Managing Horses During Drought

Several areas of the country are currently experiencing drought. Abnormally dry conditions pose unique health care and management challenges for horse owners.
Pasture Horses on productive pastures tend to exercise naturally as they graze; this constant moving and foraging is beneficial for their digestive health. When green pasture dwindles, however, horses tend to exercise less and instead wait in the shade for feeding time. These horses are more inclined to have gastrointestinal problems that can lead to colic. Thus, under these conditions I recommend feeding horses a generous amount of a bland (such as long-stem) grass hay to keep them eating and occupied during the day. This is preferable to having them wait around for an occasional rich feeding. When moisture finally returns, it is important to moderate horses' access to rapidly changing pasture, so their systems can readjust to green grass.
Hay Drought conditions also reduce hay supplies, making it difficult for owners to maintain consistent hay diets for their horses. Radically changing feed types increase a horse's risk for health problems, especially colic. If you can't maintain a consistent hay type, source, and quality, gradually reduce the amount of the old batch you feed, mixing it with an increasing amount of the new hay (over three to five days) to ease the transition. When purchasing hay from a new source, always examine it carefully for mold, dust, weeds, blister beetles, and sharp seed awns. While feed concentrates can supplement horses' diets in some cases, they should not replace hay (high fiber or roughage feeds). Hay should be the staple of the equine diet.
Toxic Plants Horses with adequate forage usually avoid eating toxic weeds. During drought conditions, however, when weeds might be the only green plants on pasture, horses are more likely to eat them. The best way to prevent this is to provide more consistent access to good-quality hay. Talk to your vet or local equine extension agent about the toxic plants in your area. You should learn to recognize these and, if possible, remove them from pastures.
Sand Colic Horses tend to ingest more dirt and sand when pastured in drought conditions as they try to graze the last few short shoots and roots. Sand accumulation in the gut is a serious problem that can lead to colic and diarrhea. Reduce sand ingestion by feeding off the ground or feeding in sand-free areas of the pasture. This sometimes requires more than simply using a feeder, as hay usually still falls on the ground and is picked out of the soil. Consider placing rubber mats under feeders or feeding in stalls without sandy floors. Feeding a psyllium product regularly (usually one week per month) can also be beneficial, but it should complement these other management practices--don't rely on it alone. Also, rotate pastures to avoid overgrazing and to help keep drought-stressed grasses alive. This will preserve some ground cover, thus reducing wind and water erosion and soil loss later.
Water A pond or stream that pastured horses use as a water source might dwindle or become stagnant in drought conditions. Monitor water quality in these situations and provide extra fresh water. If horses are housed in large groups, offer plenty of room for watering and feeding because injuries can occur as horses compete for limited watering and feeding areas.
Wind Also take into account wind; blowing dust can irritate eyes and cause respiratory problems. Fly masks provide protection from insects and some can also help protect from intense sunlight and dust. Adequate shelter and clean bedding can also help horses avoid airborne dust.
Disease Certain diseases such as pigeon fever (dryland distemper), vesicular stomatitis, and Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals can be more common in dry, hot, and dusty conditions. Know these diseases' clinical signs so you can contact your vet immediately if you see signs develop.
Wildfire Drought also has led to wildfire risks in many areas, especially heavily wooded regions. Horse owners who live in fire-prone areas should prepare for wildfires by having evacuation plans. All horse owners should have (or have easy access to) a serviceable truck and trailer they can use quickly in an emergency.
Work with your veterinarian and be aware of drought-related problems to help maintain your horse's health and welfare during this potentially stressful time.

About the Author

Doug Thal, DVM, Dipl. ABVP

Doug Thal, DVM, Dipl. ABVP, is an equine veterinarian with 18 years experience in clinical practice. Thal Equine (www.ThalEquine.com) is his full-service equine hospital near Santa Fe, N.M.

