Q1. If a horse has a slight “whistle” , is it likely to affect him more adversely over five furlongs or over two miles?

Q2. On a soundness examination a horse makes a “whistle”. Is it clinically suitable for (a) racing (b) eventing (c) showjumping?

Q3. Is a rig returnable at a sales?

Q4. How long after a sale should a sales company or vendor be notified of a vice in a horse?

Q5. Why is a blood sample taken by the veterinary surgeon on a pre-purchase vetting examination?

Q6. What are the small yellow eggs often seen on a horse’s legs or body in summer?

Q7. What is the normal heart rate of a horse?

Q8. What is the normal body temperature of a horse?

Q9. What is the normal respiratory rate of a horse?

Q10. If a horse standing in the stable points a front leg or holds it out in front of him – is this significant?

Q11. Where a horse rests a hind leg in the stable, is this significant?

Q12. If a newborn foal has a problem with milk coming down its nostrils each time it sucks the mare, what is the likely cause?

Q13. Can a cleft palate be treated?

Q14. In Ireland, is vaccination of foals against influenza required before going to thoroughbred sales?

Q15. Is vaccination of mares against influenza required before going to thoroughbred sales?

Q16. Is vaccination of mares against abortion required before going to thoroughbred sales?

Q17. Do thoroughbred mares and breeding fillies require swabs taken pre-sales?

Q18. How long do the results of these swabs take to come back from the laboratory?

Q19. Is there a quicker test for these swabs?

Q20. A horse has an exaggerated flexion of his hind limb, or “jerks” its leg upwards when set back in reverse or turned tightly. What is the likely cause of the problem?

Q21. Is stringhalt an unsoundness?

Q22. Do horses have one, two or three sets of teeth in their lifetime and what are they called?

Q23. How often should a horse’s teeth be checked?

(a) At three monthly intervals

(b) At six monthly intervals

(c) Annually

Q24. A mare is ‘sore on her feet’ one or two days after foaling – what should be the suspected cause?

Q25. What is the likely cause of this condition in the post-foaling mare?

Q26. Under FEI rules in international jumping or eventing, what is the “trot Up”?

Q27. Is there a similar “trot up” for horses before racing?

Q28. What important equine welfare laws were recently introduced in Ireland?

Q29. Name two of the extra legal responsibilities which the new Act places on horse owners and keepers/people associated with a horse?

Q30. What other important equine regulations have been recently introduced?

Q31. Why are some horses not eligible for humane disposal at a horse abattoir?

Q32. A grey mare has lumps under her tail, what are they most likely to be?

Q33. Do melanomas cause death in affected horses?

Liz would like to thank all her readers for their many letters of appreciation, feedback and encouragement over the past year and wishes you and your horses all the best in horse health and success in 2015

ANSWERS

A 1. Over two miles, i.e. it may affect him significantly less over the shorter distance.

A 2. This horse is only clinically suitable for showjumping. It is not suitable for racing or eventing unless deemed otherwise by endoscopic examination.

A3. Yes if it has been described as a colt at the sale and these are the conditions of sale.

A4. Within seven days of purchase.

A5. This is an integral part of a veterinary soundness examination. The blood sample is retained to be used if any lameness is found in the horse within a given period post - sales. In these circumstances, tests can then be carried out on the blood sample for the possible presence of drugs such as ‘bute’ to establish whether or not it was used to mask a lameness.

A6. Bot eggs. These are licked and ingested by the horse into its stomach, which ensures that their life cycle is continued and completed and subsequently infect other horses.

A7. 40 – 50 beats per minute.

A8. 100 .5 degrees F +/- .0.5degrees or 38 degrees C

A9. 8 – 16 respirations per minute.

A10. Yes, this indicates that the horse is probably lame on that leg.

A11. It may not be significant as many normal sound horses tend to do this.

A12. Cleft palate.

A13. Yes, surgery can be carried out to try to rectify it but generally it is not successful.

A14. No

A15. No

A16. Yes, many of the sales companies now request thoroughbred pregnant mares to be vaccinated against virus abortion.

A17. Yes, swabs are required for C.E.M. (Contagious Equine Metritis) at thoroughbred sales.

A18. Seven to nine days

A19. Yes, a PCR may be used to have results in approximately two to four days, but it is a more expensive test.

A20. Stringhalt.

A21. Stringhalt is only deemed an unsoundness in the following cases:

(1) Dressage horse

(2) In eventing it may affect the dressage phase

(3) Show horse

(4) Approval as a HSI stallion.

A22. Horses have two sets of teeth during their lifetime.

The first set, the deciduous or baby teeth.

Replaced by permanent teeth by the time the horse is five years old.

A23. At six monthly intervals, depending on the individual animal.

A24. Laminitis.

A25. Retained placenta and or metritis (infection in the uterus).

A26. This is the routine inspection check carried out by the FEI veterinary panel on the horses before they are allowed to compete. It is a welfare - based check, the purpose of which is to ensure that no lame horse can compete in the competition.

A27. Not routinely but the Turf Club are in the process of introducing a similar type of check system and have already carried out these random checks at some race meetings in 2014. This is in response to the ever increasing awareness and emphasis on horse welfare; the need for public confidence in good welfare standards in racing is fundamental to the future of the industry.

A28. The Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. This act covers all animals’ health and welfare. It provides extra powers to enable the authorised officers to ensure higher levels of protection of all horses welfare..

A29. Under the new Animal Health and Welfare Act, the owners, co - owners (e.g. syndicates) and keepers of horses are all equally responsible and have a legal duty of care to ensure the horse’s health and welfare is adequately looked after and also to ensure that the horse is not caused any unnecessary suffering or compromises to its welfare. Under the new act, nominated Turf Club Officers can now be authorised to enforce this act where it is considered necessary in the course of their work.

A30. Transfer of Ownership: Each sale or change of ownership of every equine must be recorded on the passport .This is the dual responsibility of both the seller and the buyer or new owner. The passport issuing agency then submits details of each horse to be recorded on the Department of Agriculture central database for all horses.

Registered Equine Premises: All premises where equines are kept must be registered as an equine premises with the Department of Agriculture. It is the responsibility of the owner of the premises and the person using or leasing the premises to ensure that this is in place.

Under this law, anyone who owns or has charge of a premises where there are equines regardless of whether he or she owns the equines or the premises or the land, is responsible for registration of the premises.

Identification of equines: This is a longstanding legal requirement on passport identification. And from 2009 onwards, microchipping of all equines is compulsory.

All foals must have a passport and microchip before December 31st or before six months of age, whichever is the later.

The 2014 Regulation on Equine Identification and all of the above laws have significantly stronger powers of enforcement than heretofore. They are all - encompassing and include stronger powers to seize and dispose of horses where they have no identification/straying/tresspassing, neglected, etc

A31. Where a horse’s passport is stamped “not suitable for human consumption”, the animal is not eligible and cannot be accepted at a horse factory/abattoir. The following are the main reasons for this ineligibility:

1. Late registration.

2. Treatment with certain veterinary medicines e.g. ‘bute’ may have been used for pain relief or as an anti inflammatory.

3. Duplicate or replacement passport.

4. No passport

A32. Melanomas, which are a skin cancer.

A33. They rarely cause death as they do not usually invade the internal parts of the affected horse. But a horse with melanoma is ineligible/not acceptable at a horse factory for humane disposal for human consumption.