horse news stories on Newser

24 Horses Die on US Racetracks ... Each Week

Kate Schwartz — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 16:09:05 CDT

If the extent of your horse-racing knowledge starts with the Kentucky Derby and ends with mint juleps, the New York Times' look at the deadly sport is both an eye-opening and jarring read. It reports that an average of 24 horses die every single week on the country's racetracks. Most...

Horse Slaughterhouses Could Soon Rise Again

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:18:36 CST

When Congress passed a spending bill earlier this month to keep the government from shutting down, it quietly lifted a funding ban on horse meat inspections—meaning horses can once again be butchered in the US for human consumption, and slaughterhouses could open within 30 to 90 days. The US...

Angry Bees Kill Horse

Mary Papenfuss — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 02:42:00 CDT

A horse was killed and his owner seriously hurt when swarms of angry bees attacked them in southern California yesterday. The man asked someone to check on his horse as he was being treated in a Riverside emergency room for numerous bee stings. Animal service workers were dispatched to the...

Deadly Horse Virus Spreads Quickly in West

Luke Kelly-Clyne — Sat, 21 May 2011 14:06:05 CDT

A mutant strain of a common horse virus has resulted in the deaths of seven animals and appears to be spreading quickly in Western states, the Wall Street Journal reports. The USDA reports suspected or confirmed cases of Equine Herpes Virus-1 at 42 stables or farms across 18 states. (The...

Kentucky Derby: Root for the Horse With No Balls

Kevin Spak — Fri, 06 May 2011 13:30:23 CDT

Looking for a rooting interest at Sunday’s Kentucky Derby? Well, you should be cheering for Comma To The Top, argues Edward McClelland of Slate , for one simple reason: "He can’t produce sperm." Which means he’ll be able to race for another three years. “If early favorite Dialed In wins, he’ll...

No Happy Trails for Kentucky Derby Horses

Kevin Spak — Fri, 06 May 2011 12:25:05 CDT

You might imagine that the horses who run in tomorrow’s Kentucky Derby live lives of "pampered luxury." But you’d be wrong, writes Marlene Fanta Shyer in the Christian Science Monitor . “The truth is often closer to years of abuse and a brutal end at a foreign slaughterhouse.” The vast majority...

Brit Racetrack First to Ban Whipping

Rob Quinn — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 03:21:05 CDT

The whip is on the way out at Britain's Towcester racecourse. Bosses at the course, one of the country's toughest, will require riders to stick to the "head and heels" system, in which the whip can only be used for steering. "It is the Towcester board’s view that the public...

Mini Horse Gets Fake Leg

Rob Quinn — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:59:51 CDT

A miniature horse has a new leg and a new lease on life thanks to a Texas horse rescue group and a company that usually makes prosthetic limbs for people. Midnite, who was born missing a portion of his rear right leg, arrived at Ranch Hand Rescue after law enforcement...

Amish Buggy Drag Race Results in Accident, Ticket

Sauerkraut — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:50:25 CDT

The driver of an Amish buggy racing another to church has been ticketed after the race caused an accident on a county road in Ashland, Ohio. Jacob Raber was alongside the other buggy when he had to swerve to avoid an approaching car, say police. He clipped the car, though...