Equine Husbandry Flashcards
requirements of stables for horses?
suitable bedding - so does not exacerbate asthma
mucked out regularly
suitable bedding?
needs to be free of excessive dust, non-toxic and absorbent
e.g. straw, shavings (sawdust), pellets, chippings, paper, rubber matting
types of stables?
individual stables - limits respiratory disease
american barns - nice communal but separate area however easy for resp issue to spread
loose/communal barns - mainly stud farms, need a similar herd group
head down grazing, why do they need to do it?
mucus clearing - clear upper airways of lungs
min requirement of pasture space?
1 acre per horse
why do we need to maintain good drainage?
hoof health
toxic plants for horses?
ragwort
buttercups
sycamore seeds and seedlings
ragwort?
very toxic
can result in fatal liver disease
won’t eat when alive, but when ragwort is dead they will
take care when cutting fields for hay
buttercups?
can cause liver damage
sycamore seeds and seedlings?
causes atypical myopathy - widespread muscle breakdown
types of fencing
wooden post and rail
vinyl post and rail
barbed wire (not ideal)
electric fence
fly grazing?
the illegal grazing of horses on land where owners have not obtained permission
what is the UK governed by?
Animal Welfare Act of 2006
What does the Animal Welfare Act of 2006 require owners/keepers of any horse/pony/donkey or mule to ensure?
A suitable environment to live in
A healthy diet + fresh clean water
Is able to behave normally
Has appropriate company
Protected from pain injury suffering and disease
what type of feeders are horses?
trickle feeders
trickle feeders?
should have access to forage (grass, hay, haylage, straw) during most of their non-active hours
what can overfeeding of concentrates lead to?
gastric ulceration, myopathy, equine metabolic syndrome and laminitis
bond in donkeys?
they pair bond!!!!
weaving?
lateral movement of head from side to side
crib biting?
putting teeth on object, pulling back neck and inhaling air let out a grunting noise
wind-sucking?
similar to crib biting but without the object
stress can lead to repetitive behaviours which can become fixed, name some of these?
crib biting
wind-sucking
weaving
box walking
wood chewing
stereotypies?
stable vices
what are some of the signs that the horse is in a frustrating environment and stressed?
confinement
lack of socialisation
temperament
boredom or over stimulation
sudden changes in routine
unnatural feeding schedules or feeds
insufficient exercise
uncomfortable stall situation
genetics
what can a stressed horse (induced by the environment) lead to?
weight loss, colic injury
property damage
animal welfare issue
warning signals in horses?
ears back
head tossing/thrown up
agitated/stamping ground
tail swishing
vocalisation
threatening to bite/kick/strike
rearing
equine learning theory?
horses are trial and error learners - learn from experiences
great long-term memory
poor short-term memory
when do we wean horses?
generally 4-6 months of age
overfeeding foals - what does this result in?
in developmental orthopedic diseases e.g. osteochondrosis, physitis, cervical vertebral stenoic myelopathy, contracted tendons
pre-weaning preventative medicine?
deworming and vaccinations
types of weaning?
total and abrupt weaning
partial and gradual weaning
total and abrupt weaning?
most common
most stressful
usually when there is more than one foal
partial and gradual weaning?
shown to be least stressful
group of mares and foals and they separate the mares and foals to separate sides of secure fencing, still have relationship and support from other animals - gradually the mares are taken away
thorough bred birthday?
always 1st January
when are thorough breds ‘broken in’ and how long does this process take?
broken in at breaking stables around 18 months old and lasts around 3 weeks
what is breaking in?
‘breaking their flight reflex
when are TB’s often racing?
2 years
what is a chifney often used in?
stallions
methods of restraint?
head collar/bridle/chifney
stocks
twitch
sedation
Equine Learning Theory
monitor daily signs of ill health, what are these?
demeanour & behaviour
appetite
water intake
defecation/urination
coat
body fat score
vital signs of ill health?
temperature
respiration rate
pulse
colic signs?
rolling, looking at bellies, kicking up at their bellies, pawing
choke?
food material coming out of nose
coughing a lot
stuff stuck in oesophagus - they can still breath though so will not cause asphyxiation
opthalmic issues?
could be conjuncitvitus or eye ulcer
routine health care plans?
parasite control programme
vaccination programme
foot care
dental care
fly control in summer months
infectious disease isolation procedures on yard
high worm burden can result in?
weight loss, colic, diarrhoea and even death
wormer?
anthelmintics
FWEC?
Faecal worm egg counts used to assess worm burdens
programme for parasite control?
remove faeces from pasture (2xweek)
avoid overstocking/grazing
rotate grazing with sheep/cattle or rest pasture regularly
avoid moving horses to clean pastures within 2 weeks of worming
muck out stables regularly (esp when they contain foals or weaning)
Targeted worming programs
where are the vaccinations recorded?
Horse Passports
tetanus vaccination?
recommended for all horses
very susceptible
environment they live
frequency of injury
bacteria in the soil and can enter through the wound
equine influenza?
highly contagious viral disease of the respiratory tract and the disease can debilitate
how does equine influenza debilitate?
risk of permanent lung damage which reduces athletic ability
FEI and British Horse Racing Authority compulsory Rules of vaccination against equine influenza?
no vaccination = no competition
record in horse passport
feet trimmed regularly by?
farrier
any horses ridden or driven on hard roads/rough surfaces require?
shoes
how often are hooves trimmed and re-shod?
every 4-8 weeks as advised by the farrier
teeth grow?
continually throughout life
how often should teeth be checked throughout by a veterinary professional?
at least once a year
What are the signs of horses with sharp or abnormal teeth?
because they are unable to chew properly - this can result in:
quidding
weight loss
difficulty accepting the bit
dental pain
what is quidding?
half chewed food dropping out of mouth - start to eat, then uncomfy, not all horses quidd though - some may swallow so prone to choking
sweet itch?
it is an allergic skin condition - hypersensitivity to bites from the culicoides midge (evening) - super itchy and irritated skin, neck (mane) and tail and rump region
pruritis?
itchy skin
fly control?
fly rug or fly masks
fly repellents
midge sensitivity
(staying in stable at dawn and dusk)
Regulations and legislation?
The Animal Welfare Act 2006
DEFRA - Code of practice for horse owners
NGOs - RSPCA
