Rehab Neglected Horse

8/8/2019 Rehab Neglected Horse

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caregivers

guide torehabilitatingneglected horses

Rehabilitate (rh-bl-tt): To restore to good health or useful life, as through therapy and education.


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Rehabilitating Neglected Horses 2 Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada

Caregivers guide to rehabilitating neglected horsesThe Horse Welfare Alliance of CanadaHWACs is an alliance of provincial equine organizations, farm animal care groups and industrypartners whose purpose is the dissemination of correct information related to the Canadian horseindustry. The alliance was formed in 2008 as a response to concerns related to humane care and

handling of horses.HWACs statement of purpose is promoting the humane handling of horses throughout allof their life stages .

Focus areas are:

4 Education : horse owners and the public4 Liaison : with governments, other agencies4 Equine health and welfare4 Monitor : the Canadian horse industry to ensure its future is protected

Since it was formed, HWAC has been actively working with government and equine industriesacross North America.

For more information on HWAC and horse welfare across Canada visit www.horsewelfare.ca. [email protected] to offer suggestions on improving the welfare of horses and ultimately thepreservation 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 organiza-tions 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 thenational level.

Special thanks to Bill desBarres (AFAC, HWAC and Alberta Equestrian Federation), Dr. TerryWhiting (Manitoba Agriculture and Food, Veterinary Services), Dr. Carolyn Stull ( Equine Sanctuary and Rescue Facility Guidelines , UC Davis Veterinary Medicine), Dr. Darrell Dalton (AlbertaVeterinary 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


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ContentsThe Neglected Horse 4

Caregivers Commitment 4

Transport 5The Codes of Practice 5

Behavioral Risks 6

Bio-Security and Disease Risk 6

Body Condition Scoring Horses 7

Nutritional Requirements 10

Chronically Starved Horses 10

Hoof Care Requirements 11

Finding a Farrier 11

Rehabbing the Hoof 11

Health Management Requirements 12

Vaccinations 12

Deworming 12

The Challenge of Winter Care 13

Euthanasia 14

Euthanasia Options 14

Acceptable Industry Practices 14

Gun Shot 14

Point of Entry 14

In the Trailer 15

Con rmation of Death 15

Farm Animal Care in Canada 15


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This guide is intended to address basiccare for rehabilitating a neglected horse.This must be a team approach. Enlistingthe expertise of your veterinarian, anutritionist and your farrier is a must forthe successful rehabilitation of the horse.

Care of all our animals is a moral and legalresponsibility. Unfortunately, this is not alwaysthe case, there are horses that are not prop-erly cared for. The owner may not be providingproper nutritional, health and hoof care needsresulting in poor body condition and deteriorat-ing health. These circumstances can arise dueto nancial reasons, lack of knowledge, theemotional or mental health of the caregiveror just plain neglect. This is a animal welfareissue.

Some of these animals may have been seizedby authorities, others may have be taken to anauction or dropped off at rescue facilities. Withtimely and proper intervention, these horsescan be rehabilitated to a healthy, functionalstate.

Rehabilitating a neglected horse is a verydif cult and challenging process. It can only beundertaken by someone who has a clear under-standing of the special needs of these animalsand the time commitment required.

If at anytime you see a horse that is not beingproperly cared for or, you yourself do not feelyou are providing the appropriate care for yourhorse, call your provincial animal help line or aveterinarian. See page 15 for animal help lines.

Caregivers CommitmentThe decision to take in a neglected horse forrehabilitation is not a decision that should bemade lightly. The best of intentions can oftengo terribly wrong when well meaning peopletake on more then they can handle. It is oftenthe case that the care and concern for animalswill outweigh the actual knowledge of horsecare and management required to successfullyrehabilitate a horse.

In the past few years, industry has seen sev -eral cases where malnourished horses havebeen seized from well-intentioned horse rescuefarms due to unintentional neglect.

