Top 10 Nutrition Tips

Sometimes the most obvious things are the ones we forget about.  In caring for your horse, here are the Top 10 Nutrition Tips provided by Marcia Hathaway, PhD, University of Minnesota Department of Animal Science.  A reminder about these important tips is never a bad idea. 

Adequate nutrition is one of the main components in the health of a horse. This article provides 10 nutritional tips to keep your horse healthy.

1. Always supply unlimited quantities of clean, fresh water.
2. Maximize forage intake.
3. Minimize concentrate consumption.
4. The Calcium to Phosphorous ratio (Ca:P) should be between 3:1 to 1:1.
5. Supplement minerals and vitamins.
6.  Balance a horse’s ration in the following order: energy, protein, minerals, and vitamins.
7.  Monitor your horse’s body weight and body condition score.
8.  Maintain your horse’s teeth in good chewing condition.
9. Change feedstuffs gradually.
10. Feed each horse as an individual.

To view the article in its entirety, follow this link:  Top 10 Tips

Managing Unwanted Behaviors and Vices in Horses

Horses can develop unwanted behaviors and vices. The University of Minnesota Extension has done a great job of describing how to identify, prevent, manage and treat many of these behaviors. Please follow the link below. Contact your local Extension agent if you have any questions.

Managing Unwanted Behaviors and Vices

Fall Horse Care Tips

As temperatures start to get cooler in the fall (after having 95+ temperatures on October 1 it’s about time!), there are several items on the fall to-do list for horse owners to make sure horse health stays good.  Here are a few things to consider for fall health care and management.

First, most horse owners like to take care of internal parasites in the fall and going into winter.  Ashley Robbins did a great job in explaining the importance of fecal egg counts on this blog last week (Ever Heard of a Fecal Egg Count?, posted October 14, 2019), so I‘m not going into detail here about controlling internal parasites.  However, counting parasite eggs is not a once and done thing.  Conduct a count periodically to monitor the level of internal parasites and treat accordingly.  Remember as grass gets shorter in the fall, horses may graze nearer to manure piles in the pasture and get some parasite eggs that they may have avoided when grass was more plentiful.  The number of parasite eggs available may be higher in the summer months, but as grass supplies dwindle in fall pastures, parasite eggs may become more concentrated and easier to pick up while grazing.  

Horse owners should pay attention to changing grazing conditions in the fall.  As grass growth slows with lower temperatures, look for other plants that my still be green, but could be harmful if grazed.  This not only includes perilla mint and members of the nightshade family, but can be such things as Red Maple leaves that make be on a fallen branch.  Wilted red maple leaves or wild cherry leaves can be deadly to horses and other livestock.  Another concern is to watch for concentrations of acorns in the pasture.  Many horses can eat acorns and have no problems, but some horses can develop colic or laminitis, have diarrhea, or have loss of appetite from eating too many acorns.

With the drought conditions we have had until recently, grass has been short, and the hay supply is short going into the winter.  This would be a good time for horse owners to make sure they have enough supplemental forage going into the feeding season.  When purchasing hay, get a forage analysis done so plans can be made to meet the nutritional needs of the various classes of horses on the farm.

Remember that exercise levels tend to be reduced during the winter months, so make any needed adjustments to the ration.  Less work or exercise means less energy and protein will be needed.  Feeding the summer ration, which is when most horses are most active, during the winter can lead to a fat horse by spring!  If there are pregnant mares on the farm, pay attention to their nutritional needs.  The later into gestation, the higher the nutritional needs as the foal develops.  Pay attention to both the nutrients supplied by the ration and to the mineral needs during gestation.

Make plans for annual vaccinations and to get any boosters needed.  Consult your veterinarian to make sure that horses are protected against the major disease threats in your area, including rabies.  Many horse owners will get the annual vaccinations at the time that horses are tested for Equine Infectious Anemia.  Knowing that the Coggin’s test is due can serve as a good reminder that annual vaccinations are also due.  However, some vaccines require a booster in order to be most effective.  Again, talk to your veterinarian and set up a vaccination schedule that includes giving any needed boosters.

