This article contains news pertaining to the alumni of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

This article contains news pertaining to the students and faculty of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

A 16 month old hereford bull having a history of frequent fighting came into the ISU Clinic showing lameness in the right front leg. What's your diagnosis?

There has always been a great deal of interest in efficient reproductive practices in equine breeding. Proper breeding time is best determined by assessing hormonal levels in the mare but as these are not readily measurable in most equine breeding operations the outward signs of estrus are utilized as practical substitutes. It is therefore necessary to understand the hormonal levels which characterize estrus if one desires to increase breeding efficiency by altering the mare's reproductive cycle.

Although we find a wide range of estrous cycling patterns, the mare is usually considered seasonally polyestrous - cycling only during certain seasons of the year. In the natural state. the seasonal breeding was advantageous to the survival of the foals as they were born during the spring and summer with moderate temperatures and adequate food supply.