Minimum Standards for Water, Feed, Care and Shelter in Tennessee

PB 1741Extension

Fred Hopkins, Professor, Large Animal Clinical SciencesDoyle G. Meadows, Professor, Animal ScienceLarry Mitchell, Bradley County Extension Office

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Introduction InTennessee,horsesarecommonlyownedthroughoutthestate.Tennesseelawrequiresthatallanimalshavenecessarywater,feed, shelter and care. This publication defines what are considered theminimumrequirementsforhorsesintheseareas.Itisimportanttorememberthattheserepresentonlytheminimums,andhorseownersshouldstrivetoprovidecareabovetheselevels.

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Water Wateristhemostcriticalandessentialnutrientforhorses.Horsesmusthaveasourceofwatertomaintainnormalbodyfunctions.Theyneedwaterintakedailyaswaterislostinsweat,urineandfeces.Theamountofwaterahorsewilldrinkinadaydependsonbodyweight,stageofproduction(i.e.,growth,work,lactation), environmental effects and individual variations. Typically, most horses willdrink3-10gallonsofwaterperday.However,waterintakeduringlactationincreases50to70percent,whileworkinghorseswillrequireasubstantialincrease(20-300percent)intheirneedforwater.Horsesarebestgivenwaterfree-choice,thoughthismaynotbepossibleinallsituations. Horsesgiveninadequatewaterwillbecomedehydrated,andaremoresusceptibletoavarietyofhealthproblemssuchaslossofappetite,weightloss,colic,kidneydiseaseandskinproblems.Dehydrationcanbemeasuredbypullingtheskinawayfromthebodybelowthepointoftheshoulderandlettinggo.Innormalhorses,theskinwillregainitsnormalpositionwithintwoseconds.Theskinofdehydratedhorsesislesselasticandwillreturntonormalmoreslowly.Asimplebloodtestcalledpackedcellvolumeisusefulindeterminingdehydration.

Horse Care GuidelinesHorses should have access to clean, palatable, safe water and be able to drink their fill at least twice a day.

Feed Horsesshouldbefedaccordingtotheirnutritional needs. Horses’ nutritional requirements are basedonstageofproduction(growthandlactation)andactivity.Thecategoriesthatdeterminenutrientrequirementsaremaintenance,gestation,lactation,growthandwork.Thehorseisthenfedtomeetthosenutrientneeds.Maintenancerequirementsarethoserequirementsneededforahorsetosimplymaintainitspresentbodystatus,neithergainingnorlosingweight.Pregnantmaresduringlategestationrequireadditionalnutrientsabovemaintenancetosustainbodyweightandprovideforthegrowingfetus.Lactation,growthandworkmayrequireadditionalfeedfornutritionalneedsabovemaintenancerequirements. Dependingonstageofproduction,forages(hayorpasture),grains,vitaminsandmineralsmayneedtobesuppliedinthecorrectamounttomaintainthenutritionalwellbeingofthehorse.

Forage Sincethehorseisagrazinganimal,thebasisforallhorsedietsshouldbehayorpasture.Good-qualityforagealonecanmeetthemaintenancerequirementsformosthorses,particularlyifavitamin-mineralsupplementisprovidedfree-choice.Inmanycases,horseswillnotonlymaintainweight,butcanmakeslowbodyweightgainswhenfedanall-foragediet.Horsesshouldbefedfree-choicehayorpasture.However,iffree-choiceisnotpossible,theyshouldreceiveatleast1to1½percentoftheirbodyweightinforageeachday.Fora1,000-poundhorse,itwouldtake10to15poundsofhayorpastureperdaytomeettheforagerequirements.Hayshouldbepalatable,andstoredandusedsothatitdoesnotrotormold. Foragesforhorsesincludepasturesandhay.Pasturesandhaysaregenerallydividedintotwo

categories,legumesandgrasses.Examplesoflegumesarealfalfa,cloverandlespedeza.

Bermuda,timothy,orchard,fescueandbluegrassareexamplesofgrasses.Pasturesandhaycanbeeithergrassesor

legumes,orcombinationsofthetwo.ThemajorityofTennesseepasturesarefescueorfescue-and-clovermix.

GrainsGrainsareusedtosupply

energy.Themostcommongrainsusedtoformulate

horsefeedsareoats,cornandbarley.

