| Introduction
There are all types of equine management
facilities, from state-of-the-art complexes
with individual stalls and caretakers for each
horse to more basic operations where horses are
pastured year-round with access to simple
run-ins for shelter. Depending on the resources
available, including acreage, quantity and
quality of forage, staff levels, management
preferences, numbers of equines, and a variety
of other factors (including financial
considerations), management practices can vary
widely. However, with a sound knowledge of
equine management, good planning and some
creativity, equines can be kept healthy and
happy for a relatively inexpensive cost.
Caring for a horse or other equine (the
broader term of equine is used throughout this
document) is a significant, time consuming, and
long-term commitment not to be entered into
lightly. No organization or facility should
house more equines than can be managed with
available resources, particularly where the
health and condition of the equines and
sanitation of the facility are concerned.
Taking in more animals than can reasonably be
cared for endangers the welfare of the animals
and their caretakers.
Equine rescue and retirement facilities must
have a good working relationship with a local
licensed veterinarian and should consult with
him or her as needed on various matters,
including routine health maintenance, emergency
veterinary care, and the evaluation of incoming
equines. Facilities also should have a good
working relationship with a local farrier.
Forging a relationship with local law
enforcement, humane organizations and equine
rescue facilities is also encouraged.
Telephone numbers for veterinarians,
farriers and other professional service
providers should be prominently displayed at
the facility in case of an emergency. Written
documentation on matters such as feeding,
schedules and medications should be kept in a
central location so that more than one person
is aware of and has access to the standard
operating procedures. Developing and practicing
an emergency preparedness plan, including an
evacuation routine for both people and animals,
is also highly recommended.
These guidelines, while applicable to
general equine management, are designed
especially for use by non-profit equine rescue
and retirement facilities. While not
exhaustive, they offer basic parameters for
operating such a facility. In addition, any
facility or individual keeping equines must
comply with all relevant federal, state and
local laws and zoning ordinances. ^Top
Enclosures, Shelter &
Fencing
Various types of enclosures are available
for keeping equines, including stalls, dry lots
and pastures. Regardless of what type is
employed, unless otherwise directed by a
veterinarian, equines shall be provided
sufficient opportunity and space to exercise
daily and have freedom of movement so as to
reduce stress and maintain good physical
condition. Space and provisions for exercise
shall be appropriate for the age, breed or
type, condition and size of the equine.
Provided the health and safety of any equine
is not compromised, compatible equines shall be
group pastured to allow social interaction.
Equines pastured together shall be monitored to
ensure that more dominant equines do not
prevent others from accessing shelters. If this
occurs, the animals shall be separated as
necessary to ensure the safety and welfare of
each equine.
Equines shall be provided with natural or
man-made shelter that provides each equine
protection from extreme weather (including, but
not limited to, prevailing wind, snow, sleet,
rain, sun and temperature extremes). Run-in
shelters consisting of a roof and three sides
are versatile and inexpensive to construct. In
times of inclement weather, they allow equines
shelter from the elements, while sides may be
removed as needed in warmer weather, with the
remaining structure offering shelter from the
sun.
Shelters shall be constructed to provide
sufficient space for each equine to turn
around, lie down, move his or her head freely,
etc. For instance, a stall measuring 10 ' x 10
' is the recommended minimum for the average
1,200 lb. horse.
Shelters shall be constructed or modified to
allow free air flow to control humidity, avoid
temperature extremes, reduce airborne
contaminants, and prevent air stagnation. As a
general rule, ventilation shall not be
sacrificed for warmth.
All enclosures and shelters shall be kept in
good repair and free of standing water,
accumulated waste, sharp objects and
debris.
Fencing shall be of solid construction,
without sharp edges, and visible to equines.
Electric wire or tape fencing may be used, but
shall be visibly marked for horses (via
brightly colored hanging streamers or ties) and
humans (via signage). Barbed wire and high
tensile wire fencing pose serious safety risks
and should never be used as fencing for
equines. The sharp points and twisted barbed
wire can injure a horse even when the fence is
well maintained. Both barbed and high tensile
wire can cause severe damage to a horse's legs
and even cause broken bones if the horse should
get caught in downed or sagging sections of
fence. All fencing shall be monitored on a
regular basis to ensure its safety and
effectiveness is maintained.
^Top
Feed
Under normal circumstances, equines shall
receive at a minimum the equivalent of 1.5
percent to 2 percent of their body weight in
high quality forage per day, unless otherwise
directed by a veterinarian. If natural forage
is insufficient in quality or quantity, quality
hay shall supplement the diet. Nutritious grain
may also be used to supplement the diet.
