Rehab Neglected Horse
Content
caregivers’ guide to rehabilitating neglected horses
Rehabilitate (rē’hə-bĭl’ĭ-tāt’): To restore to good health or useful life, as through therapy and education.
Caregiver’s guide to rehabilitating neglected horses
The Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada
HWAC’s is an alliance of provincial equine organizations, farm animal care groups and industry partners whose purpose is the dissemination of correct information related to the Canadian horse industry. The alliance was formed in 2008 as a response to concerns related to humane care and handling of horses. HWAC’s statement of purpose is promoting the humane handling of horses throughout all of their life stages. Focus areas are: 4 Education: horse owners and the public 4 Liaison: with governments, other agencies 4 Equine health and welfare 4 Monitor: the Canadian horse industry to ensure its future is protected Since it was formed, HWAC has been actively working with government and equine industries across North America. For more information on HWAC and horse welfare across Canada visit www.horsewelfare.ca. Email [email protected] to offer suggestions on improving the welfare of horses and ultimately the preservation of our horse industry.
February 2010
Support and funding for this project provided through the Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) Association by the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA).
The Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada gratefully acknowledges the many individuals and organizations who contributed their valuable time, views and expertise to the development of this guide. The development of this guide was made possible only through teamwork and cooperation at the national level. Special thanks to Bill desBarres (AFAC, HWAC and Alberta Equestrian Federation), Dr. Terry Whiting (Manitoba Agriculture and Food, Veterinary Services), Dr. Carolyn Stull (Equine Sanctuary and Rescue Facility Guidelines, UC Davis Veterinary Medicine), Dr. Darrell Dalton (Alberta Veterinary Medical Association), the American Horse Council (Rehabilitating the Neglected Horse: a Caregivers Guide), Dr. Byrnne Rothwall and Mae Smith (Saskatchewan Horse Federation). Content Development: J Woods Livestock Services Graphics & Layout: M Shatosky, Declercq Designs
www.horsewelfare.ca
Rehabilitating Neglected Horses 2 Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada
Contents
The Neglected Horse Transport Caregivers’ Commitment The Codes of Practice 4 4 5 5 6 6 10 10 11 12 12 12 13 14 14 14 14 14 15 15 15 11 11 7
Behavioral Risks
Bio-Security and Disease Risk Nutritional Requirements Hoof Care Requirements Finding a Farrier Rehabbing the Hoof Vaccinations Deworming
Body Condition Scoring Horses Chronically Starved Horses
Health Management Requirements
The Challenge of Winter Care Euthanasia Euthanasia Options Gun Shot
Acceptable Industry Practices Point of Entry
In the Trailer
Farm Animal Care in Canada
Confirmation of Death
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The Neglected Horse
This guide is intended to address basic care for rehabilitating a neglected horse. This must be a team approach. Enlisting the expertise of your veterinarian, a nutritionist and your farrier is a must for the successful rehabilitation of the horse. Care of all our animals is a moral and legal responsibility. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, there are horses that are not properly cared for. The owner may not be providing proper nutritional, health and hoof care needs resulting in poor body condition and deteriorating health. These circumstances can arise due to financial reasons, lack of knowledge, the emotional or mental health of the caregiver or just plain neglect. This is a animal welfare issue. Some of these animals may have been seized by authorities, others may have be taken to an auction or dropped off at rescue facilities. With timely and proper intervention, these horses can be rehabilitated to a healthy, functional state. Rehabilitating a neglected horse is a very difficult and challenging process. It can only be undertaken by someone who has a clear understanding of the special needs of these animals and the time commitment required. If at anytime you see a horse that is not being properly cared for or, you yourself do not feel you are providing the appropriate care for your horse, call your provincial animal help line or a veterinarian. See page 15 for animal help lines.
Rehabilitating a neglected horse is a very difficult and challenging process. You must have a clear understanding of the special needs of these animals and the time commitment required.
There are several factors you will need to consideration before opening your heart and your barn to a neglected horse: 1. Economic investment - including feedstuff, supplements, veterinarian care, farrier work, vaccinations, deworming and labor costs. The Alberta Horse Welfare Report (AFAC 2008) estimated that it costs $3,522 a year for general maintenance of a healthy horse. The expenses for a malnourished horse will exceed this base amount. If your farm is not set up to receive malnourished animals, capital investments will need to be made to modify your facility to provide the proper housing required for the neglected animal. 2. Time and labor investment - these animals need to be closely monitored as feed must be reintroduced properly to ensure no adverse reactions. They need to be fed small meals several times a day and their health must to be closely monitored, especially in the first few weeks. You need to provide extra care and attention through vaccination, deworming, health care, hoof care and grooming. Even though it may be your time, there still is a cost to your labor. Fulfilling these special needs make it almost impossible to balance this with a full time job. 3. Safety of you, your family and other animals. Given the unknown behavior problems of the neglected horse your safety and the horse’s interaction with other horses could be an issue. See Behaviour section. 4. Biosecurity - these animals are often at high risk for disease, they should be treated as such until their health status is cleared. See Biosecurity section.
Caregivers’ Commitment
The decision to take in a neglected horse for rehabilitation is not a decision that should be made lightly. The best of intentions can often go terribly wrong when well meaning people take on more then they can handle. It is often the case that the care and concern for animals will outweigh the actual knowledge of horse care and management required to successfully rehabilitate a horse. In the past few years, industry has seen several cases where malnourished horses have been seized from well-intentioned horse rescue farms due to unintentional neglect.
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You must consider what shape the animal is in before making the decision to rehabilitate: 1. Body Condition Score - a BCS of 1 or 2 is often a horse that was chronically starved and can be very challenging to rehabilitate. See section on BCS. 2. Nutrition requirements - refeeding a neglected or starved horse is a very difficult process, you will need to work with a veterinarian. See nutrition section. 3. Hoof health greatly influence the horse’s ability to recover. The horse may be in great pain. Any rehabilitation program, whether prompted by disease, injury or neglect, must incorporate a solid commitment to hoof care. See Hoof Care section. 4. Weather care - an animal that is in poor body condition will have difficulty getting through the winter. It will struggle to not only gain, but maintain its current weight. See winter care section. 5. As the caregiver, there will be times when you will have to make very difficult decisions. There will be cases where the horse will be unable to recover or their quality of life will be so adversely affected that euthanasia is the only option. At these times you have to be able step back and look at what is best for the animal, no matter how difficult the decision may be for you. For more information on rehabilitating neglected horses and establishing / operating a rescue facility see the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Equine Sanctuary and Rescue Facility Guideline. These guidelines expand on the information offered in this document as well as proper facility design construction and maintenance, suggestions for management and financial organization to ensure the successful operations of all types of sanctuary and rescue facilities. See the resources page of www.horsewelfare.ca for the guidelines. As you make the decision to accept the responsibility of rehabilitating a neglected horse, you have to be sure that you are not just willing, but also truly able to meet the commitment and all of the responsibilities that go with it. We all have the responsibility to assure that all horses receive humane care and treatment throughout their life.
