Strangles, caused by the bacteria
Streptococcus equi, is the most frequently diagnosed infectious disease of horses, with 600 outbreaks estimated to occur in the United Kingdom each year.
Streptococcus equi invades the lymph nodes of head and neck of horses, causing them to swell and form abscesses that can, in around 2% of cases, literally strangle the horse to death. Some of the horses that recover from strangles remain persistently infected. These apparently healthy animals shed bacteria into the environment and spread the disease to other horses that they come into contact with.
Using standard diagnostic testing, the
Streptococcus equi strains look almost identical. But by carefully examining the DNA of the bacteria, the team were able to track different variants as they spread across the world.
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The research process for drug toxicology in horses has always been long, slow, and expensive. Too often, when veterinarians want to more about the way a drug behaves in horses, they find themselves relying on limited data collected from a small number of horses. That s because there is a lot of expense and regulation associated with using live animals for research of any kind, even a simple drug administration study aimed at determining how quickly horses bodies metabolize a therapeutic substance. It s also expensive for universities to maintain horse research herds of significant size year after year, awaiting their use in a short study.
Sesamoid Bones: They Take A Lot Of Pressure And Raise A Lot Of Questions For Researchers Sponsored by:
As racing continues its quest to reduce injury rates, one key area of interest for many experts is the proximal sesamoid bones.
Most racing fans who have heard of sesamoid bones know about the two small, triangular bones held inside the suspensory ligament that form the back of the equine ankle, but horses (and humans) actually have other sets of sesamoids in the body. The two that form each ankle are called the proximal sesamoid bones. The human kneecap or patella is present in the horse as a component of the stifle and is also considered a type of sesamoid bone. The navicular bone in the internal structures of the hoof is also a type of sesamoid. Sesamoids exist because they reduce friction on joints by gliding over the joint s surface, helping to pull the limb back and forth.
What Makes A Positive Test: An Explanation Behind The Figures And Thresholds Sponsored by:
Positive post-race tests have long been a source of fascination and discussion for horsemen, veterinarians, and fans of racing. But for those of us without an advanced chemistry degree, it can sometimes be unclear what those tests are meant to look for, and what makes a test “positive.”
Veterinarians administer medications to Thoroughbreds in accordance with withdrawal guidelines provided by rulemakers. The Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) provides a set of recommended guidelines for what should be considered a “positive” test, and when doses of certain drugs can safely be given to comply with those guidelines. If these guidelines are followed, experts say the owner or trainer who approved the medication should not be overly concerned about having a “positive” test after a race.