Equine Science & Technology. Unit Title: Health Management CIP:

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1 Equine Science & Technology Unit Title: Health Management CIP: Instructor: Objectives: After completing this unit of instruction, students will be able to: A. Discuss equine vaccination; B. List proper methods for aging a horse; C. Explain the signs of dental problems; D. Identify some common tooth abnormalities; and E. List general sanitation practices. Click here to access this lesson s PowerPoint presentation Equine Science & Technology Lesson Plan Library Page 1 of 9

2 Interest Approach: Show the class different pictures of horse teeth. Ask the class how old each horse is and how they can tell the age of the horse. Curriculum & Instruction Curriculum A. Discuss equine vaccination. Vaccine- a product given to a horse to stimulate its immune system and help provide protection against disease. There are two types: Instruction PowerPoint presentation: 07 Equine Health Management.ppt A1. Lecture with PowerPoint presentation. Killed vaccine- contains killed or inactivated organisms. Modified live vaccine- contains organisms that are live but modified in some way to make them incapable of producing severe disease. Vaccination- defined as the administration, by injection or intranasal means, of some agent (such as bacterium or virus) into an animal for the purpose of preventing disease. We should not depend on vaccination alone for disease prevention. Individual horses vary widely in their response to similar vaccinations. Heredity also plays a part in the level of resistance. Nutritional management practices also affect degrees of resistance. B. List proper methods for aging a horse. Using teeth to determine age The best way to determine the age of the horse is from good records. When a record of age does not exist, the teeth furnish the best estimation of the age of a horse. Age determination is made by a study of the twelve front teeth, called incisors. The two central pairs both above and below are called centrals (centers), pincers, or nippers. The four teeth adjacent to these two pairs are called intermediates. B1. Why is it important to age a horse? Equine Science & Technology Lesson Plan Library Page 2 of 9

3 The outer four teeth are designated as corners. The horse has 24 deciduous (temporary) teeth and 42 adult (permanent) teeth. Four key changes in the teeth can be used to estimate the age of horses. Occurrence of permanent teeth Disappearance of cups Angle of incidence Shape of the surface of the teeth Occurrence of Permanent Teeth Horses have two sets of teeth, one temporary (baby or milk teeth) and one permanent. Temporary incisors tend to erupt in pairs at eight days, eight weeks, and eight months of age. Permanent teeth are larger, longer, and darker in color. The four center permanent teeth appear (two above and two below) as the animal approaches three years of age, the intermediates at four, and the corners at five. This constitutes a full mouth. Disappearance of Cups Young permanent teeth have deep indentures in the center of their surfaces referred to as cups. Cups are commonly used as reference points in age determination. In general, the cups become smooth in the lower centers, intermediates, corners, upper centers, intermediates, and corners at six, seven, eight, nine, ten, and eleven years of age respectively. A smooth mouth theoretically appears at eleven. As cups disappear, dental stars appear - first as narrow, yellow lines in front of the central enamel ring, - then as dark circles near the center of the tooth. Angle of Incidence The angle of incidence or contact changes from approximately 160 to 180 degrees in young horses, to less than a right angle as the incisors appear to slant forward and outward with aging. Equine Science & Technology Lesson Plan Library Page 3 of 9

4 Shape of the Surface of the Teeth The teeth change substantially in shape during wear and aging. The teeth appear broad and flat in young horses. Twenty-year-old teeth may be twice as deep from front to rear as they are wide. C. Explain the signs of dental problems. Obvious signs of dental disease can include: Weight loss Halitosis (bad breath; foul smelling odor from the mouth) Excessive drooling Dropping feed while eating; difficulty chewing Subtle signs of dental disease can include: Head tossing Excessive chewing of the bit Behavior problems while being ridden (bucking, fighting against the bit) C1. Has anyone been around an animal with a dental problem? - Do your horses or dogs have bad breath? - Check their teeth! D. Identify some common tooth abnormalities. Common Dental Abnormalities D1. What are some examples of tooth abnormalities? Enamel Points- sharp points that develop on the outside of the upper teeth and the inside of the lower teeth as a horse grinds its food back and forth. Removed by using a special file (called a float) to rasp down the sharp edges. Carrying out this process is called floating teeth. Hooks and Ramps Hooks are sharp points found on the first upper teeth. Ramps are sharp points found on the last lower cheek teeth. A small hook or ramp can be removed by simple filing. A taller point may require cutting with a molar cutter before being filled. Retained Caps Deciduous premolars are normally replaced by the permanent premolars without a problem. Occasionally, a deciduous premolar fails to fall out. The retained tooth is called a cap. Equine Science & Technology Lesson Plan Library Page 4 of 9