Transport
When making the decision of whether or not to transport a neglected horse remember that each situation is unique. Will transport put further stress or injure the animal? It is recommended that a horse with a body condition score of 1 or less is not transported. Consult a veterinarian immediately or euthanize on farm. The Federal Health of Animals Regulations - Part XII states that “No person shall load, cause to be loaded, transport or continue to transport an animal that by reason of infirmity, illness, fatigue or any other cause cannot be transported without undue suffering during the expected journey.” Some provinces also have laws and regulations on the transport of farm animals.
The Codes of Practice
The Codes of Practice for the Care and Handling of Farm Animals are nationally developed guidelines for the care and handling of the different species of farm animals. They are intended to promote sound management and welfare practices through recommendations and requirements for housing, management, transportation, processing and other animal husbandry practices. The Codes represent a national understanding of animal care requirements and recommended best practices. As a caregiver, you should have a copy the Code. The document is available on line at www.horsewelfare.ca.
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Behavioral Risks
Caution needs to be taken with each individual animal as they are very unpredictable and can be dangerous. Not only do many neglected horses come without a health history, they also arrive at their new home without any behavioral background. The horse may have historic behavioral problems, or behavior issues associated with the starvation and neglect. Extra time and patience will be required with each of these animals as they recover from malnutrition and adjust to their new surroundings. There are a variety of circumstances that will lead to behavior problems in horses. They can include but are not limited to: • • • • abuse, poor training, lack of training, disposition or gender. aggressive both with their caregiver and with other horses. Extreme caution should be heeded when feeding the animals. As the social order of horses is built on herd instinct and social structure new arrivals should be introduced gradually and only when they are ready. There is a hierarchy that exists within each herd, that once established will normally remain stable. A horse in poor condition or health should not be introduced into the “herd” until it has regained a majority of it’s strength and health. It will not be able to fend off any aggressiveness by other animals and will not be able to access food if other herd mates choose not to let it. Just like all other herd animals, horses prefer to be and are more content when allowed to socialize with other animals. When selecting horses for cohabitation, gender, age, health and disposition should be considered. It is best to house horses similar in age, sex (mares and geldings are fine), size, condition and disposition. Careful observation and planning using these considerations will deter confrontational and aggressive behaviours between the horses and may prevent injury.
Each horse must be handled as an individual and extreme caution shown while getting to know the horse and their disposition. Only experienced horse handlers should work with these animals. Horses that have experienced starvation may become very aggressive at feeding time as they kick into survival mode. They can become
Bio-Security and Disease Risk
It is your responsibility as the owner or caregiver to ensure that proper bio-security protocols are practiced when bringing neglected horses onto your property. These animals are often at high risk for disease and should be treated as such until their health status is cleared. You should quarantine the newcomer and monitor the horse for signs of contagious respiratory diseases and fecal parasites before integrating the horse into your herd. The horse should be housed in an area that allows for complete isolation from all other animals on the farm. Your veterinarian should examine the horse within 24 hours of arrival and health should be continually monitored with any signs of disease (ie. coughing, sneezing, high fevers, runny nose, etc) noted and reported to your veterinarian. If animals are expressing any of these signs high bio-security procedures should be put in place. This includes: • all boots and clothing worn around the sick horse must not be worn around or in the area of other horses, • no feeders, buckets, haynets, tack or other barn equipment shared among horses, • bedding and waste material should be kept separate along with their feedstuff, • visitors should be kept away from the animal, • pets must be kept away from the immediate vicinity of the quarantined animal.
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Body Condition Scoring Horses
The first step in rehabilitating an underweight or starved horse is to estimate the body condition using a Body Condition Scoring (BCS) System (Henneke et al. 1983). The BCS program for horse utilizes a 9 point scoring system that allows caregivers to monitor the condition of their horses and adjust nutritional requirements as needed. It scores the deposition of fat in the areas of the loin, ribs, tailhead, withers, neck and shoulders. An emaciated horse (BCS 1 or 2) is often a horse that was chronically starved and can be very challenging to rehabilitate.
BCS 1
WHOLE BODY • Poor condition • Extremely emaciated • No fat tissue felt NECK • Bone structure visible WITHERS • Bone structure easily visible LOIN • Spinous processes project prominently TAIL HEAD
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RIBS • Project prominently SHOULDER • Bone structure easily noticeable
Tail head, pin and hook bones project prominently
BCS 2
WHOLE BODY • Very thin • Emaciated NECK • Bones faintly discernible WITHERS • Bone structure faintly noticeable LOIN • Spinous processes prominent • Slight fat covering over base of spinous processes • Transverse processes of lumbar vertebrae feel rounded TAIL HEAD • Prominent RIBS • Prominent SHOULDER • Faintly discernible
BCS 3
WHOLE BODY • Thin NECK • Accentuated WITHERS • Accentuated LOIN • Fat build-up halfway on spinous processes, but easily discernible • Can’t feel transverse processes TAIL HEAD • Prominent but individual vertebrae can’t be visually identified • Hook bones rounded, but easily discernible
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RIBS • Slight fat cover • Individual ribs discernible SHOULDER • Accentuated
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Pin bones not distinguishable
Rehabilitating Neglected Horses
BCS 4
WHOLE BODY • Moderately thin NECK • Not obviously thin WITHERS • Not obviously thin LOIN • Negative crease along back TAIL HEAD • Prominence depends on conformation • Fat palpable • Hook bones not discernible RIBS • Faint outline discernible SHOULDER • Not obviously thin
BCS 5
WHOLE BODY • Moderate condition NECK • Blends smoothly into body WITHERS • Rounded over spinous processes LOIN • Back is level TAIL HEAD • Fat around tail head beginning to feel spongy RIBS • Individual ribs can be felt, but not visually distinguished SHOULDER • Blends smoothly into body
BCS 6
WHOLE BODY • Moderately fleshy NECK • Fat beginning to be deposited WITHERS • Fat beginning to be deposited LOIN • May have slight positive crease down back TAIL HEAD • Fat around tail head feels soft RIBS • Fat over ribs feels spongy SHOULDER • Fat beginning to be deposited • Point-of-shoulder not discernible
BCS 7
WHOLE BODY • Fleshy NECK • Fat deposited along neck WITHERS • Fat deposited along withers LOIN • May have positive crease down back, behind shoulder TAIL HEAD • Fat around tail head is soft RIBS • Individual ribs can be felt • Noticeable fat filling between ribs SHOULDER • Fat deposited behind shoulder
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BCS 8
WHOLE BODY • Fat • Fat deposited along inner buttocks NECK • Noticeable thickening of neck WITHERS • Area along withers filled with fat LOIN • Positive crease down back TAIL HEAD • Tail head fat very soft RIBS • Difficult to feel individual ribs SHOULDER • Area behind shoulder filled in, flush with body
BCS 9 - Not necessarily a desirable state of health
WHOLE BODY • Extremely fat • Fat along inner buttocks may rub together • Flank filled in flush NECK • Bulging fat WITHERS • Bulging fat LOIN • Obvious positive crease down back TAIL HEAD • Building fat around tail head RIBS • Patchy fat appearing over ribs SHOULDER • Bulging fat
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Nutritional Requirements
The majority of equine neglect cases are due to the lack of provision of proper nutrition leading to starvation. Underweight, malnourished horses often are a result of either the lack of necessary feed or an imbalance of nutrients within their diet. Older horses and horses with health issues are more likely to fall victim to nutritional neglect due to their caregivers lack of understanding of specific nutritional management requirements and practices. increase the alfalfa hay mix to 1.75 – 2.0 lbs (0.80 - 0.91 kg) at the same intervals. For days 6 – 10 you can increase the alfalfa hay mix to 5 lbs (2.68 kg) 3 times a day, every 8 hours. After 10 days to 2 weeks, a horse can be fed hay in increasing amounts to reach a level of free choice hay. See table below. Once the horse returns to a near normal body weight (approximately 6 months), grain can be introduced into their diet. Horses are usually fed 1.5 - 3% of their body weight per day to maintain their body condition. For an average 1,000 lbs horse (450 kg), they would consume 15 to 30 lbs (6.8 - 13.6 kg) of dry feed, such as hay, a day. Grain can be added, but it should not exceed 1% of the total dry feed, especially if the feed is high in starch. Vitamins, minerals and proteins should also be part of their diet. They are often supplemented as part of the grain ration. For maintenance purposes a horse should be provided with 8% crude protein, 0.24% calcium and 0.17% phosphorous as part of their diet. Horses should also have access to a free choice salt block or trace-mineralized block. Water needs to be available to the horse at all times. Horses should have free access to a fresh water source at all times. The water should be clean and free of contaminants and heated in winter climates to prevent it from freezing and the horse from colicing. An average horse will require up to 25 gallons (95 L) of water a day depending on weather, level of activity, production (ie. lactating mare) and size.
