Q. How long does it take for pasture grass sugar levels to drop after the sun goes down?

—Debra, Texas

A. The level of sugar in pasture grass varies due to several factors, including the weather, how stressed the grass is, its maturity, the time of year, and the time of day. As sun shines on pasture grass, the plants photosynthesize. This creates sugar stores the plan uses overnight to keep growing. Therefore, grasses tend to have higher sugar contents later in the day compared to earlier in the day.

Time Pasture Access Carefully

Generally, veterinarians and nutritionists recommend horses sensitive to sugar in pasture grass (such as those with insulin resistance, equine metabolic syndrome, or a history of laminitis) graze very early in the morning. It takes several hours after the sun sets for sugar levels to drop, so ideally try to avoid grazing before 3 a.m. And, because sugar levels start to build up again with sun exposure, it’s best to remove sensitive horses from pasture by about 10 a.m. If there’s significant cloud cover, you might be able to leave horses out a little longer, because photosynthesis (which relies on the sun) will be slower and therefore the amount of sugar will be lower.

One exception would be if the temperature drops below about 40°F overnight. At this temperature and below, the plants’ growth rate slow, which means stored sugars aren’t used up. As such, they’ll still be high in the early morning. In this situation, potentially at-risk horses should not have pasture access.

And, you must consider that some very sensitive horses might never be able to graze safely, while others can with careful grazing and pasture management. It all depends on the individual horse. Grazing muzzles are a very useful tool to help limit grass intake but still allow pasture access. Studies have shown that some muzzles can limit intake by as much as 80%.

Proper Pasture Management

Another important consideration is that most of the sugar in grasses tends to be in the bottom 3 to 4 inches of the plants. While it might be tempting to think that a very short, overgrazed pasture is safe because there’s “nothing out there,” such pastures present several risks—grasses are very stressed and only the lower inches of the plant are available, meaning these pastures can be very high in sugar.

As such, proper pasture management is very important to keep grasses from becoming stressed. This means horse owners need to properly fertilize and irrigate (if necessary) pastures.

It’s better for the plant and safer for the horse to stop grazing when the pasture has only about 3 to 4 inches of height left. This not only reduces sugar intake by your horse but also leaves some leaf for the plant so that it can regrow without having to dip in to root stores too heavily.

Take-Home Message

With an understanding of pasture grass metabolism and careful pasture and grazing management, many horses should be able to safely graze for at least part of the day. But, always consult your veterinarian or equine nutritionist before turning out your potentially sugar-sensitive horses on pasture.

Biosecurity measures remain a critical component to combating ‘strep throat for horses’

Teddy and the Chipmunks were brand-new additions at FarmHouse Fresh Sanctuary, in McKinney, Texas. The 15-month-old donkey and his three Miniature Horse friends were quarantined for the sanctuary’s standard 30-day period in the summer of 2023. On Day 29, feeling relieved that quarantine for Teddy and the Chipmunks was ending, the sanctuary’s team started removing the temporary fences that keep quarantined herds from touching noses with healthy resident animals.

On Day 30 the newbie herd started showing signs of equine strangles.

Strangles has been vexing horse owners since at least 1256. Caused by the bacterium Streptococcus equi, the common name “strangles” refers to the upper respiratory noise that is one of the disease’s more remarkable clinical signs. It ranks among the frequently encountered infectious diseases affecting horses.

Equine strangles is an old problem, but when it’s happening to your herd, it can feel dramatically new, changing your daily routines in an instant.

“We went on strict lockdown with them,” recalls Elise Khan, manager of the sanctuary. “Only one person would go in with them … once that person finished in the morning, they had to go upstairs and shower and change their clothes.”

Khan’s sanctuary team has been forthcoming online about the strangles outbreak. Khan says the organization’s mission to rescue animals from some of the worst situations puts her and her colleagues in a position to share information.

“It’s usually not somebody’s fault. No one would intentionally spread strangles,” Khan says. “I just feel (with) all these medical things, it would just be really comforting to me to have seen someone else go through it. And understand what to do and how to prevent it.”

‘Strep Throat for Horses’

Although it is caused by a different bacterium, “strep throat for horses” is a suitable analogy for strangles, says Ashley Boyle, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM. Boyle is an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania New Bolton Center, in Kennett Square, teaching in the field service section. She has been researching strangles for 15 years and was the lead author on the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine’s 2018 consensus statement regarding strangles.

But where humans can hoarsely complain about their sore throat, horses can’t articulate their discomfort.

“In horses, it gets further along before it’s recognized,” Boyle says.

The earliest sign your horse has strangles is a temperature spike. “A spike would just be an increased temperature from the normal range,” she says, which is typically 99-101.5 F. “Though sick horses are often 103 F or warmer, you should look for an increase in the horse’s normal recorded temperature.”

Other signs include a runny nose, difficulty swallowing, a “strangled” upper respiratory noise, not eating, swollen lymph nodes, or abscesses on the throat or jaw. Authors of the consensus statement report that the abscesses might rupture and drain externally or internally.

The strangles incubation period—the time from exposure to first indications of illness—can be three to 14 days, Boyle says. Once clinical signs start, they can last a few weeks.

While younger horses are more likely to be affected by strangles, S. equi can infect horses of any age. They can be exposed to the bacterium at shows, sales barns, or other places horses commingle.

PCR Testing: The Gold Standard for Equine Strangles

One of the newer developments in strangles detection and management is the use of a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test. Now considered the “gold standard,” the PCR test can detect S. equi before a culture.

While it’s not “wrong” to test for strangles using a culture, Boyle says, it might miss the infection early on.

“If it’s early in the fever, you may not get a positive right away because they haven’t started shedding (the bacteria),” she says .

Veterinarians also need to test the correct area of the horse’s body. “They’ve heard us harp on checking the guttural pouches (blind-ended sacs on either side of the throat), but that’s actually more when you’re kind of looking to clean up the disease,” Boyle says. “The guttural pouches may not actually be positive early on in the disease.”

At the start, it might be better to get the sample from the nasopharynx (the cavity above the soft palate) via a nasopharyngeal wash or an aspirate of an enlarged lymph node.

“Those can be done with culture or PCR,” she adds. “But if you’re getting negatives and you’re still suspicious of strangles, you really should be checking with PCR.”

What You Need to Know About Guttural Pouches

If a horse has chondroids(firm balls of pus) in his guttural pouches, the S. equi is contagious. “That’s what makes the carriers and what makes the risk of infection keep going even if you have got all the clinical signs down in the herd,” explains Alberte Fridberg, DVM, of the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Veterinary and Animal Science and Ansager Equine Hospital, in Denmark. To look for chondroids in the guttural pouch, your veterinarian will use a scope and flush the area.

When a “persistent carrier” continues to shed the bacteria into common areas like water troughs, a strangles outbreak can seem to be waning, only to flare back up again, making the outbreak last longer.

Equine Strangles Vaccination Strategy

In the U.S. there are two strangles vaccines you need to know about, Boyle says. There is an intramuscular vaccine and an intranasal vaccine.

Both vaccines provide protection against S. equi. A benefit the intranasal vaccine offers is that it provides immunity at the location where bacteria enter the horse, Boyle says. Meanwhile an intramuscular vaccine given to the dam prior to parturition (birth) can provide protection to a suckling foal.

Strangvac, which is available in Europe but was still awaiting USDA approval as of November 2023, has the attention of Fridberg, who was still a veterinary student when strangles captured the attention of Denmark’s horse community during an outbreak. She was inspired to work on an article outlining strangles hygiene, which was ultimately published in 2023 in Equine Veterinary Education.

Fridberg says she finds Strangvac interesting because of its DIVA—differentiating infected from vaccinated animals—capabilities.

“We were missing that in some of the others,” Fridberg says. “That’s an important ability of a vaccine.”

Vaccine timing is important.

If your barn is in the middle of an outbreak, you’ll have to wait before vaccinating, says Boyle. That’s because some horses are hyper-responders and can develop purpura hemorrhagica (an immune-mediated inflammation of blood vessels causing swelling of the belly and limbs and bleeding noted on the gums) after the vaccine. For the same reason, you’ll need to be cautious about vaccinating horses known to have had strangles in the past. Your vet might recommend running a titer to check your horses’ immunity to be sure they aren’t at high risk of being hyper-responders.

Isolating the Sick Herd

When equine strangles strikes, put up the fences. Isolation is key because the bacteria spread through close contact and shared equipment.

“It’s easier said than done,” Boyle acknowledges. “And I so appreciate that. But it’s so, so important.”

Exactly how you’ll isolate your horses will depend on your facilities. On some farms, that might mean the barn becomes the sick ward, and the pastures are for horses without clinical signs. On other farms, that might mean turning a run-in shelter into a stall and adding a double fence perimeter to the shed so horses in the rest of the pasture can’t touch noses with the sick horse.

The team at FarmHouse Fresh Sanctuary, which faced two outbreaks in six months, designated one pasture for healthy horses. The pasture beside it was for sheep on one side and goats and donkeys on the other. The third pasture was for sick horses.

“None of them could touch noses,” Khan says. “The goats can’t get strangles, but let’s say (a sick horse) sneezed and a goat stepped in it and then walked over to a healthy horse. A healthy horse could get it (from coming in contact with the nasal discharge). So that’s why we got really strict.”

Checking Temps, Cleaning Buckets

Once you’ve established your quarantine area, look at hygiene considerations such as shared equipment, temperature checks, and personal protective equipment.

Shared water sources provide an opportunity for exposure to S. equi; each pasture and stall should have its own water source with no cross-contamination—don’t swap out buckets and don’t let a hose dip into the water of any bucket or trough and then dip it in the next.

You’ll need to clean, disinfect, and dry buckets and other shared materials. Don’t skip the drying process.

“The bacteria love wet environments,” Boyle says. “That’s been shown in studies.”

Also, remember the human element. You’re a possible disease “fomite.” The concern isn’t your snot; it’s the snot on your sleeve or slobber from a sick horse, much like the goat scenario Khan described (the goat could’ve acted as a fomite, too).

If you are managing a strangles outbreak, expect to do a lot of laundry. It will be up to you how you manage that; maybe you’ll elect to have personal protective equipment such as Tyvek suits. Maybe you’ll wear different clothing around different herds. Maybe you’ll have different personnel handle sick horses. You might also add a disinfecting foot bath station and hand sanitizer pumps.

For the most part, washing machines work well at killing off the bacteria. But beware of nylon halters. In a Swedish study, researchers found the bacteria survive on nylon halters even after going through the machine, Boyle says. It might be best to throw nylon halters away after sick horses wear them.

Though the long incubation period associated with strangles can be daunting, temperature checks are your best hope.

Catching a jump in temperature can allow you to move the horse to isolation before it starts shedding a lot of bacteria.

“That’s the way to stop the outbreak,” Boyle says.

She recommends twice-daily temperature checks for every horse on the farm during an outbreak, but stresses that making temperature checks a part of your regular horse care routine can make it easier to catch even illnesses besides strangles.

“Anyone who had a fever of over 102.5 degrees would go straight over to the quarantine,” Khan says of the farm’s second outbreak. The team would then clean and sanitize the horse’s stall and equipment. “We also took notes on their discharge from their nose because our vet tells us you’re basically looking for … banana pudding consistency.”

The long battle with strangles has Khan taking a different approach to biosecurity. She’s extended the quarantine period for new additions to 35 days and is adding a pharyngeal wash for testing to new horses’ standard care before being released into the herd.

If your horse comes down with strangles, your veterinarian might or might not recommend antibiotics. It will depend on how sick your horse is. Horses that get antibiotics for strangles might not develop strong immunity to S. equi and could be reinfected, per the 2018 consensus statement.

Take-Home Message

Regularly checking your horse’s temperature can help you catch equine strangles early.

Strategize now for how you will separate infected, exposed, and healthy animals on your property. Build or buy any infrastructure you might need, such as temporary fencing or extra water troughs. Finally, talk to your veterinarian about vaccinating your horse against strangles.

Further Reading

Fridberg, A., Adler, DMT, Jørgensen, M.G. & Olsen, R.H. (2023) The hygienic aspects in the management of strangles. Equine Veterinary Education, 35, 540–550. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/eve.13794.

Boyle AG, Timoney JF, Newton JR, Hines MT, Waller AS, Buchanan BR. Streptococcus equi Infections in Horses: Guidelines for Treatment, Control, and Prevention of Strangles-Revised Consensus Statement. J Vet Intern Med. 2018 Mar;32(2):633-647. doi: 10.1111/jvim.15043. Epub 2018 Feb 9. PMID: 29424487; PMCID: PMC5867011.

Learn steps to safely and successfully add a new horse to an existing herd

We envision our horses living peacefully in wide open rolling pastures, in herds of happy equids that graze together and groom each other’s withers, just like nature intended.

It’s an idyllic image, and equine behaviorists say it’s a fantastic—and realistic—goal. But in practice, when managing herds of sport and leisure horses, it’s not always possible. Some horses suffer the consequences of unfriendly or hostile herdmates—especially when they’re the new kid on the block.

So how do you safely integrate a new horse into an established herd? To accurately answer that question and bring you helpful, reliable advice, we have gone to worldwide experts who speak to the latest scientific knowledge as well as their own real-world experiences.

‘It So Often Goes Wrong’—Introducing New Horses

The fact is horses—like people—don’t always get along with each other at first, says Paula Hitzler, BSc in animal science, farm manager of the Michigan State University Horse Teaching and Research Center (MSUHTRC), in Lansing.

People often add new horses into a pasture with other horses with little to no supervision, expecting them to be compatible. And that, Hitzler says, is the No. 1 mistake they make. 

Kate Fenner, PhD, of the University of Sydney, in Australia, agrees.

“It so often goes wrong,” Fenner says. “People get a new horse, and they throw him into the paddock with the others, and suddenly he’s all beaten up. What we want to really avoid is throwing them out in the paddock and letting them work it out
themselves because, quite often, they don’t do a great job of that.”

Well-planned transitions are a better solution, says Laura Torres Borda, PhD candidate in the Equine Surgery Unit of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna’s Department of Companion Animals and Horses, in Austria.

“By thoughtfully introducing new horses, we can minimize these risks and promote smoother integration within the herd, fostering a healthier environment for all group members,” Torres Borda says.

Quarantine for Horses, Homework for You

When buying a new horse, a critical “homework assignment” for new owners is learning about that horse’s social history, Fenner says. If the horse has spent many years stalled and pastured alone, he probably lacks equine social skills—making it harder to integrate into a new herd.

Humans can’t teach this horse-specific social language, Hitzler adds. But without it, your new horse will not understand what other horses are telling him, she says. He’ll need extra time and a gentle horse buddy (more on this in a moment) to teach him the ropes before joining the whole herd.

Once home, be sure to quarantine your new horse for 15 days to ensure he’s not harboring any transmissible pathogens, Fenner says. This is also a great time for him to get used to his new surroundings—which often takes longer than the quarantine period.

Meanwhile, get to know your new horse and take a fresh look at your current herd, she says. This will ensure you know each horse’s personality and the current herd dynamics and establish a helpful baseline for evaluating how the integration is going.

Good Fences Make Good ‘Neigh’-bors

Horse introductions always start with a great fence, our sources say. After the initial quarantine period the new horse should stay alone on one side, while the rest of the herd lives on the other.

At first, use a fence that puts space between the horses, Fenner says. You can use spacer devices, sometimes called standoffs, to hold an electrified line toward the inside of each field. Otherwise, you can space two fences slightly apart to create a sort of “no man’s land” between the barriers. The point is to allow the horses to touch noses but not forelimbs.

A temporary electric fence, placed on either side and about a meter from the main fence, will minimize contact and also stop your horses from getting their feet caught in a wire fence, should one of them strike out at their new neighbor.

Fenner says this allows horses to “get all that striking and vocalizing and that sort of thing over with” while avoiding injury. The fence should be high enough that if horses strike out—as they often do when meeting new horses—their feet won’t get caught in the fence. “That can be really dangerous,” she says.

When everyone appears settled—usually after a few days—switch to a simpler fence, such as a basic two-strand electric fence, which allows for closer contact, she says.

As always, avoid any fence that could cause injuries—especially those with sharp edges like splintered wood or barbed wire.

The ‘Bus Seat Buddy’ and Other Gradual Friendships

Once the herd and new horse have settled on their separate sides of the simple fence, it’s time to find a buddy for the new horse.

Much like people, horses blend better into a group if they can bond with just one or two individuals first. “It’s kind of like when you send your kid to school, and it’s really nice if they meet one or two other kids on the bus before they get there,” Hitzler says. “It seems to help them integrate better when they already have a friend.”

This is usually “much less overwhelming than putting them in together with the
others right away,” Fenner says.

Still, success depends highly on your choice of “bus seat buddy.” For Fenner, it should be “the quietest, most congenial horse” you have in your herd. “That’s the one who seems to get on with everyone and doesn’t really give a hoot about anything else,” she says.

Choose a horse that’s not very aggressive. “I don’t want the new horse being chased off by the one I’m introducing it to,” says Hitzler. “Occasionally, you get nose-to-nose squealing for a little bit, but then they should go on their merry way.”

Don’t confuse low aggression with lowest rank in the hierarchy, though. “Those horses are not socially great,” Fenner explains. “I think they can have a bit of a chip on their shoulders and be a little more testing of newcomers as a result.”

Once the new horse and buddy are grazing peacefully together, our sources say it’s time to choose the next-best buddy from the herd and add that horse to the pair.

One by one, you should add more horses to the new group until the whole herd is present. Importantly, this means bringing the other horses to the new horse and not the contrary, Fenner emphasizes.

For increased safety, it’s best if horses are barefoot during the integration process, Torres Borda says.

Space and Escape

Working out the kinks of a new herd addition safely requires sufficient space. Horses must be able to get away from aggressive members yet respect the personal space of horses that aren’t (yet) their friends.

Such scenes might seem like middle-school bullying, but they’re all part of the natural process of establishing a functioning hierarchy within a group of horses, our sources say.

“Indeed, space availability is very important to obtain a stable group and good cohesion,” Torres Borda says.

“If you’re looking at smaller paddock areas, having rounded corners would be ideal, because horses do need an escape,” Hitzler adds.

If run-in sheds and other buildings aren’t three-sided, ensure there are least two doors so horses can get away from more aggressive individuals, she adds.

3 Phases of Resource Management

Horses can aggressively guard resources—food, water, and shelter, mainly—from herdmates they don’t like but use them to bond with those they do like, says Torres Borda. In fact, she and her fellow researchers recently found that resource sharing and proximity are great ways to gauge how well a horse is melding into a group. “Indeed, only close companions voluntarily eat together in a stable herd,” she says.

Therefore, managing resources wisely across three phases of the integration process can help things go smoothly, our sources say.

Phase 1: Across the fence To encourage friendship-building during separation, place food and water on each side of the fence in spots that bring the horses close enough to share mealtimes without risking conflict. “This may facilitate the integration progress,” Torres Borda says.

Phase 2: Early hours of integration When you first introduce a resident horse into a shared pasture with the new horse, avoid extreme weather days that make shelter valuable. Take out all the resources you can, including hay, feed buckets, and water tubs. Stay out of the field because “all that beautiful positive reinforcement and loving and scratching” that you do makes you a resource as well, Fenner explains.

“Resource guarding will quite often get them into trouble and get them arguing,” she says.

Phase 3: Throughout integration Once the critical first few hours of herd consolidation have passed, reintroduce the resources, but mindfully; space food and water stations sufficiently apart so each horse can eat and drink without “tensions” or “aggressive behaviors,” Torres Borda explains. And ensure there’s sufficient shelter for all horses to enter without crowding, Hitzler adds.

How Long Does It Take? It Depends.

Instead of setting an alert on your calendar, use wise judgment and good observation skills to know when horses are ready for each new step, Fenner says. “It depends entirely on how settled they are,” she explains. “So just wait until you see that they’re getting along.”

Unfriendly behaviors usually subside within a couple of weeks, although it sometimes just takes a matter of days, says Torres Borda. However, it takes much longer than that for all horses to know their place in the overall hierarchy and who their friends are. “A stable integration typically occurs over approximately two months,” she says.

You’ll know your new horse has made a good friend when you see him standing especially close to another horse, she adds, citing her recent research. “Horses form lasting bonds with select individuals—their preferred companions—whom they tolerate within their personal space,” she says.

Importantly, never try to hurry things along or skip steps, Torres Borda warns. “The key to a smooth integration is to make the introduction of a new horse into the established herd as gradual as possible,” she says. “The tendency to rush the process will most likely be detrimental to the horses’ welfare.”

Red Flags, Monitoring, and Intervention

If you respect these guidelines, chances are each subsequent step will go smoothly, Fenner says. But just in case, stay nearby and watch from a short distance for the first 30 minutes, because any serious problems should become apparent by then. Afterward, there’s no need to babysit, she adds; you can leave and then check on everyone again in a few hours.

The next few days involve careful, regular observation and “vigilant monitoring of social interactions and individual well-being,” says Torres Borda. That means noticing who’s being aggressive to whom, and how targeted horses are reacting.

“Keep an eye on your horses, and really know their personalities, and if everyone is settling or not,” Fenner says.

You should also look for horses getting chased away, cornered, or constantly rejected at feed and water sources, she adds. “It’s not uncommon for a horse to be pushed away from the feeders for a couple of days until it finds where it’s comfortable sharing an area with another horse. But if this lingers on, you may have to intervene.”

Compromised nutrition and welfare can change horses’ physical appearance. “You need to watch their weight and their body condition” before and after herd integration, Hitzler says.

Meanwhile, thoroughly inspect horses daily for cuts, scrapes, hair loss, or other signs of injury, she adds.

Any evidence of “excessive and lasting aggression or injuries” merits intervention, Torres Borda says.

Intervention involves moving the target horse to the safe side of the fence and backing up as many steps as necessary to find safe buddies for that horse, says Fenner.

Sometimes, it makes sense to pull both the aggressor and the target out of the herd and safely separate them in adjacent paddocks. “Then eventually you put those two together so they can form a relationship, away from the others, and then go back into the herd,” Fenner explains.

Take-Home Message

Introducing a new horse safely into a herd doesn’t always go smoothly, with pasture injuries a common and repetitive problem. But by following expert advice based on both science and experience, we can improve our chances of success while respecting our horses’ welfare needs.

Spring has officially sprung in Kentucky with flowers in full bloom and the horses off to the races! While we may be excited to get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine after a long winter, the warm weather also draws out other critters … ticks. Often overlooked compared to mosquito-borne pathogens, ticks are capable vectors of several equine diseases and can cause adverse effects ranging from local irritation to acute and chronic disease. Proactive tick management is an essential component of equine preventive care, particularly as many regions continue to report increased numbers of tick bites and changes in tick species distributions.  

In the United States, notable tick-borne diseases affecting horses include:  

• Equine Granulocytic Anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum) – most commonly observed signs of infection include fever, lethargy, limb edema and ataxia. In equines, A. phagocytophilum is most commonly transmitted by the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) in the Northeast, Midwest and parts of the Southeast, but may be transmissible by the Western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) on the West Coast.  

• Lyme Disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) – although horses are less susceptible than dogs or humans infection can result in chronic weight loss, shifting lameness, behavioral changes, and neurological signs. This disease can be difficult to diagnose in equines, as a positive blood test indicates exposure to the pathogen but not necessarily current disease status. Lyme Disease is also transmitted by I. scapularis.  

• Equine Piroplasmosis (EP) – caused by Babesia caballi and Theileria equi. This disease is reportable in the mainland U.S., but endemic in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Transmission can occur through tick bites (most commonly from Dermacentor or Rhipicephalus spp.), but most U.S. outbreaks or reports of disease are associated with iatrogenic transmission from contaminated equipment during unsanctioned racing events or through illegal importation of infected Quarter Horse racehorses.  

• Tularemia (Francisella tularensis) – a rare tick-borne zoonotic disease in horses, associated with Dermacentor spp. and Amblyomma spp. ticks. This pathogen can be transmitted through bites from fleas and flies and through contaminated water sources, but is most commonly associated with tick bites. While rare in horses, it is of veterinary and public health significance due to its ability to persist in the environment, multiple modes of transmission and zoonotic disease potential.  

• Tick Paralysis and Hypersensitivity – Toxins in tick saliva may cause neuromuscular dysfunction or localized inflammatory responses in sensitive animals.  

Emerging Tick Species: Asian Longhorned Tick  

The Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) is an invasive species that has been detected in numerous U.S. states along the East Coast and Appalachian Mountains, including Kentucky, where it has been detected on wildlife, cattle, equines, dogs and people.  

• It reproduces asexually via parthenogenesis, enabling rapid population growth and large infestations, particularly on livestock.  

• This tick has been documented on horses in the U.S., although no confirmed cases of equine disease have been associated with it.  

• Internationally, H. longicornis can transmit pathogens of veterinary and medical concern, causing diseases such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, theileriosis and rickettsiosis.  

• Its ability to cause anemia and death in cattle raises concern for similar effects in heavily infested horses, particularly if infestations go unnoticed, though such cases have not yet been reported.  

• As horses can develop hypersensitivity reactions to tick and other arthropod bites, even mild infestations of H. longicornis could exacerbate stress, pruritus and allergic dermatitis, affecting welfare and performance even in the absence of pathogen transmission. 

Most Common Equine-Associated Tick Species in the U.S.  

• Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick)  

• Amblyomma maculatum (Gulf Coast tick)  

• Amblyomma mixtum (Cayenne tick)  

• Dermacentor albipictus (winter tick)  

• Dermacentor andersoni (Rocky Mountain wood tick)  

• Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick)  

• Haemaphysalis longicornis (Asian longhorned tick)  

• Ixodes scapularis (blacklegged tick)  

Integrated Tick Prevention and Property Management  

Most tick species tend to prefer habitats with shade, moisture and vegetation, including wooded edges, brush and tall grasses commonly found on or adjacent to horse properties, or along trail riding locations. To reduce equine tick exposure, there are environmental, behavioral and chemical strategies available to reduce the number of ticks on the property and reduce equine exposure to areas where ticks may be more common. This can include pasture and property management to reduce areas that are more likely to harbor ticks and reduce wildlife from bringing ticks onto the property. Integrated management also includes on-animal prevention strategies to reduce ticks from attaching to animals and removing ticks quickly when they do attach to animals.  

Pasture and Property Management  

• Mow and maintain pastures frequently to reduce habitat more likely to harbor ticks.  

• Create buffer zones between wooded or brushy areas and paddocks.  

• Remove brush, leaf litter and overgrown field margins.  

• Exclude wildlife (e.g., deer, raccoons) via fencing or deterrents to reduce tick introduction and movement of disease-causing pathogens.  

• Control rodents through exclusion and secure feed storage; rodents serve as reservoirs for immature ticks and several tick-borne pathogens.  

On-Horse Prevention  

• Perform daily tick checks, focusing on thin-skinned, less-visible areas such as ears, eyelids, muzzle, chest, belly, mane and tail. Full body tick checks are recommended after equines have been in areas where ticks may be more common, such as after trail rides in brushy habitat.  

• Apply EPA-registered pyrethroid-based sprays labeled for equine use. Reapplication may be needed based on rainfall or sweat exposure and is typically only effective for short-term applications.  

• Fly sheets or insect barriers may provide partial protection from both biting flies and ticks.  

• Avoid off-label or overuse of pesticide products to prevent skin irritation or systemic absorption. Consultation with a veterinarian before application of on-animal chemical products is highly recommended.  

When to Heighten Vigilance  

• After trail rides or turnout in brushy or wooded areas.  

• During peak tick activity months: spring through fall, although milder winters may support year-round activity in parts of the Southeast and South-Central U.S.  

Veterinary Role in Surveillance and Education  

Veterinarians are well-positioned to contribute to equine welfare through owner and caretaker education on tick-borne diseases and bites and preventative approaches for tick and other arthropod-borne diseases and associated conditions. In many states, ticks can be submitted for identification through the state’s Departments of Agriculture, Environmental Health or Public Health Departments, or through state Extension services. In Kentucky, suspected Asian longhorned ticks can be submitted through the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service by bringing them to your county Extension office, mailing them to the Entomology Department through the contact information below or by contacting the Office of the State Veterinarian at statevet@ky.gov.  

