ANIMAL HUSBANDRY - Equine Husbandry Flashcards
- Passport legislation - Methods of Equine Identification
What are the five methods that can be used for horse identification?
Markings and colours
Microchip
Tattoos
Branding
Iris scanning
What are the two types of branding used for equids?
Freeze branding
Hot branding
What are the two main benefits of equine branding?
Identification
Deter theft
What does the ‘loss of use’ brand indicate? Ⓛ
The ‘loss of use’ brand shows that a horse has been deemed unfit for purpose Ⓛ
The owner of the horse will be compensated for this by their insurance company
Is equine tattooing legal in the UK?
NO, equine tattooing is illegal in the UK
In which horse industry is tattooing most commonly used?
Race horses are commonly tattooed
Where on their bodies are race horses tattooed?
Race horses are tattooed on the inside of their upper lip
What are the laws for equid identification?
Foals must be microchipped and have a passport by 6 months of age or by the 31st of December in the year of birth
(T/F) It is illegal to keep a horse without a passport
TRUE
Who is responsible for providing a horse with a passport?
It is the keepers responsibility to provide their horse with a passport
What are the laws regarding the transportation/moving of horses?
During the transportation of horses, it is mandatory that the passport should accompany the horse at all times
Where should a microchip be implanted into an equid?
A microchip should be implanted into the Nuchal ligament
What should vets always check before administering or supplying medications for an equid?
Vets should always check the passport before administering or suppling medications to an equid
Give four examples of markings that can be used to identify an equid
White markings
Whorls
Congenital abnormalities
Acquired markings (scars, brands etc.)
Why are there so few truly white horses?
The phenotype leading to a truly white horse is associated with an autosomal genetic disorder known as Lethal White Foal Syndrome
What is a Filly?
A Filly is a female equid up to four years old
What is a Colt?
A Colt is a male equid up to four years old
What is a Gelding?
A Gelding is a castrated male equid
What is a Stallion?
A Stallion in an intact male equid over four years old
What is a Mare?
A Mare is a female equid over four years old
What is a Weanling?
A Weanling is a weaned foal usually between six months and one year of age
What is a Yearling?
A Yearling is a one year old foal
What are three methods that can be used to estimate a horse’s weight?
Estimation by eye
Estimation by weigh tape
Estimation by formulae
Which piece of equipment provides an accurate value of a horse’s weight?
A platform scale
Give five examples of things that equine body condition scoring can be used to assess?
General health
Fertility in mares
Monitoring responses to medical treatment
Monitoring changes in feed intake
Ensuring adequate nutrition
What are the two equine body condition scoring methods?
0 to 5 point scale
1 to 9 point scale
Using the 0 to 5 point scale, what body condition score should a healthy equid be?
A healthy equid would have a body condition score of between 2 and 4
Using the 1 to 9 point scale, what body condition score should a healthy equid be?
A health equid would have a body condition score of between 4 and 6
What is the main benefit of the 1 to 9 point body condition scale?
The 1 to 9 point scale allows for considerable variation in the fat deposition seen in individual horses