Chronically Starved Horses
When a horse is not fed an adequate diet, the horse begins to turn to itself for it’s nutritional requirements – this is known as the starvation process. The horse will begin by burning any fat or carbohydrates that are stored in their body and use them for energy for metabolism. Once this source is exhausted, they will begin to breakdown the protein within the body. Since protein is stored differently than fat and carbohydrates, the body will begin to source the protein from muscle, vital tissues such as the heart and even gastrointestinal tissues. An emaciated horse (BCS 1 or 2) is often a horse that was chronically starved and can be very challenging to rehabilitate. Refeeding a horse can be a very difficult process. If feed is too abruptly reintroduced to a starved horse, the horse can die. The best approach is to begin with initial frequent small amounts of high-quality alfalfa hay mix*. Approximately 1.0 - 1.25 lbs (0.45 - 0.57 kg) of alfalfa hay mix fed 6 times a day at 4 hour intervals for the first 3 days. For day 4 and 5,
Refeeding Recommendations for the Starved Horse**
Day 1-3 4-5 6 - 10 Number of Meals / Day 6 (every 4 hours) 6 (every 4 hours) 3 (every 8 hours) Feed (lbs) / Meal 1.0 - 1.25 lbs (0.45 - 0.57 kg) alfalfa hay mix 1.75 - 2.0 lbs (0.80 - 0.91 kg) Increase to 5 lbs (2.68 kg) Percent DE/Day 50 75 100
* Based on a starved horse with a projected normal weight of 1,000 lbs (450 kg). Daily digestible energy (DE) requirement per horse can be calculated using the formula: DE of alfalfa hay is 2.28 Mcal/kg. Thus, the DE requirement for the horse is 15 Mcal DE/day, which can be provided with 14.5 lb (6.6 kg) of good-quality alfalfa hay mix. Withan et al., 1998 - Equine Sanctuary & Rescue Facility Guidelines, Center for Equine Health, University of California, Davis Aug 2009
* Consult your veterinarian about analyzing feed for nutrition value and supplement requirements.
Mcal DE/day = 1.4 + 0.03 Body Weight (kg)
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Hoof Care Requirements
Any rehabilitation program, whether prompted by disease, injury or neglect, must incorporate a solid commitment to hoof care. In some cases, rehabilitation will necessitate special considerations such as therapeutic application of shoes. In others, it may only require careful attention to trimming and maintaining a healthy bare foot. Your farrier may request a set of x-rays in order to assess internal damage and develop a plan for angles and trims. It’s important that your farrier and veterinarian communicate, especially if there is lameness resulting from improper, or nonexistent, hoof care. Most horses needing a rehab program didn’t arrive in that situation overnight, and there are no quick fixes for their recovery. Instead, it’s a matter of establishing a long-term program and sticking to it. The hoof capsule does not heal so much as it regenerates. With good nutritional support and veterinary attention, the horse can grow a new, healthy hoof in less than a year’s time.
Finding a Farrier
Hoof rehab requires that you work with a professional farrier who understands anatomy, biomechanics, gaits, and overall hoof care, including the application of specialty shoes when necessary. Likewise, such care requires professionalism and a knowledge of how to work and coordinate with other equine professionals, including veterinarians and nutritionists. While there are many ways of finding a farrier to tend to the needs of your horse, finding someone capable of providing the level of care necessary for rehab should be a careful decision. Ideally, you want a farrier who takes advantage of continuing education, works to stay current, and voluntarily participates in farrier certification programs. A listing of Canadian farriers and their specialties can be found at www.farriers.com/canada.htm.
Rehabbing the Hoof
Routine hoof care is established on a rotational schedule, with regular farrier care varying from four to eight weeks. For a horse in rehab, however, scheduling is often more situational and variable according to the horse’s needs. Horses suffering from injury or disease-related issues may require special appliances that need to be adjusted or changed on short schedules. Those suffering from neglect may need to be shortcycled to recover the hoof capsule’s position under the boney column of the limb. Start your horse’s hoof care with a farrier visit shortly after the horse has arrived and settled in. Choose a farrier who specializes in rehabilitating hooves as these can be challenging cases. It’s important that the horse has enough strength to stand for the farrier work, so your farrier may advise waiting until the horse gains weight before beginning the program.
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Health Management Requirements
Many neglected horses arrive at their new home with little or no vaccination and deworming history. It is a pretty good guess though if the horse has not been receiving proper nutrition and general care, it will not have been vaccinated or dewormed on a normal schedule either. It is very important that you work with a veterinarian to establish a deworming and vaccination plan based on the assumption that no care has been given in the past. When your veterinarian determines that the horse is of sufficient weight and body condition to handle deworming, you should administer a larvicidal treatment that will control all stages of small strongyles, including the important early-third stage (EL3), along with large strongyles, pinworms and roundworms. Small strongyles are considered the number one internal parasite problem in horses today, primarily due to their overall prevalence and their ability to burrow and encyst into the lining of the large intestines for up to three years. Tapeworm is becoming part of many deworming programs especially in specific regions like the lower mainland of British Columbia. Horses should also be dewormed against bots in the fall. Heavy infections with bots will rob any horse of valuable nutrients, and can possibly lead to perforation of the stomach. About 4 weeks after the larvicidal treatment, follow up with a dose of ivermectin or moxidectin. Just like vaccinations, deworming programs will be specific to the region in which the horse resides. After this initial deworming, your veterinarian can help develop a strategic program that treats the horse based on fecal egg counts and exposure risks. By targeting the right horse at the right time with the right dewormer, you’ll maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your deworming program as well as the health of your horse. These are very generalized recommendations as different age groups are affected by different parasites and the yearly cycle of the parasite will also influence your deworming schedule. It has been shown that deworming programs are most effective in the early spring and summer to keep pasture contamination to a minimum, as well as this is the time that the encysted small strongyles make their appearance. Depending on your location and specific situation, deworming in the winter may not be an effective practice unless the horse arrived at your place infested. For these reasons, it is very important that you work closely with your veterinarian.
