Equine Husbandry

Question 1

requirements of stables for horses?

Answer 1

suitable bedding - so does not exacerbate asthma
mucked out regularly

Question 2

suitable bedding?

Answer 2

needs to be free of excessive dust, non-toxic and absorbent
e.g. straw, shavings (sawdust), pellets, chippings, paper, rubber matting

Question 3

types of stables?

Answer 3

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

Question 4

head down grazing, why do they need to do it?

Answer 4

mucus clearing - clear upper airways of lungs

Question 5

min requirement of pasture space?

Answer 5

1 acre per horse

Question 6

why do we need to maintain good drainage?

Answer 6

hoof health

Question 7

toxic plants for horses?

Answer 7

ragwort
buttercups
sycamore seeds and seedlings

Question 8

ragwort?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

buttercups?

Answer 9

can cause liver damage

Question 10

sycamore seeds and seedlings?

Answer 10

causes atypical myopathy - widespread muscle breakdown

Question 11

types of fencing

Answer 11

wooden post and rail
vinyl post and rail
barbed wire (not ideal)
electric fence

Question 12

fly grazing?

Answer 12

the illegal grazing of horses on land where owners have not obtained permission

Question 13

what is the UK governed by?

Answer 13

Animal Welfare Act of 2006

Question 14

What does the Animal Welfare Act of 2006 require owners/keepers of any horse/pony/donkey or mule to ensure?

Answer 14

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

Question 15

what type of feeders are horses?

Answer 15

trickle feeders

Question 16

trickle feeders?

Answer 16

should have access to forage (grass, hay, haylage, straw) during most of their non-active hours

Question 17

what can overfeeding of concentrates lead to?

Answer 17

gastric ulceration, myopathy, equine metabolic syndrome and laminitis

Question 18

bond in donkeys?

Answer 18

they pair bond!!!!

Question 19

weaving?

Answer 19

lateral movement of head from side to side

Question 20

crib biting?

Answer 20

putting teeth on object, pulling back neck and inhaling air let out a grunting noise

Question 21

wind-sucking?

Answer 21

similar to crib biting but without the object

Question 22

stress can lead to repetitive behaviours which can become fixed, name some of these?

Answer 22

crib biting
wind-sucking
weaving
box walking
wood chewing

Question 23

stereotypies?

Answer 23

stable vices

Question 24

what are some of the signs that the horse is in a frustrating environment and stressed?

Answer 24

confinement
lack of socialisation
temperament
boredom or over stimulation
sudden changes in routine
unnatural feeding schedules or feeds
insufficient exercise
uncomfortable stall situation
genetics

Question 25

what can a stressed horse (induced by the environment) lead to?

Answer 25

weight loss, colic injury property damage animal welfare issue

Question 26

warning signals in horses?

Answer 26

ears back head tossing/thrown up agitated/stamping ground tail swishing vocalisation threatening to bite/kick/strike rearing

Question 27

equine learning theory?

Answer 27

horses are trial and error learners - learn from experiences great long-term memory poor short-term memory

Question 28

when do we wean horses?

Answer 28

generally 4-6 months of age

Question 29

overfeeding foals - what does this result in?

Answer 29

in developmental orthopedic diseases e.g. osteochondrosis, physitis, cervical vertebral stenoic myelopathy, contracted tendons

Question 30

pre-weaning preventative medicine?

Answer 30

deworming and vaccinations

Question 31

types of weaning?

Answer 31

total and abrupt weaning partial and gradual weaning

Question 32

total and abrupt weaning?

Answer 32

most common most stressful usually when there is more than one foal

Question 33

partial and gradual weaning?

Answer 33

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

Question 34

thorough bred birthday?

Answer 34

always 1st January

Question 35

when are thorough breds 'broken in' and how long does this process take?

Answer 35

broken in at breaking stables around 18 months old and lasts around 3 weeks

Question 36

what is breaking in?

Answer 36

'breaking their flight reflex

Question 37

when are TB's often racing?

Answer 37

2 years

Question 38

what is a chifney often used in?

Answer 38

stallions

Question 39

methods of restraint?

Answer 39

head collar/bridle/chifney stocks twitch sedation Equine Learning Theory

Question 40

monitor daily signs of ill health, what are these?

Answer 40

demeanour & behaviour appetite water intake defecation/urination coat body fat score

Question 41

vital signs of ill health?

Answer 41

temperature respiration rate pulse

Question 42

colic signs?

Answer 42

rolling, looking at bellies, kicking up at their bellies, pawing

Question 43

choke?

Answer 43

food material coming out of nose coughing a lot stuff stuck in oesophagus - they can still breath though so will not cause asphyxiation

Question 44

opthalmic issues?

Answer 44

could be conjuncitvitus or eye ulcer

Question 45

routine health care plans?

Answer 45

parasite control programme vaccination programme foot care dental care fly control in summer months infectious disease isolation procedures on yard

Question 46

high worm burden can result in?

Answer 46

weight loss, colic, diarrhoea and even death

Question 47

wormer?

Answer 47

anthelmintics

Question 48

FWEC?

Answer 48

Faecal worm egg counts used to assess worm burdens

Question 49

programme for parasite control?

Answer 49

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

Question 50

where are the vaccinations recorded?

Answer 50

Horse Passports

Question 51

tetanus vaccination?

Answer 51

recommended for all horses very susceptible environment they live frequency of injury bacteria in the soil and can enter through the wound

Question 52

equine influenza?

Answer 52

highly contagious viral disease of the respiratory tract and the disease can debilitate

Question 53

how does equine influenza debilitate?

Answer 53

risk of permanent lung damage which reduces athletic ability

Question 54

FEI and British Horse Racing Authority compulsory Rules of vaccination against equine influenza?

Answer 54

no vaccination = no competition record in horse passport

Question 55

feet trimmed regularly by?

Answer 55

farrier

Question 56

any horses ridden or driven on hard roads/rough surfaces require?

Answer 56

shoes

Question 57

how often are hooves trimmed and re-shod?

Answer 57

every 4-8 weeks as advised by the farrier

Question 58

teeth grow?

Answer 58

continually throughout life

Question 59

how often should teeth be checked throughout by a veterinary professional?

Answer 59

at least once a year

Question 60

What are the signs of horses with sharp or abnormal teeth?

Answer 60

because they are unable to chew properly - this can result in: quidding weight loss difficulty accepting the bit dental pain

Question 61

what is quidding?

Answer 61

half chewed food dropping out of mouth - start to eat, then uncomfy, not all horses quidd though - some may swallow so prone to choking

Question 62

sweet itch?

Answer 62

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

Question 63

pruritis?

Answer 63

itchy skin

Question 64

fly control?

Answer 64

fly rug or fly masks fly repellents midge sensitivity (staying in stable at dawn and dusk)

Question 65

Regulations and legislation?

Answer 65

The Animal Welfare Act 2006 DEFRA - Code of practice for horse owners NGOs - RSPCA