Investigating Animal Cruelty 71 Basic animal care standards • Fresh, clean water should be accessible at all times. • Horses should be fed: − A complete hay diet consisting of good quality hay (a 1000 pound horse will eat between 1/2 and 3/4 bale of hay per day; a pony or small breed will eat 1/3 of a bale); or − A partial hay diet consisting of a sufficient supply of good hay (1/6 to 1/3 bale), along with oats, sweet feed, or another grain; or − A ”complete” grain-type feed for horses who cannot eat hay because of health problems. • Provide horses with hay from a manger or hay rack or grain from a bucket or suitable container. Hay and grain should not be thrown on the ground to avoid the risk of infection/reinfection from parasites. All feed should be kept dry to avoid mold. • Access to salt blocks is the generally accepted practice but always consult with a veterinarian to determine the type and frequency of use. Trace mineralized salt (red block) is best, but white salt is acceptable. • Horses should have shelter that protects them from heavy rain, snow and high wind. The shelter should also provide sufficient shade in the summer. • Stalls can be box stalls (minimum 10’ by 10’ per horse) or straight stalls (only permit the horse to stay in a straight alignment; the horse can stand and lie down but cannot turn around.) If a horse is confined to a straight stall, provide him with daily turnout. Make sure that natural light is available and that horses aren’t overcrowded. Additional recommendations • Deworming: Horses need to be wormed regularly. It is best to have a fecal count performed by a veterinarian at least once a year in order to deworm appropriately. • Horses should be vaccinated for rabies and tetanus on an annual basis and given other vaccinations as recommended by a veterinarian. • Horses should receive proper hoof care. Hooves require trimming approximately every eight to 12 weeks. A horse does not always require shoes. Shoeing depends on the condition of the horse’s feet, the type of work the horse does, the road surface it travels on, and how often it travels. • Horses’ teeth should be checked annually and floated (filed down) if necessary. • Horses must be able to graze (i.e. have access to grass or hay). Ideally, hay should always be available, whether inside or outside. The total time devoted to grazing and chewing hay should amount to approximately 18 hours a day. (This should minimize wood chewing.) Signs of neglect or cruelty Appearance: thin body (ribs and vertebrae prominent); halter, harness, or saddle sores (check to see whether the halter has grown into the horse’s head); excessive hoof length (possibly with tips of hooves turned up); a hoof that’s spongy on the bottom side and has a foul odor; bite wounds from fighting (resulting from stallions pastured together or with mares) Housing conditions: no fresh water or food available; no shelter; overcrowded; no place to lie down; excessive manure and urine buildup; standing on muddy ground with no dry areas: trees in the enclosure/pasture with bare bark or signs of tree stripping that could be related to lack of adequate food/water. Behavior: head down and unresponsive; inactivity; indifference to surroundings and visitors; excessive fearfulness; excessive aggression toward other horses; odd standing behavior (e.g. standing on one forefoot while holding the other forefoot up so that only the toe touches the ground, lying on the Animal care standards for some common animals
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