Exam 1 Flashcards
Normal Temperature
Mature Horse= 99.5-101.5
young horse= 100.5-101.5
factors affecting temperature
ambient temperature, excitement, exercise, disease
Normal Pulse/HR
Mature horse=28-40 BPM, avg is 32-36 BPM
Newborn=80-100 BPM
foal=60-80 BPM
yearling=40-60 BPM
factors affecting HR
excitement/fear, ambient temperature, exercise, pain or illness
Normal respiration
mature horse=12-16 BPM
newborn=30-80 BPM
foal=20-40 BPM
factors affecting respiration
excitement, exercise, ambient temperature, pain
dehydration levels
5-7%= mild dehydration
8-10%=moderate
>10%=severe, can lead to organ failure
how is water most commonly lost
sweating
Dehydration test
skin pinch test-pinch&release skin on neck (less than 2 secs is normal)
capillary refill time-press and release upper gum (less than 2 secs is normal)
Mucus Membranes
should be moist and pink, dark pink/red suggest illness or poisoning
shock
caused by shutting down of circulatory system
signs=rapid breathing, shaking and shivering,weak pulse, pale or blue mucous membranes, extremities feel cold
estimating body weight
heart girth tape, body measurements, app,scale
equine ingestive behavior
eat and walk pattern up to 80% of day, small meals, consumes water 1-2X per day
equine digestive system
muscular hollow tube over 100 ft long, runs from mouth to anus and loops on itself many times. varies from 1-8 inches in diameter
equine digestive strategy
monogastric, hind gut fermenter, forages should be the foundation of the diet, relatively rapid passage through the stomach and small intestine, slow passage through the large intestine
digestion
the process of breaking down feedstuffs into their component nutrients so they will be mostly soluble in water, easily absorbed through the mucous membrane that lines the intestinal tract
aspects of digestion
mastication (chewing), deglutition (swallowing), intestinal movements, defecation (waste elimination)
the mouth
contain lips, teeth, tongue and salivary glands, site of mastication, reduces particle size and mixes feed with saliva and mucous, initial stage of starch digestion (salivary amylase)
enzyme
substance produced by a living organism, acts as a catalyst for a specific chemical reaction,
catalyst
a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent change
esophagus
muscular tube connecting the mouth and stomach, the bolus moves through it via peristalsis, only a one way flow
stomach
small, U-shaped sac near diaphragm, only 10% of digestive tract w/ a capacity of 2-4 gallons, subjects feed to gastric digestion
stomach contents
gastric juices (secreted by glands in the mucous membrane of stomach) that contain HCl, pepsin (digests protein) and gastric lipase (digests fat)
small intestine
connects stomach to cecum, 50-70 ft long, has 3 segments (duodenum, jejunum and ileum), digesta leaves through the ileal-cecal valve
enzymes released by the pancreas
bicarbonate neutralizes digesta, pancreatic amylase digests starch, pancreatic lipase digests fat, chemotrypsin trypsin and other proteases digest protein
liver secretions
bile is released into the small intestine directly from the liver, enables fat digestion and absorption
absorption in the small intestine
cells in the SI have enzymes for disaccharide enzymes, villi increase the surface area for absorption of vitamins and minerals
cecum
large blind sac, site of microbial digestion, volatile fatty acids are produced (Acetate, propionate and butyrate)
substrates for microbial digestion
plant fiber-cellulose, undigested sugar, undigested proteins, synthesis of B and K vitamins, microbial protein synthesis is not used in the horse b/c it is too late in the tract
Large colon
sacculated areas for microbes and fermentation, more absorption of VFAs, some water, minerals and vitamins occurs, has slow rate of passage to maximize absorption, site of impaction and gas colic
gas colic
build up of gas in the intestine triggering a pain response, if large amounts of highly digestible feed reach the intestines at once, gas is produced faster than it can be removed
impaction colic
movement of contents in the digestive tract is stopped
small colon
main site of water absorption and fecal ball formation
rectum
fecal storage prior to defecation at the anus, 40-50 lbs of feces is voided 8-12 times a day
starch
broken down to glucose in the small intestine,
protein
broken down into dipeptides and amino acids in the small intestine
fats and oils
broken down into fatty acids and absorbed by the ileum
Minerals
absorbed in the small intestine
vitamins
absorbed in the small intestine
fat-soluble-A, D, E, K
water soluble- B vitamins
hindgut
site of microbial fermentation, plant fiber is digested here, protein and starch escaping digestion in the SI are digested here,
water
necessary for life, replaces water loss to urine, feces, sweat
factors effecting water intake
exercise may triple water consumption, lactation causes 50-80% increase in water requirement, high heat causes horses to drink more
providing water
clean and fresh, maintain a cool temperature, use heat in winter, drop in ambient temp will often cause horses to drink less
calories
megacalories (Mcal), used for maintenance, work, growth, reproduction and lactation
Energy sources
soluble carbohydrates (sugars, starches) digested w/ amylase enzyme, structural carbohydrates (cellulose, hemicellulose) digested by microbes
Lipids
additional energy source (oil, fats), 2.25 times the energy content compared to carbs, source of essential fatty acids (linoleic)
protein
needed for muscle, bone, skin, hoof, hair, antibodies and enzymes, comprised of linked amino acids, essential amino acids must be supplied in diet, excess protein in diet is deaminated in the liver, measured as crude protein
forage
major protein source in diet, foundation of diet, it is best to increase protein intake with the purchase of better hay
calcium
macromineral, major component of bones, teeth, plays a role in muscle function and is important to late gestational and lactating mares. found if forages (especially alfalfa)
phosphorous
macromineral, major component of bones and teeth, found in grains and wheat bran, interferes w/ Ca (ideal ratio Ca:P is 1.5-2:1)
Magnesium
macromineral, deficiency causes grass tetany
sulfur
macromineral, required for hair and hoof growth, is a component of some amino acids
