Preparing for Winter: Fall Horse Chores

Now that it is officially fall on the calendar (and the weather has been a bit fall-like recently), horse owners should take a bit of time and get busy with preparations for winter.  Of course, that means additional chores to do, so get the lists ready.

There are some items that need attention indoors, and some outdoors, so we’ll cover both sections in turn.   The first item that needs attention is to check the inventory of hay, bedding, and feed. See if there is enough hay and bedding, at least, to get through the winter feeding months.  Since a horse will consume 1.5% to 2.5% of its body weight per day – depending on if it is just lounging around or in early lactation – the horses’ weight can be used to estimate dry matter intake for the total ration.  That can be further refined for the amount of hay needed by subtracting out the pounds of grain fed per day.  For example, let’s say that a gelding weighs 1,100 pounds and is working hard enough to need about 2% of its body weight in the daily ration.  If the horse is used for light or moderate work, 2% is a good number to use.  That translates to 22 pounds of feed in the ration.  If three pounds of grain are fed, then the horse will need about 19 pounds of hay per day.  If 50-pound square bales are used, then one bale will feed the horse for two and a half days.  If the winter feeding period lasts 100 days, then the number of bales needed to get the horse through the winter feeding period can be calculated.  In this case, it will take 38 bales for this one horse.  This calculation can be made for each horse, then totaled.  Make some allowance for those bales that don't weight 50 pounds, or consider buying the hay by the ton and make sure that the loads get weighed.  This keeps the purchase fair for buyer and seller.

If there is not enough storage space, then the horse owner may want to go ahead and contract for hay to be delivered at intervals through the winter and take advantage of lower prices when hay supplies are more plentiful.  The same estimate can be made for bedding needs.  Just figure out how much bedding is needed per day and calculate.

Check the horse’s winter blanket (if blankets are used).  Horses that are shown or clipped to ride through the winter will need to have a good blanket.  Check all the blankets and make any needed repairs.  If one is just too worn, is full of rips and tears, or is just too thin, then consider replacement.

Take a few minutes to spruce up the barn before cold weather sets in.  Replace any old light bulbs, get a new water hose instead of making yet another repair on the old one, or maybe put some fresh gravel around the barn, especially if there are some holes to be filled.  Check any rubber mats to see if they are in good shape.   These tasks are easier to take care of in warmer weather than when an icy wind is blowing.

Make sure that the storage area has the supplies needed for winter work.  Some items might include gloves, ice melt, and other equipment.  Clean the storage area out and reorganize it going into winter weather.  Make sure deicers, water heaters, and any heated water buckets are clean and ready to use.

A grooming vac or blower is a good tool to have handy to dry horses after rain or snow, or after heavy use.  Getting the horse dry quickly can head off respiratory infections or other illnesses.  Getting the wet horse under a dry blanket also helps in these cases even if the horse does not use a blanket most of the time.

Winter calls for the use of rubber buckets (these are good year round).  Plastic buckets tend to break and shatter in cold weather, especially when ice forms and has to be removed.  Rubber buckets can stand a good deal of abuse and still be usable.

Outdoors, get soil samples taken and sent in to plan the next year’s fertility program.  Get any overseeding done, if needed.  Check with your County Extension Agent about varieties of grasses and legumes recommended for your area.

Check the fences and make any needed repairs.  Remove any large branches or tree limbs that may fall on the fence during the winter.  Again, this chore is more easily done without an icy wind blowing or before the horses have escaped through the downed fence.

Take note of any low or wet areas around gates, waterers, or in high traffic areas.  Some preventative work here can prevent ice formation, which in turn leads to skidding and falls of both horses and people.  Avoiding one vet or doctor bill by leveling low areas will more than pay for any gravel needed to fill holes.

Take a look around and make note of anything that might need to be taken care of before temperatures fall for the winter months.  Being a bit proactive on maintenance and winter preparation can save a lot of time and effort later on.

