A Word to the Wise

    We have had a very interesting year regarding weather here in North Carolina, so as we move into fall and winter we need to think about our hay reservers. In the piedmont region where I live we have been extremely dry in some areas and the western part of the state has seen a lot of rain and flooding. If you buy your hay or even make your own hay it is a smart idea to really pencil out how much hay you have on hand and think about the future. Since my region has been so dry our second cutting of hay has produced about half as much as it normally does. So, as a hay producers I have already contacted people that I sell to to let them know the limited supply we have and they should reach out to other hay producers to procure their winter supply. If you buy hay in NC this is something you need to do now, reach out to your hay supplier and make sure they have enough hay to supply you with for the winter months. They also may be struggling and you may need to find an alternative source. Also, because hay is in short supply I would imagine prices may go up this winter so if you have the resources to buy and store hay it may be in your best interest to get your supply in the next few weeks as producers are finishing up the hay season. Thinking ahead and being prepared is something any animal owner should be doing and the weather this year has been so hit or miss that we need to be wise about our future hay reserves. If you have trouble finding hay you can always reach out to your local Extension Agent and we usually know where to find hay or contact someone who does. Thanks and have a great Fall! 

Second Trimester Care

If you bred your mare in the spring, she will likely be in or close to her second trimester at this time. The second trimester is defined as day 114-210 of gestation. Management isn’t much different from a non-pregnant mare but there are some considerations to keep in mind. Always consult with your vet for specifics regarding your mare and your situation. But here are some general guidelines for the second trimester.

Many people think a pregnant mare is fragile and must be handled carefully. But they need exercise and as long as there aren’t any extenuating circumstances, you can saddle up and ride. In most instances, mares can safely participate in more rigorous activities like cantering, jumping, and competitions up to about month five of gestation. Light riding is fine up to about month 8, though you may need to adjust saddle fit to accommodate her growing shape. At a minimum make sure your mare has plenty of time turned out in a pasture, paddock, or dry lot. 

It is always a good idea to provide high-quality feed but a pregnant mare’s nutritional demands are not much higher than normal during this time. In fact, you must be careful not to overfeed at this stage. Many people think they should feed for two once the pregnancy is confirmed. But excess nutrients above what is needed will not help improve foal growth but will instead go to the mare. Carrying this additional weight can be detrimental for the mare resulting in conditions like laminitis. Excess fat stored around the pelvis can narrow the birthing canal which can make the foaling process more difficult. Try to keep your mare’s BCS around a 5 or 6 during pregnancy. Your vet can help you assess your mare’s body condition score and help with nutrition recommendations.

Consult with your vet for help with preventatives like dewormers and vaccines. Most dewormers are safe for pregnant mares but check the label carefully. During this time, you can vaccinate for EHV-1, which is Equine Herpes Virus-1. Both the first and second shot should be given during the second trimester. Fetal sexing can be done at this time to determine the foal’s sex.

The second trimester is fairly simple in terms of management. Changing up her exercise or feeding routines likely isn’t necessary unless there are extenuating circumstances. Taking care of your mare now helps set her up for a successful third trimester and foaling.

Fall Pasture and Forage Management

 Fall is right around the corner.  As we welcome cooler days and temperatures, it's also time to plan for cooler grazing options with the days getting shorter.  Growth of warm season grasses are already beginning to slow down, while many livestock and horse owners are stocking up on hay for the winter and making cool season planting decisions.   With that in mind, having the latest version of the Planting Guide for Forage Crops in NC is very helpful!  This guide can be your roadmap to selecting the best forages all year round, how much is needed, and other best management tips for success.
As always, contact your local county Extension Center for additional information and guidance; we are here to help. 

Hurricane Preparedness

 

Although hurricane season for the US technically begins in June, in NC, we don't typically start worrying about hurricanes until around August or September, which is historically when we get the most impactful storms.  We can hope that this will be a year where NC makes it out unscathed by any late summer storms, but being prepared for the worst is imperative if there are animals involved.

Check out this article by Alaina Cross for tips on how to get prepared: https://ncdisaster.ces.ncsu.edu/horses-and-horse-farms-hurricane-preparedness/

Here are a couple of less comprehensive checklists that can help get you pointed in the right direction for your preparedness plan.

Take care and stay safe!!

Introduction to Equine Dry Lots

Managing horses on small acreage can be challenging.  One of the challenges often faced is the need for grazing but being limited on space.  Dry lots can serve many purposes but the main purpose is to have somewhere to confine horses when pastures need time to rest and regrow.  It is important to consider grading and footing when thinking about putting in a dry lot.  Without the proper grade and footing layers, the dry lot will not stand the test of time.  

Follow along with Lauren Langley, Livestock Extension Agent as she introduces the concept and benefits of installing an equine dry lot. You will also hear from two horse farm owners that have installed a dry lot and how it has helped them achieve their goals.

For more information about equine dry lots please visit: https://alamance.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Equine-Dry-Lot.pdf?fwd=no or contact your local Extension Agent for advice.

Hay sampling, know what your feeding

Forage is a major part of any ruminant or hind-gut fermenter’s diet. Just because the hay you just bought looks green and smells great does not mean that it is truly meeting your horse’s nutritional needs. But how do we know if the hay that we’re feeding is packed with nutrition that is benefiting our horses? We sample it of course!

