Introduction to Equine Science
Ms. Norris
Highland High School
Animal Science
• Get Ready!! There is
lots of memorization!
• Paper and Presentation
• Quizzes
• Art project
Put your thinkin’ caps on!
Pre-test
Horses Through Time
Horses Today
Review Taxonomy (Nomenclature)
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Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Introduction
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Kingdom: Anamalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Perissodactyla
Family: Equidae
Species: Equus caballus
The Equidae family consists of horses, donkeys
and zebras and there are 9 species within this
genus and the domestic horse or pony is
"Equus caballus".
Components of the Equidae family
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Mane
40-42 teeth
long nasal bones
herd animals
fast runners preferring to flee from danger
herbivores
Age Classification:
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Foal = one year old or younger
Filly = female foal
Colt = male foal
Weanling = foal no longer suckling from mother
Yearling = after one year old
Dam = mother
Mare = female over the age of three (breeding age)
Gelding = castrated male
Stallion = male over the age of three (breeding age)
Weight and Height Characteristics
• Pony :
▫ 14.2 hands or smaller
▫ Up to 840lbs
• Horse:
▫ 14.2 hands or larger
▫ Approx 840-1,300lbs
• Draft:
▫ 17 hands to 19 hands
▫ Approx 1,500-2,200lbs
How do you measure a horse?
Top of withers
Bottom of hoof wall
• All equines measured
in hands.
• One hand is equal
to 4 inches.
This pony measures 18.5
inches tall. How many
hands is this pony?
This draft horse measures
22 ½ hands tall. How
many inches tall is this
horse?
Equine Anatomy
Equine Anatomy
Fill in
your horse
Skeletal System
• How does our skeletal system work
• Create list with form and function on board.
What is the function of bone?
• Bone helps with:
▫ Movement
▫ Support
▫ Protection
What is bone made of?
• Bone is comprised of:
▫ 26% minerals (mostly calcium phosphate and calcium
carbonate)
▫ 50% is water
▫ 4% is fat
▫ 20% is protein
Skeletal Terminology
Skeletons divided into two
sections:
a.
a.
b.
b.
b.
Axial Skeleton—
On or close to the midline
axis of the body
Include the skull, vertebrae
and ribs.
Appendicular skeleton—
front and hind limbs
Skeletal Terminology
c. Joints—points where two or
more bones meet.
d. Ligament—Tough band of
connective tissue connecting
one bone to another.
Terminology.
e. Tendon—Thick band of connective tissue that
attaches muscle to bone.
f.
Compact Bone—layer of protective hard bone
tissue surrounding every bone
g. Spongy Bone—soft bone filled with many holes
and spaces surrounded by hard bone.
Types of bones
• Long Bones—
▫ They serve as support
columns.
▫ They assist the animal in
locomotion.
▫ Example: Femur
• Short Bones—
• Located in complex joints,
such as the knee and hock.
• They diffuse concussion and
diminish friction. Example:
Hock
Types of Bone
• Flat Bones—
▫ They protect vital organs
such as the brain, the heart,
and the lungs.
▫ They are longer and wider
than they are thick.
▫ Example: Scapula
Types of Bones
• Irregular Bones—
▫ Important to the
protection and support of
the central nervous
system.
▫ Points of some muscle
attachment. Example:
Vertebrae
Equine Anatomy II
Spinal Column
Scapula
Humerus
Radius
Cannon Bone
Splint Bones
Equine Anatomy III
Pelvis – Ilium,
Ischium, pubis
Skull consists of
34 bones
Femur
Hock Joint
Comprised of 7
Tarsus
Cannon Bone
Tibia/Fibula
Hoof next page
Equine
Hoof
Anatomy
Breeds
Light Horse Breeds
Quarter Horse
 Known for athleticism and cow sense
 Named for the “Quarter Mile Race”
Morgan
 Smaller in height (14 - 15 hands)
 Breed was founded by a single stallion (Justin
Morgan)
Paint
 Stock type horse
 Color patterns are called Tobiano and Overo
 Differs from a Pinto (Pinto Association is a color registry)
Thoroughbred
 Breed bred for racing
 Average height is 16 hands
Appaloosa
 Unique color pattern of spots (predominantly
over the hip)
 Breed Association was formed in 1938
Arabian
 Head has a characteristically dished profile
 Stands between 14.2 and 15.2 hands
Mustang
 Mustang means wild or stray
 Protected by the government
 Adopt a horse program
Breeds of Light
Horses Quiz
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Breeds of Light Horses Quiz
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Paper and Presentation
• Rubric
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Chose your breed today
Verify with me (ticket out the door)
2 pages
Include bibliography/references
Citations
History, color patterns, breeding, use
 Each topic should be one paragraph of your paper
▫ Poster
• Due Date??
Colors
• Appaloosa: color
pattern with small
spots over the hips
or the entire body.
may be either white
spots on a dark
body, dark spots on
a white body, or a
mixture of both.
• Bay: a red, brown,
or yellowish horse
with black mane and
tail, and usually
black limbs.