Contact your local Cooperative Extension Agent for more information on any of the topics covered in the NC Horse Blog.  Contact information is available through the Contact Our Writers link on the right side of the page near the top.

Perilla Mint-Potentially Deadly Weed

Perilla Mint is fairly common in some areas of NC. It can be particularly problematic in late summer and early fall when it has developed seeds. It is toxic to all species of livestock. Like many toxic plants, animals usually do not eat Perilla Mint, but if pasture conditions are poor and forage availability is low, animals may become more interested in browsing forbs. Such was the case on a cattle farm in eastern NC recently, when cattle were given access to a shady lot that had not been grazed in several years. There was an abundance of this weed in that area, and the cattle seemed to selectively browse those plants. As a result, 8 head were lost. Necropsy results indicated interstitial pneumonia, consistent with damage caused to the lungs by the toxins in Perilla Mint.








Perilla Mint is a warm-season annual broadleaf plant. There are several identifying characteristics of this plant. One of the most indicative is a square-shaped stem, that is sometimes green but often purple, particularly the lower portions of the stem. Leaves are roughly egg-shaped and coarsely serrated along the margins, and have a strong minty odor when crushed.

Animals affected by Perilla Mint exhibit respiratory distress and are usually reluctant to move. In fact, moving these animals can add to the stress, bringing on death more quickly. Therefore, prevention is key in dealing with this potential toxin. Scout pastures, particularly shaded areas in and near woods for this plant. If it is found in small quantities, the best course of action may be pulling the plants up and removing them from the pasture. In larger quantities, mowing or spraying may be justified. Care should be taken, however, to exclude animals from the area until the plants are thoroughly broken down, as this can increase their curiosity about the plant and could lead them to try it. Contact your Extension Agent for herbicide recommendations for this and other weeds, and always follow label instructions when applying any pesticide.

Because this plant is an annual, if you find it this year you will likely have it again next year. Take note of locations where you find this plant and be ready to initiate control methods next year in late spring or early summer when the plant is easier to control. Take efforts to maintain an adequate supply of desirable forage for animals to decrease the possibility they will browse this or other undesirable plants.

The University of Tennessee has an excellent article on identifying Perilla Mint and managing livestock in those areas. While this article mentions cattle particularly, remember that all animals can be affected.
https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/W135.pdf

 Please remember that any control methods recommended in the linked article are for the state of Tennessee. Please contact your Extension Agent for control methods specific to your state and area.

NCDA&CS stops sale of alfalfa hay potentially adulterated with blister beetles

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TUESDAY, SEPT. 15, 2015

CONTACT: George Ferguson, feed compliance officer

NCDA&CS Food and Drug Protection Division

919-733-7366

NCDA&CS stops sale of alfalfa hay potentially adulterated with blister beetles

Investigation ongoing; horses that ate alfalfa hay containing blister beetles have died

RALEIGH– State officials issued a stop-sale order Monday on alfalfa hay received from Kansas and being sold at Murphy Farm Hay and Feed in Louisburg and Jones Farm Hay and Feed in Middlesex for blister beetle contamination, which can be deadly for horses.

Store owners voluntarily recalled the alfalfa hay when they learned about the possible contamination and are cooperating with feed inspectors from the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to notify any animal owners who may have purchased the alfalfa hay. The hay was delivered from Kansas and sold at the stores during recent weeks.

“Department feed inspectors are conducting tracebacks to determine whether any other feed stores received alfalfa hay from the same source in Kansas,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “While the investigation into this case is ongoing, we wanted to alert animal owners, especially those in the equine community, to this situation.”

Five horse deaths have been attributed to blister beetle poisoning. All five were fed the alfalfa hay that originated in Kansas and was either sold by Murphy Farm Hay and Feed or distributed by Murphy to Jones Farm Hay and Feed. Kansas agriculture officials have not reported a spike in blister beetle toxicity.