Alternative Fiber Sources for Horses

Much of the country is experiencing drier than normal conditions this summer, so some horses living on pasture might soon have limited forage choices. With decreased forage growth also comes a decrease in hay production. Therefore, owners might want to familiarize themselves with alternative fiber sources that could be used to supplement their horses' diets if hay becomes scarce in the near future.
No matter the breed or intended use, all horses require fiber in their diets. According to the National Research Council's Nutrient Requirements of Horses (2007, 6th Edition), a large body of evidence suggests that insufficient dietary fiber can lead to several digestive issues (such as colic) and behavioral vices (such as cribbing) in horses. Horses' fiber needs are met most commonly by pasture and hay, but in the absence of these sources, horse owners must find alternative fiber options. Some common alternatives include hay cubes, complete feeds, and fiber byproducts.
Hay cubes are an excellent fiber source for horses, and are generally easily accessible at most feed stores. The two main benefits to using hay cubes versus hay are:

• Hay cubes typically contain less dust than hay, meaning horses are less subject to inhaling particles that could contribute to respiratory disease; and
• Offering hay cubes generally results in less wasted feed compared to hay.

If offered voluntarily, most horses will consume more hay cubes than hay, so owners should measure and monitor their horses' intake. Hay cubes can be fed just like hay, at a 1:1 ratio of the like hay type the horse currently consumes. For example, if a horse consumes five pounds of timothy hay at each feeding, replace that with five pounds of timothy hay cubes and adjust if needed to maintain the animal's proper weight. Hay cubes are heavier in weight, so you'll need to weigh them to ensure the horse is getting the proper amount of forage.
Complete feeds are formulated to provide a large proportion of a horse's nutrient needs, including fiber, and are readily available through most equine feed manufacturers. Complete feeds usually contains more than 16% crude fiber and are designed to be fed in larger amounts compared to a lower fiber grain mix with little to no hay alongside. Thus, provide several small meals throughout the day. Feeding directions are included on all complete feed packages; following label directions is important to ensure horses consume adequate amounts of nutrients, fiber, and other feed components.
Byproduct fiber sources include beet pulp, bran, and grain hulls. Beet pulp, produced by sugar beet processing, is a popular fiber source for horses because of its digestibility and palatability. Studies have shown that a horse's diet can contain up to 55% beet pulp without negative effects. It's important to remember, however, that beet pulp's digestibility is higher than most grass hays, so ensure the horse's diet is balanced properly when making the switch.
Brans, such as rice bran and wheat bran, are another option but are often less desirable due to their high phosphorus concentrations. If feeding bran, ensure the horse is consuming adequate calcium to keep the calcium:phosphorus ration to at least 1:1. Additionally, remember that rice bran contains high fat levels, so it should not be used in overweight or obese horses.
Oat hulls are also high-fiber, but are often dusty and should be blended with water prior to feeding.
Because these fiber byproducts are only fermentable fiber sources, they should be fed alongside hay or another complete fiber source. Thus, these sources should be used to stretch hay rather than replace it.
Take-Home Message
Horse owners should familiarize themselves with alternative fiber sources to either stretch or replace pasture and/or hay that could become scarce as fall and winter approach. Hay cubes, complete feeds, and byproducts are all viable fiber sources and can be beneficial when fed correctly. If questions arise on feeding alternative forage sources to individual horses, contact your veterinarian or equine nutritionist.

About the Author

Kristen M. Janicki, MS, PAS

Kristen M. Janicki, a lifelong horsewoman, was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Sciences from the attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and later attended graduate school at the University of Kentucky, studying under Dr. Laurie Lawrence in the area of Equine Nutrition. Kristen began her current position as a performance horse nutritionist for Mars Horsecare, US, Inc., and Buckeye Nutrition, in 2010. Her job entails evaluating and improving the performance of the sport horse through proper nutrition.

Riding and Exercising Broodmares

Some horse owners continue to ride and compete with a mare after she's bred, but is this good or bad for the mare and unborn foal?

 

Breeding mares then riding them or competing them is often a practical option with a young mare in training, and it is done occasionally with mares already showing, combining a show career with being a broodmare. 

