EQUINE AHW Flashcards
Why do horses need passports?
Record routine vaccines
Indicates if a human is intended for human consumption (to see if certain medication can be given)
Contains breed history, microchip information and details of previous owners
What age must horses have passports?
From 6 months old
What are the 10 principles of certification?
- A vet should only administer certificate if its within their knowledge
- Veterinarians should not issue a certificate that might raise questions of a possible conflict of interest
- A veterinarian should only sign certificates that are written in a language they understand.
- A veterinarian should not certify that there has been compliance with the law of another country or jurisdiction unless the provisions of that law are set out clearly on the certificate
- A veterinarian should only sign original certificates
- Certificates should be written in simple terms which are easy to understand
- Certificates should be:
a) clear and concise;
b) integrated, whole and indivisible;
c) given a unique identifier; and
d) copied and retained with all relevant records.
8. No sections of the certificate should be left incomplete
9. Certificates should not use words or phrases which are capable of more than one interpretation.
10. Certificates should clearly identify the subject being certified
What are the different stages of horse evolution and what is the mnemonic to remember it?
Every messy merry pony
Eohippus
Mesohippus
Merychippus
Pliohippus
Modern day horse
What is the rules regarding microchipping and where should it be placed?
Compulsory
Placed adjacent to nuchal ligament, which is at the back of the neck
What is the gestation period of horses?
320-34- days
What do the following horse terms mean?
Filly
Mare
Colt
Stallion
Gelding
Female under 4 years
Female aged over 4 years
Uncastrated male under 4 years
Uncastrated male over 4 years
Castrated male
What is the gestation period of a donkey?
340-370 days
What do the following donkey terms mean?
Jack
Jenny
Mule
Hinny
Male
Female
Offspring from male donkey and female horse
Offspring from female donkey and male horse
How is equine height typically measured
Hands—> 1 hand is 4 inch
Or use a measuring stick
What is the main difference between a horse and a pony?
Horse is over 14.2 hands
Pony is under 14.2 hands
What type of markings must be recorded?
White markings must be recorded on passports
In a red ball point pen
Sketch with diagonal lines
What other additional characteristics must be recorded?
Flesh marks
Prophets thumb- depression in the muscle usually on the lower part of the horses neck
Acquired marks, burns, freezing, scars
Any instances where the hair flow changes direction
What are the roles of horses in human society?
- food
Transport
Farming
Sport
Military
Companion
What does the national equine welfare council do?
Helped to produce the codes of practice for welfare of equine
What does the code of practice from NEWC provide guidance for?
How to plan for euthanasia
How to provide a suitable environment for equines
How to provide a suitable diet and specific focus on laminitis prevention and weight management
How to provide for the behavioural needs of equines including training and how to avoid fear associations and appropriate use of restraints
What is the national governing body for horse sports in UK
British Equestrian is the National Governing Body for horse sports in the UK, affiliated to the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the international governing body of equestrian sports. It exists to provide leadership, vision and purpose in steering the direction of equestrianism
What are the legislations in relation to keeping a horse and where do you find the information?
- providing it with a suitable place to live
- giving it a suitable diet
- protecting it from pain, injury, suffering and disease
- making sure it can behave normally and naturally
- keeping records of all medical treatment
- keeping up to date with a vaccination programme (under the control and advice of a vet)
- registering it with a veterinary practice and a registered farrier
On government website
Who can perform the three different categories of equine dentals?
- Those procedures which an individual can perform after recognised training without specific attainment of qualifications
- Additional procedures suitable for delegation to an EDT who has trained and passed an examination approved by DEFRA
- Procedures that can only be performed by qualified veterinary surgeons
What is barefoot trimming?
Barefoot trimming”, which refers to trimming of the hoof that is not in preparation for the application of a shoe
Who can do barefoot trimming under the farriers act
Anyone
Not seen as an act of farriering
How many Passport Issuing Organisations (PIOs) are there within the United Kingdom (UK)?
81
What are the 3 Fs of equine welfare?
- FREEDOM to move and perform natural behaviours. Horses should be provided with daily ‘turnout’. Stables should be large enough for them to move, lie down and get up comfortably.
- FRIENDS, should be kept in groups as they are herd animals. If in stables should be next to other horses they are familiar with and able to see each other.
- FORAGE, such as hay, haylage and grass should be available most of the time for horses to eat as they are trickle feeders. Shouldn’t be left for long periods of time without it.
Why are so many horses overweight and what are the consequences of this?
Lots of owners can’t recognise when a horse is overweight
Increased risk of, and poorer prognosis for recovery from, laminitis (a debilitating foot condition)
Increased risk of hyperlipaemia- too many lipids in blood, so risks clogging arteries
Impairment of normal thermoregulation
What is Anthelmintic resistance?
genetically transmitted loss of sensitivity of a drug in worm populations that were previously sensitive to the same drug
How do we currently try and reduce Anthelmintic resistance?