For identification of suspected Asian longhorned tick in Kentucky, please preserve specimens in ethanol or hand sanitizer (without additives like aloe), or in a ziplocked bag after freezing specimens (to kill ticks). Mail specimens to University of Kentucky Veterinary Entomologist, Dr. Hannah Tiffin, at the University of Kentucky S-225 Ag Science North Lexington, KY 40546-0091 along with information on date of collection, host animal collected from, county of collection, and follow-up contact information. 

Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from Equine Disease Quarterly, Vol. 34, Issue 1, funded by underwriters at Lloyd’s, London, brokers, and their Kentucky agents. It was written by Hannah Tiffin, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Kentucky, in Lexington.   

Q: My horse pastures have not been as healthy as I’d like, and I must feed my horse more hay than most people living in my area to be sure he’s getting enough forage. I know soil health is the first step to cultivating healthier horse pastures. How can I be sure my pasture soil is healthy and can support the grasses I want growing?

A: Healthy soil in horse pastures can allow grasses to function to their highest potential with minimal support, says Brad McIntyre, a farmer in Southwestern Idaho with productive organic pastures and an interest in soil health.

“Soil is part of a natural system, created way before us,” says McIntyre. “Animals are part of that natural ecosystem (too),” he adds, noting that their manure and urine help build a healthy pasture environment.

Here are McIntyre’s Top 4 tips for creating healthy horse pastures.

1. Grazing Height

Keep pasture grass at least 4 inches tall; don’t let horses graze them any shorter. Grasses shed roots—the roots change color from bright white to gray, then brown, and eventually black as the plant tissues die—and their roots are typically as long as the plant stand. If horses overgraze plants every day, the grass constantly sheds its roots, making it shorter. When horses overgraze a pasture, they often wipe out the desirable grass species, leaving room for undesirable species to take over.  

2. Compost

Compost provides a rich source of nutrients and beneficial microbes. Composting involves encouraging microbes to break down organic material into a soil amendment that acts as a long-term, slow-release fertilizer. On horse farms this typically includes animal manure, stall waste, and dead plant material. Compost manure and other organic matter on your farm and reapply it to your pastures to encourage beneficial plant growth.

3. Water

Water and sun can go a long way in improving horse pasture soil health. If you live in a hot and dry environment, you might need to irrigate your pastures to improve growth. But, if you add too much water, you might essentially drown the desirable grasses in your pasture. Plants prefer a heavy amount of water, then a period of rest to regrow. Typically, McIntyre irrigates for 24 hours every seven to 10 days.

4. Rest Pastures

Let your pasture rest and your grasses seed out after grazing periods. Then turn your animals back out to graze; as they move and eat, they’ll press the seed heads into the soil. In effect, you get a free reseeding. McIntyre aims to do this every few years.

Take-Home Message

Healthy soil drives better horse pasture growth. To protect it, make sure your grass stays a few inches tall. “Work with what’s free. It’s a natural system,” says McIntyre. Healthy soil leads to healthy pastures and, in turn, healthy horses and a healthier planet, he adds.

Q. This spring, I moved my horse to a new barn with grass turnout. My horse hasn’t been on pasture since I got him, and I’m unsure how to make this transition. I know it needs to be gradual, but how gradual, and how do I make it work?

A. I’m sure your horse will appreciate the opportunity to be turned out and have pasture access. But you are correct: Sudden dietary changes, whether it’s the introduction of grain, a hay change, or a move to pasture, can lead to colic and laminitis if done abruptly, whereas a gradual transition allows the digestive tract to adapt. The types and amounts of enzymes the horse’s digestive system secretes are diet-specific. This is also true of the bacteria composing the horse’s hindgut microbiome.

When equine diets change suddenly, feed components that should be digested and absorbed in the small intestine might not be. They might instead reach the hindgut, disrupting the microbiome microbial population. This can result in gas production, hindgut pH reductions (becoming more acidic), as well as die-offs of certain bacterial populations, causing toxin release. All of this can contribute to colic and laminitis.

Early spring pasture contains a lot of moisture, protein, and nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC). NSC includes sugar and starch, as well as more complex fructan sugars. High-NSC diets have two problems:

1. A sudden transition to a diet high in NSC can cause the hindgut disruption already mentioned, because sugar and starch that should be removed in the small intestine are not; and
2. For horses with metabolic issues such as insulin dysregulation and equine metabolic syndrome, NSCs can induce laminitis and founder.

To minimize hindgut disruption, a slow introduction to pasture is necessary, especially for sensitive horses with metabolic conditions. Understanding that these individuals might not be good candidates for any pasture is important. Before you embark on this project, make sure your horse is a good candidate for pasture.

If the barn manager expects pasture to provide real nutritional benefits, fields must be well-established before introducing horses. Putting horses on new pasture too early and before the plants are well-established can be tempting. Wait until the pasture has at least 6 inches of grass before grazing. A safe rule of thumb is that the bottom 4 inches always belong to the plant. If pastures are grazed below that height, you start to rob the plant of its ability to maintain itself, and ultimately your pastures will become overgrazed and plants will die, leaving bare patches and opportunity for weeds to take hold.

Assuming you have the minimum 6 inches of growth, introduce your horse to the pasture initially for just 15 minutes. This might require hand-grazing, because not all horses are going to want to come back inside after only 15 minutes on such a delicacy as spring grass! Then increase the grazing time by about 15 minutes every day until your horse is grazing for about four hours total. Stay at four hours per day for at least a week before granting unlimited access.

Clearly this process is labor-intensive, so it can be helpful to get creative about how you pull it off. The initial 15-30-minute periods can be fairly easily achieved before or after a ride. Allowing 15 minutes before a ride is a great way to get some forage in the stomach. If time is short, do your grooming while your horse grazes, or just hang out and enjoy his company. Then add some time after your ride as a reward. Schedule grazing so longer turnout periods happen on weekends or when you have more time. Ask a friend at the barn to help you out. With some teamwork and creativity, you can transition your horse to pasture safely.

Q: With summer approaching, I want to be sure I’m prepared to minimize unpleasant odors on my farm that are always worse during the warmer months. What can I do to eliminate those odors or prevent them altogether?

A: During the warm season horse properties can develop odors—between muddy turnouts, stockpiled manure, and urine buildup in confinement areas. These spots attract pests such as flies and rodents and can raise concerns among neighbors. Inhaling ammonia in stalls, barns, or confined spaces can also harm a horse’s respiratory tract. Here are five tips to help you reduce odors on your horse property.

1. Start With Healthy Soil

Odor control starts with a step many people overlook: Start with healthy soils and slightly sloped ground. If you confine horses in a low, wet area you will end up with mud and odor problems. Make sure you have a good, even slope (about 1-2%) away from stalls or shelters. Be sure to grade the ground, making it even before putting gravel or another type of footing in these areas. Otherwise, any depressions in the underlying soil allow water (and urine) to pool under the gravel, potentially causing odors.

2. Develop a Manure Management Program

A solid manure management program goes a long way in solving odor issues. Begin by picking up manure every one to three days in confinement and high-traffic areas. Establish your manure pile far away from streams, ditches, rivers, or other bodies of water to prevent runoff contamination, and cover it with a tarp (to keep it from getting soaked by rain).

Let’s say you’ve picked up manure and you still have odors. The simplest and cheapest solution might be to drag or harrow the paddock. This helps get beneficial aerobic microbes back in your soil that break down tiny, odor-causing organics. It also helps the ground dry faster.

3. Minimize Moisture

Keep your farm as dry as possible by removing opportunities for standing water to form. Keeping shelters, stalls, and barns dry, or at least well-drained, goes a long way in reducing odors. Moisture often triggers odor problems; wet areas release more odor-causing compounds than dry ones. Consider doors, screens, or roof overhangs for shielding barn openings from rain. Invest in good working gutters and downspouts, which divert rainwater away from buildings and confinement areas. Ventilation also helps dry the barn area by releasing and not trapping moisture and allowing odors to dissipate. Stall windows, open doorways, cupolas and vents in roofs, ceiling fans, etc., can all improve ventilation in your barn.

If a horse perpetually urinates in one spot in a confinement area, you might have to occasionally dig out and refresh footing in that spot to help it dry thoroughly.

4. Use Microbial Sprays to Minimize Odors

A variety of microbial spray products are available, which you can use on urine spots and across confinement areas to neutralize odors. These products contain different types of beneficial bacteria, enzymes, and/or fungi. They come in highly concentrated solutions that you dilute and spray on paddock areas with a garden sprayer. The beneficial microbes break down ammonia and organic material that cause odors and attract flies. Use these animal-safe solutions as often as needed to control odors. You can commonly find these beneficial microbial sprays at organic garden supply companies or feed stores.

5. Use Zeolite Products in Stalls

Zeolite products remove odors effectively when you sprinkle them in stalls or other areas of your barn. These naturally occurring minerals have a highly porous structure, which binds with ammonia molecules in urine, eliminating odors. You’ll find zeolite, which looks like finely ground kitty litter, in several stall deodorizer products.

Take-Home Message

Starting with healthy soil, developing a manure management program, minimizing moisture, and using microbial sprays and zeolite products can all help reduce the odors on your horse farm. In turn, this will minimize pests and support your horses’ comfort and well-being.

To prevent feed degradation, mold growth, or contamination, owners should obtain and preserve the safest product

Poised on a Peruvian hillside sits a cavelike construction that once held a cache of food to supply an entire village. The steady cool temperature and darkness preserved it from rapid decomposition—a practice of storing food that developed over millennia. But in today’s world, on a moment’s whim, we find what we need at the supermarket, the farmer’s market, or in our backyard garden, with little need to keep substantial quantities of food on hand. When it comes to stocking up on feedstuffs for our horses, however, we still rely on storage and preservation lessons learned through history and science.

Ideally, owners should obtain the safest product and preserve it for feeding throughout the year, preventing feed degradation, mold growth, or contamination that could harm their horses.

Hay Storage

In much of the United States hay only grows during temperate months. The best quality is obtained and the best prices achieved by putting up a supply that will last until the next harvest. To keep stored hay as fresh and palatable as possible, focus on preventing mold development, heat buildup and combustion, and nutrient deterioration.

Proper hay harvesting and drying is important to control “respiration,” a naturally occurring process that produces heat and bacterial growth. Michael Collins, PhD, former professor of agronomy at the University of Kentucky, describes some of the science behind hay production: “Hay crops generally contain around 80% moisture at the time of cutting; field curing reduces moisture to levels (at which hay) can be safely stored. Hay cured to less than 16-20% moisture stores well with minimal problems of heating or mold growth. However, if baled with too much moisture (25-35%), microbial activity generates significant amounts of heat. In extreme cases, hay can reach spontaneous combustion temperatures.” Hay heated to 150-175°F has the potential to burst into flames, posing great danger to a horse facility.

In the initial weeks following baling, moisture and heat combine to maximize combustion risk. Thus, Kathleen Crandell, PhD, of Kentucky Equine Research, advises horse owners to monitor moisture levels (keeping them below 14%) and heat for two weeks after stacking new hay. They can achieve this by inserting an electronic probe (Delmhorst, for example, to measure moisture) and a temperature probe into bales to ensure temperatures remain below 120°F. If you come across hotter bales, remove them from the stack and spread them out in an area protected from rain to allow drying.

After buying properly cured hay, store it in a building separate from the barn with a leak-free roof. And, to thwart wicking of ground moisture into bales, Collins says to place bales on a layer of loose straw, crushed gravel, or wooden pallets. Otherwise, condensation forming beneath bales sitting directly on dirt or concrete can lead to mold growth and spoilage.

Crandell recommends stacking hay so air can circulate freely to evaporate moisture. “Stack square bales on edge, leaving narrow gaps between rows, alternating bale orientation in each layer and stacking no more than four or five bales high,” she suggests.

More horse farms are using round bales as an economical, less labor-intensive way to feed hay. Crandell suggests these bales be well-dried before stacking, as well.

Ventilation and air circulation also are essential in lofts, where hay is particularly prone to hazards of heat and spontaneous combustion. Follow Crandell’s recommended stacking regimen, refraining from stacking bales tightly or all the way to the ceiling. Lofts also tend to accumulate dust, which can build up on hay and cause respiratory problems for horses.

Protect hay stacks stored outdoors with well-secured waterproof tarps or other coverings that will withstand wind, rain, sun, and snow. Canvas tarps are superior to plastic covers, which are prone to punctures and leaks. Exposure to air (causing oxidation), sunlight, and weather extremes also subjects hay to nutrient loss. “Vitamin deterioration is inevitable, beginning the minute forage is cut in the field,” says Crandell. “As much as 75% of carotenes (vitamin A) diminish in the first 24 hours. Even under ideal storage conditions, more than 5% of vitamins are lost each month, possibly necessitating supplementation with a vitamin/mineral mix, ration balancer, or commercial concentrate.” Perform a hay and/or pasture nutrient analysis to determine supplement needs.

Stored Forage-Related Health Concerns

It is also important to consider potential dangers lurking in the hay and other stored forages themselves. Consuming as few as three to six blister beetles in legume hay (such as alfalfa or clover) can kill a horse. These insects often reside in hayfields and can be killed and baled during harvest. “(Owners are) less likely to encounter blister beetle problems in spring or early summer first-cutting hay since they are attracted to flowering plants that often coincide with late summer cuts of alfalfa,” says Collins. “Pre-bloom cut hay is less likely to be infested.”

Blister beetles might be more prevalent during years with bumper crops of grasshoppers, since they also feed on grasshopper larvae.

Hay poses another health threat: Horses might ingest spores of the botulism bacterium, Clostridium botulinum. “While not as common in hay as with ensiled feeds (i.e., haylage), botulism is usually associated with the presence of dead animals caught up in hay during baling,” explains Crandell. “It also occurs from ingestion of contaminated soil baled with trampled forage. An environment conducive to C. botulinum also promotes mold growth, yet another reason not to feed moldy hay.”

Haylage is high-moisture hay that has been compressed and encased in plastic within hours of harvesting. This processing environment couples high moisture and anaerobic (not requiring oxygen) fermentation, which can encourage proliferation of C. botulinum. “Moldy or discolored haylage should not be fed,” says Crandell.

She recommends inspecting hay and haylage carefully before feeding and disposing of suspect material. “Inspection can be difficult with round bales, but with availability of adequate forage, horses tend to eat around bad hay due to poor palatability,” she says.

Grain and Supplement Storage

Moisture is the enemy when storing forage or grain-based feeds, as well. To decrease the risks of decomposition and mold development, Crandell counsels owners to keep feed in cool, dry environments, with containers tightly closed to seal out moisture, insects, or rodents. Just as with forage, oxidation affects short-lived vitamins, particularly B-vitamins such as biotin.

Exposing cereal grains (oats, barley, and corn, for example) to high humidity or moisture can lead to mycotoxin production, which can have dangerous health consequences for horses. “Various mycotoxins are produced from fungi present at grain harvest that proliferate in the presence of moisture or humidity during storage,” Crandell explains. “Very small amounts of mycotoxins won’t usually affect a horse. A recent survey found these present in over 80% of grains. With (consumption of) significant mycotoxin levels, reduction in feed intake may be the first sign of a problem.”

Often, fungi are neither visible to the eye nor with a black light. “Some describe a pinkish, reddish hue to some corn kernels,” Crandell adds. “The only way to accurately test is to submit the sample to a lab. Moldy-looking feed may or may not be contaminated (with mycotoxins) but should not be fed to horses under any circumstance.”

A horse consuming moldy corn is at risk of developing liver failure and a serious neurologic condition called equine leukoencephalomalacia (ELEM, or moldy corn poisoning) caused by the mycotoxin fumonisin. Conditions that favor fumonisin growth on corn include a humid climate and a dry summer, followed by wet weather at harvest time. “During years of questionable corn harvests,” explains Crandell, “safe recommendations limit corn concentrations (in feed recipes) to less than 20% along with heating of corn through steaming, pelleting, or extrusion.”

All grains—not just corn—are subject to mold and mycotoxin development. Crandell reports that Aspergillus fungi produce alfatoxins in cereal grains; at high levels, these too are detrimental to horse health.

Stored Grain Longevity

Crandell explains that feed companies generally designate expiration dates within 30 to 60 days after grain product manufacture. If owners maintain feed under ideal circumstances, it might remain safe for four to six months, with straight whole grains (unprocessed, uncrimped) potentially lasting years, she says. Feed should contain few broken kernels, be kept in low-moisture (less than 13%) conditions, and safeguarded from insects and rodents. Humidity and temperature of storage facilities, degree of rodent or insect infestation, and exposure to air impact shelf life. “Store bags on pallets and try not to stack them more than five high, especially in humid climates,” says Crandell. “Sealed bags last longer than open bags. Once a bag is open, the clock starts ticking with quality of feed subject to degradation from exposure to air, humidity, and heat.”

She notes that adding molasses and/or oil to grain mixes increases moisture levels and can also affect shelf life. And high-fat feeds are more prone to rapid spoilage from the oxidation that degrades fats and fat-soluble vitamins (and causes them to go rancid). “Manufacturers add preservatives to slow oxidation, mold, and bacterial growth, but this doesn’t prevent deterioration, which is determined by storage conditions,” Crandell says. With rising temperatures and humidity during summer months, a feed’s shelf life decreases. Thus, Crandell advises keeping on hand only as much grain as can be fed within three to six weeks, or, if purchasing large volumes at one time, installing air conditioning in storage rooms.

Pelleted feeds’ shelf life might be longer not only because of lower moisture content but also due to heat treatment associated with pelleting. “Textured feeds usually include pellets containing the ‘loose’ particles (protein source, minerals, vitamins, yeast),” Crandell observes. While pellets generally last longer, other ingredients in a feed mix can shorten the shelf life. “Pellets are mixed with grains, beet pulp, and molasses—moisture differences and quality of all constituents affect shelf life,” she says.

Pest Protection

Fewer moisture-related problems arise when storing feed in breathable paper bags or wooden bins; however, these are not necessarily pest proof. Metal or hard plastic containers with secure lids reduce losses and spoilage, as well as prevent contamination with pathogens that pests can introduce such as Sarcocystis neurona (which causes equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, or EPM) or leptospires (causing leptospirosis). Horses can develop EPM from ingesting feed containing opossum feces. They contract leptospirosis by ingesting feed contaminated with infected mammals’ urine. Discard forage or grain that has been soiled with pest urine or feces. The best prevention is to store feed where rodents or other varmints can’t access it.

Plug rodent-sized holes in a feed room with steel wool or mesh to discourage mice; scattering sheets of fabric softener around the area also can achieve this. Use a feed storage container made of a material that rodents can’t chew their way into, and seal it securely with a lid that raccoons and other dexterous critters can’t open. “Galvanized metal trash cans effectively deter rodents,” says Crandell. “Since warm air hitting cold metal causes condensation inside that increases the chance of mold, these work best when kept in a temperature-controlled room.” She notes that metal-lined wood bins might also prevent rodent damage; however, wood does little to discourage insect intrusion or prevent spoilage from air exposure.

Moisture encourages not only mold growth but also insect proliferation within grain kernels. “Insects (weevils, grain mites, or beetles) eat grain from the inside out, removing nutrients,” says Crandell. “As with broken grain kernels, insect breakdown opens up grains to oxidation and mold growth, leading to a stale smell and significant decrease in palatability.”

Pest protection isn’t the only critical element of animal-proof feed storage: It is important to secure grain and supplement containers in a locked room or bin that can’t be accessed by a horse that has escaped from his stall or paddock. Unhindered access to feed can mean a very sick horse. Also to that end, on horse farms with small animals, chickens, ducks, or other livestock, take additional precautions to lock their feed supplies away from horse access.

Take-Home Message

Storing forage and grain properly helps maintain nutrient content and feed palatability. Critical aspects of safe storage include keeping feed in cool, dry locations to avoid moisture accumulation. Also remember that starting with a quality feed contributes to your feed stores’ longevity and nutritional impact.

Q: I have a smaller horse farm with five horses on it. What can I do to reduce the amount of manure on my farm so it doesn’t create an eyesore or attract unwanted insects?

A: According to the USDA, one horse produces 50 pounds of manure per day. If you add spent bedding to that equation, you can have a huge mountain of stall waste daily just from one horse, not to mention several horses. However, you can find ways to use that waste, turning it into a resource for you, your community, and the ecosystem around you.

For horse owners with pasture or cropland, composting is the No. 1 recommended manure management option by agencies and industry professionals. Before fertilizers were readily available and popularized, farmers composted livestock manure and food scraps and spread the finished compost on pastures, crops, and gardens. Experts typically do not recommend spreading fresh manure because of the risk of spreading parasites, pathogens (disease-causing organisms), and weed seeds. Spreading compost is excellent for soil health and pasture productivity. You can apply a thin layer of compost to pastures, lawns, gardens, and crops during the growing season.

What if you don’t have enough pasture to apply compost? Or maybe composting isn’t your thing? In that case you might need to explore off-site options.

Horse Waste for Dairy Farms

You can investigate whether you have a local dairy farm or other livestock operation that will accept horse manure. Dairies are often willing to take horse stall waste that contains bedding, viewing it as a highly absorbent, free material they can reuse as bedding for dairy cows. Most parasites and pathogens found in spent bedding are species-specific, so those affecting horses typically do not affect ruminants.

Horse Manure Compost for Landscaping

Compost tends to be much easier to rehome than straight manure. Creating nicely composted stall waste doesn’t take much more effort than stockpiling manure. With a little advertising and an easy-to-access location, you might attract enough people to take all of it—composted or not—particularly in urban areas with avid gardeners or landscapers. If you can help others load it with a tractor and bucket, that also makes it more appealing. You can also spread the word to local flower and garden clubs, nurseries, and native plant clubs, or post on Craigslist, Facebook groups, or other social media platforms.

Hauling Horse Waste Off-Site

If you choose to haul your horses’ waste off-site, you can either hire someone to haul it for you or you can get the equipment to do it yourself. Some of these businesses might take it for free or charge a tipping fee. Paying to dispose of manure off-site might be the easiest way to go if you have a mountain of manure, lack of storage space, or don’t have the time to research or implement other options. These businesses often take horse manure:

• Compost or topsoil companies; 
• Nurseries and flower gardens;
• Tree farms;
• Crop farmers;
• Organic growers; and
• Flower gardeners.

Check with your local garbage hauler or shavings supplier because they might be able to haul off manure for a fee and take it to a composting facility or topsoil company. Some compost or topsoil facilities rent drop boxes they deliver and empty. They usually charge pickup, rental, and disposal fees.

Take-Home Message

Smart manure management on small horse farms often involves using a mix of strategies. From composting and reusing stall waste to connecting with gardeners, farmers, or haulers, the right combination depends on your space, time, and goals. With a little planning and creativity, you can turn manure into a useful resource rather than a problem.

Q: I am considering producing hay for at least my own horses within the next few years. I’ve heard of sustainable hay production, but I don’t know much about it. What is it, and what do I need to get started?

A: Sustainable hay production refers to practices that protect the environment while producing a high-quality hay crop, says Sandy Young, owner of Treasure Valley Hay, in Nampa, Idaho. Young has been a hay broker since 2008, focusing primarily on providing high-quality hay for horse owners in Southwestern Idaho, but she has customers in all Western states.

“Growers want to produce a high-quality product and feed the world … as well as (understand) what they need to produce it,” says Young. When she evaluates a potential hay grower before agreeing to broker their hay, she looks for “good quality, good color, and fresh smell without mold or foreign objects.”

She also considers the grower’s farming practices. “Is their hay produced as organically as possible, without chemicals?” she says. “If a grower is spraying, what are they using?”

Sustainable grass hay production usually involves growing a variety of plant species in the same field. “It often includes rotating crops, such as with teff hay, which will help maintain soil health,” says Young. “Using integrated pest management strategies (a science-based approach combining different pet control tools) will help reduce chemical use.

“Promoting biodiversity and long-term soil health are all part of regenerative agriculture, the new buzzword these days,” Young adds. This means the grower employs techniques such as planting cover crops, reducing or eliminating tillage (plowing), which disrupts the soil’s ecosystem, and avoiding bare, exposed soil that’s prone to erosion from wind or rain. It also involves using organic fertilizers and trace minerals, and reducing or eliminating chemical inputs to support soil microbes and improve soil structure and fertility, she adds. These practices help the soil retain moisture, which reduces polluted runoff and dust storms.

“Healthy, living soils help plants grow longer, stronger root systems, which in turn allow plants to better utilize minerals and nutrients in the soil,” says Young. “It’s becoming so obvious that soils are deficient from decades of modern farming practices that have depleted our soils of microbes and nutrients.”

Healthy soils are a balance of organic matter, trace minerals, soil life, and the plants grown.

Take-Home Message

Sustainable hay production involves protecting the environment while producing a high-quality hay crop. This can include producing forage as organically as possible, with minimal chemicals and a focus on the long-term health of balanced soils. “Sourcing sustainably grown hay is protecting the environment,” says Young.

Skippy was almost aptly named. He didn’t skip, but he did hop and jump. And to his owner’s great regret, Skippy bucked.

“He was a horrible ride,” recalls Amber Cash of Newark, Delaware. “He kicked, he bucked, he bit, he would run and not stop. I thought I could train it out of him, but he always seemed angry.”

Skippy wasn’t always like that, though. Often—and especially when he didn’t have a rider—the big red gelding was delightful, which made Cash suspect his bucking was pain-related. “He was loving, funny, smart, and playful,” she says. “But when he hurt, he was a holy terror.”

Cash tried dozens of saddles, stretching techniques, and chiropractors, all to no avail. It wasn’t until she got his back radiographed that she discovered the tips of her horse’s backbone were running into each other—a condition known as kissing spines. After surgery to create more space between the vertebrae, Skippy was a changed horse. “He was so much happier and easy to ride,” says Cash.

Bucking Basics

The buck evolved in horses as a defense mechanism to literally throw off predators, says Sue Dyson, MA, VetMB, PhD, an independent consultant in the UK, who published a scientific review on bucking research in 2021.

A few other herbivores, such as sheep and antelope, have a certain kind of buck, she says. But the equine buck takes the skill to new heights: Their leaps into the air, with two or four legs off the ground, sometimes combined with either an arched-up or stretched-out back, the head low, and/or sudden stops and twists, could pitch off just about any animal—­including humans.

What Kind of Buck Is It?

Not all bucks are created equal, says Dyson. Some include little hops with the upper back—the thoracic spine, from the wither to the loin—in extension and the head up; some involve full flying leaps with the back up and the head down (“pronking” or “crow-hopping”); some propel rapidly forward in a series of pronks (“bronking”), often with lots of stops and twists.

“I always ask my clients, ‘Do you feel the horse is trying to buck you off?’ ” Dyson says. “If they say no, that’s a completely different situation from the horse that does the kind of rodeo act when its back is in flexion all the time.”

Our sources agree that most horses that buck consistently merit a visit from the veterinarian. Even if your horse isn’t throwing you off, his body language is likely telling you something’s wrong, and he needs help.

We’ve listed nine reasons horses buck—most of which are pain-related. Bucking seems to be a natural equine response to pain, although the biological reason for that remains unclear. “We can’t necessarily say it’s pain relief, but it’s definitely a reaction to pain,” says Dyson.

1. Kissing Spines

When the long points sticking up from the top of vertebrae—known as spinous processes—crowd each other, they’re said to be “kissing.” Bone hitting bone is painful, especially with added pressure from a rider, says Beau Whitaker, DVM, of the Brazos Valley Equine Hospital, in Salado, Texas. “The No. 1 thing I look for in bucking horses is kissing spines,” he says.

Kissing spines in the saddle area (the caudal thoracic and the lumbar spines) are the most likely to cause discomfort that can lead to bucking, he says. “When you get on the horse, it causes the back to drop and the spine to ventroflex (extend), and that pushes those bones even closer together, causing more pain, so the horse starts to buck.”

Not all horses with radiographic evidence of kissing spines, however, display signs of pain such as bucking.

2. Sacroiliac Joint Pain

The large, rigid sacroiliac joints lie between the ilium of the pelvis and the sacrum (the vertebral column from the loin to the tail—also considered a part of the pelvis) and are supported by ligaments above and below. Through wear or injury, horses can damage these joints and ligaments—and the result is often a very telltale kind of buck, says Dyson.

“They usually only buck when ridden, not on the longe,” she says. “They buck with their back extended, most commonly in canter, and may kick out backward or sideways. As a rider, you don’t feel like they’re trying to get you off.”