Diet shall be planned with consideration for
the age, breed/type, condition, size and
activity level of the equine. Pregnant or
lactating mares require significantly more feed
to meet their nutritional needs, and their
diets shall be adjusted accordingly. Starved
equines shall receive a starvation refeeding
diet, as directed by a veterinarian (see "New Arrivals").
If more than one equine is fed at the same
place and time, it shall be the responsibility
of the owner, manager or caretaker to ensure
that each of the animals receive nutrition in
sufficient quantity. If necessary, equines
shall be separated during feeding to ensure
each has access to adequate nutrition without
interference from more dominant
individuals.
Equines shall have access to trace
mineralized salt formulated for equines. Both
block and loose form work well.
All feeding receptacles shall be kept clean
and free of contaminants, such as feces, mold,
mildew and insects. Grain shall be kept in
closable containers to prevent infestation by
insects and rodents. Hay shall be kept dry and
free of mold and mildew.
^Top
Water
Pastured or stalled equines shall have
access to clean, potable water at all times.
Equines who are being trained, worked,
ridden or transported shall be provided water
as often as necessary for their health and
comfort. Activity levels and climatic
conditions such as relative humidity and air
movement must also be considered.
All water receptacles shall be inspected
daily, kept clean and free of hazardous
contaminants, and be positioned or affixed to
minimize spillage.
Where possible, water receptacles shall be
placed in shaded areas in warm climates.
Use of defrosters to prevent possible
freezing of drinking water in inclement weather
is recommended, although wiring should be
secured out of any equine's reach. Any ice that
forms must be broken and/or removed regularly
so as to allow equines constant access to
water.^Top
General Equine Health
and Veterinary Care
Each equine shall be observed for illness
and/or injury at least once every 24 hours, and
a veterinary professional shall be contacted if
an equine is known or suspected to have
experienced injury or illness, or displays
abnormal behavior attributable to injury or
illness.
All equines shall maintain a body condition
of no less than a score 4 on the Henneke Body
Condition Scoring System (see Appendix A). Exceptions
shall be made for equines having been at the
facility for less than six months and showing
continued and documented improvements and for
equines under the regular care of a
veterinarian. Photographic and written records
of the animal's condition over time should
include body condition, weight fluctuations,
feeding program and veterinary care. This
documentation is strongly recommended for any
equine arriving at the facility in a poor
condition or for any equine failing to reach a
score 4 on the Henneke
Body Condition Scoring System within
six months of arrival at the facility.
Quantitative fecal exams shall be performed
as recommended by a veterinarian and equines
shall be treated for parasites as needed or as
otherwise directed by a veterinarian. Control
of insects and parasites also can be assisted
through manure management. Dry lots, paddocks
and relatively small pastures shall be picked
of manure on a regular basis, and stalls shall
be cleared of manure every 24 hours. Manure
shall be disposed of properly and can be spread
onto empty pastures during hot, dry weather.
Removal of standing water, where applicable,
also can assist in controlling insects. Use of
fly sprays, masks and other methods may also be
used to control insects, particularly in summer
months.
Equines shall receive vaccinations as
recommended by a veterinarian, including, but
not limited to, Eastern and Western
Encephalomyelitis (Sleeping Sickness), West
Nile Virus and Tetanus. Other vaccinations to
consider in consultation with a veterinarian
include, but are not limited to, Rabies,
Influenza, Rhino and Strangles.
Requirements for screening for Equine
Infectious Anemia (via Coggins Test) vary from
state to state, and facilities must comply with
all relevant laws. In addition to being
required when moving horses across state lines,
a Coggins Test is recommended for all new
equine arrivals and when equines are being
adopted out to new homes or are being taken to
shows or other gatherings.
The facility shall maintain and have clearly
posted for all staff and volunteers the name
and telephone number of a veterinarian able to
make emergency calls to the facility. If foster
facilities or homes are used to board equines,
those caretakers shall have access to
veterinarians able to make emergency calls, and
the names and telephone numbers of those
veterinarians shall be kept on file with the
primary rescue or retirement facility. ^Top
Dental Care
Equines shall receive regular dental
check-ups and treatment as necessary to
facilitate proper and adequate food digestion.
It is recommended that equines up to 5 years of
age and over 15 years of age receive dental
check-ups twice annually, while equines 5 to 15
years shall receive dental check-ups once a
year. Equines with dental problems shall be
examined by a veterinarian and receive
treatment as needed.
