Horses Flashcards
Equss asinus
Asses and Donkeys
Equus caballus
true horse
Class
Mammalia
Order
Perissodactyla
Genus
Equus
Equus burchelli
Grant’s zebra, Burchell’s zebra, Chapman’s zebra, Quagga, & other subspecies
Equus grevyi
Grevy’s zebra
Equus hemionus
Onagers of Asia and the Mideast
Equus zebra
Mountain zebra
equus went extinct in western hemisphere
8 thousand years ago
domestication in the eastern hemisphere
5 thousand years ago
Draft horses and shetland ponies
Europe
Asia and middle east
lighter, agile horses
Phylum
Chordata
Subphylum
Vertebrata
Family
Equidae
Species
Varies
Equus przewalski
Przewalski’s horse
settlers
brought many breeds and types of horses to North America
Recreation
43%
Show
29%
Rodeo. polo, ranching, etc
18%
Racing
10%
World horse population
59 million
Hybrid Industry
agriculture, sports, recreation, entertainment
group with a common ancestry that resemble one another and pass similar traits to their offspring
breed
1 hand
4 inches
Where do you measure the horse from?
Withers
-Origin = Europe, Asia, North & South Americas
-Height = 14.2 to 17.2 Hands; Weight = 900 to 1400 lbs
-Purpose = Riding, driving, racing, etc.
light breed (warmblooded)
-Origin = Europe, Asia, North & South Americas
-Height = < 14.2;
-Weight = 300 to 900 lbs
-Purpose = draft, heavy-harness, or saddle type; riding, driving, racing, etc.
Pony
-Origin = Europe
-Height = 14.2 to 19 Hands; Weight = 1400 to 2000 lbs
-Heavy, solid, strong horses with a calm temperament.
-Purpose = Work; Pulling loads
Draft (coldblooded)
Types of Draft horses
Percheron, Belgian, Clydesdale Shire, Suffolk
types of light horses
Quarter horse, Thoroughbred, Paint, Standardbred
Types of Ponies
Shetland, Hackney, Welsh, POAs
-Height < 34 (to 38) inches
-Life span = 25 to 35 years
Miniature Horse
Foal
Young horse (<1 year)
Filly
female <3-4 years
Colt
Male <3-4 years
Mare
Female >4 years
Stallion
intact male >4 years (>5 years)
Gelding
castrated male
Donkeys
Long ears; Short, Upright mane
Donkey breeds
- American Standard (mammoth jack)
-Spanish Donkey (large standard donkey)
-Miniature Mediterranean Donkey
-American Spotted Ass
Jack
male donkey
Jennet
female donkey
Purpose of donkey
work animals
World Population of Donkeys
42.8 million
US population of donkeys
52,000 (0.12%)
Stallion (64) x Jennet (62)
Hinny (63)
Mare (64) x Jack (62)
Mule (63, sterile)
Horse & Donkey Crosses
-characteristics: horse size/ body shape with a shorter, thicker head, longer ears, braying voice, & no chestnuts on hindlegs
-classification: draft, pack/work, saddle, driving, jumping, or miniature
Reproduction: Puberty
Fillies enter puberty around their 2nd spring (@ ~15 months)
-Season: Fillies born early in 1 season may reach puberty as soon as the next season begins (~12mos)
-Nutrition: Poor nutrition = delay
-Breed: Ponies = mature earlier
Fillies are usually not bred before 2 to 3 years of age
seasonally polyestrous
animals with seasonal variations in estrous cycles (horse, sheep, cat)
gestation
about 11+ months (~340 days)
Ave estrous cycle length
21 days (18-24 days)
Estrus (follicular phase)
4-7 days
- shorter at peak season = 3 days
- estrus behavior depends on low progesterone
Diestrus (luteal phase)
14-15 days
spring transition
Gradual activation of HPO axis
Fall transition
Gradual de-activation of the HPO axis
Winter Anestrus
GnRH - low/baseline
FSH - random fluctuations
Estradiol - baseline (small follicles)
LH - baseline
Progesterone- baseline
Estrus behavior- absent or erratic
Monogastric
having only one stomach
hindgut fermenters
Fermentation occurs in the large intestines and cecum
Horses evolved using?
speed as its major survival mechanism
Continuous eater strategy
eating frequently in small amounts and moving from place to place between grazing
Horses Grazing
16-18 hr/day
Stabled/Confined Horses
meal eaters instead of continual eaters
A horse should receive
1 to 2% of its body weight in roughage per day on a dry matter basis
1000 lb should receive
10 lb of dry matter per day
1000 lb x 0.01 = 10lb
Clinical signs of Equine Laminitis
Reluctance or inability to walk
-Weight-shifting or treading
-increased RR & HR
-A glazed, pained expression
-Stance with the hind legs camped under their body and forefeet camped out
-Front (60% of horse weight) > Hind
-Bounding digital arterial pulses
-Feet that are hot to the touch
Causes of Equine Laminitis
1) Excess consumption of grain or lush pastures 2) Disease associated with sepsis or endotoxemia
Ex. Grain overload, metritis, retained placenta,
or colic/intestinal ailment.
3) Equine metabolic syndrome
4) Excess weight-bearing or exercise on hard
surfaces
5) Ingestion of black walnut shavings (bedding)
Equine laminitis treatment
treat the underlying cause of illness and supportive care
Melanomas
Skin tumor associated with coat color in horses
Gray horses
by 15 years of age 80% have visible malignant melanomas
lesion of melanoma
round, raised, black nodules of varying sizes
Tumors can be
benign or malignant (biopsy it)
Melanoma treatment
1) surgical excision
2) Chemotherapy
+/- 3) Vaccine studies to treat not prevent
horse slaughter in the 1980s
> 300,000 horses were processed/yr in 16 federally inspected plant
Horse Slaughter in 2006
105,000 horses processed for human food in 3 inspected plants ( 2 in TX, 1 in IL)
Federal Meat Inspection Act (FMIA)
requires federal inspection of animals slaughtered for human food and prepared for commerce
congress prohibited the use of federal funds for the inspection of horses at slaughter plants.
In 2006
Horse slaughter 2007
25,000 US-origin horses - Canada
11,000 US-Origin horses - Mexico
Horse slaughter 2007
25,000 US-origin horses - Canada
11,000 US-Origin horses - Mexico
Horse Slaughter 2016
64,000 US-origin horses - Mexico
Horse Slaughter 2020
24,000 US-origin horses - Mexico
Safeguard American Food Exports Act
Introduced in 2013 by 4 U.S. Senators, is a bipartisan measure that would:
- outlaw horse slaughter operations in the U.S.,
- end the current export of American horses for
slaughter abroad, and
- protect the public from consuming horse meat
