Horse Care

Horses:
Basic Management
D. Karen Hansen, PhD 2001 University of Wyoming

Stephen R Schafer, EdD 2007 University of Wyoming
Information Development
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developing accurate/current information
incorporating appropriate pictures/graphics
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purely unintentional and/or accidental.
This presentation was developed for use as

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Basic Management
 Housing Facilities
 Daily Monitoring
 Vital Signs (TPR)
 Teeth and Hoof Care
 Nutrition/Feeding
 Disease Awareness
Housing Facilities
 Housing that provides safety, comfort, and room
 For the horse
 For the workers
 Permits ease of sanitation (removal/disinfecting)

and allows for ease of the facility (design/layout)
 Meets/exceeds Environmental Concerns
 Meets/exceeds Animal Welfare Issues
 Meets/exceeds Animal Health Requirements
Daily Monitoring
 Behaving Differently (stands off, not hungry, etc)
 Looks Differently (head/ears droopy, hump back, etc)
 Cuts and/or Scrapes (cause….nail, screw, board, etc)
 Bruises and/or Swellings (cause…stall, insect bite, etc)
 Limping/Lameness (not always serious, but check it)
 Cosmetic/Appearance Issues (grooming, clipping, etc)
 Other Minor Items (dirty eyes/ears, etc)

Restraint
 It is common/recommended practice to use some sort

of restraint when performing management procedures
 Provides protection and safety for the horse
 Provides security and safety for the handler/worker
 Common types of restraints: 1. Stock

2. Twitch
3. Hobbles
Vital Signs
 Important to be familiar with normal/typical TPR

(temperature, pulse, and respiration) of your horse
 Temp = 99.5-101.5 (ave. 100.5) degrees…at rest
 Pulse = 28-42 bpm (ave. 35)…at rest
 Respiratory rate = 8-20 (ave. 12) breaths/min…at rest

Vital Signs
Drawing: Wyoming 4-H Horse Manual

Injections
 Injections should only be given with the approval and
direction of a veterinarian
 Always use sterile needle and syringe….never share a
needle or re-use a needle (infection or transmittal)
 Most commonly given via:
 Intramuscular (IM), many/most vaccines are IM and they
are given in muscles in neck or lower in stifle….also it is
important to rotate sides if long-term treatment
 Subcutaneously (SQ), given under the skin….usually in the
neck or loose skinned areas such as the elbow or flank
 Intravenous (IV), given directly into the blood stream
Injections
Drawing: Wyoming 4-H Horse Manual

Teeth
 There are two types of teeth:

 Incisors….for cutting and ripping
 Molars….for grinding and smashing Photo: EQUUS
 The total number of teeth vary according to

the age and sex of the horse:
 24 teeth in foals
 36-40 teeth in mature females
 40-44 teeth in mature males
Teeth—Visual Tooth Schematic
Photo: EQUUS
Teeth—Whole Tooth Schematic
Photo: EQUUS
Teeth & Aging
 Age horses by the incisors teeth:
 Type, for younger horses
 Wear, for more mature horses
 Permanent incisors in:

 Center, 2 to 2 ½ years old (typically, we say 2 years)
 Intermediate, 3 to 3 ½ years old (tend to say 3 years)
 Corner, 4 to 4 ½ years old (typically, we say 4 years)
 All permanent incisors are in, this has greater than
variation than the previous indicators…this typically
occurs between 6 and 9 years of age, the horse term
for this is “full mouth”
Teeth & Aging
 The incisor teeth of a horse are cupped on the

grinding surface of each tooth
 These cups wear down with use (age)
 When all cups are worn from the permanent

incisors the horse is about 12 years of age, the
horse term for this is “smooth mouth”
Teeth & Aging
 Past the age of smooth mouth, it becomes more

difficult to tell age
 However, the teeth continue to become more

and more angled when viewed from the side
 Also, the gums recede (hence the terminology

of “long in tooth” or “getting long in tooth”)
Teeth & Aging
Photos: EQUUS
Normal Tooth Care
 Horse teeth need to be checked yearly, every
six months is even better
 Top jaw is larger than lower jaw, as a result
normal chewing wears teeth unevenly
 Sharp points (known as “hooks”) develop
and these need to be filed off, this filing is
known as “floating”
 Equine dentists are becoming more and
more popular/accepted, just like farriers
Hoof: Purpose & Physiology
 Wall is thickest in the toe, thinnest in the quarter
 Absorbs the concussion of the weight of the horse
 As foot hits ground, heels are expanded due to frog
action (flattens out….more softness/cushioning)
 Digital cushion expands lateral cartilages; compress
blood veins in hoof
 Third phalanx descends slightly, sole yields slightly,
and laminae absorb the concussion
 Some weight transferred to navicular bone, which is
supported by deep flexor tendon
Proper Angle Of The Hoof
 Proper angle should be the angle of the pastern
 Front Legs: 48 - 50 degrees or so
 Hind: 50-55 degrees or so
 Regardless of the horse or the exact angle, the rear

angle should be greater than the front angle
Parts Of The Hoof
 FROG: very elastic tissue
 V shaped
 Helpful in blood flow in hoof and leg
 SOLE: protective outer covering

 Should be concave
 Sensitive to bruising
 HOOF WALL:
 Primary weight carrier
 Inside of hoof wall---LAMINAE: sensitive on inside
and insensitive on the surface
 WHITE LINE: where laminae connects to hoof wall
Parts Of The Hoof Wall
 Heel (located at the rear of the hoof)
 Quarter (located at the side of the hoof)
 Toe (located at the front of the hoof)