^Top
Hoof Care
Equines shall receive hoof care, maintenance
and trimming every six to eight weeks, or as
directed by a veterinarian or qualified
farrier. Hoof care shall be performed by a
qualified farrier or other experienced person
knowledgeable in farrier practice. Exceptions
may be made when a veterinarian determines that
such care would endanger the equine and/or his
caretaker(s), i.e., in the case of a newly
arrived equine (see ^Top
New Arrivals
Unless accompanied by veterinary records,
and provided the health and safety of the
equine, veterinarian and caretakers is not
compromised, it is recommended that all new
equines arriving at the facility undergo a
physical examination by a veterinarian and be
quarantined for at least two weeks. Where a
full physical is not possible, a veterinarian
shall at least observe and make recommendations
on the equine.
If emaciated, the equine shall receive a
starvation refeeding diet, along with other
necessary veterinary care. One suggested
refeeding program was developed by Dr. Carolyn
Stull (see Appendix
B).
New arrivals who are debilitated, untamed or
otherwise difficult to handle need not be
vaccinated immediately, nor should they be
bathed, groomed or have their hooves trimmed
unless they have a medical condition for which
these are treatments prescribed by a
veterinarian. Such equines are often best cared
for through relative isolation, rest and care
from one or two people.
Deworming of an equine with unknown
deworming history and who is in a debilitated
state shall be performed according to the
direction of a veterinarian. ^Top
Adoptions
It is strongly suggested that all adoptions
be accompanied by a legally binding document
prohibiting the adopter from selling or placing
the equine in question with another owner or
facility without first contacting the facility
from which the equine was adopted. The original
owner may then allow said facility the
opportunity to assume possession of the
equine. ^Top
Breeding
No breeding of equines is permissible. All
studs shall be gelded, except when determined
by a veterinarian to be medically dangerous for
the equine. Studs unable to be gelded shall be
kept separate from mares. If pastured, studs
shall be physically separated from pastured
mares by a buffer zone or aisle between each
pasture wide enough to prevent nose-to-nose
contact and/or fighting.
If mares arrive at the facility pregnant, a
veterinarian shall provide necessary care.
Following birth, it is recommended that mother
and foal shall be allowed to stay together for
a minimum of four months, unless otherwise
directed by a veterinarian. A veterinarian
shall be consulted in any event and can offer
advice on safe weaning to minimize stress and
digestive upset, and sound nutritional advice
for pregnant or lactating mares, who require
sufficiently more forage than normal. ^Top
Humane
Euthanasia
Humane euthanasia shall be employed:
- When an equine is not mobile and a
veterinarian is of the opinion that mobility
will not return;
- When the equine's quality of life is
deemed, with veterinary guidance, so poor that
euthanasia is the most humane option within the
means of the organization;
- When an equine is experiencing continual
pain for which there is no medical relief or
the relief is not within the financial
capability of the facility;
- When an equine is affected by a
degenerative medical condition for which there
is no cure; or
- When an equine is dangerous to him or
herself or other animals
or
humans.
Euthanasia shall only be administered by a
licensed veterinarian, except in emergency
circumstances where the equine is injured
beyond recovery and is suffering irreversibly.
The carcass shall be disposed of in compliance
with all relevant laws.
^Top
APPENDIX A
Henneke
Body Condition Scoring System
Don Henneke, Ph.D., developed the Henneke
Body Condition Scoring System during his
graduate study at Texas A & M University.
It is based on both visual appraisal and
palpable fat cover of the six major points of
the horse that are most responsive to changes
in body fat. The
Henneke Chart is a standardized scoring
tool, whereas the terms, "skinny," "thin,"
"emaciated" or "fat" are all subjective terms
that have different meanings to different
people.
The Henneke Scoring System is a scientific
method of evaluating a horse's body condition
regardless of breed or type, sex or age. It is
widely used by law enforcement agencies as an
objective method of scoring a horse's body
condition in horse cruelty cases, and is
accepted in a court of law.
Six parts of a horse are checked in this
system—the neck, withers (where the neck ends
and the back begins), shoulder, ribs, loin, and
tailhead. When using the Henneke system, you
should always make physical contact with these
parts, and the kind of touch you use is
important. Simply stroking the animal lightly
won't provide an accurate idea of the horse's
condition; you have to apply pressure to each
part in turn. When a horse has a long haircoat
it is particularly imperative that you use your
hands to feel the horse. The horse's long
haircoat will hide the protrusion of bones in
all but the most extreme cases.
The pressure you apply should be much like
that of a massage; if you press a horse's side
with your hand, you'll be able to feel the fat
covering his ribs to get an idea of how much
fat is present. Likewise, when checking the
withers, feel all around the area, as if you
were squeezing firm clay. It is possible to be
firm and gentle at the same time, and both
traits are necessary to properly score a horse.