There are several factors you will need toconsideration before opening your heart andyour barn to a neglected horse:

1. Economic investment - including feed-stuff, supplements, veterinarian care,farrier work, vaccinations, deworming andlabor costs. The Alberta Horse WelfareReport (AFAC 2008) estimated that it

costs $3,522 a year for general mainte-nance of a healthy horse. The expensesfor a malnourished horse will exceed thisbase amount. If your farm is not set up toreceive malnourished animals, capital in-vestments will need to be made to modifyyour facility to provide the proper housingrequired for the neglected animal.

2. Time and labor investment - theseanimals need to be closely monitored as

feed must be reintroduced properly toensure no adverse reactions. They need tobe fed small meals several times a day andtheir health must to be closely monitored,especially in the rst few weeks. You needto provide extra care and attention throughvaccination, deworming, health care, hoof care and grooming. Even though it maybe your time, there still is a cost to yourlabor. Ful lling these special needs makeit almost impossible to balance this with afull time job.

3. Safety of you, your family and other

animals. Given the unknown behaviorproblems of the neglected horse yoursafety and the horses interaction withother horses could be an issue. SeeBehaviour section.

4. Biosecurity - these animals are oftenat high risk for disease, they should betreated as such until their health status iscleared. See Biosecurity section.

The Neglected HorseRehabilitating a neglected horse

is a very difcult and challenging process. You must have a clear

understanding o the special needs o these animals and the time

commitment required.


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You must consider what shape the animal is inbefore making the decision to rehabilitate:

1. Body Condition Score - a BCS of 1 or2 is often a horse that was chronicallystarved and can be very challenging torehabilitate. See section on BCS.

2. Nutrition requirements - refeeding aneglected or starved horse is a very dif -cult process, you will need to work witha veterinarian. See nutrition section.

3. Hoof health greatly in uence the horsesability to recover. The horse may be ingreat pain. Any rehabilitation program,whether prompted by disease, injury orneglect, must incorporate a solid commit-ment to hoof care. See Hoof Care section.

4. Weather care - an animal that is in poorbody condition will have dif culty gettingthrough 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 verydif cult decisions. There will be caseswhere the horse will be unable to recoveror their quality of life will be so adverselyaffected that euthanasia is the onlyoption. At these times you have to be ablestep back and look at what is best for theanimal, no matter how dif cult the decisionmay be for you.

For more information on rehabilitating neglectedhorses and establishing / operating a rescuefacility see the UC Davis School of VeterinaryMedicine Equine Sanctuary and RescueFacility Guideline . These guidelines expand onthe information offered in this document aswell as proper facility design construction andmaintenance, suggestions for management and

nancial organization to ensure the successfuloperations of all types of sanctuary and rescuefacilities. See the resources page of www.horsewelfare.ca for the guidelines.

As you make the decision to accept the respon-sibility of rehabilitating a neglected horse, youhave to be sure that you are not just willing,but also truly able to meet the commitment andall of the responsibilities that go with it.

We all have the responsibility to assurethat all horses receive humane care andtreatment throughout their life.

TransportWhen making the decision of whether or notto transport a neglected horse remember thateach situation is unique.

Will transport put further stress or injurethe animal? It is recommended that ahorse with a body condition score of 1 orless is not transported. Consult a veterinar-ian 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 totransport an animal that by reason of in rmity,illness, fatigue or any other cause cannot betransported without undue suffering during theexpected journey.

Some provinces also have laws and regulationson the transport of farm animals.

The Codes of PracticeThe Codes of Practice for the Care and Handling of Farm Animals are nationally de-veloped guidelines for the care and handling of the different species of farm animals. They areintended to promote sound management andwelfare practices through recommendationsand requirements for housing, management,transportation, processing and other animalhusbandry practices.

The Codes represent a national understandingof animal care requirements and recommendedbest practices. As a caregiver, you should havea copy the Code. The document is available online at www.horsewelfare.ca.


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It is your responsibility as the owner or caregiv -er to ensure that proper bio-security protocolsare practiced when bringing neglected horsesonto your property. These animals are often athigh risk for disease and should be treated assuch until their health status is cleared.

