#equine101

Treating and Maintaing Ulcers

I love thoroughbreds, they are smart, athletic, and can excel in just about anything. In my love for thoroughbreds, however, I’ve had some experience with ulcers; and since I’m a biochemistry geek I extensively researched horse digestion and diet. I was determined to do things right by Blade without breaking the bank or depending on pharmaceuticals for extended periods of time. Over the last few…

Last month I began the new monthly themes with the digestive system. It seems like a natural progression, then, to move forward and hone in a bit more on the digestive tract. This month? The equine microbiome. Continue reading

Monthly Topic: The Digestive System

Thanks to Blade I have educated myself extensively on gastric ulcers. I’ve talked about them often throughout the years, and even developed my own way of handling them. I have talked briefly about them in one of my popular articles, Horses Update, so I thought it was fitting to start this year’s new monthly theme with a deeper look at the digestive system! Actually, we’re going to begin with…

Poison Prevention Week 2019: Keep Minding Your Feed

Welcome to Poison Prevention Week 2019!

I began honoring this week last year with a talk about ionophores.

—–>Poison Prevention Week: Mind Your Feed.<—– 

To summarize, ionophores occur in antibiotics intended for cattle and poultry.  Horses are extremely sensitive to these little molecules; the toxic dose for horses (by weight) is 18x lower than cattle and more that 150x lower than chickens! …

Hay comes in difference sizes, cuttings, varieties.  Square bales, small squares, round bales.  Timothy, orchard grass, ryegrass, brome, coastal, clover/legume, alfalfa, fescue, and the list goes on.

In New York we simply see “grass hay” or mixes.  My current hay provider gives me a mix…of what I’m not entirely sure but I do see clover and grass for sure.  At one point he told me there was alfalfa but to my dismay it appears to have given way to the hardier forages.

We can go on and on about hay but for starters lets talk simply about feeding it.

I purchase small bales which weigh about 35-40 pounds each.  The three amigos are given the hay “free choice” so they can eat around the clock as nature intended.  They never run out.

Hay isn’t cheap.  In upstate New York I seem to have it easier than the rest of the country.  Our small bales sell anywhere between 4-6 per bale…first cutting.  Our hay is also better quality than most on average.  Florida, for example, sees mostly lower quality hay and sells for $12 per bale (Floridians please correct me if I’m wrong but this is the trend I’ve heard of from the limited contacts I have).  Unfortunately our seasons are often short and we are lucky to see two cuttings, my current source only got one cutting in this year.  I will save the quality talk and cuttings explanation for future posts.

On average I go through 2-3 bales per day, on average I am spending $300 per month to feed the amigos hay alone (not including supplements and grain).  The biggest headache horse owners have is wasted hay.  There’s a deep pit in our hearts when we walk into the barn to see hay spread throughout, trampled, and defecated on.  Tell that to the horse though…he neither knows why you’re upset nor cares.

This wasting of hay has led to hundreds of “solutions.”  See for yourself; if you Google “feeding hay” you will be bombarded with products and websites dedicated to reducing hay waste.  We all face it and we all search for the magic bullet.

So what’s the right answer?  To each their own, really.  All of the options have benefits and drawbacks.  But here are a few feeding methods that I use.

Feeding On The Ground

Among the most natural and easiest methods of feeding hay.  Choose a spot and throw a few flakes down.  With the boys I would put down two or three piles.

PROS:

Easy

Fast

Feed anywhere

Natural, feeding at ground level simulates grazing, elongates the neck, and helps to stretch the back muscles.

CONS

Messy

Lots of Waste; horses won’t eat hay if it’s dirty.  They tend to spread it all around, trample it, and poop all over it.

Get it Off the Ground

The week we got our new ATV my neighbor came down with this old snowmobile trailer.  Though it was extremely kind and generous it sat in our driveway as we have no use for it.  Finally, as I watched the boys continue to trample their hay I had a light-bulb moment.  I hooked the trailer to the ATV and hauled it up the hill.  The horses enjoy the sun in the colder fall days so I left it out in the open.

PROS:

Easy

Fast

Feed anywhere: You can hook this up and move it to different locations so one area doesn’t get over trampled

Off the ground means that it won’t get trampled into the ground.  This makes it less likely to be wasted

Less waste: In theory if your horses don’t reject it

CONS

Wastes some: Even getting the hay off the ground the horses still rejected a bunch of hay.  They fluffed it up and left a massive amount laying in the trailer for days.

Out in the elements: I began by putting two bails out and since the horses rejected about half it was left out in the rain.  This makes them like it even less.

Wall Mounted Nets

There are many manufacturers that sell these.  I purchased these from Tough-1 through my Horse.com.  You can find them using my affiliate link below (Tractor Supply also carries them online).