Iron
micromineral, important for oxygen transfer in blood
copper
micromineral, used for blood cells, deficiency may contribute to growth disorders
fluorine
micromineral, used for teeth and bones
Iodine
micromineral, used for thyroid function, deficiency causes goiters and excess causes repro problems in mares
selenium
micromineral, important for muscle function and detoxification process, activity is associated with vitamin E, most esters states are Se deficient and some western states have excessive levels
manganese
micromineral, cofactor in enzymes, deficiency associated with joint problems in growing horses
zinc
micromineral. important for healthy skin, enzyme cofactor, less toxic than other trace minerals
vitamin A
fat soluble, stored in body fat, precursor is beta-carotene, present in forages, loses potency during long-term storage, important requirement to meet in growing horses, used for skin and eyes, can be toxic in excess
vitamin D
fat soluble, stored in body fat, precursor is cholecalciferol or ergocalciferol, present in forages, very important to bone health (associated w/ Ca utilization), excess can cause bone growth problems
Vitamin E
fat souble, stored in body fat, pre-cursor is alpha tocopherol, present in forages and plant oils, used for muscle metabolism, antioxidant activity, nerve health and immune system, deficiency can lead to tying up
Vitamin K
present in forages, synthesized in the hind gut, essential for blood clotting
Vitamin C
water soluble, synthesized by tissues in horse from glucose, dietary sources are poorly absorbed, not stored in body fat (excess excreted)
B Vitamins
most are abundant in fresh forages and synthesized by microbes, most do not require supplementation, not stored in body far, excess excreted
Biotin
only B vitamin w/ clinically observable response to supplementation, may improve hoof quality if horse is deficient, hoof quality is also genetic
warm season grasses
grow best over 70 F examples are bermudagrass, crabgrass, bahiagrass
cool season grasses
grows best between 60-80 F examples are bluegrass, orchard grass, tall fescue (not for late gestation/lactating mares b/c of endophyte toxin) , timothy
hays (general characteristics)
dried forages (86-90% DM), made from the same grasses and legumes as pastures, cut periodically during warm months
hay storage
square bales, round bales, cubes, pellets, feral hays, haylage
legume hay
high in protein, high in Ca, may be too high in energy for mature horses at maintenance
grass hays
ofter sufficient without legumes, stage of maturity and plant species important to determine energy content, frequently marked as “horse hay”
mixed hays
some combination and grass and legume, composition varies with cutting, 1st cutting tends to be high in grass and subsequent cuttings get richer with legumes, good Ca:P ratio
cereal hays
unharvested grain with straws, usually lower quality than grass or legumes, can be fed in combo with legumes to inc. fiber intake and dec energy content of the diet
hay quality considerations
maturity (seed heads, soft or woody, dusty), how its processed, bale type, ease of storage, cost, cost compared to adding concentrates to diet
hay waste factors
as palatability dec, waste inc. as maturity inc. waste inc. as dryness inc. leaf shatter inc.
digestible energy
unit usually used for horse rations, gross energy-fecal energy, expressed in Mcals/kg, energy needed for maintenance, work, repro ect.
grains
major source of starch, seeds with outer coating, fiber, protein and energy content varies
corn
highest energy grain fed to horses, lowest in protein, starch less digestible than that of oats,incomplete digestion in the SI, feeds microbes and may lead to lactic acid build-up, can be processed
oats
most popular grain for horses, kernel is soft and easy to chew, moderate energy, high protein, starch is very digestible
barley
less popular feed than oats or corn, harder consistency than oats, intermediate to oats and corn for energy, protein, fiber and starch digestibility
milo (sorghum)
hard, round kernel, requires processing for horses, high energy, low fiber and protein, feed value and palatability varies with type (yellow or red better than brown)
beet pulp
between forage and concentrates in feed characteristics, by-product from sugar manufacturing, low starch and highly digestible fiber, expensive
vegetable oils
highest energy feed used for horses, good source of fatty acids, does not cause starch overload, good choice for athletes, should be introduced gradually
protein feeds
used to supplement protein in forage portion of the diet, usually mixed with other energy feeds, relatively expensive way to increase protein
soybean meal
commonly used protein source, hard legume, usually ground into meal for horses, 50% CP, excellent source of lysine, relatively high DE
levels of work
light-trail ridding, pleasure, equitation
moderate-draft, ranch, rodeo timed events, jumping
intense-racing and training, polo, eventing, endurance
performance diet
higher energy requirement than maintenance, still need to consume at least 1% BW (50% of diet) in forage, oil can be added to increase energy, 10% protein requirement
growing horse diet
need to aim for moderate growth to avoid developmental orthopedic diseases, provide adequate minerals, many young horses experience a post-weaning slump followed by a catch-up period, feed around .5-1.5 lb per month of age
least cost rations
requires pricing by 100 wt for concentrates, hay priced by the ton, effective approach for feeding groups of horses
pastured horses
more difficult to specify a ration, supplement when necessary
kentucky water quality act
if you own more than 10 acres and actively involved in forestry or agriculture, you must have an ag water quality plan, if you have livestock/crops you must have a nutrient management plan
why is mud so bad?
causes stress, cuts intake, increase diseases in a herd, costs a lot of money
rotational grazing
2 or more pastures are alternately rested and grazed in a planned sequence
riparian areas
trees, shrubs and grasses adjacent to streams, lakes, ponds ect
riparian area benefits
traps sediment, maintains stream banks, reduces flood damage, flood water storage, ground water recharge, providing wildlife habitat, filtering contaminants from runoff, water temp regulation
