AS104 - Final Exam Flashcards
What months are dehydration and impaction colic most concerning? Why is this?
January and February
This is because water sources can freeze
What is another way of providing extra water in your horse’s diet?
You can soak hay, roughage cubes/pellets, or beet pulp
Why should you increase the amount of roughage instead of grain in a horse’s diet during the winter?
The process of digesting forages generates a lot of warmth
What month should you consider having a fecal egg count done and why?
March
Because parasite eggs may start hatching in the pastures
What months should you be on high alert for colic, laminitis, and obesity?
April and May
Plant sugars, accumulate in some species of grasses when temperatures are cool, but skies are sunny
Fructans
What horses can fructans be dangerous to?
insulin-resistant horses
When is the safest time to graze in the spring?
In the early morning, after nights when the temperature stayed above 40 degrees F
When is the most dangerous time to graze in the spring?
in the later afternoon or evening, especially when temperatures dipped below 40 degrees F the previous night
What is the advantage to getting hay from a single source instead of several different sellers?
Consistent nutrition from bale to bale throughout the winter
When should hay be removed from the barn slowly to avoid spontaneous combustion?
If the hay is >140 degrees F
What months may horses need another fiber source to supplement the poor grazing (due to pastures turning brown and crispy)?
August and September
What month would be a good time to re-seed bare spots in pastures with cool-season grass seed?
September
What month are foals usually weaned?
October
What should you do to foals who are newly weaned?
Work to keep their stress of a diet change to a minimum
What trees are toxic to horses?
Red Maple, Oak, Eastern Black Walnut, Cherry and Plum Trees
When does a good, hard frost usually occur?
October and November
What months are a good time to deworm horses with a product that kills bots and tapeworms?
October and November
What can resurge in October and November that can affect insulin-resistant horses?
Fructans
Adjusting a horse from pasture to hay can increase the risk of ___.
impaction colic
What makes a horse’s dental structure so unique?
The tight alignment of the premolars and molars give the appearance of one chewing surface = dental arcade
What does chewing a circular motion do to feedstuff?
Reduces the particle size
What is the dental formula of the horse?
3-1-3-3 or 4
Why can horses have between 40-44 teeth?
due to wolf teeth
What do each of the numbers mean in the dental formula? 3-1-3-3(4)
3 incisors
1 canine
3 or 4 premolars
3 molars
What tooth is responsible for grasping and tearing food?
incisors
What teeth grind feedstuff and forage?
“Cheek Teeth” (pre-molars and molars)
What is the space in between the incisors and the cheek teeth? Why is it significant?
Interdental space
Significant because that is where the bit rests in the horse’s mouth
What tooth is tall and continues to erupt from the gum after forming within the jaw?
Hypsodont Tooth
What is a deciduous tooth?
Milk teeth/baby teeth
How can you tell the difference between milk teeth and adult teeth?
Milk teeth are small, white, and smooth
At what age do horses start to lose their milk teeth?
~2.5 years
What is the average growth rate of a horse’s tooth per year?
~1/8’’ per year
What are sharp enamel growth along the upper cheek teeth called?
Points
What age is a horse with oval shaped teeth?
<5 years old
What age is a horse with triangular shaped teeth?
> 15 years old
Changes in eating behavior, tilting of the head while chewing, foul-smelling breath, head shyness, objecting to bridling, weight loss, bolting of food, choking, quidding, and decreased performance can all be signs of what in a horse?
Mouth soreness
What equipment is needed to perform a deeper examination of a horse’s teeth?
Sedation, full mouth speculum, radiographs, and ultrasound
What are the two basic types of floating equipment?
Hand floats and power floats
What are the three key ingredients in a horse’s diet?
Fiber, protein, and carbohydrates
What ingredient provides maintenance energy and without the proper amount the digestive system does not work properly?
Fiber
What ingredient provides amino acids, the building blocks for the growth and repair of bones, muscles, and soft tissues?
Protein