equestrian knowledge

Horses communicate in many ways, including visual displays, sounds and even through smell (Heird, 1998). Understanding how a horse communicates is important to the 4-H Horse Project member for three important reasons:
 1. Diagnosis of medical problems - Learning how a horse behaves when it is sick is important not only so you will know it needs attention, but also because certain behaviors are linked with specific problems. Naturally, a veterinarian or other experienced person may need to be called upon for more detailed information, but it is never too soon for a young person to start learning to tell the difference between normal, healthy behavior and the behavior of sick animals.
 2. Assessment of Emotional State or Temperament - As your experience and skill in assessing horse behavior increases, you will find that you can “read” a horse’s emotional state. This knowledge can be applied when assessing how “friendly”a new or unknown horse is, or it can be used to tell if a horse you ride every day is in an unusual mood or is experiencing emotional difficulty. Sometimes a horse is reacting to the presence of another animal, or it can be related to something as simple as the weather.
 3. Safety - Horses usually communicate a warning before they cause harm. Learning the communication signals — ears back, head lowered, teeth bared, turning into a “kicking” position, tail swishing, etc.— that warn of danger are important in avoiding harm. Nervous or “jumpy” behavior can possibly be as dangerous as aggressiveness. Learn to recognize the signals that could result in harm, whether it comes from the horse you are riding or one that is being ridden by someone else in your vicinity.

Learning by Application: Write a short story about something related to horse senses or basic horse behavior that applies to your horse, a horse belonging to a friend or a horse story you have read. If possible, share this experience in a 4-H meeting.

DOMESTICATION AND BEHAVIOR 

 Horses and humans have been closely associated for a long time. Horses were probably the fourth or fifth species to be domesticated. Man’s best friend, the dog, was the first species to be domesticated, with sheep and goats approximately tied for second in the domestication race. Horses were not far behind, and have proven to be a worthwhile addition to the human-animal family.

  It is difficult to know exactly when domestication occurred, but domesticated horse remains have been dated to some 6,000 years ago. By 3,000 years ago, the domestic horse had spread to Europe, Asia and North Africa.
 It is clear that domestication of the horse is a complicated story about the development of a complex, elegant relationship. Experts have proposed the following stages in the process of domestication of horses:
 • Loose ties of animals with man, but no controlled breeding.
 • Confinement and breeding in captivity, with separation from wild horses allowing a distinct domestic race to develop.
 • Selective breeding by man for certain features with occasional mating to wild forms.
 • The gradual intensification of the development of different breeds with desirable economic characteristics.
 These steps occurred over thousands of years with the bond between man and horses being gradually strengthened with each generation.
 Genetic selection during the process of domestication led to the development of breeds. There is considerable variability in behavioral traits between breeds. For example, certain breeds tend to be more active, while others are more docile. The Thoroughbred, is known as a breed with a strong tendency to be alert, even nervous.
Other breeds, such the Tennessee Walking Horse, are known for being calm. Quarter Horses and Morgans are intelligent, while Shetland ponies are protective. Behavior, as related to the utility of the breed in question, has been selected for as certainly as size, muscling, skeletal structure or speed.
  Horses may have behavioral problems, but most of these are preventable or correctable with some understanding of horse behavior. In reality, properly trained horses present few behavioral problems. In fact, horses are so gentle that they are outstanding companions for 4-H youth. Thousands of young people show horses each year with little chance of injury by an aggressive animal.
Most accidents are not due to aggressive horses, but are more likely related to an improper or unusual action by the handler. The large number of young people who ride horses every day is probably the best “proof” of the high degree to which the horse has been domesticated into the human pack/herd.

MATING BEHAVIOR

 Behavior is an important aspect of reproduction, and an understanding of the basics of reproductive behavior can lead to management applications that can improve reproductive success. In this segment, the complex behavioral patterns related to mating will be addressed.

Puberty
 Puberty is the attainment of sexual maturity. In fillies, this can be as early as nine or 10 months, but is usually 12 to 15 months. Stallions are 15 months or older before they can successfully breed. Behaviorists have noted that both stallions and fillies (less frequently) may exhibit sexual display before the reproductive tract is physiologically mature. Therefore, pregnancy cannot occur. Conversely, some fillies may cycle, but not exhibit estrus.

