Steps to Minimize Weeds in Horse Pastures

The biggest challenge to pasture management is weed control.  Weeds are persistent, seed prolifically, and can spread very quickly.  In general, weeds are less palatable, less nutritious, and lower yielding than the recommended grass species.  Some weeds present in grass pastures are also toxic to our equine friends.  Poisonous plants such as wild cherry, common milkweed, horsenettle, and black nightshade can be harmful, sometimes deadly if consumed.  For more information on plants poisonous to livestock in NC visit: http://harvest.cals.ncsu.edu/applications/plant_biology/poisonous/

Horsenettle

So, what can you do to minimize weeds from taking over your horse pasture?  Here are a few suggestions that can be incorporated into your pasture management plan.

1.   Avoid Overgrazing- Make sure you are correctly stocking your pasture with the number of horses it can support (trial and error is the best way to determine this number).  Anytime you overstock you are weakening your forage and giving weeds an opportunity to move into any bare spots.

2.      Soil Testing Every 2-3 Years- This is the trick to maintaining optimal nutritional levels that the grass in your pasture needs to be viable.  See your local Extension agent for more information and to obtain soil testing boxes.  When you get your results back, your Extension agent will be happy to help you understand what your pasture may need: phosphorous, lime, potassium, etc.

3.      Resting Pastures- This can be done through rotational grazing.  If horses are always turned out on the same pasture every day with no rest, that is a lot of pressure on the grass to perform all year long.  Some NC pastures are cool-season and some are warm-season, each having an off-season.  Therefore, your horses can do serious damage in the off-season.  If you only have one pasture, consider dividing it in half and resting one side at a time.  You can also develop a dry lot so your horses can spend so many hours off the pasture.  During the rest period you can mow, fertilize, and spray for weeds.

A drylot like the one shown above is a great place
for the horses to go while the pasture is on rest.

Thick, well established forage will win against weeds.  However, you have to be a good pasture manager in order for this to happen.  Weeds can be brought into your pastures in a variety of ways including: birds, air, clothing, equipment, etc.  It is best to have an Extension agent or someone familiar with weed identification to help you to identify the weed(s) you are dealing with to take the best approach in controlling it.

For more information please visit: http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/horse/pasture/grass-pasture-weed-control/

Body Condition Scoring App

Body condition scoring or BCS is a necessary tool for horse owners to learn. Estimating body condition, which is how much fat the horse has on its body, is very important to help maintain a healthy weight.  It is very useful to determine the overall well being of your horse.  You can watch some very informative videos to learn how to body condition score at this link:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS_j7MIcs2AE9of8ZJGrD4B-CiLvcSJjW  

It is easiest to learn how to body condition score with a large herd of horses with various body conditions.  You can then pick out the fattest one in the herd and the thinnest one in the herd and start comparing the others in between.  Although looking at pictures and animals themselves is useful to learn, you must feel the different parts of the horse to really master how to do it properly.  

There is a new application that you can use on your phone or computer to track and record the body condition score of all your horses.  You can view a video to learn how the application works at this link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThO-tZ9MEWY  The application is very useful to horse owners, horse business owners, and even law enforcement for neglect cases.  It will teach you how to body condition score the different areas of the horse as well as allow you to take a picture of each horse and store it for future reference.  You may download the application to your phone or computer by going to this link:  http://www.extension.org/pages/71173/body-condition-scoring-apps-for-horses#.VVnxFVVVikr

Horse Hoof Care

It has always been said that everyone needs a good foundation; horses are no exception. Taking care of your horses hooves is very important for their overall health and soundness. In this article, we will talk about how to take preventative measures to keep your horses hooves healthy.

Extremely overgrown hooves. This is a major health and soundness issue for this horse.

 Source: www.yourhorse.co.uk

Trimming is the most important management practice you can do to maintain healthy hooves. This prevents cracks in the hooves, as well as prevents the hooves from breaking off at the hoof wall, which can cause lameness. Other additional advantages to hoof trimming on a regular basis are establishing correct length, balance, and hoof angle. Also, your horse will be safer to ride because their feet will be in good shape meaning they will be less likely to fall or stumble. Preventative care is always best. Trimming should be done every 4-8 weeks dependent on your horse and should be done as closely as possible to the horse's natural state of their hooves.

Does my horse need shoes?

There are many variables to consider when determining if your horse should be shod or simply trimmed:

• health of the hoof
• use of the horse
• desired traction
• confirmation defects
• diseases and / or injuries
  

Always select shoes (if your horse needs to be shod) that will coincide with the type of work the horse will be performing as well as the type of surface the horse will be on. 

Start hoof care at a young age to ensure proper hoof care. This helps foster proper bone growth in the limbs and hooves, as well as gets your foal used to having their feet handled. Find a farrier that can help you keep your horses hooves healthy. Always consult your veterinarian if your horse has any hoof issues not easily fixed by your farrier. You can also contact your local Cooperative Extension office for guidance and direction on hoof care. 

View the original article in full here.

Parts of the Hoof

Source for this picture as well as the article as a whole:  http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/an033

Protecting Your Wood

There are many reasons why horses chew wood, like being confined to small spaces for long periods of time which leads to boredom. Wood chewing can become expensive when it comes to replacing ruined boards as well as potential health problems like excessive wear of the upper incisors, splinter damage to oral parts, and colic associated with the ingestion of wood fragments. There are many chemical products out there that can help deter a horse from chewing the wood. When choosing a solution to this bad habit, it is important to do your research and make sure you are getting a product that is safe for your horse.

One solution that does not involve any chemicals and that is safe and cost effective is covering the surface with a material that will not splinter or wear the teeth down.  Using rubber or chicken wire on the boards will prevent the horse from chewing the wood directly. The horse will not like the way the chicken wire feels under its teeth and should quit trying to chew the wood. Make sure that the rubber or chicken wire is secured tightly so the horse cannot pull it off the wood you are trying to protect.