 

There are several possible advantages: the in-foal mare does not have heat cycles during competition, meaning she might be better focused on the task at hand. And raising a foal or two while she's young can be a plus if she becomes an outstanding performer and you want offspring to continue her bloodline. Some people like to get two or three foals from a mare to see what she'll produce instead of waiting until she the end of her show career.

 

Here are some anatomy and physiology facts about pregnant mares, and comments from industry professionals to help you decide if riding your pregnant mare is appropriate for your situation.

 

Young Mares

Andrea Guzinski, owner of Cedar Hill Farm in North Carolina, rides hunters, and she often continues to compete on pregnant mares. "In my program, if they are promising and I want to breed them, I breed them at 3 years of age," she said. "At that stage of their training they are not doing heavy work. After they’re bred, I continue working them as I would any 3-year-old, riding three or four times a week as they are learning to jump. They are doing small jumps and going to a lot of small horse shows, getting used to being off the farm. I'm not really showing them so much as just exposing them to all the things they’ll experience at a show."

 

Guzinaki generally raises two foals from a mare by the time she's 6 while just showing the mare lightly. By that time the mare is physically and mentally mature and more ready for serious competition. 

 

"This program works nicely for me because a young mare gets to start her show career while raising a few foals," she explains. 

 

Health Issues

Tia Nelson, DVM, a farrier and veterinarian in Montana, said exercise--even strenuous exercise--is usually not harmful to a mare during the first part of pregnancy. In fact, she said it’s better for the mare to have regular exercise than to stand around and become too fat. 

 

"I feel confident campaigning a mare up until about eight months of pregnancy; it's after that time the fetus is doing most of its growing," said Nelson. She feels a mare that is kept fit will have an easier time delivering her foal.

 

Suzan Phillips, a breeder/trainer near Helena, Mont., has shown a lot of pregnant mares and said the main focus is to make sure they stay in condition. "You don't want to start them out in strenuous work after they are pregnant," she stated. "But if you keep them fit, they do fine. Usually my mares are already in training when they are bred, and I just continue on with them.

 

"A mare being ridden is in better shape to foal," she added. "It's like a pregnant woman; if you are always exercising, there’s no reason to stop just because you are pregnant. A mare should be able to keep doing whatever she's been doing." 

 

It's wise to not push a mare too hard for the first two months of her pregnancies. Early pregnancy loss due to stress can occur.

 

There are caveats to riding a pregnant mare: Don't ride a mare to the point she gets overheated. Too much exertion in hot weather can be a hazard for any horse, especially if humidity is high. If a mare is worked to the point of exhaustion or gets into metabolic problems due to dehydration, this could threaten the fetus. 

 

"Other situations that might put the mare at risk include exerting in extremely smoky conditions, like we have right now in Montana (due to wildfires),” said Nelson "This can be a risk for any horse, pregnant or not."

 

Transportation can be another stress. Robertshaw said he prefers not shipping a mare around the country during her first two months of gestation. "Once she's well along in pregnancy, it's not so risky," he said. "It depends on the mare. If getting into the trailer is something she's at ease with, this is not as much stress as for the mare that’s nervous about traveling."

 

Vaccinations are important. Nelson wants mares to have all necessary vaccinations before they become pregnant to protect against diseases that might threaten pregnancy as well as to have immunity high when traveling to shows and events. 

 

Elizabeth Callahan, DVM, a Maryland breeder who trains and shows event horses, said you need to limit contact with other horses when taking your mare to shows. If you bring her home and she’s been exposed to rhino or equine viral arteritis (EVA), and she’s then turned out with other pregnant mares, you might end up with several abortions.

 

"If you can show from your trailer (rather than putting the mare in a stall next to other horses at a show) and not share water buckets, this is safest," said Callahan. 

 

Even if your horse can't touch another horse through the stall wall, you don't know the health status of the horse in the stall just prior to your mare being there. "Take extra precautions. Don’t use someone else's towel to wipe her face, or let her sniff another horse, or share equipment," she said.

 

How Long Can I Ride?