Her recent postmortem work for a soon-to-be-published study has shown that some of these horses even have a damaged obturator or sciatic nerve, which could lead to neuropathic pain (caused by damage to specific nervous system regions that perceive pain).

3. Gastric Ulcers

Bucking-related pain can also come from the stomach, says Whitaker. Sixty to 90% of adult performance horses have gastric ulcers, which develop when digestive acids break down the stomach lining, often due to stress, large amounts of concentrate feeds, and/or long breaks between meals.  

“Some horses get enough pain from gastric ulcers that when they’re moving, especially cantering, that acid starts to splash around and irritate them, making them buck,” he says. Gastroscopy is the only way to confirm a horse has ulcers, so it’s a useful procedure when other pain has been ruled out.

4. Poorly Fitting Tack

A saddle that’s incorrectly fitted or badly positioned on your horse’s back can concentrate high pressures in a small area or pinch, such as just behind the withers, Dyson says. Some horses have a “bucking spot” behind the saddle: Firm pressure to this area might trigger bucking.

A broken tree can also cause a horse to react, says Whitaker, as can a poorly fitted saddle pad or tack such as breastplates, bridles, and bits.

Girths can also be culprits, says Dyson, particularly those with elastic inserts. Some horses might find the moving elastic uncomfortable.

5. Other Sources of Pain

Bucking-associated pain can come from all over the body, our sources say. For example, they’ve found it in the pelvis, limbs (especially the hocks and stifles), and ribs. “Lameness may be the cause of bucking,” says Dyson.

Or it might come from the other end of the horse: “Sometimes they’ll have a hook or a fractured tooth,” says Whitaker. “This can hurt more when they get their heads in a certain position. Often those horses will throw their heads, but we do see some that manifest in ways you wouldn’t expect, like bucking.”

Dyson says she has seen bucking related to a torn ligament in the back, spondylosis (degenerative bone changes) of the spine under the saddle, and a broken sternum, among other orthopedic issues.

6. Fear

In some circumstances, the consequences of a horse’s buck—namely, the rider falling off—can scare them. “You see some horses, when they’ve bucked the rider off, they just stand there and act absolutely astonished and fearful,” Dyson says. “They are often terrified of being remounted, (and they may especially) not tolerate the rider sitting upright.”

This doesn’t mean the horse is afraid he’s “done something wrong,” which is too anthropomorphic, she says. Rather, the horse is fearful of having a mass projected over its head.

7. Accidental Buck Training

Whether they’re frightened or anticipating pain, or they just don’t like being ridden—maybe due to previous bad experiences—some horses learn that strong bucking gets rid of the rider and any related pain. That relief is a strong reward, and they learn to buck to get it.

Even after veterinarians perform therapy to relieve a bucking horse’s pain, he might continue to buck because he learned to when it hurt to be ridden. “Unless something changes, like an intervention from a behavioral management point of view, you may get into a situation which spirals out of control,” Dyson says.

Unskilled riders can start the spiral, she says. Riders with poor balance might bounce a lot (causing pain) and eventually fall with a simple buck. And some horses develop a tendency to buck early in a riding session, which could be the result of having quickly dislodged novice riders.

Learned bucking is often more difficult to resolve than pain-related bucking, our sources say. “Sometimes you have to try to work those horses through the mental aspect of it, once you get past the pain aspect,” Whitaker says. “And that’s not always easy to figure out.”

8. Intentional Buck Training

It’s worth mentioning, of course, that some horses are purposefully trained to buck. “Certain lines of horses, from a rodeo performance point of view, are apparently better at bucking,” Dyson says. Usually, when they don’t have cinches around their groin, they won’t buck, she adds. However, they might have a greater propensity for it.

Meanwhile, some high-level dressage horses, such as from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria, are taught bucklike movements such as the capriole.

9. Feeling Great!

Bucking can represent both negative and positive feelings. Horses buck out of exuberance when galloping and playing at pasture and sometimes under saddle, says Dyson. “They can feel fresh and exuberant, like when you take them out to the beach to gallop, and they give some happy bucks,” she says.

There’s a stark difference between the happy buck and the buck that says something’s wrong, however. Feel-good bucks are usually one-shots in specific situations of excitement, whereas bucks in a series or that happen every time you ride should raise a red flag.

Happy bucks aren’t usually an issue—unless you’re not skilled enough to ride them out, Dyson says. However, horses can be trained to not buck under a rider, even when they’re exuberantly happy.

Getting an Evaluation

If you’ve got a bucker, get your horse—and your tack—evaluated. Have a master saddler check your saddle and bridle, and ask your veterinarian to run a buck evaluation. That usually starts with palpating the back to check for reactions to pain, followed by radiographs and, if necessary, a gastroscopy, says Whitaker.

Veterinarians should also evaluate the horse in hand, while longeing, and under saddle (if he’s safe to ride), says Dyson. Local (temporary) nerve blocks can help find the part of the body that’s hurting.

Sometimes veterinarians perform an ultrasound of a painful area to see if the soft tissues have been affected. If those checks don’t lead them to the problem, practitioners might pursue bone scans (scintigraphy) to look for inflammation in the bones. Bone scans can help veterinarians track improvement once horses have started therapy, Whitaker says.

Treatment must be targeted depending on the diagnosis, says Dyson. Most horses also need behavioral retraining after they’ve recovered physically, to learn not to buck once the pain is gone. Seek the help of a certified behaviorist or a trainer versed in positive reinforcement methods.

Take-Home Message

Bucking might be what happy horses do in a field, but it can spell trouble when they’re doing it repeatedly under saddle. Veterinary treatment and behavior management can help resolve the issues behind the buck, our sources say. And when you identify the reason for the buck—like Cash did for Skippy—it can be a game-changer for both horse and owner.

This common pasture grass is good for grazing but bad for broodmares

If you look out over your pasture and see bunch grass with course-textured, flat, and ribbed-surface leaf blades, you are probably looking at tall fescue. Tall fescue, a productive, well-adapted, and persistent cool-season grass is one of the most abundant and heavily utilized forages in the United States. This grass occupies more than 10% of the U.S. land area—­approximately 37 million acres—with an estimated 700,000 horses grazing or fed tall fescue.

From a historical perspective, says Kyle McLeod, PhD, associate ruminant nutrition professor at the University of Kentucky, in Lexington, tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) was thought to have been introduced into the United States as a contaminant in the meadow fescue seeds imported from England until the late 1880s. It was recognized for its ability to thrive and was cited for its superior growth; tolerance of extreme conditions, disease, and insects; and ability to withstand heavy hoof traffic and grazing. By the 1940s two cultivars were released: Alta and Kentucky-31 (KY-31). Alta was selected for its winter hardiness, persistence, and ability to remain green even during drought conditions. This cultivar was planted throughout the Pacific Northwest and intermountain regions of the western U.S. The Kentucky-31 cultivar was noted for its adaptability to a wide range of soil types and ability to provide grazing throughout much of the year. The southern U.S. experienced a wide planting of KY-31 for forage, soil conservation, and roadside coverage. To date, tall fescue ranges from Florida to Canada.

Because of its nutrient composition and agronomic traits, tall fescue is the forage base of most livestock enterprises, particularly beef cattle. Jim Henning, PhD, former extension forage professor at the University of Kentucky, says well-managed fescue produces a high-quality forage with crude protein (CP) and digestible energy (DE) concentrations from vegetative (the period of growth between germination and flowering) to boot (the reproductive stage when the seedhead is enclosed within the sheath of the flag leaf) to mature stages of growth, ranging from 11% to 16% CP and approximately 60 to 68% DE (mature to vegetative).

Tall Fescue’s Side Effects

Despite all its positive traits, tall fescue is not without shortcomings. By the 1950s, says McLeod, fescue had gained a reputation for causing poor performance in livestock—primarily cattle but also small ruminants and horses—­consuming the grass. Cattle often developed a chronic, unthrifty condition, especially during the summer. Some occasionally developed lameness and lost portions of their feet and tails during fall and winter. Other perceived side effects included failure to shed winter coats, and, thus, heat intolerance, and reduced conception rates. Mares on tall fescue appeared to have higher foal mortality and agalactia (absence of milk production).

Scientists began studying the cause of these signs, says McLeod, and by the mid-1970s USDA researchers discovered an endophytic fungus that infects the fescue plant. “Endo” (within) plus “phyte” (plant) means a plant that lives within another plant. In this case the host is the fescue plant, and the toxic endophyte is a fungus identified as Epichloe coenophialum. Two characteristics of the endophyte have great practical importance. First, the organism does not affect either the growth or the appearance of the grass, and it requires a laboratory analysis to detect its presence. Second, it is transmitted solely by seed. So, the endophyte is beneficial to the plant but toxic to grazing livestock.

Krista Lea, MS, horse pasture evaluation program coordinator in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at the University of Kentucky, says the toxic endophyte produces several ergot (fungus) alkaloids (nitrogen-containing metabolites of the plant), including ergovaline, ergotamine, ergocristine, and lysergic acid, with ergovaline being the most prevalent (84-97% of the total ergot alkaloids produced). Although all classes of horses can experience endophyte-related issues, pregnant mares develop the most pronounced problems.

Lea says pregnant mares grazing endophyte-infected fescue might carry their foals several weeks past their due date, resulting in dystocia (difficult birth) because of the increased size of the foal. Thickened and/or retained placentas are common for mares grazing endophyte-­infected fescue. Frequently, the foal arrives normally but is encased in a tough and thickened chorioallantois (membrane surrounding the foal in the placenta), which he cannot break through. Consequently, he might suffocate unless someone cuts open the chorioallantois immediately. Premature placental separations (commonly referred to as red bag deliveries) are also common in mares grazing toxic endophyte-infected fescue.

Further, says Bob Coleman, PhD, PAS, associate equine extension professor at the University of Kentucky, mares grazing endophyte-infected fescue produce reduced amounts of or no milk and colostrum (antibody-rich first milk). Colostrum might contain lower concentrations of the antibody immunoglobulin G (IgG) and, in some cases, IgG absorption is lower in foals born to mares grazing toxic endophyte-infected fescue.

Scientists don’t know the exact mechanisms that cause these reproductive problems in mares; however, they do know the ergot alkaloids are agonistic to ­dopamine (D2) receptors, meaning they cause excess dopamine production. Research conducted in 2000 by now-retired Marc Freeman, PhD, and colleagues in the Department of Biological Sciences at Florida State University, in Tallahassee, revealed a significant reduction in circulating and releasable prolactin (a hormone essential to the final stages of birth) from the anterior pituitary gland and agalactia in mares grazing endophyte-infected fescue. Another contributing factor to prolonged gestation is suppression of the hormone progesterone. Progesterone levels should increase about two weeks before parturition (foaling), but mares consuming endophyte-infected fescue have reduced progesterone levels.

Grazing endophyte-infected tall fescue does not appear to have as much impact on other classes of horses, says Coleman. In one study conducted at Auburn University, researchers looked at the growth and development of yearlings grazing endophyte-infected fescue pasture. In another study a team at the University of Georgia considered the growth and development of yearlings eating endophyte-infected tall fescue hay. Neither research group found significant differences on average daily gains or wither heights of horses consuming fescue compared to controls.

A team from Missouri State University evaluated performance horses fed endophyte-infected fescue seed mixed in their grain ration and found no significant impact of the infected fescue on the parameters measured. Lea says researchers at the University of Kentucky have tested ergot alkaloids’ vasoactivity (ability to cause blood vessels to contract or dilate). While they documented vasoconstriction, with ergovaline being the most vasoactive ergot alkaloid, the horses did not appear to be outwardly affected.

Measuring Endophyte Levels

So, what can breeders do from a management perspective to avoid tall fescue toxicity in broodmares? Lea and Coleman agree that pasture management is the ideal option.

The first step is to know for certain the pasture is infected and at what level. For specific sampling procedures, costs, and shipping requirements, contact your local county Cooperative Extension office. However, here are some general sample collection guidelines:

When to sample. Samples must be collected when the plant has been actively growing for at least a month; this provides the best opportunity to find any endophyte present.

Collection. Gather tiller (stem) samples of the plant that are at least 1/8-inch thick. Cut with a razor or sharp knife at the soil surface, avoiding stems that have seedheads. Take at least 10 to 20 random tillers per five acres to get a representative sample of the pasture.

Storage. Place samples with a cold pack in a sturdy, plastic-lined box to take to a county extension office or overnight express to a testing laboratory. Refrigerate samples to ensure sample quality.

Results. The report you receive will indicate the percentage of submitted tillers that were infected with the endophyte. Some U.S. laboratories also determine ergovaline concentrations.

Lea says ergovaline concentrations vary seasonally and closely follow the tall fescue’s cool-season growth curve, with spikes occurring in spring and fall. However, some farms do not test for ergovaline concentrations. Based on data collected over the past 15 years through the University of Kentucky’s Horse Pasture Evaluation program, Lea’s team has developed a relative (ergovaline was not tested or tested outside of the normal months) risk scale to help breeders manage late-term mares’ grazing. Here is an excerpt from the table:

Because the ergovaline produced by the endophyte is what causes problems in broodmares, knowing how much ergovaline the mare is ingesting will provide you with more detailed information to guide your management practices. Researchers have shown that signs of fescue toxicity appear in pregnant mares consuming fescue testing greater than 300 parts per billion (ppb) of ergovaline. However, most extension publications suggest using 200 ppb as the threshold value. The University of Kentucky team has established risk levels for late-term pregnant mares based on ergovaline concentrations in the total diet (see table below).

Most pastures are not 100% tall fescue, says Lea. Pastures contain other grasses and legumes mares prefer to eat, thus diluting the actual amount of ergovaline in the pasture. You can calculate the amount of ergovaline in the pasture based on the estimated percentage of other grasses or legumes in the field, using this formula:

% tall fescue
_________________
(% tall fescue + % grass A + % grass B) x ergovaline (ppb)
=
ergovaline in available forage

From this calculation you can determine your mare’s risk level for grazing a pasture.

Management Strategies

Remove pregnant mares from any pasture (or hay) containing endophyte-infected tall fescue 60 to 90 days pre-foaling, says Coleman. You might move mares to a drylot area where you can meet their nutrient requirements with hay and concentrate or to a pasture with forage species other than endophyte-infected tall fescue. Agronomists and researchers consider this the most conservative way to avoid toxicity problems.

For mares in the moderate to high-risk category, you can administer domperidone, a drug that stimulates normal prolactin and progesterone production, to avoid agalactia and dystocia. Domperidone should be administered daily for 30 days prior to foaling. Grazing and/or mowing the pasture will keep the fescue plants young and in the vegetative state. Coleman stresses the importance of not overgrazing the pasture, because the endophyte is in the basal part of the plant in addition to the seedheads. Don’t let the horses graze the grass below 3 inches, says Lea.

You can also dilute endophyte-infected tall fescue in a pasture by incorporating other grasses and legumes. Because tall fescue is not the most palatable grass, mares will choose not to eat it if something more desirable is available. With this strategy you will also benefit from improved pasture quality and production.

Although an expensive option, the final management strategy might be to kill infected stands and replant. Lea says there are essentially three types of tall fescue:

1. The toxic endophyte, naturally occurring Kentucky-31. This is a very hardy and persistent grass and is the one causing the toxicity problems—it’s the type you are trying to get rid of in your pastures.
2. Endophyte-free tall fescue (e.g., Teton II, Select, Tower, Bronson). This grass does not contain an endophyte, so it is safe for horses to graze. Its downside is it’s not very hardy and cannot tolerate heavy grazing. If you plant this tall fescue, be ready to reseed repeatedly.
3. Novel endophyte tall fescue (e.g., Jesup MaxQ, Tower Protek, Kora Protek, BarOptima PLUS E34, Estancia ArkShield, Martin 2 Protek, Lacefield MaxQII). The endophyte contained within this plant still provides it with hardiness but does not produce the toxic compounds; therefore, horses can graze this fescue safely. Consult your local herbicide dealer to determine the best option for renovating your pasture.

Take-Home Message

Because tall fescue is a popular and well-established grass across pastures in the U.S., eliminating the risk of toxicosis in broodmares is nearly impossible. The only way to avoid fescue toxicosis is to understand the nature of the plants in your pasture. Know when ergovaline levels will be high, and choose the most beneficial management options to reduce the risk to broodmares

Arena footing for equestrian competitions is important to help prevent injuries to horse. But how?

Choosing the best arena footing for various disciplines takes time, effort, and experimentation, but without proper planning, installation, and maintenance, injuries in horses still occur. When horses get injured, it can also involve rider injury. Elin Hernlund, DVM, PhD, associate senior lecturer at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, in Uppsala, described how footing affects the way a horse travels at the 2025 IGNITE Sports Science for the Olympic Disciplines Seminar, held Jan. 12-13 in Ocala, Florida.

The Mechanics of Arena Footing

The waste industry can become a source for arena footing, said Hernlund. The available waste depends on location. For example, wood by-products in Sweden become footing, and carpet pieces in the United Kingdom can be incorporated into arena footing.

“Mechanical properties of the surface need to be studied in relation to injury,” Hernlund said. The surfaces themselves are strain dependent, responding differently depending on how the horse or human impacts them. These mechanical properties include:

1. Impact firmness involves the top layer and the vertical collision between the hoof and the ground and how the hoof stops.
2. Cushioning is important at peak impact when the horse’s limb hits the ground. Cushion allows the horse’s hooves to press deeply into the ground, compressing the surface.
3. Responsiveness of the footing considers how the hoof bounces off the surface. The horse won’t lose as much energy with a responsive surface. Footing acts a bit like a trampoline, and it gives some energy back to the horse.
4. Grip refers to how much traction the horse has over the surface. While the horse shouldn’t slip, is grip always good? “High-traction surfaces can lead to injuries of ankles and knees,” said Hernlund. “The composition (fiber density, type of infill) of artificial surfaces can lead to changes in loading at the knee and ankle joint.” Too much or too little grip can potentially become an injury risk.
5. Uniformity simply refers to the footing, including the factors listed above, being the same all over the arena.

It’s Not Just About the Arena Footing

While a consistent, quality arena footing helps prevent equine injuries, proper training is just as important. Hernlund recommends riders create their own strategies for varying daily training.

She cited a study of 263 elite show jumpers in Sweden where days lost to training was the measure of injury. The researchers showed variation in training had a protective effect on the horses’ body—the more differences in training, the healthier the horse. These changes included hacking out as well as alternating intensities and volumes of work. Too much rest was a risk factor for injury.

Take-Home Message

High-quality, well-maintained footing in arenas, whether it be for competition or training, is important to ensure the health and safety of horses and their riders. It’s not only the surface but also factors including horse fitness and variety in training that will have an overall impact on the horse’s long-term soundness.

Care considerations and tips for making the switch to 24/7 turnout

If you’re considering changing your housing system to 24/7 pasture, you’re not alone. As scientists reveal more equine welfare benefits of keeping horses out full time, owners are opening their minds—and their barn doors—to a more “natural” way of life for their equids.

Free to roam, graze selectively, and interact with herdmates, horses on 24/7 pasture have more opportunities than stalled horses to meet their ethological (behavioral) needs, researchers say. Not limited to leisure horses, breeding stock, or retirees, pastures can make great homes for horses of all breeds and disciplines, the exception being those at risk of laminitis.

But good pasturing isn’t just about turning horses out and letting them adapt to whatever they encounter. There’s plenty of management left for us to do—and it’s not always as obvious as it might seem.

“People who practice group housing understand that it actually demands much more of the caretaker (than traditional housing),” says Jan Ladewig, DVM, PhD, professor in Animal Welfare and Ethology at Copenhagen University’s Department of Large Animal Sciences, in Denmark. “It requires more knowledge about horse behavior in general, as well as more knowledge of each individual horse.”

Katie Sheats, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, assistant professor of equine primary care at North Carolina State University, in Raleigh, agrees. Her university keeps a teaching herd on pasture 24/7. “There’s a misconception that it’s easier,” she says.

From skin and foot care to nutrition and mental state, we continue to have an important role in overseeing the health and welfare of our pasture-kept horses.

Hydration

Water is “the most important nutritional component,” Sheats says. Like stalled horses, those at pasture need a constant source of clean, readily available water.

“If they have still water in a large tub, it has to be checked daily,” she says. “First and foremost, you have to make sure it’s still there.”

Horses’ water consumption can change according to weather conditions and workload, and tubs—whether plastic, metal, fiberglass, or concrete—can break or leak.

Clean water can also turn filthy in a hurry, depending on how frequently you empty it, sunlight exposure, and what falls into it, she adds. Leaves and branches can rot over time, and wild animals can fall in and drown. Animal decomposition can contaminate the water with bacteria that can provoke serious diseases in horses such as botulism.

Algae can build up over time in still-water tubs and, while a small amount is rarely a problem, if water becomes unpalatable, horses might stop drinking, putting them at risk of dehydration. “It is recommended to scrub buckets and tubs once a week,” says Sheats, who keeps her own two horses on a home pasture 24/7.

Automatic waterers can relieve handlers of constant cleaning and refilling duties, she says. But they and the pipes that feed them can pose their own challenges, such as freezing in winter. “It’s good to check them twice a day to be sure they’re still running,” she says.

Another issue: Most automatic waterers don’t give feedback on consumption (a few do). “If you can’t see how much the horse is drinking, you’ll need to keep an eye on his hydration status by ensuring his skin springs back quickly when pinched and gums feel moist,” Sheats says.

Nutrition

Equine diets are very individualized. Hard keepers might need access to more abundant, richer forage, whereas easy-keeping “fat little ponies” might do better “kept on pastures that have been grazed by other animals so that they have to work more—and take more steps—when grazing,” Ladewig says.

Most horses in light to moderate work living on pasture 24/7 typically do well on their natural forage diet complemented by trace minerals and a ration balancer, says Sheats. But, she adds, this will depend on pasture grass, geographic location, and time of year. “In our region,” Sheats says, “it is common to supplement pastured horses with hay, because pasture acreage is often too small or stocking density is too high to maintain an adequate supply of nutritious grasses year-round.”

Growing horses, hard-working athletes, and pregnant/nursing mares might also need more calories than grass alone can provide. Because each pasture and animal is unique, evaluate individual nutritional needs on a horse-by-horse basis.

“The best you can do is pay attention to the condition of the horse—in other words, noticing if their ribs are standing out or if they are completely buried in a layer of fat,” says Ladewig.

If your horse falls into the “layer of fat” category, you’ll want to intervene, because obesity can increase horses’ risk of joint issues, laminitis, and other health concerns, says Patricia Harris, MA, VetMB, PhD, Dipl. ECVCN, MRCVS, RCVS, head of the Equine Studies Group at the WALTHAM Petcare Science Institute, in Waltham on the Wolds, U.K. She and her team have studied strip grazing as a useful tool for restricting weight gain in pastured horses.

With strip grazing handlers keep horses in a fenced-off section of a larger pasture, and they move the fences over by about a foot every day (keeping the same size fenced-in area). This keeps equids grazing all day on overgrazed areas, with a strip of ungrazed, more nutritive grass consistent with their dietary needs, says Harris.

Grazing muzzles can be a useful alternative, provided they fit correctly and you check them regularly. Many horses, however, learn to graze very efficiently through them, so monitoring body condition remains critical.

On the flip side, horses on poor-quality pastures (especially in winter) and underweight horses need additional forage and/or complementary feed. The goal is to ensure they have enough free-choice forage to meet their needs for chewing and consuming most of the day and night.

Hoof Care

Horses at pasture might not need shoes as much as their stalled counterparts because they move around more normally than when they’re standing all day, our sources say. Without shoes, blood circulation in the foot increases, allowing the hoof wall and sole to thicken, says Ladewig. If you remove your pastured horse’s shoes, however, note that it can take several months to more than a year for this thickening, particularly of the sole, to occur.

Removing shoes, at least the hinds, is also safer for horses sharing the same living space, he adds, as shod horses can cause more damage when they kick.

However, don’t cut back on farrier visits, says Sheats. “People often think, ‘Oh he’s outdoors and barefoot, so he can go longer, maybe eight weeks, between trims,’ ” she says. “But it depends on the horse. In some cases waiting eight weeks between trims can lead to overgrown toes and flat feet.” 

Rather, more frequent trims, every three to four weeks, can help restore and maintain a healthier hoof for barefoot pasture horses, she explains.

If a horse works on hard or rocky terrain, has certain foot/limb conditions, or performs in a concussive discipline such as show jumping or eventing, though, he probably needs shoes even as a pasture horse, says Ladewig.

Ideal pasture footing is firm, grassy ground, Sheats says. But even in optimal enclosures high-traffic areas often get muddy, which can lead to hoof cracks, white line disease, and other foot ailments. Owners can improve footing in high-traffic areas with ground stabilizers and good drainage, she says. When pastures get muddy, establish a rotation schedule and temporarily fence off sections to give them a chance to recover from constant treading.

While it’s important to pick horses’ feet every day—especially to check for injury or lodged rocks—the most critical thing is daily observation, Sheats explains. “You need to notice if he’s not walking normally so you can intervene right away, and you need to know when was the last time he was walking normally, because that’s important information to tell the farrier and vet,” she says.

Preventive Care

Healthy adult pasture horses typically need twice-annual wellness exams and preventive care visits, says Sheats.

“These visits are the best way to keep a horse in optimum health by preventing vaccinatable diseases, maintaining oral health, identifying issues that require correction (i.e., performance problems, weight gain or loss, hoof issues, dental abnormalities), assessing maintenance of chronic health conditions (e.g., pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, equine asthma), and achieving early diagnosis of a new disease that may have insidious onset,” she explains. “At these visits the veterinarians can also answer management-related questions and provide owners with access to additional resources.”

Skin and Thermodynamics

Away from the protective cover of the barn roof, horses’ skin and hair get a lot of exposure to the elements. Moisture is the main concern, which can put horses (especially those in warmer climates) at risk of developing the bacterial disease rain rot, says Ladewig. Still, healthy coats usually have an oily skin coating that helps ward off moisture, he adds.

Regardless of coat quality, horses should always have access to shelter or shade trees so they can choose to get out of the rain, wind and other severe weather, or sun. Regular grooming—one or two times a week—can also remove dirt and air out the skin, helping prevent bacterial growth. If your horse does develop rain rot, keep him indoors or put a rain sheet on him during wet weather while he heals.

Shelter is also critical for protecting horses—especially those with white hair and pink skin—from sun exposure. In addition, it can give them a break from flying insects. You might need to apply sunscreen and insect repellent to sensitive horses more frequently. 

Blanketing horses can disrupt their natural thermodynamics, Ladewig says. If they’re kept outdoors and left unclipped, most horses grow enough hair to stay warm in winter, especially if you provide them with adequate supplemental forage, which helps them produce heat through the “internal combustion” of digestion. Blankets also deny horses the insulating effect of piloerection—raising of the hairs by skin muscles when it’s cold out.

Body-clipped horses, seniors, and more cold-sensitive breeds such as Thoroughbreds and Arabians, however, might need blankets during particularly cold and windy days, Ladewig says. Lethargic or shivering horses might be too cold and, if they have body temperatures lower than 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit, need a blanket. Just remember to remove blankets regularly to check for rubs and body condition, says Harris.

Herd Dynamics

Releasing a group of horses together in a pasture can be dangerous if not done correctly, our sources say. It’s an art that requires careful observation and knowledge of individual horses and their relationships with each other.

Horses develop complex hierarchies over time, and the best situation is when the groups are stable, says Sheats. “It’s the introduction and removal of a horse from a group that can upset the structure and create problems,” she explains.

When introducing a new horse, group him with one or two “calm” herd members, separately from the others, for a few days before putting everyone together, suggests Ladewig. Generally speaking, larger groups and larger pastures allow for more peaceful hierarchy establishment after this initial introduction to a few horses—probably due to the extra space that lets them distance themselves when needed, he adds.

Ensure lower-ranking individuals can access food, water, and shelter without the risk of getting trapped, our sources say. Keep food and water away from fences, and offer them at several locations set far apart from each other. Avoid shelters with only one door; they should either be fully open on one side or have two doorways so lower-ranking horses can escape when needed.

Good Security

Stalled horses rarely end up loose on a road because they have so many barriers keeping them in. But pasture horses often have a single line of fence stopping them from free-roaming, so regular fence checks are critical, says Sheats.

“Walk the perimeter or drive it every day,” she recommends. “Better yet, have a double perimeter, especially if your farm is near a busy road.”

