Overriding Spinous Process, otherwise known as Kissing Spine can cause back pain and poor performance, especially when two or more vertebrae touch or overlap. Assistant Professor Dr. Nathalie Cote in the department of Large Animal Surgery at Ontario Veterinary College recently presented a new less invasive surgical approach to treat this issue that is showing…

A study has uncovered that exposure to Neospora parasites is widespread among Ontario broodmares and may play a role in Equine Abortions.  Dr. Chenier, MSc student Olivia Johns and epidemiologist Dr. David Pearl at the Ontario Veterinary College have collected samples from Ontario breeding farms to find seroprevalence is close to 30%. Risk factors identified…

Prevention is the ideal when it comes to lameness but practically everyone who has owned horses has dealt with a lay-up due to an unforeseen injury at some point.  The following article will provide tools to sharpen your eye for detecting lameness, review prevention tips and discuss the importance of early intervention.  It will also…

Story by:  Dr. Janet Beeler-Marfisi There’s nothing like hearing a horse cough to set people scurrying around the barn to identify the culprit. After all, that cough could mean choke, or a respiratory virus has found its way into the barn. It could also indicate equine asthma. Yes, even those “everyday coughs” that we sometimes…

What happens if the quarterback of the immune system goes rogue? In a study set to begin in June 2023, Ontario Veterinary College researcher, Dr. Janet Beeler-Marfisi, will be looking at macrophage responses to the agents that cause asthma in horses.  While studies on equine asthma have been ongoing for over 40 years, we still…

First published in Equine Guelph’s 20th Research Annual – January 11, 2023 Two studies led by Dr. Judith Koenig and her team at the Ontario Veterinary College have shown equine pooled cryopreserved umbilical cord blood, (eCB) MSC, to be safe and effective in treating joint pain and inflammation.  Both studies received funding from Equine Guelph.…

Most humans are good at giving someone a wide berth if they approach with a furrowed brow but how good are horses at interpreting our expressions?  Dr. Katrina Merkies, researcher and associate professor at the University of Guelph and her team found out in a study involving 20 lesson ponies and some talented actors. There…

Heaves is known as a disease that can leave a horse struggling to breathe, ending athletic careers and even rendering a pleasure horse unsuitable for riding.  Commonly known today as equine asthma, it’s an irreversible disease brought on by repeated exposure to dust and moulds.  Ontario Veterinary College researcher, Doctor Bienzle has a long history…

The thinking on how we use antibiotics is changing in the world of medicine especially as we learn more about their impact on the inhabitants of the gut.  Ontario Veterinary College researcher, Dr. Diego Gomez, took part in a collaborative study with researchers across North America to study the effects of intravenous antimicrobials on the…

When horses talk, we listen but how good are we at deciphering what they have to say?  According to a recently published study (Nov 2021) by Dr. Katrina Merkies, researcher and associate professor at the University of Guelph, and her master student Haley Belliveau, we are faring well.  Using an online survey, participants categorized 32…

The foal’s gut undergoes many changes as it develops rapidly.  More and more, we are learning how the colonization of a gut correlates to good health.  Exploring the differences in foal microbiomes and how those differences may tie in with overall health has PhD Candidate, Jennifer MacNicol, very excited about the potential advancements the research…

The value of long-term studies is well understood by researcher, Dr. Keith Betteridge who has been involved with Ontario Veterinary College equine reproduction studies since 1986.  Since graduating as a veterinarian from Bristol University, England, in 1959, Betteridge has seen reproduction technology evolve with the introduction of ultrasound in the 1980s and, most recently, RNA…