caregivers’

guide to
rehabilitating
neglected horses
Rehabilitate (rē’hə-bĭl’ĭ-tāt’): To restore to good health or useful life, as through therapy and education.
Caregiver’s guide to rehabilitating neglected horses
The Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada
HWAC’s is an alliance of provincial equine organizations, farm animal care groups and industry
partners whose purpose is the dissemination of correct information related to the Canadian horse
industry. The alliance was formed in 2008 as a response to concerns related to humane care and
handling of horses.

HWAC’s statement of purpose is promoting the humane handling of horses throughout all
of their life stages.

Focus areas are:

4 Education: horse owners and the public

4 Liaison: with governments, other agencies
4 Equine health and welfare
4 Monitor: the Canadian horse industry to ensure its future is protected
Since it was formed, HWAC has been actively working with government and equine industries
across North America.

For more information on HWAC and horse welfare across Canada visit www.horsewelfare.ca. Email
info@horsewelfare.ca to offer suggestions on improving the welfare of horses and ultimately the
preservation of our horse industry.

February 2010

Support and funding for this project provided through the Alberta Farm Animal Care (AFAC)
Association by the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA).

The Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada gratefully acknowledges the many individuals and organiza-
tions who contributed their valuable time, views and expertise to the development of this guide.
The development of this guide was made possible only through teamwork and cooperation at the
national level.

Special thanks to Bill desBarres (AFAC, HWAC and Alberta Equestrian Federation), Dr. Terry
Whiting (Manitoba Agriculture and Food, Veterinary Services), Dr. Carolyn Stull (Equine Sanctuary
and Rescue Facility Guidelines, UC Davis Veterinary Medicine), Dr. Darrell Dalton (Alberta
Veterinary Medical Association), the American Horse Council (Rehabilitating the Neglected Horse:
a Caregivers Guide), Dr. Byrnne Rothwall and Mae Smith (Saskatchewan Horse Federation).

Content Development: J Woods Livestock Services

Graphics & Layout: M Shatosky, Declercq Designs

www.horsewelfare.ca

Rehabilitating Neglected Horses 2 Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada

 Contents
The Neglected Horse 4
Caregivers’ Commitment 4
Transport 5
The Codes of Practice 5
Behavioral Risks 6
Bio-Security and Disease Risk 6
Body Condition Scoring Horses 7
Nutritional Requirements 10
Chronically Starved Horses 10
Hoof Care Requirements 11
Finding a Farrier 11
Rehabbing the Hoof 11
Health Management Requirements 12
Vaccinations 12
Deworming 12
The Challenge of Winter Care 13
Euthanasia 14
Euthanasia Options 14
Acceptable Industry Practices 14
Gun Shot 14
Point of Entry 14
In the Trailer 15
Confirmation of Death 15
Farm Animal Care in Canada 15

Rehabilitating Neglected Horses 3 Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada

