Emerging Equine Diseases: What You Should Know

Mar 27, 2015

Not long ago, we didn't know that some now-common equine diseases even existed. Potomac horse fever, hendra virus infection, and contagious equine metritis, among others, were all once considered emergent diseases. And while we no longer think of them as new conditions, there are likely many more just waiting to make their first appearance or spread across an international border into a previously unaffected country.

At the recent 2015 University of Kentucky Equine Showcase, held in Lexington, Peter J. Timoney, FRCVS, PhD, shared some important insight into emerging equine diseases. Timoney is a professor and former department chair and director of the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Center, also in Lexington.

What is an emergent disease?

Emergent diseases are those that are recorded for the first time in a population (such as Potomac horse fever or hendra virus) or those that might have been around for a period of time, but had not been diagnosed (like mare reproductive loss syndrome or contagious equine metritis), Timoney said.

Source: TheHorse

Video: WARNING! Rough Start To Breeding Season!!

WARNING! Sheep Breeding Season Begins With A Bang! Breeding season is officially underway at Ewetopia Farms, but it didn’t exactly start the way we planned!

This vlog begins with us sorting through our rams to find the perfect match for a customer’s breeding program. What should have been routine quickly turned dangerous when one of our more nervous rams panicked. In seconds, Arnie’s knee was injured, and then I was slammed hard onto the concrete floor — both of us taken down by one ram!

Thankfully, it was just bruises, but it’s a reminder of how unpredictable and powerful mature rams can be. Once we recovered, it was time to get back to the real work — the start of breeding season.

We sorted the ewes into four breeding groups (two Suffolk and two Dorset), checking parentage as they ran through the chute, deworming those that needed it, and setting aside thinner ewes for session two of breeding season in a month’s time.This staggered approach keeps lambing organized and prevents overcrowding in the barns.

From rogue rams to the excitement of new breeding groups, this episode is full of action. Stay tuned for the next vlog, where we’ll share how we chose the rams for each group!