Fact Sheets
by: The Horse Staff
January 13 2009,
Article # 13442
TheHorse.com is creating a series of free, two-page, downloadable Fact Sheets to give a short, basic synopsis on a variety of topics associated with horse health, care, management, and welfare. You are welcome to read these online, download them to your computer, e-mail them to friends, or print them out and share with your horse-owning friends or equine groups.
More Fact Sheets will be released in the coming days and weeks, so return often! If you have suggestions on future topics we should include on TheHorse.com Fact Sheets, please send us an e-mail.
PREBIOTICS AND PROBIOTICS
Prebiotics and probiotics are dietary supplements given to horses in an effort to prevent or treat certain illnesses or simply to promote a healthy gastrointestinal (GI) system. A healthy GI system is thought to reduce gas and/or colic, improve digestion and absorption of nutrients, benefit the immune system, protect the horse against infection (e.g., by diarrhea-causing organisms such as Salmonella or Clostridium), and minimize the occurrence of laminitis.
IDENTIFICATION
The permanent, tamper-resistant, and accurate identification of horses provides positive proof of ownership. The identification of race, performance, sale, and show horses, broodmares, and stallions can be achieved rapidly and confidently using a variety of methods. Even backyard pleasure horses benefit from some form of identification in case of escape or emergencies/ natural disasters.
CARDIOLOGY: THE EQUINE HEART
Cardiac disease is considered the thirdmost common cause of “poor performance” in athletic horses (after musculoskeletal disease and respiratory disorders); however, cardiac abnormalities are rare. Horses with cardiac dysfunction typically present with a history of poor performance/exercise intolerance, distended veins, swelling of the limbs, weakness, or collapse.
EQUINE ARTHRITIS
The term arthritis refers to an inflammation of the joint. There are different kinds of arthritis, such as septic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. However, the most important arthritis affecting horses is osteoarthritis (OA), which is characterized by the erosion of articular cartilage--the layer of specialized tissue that lines the ends of the bones inside the joint. Osteoarthritis is a major cause of lameness in athletic horses. Recent estimates indicate that 60% of equine lameness problems are OA-related.
FEEDING GERIATRIC HORSES
Just because a horse is older does not necessarily mean he requires a special diet; aging is not a disease. However, many older horses with special physical or nutrional needs (geriatric horses) require specific diets and feed modifications to maintain good health and body condition.
FEEDING EASY KEEPERS
The term "easy keepers" refers to horses and ponies that maintain or gain weight on a minimum amount of food. While easy keepers are widely considered a joy to own in terms of feed costs, you should not underestimate these horses’ potential for obesity, laminitis, and metabolic issues.
- Download the Feeding Easy Keepers Fact Sheet (293 KB) to read more about body condition scoring, forage-only diets, exercise, metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, and supplements.
Sponsored by LLOYD Inc.
THE HORSE'S DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
The equine digestive tract is large, complex, functions like a factory, yet is exceedingly delicate. Digestive tract dysfunction in the horse is an important concern for owners and veterinarians, and life-threatening problems can secondarily develop, including sepsis (the presence of bacteria or bacterial toxins in the blood) and laminitis.
EQUINE INFLUENZA
Equine influenza is a highly contagious infection of the upper respiratory tract caused by strains of the influenza virus type A. The two most common types of influenza A virus that infect horses are subtype A1 (H7N7) and subtype A2 (H3N8). Currently, and for nearly the past 30 years, only the A2 (H3N8)
EQUINE LAMENESS
Lameness, defined as a deviation from a normal gait, is an indicator of a structural or functional disorder of the musculoskeletal system (the limbs or spinal column) that is noted while the horse is either moving or stationary. Lameness can be due to trauma, a congenital condition (e.g., contracted tendons), an acquired abnormality (e.g., osteochondrosis dissecans), infection, and even metabolic, circulatory, and nervous system abnormalities such as wobbler syndrome (cervical stenotic myelopathy).
LAMINITIS
Due to their inquisitive nature, a welldeveloped flight response, their large size, and that they are commonly confined in areas with potential obstacles such as metal or wire, horses tend to be accident prone, making both minor and major wounds a fairly common occurrence. Wounds can range in severity from simple scrapes or cuts to more extensive punctures or lacerations involving large areas of the body.
EQUINE PROTOZOAL MYELOENCEPHALITIS
Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a progressive and potentially fatal neurological disease in horses. It is caused by a protozoal (single cell) microorganism, most commonly Sarcocystis neurona, which causes inflammation in the brain and/or spinal cord.
EQUINE WOUND CARE
Due to their inquisitive nature, a welldeveloped flight response, their large size, and that they are commonly confined in areas with potential obstacles such as metal or wire, horses tend to be accident prone, making both minor and major wounds a fairly common occurrence. Wounds can range in severity from simple scrapes or cuts to more extensive punctures or lacerations involving large areas of the body.
CLONING EQUIDS
Cloning is defined as the process of creating a genetically identical copy of another cell or organism (i.e., bacteria, plant, or animal) through non-sexual means. In the equine world, cloning refers to the production of a foal that has the exact same genetic material (DNA) as the donor horse, be it mare, stallion, or gelding.
