Selecting Equine for the Herd
Essential Standards: 8.01, 8.02, 9.01, 9.02
Importance of Age
 The productive life or period of an equine’s usefulness is comparatively
brief.
 Equine reach their __________________ peak between 0-10 years of age,
with the prime age between ________________ years.
 Market value for similar conditioned and trained animals increases up to
the peak and decreases after the peak.
 The chance of _____________________________ goes up with age.
 Buyers must decide if a top-quality older horse can be purchased for the
same or less than a younger equine of lesser quality
 Age is also important when equines are used for competitive events such as
racing and showing. _____________________ is considered the universal
________________ date for foals.
 Affects the class horses are shown or raced in and is especially important in
the younger age groups such as the racing and halter futurities.
 A foal born on May 30, 2003 is considered a year old for racing/showing
on January 1, 2004 and would lack the growth advantage of a foal born
closer to January 1.
The Importance of Height
 Height can influence usefulness and price. _______________ are usually
cheaper because their use is limited.
 Equine height is measured in hands with
____________________________”. The measurement is made on level
ground and is made from the ground to the highest point of the
________________. A pony that measure ________ hands is
___________” tall.
The Importance of Weight
 Weight depends on _______________, ________________ and
____________ of equine and is often missed when evaluating equine.
 Weight is most often underestimated when visual guesses are made
 The best method to determine equine weight is ______________________
_______________________________________________________________
 Weight _______________ are available for rough estimates.
 A more accurate estimate of weight can be accomplished by measuring the
equine’s ______________ ___________, _______________ ________ and
using a formula to calculate weight.
 Avoid using noisy tapes or cloth tapes that might stretch.
 A ___________ or _______________ that has no stretch may be used,
marked and then measure in the place of using a measuring tape on the
equine.
Knowing an equine’s weight is important for several management decisions
 ____________________________________________________________
 ____________________________________________________________
 ____________________________________________________________
 ____________________________________________________________
Stance indicates structure and how an animal will move; therefore, view equine
from at least three positions
Position 1
 Front view of the forelimbs
 ____________________________________________________________
Position 2
 View from the side
 When the hind legs are set properly, _______________________________
____________________________________________________________
 When the forelimbs are in the correct position, _______________________
____________________________________________________________
Position 3
 View from the back
 When conformation of the hind legs is correct, _______________________
____________________________________________________________
Body Dimension and Performance
 Shoulders should be long and sloping so that they extend the stride in
running, absorb _______________ and reduce __________________.
 _________________ backs and long ________________________
contribute to style and action and increase the height and length of stride. In
addition, short backs are ________________
 Long smooth muscling in the hindquarter is of particular importance since
all the power used in motion comes from the hindquarter.
Determining Age
 Age affects _______________ and ____________ of an equine. Type,
number, and appearance of ___________________ teeth help one
determine the correct age.
 Equine which are 5 years of age or less will have some combination
ranging from all _____________ teeth (_____________________) to all
permanent incisors.
 Noting the number of cups (or _________________) in the permanent
incisor teeth for equine between 6-12 years of age.
 Examining the cross section and slant of the incisor teeth for equines over
12 years of age.
 How to know the difference
o Temporary teeth are ____________, _____________,
__________shaped and wider from side to side than from front to
rear; whereas, permanent teeth are ______________ in color, larger
than temporary teeth and have a general _______________ surface.
o ________________ are the teeth used for grinding on each side of
the mouth; incisors are the front teeth used for cutting.
 There are _____________ sets of incisors called the ______________,
________________ and ________________ incisors (6upper and 6 lower).
 Incisors have a cup on indentation in the center of the tooth that
_______________ down with age and ________________________.
 The numbers make the difference
 Immature horses have a total of __________ temporary teeth.
 Mature mares have a total of ____________ permanent teeth; stallions and
gelding have _______________ permanent teeth.
Determining Approximate Weight
 Measure and record in inches the heart girth just behind the elbow after
making sure the equine exhales prior to taking the reading.
 Measure and record in inches the body length in a straight line from the
point of the shoulder to point of the buttocks.
 Body weight = ___________X _____________ X ______________
330
Example:
For an equine measuring 70 inches at the heart girth and 62 inches in length:
Body weight= 70 X 70 X 62 = 921 pounds
330
 Formula for body weight of light horse foals from 1-6 weeks of age
Body Weight= heart girth in inches – 25.1
0.07