Vaccinations
Your geography, endemic diseases in your area and the horse’s intended purpose will largely determine the vaccines that a veterinarian recommends administering. There are several common vaccines for Canadian horses, though some may be specific only to certain regions. An example of this is rabies, which is not a major issue in Alberta, but horses in Ontario are vaccinated for it routinely. The more common vaccines include Tetanus, Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis, Western Equine Encephalomyelitis, West Nile Virus, Rabies, Strangles, Influenza, Rhinopneumonitis and Potomac Horse Fever. Your veterinarian will want to schedule the vaccines far enough apart as to not overwhelm the horse’s system, especially since the horse may be malnourished or carrying heavy parasite burden. Be prepared for your horse to need primary doses of the vaccines, which is two doses spread several weeks apart in most cases. It is also vital that your veterinarian be made aware of any health records you may have for the horse or the complete lack of vaccination history.
Deworming
Many neglected horses have never seen a tube of dewormer their entire lives. Deworming can make an immediate and noticeable difference in the horse’s energy levels, weight gain and outward appearance. What appears to be a hay belly could actually be an unhealthy parasite burden.
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The Challenge of Winter Care
Canada can experience very harsh winter conditions. It is not unusual for temperatures to dip down to -40° C or colder. On the prairies the wind can make the environmental conditions even more uncompromising. A healthy, well conditioned horse will expend extra energy in order to maintain their body temperature and stay warm. This energy is stored in body fat which the horse must stockpile before the cold weather hits. Ideally, a horse with a body condition score of 7 will fare very well in winter weather with proper feed management. A long hair coat is the horse’s other defense against the cold temperatures. Horses with proper nutrition and health will grow and maintain a good hair coat in the winter months. A horse with a good, dry winter hair coat can actually remain quite comfortable in temperatures as low as -40°. An animal that is in poor body condition will have difficulty staying warm in winter. It will struggle to not only gain, but maintain its current weight. All the energy being consumed will be immediately burned in an attempt to maintain its body heat. The limited amount of fat their body may be storing will also be expended on maintaining their body temperature. Poor conditioned animals will have poor hair coats as they are not be able to grow an adequate coat to protect themselves against the winter elements. These factors make rehabilitating a poor body condition horse very challenging. The horse must be provided extra protection in the form of an insulated winter blanket and shelter from the cold to ensure their comfort and the excessive expenditure of energy for body temperature regulation Facilities must be appropriate to the climatic conditions of your region. Ideally, the poor condition horse will be housed out of the elements in an insulated barn with adequate ventilation to minimize temperature variance. At a minimum healthy animals should be provided a good wind break. A three sided enclosed shelter is a common housing option for Canadian horses. The shelters normally face the south or southeast to protect the animal from the north and western winds. Proper nutrition must be provided also. A healthy horse will require it’s energy needs to increase by approximately .7% per degree of temperature below -8° C. A horse in poor body condition will require even higher amounts. For cold weather feeding it is best to increase the roughage in their diet as the fermentation produces a greater amount of heat during digestion. Warm water is also a must for these animals. Horse will shy away from water that is too cold and snow is not an acceptable source of water during the winter. Ideally water should be warmed to 7° - 18° C. (Ohio State University)
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Euthanasia
Unfortunately, there will be cases where the rehabilitation of the horse will be impossible or the quality of life that the animal will experience will be diminished. In these cases, euthanasia will be the most humane option for the animal. Factors influencing the decision to euthanize include: • • • • constant pain and discomfort limited chance for recovery financial cost of recovery and/or long term care adverse effect on other horses on the premises
Gun Shot
The preferred firearm for humanely shooting a horse from close range is a shotgun. A 410 gauge with ball or slug cartridge is ideal, however a larger gauge may be used. At close range, any weight of shot is acceptable. The barrel of the firearm should be 3 to 5 centimeters (1-2 inches) from the head if using a shotgun. If using a high powered rifle (e.g. .308, .223) the distance may be increased and still be effective. The use of a pistol, by law enforcement officers or those properly licensed to do so, may be satisfactory, however permanent complete brain dysfunction may not be accomplished with light pistols (e.g. police .38). If a light pistol, .22 caliber rimfire rifle or a penetrating captive bolt is used to render the animal unconscious, the animal’s death must be assured by a second means such as exsanguination (bleeding out). If using a high powered rifle or pistol, the projectile may pass through the horse’s head. Thus the direction of shooting must be considered. Sporadic reflex muscle spasms may follow regardless of the loss of consciousness - this is a normal part of the death process and may last from a few seconds, up to a few minutes.
This is often a difficult decision to make, but the welfare of the animal must take precedence at all times. Consult your veterinarian to assist you in making an informed and responsible decision.
Euthanasia Options
Euthanasia is the humane termination of the life of an animal. It must be performed by trained individuals using acceptable industry practices.
Acceptable Industry Practices
For a horse to receive a humane death it must be rendered immediately insensible (unconscious) and go on to die without regaining consciousness. Therefore most recommended methods of euthanasia involve agents that affect the brain very rapidly. Acceptable: i. Lethal injection of barbiturate Veterinarians ONLY ii. Gunshot iii. Penetrating Captive Bolt
Point of Entry
The point of entry is not between the eyes. The site for entry of the projectile is slightly above (approx. 2 cm) the intersection of the two diagonal lines each running from the inside corner of the eye to the base of the opposite ear.
Shooting is a humane method of killing provided that the shot penetrates the brain and does significant damage. Knowledge of the anatomy is essential. Shooting a horse should only be done by persons well versed in handling firearms and licensed to use firearms and only in jurisdictions that allow for firearm use.
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Position of handler for an animal in the prone position.
Position of handler for an animal in the lying down position.
This shot is ONLY to be made with a shotgun using a slug. The point of entry is on the side of the head, not the frontal part.
In the Trailer
If a horse becomes non-ambulatory during transit, it is unacceptable to remove the animal from the trailer. If the animal must be euthanized, it is to be done inside the trailer, unless human safety is at risk.
Position of handler for an animal standing.
Confirmation of Death
Death should be verified by: • • • • • Absence of rhythmic breathing Cessation of Heartbeat Absence of Pulse Lack of Corneal Reflex (blinking response) To check a Corneal Reflex touch the cornea (surface of the eye). There should be no response if the animal is dead.
CAUTION: Following shooting, a horse often makes a forward movement (leaps into the air).
Verification of the process of death should occur at 30 seconds and death must be confirmed at 5 minutes.
Farm Animal Care in Canada
Neglecting a horse is against the law in Canada and is punishable under the federal Health of Animals Act and under provincial Animal Protection Acts. If you see or are aware of any animal that is being abused or neglected it is your responsibility to immediately report the neglect to authorities or to your provincial farm animal help ALERT line. Call your local SPCA office or provincial farm animal care group: • • • Alberta Farm Animal Care Livestock Care ALERT Line 800-506-2273 BC Farm Animal Care Council 604-287-3276 Farm Animal Council Saskatchewan Farm Stress Line & Livestock Care Service 800-667-4442 Manitoba Farm Animal Council Animal Care Line 204-945-8000 Ontario Farm Animal Council Farm Animal Helpline 519-837-1326
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Rehabilitate (rē’hə-bĭl’ĭ-tāt’): To restore to good health or useful life, as through therapy and education.
