Foal/Young Horse Management - Exam 3

What is the 1-2-3 rule?

1. the foal should stand in 1 hour

2. the foal should nurse in 2 hours

3. the foal should pass the meconium and the mare should deliver the placenta within 3 hours

What is a common neonatal procedure?

doing an umbilical dip using 0.5% chlorhexidine within 30 minutes of the cord breaking

What is an important practice to do for the foal shortly after birth?

an umbilical dip using chlorhexidine

What is the ideal thing to do for orphaned and rejected foals?

induce lactation or find a nurse mare

What are three supplementation options for orphan and rejected foals?

1. alternative species milk

2. mare's milk replacer

3. starter pellets

What two different species' milk can you use?

1. goat milk

2. modified 2% cow's milk

What is best practice to feed an orphan or rejected foal?

adjust it to bucket feeding rather than bottle feeding if possible

What is imprinting?

exposing a foal to a lot of stimuli shortly after birth in hopes ot make it less reactive

How do foals act during their first 24 hours?

pretty interested in people and easy to handle

After 24 hour, how do foals act towards humans?

they are more scared of humans and more difficult to handle

What is a benefit to imprinting foals within their first 24 hours of life?

they will have a decreased sensitivity to handling their limbs at 3 months old

What should you remember when halter breaking a foal?

that is has a delicate head and neck

How do foals learn?

off of the release of pressure

Horses actually want to ___ ___ pressure.

lean into

What is the difference between a foal slip vs a foal halter?

a slip is usually more loose and made out of leather while a halter is made of nylon

What can you use during early leading?

butt rope

What should you not do during early weaning?

pull directly forward

What is one way that you can teach a foal about tying up?

by tying it near mom

What is tonic immobility?

freezing out of fear

What are two other methods to teaching foals how to respond to release of pressure?

1. tie them to a donkey

2. have them drag a lead rope

What effect does exercise and turnout have on bone density?

it increases it (exercise is good for foals)

During the first three weeks of life, how much time will foals spend within 15 feet of their dam?

90%

In the first three weeks of life, how much time will foals spend playing with their mom rather than other foals?

70%

At about what age do foals start to venture out further away from their mom?

~1 month of age

What is clacking?

a behavior that foals to to tell the older horses around them that they are just a baby

What is creep feeding?

supplying supplemental feed to a nursing foal without allowing its dam access to that feed

How much creep feed should a foal have?

1 lb per 1 month of age per day

When is weaning usually done?

around 4-6 months of age

What are the five different methods of weaning?

1. cold turkey

2. gradual weaning

3. fenceline weaning

4. babysitter horse

5. pairs in stall

What are three negative impacts that a foal can experience due to weaning?

1. colic

2. GI upset

3. gastric ulcers

When do mares usually reach puberty?

12 to 15 months of age

When do stallions usually reach puberty?

12 to 14 months of age

When so stallions reach sexual maturity?

4 to 5 years of age

Why do colts and fillies need to be separated around weaning?

because colts can start producing sperm around 4 months of age (postpubertal stage)

What are two reasons to geld a stallion?

1. geldings are easier to handle

2. geldings grow taller than stallions (~1.5 inch)

Why do geldings grow taller than stallions?

without testosterone, the growth plates in the long bones do not close as rapidly

When do testicles descend?

at birth

When is the cut off for to check for a cryptorchid or ridgling?

15 months

Why does weather play an important factor on when you castrate a male horse?

because you want it to be cooler and for there to be less flies to get on the wound

What is the ideal age for castration?

< 2 years old

What are the three different techniques for castration?

1. open

2. closed

3. semi-closed

What is an open castration?

when the parietal tunic is completely cut into and exposed

What is a closed castration?

when only the scrotum is only cut into

What is a semi-closed castration?

when there is a 2-3 mm incision into the parietal tunic

Who determines was castration technique is used?

the veterinarian

Castrations can be performed when the horse is ___ or ___.

standing or recumbent

How long should it take bleeding to cease after castration?

1-2 hours

How long should it take the scrotum to stop dripping after castration?

12+ hours

How long should you confine a horse for after castration?

12-24 hours

What is encouraged after castration?

movement

What can also be done to help with inflammation after castration?

cold hosing