Now is also a good time to take care of the miscellaneous chores that tend to get put off.   Take care of any dental needs that may have been noted but delayed for one reason or another.  Also, inspect barns and shelters to make sure they are ready for winter weather.  While most horses don’t require a lot of shelter, having a place to get out of wind and weather can help keep horses healthy by reducing weather related stress.  Check fences and make any needed repairs.  Check the barn and stall doors to make sure they are in good working order.  Oiling the hinges now and then makes them last longer and makes it easier to swing open and shut.

Make a chore list to be sure that fall health care is taken care of.  Note any issues that may need follow at t later date, and be sure to talk to the veterinarian about any health-related issues.  This will prepare the horses for colder weather, which will be with us in the near future.

Ever Heard of a Fecal Egg Count?

Controlling internal parasites in your horses should be a routine management strategy that all horse owners are familiar with. A tool that is commonly used to determine the effectiveness of that treatment is known as a Fecal Egg Count. This procedure will let you know the number of parasite eggs being shed into the environment through your horse’s manure. Though the summer is the time when parasites are more of a problem, knowing what your horse’s egg count is at any time of the year will provide you with valuable information. Fecal egg counts can monitor pasture contaminations, monitor efficacy of anthelmintics and detect resistance to those anthelmintics. Just like everything however, fecal egg counts have their limitations, there can be animal to animal variation in these tests and you must evaluate the results in context with several variables. Like the time of year, since there can be some seasonal variations, the treatment history of animal, and the animal’s health condition. Also, if the test doesn’t detect parasite eggs, that does not mean the animal is free of GI parasites, they could just have larvae that are not shedding at that time.

You should consider running fecal egg counts before treatment with anthelmintics and again 10-14 days after treatment. Compare the FEC and you want to see a 90-95% reduction, if this level is not obtained then you might have some resistance. Most horses have a pretty decent immunity to parasites. One of the more common parasites is the small strongyle and according to an extension publication by Penn State,  40-60% of adult horses tend to be low shedders of small stronglyles and 10 -30% are high shedders. Meaning that typically 80% of eggs come from 20% of the horses on the farm. With this in mind, the results of a fecal egg count can tell you if your horse is a low or high shedder and research has shown that adult horses typically shed the same number of eggs throughout their lifetime. Meaning, if your horse is a high shedder they will stay a high shedder so stay on top of deworming them.

Some people think that they don’t need to worry about parasites in the winter. In actuality eggs can hatch at 42 degrees fahrenheit and in NC that can be well into the winter months. Freezing will stop the hatching of eggs and the development of larvae but it does not kill either. In order to kill them you have to compost the manure and allow it to reach a temperature of 104 degrees fahrenheit. The deworming strategy promoted today is to use anthelmintics that have proven efficacy and are administered at the appropriate time of the year based on the parasite burdens of each horse individually. Consider focusing deworming treatments during times of peak transmission when the number of non-resistant parasites are the highest in the pasture, this is normally spring through fall. If at the very least you consider deworming the high shedders only, the number of eggs being shed into the environment will significantly be reduced. Also remember, young horses, under 3 years of age require more frequent deworming times as well as pregnant or nursing mares. These two groups are more susceptible to parasites because of their lower immune system.

How do horses come in contact with parasite eggs? Well think about the way a horse grazes, on the ground and they typically bite as low as they can on a piece of grass so they can get as much as they can in each bite. What else is on the ground, yes parasites. Parasites from their own or other horse’s manure, deer, if you have cattle or small ruminants then parasites from their manure as well.  Most of the parasites can be found on the ground and as high as 3 inches up the grass. This needs to be taken into consideration when making a rotational grazing management plan, don’t let your horses graze down their pasture too much and when feeding hay, don’t feed hay on the ground.

