Horse Management Exam 1

eohippus

• earliest ancestor for horse

• 4 toes on front

• 3 feet on hind

• adapted for swamp lands

orohippus

• evolved from eohippus

• lived in woodlands

• 3 toed

mesohippus

• evolved from orohippus

• still live in woodlands

• taller (4 ft compared to 3 ft)

• longer, stronger teeth

• wide set eyes (improve field of vision)

merychippus

• evolved from mesohippus

• lived in plains

• 6 ft tall

• harder teeth

• close to single toed

pliohippus

• evolved from merychippus

• lived in plains

• first single toed horse

overall trend in horse evolution

• increased size

• decreased number of toes

• change in environment

• longer, stronger teeth for grinding

• taller (longer cannon bones)

primary use for modern day horses

recreation

ie. dressage, racing, eventining, etc.

horse breeds can be…

• registered: breed association, records kept by associations to promote a breed.

  • recorded pedigrees

• grade: unregistered horse

various classifications

• light (hotblooded)

• heavy (draft)

• pony

• warmblood

measuring

• 1 hand = 4 inches

• less than 14.2 = pony

• greater than 14.2 = horse

LIGHT horse

• weigh between 900-1200 lbs

• 14.2-16 hands

• riding horses

FOUNDATIONAL breeds

• Arabian

• Thoroughbred

Arabian

• originate in middle east

• known for STAMINA, VERSATILITY, “FIRE”

• dished face, prominant eye, large nostrils, small muzzle, arched neck

• 14.2-15.2 hands

• foundation for most light breeds in US and Europe

Thoroughbred

• developed in england

• known for SPEED, ATHLETICISM, STAMINA

  • developed as racing horses

• around 16 hands, tall and long legged

• Jockey Club registry for thoroughbreds

• Contribute directly to QUARTERHORSE, MORGAN, and STANDARDBRED

US Breeds

• QH

• Morgan

• Saddlebred

• Standardbred

• Tennessee walking horse

• mustang

Quarter Horse

• sprinter- fastest horse in a ¼ mile

• known for athleticism, good sense

• 14.2-16 hands

• American QH registration

Morgan

• foundation sire- Figure (owned by Justin Morgan)

• known for personality and versitility

• 13.2-15.2 hands

• can be a variety of colors

American Saddlebred

• founding sires throroughbred

• Long arched neck, long pasterns, smooth/flashy movements

• GAITED BREED

  • SLOW GAIT and RACK

Standardbred

• FASTEST HORSE in THE WORLD

• known for HARNESS RACING and GAITS

• 15-16 hands

• all SOLID COLORS

• GAITED BREED

• 2 types of racing

  • Trotting and Pacing

• first performance tested breed6

Tennessee Walking Horse

• good temperament, FLAT gaits

• GAITED BREED

• 3 BOUNCE FREE GAITS

  • walk, running walk, canter

• 15 hands

Mustang

• “wild”, more feral, US horse

• managed and protected by bureau of land management

Palomino

• gold body, white mane and tail

• often double registered for breed and color

Appaloosa

• Mottled skin (spots)

• Sclera, striped hooves

• Genetic breed

American Paint Horse

• bred from quarter horse with too much white

• Must be sired by registered paint, QH, or TB

  • Genetic requirements

• can compete in events like QH

Pinto

• based solely on color

• can be any breed

• Piebald: black and white

• Skewbald: white and brown, grey, etc.

Draft breedsd

• belgian

• percheron

• clydesdale

Belgian

• size, strength, endurance

• 16.2-17 hands

• sorrel (chestnut) body and flaxen mane and tail (white)

• good for pulling

Percheron

• known for style, hardiness, temperament

• black and gray

• 16-17.2 hands

• light feathering (hair around forelock)