The Neglected Horse
This guide is intended to address basic
care for rehabilitating a neglected horse.
This must be a team approach. Enlisting
the expertise of your veterinarian, a
nutritionist and your farrier is a must for
the successful rehabilitation of the horse.
Care of all our animals is a moral and legal
responsibility. Unfortunately, this is not always
the case, there are horses that are not prop-
erly cared for. The owner may not be providing
proper nutritional, health and hoof care needs
resulting in poor body condition and deteriorat-
ing health. These circumstances can arise due
to financial reasons, lack of knowledge, the
emotional or mental health of the caregiver
or just plain neglect. This is a animal welfare
issue.
Some of these animals may have been seized
by authorities, others may have be taken to an
auction or dropped off at rescue facilities. With
timely and proper intervention, these horses
can be rehabilitated to a healthy, functional
state.
Rehabilitating a neglected horse is a very
difficult and challenging process. It can only be
undertaken by someone who has a clear under-
standing of the special needs of these animals
and the time commitment required.
If at anytime you see a horse that is not being
properly cared for or, you yourself do not feel
you are providing the appropriate care for your
horse, call your provincial animal help line or a
veterinarian. See page 15 for animal help lines.
Caregivers’ Commitment
The decision to take in a neglected horse for
rehabilitation is not a decision that should be
made lightly. The best of intentions can often
go terribly wrong when well meaning people
take on more then they can handle. It is often
the case that the care and concern for animals
will outweigh the actual knowledge of horse
care and management required to successfully
rehabilitate a horse.
In the past few years, industry has seen sev-
eral cases where malnourished horses have
been seized from well-intentioned horse rescue
farms due to unintentional neglect.
Rehabilitating Neglected Horses 4 Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada
Rehabilitating a neglected horse
is a very difficult and challenging
process. You must have a clear
understanding of the special needs
of these animals and the time
commitment required.
There are several factors you will need to
consideration before opening your heart and
your barn to a neglected horse:
1. Economic investment - including feed-
stuff, supplements, veterinarian care,
farrier work, vaccinations, deworming and
labor costs. The Alberta Horse Welfare
Report (AFAC 2008) estimated that it
costs $3,522 a year for general mainte-
nance of a healthy horse. The expenses
for a malnourished horse will exceed this
base amount. If your farm is not set up to
receive malnourished animals, capital in-
vestments will need to be made to modify
your facility to provide the proper housing
required for the neglected animal.
2. Time and labor investment - these
animals need to be closely monitored as
feed must be reintroduced properly to
ensure no adverse reactions. They need to
be fed small meals several times a day and
their health must to be closely monitored,
especially in the first few weeks. You need
to provide extra care and attention through
vaccination, deworming, health care, hoof
care and grooming. Even though it may
be your time, there still is a cost to your
labor. Fulfilling these special needs make
it almost impossible to balance this with a
full time job.
3. Safety of you, your family and other
animals. Given the unknown behavior
problems of the neglected horse your
safety and the horse’s interaction with
other horses could be an issue. See
Behaviour section.
4. Biosecurity - these animals are often
at high risk for disease, they should be
treated as such until their health status is
cleared. See Biosecurity section.
You must consider what shape the animal is in
before making the decision to rehabilitate:
1. Body Condition Score - a BCS of 1 or
2 is often a horse that was chronically
starved and can be very challenging to
rehabilitate. See section on BCS.
2. Nutrition requirements - refeeding a
neglected or starved horse is a very diffi-
cult process, you will need to work with
a veterinarian. See nutrition section.
3. Hoof health greatly influence the horse’s
ability to recover. The horse may be in
great pain. Any rehabilitation program,
whether prompted by disease, injury or
neglect, must incorporate a solid commit-
ment to hoof care. See Hoof Care section.
4. Weather care - an animal that is in poor
body condition will have difficulty getting
through the winter. It will struggle to not
only gain, but maintain its current weight.
See winter care section.
5. As the caregiver, there will be times
when you will have to make very
difficult decisions. There will be cases
where the horse will be unable to recover
or their quality of life will be so adversely
affected that euthanasia is the only
option. At these times you have to be able
step back and look at what is best for the
animal, no matter how difficult the decision
may be for you.
For more information on rehabilitating neglected
horses and establishing / operating a rescue
facility see the UC Davis School of Veterinary
Medicine Equine Sanctuary and Rescue
Facility Guideline. These guidelines expand on
the information offered in this document as
well as proper facility design construction and
maintenance, suggestions for management and
financial organization to ensure the successful
operations of all types of sanctuary and rescue
facilities. See the resources page of
www.horsewelfare.ca for the guidelines.
As you make the decision to accept the respon-
sibility of rehabilitating a neglected horse, you
have to be sure that you are not just willing,