The Hoof: Blood Circulation
Photo: EQUUS
Parts Of The Hoof: Side View
Photo: EQUUS
Parts Of The Hoof: Bottom View
Photo: EQUUS
Photo: Unknown Source

Hoof Drawing: Bottom View
Normal Hoof Care
 Clean daily, hoof pick from the hoof heel to hoof toe
 Examine for injury, whenever the horse is showing

signs of lameness or whenever cleaning the hoof
 Add or limit moisture, via dressings or sealants
 Trim or shoe : EVERY 6-8 WEEKS or more

frequently depending on horse and season
Hoof Problems
 Bruises (stone bruises)
 Cracks – quarter and/or toe
Photos: Unknown Source
 Laminitis (inflammation/infection of laminae)

Hoof Problems
 Founder, typically caused from over-feeding
 Navicular Disease: not actually a disease, it typically

starts from an injury such as stepping on a stone or
something else that causes injury to navicular bone
 Thrush, a bacterial disease that occurs in hooves that

are not cleaned out on a regular (and often) basis and
the horse tends to spend much time in mud, manure,
and/or in other moist conditions
Horse Shoes/Shoeing
 Often times referred as a “necessary evil”:
 Nailing an iron plate to foot doesn’t make walking easier
 The weight of the shoe does not increase agility
 Nail holes weaken the hoof wall
 Nail holes facilitate entry ease for bacteria and infections
 Must change the shoe every 6-8 weeks because of hoof growth
 Positive Purposes:
 Protects the hoof against wear, especially when working
 Better traction in unfavorable conditions and terrain
 Helps to correct defects in stance or gait
 Helps to cure hoof diseases and hoof defects
 Helps to prevent a multitude of hoof problems
A Good Shoeing Job
 Balance
 The nails are evenly spaced around the hoof
 All of the clinches firmly set
 The shoe fits foot….it is the right size shoe
 The heels of the shoe extend 1/16 of an inch
beyond horse’s heel, this allows for expansion
Corrective Trimming
 Can be used when foal is young
 Must be done on a gradual basis or it will

cause lameness (or worst)
 Should only be undertaken by an individual

with experience and knowledge
Therapeutic/Corrective Shoeing
 Should only be done by someone who is very
experienced and knowledgeable
 Bar shoes are an example of something that is

becoming more and more common….the purpose of
bar shoes is for support
 There are many types of corrective/therapeutic shoes

and shoeing, but each has a specific goal/purpose
 WEBSITE: www.horseshoes.com
Summary: Horse Basic Care
 Housing that provides safety and comfort
 Proper sanitation (removal and disinfecting)
 Always provide clean and fresh feed/hay
 Always provide only clear and cool water
 Proper management
 Health---care and maintenance
 Teeth---care and maintenance
 Hooves---care and maintenance

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What are the main components of proper horse housing?

What are the main components of proper horse housing?

What are some common vital signs that should be monitored in horses?

What are some common vital signs that should be monitored in horses?

Horses:

D. Karen Hansen, PhD 2001 University of Wyoming

Any and/or all errors, omissions, etc. are

This presentation was developed for use as

 Permits ease of sanitation (removal/disinfecting)

 Looks Differently (head/ears droopy, hump back, etc)

 Cuts and/or Scrapes (cause….nail, screw, board, etc)

 Bruises and/or Swellings (cause…stall, insect bite, etc)

 Limping/Lameness (not always serious, but check it)

 Cosmetic/Appearance Issues (grooming, clipping, etc)

 Other Minor Items (dirty eyes/ears, etc)

 It is common/recommended practice to use some sort

 Provides protection and safety for the horse

 Provides security and safety for the handler/worker

 Common types of restraints: 1. Stock

 Important to be familiar with normal/typical TPR

 Temp = 99.5-101.5 (ave. 100.5) degrees…at rest

 Pulse = 28-42 bpm (ave. 35)…at rest

 Respiratory rate = 8-20 (ave. 12) breaths/min…at rest

Drawing: Wyoming 4-H Horse Manual

Drawing: Wyoming 4-H Horse Manual

 There are two types of teeth:

 The total number of teeth vary according to

 Permanent incisors in:

 The incisor teeth of a horse are cupped on the

 These cups wear down with use (age)

 When all cups are worn from the permanent

 Past the age of smooth mouth, it becomes more

 However, the teeth continue to become more

 Also, the gums recede (hence the terminology

 Proper angle should be the angle of the pastern

 Front Legs: 48 - 50 degrees or so

 Hind: 50-55 degrees or so

 Regardless of the horse or the exact angle, the rear

 SOLE: protective outer covering

 Heel (located at the rear of the hoof)

 Quarter (located at the side of the hoof)

 Toe (located at the front of the hoof)

Photo: Unknown Source

 Examine for injury, whenever the horse is showing

 Add or limit moisture, via dressings or sealants

 Trim or shoe : EVERY 6-8 WEEKS or more

Photos: Unknown Source

 Laminitis (inflammation/infection of laminae)

 Founder, typically caused from over-feeding

 Navicular Disease: not actually a disease, it typically

 Thrush, a bacterial disease that occurs in hooves that

 Can be used when foal is young

 Must be done on a gradual basis or it will

 Should only be undertaken by an individual

 Bar shoes are an example of something that is

 There are many types of corrective/therapeutic shoes

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