For more than 50 years, Michael Muir (yes, the great-grandson of conservationist John Muir) has been breeding horses with the help of the UC Davis veterinary hospital’s Equine Field Service and Equine Reproduction Service. His unique breed of the Stonewall Sporthorse wins national and international competitions--as well as the hearts of those who find a new lease on life from the therapy they provide.
A somewhat mysterious, sometimes fatal muscle-related disease in Quarter Horses is getting a little clearer. Researchers recently determined that immune-mediated myositis (IMM) is due to a genetic mutation encoding a protein that’s expressed in adult equine muscle.
Doug Herthel, DVM, passed away July 11, 2018. Dr. Herthel, 71, earned his undergraduate degree from UC Davis and was a member of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) Class of 1971. It was at UC Davis where he met his wife, Sue. Shortly after completing his DVM studies, Dr. and Mrs. Herthel founded what would become the Alamo Pintado Equine Medical Center in Los Olivos, California.
Preventing injuries in racing and performance horses is a priority for owners, trainers and the professionals who take care of them, not only for the horses’ welfare and well-being, but also for the longevity of their careers.
John, an 11-year-old American Quarter Horse gelding, and his owner/rider Doug Parker worked for years to qualify for the World Series of Team Roping in Las Vegas. Just before that became a reality in 2016, however, John was stricken with botulism, a toxic poisoning that had already killed one of his stablemates. Mr. Parker, who knew the World Series was now out of the question, raced to the UC Davis veterinary hospital to save John’s life.