Many people consider it safe to ride a mare during the first six to eight months of pregnancy, but it's wise to taper off after that. Guzinksi usually stops riding her mares two to three months before foaling. The foal does most of its growing in the last trimester. During that time the mare's abdomen will be growing larger, and if her belly becomes more pendulous, this might interfere with her balance and coordination when doing speed work. At that point she will be less agile, which could be dangerous if she slips.

 

"Her body is changing so quickly that her central nervous system might not have adapted yet to the changes taking place," said Nelson. "When I was pregnant and shoeing horses (the farrier part of her occupation), it didn’t matter much during early pregnancy, but in the last trimester it seemed like every day I was gaining weight and my body and brain hadn't adjusted. I was more clumsy. So I quit shoeing during the latter part of both my pregnancies. It's the same for a mare; she’ll have issues with balance and agility in late pregnancy."

 

How much exercise, or how long to keep riding her, depends on what kind of competition you're doing. Use common sense in what you ask a mare to do, and be aware that her body is changing rapidly in the last trimester. There's nothing wrong with keeping a mare fit all during pregnancy, but hard work that’s very jolting should be tapered off during the last half, advises Nelson.

 

Phillips breeds her mares in mid-March, starts riding them in April, and rides through October. Her show season starts in April/May and goes through October, then the mares are out on pasture. "I never really quit exercising them. Even when I’m not riding they are longed or have some other exercise during winter," said Phillips. Because of that, she said it’s not hard to get them back in shape after they are bred, and riding them through show season coincides with the first six months of pregnancy.

 

Mares doing fast work or jumping might have problems if you continue to compete in the last portion of gestation. Robershaw points out that during the last trimester, the weight of the fetus might cause a uterine torsion if the mare is carrying it low and she’s doing active work, such as jumping. A twist in the cervix and connective support structures might occur if the heavy uterus flips over.

 

Callahan said some mares, especially maiden mares, don't develop much belly and could probably be ridden up until they day they foal and you'd hardly know they are pregnant. 

 

"If a mare has had a foal or two already, however, she's probably going to show her pregnancy quicker," she said. 

"The mare may get to the point at six months that saddle fit is an issue; the girth sits too far forward and the saddle may slip forward onto the withers. Some mares become ungainly, with a change in gait (waddling), and are more awkward when jumping. By six or seven months, you should probably not be jumping a mare, and getting your saddle to fit properly may limit some other competitions. Mares can be safely ridden up until they deliver, as long as the rider is careful, but the size of the mare’s abdomen may limit your choices." 

 

Take-Home Message

The fetus in mares grows very slowly in early and mid-gestation, then the fetus can a pound or more per day in the last trimester. Fit, young mares might be able to compete strenuously for several months of their gestation period, but you and your veterinarian should monitor the mare closely to ensure her health and the health of the unborn foal.

About the Author

Heather Smith Thomas

Heather Smith Thomas ranches with her husband near Salmon, Idaho, raising cattle and a few horses. She has a B.A. in English and history from University of Puget Sound (1966). She has raised and trained horses for 50 years, and has been writing freelance articles and books nearly that long, publishing 20 books and more than 9,000 articles for horse and livestock publications. Some of her books include Understanding Equine Hoof Care, The Horse Conformation Handbook, Care and Management of Horses, Storey's Guide to Raising Horses and Storey's Guide to Training Horses. Besides having her own blog, www.heathersmiththomas.blogspot.com, she writes a biweekly blog at http://insidestorey.blogspot.com that comes out on Tuesdays.

Common Pasture Weeds

http://www.thehorse.com/photos/slideshows/31499/common-pasture-weeds

A Look at Navicular Syndrome in Horses

http://www.thehorse.com/photos/slideshows/35427/a-look-at-navicular-syndrome-in-horses

Normal Mare and Newborn Foal Behavior

Q. My mare is due to foal in a few weeks, and this will be the first foal I’ve raised. Could you tell me what to look for in regards to normal mare and foal behavior? Are there any abnormal behaviors I should watch for?

