Equine Flashcards
What grass content do wild horses eat?
Over 80%
How many hours per day are horses turned out for in the summer?
13-16 hours
How large must a stable be?
Large enough for the horse to lie down
Why is ventilation very important in stables?
Often too warm, esp summer
What % of stabled horses show weaving, cribbing, box walking?
10-40%
What happens to stereotypes if horses fed at different times?
Increase
What are two problems with overgrazing?
Ingestion of poisonous plants, increased worm burden
In which horses is self-mutilation mainly documented in?
Stallions
Why are horses unlikely to pass on stereotypical behaviours?
Because they are a response to the environment
What two problems cause crib biting?
High concentrates, lack of forage
What should you do at vetting to check crib biting?
Check incisors
How is crib biting related to gastric ulcers?
Can lead to or be caused by
Why is crib biting reinforcing to the horse?
Causes dopamine release
What are two problems with crib collars?
Don’t address primary cause, lead to increased cortisol
What five problems are obesity linked to?
Laminitis, EMS, hyperinsulinaemia, osteochondrosis, osteoarthritis
How many times more likely are obese horses with insulin resistance to suffer laminitis?
10
Which breeds are predisposing to obesity?
Native ponies
By how much should you reduce DMI to get horses to lose weight?
1.5% body weight
Why should you not abruptly starve ponies?
Hyperlipaemia
How can you increase feeding time?
Feeding balls, hang hay net
Which oral chemical restraint can you use?
ACP tablets
Which kind of handling do foals respond well to?
Tight handling in sight of the mother
How can you train needle phobic horses?
Clicker training
Who makes the laws for horse transport?
EC
Why is there increased risk of respiratory disease during transport?
Head held higher
What may be an advantage of facing horses backwards?
May be able to balance better
What are six ways you can help a horse that is nervous to load?
Use shallow ramps, have a companion, make the trailer bright, try a mirror, sedatives, practice sessions
What two things must trailers have adequate ventilation for?
Exhaust emissions and ammonia
What are three ways of dealing with frightening stimuli?
Habituation, desensitisation, counter-conditioning
Which is most useful out of the three training methods?
Desensitisation
What is donkey heart rate like?
Very low, even in pain
How do donkeys show pain?
Dull/depressed
What is NSAID dose like in donkeys?
High (very)
Why does whip use increase injury rate?
Tired horse
How does race position affect fall risk?
Risk increases with decreasing race position
How can training reduce race injuries?
Strengthens bone
What are three common problems with dressage?
Back issues, SDF tendonitis, proximal suspensory ligament desmitis
What is Rollkur?
Hyperflexion of the neck
Which two organisations have banned Rollkur?
FEI and Swiss law
Why does Rollkur increase fear response?
Restricts visual field
What problem is Rollkur particularly linked to?
Fetlock hyperextension
What does a running martingale do?
Prevents horse raising head above angle of control, encourages it to stretch forward and down during lunging
What is the problem with a running martingale?
Can be too tight
What does a standing martingale do?
Acts on noseband to pull head down
What is the problem with a standing martingale?
Severe, not suitable for jumping
What do side reigns do?
Encourage horse to stretch forward and down during lunging
What can be a problem with side reigns?
Can be too tight
What can tightening of the nose band be used for?
To increase confidence
But what is a problem with tightening the nose band?
Can be painful
What four conditions are endurance racing associated with?
Hyperthermia and dehydration, musculoskeletal injuries, myopathies
What four conditions are associated with cross country?
SDF tendonitis, fetlock/stifle injuries, P1 fractures, back problems
What 8 things must an equine welfare assessment include?
Environment, history, nutrition, attitude/demeanor, BCS, clinical exam, dynamic exam, samples
What must you do with samples during a welfare assessment?
Give duplicates to the owner
What are three problems working horses often show?
Lameness, muscle strain, poorly fitting tack
Which alternative therapies are good?
ACPAT physiotherapists and acupuncturists
When is potassium chloride euthanasia only suitable?
Under GA
What are two advantages of euthanasia by injection over shooting?
No noise, looks better
What is one disadvantage of euthanasia by injection over shooting?
Slower if debilitated
What is an advantage of euthanasia by shooting over injection?
Cheaper
Who uses euthanasia by shooting?
Hunt kennels
What is forage high in?
Moisture
What are cereals high in?
Starch
Why do domestic horses need mineral supplementation?
Wild ones eat soil
Which feeds do horses use very efficiently?
Hay and roughage
What is horse mastication like?
Intense
What size are most hay particles with horses?
<1mm
What is the horse stomach capacity?
5-15L
Why must you starve overnight for gastroscopy?
Stomach rarely empty
What amount should you tube in a horse?
5-8L
Where is enzymatic digestion in the horse?
