VCE VET Equine Studies flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Equine industry sectors

Racing and breeding, sport and performance, recreation and trail riding, working stock horses, therapy services, education and allied trades. Each sector has distinct employers, skills and regulatory bodies.

VET equine qualification pathway

Nationally recognised certificates in equine studies under the Australian Qualifications Framework, from entry-level stable work through supervisory and specialist roles, assessed against industry competency standards.

Agistment

A business arrangement where a horse owner pays a property owner for board, which may include a paddock or stable, feed, water and sometimes care such as rugging and handling.

Hierarchy of control

Risk control order: eliminate the hazard, substitute a safer option, apply engineering controls, then administrative controls such as procedures and training, with personal protective equipment last.

Near-miss report

A record of an incident that could have caused injury or damage but did not. Recording near misses allows hazards to be corrected before a serious incident occurs.

Zoonosis

A disease transmissible from animals to people, such as ringworm, salmonellosis and leptospirosis. Controls include hand washing, gloves, covering cuts and prompt wound care.

Manual handling control

Keeping the load close to the body, bending the knees rather than twisting, and using two people or mechanical aids for feed bags, hay bales and water containers.

Flight zone

The space around a horse that, when entered, causes it to move away. Pressure at the edge moves the horse forward; releasing pressure immediately reinforces the desired movement.

Quick-release knot

A knot used to tie a horse that can be undone by pulling the free end, allowing the handler to free the horse rapidly if it panics or becomes trapped.

Twitch use

A restraint applied to the upper lip or neck to allow short painful procedures. It must be applied correctly, never left on unattended, and released immediately after the procedure.

Halter fit

The noseband sits about two fingers below the cheekbone, the headpiece behind the ears, and the throat latch allows a hand's width, so the horse is controlled without injury.

Resting vital signs

For an adult horse at rest: temperature 37.0 to 38.5 degrees Celsius, heart rate 28 to 44 beats per minute, respiratory rate 8 to 16 breaths per minute.

Body condition score

A palpation-based scale, commonly 1 to 5 or 1 to 9, assessing fat over the neck, withers, ribs, loin and tailhead to judge whether a horse is underweight, ideal or overweight.

Capillary refill time

The time for colour to return after pressing the gum above the incisors. Normal is under two seconds; a prolonged time suggests poor circulation or dehydration.

Colic warning signs

Pawing, rolling, flank watching, sweating, absent manure and reduced gut sounds. These signs require immediate veterinary contact and withholding of feed.

Laminitis signs

Reluctance to move, a rocked-back stance, heat in the hooves and a bounding digital pulse. It is an emergency requiring veterinary attention and removal of lush feed.

Forage intake rule

Roughage should provide at least about 1.5 percent of body weight daily in dry matter, maintaining gut motility and reducing the risk of colic and gastric ulcers.

Daily water intake

An adult horse drinks roughly 20 to 60 litres per day, increasing with heat, work and lactation. Clean, unfrozen water must be available at all times and intake monitored.

Gradual feed change

Concentrate and forage changes are introduced over 7 to 10 days so hindgut microbes adapt. Sudden grain or lush pasture increases the risk of laminitis and acidosis.

Calcium to phosphorus ratio

A dietary ratio near 2 to 1 supports bone development. A reversed or wide ratio, especially in young growing horses, can impair mineral absorption and bone strength.

Minimum box dimensions

A stable box should let a horse lie down, roll and rise freely, commonly at least 3.0 by 3.6 metres for a horse up to about 16 hands, larger for bigger horses.

Stable ventilation requirement

A stable needs a high air inlet and a higher outlet so stale air and ammonia escape. Poor ventilation predisposes horses to respiratory disease.

Horse-safe fencing

Post and rail, horse mesh or electric fencing at about 1.2 to 1.5 metres high, with spacing that prevents hooves passing through and no barbed wire or loose wire ends.

Isolation paddock

A separate box or paddock away from other horses, with dedicated equipment and a manure area away from watercourses, used for new, sick or returning horses.

Grooming sequence

Curry comb over muscle, dandy brush for dirt, body brush finished with a metal curry, mane and tail by hand or wide comb, and feet picked from heel to toe.

Rug sizing

Rugs are measured from the centre of the chest to the point of the buttock. The fit is checked for shoulder clearance, neck opening and leg strap tension.

Saddle fit checks

Clearance at the withers and along the spine, even panel contact, and a girth allowing two fingers. Poor fit causes soreness, resistance and behaviour changes.

Cooling hot legs

After work, hosing or cold booting hot legs for 10 to 20 minutes reduces heat, then legs are dried and checked for swelling or filling before and after exercise.

Yard handover

A written or verbal transfer of instructions and observations between staff so that feeding, medication and monitoring continue correctly across shifts and days off.

Reporting abnormalities

Staff report observed facts such as temperature, appetite, manure and lameness to the supervisor, avoiding diagnosis, so the veterinarian or manager decides on treatment.

Work health and safety duty

Employers must provide a safe workplace, training and protective equipment, and workers must follow procedures and report hazards and incidents under work health and safety law.

Confidential workplace records

Owner, veterinary and medication records are accurate, dated and kept private, because they may be used in insurance, welfare or medication compliance investigations.