• Red roan: red
with a mixture
of white hairs
Colors
• blue roan: black
or black-brown
with a mixture of
white hairs.
• Chestnut:
varying shades of
a yellowish tan
color.
• Brown: mixture
of black and
brown in the coat,
limbs, mane and
tail.
• Buckskin: light
tan or brown
color.
Colors
• Black: black color
throughout the coat,
limbs, mane and tail.
no pattern present
other than white
markings.
• Dun: sandy yellow,
redish, or brown
usually with darker
legs and often a dark
• Grey: black and white
stripe down the back
hairs with black skin. coat
(dorsal stripe), dark
grows lighter with age.
mane and tail.
• White: white hair
with a pink skin.
Colors
• Palomino: gold-yellow
or dark cream color with
light colored mane and
tail
• Pinto: large patches of
black, brown, chestnut,
or any other color, and
white.
Colors Graphic Organizer
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Need 13 tabs
Cut and paste pictures
Option to print pictures
40 points
Markings
• Student will be able to discuss the purpose of leg
and facial markings
• Student will be able to identify and describe four
horse facial markings.
• Students will be able to identify and describe six
horse leg markings.
Face Markings
• Top Row: Left to Right
* Blaze, Stripe, *Stripe (or thin blaze) and snip, *Irregular Blaze, * Interrupted
Stripe, *Bald Face.
• Bottom Row: Left to Right
*Faint Star, *Star, *Star and Stripe, *Irregular Star, *Snip, *Lip Marking
Star
 White marking between the
eyes.
 Comes in many shapes.
Stripe
 Thin Line down the front of
the nose.
Snip
 Small white fleck between
nostrils
Blaze
 Thick white line down front of
nose.
Bald
• Very wide blaze that extends to and may cover the
eyes, nostrils, and upper lip.
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Horses with bald faces often have white that
extends to the lower lip as well.
Face Markings
• Top Row: Left to Right
* Blaze, Stripe, *Stripe (or thin blaze) and snip, *Irregular Blaze, * Interrupted
Stripe, *Bald Face.
• Bottom Row: Left to Right
*Faint Star, *Star, *Star and Stripe, *Irregular Star, *Snip, *Lip Marking
Leg Markings
Coronet
• Small white ring around the coronet band,
above the hoof.
Usually no more than 1"
(2.5cm) above the hoof.
Pastern
• White marking that extends above the top
of the hoof but stops below the fetlock.
Ermine Mark:
Blemish or irregular
portion of a leg
marking
Sock
• White marking that extends higher than
the fetlock but not as high as the knee or
hock.
Stocking
• White marking that extends at least to the
bottom of the knee or hock, sometimes
higher.
Leg Markings
• Top Row: Left to Right
*Stocking, *Sock,
*Sock/Fetlock
• Bottom row: Left to Right
*Pastern, *Coronet, Partial
Pastern
Digestion and Nutrition (the basics)
1. Mouth
2. Pharynx
3. Esophagus
4. Diaphragm
5. Spleen
6. Stomach
7. Duodenum
8. Liver, upper extremity
9. Large colon
10. Cecum
11. Small intestine
12. Floating colon
13. Rectum
14. Anus
15. Left kidney and its ureter
16. Bladder
17. Urethra
Digestive Process Basics
• Mouth and Teeth: Breakdown of feed into smaller particles
to assist in further digestion.
• Salivary Glands: moisturizes and starts enzymatic
breakdown of food.
• Esophagus: moves food towards the stomach by contraction
and relaxation (peristalsis).
• Stomach: breakdown of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.
• Small intestine: Absorption of nutrients. Three sections.
 duodenum, jejunum and ileum
• Cecum: Fiber breakdown from forage. Typical site of colic.
• Colon: Re-absorption of water and waste excretion. Also a
site of Colic. VERY large, approx 45% of the horses intestinal
tract is Colon.
• Rectum and Anus
• cecum = green
• colon = orange
• small intestine =
yellow
• stomach = red
• rectum = blue
• anus = brown
Feedstuffs
• Broken down into two categories
▫ Roughages (Forages) = BULK
▫ Concentrates (Grains) = ENERGY
Exercise
Category
Average Heart
Rate
Description
1-3 hours/week
Light
80 beats/minute
40% walk, 50% trot, 10% canter
3-5 hours/week
Moderate
90 beats/minute
30% walk, 55% trot, 10% canter
5% gallop, jumping, other skill work
4-5 hours/week
Heavy
110 beats/minute
20% walk, 50% trot, 15% canter
15% gallop, jumping, other skill work
Very Heavy
110-150 beats/minute
Varies; ranges from 1 hour/week speed work to
6-12 hours/week slow work
Types of Events
Recreational Riding
Beginning of
Training Program
Show Horses
(occasional)
Recreational Riding
School Horses
Beginning of
training/breaking
Show Horses
(frequent)
Polo
Ranch Work
Ranch Work
Polo
Show Horses
(frequent, strenuous
events)
Low/medium level
eventing
Race Training
(middle stages)
Racing
Elite 3-day event