but also truly able to meet the commitment and
all of the responsibilities that go with it.
We all have the responsibility to assure
that all horses receive humane care and
treatment throughout their life.
Rehabilitating Neglected Horses 5 Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada
Transport
When making the decision of whether or not
to transport a neglected horse remember that
each situation is unique.
Will transport put further stress or injure
the animal? It is recommended that a
horse with a body condition score of 1 or
less is not transported. Consult a veterinar-
ian immediately or euthanize on farm.
The Federal Health of Animals Regulations
- Part XII states that “No person shall load,
cause to be loaded, transport or continue to
transport an animal that by reason of infirmity,
illness, fatigue or any other cause cannot be
transported without undue suffering during the
expected journey.”
Some provinces also have laws and regulations
on the transport of farm animals.
The Codes of Practice
The Codes of Practice for the Care and
Handling of Farm Animals are nationally de-
veloped guidelines for the care and handling of
the different species of farm animals. They are
intended to promote sound management and
welfare practices through recommendations
and requirements for housing, management,
transportation, processing and other animal
husbandry practices.
The Codes represent a national understanding
of animal care requirements and recommended
best practices. As a caregiver, you should have
a copy the Code. The document is available on
line at www.horsewelfare.ca.
Behavioral Risks
Caution needs to be taken with each individual
animal as they are very unpredictable and can
be dangerous. Not only do many neglected
horses come without a health history, they also
arrive at their new home without any behav-
ioral background.
The horse may have historic behavioral prob-
lems, or behavior issues associated with the
starvation and neglect. Extra time and pa-
tience will be required with each of these
animals as they recover from malnutrition
and adjust to their new surroundings.
There are a variety of
circumstances that will lead
to behavior problems in
horses. They can include
but are not limited to:
• abuse,
• poor training,
• lack of training,
• disposition or gender.
Each horse must be handled as an individual
and extreme caution shown while getting to
know the horse and their disposition. Only
experienced horse handlers should work with
these animals.
Horses that have experienced starvation may
become very aggressive at feeding time as
they kick into survival mode. They can become
Bio-Security and Disease Risk
It is your responsibility as the owner or caregiv-
er to ensure that proper bio-security protocols
are practiced when bringing neglected horses
onto your property. These animals are often at
high risk for disease and should be treated as
such until their health status is cleared.
You should quarantine the newcomer and moni-
tor the horse for signs of contagious respiratory
diseases and fecal parasites before integrating
the horse into your herd. The horse should be
housed in an area that allows for complete
isolation from all other animals on the farm.
Your veterinarian should examine the horse
within 24 hours of arrival and health should be
continually monitored with any signs of disease
Rehabilitating Neglected Horses 6 Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada
aggressive both with their caregiver and with
other horses. Extreme caution should be heed-
ed when feeding the animals.
As the social order of horses is built on herd
instinct and social structure new arrivals should
be introduced gradually and only when they are
ready. There is a hierarchy that exists within
each herd, that once established will normally
remain stable.
A horse in poor condition or health should not
be introduced into the “herd” until it has
regained a majority of it’s strength and health.
It will not be able to fend off
any aggressiveness by other
animals and will not be able
to access food if other herd
mates choose not to let it.
Just like all other herd
animals, horses prefer to be
and are more content when
allowed to socialize with other
animals. When selecting horses for cohabita-
tion, gender, age, health and disposition should
be considered. It is best to house horses similar
in age, sex (mares and geldings are fine), size,
condition and disposition.
Careful observation and planning using these
considerations will deter confrontational and
aggressive behaviours between the horses and
may prevent injury.
(ie. coughing, sneezing, high fevers, runny
nose, etc) noted and reported to your veteri-
narian. If animals are expressing any of these
signs high bio-security procedures should be
put in place. This includes:
• all boots and clothing worn around the sick
horse must not be worn around or in the
area of other horses,
• no feeders, buckets, haynets, tack or other
barn equipment shared among horses,
• bedding and waste material should be kept
separate along with their feedstuff,
• visitors should be kept away from the
animal,
• pets must be kept away from the immedi-
ate vicinity of the quarantined animal.
 Body Condition Scoring Horses
The first step in rehabilitating an under-
weight or starved horse is to estimate the
body condition using a Body Condition
Scoring (BCS) System (Henneke et al. 1983).
The BCS program for horse utilizes a 9 point
scoring system that allows caregivers to moni-
tor the condition of their horses and adjust
nutritional requirements as needed. It scores
the deposition of fat in the areas of the loin,
ribs, tailhead, withers, neck and shoulders.
An emaciated horse (BCS 1 or 2) is often a
horse that was chronically starved and can be
very challenging to rehabilitate.

