KNOWING YOUR HORSE BRONZE
SAMPLEnot Do Understand how to look after horses by developing your knowledge of basic anatomy and feeding. Know why they need to be fit and healthy for the activities you do together. KNOWING YOUR HORSE By completing this award you will find out: BRONZE IMAGE • The various colours and markings horses can have • The names for different parts of the horse • How to recognise signs of good and poor health • How to keep your horse healthy • The rules of feeding and watering horses • Why a ridden horse should be fit and printhow to recognise an unfit horse
SAMPLEnot Do IDENTIFICATION
The terms that refer to male and female Colours horses or ponies are: It is not only the coat that is looked at to Foal: A filly or colt under 1 year old describe a horse’s overall colour but also the colour of their ‘points’. Filly: A young female horse under 4 years old Colt: A young male horse under 4 years old that has not been castrated Mare: A female over 4 years old Gelding: A male that has been castrated (had his testicles removed by a vet) Stallion: A male over 4 years old that printhas not been castrated ? DID YOU KNOW...? Male horses and ponies are often castrated before they turn two years old as this makes them more docile and easier to handle. Stallions should only be handled by experienced notpeople as they can be very strong SAMPLEand unpredictable. Fleabitten grey – freckled appearance
Do ! FACT When describing colour, the points you refer to are the: muzzle, tips of the ears, mane and tail, knees, hocks and the lower limbs. mare (left) and foal (right). Image by Fell Pony Society
4 5 Bay – brown with black points
Dark iron grey Grey – white and black hairs throughout the coat, usually lightens with age
Palomino (left) – yellow or golden coat with flaxen not mane and tail Chestnut – ginger or red coat, mane and tail can Dun – yellow or goldenSAMPLE colour with black points Piebald – patches of black and white over the body Skewbald (right) – patches of white and another be flaxen and a black dorsal stripe colour apart from black over the body
? DID YOU KNOW...? ? DID YOU KNOW...? Do A dorsal stripe is a strip of hair A flaxen mane and tail means the which runs down the length of the hair in the mane and tail is lighter horse’s spine. than the coat.
6 7 Face and leg markings Leg markings Horses often have white markings Leg markings are described by the parts of on their face and/or their legs. When white covering the leg. For example white describing a horse’s colour you can also to hock or white to fetlock. An ermine include these markings, which have mark is a black mark on the coronet band. specific names depending on their position and the area they cover.
Facial markings
Sock Blaze – wide white line which goes over the nasal bones and runs down the centre of the face
White above fetlock ? DID YOU KNOW...? A horse’s markings are drawn in his passport to help identify him. DID YOU KNOW...? A passport is a legal requirement ? for all horses, ponies and donkeys Stripe – narrow white line running down the print centre of the face A white marking reaching to the in the UK and also records their knee or hock is also known as a vaccinations and medications. sock. A white marking reaching above the knee or hock is also known as a stocking. not WANT TO KNOW MORE? You will learn more about passports as SAMPLE part of the knowing your horse gold.
White face – white marking covering the forehead, eyes, nose and muzzle Do
Snip – small white mark on the muzzle
8 9 28 27 Parts of the foot 26 4 25 22 23 9 24 20 3 21 19 1 2 2 1 8 5 12 13 3
11 7
10 18 6 6
7 17 5 4
8 16 14 9 15
1 Muzzle 8 Cannon 15 Hoof 22 Croup print 1 Cleft of frog
2 Chin groove 9 Pastern 16 Fetlock 23 Loins 2 Seat of corn WANT TO KNOW MORE?
3 Throat 10 Chestnut 17 Cannon 24 Back 3 Frog The BHS have produced a video ‘How to identify parts of the leg and 4 Mane 11 Elbow 18 Hock 25 Withers 4 White line foot’ that goes over the points above. 5 Point of shoulder 12 Barrel 19 Point of buttocks 26 Crest 5 Sole You can find it on our Education Hub website in the video library under the 6 Forearm 13 Stifle 20 Quarters 27 Poll not6 Point of frog resource hub menu. 7 Knee 14 Coronet 21 Point of hipSAMPLE28 Ears 7 Wall 8 Bars
9 Bulb of heel ANATOMY Do
It is useful to know describe to someone where the parts of the horse, an injury is on your horse. particularly if you need to
10 11 Signs of good health Signs of ill health
Bright eyes Dull eyes or signs of discharge
Shiny coat The coat looks dull or is standing up on end (can be a sign the horse is cold)
Alert, interested in what is going on Hiding at the back of the stable not interested in what is happening
Eating and drinking normally Not eating or drinking, or drinking excessively
Droppings and urine are normal and Not passing urine or droppings or passed regularly droppings are very hard or very loose
Standing evenly on all four feet Not putting weight on one front foot May rest a hind leg if relaxed or dozing
No abnormal heat or swelling in legs Abnormal heat or swelling in legs
Normal respiration rate Increased respiration rate for no (usually 8-16 breaths per minute) apparent reason print i TOP TIP ! FACT All horses are individuals and what Taking a horse’s temperature and constitutes as ‘normal’ in one horse pulse can also help you decide if a won’t necessarily be the same for horse is unwell. You will learn about another. If you’re a horse owner, this in the silver award. know how much water your horse usually drinks, how often he goes notto the toilet and what his droppings look like so you can recognise when SAMPLEsomething is not right. WANT TO KNOW MORE?