Estrus (Heat)
 Estrus, or heat, is the period of the reproductive cycle when the mare ovulates and, if bred, is likely to conceive. A behaviorist would define estrus as the “behavioral state when the female seeks and accepts the male.”
 The average length of the estrus cycle, or the period from heat to heat, is 21 days, but can vary from 19 to 26 days. The duration of the estrus period is typically a week (actually about 6 days), but varies from two to 10 days. The foal heat, or postpartum estrus, typically occurs six to nine days after foaling, but may be as early as five days or as late as 15.

  It is important for the mare owner to recognize the behavioral signs of estrus. Some signs are general, including restlessness, hyperactivity, less time devoted to eating and resting and more time 12 “running the fences.” Other signs, such as frequent urination, straddling (squatting) posture and clitoral “winking” are more specific and are often not as obvious in early stages of estrus.

 Some mares are more likely than others to exhibit overt signs of estrus. Older and more experienced mares are more likely to exhibit clear signs of estrus. Maiden mares are considerably more likely to cycle without visible signs of heat.

  The presence of stallions increases the behavioral display of estrus in mares. People who keep only one or a few mares often have difficulty in identifying the onset of estrus. Sometimes such small operations may benefit from having a single stallion (sometimes a pony is preferred) around as a “teaser,” to stimulate estrus display. The use of a teaser stallion in larger breeding operations is routine to stimulate mares into a receptive state before the introduction of the breeding stallion.

Seasonal Breeding Behavior
 Horses exhibit seasonal breeding patterns. In general, they are referred to as “long-day breeders,” because as the days increase in length in the spring, they come into heat. Mares are also called “seasonally polyestrous” because they have multiple cycling periods. The most likely breeding season for horses is the spring or summer. Since light is a factor in controlling the seasonal breeding pattern, horses are sometimes called “increasing-light” breeders. Most studies have indicated a tendency toward anestrus (not cycling) in the winter months; however, some mares may cycle during this time as well.

Courtship and Mating
 Mares will cycle several times during the breeding season if they are not bred or if they fail to become pregnant. The heat period (mentioned previously) is about a week, but the most intense estrus behavior, when the mare is most sexually receptive to the stallion, is about three days.

 Mares in heat may actively seek out and attempt to stay in the vicinity of the stallions. There may be few other signs of estrus early in the heat period. As the heat period progresses, the mare may become more active in her courtship behavior. During the peak of estrus, the mare may sniff, lick or nuzzle the stallion. A mare in heat is likely to urinate frequently, particularly if a stallion is investigating. She is also likely to raise her tail and assume a breeding stance. A mare may exhibit the urination response to the stallion whether she is in heat or not; however, if she is not in heat, she will usually leave the vicinity of the stallion or turn on him with threat behavior. If she is in heat, she may passively accept the attention of the stallion, occasionally turning her head to observe the stallion’s activities. The classic behavioral display of the stallion when it “checks” a mare is to lift its nose into air and curl its upper lip. This is called the “Flehmen” response.
  Stallions exhibit certain additional stereotypical display patterns. They will often be impatient, alert, hyperactive and restless. Vocalization is common. The stallion will frequently nudge the mare, apparently to signal readiness and to assess her “firm stance” response. In addition to nudges, some stallions may smell and bite over the mare’s body. Most behaviorists consider the display as being more important in the courtship process than odor recognition.

Dominance Effects
 Dominance patterns are very much a part of horse breeding behavior, particularly in natural environments. One stallion will typically dominate the breeding of a band of mares and competing stallions will be banished to form their own separate band — until one of them become old enough, brave enough or tough enough to defeat the dominant stallion.
 In modern breeding establishments with numerous, separately stalled breeding stallions, all the stallions are used for breeding. Dominance, nevertheless is in evidence. Most breeding barn managers can tell you which stallion is dominant or “the boss.”

Libido
 Libido is the term which is used to denote sexual drive or the degree of sexual urge of animals. A stallion with a high libido will exhibit an eagerness to mount and attempt to breed a mare. In natural situations, stallions exhibit a wide range of libido levels, from zero activity to the extremely aggressive stallion who sacrifices all other pursuits in favor of searching for and breeding estrus females. Either extreme may cause problems, and young stallions are more likely to exhibit extremely low or high libido.
 Older stallions are likely to decrease the intensity of sexual display behavior, but are often more efficient in mating. Impotence is frequently observed in older stallions, but may be caused by factors other than age (such as injury).
Learning by Application: Write a short story about something related to this section that applies to your horse, a horse belonging to a friend or a horse story you have read. If possible, share this experience in a 4-H meeting.