You should quarantine the newcomer and moni -tor the horse for signs of contagious respiratorydiseases and fecal parasites before integratingthe horse into your herd. The horse should behoused in an area that allows for completeisolation from all other animals on the farm.

Your veterinarian should examine the horsewithin 24 hours of arrival and health should becontinually monitored with any signs of disease

(ie. coughing, sneezing, high fevers, runnynose, etc) noted and reported to your veteri-narian. If animals are expressing any of thesesigns high bio-security procedures should beput in place. This includes:

all boots and clothing worn around the sickhorse must not be worn around or in thearea of other horses,

no feeders, buckets, haynets, tack or otherbarn equipment shared among horses,

bedding and waste material should be keptseparate along with their feedstuff,

visitors should be kept away from theanimal,

pets must be kept away from the immedi -ate vicinity of the quarantined animal.

Bio-Security and Disease Risk

Caution needs to be taken with each individualanimal as they are very unpredictable and canbe dangerous. Not only do many neglectedhorses come without a health history, they alsoarrive at their new home without any behav-

ioral background.The horse may have historic behavioral prob-lems, or behavior issues associated with thestarvation and neglect. Extra time and pa-tience will be required with each of theseanimals as they recover from malnutritionand adjust to their new surroundings .

There are a variety of circumstances that will leadto behavior problems inhorses. They can include

but are not limited to: abuse, poor training, lack of training, disposition or gender.

Each horse must be handled as an individualand extreme caution shown while getting toknow the horse and their disposition. Onlyexperienced horse handlers should work withthese animals.

Horses that have experienced starvation maybecome very aggressive at feeding time asthey kick into survival mode. They can become

aggressive both with their caregiver and withother horses. Extreme caution should be heed-ed when feeding the animals.

As the social order of horses is built on herdinstinct and social structure new arrivals shouldbe introduced gradually and only when they areready. There is a hierarchy that exists withineach herd, that once established will normallyremain stable.

A horse in poor condition or health should notbe introduced into the herd until it hasregained a majority of its strength and health.

It will not be able to fend off any aggressiveness by otheranimals and will not be ableto access food if other herd

mates choose not to let it.Just like all other herdanimals, horses prefer to beand are more content whenallowed to socialize with other

animals. When selecting horses for cohabita-tion, gender, age, health and disposition shouldbe considered. It is best to house horses similarin age, sex (mares and geldings are ne), size,condition and disposition.

Careful observation and planning using theseconsiderations will deter confrontational andaggressive behaviours between the horses andmay prevent injury.

Behavioral Risks


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Body Condition Scoring Horses

WHOLE BODY

ThinNECK Accentuated

WITHERS Accentuated

LOIN Fat build-up halfway on spi -

nous processes, but easilydiscernible

Cant feel transverse pro -cesses

TAIL HEAD

Prominent but individualvertebrae cant be visuallyidenti ed

Hook bones rounded, buteasily discernible

Pin bones not distin -guishable

RIBS Slight fat cover Individual ribs discernible

SHOULDER Accentuated

The rst step in rehabilitating an under -weight or starved horse is to estimate thebody condition using a Body ConditionScoring (BCS) System (Henneke et al. 1983) .

The BCS program for horse utilizes a 9 pointscoring system that allows caregivers to moni-tor the condition of their horses and adjust

nutritional requirements as needed. It scoresthe 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 bevery challenging to rehabilitate.

WHOLE BODY Poor condition Extremely emaciated No fat tissue felt

NECK Bone structure visible

WITHERS Bone structure easily

visibleLOIN

Spinous processes project

prominentlyTAIL HEAD Tail head, pin and hook

bones project promi-nently

RIBS

Project prominentlySHOULDER Bone structure easily

noticeable

BCS 1

BCS 2WHOLE BODY

Very thin Emaciated

NECK Bones faintly discernible

WITHERS Bone structure faintly no -

ticeableLOIN

Spinous processes promi -nent

Slight fat covering overbase of spinous processes

Transverse processes of lumbar vertebrae feel

roundedTAIL HEAD

ProminentRIBS

ProminentSHOULDER

Faintly discernible

BCS 3


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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 discernibleRIBS

