horses Flashcards
scientific name
equus caballus
equus= greek for quickness
wild herds
3-20 animals led by mature male; rest is females and their young
4 speeds called gaits
walk, trot, canter, gallop
lifespan
25-30 years
gestation
340 days (almost a year!!), range 320-370
horses are _____ breeders
seasonal (summer)
colt
entire male 3 yrs or less
stallion
entire male 4 years and over
gelding
castrated male of any age
filly
female 3 years of less
mare
female 4 years and over
first horses originated in
north america and then spread to asia and europe
were first domesticated in ____ and initially used for:
asia 3000-4000BC
used for milk and meat, eventually as a form of transportation
value for domestication
speed for transport, carrying capacity, diastema for control, absence of horns
wild horses today
- 3 species of zebra
- wild ass (african and asian)
- przewalksi’s horse
ability to digest food
hind hut fermenters, thrive on poor quality plant fibre
adapted to graze instead of browse
diastema
gap between front incisors and rear grinding teeth
limb and foot structure allows them to
be v fast! run up to 70km/h for short distances
how did horses adapt to graze
- long muzzle and ever erupting teeth
- ability to digest
- migrating animal
teeth evolution
- teeth w transverse shearing evolved
- premolars became full molars
- hypsodont (high crowned) teeth, ever erupting
digestion time
- rumen digestion is more efficient but more time consuming; they can’t jump up and run away
- horse 48 hr; 70% efficient as cow
- do better of poorer quality diet
how often graze
60-80% of time
commonly drink in association w feeding
hindgut fermenters
big vat to allow microbes to digest grass
boxed horses vs paddock horse feeding time
boxed; 47% of time
paddock; 60-80% time
limb and foot structure
- arrangement of tendons on long slender limbs; store elastic energy; faster gait and endurance
- ulna and radius is fused; long solid limb for distance running;; poor turning ability
- hoof= bioengineering miracle; tough, protective, evergrowing
where are blindspots
- horse has a blind-spot straight in front or forehead the width of the horse
- also directly behind it
- cannot see itself
hearing
- large erect, motile pinnae
- more sensitive to sound than humans
- hearing to 34 kHz compared to 20 kHz in humans
olfaction
- well developed vomeronasal organ; flehman response
- horses meet nose to nose and smell each other
- horses are sensitive to smells in their environment
- smell v important in feed selection
taste
- attracted by sweetness/ sugar
- reject salty, sour and bitter tastes at about the same level of acceptance as humans
- train to accept high levels of electrolyte before race
touch
- horses v sensitive to tactile stimulation; esp muzzle and ears
- v well developed; can sense fly landing
- muscles ripple to disturb flies
- muzzle sensitive; whiskers
horses are predators or prey animals
prey
general social organization: harem type
- live in large herds comprising several smaller bands
- basic family/ breeding group; harem band
- harem stallion, few mature females and their young offspring
- bachelor bands
general social organization: territorial type
- breeding males guard a territory
- gain access to females that travel through their territory
- females travel alone or in temporary pairs
locomotion begins within first ____ of life
hour
how long do they do standing rest per day
8-12 hours
how long do they go through recumbent rest per day
0-6 hours per day
grooming and insect control behaviours
- rolling, shaking
- autogrooming; nibbling, biting, licking or rubbing
- tail swishing
how often do they urinate/ defecate per day
4-15x per day
stallion fecal behvaiour
fecal pile displays; scent marking, aka stud piles
non- verbal communication
ear, eye, muzzle, body position
verbal communication
- snorting; excited or uncertain about object/ situation
- nicker; friendly, fairly uqiet greeting
- neigh/ whinny; friendly call; high pitched
- squealing; friendly or excitable warning
- blowing; relaxed noise
play behaviour
- object; sniff, bite, nuzzle, pick up/ shake/ carry/ toss
- pawing at objects
- running to and from objects
- circling or running in loops
training behaviours
- highly flexible and adjustable/ adaptable
- pressure and release
3 major groups of horse breeds
heavy, light, ponies
how do you measure horses
cm or hands and inches
1 hand= 4 inches= 10cm
near side and off side
near= horses left side
off = horses right side
light horse breeds (most predominant type)
- thoroughbred
- australian stock horse
- quarter horse
