Forages and Pasture

The rule of thumb is that horses should eat at least 1 percent of their body weight in forages every day. So, having lush pastures and good quality hay is important because if your forages aren’t great quality then your horse has to eat that much more to meet its bodily demands. You can always supplement with grain and other things to help your equines meet their demands but forages are what keeps their gut in good working order.

            The importance of great well managed pastures is sometimes overlooked. But, a good pasture is some of the cheapest feed you can provide for horses. Fresh forages offer a great source of protein and because they are freshly eaten the grass has a large moisture content which dry hay doesn’t offer. That added moisture means less time huddled around the water tank causing an already high traffic area that much less stress. One of the simplest ways to take a pasture to the next level is to put up some permanent or temporary fence lines and rotate your animals through sections. This allows your forages some time to rest and build a better root system making them more productive in those hot and dry summer stretches.

            A poor pasture can lead to soil erosion which in any case is a bad thing but, in a pasture situation it is very bad. The topsoil that you do have on your land is only good to you if it stays in place. It takes years to rebuild a small amount of topsoil so try your best to prevent erosion. A poorly managed pasture is also one of the leading factors when it comes to parasite control. A good way to manage parasites in your forages is to drag you pasture with a light drag to break up the manure piles and spread the eggs and larvae of parasites out into the sunshine which will help reduce their numbers.

            Another tool that can be added to your tool belt of forage and pasture production is soil fertility. The two biggest factors behind sufficient rainfall for growing forges are nutrients and pH. It is of the upmost importance to keep your pH in proper balance to help your forages succeed. Low pH can be managed through applying lime to your land to raise the pH back up. Also, soil fertility is extremely important because if your forages can’t find available nutrients then they can’t grow and produce quality feed for your animals. In order to find out what is going on beneath the surface you can take a soil test and send it off to be examined. This is a free service provided by NCDA to NC residents, just call your local extension agent for questions and assistance.

            One of the most cost effective was to feed and maintain a healthy happy horse is by allowing your animals to graze quality forages.

NC Commissioner of Agriculture, Steve Troxler, encourages horse owners to vaccinate against mosquito-borne diseases and rabies

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is encouraging equine owners to have their animals vaccinated against Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis and West Nile Virus. 

"Mosquito-breeding season in North Carolina lasts from spring until the first frost and horses are at risk if not properly vaccinated," Troxler said. "EEE is fatal 90 percent of the time in horses and WNV has a fatality rate of 30 percent. But both diseases are preventable by vaccination."

Last year, North Carolina saw its first case of EEE in August. There were two recorded cases of EEE and no cases of WNV in horses in North Carolina in 2019, but the mild winter could cause that number to go up this year, State Veterinarian Doug Meckes said.

Meckes recommends that equine owners talk to their veterinarians about an effective vaccination protocol to protect horses from mosquito-borne diseases. The combination vaccination initially requires multiple injections for horses, mules, and donkeys that have no prior vaccination history. 

"Last year's lower than average number of EEE and WNV cases could show that horse owners are vaccinating their animals for these diseases, "Troxler said. "This is encouraging and good news and I want to remind horse owners to do the same this year."

Mosquitoes can breed in any puddle that lasts for more than four days, so removing any source of standing water can reduce the change of exposing animals to WNV or EEE. Keeping horses in stalls at night, using insect screens and fans, and turning off lights after dusk can also help reduce exposure to mosquitoes. Insect repellants can be effective if used according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Symptoms of EEE include impaired vision, aimless wandering, head pressing, circling, inability to swallow, irregular staggering gait, paralysis, convulsions, and death. Once a horse has been bitten by an infected mosquito, it may take three to 10 days for symptoms to appear. 

Symptoms of WNV include fever, weakness or paralysis of hind limbs, impaired vision, head pressing, seizures, and aimless wandering.

"If your horses or other equine animals exhibit any symptoms of EEE or WNV, contact your veterinarian immediately," Meckes said.

People, horses, and birds can become infected from a bite by a mosquito carrying the diseases but there is no evidence that horses can transmit the viruses to other horses, birds, or people through direct contact.

"It's also a great time to make sure you animal is current on its rabies vaccination," Troxler said. "In North Carolina, we see about five cases of rabies in livestock each year. Horses are naturally curious animals, which puts them at risk for a bite if a rabid animal gets through their fence line."

Hurricane Season is Coming!