DEWORMING
Deworming refers to the removal of internal parasites (worms) from a horse. Deworming is an important part of horse ownership because uncontrolled parasitic infections, particularly in foals, yearlings, and older, pregnant, or debilitated horses, can have important negative aftereffects.
EQUINE RABIES
Rabies is a life-threatening neurological disease that can affect all warmblooded animals, including horses, dogs, cats, skunks, wolves, foxes, raccoons, and bats. While rabies is relatively rare in horses--usually fewer than 100 horses are infected in the United States every year--it is an important disease because it is zoonotic. That is, it can be spread to humans.
BOTULISM IN HORSES
Botulism is a fatal neurologic disease caused by toxins the anaerobic, spore-forming, soil-dwelling bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Eight different toxins are produced by C. botulinum produces, but type B is associated with the majority of botulism cases in North America. Botulinum toxins are extremely potent, and horses are particularly sensitive to these toxins. Thus, clinical signs of disease (even death) can occur very rapidly post-exposure.
EQUINE INSULIN RESISTANCE
Insulin resistance is a reduction in sensitivity to insulin that decreases the ability of glucose to be transported into the body’s cells from the bloodstream.
EQUINE CUSHING’S DISEASE
Equine Cushing’s disease, equine Cushing’s syndrome, hyperadrenocorticism, pars intermedia pituitary adenoma (PIPA), and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) are all terms used to describe horses with an endocrine (hormonal) disorder.
EQUINE METABOLIC SYNDROME
The term "metabolic syndrome" is being used more often in equine practice to describe horses with abnormal fat distributions and insulin resistance. While metabolic syndrome is a clearly defined clinical entity in human medicine, it remains rather obscure in veterinary medicine as evidence by its pseudonym "equine syndrome X."
FOALING
Foaling, also referred to as parturition, is the process of giving birth to a foal. Foaling occurs approximately 338 to 345 days from the last breeding date; however, this time period can range from 320 to 365 days or more. Gestation length varies based on season, breed, and other unidentified factors. While long gestation periods are not generally considered problematic, foals born prematurely (before 320 days) typically require aggressive medical care for survival.
ENDOMETRITIS IN MARES
Endometritis is defined as an inflammation of the endometrium, which is the inner lining of the uterus. Endometritis is an important cause of reduced fertility and infertility in mares, therefore it contributes to economic losses in the equine industry.
RHODOCOCCUS. EQUI
Rhodococcus. equi is well known for its ability to cause severe pneumonia in young foals. In addition, R. equi can cause septic arthritis (infection of joints), osteomyelitis (infection of bones), neonatal diarrhea (enterocolitis), abdominal lymphadenitis (inflammation of the lymph nodes), spinal cord abscesses, and immune-mediated disease such as polysynovitis.
FAILURE OF PASSIVE TRANSFER
This process by which mares pass antibodies on to their foals via the colostrum is referred to as passive transfer of immunity. If foals don’t get the necessary antibodies from their dams (failure of passive transfer), they are at risk of developing serious medical conditions.
EQUINE STRANGLES
Strangles is a highly contagious and debilitating equine disease caused by the bacterium Streptococcus equi. Strangles is an important disease worldwide because it is highly contagious (meaning it can spread quickly through horse populations).
THE EQUINE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
Respiratory system dysfunction is an important cause of exercise intolerance and poor performance in horses. Abnormalities can exist at any point along the respiratory tract and include structural, functional, and infectious conditions.
THE EQUINE UPPER AIRWAY
Since respiratory dysfunction is a major cause of poor performance in athletic horses (second only to musculoskeletal disorders), a basic knowledge of the structure and function of the respiratory system, particularly the upper respiratory tract, is important for horse owners.
TYING-UP IN HORSES
Tying-up, also known as exertional rhabdomyolysis, azoturia, set fast, Monday morning disease, or paralytic myoglobinuria, is a common equine muscle disease.
ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN HORSES
Equine practitioners use ultrasound machines to help diagnose a number of physical abnormalities in horses.
JOINT STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
A joint is defined as an anatomic union or junction between two or more bones. There are three basic types of joints in the horse: synovial, fibrous, and cartilaginous.
EQUINE JOINT INJECTIONS
Joint injections can help veterinarians diagnose lameness or medicate a horse’s painful joint.
EQUINE JOINT SUPPLEMENTS
Joint supplements are products that have been purported to decrease inflammation, increase mobility, provide the building blocks for articular cartilage synthesis, or contribute to the overall health of moveable joints by some other mechanism.
PAIN MANAGEMENT IN HORSES
In veterinary medicine, particularly equine practice, the recognition, classification, management, and overall importance of pain and pain management have only recently been described.
EQUINE SUPPLEMENTS
Nutraceuticals are thought to have some beneficial effects for horses, but more studies are necessary.
THRUSH IN HORSES
This common equine foot infection can affect the frog, sole, white line, and sensitive tissues of the hoof.
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