Welfare and management

Question 1

Five freedoms

Answer 1

From hunger, thirst, and malnutrition

From discomfort

From pain, injury, and disease

From fear and distress

To express normal behaviour

Question 2

Five domains

Answer 2

Nutrition

Physical environment

Health

Behavioural interactions

Mental state

Question 3

Average turn out for UK horses

Answer 3

13-16 hrs/day in summer and 9-12hr in winter

Question 4

What management is associated with reduced stereotypic behaviours?

Answer 4

Increased social contact

Increased time at pasture

Question 5

Stereotypical behaviour

Answer 5

Repetitive, relatively unvaried action without an obvious function

Crib biting, box walking, door banging, weaving most common

Self mutilation syndrome documented mainly in stallions

Coping response to environment - change environment, dont punish behaviour

Low incidence in feral horses

Question 6

Crib biting

Answer 6

Often associated with frustration and boredom

High concentrate feed, lack of forage

Check incisors at vetting

Can lead to, or be caused by, gastric ulcers - thought to increase pH of digestive tract by producing more saliva

Crib biting shown to release dopamine - brain of crib biters thought to be structurally similar to that of cocaine users

Question 7

Treatment and management of crib biting

Answer 7

Crib collars prevent horse from crib biting but do not address the primary cause

Other “treatments” include surgery or punishment

Preventing cribbing can lead to increased cortisol and frustration

Enrichment of the environment may reduce crib biting
- stable with mate
- toys
- mirror
- more human interaction

Turn out to pasture

Ad-lib forage/hay net with fine weave to increase time spent eating

Social interaction

Increased visual contact shown to reduce weaving

Question 8

What other health issues are linked to obesity?

Answer 8

Laminitis, Metabolic syndrome, hyperinsulinaemia, osteochondrosis, osteoarthritis

Question 9

How much more likely is it that an obese horse with insulin resistance will suffer from laminitis?

Answer 9

10x

Question 10

Pre-disposing factors to obesity

Answer 10

Breed: native ponies

Inappropriate feeding

Overnutrition for level of work

Management: keeping horses rugged/stabled

Owner perception

Question 11

Factors involved in weight loss

Answer 11

Zero grazing while providing forage

Support from professionals

Increasing exercise most important if horse capable (not laminitic)

Increasing time taken to eat forage

Question 12

Where can a twitch never be used?

Answer 12

Ears

Question 13

Pain recognition

Answer 13

Posture - front foot pointing with pain, hindlimbs often tucked in

Weight bearing

Reduced locomotion

Blepharospasm

Depression

Increased HR and RR

Colic rolling, kicking at abdomen

Bruxism (teeth grinding)

Increased masseter muscle tension

Etc.

Question 14

How to make loading onto horse box less stressful

Answer 14

Less steep loading ramps

Companion

More likely to go onto bright trailer

Lunge ropes

Calm environment

Sedatives (ideally before first attempt)

Practice sessions

Mirror?

Question 15

Habituation

Answer 15

Exposure to full stimulus until less frightened

Question 16

Desensitisation

Answer 16

Introduced gradually to stimulus

Question 17

Counter-conditioning

Answer 17

Trained to associate frightening stimulus with positive experience

Question 18

Pain recognition in donkeys

Answer 18

Can be very stoic

HR surprisingly low in comparison in painful conditions like colic

More likely to be dull or inappetant than overtly painful

Dosage of NSAIDs is higher than in horses

Question 19

UK fatality rate for racing

Answer 19

1 in 1000 for flat racing

5.2 in 1000 for hurdling

7.1 in 1000 for steeplechase

Question 20

What force is put through the limbs during racing?

Answer 20

500kg horse galloping at speeds greater than 25mph will put forces of almost 1 tonne on a single limb

Question 21

Common racing injuries

Answer 21

Bucked shins

Stress fractures (humerus, tibia, pelvis)

Osteochondral chip fractures (carpus/fetlock)

Positive correlation between whip use and injury rate over jumps (tired)

Fall risk increases with decreasing position in race

Question 22

Common problems in dressage horses

Answer 22

Back pain

SDF tendonitis

Proximal suspensory ligament desmitis

(Back and neck problems due to hyperextension of neck?)

Question 23

Running martingale

Answer 23

used to prevent horse from raising head above the angle of control

Used to encourage the horse to stretch forward and down during lunging.

Can be fitted too tightly

Question 24

Standing martingale

Answer 24

Acts directly on the noseband to pull horses head down.

Quite severe and not suitable for jumping in.

Question 25

Side reins

Answer 25

Used to encourage the horse to stretch forward and down during lunging.

Can be fitted too tightly

Question 26

Restrictive nose bands

Answer 26

Extreme tightening of the noseband may cause pain and distress and is used in training/competing as it is thought to increase compliance and reduce unwanted behaviours

Rough guideline- two fingers under noseband

Question 27

Main problems associated with endurance racing

Answer 27

Major problems associated with hyperthermia and dehydration

Other concerns include musculoskeletal injuries, myopathies and colic

Question 28

Common issues with cross country horses

Answer 28

SDF tendonitis

Fetlock or stifle injuries

P1 fractures

Back problems