Equine Science & Technology

Health Management

Health ManagementVaccine- a product given to a horse to stimulate its

immune system and help provide protection against disease.

There are two types:

Killed vaccine- contains killed or inactivated organisms.

Modified live vaccine- contains organisms that are live but modified in some way to make them incapable of producing severe disease.

Health ManagementVaccination- defined as the administration, by injection

or intranasal means, of some agent (such as bacterium or virus) into an animal for the purpose of preventing disease.

Cannot depend on vaccination alone for disease prevention.

Individual horses vary widely in their response to similar vaccinations.

Health ManagementVaccination Heredity also plays a part in the level of

resistance. Nutritional management practices also affect

degrees of resistance.

Health ManagementUsing teeth to determine age The best way to determine the age of the horse is from

good records. When a record of age does not exist, the teeth furnish the

best estimation of the age of a horse. Age determination is made by a study of the twelve front

teeth, called incisors. The two central pairs both above and below are called

centrals (centers), pincers, or nippers.

Health Management The four teeth adjacent to these two pairs are

called intermediates The outer four teeth are designated as

corners. The horse has 24 deciduous (temporary) teeth

and 42 adult (permanent) teeth.

Health ManagementFour key changes in the teeth can be used to

estimate the age of horses. Occurrence of permanent teeth Disappearance of cups Angle of incidence Shape of the surface of the teeth

Health ManagementOccurrence of Permanent Teeth Horses have two sets of teeth, one temporary (baby or

milk teeth) and one permanent. Temporary incisors tend to erupt in pairs at eight days,

eight weeks, and eight months of age.

Health ManagementOccurrence of Permanent Teeth Permanent teeth are larger, longer, and darker in color. The four center permanent teeth appear (two above

and two below) as the animal approaches three years of age, the intermediates at four, and the corners at five. This constitutes a full mouth.

Health ManagementDisappearance of Cups Young permanent teeth have deep indentures in the

center of their surfaces referred to as cups. Cups are commonly used as reference points in age

determination. In general, the cups become smooth in the lower

centers, intermediates, corners, upper centers, intermediates, and corners at six, seven, eight, nine, ten, and eleven years of age respectively.

Health ManagementDisappearance of Cups A smooth mouth theoretically appears at eleven. As cups disappear dental stars appear-

first as narrow, yellow lines in front of the central enamel ring,

then as dark circles near the center of the tooth.

Health ManagementAngle of Incidence The angle of incidence or contact changes from

approximately 160 to 180 degrees in young horses, to less than a right angle as the incisors appear to slant forward and outward with aging.

Health ManagementShape of the Surface of the teeth The teeth change substantially in shape during wear

and aging. The teeth appear broad and flat in young horses. Twenty-year-old teeth may be twice as deep from

front to rear as they are wide.

Health ManagementObvious signs of dental disease can include: Weight loss Halitosis (bad breath, foul smelling odor from the

mouth) Excessive drooling Dropping feed while eating; difficulty chewing

Health ManagementSubtle signs of dental disease can include: Head tossing Excessive chewing of the bit Behavior problems while being ridden (bucking,

fighting against the bit)

Health ManagementCommon Dental AbnormalitiesEnamel Points-

sharp points that develop on the outside of the upper teeth and the inside of the lower teeth as a horse grinds its food back and forth.

Removed by using a special file (called a float) to rasp down the sharp edges.

Carrying out this process is called floating teeth.

Health ManagementCommon Dental AbnormalitiesHooks and Ramps Hooks are sharp points found on the first upper

teeth. Ramps are sharp points found on the last lower

cheek teeth. A small hook or ramp can be removed by simple

filing. A taller point may require cutting with a molar cutter

before being filled.

Health ManagementRetained Caps Deciduous premolars are normally replaced by the

permanent premolars without a problem Occasionally a deciduous premolar fails to fall out The retained tooth is called a cap. Retained caps can result in pain for the horse and can

lead to decreased feed consumption and lowered performance.

The caps can be easily removed by a veterinarian.

Health ManagementMalalignment If the incisors or cheek teeth of the horse do not

align properly, the teeth will not wear evenly. Horses with overshot or undershot jaws will

normally need their teeth checked frequently to ensure that the biting and grinding surfaces are meeting.

Health ManagementInfections Feed that becomes trapped in a tooth can lead to

bacterial growth, resulting in infection. Other causes of infection are fractured jaw and

inflammation of the periodontal ligament (ligament that holds the tooth to the bone)

An infected tooth usually leads to more of the obvious signs of dental disease … Swollen face or jaw A draining abscess Trouble eating, etc.

Health ManagementSanitation A sound sanitation program is of paramount

importance to fly control. The basic aim of a sanitation program is to reduce or

eliminate fly larval development sites. Manure management is essential. Timely spreading of manure promotes drying and

prevents larvae from developing.

Health ManagementSanitation Wet areas where manure, mud, and plant debris

accumulate also form ideal breeding habitats. Modifications to the drainage around corrals to reduce

excess moisture can eliminate fly production sites and make chemical control efforts much more successful.