Horse 3

Question 1

Record keeping

Answer 1

-more than 70% of owners keep some sort of records

-2/3 of operations have some form of medical/health record

Question 2

What % of Horses see a vet each year?

Answer 2

more than 75% of horses see a vet at least once a yr

$421/yr in 2010; $1500/yr in 2023

Question 3

Cost of horse keeping

Answer 3

Avg across country ~$15,000

**feed is largest cost

Question 4

Boarding

Answer 4

Owners pay to keep horses on someone elses property
-generally includes basic needs (feed/water/shelter)
*highly variable; indoor vs outdoor, riding facility
*many charge for extra services (feed, blankets, turn out)

Question 5

Isolation/quarantine of horses returning to home farm

Answer 5

Best thing would be to isolate for a couple weeks minimum to avoid spread of disease
*2015: less than 10% isolate, 45% isolate if they know they have been exposed, 39% never isolate

Question 6

Management factors affecting equine welfare

Answer 6

-shelter
-feed
-water
-freedom of movement and exercise
-company of other horses
-vet care
-hoof care
-end of life decisions
-emergency preparedness (evacuation plan, truck and trailer)

Question 7

Horse lifespan

Answer 7

-25-30years
*time and money, and knowledge!

Question 8

Management types

Answer 8

-Stall confinement vs continuous turnout
-small paddock vs. large range/pasture
-Diet/feeding schedule
-Exercise schedule
-travel and competition schedule

Question 9

Outdoor housing

Answer 9

24/7 turnout is encouraged as it is their natural lifestyle for overall health
-Monitor mud/wet conditions in pastures and small enclosures
-shelter: trees, or constructed building

Question 10

Mare motels

Answer 10

-individual stalls and small outside area
-breeding mares
-easy access for exams and breeding

Question 11

Suitable fencing for outdoor enclosures

Answer 11

-wood (issue=horse will eat it, and they can break it)
-metal pipe
-wire mesh
-vinyl
-electric

Question 12

Most common fencing used

Answer 12

Wire
-can be page (smooth), barbed
-high tensile steel

Question 13

Thermo-neutral zone

Answer 13

5-20C
-no energy is expended to maintain normal body temperature

Question 14

Horses when they are too cold

Answer 14

-Shiver to produce heat
*especially when damp

Question 15

Horses when too hot

Answer 15

-Weak, disoriented, muscle tremors, shallow/rapid breathing

Question 16

Herd lifestyle

Answer 16

-horses (and donkeys) prefer to live in groups
*will have dominance hierarchy (dominant vs submissive)

*important to remember when introducing new members and when dominant individuals leave the herd

Question 17

Indoor housing

Answer 17

-not a requirement
-if poorly designed or managed, can lead to spread of disease or increase risk of injury

Question 18

Indoor housing considerations

Answer 18

-safety
-comfort
-ease of access
-adequate drainage
-ventilation

Question 19

Types of indoor housing

Answer 19

-barns or stables
-stalls for individual horses (mares and foals as an exception)
-box stalls
-tie stalls

Question 20

Indoor housing flooring

Answer 20

-non slip, level, well drained

Question 21

Indoor housing bedding

Answer 21

-used to provide comfort, warmth, dryness, traction, protection from injury

*includes straw, wood shavings, shredded paper, peat moss

Question 22

Horse sleep demands

Answer 22

-sleep ~1hr/day where they lie down and properly sleep

Question 23

Indoor housing cleaning

Answer 23

-Keep environment dust free
-remove horses from stalls when cleaning to decrease exposure to airborne particles

**ensure proper management and bedding

Question 24

What is dust and poor ventilation linked to?

Answer 24

Airway disease in horses

Question 25

Ammonia levels

Answer 25

Should be under 10ppm, and CANNOT exceed 25ppm

**if you can detect ammonia (smell or eye irritation) then likely more than 20ppm

Question 26

Signs that management is poor

Answer 26

-infectious disease outbreaks
-horses thin or overweight
-excessive rate of injuries
-increased incidence of equine asthma
-excess numbers of horses
-stereotypical behaviours