Ethogram on horses. Ethogram applied to horses

Just as humans suffer throughout their lives, some injuries of the bones, horses also suffer from it. For this reason, it is very important to have the doctor and, in turn, the appropriate diagnostic equipment to make a proper diagnosis of the injured horse. That is why in this issue we are going to address the aspects related to the ethogram on horses. The purpose, uses, and utilities of this tool as diagnostic support service to the veterinarian who is treating the injured animal.

The Ethogram is one of the benefits of advances in ethology that is responsible for studying the behavior of animals. Therefore, the importance of not only having a good veterinarian who has adequate knowledge regarding the application of an ethogram in horses. Since at a certain time it can mean the difference and save the life of the horse. As well as making a diagnosis and an appropriate treatment. Well, there lies the success with which the horse recovers.

Then we will delve a bit more into what is the Ethogram on horses.

Ethogram Instructions

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Ethogram Concepts

In principle, the ethogram is a complementary tool to the studies of ethology that is part of zoology. This is aimed at studying the behavior of animals and humans from the perspective of biology.

The origin of the term ethogram comes from “ethos” that means habit and gramma means register. Therefore, the ethogram is the written record of the behavior and habits of human beings and animals.

There are two types of ethograms:

The qualitative ethogram contains information related to the habitual behavior of an animal or breed, without being delimited in season of the year or time of investigation.
The quantitative ethogram tells the performance of that animal, during a certain period: analysis time in days, weeks or months, time of year, nomadic phase among others.

Scopes of the Ethogram on horses

As we all know, animals cannot talk, so it is difficult for them to express when they feel some pain or discomfort. This can sometimes complicate the clinical pictures because they do not address them as they should. However thanks to advances in the field of ethology today. There is a way to measure pain in the horse through the measurement of facial expressions.

All this thanks to the Ethogram on horses. Now this is an inventory of facial language that covers the head as well as the ears, eyes, snout, mouth.

The great advantage of the ethogram on horses is that it facilitates the location of an expression of the horse in normal conditions or when it is presenting some type of pain. In addition, it also captures a conflictive behavior or in some cases anxiety. So it is a starting point to apply a therapy with an expert in equine ethology.

The fact that the animals cannot speak has the consequence that they suffer discomfort or pain in silence. So your owner or caregiver will have a hard time noticing this. Well, the Ethogram on horses comes into prominence. In fact, this novel procedure favors the animals since it detects not only the pain but possible diseases in horses.

According to research carried out by “Educacion Veterinaria Equina” (an institution for the dissemination of equine veterinary medicine), it ratifies the scope of the Ethogram in horses. Since if the veterinarian treating the horse performs a correct reading and decoded the ethogram. There you can reflect that he suffers from pains in the musculoskeletal system such as sprain, pain of the back among others.

Training of the veterinarian in relation to the Ethogram on horses

The director of the research, Sue Dyson, director of Orthopedics at the Equine Studies Center of Animal Health Trust, explains that:

“The study confirms that with basic training, veterinary observers can use the consistency horse ethogram as an effective tool to help identify musculoskeletal pain that could reflect lameness, back pain or sacroiliac pain.” Sue Dyson

As we can see, for a veterinarian to have the necessary skills and the skills to apply, read and interpret correctly the result of an Ethogram on horses must be trained. This previous training must be done for a sufficient time, since part of the success of this method falls on the responsibility of the veterinarian.

Since if for some reason makes a reading and misinterpretation results in a diagnosis and a wrong treatment. This in some cases can seriously compromise the health of the horse.

Therefore, the recommendation is that they take their animals to a health center that has the tools and the highly trained and competent personnel to check the horse.

Signals to keep in mind that the horse needs an Ethogram

Equestrian competitions are very common in some countries. For this there are adequate facilities as well as a multidisciplinary staff that ensures that everything is in order.

However, they often overlook how the horse feels. Due to this, sometimes the animal is subjected to arduous training. In addition to the pressure of the competitions and may be having some discomfort or pain.

It is very common for these racehorses or other riding disciplines to suffer pains in both muscles and bones. But this becomes visible when the horse gets tired and does not pay as before.

It can be so significant that the horse probably suffers a limp and therefore its performance descends in a huge way.

This is where your team must activate and perform an Ethogram on horses. Subsequently, depending on the result and the diagnosis, apply the corrective measures.

Ideally in these cases of horses that are equestrian skills is that preventively make an Ethogram on horses. In this way you will be preventing greater evils and the health of your horse will be more strengthened.

On the other hand one of the great advantages of the Ethogram on horses is the inspection of the variation in facial movements.

Indeed the benefits of the Ethogram in horses has the ability to prevent in horses the chronic injuries. This allows the owners and instructors to recognize the pain quickly. Also achieve adequate veterinary attention in horses. In addition, this guarantees the timely veterinary attention of equines.

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Ethogram on horses as a fundamental tool for equine health

Equine ethology plays a fundamental role in what refers to the ethogram on horses. For the veterinarian must have basic notions of the branch of animal ethology. To understand each of the expressions of the body language of the equine.

This will make a correct registration, analysis and interpretation of the results for the proper approach of the animal in a given time. This is the key to preventing injuries and other conditions and the true health and welfare of the horse

The ethogram is applied to multiple animal races in order to study their behaviors and habits. In this way you can learn more about the habits and behaviors of animals.

This can be beneficial not only to determine some pathology in horses. But its field of application is extremely broad.

It is very likely that its use will be applied to endangered species if this would be a great contribution to the animal kingdom. Preventing is better than regretting. Prevent damage to the health of our horses by properly applying the ethograms on horses.