Genetic diseases can cause significant emotional and financial stress, and the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) is committed to educating owners and breeders about inherited conditions so they can make informed breeding decisions. The American Quarter Horse Foundation (AQHF) provides funding for a wide range of research projects, having granted more than $12 million in support of equine research to date. Genetics research accounts for 20 percent of that total, with 53 projects funded at 12 universities.

Horses are very proficient sweaters, making them some of the most efficient animals at cooling themselves — but they are still at risk for heat stress. There are many ways we can help them sidestep this risk as the temperatures heat up. Below, I’ll cover diminished electrolytes, groups of horses at greater risk, signs of heat stress, and tips to keep your horses safe. 

Everybody loves to see a donkey! With their large fuzzy ears and soulful eyes, they naturally tug at the heartstrings of horse lovers everywhere. Donkeys were first domesticated in Africa around 3000 BC. They evolved in desert areas and, consequently, developed as browsers that can adapt to poor quality feed and irregular water supplies. Their easygoing nature and hardiness made them ideal as beasts of burden in the hotter, drier parts of the world. Coming in a variety of sizes, donkeys and their hybrid offspring, mules and hinnies, range anywhere from Miniature donkeys of less than 35 inches in height all the way up to Mammoth Jack donkeys that can exceed 15 hands.

If you have ever evaluated your horse’s ration or tried to calculate an appropriate dose of dewormer for a growing horse, you will know that accurate estimation of your horse’s body weight is important for meaningful results. While we all know that a mechanical or digital scale is probably the best way to evaluate the weight of your horse, not many of us have convenient access to one. Horse owners do have access to other tools for estimating the body weight of their horses. Weight tapes, for example, are inexpensive and readily obtainable at most feed stores.