horses

• Horse Vocabulary


  • Stallion
  • Gelding
  • Mare
  • Foal
  • Filly
  • Colt
  • Herd, band, harem, bachelor band
• Average age of horses – 20-40 years
• Average reproduction life of horses – 15-20 years
• Hands


  Unit of measurement for horses, 1 hand = 4 inches
• Horses reach mature body weight at 5 years
• Where did horses come from?


  • Evolved over 50 million years to horse we know today
  • Family = Equidae
  • Genus = Equus
  • Species = caballus
• Evolution of the Horse


  1. Front feet had 4 toes

  2. Hind feet had 3 toes

  3. Evolved to a single hoof

  4. Teeth evolved from browsers to grazers
• Understanding Behavior


  • Prey species
  • Heightened senses
  • One of the most perceptive animals
  • Quick fight or flight reactions
  • Herding behavior
• In the wild


  Free roaming, up to 30 miles/day, constant grazer, highly social
• Today


  Pasture of stall confinement, scheduled meals, often secluded
• Uses of the Horse


  • Past: Predominantly work, agriculture, military, some sport
  • Present: Predominantly pleasure, some work, competition - Western: Rodeos, Stock horse/ranch work, Pleasure shows; English: Hunter/Jumper, Dressage, Racing and endurance
• Breeds


  • Draft breeds
  • Light horse breeds
  • Color breeds
  • Pony breeds
  • Sport horse breeds
• Draft Breeds


  • "Cold blooded", Heavy horses (~1800 - 2000 lbs), Avg 17 – 19 hands, Work horses, Transportation, agriculture, military, Budweiser commercials, etc
• Light Horse Breeds


  • "Hot blooded" – older breeds, Refined horses, bred for athleticism, Avg 14-17 hands; 750-1250 lbs, Transportation, military, ranch work, sport, recreation
• Arabian


  Middle East – oldest breed, Royalty, elegance, spirit, Distinctive appearance – dished face, high set tail
• Thoroughbred


  European, Byerley Turk, Darley Arabian, and Godolphin Barb, Long, lean, refined, The Jockey Club is breed registry, Triple Crown: Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont Stakes
• American Quarter Horse


  First breed native to United States, Bred for ranch work, Athletic, cow sense, AQHA – most populous
• Standardbred


  American bred, Traced directly to Darley, Trotters vs. pacers, Each has its own Triple Crown
• Morgan

  Founding sire Justin Morgan (Figure), Short but strong (14.2 to 15.2 hands), Versatile
• American Saddlebred


  Developed in Kentucky, Show horses- Three and Five gaited, pleasure and harness horses, 3 gait- walk, trot, canter, 5 gait- slow gait, stepping pack, and the rack
• Tennessee Walking Horse


  Tennessee origin, Running Walk, Flat shod vs. pads, Highly scrutinized breed, Tennessee Walking Horse Celebration
• Paso Fino


  Spanish origin, Unique 4-beat gait, Comfortable to ride, Suitable for long journeys
• Color Breeds


  • Appaloosa
  • American Buckskin
  • Palomino
  • Paints: Tobiano, Overo, Tovero
• Ponies


  • Shetland Pony
  • Pony of the Americas (POA)
  • Connemara
  • Welsh Pony
• Miniature Horses


  "Height" breed, Max height = 34 in, Gaining popularity as service animal
• Other Breeds


  • Appendix bred
  • Warmbloods
  • Holsteiner
  • Trakehner
  • Hanoverian
  • Selle Francais
  • Native Breeds: Lippizan, Andalusian, Lusitano, Mangalarga
• Colors


  Eumelanin (black) and pheomelanin (red), Extension gene (EE, Ee, ee) = controls production, Agouti gene (AA, Aa, aa) = restricts color to the points
• Markings


  • Chestnut
  • Callous, vestigial toe?
  • Whorls
  • Tattoos
  • Branding (freeze vs. hot)
• Basic Conformation of Horses


  • Selection, purchasing, form-function, Depends entirely on intended use, Evaluation of balance, correctness and muscling, Free from defects which may affect stride
• Evaluating for Balance


  • Proportionality of body parts, Important angles and slopes, Shoulder, Hip, Ratio of topline to underline
• Evaluating for Correctness


  • Structure and correctness of the legs
• Evaluating for Muscling


  • Quantity and quality of muscling, Points to evaluate: Chest (pectoral), Forearm, Loin, Stifle and Gaskin
• Small intestines


  Site of protein and non-structural carbohydrate digestion
• Digestion


  1. Hind gut fermentation

  2. Microbial fermentation of structural carbohydrates

  3. VFA production for energy
• Gas colic


  Excess non-structural carbohydrates
• What do horses eat?

  • Roughages (pasture, hay)
  • Concentrates (grains)
• Roughages


  • High fiber, low protein
• Concentrates


  • High starch, high protein
  • No more than 50% in diet or 1% of body weight
• Total intake


  ~2% of body weight per day for adult at maintenance
• "Hard keepers"


  Can consume 3% of body weight