BCS 1
WHOLE BODY prominently
• Poor condition TAIL HEAD
• Extremely emaciated • Tail head, pin and hook
• No fat tissue felt bones project promi-
NECK nently
• Bone structure visible RIBS
WITHERS • Project prominently
• Bone structure easily SHOULDER
visible • Bone structure easily
LOIN noticeable
• Spinous processes project

BCS 2
WHOLE BODY rounded
• Very thin TAIL HEAD
• Emaciated • Prominent
NECK RIBS
• Bones faintly discernible • Prominent
WITHERS SHOULDER
• Bone structure faintly no- • Faintly discernible
ticeable
LOIN
• Spinous processes promi-
nent
• Slight fat covering over
base of spinous processes
• Transverse processes of
lumbar vertebrae feel

BCS 3
WHOLE BODY TAIL HEAD
• Thin • Prominent but individual
NECK vertebrae can’t be visually
• Accentuated identified
WITHERS • Hook bones rounded, but
• Accentuated easily discernible
LOIN • Pin bones not distin-
• Fat build-up halfway on spi- guishable
nous processes, but easily RIBS
discernible • Slight fat cover
• Can’t feel transverse pro- • Individual ribs discernible
cesses SHOULDER
• Accentuated

Rehabilitating Neglected Horses 7 Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada

BCS 4
WHOLE BODY TAIL HEAD
• Moderately thin • Prominence depends on
NECK conformation
• Not obviously thin • Fat palpable
WITHERS • Hook bones not discernible
• Not obviously thin RIBS
LOIN • Faint outline discernible
• Negative crease along back SHOULDER
• Not obviously thin

BCS 5
WHOLE BODY TAIL HEAD
• Moderate condition • Fat around tail head begin-
NECK ning to feel spongy
• Blends smoothly into body RIBS
WITHERS • Individual ribs can be felt,
• Rounded over spinous pro- but not visually distin-
cesses guished
LOIN SHOULDER
• Back is level • Blends smoothly into body

BCS 6
WHOLE BODY TAIL HEAD
• Moderately fleshy • Fat around tail head feels
NECK soft
• Fat beginning to be depos- RIBS
ited • Fat over ribs feels spongy
WITHERS SHOULDER
• Fat beginning to be depos- • Fat beginning to be depos-
ited ited
LOIN • Point-of-shoulder not dis-
• May have slight positive cernible
crease down back

BCS 7
WHOLE BODY TAIL HEAD
• Fleshy • Fat around tail head is soft
NECK RIBS
• Fat deposited along neck • Individual ribs can be felt
WITHERS • Noticeable fat filling be-
• Fat deposited along withers tween ribs
LOIN SHOULDER
• May have positive crease • Fat deposited behind shoul-
down back, behind shoul- der
der

Rehabilitating Neglected Horses 8 Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada

BCS 8
WHOLE BODY TAIL HEAD
• Fat
• Fat deposited along inner • Tail head fat very soft
buttocks RIBS
NECK • Difficult to feel individual
• Noticeable thickening of ribs
neck SHOULDER
WITHERS • Area behind shoulder filled
• Area along withers filled in, flush with body
with fat
LOIN
• Positive crease down back

BCS 9 - Not necessarily a desirable state of health

WHOLE BODY TAIL HEAD
• Extremely fat • Building fat around tail
• Fat along inner buttocks head
may rub together RIBS
• Flank filled in flush • Patchy fat appearing over
NECK ribs
• Bulging fat SHOULDER
WITHERS • Bulging fat

• Bulging fat
LOIN
• Obvious positive crease
down back

Rehabilitating Neglected Horses 9 Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada

