Horse 3 Flashcards
Record keeping
-more than 70% of owners keep some sort of records
-2/3 of operations have some form of medical/health record
What % of Horses see a vet each year?
more than 75% of horses see a vet at least once a yr
$421/yr in 2010; $1500/yr in 2023
Cost of horse keeping
Avg across country ~$15,000
**feed is largest cost
Boarding
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)
Isolation/quarantine of horses returning to home farm
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
Management factors affecting equine welfare
-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)
Horse lifespan
-25-30years
*time and money, and knowledge!
Management types
-Stall confinement vs continuous turnout
-small paddock vs. large range/pasture
-Diet/feeding schedule
-Exercise schedule
-travel and competition schedule
Outdoor housing
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
Mare motels
-individual stalls and small outside area
-breeding mares
-easy access for exams and breeding
Suitable fencing for outdoor enclosures
-wood (issue=horse will eat it, and they can break it)
-metal pipe
-wire mesh
-vinyl
-electric
Most common fencing used
Wire
-can be page (smooth), barbed
-high tensile steel
Thermo-neutral zone
5-20C
-no energy is expended to maintain normal body temperature
Horses when they are too cold
-Shiver to produce heat
*especially when damp
Horses when too hot
-Weak, disoriented, muscle tremors, shallow/rapid breathing
Herd lifestyle
-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
Indoor housing
-not a requirement
-if poorly designed or managed, can lead to spread of disease or increase risk of injury
Indoor housing considerations
-safety
-comfort
-ease of access
-adequate drainage
-ventilation
Types of indoor housing
-barns or stables
-stalls for individual horses (mares and foals as an exception)
-box stalls
-tie stalls
Indoor housing flooring
-non slip, level, well drained
Indoor housing bedding
-used to provide comfort, warmth, dryness, traction, protection from injury
*includes straw, wood shavings, shredded paper, peat moss
Horse sleep demands
-sleep ~1hr/day where they lie down and properly sleep
Indoor housing cleaning
-Keep environment dust free
-remove horses from stalls when cleaning to decrease exposure to airborne particles
**ensure proper management and bedding
What is dust and poor ventilation linked to?
Airway disease in horses
Ammonia levels
Should be under 10ppm, and CANNOT exceed 25ppm
**if you can detect ammonia (smell or eye irritation) then likely more than 20ppm
Signs that management is poor
-infectious disease outbreaks
-horses thin or overweight
-excessive rate of injuries
-increased incidence of equine asthma
-excess numbers of horses
-stereotypical behaviours
