Animal Husbandry: Horses

Question 1

What are 3 ethological requirements of semi-feral horses

Answer 1

1. Live in social groups
2. Travel up to 65-80km a day
3. Forage for around 16hrs a day

Question 2

What are the 3 Fs

Answer 2

The ethological requirements of horses
1. Friends
2. Forage
3. Freedom

Question 3

What is post-inhibitory rebound

Answer 3

When an animal performs a behavior in excess after it has been restricted

Question 4

What is learned helplessness

Answer 4

A depression like state (apathy)

Question 5

What are abnormal repetitive behaviors characterized by

Answer 5

1. Repetitive
2. Relatively fixed in pattern
3. Apparently functionless

Question 6

Describe windsucking & cribbing

Answer 6

Grasps fixed object with incisors, arches its neck and rocks back on hind quarters, may make a grunting sound

Question 7

Define a herd of horses

Answer 7

One or more bands (plus loners) that live in close proximity

Question 8

Define a band of horses

Answer 8

A group of 5 horses (average)

Question 9

What is a hareem of horses

Answer 9

1 stallion with 3-4 mares + offspring

Question 10

What is weaving

Answer 10

When the horse rocks their head from side to side while standing in one spot

Question 11

List 5 common abnormal repetitive behaviours

Answer 11

1. Windsucking
2. Repetitive licking
3. Excessive wood chewing
4. Weaving
5. Box walking

Question 12

Which colors can horses not distinguish

Answer 12

Green from red

Question 13

How far can horses detect sound for

Answer 13

Over 4km away

Question 14

Which structure in the nasal passage of horses is used to detect pheromones and gather information

Answer 14

The vomeronasal organ

Question 15

What are the 4 tastes that horses have

Answer 15

Salt, sour, sweet and bitter

Question 16

Which area of the horse is extremely sensitive

Answer 16

The muzzle

Question 17

Describe valence vs arousal

Answer 17

Valence: if an animal is feeling happy or sad
Arousal: measures the level of alertness and the intensity of emotion

Question 18

Horses have a __ long term memory, and a __ short term memory

Answer 18

Great long term
Poor short term

Question 19

What are the two branches of learning theory

Answer 19

Non-associative and associative learning

Question 20

What are two types of non-associative learning and what is the difference between the two

Answer 20

Habituation (learning not to react) and sensitization (learning to react)

Question 21

What is classical conditioning

Answer 21

Making an association between two unrelated stimuli

Question 22

What is operant conditioning

Answer 22

Where you get the behavior that you reinforce

Question 23

Reinforcing a behavior makes it ___ and punishment makes it ___

Answer 23

More likely
Less likely

Question 24

Define positive punishment

Answer 24

Adding something aversive to make a behavior less likely

Question 25

What is the general area allowance for grass kept horses

Answer 25

1 hectare per horse

Question 26

Why do donkey's require shelter in poor weather

Answer 26

They don't grow winter coats

Question 27

What is the cheapest form of bedding for horses

Answer 27

Straw

Question 28

What is the goal of a track system for horses

Answer 28

Create more movement mimicking horses natural lifestyle

Question 29

What is the goal of an equicentral system for horses

Answer 29

Sustainable horse keeping and land management where the horse is part of the ecosystem

Question 30

List 5 examples of UK plants poisonous to horses

Answer 30

Ragwort, oak tree, buttercup, privet, and sycamore

Question 31

List 3 things you would do to set up a stall for a hospitalized case

Answer 31

Make sure there is dust free, comfortable bedding Use an anti-weave bar the horse can look over Provide a mirror, or feed ball and licks

Question 32

List 2 disadvantages of a track system

Answer 32

Risk of injury to horses, takes time for the horses to adjust

Question 33

List 2 disadvantages of an equicentral system

Answer 33

Risk of laminitis from binge eating, high human workload

Question 34

What is the general size of a loos box for a horse

Answer 34

12ft x 14ft

Question 35

List 3 areas you would look at to assess the BCS of a horse

Answer 35

1. Neck 2. Ribs 3. Tailhead

Question 36

Describe how the energy is used/released in the body for different energy sources for horses

Answer 36

1. Fiber - slow release 2. Starch - instant energy 3. Oil - slow release

Question 37

List order these feeds in order of starch content from high to low: barely, maize and oats

Answer 37

1. Oats 2. Barely 3. Maize

Question 38

Why is processing mix feeds important in horses

Answer 38

It improves the digestibility of cereals, particularly in the SI

Question 39

What is the nutritional difference between wheat bran and sugar beet pulp

Answer 39

Wheat bran has a poor nutritional value and is low in calcium Sugar beet pulp is high in fiber and is high in calcium

Question 40

How much of their body weight will the average horse eat in a day

Answer 40

2% of their bodyweight

Question 41

What is the gestation period of a horse

Answer 41

11 months

Question 42

List the ratio of forage to supplementary feed for: light work horses, moderate work horses, heavy work horses, and very heavy work horses

Answer 42

Light: 80% forage Medium: 60-70% Heavy: 50-60% Very heavy: Min. 50%

Question 43

How many inches are in a hand

Answer 43

4 inches

Question 44

A horse is any equine above __ hands

Answer 44

14.2 hh

Question 45

How do you indicate a whorl on a horse passport

Answer 45

A small x

Question 46

What colors of pens do you use on a horse passport for white markings, and then everything else

Answer 46

White: red pen Everything else: black pen

Question 47

What is prophet's thumb mark

Answer 47

A muscular depression (usually in the neck)

Question 48

What is wall-eye

Answer 48

When there is a lack of pigmentation in the iris