Assignment 2 - Equine Nutrition & Health Flashcards
Mouth?
Mouth?
.The mouth is the lips, incisor and molar teeth, salivary glands, tongue and pharynx.
.The incisors tear & cut the grass, the molars grind. The saliva starts the breakdown of starch and provides the moisture to create the bolus (ball of food) for swallowing into the oesophagus.
Oesophagus & stomach?
Oesophagus & stomach?
.The oesophagus is where the food travels through to get to the stomach.
.The stomach is where the food is broken down by acids and enzymes then it’s sent to the small intestines .
Small intestine?
Small intestine?
.The small intestine is the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. The nutrients from the food are absorbed here and sent to the caecum.
.Which nutrients?
Large intestine
Large intestine?
.The large intestine starts at the caecum which is where the fibre in the diet is broken down by millions of bacteria and this process carries on through the large colon.
Small colon?
Small colon?
.The small colon is where the faeces are made and are sent to the rectum to be store.
What is a compound feed?
What is a compound feed?
.A compound feed is food that has already been mixed with feedstuff and had minerals and vitamins added to maintain the nutrient levels for horses.
.A nutritionally complete feed
Explain why water is important to the horse?
Explain why water is important to the horse?
.Water is important for the horse because the horse’s body cells need water to function properly. Water helps maintain body temperature, removes waste by urine, aids in the digestion of food and provides a base for milk in foaling mares.
.Without water the horses body will not function as normal and the horse will become dehydrated and possibly become ill from lack of water intake. If prolonged will be fatal.
What factors affect how much water the horse will drink?
What factors affect how much water the horse will drink?
.There are a lot of factors that affect how much a horse will drink. These are illness, having access to water, exercise, water in feed, water freezing over and water being very cold or stale.
.Water content in the grass, temperature e.g. hot summer.
.Contaminated water e.g. from a pond, stream or a dead bird in the trough
What action will you take if a horse shows mild signs of colic?
What action will you take if a horse shows mild signs of colic?
.If the horse is willing and the case appears mild, walk the horse gently in hand, this encourages the passing of gas & faeces which may ease or even cure the condition.
.If the symptoms persist call the vet asap.
.If safe to do so, remove the horse’s rug if they are sweating and remove water & hay in case the condition deteriorates & they start to thrash around.
Explain what attention the horse’s teeth need and why?
Explain what attention the horse’s teeth need and why?
.The horse’s teeth need to be examined by a vet every year because their teeth grow continuously and can become sharp, so they may need floating to remove the sharp edges cause by the grinding action of the molars during eating.
.Dental visit may be required for young horses having their permanent teeth come through.
.Removal of tushes (canine teeth) or wolf teeth (extra premolars).
.Unnatural tooth wear by crib biting.
.Tooth abscess and tooth removal
What problems may occur if horses are not wormed regularly?
What problems may occur if horses are not wormed regularly?
.The problems that can occur if horses are not wormed regularly are that their body will become overwhelmed by the amount of worms and the horse could develop signs like diarrhoea, anaemia, loss of appetite, weight loss, lack of condition and colic.
.With increasing worm resistance to the effect of wormers, vets recommend faecal egg counts, blood and saliva tests be undertaken first to establish if there is a worm burden that needs treating. Some worms (200 eggs per gramme of faeces) does not require treating. 500+ epg does. Only treat when needed is the new regime
What health records must be kept for each horse?
What health records must be kept for each horse?
.The health records that must be kept for each horse is their vaccinations, farrier and vet visits, medications and worming dates.
Other useful records are:
.Surgical procedures
.Allergies
.Normal resting TPR
.When the horse changed paddocks/diet etc
.The horse’s passport must be up to date and available to the vet so he can establish which medication he can give determined by the human consumption declaration within it.