Duodenum and jejunum
Where is fermentation in the horse?
Caecum and large colon
What three bad habits are linked to decreased blood glucose or gut fill?
Wood chewing, coprophagy, bed eating
What kind of diets are associated with decreased blood glucose or gut fill?
High concentrates
What’s a problem with high starch diet?
Severe fluctuations in glucose and insulin
Do concentrates or roughage produce more saliva?
Roughage
What should you give a horse that requires more energy?
Oil/fibre
Why should you use oil/fibre rather than starch to provide energy?
These reduce the behavioural need to forage, increase satiety and reduce acid load
What does of oil should you use?
1ml/kg
What is the behavioural advantage of increasing fat in the diet?
Reduced spontaneous locomotion and activity
What are two advantages of feeding foals high fat and starch?
Spent longer grazing and were less stressed
Why do horses prefer stables with multiple forages?
Mimics wild
What % of ration by weight should roughage be?
50%
What % of body weight should forage or forage substitutes be?
1.5-2%
What % of body weight is the average max daily DMI?
2.5-3%
Which BCS scale goes 0-5?
Huntingdon and Carroll
How many points does the cresty neck BCS scale have?
5
How can you calculate horse body weight if you don’t have scales?
girth x 2 x length/11800
How do you work out length of a horse?
Point of shoulder to tuber ischii
For how much of pregnancy is maintenance adequate?
Until the last 90 days
What does maintenace increase by during months 9, 10, 11?
1.11, 1.13, 1.2
What should you increase maintenance by in pleasure horses?
1.2x
What should you increase maintenance by in performance horses?
1.4x
What should you increase maintenance by in high work horses?
1.9x
For which horses is protein quality important for?
Growing, lactating, working
Feeding which foods is usually adequate protein for horses?
Good quality forage and concentrates
What % protein do growing horses need (of the total ration)?
14-16%
What % protein do mature horses need (of the total ration)?
8-10%
What % protein do pregnant horses need (of the total ration)?
10-11%
What % protein do lactating horses need (of the total ration)?
12-14%
What is geriatric protein requirement like?
Same as young as long as liver and kidneys are adequate
How many more times as dense is oil compared to concentrates?
Twice
How easily is oil digested?
Easily
Which 6 types of horses should you give oil to?
Old, poor doers, high level of work, skin conditions, allergic airway disease, colic
Why is oil good for gastric ulcers?
Reduces starch and delays emptying
What is one problem with oil?
Can cause loose faeces
What should you supplement oil with?
Vitamin E
Which oil is best?
Linseed
Why is coconut oil bad?
No omega 3, high inflammatory
How much water per 100kg body weight do horses need?
5L
Which horses have the lowest Ca and P requirement?
Mature
When are Ca and P requirement the greatest?
Growth, last 1/3 pregnancy, lactation
What should the Ca:P ratio be?
1.5 : 1
If there is a renal function issue, what is the highest Ca should be?
10% total ration
What amount of potassium do horses require?
0.5g/kg
What % potassium do most roughages contain?
Greater than 1%
How much do lactation and sweating increase potassium needs by?
1.8x
How must salt loss can heavy sweating cause?
30g loss in 1-2 hours
How do horses get themselves the correct salt level?
Seek when needed, rarely consume in excess
How do you provide salt to horses?
Salt blocks
What can you give to diarrhea patients to get their salt levels up?
Water buffet
What is iron supplementation like in most horses?
Over-supplemented
What is NOT an indicator for iron supplementation?
Low PCV
How does extra iron affect RBC production?
Does not
When should you only supplement iron?
If blood loss is significant
Why can iron be toxic to young foals?
Difficult to excrete
Which other minerals can iron interfere with the absorption of?
Zn, Cu
If sub-clinical iron toxicity or deficiency more common?
Sub-clinical toxicity
What does low typtophan cause in rats?
Anxiety
What effect does high tryptophan possible have in horses?
Calming
What is tryptophan sold for in horses?
Calmer
What other things does ProKalm include?
Magnesium, B vitamins, amino acids, herbs
What effect does valerian have in humans?
Sedative
What effect does valerian have in pigs?
Reduces HR in response to behavioural stress
Who has banned valerian?
FEI
What is osteoarthritis a common cause of?
Lameness
What six ways can you treat osteoarthritis?
Intra-articular steroids, polysulphated GAGs, hyaluronic acid injections, NSAIDs, farriery, joint fusion
Which two ingredients are common in joint supplements?
Glucosamine and chondroitin
What are polyunsaturated fatty acids given for?
Lubricate joints and stabilise cell membranes
What are the only two examples of joint supplements working?
Omega-3 in dogs and biotin for hooves
Why can x-rays be unhelpful for joints?