Falling trees, wind, and the horses themselves can down fences, and a second security fence can keep them safe, she says. For electric fences, regular maintenance includes checking the current and controlling grass/weed growth under the bottom strand, because this can interfere with the electrification. “I have a current detector box that informs me if there’s an issue, so that simplifies things,” Sheats says.

Never leave your horses more than a day without having someone check on them, she says. Even if they’ve got unlimited food and water, they still need someone to look out for their health and safety in case of injuries, fence failures, or sudden illnesses such as colic.

“At the very least, someone needs to come close enough to make a visual inspection, make sure they’re ambulating normally, appear to have a good appetite, and that their water is okay,” says Sheats.

Take-Home Message

It takes time and effort to maintain horses on 24/7 pasture in groups, says Ladewig, but knowing your horses are happier and healthier outdoors is worth the work.

The feed room is an important part of any barn, and it can quickly become a cluttered and unsanitary space if not regularly maintained. Keeping it clean and organized helps protect your feed from contamination, promotes horse health, and ensures smoother daily operations. Here are three things to clean out of your feed room this season.

1. Expired Horse Supplements and Medications

Over time, unused or partially used equine supplements and medications can accumulate, and their expiration dates might slip past unnoticed. Expired products not only lose potency but can also could be harmful to your horse.

Go through your cabinets and shelves to check the dates on all supplements, dewormers, and medications. Discard any products that are expired or have been exposed to extreme temperatures and moisture, which can cause them to mold or degrade their effectiveness. Always dispose of these products responsibly, following local regulations. As you restock, consider maintaining an inventory with purchase dates to make tracking easier.

2. Spilled Horse Feed and Damaged Bags

Spilled feed creates waste and attracts rodents, which can carry diseases that affect both humans and horses. It also invites insects and causes a mess. Check corners of the room, under storage bins, and around unopened feed bags for any spilled grain or remnants. Inspect your feed bags for holes or damage, because compromised packaging can lead to spoilage or contamination.

Invest in sturdy, secure storage containers for grain, pellets, and other feed to protect them from pests and moisture.

3. Dust and Cobwebs in the Feed Room

Dust and cobwebs might not stand out like spilled feed, but they still contribute to an untidy environment. Cobwebs can also accumulate dust or trap debris, becoming a fire hazard. Take the time to sweep down cobwebs, dust shelves and surfaces, and sweep the floor to maintain a tidy space. Regular cleaning also helps you catch other potential issues, such as water leaks or mold, before they become bigger problems.

Take-Home Message

By addressing these basic problems on a regular basis, you can ensure your feed room stays clean, safe, and organized throughout the year, saving you time and simplifying daily barn tasks. A little effort now can go a long way in supporting your horse’s health and well-being.

Some horse owners have land that doubles as pasture for their horses and hay fields that they cut and bale one or more times each year. Many of these properties range from 3 or 4 to 20 acres and provide just enough hay for resident animals to eat year-round.

On our 10-acre horse property in Southwestern Idaho, we have a 6-acre grass pasture that we cut two to three times each summer. After 13 years of following this protocol, this year we ran into a problem—we realized (after stacking it in the hay barn) that some of our bales were damp. Storing damp hay for many months increases the risk for fire in your barn and mold growth, so we purchased a moisture meter to test the bales and determine which were safe to store and which should be fed immediately.

Why Should I Use a Moisture Meter for Hay?

“Landowners should invest in a moisture meter (which costs about $300) and learn how to use it,” says Glenn Shewmaker, PhD, a professor emeritus with University of Idaho Extension and a forage specialist based in Kimberly.

Second-cutting grass is immature and soft, so it’s naturally higher in moisture and, as the weather cools down in the fall, the moisture levels in the soil are higher, he adds. “Hay (that’s been cut and is drying on the ground) gains moisture during the night because of cooling temperatures on the ground surface. Moisture rises from soil (and condenses on the cold hay), keeping the bottom of the windrow (a long line of cut hay) moist.” This makes it challenging to properly dry hay in the autumn months.

Moisture meters are geared toward alfalfa, which is stemmier than grass, but they still work well for grass hay, says Shewmaker. Readings will help you understand the amount of moisture in your windrow or your baled hay and if it is safe to store.

How to Use a Moisture Meter to Test Hay

When getting ready to bale your hay, test its moisture levels while drying in windrows using this technique: “Take a sample of the (drying) hay and stuff it into a 2-foot length of 4-inch diameter PVC pipe,” says Shewmaker. “Pack it (in tightly) by pressing a 3-inch diameter PVC pipe with end caps into the tube with the hay.” This will simulate the density of baled hay for which the moisture probe is calibrated. Test the compacted hay in the tube by inserting the hay probe into the center of the sample.

“The moisture meter reading on the hay probe should be below 18% for two-string bales,” he adds. Repeat the process 12 to 20 times in different parts of the of the field to determine the average moisture levels of your hay. If you notice several readings of at least 20%, leave the hay out to dry longer.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s alfalfa or grass, follow directions that come with hay tester,” says Steven Hines, MS, extension specialist at the University of Idaho, in Moscow. The moisture meter needs to be in tight contact with the plant material to get an accurate reading, so be sure you’ve compacted the hay sufficiently.

Best Management Practices for Drying Hay

It is your responsibility as a landowner to ensure your hay is dried appropriately before baling and storing it. To help you end up with good, dry hay, Hines suggests these basic management rules:

1. Never cut your grass and drop hay onto wet ground; if soil is wet, the dry plant material will wick moisture from it.
2. To help your hay dry, ask the swather operator to lift the swather deck up a few inches (not cutting the grass as short and leaving several inches) so the plant stems will prop up the windrow a bit and help it dry. What’s left on the plant will go into your next cutting.
3. Try not to cut hay when bad weather (i.e., rain) is imminent.
4. Bale grass during the day after any dew has burned off.
5. Pay attention to microclimates within your field. If you have a field on a slope, heavy dew will collect toward the bottom; be sure to check moisture levels where dew settles. The same is true for hay cut near an irrigation ditch, pond, or other body of water.
6. Check that the hay is distributed evenly after it has been cut and formed into windrows. If there are big, deep areas, such as where the swather stopped, spread them out by hand. Ask the swather operator to lay the windrows as wide as possible.
7. Test hay in windrows before baling using the moisture meter method described above. Hines recommends a moisture level below 20% for small bales, but he says 15% is safest.
8. Pay attention to the weight of your bales when stacking them. A heavy bale can indicate its moisture level might be too high.

Take-Home Message

When we found the damp bales this fall, using a moisture meter helped us determine that 10% of that hay cutting was baled too damp. We stored the 90% that was under 15% moisture, then fed the rest immediately, to avoid fire—which could have taken our entire hay store, the storage building, and anything else in it—and mold growth.

Growing and baling your hay can be a challenging task, but ensuring your hay is safe to bale is crucial in preventing barn fires and moldy hay. A moisture meter can help you make an informed decision when determining when to bale your hay.

When purchasing a moisture meter, be sure to look at reviews online and recognize that “anything of quality is going to cost some money,” says Hines.

Horses have evolved over time to be trickle feeders, consuming small amounts of forage throughout the day with no prolonged fasting periods. However, feeding some groups of horses free-choice hay can lead to problems such as obesity when the hay is too rich for them.

This has led to an increase in popularity of slow feeders to improve the management of horses. “When the primary forage source is too high in caloric density, the forage intake must be limited,” says Natalie Sullivan, MSc, equine nutritionist and owner of On Course Equine Nutrition, in Missoula, Montana. “A slow-feed device attempts to increase the number of hours the horse spends chewing and salivating to prevent unwanted behaviors and gastric ulcers.”

When to Use Slow Hay Feeders for Your Horse

It is no secret that there is an epidemic of equine obesity, which is a serious welfare concern for horses. When a horse needs restricted forage intake it can be challenging for owners to avoid prolonged fasting periods. Limited forage intake for horses can have serious consequences, such as an increased risk of gastrointestinal upset as well as the development of stereotypies—repetitive behaviors that have no apparent purpose. Therefore, owners should avoid fasting periods longer than four hours for their horses.

When some horses have free-choice access to hay, they develop excess adiposity (fat tissue) and become obese, which can cause an increased risk of metabolic disorders and health issues such as hyperinsulinemia-associated laminitis. Finding the right balance between forage access to prevent gastrointestinal issues and avoiding obesity is crucial to promoting good equine welfare.

Owners must exercise caution when restricting overweight horses’ forage intake: “1.5% of the horse’s body weight in forage is the absolute minimum required to prevent torsions, twists, and other gastrointestinal tract problems,” says Don Kapper, retired equine nutrition expert with more than 37 years of experience formulating products, researching, and teaching about equine nutrition.

When restricting your horse’s forage, Kapper suggests starting by splitting your horse’s daily hay ration into four meals, though some horses might need five or six meals if they finish their hay quickly. Dividing the rationed forage over many feedings within a 24-hour period can help avoid the horse having prolonged periods without access to hay.

How to Choose a Slow Hay Feeder for Your Horse

Again, slow-feeding devices can be extremely useful for making your horse’s hay last longer and help reduce the number of feedings. This might be especially helpful in a situation when four or more hay feedings are not practical.  

Owners have a variety of choices when shopping for a slow-feeding device. Some options include hay nets, hay balls, feeders made with plastic or metal grates, and automatic feeders. “I always provide clients with multiple options when recommending slow feeders,” says Sullivan. “I have found that there is not one that everyone tends to really like. Labor, cost of the product, and the horse’s personal preference are all factors that should be taken into consideration.”

If your horse needs a slow feeder to maintain a healthy body condition, it might take some trial and error to find a good fit. The ideal size of the feeding holes for your horse depends on his individual needs. If you are using a slow-feeding device, time how long it takes your horse to empty it. “There are horses that are more aggressive eaters than others,” says Kapper. “Even with the same amount of hay in the same hay net, horses will eat at different rates. Some situations warrant double-netting, which works, but note that it is very individual for what is best from horse to horse.”

Slow Hay Feeder Safety Considerations

Always prioritize safety when selecting and setting up a slow feeder for your horse. “Special precaution must be taken for horses with shoes,” says Kapper, for which he recommends products with smaller holes.

For shod horses, always hang hay nets at least one foot off the ground, Kapper adds. For horses without shoes, owners can make the net level with the ground, but the average hay net should never rest on the ground. “Everything needs a breakaway, like a leather strap, or even a piece of baling twine,” says Kapper, to ensure the horse can break free in the event of an emergency.

Sullivan says hanging hay nets too high can lead to poor respiratory health. “It is recommended that feeding lower to the ground, when safety allows, facilitates drainage from the nasal passage, which can lower the risk of respiratory infection,” she says.

“The majority of the time dental issues are not a concern, however, there are always exceptions,” says Kapper. “I have come across a hay net with plastic coated wire, and I would recommend staying away from those as that would increase susceptibility to dental and gum damage.”

Sullivan says she does not recommend slow feeders with metal grates for the same reason.

Hay Quality and Slow Feeders

When considering whether your horse can benefit from a slow feeder, carefully assess the quality of the hay. If you have an easy keeper, choose forage lower in caloric content so you won’t have to restrict forage intake as much. “When the primary forage matches the horse’s caloric needs, a slow-feeding device is not required,” says Sullivan. “If you are wanting to avoid hay waste when not using a slow-feeding device, simply use a product with larger holes (greater than 2 inches).”

If you have an easy keeper, having your hay tested can save you the frustration of restricting forage intake severely—knowing your hay’s caloric content and grade better equip you to make slow-feeding decisions. “Grades 3 and 4 hay are termed ‘utility hay’ and recommended for easy keepers,” says Kapper. “You can get hay that is so mature it can cause impaction colic. This would be Grade 5 hays,” which are not recommended for feeding.

When evaluating hay analysis results, look at the relative feed value (RVF), which can indicate the overall quality of that forage. Utility hay (Grades 3 and 4) is defined as having a RFV between 75 and 102, with higher quality forage being 103 or greater, and poorer quality forage falling below 74 RFV.

Therefore, if you have control over the hay your horse eats, focus on finding a hay source with a lower caloric content before choosing the best slow feeder for your horse. From there, use trial and error to find a slow-feeding method that works for your horse’s unique needs. Remember to prioritize safety and try multiple products if the first one isn’t a great match for you and your horse.

This holiday season give your senior horse gifts that cater to his specific needs. Whether it’s a nutritious diet, healthful treats, grooming, or regular dental exams, these gestures will make your senior horse’s holiday season merry and bright.

1. A High-Quality Diet

As your senior horse ages, his nutritional needs change. This Christmas consider gifting him an equine nutritionist consult to be sure you’re meeting all his nutritional needs. The nutritionist will ensure your horse’s diet is rich in easily digestible fiber, essential vitamins, and minerals. A balanced diet can contribute to better overall health, improved coat condition, and increased energy levels.

2. Mindful Treat Choices

Treat your senior horse to delicious snacks, but be mindful of any underlying health concerns, especially metabolic problems. Avoid treats high in nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs, a measure of the easily digestible carbohydrates, including simple sugars and fructans) in these horses because they can exacerbate metabolic conditions. Even apples supply sugar that can increase sugar absorption in the intestines; many veterinarians and nutritionists recommend limiting apples and carrots for animals with insulin dysregulation. Consult your veterinarian or an equine nutritionist to identify safe treat options that won’t compromise your horse’s health.

3. Extra Grooming Sessions

Even senior horses can benefit from extra grooming sessions. This holiday season, invest in some high-quality grooming tools and spend time pampering your horse with them. Grooming can help maintain his physical health by preventing skin issues and promoting circulation and can provide you an opportunity to regularly evaluate his body condition. It’s also an excellent way to bond with your equine friend.

4. Regular Dental Exams

Give your senior horse the gift of good oral health by scheduling regular dental exams. As horses age, dental issues such as uneven wear, loose teeth, or sharp points can arise, leading to discomfort and difficulty eating. A thorough dental examination by a qualified veterinarian can address these issues, ensuring your horse’s dental health is in top shape so he is able to digest forage and feed optimally.

5. Winter Enrichment Activities

During the winter months, your senior horse might spend more time in his stall with fewer natural enrichment opportunities, which increase variety in an the expression of normal behaviors, promoting interaction with the environment. Give your horse the opportunity for enrichment for Christmas this year. This can include scratching areas, such as a worn-out broom head mounted safely on the wall, turnout with companions (that don’t have to be equids), toys including stuffed animals or treat licks, and treats placed around the stall in various locations to encourage food-hunting behaviors. 

What are you getting your senior horse for Christmas this year? Let us know below!

Growing up in the United Kingdom, late summer and early fall were the times when  the hay barn was filled with enough of that year’s harvest to get us through the winter. Once we had filled the barn, we always had a sense of relief and a feeling that we were ready for whatever winter might bring. It was a time of year to look ahead to winter and make necessary preparations. Now I live in Arizona. Some would hardly consider our state as having a “winter,” but we do drop 60-plus degrees Fahrenheit from summer temperatures, so some preparation is still necessary.

In no particular order, here are a few of the things I have been thinking about that you might want to put on your getting-ready-for-winter checklist.

Assess your horse’s condition.

Too fat or too thin? If too fat, then winter can be your friend. Cooler temperatures can result in weight loss, even without reducing feed intake, which is ideal. Skip that blanket, and let your overweight horse burn some calories producing heat to stay warm. If your horse is on the thin side, then try to put pounds on him before winter sets in and weight gain becomes harder. Assess the possible cause of weight loss. It’s always a sign that your horse’s calorie level is inadequate. You might already be feeding a lot, but those calories aren’t getting to their destination. Ask yourself why, and what else is going on. Have your veterinarian assess the horse to rule out dental issues, internal parasites, and pain, which can all cause weight loss. Is the horse being bullied in pasture and kept away from hay? Maybe he’s a hard-keeper and needs more than just hay? Perhaps he needs digestive tract support to facilitate hindgut fermentation and better use the forage in his diet? Consider working with a qualified equine nutritionist who can suggest ways to best support weight gain.

Condition tack and send in for repair.

If you ride more in the summer than winter and will be letting horses down, now is a good time to send in tack for repairs, such as stirrup leather restitching or saddle billet replacement. If you won’t be using an item for a few months, condition it and put it in storage. If you ride more in the winter, take equipment out of storage and prepare them for use.

Service clippers and blades.

If you will be body-clipping this winter (and you didn’t do this at the end of last winter), send your clippers to be serviced and blades sharpened. It will make for a much more pleasant job, and your horse will appreciate clippers that run cool and blades that cut well.

Check blanket fit/search for preseason sales.

If you are clipping, you will likely be blanketing. Depending on the weather, you might need to blanket even if your horse is unclipped. Keep in mind that many of us overblanket. Educate yourself on good blanket selection for your climate. Make sure existing blankets still fit, as sometimes blanket fit changes as horses gain or lose weight. If you need something new, now is a great time to hit preseason sales. Mend any blankets you didn’t get mended last year, and consider buying spare leg straps and a rip repair kit so you can keep your blankets functioning through the season. If you live in a dry climate, have static guard (available from the laundry aisle) on hand.

Be weather ready.

If you live in a wet climate, prepare now for mud. If your horses get turned out, what area will you make your sacrifice area? Consider placing fine gravel in heavy-traffic areas such as gateways and around water troughs. Check with local clean water agencies and university extension offices, as they often have excellent resources and help that is appropriate for your area. If you live in a region that gest snow and ice, stock up on vegetable shortening to pack in to hooves to prevent ice balls from forming during turnout. Keep it somewhere where it will be warm enough to scoop out of the container!

Check lights.

Discovering in the dark on a cold night that a bulb has burned out is frustrating. Many of us do not use our barn lights in the summer, so now is a good time to make sure all circuits are working.

Assess pasture condition.

Do your pastures need to be reseeded, harrowed, rolled, or mowed before being shut down for the winter? Now is the time to get out and do those tasks while you can still get machinery into pastures without damaging them.

Buy an electric kettle for your tack room.

Great for defrosting frozen facets and making hot cocoa, every tack room should have one! Unplug it when not in use.

Check trough heaters and buckets.

For those in colder climates where frozen buckets and troughs are issues, check existing bucket and trough heaters to make sure they work. Consider purchasing if you do not have these already, or look online for ways to insulate water troughs and keep them from freezing without the need for electricity. If using electric heaters, be certain your horse will not get shocked while drinking.

Lag pipes.

Nobody enjoys frozen or, worse, broken pipes. Insulate them as well as possible. Have a plan for what you will do if your water supply does freeze. How will you get water to your horses?

Feed salt.

If you do not do so already, add 1 tablespoon of salt per 500 pounds of body weight to your horse’s ration, and provide an additional salt source. As the weather fluctuates through fall into winter, many horses do not drink as much. Add to that the transition from pasture to dry hay and reduced movement once stalled, and it becomes obvious why incidences of colic increase as we go into winter. Keeping your horses drinking is a great insurance against impaction colic, and salt will help encourage them to drink.

Whether we like it or not—and in Arizona I admit we like it—winter is coming. Take the time now to be prepared.

Take a few simple precautions and management approaches to help your horse weather winter safely.

Looking out upon a wintry farmscape it’s common to see equine forms silhouetted against the snow, huddled against the wind. Or, you might glimpse the glow of lights from a barn housing blanketed equine charges. In northern climes winter generally is a time of slowed activity for both horse and rider, but attentiveness to horses’ health and management is just as crucial during these chilly months as it is during the warmer ones.

How should you prepare your horse so he will thrive in winter and emerge from it in robust condition, ready for a busy riding season? Let’s look at some steps you can take to protect your horse’s body systems.

Protect and Support Equine Respiratory Health

Horses evolved as plains animals, well-equipped to deal with wind, cold, and snow. Nonetheless, horse owners like to protect their charges from the elements, often building complex stabling structures to keep them sheltered and warm.

“When horse function was equivalent to automobiles, we put them in the barn at night after being out all day plowing fields, transporting people, pulling wagons,” says Eileen Fabian Wheeler, PhD, professor of Agricultural Engineering at Pennsylvania State University. “Now the situation is the opposite: Many want to keep their horses in the stable 23 hours a day with one hour a day in work. It seems we have lost perspective on the purpose of a horse stable.”

Ammonia in Horse Barns

One of the downsides to stabling around the clock in winter stems from poorly ventilated structures: “Closing a stable up tightly traps stale air pollution inside with accumulation of urine ammonia, endotoxin particulates from manure, dust, and molds from hay and bedding–these pollutants challenge the equine respiratory system,” says Wheeler.

So if you plan to keep your horses stabled this winter, keep in mind that inhaled ammonia can destroy their airways’ epithelial lining and contribute to the development of respiratory diseases such as inflammatory airway disease (IAD) or recurrent airway obstruction (heaves), says Wes Elford, DVM, an equine practitioner from Randolph, Wisconsin.

First determine whether your barn’s ammonia levels are high, and then take steps to improve air quality. Wheeler recommends smelling the air as you enter the stable: “Ideally, you’ll enjoy a light essence of hay and horse rather than wrinkling your nose at a pungent urine odor,” she says. “If you smell ammonia, then it’s already too high. While it’s desirable to keep ammonia levels less than 10 ppm, the human nose won’t detect its odor until at least 20 ppm.”

She further stresses the importance of considering a horse’s usual breathing zone when assessing air quality; respiratory pollutants are greatest at foot level and especially in stalls. “It is not uncommon for the working aisle of a stable to have much better air quality than the stalls,” she says.

Air Quality and Ventilation

You might be inclined to don five layers of clothing and want to seal up the barn for warmth, but Wheeler notes that “even during the worst winter days, cold, dry fresh air is desirable and comfortable for horses. While horses’ body heat warms air in a closed barn, unfortunately humidity, which is also trapped, makes the barn damp, dank, and feeling colder.”

Elford acknowledges the difficulty in keeping barns open in inclement weather: “While we need to keep water pipes and waterers from freezing, a complete exchange of air is necessary for ­sufficient ­removal of air pollutants. Heating waterers and burying pipes protects from ­freezing.”

Barn air quality benefits from ventilation year-round, via small slots or openings along the building’s perimeter that ­allow fresh air to enter and stale air to leave. Opening doors and windows further amplifies air circulation for improved respiratory health.

Horse traffic and footing maintenance in indoor arenas introduce dust to adjacent stalls. During winter Wheeler suggests oiling footing with high-grade, Vaseline-based petroleum (not motor oil) to weigh down and glue particles together so they don’t loft. “Watering the footing,” she says, “increases the likelihood of it freezing into hard lumps, which is dangerous for riding. This also increases humidity in the building, which impacts structural soundness by rusting metal and rotting wood.”

Another means of reducing harmful particulate dust levels is to store hay and bedding in a separate structure. This decreases environmental dust from horse and people activity, especially during feeding time. It also eliminates the fire hazard created by combustible hay.

Wheeler adds, “Turn horses outside when cleaning stalls to decrease exposure to aerosolized particles of molds, dust and endotoxin.”

Respiratory challenges also come in the way of pathogens; immunizations against respiratory viruses (e.g., influenza, ­rhinopneumonitis, and strangles) help prevent infectious upper airway diseases in horse herds. Veterinarians recommend boostering these vaccines in both autumn and spring. Work with your veterinarian to ensure your horse’s immunizations are up-to-date prior to winter; this, along with clean, well-ventilated barns, can help prevent respiratory illness.

Outdoor Shelter

Full-time turnout (paddock and/or pasture) is the most healthful way for a horse to live, even in cold climates. “The best housing for horses in winter is no housing at all, or at most a wind break,” says Elford. Wheeler also likes using run-in sheds: “The design should provide a dry location and reduced wind speeds. Surrounding ‘sacrifice’ paddocks with an engineered surface that sheds precipitation and is easily cleaned of manure provides a safe environment where being at liberty is the goal rather than grazing.”

Heading into winter, check that your sheds are in good repair, with roofing in place, nails safely embedded in wood, and no protruding sharp edges. Ideally your run-in should offer protection from the elements from at least one direction, with the solid side facing the prevailing winter wind; a three-sided structure open to the south allows drying, says Wheeler. “A shed design works best if at least eight feet high and with exits no less than 10 feet wide to allow two horses to pass,” she says. “Consider also the location of structural support posts–horses find it difficult to transition from bright to low light levels and could clobber themselves on the posts.”

To Blanket or Not to Blanket

Unless your horse needs his coat clipped for activities such as showing or foxhunting, most veterinarians recommend letting his coat grow out naturally during winter. For horses with a full body of hair, says Elford, blanketing is not usually necessary. “Horses have an innate ability to withstand cold and wind with no more than a windbreak,” he says. Furthermore, blankets tend to compress a wooly coat’s layers, which compromises their insulating properties, notes Wheeler.

That said, “show and performance horses may need (clipping and) blanketing to control winter hair growth so they can exercise without getting too sweaty and so sweat dries easily,” Elford says. If you’ll be blanketing such a horse this winter, ensure that your blankets are clean and in one piece before the weather turns. Consider a partial rather than a full clip for the benefits of easily cleaned sweaty areas and heavy hair coat in other areas.

Turnout

While turning a horse out is ideal for his general health, doing so in questionable winter footing is not always a safe bet. “It’s dangerous to turn horses out when the ground is frozen in ruts created by hoof prints or vehicular traffic–I have seen coffin bone fractures as a result of a horse stepping into a frozen rut,” says Elford. “Also, following a thaw, ‘lakes’ of (pooled) water then freeze overnight with pastures turning into ‘glare ice.’ This increases the risk of fractured legs and split pelvises.” Plan ahead to have a safe, dry area to keep horses in times like these when traction is at a minimum. Alternatively, keep some form of gravel or even kitty litter available to put onto unavoidable icy areas.

Exercise and Hoof Care

To keep your horse in moderate fitness and ready for more intense conditioning come spring, keep him in light exercise during winter. Besides benefiting musculoskeletal and mental health, Elford remarks, “Exercise is also important to maintain intestinal motility.” Turnout and/or consistent light riding both provide exercise.

In preparing your horse’s feet for winter, Elford recommends removing shoes if the horse isn’t worked heavily. However, “if you intend to ride consistently, particularly on trails, and feel the need for shoes,” he says, “then shoeing with snow pads helps clear snow from the bottom of shod hooves–this minimizes stumbling over ice balls.”

He describes methods to increase horseshoe traction on packed snow and ice: “Drilled-in studs about 1/4 to 1/8 of an inch long or borium-tipped horseshoe nails provide grip without causing excessive, unyielding hoof grab.”

In cold weather take time for warming up and cooling down. “Walking is an effective warm-up,” says Elford. “The cool-down is hardest because once a sweaty horse stops work, he can quickly chill. Evaporation of sweat pulls heat from a horse’s internal core—this compounds the chill of winter air. A horse damp from a workout can be blanketed immediately upon pulling tack. In addition, continue walking him a short while to maintain muscle (blood) circulation; this helps avoid muscle cramping while skin and muscles cool down gradually. Once he’s dry, the blanket can be removed unless the horse has been clipped.”

And while you might feel like frigid air assaults your airways during the first few minutes of a winter run, Elford notes he has never encountered a horse with a respiratory or breathing problem caused by exercising in cold weather. A horse’s long nasal passages warm the air as it is inhaled. Toweling off frosty muzzles and other wet areas after a ride, however, helps reduce the slight risk of frostbite before turning the horse out again.

Digestive Health

Water intake is especially important in winter to maintain hydration and avoid impaction colic. “Drinking is encouraged by providing warm water through heated buckets or stock tanks with heaters,” says Elford. “Water heating systems should be grounded since horses can sense low voltages and may refuse to drink. Use PVC pipe coverings over electrical wires to prevent a horse from electrocuting ­himself.”

Prior to winter make sure you’re well-stocked with good quality hay, particularly in the event of supply shortages due to drought. “In winter a horse’s diet doesn’t need to change,” advises Elford. “We’ve been told that additional calories help to keep a horse warm but it’s best to increase calories in winter by offering more hay, not grain, as fermentation of forage in the hindgut generates internal warmth. Forage also doesn’t create a carbohydrate load in the hindgut that could cause laminitis (inflammation of the sensitive laminae that connect the hoof to the coffin bone).”

Elford recommends feeling a horse’s back, withers, and ribs routinely to track body condition and adjusting rations accordingly. Make sure your horse has a healthy fat covering over his ribs (body condition 5 or 6 out of 9) rather than entering winter months in too lean a ­condition.

