Equine Interaction
History of the Horse
Horses belong to a family of animals called Equidae and we often refer to animals in this family as equines. Other animals in this family include donkeys and zebras.
Horses were domesticated in Eurasia several thousand years ago and have had many different jobs including being utilized as transportation and livestock. Today in North America, horses are generally kept as pets or performance animals.
Equine Terms
Mare - an adult female horse
Stallion - an adult, uncastrated male horse
Gelding - an adult, castrated or “gelded” male horse (Note: Horses are usually considered adults after they turn 4 years old )
Foal – a horse under 1 year old
Filly – a female horse under 4 years old
Colt – a male horse under 4 years old
Hand – the main unit of measurement for a horse’s height in North America. A hand is equivalent to 4 inches. In some places, centimeters are used instead of hands.
Pony – a domestic horse 14.2 hands high or less
Equine Handling and Restraint
Equine Handling
Haltering, unhaltering, and leading horses are very critical skills. When working with horses, it is important to be very confident and sure of what you are doing. Although horses are usually very comfortable working with people, they are large prey animals that can be easily spooked or frightened if handled incorrectly. Learn how to safely handle a horse in the video below!
Equine Grooming
The Quick Release Knot
The quick release knot is a widely used knot in veterinary medicine because is it is a secure knot that can be easily released with one pull of a string in case of an emergency. Knowing how to tie this knot and release it correctly is very important, and thus could potentially save an animal from injury. Learn how to tie the quick release knot in the video below!
TIE YOUR OWN KNOTS
To practice your quick release knots you will need to use some of the rope found in your swag bag! The rope we suggest using for this activity is the thicker red rope. Look at the image the right for reference.
To practice this knot you can practice tying your rope around chair/table legs or fence posts.
Enjoy practicing your quick release knot!
Box Stalls
Watch the video below to meet our teaching horse Flash and learn how to safely put a horse in a box stall and stalks. Box stalls and stalks are common areas that a veterinarian will use to evaluate and treat a horse, so understanding how to safely use them is a really important skill. You will also learn how to brush a horse in this video.
Equine Stocks Handling
Equine Physical Exam
Equine Physical Exam
Physical exams are one of the most important skills in veterinary medicine. It is important to understand how to complete a physical exam on a horse. An equine physical exam differs from a small animal physical exam because there are many species differences that must be considered, such as the presence of a very large cecum. Learn some of the critical skills needed to complete a physical exam on a horse in the video below.
Equine Vitals
Just like when doing physical exams on dogs and cats, we are collecting information that we can compare to reference ranges to determine if those values or normal or abnormal.
Hoof Care, Testing & Lameness
Horses are high performance animals that are used for riding, competitions, work and many other activities. Therefore, the legs and hooves of a horse are very important. If they are not cared for, horses won’t be able to perform all of their important jobs! Even if your horse is just for riding, it is critical to provide them with hoof care to keep them happy and pain free. Lameness is an abnormal gait or stance; limping would be an example of this! Learn how to pick up a horse hoof, clean it and even complete a lameness exam in the video below!
Equine Injections and Radiographs
Injections and Radiographs
One of the main goals of veterinary medicine is to diagnose and treat an animal. One of the main diagnostic tools that are used is the radiograph or X-ray. Knowing how and where to give an injection is a valuable skill in equine medicine. Learn how to give an injection on a horse and how to take a radiograph on the distal limb of a horse in the video below! It is important to note that no radiographs were taken during this video. If they were, additional precautions and equipment would be needed to protect the handler and anyone in the background.
Horse Gaits
A gait is a way of moving and there are 4 standard gaits for horses: walk, trot, canter, and gallop. Gaits are defined by beats which are essentially the number of sounds you would hear when a horse’s feet hit the ground. So if two hooves hit the ground at the same time that counts as one beat!
Walk
The walk is the slowest gait and it has four beats. It is considered a symmetrical gait because the legs on both sides are doing the same thing. If a horse were to take the first step of a walk with their right hind leg, the pattern would be: right hind leg -> right front leg -> left hind leg -> left front leg.
Trot
This is the second slowest gait and it is also symmetrical. The trot has two beats. While trotting, horses move their legs in diagonal pairs. So, in this case the pattern would be: Left front leg and right hind leg -> Right front leg and left hind leg
Canter
This is the second fastest gait and it is asymmetrical. Because the gait is asymmetrical, the legs on either side of the horse are not moving in the same pattern. The canter is a three-beat gait. The pattern for a canter starting on the right hind leg would be: right hind leg -> right front leg and left hind leg -> left front leg. The front leg that hits the ground last is called the leading leg. So, in this case the horse would be on the left lead.
Gallop
This is the fastest gait and it is also asymmetrical. The gallop is very similar to the canter but it is four beats instead of three. Starting with the right hind leg, the pattern in the gallop would be: right hind leg –> left hind leg -> right front leg -> left front leg. Like in the canter, the gallop has a leading leg. This would also be considered the left lead.
Horse Gaits
Watch this video to see different horse gaits in action.
While there are many different horse colours, you can learn about most of them here!