---

A. Congratulations on expecting your first foal! You have plenty of reading to do and questions to ask of your local professionals. But here are some of the things that I feel are most important regarding normal and abnormal mare and foal behavior, focusing on the perinatal period. I can only touch the surface here, and so we can discuss more specific issues another time.
Before your mare delivers, plan to keep a clock handy because time landmarks are important.
As it gets closer to delivery, the most common change in a mare's behavior is increased restlessness over the last week and even more so during the last hour or two. Once her water breaks, the actual delivery of the foal should take place quickly: The rule of thumb is within 30 minutes.
The mare is likely to get up and down before and in the midst of delivering. The foal should present a front foot, then another front foot just a little behind it, and then a nose. Any significant delay in delivery is cause to call your veterinarian if you are not able to provide appropriate moderate assistance to help deliver the foal.
Once the foal is delivered, I use the 1-2-3 guideline: one hour for the foal to stand, two hours for the foal to nurse, and three hours for the mare to pass the placenta. A significant delay in any of these steps means it's time to call your veterinarian.
After delivery, a mare usually looks toward the foal, vocalizes, and licks the foal. But the mare might also be tired and spend time resting, and she might also show some signs of restlessness and discomfort until she passes the placenta. At some point she might also feel hungry and just go eat her hay, alternating between eating and paying close attention to the foal.
The foal should have good muscle tone. He should very soon make his awkward attempts to get in sternal position and move his legs about. He will likely vocalize toward the mare and very early have a suckle reflex. A good suckle reflex means he is extending his tongue and curling it and maybe making suckling noises—if you put your finger there he should curl his tongue around your finger and you should feel a bit of a suction. Foals will sometimes try to suckle on air or on their own legs and, once standing, and wander about and attempt to suckle on the wall. As long as this doesn't become a fixation, it’s normal.
The foal should soon begin trying to stand. Some will just pop right up, but most will flop and drag themselves around the stall for a while until they are stronger and more coordinated.
Once he's up, the foal will begin searching for the udder. Don't be surprised if the mare doesn't just stand perfectly still for this. Sometimes a mare will take a few steps or circle the stall, and some believe this is important to elicit a "following response" from the foal. The mare might nip at the foal and, especially if he's close to the udder, she might also squeal and raise a hind leg and kick out a little. It is really important to recognize these mildly aggressive behaviors by the mare can be completely normal and really won't significantly impede the foal from nursing in a timely fashion. And they are quite distinguishable from the more brutal aggressions we see in mares that reject their foals.
Don't be too surprised if the foal searches or tries and fails to suckle for a while, then either falls or lays down and rests before getting up for another try. Once the foal finds the udder, it might take him a bit to figure out how to latch on the teat. What you should look for is that he curls his tongue around the teat and makes a suckling noise, and you should watch or feel (if you can do so unobtrusively) for boluses of milk going down the esophagus.  As the hours and days go on, you can assess adequate nursing by watching the foal and feeling the udder for variations in distention.
The one- and two-hour guidelines for a foal to stand and nurse are just that. You don't have to be too alarmed if your foal is a little slower, but he should look like he's making progress.
For me, too much human assistance has not seemed overly beneficial. Foals are stronger and more determined than you think to do both the wrong things and the right things as they are figuring out their legs and where the udder is. If I can do a gentle assist or steadying to help him get up and keep near the udder I might. But I really strongly prefer to not interfere at all. If I feel like I need to provide a whole lot of assistance, then there are likely more significant problems that I need to address.
Good luck with your first foal!

 

Budget-Friendly Ways to Green Your Barn

With Stephanie Captein, Langley Environmental Partners Society
Are you looking for economical ways to make your horse facility more environmentally friendly? Here are some inexpensive ways to “green” your barn.
Going green doesn’t have to mean spending a small fortune. There are many budget-conscious ways to change the way you manage your facility so that your barn and property are more eco-friendly. “We just need to recognize that all the little things we can do, really add up to have a big impact,” says Stephanie Captein, Agriculture Program Coordinator with Langley Environmental Partners Society (LEPS) in Langley, BC.
According to Captein, “A starting point for anybody is to write a list of all the inputs and outputs you have at your barn. Inputs would be things like electricity, water, bedding, hay, feed, even medication, and outputs would be things like manure, empty containers, empty feed sacks, baling twine, plastic, and old tack and blankets. Then just apply the simple little rhyme we all learned in school – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – and see if you can find the practices that are easiest and least expensive to implement, but will really make savings along the way in terms of the environment and, usually, your wallet along the way.”