Hurricane season is upon us.  North Carolina is no stranger to hurricanes, and this year is predicted to be potentially more severe than recent years.  Here are some tips to help prepare your horses and your farm for a storm.

Before the Storm

• Vaccinations:  All horses should have a tetanus toxoid vaccine within the last year.  Due to the increase in mosquitoes after massive rainfall, all horses should also receive West Nile Virus and Eastern/Western Encephalitis vaccines at the beginning of the hurricane season.
• Coggins Test:  A negative Coggins will be necessary if the horse needs to be evacuated to a community shelter or across state lines.
• Health Certificate:  A health certificate is required to cross the state line.  This may be necessary if you live in a region that is near the SC/VA borders.  A health certificate is valid for 30 days.
• Identification:  Each horse should have at least 2 forms of identification (in case one is lost).  Have proof of ownership, including recent photos of the horse including any identifying marks/scars/coloration, ready in the event that you need to claim a loose horse.   Examples of possible identifying methods include:
• A well fitted breakaway halter (a regular halter can get trap a horse and possibly strangle them!) with contact information (can be in the form of a luggage tag, a metal ID tag, a zip lock bag secured with duct tape to the halter)
• A luggage tag with ID braided into the mane or tail (make sure it is water proof).
• Livestock marker - write your phone number on the horses's hindquarters with a waterproof livestock marker
• Microchip
• ID bands that go around the horse's neck
• Evacuation Plan:  Hurricanes generally give us at least a day's notice or two before coming into contact with land.  Make sure that you have a written evacuation plan for your horses, especially if you are in a low-lying area, a flood plain, near water, or are near the coast.  If you will be in the path of the hurricane, it is highly recommended to evacuate prior to the storm, as transportation with horses when wind gusts are over 40mph is hazardous.  Decide at which point you will evacuate (for a category 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 storm?).  Also prioritize NOW which horses will be evacuated in what order if you will have to make more than one trip.
• Determine two evacuation centers (in opposite directions).  For a list of evacuation centers in NC near you, click here:
  http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/livestock/horse/EquineDisasterResponseAlliancePartners.htm
• Ensure that your truck and horse trailer are ready for travel (tires in good condition, etc.).  Ensure that the vehicle is full of gas.
• Water:  Power loss often occurs with hurricanes, and many horse farms may find that they are unable to provide water to their horses.  Each horse sould have 12-20 gallons of water stored per day.  Fill all available water troughs.  Be creative with your water resources!  Line garbage cans and various storage bins or much buckets with plastic contractor bags and fill them with water.  Consider a generator to run the well if you have large numbers of horses.  Keep chlorine bleach on hand to add to contaminated water if necessary.  To purify water, add two drops of chlorine bleach per quart of water and let stand for 30 minutes.
• Feed:  Store a minimum of 72 hours of feed and hay (seven days is best) per horse.  It is very possible that roads will be closed because of down power lines and trees and that you will not have access to feed for a period of time after the storm.  Cover hay with water proof tarps and store on pallets.  Keep grain in water tight containers in the event of flooding.
• Farm Preparation:  Secure all moveable objects.  Remove all items from hallways.  Secure jumps, lawn furniture, etc. in a secure place.  Place all large vehicles/tractors/trailers in an open field where trees cannot fall on them.  Turn off electrical power to the barn to avoid any potential fire hazards with power surges or lightning strikes.  Secure all gates.  Ensure that all emergency tools are working properly and readily available.  These include:
• Chain saw (and fuel!)
• Hammer/nails
• Fence repair materials
• Wire cutters/tool box/pry bar
• Fire extinguisher
• Duct tape
• Fuel for generator/tractor
• Emergency First Aid Kit:  Make sure that you have an emergency first aid kit ready and accessible (and waterproof!).  Have any medications that a horse will need easily accessible and ensure that you have enough to get you through the storm and the aftermath.  Some items that should be included:
• Bandages (leg wraps and quilts)
• Antiseptics
• Scissors/knife
• Topical antibiotic ointments
• Tranquilizers
• Pain releivers (bute, banamine, etc.)
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Extra halters/lead ropes
• Clean towels
• Fly spray/swat