A rider’s position is very important, because horses can feel the slightest shift of weight in the saddle or pressure from the rider’s leg.

 The horse must rely on its senses in order to perceive the signals (often called cues) that the rider is giving. Touch and sound are the primary senses which are used.
 This is not a horse training manual. There are a number of training publications, often developed by breed organizations or successful trainers, which can provide more detailed information about how to train your horse.
  However, understanding the behavioral basis that the horse has for recognizing cues through its senses can be helpful in training.

The basic steps for using senses in training are:
 Stimuli - The trainer / rider initiates a cue, thus providing a stimulus to the horse.
 Sense - The horse “senses” the stimulus
 Response - The horse responds to the stimulus with an action
  Reinforcement - The trainer “reinforces” in a positive way by rewarding the correct response and in a negative way by discouraging an incorrect response.
 Good trainers recognize that each horse has its own “combination” and will develop at its own pace. Intelligence, individual energy level, previous experience and many other factors may affect response. Patience, repetition and building in small increments of success will give the best results. Over-use of negative reinforcement may yield a horse that is prone to nervousness. Use positive reinforcement more than negative if long-term development is desired. Do not expect reasoning powers that are beyond the powers of the horse to give.
 An extremely well-trained horse that was trained by a professional is likely to “come untrained” when ridden by a novice if reinforcement schedules are not maintained.

Horses have a very large eye and a very large pupil.

 The senses are an important part of what makes horses behaviorally distinct. Animals share the five basic senses: vision, audition (hearing), olfaction (smell), gustation (taste) and touch. The senses are the tools that an animal uses to interact with its environment. As such, the senses can be considered starters of behavior.
 There is a temptation to relate human senses to horses, but horses and people have basic differences in how they see, feel, taste, smell and hear their environment. We do not completely understand horse senses, but the things we have learned have greatly added to our horse knowledge. A review of this information can be helpful in understanding horses.

VISION

 Did you ever look at a horse eye to eye? If you have, you probably noticed a few things. First, they have a very large eye and a very large pupil. Second, the eyeball is placed more to the side of the head, which gives horses a wider field of vision.
Predator species, such as dogs and coyotes, have eyes placed toward the front of their head. This narrows their total field of vision but it increases their binocular (using two-eyes) visual field. Binocular vision gives the predators better depth perception and a more concentrated field of vision. Prey species, such as horses, sheep and cattle, have a much wider visual field. With only slight head movement, horses can scan their entire surroundings. If there is a threat, the behavioral response is generally to flee.
 Much of the width of the visual field that horses see is observed with only one eye. This is called monocular vision. When a horse sees an object with its monocular vision, it will tend to turn toward it so that both eyes can see it (with binocular vision), and the ears can better hear it. There is sometimes a brief visual shift as the horse switches from monocular to binocular vision, which sometimes causes an unexplained “spooking” of the horse.

A horse will turn toward an object so that both eyes can see it (binocular vision). The size of the pupil improves the ability of a horse to pick up movement. The large size provides a built-in wide angle lens effect which is further enhanced by the placement of the visual receptors in the retina. The total effect is better side (peripheral) vision. The horse can see movement very well.

Because horses use their senses to interact with their environment, this section includes definitions and a brief overview of horse senses. Horses have unique and fascinating behavioral characteristics which have contributed to their development, survival and present-day value as a companion to people.

A horse requires specific care to ensure his health and well-being. The maintenance of this equine includes a wide variety of care, from hardware to grooming through the choice of litter. It is also important to pay special attention to one's lifestyle, diet and medical follow-up.

Daily observation

The horse needs a lot of attention. It is essential to take the time to observe it and check its general condition on a daily basis. Far from being innocuous, this routine allows to know him more and to see if he is in good health, if he feels good in his new environment ...
However, the owner must avoid disturbing it. He must study his usual behavior in his environment, his relationship with other equines, etc. Thus, he will be able to note the possible changes between time. With this technique, it is possible to observe the appearance of a hierarchy in a group, the food preferences of the animal or the temperament of his horse.
Once the owner is familiar with his horse, he will immediately see the anomalies, including diseases, tiredness or problems related to the change of living conditions (box grazing, competition at retirement, etc.). ). In addition, any suspicious reaction must be taken seriously to know the true cause.