Faecal egg count
Collect poo samples and take it for investigation to count how many worm eggs are in poo
If more than 200 per gram, them worming treatment can be given
What are some native breeds to the UK?
Shetland
Dales
Cleveland Bay
Eriskay
Hackney
Suffolk Punch
Exmoor
Dartmoor
Clydesdale
Fell
Highland
New Forest
Shire
What sports are horses used in in the UK?
Dressage
Eventing
Show jumping
Vaulting
Polo
Horse racing
How would you show the following things on a silhouette?
- Whorl
- Flesh mark
- Bordered white markings
— X
- TRIANGLE
- border around dashed lines
What is some examples of good grassland management?
Access to fresh and clean water
Droppings removed weekly (if not daily)
Access to natural or artificial shelter
Good quality grass
Appropriate stock density (1-1.5 acres per horse)
Why are signs that has a horse has eaten ragwort
Lethargy
Photosensitivity – areas of pink skin become inflamed when exposed to sunlight
Significant weight loss despite continuing to eat well
Blindness
Difficulty breathing
Loss of balance
What is the cure for ragwort
Unfortunately, there is no definitive cure. Treatment is therefore based around supportive care. It can take a long time for horses to recover and in severe cases the damage may be irreversible.
Potentially liver supplements, including vitamin B12 and milk thistle, which can be given in feed. Re-sampling of blood is often recommended in order to ascertain whether liver enzymes are decreasing which indicates that your horse is responding to treatment.
How does ragwort damage the liver?
The alkaloids are metabolised in the liver which inhibit the division of liver cells so that the liver shrinks in size and is irreversibly damaged
What are some signs of atypical myopathy (eating sycamore leaves)
Muscle weakness, soreness or stiffness; horses may struggle to walk, stand or breathe
Horses appear dull with low hanging heads
Lethargy/fatigue
Muscle trembling
Colic like symptoms (e.g. shivering and sweating) except the horse still has an appetite
Brown or dark red urine
Some horses may develop heart & respiratory problems
Loss of ability to stand
How are sycamore trees toxic to horses
prevents the breakdown of fatty acids within muscles and causes muscle cells to break down, which leads to muscle damage, particularly the cardiac and respiratory muscles. When muscles are broken down by the toxin, a component called myoglobin is released into the bloodstream. The blood then flows through the kidneys for filtering, but the kidney’s cells can’t cope with high concentrations of myoglobin, so the kidneys become damaged, too.
Damages muscles for breathing and cardiac muscles
How are horses that have eaten sycamore treated?
s no anti-toxin, but some medications can be used to help stop absorption of the toxin from the intestinal tract. Severely affected horses often need to be admitted for intravenous fluid therapy and anti-inflammatory medication.
Where do you place a microchip on a horse/
In nuchal ligament, on left side of neck,
What do the following equine colour coats look like?
Bay
Brown
Black
Chestnut
Grey
Roan
Black lower part of leg, and brown upper body
Brown mane and tail
Whole body must be black
Reddish or yellow colour
Black and white hairs
brown or black with some white hair
What do the following marks on the head mean?
Star
Stripe
Blaze
White face
Snip
Any white mark on the forehead
Narrow white marking down the bridge of the nose
White marking covering whole of the forehead between eyes and usually down to muzzle
Covers forehead and front of face
Isolated white mark near nostril
What is HR and RR of horse?
36-40 bpm
8-16 breaths per min
What is usual body temperature of horses
37.5-38.8
What are signs that a horse has eaten acorns?
Acorn husks in droppings
Depression
Dehydration
Lethargy, not moving around as much as normal
Reduced appetite
Increased lying down
Colic
Diarrhoea containing blood
Constipation
Mouth ulcers
How do you treat acorn poisoning in horses?
No specific treatment
Intravenous fluids will help wash out the toxins and prevent further damage to the organs. To stop damage in the intestines, activated charcoal4, mineral oil or paraffin may be administered by your vet. Pain killers may be given if the horse has colic symptoms but encouraging the horse to eat hay and drink water will also help dilute the toxins
Why are acorns toxic to horses?
They contain tannins, so they draw fluid out of tissues. Bloody diarrhea is caused by the destructive effect tannins have on the intestinal lining by dehydrating and damaging cells, thus drawing abnormal amounts of fluid into the intestinal tract
What are the bare minimum diseases horses should be vaccinated against?
Equine influenza
Tetanus
What is tetanus?
Non infectious
Bacterial infection
Caused by the toxin from clostridium tetani
What is equine influenza?
Highly contagious viral disease
Flu like symptoms
Effects the respiratory tract
What is strangles?
Infectious disease
Caused by the bacteria streptococcus equi
Lymph nodes become so swollen, horse struggles to breathe
What is equine herpes virus?
Contagious respiratory virus
Some strains can cause neurological disease and abortion
What are the four main types of housing for horses?
