A Plan for Breeding

Now is the most opportune time to be thinking and planning for the breeding season. The first question that should be asked when considering to breed the mare or not is, 'What is going to happen to the foal?' This should be thought out from the very beginning. According to the, Unwanted Horse Coalition there is an estimated 170,000 unwanted horses in the United States therefore this decision should be thought out thoroughly.

After there is a plan established for the foal ask yourself, 'Should I even breed my mare?' There is not a quick and easy answer to this question, but for a horse owner should think about the cost of the initial breeding whether breeding is done naturally or artificially. With both options, it would be a good idea to get a general price range from a veterinarian on the cost of their visits that may occur during the pregnancy and foaling so as a horse owner, you know what to expect in terms of financial limitations.

Also take into consideration there are no certainties with birth, births can and do go wrong occasionally. This is why a thorough pre-breeding evaluation should be preformed by your veterinarian 6-8 months before breeding time. This evaluation will not guarantee the safe deliverly of a foal but can help prevent problems from occurring.

The next thing a horse owner should do is decide on the stallion. A good stallion is important to have therefore it is important to find out all the information about the stallion first. Ask the stallions owner to show proof of previous breeding records or some sort of references. Reproductive traits are important to consider as well as his disposition when deciding. When making the arrangements to have a mare bred naturally, be sure to understand the breeding contract, if one is present. Ask a non-biased, experienced person like your veterinarian to help with understanding the contract.

Decide as a breeding manager when you want the mare to foal and decide if that is critical to your management plan for that individual foal. If you want the mare to be bred earlier than the natural breeding season (May-September) then artificial lighting will be needed. If you decide to breed earlier in the season, consult your veterinarian for advice and assistance.

Overall, it is a big decision to breed a mare or not. Many factors like financial stability of the breeder, is the mare capable of breeding, deciding on the right stallion, knowing the physical boundaries of yourself as a breeder, and the most important factor, what is the purpose of the bringing the foal into the world.

For more information, contact your local equine veterinarian or you can view this article Breeding Your Mare from the University of Minnesota.

Are you over-drugging your horse?

By: Dr. Niki Whitley, NCA&TSU CEP

When easy-to-use, effective horse dewormers were introduced, horse owners were advised to deworm all horses every 8 weeks and to rotate among dewormer classes.  This is a very common recommendation even today.  But is this 40-year-old practice still the best recommendation for horse owners?

Many horse owners are driven by fear when following deworming recommendations and drug companies probably feed into that fear.  However, according to equine parasite expert, Dr. Ray Kaplan, most adult horses will remain quite healthy with much fewer treatments than what is currently recommended (work with your veterinarian to determine your situation).

Why would this issue even come up if horse owners are happy giving the drugs and the horses are healthy?  Well, the same problem that plagues the sheep and goat industry (worm resistance to dewormers) has also been found in the horse industry. 

Resistance of small strongyles to benzimidazoles (Safeguard®, Panacur®, Anthlecide®, Benzelmin®, etc.) is well-known, occurring in over 21 countries, including the U.S.  Over 40% of farms tested in KY had worms that were resistant to benzimidazoles and pyrantel pamoate (such as in Strongid®, Exodus®, Rotectin®, etc.) and some farms showed reduced activity to ivermectin (perhaps an indication of the beginning of resistance).  Other worms have also started showing resistance.

In order to prevent dewormer resistance, many of the same internal parasite management recommendations can be made for horses as for sheep, goats and cattle. Managing pastures and stocking rates is important for all species. Multi-species grazing can help control worms (as long as the species don’t share worms; sheep/goats share worms with each other but not with horses and cattle).  One of the best methods to help control resistance to dewormers is to only treat those animals needing it. Don’t over-drug your horses.

How do you know if a horse needs to be dewormed?  In a population of mature animals, only a very few carry heavy worm burdens and they can really infect the pastures with worm eggs. Dr. Kaplan recommends working with your veterinarian, having fecal egg counts conducted to determine which animals have a problem and concentrate mostly on those animals, using a strategic deworming program.

More information is available from www.thehorse.com in a compilation of 12 articles on internal parasites of the horse called “Bad Bug Basics”.  Always consult your veterinarian if you have concerns about your horses. 

Source:  “Current concepts for parasite control in horses: It ain’t the 60’s anymore”, by Dr. Ray Kaplan (Proceedings of the 27^th Annual Alberta Horse Owners and Breeders Conference, January, 2009). 