5 Retained caps can result in pain for the horse and can lead to decreased feed consumption and lowered performance. The caps can be easily removed by a veterinarian. Malalignment If the incisors or cheek teeth of the horse do not align properly, the teeth will not wear evenly. Horses with overshot or undershot jaws will normally need their teeth checked frequently to ensure that the biting and grinding surfaces are meeting. Infections Feed that becomes trapped in a tooth can lead to bacterial growth, resulting in infection. Other causes of infection are fractured jaw and inflammation of the periodontal ligament (ligament that holds a tooth to the bone). An infected tooth usually leads to more of the obvious signs of dental disease, such as swollen face or jaw, a draining abscess, trouble eating, etc. E. List general sanitation practices. Sanitation A sound sanitation program is of paramount importance to fly control. The basic aim of a sanitation program is to reduce or eliminate fly larval development sites. Manure management is essential. Timely spreading of manure promotes drying and prevents larvae from developing. Wet areas where manure, mud, and plant debris accumulate also form ideal breeding habitats. Modifications to the drainage around corrals to reduce excess moisture can eliminate fly production sites and make chemical control efforts much more successful. E1. Discuss with the students why good sanitation practices are important. Equine Science & Technology Lesson Plan Library Page 5 of 9

6 Review & Evaluation Objectives will be reviewed before examinations. Exams will be developed based on objectives as taught in class. Instructional Support A. References Ensminger, M. E. (2004). Equine Science (8 th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall B. Teaching Aids and Equipment - Overhead projector - Board with chalk/marker C. Facilities - Room Equine Science & Technology Lesson Plan Library Page 6 of 9

7 Name Date Multiple Choice. Circle the correct answer. Equine Science and Technology Health Management Quiz 1. What product is given to a horse to stimulate its immune system and help provide protection against disease? A. Infection B. Strain C. Vaccine D. Virus 2. What is an obvious sign of a dental problem? A. Drinking less water B. Excessive drooling C. Head tossing D. Weight gain 3. Removing sharp points that develop on the outside of the horse s upper teeth is called? A. Cleaning teeth B. Floating teeth C. Grinding teeth D. Rasping teeth 4. What is a subtle sign of a dental disease? A. Excessive chewing of the bit B. Excessive fence chewing C. Weight gain D. Weight loss 5. How many deciduous teeth does the horse have? A. 15 B. 24 C. 34 D. 42 Equine Science & Technology Lesson Plan Library Page 7 of 9

8 6. A smooth mouth appears at what age? A. 4 B. 7 C. 11 D. 15 Matching. Write the correct letter of the term next to the description. The term may be used once, more than once, or not at all. Descriptions 7. Changes from approximately 160 to 180 degrees in young horses. 8. Deciduous molars that fails to fall out. 9. Deep indentures in the center of the surface of young permanent teeth. 10. Narrow yellow lines in front of the central enamel ring. 11. Removed by using a float to rasp down the sharp edges. 12. Sharp points found on the last lower cheek teeth. 13. Sharp points that develop on the outside of the upper teeth and the inside of the lower teeth as food is ground back and forth. Items A. Angle of Incidence B. Angle of Incisor C. Cups D. Deciduous Stars E. Dental Stars F. Enamel Points G. Hook Points H. Incisors I. Molars J. Ramps K. Retained Cups 14. The twelve front teeth used in equine age determination. Equine Science & Technology Lesson Plan Library Page 8 of 9

9 Equine Science and Technology Health Management Quiz Key Multiple Choice 1. C 2. B 3. B 4. A 5. B 6. C Matching 7. A 8. K 9. C 10. E 11. F 12. J 13. F 14. H Equine Science & Technology Lesson Plan Library Page 9 of 9

The Importance of Maintaining the Health of Your Horse's Mouth

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