Reduce

One of the easiest inputs to reduce is electricity. “Install some timers or dimmers in the barn,” suggests Captein. “You can try to switch to fluorescent lighting as opposed to the incandescent. And follow the simple policy – last one out of the barn turns the lights off.

If you have the storage space, buying your hay, feed, and bedding in bulk and having it delivered all at once eliminates the need for multiple trips to and from the feed and supply store. Photo: Holly Burns

Water use is another area in which Captein sees significant waste. “Washing down the stalls, washing horses, filling water buckets – make a mental note of all the times that you use water and look at ways to reduce it,” she says. “By installing gutters and a rain barrel system you can collect a lot of water that you could use for washing the barn or your horses. That goes a long way to reducing your environmental impact. If you’ve got a big trough full of water and it gets scuzzy and you need to change it for the horses, you can use it to water your plants and flowers rather than just pouring it out.”
Bedding is also a material that sees a lot of wastage. Rubber mats, while expensive to install, can save on the amount of bedding you use. Or evaluate your stall cleaning method. “Some people put a lot of bedding down and clean the whole stall out quite frequently,” Captein explains. “Instead, do spot treatments with your pitchfork to take out what’s needed and save the entire clean-out for once a week, depending on what works for you and your barn.”
If you can, buy items like hay, feed, and bedding in bulk. Try to have them delivered at once, if you’ve got the storage space, rather than making multiple trips to the feed and supply store which will increase your fuel use.

Reuse

“See what you’ve got at your barn currently and decide what you need,” advises Captein. Old lumber lying around can be used for various projects such as blocking off a stall or repairing fencing. Empty feed and supplement containers can be used to store grooming supplies or as water buckets. Think outside the box to come up with new uses for old items.
“I find horse people are quite inventive and ingenious with some of the things they come up with,” says Captein. “A big one seems to be baling twine. I’ve seen people make really neat rugs for the barn to wipe your boots on. It looks fancy but it’s nothing more than a simple braid to make a woven mat – really useful. I’ve also seen people use baling twine to replace bucket handles or fence closures.”

Recycle

One of the biggest outputs at any barn is manure. Captein strongly recommends composting manure as the most environmentally friendly management practice. “It’s a great way to reduce your impact because you’re not sending [the manure] to the landfill, you’re not having it trucked around, and then you get to use it in your garden or on your pasture.” Or, she suggests, “You can donate your composted manure to a community garden where it’s seen as a resource, not as a waste. It’s a win-win.”

Manure management is one of the most important ways you can reduce your environmental impact. Composting your manure will keep it out of landfills, eliminate the need for it to be trucked around, and can be used to improve the condition of your garden or pastures. Photo: Robin Duncan Photography

Whenever possible, recycle all empty containers and packaging, and don’t forget about baling twine and/or the plastic wrapping on hay bales. “Get in touch with the waste collection provider from your municipality to see if they’re able to incorporate these into what they do collect,” says Captein. “You could also do a search of recycling companies in your area. There are a number of smaller companies that don’t service entire municipalities but are more specialized to certain commodities like these plastics that are used in the twine and the bale wraps.”
But, she notes, the margin for these companies when it comes to recycling these plastic materials is small. If you work together with horsey neighbours, local equestrian clubs, or a tack store to set up a central depot location where larger volumes of baling twine and bale wraps can be collected, the recycling companies may be more likely to pick up the plastic materials for free.
Be creative when looking for ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle, and remember that even small changes can add up to have a big impact.

Langley Environmental Partners Society (LEPS) is a non-profit, partnership-driven organization founded in 1993 to achieve the mission of “protecting and restoring the natural environment through education, cooperation, and action.”

This article originally appeared in the June 2013 issue of Canadian Horse Journal.

Main photo: CanStockPhoto/Peterfactors