- arabian
- standardbred
- miniature horse
- show horses
- warm blood
heavy horse breeds
- clydesdale
- percheron
- cold blooded (related to temperament)
ponies
- welsh mountain pony
- shetland
heavy horses
- as name implies heavy
- used originally for labour; pulling carts, ploughing fields
clydesdale
- heavy
- from scotland
- 16-18 hands
- usually characteristic colour
- used to be work horses, now used for driving and ploughing competitions
- driving= horse and carriage
percheron
- heavy
- originated in france
- 14-16 hands
- usually grey or black
- draft animal
- also meat production
light horses
- built for speed, agility, endurance, athletic
- usually for riding
- hot blooded relates to temperament
thoroughbred
- light horse
- originated from UK
- 15-17 hands
- fast, athletic
- flat racing, jumps racing, other sports
australian stock horse
- light horse
- originated from aus
-14-16 hands - founded in 1970s; original horses waler types
- the breed for every need
- used for work, sport and pleasure
quarter horse
- light horse
- originated from USA
- 14-16 hands
- many colours
- riding and racing
- heavier build than aus stock horse
arabians
- light horse
- originated in middle east
- 14-15 hands
- one of v original horse breeds
- diff colours
- diff body type to other breeds; finer, also head and limbs
- used for pleasure, show, endurance
warm blood
- light horse
- “type” horse; different warmblood breeds
- cross between hot and cold
- have aspects of both types
- strong and sure footed
- used for sport
standardbred
- light horse
- from USA
- 15-16 hands
- used for harness racing and riding
- harness racing; unique gait, pacing
- legs on same side; move forward together instead of opposite
- retired harness racing horses becoming v popular
show horses
- not a specific breed
- often divided into hack, galloway and pony depending on size
miniature horse
- light horse
- originated in USA
- 8 ish hands
- used for harness, showing, companion, therapy etc
- should possess all characteristics of good conformation of other types
ponies
- smaller
- less than 14 hands
- usually have thick coat, neck and wide body, as well as shorter legs and head
- adapted to harsh environments and were originally working horses
welsh mountain pony
- pony
- from wales
- 12 hands
- riding body and light draft
- different sections (A-D)
- kids riding ponies
shetland pony
- pony
- from scotland
- up to 12 hands
- used for riding and light draft, harness
- ridden extensively by children
- kind disposition
przewalskis horse
- last surviving subspecies of wild horse
- driven to extinction in wild siince 19060s via interbreeding
horse ID methods
- sex, colour, age, natural markings, acquired markings, congenital abnormalities, brands
- microchip
- DNA
4 coat colours
- chestnut (golden reddy, yellowy, mane and tail same colour)
- bay (brown, mane and tail are black)
- brown (uniform black skin pigment, muzzle brown)
- black (uniform black skin pigment, muzzle is black)
grey horses
- body colour uneven mixture of coloured and white hairs
- foal one of the 4 basic colours at birth
- white develops with age until coat transformed to white
- skin remains dark
white horses
- rare
- foals born white (unlike grey horses)
- pigment sometimes on poll, ears and tail
- sometimes blue eyes
- susceptible to skin cancers
horse bday
all horses considered to have bday on aug 1 in southern hemisphere
(jan 1 in northern hemisphere)
how many horses will have natural white markings somewhere
- 5/6
- good way to ID, must be accurately and concisely located, sized and defined
mixed vs bordered white marking
- mixed; contains hairs of background colour
- bordered; border of mixed hairs and then middle completely white
shapes of head markings
- star ( on forehead)
- stripe (stripe down face)
- blaze (thick stripe, covers lots of face)
- snip (on nose)
- can be combos of any of above
flesh marks
- patches of skin w pigment absent
- drawn solid on ID forms
leg markings
- spots, tufts and patches of coloured hairs
- everything described and illustrated
- hoof colour; usually black
leg markings from highest sock to lowest
- full cannon
- three quarter cannon
- half cannon
- white above fetlock
- full pastern
- half pastern
- coronet
whorls
- permanent irregular arrangement of coat hair where the hair stream changes direction
- varies in every animal; like fingerprints
- cannot be brushed or clipped out
- position described in relation to eye level and midline of head
- absence of whorls on forehead must be noted
- drawn as a cross on id forms
feathered whorls
