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GFP :0 > Lecture 11 Horses > Flashcards

Lecture 11 Horses Flashcards

1
Q

How much forage should a horse consume in 1 day?

A

– Range of 1.5-3.5% of body weight

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2
Q

If pasture is major source of nutrition
How much will a horse consume

How much will a horse consume in 6-7 months

A

– 450kg horse will consume

  • ~ 2.5-3-plus tons of forage DM during 6 to 7 months
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3
Q

What should Stocking rate be of horses?

A

➢ 1.5-2 horses per ha or 1 horse per 1.5 acres

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4
Q

What are the Factors that determines pasture output (8)

A

– Type of horse
– Weight of the horse
– Soil type
– Soil fertility
– Drainage
– Amount of rainfall
– Time of year
– Species of forage

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5
Q

An adult horse’s appetite is what % of their bodyweight?

A

2.5%

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6
Q

Whats the formula for intake?

A

Formula:
Appetite (kg) = bodyweight/100 x 2.5

Example:
Appetite of 500kg horse = 500/100 x 2.5 = 12.5kg of dry
matter/day (total amount of food to be fed including both concentrate
and roughage)

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7
Q

What are the pasture considerations?

A

produce enough nutrients to meet the maintenance
requirements of most adult horses

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8
Q

Why do horses tend to be more destructive to pastures
than cattle?

A
  • Horses are continuous grazers
  • Spend up to 16 hours a day eating

DM intake per day/ kg BW and time spent grazing by horses on
pasture > cattle

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9
Q

What are the 6 Grazing Management tips for horses?

A
  1. Rotate the grazing area
  2. Graze younger animals
    separately from older
    horses
  3. Do not overgraze and
    overstock pastures (stocking
    rate 1.5 horses/ha
  4. Topping pasture or tight
    grazing
  5. Manually picking up
    droppings
  6. Mixed grazing with cattle or
    sheep
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10
Q

What strategy should be commonly used with horses in terms of grazing?

A

Rotational
– moving a group of horses between several
paddocks on a regular basis

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11
Q

Rotational Grazing:

-Pre grazing height

-Finish grazing at? after how many days?

How long do paddocks need to rest?

No matter what paddock is grazed, what needs to be accessed?

A

pre-grazing 7-12cm

Finish grazing 5-10cm (<7 days)

3 week rest

Access to shelter, water, hay feeder

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12
Q

What are the problems with horses?(4)

A
  • Horses are very selective grazers – 60 -70% time
    searching for foliage
  • Less palatable grasses are left to seed in rough
    patches where the horses also dung and urinate,
    leaving a very uneven sward
  • Overgrazed areas become depleted of nutrients
  • Problem exacerbated by poaching during wet
    winters
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13
Q

What are the consequences of selective grazing? (3)

A
  • Patchy swards
    – Productive grasses are suppressed
  • Weed incursion
    – Broad leaved weeds become established
  • Over-grazing
    – Nutrient depletion
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14
Q

Archer (1978) only what % of long established horse
pasture were grazed

After rejuvenation this increased to what %?

A

10%

20-30%

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15
Q

What do you have to remember when horses are grazing?

A

The Pasture is an exercise area

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16
Q

Old pastures: (
Pros 5)
(Cons 3)

A

✓ Thick matted turf
✓ Rest and exercise –cushioned surface
✓ Support subsistence
✓ Suitable for over wintering
✓ Resistant to poaching

but…

❖ Reduced annual yield
❖ Lower feeding value
❖ Shorter growing season

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17
Q

Heavily fertilised swards
5 pros
3 cons

A

✓ Extended grazing season
✓ Increased annual production
✓ Superior feeding value
✓ Supports hay and haylage
making
✓ Suitable for mixed grazing

but…

❖ Rapid and unwanted fat
deposition
❖ Open texture
❖ Cultivation – upturned stones

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18
Q

What does lush grass predisposes?

A

Lush grass predisposes foot disorders particularly
laminitis

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19
Q

Non-application of fertiliser leads to what?