If you’re not aware I am an affiliate for several companies.  Horse.com StatelineTack and my newest company is Tractor Supply.  I don’t push too often because I care more about your readership than the commissions. If you do shop at these retailers, though please consider following my links to help me earn a few bucks to spoil the amigos with quality treats.

PROS:

Off the ground

Reduces nearly all waste

You can change the net once the horses destroy the original

Slows the horse down to mimic the grazing rate of consumption; allows the horse to work on the hay for a longer period of time.  This is especially good for easy keepers that stay fat on air.

CONS

The metal bars don’t move as freely, can be annoying and difficult to load at times

Small opening means you must load only a few flakes at a time

A permanent location means the horses won’t move around much

Need a wall to mount to so you are limited to the barn

Not as natural: horses are evolved to reach down to graze, it’s better for their spinal, respiratory, and muscular health.  These hay nets require them to raise their heads and tilt them in unnatural movements.

The Standard Hay Net

My most used method of feeding continues to be my reliable hay nets.  I have about nine or ten in different sizes with different size openings that I rotate.

PROS:

Off the ground

Reduces nearly all waste

Slows the horse down to mimic the grazing rate of consumption; allows the horse to work on the hay for a longer period of time.  This is especially good for easy keepers that stay fat on air.

Natural, feeding at ground level simulates grazing, elongates the neck, and helps to stretch the back muscles.

Can be hung nearly anywhere.  I have used my barn, trees, and the corral panels.  They are vital for travel in trailers.

CONS

Takes time to load

Inexperienced help take time to learn how to efficiently load nets

Not as natural: horses are evolved to reach down to graze, it’s better for their spinal, respiratory, and muscular health.  These hay nets require them to raise their heads and tilt them in unnatural movements.

Must have a place to hang

Shod horses can get their shoes stuck if they paw

Hay Racks

The farm I used to board at has a hay rack in one of the fields.

PROS:

Off the ground

Easy

Minimizes Waste

CONS

Can be knocked over by horses or the wind (as in the photos below)

Metal and hard surfaces can damage the enamel on teeth

The elevated position and angle of the hay causes a very unnatural movement for the horse.

Other Alternatives

I told you there are numerous feeding options for hay and I wasn’t joking.  If you want to spend a thousand or more they even have hay huts that shelter the hay from the elements.  Horses simply stuck their heads in the hut to munch.  Some people build gazebo-like structures to protect the hay.

There are also hay baskets, and some people feed hay in a slow feed net laying in an empty trough.

These all work.

I’ve included a link to a few other neat options to explore.  I haven’t used them so I can’t provide any valuable testimony.

Hay Play: Hay Play is a plastic ball that you load with hay and horses can roll it around.  This provides the horses with exercise as the move and graze.  I live on a hilly property so I don’t know if this would work with my boys.  The physics of it also makes me skeptical whether the horses can access all of the hay or just the outer edges while it’s packed.  It looks like a pain to load at well.  Either way I love the concept and think with a few reworks it would be spectacular.

Porta-Grazer: The Porta-Grazer is essentially a plastic barrel that can be loaded with hay, the cover has grazing holes and moves down the barrel as hay disappears.  It appears to be specifically designed so that the cover doesn’t easily get pulled out by the horse.  It keeps the head down, encourages the horse to slow down and practice the grazing that nature intended.  I haven’t purchased this because it is expensive and really only allows one horse to use it at a time.  Want to buy it for me (I’m only joking I think)?

DIY Nets: DIY Nets offers a number of really great looking products.  Wall mounts, corner mounts, hay baskets and a number of creative combinations.  Among my favorites is the tarter basket with hay net attachment.  These are high quality products at high quality prices.  Perhaps one day I may try these.

Hay Chix: I do have a bit of personal experience with Hay Chix since my friend has a few of their corner feeders.  They work fantastically and hold up much better than the typical hay nets.  The materials are more forgiving than most as well.  I particularly love the corner feeder.  My friend had a large 2 bale net attached to the corner feeder and it was easy to load.  I can definitely recommend these products. 

BLANKETS!

Does my horse need a blanket?

When should I blanket?

What weight blanket should I get?

What is denier?

What blanket is best?

How do I know what size blanket to buy?

Do not fret.

There are SO MANY ANSWERS and the problem is MOST are probably right.

Blanketing often comes down to preference and lifestyle.  Do horses need blankets?  Sort answer?

Not all the time and not all horses.

Blanketing is very case-by-case basis and it varies from barn to barn.  Each horse has different requirements.

I know that really doesn’t make it easier to understand but let’s get into it some more and see if it helps.

If there’s one thing I want you to understand today it’s that horses are NOT humans.  We don’t have the same nutritional requirements and we don’t have the same environmental adaptations.  We are different species!