        

        For help with performing a fecal egg count on your horses, contact your local extension agent.

Managing Your Mare During Late Pregnancy

Most people who breed mares want their mare to foal at the beginning of the year. Mares are pregnant for 342 days, give or take 20 days, which means the mare is nearing late pregnancy in the fall. There are several things to consider as your mare enters her last trimester, especially her nutritional needs and vaccination status.

Most fetal growth will occur during the last trimester which will change your mare's nutritional requirements. Her need for protein, energy, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin A will increase. A mare can gain over 250 pounds during her pregnancy. As her weight increases, her center of gravity will shift toward her rear. This shift will put additional strain on her abdominal muscles making exercise more difficult. During her last trimester, the mare should be allowed to get her exercise in the pasture or paddock rather than in a ring or on a track.

If your mare is on endophyte-infected tall fescue, she should be removed several months prior to foaling. Endophyte-infected tall fescue can cause a thickened placenta, prolonged gestation, retained placenta, lack of milk, and weak or stillborn foals.

Throughout your mare's pregnancy she should be on a regular vaccination, deworming, and hoof care schedule. Work with your veterinarian to determine the best protocol for your farm. It is recommended to make sure your mare is vaccinated for Eastern and Western encephalomyelitis, influenza, and rhinopneumonitis. Rhinopneumonitis can cause abortions in the last four months of pregnancy. Thirty-days prior to foaling, it is encouraged to get your mare vaccinated for Eastern and Western encephalomyelitis, influenza, and tetanus. These vaccines will provide protection for the newborn foal through the immunoglobulins in the colostrum. No dewormer should be given during the last 30 days of pregnancy.

Getting to the end of a mare's long pregnancy is fun and nerve wracking all at the same time. Being prepared and having a timeline of what to do when can help ease some of your anxiety. Remember to always consult with your veterinarian when it comes to vaccination and deworming protocols.

Protecting Your Horse from Bots

Late summer and fall generally brings bot flies, but if you haven’t seen the bot fly  hovering over and around your horse, you might have seen the whitish-yellow eggs they have deposited on your horse’s body.  The bot fly, which resembles a honey bee, has non-functional mouthparts and does not bite the horse, but can cause significant internal damage to the digestive system. The eggs of the bot fly are what we are more concerned with, since they contain the bot larvae that can be dangerous to your horse’s digestive tract.   Bot flies usually lay eggs on the horse’s legs, flank and belly area, but sometimes even in the mane, neck, chest, throat and other areas.  There actually are three types of bot flies: the common horse bot fly (Gastrophilis intestinalis), the throat bot fly (G. nasalis) and the nose horse bot fly (G. haemorrhoidalis).  The common and throat bot flies are found throughout the U.S., but the nose bot fly is more common in the northern and Midwestern states.  The female bot fly can lay between 150-500 eggs in her 7-10 day life cycle.  What’s most important is that the eggs are removed promptly, before the horse licks them and the larvae are allowed to enter the mouth and start causing problems. 

Bot eggs require two things to hatch: friction and moisture.  The horse provides both of these if they lick or scratch an area with their mouth.  The small bot larvae will attach to the horse’s tongue, burrowing into the tissues of the mouth.  Some of the bot larvae found closer to the head will even emerge and migrate on their own without the horse’s help.  It takes about one to five days for the egg to incubate before hatching, so its best to remove the eggs as soon as you see new ones on your horse.  After about three weeks, they will leave the mouth area and travel to the stomach and the upper portion of the small intestine.  The cycle is complete when the fully grown larvae pass through the horse feces and burrow in the soil to pupate, then emerge as flies after a couple months. 