Sometimes,young

growinghorses,lactating

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maresandhard-workinghorsescannotbemaintainedonaforagedietalone.Thegrainisusedtosupplementforagetoprovidetheenergyandothernutrientsneededforfasterweightgains,increasedmilkproductionandsuperiorperformances.Generally,thegrainsareblendedwithproteinsourcessuchassoybeanmeal,andadditionalvitaminsandmineralsaresuppliedtoproduceamixedfeed. Themixedgraindietsarereadilyavailablefromfeedandfarmsupplystoresandshouldbefedattherateof0to1.50poundsper100poundsofbodyweight.Ifthemixedgraindietsexceed5totalpoundsdaily,itisrecommendedthatthegrainmixturebedividedintotwofeedings,morningandnight.Grainshouldbestoredsothatitdoesnotmold,asmoldedfeedshouldnotbefedtohorses.Feederspaceshouldbeadequateforthenumberofhorses.Moreover,horsesshouldnotbefedonthegroundduetowaste,contaminationandincreasedpossibilityofcolicandparasiteanddiseasetransmission.Geriatrichorses(thosemorethan20yearsofage)mayrequireaspecialgrainmixtomaintaintheirbodycondition. Completehorsefeedshavebeensuccessfullyused to replace some or all of a horse’s pasture or hayneeds.Itisimportantthatthesefeedsbefedinadequateamountsasseveralfeedingsaday.

Body Condition Scoring BodyConditionScoring(BCS)isanobjectivewayofdeterminingtheamountofbodyfatahorsehas. Body fat is stored when the horse’s energy intake ismorethanitsimmediatedailyneeds.Bodyfatislostwhen the horse’s energy intake is less than immediate dailyneeds.Whilesomebodyfatisstoredinsidethebody,muchisstoredundertheskin.Theamountoffattherecanberelativelydeterminedbylookingand,more importantly, feeling those parts of the horse’s body.Bodyconditionscoresareausefulmeasureofthe adequacy of nutrition for that animal’s needs and alsoausefulmeasureofgeneralwellbeing.ThemostfrequentlyusedsystemofbodyconditionscoringwasdevelopedbyDr.DonHennekewhilehewasatTexasA&MUniversityintheearly1980s. Theidealbodyconditionscoreformosthorsesis5,buthighlyconditionedhorses,suchasthoseusedforcompetitiveendurancerides,willhavelittlebodyfat(similartoahumanmarathonrunner). Bodyconditionscoringisbestdonebylookingatandfeelingofbothsidesofthehorse.Severalspecific areas should be evaluated, including the neck,withers,shoulders,ribs,loinandtailhead.Ithasbeenrecommendedthatthesesixsitesbescoredonbothsidesandthentheresultsbedividedbysix.

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BCS 1

BCS

Anotherwaytomakeamoreaccuratebodyconditionscoreestimateistolookatandfeelthehorseandthendecideifthehorseisthin,fatorinbetween.Thinhorsesareinbodyconditionscore1,2,3or4.Fathorsesareinbodyconditionscoreof7,8or9.Horsesinbetweenarebodyconditionscoreof5or6.Severalsituationscanmakeaccuratebodycondition

Table 1.

Body Condition Scoring System for Horses

scoring more difficult, including horses with long haircoats,angularhorseswithhighwithers,horseswithhaybelliesandverypregnantmares.Changingbodyconditionscoresisagradualprocess,withonetothreemonthsbeingrequiredtochangeonebodyscoreunitinmosthorses.

Emaciated. All Bones Prominent,No Fat Found

1.Poor.Animalisextremelyemaciated.Spinousprocesses

(portionofthevertebraofthebackbonethatprojectsupward),ribs,tailheadandbonyprotrusionsofthepelvicgirdle(hooksandpins)areprominent.Bonestructureofthewithers,shouldersandneckareeasilynoticeable.Nofattytissuescanbefelt.

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Horse Care Guidelines Horses should be maintained in a body condition score of three or more in most cases.

However, horses gaining weight and being fed adequately, highly conditioned performance horses and horses with certain chronic health conditions may be in lower body condition

scores and still be acceptably nourished. Horses more than 20 years of age may not maintain their body condition well even with special feeds.

BCS 2Emaciated.

Little Body Fat, Bones Feel Slightly

Rounded

2.VeryThin. Animalisemaciated. Slightfatcoveringoverbase

ofthespinousprocesses. Transverseprocesses(portion

ofvertebraethatprojectsoutward)oflumbar(loinarea)vertebraefeelrounded.Spinousprocesses,ribs,shouldersandneckstructuresarefaintlydiscernible.

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BCS 3 3.Thin. Fatisbuiltupabouthalfwayonspinousprocesses.Transverseprocessescannotbefelt.Slightfatcoveroverribs.Spinousprocessesandribsareeasilydiscernible.Tailheadisprominent,butindividualvertebraecannotbevisually identified. Hook bones(protrusionofpelvisgirdleappearinginupper,forwardpartofthehip)appearrounded,butareeasilydiscernible.Pinbones(bonyprojectionsofpelvisgirdlelocatedtowardrear,mid-sectionofthehip)arenotdistinguishable.Withers,shouldersandneckareaccentuated.

Fat Halfway up Spinous Processes. All Ribs Can Be Seen

BCS 5

Back Is Level, Ribs Cannot Be Seen

5.Moderate. Backislevel.Ribs

cannotbevisuallydistinguished,butcanbeeasilyfelt.Fataroundtailheadbeginstofeelspongy.Withersappearroundedoverspinousprocesses.Shouldersandneckblendsmoothlyintobody.

BCS 4Backbone

Slightly above Back.