- two sweeps of hair meet along a line at different angles to form a feather
- drawn as a line, X——
acquired markings
- scars drawn as arrows
- saddle and girth marks
- dropped hips
- nicks and tears in nostrils/ ears
- if it isn’t going to change we record it
congenital abnormalities
- any congenital marking or individual peculiarity that will distinguish the animal
- wall eye; lack of iris pigment
- roman nose caved out
- dished nose; caved in
- muscle indentation; prophets thumb
- dental abnormality
- prophets thumb; just like a random dent
freeze branding
- liquid nitrogen at - 196 degrees
- kills colour producing cells in skin and hair; new hair will be white
- most horses branded w owners brand and numbers; foal drop and year
- near side L shoulder in qld
tattooing
occurs in north america
upper lip
microchips
- all thoroughbreds born from 2003 onwards
- all registered w equestrian australia
- all horses vaccinated against hendra
- 15 digit number
- must be implanted by vet
- nuchal ligament of horse
aus produces the ____ highest number of thoroughbreds foals in the world after north america
second
FEI
federation equestrian international
- olympic sports
- dressage
- showjumping
- eventing
welfare issues; ill treatment and neglect
- ill treatment and neglect
- accidental or deliberate
- incorrect/ under feeding
- failure to provide normal care
welfare issues; training/ riding methods
- whips
- jumps racing and rodeos
- other tools; spurs, juggers
- surigical procedures
- outdates training methods
other welfare issues
- rollkur; head pulled too far down
- doping
- abnormal limb sensitivity; competition horse cannot have abnormal limb sensitivity
- whips have strict limitations on amount of use
stereotypies
- weaving
- stall walking
- pawing
- crib biting
- nodding/ head shaking
- wind sucking
- wood chewing
- tongue displacement
- head movements
- selt mutilation
pasture and hay contains what nutrients
water, vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, carbs, (sugars, starch and fibre)
horses not working or utilizing energy will quickly become
obese if grazing lots of green grass or are overfed w supplements; can lead to insulin dysregulation and laminitis
show horses usually ____ than athletic horses
fatter
general feeding rules
- unlimited access to fresh, clean water
- feed only high quality ingredients
- provide adequate forage; hay and/or pasture
- select concentrate designed for type of horse
- monitor body condition
- if under or over weight evaluate feeding program
- restrict amount of starch per meal
- feed regularly
- diet changes slow
- feed supplements for specific reason
how much forage per day should horses have
1.5% BW a day is ideal
how much starch should horses have
not more than 1.5/g/kg BW as large risk of large intestinal disturbances
how regular should you feed horses
- grain 1-3x per day depending on requirements
- forage; continual access (preferable) or 3x a day
what is most important nutrient
water ~75% of their bodyweight is water
how much water should a 500kg horse have per day
2/ml/kg/hr = 25L a day but over 50L a day if hot weather
what function do starch and carbs have
- replace glycogen stores; stored in large skeletal muscles, essential for racing, running, jumping
- increases starches can cause colic
- increase starch and sugar can cause laminitis
laminitis
separation of the hoof wall from the foot, v painful and difficult to treat
roughages for horses
pasture, legumes (lucerne, clover) or cereals (oaten chaff)
concentrates for horses
grains such as oats, barley, sorghum, maize and rice and commercial mixes
protein supplements
soyabean meal, lucerne, lupins, cottonseed meal, sunflower seeds, linseed meal
to maintain body condition, a horse in light work must consume
2% of its body weight daily as dry matter
feed must be what 3 things
palatable, economical and practical
why is equine dentistry necessary
- upper check teeth overlap lower
- on soft feed incomplete wear creates sharps enamel points (SEPs) due to circular grinding motion of teeth
- SEPs can ulcerate cheek mucosa
- routine dentistry removes them (yearly in adults)
dentistry
- chemical restraint
- hausmann gag keeps mouth open
- stand to keep head in optimal position
- light for clear view
hoof grows approx
6-12 mm each month, takes 9-12 months to replace entire hoof
how often trim hoof
- 4-6 weeks to accommodate shoeing
- 3-4 weeks in living and competing barefoot
hooves left long and cracked may develop pathology such as
- tendon/ ligament issues
- hoof abscesses