Nutritional Requirements
The majority of equine neglect cases are due to
the lack of provision of proper nutrition lead-
ing to starvation. Underweight, malnourished
horses often are a result of either the lack of
necessary feed or an imbalance of nutrients
within their diet.
Older horses and horses with health issues are
more likely to fall victim to nutritional neglect
due to their caregivers lack of understanding of
specific nutritional management requirements
and practices.
Chronically Starved Horses
When a horse is not fed an adequate diet, the
horse begins to turn to itself for it’s nutritional
requirements – this is known as the starvation
process. The horse will begin by burning any
fat or carbohydrates that are stored in their
body and use them for energy for metabolism.
Once this source is exhausted, they will begin
to breakdown the protein within the body. Since
protein is stored differently than fat and carbo-
hydrates, the body will begin to source the
protein from muscle, vital tissues such as the
heart and even gastrointestinal tissues. An
emaciated horse (BCS 1 or 2) is often a horse
that was chronically starved and can be very
challenging to rehabilitate.
Refeeding a horse can be a very difficult pro-
cess. If feed is too abruptly reintroduced to
a starved horse, the horse can die. The best
approach is to begin with initial frequent small
amounts of high-quality alfalfa hay mix*.
Approximately 1.0 - 1.25 lbs (0.45 - 0.57 kg)
of alfalfa hay mix fed 6 times a day at 4 hour
intervals for the first 3 days. For day 4 and 5,
increase the alfalfa hay mix to 1.75 – 2.0 lbs
(0.80 - 0.91 kg) at the same intervals. For days
6 – 10 you can increase the alfalfa hay mix to 5
lbs (2.68 kg) 3 times a day, every 8 hours.
After 10 days to 2 weeks, a horse can be fed
hay in increasing amounts to reach a level of
free choice hay. See table below.
Once the horse returns to a near normal body
weight (approximately 6 months), grain can be
introduced into their diet.
Horses are usually fed 1.5 - 3% of their body
weight per day to maintain their body condi-
tion. For an average 1,000 lbs horse (450 kg),
they would consume 15 to 30 lbs (6.8 - 13.6
kg) of dry feed, such as hay, a day. Grain can
be added, but it should not exceed 1% of the
total dry feed, especially if the feed is high in
starch.
Vitamins, minerals and proteins should also be
part of their diet. They are often supplemented
as part of the grain ration. For maintenance
purposes a horse should be provided with 8%
crude protein, 0.24% calcium and 0.17% phos-
phorous as part of their diet. Horses should
also have access to a free choice salt block or
trace-mineralized block.
Water needs to be available to the horse at
all times. Horses should have free access to
a fresh water source at all times. The water
should be clean and free of contaminants and
heated in winter climates to prevent it from
freezing and the horse from colicing. An aver-
age horse will require up to 25 gallons (95 L) of
water a day depending on weather, level of ac-
tivity, production (ie. lactating mare) and size.

Refeeding Recommendations for the Starved Horse**

Day Number of Meals / Day Feed (lbs) / Meal Percent DE/Day
1-3 6 (every 4 hours) 1.0 - 1.25 lbs (0.45 - 0.57 kg) alfalfa hay mix 50
4-5 6 (every 4 hours) 1.75 - 2.0 lbs (0.80 - 0.91 kg) 75
6 - 10 3 (every 8 hours) Increase to 5 lbs (2.68 kg) 100

* Based on a starved horse with a projected normal weight of 1,000 lbs (450 kg). Daily digestible energy (DE) requirement per horse can
be calculated using the formula:
Mcal DE/day = 1.4 + 0.03 Body Weight (kg)
DE of alfalfa hay is 2.28 Mcal/kg. Thus, the DE requirement for the horse is 15 Mcal DE/day, which can be provided with 14.5 lb (6.6 kg)
of good-quality alfalfa hay mix. Withan et al., 1998
- Equine Sanctuary & Rescue Facility Guidelines, Center for Equine Health, University of California, Davis Aug 2009

* Consult your veterinarian about analyzing feed for nutrition value and supplement requirements.