Faint Outline of Posterior Ribs

Seen.

4.ModeratelyThin.Negativecreasealongback(spinousprocessesofvertebraeprotrudeslightlyabovesurroundingtissue).Faintoutlineofribsisdiscernible.Fatcanbefeltaroundtailhead(prominencedependsonconformation).Hookbonesarenotdiscernible.Withers,shouldersandneckarenotobviouslythin.

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BCS 7

BCS 6

Slight Crease down Back. Soft Fat over Ribs and Tailhead.

6.ModeratetoFleshy.Mayhaveslightcreasedownback.Fatoverribsfeelsspongy.Fataroundtailheadfeelssoft.Fatbeginstobedepositedalongthesidesofthewithers,behindshouldersandalongneck.

Crease down Back. Ribs Can Be Felt with Pressure.

7.Fleshy. Mayhavecreasedownback.Individualribscanbefelt,butwithnoticeable filling of fat betweenribs.Fataroundtailheadissoft.Fatisdepositedalongwithers,behindshouldersandalongneck.

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Crease down Back. Crested Neck, Fat along Inner Buttocks

8.Fat. Creasedownback.Difficult to feel ribs. Fataroundtailheadisverysoft.Areaalongwithers is filled with fat. Areabehindshoulderisfilled in flush with rest ofthebody.Noticeablethickeningofneck.Fatisdepositedalonginnerbuttocks.

Deep Crease down Back. Bulding Fat over Tailhead. Flank Flush with Ribs

9.ExtremelyFat.Obviouscreasedownback.Patchyfatappearsoverribs.Bulgingfataroundtailhead,alongwithers,behindshouldersandalongneck.Fatalonginnerbuttocksmayrubtogether.Flankisfilled in flush with restofthebody.

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BCS 8

BCS 9

Shelter Horsescanadapttoawidevarietyofenvironmentalextremesiftheyareacclimatedandhaveadequatefeedandwater.Horseswithfreeaccesstoshelterwilloftenchoosenottouseitwhenitseemslogicaltheywoulddoso.Acceptablesheltermaybenatural,suchastrees,orconstructed,suchasbarns. In some circumstances, natural shelter offers advantagesoverconstructedshelter. Horses do benefit from shelter, particularly asitactsasasunshadeandwindscreen.Thesheltershouldbeofadequatesizeforthenumberofhorses using it to avoid fighting among the animals. Individualstallsshouldbebigenoughforthehorsetoturnaround.A12-footx12-footstallisadequate

forallbutthelargesthorse.Thesheltershouldbetallenoughsothehorse’s ears do nottouchtheceilingwiththehorsestandinginnormalposturewiththeheadheldhigherthanthe

withers.Thesheltershouldbeadequatelyventilatedtohelppreventrespiratoryinfectionandshouldbefreeofhazardsthatmightcauseinjury.Finally,itshouldhavegoodfootingandbewell-drained.

Horse Care Guidelines

Horses should have free access to natural or

constructed shelter that is well-ventilated with adequate

space and free of hazards. Stabled horses should be allowed exercise daily.

Horse Care GuidelinesHorses should be free of significant

health problems or should be receiving appropriate health care to prevent

unnecessary discomfort and promote prompt return to wellbeing. The horse

should receive adequate hoof care to allow the horse to stand in a normal posture

and move at all gaits without discomfort. Some health and hoof problems (such as heaves or founder) in horses, particularly those that are longstanding, may not be resolvable, but this should be determined

by veterinary exam.

Care Horses,likeallanimals,needregular,preventativehealthcareaswellasveterinarycareforproblemsastheyarise.Horsesshouldbeobservedforwellbeingatleastonceevery24hours. Vaccinesareoftenindicatedtopreventinfectiousdisease.Also,dewormingandvariousenvironmentalmanagementpracticesarenecessarytopreventhealthproblemsduetointernalparasites.TherecommendedbasicvaccinesforhorsesareEastern,WesternandWestNileVirusEncephalitisandTetanus.Othervaccinesmaybeusefulincertainsituations.Most horses will benefit from being dewormed two to fourtimesayear;younghorsesneedtobedewormedmoreoften.TennesseelawrequiresthathorseshaveanegativeCogginstest(forEquineInfectiousAnemia)nomorethansixmonthsbeforechangeofownershipandnomorethan12monthsbeforebeingtakentoacongregationpointsuchasshows,boardingstablesandtrailrides.Regularhoofcareisimportanttoahorse’s wellbeing to prevent hoof problems and to allownormalmovement.

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Summary Horsesareextremelyhardyandarestrongsurvivors.Typically,ifhorseshaveaccesstocleanwaterandfree-choiceforage,theycansurviveextremeweatherconditions.Obviously,adisease-and-parasite-controlprogram and a constructed or natural shelter would help provide for the horses’ wellbeing.

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Copyright 2007 The University of Tennessee. All rights reserved. This document may be reproduced and distributed for nonprofit educational purposes providing that credit is given to University of Tennessee Extension.