Managing Forages for Dry Weather

1. Before dry weather hits:

• Have a good maintenance program for your pastures. Conduct a soil test and follow recommendations though guidance from your Extension Agent for nutrients and lime. Good weather is a great time to manage troublesome weeds. During bad weather those weed problems tend to worsen.
• Organic matter increases soil’s water holding capacity so adding it to soil can help long-term but be mindful of nutrient buildup. When soil pH is too low or high, many nutrients are not available to the plant. Adding nitrogen during drought can be costly and counterproductive. Lime won’t dissolve very quickly without rain.

2. When dry weather hits:

• Don’t graze grass too short – bermudagrass in dry weather is best kept at 3” tall vs. in good weather at 2” tall. Fescue: 6” is optimum, especially if the weather is beginning to get dry. If you allow horses to over-graze, this removes too much of a plant’s reserves and it takes longer for the plant to grow

          back.  Rest periods are especially important, more so during droughts. Just like we need

         extra rest when it’s hot and dry, so do our forages.

  

• According to Liebig’s Law of the Minimum, lack of moisture is the first priority for our crops. If our forages do not have adequate moisture, then worrying about insects and diseases (priority number 7) is not a significant limitation on our forages compared to the other things plants need (Source: Havlin, J. L. et al. 2005. Soil Fertility and Fertilizers, 7^th ed.).

• Check nitrates before feeding and/or cutting for hay. You can take a forage sample before cutting or after hay has been baled. If sampling in the field, randomly snip grasses from the field at mowing height and add these clippings to a gallon-sized ziplock bag. If sampling from the bale, preferably use a hay corer and randomly remove about 20 cores. Mix the hay cores and add to a quart-sized ziplock bag. Submit the samples with proper forms to your Extension Agent for analysis at NCDA & CS Forage Lab. You can also ask the lab for a full analysis. If you do have high nitrates, check with your Extension Agent and talk about where your current levels are. There may be options for using the hay if nitrates are elevated: mixing with another hay to dilute nitrate, add alternative feeds (besides hay), or wrap to ensile hay. Do not turn hungry animals onto high nitrate hay!

• Watch fertilization timing and rate. Sometimes it’s not too much nitrogen; it’s the wrong time. Use your soil test to help determine the proper amount of nitrogen but do not apply nitrogen when plants are experiencing stress due to heat and/or low rainfall.

• Watch for toxic plants! Many plants that are toxic are drought-tolerant, some, such as horsenettle, even keep their green color during drought and may look more attractive than forages. Weigh the pros and cons of weed control methods. Many herbicides are not effective or very effective when soil is very dry, and plants will need adequate rain even when water is applied through spray solution. Sometimes the dryness causes forages to absorb too much of the herbicide and there is more damage to forage than usual. Wait until adequate rainfall for most herbicides. Mowing can give temporary control.

• Follow proper timing and rate for seeding and/or sprigging—for the coastal plain area of North Carolina (except heavy, darker soils), the best dates for seeding bermudagrass are April 1-May 15 but possible dates are March 15-June 7. For sprigging bermudagrass, best dates are March 1-March 31 and possible dates are February 15-April 15 or as late as July if irrigated. Sprigging or seeding later than these dates may increase the chances of dry and/or hot conditions interfering with establishment.

• Often when we experience prolonged dry conditions, seedheads form lower to the soil surface or stunting may occur. Even with adequate rainfall after seedheads have formed, growth could be significantly inhibited. It may be beneficial to graze the grass lightly to encourage regrowth.

3. Recovery Period:

• Once rain finally falls, weeds can grow very fast – be prepared! Know what kinds of weeds you normally have a problem with. A number of weeds can grow extremely fast once they have rain. In fact, pigweed can grow 2 to 5 inches in 3 days or less. Once you know what you have, pick a strategy: mowing, herbicides, and management. Always use herbicides according to the label, at the correct rate. A couple of benefits of herbicides in pastures is to remove undesirable weeds to increase quality and to decrease competitiveness for forage. Weigh the costs and benefits of herbicides closely and consult your Extension Agent.

• Fertilization is affected by when recovery takes place. Don’t over-fertilize right before dormancy of bermudagrass and don’t fertilize fescue in the heat of summer, particularly from April to August. If we are dry during May, June, and July then finally get rainfall in August, fertilize very lightly. Bermudagrass does not need a flush of growth just before dormancy.