HEALTH The BHS holds First Aid for Horses courses, presented by local vets in your area. These cover topics such Whether you have your good and ill health in horsesDo as when to call the vet, basic first aid and caring for injured or ill horses. own horse, loan, share as you will be responsible Visit your regional page on the BHS or ride horses at a riding for your horse’s welfare website to find courses in your area. school, it is important for while he is in your care. you to recognise signs of
12 13 What to do if you suspect something is wrong ! FACT If you have carried out your checks and are concerned about your horse you Horses that travel overseas or are should tell your coach or yard manager used for breeding require to have and see what they advise. It may be that additional vaccinations. your horse needs to see a vet, farrier or other industry professional. If you are worried about a horse which does not belong to you then speak to the owner, Tetanus is caused by bacteria that live in yard manager or a member of staff on the soil entering a horse’s blood stream the yard. via a wound. Horses are particularly susceptible to it due to the environment they live in. Tetanus can be fatal for horses but the vaccination offers full protection against it. Vaccinating your horse will not stop him from catching i TOP TIP flu but it will greatly reduce the severity If you are a horse owner there are of the symptoms should he come into a variety of industry professionals contact with it. Routine checks who can help you to keep your horse is good health and provide Monitoring your horse’s health should be WANT TO KNOW MORE? practical advice. These include: vets, part of your daily routine. registered farriers, equine dental DID YOU KNOW...? The routine checks questions describe ? technicians, and other experts such Checks to make or questions to ask the basic signs we look for on a daily as BHS Accredited Professional Only a vet can give your horse a yourself each day include: basis. You will explore these in further Coaches printand BHS Welfare Officers. vaccination. Vaccinating against • Is he standing comfortably? detail as we progress through the tetanus and equine flu involves a • Is he interested in what is going on? knowing your horse silver and gold series of three initial injections challenge awards. given over the first year followed • Is he happy to walk and move about by annual boosters. the stable or field? Preventing the spread of diseases • Has he been eating his hay? Has all the bucket feed been eaten? Is he grazing? Preventing disease is important as not only will it protect the health of your horse but • If he has a water bucket has he been notit is often cheaper to prevent a disease drinking out of it? ! FACT than treat it. Some diseases can limit the WANT TO KNOW MORE? • Are there droppings in the stable and SAMPLE The colour and consistency of horse’s health and performance of your horse in do they look normal? droppings will change with diet. They the future or can even prove fatal. Download our free leaflet Tetanus • Is he displaying his normal behaviour? should not be very hard or loose. and Equine Influenza Vaccinations, Vaccinations are available for a number from our website • Are there any signs of injury such as of illnesses that affect horses in the UK www.bhs.org.uk/welfareleaflets cuts or swellings? including tetanus and highly contagious Do diseases such as equine influenza (flu). Field kept horses should be checked at least twice a day. The herd should be grazing or standing fairly close together. A horse who is standing away from the main herd and showing no interest in what is happening should be checked for signs of injury or illness.
