Equine Behavior Flashcards

1
Q

Normal equine response to sudden sounds, movements, etc.:

A

Flight > fight animals
- spooked horse will bolt

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2
Q

Normal equine response to fear:

A

Will often give warning (head cocked; snort)

Stay relaxed; don’t pull on harness (they will pull back against you!)

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3
Q

When do horses typically respond with fight?

A

If they cannot escape or “flight”
- kicking, striking, biting
- will almost give warning first

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4
Q

Describe equine herd behavior

A

Pecking order
- concerns for equal access to resources. injuries, etc.

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5
Q

How has domestication negatively impacted horses?

A

Increased inactivty, decreased social time => behavioral problems

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6
Q

Describe threatening behavior (aggression)

A

flattened ears, retracted upper lip, rapid tail movements, pawing at ground, squealing, threats to kick

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7
Q

When do horses typically show aggression to people?

A

In stalls or confined space

fear, pain-induced, hormonal (sexual), dominance-related, learned

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8
Q

When do horses typically show agression towards other horses?

A

sexual competition, fear, dominance, territorial

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9
Q

What usually triggers compulsive behaviors in horses?

A

Boredom, lack of stimulation (from confinement, management practices, insufficient husbandry)

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10
Q

List common compulsive behaviors (8)

A
  • pacing
  • weaving
  • cribbing (aerophagia)
  • wind-sucking (aerophagia)
  • wood-chewing (lignophagia)
  • Pica (geophagia)
  • Head-shaking
  • self mutilation
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11
Q

How to decrease locomotory compulsive behavior (pacing, weaving)

A

turn out; exercise; increase forage; increase socialization; decrease anxiety source

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12
Q

Decribe cribbing

A
  • grasping of a solid surface (fence) with their front teeth and pull back, contracting the neck muscles and emitting a characteristic grunting sound
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13
Q

Consequnces of cribbing

A

dental wear; colic; fence/barn/anything destruction

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14
Q

Aerophagia treatment

A

incr. dietary fiber, exercise, social acitivty; cribbing collar; remove ledges; install electric fence

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15
Q

What triggers wood-chewing (lignophagia)?

A

Lack of roughage in diet, high-concentrate diets, confinement, lack of exercise/stimulation

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16
Q

What can Pica (geophagia) be indicative of? What health concerns can it lead to?

A
  • can be indicative of lack of roughage or trace minerals in diet
  • can lead to sand colic or intestinal obstruction

roughage = plant forage / high in fiber

17
Q

Consequences of headshaking (to the rider)

A
  • can interfere with riding
  • difficult to control when advanced = unrideable horse
18
Q

Medical versus behavioral causes of headshaking

A

Medical
- seizures
- RT disease
- ocular or aural disease
- pain

Behavioral
- improper bit
- incompetent rider
- fear, anxiety, compulsive disorder

19
Q

Common signalment + hx for Trigeminal Neuropathy

A
  • 7-9 y/o gelding
  • seasonal; exercise-induced
  • photic headshaking
20
Q

Tx for trigeminal neuropathy

A
  • avoid sunlight
  • nose nets
  • gabapentin; cyproheptadine; carbamazepine
  • sx: caudal compression of infraorbital nerve (but can cause permanent pain)

gabapentin (reduces Ca influx / inhibits glutamate & substance P release); cyproheptadine(anti-serotonergic) ; carbamazepine (anti-seizure)