After pressing each part of the horse with
your hands to feel for body fat, you then
assign each area of the body the numerical
score that corresponds with the horse's
condition. The scores from each area are then
totaled and divided by six. The resulting
number is the horse's rating on the Henneke
Body Scoring Condition Chart.
Conformational differences between horses
may make certain criteria within each score
difficult to apply to every animal. In these
instances, those areas influenced by
conformation should be discounted, but not
ignored, when determining the condition
score.
Conformation also changes in pregnant mares
as they approach parturition (birth). Since the
weight of the foal tends to pull the skin and
musculature tighter over the back and ribs,
emphasis is placed upon fat deposition behind
the shoulder, around the tailhead and along the
neck and withers in these cases.
The chart rates the horses on a scale of 1
to 9. A score of 1 is considered poor or
emaciated with no body fat, and a score of 9 is
considered extremely fat or obese. Equine
veterinarians consider a body score of between
4 and 7 acceptable. A 5 is considered
ideal.
(Source: ^Top
APPENDIX B
Reprinted from: "The Horse Report"
Volume 21, Number 3, July 2003
Nutrition for Rehabilitating the Starved
Horse
Dr. Carolyn Stull and her team of equine
welfare experts provide new guidelines for
refeeding starved horses
It is difficult to comprehend the long-term
neglect and surrounding situation that produce
such a devastated, depressed creature as a
starved horse. The bones are so prominent that
the skeleton appears to belong to a larger
horse, the head is disproportionately large
compared with the body, and the tail is always
low and motionless. But the low hanging head
tells it all. The ears barely move to any
sounds in the environment, no extra energy is
spent interacting with herd mates. The eyes are
dull, without expression, without
expectations.
Researchers from the UC Davis Center for
Equine Health conducted a survey to assess the
prevalence of starved horses in California and
found the results quite disturbing. Among the
responders to the survey were animal control
and humane society organizations in 36
counties, with an estimated equine population
of 1,041,560. Of this number, 2,177 horses were
found to be severely malnourished. The most
common reason for these cases was owner
ignorance, followed by economic hardship.
|
| This
horse has a body condition score of three. The
ribs can be observed easily, even with the
horse's winter coat, the tail head is prominent
and can be felt easily, and the hip bones are
rounded and protruding. (above and below
right). Note the dip in the withers in
front toward the neck and behind toward the
back, exhibiting little or no fat deposit
around this area.
|
 |
|
| At left,
the hip shows an inverted V shape with the
spine at the apex, representing a lack of fat
deposition
|
A research team comprised of Dr. Carolyn
Stull (UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Extension),
Dr. Anne Rodiek (California State University,
Fresno), Dr. Christine Witham (private
clinician), Dr. Pamela Hullinger (California
Department of Food and Agriculture), and Kelly
Weaver (UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Extension)
has been studying the problem. Funded in part
by Purina Mills, Inc., the study provides a
standard body condition scoring system to
assess the weight status of a horse and
compares different diets for refeeding the
malnourished horse. In both humans and horses,
abrupt refeeding can cause dysfunction of the
body's metabolic systems, which can lead to
failure of the heart and lungs and ultimately
to death. The goal of this research is to
provide new information and guidelines for
recognizing and treating malnourished horses.
^Top
What Happens During Starvation
During the starvation process, the horse
initially uses any fat and carbohydrate stores
in his body to supply energy for metabolism.
This is the normal process for any healthy
horse: fat and carbohydrates are used for
energy, exercise, brain function, circulation,
etc., and are then replaced with nutrients from
food. The cycle is constant and never-ending,
even during sleep. In a starved animal, once
this source of fat and carbohydrate is gone,
energy is derived from the breakdown of
protein. While protein is a component of every
tissue, there are no inert stores of it in the
body such as there are for fat and
carbohydrates. Consequently, the starved body
uses protein not only from muscles, but also
from vital tissues such as the heart and even
gastrointestinal tissues-tissue that is
necessary for life. The starved body cannot
select which tissue protein will be metabolized
for energy. As time goes by, the horse's
survival is in a precarious situation. When a
horse loses more than 50% of its body weight,
the prognosis for survival is extremely poor.
^Top
The Refeeding Problem
Refeeding starved animals, including humans,
is not an easy process. In humans suffering
from starvation caused by illnesses such as
anorexia, cancer, or gastrointestinal
obstruction, patients can develop "refeeding"
syndrome when they are given concentrated
calories, and this in turn can lead to heart,
respiratory, and kidney failure usually 3 to 5
days after the initial meal. This same syndrome
has been reported in the literature for horses.