Faint outline discernibleSHOULDER

Not obviously thin

BCS 4

WHOLE BODY Moderate condition

NECK Blends smoothly into body

WITHERS Rounded over spinous pro -

cessesLOIN

Back is level

TAIL HEAD Fat around tail head begin -

ning to feel spongyRIBS

Individual ribs can be felt,but not visually distin-guished

SHOULDER Blends smoothly into body

BCS 5

WHOLE BODY Moderately eshy

NECK Fat beginning to be depos -

itedWITHERS Fat beginning to be depos -

itedLOIN

May have slight positivecrease down back

TAIL HEAD Fat around tail head feels

softRIBS

Fat over ribs feels spongySHOULDER Fat beginning to be depos -

ited Point-of-shoulder not dis -

cernible

BCS 6

WHOLE BODY Fleshy

NECK Fat deposited along neck

WITHERS Fat deposited along withers

LOIN May have positive crease

down back, behind shoul-der

TAIL HEAD Fat around tail head is soft

RIBS Individual ribs can be felt Noticeable fat lling be -

tween ribsSHOULDER

Fat deposited behind shoul -der

BCS 7


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Nutritional RequirementsThe majority of equine neglect cases are due tothe lack of provision of proper nutrition lead-ing to starvation. Underweight, malnourishedhorses often are a result of either the lack of necessary feed or an imbalance of nutrientswithin their diet.

Older horses and horses with health issues aremore likely to fall victim to nutritional neglectdue to their caregivers lack of understanding of speci c nutritional management requirementsand practices.

Chronically Starved HorsesWhen a horse is not fed an adequate diet, thehorse begins to turn to itself for its nutritionalrequirements this is known as the starvationprocess. The horse will begin by burning any

fat or carbohydrates that are stored in theirbody and use them for energy for metabolism.Once this source is exhausted, they will beginto breakdown the protein within the body. Sinceprotein is stored differently than fat and carbo-hydrates, the body will begin to source theprotein from muscle, vital tissues such as theheart and even gastrointestinal tissues. Anemaciated horse (BCS 1 or 2) is often a horsethat was chronically starved and can be verychallenging to rehabilitate.

Refeeding a horse can be a very dif cult pro -

cess. If feed is too abruptly reintroduced toa starved horse, the horse can die. The bestapproach is to begin with initial frequent smallamounts 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 hourintervals for the rst 3 days. For day 4 and 5,

increase the alfalfa hay mix to 1.75 2.0 lbs(0.80 - 0.91 kg) at the same intervals. For days6 10 you can increase the alfalfa hay mix to 5lbs (2.68 kg) 3 times a day, every 8 hours.After 10 days to 2 weeks, a horse can be fedhay in increasing amounts to reach a level of free choice hay. See table below.

Once the horse returns to a near normal bodyweight (approximately 6 months), grain can beintroduced into their diet.

Horses are usually fed 1.5 - 3% of their bodyweight per day to maintain their body condi-tion. For an average 1,000 lbs horse (450 kg),they would consume 15 to 30 lbs (6.8 - 13.6kg) of dry feed, such as hay, a day. Grain canbe added, but it should not exceed 1% of thetotal dry feed, especially if the feed is high in

starch.

Vitamins, minerals and proteins should also bepart of their diet. They are often supplementedas part of the grain ration. For maintenancepurposes a horse should be provided with 8%crude protein, 0.24% calcium and 0.17% phos-phorous as part of their diet. Horses shouldalso have access to a free choice salt block ortrace-mineralized block.

Water needs to be available to the horse atall times. Horses should have free access to

a fresh water source at all times. The watershould be clean and free of contaminants andheated in winter climates to prevent it fromfreezing and the horse from colicing. An aver-age horse will require up to 25 gallons (95 L) of water a day depending on weather, level of ac-tivity, production (ie. lactating mare) and size.