Damages caused by bot larvae can be extensive.  Horses may lose weight due to the inability to graze because of the pain in their mouth from the burrowing larvae in the tongue, gum, or lips.   They may rub or bite at objects to relieve pain from the burrowing and injure themselves.  In the stomach, the larvae can cause obstruction of the flow of food, colic, or even perforations of the stomach or small intestine wall.  Ulcers, peritonitis, esophageal paralysis, and even rupture of the stomach can occur in very severe cases. 

Controlling bots is not hard, but routine inspection for eggs and frequent removal is required to minimize their effects.  Breaking the life cycle is the key.  Sponging affected areas of the horse with warm water will cause the eggs to hatch, and including an insecticide with the water will kill any eggs exposed once hatched. If you’d rather not use them, a quick method of removal is to either use a bot knife or clip the area.  Oral treatment and in most cases prevention of the horse from bot infestation is done through certain deworming products.  Dichlorvos, ivermectin, trichlorfon, and moxidectin are all effective for bots. It is recommended to deworm both in the late summer and immediately after a killing frost for best results. Best wishes with your parasite control and bot management this fall.

Recommendations for the use of chemicals are included in this publication 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 an agent of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension in your county.

Not All Hay is Created Equal

As we move into the cooler months, bermudagrass and other warm season pastures will begin to transition into their dormancy period.  Many horse owners, especially those without cool-season pastures, are forced to supplement with more hay throughout the fall and winter until spring green-up. As you begin purchasing your hay, it is important to remember that all hay is not created equal. When cruising the internet looking for  hay, you often come across the terms “cow hay” and “horse quality hay”.  So what exactly do these terms mean? “Cow hay” could mean that the hay has a large percentage of weeds or has been stored outside in the elements which creates a favorable environment for potentially toxic mold to grow. Now let’s discuss what “horse quality hay” means.  Obviously you would expect that horse hay costs more and quality would be superior to cow hay. Two common requirements that buyers use to determine quality is  minimal weeds and stored out of the elements. Although you may be paying a higher cost for weed-free, shelter kept hay, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re getting your money’s worth. Hay quality goes beyond weeds and mold.  Other factors that affect quality can sometimes be overlooked.

Species of hay: A widely accepted claim is that alfalfa hay is generally more nutritious than grass hay such as bermudagrass or fescue. Crude protein content of properly managed alfalfa usually ranges between 16 and 20 percent.  Although alfalfa is a nutrient-rich feed source, it is more expensive in our area.  Alfalfa does not tolerate our acidic soils in North Carolina so a local supply is relatively low.  Some farmers in NC have had success producing alfalfa by selecting fields that are more suitable for production. Keep in mind that an intensively managed stand of bermudagrass and cool season grasses can also meet the majority of your horse’s requirements.

Fertilization:  Especially for grass hay, adequate fertilization is required to produce forage that will meet the nutritional demand of your horse. For example, research at several universities has demonstrated that protein content of property fertilized bermudagrass hay ranged between 12 and 14 percent while unfertilized treatments had less than 9 percent.

Maturity of hay: For any species of hay, maturity of the plants at the time of harvest plays a large role in quality.  Alfalfa that is cut at a mature growth stage still has around 12 percent crude protein. Compare this to mature bermudagrass hay which only has 7 percent crude protein, even when properly fertilized. If a bale of grass hay has a large portion of seed heads then it may have been harvested at a more mature growth stage.

Testing your hay:  The most accurate way to know if your hay is meeting your horse's nutritional requirements is to take a hay sample.  Using a hay probe, collect core samples from multiple bales and combine them in a gallon-sized bag to submit for testing.  The NC Department of Agriculture charges a $10 fee for a full analysis of your hay.  Many Extension offices can assist with this process by explaining how to properly collect hay for testing and interpreting the results of the sample.


As you purchase your hay, it's ok to be a "hay connoisseur".  Remember, not all hay is created equal. Production practices will impact quality regardless of the hay species you feed.  Although you can look for weeds, mold, and seed heads, a complete hay analysis is a best tool to help you make decisions for your horse's nutrition program.