Keeping Your Horse Healthy While Traveling

‘Tis the season for horse shows and trail rides! As the weather warms up more and more horse
owners will be traveling and coming into contact with new places and horses. It is important to follow
some simple guidelines to ensure that your horses stay healthy when traveling.

When horses travel, they come into contact with new surroundings and new horses increasing their
risk of getting an infectious disease. Making sure your horse is up-to-date on their vaccinations and
following a good biosecurity plan can help keep your horse healthy throughout the show and trail
riding season. It is recommended that horses get vaccinated at least 30 days prior to traveling to
ensure they have had enough time to process the vaccines and mount a good immune response.
Horses should get their core vaccines, including Eastern and Western equine encephalomyelitis,
rabies, tetanus, and West Nile virus. Your veterinarian may recommend additional vaccines based on
your geographic location and where you plan to travel. Additional vaccines include equine influenza,
equine herpesvirus, and strangles to name a few.

Having a biosecurity plan means you are taking steps that are intended to protect your horses against
disease or harmful biological agents. It provides another layer of protection for your horse when they
travel to new places and are around new horses. Here are some recommendations that can be
incorporated into your biosecurity plan.

• Use your own equipment - especially buckets! Clean and disinfect your buckets and any other

  pieces of equipment (water hose, muck bucket, pitchfork, etc.) used when away when you get

home from traveling before putting them away or using them on your farm. This will help make sure

you are not introducing anything onto your farm that you may have picked up while traveling.

• Do not let other horses drink from your buckets.
• Do not get water from a communal water hose. Use a water hose or spigot to collect water or

bring your own. If you do use a water hose or spigot that is not yours, keep the hose nozzle

above the water level and don’t let the nozzle touch the water or sides of the bucket.

• Make sure the stall is clean of any organic material, such as manure, from the previous stall

occupant. You can also spray the stall with a mild disinfectant before allowing your horse to enter.

• Avoid nose-to-nose contact with other horses. The equine herpes virus and strangles virus can

be transmitted during contact. Humans should also avoid contact with other horses because they can

transmit diseases back to their horses.

• Be cautious in communal grazing areas as well because bacteria and parasites can live outside

of the host. Be especially cautious around other horses’ manure as that can be a source for parasites.

Another tip while traveling is to 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.  

You love our horses and traveling with them. It is important to take steps that will keep them healthy as
you go on your adventures. If you have more questions on this topic or any others you can always
contact your local Extension Agent.

A "New" Approach to Reproduction Issues in Horses

Reproduction issues in horses can be particularly frustrating, especially when it’s top genetics you are working with. The purpose of this article is to briefly touch on the use of acupuncture for reproductive issues and make equine owners aware of options available to them. Research looks at the use of acupuncture in treating reproduction failures in both mares and stallions with great success. Acupuncture originates from traditional Chinese medicine and is defined as the use of needles on specific locations on the body for the treatment of certain conditions. Researchers have discovered over 300 acupuncture points on the horse.

So what is acupuncture? Acupuncture comes in many forms from tiny needles to laser therapy to even injections of vitamins; all focusing on those specific points on the animal. The contemporary form of acupuncture is the insertion of a needle through the skin of the horse at specific, predetermined spot (acupuncture point) for the treatment of many problems from pain, to disease and even reproductive issues.  With the advances in neuroscience, researchers are able to observe the direct therapeutic response of needle insertion. The basis of acupuncture is when the needle is inserted it results in an inflammatory response that subsequently increases blood flow, muscle and tissue relaxation; this is a direct result of an immune response.  Producers should note that the insertion of the needles cause little to no discomfort to the horse and that all cases are different and therefore a veterinarian should perform an examination prior to deciding what target areas to address.

One might be wondering what specific reproduction issues are treated and the answer is most of them including but not limited to cystic ovaries, retained CL, silent heats, false pregnancies, retained placentas, impotence of the stallion, uterine prolapses and even act as a tool for abortion prevention as it relates to the mare’s inability to carry full-term. The main focus behind reproductive acupuncture treatment is that it is being utilized to treat abnormally functioning reproductive tissue by causing a direct neurological response.