If you are not sure how to go about taking a forage or hay sample, you can reach out to your county livestock agent. They will be happy to help assist in taking a sample and also in helping read the forage analysis after the sample has been tested.

For square bale sampling, you will need to cut open the bale and grab handfuls of hay from random places throughout the whole bale. The samples you pull will go into a gallon sized Ziplock bag, and you will need to fill and pack it tight. Once the bag is full, place a piece of paper in the bag with name/farm name, phone number, email, and address. This is just in case the hay sample and sample form get separated.  

To sample a round bale, we need to again fill a gallon size Ziplock bag. This time we will be using a hay probe to get samples deep within the round bale. These samples will still be random and taken from all around and inside the bale. Once the bag is full, your contact information needs to be placed inside the bag.

Now that we have our sample, what are we sampling for? Some nutrients that we look at when the hay analysis comes back are Crude Protein, Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF), Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF), and DE (Digestive Energy), if the lab runs that test.

Crude protein is based on the nitrogen (N) content in the forage. CP ranges form 4%-20%. The reasons for the wide range are forage types, maturity at cutting, and fertilizer applications. An adult horse at maintenance needs roughly 10% CP.

Next, we look at acid detergent fiber (ADF). ADF is the estimation of the component of the feedstuff that is not digestible. Grains have a lower ADF compared to forages, which have a higher ADF of around 40%. The higher the ADF, the more indigestible the feedstuff.

Another component we look at on the forage analysis is neutral detergent fiber (NDF). NDF consists of the digestible fibers like cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. As NDF percentage increases, intake decreases. In other words, a forage with a high NDF can be fed in smaller amounts. NDF percentages in most forages range from 50%-80%.

Finally, we look at digestible energy (DE). DE is the caloric value assigned to the forage. The DE content of the hay helps us calculate how much hay the horse needs per day and if supplemental energies (grain or mix concentrates) are required in order to meet daily DE requirements. An average quality hay DE is around 0.9 Mcal/lbs. The higher the DE the less potential need for other sources of energy. When considering DE also think about the horse’s activity level. A lower DE forage is useful for feeding a mature idle horse.

 

Below are a few labs that you can send forage samples off to for analysis.

NCDA&CS: https://www.ncagr.gov/fooddrug/forms/documents/Forage%20Analysis%20Form.pdf

Equi-Analytical: https://equi-analytical.com/

Noble Labs: https://www.noble.org/ag/services/testing/forage-sampling/

Heaves in Horses

Horses' respiratory systems are very similar to human respiratory systems with a few 

differences: just for example, horses don't breathe out of their mouths. However their 

respiratory systems do serve basically the same purpose as ours. The respiratory tract 

takes in oxygen to the lungs to be exchanged with red blood cells for the oxygen to be 

used throughout the body. The respiratory tract is also responsible for clearing the 

system of irritants such as dust, bacteria, and fumes. It does this by trapping these 

irritants in a mucus that covers the airway. An over exposure to irritants can lead a 

horse to have some respiratory issues. Respiratory issues tend to present themselves 

with symptoms such as excessive nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing, or mucus secretions. 

   

As we all know, there can be a lot of dust in a barn from a variety of sources such as 

hay, feed, bedding, the horses backs and hooves as well as what people drag in. Dust 

can have molds, bacteria and other particles that can affect horses (and people’s) airways. 

   

Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO), also known as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary 

Disease (COPD) or also simply called “heaves'' is a noninfectious respiratory disease 

that causes constriction of the lower airways and the accumulation of mucus. When a 

horse has heaves their lung tissues become inflamed and thick. This in turn decreases 

the elasticity of the lungs making breathing more labored.

Heaves presents itself much like other respiratory illnesses which can make it hard to 

be immediately diagnosed. Some of the signs of heaves are coughing, nasal discharge, 

labored breathing, reduced performance, flaring nostrils, and a “heave line”. 

A “heave line” is a line that begins to develop after a period of time where the horse’s 

exhale takes just as much energy as an inhale.

Unfortunately, heaves is not a curable illness and it is progressive and regenerative; 

meaning it will not go away and will tend to get worse in waves. However there are 

some practices and medicines out there to help manage heaves in horses. One of the 

key things to do when you have a horse with heaves is to cut down on dust as much 

as possible. You can change over to less dusty feeds or wet down horses feed to 

prevent inhalation of dust, switch to a less dusty bedding such as pine pellets, and try 

to take horses with heaves out of the barn when sweeping or cleaning stalls.  As far as

medications, there are Bronchodilators out there that can be administered orally or 

inhaled as an aerosol through a mask. In addition, there are corticosteroids for reducing 

inflammation. However, long term use of that medication can cause laminitis or 

infection. There are also traditional Chinese remedies available through your vet. 

While it is unfortunate that heaves is not curable, it does not mean the end of the horse's 

life. If  you have a horse present with heaves like symptoms, call your vet and develop 

a plan that works for you and your operation and do your best to make the horse 

comfortable. If you do not have horses that present with heaves, it may still be wise to 

adopt some of the dust minimizing practices to help ensure that your horses stay free of 

heaves and any other respiratory illnesses.

Heaves – The Horse Version of COPD | Panhandle Agriculture

Equine Respiratory Diseases

Written by Emily Jacobs, Bladen Extension Intern