According to Dr. Richard Wilkes, State Veterinarian with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Virginia horse owners have a new opportunity to travel with their horses throughout the southeastern United States for six months using the new Equine Interstate Event Permit. Effective immediately, horse owners may elect to obtain the six-month passport in lieu of a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection that is only good for 30 days.

The Fédération Equestre Internationale Equine Prohibited Substance List for 2013, which has now been approved by the FEI Bureau, will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2013.

Following a period of consultation with the National Federations, the FEI List Group held its most recent meeting during the London 2012 Paralympics and signed off on changes to the List for 2013. The changes include the addition of five new substances and other amendments.

The changes are summarized below:

After a low number of equine West Nile virus cases were reported in 2011—only 87 according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service—a significantly higher number of cases in 2012 has prompted veterinarians to reiterate the importance of vaccinations and barn management.

With one well-placed push along the sacroiliac joint, a loud popping sound ricochets from somewhere along the back of the horse’s body, inspiring a sigh of relief and instant licking and chewing.

“You’d be hard pressed to find something, short of Washington, D.C., that is more politicized than the horse show world. So really I haven’t gone far,” said Miles Hildebrand, DVM, as he steps back to survey the horse’s reaction to his adjustment.

Veterinarians Joe Davis, DVM, and Sarah Dukti, DVM, DACVS, DACVECC, from Piedmont Equine Practice in The Plains, Va., answered some of our questions about the potential risks and reactions associated with administering your own injections.

What are some of the hazards associated with giving intravenous injections?