This year, we've had an abundance of rain and grass in many pastures. Because of this, some horse owners could or may be experiencing overweight horses, and possibly concerns with EMS, or Equine Metabolic Syndrome. The following MSU Fact Sheet is outstanding at explaining this condition and how it could affect our horses, and tips for how we can manage through this condition. Remember to always consult your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment of any health condition.
The horse industry in all fashions have taken a hit because of Covid-19. Many horseshows cancelled, trail locations closed, and boarding facilities under stricter regulations have horse owners “biting at the bit” (pun intended) to get back in the saddle. However, horse owners should take precautions to protect themselves and their horses. Below are some tips for practicing biosecurity during a pandemic at either horse shows, trail riding locations, barns, etc.
According to the CDC, there has been no report of horses being infected with the SARS-coV-2, virus that causes Covid-19. However, biosecurity measures should be in place to prevent the spread of other potential equine diseases.
· Horses should not be co-mingled. One carrier animal can potentially infect not only the other horses at the event, but those pathogens can be taken home and shared with the rest of the horses at the home farm if precautions are not taken.
· Be sure that the trailer used to haul the horses is clean, as well as equipment and tack.
· Talk to your veterinarian about any concerns of horse health, make sure the vaccinations are up to date, discuss any disease concerns in the area(s) to be travelled through, and any other health concerns.
· Don’t share tack, grooming supplies, feed pans, or water buckets. Most equine diseases are spread by direct contact. Direct contact not only includes nose-to-nose contact, but contact with surfaces that may have gotten saliva, respiratory secretions, or manure contamination from an infected horse.
· Keep the area clean around your horses. Fully clean and disinfect any stalls to be used before putting your horses in. Do this even if the event host has already promised that the stalls were cleaned and disinfected.
· Keep an eye on your horses for any sign of illness. Check for fever, and keep track of feed and water intake while away from home.
· When returning from an equine event, isolate the horse that has traveled for at least a week. Monitor for any symptoms, like fever, off-feed, etc. If symptoms are seen, veterinary care can be given.
· Clean and disinfect the trailer, tack, and equipment when returning from events.
· Keep your horse’s stress level as low as possible. Stress can cause the
horse’s immune system to become compromised. Continue a familiar feeding regimen to keep your horse on schedule to avoid stress and colic. If your horse is not used to being in a stall and gets stressed when they are in one, taking them out frequently and hand-walking them can help decrease their stress level.
The CDC recommends these tips below for persons organizing livestock shows:
· Split classes to limit the number of animals in the show ring.
· Limit the number of people and/or animals in a ring to ensure that at least 6 feet is kept between an animal and its handler and other people and animals including judges. The number of exhibitors and animals that can safely fit in a show ring or exhibit area may limit the number of animals that can be shown at one time.
· Provide separate entry and exit points for visitors so they do not need to pass close together while coming into and going out of the ring.
· Stagger activities in washing and grooming areas, or other shared spaces, so that animals from different farms or households do not interact unnecessarily.
· Stagger animal move-in/move-out times to reduce contact between people and animals.
· Consider a “show-and-go” with animals stalled at a trailer and leaving immediately after the show if this will not compromise animal welfare, for example, because of weather conditions such as high temperature and humidity.
Lastly, horse owners should take precautions to protect not only their horses, but themselves. The CDC recommends that persons should
· Wash their hands frequently for at least 20 seconds with soap and water
· Use a hand sanitizer that has at least 60% alcohol
· Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
· Avoid close contact with other persons
· Maintain at least 6 feet
· Cover your nose and mouth with a mask
· Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces
· Monitor your health daily for symptoms
If you have any questions about biosecurity for horses, please contact your local extension agent. Happy riding!!
Article written by Taylor Chavis, Livestock Agent in Robeson County.
As the summer comes to an end, our warm season pastures, such as bermudagrass and bahiagrass, will begin declining in both production and quality. This is the time of year when horse owners should begin stocking up on hay to feed through the fall and winter months while pastures are dormant. Although it is a large bill to front, buying all your horse’s hay now is typically cheaper than waiting until November or December to buy hay that has been stored in a barn and when hay supply is getting low. Some hay producers will often sell at a discounted rate if you buy bales straight out of the field. I would consider this a benefit for both a producer and customer since labor is reduced (accumulating bales, stacking them on a trailer, and unloading into a hay barn or shed is labor intensive) and customers can usually get a dollar to two discount per square bale.