In addition, good dental care maximizes the nutrition horses get from their feed. “Teeth should be checked at least yearly, particularly for the middle-aged and older horse; most horses need dental work and floating once or twice a year,” notes Elford. Completing routine work on any questionable dental issues by late autumn gives your horse the best chance of maximizing his groceries during winter months.

Attention to digestive health also includes parasite control. Veterinary recommendations in northern climes include decreasing deworming frequency during winter months; however, consult your veterinarian about using fecal egg count tests to tailor this program to your farm.

Take-Home Message

In general, horses thrive best when there is room to move around in and fresh air to breathe–regardless of the season. Movement helps keep musculoskeletal tissues limber and healthy, and it keeps the digestive tract motile and the equine respiratory tract healthy. Taking a few simple precautions in addition to these basic, healthful approaches can help your horse weather winter safely.

Knowing how your horse’s body reacts to colder temperatures—and training accordingly—can help you both stay productive during the chilly months ahead.

Fall can bring a welcome relief from blistering heat, but as winter approaches, with freezing temperatures and shortened daylight hours, conditioning horses in fall and winter can become a challenge. In many parts of the country, bitter cold and drifting snow can ruin even the most determined rider’s plan. While you can’t control the weather, with a little knowledge and planning, the colder months can be a safe and productive time for you and your horse.

The challenges of conditioning horses in fall and winter will, of course, vary greatly depending on where you live. In parts of Texas, for instance, winter consists of a few weeks of rain and 50°F temperatures. Similarly, riders in many Southern states might look forward to winter as the “good” time of year to ride, when the likelihood of heat stroke and sunburn wanes. Riders in other parts of the country, however, face a variety of adverse conditions in the form of subfreezing temperatures, gusting winds, extreme dryness or humidity, freezing rain, and snow. Much of the challenge for riders during these months is simply to stay warm and prevent frostbite.

Horses, on the other hand, are fairly well-equipped to handle the cold. Problems can arise, though, when we ask our horses to perform strenuous activities under these circumstances. In the following sections we’ll discuss how cold weather riding conditions affect your horse’s body and what you can do to keep him healthy and performing at his best all season long.

How Your Horse Handles Cold

As with any other management or training change, your horse’s body needs time to adjust to cold weather. While these physiologic adaptations aren’t as extensive as those seen with warm weather riding, it’s still important to give him about two weeks to get used to his new working environment (i.e., if the temperatures have dropped abruptly or you’ve relocated to a colder climate). Just as importantly, there are limits to the ways in which your horse can compensate for the cold; this means that you’ll have to adjust your workouts to accommodate his needs.

Muscles

Cold weather, especially when it’s extreme, can decrease not only skin temperature but also muscle temperature. Numerous studies involving human athletes have revealed that this decrease in muscle temperature can have a detrimental effect on performance for a number of reasons. For example, the contractile structures within the muscle fibers (which are responsible for muscle movement) don’t cycle as quickly when it’s cold. Nerves supplying the muscle also don’t fire as rapidly, and blood flow to resting muscle decreases to minimize heat loss (blood flow is concentrated in the body’s core to keep the vital organs warm). In addition, cold muscles are stiffer biomechanically than warm muscles. All these factors combined result in reduced human athletic performance. Results from one study in humans conducted in the cold estimated that muscle performance is altered 2-5% for each degree Celsius change in muscle temperature. In fact, the people in this study had to walk briskly for 20 minutes before their muscles even warmed up enough to let them perform at a normal level. Although similar studies have yet to be conducted in horses, it’s reasonable to expect that cold temperatures might cause similar reductions in equine performance.

Another important effect of cold is it changes the way groups of muscles work together. Every time a muscle contracts, there is also a small contraction of an antagonist muscle to oppose it; this allows a very fine level of control and lets us make precise movements that are appropriate in speed and strength to the task at hand. When muscles are cold, antagonist muscles might be activated more, and this decreases the net amount of movement and changes the way an exercising horse moves.

As an example, in one study applying cold water up to the knees of human athletes prior to each performing a jump changed the kinematics (or the way that the body moves as a whole) of their jumps. This resulted in decreased shock absorption upon landing. Although these are the results of only one human study, they are important because they suggest that cold muscles might change the kinematics of jumping horses, too. This could be one more reason why horses (especially jumpers) that are not properly warmed up are more prone to injury.

Bones and Joints

How chilly weather affects your horse’s movement depends partially on changes in muscle contraction and partially on these temperatures’ direct impact on the joints. Cold temperatures increase viscosity (thickness) of synovial fluid, making joints feel stiff to the horse. Synovial fluid is thixotropic, meaning that it becomes less viscous when agitated. Thus, joints need to “warm up” before a workout just like muscles do, particularly when it’s cold outside.

Cardiovascular System

When exercising in the heat, one of the primary challenges is to maintain enough blood flow to exercising muscles and the skin so they can help dissipate heat. Training in the cold, on the other hand, causes vasoconstriction in the skin that diverts more blood flow to working muscle. For this reason, horses can often exercise at lower heart rates in cooler temperatures than they can in the heat; in such instances the cold weather actually works in your favor. Just be aware that this decreased blood flow to the skin increases the risk of frostbite, especially if you’re riding with a significant wind chill. Fortunately, healthy adult horses are fairly resistant to frostbite, although riders should be sure to protect their own skin in cold weather. In humans, frostbite of the fingers and toes is prevented by a temporary increase in blood flow every few minutes, which warms the tissue back up. This is improved by exercise training and suggests that the more fit you are, the less likely you might be to get frostbite while riding.

Respiratory System

In both humans and horses, cold weather workouts might lead to exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB). In humans this is also called “ski asthma,” and it can cause shortness of breath, coughing, and decreased athletic performance. In certain exercising horses researchers believe the upper airways can’t warm and humidify inhaled air quickly enough to prevent exposing the sensitive lower airways to cold, dry air, which causes tissue damage. Just one bout of exercise while breathing cold air can cause lung inflammation and an increased airway resistance to air flow in healthy horses with no history of breathing problems, according to a series of studies published by Michael S. Davis, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, professor and director of the Comparative Exercise Physiology Laboratory at Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, in 2006 and 2007. Surprisingly, these effects can last up to 48 hours after exercise, which could lead to chronic low-grade inflammation in horses that are exercised regularly in the cold. No conclusive evidence exists, however, demonstrating EIB occurs in horses. But as a preventive measure, try to ride in a well-ventilated indoor arena when possible.

Keys to Cold Weather Riding

Warm and Dry

As your mother always said, dressing in layers is the key to staying warm and dry in the winter. Believe it or not, the same is true for your horse. All clipping and blanketing strategies have one goal in common: to keep your horse warm while still allowing his coat to dry quickly after a workout. One strategy is to use a half-sheet or exercise sheet during warm-up and cool-down. This warms the large hip and thigh muscles and aids in the warming process (see the prior section regarding muscles and tendons). Other than the possible addition of an exercise sheet, a winter warm-up shouldn’t differ much from a summer warm-up. A standard recommendation is five minutes each of walking, trotting/jogging, and cantering/loping before really putting your horse to work. After your ride is over, a wool cooler will help keep your horse warm while wicking moisture from his coat. No matter what, your horse should be cool and dry before he is stalled or turned out again.

Clear the Air

If you have a choice of whether to ride indoors or outdoors, consider not only your comfort but also your horse’s comfort. Results from a study done at Pennsylvania State University showed that during the winter there are significant differences in air quality between indoor and outdoor riding arenas. The researchers determined that indoor arenas were slightly warmer than outdoor arenas but were also more humid, likely due to the water applied to arena surfaces to reduce dust. Warm and humid air could help alleviate some respiratory problems, but it also promotes the growth of mold and fungus, which can irritate the lungs. Alternatively, dust can be a major problem, particularly in poorly ventilated arenas.

To improve your indoor arena’s air quality, Jenifer Nadeau, MS, PhD, an equine extension specialist at the University of Connecticut, recommends making sure it is well-ventilated rather than closed up tight.

In addition, if you add water to your arena to keep the dust down, water heavily but seldom. A good rule of thumb is to apply water until the footing has been saturated to a depth of two inches. “You can also consider using products such as salts of calcium chloride or magnesium chloride (for dust control), although both can dry out horse’s hooves,” Nadeau adds.

Good ventilation in the stable area is important as well, since many horses spend more time stabled during colder months. Nadeau suggests turning horses out while their stalls are being cleaned to avoid exposing them to airborne dust and dirt. Also consider ammonia. A quick way to judge air quality in your horse’s living space is to “go into the stall and put your head down to about horse’s nose level,” says Nadeau. “If you smell ammonia, the stall does not have good air quality.”

A “stuffy” feeling might also indicate that the stall needs more ventilation. These problems can often be fixed by opening doors or windows on opposite sides of the barn that allow efficient cross ventilation. “If condensation occurs on surfaces inside the barn, the stable is not being properly ventilated,” Nadeau says.

While it might not seem like it, these small changes can have a large impact on your horse’s comfort, health, and performance.

Safety First

Although frigid temperatures are the more obvious limitation during this time of year, late fall and the winter present additional potential problems for horses and riders. Shorter days mean fewer daylight hours for riding, which can mean increased danger for equestrians who must ride on public roads to access their favorite trail, arena, or cross-country course. Nadeau suggests wearing a reflective safety vest, carrying a light, and riding at a slow pace if you find yourself on the road after dark. “You can even get a safety vest for the neck (and chest) of your horse to make him visible to traffic,” she says.

Another major concern while riding outdoors during the colder months is the footing. Deep snow, hidden ice, and even frozen mud can cause injuries. “A little slip could mean a long layup, so proper shoeing for winter trail rides and removal of ice balls through the use of ‘snowball pads‘ or borium (to prevent slipping) is the best way to prevent injuries,” Nadeau advises. Although it can be frustrating to have to skip a ride, “If it seems dangerous to ride outside, then don’t.”

Take-Home Message

Cold weather presents unique challenges, but with a little knowledge and planning, this time of year can be safe, comfortable, and productive for you and your horse. You mount will also be in better physical condition going into the spring riding and showing season. Be sure to give your horse plenty of time to warm up at the start of exercise, make sure he stays warm and dry, and keep his environment well-ventilated. And, as always, use your best judgment when it comes to you and your horse’s safety.

Horses and humans alike enjoy cooler riding weather in the fall, but it does remind us that winter is fast approaching. Here in the Northeast, short days, significant snowfall, and icy footing can make it a challenge to keep horses in consistent work. For those who are not planning to head south when the snow flies, here are some tips to keep your horses safe and healthy when riding them this winter.

Cold, inclement weather and poor footing in paddocks can make horses less likely to move around in turnout, leading to stiff muscles. It can also mean more time spent in stalls. A thorough warmup is important to minimize the risk of sustaining musculoskeletal injuries during exercise. This is especially important for older horses, those with prior soft tissue injuries or arthritis, and horses that are not being worked consistently during the winter.

Thicker hair coats mean horses are more likely to be sweaty after a heavy workout. It is very important to ensure that horses are cool and dry before blanketing and/or turning them out. If you plan to ride consistently, it might be worth clipping your horse to prevent excessive sweating. Make sure to blanket appropriately based on the type of clip performed. If you do body-clip your horse, you might want to use a quarter sheet during cold weather warmup and cool-down.

Footing can provide a real challenge for both turnout and riding during the winter. If you will be riding outside, footing can become quite hard in cold weather and can bruise feet, especially if your horse is barefoot and you are cantering or jumping. Snow might cushion the footing, but it can also hide dangerous icy patches. Indoor arenas are convenient for winter riding; however, some synthetic footings freeze in low temperatures and can become very hard and slick. Make sure to inspect your riding surface carefully prior to working your horse. If in doubt, stick to slower speeds.

Horses with shoes in snowy climates typically benefit from snow pads to prevent ice chunks from building up in their feet. In some situations farriers apply small corks (also called caulks or studs) to shoes for traction. It can be tempting to pull shoes on horses that aren’t in regular work over the winter. However, keep in mind that even the frozen, choppy footing in the paddock can cause foot bruises, particularly in horses with poor-quality or sensitive feet. Discuss winter shoeing strategies with your farrier in the fall.

If your horse wears a blanket, remove it regularly to give him a brief once-over. This will allow you to detect changes in body condition and check for blanket rubs. Older horses expend more calories to stay warm and might need extra feed. Adding blanket layers to thin horses can help them put on weight in some ­situations. Regardless of what your horse wears, provide him access to clean, frost-free water at all times­—especially right after exercise.

There have been few scientific studies looking at the effects of exercise in extreme cold weather on horses. Therefore, it is difficult to give specific recommendations about how cold is “too cold” to ride. Consider each horse’s fitness level, available riding facilities, and any pre-existing health conditions when setting winter training schedules. Cold air has been shown to damage the respiratory tracts of horses exercising heavily under experimental conditions. It is more likely that a horse with underlying inflammatory airway disease will be affected by cold weather.

In summary, make sure to provide an appropriate warmup and cool-down when riding. Pay close attention to turnout and arena footing, as well as your horse’s shoeing needs. Managing these details carefully will help your horse get through the winter injury-free.

Hay has become a hot commodity. It’s challenging to locate good hay, and it’s expensive when you find it. When you do locate a good source, it’s important to get your hay supply in and protected so it stays in good condition and lasts through the winter. Depending on where you live in North America, next year’s hay crop might not be available until June through October. Plus, it can be difficult, expensive, and very stressful sourcing hay in the spring if you run low – speaking from experience!

As a horse business owner who needs to purchase around 40 tons of hay each year to get my crew of horses through the winter, I’ve seen all sorts of ways to stack it – with mixed results. In many cases I can tell the hay in some stacks is no longer of the caliber I’d want to feed to my horses.

This past fall was the first year we had to stack/tarp hay outside of our hay barn. We had to scramble to figure out how to do this correctly so the 20 tons we were stacking outdoors wasn’t lost to rain and mold during the winter.

Preparing Your Stack

“Hay is a major investment,” said Sandy Young, owner of Treasure Valley Hay, in Nampa, Idaho. Young has been a hay broker since 2008, focusing primarily on southwestern Idaho, but with customers in all Western states. “You’re investing in high-quality food to keep your animals healthy and give you peace of mind knowing you have what you need to carry you through the winter until next summer.”

Protecting your investment with a heavy-duty, high-quality tarp is critical. “If you don’t at least cover the top of the stack with a good tarp, moisture from rain and snow will seep into the stack from the top down to the bottom and could ruin all the hay,” she said.

Where you locate your stack is important. As with other structures on your horse property, place your haystack in a high, well-drained area. Make it easy to access for the initial delivery people, as well as efficient for you as you use the hay.

You’ll need to place the stack on a barrier or structure to protect the bottom bales. Hay placed directly on the ground will wick up moisture, ultimately molding and rotting on the bottom. “Start with wood or plastic pallets, or a thick, dense layer of flakes of straw,” said Young. “If you do need to put your stack directly on the ground, be sure to place the cut edge of the bale down, strings to the side, so damaged hay will be easier to pick off.”

“We try to stack hay so the exposed sides of the stack are (uniformly) straight, up and down, with no ledges,” said Young. “We also try to overlap the bottom bales on the pallets, so the hay bales just hang over the edge (of the pallet) a little bit. That way rain and snow won’t settle on the (pallet) boards and wick moisture back under the bale, causing superficial damage.”

You can make your hay-stack as tall as you want. If you are hand-stacking, it will probably be four to eight layers high. If your hay is delivered by equipment, such as a haystack retriever, it will be in a prestacked amount, usually nine layers high, and it won’t need to be readjusted. The weight will vary but is usually 3 to 5 tons.

Choosing The Right Tarp

“Prep the top of your stack with a single row of bales laid end to end, across the middle of the top,” said Young. “This will form a peak (once the tarp is placed across it) so the pile sheds water like a roof and you won’t get puddles which eventually leak.” Tarps are not 100% waterproof. “Don’t set anything on top to hold the tarp down,” she added. “It creates a depression that causes water to puddle, which is likely to cause leaking.”

The way you spread and secure the tarp is crucial to the lasting quality of the hay. “I’ve seen all sorts of ways to do this,” said Young. Her suggestions include using long nail spikes and pushing them through the tarp grommets into the hay, kind of like “nailing” the tarp into the hay. You can also screw dog tie-out stakes into the hay and attach them to the tarp. Rubber bungees, ropes, and bailing twine can also be used to secure the tarp. Young said she prefers to create bailing twine loops with long tails that she secures to the pallets prior to building the stack. These can simply be used to cinch the tarp down once everything is in place. “Wind is the biggest enemy of your tarp,” she noted. “Tie your tarp snug, and don’t let it flap in the wind.”

“You can get a tarp big enough to cover the stack completely, all the way to the ground,” she added. “Or get one that’s just big enough to go over the (top) edges and down the sides at least a couple of feet. If the ends of the bales (on the sides of the stack) are not covered, they’ll get weathered, which is okay, unless there’s a hay ledge that snow or rain settles on and soaks into.”

Weathered hay that’s merely discolored is fine to feed horses. Wet and moldy is not. “Get a good heavy-weight tarp with lots of grommets. Do not get a lightweight, cheap tarp, you’ll regret it,” said Young.

“A good, heavy tarp should last three to five years,” said Brad Jensen, a dealer in Western Ag hay tarps, the flagship blue and white tarps used by commercial hay growers and dairy owners. “Use a good-quality tarp, create a peak (at the top of your stack), keep the tarp tight, and take care of it so it extends the life of the tarp.”

Western Ag tarps have boards and a rope sewn into them. “The rope is attached to the board, so you aren’t just pulling on a grommet that can rip out,” said Jensen.

The biggest reason tarps wear out is they aren’t tied properly, and when they are flailing around in the wind they break down. “Tie the tarp down and keep it tight,” said Jensen. “This helps them last longer. If you want to reuse the tarp for next year, clean it up and fold it up nicely. We usually hang them on a wall where the mice won’t nest and make holes in them.”

If your stack is two pallets wide, the tarp should be a minimum of 12 feet wide. “That’ll give you a 1-2 foot overhang of the tarp on the stack’s sides,” said Young. “If the tarp is too big, it will be heavy and bulky, and difficult to manage.” Young suggested working with multiple smaller tarps that are at least 24 feet long and overlapping them. This is especially useful once you start to take hay from the stack.

“If you use multiple tarps, overlap them by at least a 4-foot minimum, with the opening facing away from the prevailing winds and downhill,” she said. This will hopefully prevent water and snow from working its way under the tarp and ruining the hay.

“Check the ties often, and keep them taut,” she added. To extend the tarp’s life span, Young suggested placing an old tarp, sheets, towels, or horse blankets as padding beneath it (along edges or on corners of the stack). This reduces the friction created by the wind rubbing the tarp against the hay.

Like many other things on a horse property, stacking and tarping hay for winter storage can be a chore. “Take a deep breath and relax,” said Young. “At least you know you’ve got plenty of good hay.” And know that winter doesn’t last forever.

Stall flooring might not be something we spend much of our horsey time pondering, but it’s crucial to our horses’ health. Like humans, the surface a horse spends hours standing on can affect his comfort, soundness, and quality of movement. Stall flooring also affects how efficiently and thoroughly you can clean the stall—which, in turn, can affect horse health if ammonia accumulates in the airspace or dirt collects on surfaces on which they eat.

Flooring Types

There are two basic categories of stall flooring: pervious and impervious. Pervious, or porous, stall flooring can either be traditional packed clay, or it can include a specially designed geotextile membrane made of a solid plastic rubber-type grid which can hold stonedust within it. In the latter case, the membrane layers separate the horse and bedding from the base material below. Regardless of the type, you should place pervious materials on a base of well-graded crushed and packed stone.

There are drawbacks to using pervious flooring: Packed clay is soft (compared to cement or asphalt), but it can easily become uneven with added moisture, especially if you don’t apply deep bedding. Membrane layers can contribute to urine and moisture buildup in the base material below, resulting in odors. Groundwater contamination is another concern with this type of stall construction.

Impervious stall flooring is designed to prevent urine and moisture from draining. The horse either has access to an outdoor area for defecating and urinating or bedding to absorb moisture and provide cushion.  

“The thing about stall flooring is people usually obsess about the top layers, but that’s only the icing on the cake,” says Eileen Fabian, PhD, professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Pennsylvania State University, in University Park. “You need to have the whole layer cake underneath for it to work correctly. The flooring in a stall is something like building an arena; there’s the base layer and the layer or material on top. If the base isn’t correct, nothing else is going to work right.”

Decide how you intend to use your stalls before designing the flooring. Will your horses be confined in box stalls for most of the day? If so, do you plan to bed the stalls deeply for comfort? Will the stalls have attached pens or paddocks horses can access at any time? Is the proposed flooring in a shelter or run-in shed in a turnout or pasture?

“If you are only using the stall for feeding or as a run-in shed, the flooring doesn’t need to be as durable as when horses are stalled all day,” says Fabian. Base your flooring choices on how much you plan to stall your horse.

Rubber stall mats “are the gold standard in the industry for overcoming hardness and facilitating cleaning,” says Fabian. Over time, manufacturers have engineered stall mats to help reduce fatigue in horses’ legs and make stall cleaning easier. Cleaning a stall with smooth, flat stall mats simplifies the task of sorting manure and soiled bedding. You can complete the chore faster and have more clean bedding left behind. Stall mats also reduce the amount of bedding you use or allow you to bed only in a corner area “potty spot.” All these factors can be money-savers.

Choose rubber mats that are at least three-fourths of an inch thick—thinner mats tend to migrate and wear with traffic. You can place stall mats over cement or 4 to 5 inches of highly compacted road mix or another crushed rock product such as limestone. A properly installed rubber mat should be level and firm, while providing some “give” for cushion.

“Mats with ribs on the downside will help with some drainage and grip to keep in place,” Fabian says. “A textured surface (on top) keeps horses from slipping. Use enough bedding to keep urine from getting underneath.”

Rubber mats can be pricey, but they pay for themselves in stall cleaning convenience, reduced bedding costs, and horse health and comfort over time. You can find many varieties and styles on the market, including interlocking mats and custom wall-to-wall installations. Stall mattresses—waterproof pads of varying densities that add more cushion and insulate against cold floors—might be options for stalled horses and those prone to hock or fetlock sores. Some stall mattresses extend wall to wall, while others are meant to be placed in the center of the stall where a horse is most likely to lie down.

In some situations, you might place a drain in an impervious stall to collect liquids. “A stall drain would be important for a vet or maternity stall that is frequently washed down,” says Fabian. “A drain should not be placed in the middle where the horse will lie. Instead, locate it toward a wall,” and grade the stall accordingly. If you do install drains, place cleanout traps in them to catch and remove solid material, she says.

Troubleshooting Flooring Problems

Not all stall floors are perfectly even, safe, and maintenance-free. Here are four issues you might encounter and how to address them.

1. Stall mats curling up

This is usually a base management issue. Crushed road base should be made up of variable-sized angular pieces, so it can pack tight. If possible, avoid sand, pea gravel, other round rock, or even straight run gravel, as it will be too loose to pack down. As mentioned, stall mats less than ¾-inch thick are prone to moving around. Cutting and fitting mats tightly in place is key to keeping corners snug and secure. You can also use a bolt with a flush, rounded top to fasten mats to a concrete floor safely.

2. Horses wearing holes in stalls

If your horse is wearing holes in his stall floor, first explore whether it’s a training or environmental enrichment issue or a flooring material issue, says Fabian. Is the horse bored? Does he need more turnout or pasture time? If he’s not spending a significant amount of time indoors and is still wearing holes, you might consider different flooring types. Historically, hard pack clay was the standard stall floor material, but one of the challenges with clay or dirt is it gets wet from urine. Once wet, “soil loses its ‘bearing strength,’ and anything heavy sinks in, creating a trench or pothole,” Fabian says. Keeping stalls dry by using absorbent bedding, cleaning frequently, and checking for roof or other water leaks will help prevent holes. An impervious surface, such as a concrete apron around the stall door, hightraffic areas, or even across the whole floor, can prevent holes, as well. Any properly constructed flooring with stall mats on top, however, should be resilient enough to withstand pawing and traffic.

3. Uneven ground

Correct this situation by renovating the stall surface using one of the aforementioned materials. If you choose to install mats, first level the ground with a base of crushed road mix, then compact it before fitting the mats on top. Correctly installed, level stall mats are much better on your horse’s body than an uneven, damp stall surface.

4. Air quality and ammonia issues

Odor issues usually occur when you don’t remove urine and feces from the stall fast enough. Moisture—which could be from urine, rain, or a leaking waterer—combined with feces creates that ammonia smell. Urine contains the precursor (ammonium) to ammonia and when that mixes with feces, which has the enzymes for this conversion, the result is  ammonia volatilization and odor. The solution? Use enough absorbent bedding to capture urine, and clean thoroughly daily. You can also purchase stall products that absorb ammonia.

Take-Home Message

Build your stall flooring from the base up. Choose one that is easy on legs, with enough give to minimize tendon and joint strain. Be sure you can effectively keep the stall dry to avoid odor issues. The ideal flooring is one that’s smooth and even for stall-cleaning ease but still offers traction and comfort that encourages the horse to lie down.

Q. I have a small farm with only four horses, but I like to buy feed and hay in bulk to reduce the number of trips to the feed store. What is the best way to store each, so they stay fresh for my horses and maintain their nutritional value?

A. Buying grain and hay in bulk for horses offers several benefits. It can not only reduce trips made to the store but also save you money. However, disadvantages include potential loss of nutrient content, increased incidence of spoilage (often from mold), and potential infestation of vermin or bugs. Spoilage and pest infestation can potentially make your horse ill, so always be observant for any issues.

Storing Horse Hay in Bulk

Horse owners most often buy square-baled hay in bulk because it can last for a year or more with minimal nutrient loss if stored properly. Keep hay in a dry environment, off the ground. Wooden pallets are a common and inexpensive way to provide space between the hay and the ground. If you need to store hay outside, lay waterproof tarps over it. In any storage situation, although you might be tempted to stack and pack hay bales tightly, you need to have airflow around the bales. This will help prevent moisture accumulation, either from absorption from the ground or leaks in the roof, which can cause hay to mold.

Closely monitor recently harvested hay for heat. As hay dries and cures it will become hot and, if it reaches a critical temperature of 150-170 F, it can combust. Ideally, hay should not get hotter than 120 F during the curing process. If you buy recently harvested hay, stack it loosely so heat doesn’t accumulate between bales. You can purchase a hay thermometer to monitor the temperature. Pull any bales that reach 150 F. Excessive heat can accumulate when hay is baled wet, with a moisture level of 25-35% moisture, instead of the ideal 16-20% or lower. If possible, store hay in a separate building away from the barn to reduce the risk of barn fires due to hay combustion.

Storing Horse Feed in Bulk

You can buy commercial feeds in bulk, but they have a shorter shelf life than hay. In ideal conditions (dry and a moderate temperature), bagged feeds can often be stored for 30-60 days, on average. In cooler and drier conditions you might be able to store it for four to six months. In hot and humid weather the storage time decreases to about three to six weeks, unless you store them in a cool (air-conditioned) space. Like hay, keep bagged feeds off the ground, such as on pallets. You can also keep them in rodent-proof containers. Once bags are open, keep them in a rodent-proof bin and feed them within two weeks. Monitor all feed for mold.

Feed manufacturers put production dates on their bags, and some will include a “feed by” date. Learn how to read this coding because feed that has been stored at the mill or feed store will have a shorter lifespan at your farm. Pelleted feeds, due to processing and heat treatment, tend to last longer in storage than feeds containing molasses and oils.

With both hay and feed, adopt a first in, first out mentality. Make sure to rotate feed and hay so you use the oldest first. If your providers are delivering feed to the farm and stacking it for you, be sure they rotate the bags, keeping the older ones on top or moving them out of the way.

Take-Home Message

Buying feed and hay for your horses in bulk might help you save money. However, you need to have adequate storage space to keep feeds out of the elements and extreme temperatures. Keep stored hay and grains off the ground so they don’t accumulate moisture and then mold. Make sure you can use up your concentrates before the expiration date (or shortly after), and store opened feed in rodent-proof containers.

Tips for healthy horses and safe facilities when temperatures plummet

Whether you love winter or would rather pass on it, freezing temperatures, bitter winds, snow, and ice all bring challenges to managing horses and the farm. With some planning ahead, these few straightforward horsekeeping tips can help keep your farm running smoothly and your horses healthy when winter weather arrives.

