Mick McCluskey, BVSc, MACVSc

iStock-479181997
What your horse's hair whirls and whorls may mean
Research shows that the direction of a horse's "cowlicks" provides clues to how he will behave when he spooks.
ChestnutHorseGrazing
Can you get the flu from your horse?
New research suggests equine influenza virus is zoonotic
A horse wearing a purple blanket
Training horses to choose their own blankets
Norwegian researchers have been able to teach horses to indicate their preference when it comes to blanketing.
rainrot
High-tech boost for rainrot diagnosis
Researchers say polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology can be indispensable for investigating difficult cases of rainrot..
A group of riders on a trail ride in the woods
Peer pressure leads to helmet use
Research shows that riders are more likely to be safety conscious if their fellow equestrians have similar habits and views.
Riders on horses in a field of purple flowers in Iceland
Origins of ambling horses traced
DNA analysis suggests that gaited horses were brought from the British Isles to the North Atlantic island by the Norse people.
AdobeStock_270029128
Which horse bedding harbors more bacteria?
Research reveals what bedding types have natural anti-bacterial properties.
flies on face
New fly repellent in the works
Horses bedeviled by black flies may soon find relief from an unusual source: a substance produced by badgers to ward off wasps. Technically known as a semiochemical, the substance was discovered by French...
foal and mare
Additional approval for leptospirosis vaccine
The only vaccine currently available to protect horses from leptospirosis recently received additional approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in mares in all three trimesters of pregnancy....
yawn
Nothing boring about yawning
A yawn can signal something other than boredom or drowsiness, it may mean a horse is frustrated or unhappy.
A pile of equine grain, pellets and corn
What's at the root of insulin resistance?
It's long been know that obese horses are more likely to develop insulin resistance. Now we may know why.
drooling001
An easier test for tapeworms
In the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, a simple saliva test can now be used to identify tapeworm infections in horses.