VMP 420 EXAM 1 – HORSES QUESTIONS WITH
VERIFIED ANSWERS
Where is fat stored on a horse? - Answers - neck, withers, ribs, shoulder, flank, crease
down back, and tail head
Race Horse BCS - Answers - 4, moderately thin
Hunters/Dressage BCS - Answers - 7-8
What is a healthy BCS? - Answers - 4-6
BCS 1-3 - Answers - -age: older horses are thinner
-starvation, disease, parasites
BCS 7-9 - Answers - -ponies are poster child
-high concentrate diet, little exercise, rich pasture
How to reduce BCS - Answers - 20% reduction in total caloric intake for 2 weeks to
reduce the body score one grade
What does obesity lead to - Answers - laminitis, diabetes, lameness
Signs of parasitism - Answers - -dull coat
-lethargy
-unthrifty
-slow growth
-pot belly
-colic/diarrhea
Ascarids (roundworms) - Answers - foal parasite, normally immune by 6mo-2yrs
Life cycle of Ascarids - Answers - 1. eggs are injested
2. larvae hatch
3. invade mucosa
4. migrate to liver/lungs
5. cough up and mature in small intestine
Biggest problem with curing Ascarids - Answers - if a quick kill antibiotic is used the
worms can get stuck in the intestines and cause and impaction which can be fatal
, Strongylus vulgaris - Answers - adult parasite, uncommon, cured by quick kill antibiotics
(ivermectin and moxidectin)
Cyathostomes (small strongyles) - Answers - lifelong parasite (encysts in cecum and
large colon), resistance is common, common in spring, not affected by strong
dewormers
Tapeworms - Answers - adult parasite, regular deworming important, intermittent
shedders, causes disease, like to live in junction b/w small intestine and cecum
Bots - Answers - adult parasite, best killed 4-6 weeks after the first frost, doesnt cause
disease
Life Cycle of Bots - Answers - -flies lay eggs in leg hair in summer
-licked and hatch in esophagus
-larvae attach to stomach in fall\
-passed in spring
Macrocyclic Lactones - Answers - broad spectrum except for small strong. and
tapeworms, longest duration, quick kill, resistance is emerging (ivermectin and
moxidectin which kills small strong.)
Praziquantel - Answers - kills tapeworms, add to ivermectin or moxidectin
Pyrantel - Answers - bots and double dose kills tapeworms, daily dewormer(strongid C),
paste, resistance common
Benzimidazoles - Answers - broad spectrum except tapeworms and encysted forms,
slow kill, resistance emerging, 'power pack' double dose for 5 days gets encysted forms
(oxibendazole, Fenbendazole)
Piperazine - Answers - narrow spectrum, quick kill
Adult parasite control programs - Answers - continuous deworming, strategic mass
deworming, FEC and seasonal intervals
Which two months are the best to deworm - Answers - October and January
Environmental management - Answers - 1 horse/ 4 acres, pick up/dispose of manure
twice a week, mow pastures to break up and expose parasites, rotate pasture with other
species
Colic risk - Answers - 10% suffer and 1% die
Why do horses colic? - Answers - long GI tract with few mesenteric attachments,
domestication doesnt allow constant movement, high concentrate diet
VERIFIED ANSWERS
Where is fat stored on a horse? - Answers - neck, withers, ribs, shoulder, flank, crease
down back, and tail head
Race Horse BCS - Answers - 4, moderately thin
Hunters/Dressage BCS - Answers - 7-8
What is a healthy BCS? - Answers - 4-6
BCS 1-3 - Answers - -age: older horses are thinner
-starvation, disease, parasites
BCS 7-9 - Answers - -ponies are poster child
-high concentrate diet, little exercise, rich pasture
How to reduce BCS - Answers - 20% reduction in total caloric intake for 2 weeks to
reduce the body score one grade
What does obesity lead to - Answers - laminitis, diabetes, lameness
Signs of parasitism - Answers - -dull coat
-lethargy
-unthrifty
-slow growth
-pot belly
-colic/diarrhea
Ascarids (roundworms) - Answers - foal parasite, normally immune by 6mo-2yrs
Life cycle of Ascarids - Answers - 1. eggs are injested
2. larvae hatch
3. invade mucosa
4. migrate to liver/lungs
5. cough up and mature in small intestine
Biggest problem with curing Ascarids - Answers - if a quick kill antibiotic is used the
worms can get stuck in the intestines and cause and impaction which can be fatal
, Strongylus vulgaris - Answers - adult parasite, uncommon, cured by quick kill antibiotics
(ivermectin and moxidectin)
Cyathostomes (small strongyles) - Answers - lifelong parasite (encysts in cecum and
large colon), resistance is common, common in spring, not affected by strong
dewormers
Tapeworms - Answers - adult parasite, regular deworming important, intermittent
shedders, causes disease, like to live in junction b/w small intestine and cecum
Bots - Answers - adult parasite, best killed 4-6 weeks after the first frost, doesnt cause
disease
Life Cycle of Bots - Answers - -flies lay eggs in leg hair in summer
-licked and hatch in esophagus
-larvae attach to stomach in fall\
-passed in spring
Macrocyclic Lactones - Answers - broad spectrum except for small strong. and
tapeworms, longest duration, quick kill, resistance is emerging (ivermectin and
moxidectin which kills small strong.)
Praziquantel - Answers - kills tapeworms, add to ivermectin or moxidectin
Pyrantel - Answers - bots and double dose kills tapeworms, daily dewormer(strongid C),
paste, resistance common
Benzimidazoles - Answers - broad spectrum except tapeworms and encysted forms,
slow kill, resistance emerging, 'power pack' double dose for 5 days gets encysted forms
(oxibendazole, Fenbendazole)
Piperazine - Answers - narrow spectrum, quick kill
Adult parasite control programs - Answers - continuous deworming, strategic mass
deworming, FEC and seasonal intervals
Which two months are the best to deworm - Answers - October and January
Environmental management - Answers - 1 horse/ 4 acres, pick up/dispose of manure
twice a week, mow pastures to break up and expose parasites, rotate pasture with other
species
Colic risk - Answers - 10% suffer and 1% die
Why do horses colic? - Answers - long GI tract with few mesenteric attachments,
domestication doesnt allow constant movement, high concentrate diet