A

leads to a further
deterioration of sward quality
– P< 3ppm
– K<75ppm
(deficient)

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20
Q

Whats the target ph for horse paddocks

How do we maximise uptake?

What must people be aware of?

A
  • Target of 6-6.5 for horse paddocks
  • Maximise uptake of Ca by the grass
  • Beware of liming soils with high Mo as it will increase Mo availability
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21
Q

Nitrogen , is it applied?

A

– Teagasc Green Book – new section
– Many studs don’t apply N

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22
Q

What will very lush grass predispose?

What can this cause?(2)

A

laminitis

– Cause excessive weight gain
– Digestive upsets

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23
Q

How much N units should be spread?

A

20-25 units (25-30 kg N)/acre should avoid
problems

  • No excessive increase in CP content
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24
Q

Slide 27 Nutrient Advice for Horse Pastures

A
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25
Q

Balance: herbage yield and horse
productivity – 7 principles

A

1) Grazing paddocks just before the rate of grass leaf
growth declines
2) Allowing time for grass to recover
3) Replacing depleted nutrients
4) Determining the optimum interval between grazing
5) Applying an understanding of the life cycles of the
critical pasture worm parasite of horses
6) Understanding temperament of each horse at grazing
7) Applying an understanding of each horses
environmental needs

26
Q

Whats is the stock carrying capacity :

-General guideline
-high quality grassland-
-low quality permanent pasture-

A
  • General guideline is 1.5 horses per ha
  • High quality grassland: 3-4 light horses (400 kg) or 4-6 smaller
    ponies/ hectare
  • Low quality permanent pasture: as little as 1 horse/ hectare
27
Q

On good temperate summer grassland in France:

Heavy breed mares (700-800 kg BW) require what of a stocking rate?

Mare and foal when following cattle stocking rate?

A

0.7-1.0 ha/mare + foal

28
Q

Within a rotational grazing system, cutting excess herbage and N input of 80-150 kg N/ha can support how many ?

A

2-2.5 growing horses per hectare

29
Q

Many TB studs produce enough grass to support how many mare and
followers up to yearling sales/ hectare and provide none of
their own hay

A

1

30
Q

Mixed grazing whats the 4 benefits?

A
  • Helps to reduce parasitic infestation
  • Each will eat around the others’ droppings
  • More uniform use of the pastures
  • Cattle will graze otherwise wasted feed
31
Q

What should be carried out before seed heads are formed?

What should be considered?

A
  • Topping should be carried out before seed
    heads are formed
  • Consider fencing requirements for mixed
    grazing
32
Q

Whats the Diet selection of Horses:

Forage

Weeds

Browse

A

90

4

6

33
Q

Whats the Diet selection of cattle:

Forage

Weeds

Browse

A

70

20

10

34
Q

Whats the Diet selection of sheep:

Forage

Weeds

Browse

A

60

30

10

35
Q

Whats the Diet selection of goats:

Forage

Weeds

Browse

A

20

20

60

36
Q

Stocking rate – mixed grazing

What does high SR lead to?

What further improves parasitic control?

What animals can bully cattle/sheep

A

1.5 horses / ha

High SR leads to depressed grass growth, parasite
transmission and bullying

Horses receive a better diet and ingest fewer intestinal
parasitic worm larvae

Lactating mares and young stallions can bully cattle/
sheep

37
Q

What animals graze more closely together?

What pasture is less suitable for horse grazing?

What does close cutting in spring reduce?

What does repeated close grazing reduce?

A

Horses and sheep graze more closely than
cattle

Repeated cutting for hay/haylage leads to
pastures that are less suitable for horse
grazing – less firm mat of herbage for exercise

Close cutting in spring reduces subsequent
grass seed production

Repeated close grazing reduces the proportion
of clover in sward and total annual production

38
Q

Chain Harrowing carried out in :

Spring

Autumn

A
  • Carried out in spring to remove dead material
    from the base of the sward
  • Carried out in Autumn to break up dung patches
    and increase the rate of breakdown
  • Problematic during summer - although can lead
    to increased dehydration of parasitic eggs
  • Removal of dung
39
Q

When is reseeding for horses carried out?

