equine research and information
Comment and opinion.
It would be unreasonable to ignore the previous thousands and even millions of years during which equid ancestors played major roles in North American life, writes ecologist Craig Downer.
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The career of veterinarian, researcher and Professor Emeritus Dr Robert Cook has focused entirely on the equine ear, nose and throat. He makes a strong case for allowing bit-free riding in all horse sports.
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“Much like throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks, they continue to pitch mistruths and diversions … in an attempt to get something to stick in the minds of lawmakers, judges, and policymakers.”
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Armande Leone, Jr looks at why equitation trainers are turning out “robot” horses and how the animals are paying a physical and mental price for these rides.
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Travelling to local and regional horse shows on weekends was once the backbone of equestrian sport in the United States, but it is becoming harder for farms to host horse-related events in rural areas.
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Munarbek Kuldanbaev is a breeder of spotted horses in Kyrgystan, where the breed is known as “Chaar”. Here, he outlines his vision for the Chaar and its importance to the region’s culture and heritage.
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Restoring the true intent of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act is a worthy goal whose time has come now. The herds need to be restored to genetically viable levels in corresponding habitats to enable long-term viability.
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Wildlife ecologist Craig C Downer outlines how and why, on its 50th anniversary, the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act must be restored.
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The so-called “Path Forward” plan presently adopted by BLM and USFS is, in my professional opinion as a wild-horse ecologist, a “wipeout” plan, in that it “wipes out” generations of natural adaptation to the particular ecosystems from which these equines came.
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The showjumping in the women’s modern pentathlon had all the appearances of a contest between horse and rider, instead of between competitors.
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Trails and pathways once forged by horses in New Zealand are becoming “horse unfriendly” as the government funds new “shared pathways” for walkers and cyclists, leaving equestrians out.
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Armand Leone on the showjumping rules for the Olympics: “Falling off and getting back on is largely what horsemanship is all about.”
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Any trainer still tempted to flout the ban on milkshaking would be endangering their horses and risking sanctions over a practice that is basically snake oil, researchers say.
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Mankind and all of our technology cannot duplicate the symbiotic value that wild horses provide to plants and grasses on remote wildfire-prone wilderness landscapes.
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According to one scholar, “there is scant evidence of fire in much of Australia until the megafauna disappeared after the humans arrived”.
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A point of continuing concern for many in the industry is whether SARS-CoV-2 is capable of infecting and perhaps causing disease in horses.
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The use of the contraceptive agent PZP can seriously compromise the natural adaptation of wild horses. This subverts the true intent of the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act, passed in 1971 to safeguard the animals, writes Craig Downer.
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Renowned wildlife ecologist Craig Downer questions the latest plan put forward by the US Senate seeking a reduction in wild horses and burro numbers.
Read moreEven enterprises as large as the global racing industry cannot assume a guaranteed future.
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Professor Bob Cook proposes a solution to the spate of catastrophic breakdowns in US racing.
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