Clydesdale

• active and intelligent

• commonly bay

• 16.2-18 hands

• heavily feathered

Shetland

• can be light and draft

• max height 11.2 hands

Welsh

• good for kids

• max 13.2 hands

• good disposition

Pony of America

• shetland stallion x appaloosa mare

• mini appaloosa

• 14 hands

Miniature Horse

• less than 8.5 hands

• developed for royalty

Hanoverian

• popular sport horse

• german

• quiet, versatile

Trakehner

• russian/german

• similar to hanoverian

• refined w/ throoughbred and arabian influence

Lipizzaner

• austrian

• spanish riding school in vienna

• born dark brown and turn grey by 6-10 yr old

Andalusion aka Pure Spanish Horse

• known for ability to learn/temperament

• usually grey

• 15.2 hands, compact

  • massive chest

Peruvian Paso

• very comfortable gait

  • paso llano

• GAITED BREED

• 14-15.2 hands

Criollo

• argentinian

• stamina

• cresty neck

Galiceno

• mexican

• 12-13.2 hands. small and agile

• cannot be pinto

Bashkir Curly

• russian

• riding and draft

• curly winter coat

Barb

• african origins

• all purpose riding

• athletic

Brumby

• feral “willd” Australian horses

• lack refinement

• small and hardy

Donkey

• large ears, upright build, dorsal strip at withers

• pack animals

• hardy and stubborn

Mule

• offspring of FEMALE HORSE and MALE DONKEY

• infertile

• can be gaited

• standard, draft, and mini

Hinny

• offspring between female donkey and male horse

Prezwalksis horse

• endangered

• only turly wild horse

• small but stocky build

• DUN color

purposes for identification

• claiming ownership

  • for cases of theft, registration, proof of purchase

• record keeping

  • vet and farrier visits, etc

bald face vs apron face

bald face

• white does not extend down sides of face

apron face

• wraps around side of face and chin

coronet

pastern

fetlock

sock

• halfway up cannon

stocking

brown horse vs black horse

brown horses look black, but have points of brown

• near flank, tips of ear, muzzle

Chestnut

• no black points

• can be sorrel (light red) or dark sorrel

• skin is black and hair is red

buckskin

• bay with one dilution gene

palamino

• chestnut with one dilution gene

perlino/cremello

• double diltuion of either chestnut or bay

red dun

• lineback dilution to chestnut

• base body color is dulited

dun

• bay with lineback dilution

grulla

• black horse w/ lineback dilution

blue roan

• black horse with roaning gene

  • base body color is mixed with WHITE HAIRS

• main and tale don’t change color

• head darker than body

red roan

• chestnut with roaning gene

bay roan

• bay horse with roaning gene

• notice how points remain and head color remains darker

overo

• mostly white on face

• darker legs

• no white OVER BACK

tobiano

• white goes over back

• cleaner lines

• mostly white legs

• mostly dark face

microchips

• implanted on left side of neck

• below mane

• size of a grain of rice

conformtaion

physical appearance of the horse due to arrangement of muscle, bone, and body tissue

why is conformation important?

conformation tells you how the horse will peform athletically and how well they can do a specific job

• how well are they able to perform

• how well are they able to live

parts to evaluate conformation

• BALANCE

• STRUCTURAL CORRECTNESS

• quality

• muscling

• sex and breed character

importance of shoulder angle

• optimal reach and lengthens stride

• angle of pastern should equal shoulder angle

short back vs long back

short back = strong

long back = weak

buck kneed

• knee is too far forward of plum line

calf kneed

• cannon and knee are too far backward

knock kneed

• knees turn in towards each other

• leads to splay footed gait

  • legs knock into each other while walking

pigeon toed

• toes point in towards each other

• leads to paddleing gait

bow kneed

front legs appeared curved outward b/c of tendon swelling

bench kneed

cannon bones are misaligned with the knee

sickle hocked

• angle of hock is too extreme

post legged

• not enough bend at the hock

• legs appear straight up and down

cow hocked

• back knees turn inwards

breed and sex character

• want the horse to look like its breed

• have masculine/feminine features respectively

where to examine a horse for muscle

1. chest

2. shoulder

3. forearm

4. hock

5. hindquarters

6. croup

walk

• 4 beat, symmetrical

footfall sequence:

1. left hind

2. left front

3. right hind

4. right front

trot

• 2 beat

• diagonal pattern

footfalll sequence

1. left hind and right front

   1. right hind and left front

pace

• lateral 2 beat

footfall sequence

1. right hind and right front

   1. left hind and left front

canter

• 3 beat, asymmetrical

• can be either left or right leading

footfall sequence (right leading)

1. left hind

2. right hind and left front (diagonal)

3. right front

gallop

• 4 beat

• fastest gait

footfall sequence

1. left hind

2. right hind

3. left front

4. right front

forging

• gait defect where the hind leg’s hoof knocks into the hoof of the same sided leg

cross firing

• hoof of hind leg is hitting the hoof of the diagonal leg

sweeny

muscle atrophy of the neck

fistula withers

infected area with severe inflamationa at the withers b/c of a poorly fitted saddle

equine asthma

difficulty breathing of the horse

• develop heave lines on abdominal muscles from the strain of pushing out air

bucked shin

bony enlargement on front of cannon, inflamed outer layer of shin

bowed tendon

tendon on cannon is stretched too far, causing it to bow out

ring bone

bony enlargment on pastern

sidebone

ossification of cartilage causing a bulge by the coronet

stifled

patella slips out of place

• causes the horses hind leg to lock

warning signs of unsoundness

1. change in posture

2. performance decrease