Winter Dehydration

Even in cold winter months, dehydration can occur in horses. Dehydration occurs when horses lose too much water from their body and do not replenish it. Water is lost through urine, feces, sweating and moisture in breath exhaled from the lungs. 

Horses may reduce their water intake levels that can cause significant health problems. It is necessary to have adequate levels of water in the body because water is responsible for essential functions, such as, maintaining normal digestion, proper levels of moisture in feces, normal blood volume and the normal function of sweat glands. 

Insufficient water can cause decreased feed intake and impaction colic.

Decrease feed intake occurs because their is not enough saliva produced to mix with the food. A hydrated horse will produce about 10 gallons of saliva daily to help soften the food mass as it is chewed. Even if quality feed is offered, a horse will consume less if they are not drinking sufficient water. Less feed can mean less energy to tolerate cold weather and weight loss.

Impaction colic can be the most dangerous of the two. Feed material during digestion and fecal matter after digestion must have the appropriate moisture levels. If they become too dry, impaction (intestinal blockage) can occur because the feed material is not moved along the digestive tract in a timely manner.    

Horse owners should watch for the signs of a lethargic horse or decreased feed intake. Encouraging an increase in water consumption can prevent impaction colic.

Tips to encourage water consumption:

• Warm the water. Studies have shown when water was heated, water consumption increased by 40 percent per day.

• Additional salt. Increasing salt content will stimulate a horse to drink more water. A 1000 pound horse should be consuming about 2 ounces of salt per day. 

No matter the season, weather condition, or activity of the horse, good quality water should be provided at all times to prevent dehydration.  

Water and Hay: Critical for Cold Weather

With the brisk temperatures and frequent fluctuations of our North Carolina winter weather, it is always good to remember how critical these changes can be to our equine companions.  If you’ve been in the horse business long enough, you have probably encountered a horse experiencing colic due to temperature changes.  Keeping horses warm and hydrated in the winter, as well as in good body condition can be a challenge.  Key factors in achieving this are providing shelter from the wind and rain, along with plenty of clean water and good hay.  Here are some things to consider as the winter progresses.

Maintaining ample water intake is the most critical part of ensuring the health of your horse during cold weather.  The horse prefers a water temperature of 45-65°F.  Under normal conditions, horses will consume one gallon of water per 100 pounds of body weight per day.  An 1100 pound horse will consume 10-12 gallons of water daily.  But, as water temperature decreases, horses will consume less.  An 1100 pound horse may consume as little as 1-3 gallons of water per day when water temperature is 32°F. 

 Low water intake is directly related to the increased incidence of impaction colic.  Water intake can be encouraged by increasing the amount of forage being fed prior to a drop in temperature.  The resulting increase of dry matter encourages the horse to drink more water.  Concentrate mashes can also be fed during the actual cold period when water temperature is below 45°F.  Feeding 2-3 gallons of hot water mixed in a mash with a textured or pelleted concentrate mix will provide additional water intake.  To avoid gas colic, allow for the mash to sit for 15 minutes. This will permit the feed to expand prior to feeding.  If possible, offer 10 gallons of water (at 65°F or warmer) twice daily.  Break and remove ice from water tubs, making certain to provide water that is available free choice. 

Providing good quality, nutritious hay is another critical aspect to winter management of horses.  This is the time of year where hay supplies can get thin, so planning ahead and purchasing enough hay to get through the winter is critical.  When temperatures get below freezing, winter pasture growth reduces tremendously, and hay is our only forage option.  Horses, along with other grazing animals, need hay to stay warm.  Hay and other forages are digested in the cecum and large intestine of the horse, and this digestion process is the primary source of regulating body temperature. Many horses can maintain their weight through the winter with just an increase in hay consumption.  Those that are harder to keep weight on or older will often need a gradual increase of grain as well. Horses should consume at least 1.5% of their body weight in hay during cold periods.  For example, a mature 1000 pound horse should consume 15-18 pounds per day of hay to meet these temperature needs in cold weather.  It’s important to pay close attention to body condition during these periods, and actually “feel” your horse.  A long hair coat or winter blanket can often cover up thin spots on a horse, so be sure to examine your horse closely and get a feel for where your horse’s ribs, backbone, etc. are and how much fat or “cover” there is over and around them.  If a horse given plenty of hay is having trouble maintaining weight, increasing fat to the concentrate diet may also be helpful.  Many “high fat” feeds are on the market just for this purpose. 

These are just a few tips to help you and your horses get through the brisk winter days that are starting and will be here for awhile. For more information or advice, don’t hesitate to contact your extension agent or veterinarian.

