15 Talking Points on Laminitis Prevention from the BEVA Congress: What Horse Owners Need to Know to Prevent Laminitis

At the 2019 British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress earlier this month in Birmingham, England, three speakers emphasized the need to further educate horse owners on the prevention of laminitis and in the dangers of equine obesity. Their lectures have been condensed down to talking points for communicating with owners about changes in horsecare that may help horses avoid the disease.

Laminitis Research: Might inflammation be an underlying cause of insulin dysregulation and equine metabolic syndrome?

DENVER/September 20, 2019 – Inflammation may be a bigger player in insulin dysregulation in horses than is commonly thought. Morris Animal Foundation-funded researchers at the University of Melbourne are working to determine if low-grade systemic inflammation might be an important underlying cause of insulin dysregulation.

If they are correct, their findings could help change current dietary recommendations for horses at risk of laminitis, a devastating disease linked to high insulin levels associated with insulin dysregulation.

Video abstract on Equine Metabolic Syndrome in Welsh ponies and Morgan horses wins prize at BEVA Congress

Veterinarians have been upgrading their skills at both communicating information about their research and in making their research more accessible to the public. Laminitis prevention is an area that is in critical need of more outreach. Navigating the literature on laminitis research can be confusing and overwhelming.

At last week's British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress in England, the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) gave an award for video interpretation of equine research. The video abstract they presented is remarkable on two counts: The winning author is an American, and the subject is laminitis prevention and education of horse owners.

Vet/author/editor/researcher Tim Mair brings a wide range of expertise to new post as BEVA President

The British Equine Veterinary Association welcomed a new president during the recent BEVA 2019 Congress in Birmingham, England.

Equine Research: BEVA Congress 2019 award goes to Irish paper analyzing progress in equine motion study, including hooves and shoes

Irish researcher Sonja Egan (right) received the BEVA Congress's Peter Rossdale Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) Open Award for 2019 for her review of more than 500 equine motion analysis papers published since 1978,. The paper includes data on the shortcomings of the past and suggestions for the future, including specifics on hoof and horseshoe research. Presenting the award is 2019 BEVA President Renate Weller.

News from the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) Congress underway in England this week is that a paper in the field of equine motion analysis has received a prestigious award. The winning paper was the result of a "scoping" review of what equine motion research has been accomplishing for the past 40 years, and how productively the field is moving forward.

Among the results from the paper are analysis of the way that hoof movement and shoe effects research has been conducted in the past and suggestions for future modification. Some findings from  the study are outlined for you here.

Burghley Horse Trials' Best Shod Horse for 2019: What was he wearing...and why?

Farrier Paul Varnam hot fits a hind lateral extension shoe on Ivar Gooden, an Irish Sport horse judged the "Best Shod Horse" at the 2019 Burghley Horse Trials in England last week. The horse previously won the same award in 2017, when he was shod almost exactly the same way by a different judge. He is ridden by Imogen Murray of Leicestershire, England. (Paul Varnam photo)

Each year, England's five-star Burghley Horse Trials gives a prize to the best shod horse, and the selection of that horse is always a story in itself. On Wednesday last week, 67 horses stood patiently and had their feet picked up, shoes and hooves examined, and notes taken.

Labor Day parades: When American horseshoers marched down city streets

The first Labor Day parades in the United States featured marching horseshoers representing their local trade unions. It was a day of pride and fellowship on the city streets. But it was also a rare thing for a working horseshoer: a day off.

Research: Anti-inflammatory treatment did not decrease movement asymmetry identified in riding horses in training

Sometimes, it seems like research raises more questions than it answers, and a new study from Sweden this summer asked some very interesting questions. Research into asymmetry in horses, as identified by sensor-based gait analysis, brings into the discussion the rider's perception that a horse is sound...even if its movement suggests otherwise.