I've been completely swapped with school lately. It feels like I'm studying all the time (which I guess I am). On the bright side, one of my last two midterms next week is equine science, so at least the content is super interesting! So I thought I would share some of the interesting points with all of you!
Exercise Physiology:
-Sweat contains latherin, a protein that helps spread sweat over hair.
-At rest, a horse respires 50-60 L of air per minute. Maximally, a horse can respire 1800 L per minute.
Pasture Management:
-Control weeds by not overgrazing pastures.
-Alsike clover can cause liver damage and photosensitization. Could that be why Scarface and Teto had sunburns in the summer? I know there's clover in their pasture, but I'm not sure what kind. I'll definately look into it before next summer. Alsike clover is fairly easy to identify because the leaves don't have white watermarks like those found on red or white clover.
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| Could we have found a cure for your sore nose Scarfie? Now I feel really bad! |
Confirmation:
-According to Martin Beeman, a conformation exam should be divided into 5 categories (check out a full article from thehorse.com
here):
-Head, neck, body and balance
-Forelimb
-Hindlimb
-Type
-Way of going
Welfare:
-5 Freedoms of Animal Welfare:
1. Freedom from Hunger and Thirst
2. Freedom from Discomfort
3. Freedom from Pain, Injury and Disease
4. Freedom to Exhibit Normal Behavior
5. Freedom from Fear and Distress
Lameness:
-5 grades of lameness used by vets:
Grade I = Inconsistent lameness
Grade II = Consistent under certain circumstances, ie: circling in one direction, while going downhill etc.
Grade III = Consistent, constant, visible when horse is trotting on a circle AND when he is trotting in a straight line
Grade IV = Lameness is obvious at a walk
Grade V = Extreme lameness - hopping, dragging a limb, unable or unwilling to move
Dentistry:
-The upper arcades of teeth are slightly wider than the lower arcades. The chewing surfaces of teeth are not level, but have an occlusal angle of 12-15 degrees
-Watch out for performance signs of dental problems, such as resiting turns, head tossing/shaking, mouthing or chewing the bit, head tilt while ridden or lunges, resisted bridling etc.
Infectious Diseases:
-West Nile Virus has similar symptoms to a number of other diseases such as Rabies, Botulism, Western/Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis (WEE/EEE), Equine Herpesvirus (EHV) and Equine Protozoal Myelitis (EPM), making diagnosis more subtle and difficult.
-Horses as 'dead-end' hosts for West Nile Virus and WEE/EEE, meaning they can't infect other horses
Hopefully you've learned something and wish me luck on my exam!!
