Equine Terminology and Reproduction

Equine Terminology

• Intact male: stallion
• Castrated male: gelding
• Adult female: mare
• General offspring name: foal
• Female foal: filly
• Male foal: colt
• Birth: foaling
• Breeding/mating: covering
• Measurement unit: hand (1 hand = 4 inches)
• Horse under 14.1 hands tall: pony
• Donkey: ass or burro
• Male donkey: jack or jackass
• Female donkey: jenny or jennet
• Mule: bred from jack and mare (sterile)
• Hinny: bred from stallion and jenny

Equine Reproduction

• Sexual maturity: varies by breed
  • Light breeds: 12-18 months
  • Arabians: 2-3 years
  • Draft breeds: 18-24 months
• Large breeds: mares not bred before 2 years old, 3 years preferred
• Seasonally polyestrous: many heat cycles during season (April-July)
• Heat cycle: every 21 days, heat lasting 5-7 days
• Ovulation: towards the end of the heat cycle
• Breeding: wait until after first 2 days of heat
• Heat signs: relaxation of vulva, frequent urination, mucous discharge
• "Teaser" males: used to test if a mare is in heat
• Behavioral changes: vocalization, squatting, lifting tail, winking vulva
• Infectious disease test: Coggins test
• Breeding methods: AI (some breed associations won't recognize), hand breeding
• Safety precautions: taken

Equine Gestation and Offspring

• Gestation: 340 days (11 months)
• Post-partum heat: after birth
• "9-day foal heat": 5-12 days after birth, potential for breeding
• Disadvantages: high risk of uterine infection, lower conception rate
• Advantages: foals born earlier in the year, competitive edge
• Foals: typically have one foal at a time
• Twins: very rare, one usually stillborn, mares cannot support more than one at a time

Equine Pregnancy Detection

• Methods: rectal examination (few weeks into gestation), palpate rectum through uterus, ultrasound (few weeks into gestation), blood and urine tests (60 days into gestation)

Equine Signs of Foaling

• Distended udder ("bagging up"), milk coming in
• Relaxation of vulva, waxing (film-like accumulation under teats)
• Wavy appearance, occurs due to foaling

Equine Foaling

• Labor begins: Once labor begins
• Care: Foal out within 10-30 mins of water breaking
  • superman position
  • vet notified for problems
• Post-birth: Dry foal with towels, place straw in nostrils to stimulate breathing
  • umbilical cord treated with iodine.
  • Standing and nursing within 2 hours ideal, 18 hours for colostrum ingestion
• Colostrum: Blood tests done within 12 hours, negative results warrant feeding previously stored colostrum
• Placenta: Passed within 3 hours; if not, consult the vet
• Inspection: Inspect for damage/infection after foaling, sutures as needed

Equine Dietary Considerations

• Foals (2-3 weeks old): gradually introduced to concentrates (grains), hay as well, maternal milk remains major source of nutrients

Equine Castration

• Colts: at one year of age in the early spring or fall

Equine Identification

• Methods: tattooing lip, branding, microchips

Equine Digestion

• Monogastric herbivores: well-developed cecum for fermenting cellulose
• Adult horse dietary considerations: roughages (hay, grass, plants)

Equine Colic

• Causes: abdominal pain, indigestion, intestinal obstruction (fecal blockage- constipation), inflammation of intestines, parasites
• Prevention: appropriate diet, feed at correct times, regular deworming, avoid moldy hay
• Clinical signs: pawing at ground, flank watching, kicking, sweating, anxiety, refusing food
• Treatment: stomach tube, increase water intake & mineral oil to help lubricate GI tract, enemas, removing fecal matter, oral/oral meds
• Severe colic: surgical intervention, fluid therapy, pain meds

Additional Care

• Calves: calves weaned, weight affects product, higher weight = higher profit. Disease decreases weight; calves left on mother 6-10 months, fed roughage

Cow-calf Operations

• Breeding heifers: First-time mothers (puberty: 12 months, bred at 15 months)
• Bull selection: important to reduce dystocia for successful delivery. Smaller cows are better
• Cattle: are usually polyestrous (no true breeding season). Breeding season is ideal for warm months
• Calf-crop: calves kept outside and fed
• Selection: Good libido, records (pedigree, good health). Implement herd heath program (vaccinations, deworming, herd checks, physical exams), weaning weights

Stocker-yearling Operations

• Calves: feeder calves bought, fed, raised until 1 yr old, bought around 6 months old; bought based on units of weight
• Considerations: Market price, cost vs sold, high feed costs; herd health program, shipping/transport exposes them to more illness/disease, purchase animals willing to gain weight easily ("big boned")

Feedlot Operations

• Calves: 800 lb feeder calves taken to be finished to market weight
• Ideal finish: 900-1300 lbs; calves finished in about 1.5-2.5 years, kept in a lot and fed large amounts of feed.
• Considerations: feed, herd health; maintaining facilities

Bovine Terminology

• Young female: heifer
• Female after 2 or more calves: cow
• Not lactating: dry cow
• Intact male: bull
• Castrated male: steer
• Parturition: calving
• Female showing signs of heat: bulling

Bovine Reproduction

• Puberty: 12 months
• Polyestrous: every 21 days
• Heat: 12 hours
• Gestation: 283 days
• Dairy lactation: 305 days

Bovine Pregnancy Detection

• Rectal palpation: 30 days into gestation, to detect gestation

Additional Bovine Notes

• Calving: labor 4-6 hours
• Dystocia: calf coming out in wrong position (not superman), pelvic opening too small, calf too large
• After calving: Beef calves remain with their mothers. Dairy calves taken away from their mothers 1st day after birth and raised separately. Dairy females raised for milk production, males sold for veal. Calves are fed for 4-8 weeks; then gradually nibble roughages.

Dive into the fascinating world of equine terminology and reproduction with this quiz. Test your knowledge on equine classifications, breeding practices, and reproductive cycles. From stallions to foals, understand the terms that define the equine world.