Various Forms of Acupuncture Used Today:

·      Dry Needling

o   Needle insertion into skin

·      Aquapuncture

o   Injection of fluid

§  Fluids can include B12 as well as other medications and vitamins

·      Electrostimulation/Electroacupuncture

o   Use of electrodes à attach to the acupuncture needles

·      Moxibustion

o   Burning herbs used on acupuncture point

·      Hemoacupuncture

o   Bleeding of a specific acupuncture point à similar to having your finger pricked

·      Cold Laser IR Stimulator 

o   Use of lasers or Infra-red stimulators on specific acupuncture points

When considering the use of acupuncture, it is extremely important to consult with your veterinarian. The uses of acupuncture and research backing are almost limitless in not just reproductive issues but also other health problems.

Recommendations to Manage Grazing in Horses

The scope of this article is confined more to grazing considerations than forage management practices such a forage specie selection, fertilization, weed control, and mowing.  Several recommendations for managing grazing of horses are provided below.

• The goal of forage management is to maintain the desired supply of digestible forage to grazing horses. Mature forage and weedy forage types are not efficiently digested.
• Establishing forage depends largely on what plant species are best adapted to the soil type and geographical area, and the types and levels of agronomic inputs owners are willing to employ.
• The length of forage grazing season will depend on use of warm and cool season forages, rainfall, grazing management, and agronomic practices employed.
• Don’t overestimate the available forage for stocking rate determination. Trees, sacrifice areas, overgrazed areas, and brush must be considered.
• If pastures are of adequate size, decrease sacrifice areas by practices such as frequently relocating feed troughs in pastures.
• Consider time limit grazing and rotational grazing programs, especially when housing horses on small acreages.
Rotational grazing, companion grazing with other types of livestock, spreading of manure piles, and other management practices will reduce spot grazing.
• Pasture forage should be maintained at minimum optimal heights. Although complete removal of horses from pastures is not possible on many farms, rotational grazing or limited turnout time will help establish initial growth, and allow for regrowth during the active season of forage growth.
• Horses should be gradually introduced to forage types that are high in nutrients such as winter annuals. For example, start turn outs for 30 minutes once or twice per day for a couple of days, followed by a couple of days with access of 4 to 6 hours before continual turnout. Watch the horse’s health and behavior to determine how quickly to advance this introductory period. Allowing horses free choice hay while not on pastures during the introductory period will help decrease their appetite when they are turned out.
• Selection of forages to establish needs to be based on desired forage production times and amounts, forage compatibility to the geographical area, the expected grazing and trampling pressure, and the expected grazing and agronomic practices to be followed.

Click the link for the complete factsheet from Oklahoma State University regarding Managing Grazing for Horses

Water Troughs and Cold Weather

The winter of 2017/2018 has been pretty tough to take at times – and there are still several weeks to go according to the calendar.  There have already been two snow events and record setting cold temperatures.  When you have animals and these types of weather conditions, keeping water thawed can be a huge challenge.  It may be something we think about skipping so we can get back in the warmth of the house, but water consumption is critical, even in the winter.  Here are some things to think about and possibly implement to help keep the water thawed for your livestock.  Remember some of these ideas may have limitations if temperatures get really low. 

1. Locate your trough for sun exposure.

Let Mother Nature help you out.  Placing your trough so that it receives as much full sun as possible can help keep it thawed throughout the day.  Place the tank in a south-facing area as this will increase the potential amount of sunlight during daylight hours

2. Insulate your trough.

Insulation can help keep the cold out and the warmth of the water in.   Styrofoam board and/or foil covered insulation works well and can be wrapped around the outside of the trough. What works even better is putting one trough inside another with a gap of a couple of inches all the way around. Then, place insulation on the bottom between the two troughs and around the outside of the interior trough. Finally, fill any gaps with spray insulation that sets hard. You can also build a plywood box, line it with insulation, and put your trough inside it.

Another means to help insulate the trough as much as possible is to put an insulated lid over the trough with just enough surface area for the animals to drink.  This might work pretty well if you have a limited number of animals, but a trough that needs to supply water to 50 cows, for example, may not be conducive to this suggestion.    You can install a plywood lid with insulation attached to the underside of the lid.  This can help keep the warmth in the trough. 

