Intro to Eq Management & Euthanasia

What is an adult male horse?

stallion

What is an adult female horse?

mare

What is a castrated male?

gelding

What is a generic juvenile?

foal

What is a male juvenile?

colt

What is a female juvenile?

filly 

What is the age of puberty?

12-24 months

What is the typical age of 1st breeding?

3 yrs

what is the lifespan?

20-40 yrs (oldest = 62)

What is the reproductive lifespan?

up to 15-20 yrs

How much and how often should a horse excrete of feces a day?

28-50 lbs/day, and 8-10 times/daily

How much and how often does a horse excrete urine daily?

4-7 quarts/day, and 5-7 times/daily

How do horses excrete tears?

lachrymal apparatus - tear ducts

What is the main cooling mechanism?

sweating

Where is saliva produced and what is its main function?

parotid submaxillary and sublingual, main function is to aid in mastication and lubricate upper digestive tract

What is horse normal temp?

99-101.5 F and heat stroke starts at 102 

What is average pulse?

35-45 bpm, and identify using stethoscope on right side of flank under armpit

What is average respiration?

8-15 breathes per minute, and listen either with stethoscope on trachea, looking/feeling nose exhales, looking at flank

What is the average gut sounds?

3-4 sounds per minute listen with ear or stethoscope in all four quarters

What should be the average reaction time for the pinch test?

less than 1 second, it tests for dehydration if it stays up too long then horse is dehydrated

What is the average capillary refill time/

1-2 seconds it tests blood flow, you press on the gums and see how long it takes for them to go back to pink

What should the mucous membranes look like?

moist, pale pink, it indicates blood flow or amenia

What is the Body Condition Score Chart?

There are 8 levels: poor, very thin, thin, moderately thin, moderate, moderately flanky, flanky, fat and it is a measure of fat or excess energy not muscling or conditioning or physical fitness

What are additional health cues?

Hair coat - Hirsutism (PPID), fungal infections and poor nutrition, Hoof Condition - inflammation, injury, poor confirmation, poor nutrition, Feeding Habits - continual grazers, require roughage, graze 10-12 hrs/day

What are the ways to measure weight?

Scientifically Validated Weight tape, livestock scale (best option), measuring tape - heart girth and length and then use formula wt(kg) = girth² x length (cm) / 11877

What is the definition of euthanasia?

the act or practice of killing or permitting death of hopelessly sick or injured individuals in a relatively painless way for reasons of mercy

What are the criteria for euthanasia?

chronic incurable condition resulting in unnecessary pain and suffering, “is there a change of improvement”, “is the horse a hazard to handlers or itself”, “lifelong management issues” everyone’s evaulation and threshold will be different it is a very personal choice

What are the methods of euthanasia?

overdose of barbiturate anesthesia which causes cardiac and respiratory arrest, gunshot which causes cerebral and brain stem trauma and it must go through the intersectio of the base of the ears and the eyes but not in between the eyes slightly above, penetrating captive bolt which causes cerebral and brain stem trauma

What is animal rights?

a radical ideology that attempts to elevate species of animals to equality with humans by using anthropomorphism, a core tenet is no species on planet better than other, so humans have no right to dominate, use, breed, or eat nonhumans 

What is animal welfare?

a reflection of its physical and metal health and general well being. an animal in poor state of welfare may suffer from discomfort, distress, or pain which may compromise its ability to grow, survive, and produce or reproduce and is based off five freedoms

What are the five freedoms?

freedom from hunger, freedom from discomfort, freedom from pain, injury or disease, freedom to express normal behavior, freedom from fear and distress

What is a flight zone?

the space surrounding a horse that when penetrated causes the horse to move to reestablish a comfortable distance, individual for each animal

What is low stress handling based on?

applying and releasing pressure on the edge of the flight zone, 

Point of balance?

is located at the shoulder of the horse  you move forward they move backward and vice versa 

How do you tie a horse/catch them?

hug method, put through face, scooch up, tie or buckle and if tying you put through loop then bring around back of loop, then put tie in front of loop but under first part of tie and then you should be able to pull down to tighten