Saturday, August 29, 2009

Diagnostic deworming for tapeworm.

Scientists in Japan have been looking for a more reliable way of diagnosing tapeworm infections in horses.

They have found that fecal exmination the day after deworming provides a reliable way of detecting tapeworm eggs.

A pilot study of 12 horses examined fecal samples before and one day after treating with bithionol. All horses had a higher tapeworm egg count the day after treatment.

In a further study they found that tapeworm egg counts were dramatically higher on the first day after treatment. By the second day they had fallen back to pretreatment levels.

See more details..

Friday, August 28, 2009

Jockey’s posture has dramatic effect on speed.

Research carried out at the Structure and Motion Laboratory at London's Royal Veterinary College explains how the familiar crouched racing posture adopted by the jockey improves the speed of the horse.

By crouching in the saddle, jockeys isolate themselves from the motion of the horse. This reduces the energy that the horse needs to expend to carry the jockey, and so enhances performance.

Read more about it here...

Botox as laminitis treatment.

Dr Daniel W Carter and Dr J Ben Renfroe have patented a technique using botulinum toxin to reduce the tension in the deep digital flexor tendon of horses with laminitis.

Increased tension is one of the factors thought to contribute to rotation of the pedal bone. So relieving the tension may limit the deleterious changes in the foot.

The technique involves injecting a diluted solution of Botox (Botulinum toxin type A) into the deep digital flexor tendon in several places. The toxin blocks the release of the neuro- transmitter (acetylcholine) from the nerve endings. This temporarily prevents the muscle contracting.

Read more about it here

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Night vision in horses.

Research at the Equine Research Foundation shows that horses can distinguish simple geometrical shapes under low light conditions.

Horses were trained to choose between two shapes - a circle and a triangle. The next step was to see if they could still distinguish the shapes in conditions of increasing darkness. The lighting was controlled to give conditions ranging from the equivalent of twilight to a moonless night in a dense forest.

The study showed that the horses could see at very low light levels. They were able to choose between the two shapes in almost complete darkness. Only when it was as dark as a moonless night in dense forest were they unable to differentiatebetween the two shapes.

Read more here