Fall Forage Information

Winter is quickly approaching and if you're like me, you're always late getting your pastures planted. The following is a description of some of the forages planted in North Carolina for winter/fall grazing.  Before planting any seed always make sure you take a soil sample to know the fertilizer recommendations. 

In eastern North Carolina we are blessed to have a great climate to plant a wide variety of forages for the fall/winter months. In our area we can plant Oats, Wheat, Triticale, Rye and Ryegrass, Fescues, Brassicas, Winter Peas and many others. If you are looking at planting triticale make sure you have contacted someone about seed early as there is a shortage of seed for this fall. The seeding rate on triticale is between 100 to 150lbs per acre. Over the years we have seen an increase of producers planting ryegrass which is seeded at 35-40lbs per acre. Ryegrass grows quickly once it is planted and is a great source for producers to turn to during fall and spring months. 

Annual Ryegrass Pasture

There has also been an increase in producers planting mixes, (2 to 7 varieties) of forages together to help build soil health and used as grazing. These mixes have come about through the research done by the Amazing Grazing team at NC State University to promote a different way of thinking about pastures. We all want as much forage per acre to feed our livestock but we also must think about the soil health as well. Such mixes as the Ray’s Crazy Mix have several varieties of seeds that have different root systems to expand the pores of the soil to create less runoff and more nutrients that can enter into the soil. The Ray’s Crazy Mix needs to be planted at a minimum of 40lbs per acre. Fescues also work well in our area and can be planted from September through November depending on weather conditions. 

Any fescue needs to be seeded at 35 to 40lbs per acre. Fescue is suited more for a clay based soil and not a sandy base soil. It is also recommend to mix clover in with your fescue to promote an added nitrogen source to the soil. If you are going to inter-seed a clover the seeding rate would be 4 to 5lbs per acre.  Turnips and radishes are a great source to use for cover crops in our area. Not only do they work well to sustain the soil through the winter months but they also expand the root systems below the surface to increase nutrient intake into the soil. The seeding rate on these is around 14lbs per acre. With so many varieties to plant for our area make sure you talk to your local extension agent to see what would best suit your farm and the goals you have for each forage season. As a final note, talk with your agent to know the fertilizer recommendations to put on these forages to get the best grazing season that you can.

Written By: Jared Harrell

Nutrition and Reproduction

The relationship between nutrition and reproduction has been one of extreme interest to the animal science community.

 

The various gestational stages of the mare necessitate different nutritional requirements. What she eats prior to breeding may not be as important as what she eats when lactating (just an example). It is important to know and understand the differences in physiological status and how to feed accordingly; it is essential in providing proper nutrition for both mare and foal. The mare’s breed, age, stage of pregnancy, and the nutrient content of the feed/forage supplied must be taken into account when determining your proper feeding plan.

Gestation in the horse is approximately 11 months, or 338-345 days from the last breeding date. In the first two trimesters, the foal is not growing much at all. In fact, at month 7 the foal is only about 20% of its birth weight. The mare’s requirements in the first 7 months do not differ much from that of an adult horse at maintenance—about 1.5-2% of body weight, provided as good quality hay. It is important to make sure you don’t overfeed your pregnant mare; overly fat animals, of most species, have an increased rate of birthing difficulty (dystocia).

Late pregnancy, from month 7 to foaling, is the crucial time when you should ensure your mare is getting all the nutrients she needs. The foal is gaining about 0.75-1 lb. per day in this stage of gestation and the mare’s protein and mineral requirements increase dramatically. The energy requirements only increase by about 15% so again, it is important not to overfeed. Concentrated feed—formulated for gestating mares—will usually supply the appropriate increased amount of protein, calcium and phosphorous that she needs. Trace minerals are also necessary to the health of the mare and foal, most of the gestating mare feeds have this added (a “free choice” supplement may also be used).

Lactating mares also have increased requirements for proteins and minerals. She will also need an additional 10-14 lbs. of grain and forage per day. Be sure to increase the grain in her diet gradually over the last few weeks of pregnancy. Grain amounts can be decreased as the foal approaches weaning, approximately 6 months old, since she will no longer be needed for producing milk. 

It is important to have your veterinarian do a nutritional assessment on your mare before every breeding season. This will help you determine what to feed your mare and when, to ensure she has a healthy foal and can be rebred successfully. 

By Stefani Garbacik, Livestock Agent, Wayne County

Stallion Breeding Reports

Attention American Quarter Horse Association Stallion Owners:

Don't forget to submit your stallion breeding report by November 30th to avoid any late fees. It needs to be postmarked by that date or entered on-line.

Forms can be found at: http://www.aqha.com/About/Content-Pages/About-the-Association/Services/Submit-Stallion-Breeding-Reports.aspx