine, and valine, a...

IgG Testing in Foals and Passive Transfer of Immunity
IgG Testing in Foals: Assessing Passive Transfer of Immunity after Birth Linaya Pot, MSc | December 22, 2023 | Breeding, Horse Health

Newborn foals are born with an immature immune system, with limited ability to fight off infections and diseases. To build immunity, neonatal foals must absorb immunoglobulins, also known as antibodie...

Wood Chewing in Horses
Wood Chewing in Horses: Causes & How to Stop this Behaviour Casie Bazay, BS, NBCAAM | October 24, 2023 | Conditions

Wood chewing is one of several types of stereotypic behaviors or habits that horses can develop. Stereotypic behaviors, often referred to as stereotypies, are repetitive behavior patterns with no appa...

Bleeding Disorders in Horses
Bleeding Disorders in Horses: Types, Signs & Treatment Camryn McNeill, B.B.R.M. | October 24, 2023 | Conditions

Bleeding disorders can significantly affect your horse’s performance and overall health. These conditions can be present from birth or develop later in life and are characterized by abnormal bleedin...

Cellulitis in Horses
Cellulitis in Horses: Signs, Causes, Treatment & Prevention Camryn McNeill, B.B.R.M. | February 20, 2024 | Conditions

Cellulitis refers to bacterial infection and inflammation that affects tissues under the skin anywhere in the body. In horses, this severe condition typically occurs in the hindlimbs. It is characteri...

Arrhythmias in Competitive Sport Horses
Arrhythmias in Performance Horses: Causes, Symptoms & Treatments Camryn McNeill, B.B.R.M. | October 24, 2023 | Conditions

A heart arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat, is a performance-limiting condition commonly seen in athletic horses. While some arrhythmias are benign, others may indicate cardiac disease or another unde...

Tendon Injury in Horses
Tendon Injuries in Horses: Diagnosis, Treatment and Recovery Camryn McNeill, B.B.R.M. | November 10, 2023 | Conditions

The horse’s tendons are prone to strain injuries, especially when participating in disciplines, such as racing, jumping and eventing. Tendons are fibrous connective tissues that attach muscle to ...

Eastern Equine Encephalitis
Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) Virus: Symptoms & Treatment Camryn McNeill, B.B.R.M. | October 24, 2023 | Conditions

Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), otherwise known as Triple E or sleeping sickness, is a rare and lethal virus in horses that causes inflammation of the brain. EEE is transmitted through mosquito bit...

How to Feed a Horse with PPID
How to Feed a Horse with PPID (Cushing’s Disease) [10-Step Guide] Jaime Thomas, B.Sc. | October 24, 2023 | Conditions, Nutrition

Feeding horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), previously referred to as Equine Cushing’s disease, can be a challenge. Horses affected by PPID are typically older and may have oth...

Muscle Loss in Horses
11 Causes of Muscle Loss in Horses Casie Bazay, BS, NBCAAM | November 23, 2023 | Horse Health, Performance

Muscle loss in horses is a worrisome problem and one that needs to be investigated promptly. This condition is also known as muscle atrophy or muscle wasting, and is defined as a decrease in muscle ma...

Narcolepsy in Horses
Narcolepsy in Horses – Sleep Disorder Causes, Symptoms & Treatments Jaime Thomas, B.Sc. | November 23, 2023 | Conditions

Narcolepsy is a neurological and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep disorder. It involves the sudden onset of sleep during the daytime. The condition occurs chronically and throughout life in affected hor...

Hunter’s Bump in Horses
Hunter’s Bump in Horses: Causes, Symptoms & Treatments Camryn McNeill, B.B.R.M. | October 24, 2023 | Conditions

A hunter’s bump, or sacroiliac subluxation, is a hump on the horse’s lower back that develops above the croup. It is most apparent when viewing a horse in motion from behind....