Hard to correlate x-ray severity and level of pain the horse is in
What is bioavailability of glucosamine and chondroitin?
Poor - 2-30%
What three conditions are altered microbiota associated with?
Colitis, colic, laminitis
What are three treatments for altered microbiota?
Prebiotics, probiotics, faecal transfaunation
What is evidence for probiotics like?
Lacking
What can turmeric improve in humans?
Improves mobility in human OA
What is the average dose of turmeric fed?
24-60g
How does turmeric dose affect the effect?
Doesn’t
What is serum protein albumin useful for?
Reflects protein status and intake
What is serum protein albumin like in severe inflammation?
Low as it is an acute phase protein
What 5 diseases in serum protein albumin low in?
Liver disease, protein losing enteropathy, parasitism, blood loss, protein losing nephropathy
What is serum protein albumin like in dehydration?
Elevated
What two things could cause age-related changes in digestibility?
Dental disease or parasite management
What is the most common geriatric problem?
Weight loss
Which three things is it good to increase in an older horse’s diet?
Crude protein, vegetable oil, additional fibre
How can you improve starch digestibility?
Treat grains
Why should you avoid legumes in old horses?
Reduce P consumption so give no more than 1% calcium
Which supplements should you give if oil is added?
Vitamin C and E
Under what conditions should you especially supplement vitamin C and E?
Chronic infections
What are five signs of dental disease?
Weight loss, halitosis, quidding, choke, food packing
What % of horses above 20 years old have dental disease?
60%
Which length grass is better for mild dental disease?
Long
Old horses can cope well even if which teeth are bad?
Incisors
What happens if you give severe dental disease cases long fibre?
Packs into spaces
Which three feeds are useful for severe dental disease with oil added?
Hay pellets, alfalfa cubes, soaked sugar beet
What should you do to feeding frequency in dental disease?
Increase
Proper name for Cushing’s?
PPID - pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction
Five signs of cushings diease?
PUPD, pot bellied, sweating, laminitis, patchy hair
What drug do you treat Cushing’s with?
Pergolide
What is a disadvantage of Pergolide?
May have an adverse effect on appetite
Why should you lower carb intake even in thin Cushing’s horses?
Laminitis risk even if thin
What disease is EMS similar to?
T2D
Where is the regional adiposity often found in EMS horses?
Cresty neck
What should you test in a blood test for EMS?
Glucose and insulin
Which kind of horses almost definitely have EMS?
Fat horses with laminitis
Which diet is best for EMS horses?
Low starch, high calorie
What can you add to the diet in EMS horses?
Oils or fibre-beet
When are the fructans in the grass lowest?
Early/late in the day
What increases the fructans in the grass?
Frost
What should be the maximum CHO in the diet of an EMS horse?
10%
What can you use for fibre in EMS horses?
Low calorie chaff
What should you reduce forage to in EMS horses?
1.25-1.5% body weight
What kind of grazing should you use at turnout for EMS horses?
Zero grazing
Is chronic low grade liver disease or acute liver failure more common?
Chronic low grade
How much liver function can be lost before clinical signs?
60-70%
What parameter should you check in a sunburnt horse?
Liver function
Why should you feed glycaemic CHO (corn, molassed beet pulp) to liver disease horses?
Lower capacity for gluconeogenesis
Why should you avoid fat in liver disease horses?
Liver involved in fat metabolism
Which supplements should you avoid in liver disease?
Iron
Which multivitamins should you esecially give in liver disease?
B and fat soluble (A, D, E, K)
Why should you lower protein in liver disease?
Reduce ammonia production
When may a horse need more protein if it has liver disease?
Muscle wastage
What feeds should you avoid in liver disease?
Wheat and oats
What feeds are good in liver disease?
Corn, beet pulp, wheat bran
What are three names given to a group of muscle disorders?
Rhabdomyolysis/ERS/tying up
What is exertional rhabdomyolysis?
Exercise-associated muscle damage
What causes recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis?
Inherited abnormality
What should you do to diet in recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis?
Increase fat, reduce starch
What is the integral part of the management of recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis?
Diet
What is PSSM?
Glucose storage disorder
What predisposes to PSSM?
Genetics
What should you do to diet in PSSM?
High fibre, lower starch and sugar
What should you give as an ebergy source in PSSM?
Oil/fat
How often should you exercise in PSSM?
Daily
What % of body mass should you give in dry matter daily to achieve weight loss without hyperlipaemia?
1.25%
What are two ways of prolonging eating times?
Feed balls or hay nets
What’s the advantage of zero grazing?
Exercise and stimulation without uncontrolled intake
What’s wrong with grazing muzzles?
Can cause frustration
WHich drug may increase rates of weight loss?
Metformin