A

Only carried out when absolutely necessary
* If badly damaged by poaching or drought
* If totally dominated by perennial weeds or weed
grasses
* To level out very uneven ground

Seed mixture has different requirements to
conventional

40
Q

What does seed mixture needs to match?

What grasses are desirable in this case?

A

Need to match production of grass with palatability
and a cushioning effect for horses

Less productive grasses are desirable in this case
– 50% late perennial ryegrass
– 25% turf-forming grasses
– 25% meadow grass, such as creeping red fescue or
timothy
– No clover (colic - abdominal pain/GIT Issues)
– Herbs may be included but are difficult to establish

41
Q

What should seeding rate be?

Should you include clover?

A

Seeding rate 11 to 15 kg/acre or 37kg/ha

No clover (colic - abdominal pain/GIT Issues)

42
Q

Equesteriam seed mixture - germinal seeds (3)

A

Greengold (PRG) Intermediate tetraploid 1.5

Tyrone (PRG) Late diploid 2.0

Mezquita (PRG) Late diploid 2.0

43
Q

What varieties have excellent ground cover ?

A

Hard wearing amenity varieties for excellent ground cover
50% forage varieties for grazing

44
Q

Grassland Management Timeline:
Slide 40

A

Late Winter: Soil test to establish pH and other nutrient levels

Early Spring: Harrow, roll pasture, reseed (only if needed), close
area for hay, manage excess grass!!
Weed management

Late Spring/ Early
summer:
Apply N, P fertiliser
Target pre-grazing = PGSH = 4cm
Continue control of invasive weeds: docks/ragworth

Summer: Top to ensure adequate sward heights
Make Hay

Autumn: Beware of ‘autumn flush’

Winter: Rotate paddocks

Remember Pick up faeces

45
Q

What are the 2 main types of forage?

A

Hay

Haylage

46
Q

Whats the DM% of Hay and Haylage?

A

Hay- 85+

Haylage- 50-65%

47
Q

To make hay:

A
  • 7d sunny
    conditions
  • Dust – soaking
48
Q

To make Haylage:

A
  • 3-4d sunny conditions
  • Higher nutritive value
  • Perishable when open
    (4-5days)
  • Retain some green
    colouring
49
Q

What are the 3 factors affecting forage quality?

A
  • Stage of maturity
    – Leafiness vs. stem
  • Foreign material
    – Weeds, debris etc
    – ‘Clean’ meadow
  • Forage management
    – Hay: Mow after dew is gone, wide swaths, tedding
    – Haylage: 8-10cm stubble, ted twice daily, wrap within
    2hrs of bailing with 6-8 layers of plastic
50
Q

Grassland and Laminitis - The Risk of Laminitis

How do horses digest fiber compared to ruminants?

What is a more valuable feed?

What grass contains larege amounts of WSC?

When are the highest risk periods?

A

Horse digests fibre less easily vs ruminants

  • Shorter grass containing a higher proportion
    of leaf is a more valuable feed than that
    approaching maturity
  • However temperate grasses contain large
    amounts of WSC
  • The highest risk periods are during spring
    and autumn when the grass grows most
    rapidly
51
Q

What is Laminitis

A

Laminitis is a painful condition involving inflammation and
weakening of the laminae that bonds the hoof wall to the pedal
bone in the hoof.