Rehabilitating Neglected Horses 10 Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada

Hoof Care Requirements
Any rehabilitation program, whether prompted Your farrier may request a set of x-rays in order
by disease, injury or neglect, must incorporate to assess internal damage and develop a plan
a solid commitment to hoof care. for angles and trims. It’s important that your
farrier and veterinarian communicate, especial-
In some cases, rehabilitation will necessitate ly if there is lameness resulting from improper,
special considerations such as therapeutic or nonexistent, hoof care.
application of shoes. In others, it may only
require careful attention to trimming and Most horses needing a rehab program didn’t
maintaining a healthy bare foot. arrive in that situation overnight, and there are
no quick fixes for their recovery. Instead, it’s a
Finding a Farrier matter of establishing a long-term program and
sticking to it. The hoof capsule does not heal so
Hoof rehab requires that you work with a
much as it regenerates. With good nutritional
professional farrier who understands anatomy,
support and veterinary attention, the horse can
biomechanics, gaits, and overall hoof care,
grow a new, healthy hoof in less than a year’s
including the application of specialty shoes
time.
when necessary. Likewise, such care requires
professionalism and a knowledge of how to
work and coordinate with other equine
professionals, including veterinarians and
nutritionists.

While there are many ways of finding a

farrier to tend to the needs of your horse,
finding someone capable of providing the level
of care necessary for rehab should be a careful
decision. Ideally, you want a farrier who takes
advantage of continuing education, works to
stay current, and voluntarily participates in
farrier certification programs. A listing of
Canadian farriers and their specialties can be
found at www.farriers.com/canada.htm.

Rehabbing the Hoof

Routine hoof care is established on a rotational
schedule, with regular farrier care varying from
four to eight weeks. For a horse in rehab, how-
ever, scheduling is often more situational and
variable according to the horse’s needs. Horses
suffering from injury or disease-related issues
may require special appliances that need to be
adjusted or changed on short schedules. Those
suffering from neglect may need to be short-
cycled to recover the hoof capsule’s position
under the boney column of the limb.

Start your horse’s hoof care with a farrier visit

shortly after the horse has arrived and settled
in. Choose a farrier who specializes in reha-
bilitating hooves as these can be challenging
cases. It’s important that the horse has enough
strength to stand for the farrier work, so your
farrier may advise waiting until the horse gains
weight before beginning the program.

Rehabilitating Neglected Horses 11 Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada

Health Management Requirements
Many neglected horses arrive at their new
home with little or no vaccination and deworm-
ing history. It is a pretty good guess though if
the horse has not been receiving proper nu-
trition and general care, it will not have been
vaccinated or dewormed on a normal schedule
either. It is very important that you work with a
veterinarian to establish a deworming and
vaccination plan based on the assumption that
no care has been given in the past.
Vaccinations
Your geography, endemic diseases in your area
and the horse’s intended purpose will largely
determine the vaccines that a veterinarian
recommends administering. There are several
common vaccines for Canadian horses, though
some may be specific only to certain regions.
An example of this is rabies, which is not a
major issue in Alberta, but horses in Ontario
are vaccinated for it routinely. The more com-
mon vaccines include Tetanus, Eastern Equine
Encephalomyelitis, Western Equine Encephalo-
myelitis, West Nile Virus, Rabies, Strangles,
Influenza, Rhinopneumonitis and Potomac
Horse Fever.
Your veterinarian will want
to schedule the vaccines
far enough apart as to not
overwhelm the horse’s
system, especially since
the horse may be malnour-
ished or carrying heavy
parasite burden. Be
prepared for your horse to
need primary doses of the
vaccines, which is two
doses spread several
weeks apart in most cases.
It is also vital that your
veterinarian be made aware of any health
records you may have for the horse or the
complete lack of vaccination history.
Deworming
Many neglected horses have never seen a tube
of dewormer their entire lives. Deworming can
make an immediate and noticeable difference
in the horse’s energy levels, weight gain and
outward appearance. What appears to be a hay
belly could actually be an unhealthy parasite
burden.
Rehabilitating Neglected Horses 12 Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada
When your veterinarian determines that the
horse is of sufficient weight and body condition
to handle deworming, you should administer a
larvicidal treatment that will control all stages
of small strongyles, including the important
early-third stage (EL3), along with large
strongyles, pinworms and roundworms. Small
strongyles are considered the number one
internal parasite problem in horses today,
primarily due to their overall prevalence and
their ability to burrow and encyst into the lining
of the large intestines for up to three years.
Tapeworm is becoming part of many deworm-
ing programs especially in specific regions like
the lower mainland of British Columbia. Horses
should also be dewormed against bots in the
fall. Heavy infections with bots will rob any
horse of valuable nutrients, and can possibly
lead to perforation of the stomach.
About 4 weeks after the larvicidal treatment,
follow up with a dose of ivermectin or moxidectin.
Just like vaccinations, deworming programs
will be specific to the region in which the horse
resides. After this initial deworming, your vet-
erinarian can help develop a strategic program
that treats the horse based
on fecal egg counts and
exposure risks. By target-
ing the right horse at the
right time with the right
dewormer, you’ll maximize
the efficiency and effec-
tiveness of your deworm-
ing program as well as the
health of your horse.
These are very general-
ized recommendations as
different age groups are
affected by different para-
sites and the yearly cycle of the parasite will
also influence your deworming schedule. It has
been shown that deworming programs are most
effective in the early spring and summer to
keep pasture contamination to a minimum, as
well as this is the time that the encysted small
strongyles make their appearance. Depending
on your location and specific situation, de-
worming in the winter may not be an effective
practice unless the horse arrived at your place
infested. For these reasons, it is very important
that you work closely with your veterinarian.
The Challenge of Winter Care
Canada can experience very harsh winter
conditions. It is not unusual for temperatures
to dip down to -40° C or colder. On the prairies
the wind can make the environmental
conditions even more uncompromising.