There are several things to consider when stocking up on hay for winter feeding. First, how much hay does your horse consume per day, specifically when there is little standing forage available in the pasture? Horses vary on how much they eat but a good rule of thumb is 2 percent of their body weight per day. Multiplying 2 percent by your horse’s weight will give you their daily intake. For example, a 1000-pound horse will consume about 20 pounds of hay per day. Again, this may fluctuate but 2 percent is a good starting point.
Next, multiply daily intake, 20 pounds in this example, by the average number of days you feed until pasture green-up. Let’s say your pastures are dormant from November to April. That’s roughly 150 days multiplied by 20 pounds. In this scenario, total forage consumption for the winter is around 3,000 pounds per horse. Research has shown that around 5 percent of hay purchased will not make it to your horse's mouth so let's take that loss into account. You will lose around 150 pounds of the 3,000 pounds which brings our total to 3,150 pounds to compensate.
Now, how many bales does that translate into? Both large round bales and small square bales vary in their density which affects their weight. Finding a hay producer with consistent bales is very important in estimating how many you will need. Let’s assume you feed square bales and they average 50 pounds. Take your total hay needed for the winter (3,150 lbs) and divide by average bale weight (50 lbs). Your horse will need 63 square bales to get through the winter.
After you calculate how much hay your horse needs, you also need to think about storage space. Hay should be stored out of the weather. Bales that get rained on become a great environment for molds to develop which can adversely affect your horse so make sure you have the room to keep them dry. Nutrition quality also drops as hay is exposed to the elements throughout the winter. Generally, square bales are easier to store in smaller areas such as an empty stall. A 12-foot by 12-foot stall with an 8 -foot roof should hold around 90 square bales, depending on how you stack them. If you have several horses and need to feed round bales, they can be set on wood pallets and covered with tarps to keep the moisture out.
If you have the storage capacity, purchasing all your hay before supply runs low in the winter is a good practice to keep feed costs down. Always remember that all hay is not created equal so consider having your hay tested for nutrient content to ensure your horse’s nutrition requirements are being met. If you have any questions about horse nutrition or forages please contact your local Extension office.
The dog days of summer are upon us which bring heavy morning dews on the grass in our pastures and this dampness is prime for the development of pastern dermatitis in our horses. Pastern dermatitis, also known as scratches, dew poisoning, or mud fever, is caused by a bacteria or fungi or the combination of both and can be difficult and painful to deal with. Scabs or crusty lesions form on the heels and pasterns and can sometimes go unnoticed until the horse begins to stock up. While more regularly seen on white legs, it can affect horses with dark legs as well but is not as easily noticed without regular inspection.
Prevention is ideal, but
many horses develop dew poisoning “overnight” and we then have to focus on a treatment
plan. First, clip the area to remove the excess hair, but do not shave down completely
down to the skin. Wash the affected areas well with a medicated (antibacterial
or antifungal) shampoo and allow to set for about ten minutes before
rinsing. Gently massage off the scabs
that have been loosened, taking care not to pull or tear any stubborn scabs
off. Dry the area well and apply an ointment with anti-bacterial or anti-fungal
properties that will help the healing process. Zinc-oxide based ointments will
help to soften the remaining scabs and protect the area from dampness when the
horse is turned back out.
In mild cases where
treatment begins in the early stages and is consistently followed-through with,
the condition should completely clear in a week or two. For more severe cases where cellulitis
develops in the legs or lameness occurs, a more intensive treatment plan that
includes systemic antibiotics may be required.
As with any health issue, having a strong client-patient relationship with
your veterinarian is important in order to create the most effective plan of
treatment when problems do arise.
References:
https://thehorse.com/14634/dew-poisoningscratches/
When it comes to developing a feeding program for your horse always keep in mind that high quality forage (pasture + hay) should always come first. To answer the title to this blog post you first need to know the nutritional requirements of the horse in question. Nutritional requirements are based on several factors including:
How do you know if your forage is high quality and meeting your horse’s nutritional requirements? The best way to know what you are feeding is through a forage test. You can test fresh forage (pasture) and you can also test hay for nutritional value. Then, you have a basis for your horse’s feeding program and can go from there if you need to supplement. As you can see from the charts below, high quality forage can go a long way in meeting nutritional requirements:
Chart by: Dr. Paul Siciliano, NCSU
Chart by: Dr. Paul Siciliano, NCSU
Lastly, don’t forget the minerals! All horse feeding programs need mineral supplementation year-round, especially trace minerals.
In summary, try to maximize high quality forages as
much as possible to ensure a healthy gut and avoid unnecessary supplementation. Not only will this save you time in feeding
but also money! Whenever forages do not
meet nutritional requirements that is when you need to feed a supplement,
usually in the form of grain.
For more information about feeding horses check out this
article.