Thus, our research team wanted to develop a
refeeding program for horses that would
minimize these effects and enable the horse to
return back to normal body weight. Our goals
were to test feeds that were commonly available
and used in horse rations, so the refeeding
program could be implemented easily in any area
of the country. ^Top
Experimental Diets for Refeeding
We selected three types of feed that were
very different in nutrient composition: alfalfa
hay, oat hay, and a commercially available
complete feed consisting of grain, molasses,
fat, and alfalfa. Alfalfa is known to be high
in protein (20%) but low in carbohydrate starch
(3%). Oat hay is high in fiber but low in
protein (7%). The complete feed represented a
feed high in carbohydrate concentration, with
19% starch. The three types of feed were given
to 22 starved horses that were brought to the
UC Davis research site as representative of
horses rescued by equine organizations. Horses
were fed one of the three diets over a 10-day
rehabilitation period. The researchers focused
on this time period as critical to successfully
transitioning the gut from a starved state to a
fed state. Even though the diets were different
in composition, they were fed in amounts that
were equivalent on a caloric basis, so that
horses assigned the oat hay diet, for example,
received the largest volume of feed, while the
horses on the complete feed received the
smallest amount but the same number of calories
at each meal. ^Top
 |
This horse has a body condition score
of five
(above). She appears very
smooth, with no
skeletal prominence. Her
neck and withers blend
smoothly into
her shoulders. Ribs do not show,
and the
loin and hip are nicely rounded.
|
Which Diet Worked Best?
Our results with the complete feed were very
consistent with human studies conducted 20
years earlier using concentrated calories. As
the horse ate the high-carbohydrate diet,
insulin was released in response to the high
level of starch. The job of the hormone insulin
is to store the carbohydrate in cells for
future energy use, but it also simultaneously
draws the electrolytes phosphorous and
magnesium from circulation into the cell. Since
the starved horse has no stores of
electrolytes, this depletion may lead to
kidney, heart, and respiratory failure. These
effects do not occur with the initial meal but
usually several days to a week later due to the
repetition of insulin release following a
high-carbohydrate meal and the cumulative
depletion of electrolytes. The oat hay diet was
very bulky and caused diarrhea in several
horses. Several essential nutrients such as
phosphorous and magnesium were low in the oat
hay compared with the other diets; thus, this
diet did not support a successful
rehabilitation. The alfalfa had the best
results due to its high composition of quality
protein, but also the major electrolytes,
phosphorus and magnesium. Since alfalfa hay is
very low in carbohydrate content, there were
minimal effects due to insulin response.
^Top
| Right, this horse has a score
of nine. Note the obvious crease from his spine
sunk between fat deposits on either side.
|
 |
In a subsequent feeding study, we compared
an alfalfa hay diet to a diet of combination
alfalfa hay and corn oil. Equine diets usually
do not contain much fat, but in recent years
the use of corn oil to increase the energy
density of a meal has been widely used in
nutrition programs for older horses and in
horses undergoing intensive training programs.
The two diets were fed again on an
equal-calorie basis. Although the corn oil had
no harmful effects, substituting calories from
corn oil for alfalfa decreased the total
nutrient content of phosphorous and magnesium
in the diet. Thus, the response to the diet
combining corn oil and alfalfa showed a
decreasing blood phosphorous level over the
10-day period, which was not advantageous to
the rehabilitation. Again, the alfalfa diet was
the most effective at delivering the necessary
nutrients in the correct amounts to the starved
horse.
Our research showed that starved horses had
very different responses to several diets. We
found that the best approach for initial
refeeding of the starved horse consists of
frequent small amounts of high-quality alfalfa.
This amount should be increased slowly at each
meal and the number of feedings decreased
gradually over 10 days. After 10 days to 2
weeks, horses can be fed as much as they will
eat. The horse will show signs of increased
energy after about two weeks. Ears, eyes and
head movement will be the first noticeable
movements. Some weight gain can be achieved in
one month, but three to five months usually are
needed to rehabilitate back to a normal body
weight. Veterinary care and nutritional advice
should be sought as complications can arise.
^Top
The Horse Report is Copyrighted © 2001-2003
by the Regents of the University of California.
Use of this material for re-publication is
allowed only by permission of the Center for
Equine Health. Contact
CEH (cehwebmaster@ucdavis.edu) for
availability of printed materials.
© 2004 - 2008 Animal Welfare
Institute/The Humane Society of the United
States
Copy by written permission only from
AWI/HSUS
2nd Edition - Printed February 2008
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