A healthy, well conditioned horse will expend

extra energy in order to maintain their body
temperature and stay warm. This energy is
stored in body fat which the horse must stock-
pile before the cold weather hits. Ideally, a
horse with a body condition score of 7 will fare
very well in winter weather with proper feed
management.

A long hair coat is the horse’s other defense Proper nutrition must be provided also. A
against the cold temperatures. Horses with healthy horse will require it’s energy needs to
proper nutrition and health will grow and main- increase by approximately .7% per degree of
tain a good hair coat in the winter months. A temperature below -8° C. A horse in poor body
horse with a good, dry winter hair coat can condition will require even higher amounts.
actually remain quite comfortable in tempera- For cold weather feeding it is best to increase
tures as low as -40°. the roughage in their diet as the fermentation
produces a greater amount of heat during
An animal that is in poor body condition will digestion.
have difficulty staying warm in winter. It will
struggle to not only gain, but maintain its Warm water is also a must for these animals.
current weight. All the energy being consumed Horse will shy away from water that is too cold
will be immediately burned in an attempt to and snow is not an acceptable source of
maintain its body heat. The limited amount of water during the winter. Ideally water should
fat their body may be storing will also be ex- be warmed to 7° - 18° C. (Ohio State
pended on maintaining their body temperature. University)
Poor conditioned animals will have poor hair
coats as they are not be able to grow an
adequate coat to protect themselves against
the winter elements. These factors make
rehabilitating a poor body condition horse very
challenging. The horse must be provided extra
protection in the form of an insulated winter
blanket and shelter from the cold to ensure
their comfort and the excessive expenditure of
energy for body temperature regulation

Facilities must be appropriate to the climatic

conditions of your region. Ideally, the poor
condition horse will be housed out of the
elements in an insulated barn with adequate
ventilation to minimize temperature variance.

At a minimum healthy animals should be

provided a good wind break. A three sided
enclosed shelter is a common housing option
for Canadian horses. The shelters normally face
the south or southeast to protect the animal
from the north and western winds.

