15. Horses Flashcards
what order are horses in?
perissodactyla
what is the scientific name of the true horse?
Equus caballus
when and where were horses domesticated?
5000 year old
e. hemisphere
evolution of horse
eohippus–> meohippus–> merychippus–> pliohippus–> equus
how many horses are there in the 2000s?
9 million
43%Recreation
29% Show
18% Rodeo, Polo, Ranching, etc.
10% Racing
what industry are horses a part of?
agriculture
sports/recreation
entertainment
breed
group with a common ancestry that resemble one another and pass similar traits to their offspring.
1 hands
4 inches
draft breed “coldblood”
origin = europe
height =14.2 to 19 Hands
Weight = 1400 to 2000 lbs
Heavy, solid, strong horses with calm temperament.
purpose = work, pulling loads
breeds:Percheron, Belgian, Clydesdale, Shire, Suffolk
light breeds “warmbloods and hotbloods”
Origin = Europe, Asia, North & South Americas
Height = 14.2 to 17.2 Hands
Weight = 900 to 1400 lbs
Purpose = Riding, driving, racing, etc.
Quarter Horse
Thoroughbred
Paint
Standardbred
which 2 light horses imported to the US have maintained in today;s horse history?
thoroughbred
arabians
ponies
Origin = Europe, Asia, North & South Americas
Height = < 14.2 hands Weight = 300 to 900 lbs
Purpose = draft, heavy-harness, or saddle type; riding, driving, racing, etc.
Shetland
Hackney
Welsh
POA’s
Miniature Horses
Height < 34 (to 38) inches
Life span = 25 to 35 years
The American Miniature Horse is a beautiful, small, well balanced horse that if all reference to size were eliminated, would have the same conformational proportions of other full sized light breeds
foul
young horse (<1 yr)
filly
female <3-4 yr
colt
male <3-4 yr
mare
female > 4yr
stallion
intact male >4yr (>5yr TB)
gelding
castrated male
donkey
long ears
short, upright mane
purpose = work animals
jack
male donkey
jennet
female donkey
hinny
offspring of stallion x jennet
mule
offspring of mare x jack
sterile
when do fillies enter their puberty?
Fillies enter puberty around their 2nd spring (@ ~15 months)
poor nutrition can delay
ponies mature earlier
Fillies are usually not bred before 2 to 3 years of age
how long is a horse gestation?
~11+ months
ave estrous cycle length
21 days (18-24 days)
Estrus
4-7 days
- Shorter at peak season = 3 days
- Estrus behavior depends on low Progesterone
Diestrus
14-15 days
what kind of breeder are horses?
Seasonally Polyestrous - Long-day Breeders
Nutrition
Monogastric
Hindgut fermenter
Continuous eater strategy
eating frequently in small
amounts and moving from place to place between
grazing.
Normally, horses graze 16-18 h/day.
are stabled/confined horses still continuous eater?
no, they become meal eaters
Generally, a horse should receive 0.75–2% of its body weight in roughage per day.
Equine Laminitis
Reluctance or inability to walk
Causes
1) Excess consumption of grain or lush pastures
2) Disease associated with sepsis or endotoxemia
3) Equine metabolic syndrome
4) Excess wt-bearing or exercise on hard surfaces.
5) Ingestion of black walnut shavings
basic coat colors
bay
black
chestnut
white
bay
Body: combination of a yellow, red, and brown
Points (lower legs, mane, and tail): black
black
black body & black points
chestnut
red bodies, manes, tails, and legs
no black anywhere
white
born white and remains white
Melanomas
Skin tumor associated with coat color in horses
Lesion = round, raised, black nodules of varying sizes
Treatment Options:
1) Surgical excision
2) Chemotherapy (intralesion)
+/- 3) Vaccine study underway at the University of Florida
Horse Slaughter
controlled by Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA)
Safeguard American Food Export Act outlawed horse slaughter operation (consuming and exporting) in the US
