Equine Handling and PE Flashcards
Describe the equine eye.
- large eyeball and pupil
- wide angle lens
- located on side of the head
Do horses have a wide or narrow visual field?
Wide
Where are a horses blind spots?
directly in front of them and directly behind them
A horses ears can rotate how many degrees and uses how many different muscles?
180 degrees
10 different muscles
100% of equine communication with humans is what?
body language and facial expression
What organ do horses have that allows them to ilicit a flemen response?
vomero nasal organ
What areas are sensitive to touch on a horse?
- nose
- lips
- mouth
- ears
- legs
What can elicit a flight resonse in a horse?
- danger
- escape
What can make a horse sense danger?
- something that invoked fear in the past
- something new or different that is not understood
Which horses should you use extra caution with?
- stallions
- mares with foals
- young inexperiences horses
- horses at feeding time
- horses in a new environment
What do neighs and whinnies mean?
long distance when separated from others
What do nickers mean?
encourage to come closer
What do squeals mean?
defensive, greeting between unknown horses
What do short snorts mean?
alarm, play
What do groans, sighs, and blows mean?
discomfort, tired, bored
What do roars and screams mean?
extreme arousal
What does a foot stomp mean?
low level threat, discomfort
What does pawing mean?
frustration
Describe correct halter placement.
- crown placed 2 fingers behind ear
- no loose straps
- throatlatch sits across caudal aspect of jowl, buckle face out
- 3 fingers width between nose and nose band
- nose band at least a hand’s width above nostrils
Where should you always approach a horse?
Point of shoulder
Is it safer to close the lower or upper rear door first in the stocks? Why?
upper rear door because is you close the lower one first then a horse can flip backward over it if they backed up really fast
Do horses feel scared or safe when restrained?
Scared
Do horses have to be taught to tie?
Yes
Do handler and non-handler stand on the same side or opposite sides?
Same side ALWAYS
List types of non-chemical restraint from least severe to most severe.
- cupping an eye
- holding up a foreleg
- knocking on the head
- nose chain
- skin twitch
- nose twitch
- gum chain
- ear twitch
Which method of restraint is most useful for controlling horse during leading ot preventing horse from barging forward?
Nose chain
Describe how to put a nose chain on.
- loop chain through tie ring
- put clip through left cheek piece up diagonally through the square (out to in fashion - buckle should be on horse side of halter after feeding through)
- put clip though right cheek piece down diagonally thorugh square (again in an out to in fashion so buckle is on horse side of halter)
- clasp buckle on ring by eye
What is the most commonly used restraint for horses?
nose twitch
How long can you use a nose twitch before is loses effect?
15-20 minutes
What is the general order for grooming a horse?
- remove large amounts of dirt
- remove remaining dirt and dust
- remove fine amount of dirt
- comb mane and tail
- pick out feet
Should you pick a horses feet away from or towards you?
away from
Where do you lead a horse from?
just in front of shoulder
Describe how to pick up a horse hoof.
- Approach at point of shoulder and pat horse to let them know you’re there
- run hand down shoulder to leg and down leg
- when you reach the tendons they usually pick it up for you and you can hold the hoof. If they do not pick it up for you then squeeze the tendons as a cue
What is included in an equine signalment?
- age
- breed
- sex
- color +/- markings
What are common history questions you should ask for an equine PE?
- use of horse
- housing
- diet
- deworming protocol
- vaccination history
- recent changes
- recent travel
- currrent medications/treatments
- medical history
- presenting problem/s
What is included for a general equine physical exam?
- BCS, height, weight
- attitude, mentation
- haircoat, mane, tail
- head
- neck
- thorax
- abdomen
- limbs and hooves
What is an ideal equine BCS?
4-6
What are the steps to determine BCS in equine?
- evaulate the ribs
- look at topline
- look for areas of protruding bone structure and areas of fat pads/fatty deposits
Describe a BCS of 4.
- slight ridge along back
- faint outline of ribs discernible
- tailhead prominence depends on conformation, can be felt around it
- points of hips not discernible
- withers, shoulder, and neck not obviously thin
Describe a BCS of 5.
- back is flat
- ribs not visually distinguishable but easily felt
- fat around tailhead beginning to feel spongy
- withers appear rounded over spine
- shoulders and neck blend smoothly into body
Describe BCS of 6.
- may have slight crease down back
- fat over ribs fleshy/spongy
- fat around tailhead soft
- fat beginning to be deposited along side of withers, behind shoulders, and along sides of neck
How do you score the cresty neck?
- grade of accumulation fo fat in crest of neck along nuchal ligament
- graded 0-5 with 0 being none and 5 being excessive
Where do you measure height?
top of the withers
Ponies are what maximum height?
14.2 hh
1 hand equals how many inches?
4 inches
Horses are measured in what units?
hands
List the steps to use a height stick.
- pull on the numbered section of the height stick until the red button clicks into place
- press top button to swing black arm horizontally
- lower black horizontal arm to the top of the withers
- ensure stick is being held level with ground
List the steps to use a weight tape to measure height.
- ensure you are using the correct side of the tape
- locate where you step on the tape
- step on tape close to front hoof and pull tape straight up from ground
- look across to the withers to estimate the height
List the steps of using a weight tape to measure weight.
- wrap tape around the horse just behind the front limbs
- read where the tape overlaps
What do you examine haircoat for?
- shiny or dull
- appropriate length for season
- areas of hair loss
What do you examine main and tail for?
- evidence of rubbing due to itchiness
What do you examine eyes for?
- color of conjucticva
- holding eye open vs squinting closed
- presence of discharge
What do you examine the nostrils for?
- mucous membranes
- discharge
- airflow
- odor
What are the locations of equine mucous membranes?
- oral
- nasal
- ocular
- vulvar
What is a normal equine CRT?
<2 seconds
What are the only lymph nodes that are always palpable in the horse?
submandibular lymph nodes
Where can you palpate the submandibular lymph nodes?
- situated in between the mandibles
- roughly arranged in the shape of a V with the apex of the V positioned rostrally
Where do you palpate a pulse on a horse?
- facial artery
- transverse facial artery
Where can you find the facial artery?
- facial artery travels along the medial aspect of each mandible with the facial vein
- crosses to lateral aspect of the mandible at the rostral aspect og the messeter muscle (cheek)
What is a normal equine pulse?
28-40 bpm