Caregiver’s guide to rehabilitating neglected horses
The Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada
HWAC’s is an alliance of provincial equine organizations, farm animal care groups and industry partners whose purpose is the dissemination of correct information related to the Canadian horse industry. The alliance was formed in 2008 as a response to concerns related to humane care and handling of horses. HWAC’s statement of purpose is promoting the humane handling of horses throughout all of their life stages. Focus areas are: 4 Education: horse owners and the public 4 Liaison: with governments, other agencies 4 Equine health and welfare 4 Monitor: the Canadian horse industry to ensure its future is protected Since it was formed, HWAC has been actively working with government and equine industries across North America. For more information on HWAC and horse welfare across Canada visit www.horsewelfare.ca. Email [email protected] to offer suggestions on improving the welfare of horses and ultimately the preservation of our horse industry.
February 2010
Support and funding for this project provided through the Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC) Association by the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA).
The Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada gratefully acknowledges the many individuals and organizations who contributed their valuable time, views and expertise to the development of this guide. The development of this guide was made possible only through teamwork and cooperation at the national level. Special thanks to Bill desBarres (AFAC, HWAC and Alberta Equestrian Federation), Dr. Terry Whiting (Manitoba Agriculture and Food, Veterinary Services), Dr. Carolyn Stull (Equine Sanctuary and Rescue Facility Guidelines, UC Davis Veterinary Medicine), Dr. Darrell Dalton (Alberta Veterinary Medical Association), the American Horse Council (Rehabilitating the Neglected Horse: a Caregivers Guide), Dr. Byrnne Rothwall and Mae Smith (Saskatchewan Horse Federation). Content Development: J Woods Livestock Services Graphics & Layout: M Shatosky, Declercq Designs
www.horsewelfare.ca
Rehabilitating Neglected Horses 2 Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada
Contents
The Neglected Horse Transport Caregivers’ Commitment The Codes of Practice 4 4 5 5 6 6 10 10 11 12 12 12 13 14 14 14 14 14 15 15 15 11 11 7
Behavioral Risks
Bio-Security and Disease Risk Nutritional Requirements Hoof Care Requirements Finding a Farrier Rehabbing the Hoof Vaccinations Deworming
Body Condition Scoring Horses Chronically Starved Horses
Health Management Requirements
The Challenge of Winter Care Euthanasia Euthanasia Options Gun Shot
Acceptable Industry Practices Point of Entry
In the Trailer
Farm Animal Care in Canada
Confirmation of Death
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The Neglected Horse
This guide is intended to address basic care for rehabilitating a neglected horse. This must be a team approach. Enlisting the expertise of your veterinarian, a nutritionist and your farrier is a must for the successful rehabilitation of the horse. Care of all our animals is a moral and legal responsibility. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, there are horses that are not properly cared for. The owner may not be providing proper nutritional, health and hoof care needs resulting in poor body condition and deteriorating health. These circumstances can arise due to financial reasons, lack of knowledge, the emotional or mental health of the caregiver or just plain neglect. This is a animal welfare issue. Some of these animals may have been seized by authorities, others may have be taken to an auction or dropped off at rescue facilities. With timely and proper intervention, these horses can be rehabilitated to a healthy, functional state. Rehabilitating a neglected horse is a very difficult and challenging process. It can only be undertaken by someone who has a clear understanding of the special needs of these animals and the time commitment required. If at anytime you see a horse that is not being properly cared for or, you yourself do not feel you are providing the appropriate care for your horse, call your provincial animal help line or a veterinarian. See page 15 for animal help lines.
Rehabilitating a neglected horse is a very difficult and challenging process. You must have a clear understanding of the special needs of these animals and the time commitment required.
There are several factors you will need to consideration before opening your heart and your barn to a neglected horse: 1. Economic investment - including feedstuff, supplements, veterinarian care, farrier work, vaccinations, deworming and labor costs. The Alberta Horse Welfare Report (AFAC 2008) estimated that it costs $3,522 a year for general maintenance of a healthy horse. The expenses for a malnourished horse will exceed this base amount. If your farm is not set up to receive malnourished animals, capital investments will need to be made to modify your facility to provide the proper housing required for the neglected animal. 2. Time and labor investment - these animals need to be closely monitored as feed must be reintroduced properly to ensure no adverse reactions. They need to be fed small meals several times a day and their health must to be closely monitored, especially in the first few weeks. You need to provide extra care and attention through vaccination, deworming, health care, hoof care and grooming. Even though it may be your time, there still is a cost to your labor. Fulfilling these special needs make it almost impossible to balance this with a full time job. 3. Safety of you, your family and other animals. Given the unknown behavior problems of the neglected horse your safety and the horse’s interaction with other horses could be an issue. See Behaviour section. 4. Biosecurity - these animals are often at high risk for disease, they should be treated as such until their health status is cleared. See Biosecurity section.
Caregivers’ Commitment
The decision to take in a neglected horse for rehabilitation is not a decision that should be made lightly. The best of intentions can often go terribly wrong when well meaning people take on more then they can handle. It is often the case that the care and concern for animals will outweigh the actual knowledge of horse care and management required to successfully rehabilitate a horse. In the past few years, industry has seen several cases where malnourished horses have been seized from well-intentioned horse rescue farms due to unintentional neglect.
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You must consider what shape the animal is in before making the decision to rehabilitate: 1. Body Condition Score - a BCS of 1 or 2 is often a horse that was chronically starved and can be very challenging to rehabilitate. See section on BCS. 2. Nutrition requirements - refeeding a neglected or starved horse is a very difficult process, you will need to work with a veterinarian. See nutrition section. 3. Hoof health greatly influence the horse’s ability to recover. The horse may be in great pain. Any rehabilitation program, whether prompted by disease, injury or neglect, must incorporate a solid commitment to hoof care. See Hoof Care section. 4. Weather care - an animal that is in poor body condition will have difficulty getting through the winter. It will struggle to not only gain, but maintain its current weight. See winter care section. 5. As the caregiver, there will be times when you will have to make very difficult decisions. There will be cases where the horse will be unable to recover or their quality of life will be so adversely affected that euthanasia is the only option. At these times you have to be able step back and look at what is best for the animal, no matter how difficult the decision may be for you. For more information on rehabilitating neglected horses and establishing / operating a rescue facility see the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Equine Sanctuary and Rescue Facility Guideline. These guidelines expand on the information offered in this document as well as proper facility design construction and maintenance, suggestions for management and financial organization to ensure the successful operations of all types of sanctuary and rescue facilities. See the resources page of www.horsewelfare.ca for the guidelines. As you make the decision to accept the responsibility of rehabilitating a neglected horse, you have to be sure that you are not just willing, but also truly able to meet the commitment and all of the responsibilities that go with it. We all have the responsibility to assure that all horses receive humane care and treatment throughout their life.
Transport
When making the decision of whether or not to transport a neglected horse remember that each situation is unique. Will transport put further stress or injure the animal? It is recommended that a horse with a body condition score of 1 or less is not transported. Consult a veterinarian immediately or euthanize on farm. The Federal Health of Animals Regulations - Part XII states that “No person shall load, cause to be loaded, transport or continue to transport an animal that by reason of infirmity, illness, fatigue or any other cause cannot be transported without undue suffering during the expected journey.” Some provinces also have laws and regulations on the transport of farm animals.
