ASCI 100 - Exam 4: The Equine & Companion Animal Industry, and Behaviors - UNL 2025

Food --> Transportation --> Work --> Sport/Companionship

Historically, describe the general evolution of horse usage by man?

$177 billion

What is the estimated impact of the equine industry on the U.S. economy?

Non-Competitive Recreation: 43%

Competition, Non-Racing: 17%

Competition, Racing: 17%

Work: 7%

According to a poll conducted by the American Horse Council (2017), what percentage of horses are associated with non-competitive recreation? Competition, non-racing? Competition, racing? Work?

Non-Competitive Recreation: $51.2 billion

Competitive, Non-Racing: $52.9 billion

Competitive, Racing: $52.4 billion

Work: $9.0 billion

Although the recreational (non-competitive) sector of the equine industry may engage the highest percentage of horses, how do the recreational (non-competitive), competitive (non-racing), and racing sectors compare regarding their impact on the U.S. economy?

This equine event depicts a horse on the hunt, chasing the hounds; Horses cover lots of ground with little effort; Multiple contestants work the ring simultaneously.

Describe the "Hunter under Saddle" equine event.

This equestrian event has a rider sitting back in the saddle, carrying their hands high.

Describe the "Saddle Seat Pleasure" equine event.

Morgan, Arabian, and Saddlebred are the most common breeds for this equine event

What breeds of horses are most often associated with "Saddle Seat Pleasure"?

Manners and Obedience

What is the primary focus of the Classic, English, and Country divisions of Saddle Seat Pleasure?

This division of an equine event is for "showing off" success; it is a ride in the park, with extreme action

Describe the Park Division of Saddle Seat Pleasure.

Military training is the historical basis for this equine event

What is the historical basis for Dressage?

this equine event consists of jumping a series of obstacles in a specified order; it is time but the goal is not the fastest time, instead it is the fewest faults

Describe the Stadium or Show Jumping equine event.

this equine event is evaluated by the fewest faults made.

How is Stadium or Show Jumping judged/evaluated/scored?

obstacle knockdown, a horses refusal to jump, if a horse falls, or if a horse fails to finish in time

What constitutes a fault in Stadium or Show Jumping?

this equestrian event has teams on horseback, using a mallet to hit a ball through the opponents goal posts.

Describe the game of Polo

this equine event is where one cow is "cut", and the horse performs "unassisted"; the historical basis of this competition is the ranch horse

What is "Cutting"? What is the historical basis of the "Cutting" competition?

This equine event is scored starting at 70, and final scores range from 60-80.

In general, how is cutting judged or evaluated?

Penalties for this equine event are: rider cueing to horse; rider making noise to direct cattle; scattering the herd; horse biting, pawing, or kicking cattle; calf slipping back to herd; changing to a second calf.

What constitutes a penalty in cutting (there are several)?

this equine event has contestants individually performing a specified pattern. the historical basis for this event is vaqueros and the working cowboy

Describe "Reining"? What is the historical basis of the "Reining" competition?

stops (slides); spins (spin fast and stop "on a dime"); circles (large=fast, small=slow and collected); rollbacks; lead changes

What types of maneuvers are incorporated into a reining pattern?

70 is the base score for these two equine events

For both cutting and reining, what is the base score (it's the same for both events)?

Cutting, Reining, and Cow Work make up this equine competition

What 3 components make up the "Working Cow Horse" (or Reined Cow Horse) competition?

In this equine event, horses travel the perimeter of the arena at a walk, jog, and lope, travelling in both directions; multiple contestants are in the ring.

Describe "Western Pleasure".

This equine event is judged on a horse's ability to be a pleasure to ride.

What is the primary focus of judging Western Pleasure?

this equine event mimics outdoor trail riding; it is judge on performance of the horse going over obstacles

Describe the "Trail" (English or Western) competition.

this equestrian competition is historically based off of vaqueros. It originated in the 1800s, when upon completion of cattle drives, informal competitions were held

Describe the historical basis for rodeo? When and how did rodeo originate?

8 seconds

In rodeo roughstock events, how long is a qualified ride?

50pts are for the horse, and 50pts are for the rider

In judging rodeo roughstock events, how many points are attributed to the rider, and to the horse?

Bareback Riding

What equine rodeo event has no historical basis, but rather was implemented solely for "entertainment"

Short and long distance are the two types of the equestrian racing.

Breeds Used:

Short - Quarter Horses

Long - Thoroughbreds

What are the two different types of flat racing? What breeds are used with each?

Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes make up this award

What 3 races make up the "Triple Crown" of Thoroughbred Horse Racing?

Secretariat; 1973

Seattle Slew; 1977

Affirmed; 1978

American Pharoah; 2015

Justify; 2018

Can you name the last 5 Triple Crown winners (2 since 2015, 3 in the 1970s)?

This race is considered the pinnacle of Quarter Horse Racing

All-American Futurity

this equestrian race was historically cross-country, from steeple to steeple, or church to church. Today it is at tracks and similar to flat racing

Describe the steeple chase

These 3 events comprise this "3-day eventing" equine competition

Dressage, Speed & Endurance, and Show or Stadium Jumping

This segment of the "3-day event" is 3-5 miles, and has many permanent jumps and obstacles

Describe the cross-country segment of the 3-day eventing competition

This equine competition uses a pull cart, and Standardbreds are the most common breed associated with it.

What is harness racing? What breed is associated with harness racing?

Trotters: diagonal 2-beat gait

Pacers: lateral 2-beat gait

What is the difference between Trotters and Pacers?

Thoroughbreds: ~$11 Billion

Quarter Horses: not published

Regarding horse racing and parimutuel wagering, what is the handle?

Legal in 45 states: NOT in AK, GA, HI, SC, and UT

In how many states is it legal to wager on horse races?

Working horses are used for ranching and feedlots, as well as the mounted police

How are horses used in work today?

to produce a "winner"

In the horse industry, elite stallions can be worth millions, and stud fees can run into the hundreds of thousands - what is the primary motivating factor for many to pay those fees?

January 1; spring through fall; mares may birth anytime in winter-summer

What is the "universal birth date" for horses? What is the natural breeding season for a mare? How do these differ, and what issues might this pose for those involved with breeding mares?

Use artificial lighting to simulate longer days

If the horse is a long-day breeder (responds to an increase in daylength), how can we increase the percentage of mares that will ovulate during mid-winter (February)?

True

True or False: The AQHA allow registration of horses conceived via artificial insemination

False

True or False: the AQHA does not allow registration of embryo transfer foals.

No, they do not allow cloned foals.

Does the AQHA allow registration of cloned foals?

Frozen semen or embryos may only be used for 2 years after death or neutering of the sire or dam.

For the AQHA, what is the current restriction regarding usage of frozen semen (or frozen embryos)?

Base Colors: Black and Red

3 Coat Colors: Sorrel/Chestnut, Bay, Black

What are the two base colors of horses? What 3 basic coat color patterns are derived from those two base colors?

"dilutes" red color; Sorrel/Chestnut --> Palomino and Bay --> Buckskin

What effect does the Cream gene have on horse color patterns?

"dilutes" body color; Black --> Grullo and Red --> Red Dun

What effect does the Dun gene have on horse color patterns?

This horse has a "golden" coat and a white or light cream mane and tail. Has the cream "dilution" gene, which makes the coat appear lighter than a Sorrel or Chestnut

Describe a palomino. Genetically, how does a palomino differ from a sorrel or chestnut?

This horse has a "golden" or tan coat, with black points such as the mane, tail, and legs. Has the cream "dilution" gene which makes the coat lighter than a Bay

Desribe a buckskin. Genetically, how does a buckskin differ from a bay?

This horse is grey colored, with a dark dorsal stripe. Has the "dun" gene, which is a greyish tint, and therefore a diluted form of black.

Describe a grullo. Genetically, how does a grullo differ from a black horse?

The dark dorsal stripe on a Grullo differentiates it from a Grey.

How can a grullo be differentiated from a gray horse? In other words, what distinguishing mark should be present on a grullo that would not be present on a gray horse?

Tobiano: white crossing over the back; "smoother" pattern; Dominant

Overo: "jagged" white spots; tends to not cross over the back

In paint horses, how does a tobiano differ from an overo? Which color pattern is dominant?

The white gene (W) is a mutation that inhibits pigments production. It is lethal if present in two copies (WW)

Why are truly white horses extremely rare?

Bald: significant white on face

Blaze: wide, white stripe down face

Snip: small patch of white on muzzle

Star: small patch of white on forehead

Strip: narrow band of white, forehead to muzzle

Describe the various head markings that may be on a horse - Bald, Blaze, Snip, Star, Strip.

Coronet: thin white band just above hoof

Pastern: white covering pastern, but not fetlock

Sock: white from the hoof to past the fetlock

Stocking: white from hoof to knee/hock

Describe the various feet and leg markings that may be on a horse - coronet, pastern, sock, and stocking.