Traditional stabling
American yard
Crew yard
Grass kept
How can you maintain good grassland?
Frequent removal of faeces
Regular harrowing (to disperse worm eggs)
Fertilising pasture
Resting paddocks
Check access to water
Check fencing
Check no debris
What is the environmental impact of a horse?
Overgrazing
High parasitical burden due to high faecal level
Carcass disposal
Disposal of waste bedding
What are the fundamentals of equine nutrition?
- primarily hind gut fermenters, which is made up from cecum and colon, as foregut doesn’t have correct enzymes
- non ruminant herbivores, doesn’t have lots of stomachs
- trickle feeders. So shouldn’t be without forage for more than 3 hours
- high fibre diet
- good quality forage needed, so hay, haulage and grass
What are the three methods for oral administration of medicine?
Syringe/ drenching
Added to feed
Nasogastric intubation
What are the intravenous sites for medication administration?
Jugular vein
What are the intramuscular sites for injection?
Pectoral muscles
Trapezius muscle (in neck)
Gluteal muscle (back of top of horse)
What is the subcutaneous site for administration?
Loose skin in front of scapula (low down on next just above shoulder)
What is important about the 5 point scale?
Goes from 0-5
Horse divided into 3 sections
What is important about the 9 point scale?
Six main areas are assessed
Goes from 1-9
What is another method of assessing weight?
Weight tapes
Not 100% accurate but convenient for owners
Can track if weight is fluctuating
Can do you use weight tapes?
- Ensure horse is about level
- Place tape over lowest part of the withers
- Pass over the horse close to the elbow
- Tape should be pulled snuggly around the body
- Read off weight
What is abormal repetitive behaviour?
Not goal orientated
No apparent function
Rarely seen in wild populations
What are the two types of stereotypical behaviour
Oral
Locomotive
What are the two oral stereotypies?
Wind sucking- arching the neck and gulping the air
Crib biting- grasping a surface with teeth and gulping the air
What are the locomotive stereotypies?
Box walking- constant walking around the stable
Weaving- rocking the body and swinging the neck side to side
What are the causes of stereotypical behaviour?
Inappropriate diet or feeding practices
Limited social contact
Locomotive restrictions due to housing conditions
Abrupt or inappropriate weaning conditions
How to pick out horses hoof?
Approach at the shoulder and face the tail
Hand closest to the horse runs down the leg
dominant hand holds hoof pick
Pick out from heel to toe
Low arousal signs in a horse
Head level with the withers
Resting hind leg
Drooping bottom lip
Ears relaxed/ moving back and forth slowly
High arousal signs in a horse
Teeth bared
Ears alert
Head above withers
Constant limb movement
What is lunging
A controlled form of exercise
It can be used:
•as an alternative form of exercise if the horse cannot be ridden
•as a training aid to improve fitness, muscle definition and suppleness
•to help identify lameness during a veterinary examination
If you need to move around a horse, which two methods are shown in the video
Pass close behind with one hand on the back
Give a wide berth
What side should you approach the horse
Left side
What are the dangers associated with horses?
Head/ neck could swing round
Teeth
Tail
Legs (kick zone)
Feet (trodden on)
How to take horse back into stable
Open doors slowly
Lead a wide circle to face door
Lock door if removing a head collar
Remember top and bottom bolt
What is important to remember when walking a horse?
Don’t wrap rope around hand
Handler on outside when turning
Hold lead rope 6” from metal clip
What are the methods of restraint for a horse?
Bridle
Head collar and rope
Chemical
Holding up one leg
Neck/ nose twitch
What is a chifney?
Applies pressure directly to the horses tongue and bars of the mouth
Only use when horse is on ground
Why is horse immobilised from twitch?
Stimulation of nerve endings resulting in the release of endorphins
Horse reacting to twitch as painful stimuli
Horse flooded with sensory information
What are twitches used for
To restrain horses for short periods of time (no more than 5 mins)
How does nose and neck twitching work?
Nose- place a device on horses top lip and applying pressure
Neck- grasping a fold of skin and twisting
What do tendon boots do?
Protect tendons on the palmer aspect of the fore legs from being struck by the hind feet when jumping
What do fetlock boots do?
Protect the medial aspect of the hind fetlocks from injury when jumping
What do tail bandages do?
protect the tail and dock from damage during transportation or prior to competition.
In veterinary practice, tail bandages are useful for keeping the tail clean and out of the way during procedures such as rectal examinations, pregnancy scans and Artificial Insemination (AI).
What is the maximum a tail bandage can be left on for?
3 hours
How to apply bandage
Lay out padding evenly round limb
Hold bandage like a snail
Swirly bit closer to you
Overlap each layer by 50%
Two fingers should be able to fit between bandage and leg
What are over reach boots used for?
Worn in front leg
Helps protect forelimbs heel bulbs getting clipped by hindlimb hoof
What are brushing boots used for?
Either front or back legs
Stop legs being brushed/ hit by opposite one