The Codes of Practice
The Codes of Practice for the Care and Handling of Farm Animals are nationally developed guidelines for the care and handling of the different species of farm animals. They are intended to promote sound management and welfare practices through recommendations and requirements for housing, management, transportation, processing and other animal husbandry practices. The Codes represent a national understanding of animal care requirements and recommended best practices. As a caregiver, you should have a copy the Code. The document is available on line at www.horsewelfare.ca.
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Behavioral Risks
Caution needs to be taken with each individual animal as they are very unpredictable and can be dangerous. Not only do many neglected horses come without a health history, they also arrive at their new home without any behavioral background. The horse may have historic behavioral problems, or behavior issues associated with the starvation and neglect. Extra time and patience will be required with each of these animals as they recover from malnutrition and adjust to their new surroundings. There are a variety of circumstances that will lead to behavior problems in horses. They can include but are not limited to: • • • • abuse, poor training, lack of training, disposition or gender. aggressive both with their caregiver and with other horses. Extreme caution should be heeded when feeding the animals. As the social order of horses is built on herd instinct and social structure new arrivals should be introduced gradually and only when they are ready. There is a hierarchy that exists within each herd, that once established will normally remain stable. A horse in poor condition or health should not be introduced into the “herd” until it has regained a majority of it’s strength and health. It will not be able to fend off any aggressiveness by other animals and will not be able to access food if other herd mates choose not to let it. Just like all other herd animals, horses prefer to be and are more content when allowed to socialize with other animals. When selecting horses for cohabitation, gender, age, health and disposition should be considered. It is best to house horses similar in age, sex (mares and geldings are fine), size, condition and disposition. Careful observation and planning using these considerations will deter confrontational and aggressive behaviours between the horses and may prevent injury.
Each horse must be handled as an individual and extreme caution shown while getting to know the horse and their disposition. Only experienced horse handlers should work with these animals. Horses that have experienced starvation may become very aggressive at feeding time as they kick into survival mode. They can become
Bio-Security and Disease Risk
It is your responsibility as the owner or caregiver to ensure that proper bio-security protocols are practiced when bringing neglected horses onto your property. These animals are often at high risk for disease and should be treated as such until their health status is cleared. You should quarantine the newcomer and monitor the horse for signs of contagious respiratory diseases and fecal parasites before integrating the horse into your herd. The horse should be housed in an area that allows for complete isolation from all other animals on the farm. Your veterinarian should examine the horse within 24 hours of arrival and health should be continually monitored with any signs of disease (ie. coughing, sneezing, high fevers, runny nose, etc) noted and reported to your veterinarian. If animals are expressing any of these signs high bio-security procedures should be put in place. This includes: • all boots and clothing worn around the sick horse must not be worn around or in the area of other horses, • no feeders, buckets, haynets, tack or other barn equipment shared among horses, • bedding and waste material should be kept separate along with their feedstuff, • visitors should be kept away from the animal, • pets must be kept away from the immediate vicinity of the quarantined animal.
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Body Condition Scoring Horses
The first step in rehabilitating an underweight or starved horse is to estimate the body condition using a Body Condition Scoring (BCS) System (Henneke et al. 1983). The BCS program for horse utilizes a 9 point scoring system that allows caregivers to monitor the condition of their horses and adjust nutritional requirements as needed. It scores the deposition of fat in the areas of the loin, ribs, tailhead, withers, neck and shoulders. An emaciated horse (BCS 1 or 2) is often a horse that was chronically starved and can be very challenging to rehabilitate.
BCS 1
WHOLE BODY • Poor condition • Extremely emaciated • No fat tissue felt NECK • Bone structure visible WITHERS • Bone structure easily visible LOIN • Spinous processes project prominently TAIL HEAD
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RIBS • Project prominently SHOULDER • Bone structure easily noticeable
Tail head, pin and hook bones project prominently
BCS 2
WHOLE BODY • Very thin • Emaciated NECK • Bones faintly discernible WITHERS • Bone structure faintly noticeable LOIN • Spinous processes prominent • Slight fat covering over base of spinous processes • Transverse processes of lumbar vertebrae feel rounded TAIL HEAD • Prominent RIBS • Prominent SHOULDER • Faintly discernible
BCS 3
WHOLE BODY • Thin NECK • Accentuated WITHERS • Accentuated LOIN • Fat build-up halfway on spinous processes, but easily discernible • Can’t feel transverse processes TAIL HEAD • Prominent but individual vertebrae can’t be visually identified • Hook bones rounded, but easily discernible
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RIBS • Slight fat cover • Individual ribs discernible SHOULDER • Accentuated
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Pin bones not distinguishable
Rehabilitating Neglected Horses
BCS 4
WHOLE BODY • Moderately thin NECK • Not obviously thin WITHERS • Not obviously thin LOIN • Negative crease along back TAIL HEAD • Prominence depends on conformation • Fat palpable • Hook bones not discernible RIBS • Faint outline discernible SHOULDER • Not obviously thin
BCS 5
WHOLE BODY • Moderate condition NECK • Blends smoothly into body WITHERS • Rounded over spinous processes LOIN • Back is level TAIL HEAD • Fat around tail head beginning to feel spongy RIBS • Individual ribs can be felt, but not visually distinguished SHOULDER • Blends smoothly into body
BCS 6
WHOLE BODY • Moderately fleshy NECK • Fat beginning to be deposited WITHERS • Fat beginning to be deposited LOIN • May have slight positive crease down back TAIL HEAD • Fat around tail head feels soft RIBS • Fat over ribs feels spongy SHOULDER • Fat beginning to be deposited • Point-of-shoulder not discernible
BCS 7
WHOLE BODY • Fleshy NECK • Fat deposited along neck WITHERS • Fat deposited along withers LOIN • May have positive crease down back, behind shoulder TAIL HEAD • Fat around tail head is soft RIBS • Individual ribs can be felt • Noticeable fat filling between ribs SHOULDER • Fat deposited behind shoulder
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BCS 8
WHOLE BODY • Fat • Fat deposited along inner buttocks NECK • Noticeable thickening of neck WITHERS • Area along withers filled with fat LOIN • Positive crease down back TAIL HEAD • Tail head fat very soft RIBS • Difficult to feel individual ribs SHOULDER • Area behind shoulder filled in, flush with body
BCS 9 - Not necessarily a desirable state of health
WHOLE BODY • Extremely fat • Fat along inner buttocks may rub together • Flank filled in flush NECK • Bulging fat WITHERS • Bulging fat LOIN • Obvious positive crease down back TAIL HEAD • Building fat around tail head RIBS • Patchy fat appearing over ribs SHOULDER • Bulging fat
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Nutritional Requirements
The majority of equine neglect cases are due to the lack of provision of proper nutrition leading to starvation. Underweight, malnourished horses often are a result of either the lack of necessary feed or an imbalance of nutrients within their diet. Older horses and horses with health issues are more likely to fall victim to nutritional neglect due to their caregivers lack of understanding of specific nutritional management requirements and practices. increase the alfalfa hay mix to 1.75 – 2.0 lbs (0.80 - 0.91 kg) at the same intervals. For days 6 – 10 you can increase the alfalfa hay mix to 5 lbs (2.68 kg) 3 times a day, every 8 hours. After 10 days to 2 weeks, a horse can be fed hay in increasing amounts to reach a level of free choice hay. See table below. Once the horse returns to a near normal body weight (approximately 6 months), grain can be introduced into their diet. Horses are usually fed 1.5 - 3% of their body weight per day to maintain their body condition. For an average 1,000 lbs horse (450 kg), they would consume 15 to 30 lbs (6.8 - 13.6 kg) of dry feed, such as hay, a day. Grain can be added, but it should not exceed 1% of the total dry feed, especially if the feed is high in starch. Vitamins, minerals and proteins should also be part of their diet. They are often supplemented as part of the grain ration. For maintenance purposes a horse should be provided with 8% crude protein, 0.24% calcium and 0.17% phosphorous as part of their diet. Horses should also have access to a free choice salt block or trace-mineralized block. Water needs to be available to the horse at all times. Horses should have free access to a fresh water source at all times. The water should be clean and free of contaminants and heated in winter climates to prevent it from freezing and the horse from colicing. An average horse will require up to 25 gallons (95 L) of water a day depending on weather, level of activity, production (ie. lactating mare) and size.