Refeeding Recommendations for the Starved Horse**

Day Number of Meals / Day Feed (lbs) / Meal Percent DE/Day

1 - 3 6 (every 4 hours) 1.0 - 1.25 lbs (0.45 - 0.57 kg) alfalfa hay mix 50

4 - 5 6 (every 4 hours) 1.75 - 2.0 lbs (0.80 - 0.91 kg) 756 - 10 3 (every 8 hours) Increase to 5 lbs (2.68 kg) 100

* Based on a starved horse with a projected normal weight of 1,000 lbs (450 kg). Daily digestible energy (DE) requirement per horse canbe calculated using the formula:

Mcal DE/day = 1.4 + 0.03 Body Weight (kg)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.


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Hoof Care RequirementsAny rehabilitation program, whether promptedby disease, injury or neglect, must incorporatea solid commitment to hoof care.

In some cases, rehabilitation will necessitate

special considerations such as therapeuticapplication of shoes. In others, it may onlyrequire careful attention to trimming andmaintaining a healthy bare foot.

Finding a FarrierHoof rehab requires that you work with aprofessional farrier who understands anatomy,biomechanics, gaits, and overall hoof care,including the application of specialty shoeswhen necessary. Likewise, such care requiresprofessionalism and a knowledge of how to

work and coordinate with other equineprofessionals, including veterinarians andnutritionists.

While there are many ways of nding afarrier to tend to the needs of your horse,

nding someone capable of providing the levelof care necessary for rehab should be a carefuldecision. Ideally, you want a farrier who takesadvantage of continuing education, works tostay current, and voluntarily participates infarrier certi cation 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 rotationalschedule, with regular farrier care varying fromfour to eight weeks. For a horse in rehab, how-ever, scheduling is often more situational andvariable according to the horses needs. Horsessuffering from injury or disease-related issuesmay require special appliances that need to beadjusted or changed on short schedules. Thosesuffering from neglect may need to be short-cycled to recover the hoof capsules positionunder the boney column of the limb.

Start your horses hoof care with a farrier visitshortly after the horse has arrived and settledin. Choose a farrier who specializes in reha-bilitating hooves as these can be challengingcases. Its important that the horse has enoughstrength to stand for the farrier work, so yourfarrier may advise waiting until the horse gainsweight before beginning the program.

Your farrier may request a set of x-rays in orderto assess internal damage and develop a planfor angles and trims. Its important that yourfarrier and veterinarian communicate, especial-ly if there is lameness resulting from improper,

or nonexistent, hoof care.

Most horses needing a rehab program didntarrive in that situation overnight, and there areno quick xes for their recovery. Instead, its amatter of establishing a long-term program andsticking to it. The hoof capsule does not heal somuch as it regenerates. With good nutritionalsupport and veterinary attention, the horse cangrow a new, healthy hoof in less than a yearstime.


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Health Management RequirementsMany neglected horses arrive at their newhome with little or no vaccination and deworm-ing history. It is a pretty good guess though if the horse has not been receiving proper nu-trition and general care, it will not have been

vaccinated or dewormed on a normal scheduleeither. It is very important that you work with aveterinarian to establish a deworming andvaccination plan based on the assumption thatno care has been given in the past.

VaccinationsYour geography, endemic diseases in your areaand the horses intended purpose will largelydetermine the vaccines that a veterinarianrecommends administering. There are severalcommon vaccines for Canadian horses, though

some may be speci c only to certain regions.An example of this is rabies, which is not amajor issue in Alberta, but horses in Ontarioare vaccinated for it routinely. The more com-mon vaccines include Tetanus, Eastern EquineEncephalomyelitis, Western Equine Encephalo-myelitis, West Nile Virus, Rabies, Strangles,In uenza, Rhinopneumonitis and PotomacHorse Fever.

Your veterinarian will wantto schedule the vaccinesfar enough apart as to not

overwhelm the horsessystem, especially sincethe horse may be malnour-ished or carrying heavyparasite burden. Beprepared for your horse toneed primary doses of thevaccines, which is twodoses spread severalweeks apart in most cases.It is also vital that yourveterinarian be made aware of any healthrecords you may have for the horse or thecomplete lack of vaccination history.

