Monday, March 29, 2021

Getting Started with Rotational Grazing

 



Getting started with rotational grazing is as simple as dividing one pasture into two pastures so you can manage grazing.  It is very important this time of year to wait until the pasture is 6-8 inches in height before you allow grazing.  A good rule of thumb is to take half, leave half and to never allow grazing below 3-4 inches.  Once the horses have grazed a pasture down then you rotate them to the next pasture to allow the first pasture to rest and regrow.  You simply repeat this process throughout the growing season and anytime your pasture is not growing, consider feeding hay in a dry lot to preserve your pasture.  Check out the short video and publication below for more information on rotational grazing.





Monday, March 22, 2021

Should You Rebreed Your Mare on Foal Heat?


About this time every year, as mares foal, mare owners begin to consider rebreeding on foal heat (estrous), rather than waiting for the 30-day estrous.  Wanting to move the birth-date of next year’s foal up a couple of weeks is an option that horsemen have considered for decades. When weanling and yearling halter futurities were popular, early foals were highly desired.  Thoroughbred breeders, especially those breeding for the sales ring, seek early foals as well while racing soundness and success, is less affected by an early birthdate.  If you are considering breeding your mare on foal heat, ask yourself two questions:  1. What do you actually gain by moving the breeding date and resulting foaling date up approximately 3- weeks?  2.  Is there anything to be gained by waiting until the 30-day foal heat?

 

Let’s look at the first question, what do you actually gain by moving the breeding date and resulting foaling date up approximately 3 weeks?  The first answer to this question is actually found in the question itself, by breeding your mare on the foal heat, the foal is born approximately 3 weeks earlier the next year, than it would have been had you waited to breed the mare during the 30-day heat.  Of course, this assumes the mare conceives on either of those heat cycles. 

 

The second advantage to breeding mares on foal heat is that the mare is less likely to return to anestrus (period of reproductive inactivity) following the foal heat.  If the mare does return to anestrus post foaling, it may be 2-3 months before she is physiologically ready to be bred.  So, these are the primary advantages of breeding on foal heat, what are the disadvantages? 


First, comparing mares bred for the first-time, postpartum, on either foal heat or on a 30-day or later heat, mares bred on foal heat have a lower pregnancy rate.  Second, postpartum mares bred on foal heat, lose a greater number of the resulting pregnancies than mares bred on or after the 30-day heat.  This information alone, suggests that waiting to breed mares on the 30-day postpartum estrous, may result in greater reproductive efficiency (pregnancy and then carrying the foal to term).

 

In the week or two after parturition (foaling) occurs, the reproductive tract goes through a period of cleansing and recovery.  The length of time required for post-foaling recovery may be determined by the ease of the foaling process, the level of trauma to the uterus during foaling, and the timely passage of the placenta, among other things.  Therefore, not every mare is a good candidate to be bred on foal heat and even if the mare becomes pregnant off of that breeding, chances of carrying the foal to term are generally less than if the mare were bred on the 30-day or later heat. 

 

If the mare undergoes a normal foaling, the placenta is passed in a timely manner, the mare carries good body weight, and a breeding exam by a veterinarian indicates the reproductive tract has recovered sufficiently, then breeding on foal heat may be a reasonable option.  If the breeding soundness exam indicates the mare could use a week or two of further recovery before breeding, you have little to lose by waiting.  In this situation, if you breed the mare on foal heat and she later loses the pregnancy, you may lose the entire year, only to start over the following breeding season.


                                                                                            Mike Yoder, Ph.D., PAS


 

Monday, March 15, 2021

Will fresh grass make my horse colic or founder?


Foal grazing while lying down.


After a solid week of sunshine and temperatures reaching mid 70's, it certainly feels like spring is just around the corner!  This also means many of us are eagerly anticipating our pastures greening up again.  However, would my horse suffer any negative side effects - such as founder, colic, diarrhea - from grazing pastures full of lush, spring grass?


Well, like so many times when it comes to horses, it depends.


Lush spring growth, for both grasses and legumes, not only has a higher moisture content (75-85%), but is also higher in protein, vitamins, and minerals on a dry matter (DM) basis as opposed to any other time of the year.  Horses have a very delicate microbiome (think probiotics in yogurt) in their cecum that plays a crucial role in their digestion.  If suddenly introduced to fresh pasture, the higher nutrient content can wreak havoc on the microbiome, causing cases of colic and diarrhea.


In addition, early spring pastures are higher in simple sugars and starch.  These are an excellent source of energy, but in large quantities can cause horses with any metabolic disorders, such as Equine Metabolic Syndrome or insulin resistance, to founder.


However, these problems mostly occur if horses have been stalled overwinter without any access to pasture.  Horses are incredibly adaptable and can adjust to changes in pasture quality (i.e. its nutritive value - how much protein, sugar, and minerals it has) over long periods of time.  If your horse was stalled overwinter, or if you know you are concerned your horse has a metabolic disorder, here are a few management practices you can do to help them slowly adjust to fresh pastures:

  1. Restrict grazing time: Allow horses 20 minutes of grazing time the first day out on fresh pasture, then increase grazing time by 5 minutes each day over a 2 week period, or until they have fully adapted to fresh pastures.
  2. Supplement with hay: Before turning horses out, feed hay to help fill their stomachs and prevent overeating.
  3. Avoid grazing early spring pastures altogether: You can avoid problems associated with grazing early spring growth by waiting 4 to 6 weeks - or when the grass is 6 inches tall - before introducing horses to pasture.  It is good practice to still restrict grazing time and supplement with hay if you do this.
  4. Use a grazing muzzle: If your horse is susceptible to founder, but must be turned out on pasture, use a grazing muzzle to limit pasture consumption.
For more information on spring pastures and founder, see our previous article: Spring Pasture, Fructans, and Founder

For more information on how to make sure your pasture is ready for spring, see: Spring Pasture Checklist