Marian Placci Medico Veterinario

06/06/2026

You examine a horse for “poor performance,” but the real problem turns out to be vision the owner never realized was deteriorating.

That’s what makes equine eye disease difficult in practice. Horses compensate incredibly well until the signs become obvious, and by then, some cases are already much harder to manage.

Subtle head shaking, reluctance to move into dark spaces, spookiness, or clumsy behavior can be easy to dismiss if you’re not actively thinking about vision.

A lot of equine veterinarians learn this the hard way after seeing how quickly some eye conditions progress once discomfort starts.

These are the early warning signs worth paying closer attention to in practice.

Follow for more equine veterinary insights!

03/06/2026

🦠 La rabbia non appartiene al passato.

Il recente caso confermato in Veneto ci ricorda che alcune malattie che consideravamo lontane possono tornare a rappresentare un rischio concreto anche nel nostro Paese.

L'Italia è indenne da rabbia da oltre dieci anni, ma l'introduzione di animali provenienti da aree dove la malattia è ancora presente può mettere a rischio animali, persone e intere comunità.

💉 Perché la vaccinazione antirabbica è ancora importante?

✈️ Quando è consigliabile vaccinare il proprio animale?

🐶 Quali rischi comportano le importazioni irregolari di cani provenienti da Paesi extra UE?

📖 Nel nostro ultimo approfondimento analizziamo il caso e ricordiamo l'importanza della prevenzione, della responsabilità e del rispetto delle norme sanitarie.

La salute pubblica si protegge anche attraverso scelte consapevoli.

👉 Leggi l'articolo completo
https://sivelp.it/rabbia-una-malattia-che-non-appartiene-al-passato/

30/05/2026

⚠️ CASO CONFERMATO DI RABBIA in un cane importato illegalmente dal Marocco ⚠️

https://www.aulss2.veneto.it/Caso-di-rabbia-canina-a-Vittorio-Veneto-avviate-le-indagini-epidemiologiche-Tutti-i-cani-e-i-gatti-dovranno-essere-vaccinati?fbclid=IwdGRjcASIKzNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeRA9tiZHRrtdYlqcDNUTK5rRbQgEiw9vi4rNSEO2ov85Y5cxBYbm3pbcTLCQ_aem_nPY5tmh_aLcp7e50YFsF6A

(n. 97/2026) Mercoledì 27 maggio è stato rilevato un caso di rabbia in un cane meticcio di proprietà di una cittadina italiana residente nel comune di Vittorio Veneto, in località San Giacomo di Veglia. Il caso è stato segnalato da una clinica veterinaria, dove l’animale era stato portato a c...

22/05/2026

As the temperatures rise and the sun stays out longer, make sure your equine friends are adequately protected from harmful UV rays. ☀️

Hot summer weather puts horses at risk not only for dehydration and heat stress but also the skin damage and discomfort that accompany a sunburn— just like humans.

A lot of equestrians love some chrome on a horse, but it's important to remember that those beautiful white markings and the non-pigmented pink skin underneath are more likely to suffer from sunburn, especially in areas where the skin is more sensitive — like around the eyes and the nostrils.

In addition to the pain and discomfort, horses that are prone to recurrent sunburn may also face other long-term consequences, like the increased likelihood of developing squamous cell carcinoma (a common cancer).

If your horse is susceptible to sunburn, contact your veterinarian for more information about sun damage and recommendations to keep your equine protected this summer.

22/05/2026

09/05/2026

RAVENNA CAPOSTIPITE NELLA FIRMA DEL PROTOCOLLO DI INTESA TRA GLI ORDINI SANITARI

01/05/2026

Balancing pressure and reward...should we rethink reinforcement in horse training?

Equine industry stakeholders have raised concerns about training practices that may affect the welfare of domestic horses. Many common training methods are based on tradition and may not always align with current understanding of equine behaviour, cognition, and natural needs.

At a time when equestrianism’s social licence is under increasing scrutiny, it is important to review what is known about behaviour modification in horses and identify gaps in the evidence.

Unlike training in many other animal species, horse training largely relies on negative reinforcement (NR), where a behaviour increases because an aversive stimulus (such as pressure) is removed. In practice, this typically involves pressure-release cues, where pressure is applied and released when the horse performs the desired behaviour.

Positive reinforcement (PR), where a desirable stimulus is added to increase the likelihood of a behaviour occurring again, offers several advantages in animal training. This has led to interest in whether combining PR and NR could offer the benefits of reward-based training while still accommodating the practical realities of riding.

This review examines the current evidence on combined reinforcement in horse training and compares it with approaches based solely on positive or negative reinforcement.

The authors highlight inconsistencies in how different types of reinforcement are described in the literature. In some cases, studies described as using positive reinforcement also include elements of negative reinforcement, which can make results difficult to interpret.

As a result, understanding of combined reinforcement remains limited, and further research is needed to clarify how reward-based approaches can be effectively incorporated into horse training, including during ridden work.

A key limitation is the small and inconsistent evidence base, with limited equine-specific studies.

You can read this paper here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159125002163

01/05/2026

Il lavoro non è solo ciò che facciamo: è responsabilità, competenza, cura e servizio alla collettività.

Una comunità giusta si riconosce dalla capacità di dare valore, tutela e dignità a chi contribuisce ogni giorno al bene comune.

Nel 1° maggio, FNOVI rinnova il proprio impegno per la dignità, la tutela e la valorizzazione del lavoro medico veterinario.

Buon 1° maggio a tutti i medici veterinari.

26/04/2026

I raggi solari sono fondamentali per il funzionamento corretto di alcuni meccanismi metabolici del nostro corpo e di quello degli animali; ma un esposizione non controllata può avere effetti dannosi.