Released January 30, 2012
Every horse in the world can be traced to a single mare that trotted the earth about 130,000 to 160,000 years ago, scientists discovered for the first time.
The research identified 18 different genetic clusters that arose from the ancestral mare, suggesting that domestication occurred in many places across Europe and Asia, according to work published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The study helps pinpoint the time when humans began domesticating horses, though it was known to be after dogs, sheep, pigs and cattle. The research may also help scientists classify horse fossils, figure out the pedigree of modern breeds and perhaps evaluate how genetics affect racehorse performance, said Samantha Brooks, an assistant professor of equine genetics at Cornell University, in a telephone interview.
--continued on Businessweek, http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-30/ancestral-mother-of-all-hors...
The mare's estrus cycle is about 21 days, and she is receptive to the stallion for about 5-7 days. If she does not show interest in a stallion over the next week, she may likely be bred. The best way to determine for sure the status of your mare is to have your veterinarian preform a reproductive exam and ultrasound. If pregnant, and the foal is not wanted, an injection of prostaglandin may be given to terminate the pregnancy.
The bacteria that causes thrush in horses is also found in the mucous membranes of humans. However, it is not clear how tissue actually becomes infected. It is not really known if thrush can be transmitted from horses to humans. So, to be on the safe side, practice proper hygiene and thoroughly wash your hands with disinfectant after treating a horse with thrush. A diluted bleach solution is a great, inexpensive disinfectant that you can use for a variety of applications around your barn.
Since all eye injuries can be very serious and vision limiting, they should be treated as an emergency. Determining if a foreign body is present can be difficult to determine.
The best thing to do is call your veterinarian immediately so he/she can do a thorough eye exam. Most likely, the veterinarian will flush the eye with saline to clean it and then use Fluorescein in the eye to help see the injury. Fluorescein is an orange stain that dyes the eye green to highlight corneal damage or to detect foreign bodies in the eye. Sedation may also be necessary to fully examine all parts of the eye, especially behind the third eyelid.