14 15 Trimming and shoeing Hooves which are long and overgrown not i TOP TIP only lead to discomfort and pain but may also cause your horse to trip and stumble. A farrier should be suitably qualified and registered to the Farriers Registration Council (FRC). Ask your coach or a BHS Welfare Officer to recommend one, or alternatively you ? DID YOU KNOW...? can find a farrier on the FRC website: Horse’s hooves grow continuously www.farrier-reg.gov.uk (similar to our own hair and nails) and require trimming approximately every 4-6 weeks by a qualified farrier to keep them in good shape. Checking the condition of your horse’s feet should form part of your daily routine. Signs that indicate your horse needs shoeing include:
Horses can either be left barefoot or have If your horse is barefoot: shoes put on their feet. Speak to your Splits or cracks in the hoof wall farrier to discuss whether or not your • horse requires shoes; it will likely depend • Your horse tripping or stumbling on how much ridden work they do and the more than usual condition of their feet. If your horse is shod: • The nails that hold the shoe in place print are sticking up away from the hoof ! FACT If you have not seen a horse being shod before, ask your coach if you can ? DID YOU KNOW...? arrange to watch a farrier at work the The nails the farrier uses are called next time they visit your yard – you clenches. If they stick up this is notwill find it very interesting! known as ‘risen clenches’. SAMPLE • Any nails are missing • You might hear the shoe clanking as your horse walks which means it is loose and might fall off • You might see the hoof has grown Do longer than the shoe or there may be splits or cracks in the hoof wall
16 17 Biosecurity Horses do not have to be in direct contact i TOP TIP with each other to pass on a virus, it can be passed indirectly via human contact, At most riding centres the tack and on fence posts and rails or via grooming equipment for each horse is named brushes and feed buckets. so you will know which horse to use it for. If you find equipment that is not labelled or you are unsure if it is suitable to use, check with your ? DID YOU KNOW...? coach or the yard staff before using it. Biosecurity is the term given to the practices and procedures that can reduce the risk of an infectious disease outbreak.
There is a basic level of biosecurity you can implement on a daily basis to reduce the risk of passing an infection or disease from one horse to another: • Your horse should have its own set of equipment (brushes, feed and water buckets, etc) which should not be used on any other horse • Grooming brushes should be regularly print disinfected to kill any germs. Items such as saddle pads and girths should be frequently washed to remove sweat, dirt and germs • All buckets should be thoroughly If a horse on the yard does have a disease scrubbed daily you may be required to disinfect your boots before and after leaving the yard • When tacking up or grooming check or wear overalls if you have to work with your horse for signs of skin disease not the horse. The yard manager will always such as bald patches, raised lumps or inform you if you are required to follow scabs. Report anything you find SAMPLE any procedures like this. to your coach Do
18 19 • Fresh clean water should be available at • Do not work your horse straight after a all times – To keep the horse hydrated bucket feed – Your horse needs time to • Feed little and fteno – The horse’s digest the food before working stomach is roughly the size of a rugby ball and therefore cannot cope with large amounts of bucket feed in one go ? DID YOU KNOW...? • Feed plenty of fibre – The horse’s digestive system is sensitive and works A full stomach can press on the most efficiently when fibre (grass, hay lungs and compromise performance. or haylage) is passing through it
• Keep to a routine – Horses thrive on a regular routine and it helps to ! FACT keep them relaxed. Stress can have High fibre feeds such as grass, hay, a dangerous impact on a horse’s haylage and chaff are collectively digestive health referred to as forage.
• Each horse should be fed according to ? DID YOU KNOW...? its age, bodyweight, the work it does Horses are ‘trickle feeders’ which and its temperament – Every horse is means they have adapted to be an individual and therefore their feed continuously digesting forage rather requirements will be different than having large meals with periods print of starvation in between. ! FACT In the knowing your horse gold challenge award you will learn to calculate the amount of food your WANT TO KNOW MORE? horse requires using his bodyweight and workload. Download our free leaflet Advice on Basic Feeding, from our website not www.bhs.org.uk/welfareleaflets SAMPLE• Alw ays weigh feeds – To make sure FEEDING your horse receives the same amount of feed in each meal • Giv e your horse good quality feed – A horse’s diet plays an The rules of feeding Feeding dusty, poor quality or mouldy food can cause illness important role in their should be applied toDo keep • Mak e any changes to feed or forage overall health and wellbeing your horse healthy and gradually – To allow your horse’s and allows them to perform ensure he receives the digestive system time to adapt to the new diet and prevent digestive upset at their optimum. nutrition he needs.