During the Storm

• In or Out?  Should horses be left in the pasture or in the barn?  Recommendations from the American Association of Equine Practitioners say that if the pasture has good fencing and limited trees, it is probably best to leave horses outside.  Well constructed pole-barns or concrete block barns may provide safety from flying debris, but the horses may become trapped if the wind collapses the building.  If you have a sturdy shelter with access to a small, safe paddock, this would be ideal.  A horse could escape the building if needed into a safe area.
• Keep horses out of pastures and areas with electrical lines.  If these come down, they can electrocute the animals nearby.
• Trees with shallow roots will fall easily under hurricane force winds and can injure horses or destroy fencing.
• Do not keep horses in areas secured by barbed wire, electrical wire, or high tensile wire during a hurricane.
• Fire ants and snakes will search for high ground during flooding.  Keep this in mind when selecting an area to keep your horses if they are to remain in pasture.
• For tips on NC Animal Disaster Sheltering Resoucres click here:
  http://www.ncagr.gov/oep/sheltering/manuals.htm

After the Storm

• Inspect Animals:  Carefully inspect all horses for injuries, focusing particularly on the eyes and limbs.
• Inspect Property:  Look for down power lines, fence damage, and misc. debris.  Take photos of storm damage to present to insurance companies.
• Missing Horse?:  If your horse is missing, contact your local county animal control, sheriff's department, or disaster response team.
  http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/livestock/horse/EquineDisasterResponseAlliancePartners.htm

Soil Samples Being Accepted Again At State Lab

As of April 27, 2020 the North Carolina Department of Agriculture began accepting routine soil samples again; however there are a few caveats.  Public access is restricted to the building’s interior and the front door remains closed to the public.  The entrance gate at the rear of the facility will be open from 8am – 5pm, Monday – Friday so samples can be dropped off on the loading dock anytime during normal business hours.  Please note that even though they are working “normal” business hours, they will not be operating with a full staff.  With reduced staffing comes extended turnaround times so they are urging clients to be patient as they work to prioritize and complete all samples submitted during this time.

For those of you that were planning on soil sampling to amend your pastures, you again have the GREEN LIGHT to go right ahead and submit those samples.  Even though the COVID-19 closures delayed the process, the sooner you get them in, the quicker you will get the results back which will help you make the needed improvements you were hoping for.  Of course these results will also help you start planning for your Fall Pasture Amendments. 

For more information on soil sampling your pastures and how to read/interpret your soil sample results please contact your local Agriculture Agent at Cooperative Extension.

Getting Ready for Foaling

Mares that are allowed to follow the natural progression of estrus through foaling should start having their foals soon.  The season runs from about May 1 through the summer months.  If you have decided that it would be great to have young horses born on your farm, you may want to take stock of the supplies to have on hand for foaling.

Decide whether a foaling stall or a clean paddock will be used.  In either case, the key word is CLEAN!  If using a stall, be sure that the walls, feeder, and waterer are all cleaned with soapy water and then disinfected.  Ideally, the stall should not be used until the mare is ready to foal.  Add a thick layer of fresh straw bedding just before she starts.

If using a paddock, it does not need to be large.  It should be securely fenced, especially if predators or the neighbor’s dogs are a problem.   Ideally, the paddock should be grass and should not be used until the mare is ready to foal so there aren’t any manure or urine spots.

Here are some things to have handy for when the mare gets ready to have her foal.  This list is not exhaustive, and others may have some items to add, but this covers most scenarios:

-       Stainless steel bucket (clean and disinfected)

-       Access to water (warm water preferred)

-       Towels

-       Soap

-       Gauze

-       OB sleeves

-       Scissors

-       Twine or strong string

-       Enemas – in case the meconium does not pass right away

-       Antibacterial solution for dipping the navel

-       Small container to use for dipping the navel

-       Umbilical clamp or rubber bands

-       Disposable latex gloves (good luck finding any right now!)

-       Obstetric lubricant

-       Blankets

-       Flashlight or headlamp with fresh batteries

-       Cell phone

-       Phone numbers for the veterinarian or a neighbor with experience with foaling

-       Tail wrap or gauze

Be sure to have these items ready before the mare starts to get restless, the udder starts filling out, the muscles over the tail heal and around the croup start relaxing, and/or a mucus discharge is noticed.  Other signs of impending parturition include watching the calendar to see when 340+ days have passed since breeding, milk calcium levels reaching 200 parts per million – mares usually foal within 48 hours of reaching this level - or waxing of the teats.  Again, when this is noticed, parturition will usually occur within 48 hours.

Being prepared will help reduce the potential of problems when the foal decides it is ready to see the world.  As was mentioned above, the operative word is clean to reduce the chance of bacterial infection.  The cleaner the stall, paddock, and checklist items are, the better chance the newborn and the mare have to avoid unnecessary infections or stress. 