The most common care

Most often, horse enthusiasts make sure they are combed, vaccinated and dewormed regularly. They also apply to calculate their equine's food rations on a daily basis to avoid all sorts of health problems such as diseases, indigestion, malnutrition, or even overweight.
Dental and eye care as well as shoeing and grooming are also among the most common care in this area. However, it is important to pay attention to the living environment of the horse. It's not just about the available space (box, pasture, stall, etc.). The owner must also provide litter suitable for the equine (straw, wood chips, peat, paper or flax fiber).
It is also important to take care of feeding the horse. Indeed, like humans, the horse needs a balanced diet. Whether for high level competition or not, this parameter has a great impact on your health and well-being. That said, in the world of sport, rations can be decisive in relation to the competitor's performance. In any case, it will be necessary to evaluate the nutritional needs of the animal according to its size, its sex, its race, its rhythm of life and the climate. Finally, the hydration of the horse must never be neglected.

Additional care relating to the health of the horse

From the moment of purchase, the horse needs a thorough medical check to ensure his physical performance and to detect any health problems. As enthusiasts agree to say: choosing your mount is not an easy thing! The choice of a horse must therefore be carefully considered and requires a certain number of precautions.
In addition to rigorous testing, it is important to think about having a visit to anticipate health problems. The equine may seem fit, but the underlying wounds and pathologies are rarely visible to the naked eye. On the other hand, the new owner must check if the vaccinations of his horse are up to date.
Vaccination of horses helps to protect them against diseases and thus prevent pandemics occurring in the region. Moreover, through this initiative, the owner helps to stem epidemics in the equestrian environment. In France, the most common vaccines are intended for the fight against rabies, tetanus, rhinopneumonia and influenza.

In this month of July the heat is at its height. In the middle of the day the temperature exceeds 30 ° C, the sun knocks without mercy. Our companion does not escape this heat wave and can suffer from these difficult conditions, which can go as far as to cause serious problems. Let's see how to improve his living and working conditions so that he spends the warm season in the greatest comfort.

Our horse has wet sides while he does not move, he has his head down, looking down. No, he is not sick. He is hot!

So what can we do to improve these living conditions in hot weather?

Living conditions

The water

Is it necessary to specify, the horse must never run out of water. An equine must always have clean and fresh water at will, and this is even more important to ensure in the hot season.

Normally, a horse drinks 15 to 60 liters a day, depending on its size, work, living conditions, diet, etc. In high temperatures, this consumption can go up to double!

Access to water must be easy and permanent for the horse. Water can be offered in an automatic watering trough, in a tank or via a natural water point. In all cases it is necessary to constantly watch for its purity and freshness. Monitoring of water quality and possible drying of natural points, cleaning and frequent refilling of bins and water troughs are essential.

In a large tank or a natural water point, the horse can play with water; scraping in it will spit the belly and flanks to cool off. If the water is shallow some will even go to bed and roll in it.

For horses living in groups, it must be ensured that the dominant ones do not block access to water for the rest of the group. In this case, do not hesitate to multiply the water points.

food

Although relatively regular over the year, the horse's diet can be adapted according to the season.

In summer you can take care to bring the ration in several meals. The more the ration is divided, the more the horse can quietly digest small amounts of food, thus getting closer to the natural diet of the horse. A large ration at one time will force the horse to spend a lot of energy to ingest and digest it, giving it a "hot shot".

If the hay is dusty it can be wet before distribution. Do not give it to the ground, promoting ingestion and inhalation of dust and dirt. You can screw a rack into the shelter or make or recycle a large box of wood or resistant plastic serving as a manger.

Warming concentrates can also be avoided, depending on the intensity of the horse's activity. Fat can be added to the concentrate diet to compensate for losses due to perspiration.

Sweating causes a significant loss of minerals, so it is necessary, especially in summer, to ensure the permanent presence of a salt stone available to horses.

Working horses can use rehydration solutions to compensate for the significant loss of minerals in sweat.

