“Clinically, we don’t have a great consensus for what defines abnormal versus normal factors for diagnosing EMS,” said Samantha Brooks, UF/IFAS associate professor of equine physiology. “The condition is defined as many shades of grey. Every horse is unique, and their environment is, too. We need more research to better define the disease and what is normal versus what is dangerous. This research used new methods to give us fresh clues to the mystery that is EMS.”

The use of PET will keep growing in the sport and pleasure horse populations. Ease of use and affordability make it an excellent first choice for advanced imaging, as the costs and time to image two feet and two fetlocks with PET are less than for the MRI of a single foot. In addition to being used for identification of an injury, the “functional” imaging properties of PET—assessing the activity of injuries—are particularly helpful for monitoring rehabilitation.

“When he came to us, he was extremely overweight with a crested neck. His mane moved like a separate entity. It was like he was bubble-wrapped,” Casey said.

The researchers explored how horse owners and those working with horses were affected by challenges brought about by the Covid-19 lockdown.

Dr. Michael Bowie, left, with girls at Girl’s Place in Gainesville, during the “How We Role” program the UF College of Veterinary Medicine initiated in 2019. The new Vet Start program targets an older age group and will begin this fall.

Some studies have shown the prevalence of gastric ulcers to be as high as 50-90% of the observed population. There are a variety of reasons why this may be.

AQHA Publicity Want to learn how to improve your techniques? Go to the American Quarter Horse Association’s Facebook page to watch these AQHA Professional Horsemen Competitive Edge videos on horsemanship, hunt seat equitation and showmanship to gain an insider’s perspective. These Professional Horsemen take viewers stride-by-stride through some top scored classes in each discipline. AQHA Professional […]