Thermoneutral Zones in Horses

When a horse can maintain his body temperature without expending additional energy to stay cool or warm, the ambient temperature falls within his thermoneutral zone, with the lower critical temperature marking the bottom of this spectrum. This critical temperature is a range estimated between 40 and 5 degrees Fahrenheit, explains Devan Catalano, PhD, assistant professor and equine specialist at Colorado State University, in Fort Collins.

“Horses have a thermoneutral zone—as do humans,” says Catalano. “At the upper level, horses lose weight because it’s too hot. In the winter is the flipside, in which horses need more than their baseline diet to hold their weight. This number is called the lower critical temperature; this range depends on the climate to which your horse is acclimated and the horse’s hair coat.

“So, a horse in Montana with a full winter coat will have a much lower critical temperature than a clipped horse in Florida, for example,” she adds. This lower critical temperature can play a role in horse owners’ decisions in winter, including diet and blanketing.

Equine Nutritional Considerations for Winter

Free-choice hay? Warm mash? Many horse owners turn to these standbys when frigid temperatures arrive, but what horses need depends on each situation. “Winter nutrition concerns must consider factors like critical temperature and how horses are housed,” says Kathleen Anderson, PhD, professor and extension horse specialist at the University of Nebraska, in Lincoln. “From a nutrition standpoint, for horses housed indoors, particularly in a heated barn, not much will change.

“It’s important to understand horses generate more body heat when they digest forages, as opposed to concentrates,” she continues. She recommends offering an additional pound of hay per day for every 10 degrees below the horse’s lower critical temperature and not feeding any additional grain (concentrate). “In general, at about 20 F, begin increasing hay. Be sure to provide good-quality hay; dusty hay may impact your horse’s respiratory system, leading to acute or even chronic cough.”

Here’s how Catalano figures out how much forage a horse needs. “For every degree below a horse’s lower critical temperature, there is about a 1% increase in the horse’s energy needs, which sounds like a lot but is actually about 3 pounds of hay for a 20-degree drop,” she explains. “You can estimate that if your horse’s critical temperature is about 20 F, when temperatures reach zero degrees, you should feed an extra 3 pounds of hay.

“We want to keep forage in front of our horses as much as possible, whether they are stalled or live outdoors,” she adds. “Forage is beneficial for overall hindgut health, keeping everything moving through the system and, as microbes in the hindgut digest forage, this generates heat with the hindgut acting like a furnace.”

For horse owners who like to feed a mash, she advises making it with the animal’s usual concentrate ration only: Simply take the regular amount of grain and mix it with warm water to create a soupy consistency. “What we don’t want to do is suddenly feed a bran mash to a horse whose microbiome is not accustomed to it; with the best of intentions to hydrate, you can actually cause an event like colic by feeding something unfamiliar,” she says.

While incoming winter weather calls for additional preparation and vigilance, Catalano recommends resisting the urge to modify horsekeeping routines. “A lot of people want to change or add things when a cold spell is coming in, but the best thing is to stay the course,” she says. “Consistency is key.”

Prioritize Hydration in Winter

Keeping horses drinking remains crucial year-round and, while horses might not be sweating in winter, hydration plays a critical role in overall health. Keep an eye on water consumption when temperatures drop. Some horses might be less inclined to drink, and keep in mind they consume less moisture when they’re eating hay rather than fresh pasture. Reduced water intake could increase the risk of impaction colic.

“Water requirements aren’t going to change drastically from season to season; horses need about 10 to 12 gallons of water per day,” Catalano explains. “Continue to provide salt year-round to encourage water consumption. Some research shows horses prefer water between about 45 F to 65 F so, if you can provide tepid water, your horses may find it more desirable.”

In fact, in a University of Pennsylvania study, researchers found during winter that their pony subjects consumed, on average, 40% more warmed water in heated buckets as opposed to ambient near-freezing water (TheHorse.com/13960). Heated water sources include automatic waterers, heated buckets, and tank heaters.

Check electrical water heaters often, says Catalano, noting these heating elements can shock horses when not functioning correctly.

“I often say that if your horses are looking at their water trough, you should be, too,” Anderson says.

Horse Blanketing Basics

Many horse owners choose sides on the topic of blanketing, but when and how to blanket depend on each individual scenario.

“As day length gets shorter, horses begin to grow the winter coat,” explains Anderson. “Then, as temperatures drop, thicker hair comes in.” These thicker, longer hairs help the horse retain body heat.

“Just like people wearing jackets with fill, horses have their own built-in fill: When horses get cold, their hair coat stands on end, called piloerection, which creates a buffer,” Catalano describes. “The hairs standing up trap air, warm it up, and create a barrier from cold temperatures.”

Piloerection sufficiently insulates healthy horses in good body condition (body condition score, or BCS, of 4 or above) with a normal winter coat without blanketing, provided they have access to shelter and are adapted to the climate. If any of these conditions aren’t met, blankets might be necessary, as well as in windy and wet conditions, which can disrupt the hair’s insulating buffer. Performance horses with thinner coats (due to clipping or being stalled under lights) will often require blankets.

As the temperatures dip to about 20 F, some horses need a blanket, especially older horses and those in poor body condition (BCS below 4), says Anderson. Also, be mindful of both ambient temperature and weather conditions, notes Catalano, explaining that a day with precipitation or wind affects horses more than a sunny, still day that could have a lower bulb temperature.

“For blanketing, you have to listen to the horse: If your horse has a full winter coat and is acclimated to its climate (and the weather is typical for the location), blanketing is very much horse-dependent,” she says. “If you blanket and it’s cold for your region, remember that a sheet doesn’t offer warmth as it affects piloerection by flattening the coat without insulation. I would encourage using a blanket with fill.”

Be sure to measure for optimal blanket fit: Use a soft tape measure from the center of the chest to the center of the tail to find your horse’s blanket size. Take care to fit straps correctly, check underneath blankets regularly, and remove them when wet or when temperatures warm.

Farm, Barn, and Shelters

Do horses need to come indoors in winter? Not necessarily, says Anderson. “Horses do just fine outside as long as they have shelter, are acclimated to their environment, and are fed properly.” 

“For horses that live outdoors, adequate shelter from wind and precipitation is critical,” notes Catalano, and some states have minimum requirements for livestock shelter. Horse owners commonly use run-in sheds, and evergreen shelterbelts (windbreaks) provide additional protection.

Ensure pasture-kept horses live in appropriate groups so a dominant horse doesn’t prevent other horses from utilizing shed spaces and accessing forage and water, notes Anderson.

While winter conditions can be challenging, Anderson and Catalano say targeted strategies can help facilities function smoothly.

When days are still warm:

• Be sure water lines lie below the frost line and insulate exposed pipes.
• Consider building a small structure around each hydrant to help insulate it.
• Check that roofs meet code requirements for snow loads.
• Address grading and drainage around the barn, gates in turnout areas, and walkways to prevent ice buildup in areas where water accumulates.
• Have a plan to provide ventilation to minimize horse and human exposure to dust and ammonia within stables.

Once cold weather has arrived, be sure to:

• Remove hoses to minimize the risk of hydrants freezing.
• Drain hoses and bring them into warm areas when temperatures are consistently below freezing.
• Think strategically before snow falls: Have snow removal equipment fueled and easily accessible and leave gates open to empty paddocks so you can plow walkways into turnout areas.
• Apply sand, stone dust, or manure to icy or snowy surfaces for traction, but avoid shavings, which can become slippery. Use salt only in areas for human—not equine—traffic.
• Consider keeping horses barefoot, if possible, to minimize snow buildup in hooves. For shod horses, discuss with your farrier if snow pads and snow rims would be appropriate.

Take-Home Message

With some preparation, extra vigilance, and minimal changes, your farm and horses can comfortably handle the winter—no matter the weather.

This article is from the Winter 2024 issue of The Horse: Your Guide to Equine Health Care. We at The Horse work to provide you with the latest and most reliable news and information on equine health, care, management, and welfare through our magazine and TheHorse.com. Your subscription helps The Horse continue to offer this vital resource to horse owners of all breeds, disciplines, and experience levels. To access current issues included in your subscription, please sign in to the Apple or Google apps OR click here for the desktop version.

Pros, cons, and surprising facts about slow-feeding devices for horses, such as haynets, hay bags, and hay boxes

Horse owners use slow-feeding devices for a variety of reasons. For instance, utilizing a slow-feed haynet can aid in controlling a horse’s weight by reducing feed intake while keeping the horse occupied. Alternatively, owners could use other types of slow feeders to extend feeding times when their horses are stalled for a substantial portion of the day. In both cases slow feeders can help promote normal foraging behaviors, which might decrease the risk of developing stereotypies—repetitive behaviors that have no apparent purpose, such as cribbing.

You might be interested in slow feeders to extend feeding times to decrease the risk of equine gastric ulcers, especially squamous ulcers (those in the upper portion of the stomach). Finally, slow feeders could help reduce feed intake while keeping horses busy, leading to weight loss, which could potentially reverse or reduce the risk of equine metabolic syndrome.

Another reason to consider slow feeders is to reduce feed wastage. Bordin et al. (2024) cite a report that horses waste up to 57% of loose hay provided, and feeding costs represent one of the greatest expenses on horse farms (Alabama Cooperative Extension System).

We have a wide variety of slow-feeding devices available, each with the potential to make our horses happier and slimmer. As we will see, researchers on several recently published studies affirm that slow feeders do extend feeding time. However, not all slow-feeding devices perform equally well, and there are potential drawbacks to using them. Here we’ll relay the most up-to-date data on the topic of slow-feeding devices, including haynets, hay bags, and boxes.

Comparing Intake Time in Ponies Amongst Slow Feeders

Horses stabled for most of the day often have extended periods of fasting. This occurs despite recommendations from veterinary experts that horses should not fast for longer than four or five hours (Bordin et al., 2024).

“Prolonged fasting periods may cause gastrointestinal or behavior problems in horses, such as increased risk of gastric ulcers, development of stereotypies, and the ingestion of bedding substrate,” explains Clara Bordin, MSc, a research fellow in the Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin, in Italy.

To determine the effect of various methods of feeding hay on feed intake rate, Bordin and colleagues studied nine healthy adult ponies, both Shetland type and Welsh/Cob type. They used four different feeding types: (1) fully filled small perforated haynets (3.5 x 3.5 cm holes); (2) partially filled small perforated haynets; (3) a hay box devised and patented by the research team with the haynet stretched over the top; and (4) hay provided on the ground.

As expected, ponies fed off the ground had a significantly higher intake rate than ponies fed using any of the slow feeders. The partially filled haynet resulted in the lowest intake rate, while the fully filled haynet and hay box yielded similar intake rates.

“The expression of frustration behaviors, such as the bite and pull, was exacerbated with the use of the haynets, but this is not surprising because they are hung and thus very mobile,” explains Bordin. “With the hay box, however, we recorded a higher expression of frustration in terms of bite and ripping behavior.”

When choosing a slow-feeding device, Bordin recommends considering that each animal is unique and many factors influence the intake rate, including breed. For example, they noticed that Welsh Cob ponies showed a higher expression of frustration behavior when compared to Shetland ponies, which could be an effect of the breed temperament.

“There is no one-size-fits-all solution,” says Bordin.

She also notes that the hay box needs additional testing, but so far it seems to be a good compromise to enforce a restricted diet and reduce forage waste, while allowing a natural grazing posture.

Chewing Frequency, Duration as a Cause of Extended Feeding Time

Hart and fellow researchers from the Department of Animal and Dairy Science at the University of Georgia’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences report: “No research has yet demonstrated whether haynets cause the horse to increase their chewing frequency and chewing duration, or whether the slowing effect observed in some research is simply due to restriction in the amount of forage they can ingest per bite.”

They investigated whether feeding Bermuda grass hay from a haynet alters chewing frequency compared to feeding from the ground and studied chewing patterns of horses fed from three types of haynets.

Eight horses acclimated to a chewing halter ate from a haynet with a single large bottom hole, a large-hole haynet (132.24 cm² openings), a small-hole haynet (30.25 cm² openings), or directly from the ground. The research team analyzed data collected over a 24-hour period for each treatment to calculate the chewing duration, chewing frequency, and the number of chews in the first 120 and 240 minutes.

They found haynet use did not influence overall hay consumption, with all horses consuming 1.4% of their body weight. Type of feeder also did not affect chewing frequency. However, chewing duration, calculated to measure the amount of time (in minutes) spent chewing each day did differ based on feeder type. Notably, chewing duration was significantly longer when feeding from the small-hole haynet compared to the control group (off the ground). Further, the researchers noticed a more rapid intake in the morning than the evening and from the bottom-hole haynet than the small-hole haynet. The authors reported it was interesting that the rate of intake did not differ between the small-hole haynet and either the large-hole haynet or off the ground.

“The increased rate of consumption noted with the bottom-hole net, especially given that the loose hay did not have this effect, potentially indicates that raising hay off the ground and closer to the (horse’s) head level while providing a large opening may in fact increase the rate of consumption as compared to no intervention at all,” wrote the researchers.

Slow Feeders Mimic Natural ‘Time Budget,’ Decrease Waste and Weight Gain

Tanja Hess, MV, MSc, PhD, professor of animal sciences, and Jéssica Carvalho Seabra, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow, both from Colorado State University, in Fort Collins, along with colleagues from the Federal University of Parana, Brazil, acknowledge that free-choice roughage could indeed be the best option for horse welfare.

Seeking to better understand the effects of various feeding devices on equine behavior, Seabra and her collaborators divided 15 horses into three groups. One group was fed using an automatic hay box that offered unrestricted hay for 60 minutes six times daily. The second group was fed using a traditional elevated V feeder offering unlimited access to hay. The third group had unrestricted access to hay through a slow feeding device called a Hayhut with a 1 ¼-inch-hole haynet over a square bale. After 15 days the horses’ behaviors were video recorded and analyzed by animal scientists specializing in equine behavior.

Horses in both the free-choice and slow-feeder treatment groups were able to spend more than 50% of their day foraging, generating a time distribution like feral horses in their natural environment. Horses consumed and wasted more hay from the traditional free feeder than the automatic box feeder and the slow feeder.

Not surprisingly, the free-fed horses experienced a significantly greater change in weight over the study period compared to the box- and slow-feeder groups. Therefore, free-choice hay should not be recommended to owners of overweight horses. The researchers saw no difference in consumption or weight change between horses feeding from the box and slow feeder. However, the box feeder treatment had a negative influence on horse behavior, decreasing the time horses spent eating to 25.81% of their day and increasing the time spent on other unwanted activities, such as aggression and coprophagy (eating manure).

“Our study shows that restricted access to resources like food and space can increase competition and aggression between horses housed in groups,” says Seabra. “The horses in the box-feeder group had a higher number of negative social interactions (e.g., biting and kicking), corroborating with previous studies reporting that aggressive behavior between horses increases when hay availability decreases.”

On the other hand, the free-choice treatment resulted in lower levels of aggression and was the only group where the researchers observed allogrooming, a positive social interaction involving mutual grooming.

“Our study therefore shows that providing more foraging opportunities can increase the frequency of positive social interactions between horses kept in groups, decrease aggression, promotes expression of natural behavior, and decreases the chances of horses developing abnormal behaviors,” says Seabra.

Forces and Frustrations

Andrea Ellis, PhD, with UNEQUI Ltd., in Notts, U.K., has conducted extensive research on slow feeders and haynets. In one of her recent studies (Hodgson et al., 2022), Ellis and colleagues examined how the height at which haynets are hung affects the pressure needed to pull forage from single- or double-layered haynets.

Horses without evidence of back or neck pain were included in this study and acclimated to the haynets. On the testing days horses were fasted 45 to 60 minutes before being offered forage in the haynets. The haynets were connected to a force meter linked to a laptop to collect pull force data. They were hung either low (2.5 centimeters above the withers) or high (30 cm above the withers) in the pilot study, and single and double haynets were used in the main study hung at the high level.

“Key findings of this study were that horses pulled harder on low-hung haynets compared to high-hung haynets and on the double-layered haynets compared to the single-layered haynets,” says Ellis. “The pull pressure on the teeth was equivalent to around 2 kg (4.41 lb) for hay, which was not worrying, but it could go up to 6 kg (13.23 lb) in very resistant forages like haylages.”

The researchers reported they were not surprised to find that feeding from double-layered nets involved increased pressure. 

“As haynet fill decreased, ingestion time increased, making it harder to take larger bites of hay for the horses,” explains Ellis. “In the pilot study, shorter-cut brittle hay was used, and this did not extend intake time much on single-layered haynets. Filling multiple haynets and hanging them at the right height can increase intake time and foraging behavior considerably.”

Researchers on this and a previous study (Ellis et al., 2015) also assessed the horses’ behaviors while using the single-, double-, and even triple-layered haynets. Some horses exhibited frustration behaviors such as flinging the haynet, particularly when double haynets were used. A few horses even gave up on the triple-layered nets. 

“Offering the initial hay in single haynets and hanging some up in doubles to keep them busy for later on (e.g., overnight) may be a good strategy,” explains Ellis. 

“Individual horses will respond differently so first observe your horse and its reaction to double haynets,” she adds. “If the horse gets very frustrated or makes wide neck movements by flinging the haynet, you could tie this down at the bottom, as we tested that option, and it did not increase pressure on teeth much at all.”

Effect of Feeders on Back and Neck Position

Ellis and colleagues also looked at back and neck posture. They used markers placed on the horses’ necks and backs to evaluate angles while feeding.

“Low-hung haynets created a lot greater posture changes as horses lifted the haynet upwards and had to pull upwards to extract the hay,” she says. “This can be avoided by hanging the haynet so its bottom reaches no lower than the shoulder of the horse. We used hangers 30 cm above withers so horses can pull downwards, which allows gravity to help them.”

Bordin adds that some horses adopt an unnatural neck and back posture while eating from high-hung haynets.

Indeed, haynets can lead to unnatural neck and back posture if hung too high or low from the floor and not adjusted for the individual horse. But haynets might still be an optimal solution when owners or managers need to reduce horses’ intake rate (i.e., overweight horses or ones prone to metabolic disorders) and increase their feeding consumption time, says Bordin. They might also help reduce waste which impacts hay costs.

“As suggested above, a ground slow feeder such as the hay box can be a good compromise when looking for a restrictive feeding method and at the same time allowing a natural feeding posture,” she says.

Take-Home Message

Using haynets and slow feeders can be more complex than it seems at first glance. These tools aim to extend feed intake time while promoting equine welfare, a balance scientists continue to refine through ongoing research.

“As a research group, we are still testing and looking for new, practical solutions to improve feeding management of stabled equids,” says Bordin. “Further research is needed if we aim to help owners and caretakers to improve welfare of their horses and ponies.” Ellis adds, “According to the latest recommendations by Harris et al. (2017), horses should be allowed to forage a minimum of eight hours in 24 hours. Therefore, haynets hung correctly or doubled up will increase intake time by around 30%, and slow feeders on the ground can also achieve this. Hanging multiple haynets at lower fill rates or doubling up larger haynets can also lead to increased and more natural intake times in stables.”

What, again? Of all the horses in the barn, yours is the one that’s managed to find the one stray piece of baling wire in a 5-acre turnout. So much for that competition next weekend. Oh, yes, and so much for that new bridle/jacket/small ­appliance/home decorating item you were about to buy. Junior’s vet bills will have to take ­priority—again.

Last month he was the one that got his hoof caught in the one hole nobody had noticed in the wall no horse ever stands by. Before that, he was the one that scraped the skin off his cannon bone on who-knows-what in a sand paddock. And since you’ve had him, he’s been the one horse in the barn that’s managed to smack his head on a sky-high door frame, get tangled in his own blanket, snag his lip on a gate latch, and roll onto the half-buried horse shoe your friend’s horse threw two weeks ago that no one had been able to find. The list goes on, and you ask yourself, why is it always my horse?

Sound familiar? Before you lock him in a padded stall, and before you start scolding him for not playing nicely like everyone else, remember this: You’re not alone. Even if it feels like it, your horse isn’t the only one who needs to be Bubble-Wrapped. There always seems to be one in every barn … and there are lots of barns out there. So that makes for plenty of horses finding trouble.

In this article we’ll speak with sources who have experience with accident-prone horses to get their take on how to manage these special characters. And we’ll place particular emphasis on best ways to avoid problems—for his health and your ­wallet—in the first place.

He’s “Special”

Oh, he’s a character all right. And his preponderance for getting into trouble might actually be related to his character. The accident-prone horse might be a naturally curious horse, says Léa Lansade, PhD, of the French Horse and Riding Institute and the National Institute for Agricultural Research’s behavior science department, in Tours. Essentially, if curiosity kills the cat, it might also be pretty good at injuring the horse.

“I can’t say exactly why, but it’s quite probable that the most curious horses are the ones most likely to get themselves in these situations where they’re always hurting themselves,” she says. “Since curiosity is a personality trait, then there’s certainly a link between these tendencies and personality.”

Christine Aurich, DVM, PhD, a veterinarian who owns a Bubble-Wrap-worthy horse, agrees. As head of the Graf Lehndorff Institute, in Neustadt, Germany, and professor of artificial insemination and embryo transfer at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, in Austria, she sees a lot of horses. But her very accident-prone chestnut gelding stands out both in personality and capacity for trouble.

“He’s curious, he’s funny, he’s intelligent, and he just gets bored very easily,” Aurich says of her 11-year-old homebred German Sport Horse, Stromboli. “He likes to play and find things to play with. But that means I end up having to treat injuries two to three times a year.”

Stromboli is also a very tall horse, standing 18 hands. And she believes his height could contribute to his risk. “Many owners I know with tall horses say they have to deal with a lot of accidents,” Aurich says. “Getting up and down is harder, and it’s a longer way to fall. They take up more room when they roll and have these long legs able to run into things. Their gaits are big and beautiful but swing more, cover more ground, and make them go faster, so they’re more susceptible to traumatic injury. In fact, everything with them just seems to be more … traumatic.”

Of course, some horses, like some people, might be naturally clumsy, regardless of height, she adds. They might also be more prone to injury if they’re overly playful or pastured with a horse that is.

Herd rank might play a role, as well, says Rebecca Gimenez, PhD, president and primary instructor at Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue, in Macon, Georgia. A lower-ranking horse can injure himself trying to get out of the way of higher-ranking horses. In a sense, she says, these lowly horses are almost “forced” to be accident-prone—especially if they get stuck, for example, between fencing and a dominant horse. 

A compounding factor could be coat color, says Aurich. Chestnuts, like Stromboli, have more sensitive skin and an increased risk of infection. So when they injure themselves, they might be more prone to developing wound ­infections.

Can You Provide Too Much Protection?

As tempting as safely tucking your horse away from all possible harm might be, it might just make things worse. In fact, overprotection might be at the root of the problem, says Gimenez. “I often wonder how many horses aren’t looking out for themselves because the owner tries to take over managing the horse’s every step,” she says. “Sometimes I think we make it so safe that it’s actually less safe.”

If you’re making your horse’s world extra safe by “taking out every rock and tree and low spot in the pasture,” she says, you could unintentionally be teaching him to be accident-prone. “Mine have access to the woods, the pond, the trees, and hills, and they have places to go that don’t have big holes to fall in but are interesting. They have to think about staying on the trail or watching where they put their feet.”

While it might seem smart to outfit them in boots and bandages during turnout or even in the stall, this too can backfire, Aurich says. “I had to stop the wraps because (Stromboli would) find ways to take them off and play with them,” she says. “It was funny, but of course it’s also dangerous.” However, she does keep Stromboli in bell boots during turnout to protect his front shoes and heels from his own large hooves.

Aurich believes it’s—ironically—best to just keep these horses free of protective equipment. “I understand that owners want to put them in Bubble Wrap,” she says. “But unfortunately, this just doesn’t help.”

Maybe it’s You

While you don’t want to be overprotective, you certainly don’t want to be underprotective, either. Gimenez says horses sometimes injure themselves repeatedly simply because their owners put them in dangerous situations repeatedly—without necessarily realizing it.

“I don’t want anyone to take this the wrong way, but I’ve noticed that the accident-prone horse often has an accident-prone owner,” she says. That could include people who are naturally risk-takers themselves—such as the owner Gimenez knows who’s always dealing with injuries in both her horse and herself. But it can also include people who don’t recognize the dangers waiting in their own structures.

“I don’t have any scientific proof of this, but the people I know who are more careful also tend to have their pastures and barns more cleaned up,” she says.

Sometimes there are things we don’t see as hazards because we’re used to them or even thought they were a good idea. One example, Gimenez says, is a farm she visited in Atlanta that has a very practical pasture system. Several large pastures lead to a central access area, with each pasture funneling toward the gate.

“That sounds great in theory, but wow is that dangerous when you’ve got more than one horse in (each pasture),” she says. “Someone always gets trapped in a corner.”

This farm also had gate latches sticking out past fence posts and tractor implements lying outside the barn door. “These are major hazards,” she says. “But people were walking past them every day and never noticing them.”

To avoid a similar scenario, have someone else walk your property and look for dangers. “It’s always good to have another perspective,” she says.

Avoiding Disaster

If an accident-prone horse calls your farm home, you’re probably not going to be able to prevent all incidents. But you can try.

First and foremost, get him out on pasture, say our sources. “Put him on the biggest pasture you can afford,” Gimenez says. “It’s all about flight distance. If he sees a truck go down the road with a flying tarp, he might run 50 yards and stop and look at it. If he’s only got 10 yards, he can’t do that.”

As for fencing, she suggests making sure it’s both electric—so he’ll stop at it—and wood, preferably painted white—so he can see it.

Always make sure he has a buddy at pasture—ideally, a calm one who’s going to help your horse stay out of trouble. “An old, quiet gelding can be great,” Gimenez says. “They show easily excited horses that there’s nothing to get excited about.” While that works best when a horse is younger, it’s never too late in life to give him a mentor-type buddy.

Avoid putting too many horses in the field with him, though, says Aurich. Multiple horses multiply the risk. “One stable companion is probably best,” she says.

If he has to be stalled sometimes, at least make sure he’s getting out in a large field regularly—ideally two or three times or several hours a day, says Aurich. “He needs to be able to run freely frequently enough that he doesn’t have time to get excited about it,” she says. And while he’s in the stall, give him plenty of safe things to do. “I keep Stromboli on straw so he can chew on it all day long,” she says, something you can try with your own horse (just make sure it’s not rye straw, because of possible mold, sharp seed heads, and the threat of ergot toxicity). Some horses might do well with stall toys such as balls, but other objects—such as those that dangle from the ceiling—could simply create more opportunities for horses to hurt themselves.

Preparing for the Inevitable

Of course, no matter what you do, it’s going to happen: He’s going to hurt himself again. So when he does, make sure you’re prepared.

​Stock your cabinet with bandaging equipment and non-steroidal anti­inflammatory drugs, Aurich says. Make sure you’ve got access to cool water you can keep running on an injury to reduce swelling and infection risk. Keep a thermometer handy to check for fevers caused by subcutaneous (just under the skin) wound infections. “These infections can come up fast and get really bad,” she says.

Ask your veterinarian to teach you basic first-aid techniques, such as how to bandage and what to do about gashes, lacerations, and punctures, says Gimenez. Establish a good working relationship with your vet, so you can call and even send photos when injuries happen. Train your horse to trailer-load easily, and ask your veterinarian or a reliable trainer how to calm an injured horse so he doesn’t add more injuries because he’s stressed. Make sure you have a trailer accessible at all times—“one that’s cleaned out and has pumped-up tires,” Gimenez adds.

And, of course, plan for this sort of thing to happen at the worst time, because that’s when an injury inevitably happens. “It’s like he knows I’m about to leave for a conference,” Aurich says. “One time I had to go bandage him and give him antibiotic injections on my way to a funeral. He really knows how to find the day to do these things.”

Get a plan in place so veterinarians and other caretakers know what to do when you’re unavailable, and make the plan clear for everyone involved.

Take-Home Message

So life has landed you a Bubble-Wrap-worthy horse. Take heart: There are always ways to reduce the risks and plan for the accidents, which will happen from time to time despite your best efforts. You might also need to budget for added expenses with your special equid, recognizing his hazard-finding tendencies are just part of who he is—for better or for worse.