Housing

The housing conditions of the horse greatly influence its comfort during the rising temperatures.

In boxing or stabling, the horse is enclosed in a small, relatively confined space. The temperature between these 4 walls can increase dramatically when the sun hits it and the air becomes stuffy.

However, it is possible to limit the heat inside by opening the door wide and closing the access with a chain. Ideally you have to have an opening in the wall in front of the door to create a draft. In hot weather, it is advisable to take the horse out when boxing up to avoid breathing straw dust.

The horse living in paddock must have a space arranged so that it will have throughout the day a shadow point where to shelter from the sun. The ideal remains the presence of trees high enough and provided to give a large shaded space. The leaves, in addition to protecting the sun's rays, provide a significant freshness.

Without natural shelter in the paddock, it is necessary to build an artificial shelter, avoiding the materials accumulating the heat (metal, sheets, etc). Be careful of the orientation and the size of the shelter, it must provide a sufficient shade area throughout the day. Its size and opening must be adapted to the number of equines using it.

Thermoregulation of the horse

To promote the evacuation of heat from his body the horse sweats. Nevertheless, certain elements can favor or limit this transpiration.

In summer, many people protect their horses by wearing insect blankets. Suspicion, because these greatly limit the thermoregulation capacity of the horse, especially since they are often very closed, covering almost the entire body of the horse.

Long hairs also keep the horse warm. In summer, they will limit the evacuation of perspiration, especially for the working horse. A shorn horse will therefore be more "cool". Cushing horses will find real comfort.

An overweight horse will suffer more heat, the fat layer creating thermal insulation. Likewise, "heavy" or very muscular horses will be more sensitive to high temperatures than thinner, dry horses because they will produce more heat during an effort.

Work the horse in the summer

The hot season does not prevent a horse from working normally; but this only under certain conditions. The goal is to limit the feeling of discomfort due to extreme heat, and this for the horse as for the rider for that matter.

Avoiding the hottest hours is obvious. No riding between 11h and 15h is the minimum. Depending on the exhibition of the workspace you will enjoy the relative freshness early in the morning or late afternoon and early evening.

The "covered" areas on the horse's body should be kept to a minimum; a carpet of minimum size, a saddle light, no cover or covers, open protections, etc. will facilitate evacuation of perspiration.

In case of heat wave, we will not hesitate to wet the horse in the shower just before going up. Stop the work when it has completely dried.

It is also necessary to adapt the content of its working session as well as its progress. Avoid big jumps or gallop sessions, shorten the duration of sessions and often provide breaks.

If your workspace is in full sun, do not hesitate to work outside, you will find shaded spaces and a less stifling air.

Conclusion

So we see that there are many techniques to bring maximum comfort to his horse in very hot weather.

In general, the most important thing is to remain observant and listen to your companion. It will be possible to quickly identify any change in attitude and external sign of heat discomfort and remedy it before it causes any serious problem.

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Feed a horse at first, nothing is easier. A meadow, grass, water and go. Yes, but who can boast of meadow meadows all year round with enough surface to properly feed a horse? And how to combine this natural diet with the use of the horse, whether in sport, leisure or reproduction? The impact of man's use of the horse on his diet is enormous and requires significant management and solid knowledge in this area. Let's see here some basic notions, essential to the well being of our companions.

I would not describe here the different types of possible feeding or the precise functioning of the digestive tract of the horse, but I would give you some indications to understand the overall functioning of the diet, to avoid common mistakes and to limit the risks of colic and other problems for your companion.

The impact of poorly managed feed on the horse

Diet is a crucial point in the management of horse care. Indeed, the horse is an animal extremely sensitive to diseases related to food; and its diet will depend on its physical abilities and its performance.

The horse is an animal that can not throw up!

Non-ruminant herbivore, you must know that the horse can not vomit; he will therefore suffer from any indigestion or food poisoning without being able to eliminate it. These pains felt in the stomach are called colics; whatever their origin, they are very dangerous for the horse, and can even lead to death.

No foot no horse

A poorly managed diet often creates foot problems, such as laminitis, or diffuse aseptic pododermatitis. This inflammatory congestion of the tissues causes the tilting of the third phalanx forwards, which may go as far as perforation of the sole in very serious cases. This disease causes extreme horse pains. It is very often due to an excess of food, a diet too rich or overweight.