Animal owners who bought alfalfa hay from Murphy Farm Hay and Feed or Jones Farm Hay and Feed are encouraged to stop using it immediately and return it to the location where purchased.

Blister beetles contain a poisonous substance called cantharidin. Cattle, goats, sheep and horses may be affected, with horses being more affected by the toxin than ruminants. Feed affected by the toxin may or may not have visible beetles in it. Horse owners should monitor their animals and contact their veterinarian if any of these signs are observed: inflammation, colic, straining, elevated temperature, depression, blood in the urine, increased heart rate and respiration, dehydration, sweating, diarrhea and death.

NCDA&CS Public Affairs Division, Brian Long, Director

Mailing Address:1001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC 27699-1001

Physical Address: 2 West Edenton Street, Raleigh NC 27601

Phone: (919) 707-3001; FAX: (919) 733-5047

Preventing Fall and Winter Colic

Although I’m sure most of you are looking forward to fall; cooler weather, football and pumpkin spice everything, this time of year can be risky for the gastrointestinal health of our pasture pals.  Cool weather often signals an increased occurrence of colic, but we can decrease the incidence by paying close attention to our management practices.

One of the most common causes of fall and winter colic is an abrupt change in diet.  Even horse pastures that are fortunate enough to be able to grow a good stand of cool season grasses, such as Fescue or Ryegrass, typically have to feed hay at some point in the cool months.  This change in diet, increase in dry matter and natural decrease in water consumption during the cooler months can create issues in a horse’s naturally sensitive digestive tract.

Some tips for preventing hay/water related colic:

• Make the transition from grass to hay gradually-try giving at least a two week period of adjustment to new forage before making a complete switch.

• Have fresh, thawed water available at all times-this can be difficult during the coldest months when water is prone to freeze overnight, but using a heated water bucket can help.

• Regularly check pastures for poisonous plants-when grass becomes scarce horses can begin to nibble on things that wouldn’t normally appeal to them.  Keep an eye out for pokeweed, horse nettle, black nightshade and bracken ferns, all of which can cause physiological distress in livestock.

          Cherry and maple trees are also at their most toxic (and most palatable) when the leaves begin to change color.  

          

                Pictured (From top to bottom):  Pokeweed, horse nettle, bracken fern

• Monitor hydration-all animals, humans included, drink less in the cooler months when water is not being lost to perspiration.  When animals decrease drinking enough for dehydration to ensue, however, it can cause major issues, specifically impaction colic in horses.  Using the skin tent test on your horse’s shoulder is a great way to assess hydration status.  If tented skin is slow to go back to flat, this is an indicator of dehydration and extra water should be added to ration and/or hay should be soaked prior to feeding.

            Pictured: Skin tenting to help determine hydration status

Another way to prevent fall and winter colic is to make sure your horse’s gut is in top notch condition at the beginning of the season by following a good parasite prevention program.  A fecal egg count will give you the best indication of whether your horse needs to be dewormed and what to use.  A veterinarian or your local livestock extension agent can help you with this.  Although dewormers are important and have their place, using good sanitation practices is one of the best ways to keep the intestinal parasite population to a minimum on your farm.  Removing manure piles and keeping the proper stocking rate in your pastures are two of the main practices that will help you with this.

With good management practices, a watchful eye and a little luck you and your hooved companion hopefully can make it through the upcoming fall and winter seasons with little complications!

Getting prepared: Fall/Winter Nutrition

As fall approaches with winter soon to follow, horse owners should be thinking about their horses' diet and meeting nutritional needs in the cooler months. There are a number of different options to ensure that the needs are met. Overseeding pastures,  hay, concentrates and supplements or sometimes a combination of all three will work to ensure your horse is getting what they need.

The least cost method is likely putting them on pasture. During the cooler months, warm-season grass will go dormant and overseeding the pasture with a winter annual may be an option to allow for winter grazing. Rye, Ryegrass, Oats, and Wheat are common to plant and are usually planted during August through mid-September depending on the geographical region. There are other varieties of plants that can be planted. Determining the needs for your operation and what you expect of your forage will be the deciding factor in what to plant.