Chronically Starved Horses
When a horse is not fed an adequate diet, the horse begins to turn to itself for it’s nutritional requirements – this is known as the starvation process. The horse will begin by burning any fat or carbohydrates that are stored in their body and use them for energy for metabolism. Once this source is exhausted, they will begin to breakdown the protein within the body. Since protein is stored differently than fat and carbohydrates, the body will begin to source the protein from muscle, vital tissues such as the heart and even gastrointestinal tissues. An emaciated horse (BCS 1 or 2) is often a horse that was chronically starved and can be very challenging to rehabilitate. Refeeding a horse can be a very difficult process. If feed is too abruptly reintroduced to a starved horse, the horse can die. The best approach is to begin with initial frequent small amounts of high-quality alfalfa hay mix*. Approximately 1.0 - 1.25 lbs (0.45 - 0.57 kg) of alfalfa hay mix fed 6 times a day at 4 hour intervals for the first 3 days. For day 4 and 5,
Refeeding Recommendations for the Starved Horse**
Day 1-3 4-5 6 - 10 Number of Meals / Day 6 (every 4 hours) 6 (every 4 hours) 3 (every 8 hours) Feed (lbs) / Meal 1.0 - 1.25 lbs (0.45 - 0.57 kg) alfalfa hay mix 1.75 - 2.0 lbs (0.80 - 0.91 kg) Increase to 5 lbs (2.68 kg) Percent DE/Day 50 75 100
* Based on a starved horse with a projected normal weight of 1,000 lbs (450 kg). Daily digestible energy (DE) requirement per horse can be calculated using the formula: DE of alfalfa hay is 2.28 Mcal/kg. Thus, the DE requirement for the horse is 15 Mcal DE/day, which can be provided with 14.5 lb (6.6 kg) of good-quality alfalfa hay mix. Withan et al., 1998 - Equine Sanctuary & Rescue Facility Guidelines, Center for Equine Health, University of California, Davis Aug 2009
* Consult your veterinarian about analyzing feed for nutrition value and supplement requirements.
Mcal DE/day = 1.4 + 0.03 Body Weight (kg)
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Hoof Care Requirements
Any rehabilitation program, whether prompted by disease, injury or neglect, must incorporate a solid commitment to hoof care. In some cases, rehabilitation will necessitate special considerations such as therapeutic application of shoes. In others, it may only require careful attention to trimming and maintaining a healthy bare foot. Your farrier may request a set of x-rays in order to assess internal damage and develop a plan for angles and trims. It’s important that your farrier and veterinarian communicate, especially if there is lameness resulting from improper, or nonexistent, hoof care. Most horses needing a rehab program didn’t arrive in that situation overnight, and there are no quick fixes for their recovery. Instead, it’s a matter of establishing a long-term program and sticking to it. The hoof capsule does not heal so much as it regenerates. With good nutritional support and veterinary attention, the horse can grow a new, healthy hoof in less than a year’s time.
Finding a Farrier
Hoof rehab requires that you work with a professional farrier who understands anatomy, biomechanics, gaits, and overall hoof care, including the application of specialty shoes when necessary. Likewise, such care requires professionalism and a knowledge of how to work and coordinate with other equine professionals, including veterinarians and nutritionists. While there are many ways of finding a farrier to tend to the needs of your horse, finding someone capable of providing the level of care necessary for rehab should be a careful decision. Ideally, you want a farrier who takes advantage of continuing education, works to stay current, and voluntarily participates in farrier certification programs. A listing of Canadian farriers and their specialties can be found at www.farriers.com/canada.htm.
Rehabbing the Hoof
Routine hoof care is established on a rotational schedule, with regular farrier care varying from four to eight weeks. For a horse in rehab, however, scheduling is often more situational and variable according to the horse’s needs. Horses suffering from injury or disease-related issues may require special appliances that need to be adjusted or changed on short schedules. Those suffering from neglect may need to be shortcycled to recover the hoof capsule’s position under the boney column of the limb. Start your horse’s hoof care with a farrier visit shortly after the horse has arrived and settled in. Choose a farrier who specializes in rehabilitating hooves as these can be challenging cases. It’s important that the horse has enough strength to stand for the farrier work, so your farrier may advise waiting until the horse gains weight before beginning the program.
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Health Management Requirements
Many neglected horses arrive at their new home with little or no vaccination and deworming history. It is a pretty good guess though if the horse has not been receiving proper nutrition and general care, it will not have been vaccinated or dewormed on a normal schedule either. It is very important that you work with a veterinarian to establish a deworming and vaccination plan based on the assumption that no care has been given in the past. When your veterinarian determines that the horse is of sufficient weight and body condition to handle deworming, you should administer a larvicidal treatment that will control all stages of small strongyles, including the important early-third stage (EL3), along with large strongyles, pinworms and roundworms. Small strongyles are considered the number one internal parasite problem in horses today, primarily due to their overall prevalence and their ability to burrow and encyst into the lining of the large intestines for up to three years. Tapeworm is becoming part of many deworming programs especially in specific regions like the lower mainland of British Columbia. Horses should also be dewormed against bots in the fall. Heavy infections with bots will rob any horse of valuable nutrients, and can possibly lead to perforation of the stomach. About 4 weeks after the larvicidal treatment, follow up with a dose of ivermectin or moxidectin. Just like vaccinations, deworming programs will be specific to the region in which the horse resides. After this initial deworming, your veterinarian can help develop a strategic program that treats the horse based on fecal egg counts and exposure risks. By targeting the right horse at the right time with the right dewormer, you’ll maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your deworming program as well as the health of your horse. These are very generalized recommendations as different age groups are affected by different parasites and the yearly cycle of the parasite will also influence your deworming schedule. It has been shown that deworming programs are most effective in the early spring and summer to keep pasture contamination to a minimum, as well as this is the time that the encysted small strongyles make their appearance. Depending on your location and specific situation, deworming in the winter may not be an effective practice unless the horse arrived at your place infested. For these reasons, it is very important that you work closely with your veterinarian.