Some of the items on the list may not be needed, but if a situation occurs and one or more of those items are needed, there won’t be a delay while the item is found, and cleaned.  Time is critical during foaling and delays add to the stress that is already pretty high for the mare and her foal. Being prepared and avoiding problems help insure that the foal is healthy and the mare recovers quickly.  There are few sights more picturesque than a mare with her newborn foal in a clean paddock. Being prepared helps put that picture together. 

Horse Nutrition

When determining a nutrition plan for your horse don’t forget about forages! Now that spring is here, the forages in your pasture should be starting to take off. Pasture is the best and most natural way for your horse to get nutrients. A good quality pasture is more than adequate to meet the major nutrient requirements of most classes of horses. Having a good quality pasture is key though. You need to have good weed control, plenty of forage available for them to graze and making sure that your horse doesn’t overgraze the pasture. Pastures are typically inadequate in certain minerals like salt, copper and zinc so supplying your horse with a salt block and a forage balancer or vitamin-mineral supplement is a good idea. The nutrient content of a pasture is highly variable as seasons change. There are cool season grasses like tall fescue, orchardgrass and timothy that grow in the fall and spring and there are warm season grasses that grow in the summer like bermudagrass, dallisgrass and crabgrass. You can take clipping of your pastures to determine the quality that is there for your horse to graze. You might notice shifts in your horse’s body condition as your pasture quality changes throughout the year. Horses will typically gain weight in the spring and summer and then lose weight when pasture quality is the lowest, in the winter. If you feed supplements or offer hay then you might not notice a shift in body weight since they can maintain with supplements. One thing to remember if your horse has insulin resistance then choosing the time of day that you allow your horse to graze is important. Through the afternoon hours until the early evening, non-structural carbohydrates are at their highest in the plant so consider grazing you horse first thing in the morning or letting them out at night. You can also manage non-structural carbohydrates in hay by soaking it in water for at least 30 minutes but remember to dump put the water before feeding. Also, with obese horses you might need to limit their grazing to only a few hours, limit the space they are allowed to graze, put a grazing muzzle on them or even dry lot them depending on severity.

Consult your livestock agent for pasture management, establishment or grazing recommendations.

Tips for Equestrians as We Manage Through COVID-19

 As I thought about what I could focus my article on with so much uncertainty in our world these days, the following simple tips came to mind on how we can locate resources and spend our days as we have more time at home.  You may have an additional ideas that are just as helpful, but here’s a start:

1.     Consider a virtual lesson.  If your horse is not boarded with your trainer, this may be an option if you have someone to tape your ride.  A friend or family member can practice social distancing with you, have a chance to get outside and enjoy the sunshine, and you can still connect with your instructor/trainer!  Google “virtual riding lesson” and you’d be amazed what interesting stories are out there.

2.     Dust off those training DVDs.  We’ve all got them…and often a collection, series or assortment from many different trainers.  Now might be a good time to review some great ones and brush up  on your knowledge.

3.     Are you a young person who depends on a parent or grandparent to get to the barn?  Now is not the time for socializing, but hopefully you can still visit your horse occasionally while mom or grandma reads a book or watches you ride, from the car. 

4.     Check out NC State Extension Equine Husbandry’s resources for youth.   The state horse judging contest will be virtual this year, and on Wednesdays, they are hosting the “Quarantime” lessons for youth on judging.  So many great resources!

5.     Find resources at the NC Horse Council, including great links to the American Horse Council and NC Department ofAgriculture.  The NCHC also offers grants to horse owners in times of need, also found on their website.

6.     Clean and organize.  Most of us have tack or a set of brushes that can use a cleaning, maybe even a horse trailer, tack or feed room, barn loft, etc.  Getting our equipment and barn area organized is not always at the top of our list, but it’s a good use of the extra time.

7.     Goal setting and planning.  Once we get past these days of quarantine, what will be first on your list?  A show, trail ride, clinic?  Now is a good time to really consider what’s next for you and your horse.  Where do you want to be in your riding a year from now?

8.     Spend lots of quality time with your horse.  Now, more than ever, time with our equine friends is so valuable to keeping our spirits up!  With the days getting longer, winter coats shedding out, they will enjoy the extra grooming.  The warm weather and sunshine and exercise will be an added boost to us all. 

Again, these are just a few ideas to consider as you find yourself with extra time. 

Take advantage of it and create your own list.  Enjoy your spring as you staying safe and healthy spending time with your horse!