Critical to protecting the welfare of thoroughbred horses and the integrity of the industry is efficiently detecting the illegal practice of gene editing. Gene editing, a method of gene doping used to artificially and illegally enhance performance in human and animal athletes, is now on the agenda for the thoroughbred horse industry.
Gene editing: The new gene doping?
The Victorian Government is co-leading the development of a national horse traceability register, which will improve biosecurity and tracking measures for all horses across Australia.
A National Horse Traceability Working Group has been established to inform the design of the register, following agreement at the Australasian Racing Ministers Conference and Australian Agriculture Ministers’ meeting that Victoria and Queensland would lead its development.
Since ancient times, horse behaviour and the bond between horses and humans, have been a source of intrigue and fascination.
The horse-lore that has accumulated over the centuries is a rich mix of both useful practice (approaching horses from their left side, making them slightly less reactive) and unsubstantiated myth, such as the one that chestnut horses are especially difficult to deal with.
If you have a horse because you want to be an aspiring horseback rider or you need one on your farm, it’s important to know how to keep these beautiful animals healthy, strong, and happy. Although horses are known for their physical abilities and strength, you still need to ensure that they’re always at their best. Besides, they deserve to be loved and cared for like every other animal.
A new therapy could combat persistent joint infections in horses, potentially saving them from years of pain. Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) lysate that, when teamed with antibiotics, can eradicate bacterial biofilms common in joint infections. The therapy could also be applied to other species, including humans and dogs. The team presented their findings in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research.
Latex exposure could be detrimental to a horse's respiratory health. That's the surprising discovery from Morris Animal Foundation-funded research at the Royal Agricultural University and University of Nottingham. While further investigation is needed, researchers say latex could be among the allergens responsible for causing severe equine asthma (sEA), a serious horse ailment with limited treatment options. The team published their findings in the Nature journal Scientific Reports.
Australia is known for offering high-class sports events that entertain people not only in the country but around the globe. Indeed, the country has a rich sports history, as Australians love playing and watching many kinds of sports. They like going to stadiums or venues to watch games live and cheer on their top teams. They also enjoy watching sports events on television and even placing bets from time to time.
A new study by Dr. Gus Cothran, professor emeritus at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM), has found that the Cleveland Bay (CB) horse breed has the third-lowest genetic variation level of domestic horses, ranking above only the notoriously inbred Friesian and Clydesdale breeds. This lack of genetic diversity puts the breed at risk for a variety of health conditions.
It has been shown that people within the horse industry have preconceived ideas about horse behaviour, temperament and rideability, based solely on the sex of the horse. Such ideas can have welfare implications, if personnel allow bias to affect their interactions with particular horses.
Such welfare implications include employment of harsher training methods, and increased horse wastage. The current study explored data on riders’ and trainers’ reports of ridden horse behaviour.
During periods of hot weather it is important to monitor your horses for signs of heat stress.
Heat stress occurs when horses are exposed to excessively hot or humid conditions. Like humans, horses sweat to get rid of surplus body heat. When the horse is unable to shed excess body heat, the body temperature rises quickly, causing severe (and sometimes fatal) health problems.