Supplementing hay can also help meet the needs of your horse. Good quality hay is essential. The best way to ensure that you are feeding quality hay is to have it analyzed. The NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) will analyze forage samples for $10.

Feeding concentrates and supplements in addition to hay is also a possibility. Concentrates mostly refer to cereal grains. Most commercially manufactured concentrates have the essential vitamins and minerals, but plain concentrates lack vitamins and minerals so adding supplements that contain vitamins and minerals can also be done and fed together.

The current body condition and age of the horse, quality of the pasture/hay, and if feeding concentrates will determine the amount to feed. The take-home message is to assess your goals and make a decision that would be most suitable to meet those goals and your horses' needs. Talk to your local extension agent to help you make the best decisions for your program.

Dealing with Ticks

Living in the southeast, I suspect all of us have had to deal with ticks from time to time.  If you haven’t, count your blessings!  Most of the time we think of tick control for our dogs and cats, but unfortunately ticks will also often hassle our equine companions, and for those that trail ride or even seek out a shady spot with their horse on these sweltering days, both horse and rider can be in danger.  While living on their host and feeding on our blood, ticks can transmit nasty germs that cause diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease, which can both cause serious problems for the rider.  In addition to the rider, ticks can be a nasty nuisance to our horses.  As with us all, some horses tend to be more sensitive than others, and some will develop nasty wounds from tick bites.  On my own horse I wondered and worried summer after summer what kind of nasty fly was causing the welts and wounds after a bite, until I asked my veterinarian one day and was surprised to find out it wasn’t a fly bite at all, but a reaction to a tick bite. 

So what is the best method of tick prevention and control?  First, it’s best to avoid frequenting heavily wooded areas if at all possible.  Mowing of weeds and tall grasses in pastures and around the barn area is also critical.  Not only will mowing take away the habitat and environment ticks like to live, but it will also minimize the chances for encounters with snakes!  Insect repellents and pesticides are helpful too, both for us and our horses.  Those containing DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) are very effective at controlling tick, as well as other pesky insects such as mosquitoes and flies, and let’s not forget fire ants we might pick up in the pasture or anywhere on the farm or trail.  Fly control products labeled for use on horses and livestock may also help prevent tick bites,  popular products for ticks in particular are the “spot-on” type insecticides available at most farm and feed stores.  These often last up to two weeks and are very convenient in situations where horses are continuously outside or at times where daily applications of fly spray may not be an option.  Spot on products not only help control ticks, but also other flying insects such as gnats, mosquitoes and flies.  In addition to insecticide application on the animal, heavily infested areas or areas near woods can also be treated with ground application of liquid or granular pesticides, such as Sevin (carbaryl).  Remember when using granular products to do so before a rain event or water the granules enough that the pesticide will be released.  

Here are some other interesting facts to know about ticks:  They are most active in spring, summer and fall, but sometimes even winter.  If a tick has not found a host to feed on by fall, most will move into a sheltered location and become inactive until the next spring. A ticks mouth parts are barbed and it produces a glue-like substance to help hold onto the host once bitten.  A female tick usually feeds 8-12 days until full and can increase her weight by 100 times!  Eggs of a female tick found in crevices or a pile of leaves will hatch within two weeks, and the female can produce thousands of eggs.  The complete life cycle of the tick varies by species, but can be from just a few months or up to two years.  

Recommendations for the use of chemicals are included in this article as a convenience to the reader.  The use of brand names and any mention or listing of commercial products or services in this publication does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension nor discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned.  Individuals who use chemicals are responsible for ensuring that the intended use complies with current regulations and conforms to the product label.  Be sure to obtain current information about usage and examine a current product label before applying any chemical.  For assistance, contact the North Carolina Cooperative Extension office in your county. 

Written by Eileen A. Coite, Sampson County Extension Director