Rehabilitating Neglected Horses 13 Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada

Euthanasia
Unfortunately, there will be cases where the
rehabilitation of the horse will be impossible or
the quality of life that the animal will experi-
ence will be diminished. In these cases,
euthanasia will be the most humane option
for the animal.
Factors influencing the decision to euthanize
include:
• constant pain and discomfort
• limited chance for recovery
• financial cost of recovery and/or long term
care
• adverse effect on other horses on the
premises
This is often a difficult decision to make, but
the welfare of the animal must take precedence
at all times. Consult your veterinarian to
assist you in making an informed and
responsible decision.
Euthanasia Options
Euthanasia is the humane termination of the
life of an animal.  It must be performed by
trained individuals using acceptable industry
practices.
Acceptable Industry Practices
For a horse to receive a humane death it must
be rendered immediately insensible (uncon-
scious) and go on to die without regaining
consciousness. Therefore most recommended
methods of euthanasia involve agents that
affect the brain very rapidly.   The point of entry is not between the eyes.
Acceptable:
i. Lethal injection of barbiturate -
Veterinarians ONLY
ii. Gunshot
iii. Penetrating Captive Bolt
Gun Shot
The preferred firearm for humanely shooting
a horse from close range is a shotgun. A 410
gauge with ball or slug cartridge is ideal, how-
ever a larger gauge may be used.
At close range, any weight of shot is accept-
able. The barrel of the firearm should be 3 to 5
centimeters (1-2 inches) from the head if using
a shotgun.
If using a high powered rifle (e.g. .308, .223)
the distance may be increased and still be
effective.
The use of a pistol, by law enforcement officers
or those properly licensed to do so, may be
satisfactory, however permanent complete
brain dysfunction may not be accomplished
with light pistols (e.g. police .38).
If a light pistol, .22 caliber rimfire rifle or a
penetrating captive bolt is used to render the
animal unconscious, the animal’s death must
be assured by a second means such as exsan-
guination (bleeding out).
If using a high powered rifle or pistol, the pro-
jectile may pass through the horse’s head. Thus
the direction of shooting must be considered.
Sporadic reflex muscle spasms may follow
regardless of the loss of consciousness - this
is a normal part of the death process and may
last from a few seconds, up to a few minutes.
Point of Entry
The site for entry of the projectile is slightly
above (approx. 2 cm) the intersection of the
two diagonal lines each running from the
inside corner of the eye to the base of the
opposite ear.

Shooting is a humane method of killing provid-

ed that the shot penetrates the brain and does
significant damage. Knowledge of the anatomy
is essential.

Shooting a horse should only be done by

persons well versed in handling firearms and
licensed to use firearms and only in jurisdic-
tions that allow for firearm use. 

Rehabilitating Neglected Horses 14 Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada

Position of handler for an animal in the
prone position.
This shot is ONLY to be made with a shotgun
using a slug. The point of entry is on the side
of the head, not the frontal part.
Position of handler for an animal standing.
CAUTION: Following shooting, a horse often
makes a forward movement (leaps into the air).
Farm Animal Care in Canada
Neglecting a horse is against the law in Canada
and is punishable under the federal Health of
Animals Act and under provincial Animal
Protection Acts.
If you see or are aware of any animal that is
being abused or neglected it is your responsibil-
ity to immediately report the neglect to
authorities or to your provincial farm animal
help ALERT line.
Call your local SPCA office or provincial farm
animal care group:
Rehabilitating Neglected Horses 15 Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada
Position of handler for an animal in the
lying down position.
In the Trailer
If a horse becomes non-ambulatory during
transit, it is unacceptable to remove the animal
from the trailer.  If the animal must be
euthanized, it is to be done inside the trailer,
unless human safety is at risk.
Confirmation of Death
Death should be verified by:
• Absence of rhythmic breathing
• Cessation of Heartbeat
• Absence of Pulse
• Lack of Corneal Reflex (blinking response)
• To check a Corneal Reflex touch the cornea
(surface of the eye). There should be no
response if the animal is dead.
Verification of the process of death should occur
at 30 seconds and death must be confirmed at
5 minutes.
• Alberta Farm Animal Care
Livestock Care ALERT Line 800-506-2273
• BC Farm Animal Care Council
604-287-3276
• Farm Animal Council Saskatchewan
Farm Stress Line & Livestock Care Service
800-667-4442
• Manitoba Farm Animal Council
Animal Care Line 204-945-8000
• Ontario Farm Animal Council
Farm Animal Helpline 519-837-1326