the production of ________ of the periople, hoof wall and bars, white line, sole and frog is constant
tubular horn
is there a standard vaccine program for horses
- no
- evaluate:
- risk of disease
- consequences of disease
- efficacy of product
- potential for adverse rxn
- cost of vaccine vs potential cost of disease
main diseases in aus
- tetanus (clostridium)
- strangles
- hendra
- others include herpes, influenza, salmonella, rotavirus
tetanus
- bacterial disease that lives in soil; clostridium tetani
- caused by bacteria entering the body through wounds
- bacteria produces neurotoxin –> causes spastic paralysis (rigid limbs, erect ears, exposed third eyelids, difficulty walking, eating, drinking, breathing, death)
- expensive and hard to cure
- easy to prevent w vax (inactivated vaccine)
- from 3months of age, 4 weeks after that, then every 12 months
strangles
-streptococcus equi infection; passed from horse to horse through nasal/ oral secretions
- contagious but usually non fatal
- painful swallowing and breathing, cough, swollen lymph nodes, purulent nasal discharge
- vaccine is 12, 14 and 16 weeks, then annual booster
hendra virus
- henipavirus
- bats –> horses –> humans
- flying foxes infected do not show signs
- many many different symptoms in horses
- subunit vaccine
- available and administered by vets only
- all horses vaccinated must be microchipped
- from 4 months old, then booster 3-6 weeks later, then booster 6 months later, then annual boosters
adverse rate of hendra
-.28% which means one in every 350 but most are milkd
what problems do worms cause
- weight loss
- tail rubbing
- poor growth
- diarrhea
- colic
- death
types of worms
- large strongyles ( historically important, uncommon now)
- small strongyles (v common, cause disease when infection reaches high levels)
- tapeworms
- roundworms (in young horses)
- pin worms
- bots
- habronema (summer sores)
worm control startegies
- worm every 6-8 weeks
- frequent rotation of wormers
- fecal egg counts; identify which horses require more frequent dosing
- fecal egg count reduction testing (FECRT) to see if treatment worked
low shedders, moderate and high shedders
- low: 0-200 eggs per gram
- moderate; 200-500 eggs per gram
- high shedders; more than 500 eggs per gram
foals deworming
- roundworms and ascarids are most significant
- treat 3-4x in first year, first dose at 2-3 months old
- after 6 months old focus on strongyles
- as they mature become immune to roundworm
- as they mature should be treated as high shedding adults against strongyles, so 3-4 treatments each year
managing environment for worms
- remove feces every 3-5 days
- worms are spread by eggs from eggs in feces developing into larva; takes about 3 days
- avoid turning out foals or weanlings on pasture recently grazed by young adults
worming tips
- choose products that contain both macrocyclic lactones (-mectins) and praziquantal –> will cover against all types
- dont underdose
- perform FECs
reproductive activity correlates to
day length
summer breeders
maiden mares vs brood mares
maiden; haven’t had a foal yet
brood; multiparous
gestation period
320-370, average 340 days
estrus cycle
- polyestrus
- repeated cycles in spring and summer
- average cycle length 21-22 days
- estrus 4-7 days “in season”
-diestrus 14-15 days
how to determining estrus
TUW: tail up, urinating, winking
ovulation
occurs around day 5 of estrus, mating must occur close to ovulation as possible, 0% chance of fertilization over 24hrs post ovulation
if goal to have mare foal as close to aug 1 as possible should be bred
sep 15 year before
not usually cycling at this time so artificial lighting needed
lighting to induce ovulation
- 16 daylight, 8 hours dark
- 8-10 weeks needed
- flash lighting protocols; one hour exposure of artificial light given 9-10 hrs after sunset
2 yr old colts can serve:
adult stallions can serve:
2 mares/ week
2 mares/ day or more
daily sperm production (DSP) peaks in
spring/ summer
stallion behaviour
- seeks out mares via teasing
- start at shoulder and progress to flank
- flehman response
- paddock breeding; may serve same mare repeatedly
- aggression; protection of herd, drive mares to new area, aggressive towards other stallions
hand serving requires daily
heat detection or scan ovaries
basically where mare is in estrus and restrained stallion is brought to breeding shed, teased and penis washed and then breeds
paddock mating average conception rate
66%
selection of breeding stock based on the 3P’s
pedigree, performance and prettiness
in thoroughbred industry live foals/ mares covered 66% why is this the case?