20 21 How to provide hay or haylage The most natural way to provide hay or ? DID YOU KNOW...? haylage to your horse in the stable is to put it on the floor so the horse stretches For this award you will not be his neck down to eat it as he would required to work out how much to eat grass in the field. However, this hay to provide your horse but you method can be wasteful as your horse should be able to fill a net to a may drag the hay into his bed rather specific weight. than eat it. A less wasteful way to feed hay is to put it in a haynet. The horse has to twist Providing water in the stable Haylage on the left, hay on the right his head and neck and pull at the hay through the holes so it makes a small The first rule of feeding is that horses Hay and haylage Soaking hay amount last longer but as the horse must have access to clean fresh water at keeps his head up to eat it is not a all times. The two most common ways to The two main sources of fibre for horses, Some horses suffer from respiratory natural feeding position. provide water for your horse are: other than grass, are hay and haylage. problems brought on by the dust, spore Plastic or rubber buckets placed in the Although they look similar haylage has a and seed content found in hay. Soaking A hay rack is similar to a haynet but it is corner of the stable are an easy way to distinctive smell and is wetter than hay hay can help alleviate these issues. usually fixed in position in the stable. provide water for your horse and also to touch. If you are in any doubt which A hay bar placed across the corner allow you to see how much your horse is is which ask your coach rather than risk 6 STEPS of the stable will help to prevent the drinking. The buckets should be turned feeding the wrong one. to soaking hay horse dragging the pile of hay into his so the handles are against the wall and 1. Fill a haynet with the required bed and wasting it. It also encourages they should be scrubbed daily to keep Haylage is made from cut grasses, baled amount of hay a more natural feeding position as them clean. Ensure they are checked and when damp and wrapped in plastic the horse can stretch his head and refilled regularly. making it airtight. Bacteria within the 2. Put the haynet in a tub or trough neck down printto eat it. These need to be An automatic drinker is a bowl fitted on bale then break down the sugars in 3. Completely cover the hay in water checked regularly for safety. the grasses. Haylage does not need to the wall in the stable which is connected be soaked as it already contains a high 4. Leave the hay to soak for around by a pipe to a water tank so it refills moisture content. 10 minutes Weighing and hanging up a haynet automatically each time your horse drinks. The downside to these types of • Tie the haynet directly to the ring and drinkers is that you cannot monitor how secure it with a quick release knot much your horse is drinking. They require ? DID YOU KNOW...? ? DID YOU KNOW...? • Make sure the haynet is tied up high cleaning daily to keep the bowl clean and notenough so that your horse cannot get a it is important to keep an eye on them Hay can be fed dry or soaked. Soaking for longer will remove leg stuck in it as the net is emptied and some nutrientsSAMPLE and sugars from during the winter as the pipes can freeze hangs down lower the hay which can be beneficial in the cold weather. for overweight horses. • The full haynet should be weighed using a spring balance to make sure your horse Hay is made up of a variety of cut receives the correct amount grasses that are left to dry in the field before baling. 5. Drain the water Do Meadow hay is made from old pasture 6. Feed the hay within a few hours of and may include lots of different soaking it so it does not dry out again grasses and herbs while seed hay consists of grasses that have been sown specifically for growing hay and may only contain a few different types.
22 23 FITNESS
Whether you enjoy Horses that are fit enough for the work they are doing are less likely to injure schooling or pleasure themselves, are more likely to perform rides or you wish to better, will find the work easier and compete your horse in a recover quicker. chosen discipline, your Signs that your horse may not be fit • Struggling to go forward and moving horse needs to be fit slower during work enough for the activity. • Stumbling or losing balance as you progress through the session If your horse is not fit enough he is likely • Breathing rate may increase quickly to tire quicker and the potential for risk compared to the amount of work of injury increases. A tired horse is more being done likely to knock a jump down or stumble • Taking a long time ot recover his on the flat which could cause a fall or breathing rate to normal at the end of a injury. Horses that are unfit may not enjoy session. A fit horse should recover their being ridden and they could develop normal breathing rate within five minutes behavioural issues or bad habits in an attempt toprint avoid the activity.
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24 25 Knowing your horse – bronze Achieved Congratulations! (date and You have achieved the knowing your horse – bronze signature) challenge award! Identification • I can describe horses using: a) colour What’s next? b) face markings Your coach will notify us at BHS HQ and we will post your challenge award certificate c) leg markings to your coach. You can now move on to your next challenge award! d) gender
Anatomy • I can identify points of the horse • I can identify parts of the foot Feedback from your coach:
Health • I can list signs of good and poor health • I can carry out routine daily health checks • I can recognise when and why a horse requires shoeing or trimming • I can describe how to reduce the risk of disease on a yard
Feeding • I can list the rules of feeding • I can recognise hay and haylage print • I can describe methods to provide hay or haylage to a horse • I can describe how to soak hay • I can identify methods to provide water in the stable
Fittening • I can describe why a ridden horse should be fit • I can describe signs that may indicate a horse is notSAMPLE fit not
Name of Name of coach: participant: Do
Membership Membership number: number:
Date Coach completed: signature:
26 27 print
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bhs.org.uk/pathways