3. Place a float in the trough.

Floating something in the trough helps in a couple of ways. First, it keeps the surface of the water moving as it bobs about, making it harder to freeze. Second, if the horses learn to depress the floating object, it will expose an open area in the ice so they can drink.  This done be done with soccer balls, but another tactic is to fill an empty two-liter soda bottle two thirds full with water and 1 to 2 cups salt dissolved and seal tightly. There is enough air in the bottle for it to float, and saltwater freezes at a lower temperature than the water in the trough, so the water keeps moving. These methods receive mixed reviews. Some people swear by them, while others find it doesn’t work at all.

4. Bury your trough.

If your ground is frozen it is likely too late this year, but digging a hole for your trough and sinking it into the ground might help by insulating the through. Again this is going to depend on where you live and how deep down your ground freezes.   One account from someone living in North Dakota indicated they had used a fence post auger to dig a 12-inch hole several feet deep under their water trough. Apparently the heat rising from deep within the earth helped prevent the trough from freezing.

5. Heat your trough.

Water trough heaters are available in a number of different styles.  The most important thing with any of these heaters is to make sure it is installed correctly and safely.  Follow the manufacturer’s instructions.  Animals are naturally curious.  Make sure you have taken all precautions to ensure their safety around these heaters. 

One thing to consider is “natural heat”.  Try putting manure under the trough.  When manure breaks down through composting, a lot of heat is generated.  You will probably need a manure layer that is several inches thick in order to capture the heat that is produced. 

Actively heating your trough in combination with one or more of the above ideas will likely reduce energy costs.

No matter what improvements you implement to keep the water thawed, you want to check those troughs at least twice a day to make sure the animals have access to the water and that there are no other issues.

Adapted from article written by Dr. Clair Thunes, PhD, an independent equine nutrition consultant who own Summit Equine Nutrition in Sacramento, California. 

Equine Tests and Vaccinations

February is the month when horse owners start getting things ready for the show season and for trail rides.  That incudes getting the tack ready (saddles, bridles, reins, blankets, etc.), checking the trailer lights, brakes, and flooring, getting a new Coggin’s Test run, and getting the horse(s) vaccinated for any diseases that may be threatening horses in this area.

I mentioned the trailer because that is a critical piece of equipment that should not be taken for granted.  Flooring will deteriorate whether it is wood or metal, wheel bearings need to be checked and greased, and brakes need to be checked to be sure that a) they work, and b) they aren’t too worn to stop the trailer.  Be sure to check the tires and be sure there are no cracks in the sidewalls and that there is enough tread, and check the hitch to make sure it functions properly.  It’s no fun to look in the left lane and see the trailer passing the truck.

Anyway, this is supposed to be more focused on vaccinations and Coggin’s tests.  February is when a lot of folks who show their horses and participate in trail rides like to get their Coggin’s tests done.  The Coggin’s test is performed to check horses for Equine Infectious Anemia, a disease which is deadly for horses.  Those that do survive become carriers of the disease.  The only tool available to keep this disease in check is to test and quarantine.  Cases are found each year, not many, but enough to cause horse owners to keep their guard up.

Horses that are transported off the farm must be accompanied by negative Coggin’s test paperwork that was conducted within the previous 12 months.  Most folks keep a notebook in the truck or trailer with this paperwork and other paperwork that is needed to check in at a trail ride or to gain admission to a show.  February works out to be a good month since the weather is generally too cold for a lot of riding, so there are not many events going on.  No one wants to wait for paperwork during the show or trail season, so getting this chore done early helps avoid unnecessary delays later on.

With that in mind, check with your county NC Cooperative Extension Agent to see if there are any Coggin's Clinics scheduled in the near future.  In many counties, Extension Livestock Agents work with local veterinarians to conduct these clinics for horse owners.  The test is conducted at just about cost, there is no trip fee charged, and vaccinations are offered at a reduced rate.  The basic vaccinations available include rabies, West Nile Virus, Eastern and Western Equine Encephalitis, tetanus, flu/Rhinovirus, and strangles.

If there is not a Coggin's Clinic scheduled nearby, contact your veterinarian to get a Coggin's test scheduled and get any needed vaccinations.  This is vital for your horse's health and to protect other folks' horses at trail rides and horse shows.