|
The signs of good health
All horses are individuals therefore it is essential you become familiar with what is their normal behaviour. The vital signs for horses can vary slightly from one horse to another so get to know what is normal for your horse. Horses are grazing animals, trickle feeders. A content happy horse should have a good appetite. The expression to eat like a horse should spring to mind. Some horses are fussy eaters, some suffer from stress and this can affect a their appetite this is why it is important to know what is normal for each horse as turning away from a feed could be a sign of illnesses.
A bright and alert horse with a calm confident attitude is another. Its’ movements will be free, smooth and level with a spring in his step. When standing still the horse should be able to rest all his weight evenly on all four limbs. It is normal for many horses to rest a hind leg and alternate to rest the other hind leg when resting. Standing with the weight displaced, e.g. - pointing a toe or standing with the weight shifting backwards indicates a problem.
Bodily condition should be noted and monitored, a horse should neither be fat or thin. It is good practice to condition score horses and to use a tape measure to monitor its’ weight. A thick winter coat can hide a loss of condition. It is essential to not only look but to feel. Condition scoring is about assessing the amount of body fat. The scale used is from 0 to 5. 0 = emaciated, 1 = poor, 2 = fair, 3 = good, 4 = fat and 5 = very obese. To condition score a horse you need to look at 3 areas the neck, the barrell (rib cage and back) and the pelvis. To calculate the overall condition score of your horse you would score each area separately and then work out the average. This method along with using a weigh tape and adjusting the horse’s diet will help ensure your horse maintains a healthy weight. To find out more about condition scoring and to download The World Welfare for Horses (International League for the Protection of Horses) fat scoring podcast please click here to visit the ILPH website and follow the instructions.
Healthy horses glow, they have a shiney coat that gleams, lies flat and is smooth (you may have to brush the mud off first to find it!). The skin should be elastic and supple. The legs should be free of injury, the tendons hard and well defined, and cool to the touch. The joints should be well defined free from abnormal lumps, bumps and swellings. A healthy horse will have feet that are well shaped, balanced with resilient, sound horn, free from flaking, cracks or deformities. The eyes should be open, clean and clear with salmon pink mucous membranes. The nostrils should be dry and clean. The gums should be salmon pink, with the teeth even and in good condition. Horse's teeth need routine attention to keep them healthy.
A horse's droppings can be a good indicator to health. Droppings vary from moist, slightly oval, mucus covered balls to soft, sloppy green cowpats when a horse has eaten rich spring grass or hard, round bullets when stabled and the diet is low in fibre. The cause of diarrhoea or bad-smelling droppings should always be investigated. Urine is another indicator of health: often it is pale in colour and clear, it can also be darker or slightly cloudy.
Click here to return to the Horse Care section of the website
Click here to tell a friend about this website
| 