DewormingMany neglected horses have never seen a tubeof dewormer their entire lives. Deworming canmake an immediate and noticeable differencein the horses energy levels, weight gain andoutward appearance. What appears to be a haybelly could actually be an unhealthy parasiteburden.

When your veterinarian determines that thehorse is of suf cient weight and body conditionto handle deworming, you should administer alarvicidal treatment that will control all stagesof small strongyles, including the important

early-third stage (EL3), along with largestrongyles, pinworms and roundworms. Smallstrongyles are considered the number oneinternal parasite problem in horses today,primarily due to their overall prevalence andtheir ability to burrow and encyst into the liningof the large intestines for up to three years.Tapeworm is becoming part of many deworm-ing programs especially in speci c regions likethe lower mainland of British Columbia. Horsesshould also be dewormed against bots in thefall. Heavy infections with bots will rob anyhorse of valuable nutrients, and can possiblylead 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 programswill be speci c to the region in which the horseresides. After this initial deworming, your vet-erinarian can help develop a strategic program

that treats the horse basedon fecal egg counts andexposure risks. By target-ing the right horse at theright time with the rightdewormer, youll maximizethe ef ciency and effec -tiveness of your deworm-ing program as well as thehealth of your horse.

These are very general-ized recommendations asdifferent age groups areaffected by different para-

sites and the yearly cycle of the parasite willalso in uence your deworming schedule. It hasbeen shown that deworming programs are mosteffective in the early spring and summer tokeep pasture contamination to a minimum, aswell as this is the time that the encysted smallstrongyles make their appearance. Dependingon your location and speci c situation, de -worming in the winter may not be an effectivepractice unless the horse arrived at your placeinfested. For these reasons, it is very importantthat you work closely with your veterinarian.


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The Challenge of Winter CareCanada can experience very harsh winterconditions. It is not unusual for temperaturesto dip down to -40 C or colder. On the prairiesthe wind can make the environmentalconditions even more uncompromising.

A healthy, well conditioned horse will expendextra energy in order to maintain their bodytemperature and stay warm. This energy isstored in body fat which the horse must stock-pile before the cold weather hits. Ideally, ahorse with a body condition score of 7 will farevery well in winter weather with proper feedmanagement.

A long hair coat is the horses other defenseagainst the cold temperatures. Horses withproper nutrition and health will grow and main-

tain a good hair coat in the winter months. Ahorse with a good, dry winter hair coat canactually remain quite comfortable in tempera-tures as low as -40.

An animal that is in poor body condition willhave dif culty staying warm in winter. It willstruggle to not only gain, but maintain itscurrent weight. All the energy being consumedwill be immediately burned in an attempt tomaintain its body heat. The limited amount of fat their body may be storing will also be ex-pended on maintaining their body temperature.

Poor conditioned animals will have poor haircoats as they are not be able to grow anadequate coat to protect themselves againstthe winter elements. These factors makerehabilitating a poor body condition horse verychallenging. The horse must be provided extraprotection in the form of an insulated winterblanket and shelter from the cold to ensuretheir comfort and the excessive expenditure of energy for body temperature regulation

Facilities must be appropriate to the climatic

conditions of your region. Ideally, the poorcondition horse will be housed out of theelements in an insulated barn with adequateventilation to minimize temperature variance.

At a minimum healthy animals should beprovided a good wind break. A three sidedenclosed shelter is a common housing optionfor Canadian horses. The shelters normally facethe south or southeast to protect the animalfrom the north and western winds.

Proper nutrition must be provided also. Ahealthy horse will require its energy needs toincrease by approximately .7% per degree of

temperature below -8 C. A horse in poor bodycondition will require even higher amounts.For cold weather feeding it is best to increasethe roughage in their diet as the fermentationproduces a greater amount of heat duringdigestion.

Warm water is also a must for these animals.Horse will shy away from water that is too coldand snow is not an acceptable source of water during the winter. Ideally water shouldbe warmed to 7 - 18 C. (Ohio StateUniversity)


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Unfortunately, there will be cases where therehabilitation of the horse will be impossible orthe quality of life that the animal will experi-ence will be diminished. In these cases,euthanasia will be the most humane option

for the animal.

