equine science exam 2 part 2

Question 0

Esophagus

Answer 0

3-4ft long and is the tube extending to the stomach
Peristalsis (smooth muscle moves food down esophagus. Slow wave movement)
Cardiac sphincter: this is the muscular gate before the esophagus enters the stomach. On horses this is a really tight muscle that prevents horses from burping and throwing up. Thus if a horse consumes something toxic it cannot throw it up
Horses that choke can be prone to pneumonia

Question 1

Mouth

Answer 1

Consists of lips, tongue, salivary glands (horses do not salivate unless chewing) and teeth. Teeth have to be taken care of regularly because horses chew in a circular motion, wearing hooks and points on the teeth.

Question 2

Stomach

Answer 2

Holds 2-4 gallons
Functions: digestion and storage
Horse’s stomachs are not designed to hold large meals, but small amounts of food consumed often

Question 3

Small intestine

Answer 3

60-70ft long, food travels through in 1-8 hours
Three parts
Functions include digestion and absorption
Horses do not have a gall bladder, so bile trickles in constantly. Thus horses cannot handle high fat diets
Intestinal muscles are weak in the horse, so if they eat dry food without water than food can become compacted.
Sand can create a pocket in the intestine and cause an ulcer or compaction

Question 4

Hind gut

Answer 4

Cecum
Large intestine
Rectum

Question 5

Cecum

Answer 5

3ft long, 5 hours for items to travel through
Microbial fermentation of fiber occurs
Location of cecum causes problems bcuz it is behind the small intestine, meaning that microbes are not able to detoxify before toxins are absorbed

Question 6

Large intestine

Answer 6

20ft long, 36-48 hours for items to travel through it
Absorption of volatile fatty acids or VFA’s occurs. These are primary sources if energy that the horse utilize to maintain its body.
In the large intestine there is spot, called pelvic flexure, where the intestine makes almost an180 degree turn. This is a prime place for a twist or impact ion

Question 7

Rectum

Answer 7

One foot
Responsible for absorption and elimination
Fecal ball formation occurs

Question 8

Assessing a horse’s body condition

Answer 8

Look and touch horse’s tailhead, crest of neck, withers, crease down back, and ribs. Important to touch bcuz cannot assess with eyes alone
Henneke system

Question 9

Henneke system

Answer 9

Standard for horse body condition scoring

Rated on a scale of 1-9, with 1 being skeletal, 5 being ideal, and 9 being obese

Question 10

Feeding for production

Answer 10

Maintenance 
Exercise
Breeding stallions
Broodmares
Lactation
Growth
Senior

Question 11

Maintenance

Answer 11

This is feeding the horse enough so that it has the energy required to maintain body weight. The amount of feed given is influenced by body weight and should include 8-10% protein

Question 12

Exercise

Answer 12

Depending in the type and level of exercise, a horse may have increased needs.
Type and level of exercise are influenced by condition, environment, footing, and the rider.
A horse that is being exercised should get about 10-12% protein and enough energy and water

Question 13

Breeding stallions

Answer 13

Have increased energy demands, plus they may be more finicky and active

Question 14

Broodmares

Answer 14

Early gestation
Late gestation: the broodmares has great increases in nutritional requirements, as well as changes in body capacity (her stomach can no longer hold as much food) grain, a concentrated source of energy in a small amount, is good to feed mares during this time

Question 15

Lactation

Answer 15

Second most demanding phase

Should be increases in all nutrients, particularly energy

Question 16

Growth

Answer 16

Most demanding phase
During this time too rapid growth and unbalanced nutrition can result in many problems. During growth, it is important to make sure that the horse’s lysine requirements are met. Lysine is a vital amino acid and the first limiting amino acid

Question 17

Senior

Answer 17

Hormonal changes start occurring in the late teens
For horses, fifteen and older is considered aged, 20 to 25 is considered old, and 25 and older is basically decrepit. We have expanded the horses life span
Some tooth issues that occur as horse’ sage include tooth wear, tooth loss, and the angle of incidence, or how the teeth meet/line up
When horses become older their body condition changes. They exhibit muscle loss, which could be a direct result of decreased exercise, and have issues with the amount of fat on their body. They experience metabolic and nutritional changes, and often develop Cushing’s and insulin resistance