All horses have one of three base colours. And on top of these base colours, we can have different modifications that change the body, mane, and tail colour!
Base Colours
Chestnut
Brown, usually red or orange tinged, with no black.
Bay
Brown with a black mane, tail, and points (meaning lower legs, tips of ears, and nose).
Black
All black with no brown.
Cream Dilution
When horses have a cream dilution, it causes their base colour to be lighter.
Palomino
Cream + Chestnut = Golden body with a cream coloured mane and tail.
Buckskin
Cream + Bay = Golden body with black points, mane, and tail.
Smokey Black
Cream + Black = Very dark brown.
Double Cream
Horses can have a double dose of the cream dilution! Since these horses are so light in colour, it can be hard to tell these colours apart!
Cremello
Double Cream + Chestnut = very pale cream colour with pink skin and blue eyes.
Perlino
Double Cream + Bay = pale cream colour - little bit darker than cremello - with pink skin and blue eyes.
Smokey Cream
Double Cream + Black = pale cream colour with pink skin and blue eyes.
Like cream, dun also lightens the base colour!
To tell them apart from cream horses, dun horses have a dorsal stripe down their back! They will also sometimes have stripes on their legs, called zebra stripes, and down their shoulder, called a shoulder stripe”
Dun Dilution
Bay Dun
Dun + Bay = Golden colour with black points, mane, tail and dorsal stripe.
Grullo
Dun + Black = Grey-tan colour with black points, mane, tail and dorsal stripe. Sometimes also called Grulla.
Red Dun
Dun + Chestnut = Light red-brown with a dorsal stripe.
Champagne Dilution
Another type of colouring that causes the horse to be lighter. We can tell them apart from cream horses because they usually have pink speckled skin and golden coloured eyes. This is quite rare!
Gold Champagne
Champagne + Chestnut = Golden colour with a white mane and tail and pink speckled skin
Amber Champagne
Champagne + Bay = Golden colour with dark brown points, mane, and tail and pink speckled skin.
Classic Champagne
Champagne + Black = Dark colour body with dark brown points, mane, and tail and pink speckled skin.
Roan
Roan causes horses to have little white hairs mixed into the normal base coloured hairs across their bodies.
Strawberry Roan
Roan + Chestnut. Sometimes called Red Roan.
Bay Roan
Roan + Bay
Blue Roan
Roan + Black
Do White Horses Exist?
When you see a "white horse" standing outside in a pasture, did you know that the horse is actually considered to be a grey horse! Grey horses are often born a different colour (like black for example) and as they grow up they “grey out”. Many grey horses will continue to get lighter as they age, until they look almost pure white!
Horse Markings
There are a number of different white markings that a horse can have. The most common ones are restricted to the face or the lower legs but there are also white patterns that cover the body! If a horse has a lot of white on their face and lower legs, we may say that the horse has “chrome”.
Facial Markings
Star
Snip
Stripe
Blaze
Interrupted Stripe
Bald Face
Distal Leg Markings
The term distal leg means the lower leg. Distal leg markings are differentiated based on how far they go up the leg.
Coronet
Just around the hoof.
Pastern
Below the fetlock.
Fetlock
About the level of the fetlock.
Sock
Extends up the cannon bone but below the knee/hock.
Stocking
To the level of the knee/hock or higher.
Ermine Spots
These are dark spots that appear on white markings. They can also happen on facial markings!
Appaloosa
There are a few different kinds of Appaloosa patterns but these are generally what we think of when we think of spotted horses!
Blanket Appaloosa
Patch of white across their rump with round, base coloured spots within the patch.
Snowflake Appaloosa
Patch of white across their rump with small white dots that extend from the edges of the patch.
Leopard Appaloosa
Body is almost completely white with round spots of the base colour showing through, just like a Dalmatian!
Pinto
Pinto is a general term we use for horses with white patches on their body! The term pinto can include patterns like Tobiano, Overo, and Splash. The term Paint can also be used instead of Pinto but it tends to be breed specific.
Tobiano
White patches that cross over the back. The head of a tobiano horse is often the base colour (although they may have small white markings on their face, like a star or stripe).
Overo
White patches that do not cross over the back. We sometimes call these horses frame overos because the white patches along the sides are “framed” by the dark colour along the back of the horse. Overo horses often have a bald face. If you breed two Overo horses together, there is a 25% chance that the foal will have a birth defect that will cause them to pass away shortly after birth. We call this Lethal White Overo Syndrome and because of this, Overo horses should never be bred together!
Splash
These horses look like their bottom halves have been dipped in paint! Sometimes the white only extends up their legs. Some horses get “dipped” a little more, and the white comes up onto the lower part of their bodies! Bald faces are common in Splash horses.
DOMINANT WHITE
While most horses that appear white are grey, there is such a thing as a true white horse! We call this dominant white. Sometimes dominant white horses just have white patches and aren’t completely white. But when they are, we can tell them apart from grey horses because they are born white and have pink skin.
Horse Breeds
While horse breeds don’t have as much physical variation as dog breeds, there are still lots of breeds that have been developed for specific purposes. Here you can learn about some popular breeds that you may meet in real life!