A bowl of pure air

The horse eats a lot for a long time, especially the forage rations that he nibbles for hours. The nose in his hay or grain, the horse breathes all the dust it contains. It must therefore be ensured that these foods are as dust-free as possible in order to avoid respiratory diseases, such as pulmonary emphysema, which can easily become chronic in horses exposed to these irritating particles for a long time. If the food is too dusty do not hesitate to wet before distributing it. Distribution is also encouraged in a feeder or hay net to avoid ingestion of sand and dust on the ground. For the same reasons, you attach the horse far from his boxing before shaking the straw clean when you do the litter again.

Eat little but often

In the natural state, a horse grazes grass all day long and ingest small amounts of food. This mode of feeding is difficult to reproduce with a horse living in the stable.

The intestinal ballast

A horse living in boxing or paddock will be fed ideally with fodder, which will replace the grass giving it a proper source of energy and bring the intestinal ballast it needs. Indeed the intestinal tract of the horse is made to be filled almost continuously. Even by bringing the amount of nutrients necessary for its survival, the horse will suffer from the lack of "filling", or intestinal weight, of his digestive tract. It is also the role played by the straw that is put in the boxes like litter, besides helping the horse to deceive its boredom it brings the intestinal ballast to zero calories.

Split to better digest
For the same reasons, and whatever type of food you have chosen, avoid giving the grain ration at one time. Split as much as possible, in 2, 3 or 4 meals; it will only be better assimilated by the horse and avoid causing traffic jams and other worries.

Each turn

Always to improve feed assimilation, always distribute the feed first, at least 2 hours before the grain, and both will be better digested.

We do not eat anything

All horse foods have different energy values, as for us where 100 grams of salad do not bring the same thing as 100 grams of potatoes.

The hay

Forages come in different forms, alfalfa, meadow hay, sainfoin ... These different hays do not all bring the same energy value to the horse; It is therefore essential to be well informed about the composition of the fodder you buy and its nutritional intake. Indeed the amount of a ration of hay can go from simple to double depending on its nutrient content. Too much energy hay distributed in large quantities can cause serious digestive problems.

The seed

Similarly, grains and pellets of equal weight do not bring the same energy. So you choose your complementary concentrate carefully and you dose it according to the work and body condition of your horse. Overdose can be as harmful as lack, remember it.

Irreproachable quality

Very sensitive, the horse will often refuse a poorly preserved or damaged food. But he is as greedy as gourmet and will sometimes throw himself greedily on his ration at the expense of his health.

Eat healthy

The concentrated foods that most often cause colic are industrial granules, sometimes given in too large quantities at once, and the poorly preserved cereals that fermented. It is also well to know that a whole grain of cereal will be much less well digested than a flattened or crushed grain; as proof, these whole grains are often found in dung. The best is to give the horse a mix granules / cereals or granules / flock, it will tend to find more attractive and better assimilate.

In the same way for fodder and straw it is necessary to avoid wet or weathered storage places; they must remain perfectly dry, the moisture would quickly rot them. If you notice on a bunch of fodder an unusual odor or heat, or folds presenting a kind of white cottony dust, do not distribute them to your horse, this could make him sick because they are signs of maceration and rot.

In a healthy place

Since the horse can not vomit, and is very sensitive to any bad bacteria, always make sure to provide healthy food in a healthy place. Feeder and trough clean are de rigueur. Avoid areas that are too dusty or muddy, feeding on the ground in an earthen paddock for example is not recommended. Also make sure that the food storage area is clean; they must be dry and cool, protected from mice and other pests that can contaminate them.

Change is progressive

We must also talk about horses grazing. Those who are on the grass all year long take almost no risk of colic, except possibly for the most sensitive when the grass is very wet after the rain for example. The main danger is for horses that have only been grazed for a few hours a day, or just at a time of the year (often during the summer).

Indeed, the digestive system of the horse is not designed to experience sudden changes in diet. The same is true if you change the brand of concentrates or type of hay. In pasture a horse can develop colic and laminitis in a few hours. We must therefore always ensure a change of food in a progressive manner, by mixing the old pellets with new ones for a few days for example, or by putting it in the pre half an hour at the beginning and then increasing this period gradually.

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