Biosecurity should be a year-round concern for any farm, equine competition venue or other location in which horses are kept, but recent outbreaks of communicable diseases around the world have horsemen on heightened alert. More recently, an outbreak of equine influenza in an active training yard prompted the cancellation of racing at tracks throughout Britain. [...]

We've all heard the saying “You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink.” Horses have to be thirsty in order to consume water, and the lynchpin in that scenario is salt. Dehydration in horses–or any animal–can quickly escalate from mild to catastrophic. Their internal environment is water-based, and salt is [...]

As we embark on a new year full of hope and promise, 'tis the season for early mornings, sleepless nights and seemingly endless anticipation for those in the breeding industry. Those tasked with helping the next generation of equine athletes enter this world go to great lengths to be on-hand when each foal is born [...]

Microchipping is quickly becoming the global industry standard for equine identification, especially those being used for competition purposes. The FEI (the International Equestrian Federation–the international governing body of equestrian sports) began integrating microchips into the registration and identification process of horses competing internationally in 2013, and countries such as Australia, Germany, France, Great Britain, Ireland [...]

What could be that difficult about breeding? You select a stallion that suits the mare and your goals, breed your mare, then keep her fed and watered for 11 months until you're rewarded with a healthy foal. If only it were that simple. There are many reasons a mare can prove difficult to get into [...]

Whenever horses–or those stabled around them–are transported from one location to another, it presents an opportunity for the transport and proliferation of disease-causing agents. For Thoroughbreds, travel is often a regular occurrence, whether it be for competition, training, sale or breeding. Add to that the fact that many of the horses with whom they are [...]

A new restaurant in Lexington is combining good food and an admirable mission to make a difference in people's lives. DV8 Kitchen, which opened its doors in August this past year, offers inspired and mouth-watering breakfast and lunch offerings, many of which are crafted using their scratch-made breads and biscuits and locally-sourced ingredients. What sets [...]

This past weekend stallion farms, veterinary hospitals, aftercare organizations and other Thoroughbred-related businesses welcomed visitors from around Central Kentucky during Horse Country's second annual Meet the NEIGHbors weekend, which offered complimentary tours at 24 of their member locations. The event, which drew 1,500 visitors Saturday and Sunday, gave locals the opportunity to learn about their [...]