Factors in uencing the decision to euthanizeinclude:

constant pain and discomfort limited chance for recovery nancial cost of recovery and/or long term

care adverse effect on other horses on the

premises

This is often a dif cult decision to make, butthe welfare of the animal must take precedenceat all times. Consult your veterinarian toassist you in making an informed andresponsible decision.

Euthanasia OptionsEuthanasia is the humane termination of thelife of an animal. It must be performed bytrained individuals using acceptable industrypractices.

Acceptable Industry PracticesFor a horse to receive a humane death it mustbe rendered immediately insensible (uncon-scious) and go on to die without regainingconsciousness. Therefore most recommendedmethods of euthanasia involve agents thataffect the brain very rapidly.

Acceptable:

i. Lethal injection of barbiturate -Veterinarians ONLY

ii. Gunshotiii. Penetrating Captive Bolt

Shooting is a humane method of killing provid-ed that the shot penetrates the brain and doessigni cant damage. Knowledge of the anatomyis essential.

Shooting a horse should only be done bypersons well versed in handling rearms andlicensed to use rearms and only in jurisdic -tions that allow for rearm use.

Gun ShotThe preferred rearm for humanely shootinga horse from close range is a shotgun. A 410gauge with ball or slug cartridge is ideal, how-

ever a larger gauge may be used.At close range, any weight of shot is accept-able. The barrel of the rearm should be 3 to 5centimeters (1-2 inches) from the head if usinga shotgun.

If using a high powered ri e (e.g. .308, .223)the distance may be increased and still beeffective.

The use of a pistol, by law enforcement of cersor those properly licensed to do so, may besatisfactory, however permanent completebrain dysfunction may not be accomplishedwith light pistols (e.g. police .38).

If a light pistol, .22 caliber rim re ri e or apenetrating captive bolt is used to render theanimal unconscious, the animals death mustbe assured by a second means such as exsan-guination (bleeding out).

If using a high powered ri e or pistol, the pro - jectile may pass through the horses head. Thusthe direction of shooting must be considered.

Sporadic re ex muscle spasms may followregardless of the loss of consciousness - thisis a normal part of the death process and maylast from a few seconds, up to a few minutes.

Point of EntryThe point of entry is not between the eyes.The site for entry of the projectile is slightlyabove (approx. 2 cm) the intersection of thetwo diagonal lines each running from theinside corner of the eye to the base of theopposite ear.

Euthanasia


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Position of handler for an animal in theprone position.

This shot is ONLY to be made with a shotgunusing a slug. The point of entry is on the sideof the head, not the frontal part.

Position of handler for an animal standing.

CAUTION: Following shooting, a horse oftenmakes a forward movement (leaps into the air).

Position of handler for an animal in thelying down position.

In the TrailerIf a horse becomes non-ambulatory duringtransit, it is unacceptable to remove the animalfrom the trailer. If the animal must beeuthanized, it is to be done inside the trailer,

unless human safety is at risk.

Con rmation of DeathDeath should be veri ed by:

Absence of rhythmic breathing Cessation of Heartbeat Absence of Pulse Lack of Corneal Re ex (blinking response) To check a Corneal Re ex touch the cornea

(surface of the eye). There should be noresponse if the animal is dead.

Veri cation of the process of death should occurat 30 seconds and death must be con rmed at5 minutes.

Neglecting a horse is against the law in Canadaand is punishable under the federal Health of Animals Act and under provincial AnimalProtection Acts .

If you see or are aware of any animal that isbeing abused or neglected it is your responsibil-ity to immediately report the neglect toauthorities or to your provincial farm animalhelp ALERT line.

Call your local SPCA of ce or provincial farmanimal 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 Service800-667-4442

Manitoba Farm Animal Council Animal Care Line 204-945-8000

Ontario Farm Animal Council Farm Animal Helpline 519-837-1326

Farm Animal Care in Canada

Rehab Neglected Horse

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