Vaccinations
Your geography, endemic diseases in your area and the horse’s intended purpose will largely determine the vaccines that a veterinarian recommends administering. There are several common vaccines for Canadian horses, though some may be specific only to certain regions. An example of this is rabies, which is not a major issue in Alberta, but horses in Ontario are vaccinated for it routinely. The more common vaccines include Tetanus, Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis, Western Equine Encephalomyelitis, West Nile Virus, Rabies, Strangles, Influenza, Rhinopneumonitis and Potomac Horse Fever. Your veterinarian will want to schedule the vaccines far enough apart as to not overwhelm the horse’s system, especially since the horse may be malnourished or carrying heavy parasite burden. Be prepared for your horse to need primary doses of the vaccines, which is two doses spread several weeks apart in most cases. It is also vital that your veterinarian be made aware of any health records you may have for the horse or the complete lack of vaccination history.
Deworming
Many neglected horses have never seen a tube of dewormer their entire lives. Deworming can make an immediate and noticeable difference in the horse’s energy levels, weight gain and outward appearance. What appears to be a hay belly could actually be an unhealthy parasite burden.
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The Challenge of Winter Care
Canada can experience very harsh winter conditions. It is not unusual for temperatures to dip down to -40° C or colder. On the prairies the wind can make the environmental conditions even more uncompromising. A healthy, well conditioned horse will expend extra energy in order to maintain their body temperature and stay warm. This energy is stored in body fat which the horse must stockpile before the cold weather hits. Ideally, a horse with a body condition score of 7 will fare very well in winter weather with proper feed management. A long hair coat is the horse’s other defense against the cold temperatures. Horses with proper nutrition and health will grow and maintain a good hair coat in the winter months. A horse with a good, dry winter hair coat can actually remain quite comfortable in temperatures as low as -40°. An animal that is in poor body condition will have difficulty staying warm in winter. It will struggle to not only gain, but maintain its current weight. All the energy being consumed will be immediately burned in an attempt to maintain its body heat. The limited amount of fat their body may be storing will also be expended on maintaining their body temperature. Poor conditioned animals will have poor hair coats as they are not be able to grow an adequate coat to protect themselves against the winter elements. These factors make rehabilitating a poor body condition horse very challenging. The horse must be provided extra protection in the form of an insulated winter blanket and shelter from the cold to ensure their comfort and the excessive expenditure of energy for body temperature regulation Facilities must be appropriate to the climatic conditions of your region. Ideally, the poor condition horse will be housed out of the elements in an insulated barn with adequate ventilation to minimize temperature variance. At a minimum healthy animals should be provided a good wind break. A three sided enclosed shelter is a common housing option for Canadian horses. The shelters normally face the south or southeast to protect the animal from the north and western winds. Proper nutrition must be provided also. A healthy horse will require it’s energy needs to increase by approximately .7% per degree of temperature below -8° C. A horse in poor body condition will require even higher amounts. For cold weather feeding it is best to increase the roughage in their diet as the fermentation produces a greater amount of heat during digestion. Warm water is also a must for these animals. Horse will shy away from water that is too cold and snow is not an acceptable source of water during the winter. Ideally water should be warmed to 7° - 18° C. (Ohio State University)
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Euthanasia
Unfortunately, there will be cases where the rehabilitation of the horse will be impossible or the quality of life that the animal will experience will be diminished. In these cases, euthanasia will be the most humane option for the animal. Factors influencing the decision to euthanize include: • • • • constant pain and discomfort limited chance for recovery financial cost of recovery and/or long term care adverse effect on other horses on the premises
Gun Shot
The preferred firearm for humanely shooting a horse from close range is a shotgun. A 410 gauge with ball or slug cartridge is ideal, however a larger gauge may be used. At close range, any weight of shot is acceptable. The barrel of the firearm should be 3 to 5 centimeters (1-2 inches) from the head if using a shotgun. If using a high powered rifle (e.g. .308, .223) the distance may be increased and still be effective. The use of a pistol, by law enforcement officers or those properly licensed to do so, may be satisfactory, however permanent complete brain dysfunction may not be accomplished with light pistols (e.g. police .38). If a light pistol, .22 caliber rimfire rifle or a penetrating captive bolt is used to render the animal unconscious, the animal’s death must be assured by a second means such as exsanguination (bleeding out). If using a high powered rifle or pistol, the projectile may pass through the horse’s head. Thus the direction of shooting must be considered. Sporadic reflex muscle spasms may follow regardless of the loss of consciousness - this is a normal part of the death process and may last from a few seconds, up to a few minutes.
This is often a difficult decision to make, but the welfare of the animal must take precedence at all times. Consult your veterinarian to assist you in making an informed and responsible decision.
Euthanasia Options
Euthanasia is the humane termination of the life of an animal. It must be performed by trained individuals using acceptable industry practices.
Acceptable Industry Practices
For a horse to receive a humane death it must be rendered immediately insensible (unconscious) and go on to die without regaining consciousness. Therefore most recommended methods of euthanasia involve agents that affect the brain very rapidly. Acceptable: i. Lethal injection of barbiturate Veterinarians ONLY ii. Gunshot iii. Penetrating Captive Bolt
Point of Entry
The point of entry is not between the eyes. The site for entry of the projectile is slightly above (approx. 2 cm) the intersection of the two diagonal lines each running from the inside corner of the eye to the base of the opposite ear.
Shooting is a humane method of killing provided that the shot penetrates the brain and does significant damage. Knowledge of the anatomy is essential. Shooting a horse should only be done by persons well versed in handling firearms and licensed to use firearms and only in jurisdictions that allow for firearm use.
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Position of handler for an animal in the prone position.
Position of handler for an animal in the lying down position.
This shot is ONLY to be made with a shotgun using a slug. The point of entry is on the side of the head, not the frontal part.
In the Trailer
If a horse becomes non-ambulatory during transit, it is unacceptable to remove the animal from the trailer. If the animal must be euthanized, it is to be done inside the trailer, unless human safety is at risk.
Position of handler for an animal standing.
Confirmation of Death
Death should be verified by: • • • • • Absence of rhythmic breathing Cessation of Heartbeat Absence of Pulse Lack of Corneal Reflex (blinking response) To check a Corneal Reflex touch the cornea (surface of the eye). There should be no response if the animal is dead.
CAUTION: Following shooting, a horse often makes a forward movement (leaps into the air).
Verification of the process of death should occur at 30 seconds and death must be confirmed at 5 minutes.
Farm Animal Care in Canada
Neglecting a horse is against the law in Canada and is punishable under the federal Health of Animals Act and under provincial Animal Protection Acts. If you see or are aware of any animal that is being abused or neglected it is your responsibility to immediately report the neglect to authorities or to your provincial farm animal help ALERT line. Call your local SPCA office or provincial farm animal care group: • • • Alberta Farm Animal Care Livestock Care ALERT Line 800-506-2273 BC Farm Animal Care Council 604-287-3276 Farm Animal Council Saskatchewan Farm Stress Line & Livestock Care Service 800-667-4442 Manitoba Farm Animal Council Animal Care Line 204-945-8000 Ontario Farm Animal Council Farm Animal Helpline 519-837-1326
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