Do wild mustangs in Montana, Colorado, and the Dakotas wear blankets in winter?  No.  They live outside 24/7, they don’t have cozy barns, and they don’t have doting owners to blanket them.

Horses have evolved over millions of years.  They evolved and adapted to the environments in which they live.  Many features of our beloved equine enable it to survive treacherous weather.

FUR:  In the winter horses grow thick winter coats.  In the northern hemisphere our days begin to shorten after summer solstice (June 21st).  By September the days are noticeably much shorter.  The decrease in daylight hours trigger horses’ systems to begin preparation for winter.  Summer coats shed out and longer, thicker winter coats grow in. In the cold weather you’ll often see their fur looks “puffier” as the fur stands up to provide more insulation.

HEAT: The horse’s digestive system is remarkable.  It’s often referred to as a furnace.  I know I haven’t fully covered the digestive system on this blog yet, but as a brief overview, food enters the body through the mouth and it gets to the stomach.  The stomach processes food quickly and passes it into the hind-gut.  The hind-gut continues to process high fiber foods like hay.

Lets use a comparison; the stomach burns kindling.  It is quick and doesn’t last very long.  Kindling doesn’t provide heat.  The stomach is where grains are processed.  Te $30 Triple Crown, Safechoice, ProForce Fuel, Blue Seal, Crypto Aero feed you’re giving is processed here.  Forage is a fibrous feed…hay is like a nice hardwood log.  The hardwood log is what you choose to burn in your fireplace or log stove.  It burns long and slow and provides good heat over a period of time.  In the same thought process hay provides a long slow burn to help the horse maintain it’s temperature in even the coldest temperatures.  The colder it gets the more it needs to burn to keep warm.  Therefore as the temperatures drop offer MORE HAY.

Horses have a much lower thermoneutral temperatures than humans.  Think about yourself a moment.  What temperature do you usually begin to shiver?  What about when you begin to sweat?  Do you notice this changes the more you are used to that particular weather?

For example…I usually begin to shiver in the mid 60s, and sweat in the higher 80s.  In the springtime, however, I am happy to lose my jacket once it reaches 50.  Why?  Because my body has adapted to single digit temperatures.  In the fall I might need a jacket before it reaches 70 because I have been accustomed to 90 and 100 degrees.

The range of temperatures between shivering and sweating is what we call the thermoneutral zone.  In other words your body doesn’t need to do any extra work to keep itself comfortable.

Meanwhile, think of a friend who might wear shorts all winter and never complain.  Or grandma who always has the heat on to 85 degrees and never thinks it’s warm enough.

We are all quite different.

Horses are similar, however their thermoneutral zone is generally much broader and cooler.  On the low end it can range from 5-41 degrees and the upper  limits from 68-86 degrees.  This wide gap in temperature reduces their need for blanketing.  Most healthy horses can handle it!

So who needs a blanket?  A shivering horse is a ood indicator that you should give them a blanket.

I prefer to blanket mine with chilly precipitation.

Older horses have greater need.

Underweight horses should also be blanketed as they need the calories for putting weight on, not staying warm.

Lesson horses may benefit from blanketing to keep their winter coats from growing too long.  This helps them cool out easier between lessons and not get too sweaty.

Any clipped horse should definitely be blanketed since their natural defenses were taken away.

There is absolutely a time and place for blankets.  My horse prefers his rugs as he doesn’t grow much of a  winter coat.  This year I am putting him to the test and allowing him to go longer than usual naked so he has more time to grow his winter defense.

Stay tuned as I continue to go in depth about blanketing and review a few of the purchases I’ve made over the years.

https://ker.com/equinews/lower-critical-temperature-horses/

https://thehorse.com/130851/equine-internal-combustion/

https://horseandrider.com/health-and-advice/winter-feeding-for-your-horse-21077

https://extension.psu.edu/winter-care-for-your-horse

https://www.paulickreport.com/horse-care-category/winter-woolies-heavy-hair-coat-not-triggered-cold-temps/

https://www.thesprucepets.com/will-blanketing-prevent-winter-coat-growth-1887255

https://equusmagazine.com/management/horse-blanketing-questions-and-answers-8197

When the Going Gets Tough

When I began riding I often blamed a lot of what went wrong on the horse I was riding.

He’s being difficult…

She spooked…

He won’t listen to me…

She won’t get his head down…

He won’t go…

She won’t stop…

He won’t stay on the wall…

She won’t slow down…

He’s not doing what I’m asking…

(more…)

Poison Prevention Week: Mind Your Feed

This week is National Poison Prevention week.

With horses it seems there are MANY topics I could talk about on this subject alone.  Fruits, vegetables, medications, plants.  Unfortunately horses can be quite delicate compared to other livestock.  We sometimes joke about these lovable creatures but it is extremely scary when a horse gets into something he shouldn’t…it’s scary to think about, too.