Wood chewing could also be a result of an unbalanced or inadequate diet. Increasing the amount of long-stemmed forage (hay or pasture) available, reducing the amount of grain in the diet, offering multiple types of forage (such as adding hay cubes), and feeding more, small meals per day are possible solutions for a horse that chews wood.

If you are having a hard time breaking your horse’s bad habit of wood chewing, try some of these solutions.

Using Cooled or Frozen Semen in Equine AI Programs

According to the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), using advanced technologies such as cooled or frozen semen, embryo transfer, and gamete inter fallopian tube transfer (GIFT) has given horse breeders a wide range of choices and freedoms when deciding which stallion to use with a particular mare.  These technologies are not new, but have been slower to be adopted and used in the equine industry due to a lower tolerance of equine semen to the processes of cooling or freezing and thawing than some other species.  However, using a form of artificial insemination certainly opens to door to a lot more options than using the tried and true traditional method of shipping mares all over the country for boarding and exposure to a certain stallion.  It also extends the season for a stallion, which can be interrupted due to other obligations such as shows or races.

Cooled semen is semen that has been collected, had an extender added, and was cooled to a temperature of 4-6 degrees Celsius (39 – 43 degrees F).  This semen can be kept for up to 72 hours and still be viable for use with a mare.  During that 72 hours, the semen is usually shipped using a special container that keeps the temperature constant.  Using cooled semen will result in a higher pregnancy rate than when using frozen semen – IF all the protocols are followed to the letter.  Taking short cuts in the procedure results in a lower success rate and fewer foals.  The AAEP has a list of considerations that need to be addressed before attempting to use the cooled semen process.

The advantages of using the cooled semen process include:

·      The location of the stallion is not really critical.

·      Avoids the cost, stress, and danger of shipment for the mare and foal.

·      Avoids the risk of exposure to contagious diseases at the boarding and breeding facilities.

·      Increases the ability to select a stallion with the desired pedigree and/or performance records.

Disadvantages are:

             ·      Some stallions having acceptable fertility using fresh semen will not maintain that level of fertility when their semen is cooled and shipped.

             ·      More sperm is necessary for good pregnancy rates when compared to using fresh semen for AI.

             ·      Good mare management is crucial for an acceptable pregnancy rate.
       ·      Costs of equipment, supplies, semen, semen transport, and veterinary costs can offset any savings.

Generally, pregnancy rates for a given stallion run 5 to 10 percent lower using cooled, shipped semen rather than fresh semen.  The range of fertility results runs from 0% to 70%.  This wide variation points out the necessity of good management and quality control in the process of using cooled, shipped semen for breeding mares.

The advantages and disadvantages of using frozen semen are similar to those associated with using cooled semen for breeding.  One additional advantage is that once frozen, the sperm can remain viable for a long time, so the timing of breeding can be more flexible.  

Some disadvantages (other than getting access to liquid nitrogen) of using frozen semen include an even lower conception rate (though success rates of around 60% have been reported) and the discrepancy/distinction between using a dose of semen for a breeding session versus using a straw of semen.  Depending on how the semen is processed and frozen, a single straw will likely not contain enough viable semen.  A dose can be up to eight straws, again depending on how they were processed.  Consider the costs associated with the dose required for best results rather than just the cost of a straw of semen.  

Horse owners considering one of these forms of AI should visit with their veterinarian to ensure that the necessary arrangements and details can be satisfied.   There is also more information available through AAEP.

Breeding Horse Hygiene

 When it comes to breeding, clean horses are very important. In particular, the hygiene of your stallion can “make or break” the success of your breeding program. I will cover the basics of female and male hygiene as it pertains to breeding.

Female:

            A major cause of failure to breed in female horses is persistent post-breeding endometriosis (PPBM). This inflammation is caused by the deposition of semen, bacteria and debris into the horse; in normal cases, this is reduced and/or gone by 48 hours after natural cover. In other situations, the female remains inflamed and problems arise (embryonic death, failure to conceive, etc). Minimizing contamination is important…utilizing proper hygiene can help with the prevention of PPBM. Bandaging the mare’s tail, and cleaning the vulva and perineal area with sterile water contribute to proper hygiene. Some studs will clip the top of the tail which may be more hygienic than simply bandaging the tail.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srZhtfLFVFg

Male:

            The most important upkeep of your stallion for breeding purposes, other than making sure he is physically able to mount and ejaculate, is the cleaning of his sheath. In fact, whether the horse is a gelding or a stallion, the sheath should be cleaned periodically. A dirty sheath can lead to infection and urinary problems. Prior to breeding, the penis should be rinsed with clean water (no soap), including the urethral diverticulum. The external genitalia should be cleaned with a bucket, and that bucket cleaned between stallions in a stud, to prevent transfer of possible diseases.

http://www.thehorse.com/videos/30323/sheath-cleaning-for-male-horses-how-to

It's important to have clean, healthy animals before breeding. This can help ensure diseases are not spread between animals or herds, and increases your chances of a health foal!

             

            

Feeding Your Horse

I'm sure this article has already been linked to this site numerous times but it is an excellent read for horse owners.  I  encourage everyone to look at their pastures strive to increase the yield of the forage to reduce the need for additional, often very costly, hay.  Remember that you are not only a horse owner but you are a hay farmer as well!

Look at the growth seasons of the grasses (Page 8) if you are thinking about changing the forage species that you currently have.  Winter over-seeding is also an option to help you gain forage supply year round.

http://content.ces.ncsu.edu/managing-pastures-to-feed-your-horse.pdf