Equine Health and Care

Normal Horse Health

• Normal vital signs: Temperature: 98-101 degrees Fahrenheit, Pulse: 30-40 beats per minute, Respiration: 8-15 breaths per minute.
• Alertness: A healthy horse will be alert to its surroundings.
• Assessing circulation and hydration: Capillary refill time should be under 2 seconds.
• Pulse locations: Digital vessels near fetlock, jaw, and heart.

Equine Dental Care

• Purpose: Prevent dental problems through floating (filing down teeth).

Hoof Care

• Frequency: Trim every 6-8 weeks.
• Tools:
  • Hoof pick: removes debris.
  • Rasp: files down hoof wall.
  • Hoof knife: works away sole.
  • Nippers: trim wall and horse shoe nails.

Common Equine Conditions

• Eye Infections:
  • Conjunctivitis: Infection of the lining of the eye.
  • Corneal ulcer: Disruption of the cornea due to trauma or infection.
  • Recurrent uveitis (Moon blindness): Inflammation of the middle layer of the eye.
• Poll Evil/Fistula: Caused by Brucella species, potentially transmissible to humans.
• Abscesses: Form under the skin, caused by foreign matter.
• Girth galls: Irritation or hair loss due to friction and obesity.

Infectious vs. Non-Infectious Diseases

• Non-infectious diseases:

  • Hereditary diseases:
    • Lethal white foal syndrome (WW genotype).
    • HYPP (Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis).
    • SCID (Severe Combined Immunodeficiency).
  • Nutritional diseases: Examples include colic.
  • Environmental diseases: Examples include heaves (equine asthma).

• Infectious diseases:

  • Strangles (Streptococcus equi):
    • Highly contagious respiratory disease.
    • Bacteria can remain airborne for long periods.
    • Symptoms: Fever, cough, nasal discharge.
    • Treatment: Intramuscular or intranasal antibiotics.
  • Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA):
    • Caused by a retrovirus, similar to HIV.
    • Transmitted through shared needles, biting insects, or contaminated equipment.
    • Symptoms: Anemia, fever, edema.
    • Diagnosis: Coggins test.
    • Management: Euthanasia or donation for research.
  • Potomac Horse Fever (Equine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis):
    • Common in the Potomac River region, Maryland.
    • Transmitted by mayflies.
    • Affects small and large intestines and digestive system.
    • Symptoms: Fever, diarrhea, edema.
  • Equine Viral Arteritis (EVA):
    • Transmitted through sexual contact and infected stallions.
    • Affects reproductive system and respiratory system.
    • Symptoms: Fever, depression, nasal discharge.
    • Management: Clean and test stallions prior to breeding.

Basics of the Immune System

• Function: Defends the body against disease organisms and recognizes foreign substances.
• Cells: Involves complex cells.

Active vs. Passive Immunity

• Active immunity: The body actively produces antibodies to respond to antigens.
• Passive immunity: Antibodies are transferred from one individual to another (e.g., colostrum).

Equine Parasites

• Small strongyles ("Cyathostomes"):
  • Live in digestive tract and cause damage to the mucosa.
  • Form cysts and burrow into intestines.
  • Produce eggs and live a direct life cycle.
  • Symptoms: Diarrhea, weight loss, colic, edema, lethargy.
• Ascarids ("Parascaris equorum"):
  • Affect young horses.
  • Eggs ingested through water, nutrients, soil, and pasture.
  • Larvae penetrate the intestinal wall, travel to the liver, and then to the lungs.
  • Coughed up and re-consumed.
  • Mature adults live in the small intestines.
  • Direct life cycle.
  • Symptoms: Blockage internally, weight loss, nasal discharge, anemia.
• Bots (Internal and External):
  • Lay eggs on horses.
  • Horses lick eggs, ingesting larvae.
  • Larvae burrow into the mucosa of the stomach.
  • Bot larvae detach and exit in feces.
  • Adult botflies lay eggs. Direct life cycle.
  • Symptoms: Temperature, constipation and/or diarrhea, poor condition, lack of energy, loss of appetite.
• Tapeworms:
  • Horses consume mites.
  • Mites develop into tapeworms.
  • Tapeworms rob the horse of nutrients. Direct life cycle.
  • Symptoms: Nutrient loss, weight loss.

Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM)

• Common in Quarter Horses and draft breeds.
• Defects in glucose storage.

Management Strategies for Genetic Diseases

• Avoid breeding with known carriers or affected individuals.

Principles of Heritability

• Phenotype = Genotype + Environment.

Genomics

• The study of DNA as a whole.
• Understanding the complete DNA sequence code.
• Twilight, a thoroughbred, was the first horse to have its DNA sequenced.

Mare Anatomy and Reproduction

• Ovaries: Where eggs develop.

• Corpus luteum: Structure in the ovaries that produces hormones and supports pregnancy.

• Estrous cycle: The cycle of changes in the ovaries in response to reproductive hormones (FSH, LH, estrogen, progesterone).

  • Stages:
    • Proestrus: Preparation for estrus.
    • Estrus (Heat): The period of receptivity to mating.
    • Ovulation: Release of the egg.
    • Luteal phase: Corpus luteum development.

• Caslick's procedure: Suturing the vulva to prevent contamination.

Methods of Mating Horses

• Live cover: Natural mating.
  • Advantages: Direct contact, natural hormones.
  • Disadvantages: Injuries to mare or stallion, difficulty determining time of conception.
• Hand mating: Controlled mating.
  • Advantages: Controlled breeding, potential for semen collection.
  • Disadvantages: Difficult to determine optimal time for mating, injuries.
• Artificial insemination (AI): Inserting semen into the mare.
  • Advantages: Precise control of breeding, potential for genetic diversity.
  • Disadvantages: Technical expertise required, some breed restrictions.
• Embryo transfer: Transferring an embryo from one mare to another.
  • Advantages: Allows multiple pregnancies from a valuable mare, can utilize mares for racing and other activities.
  • Disadvantages: Expense, technical expertise required.

Conception and Pregnancy

• Conception: The embryo implants in the uterus between 16-17 days.
• Pregnancy Confirmation: Ultrasounds and palpation.
• Trimesters: Periods of fetal growth and development.
• Parturition (giving birth):
  • Water breaks.
  • Delivery of the foal.
  • Placenta passes through.

Newborn Foal Care

• Ensure foal's health.
• Standing, nursing, handling, and passing meconium.
• Provide colostrum (first milk).

Explore the essential aspects of equine health including vital signs, dental care, and hoof management. This quiz covers important conditions horses can face, focusing on prevention and maintenance of their overall wellbeing. Test your knowledge on keeping your horse healthy and understanding common equine issues.