Arabian
The origin story of the Arabian is not fully known, but they are often considered to be one of the oldest horse breeds. They were originally used as a desert war horse and can be found in Ancient Egyptian art from over 3000 years ago. These horses have been used to develop many different breeds and are the most popular horse for long-distance endurance races. Arabians are most easily recognized because of their “dished” face shape.
Thoroughbred
Originating in England from 3 foundation stallions, this is the breed that most people think of when they picture a racehorse. They are best known for their speed and performance in intermediate distance racing. These horses are amazing athletes that are used in a number of other sports like polo and both English and Western disciplines.
American Quarter Horse
American Quarter Horses originated in the United States and are named for the short quarter-mile races they have excelled in. Today, they are known for their versatility and hardiness. They are the most popular breed used in Western disciplines such as barrel racing, reining, and cutting. Sometimes you will see Quarter Horses called “AQHAs” and this refers to their breed registry, the American Quarter Horse Association.
Draft Breeds
Large, heavy horses that are usually labelled as “cold-blooded” because of their calm and quiet personalities. These breeds were originally developed for pulling heavy loads or for carrying knights with heavy armour.
Clydesdale
The Clydesdale was originally developed in Scotland. They are known for the extravagant hair or “feathering” on their lower legs. While they are best known for being bay with a blaze and socks or stockings, they can also come in other colours!
Percheron
Originating in France, the Percheron was originally developed to pull large coaches or to be a war horse.
Belgian
This breed, as the name suggests, originated in Belgium. They are descended from war horses used by medieval knights. Most Belgians in North America are chestnut in colour with a flaxen (cream coloured) mane and tail.
Warmbloods
Upper level English disciplines, like show jumping, Dressage, and eventing (which are all Olympic sports!) are dominated by warmbloods. Warmblood breeds were originally developed by crossing “cold-blooded” draft breeds with “hot-blooded” breeds like Thoroughbreds and Arabians. Warmblood breeds were bred to be strong, good tempered, and athletic. Since their development, they have been used primarily as sport or carriage horses.
Warmbloods are different from other breeds because many warmblood breeds do not require horses to have two purebred parents to be considered part of the breed. Instead, other breeds (usually other warmbloods, Thoroughbreds, or Arabians) can be crossed in. As a result, warmblood breeds can sometimes be hard to visually distinguish from each other.
Holsteiner
One of the many German Warmblood breeds. As a result, these breeds are usually named for the specific region they come from. The Holsteiner originated in the Schelswig-Holstein region.
Selle Francais
Originating in France, this breed is sometimes known instead as the French Warmblood.
Dutch Warmblood
This warmblood breed originated in the Netherlands. There have been many famous Dutch Warmbloods in recent years, including the Canadian Show Jumping Stallion, Hickstead, and the world record-breaking Dressage gelding, Valegro. The horse in this image is a gelding named Dionysus owned by a UCVM student. He competes in show jumping and he is a very good boy!
Gaited Breeds
There are some breeds that can move in gaits other than the standard walk, trot, canter, and gallop! Some horses of these breeds show a preference for either their special gaits or the standard gaits and don’t perform all of them.
Standardbred
Originating in the United States with strong Thoroughbred influence, these horses are most well known today for their use in harness racing. They have a special gait called a pace which is similar to trotting. But unlike trotting, the legs move in lateral pairs – meaning the legs on the same side of the horse move together.
Icelandic Horse
These horses originated in Iceland when Vikings brought these horses to the country. Icelandic horses are known for a gait called the tölt. This is a four-beat gait, like the walk, but is very fast and smooth to ride. Since Iceland is an island, the horses living there have not been exposed to many infectious diseases we find in horses elsewhere. And because of that, they have no immunity to these diseases and are very vulnerable to them. In order to protect the horses living in Iceland, horses cannot be imported into the country, and any Icelandic horse that leaves is not allowed to return.
American Saddlebred
Saddlebreds originated in the United States and have two unique gaits. One is called the rack and it is a fast, four-beat gait like the tölt. The other is called the slow gait and it is also four-beated but intended to be slow and elegant.
Pony breeds
While some breeds, like Arabians and Icelandic horses, have individuals who fall above and below the height cut off for ponies, other breeds were made specifically to be extra small! The benefit of ponies over horses is that they require less feed and can survive in harsh environments.
Shetland Pony
Originating in the Shetland Islands of Scotland, these little ponies are known for being very hardy and were originally used as a pack or draft animal. Today, they are an extremely popular mount for young children and Shetland pony races for kids have become popular events!
Welsh Pony
These ponies originated in Wales and are known for being intelligent and hardy. There are four different varieties or sections of Welsh Pony. These sections are named A through D and are based on size, with A being the smallest and D being much heavier and capable of carrying adults.
Connemara Pony
The Connemara originated in Ireland and are known for being agile, athletic, and versatile. They were originally used as an all-purpose farm horse for families that could only afford to keep a single pony. They are now popular for children or driving (meaning pulling a cart).