Horse Junior Study guide.docx

**Breed Definition and Color** A group of animals of the same species that share common traits. Colors -- color classification varies based upon breeds. o Bay -- any shade of brown with a black mane and tail and often black on the legs. o Chestnut -- generally a darker brown with a mane and...

**Breed Definition and Color** A group of animals of the same species that share common traits. Colors -- color classification varies based upon breeds. o Bay -- any shade of brown with a black mane and tail and often black on the legs. o Chestnut -- generally a darker brown with a mane and tail of the same color. o Sorrel -- a lighter brown with mane and tail of same color. o Grey -- usually has dark skin. A coat can be any shade of grey with either dapples (areas of spotted grey) or flea-bit (very small spots of darker or reddish gray all over the body). o Black -- black coat and skin must be black. o White -- very rare. The coat must be white, as well as skin. Generally referred to as an albino if it has pink eyes. o Palomino -- coat is the color of a new-minted penny, with white mane and tail. o Buckskin -- yellow color coat with black mane, tail and legs. o Dun -- can be various shades of yellow, always has a dorsal stripe. o Roan -- can be strawberry (red & white) or blue (black & white). **Health** - Temperature: 99.5-101.5 °F - Heart rate: 32-48 beats per minute - Respiratory rate: 8-20 breaths per minute - Body condition/weight (fatness or thinness) - Hair coat -- Shiny, glossy. - Hoof growth -- Normal growth rate, smooth and uncracked. - Eyes -- Bright, fully open, clear, without discharge. - Normal hydration - Normal feces and urine -- Firm fecal balls, wheat colored clear urine. - Healthy pink mucous membranes of gums and lips. **Body Condition Score** Most horses, including performance horses and growing horses, should be in a body score of 5-6. For optimum reproductive efficiency, broodmares should be a 5-7, and not allowed to lose condition such that they are below a 5 during breeding season. Horses over a condition score of 7 may be at a greater risk for developing metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance.\ A.  Along the Neck               B.  Along the withers   \ C.  Crease down back\ D.  Tailhead        \ E.  Ribs     \ F.  Behind shoulder 1. Poor 2. Very Thin 3. Thin 4. Moderately Thin 5. Moderate 6. Moderately Fleshy 7. Fleshy 8. Fat 9. Extremely Fat **Nutrition** **All feeds include six basic nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, lipids,** **minerals, vitamins and water**. **Protein** o Provides essential amino acids. o Are essential in livestock feeding because they are needed throughout life for growth and repair. o Helps to form the greater part of muscles, internal organs, skin, hair, wool, feathers, hoofs and horns. o Contains carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) (in common with fats and carbohydrates) but also contains a fairly constant percentage of nitrogen (N) (about 16 %). **Carbohydrates** are used as energy to enhance movement for body functions, growth, fattening, reproduction, etc. o Represent the largest part of an animal\'s feed supply. o Usually the fibrous part of the diet. o Include sugars, starch and cellulose. o Composed of carbon (C), oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H). **Fats are a concentrated source of energy, up to 2.25 times as much energy per unit** of weight, as do carbohydrates. o Form cholesterol, steroids (including some hormones) and other body compounds. o Found in every cell in the body. o When absent from the diet, affects (among others) the condition of the skin and hair. o Composed of carbon (C), oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H), but contain much larger proportions of carbon and hydrogen than do carbohydrates. o Other functions: - Energy reserves - Protection for vital organs - Insulate the body **Minerals** are needed in nearly all parts of the body but are found primarily in bones and teeth. o Make up important parts of many organic materials including blood. o Affect heartbeat, which depends upon mineral balance to maintain its regularity. o Involved in nerve transmission. o Divided into two groups based on amounts needed by the body: 1. Macro minerals 2. Micro minerals (or trace minerals) **Vitamins** are required for health, development, and metabolic reactions. o Needed only in small amounts but are essential for life and health o Divided into two groups: 1\. Fat-soluble **Water** is the most important nutrient. Accounts for 70% or more of the composition of most plants and animals. o Functions of water in the body are: - Controls body temperature. - Enables living plants and animals to hold their shape. - Is involved in the transport of nutrients and waste throughout the body. - Helps in the digestion of feeds. - Is a major (by volume) part of all body fluids. **Signs of a Sick Horse** - Bowel changes - Cranky with other horses Unsteady gait - Depression Head shaking/tossing - Restless Lying down and getting up repeatedly - Rapid breathing - Unexplained sweating - Excitability **Digestive System** Digestive systems vary according to whether the animals are herbivores, carnivores or omnivores. [ ]  Food is swallowed directly into the single compartment stomach, where it is mixed with the digestive juices. Because there is very little bacterial action, there is no conversion of low-quality protein to high quality protein. Monogastrics are unable to digest large quantities of fiber unless they have an enlarged cecum o The cecum is a blind pouch or cul-de-sac at the first portion of the large intestine. Cecum acts like a rumen and is involved with microbial digestion (fermentation). Bacterial breakdown happens in the large intestine and particularly in the cecum of the horse and rabbit. [ ] **Selecting and Judging Horses** Requires knowledge and information Breeds Conformation/structure and parts of a horse Soundness Movement **Conformation** The physical structure of a horse\'s or pony\'s body. Dictates athletic ability and ability to stay sound (one who has no lameness or illness). Used when judging horses. Some points covered in Parts of a Horse and Their Ideal. Set of legs important to ability. View from the front o Ideal leg set: Vertical line from point of shoulder should fall in center of knee, cannon, pastern, and foot. o Problems: - Toes out - Bow-legged - Narrow-chested - Base narrow (stands close) - Knock-kneed - Pigeon-toed View of back legs from side o Ideal leg set: Vertical line from point of buttock should touch the rear edge of cannon from hock to fetlock and meet the ground behind the heel. o Problems: - Stands under - Camped-out - Leg too straight View of front legs from side o Ideal leg set: Vertical line from shoulder should fall through elbow and center of foot. o Problems: - Camped-under - Camped-out - Buck-Kneed - Calf-kneed View of legs from the back  o Ideal legs set: Vertical line from point of buttock should fall in center of hock, pastern, and foot. o Problems: - Stands wide - Stands close - Bow-legged - Cow-hocked **Methods of Injection** Intramuscular (IM) injections: o Most commonly used for antibiotics, vaccines, and wormers. o Are easy to administer in large muscles of neck or thigh. o Must be injected into the muscle tissue, not a blood vessel, hence the need to \"aspirate\" (pull back on the syringe plunger to be sure the needle isn\'t in a blood vessel) before injecting the compound.  Subcutaneous (Sub-Q) injections are: o Injection of the compound (fluid) directly beneath the skin, not in the flesh or a blood vessel. o Easy to do where the skin lies in loose folds such as under the mane in horses, on the back of the neck in dogs and behind the ear in swine. Intradermal injections (ID): o Made between the skin layers, not beneath it. o Done with a very fine gauge needle. Intravenous injections (IV): o Injected directly into a blood vessel (using ones that are easily identified and accessible) o Action of drug is usually almost immediate (15 to 60 seconds) after injection. Therefore, solutions should be injected slowly to avoid side effects or the \"shock\" of too much at once. [ **\ **] **[\ ]** BREED ID