Roaring in horses is not just a loud, raspy noise made during exercise; it is an issue in the upper airway that restricts airflow and can limit performance in large breed horses such as Thoroughbreds, Standardbreds, and warmbloods. Ontario Veterinary College associate professor of Large Animal Surgery, Taralyn McCarrel, is seeking to develop a surgical…

The short answer is not enough is known about this all-too-common veterinary emergency.  There are no clearly defined criteria to categorize acute colitis.  “Colitis in horses is very complex and can be affected by several factors,” says Ontario Veterinary College researcher, Dr. Luis Arroyo.  There is a need to improve diagnostic protocol. Together with newly recruited…

Equine Guelph Research Annual – Volume 22 Featuring Associate professor at the University of Guelph, Wendy Pearson and Ph.D. candidate Dr. Nadia Golestani as they explore the benefits of supplementing Spirulina to help the equine athlete recover faster from intense exercise. Plus a recap of 2024 equine research.

Elevating performance and seeking the competitive edge is what makes equine supplements a billion-dollar industry, but what makes the difference between a supplement that creates expensive urine and a nutritional supplement that could actually have an impact? Associate professor at the University of Guelph, Wendy Pearson and Ph.D. candidate Dr. Nadia Golestani, answer this question…

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 behaviours, physical injuries, health issues, aggression towards humans, and “depressed-like” postures. The variability…

Why Embryos Fail and Improving Odds of Successful Horse Breeding If entering the fall, your breeding prospect has come up empty, there are considerations to ponder and actions you can take for successful breeding next year.  “Don’t let those mares sit all fall and winter, with untreated conditions such as a uterine infection,” says Dr. Tracey Chenier,…

If you are a Black Beauty fan, you will recall the scene where Beauty is being led from a burning barn and he’s scared.  James puts the blindfold on to instantly calm him down, and then he’s able to be rescued.  Written in 1877 by Anna Sewell, the novel was based on how horse handling…

Equine Guelph has posted its annual report for May 2023 – April 2024.  All the success stories for the past fiscal year are showcased from launching new courses to responding to our readers with the resources you asked for. Have a look to see what we accomplished and what we have on offer for our…

Horses, like humans, can suffer from joint diseases such as Osteoarthritis (OA) and Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), which can lead to pain and lameness. Currently, diagnosing these conditions early is challenging, and there’s no treatment that can reverse the damage. In a pathfinding study, Ontario Veterinary College researchers are investigating tiny molecules called microRNAs (miRNAs) present…

Selenium deficient soil can lead to several conditions in domestic animals including white muscle disease.  Of importance to Ontario horse breeders is the fact that most foals are born with low blood selenium concentrations.  Some clinical signs of low selenium levels may include dysphagia or weak suckle reflex due to pharyngeal/masticatory muscle weakness.  Southern Ontario…

Strangles, the highly contagious upper respiratory disease caused by the bacterium, Streptococcus equi (S. equi) has been front and centre on social media lately with numerous disease alerts being posted.  These alerts are triggered by positive test results for S. equi and reported by an official laboratory to the provincial or state veterinary office.  Given…

It is not uncommon for mares to have trouble getting pregnant because their uterus remains too inflamed after breeding. This condition is referred to as persistent breeding-induced endometritis (PBIE). Ontario Veterinary College researcher, Dr. Tracey Chenier is working to find out what causes this inflammation and how to treat it. “Horse owners and breeders often…