Another term for this marking is Fetlock

What other term may be used instead of "sock" particularly if the white only covers pastern and fetlock but does not carry any farther up on the leg?

Arabians and Thoroughbreds

All light horses transcended from these two breeds...

Arabian

This is the oldest breed of horse in the world...

Saddlebred

This breed of horse was developed in the U.S. as a premier "show" horse; it is a 5-gaited horse.

Quarter Horse

This breed of horse is the most popular, in terms of registry numbers, in the U.S.

This is the nature of movement in a horse

Define the term gait.

The repeated linear foot placement pattern

Define the term stride, as related to horse movement.

Walk is the "mother of all gaits"

What gait is considered the "mother of all gaits"? It has a 4-beat cadence.

Trot/Jog

What two terms (one English, one Western) represent a 2-beat gait where the diagonal limbs (front right and left rear, and front left and right rear) move in unison?

Canter/Lope

What two terms (one English, one Western) represent a rhythmic 3-beat gait?

Gallup

What is considered to the be fastest gait of the horse?

Hoof Wall

What part of the hoof should bear the majority of a horse's weight?

the sole protects internal structures

What is the purpose of the sole?

Absorbs shock; provides traction; pumps blood

Name two primary functions of the frog.

Every 6-8 weeks

On average, how often should a horse be trimmed or shod?

False, some horses do not need shoes

True/False - all horses should be shod.

Clydesdale: Belgian; Percheron; Shire; Suffolk

Name 3 (of 5) breeds of draft horses?

Belgian and Clydesdale

Which two breeds of draft horses are most popular, based on registry numbers?

Shire

Which breed of horse is the largest in the world?

Ponies must be < 14.2 hands

What is supposed to be the maximum height of a pony, measured in hands?

Hackney; Shetland; Welsh

Name 3 pony breeds

Miniature ponies must be < 8 hands

What is the maximum height for miniature horses?

Hinney: offspring from male horse (stallion) and female donkey (jenny)

Mule: offspring from female horse (mare) and male donkey (jack)

Using proper equine gender terminology, what is a hinney? What is a mule?

Light Horse: 14-17 hands, 900-1400 lbs

Draft Horse: 16-18 hands, 1400-2200 lbs

Pony: <14.2 hands, <600 lbs

What is the approximate weight and height (in hands) of a light horse? Of a draft horse? Of a pony?

Hand; 4 inches

This unit of measurement is used for horses

Measured from ground to highest point of withers

Where is height of a horse measured?

"Ready to Perform"

What type of horse is associated with the top market (value)?

Early handling and interacting with newborn foals

What is imprint training?

Binocular: seeing 1 scene with both eyes

Monocular: seeing different scenes with each eye

Horses have both binocular and monocular vision. How are these two different types of vision used?

The rider cues to the horse using subtle pressure (reins, legs, body)

How is a horse's sense of touch associated with training?

The horses "listen" and then "look". They respond to soft voice commands.

How is a horse's sense of hearing associated with training?

Used to teach the horse to make the desired responses. Positive reinforcement is also used

How is psychology being used in the training of horses?

The use of spurs of pressure on the ribs for movement

"Escape" is a type of negative reinforcement - provide an example of how this method may be used.

No punishment for a proper response, and aversive stimuli is applied for an incorrect response, such as neck reining or backing on light mouth contact

"Avoidance" is a type of negative reinforcement - specifically, what is "avoidance" training?

So the horse knows what action was wrong

Why must all reinforcement be instantaneous and contingent with the conflicting act?

Has a special relationship and interacts with humans, is partially or totally dependent on humans, and lives in close proximity to humans.

What characteristics "define" a companion animal?

Providing a reason to stay active; decreases blood pressure; increases longevity; shows fewer medications and doctors visits

What are the physical benefits associated with the ownership of pets?

Improves mental and emotional health. Pets listen, and won't judge or talk back. They also improve social interaction of the owner.

What effect does pet ownership have on the mental & emotional health of its owner?

Companionship; playthings (sport); hobby; ornamental; status symbol; service

List 5-6 reasons that various people might own a pet.

Households with kids, higher income, or are elderly and living alone

What types of households are most likely to have pets?

1. Vermin control

2. Law enforcement, Search & Rescue, guard dogs

3. Herding

4. Providing Aid

5. Therapy

Describe 5 different ways that dogs provide service to humans.

They serve as an important therapeutic role, and increase social interaction

Although the elderly are least likely to have a pet, why are pets beneficial to them?