“He’s so talented as a dressage horse and so easy to ride,” says Aurich of Stromboli. “But more than that, he’s just highly intelligent and always trying to talk to me. He follows me around like a dog; he comes when I call him; and he’s always asking me, ‘What do you want me to do?’ He’s a lot of work, but he’s so worth it.”

They might not carry riders on their backs, but they’re athletes just the same

The team of bays deftly maneuvers the water hazard, splashing through a sequence of arcs and figure eights, intermixed with hill climbs and descents back into the water. There may be four of them, but the horses turn in near synchrony with the guidance of their experienced driver and the help of the navigator leaning precariously to keep the carriage upright. Completing the hazard, they surge forward into the canter, headed toward the next challenge on course, a portrait of fitness, stamina, and agility.

Whether it’s pulling a plow or a buggy, going for a pleasure drive, participating in a parade, competing in pleasure classes in a breed show, or contending a combined driving event like the one described, driving poses health considerations both similar to and distinct from those encountered with your typical sport horse.

Basic Care

Rich Forfa, DVM, founder of Monocacy Equine Veterinary Associates, in Beallsville, Maryland, is an FEI veterinarian for combined driving and was part of the vet team for the 2010 and 2014 World Equestrian Games (WEG). Because the basic care for driving horses is similar to that of riding horses, Forfa reminds his clients to follow a wellness program that includes vaccination (with core and risk-based vaccines), deworming, dental exams, and attention to nutrition and hoof care, etc.

Thomas Daniel Jr., DVM, partner at Southern Pines Equine Associates, in North Carolina, was the team veterinarian at the 2000 World Four-in-Hand Championships, in Germany. He commonly sees combined driving clients in his area and advises them to have the vet out to assess soundness before moving into heavy training and after the ­competition season. This allows the veterinarian to see how the horse looks before embarking on a season’s worth of work, then evaluate how he handled it. They might use chiropractic techniques to help pinpoint any underlying back issues.

Daniel is also adamant about dental exams, because he tends to find more advanced dentistry problems in driving horses than in riding horses. Sometimes owners have incorrectly attributed these problems to other causes. “If you don’t maintain their mouths well, they’re going to have problems accepting bits and being able to respond to pressures on those bits,” he says.

A well-maintained mouth promotes not only bit acceptance but also efficient chewing and digestion. And it’s especially important for driving horses to be able to properly use the forages and feed they consume. Many of these are heavily muscled horses—draft horses and Warmbloods—that can be prone to equine metabolic syndrome and insulin dysregulation (abnormally high blood insulin levels), so Daniel cautions against overfeeding them.

Different driving activities require different amounts of exertion. Combined driving competitors must complete dressage tests, for instance, that are more physically demanding than the work performed by pleasure driving horses. And the explosions from trot into canter during the marathon phrase described can be hard on the hocks and stifles, says Forfa. So conditioning is crucial for preparing driving horses of any type—but especially combined driving horses—for the demands of their sport.

Daniel explains the differences he sees in high-level driving horses versus high-level performance horses under saddle: “Younger horses reach higher levels faster in driving,” he says, adding that while you don’t often see a 9-year-old horse show up in the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, plenty of horses that age compete in the world championships in driving. “And I see older horses maintaining that same high level of athletic endeavor for much longer periods of time than you do in other disciplines.”

Common Conditions to Watch For

Forfa finds most driving horses to be quite sound, which he says is often a result of the diversification in their training, which allows their musculature to become more developed. However, certain conditions and injuries do seem to pop up more than others. The most common issues he sees are hock and stifle injuries, bone spavin (inflammation in a lower hock joint), and sore stifles.

Arthritis, which develops from repeated wear and tear, can affect the pastern and coffin joints, often with age and use and due to conformation and how the horse moves. Forfa says any horse that has been used heavily for driving could develop arthritis, typically from age 14 onward.

Forfa has also seen ringbone (arthritic changes in the coffin and pastern joints) in some driving horses that have more exaggerated movement, such as Dutch Harness horses, Saddlebreds, certain draft breeds, and some Morgans.

Daniel says heavier breeds, such as draft horses, might also be more prone to sidebone (calcification of the cartilage at the sides and rear corners of the heel), but it doesn’t usually become a lameness issue.

He says he sees more hind-end lamenesses and soft tissue injuries than forelimb in driving horses. “I think the back half of them pays for the sport a lot more than the front end does,” he says.

Back issues, which can extend from the withers all the way through the lumbar area to the haunches, can be common among driving horses for several reasons. “These carriages are somewhat heavy, and when you start pulling uphill and (aren’t) fit enough to do that, they may strain the sacroiliac (part of the pelvis) area,” says Forfa.

For this reason Daniel cautions against only considering the lower legs as a cause of lameness. In his practice he sees issues that originate at the elbow level and above the stifle into the pelvis, back, and neck.

“With your riding horse, you get on that back, and so you’re pretty acutely aware of back problems because they’re not going to be able to get away with (hiding pain),” says Daniel. “But with your driving horses, it can be quite subtle.”

He says this might be why back issues in driving horses are often advanced by the time an owner calls a veterinarian.

And while neck issues aren’t common, they can occur from the wear and tear of driving or from an injury, such as from a crash, says Forfa.

Rarely, driving horses can suffer from “sweeney shoulder,” Daniel and Forfa add. This condition occurs when the harness placement pinches the suprascapular nerve (which innervates the shoulder muscles); chronic injury of these tissues eventually causes nerve paralysis. The result is muscle atrophy (wasting) over the scapula. Forfa sees sweeney most commonly in draft horses that pull plows or carriages in Amish communities.

Importance of Footing

“Footing always matters, but when you’re pulling a carriage, it matters even more,” says Daniel.

Forfa says the only tendon injuries he’s seen in driving horses have been footing-related, such as when a horse slips on the marathon course. “And it has always been related to something like coming downhill and tripping or going into an obstacle that was really, really muddy and deep,” he says. However, many combined drivers will pull out of the marathon phase if footing becomes too deep.

To best prepare driving horses for the terrain and surfaces they’ll encounter, Daniel recommends drivers find a farrier who’s familiar with driving horses, the demands of the sport, and the footing.

One such farrier is Jerry Trapani, CF, of Long Island, New York, who has shod and shown dressage and driving horses. He also shoes mounts that work on the roads, including the New York Police Department and United States Park Police horses in New York City. Trapani was a farrier at the 2010 WEG.

He says driving horses are more prone to concussive injuries from the force their legs and hooves sustain on roads and hard, packed footing.

Hoof Care and Traction

Trapani focuses on trimming to a natural angle based on the horse’s conformation. Shoes, of course, must be appropriate for the footing the horse will encounter. They should also provide proper heel support, fit the hoof properly, help balance the foot, and allow appropriate breakover, says Forfa. If driving horses are well-shod, they aren’t likely to develop foot soreness, he says.

“The biggest difference in shoeing the driving horse is giving them traction so that they feel safe on the road,” says Trapani.

One traction method is a rimmed shoe. “The rim fills up with dirt and sand, and it acts like sandpaper on the road, and then you can weld different materials onto the shoe, like borium or Drill Tech (carbraze, a mixture of tungsten and carbide),” he says.

Farriers commonly add studs or stud holes to driving horses’ shoes to improve traction and reduce slipping and sliding, especially during competition. A farrier can drill or hammer drive-in studs that stay in the horse’s shoes long-term. However, to prevent injury to himself or other horses, they only stick out a quarter of an inch, at most.

Temporary studs, such as screw-ins and snap-ins, fit into predrilled holes in the shoe as needed. Rubber, cotton, or foam plugs or blanks can prevent mud and dirt from becoming lodged in the holes and protect the threads so the studs fit well. Drivers often screw in studs just before competition, then remove them after.

Snap-in studs used by European drivers allow a driver to easily snap the stud into a predrilled hole in a matter of minutes.

Drivers should ask their farriers what type of studs—road, mud, grass, bullet, spike, etc.—would be best for their ­situations.

Leg Protection

Forfa says most drivers at least use bell boots to keep horses from grabbing a shoe or heel bulb when they overreach.

Tendon boots are also popular to protect the superficial and deep digital flexor tendons running down the back of the limb. Without protection, these delicate structures are at risk of injury in driving horses, both from leg interference and the carriage itself. So he recommends applying protection to all four legs, especially if driving multiple horses in a hitch, such as pairs and four-in-hands, because there is a chance of other horses ­overreaching, banging their legs together, or stepping on other horses in the hitch.

He cautions against applying polo wraps, though. “If they came loose, the carriage wheel could catch a piece of it that was flapping, and there could be a disaster,” he says.

Conditioning the Driving Horse

“The biggest (concern) in the care of driving horses would be getting these horses properly fit for the sport,” says Forfa, who adds that it can take four to five years to move a combined driving horse up the levels.

“You can get soft tissue damage from slipping and overexertion or if you work a horse too hard and they’re not fit,” says Trapani.  “You have to train them in an interval training situation and develop their muscles, breathing, and respiration and strengthen the tendons and ­ligaments.”

An unprepared horse—or even one that is prepared but is working in high ambient temperatures—can struggle with heat on marathon day. So during this phase, Daniel is careful to look for horses that might be overheating; he has seen body temperatures as high as 109 degrees Fahrenheit during vet checks.

You must consider the effects of the weight of the harness and carriage and the horses’ heavy muscling, as well, because at the higher levels many of these are Warmbloods. Also be careful not to overface a horse by moving him up the levels before he’s physically ready.

“When you start these young horses, they need to be trained with a lighter ­carriage first,” says Forfa, adding that often young horses will only pull a two-wheeled vehicle or a light four-wheeled vehicle initially. “And then as they get fit and more balanced, they’re able to carry the weight and pull the weight better,” he says.

Conditioning is also very important for safety, especially when going downhill. “Some carriages don’t have brakes, and then you’re using the breeching of the harness, which means the carriage goes against the rump of the horse up against the semitendinosus (hamstring) muscle,” adds Forfa. “You have to come down the hill at a pace that the horse can hold the weight back.”

Forfa recommends riding driving horses a couple of times per week to teach or remind them how to carry themselves, with energy coming from behind, and to strengthen and balance their hind ends.

Daniel adds that it’s common for experienced upper-level combined drivers to either ride their horses for conditioning or to hire a rider. “It gives them a break mentally from driving,” says Daniel. “It’s a different task and requires different movements for them … . You can work the back of the horse a lot better under tack than you can in harness.”

Take-Home Message

Get guidance and advice from a veterinarian and a seasoned driver or trainer when developing a conditioning, nutrition, and preventive health program for your driving horse. With proper care, these athletes can enjoy years in harness.

Here in Central Kentucky, we are warmer and wetter today than 50 years ago, and these climate trends are predicted to continue.  

How do these new climate conditions impact the forage base that supports our equine industry? That is the question our lab posed back in 2008 and received a national grant to examine. We established a manipulative, field experiment elevating temperatures and rainfall on a pasture which we planted in typical Central Kentucky pasture species: Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, red and white clover and increasingly common bermudagrass. We used overhead infrared radiant heaters to increase the temperature of the plant canopy by 3oC, day and night, year-round for five consecutive years, and we added +30% of the long-term mean annual rainfall only on wet days, during the growing season, to mimic larger rainfall events on the plots slated for that treatment. We compared the effects of elevated temperature alone, increased rainfall alone and the combination of both treatments to ambient conditions.  

We found that warmer conditions significantly increased overall forage production (+19%), in part by stimulating cool-season grass growth earlier in the spring and later into the fall. However, higher temperatures in the summer promoted the growth of warm-season grasses (bermuda and crabgrass) at the expense of traditional cool-season forages (Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue). Over the five-year period, tall fescue abundance was dramatically reduced (from 40% to 20%) in the warmed treatments compared to ambient controls. Importantly for grazing horses, the tall fescue that remained in the elevated temperature plots was more likely to be endophyte-infected and had significantly higher concentrations of toxic alkaloids such as ergovaline, the putative agent of fescue toxicosis. Endophyte-infected tall fescue plants experiencing warming had 30% higher concentrations of ergovaline than endophyte-infected material grown under ambient conditions, particularly in the fall. The effects of the increased rainfall treatment were less pronounced than that of the temperature response.  

Given the significant animal health issues caused by consumption of toxic tall fescue, the observed increase in alkaloid concentrations with warming is a cause for concern. However, the reduction in tall fescue abundance and the increase in other non-toxic, warm-season forage species may mean that fescue toxicity is diluted for grazing animals. The type of warm-season forage species that responds will be important, as annual species – like crabgrass – will die out in the fall and could potentially leave bare soil exposed over winter, an erosion/mud concern. Some perennial and annual warm-season species in our pasture seedbanks are not preferred horse forages (e.g., nimblewill and goosegrass).  

Desirable perennial warm-season species, such as bermudagrass, are not present in most pastures in Kentucky at this time, and thus, would need to be planted and would require different management than our cool-season forages. Bermudagrass also turns brown in the winter (goes dormant) which could affect the aesthetics of the landscape. For horse farms interested in maintaining a cool-season grass base, planting novel endophyte tall fescue may be an option, given the hardiness of tall fescue and the non-toxic nature of these endophytes. While fescue and Kentucky bluegrass abundance decreased over time in our experiment, both species remained after five years, indicating they are able to survive even with increased warm-season species competition.  

Although this project did not evaluate the effects of drought and unusually low precipitation, such as Central Kentucky is experiencing this year, these conditions would undoubtedly lower forage production, especially in combination with warming, even for warm season dominated pastures. 

Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from Equine Disease Quarterly, Vol. 33, Issue 4, funded by underwriters at Lloyd’s, London, brokers, and their Kentucky agents. It was written by Rebecca L. McCulley, PhD, chair and professor in the Department of Plant & Soil Sciences at the University of Kentucky, in Lexington. 

By Alayne Blickle and Nancy Loving, DVM

Q: When temperatures drop here in the Northeast, I usually close my barn doors and windows at night to help the horses stay warm and keep water buckets from freezing, but I’m not sure if this is healthy for their respiratory systems. Do you have some guidelines about when a barn should be closed or when we should leave it open?

A: (Blickle) Ventilation is probably one of the most important things when designing a horse barn. Horses’ respiratory systems are designed by nature for living in dry, open climates with fresh, clean air. When we close the barn up, a main concern is dampness, mold, and dust. This could come from hay storage, bedding, or possibly arena footing. Horses should have as much open air as possible. My horses even have paddocks that they always have access to from their stalls. I have a big door on the front of my barn, which I only close for my convenience to keep everything inside from blowing around and to keep rain or snow from blowing in. But the doors to the paddocks are open all the time.

(Dr. Loving) When we lock horses up in a warm barn and then take them out into the cold air, that extreme temperature change is tough on them. Good ventilation is essential. If your horse is used to living outside, the only reason to bring him in is icy conditions, which can be dangerous due to the risk of falling. If you’ve ever watched horses in bad weather and they have a shelter available to them, how many have you seen avail themselves of the shelter? For the most part, the times I’ve seen horses use run-in shelters is during hailstorms and to shield themselves from severe winds.

Just as the barn environment might affect your respiratory tract, the dust and the water droplets in the air that contain microorganisms, manure particulates, and endotoxins can negatively affect your horse’s respiratory system. So whenever possible, stable your horses outside and leave them outside when safe to do so. I also like the method where they can stay in or go out as they please.

Editor’s note: This is a transcribed excerpt from our Ask TheHorse Live Q&A, “Winter Horse and Barn Care.” Listen to the full recording here.

Imported horses might develop allergies to irritants unique to the United States. Susan White, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, of the University of Georgia explains why a horse might show signs of allergies only after import and what other factors could cause these behaviors in this excerpt from Ask TheHorse Live.

This podcast is an excerpt of our Ask TheHorse Live Q&A, “Managing Horses With Allergies.” Listen to the full recording here.

About the Experts

Susan L. White, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM

Susan L. White, DVM, MS, Dipl. ACVIM, is the Josiah Meigs Distinguished Professor, Emeritus of Large Animal Medicine at University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine. White has a long-standing interest in equine dermatology, lectures on the topic extensively nationally and internationally, and maintains an equine dermatology consulting service.

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5 health conditions you and your vet should watch for when you’re trying a horse to buy

In early spring 2022 Carly Ostrander signed an agreement to take a young Quarter Horse mare on trial before deciding whether to buy her. Ostrander paid half the mid-five-figure asking price for a 60-day test ride. She hoped the horse would become her next mount for national-level ranch and reined cow horse events and, later, a broodmare.

Ostrander rode the mare in a two-day clinic preceding her first show. The mare was working cattle well despite having had a few years off. Hours before their first class, the mare tied up.

Fortunately, a veterinarian and an ­ambulatory technician show on the same circuit. They ran intravenous fluids; the mare responded to treatment and was cleared to compete. However, the vet suggested following up with a polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) test. In PSSM cases a mutation of the GYS1 gene causes muscle cramping due to abnormal glycogen (sugar) storage in the muscles.

“At that time, they told me that even if it was PSSM, it could be managed through diet and exercise,” Ostrander says.

After the show she ordered a barrage of bloodwork and sent a hair sample to the University of California, Davis, Genetics Laboratory. The results confirmed PSSM. Believing the situation was manageable, Ostrander and the seller, who had never noticed the mare tying up in the past, negotiated a reduced price. Ostrander kept the mare even though she didn’t have a future as a broodmare (PSSM is hereditary).

Following veterinarian recommendations, Ostrander continued competing and attended the American Ranch Horse Association (ARHA) World Show in Ocala, Florida. It was a 25-hour drive from her upstate New York barn, and she opted for layovers to make the trip easier on the mare. A few days into the show, however, the mare had a severe tying-up episode.

“Here we went with more fluid, more drugs, more bloodwork, and lots of bills,” she says. “I learned that sudden bursts of motion and standing in a stall for long periods of time can trigger an episode. Essentially, this horse is not well-suited to be a reiner or a cutter and is better suited to be a trail horse or a pleasure horse.”

Getting any horse, especially of this caliber, on lengthy trial is typically uncommon, says Beau Whitaker, DVM, CERP, co-owner at Brazos Valley Equine Hospital, in Salado, Texas. Allowing a horse to go home with a potential buyer can pose risks, so many sellers will not agree to a trial. However, if you are permitted to take a horse on trial—and even a weeklong trial can be advantageous—he recommends watching closely for signs of injury or illness.

A prepurchase exam and results from genetic testing (when available) reduces the guesswork when identifying a horse’s potential health issues. Trials offer an extended time to observe any medical conditions not previously visible and consult your veterinarian about them. The results could make or break the deal.

If you arrange for a trial, Whitaker suggests looking out for signs of these five health conditions.

1. Lameness

Soundness is the most common health characteristic buyers look for, Whitaker says. Lameness can be the result of an injury or wear and tear and can require ongoing maintenance, such as joint injections.

“Buyers need to consider how much maintenance they can live with, as it will increase ownership costs,” says Whitaker. “In addition, severe injuries could mean the horse is unusable for an extended period.”

He suggests observing the horse on a longe line and under saddle for:

• Head bobbing when trotting.
• Gait unevenness.
• A limb creating a “dropping out” appearance (or sensation, when riding) mid-stride.

Soundness issues are not limited to legs and joints. Problems in the axial skeleton, which includes the skull, vertebral column, sternum, and ribs, can also create lameness. Whitaker says neck pathology (disease or damage), kissing spines, or sacroiliac joint (SI) issues can also be performance-limiting.

“Stiffness in the neck or back and soreness in these areas after work suggests there may be an underlying issue,” he adds.

2. Hoof Problems

Hoof issues often get lumped under lameness, but it is essential to consider the foot on its own, says Whitaker. Corrective shoeing increases the expense of ownership and, depending on discipline and work intensity, the pathology at hand can limit performance.

Cornell University’s head of farrier service, Steve Kraus, CJF, has fielded many calls from clients who discovered unsoundness after buying a horse without a prepurchase exam, with laminitis, ringbone, navicular disease, and hock osteoarthritis being the most common discoveries.

If you have a horse on trial, Kraus suggests the veterinarian and farrier:

• Walk and trot the horse on hard ground to watch for head-nodding or hip-hiking.
• Watch to see if the front feet are landing toe first and, if so, search for the underlying problem.
• Examine the hooves. Farriers look for fever rings and abnormal growth patterns, which might indicate chronic laminitis.
• Evaluate hoof size. Farriers are good at evaluating hoof size relative to body size. “Inappropriately small feet usually lead to lameness,” he says.

Kraus describes a situation in which a regular client bought a competitive horse. When he arrived for the first shoeing, he immediately noticed mismatched front feet and asked if anyone evaluated the horse prior to purchasing. The client responded that the veterinarian conducting the PPE commented about the horse having a small foot and said, “I hope you have a good farrier.”

“I shod the horse to compensate for unevenness, and he moved well, but I predicted that the horse would not stay sound with increased work,” he says. “Eventually the horse became too lame to continue training.”

Whitaker adds that if you notice the horse is shod with anything other than normal shoes or has pads or a wedge, it is important to ask for details before buying.

Even when looking at feet, don’t forget to step back and consider faults in the horse’s overall conformation. “A high/low front end, a base-narrow hind end, a butt-high build in mature horses, and cannon bones misaligned to the radius (forearm) are all conformation faults that can interfere with performance,” says Kraus.

3. Gastrointestinal Issues

Gastric ulcers require intense medical management, involving long treatment periods of expensive medication and ongoing preventive strategies. The prevalence of gastric ulcers can be upward of 90% in certain disciplines such as racing. It is important to recognize the signs, so you can not only alert your vet and initiate early treatment but also decide whether you’re up for the potential ongoing expense and management if you purchase the horse.

“Symptoms are wide-ranging but can include irritability when the girth is tightened or reluctance to move forward at a trot or canter,” Whitaker explains.

A horse that colics during a trial can also be cause for concern. Depending on the severity, it might even necessitate surgery. The specific case and prognosis can determine the horse’s suitability for the rider’s goals.

4. Respiratory Issues

Equine asthma syndrome is the most common respiratory issue Whitaker treats in performance horses. It can be ­performance-limiting and requires environmental management and ongoing medications. Environmental dust and molds are typically the causative agents, though a summer pasture-associated condition can affect some horses as well.

Management involves minimizing environmental dust from hay, grain, and other sources in and around barns. Horses with summer pasture-associated symptoms must be kept off pasture for part of the year. Due to the seasonality of the condition, they might seem perfectly fine during parts of the year and severely affected during others.

“Symptoms to look for (with both asthma types) are coughing, increased breathing effort relative to the amount of work, and taking longer than expected to recover after exercise,” Whitaker says. Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage “is common in speed event athletes and should be factored into the decision if the horse has a history.”

5. Eye/Vision Issues

Eye issues are quite common on sale exams or whenever horses change hands, but they often go undetected by owners and trainers unless the problem is very obvious. During trial, watch for spooking at noises, as well as cloudiness in or squinting/drainage from the eye, which might indicate corneal inflammation, equine recurrent uveitis, and other ocular diseases. However, recognize that observation on trial is no substitute for a veterinary exam.

What If You Notice an Issue?

For Ostrander, her mare’s medical issues meant she couldn’t compete or be bred.

“So, I will not take her to any big shows. I will not put her in that kind of a situation where she has to be in a stall for an extended time. At my house she lives outside just about all the time,” she says. “I had to promise to keep her or that if I sold her that it be to a home willing to keep up her care.”

Fortunately, not all medical issues that can emerge during a trial period are as substantial as the one Ostrander experienced. Whitaker says if a health condition arises during a trial, have a frank discussion with your veterinarian and ask yourself:

• Does the issue keep me from using the horse for my intended purpose?
• Do I have the budget to manage the issue?
• Does that leave room in my budget for unexpected events that can arise and cost more than expected?
• Do I have the time to deal with an issue that requires daily therapy or medications? “This may not be a problem if you are at a barn with full board, but there may be an extra expense to pay someone else to give the medication,” he says.

Hindsight Is 20/20

Looking back, Ostrander says she should have returned the mare after the first episode. She was attached to the horse, however, and made an emotional decision rather than an objective one.

Also, going into the deal, Ostrander knew she had time to make an educated decision and opted to bring the mare home without a prepurchase exam or genetic testing. Without that trial period, she would have done both first. She took two actions when the mare came to her barn that made a significant difference in the outcome. First, she purchased major medical and mortality insurance right away. Second, she stayed in immediate and constant communication with the seller.

“He knew exactly what we were going through, what we were treating her for, and the time, energy, and money we were putting into vets, testing, and treatments,” she says.

The silver lining for Ostrander was the seller was committed to ensuring the mare had a good home. He recently sold his breeding operation and had no place to keep the mare. In exchange for knowing the mare he had bred and raised had a place with proper care, he refunded Ostrander’s ­deposit—something not all sellers are in a position to do. Similarly, not all buyers are in a position to add another horse to their herd if the horse cannot perform its intended use. “I’ll be forever grateful to Morgan (O’Brien, DVM) and Karlene (Bushey, ambulatory assistant) for saving my mare’s life that day,” Ostrander says. “Just be cognizant that you’re not letting your desire for instant gratification of something to show or something to ride outweigh your senses.”

When my family moved from Massachusetts to Michigan in 2002, it wasn’t a hard decision to hire a professional to ensure our two Appaloosas and one Miniature Horse arrived safely and comfortably at their new home, 14 hours and 720 miles away. For three late-teenaged horses that didn’t travel long distances frequently, a large, airy rig seemed like a better option than our two-horse bumper pull—while it was still well-maintained, safe, and hauling regularly, it was older than I was at the time. Instead, my father and I would take our trailer, packed with horse-care and stable supplies, and get the new barn set up while my mother stayed behind to see the horses off with the shipper a few days later.

Our trip to Michigan was interrupted when a tire on our small bumper pull rolled over debris on the New York State Thruway and all but disintegrated, sending an array of sparks flying into the night. Dad slowed to a crawl, limped the rig to the next rest area a few miles away, and stopped to inspect the damage. Somehow, nearly everything else on that old steel trailer remained intact and, fortunately, the horses weren’t on board. Area stores had closed for the night, so we inched the rig to a hotel at the next exit and got some rest before securing a new spare in the morning. We continued on our way and arrived with plenty of time to prepare the farm for its new residents.

In the end, “Erica and Dad’s Excellent Adventure” led to insignificant damage to the trailer and a story to tell every time we drive on the New York State Thruway. But when hauling horses, emergencies—even relatively minor ones, like a flat tire—can take a dangerous turn if you’re not prepared to handle them quickly, safely, and logically.

The good news? Planning how you would handle emergencies during shipping isn’t as daunting as it might sound. Just remember these do’s and don’ts from our experts: Rebecca Gimenez Husted, PhD, the primary instructor at her Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue Inc., in Macon, Georgia, and Ragan Adams, MA, DVM, the coordinator of the Veterinary Extension Specialist Group at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, in Fort ­Collins.

No Two Incidents Are Alike

“Most people don’t have time to prepare until it’s too late to prepare,” says Adams. “But, whether it’s a flat tire on your trailer or a major highway accident, once you’ve experienced an incident, you can’t believe that you never made time to prepare.”

Horse owners typically want a prescribed protocol for emergency scenarios. “But one of my favorite emergency managers once said, ‘No two incidents are alike. Each one poses different challenges.’ ” she adds. “Giving a prescribed list of things to do isn’t helpful (because) there’s no way to predict what’s going to happen.” You can, however, be as prepared as possible by ensuring your truck and trailer are in good condition and that you’ve packed all the essentials before hitting the road (TheHorse.com/137976).

And, our sources agree, owners should be ready to apply a variety of strategies when facing an emergency. “Being as prepared as you can be increases your ability to respond to any incident,” Adams says.

Husted also recommends considering the specifics of how you’d react to various emergency scenarios.

“Going through it in your mind makes it more like muscle memory when it actually happens,” she says. “If I were driving down the road at 70 mph and I heard a funny sound from the trailer, what would I do? I would put on my flashers, I would slow down, I would move over to the side of the road, and I would limp to a safe spot to exit the truck and see what happened.

“Or if there’s been an accident, what would I do?,” she adds. “I would turn on my flashers. I would tell whoever’s in the vehicle with me, ‘I need you to call 911. Then I need you to start finding a veterinarian because there might be an injury.’ If we can get people to think through those kinds of things ahead of time, then maybe it won’t be so scary when it actually happens.”

When an Incident Happens

Here are our sources’ top do’s and don’ts when it comes to equine-transport-related emergencies:

DO: Remember human health and safety come first.