1) inappropriate breeding season sep-dec to achieve bday of aug 1 instead of natural breeding season
2) selection of breeding stock on basis of performance rather than fertility
3) persevering w breeding from aging mares and stallions because of superior racing ability of their offspring
4) breeding all mares regardless of reproductive performance and when yearling prices are high
different breeding systems
- natural service; paddock and hand serving
- AI
- embryo transfer
- cloning, icsi etc
artificial insemination
- banned in thoroughbreds
- fresh, chilled or frozen
- w good semen may get good preg rates 72 hrs prior to ovulation
- extender protects sperm by preventing damage by seminal plasma, proving nutrients and cooling buffers and antibiotic component
-250-500 million progressively motile sperm (PMS) inserted into mare (10-30ml)
embryo transfer
- for mares that can’t have foal (fertility issues, older, competition and must remain non preggo, or to get multiple offspring from mare in one season)
- donor mare inseminated, embryo is flushed on day 7 and implanted into recipients mare (genetic offspring of donor)
- offspring has donor mare genetics
determining pregnancy (when US)
- 11-16 days post breeding; don’t want twins; one is crushed
- 30 days
- 45 days; preg certs completed at this time
foaling
- valuable mares about to foal kept under continuous close observation
- best in open yard w minimal interference
- usually foal at night
- udders begin to hypertrophy 7-14 days before, pelvic ligaments relax and vulva lengthens
- milk drips means foal within 24 hr usually
stage 1 foaling
- uterine contractions and cervix dilation
- varies in length
- mare will leave herd
- walks/ trots around yard
- rolls, begins to sweat, looks at abdomen (false colic)
stage 2 foaling
- proper foaling
- water breaks
- usually mares lying down
- 10-20 mins after water breaks foaling should occur (5 mins after forelegs should appear)
- foal usually born w amnion
- front feet and heard first
- live foal will break its way out of sax
- after delivery mare rises to feet and umbilical cord breaks
stage 3 foaling
- passing of placenta
- occurs 15-120 mins after foal
- if longer than 6 hours call vet
- mare may show signs of colic
- examine placenta
maternal behaviour
- bonding between mare and foal post partum
- licking, nuzzling, vocalization, naturally protective
- do not eat placenta
- nursing behaviour
neonate
- should be standing 1 hour after birth, suckling within 2 hours, and placenta/ meconium passed by 3 hours (1,2,3 rule)
- eyes and ears open
- no acquired immunity at birth; supply of antibodies colostrum essential within 12 hours
- exhaust quickly
- sensitive to temp changes
meconium
- foals first feces after being born
- can become impacted
neonate considerations
1) clean umbilicus w dilute iodine
2) meconium impaction, more common in colts, enema
3) check for failure of passive transfer (colostrum)
- tetanus antitoxin
foal rejection
- more common in maiden mares (first birth)
- human interruption of normal bodning?
- head tossing, pinned ears, actively moving away
foal heat
- mares come into estrus 3-14 days post parturition
- can conceive at this time but fertility lower than other cycles
caslick’s operation
- some mares have poor vulval conformation, allows feces and other contaminants into reproductive tract
- decerases fertility
- calicks operation is a vulvoplasty; seal vulval lips together
- must be opened prior to breeding or foaling