52
Q

Explain Laminitis
it occurs when an animal has excess…

A
  • Excess nonstructural carbohydrates (ie. sugars, starch, fructan)
  • Unable to digest all of the carbohydrate in the forgut
  • Excess moves to the hindgut and ferments in the caecum
    Results in the production of LAB and production of LA
  • Decrease in CHO fermenting bacteria
  • Endotoxins and exotoxins may then be absorbed into the
    bloodstream, due to increased gut permeability, caused by
    irritation of the gut lining by increased acidity.
  • Endotoxaemia results in impaired circulation, particularly in the
    feet
53
Q

How do you tackle laminitis through grazing management? (7)

A
  • Restricting grass consumption:
    – reducing the time spent at grass
    – using a less productive paddock with traditional meadow
    species
    – allowing access to only a small area of grazing at a time
    – keeping pasture topped or by cross grazing with sheep
    etc.
    – muzzle to restrict a horse or pony’s grass intake
  • Traditional meadow pastures are likely to be lower
    in WSC
54
Q

Wgen do grassland weeds thrive?

If 10-20% of grasslands is weeds?

What do certain weeds make up?

How do you control weeds?

A

Wet weather in :
Poor grass growth, bare patches, and
poached fields

If 10-20% of the grassland is weeds
– reduce the pasture’s nutritional
value, grazing area and grass growth

Certain weeds can also make hay and
haylage unpalatable

Control: drainage, fertility, grazing,
topping and mowing

55
Q

List 3 noxious weeds?

A

Noxious weeds: Ragwort, thistle and
dock

56
Q

What does common ragworth contain?

A

Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) contains
pyrrolizidine alkaloids which are poisonous to
horses, other farm animals such as sheep and
cattle and also to wild animals such as hare
and deer.

57
Q

What does ragworth cause?

Where does it proliferate?

How is it normally present?

What does cutting/topping ragwoth alter?

How long can ragworth be dormant forin the soil?

When does ragworth become more palatable?

Is it easy for horses to detect?

A

Most frequent causes of plant poisoning - equines and
bovines are more at risk than mature animals

Proliferates in well-drained soils, poaching, open swards,
soil disturbance

Normally biennial, present as a rosette close to the ground
in spring of its first year then growing upwards and
flowering during the summer of its second year

Cutting or topping ragwort may alter the plant’s lifecycle
and result in it being present as a perennial

Dormant in soil for up to 20 years

Ragwort becomes much more palatable following
cutting or treatment - as the plants wilt and dry, the
bitter taste is lost.

Horses lose the ability to detect it and are therefore
likely to eat it readily > never allow animals access to
plants which have been treated or removed from
pasture

58
Q

What are present in ragworth that is poisonous?

Following consumption where are the toxins absorbed from?
What does this cause damage to?

A

Toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids are present in all parts of ragwort

  • Following consumption, the toxins are absorbed from the GIT and are
    released in the liver
    – cell damage
    – inhibit the organ’s normal repair and regeneration processes
59
Q

What are the clinical signs of poisoning of ragwort?

A
  • depend on the severity of the poisoning
    – loss of weight and condition;
    – jaundice;
    – photosensitive dermatitis;
    – behavioral abnormalities;
    – a staggering gait; impaired vision;
    – abdominal pain and convulsions
    – Up to 75%
    of liver can be damaged
60
Q

How to control ragworth: (4)

A

The following techniques can be used alone or in
combination to reduce, control or eliminate ragwort:

  • good pasture management
  • Control needs to be ongoing and combined with
    good pasture management.
    – Cutting (short lived benefit)
    – Digging/ pulling (short lived benefit)
    – Herbicide application (chemical control of weeds plan)
61
Q

What plants are dangerous for horses?

A

A number of common garden plants, hedging
and shrubs are dangerous to horses and must
be monitored for their presence in grazing
areas:

E.g. laburnum, alder buckthorn, common
alder, holly, juniper, cherry laurel and daphne
laurel.

Also, box, privet, rhododendron, robinia, thuja
and St. John’s wort.

62
Q

List other poisonous plants and trees for horses:

A

➢ Sycamore seeds (helicopters)
➢ Deadly nightshade
➢ Yew
➢ Foxglove
➢ Buttercup
➢ Oak leaves and acorns (large amounts)
➢ Bracken
➢ Horsetails
➢ Hemlock

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