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Jinhong Horse Breed
The Jinhong horse is an indigenous breed from Fujian Province on China's south-eastern coast, with a documented breeding history stretching back approximately a thousand years. The name derives from the Jinhong administrative region, and the breed developed in the warm, humid coastal climate distinct from the cold steppe and mountain environments that shaped most other…
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East and Southeast Anadolu
The East and Southeast Anadolu is an indigenous horse type from the Anatolian plateau of Turkey, developed through centuries of selective pressure in the harsh terrain of eastern and southeastern Anatolia. It is a small, compact riding horse, typically standing 13.2 to 14.2 hands, with a dense bone structure and hard feet adapted to rocky,…
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Dutch Tuigpaard
The Dutch Tuigpaard, known in English as the Dutch Harness Horse, is a warmblood breed developed in the Netherlands primarily for carriage driving and show harness competition. The name means literally “Dutch carriage horse,” and the breed is defined by its extravagant, high-stepping trot, a gait that prioritizes animation and knee action over ground coverage.…
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Dongola
The Dongola is a rare horse breed originating in West Africa, historically associated with the Dongola region of northern Sudan and the Cameroon highlands. It is considered one of the oldest sub-Saharan African breeds and has been used for centuries as a cavalry and transport horse across the Sahel belt. Dongola horses are tall for…
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Arthritis
Arthritis is chronic inflammation of a joint, resulting in the progressive degradation of articular cartilage and the underlying bone. In horses the condition most often affects high-load joints, the fetlock, the hock (where bone spavin forms), and the pastern articulations, where repetitive stress and concussive forces accelerate cartilage loss. Once cartilage thins, bone contacts bone,…
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Hepatitis in Horses
Hepatitis in horses is inflammation of the liver, which may result from toxin ingestion, infection, or metabolic disease; the liver can sustain severe damage before clinical signs become apparent.
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Ataxia
Ataxia is a clinical sign, not a disease, defined as the loss of voluntary coordination of muscle movement. In horses it manifests as stumbling, swaying, crossing of limbs, dragging of toes, or difficulty maintaining balance, particularly on uneven ground or when turning. The severity is graded on a 0-to-5 scale: grade 0 is normal; grade…
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Anemia
Anemia is a reduction in the number of circulating red blood cells, the concentration of hemoglobin, or both, below established normal reference ranges for horses. Because red blood cells carry oxygen bound to hemoglobin, anemia impairs the blood’s capacity to deliver oxygen to working muscles and organs. Causes in horses fall into three categories: blood…
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Anhydrosis
Anhydrosis (also spelled anhidrosis) is the failure of a horse to sweat normally, either partially or completely, despite heat load and exercise. Because evaporative sweating is a horse’s primary heat dissipation mechanism, anhydrosis is a serious thermoregulatory disorder that can cause dangerous hyperthermia during work in warm weather. The condition most commonly develops in horses…