Both sources note this is often a challenging reality for horse owners to accept during an accident or emergency. Husted says the first thing to do after any incident is to check to be sure everyone, in all vehicles involved, is okay.

DON’T: Wait to call police, fire, or emergency medical assistance.

“If you have an emergency on the road, you call 911,” Husted says, regardless of how minor it might seem.

And, she says, be prepared to communicate exactly what’s going on.

“ ‘There’s a horse trailer wreck on the highway’ is a lot different than ‘There’s a wreck on I-75 Southbound; everyone is out of the tow-vehicle and okay, but there are two horses trapped in a four-horse trailer that’s flipped on its left side,’ ” she says. “The information you give the dispatcher is important.”

Husted says if a serious accident occurs you should wait for first responders before trying to get to the horses.

“I think many horse people think that somehow, they’re going to go in the trailer and make their horses feel better,” she says. “But it’s better to just leave them alone, get the help there first, and come up with a plan.”

In addition to mobilizing human first responders, a 911 dispatcher can help secure large animal rescue services or veterinary assistance for injured horses, especially if you’re in an unfamiliar area and/or unable to reach a veterinarian, Husted says.

“Vets usually respond pretty quickly when 911 calls them,” she says.

Even if you and your horses haven’t suffered any injuries, first responders can often provide assistance to get you back on your way as soon as possible.

“If a horse gets out, (these professionals) can provide safety or stop traffic,” Husted says. “They can provide light if it’s nighttime. They can find another trailer to pick up the horses and move them to safety. There are lots of things they can help with, and they have many resources you may not have.”

An important note: While you might be facing a frightening situation and be worried about your horse’s safety, don’t forget to have patience and respect the police, firefighters, and other authorities.

“Understand that the first responders are trying their best, and they’re trying to work in your best interest,” Adams says.

DON’T: Open trailer doors and/or windows without extreme caution.

Especially after a collision, your first instinct might be to open the trailer door or window to check on your horse. A safer approach, however, is to try to assess the situation through windows until you have a better idea of what awaits you in the trailer.

“If you just open gates and doors, horses can actually come right through, especially if they’re stressed or panicked,” Husted says. “Everybody’s seen pictures of horses trying to come through trailer windows and doors, even in nonstressful situations.”

The escape attempt could not only cause injury to horse and/or owner but also present another dangerous situation. If they get loose, she says, “now they’re running down the road and someone could hit them.”

DO: If possible, get to an exit, rest stop, or parking lot before stopping.

If you face a minor emergency that needs repair, but your rig is still movable (such as with some flat tires, mechanical issues, or body damage), Husted recommends rolling slowly and steadily to the nearest exit, rest stop, or parking lot.

“Just get off the interstate, because it’s so damn dangerous to be stopped or changing a tire on the side of the road,” she says. “Even though I have the tire-changing tools, I would much rather destroy a wheel on my trailer and have to replace it than get hit by someone that’s not paying attention.”

She recalled a recent accident in Michigan where a motorist who stopped on the side of a highway to change a flat tire and an emergency responder who stopped to help were both hit and killed by a passing driver.

“(Getting off the highway is) usually pretty easy here in the Southeast where there are only 3 or 4 miles between exits,” Husted adds, “but when you go out West, there could be 40 miles to the next exit.”

If a safe place to stop is out of reach, Husted recommends pulling as far off the road as possible, even completely off the road.

“Still try not to expose yourself to injury,” she says. “Try not to get out of the vehicle; meanwhile, call roadside assistance. If you need to get out of the vehicle, wear a reflective vest and carry orange cones or flashing devices to put out and make yourself more visible.”

DON’T: Take horses off the trailer, in most cases.

If you’re forced to stop on a road to make repairs or wait for assistance, our sources say your horse is usually safest in the trailer. 

“If possible, never unload your horse near a highway,” Adams says. “The trailer is the safest place (for him) to be.”

Husted agrees: “We take the chance on the horse getting loose, and then we’ve got huge complications.”

She says the main exception to this guideline is with trailer fires. In those cases, she says, as long as it’s safe for you to do so, unload the horses immediately, regardless of where you’re stopped.

DO: Seek veterinary advice if you think a horse needs treatment.

Yes, it sounds obvious. But whether you should attempt to administer first aid while a potentially stressed horse is in a trailer or wait for a veterinarian to provide that treatment can vary—even for the same health issue—based on a number of factors.

“It really depends what’s the matter with the horse,” Adams says. “Did the horse go down? Does the horse have an eyeball that’s been seriously damaged? Is there a giant laceration? Whether to treat or to wait depends on the injury.”

Gather as much information as you can safely to communicate with the veterinarian. Husted also recommends taking photos and/or video of the horse to send if you can collect them without putting yourself in ­danger. Based on the surroundings, the horse’s demeanor, the injury or issue, and other factors, the vet can ­recommend next steps.

One more important point: When hauling, Adams recommends keeping handy a list of contacts both electronically and on paper (in case your phone’s battery runs out while someone else’s remains charged, for instance). In addition to a list of emergency contacts for you and your horses, vehicle and animal insurance details, plus your home veterinarian’s contact information, she suggests having information for state and national equine veterinary associations.

“If you’re somewhere unfamiliar, you could call one of those and say, ‘I need a veterinarian,’ ” Adams says.

Take-Home Message

Unfortunately, not all trailering emergencies end as positively as Erica and Dad’s Excellent Adventure. However, our sources agree that understanding the steps to take—and actions to avoid— when faced with an incident can help make these stressful and often frightening situations seem a bit less scary.

Over time, horses have evolved to be trickle feeders, meaning they consume small amounts of forage at once without long periods of fasting between. Horse owners use hay nets and other slow feeders to encourage trickle feeding, especially in thrifty breeds that become obese when offered free-choice hay. However, questions remain about the effects of hay nets on horses, so scientists recently explored these areas.

“We wanted to do this research because the majority of horse owners use hay nets, and limited research has evaluated impacts on horse health, especially when horses were offered free choice hay,” said Michelle DeBoer, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Animal and Food Science at the University of Wisconsin, in River Falls.

Horse owners also use hay nets as a way to reduce hay waste, which in turn saves them money, she said. And, for obese horses with weight-related health problems, hay nets can help reduce hay intake rate, prolong foraging time, and reduce boredom, she added, which can reduce their risk of health complications related to prolonged periods of fasting, such as gastric ulcers.

The Effects of Hay Nets on Equine Body Condition

During the first phase of the study, the DeBoer and her colleagues randomly assigned 13 adult horses to either hay-net or no-hay-net feeding groups for one full year. After one year, the researchers switched the groups and repeated the research for another year. Over the course of the study, they regularly evaluated each horse’s dental health and body condition score and noted any changes.

“We offered free-choice hay in this study, while previous studies evaluated restricted hay intake,” said DeBoer. “Also in our study, despite hay-net use, all of our horses remained at healthy weights and body condition scores on hay-only diets (with vitamin and mineral supplementation, based on each horse’s needs). While I would say it is important to monitor horses that are typically hard keepers, I wouldn’t necessarily rule out using hay nets for those horses and would take it on a case-by-case basis based on how the horse responds to this management practice.”

The researchers found the horses’ body weight and their body condition scores were greater when fed without a hay net. They also found that hay nets reduced horses’ hay usage by 20%, due to a combination of lower intake and less waste, so it does not necessarily mean they ate 20% less.

Historically, owners and veterinarians have not reported a reduction in body weight or condition using hay nets, the researchers said, attributing it to sufficient amounts of hay provided in the nets. 

The Effects of Hay Nets on Equine Dental Health

“One of the biggest questions we have received with hay nets are how they impact the teeth, and many people worry they have the potential to cause damage and are too abrasive—we wanted to get an answer to this question,” said DeBoer.

The researchers monitored characteristics ranging from tooth length and bevels on the teeth (evaluating wear) to dental abnormalities and conditions.

“Fortunately, hay nets did not have negative effects on dental health over the course of a year,” said DeBoer. Feeding horses from hay nets did not cause bevels (slopes) on the incisors, and horses had the same number of dental issues, regardless of their hay-net status.

“It is important to provide regular dental work on a horse regardless of hay net usage, however,” she added.

Take-Home Message

Hay nets can help horse owners reduce hay waste and prolong feeding time which can reduce horse boredom and promote a more natural style of trickle feeding without negative effects to the horse’s dental health. Always work with your veterinarian before changing your horse’s feeding and management routine to discuss any concerns you might have.

The study, Effect of hay nets on horse bodyweight, body condition score, hay usage, and dental health in mature horses, was published in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science in May 2024.

Preparing funds and arranging a caretaker for your horses can help ensure their well-being if they outlive you. Jorge Colón, DVM, MBA, of Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, in Ithaca, New York, and Wendy Krebs, DVM, of Bend Equine Medical Center, in Oregon, discuss options for being prepared in this excerpt from Ask TheHorse Live. 

This podcast is an excerpt of our Ask TheHorse Live Q&A, “Budgeting and Planning for Horse Expenses.” Listen to the full recording here.

About the Experts

Wendy Krebs, DVM

Wendy Krebs, DVM, is a partner at Bend Equine Medical Center in Bend, Oregon. She grew up in Western Oregon, where she participated first in 4-H and later in eventing. She graduated from Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine, in Corvallis, in 2002 and performed a yearlong equine internship, followed by a four-year American College of Veterinary Surgeons equine surgery residency. Her practice interests include surgery and performance horse care, as well as comprehensive preventive care. She lives on a small working ranch in Tumalo with her husband, two young children, and a bevy of animals, including nine horses. She enjoys riding her Oldenburg mare, Aria, emergency-schedule permitting.

Jorge L. Colón, DVM, MBA

Jorge L. Colón, DVM, MBA, is an associate professor of practice in financial and organizational management at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), in Ithaca, New York, and serves as the director of business education for the Cornell Center for Veterinary Business and Entrepreneurship. He received his BS and DVM from Cornell and his MBA from the College of Business at Colorado State University, in Fort Collins. Colón spent the first 25 years of his professional veterinary career as an equine ambulatory veterinarian in Lexington, Kentucky, concentrating in the areas of equine reproduction, neonatology, radiology, and Thoroughbred sales. He transitioned into academia in 2020, where he is now tasked with the development and implementation of the veterinary business educational curriculum at the Cornell CVM and with the management and administration of the Cornell CVBE Certificate in Veterinary Business and Management.

Q. How important is horse arena footing to equine athletes’ health and longevity, and what do you look for in good footing?

—Via e-mail

A. Footing and hoof care are essential to the longevity of the sport horse. The interaction of the footing and the mechanics of the shoe can either add or relieve stress to the tissues of the lower leg.

A surface that is “sticky” or “grabs” the foot as it strikes the ground tends to sharply load the soft tissues and potentiate the possibilities of injury if they are not conditioned properly. A surface that is too “loose” will not support the foot and leg structures during propulsion and/or give way on leg loading to cause abnormal force curves that could lead to injury.

The surface should allow the tissues to load evenly, provide firm support at maximal loading (peak stance phase), not give way dramatically as the horse pushes off at break over (pressure on the deep digital flexor tendon), and not be too deep to fatigue muscles easily.

I believe a decent ring of sand/clay mixture with maybe a small amount of filler (organic or synthetic) is probably good for most uses. I don’t believe that exclusive use of the latest, greatest synthetics (such as polymer or polymer-coated footings) are helping horses condition for the variety of surfaces they experience when at shows. Horses might go great at home but perform differently when on an alternate surface. So, I suggest training horses at home on a variety of surfaces to aid their proprioceptive abilities of joints and tissues as well as condition the different tissues.

Horses should work on hard, soft, heavy, and light surfaces for all that conditioning and the ability to adapt to different environments when they encounter them. Essentially, if we work them on one surface or environment at home, it is likely they will not do well when they encounter something different at the competition. It is like a person that runs on a track all the time for training and then tries to run a cross-country race over natural ground—the outcome is usually not up to expectations).

Additionally, horses’ routines typically change when get to a show, sometimes after traveling a long distance. We might work the horses differently (usually harder) than we do at home, or longe them in tight circles, or medicate them, or change their feeds, or keep them up all night because barn lights are on for braiders and grooms, etc. The stress level and fatigue level is up, which could affect not only movement but also tissue stress. This could lead to injury.

Get horses out of the rings and on to some different surfaces, where there might be some rocks and ground deviations and undulations and variety of softness and hardness. Don’t go to extremes, but some variety in surfaces will only help in most cases.

Practical proactive considerations for keeping any horse sound

Proactive strategies can go a long way toward helping your equine partner stay sound, whether he’s a favorite trail buddy or a top competition horse. So in this article, three equine veterinarians and members of the academic community have weighed in with practical tips for maintaining a comfortable and happy horse.

1. Maintain a Team

While it might seem obvious, our sources can’t stress it enough: Be deliberate about maintaining a consistent relationship with your farrier and veterinary teams. “One of the biggest things for keeping horses sound and healthy is to establish a good working relationship with your veterinarian and farrier for regular maintenance and health care,” says Carolyn Hammer, DVM, PhD, professor of animal sciences at North Dakota State University, in Fargo. Ideally, your farrier and veterinarian should be able to communicate with one another when concerns arise. 

2. One Size Doesn’t Fit All

When it comes to shoeing options, different lameness or hoof conditions require different hoof care strategies. Key to keep in mind, says Tena Ursini, DVM, PhD, CERP, Dipl. ACVSMR, clinical assistant professor of equine sports medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is the applied shoeing setup provides the mechanics the horse needs to maintain soundness.

“I think a lot of discrepancy between farriers and vets is based on veterinarians trying to prescribe an exact shoeing package: If the veterinarian’s recommendation is one that the farrier is familiar with and can be successfully applied to that individual horse, everything is great,” she explains. “If it’s a shoe type that the farrier is either not comfortable with or cannot actually be applied to that particular horse for whatever reason, things go poorly, and the horse never gets sound. At that point the owner is unhappy, the farrier is unhappy, the veterinarian is unhappy, and the horse is definitely unhappy.”

3.  No Two Horses Are the Exact Same

Conformation is also unique to each horse. “The most important thing to realize is that not every horse is built the same; there is no single number for ideal hoof angle,” Ursini says. “It depends on how that horse moves and its conformation. Some horses are more upright, some have more angulation—so they will have a different foot angle in order to maintain an ideal hoof-pastern axis. Many people get fixated on a certain angle and try to fit every horse into the same box.”

In other words, horses are all individuals and must be treated that way.

4. Spinoff Effects

Don’t underestimate the importance of proper hoof balance, says Ursini. “The saying ‘no hoof, no horse’ is not an exaggeration,” she says. “Literally every mechanical aspect of how a horse moves can be altered by the shape and condition of their hooves. It is well proven in both the literature and clinical experience that horses with certain attributes—specifically, negative plantar or palmar angles of P3 (the angle the coffin bone makes with the ground; a negative angle means the back of the coffin bone is lower than the front of the bone, rather than both ends being level)—are associated with lameness and pain originating from the proximal suspensory, hock, stifle, sacroiliac (SI joint), and lumbar region.”

Ursini says in her experience, trying to treat all those sources of pain without addressing foot angles is impossible. “Corrective shoeing to improve the angles oftentimes removes the strain to certain structures, and after a short period of time I don’t even have to address those other issues, as the pain is secondary to the feet.”

5.  Look Deeper

What you can see does not tell the whole story. “The outside of the foot can definitely lie to you,” says Ursini. “While some horses have obvious signs of imbalance just by looking at them, I’ve been surprised several times by the degree of imbalance a horse has on radiographs.

“For horses being asked to perform at a high level, I would strongly encourage people to have all four feet radiographed on a routine basis—every six months to a year—in order to try and find imbalances early, before they cause other problems,” she adds.

Hoof radiographs play a key role in long-term soundness for any horse, says Ursini: “I’d like to reinforce the importance of radiographs to truly evaluate the balance and angles of the feet.” She lists specific factors your veterinarian and farrier should look for, including:

• The angle the wings of the coffin bone make with the ground (palmar/plantar angle).
• Sole depth.
• Dorsopalmar/plantar (toward the front/back) hoof balance (relative to the coffin joint and vertical forces of the limb).
• Signs of arthritis, laminitis, navicular disease (aka podotrochlosis), or other hoof conditions.

6.  Walk On

Don’t skimp on time spent walking, says Bruce Mandeville, JD, associate professor in Otterbein University’s Department of Equine Science, in Westerville, Ohio: “I don’t think we walk our horses enough. Horses are meant to be walking the majority of the day, yet many horses are stabled, ridden for 40 minutes, and stabled again.”

Mandeville, who represented Canada in three-day eventing at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, as well as at the World Championships and Pan-American Games, notes that while actively competing, he would regularly walk his horses for up to an hour prior to gallops and again after galloping. “By walking long and low, the nuchal ligament that runs from the poll down the neck is engaged; this brings the spinal processes of the withers forward, putting positive tension on the nuchal ligament and, in turn, on (the) supraspinous ligament along the spine. This causes the back to raise and supports the weight of the horse’s torso.” 

To that end Mandeville urges owners to gain as much biomechanical understanding of the horse’s anatomy as possible. “Be cognizant of the horse’s shape and postures for optimal use of structures like muscles, ligaments, and tendons,” he says. “It would help our industry if we had more exposure to biomechanics—we could help our horses use their bodies more efficiently.”

7.  Leg Protection and Heat

Boots and wraps have long been mainstays for exercising horses. More recently they’ve become, literally, a hot topic. “Many owners are familiar with the recent study from Middle Tennessee State University concerning heat under boots and bandages,” notes Hammer. “There is obviously concern, but also in some events the need for protection. I think we’ll see more research looking at tendon temperature versus surface temperature.”

“I think we have overbooted in the past,” adds Mandeville. “Unless you have a specific need to boot, such as a horse that brushes (one foot or limb against the other during movement), the current approach is steering away from boots and wraps. This may be a case when we think we are doing something beneficial for the horse, but we’re not.”

Both Hammer and Mandeville note we might see more research surrounding cryotherapy techniques—icing, ice boots, and cold hosing—in the future to investigate the consistency of temperatures and the efficacy of various modalities and applications. They urge, as always, to consult your veterinarian if you have questions about leg protection and cryotherapy applications.

8. Therapeutic Products

Many barns employ popular modalities designed to keep horses as comfortable as possible, such as pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF), vibration plates, and gel boots. These modalities are worth considering, says Mandeville, based on his experiences leading classes on equine noninvasive therapies in which students tested various products on the university’s horses, measuring facial expressions and cortisol (stress hormone) levels in saliva.

“We see different effects on different horses. It’s worth exploring what brings comfort to your horse (after consulting your veterinarian, of course),” he says. “I would suggest horse owners try various therapies and see what the horse responds to the best before making an investment; each horse is different. You may also want to consider learning acupressure, which you can take as an online course.”

9. Arena Surfaces

Arena footing is a hot topic among riders and big business, as well, with a spectrum of surface options at various price points serving the needs of different sports and scenarios. Without doubt, arena surface construction and maintenance play roles in both performance and safety.

“Footing has evolved over the years and is very discipline specific,” says Mandeville. More recently “the main considerations are the condition and uniformity of the footing, drainage, dragging, and watering. The right conditions are a blend of art and science.”

Inconsistent footing can also be problematic. Mandeville cites the eventing cross-country course at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where surfaces changed from grass to dirt to arena footing, and many horses struggled to adjust to those changes, which can contribute to injuries.

For the average horse owner, however, “problems arise when the footing has degraded,” he explains. “Plan to replace your footing as needed. As much as possible, match your training footing to the type of footing you’ll be competing on.”

10. Do Your Research

From nutritional supplements to therapeutic boots and blankets, you’ll find many manufacturers (and horse owners and trainers) claiming their products support equine soundness. But don’t take what you hear at face value.

“I think it’s really important for owners to do their due diligence to find information,” says Hammer. She offers two points to consider:

1. Work with an equine nutritionist or veterinarian to establish a dietary program, including forage, concentrates, and supplements, to ensure both ingredients and levels are efficacious for your horse.
2. Alternative therapies of various types have grown in popularity, and some have better science behind them than others. “Chiropractic and massage can be great options for keeping horses comfortable,” says Hammer. “This is where a good relationship with your veterinarian comes into play; these therapies can’t fix every problem. Also, licensing requirements vary by state. When alternative therapies are appropriate, reach out to your veterinarian for recommendations.”

11. Last But Not Least: Lifestyle

Remember, overall lifestyle can also contribute to soundness. Being too heavy—as commonly seen in many horses and other pets these days—puts a burden of stress on joints, ligaments, and tendons, says Hammer. In addition, says Mandeville, owners should consider exploring ways to allow horses to live more naturally, including as much turnout as is feasible for the individual situation.

Take-Home Message

Start by establishing a supportive equine care team and determining your horse’s individual needs. Then, these simple steps can go a long way toward keeping your horse sound and can save you time and money in the long run.

How farriers trim and shoe horses for their unique biomechanics, discipline, and riding surface

I spent some time the other day cleaning my Quarter Horse’s paddock. I watched him walk from the water trough to his hay pile, paying close attention to where and how each hoof landed on the soft ground and how he raised each heel from the muddy surface. He was diagnosed with podotrochlosis (aka navicular disease, a degenerative condition of the navicular bone and soft tissues in the back of the horse’s foot) via MRI long before I became a veterinarian, so I credit his pathologies for my eye for lameness. A rolled toe and heel elevation help ease his breakover to allow for a more comfortable existence.

How do veterinarians and farriers get and keep horses with and without conformational deformities like this happy and sound? With a simple, yet thorough, understanding of equine biomechanics.

Biomechanics Overview

The word “biomechanics” sounds scary, doesn’t it? As a veterinary school student, I thought so too. Thankfully, Thilo Pfau, PhD, a faculty member of veterinary medicine at the University of Calgary who’s spent much of his career researching performance horse biomechanics, has broken the basic concepts down for us.

Gaits, whether walk, trot, or canter, can be split into stride cycles that get repeated over and over. “For each limb, a stride cycle can be subdivided into the stance phase—the time period when that limb is in contact with the ground—and a swing phase—the time period when that limb is swinging through the air without ground contact,” explains Pfau. “The stance phase is often further subdivided into impact, support phase, and breakover.”

The impact phase is when the hoof makes contact with the ground. The support phase follows, when that hoof supports the horse’s weight while the opposite hoof is in its swing phase. “Finally, breakover is initiated by the heels leaving the ground when the toe starts to rotate further into the surface,” he says. “On a hard surface, breakover ends when the toe leaves the ground. On a soft, deformable surface, it ends when the whole solar surface is losing contact with the (ground) surface. Delineating these distinct phases is less straightforward on soft ground.

“Biomechanically, the stance phase is characterized as the period of time where forces are being exerted onto the ground by the horse and following Newton’s laws of motion: Equal and opposite forces are exerted back from the ground onto the horse,” he continues. “These are the ground reaction forces (GRFs). During the swing phase there is no ground contact and, hence, no ground reaction force.”

Hoof biomechanics are fluid, and farriers and veterinarians can manipulate them using podiatry. Take, for example, the point beneath the foot where the GRF originates—the point of interaction between the hoof and the surface. “The position under the hoof changes over the stance phase, typically being rather central over much of the stance phase and then migrating dorsally toward the toe during the breakover period,” says Pfau. “The position, however, can be altered—for example, when using heel wedges or graduated shoes to translate the point of force (toward the heel) and unload the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT, which passes around the navicular and attaches to the coffin bone). However, since the overall amount of force, which is strongly associated with the body mass of the horse and the speed of locomotion, remains unchanged, other structures such as the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT, which lies over the DDFT) and/or the suspensory ligament will have to compensate for the drop in load of the DDFT to keep the horse limb stable.”

For this reason, trimming and shoeing are powerful tools for altering the biomechanics of movement by manipulating the point of force application under the hoof. “However, it is vitally important to always consider the complex interaction between the different structures within the horse limb in relation to the forces acting from beginning to end of stance,” he adds.

Biomechanics in Practice

So how do we apply biomechanics in practice? Rodney King is a certified journeyman farrier who operates North Canterbury Equine Podiatry, in Amberley, New Zealand. He focuses his practice on sport horses and therapeutic shoeing.

“I feel that very little can be achieved with the trim alone,” says King. “I trim fairly consistently on most of my horses regardless of the foot type or pathologies. I trim the heels down to the widest part of the frog and the toe down to the junction of live sole at the point I can start to feel the sole yield under firm thumb pressure. It’s a bit subjective, but I use my thumbs to feel and can get a good read on feet and sole depth with them. The dorsal wall (the front of the hoof) is dressed to remove flares and dishes. Once that’s done … it all comes down to the shoe.”

As Pfau explained, it’s the application of the shoe that adjusts the GRF and the point of force application. “The shoe will always be tailored to the pathology,” says King. “We can add elevation (at any point that requires it), increase mechanics (reduce breakover with a rocker or roll at any given area of the shoe), or we can alter ground reaction force (change the web width of the shoe so its interaction with the ground results in the desired effect on the foot). Often, the shoe will have more than one of these modifications added to fit the requirements of the pathology.”

He uses laminitis, which occurs when the laminar tissues that suspend the coffin bone within the hoof capsule become inflamed and fail, as an example. With these cases he’d try to reduce DDFT peak strain by elevating the heels of the shoe and reduce breakover by rockering the shoe.

“The shoe will usually have some kind of frog and palmar (rear-facing) support to not only support the (coffin) bone but to also help prevent the heels from sinking into the ground and increasing DDFT strain,” he explains.

Discipline Matters

It’s no surprise that farriers typically trim and shoe a Warmblood that performs high-level dressage differently than a Quarter Horse that runs barrels every weekend. Each discipline requires different movement and momentum from the horse and, to the farrier, that matters.

“In my day-to-day shoeing on straight and sound horses, I will always take into account the discipline of the horse when deciding how to shoe,” says King.

While a good trim can go a long way, King uses the shoe to support the specific discipline. “I will shoe the palmar hoof slightly differently for different disciplines,” he says. “As a rule, I would say as the speed of the discipline increases, the shorter and tighter I will fit (the shoe to) the palmar hoof.”

For example, he says dressage horses can be shod with a wider, flatter shoe and can tolerate a more supportive, fuller fitting shoe. Show jumpers might wear a similar style but without the fullness of a dressage horse’s shoes, as the chances of pulling a shoe increase due to the job.

“Endurance horses can be shod with a lighter shoe with a profile or section that suits the environment they are training in,” he says. “They can be shod with enough cover to support them through a shoeing cycle and are shod at around four-week intervals, as the shoes are generally worn out by this point.”

Not all Surfaces Are Created Equal

Arena and sport surfaces have come a long way, even in my lifetime as an aging millennial. I recall barrel racing growing up, when every arena we frequented was filled with deep, deep sand. Today, arenas can be any mixture of sand, wood products, stone dust, rubber, and synthetics.

“These surfaces offer great support and traction to horses and are far superior to older sand type arenas,” says King.

Eventers and endurance riders don’t compete exclusively in arenas, of course. Many athletes take their competitions to the field or trail. “I find that customers often ask for more traction via stud holes when competing on sand or grass,” he says. “A lot of our endurance horses will use pads and silicone packing leading up to race days, more as a preventive measure against foreign body trauma, but will remove this on race days.”

The biggest variability in these surfaces is their depth and support. The farrier’s goal is to support the foot but also prevent the coffin bone from sinking and increasing the load on the limb.

“I try to use shoes that will allow the foot to maintain a relatively flat stance during loading,” says King. “For example, if the surface is deep and deformable, I might add something that will prevent the foot from sinking at the heels. This might be as simple as adding silicone to the back half of the foot or a bar to the shoe.”

Take-Home Message

Shoes, surfaces, and sport all affect a horse’s movement. Biomechanics is the foundation of therapeutic podiatry. A thorough understanding of how the horse moves is necessary to maximize and manipulate it effectively.

Routine and emergency veterinary care can be very costly depending on the procedure, illness, or injury. Wendy Krebs, DVM, of Bend Equine Medical Center, in Oregon, explains how preparing for routine expenses and potential emergencies by budgeting can help horse owners achieve financial security in this excerpt from Ask TheHorse Live.    

This podcast is an excerpt of our Ask TheHorse Live Q&A, “Budgeting and Planning for Horse Expenses.” Listen to the full recording here.

About the Expert

Wendy Krebs, DVM

Wendy Krebs, DVM, is a partner at Bend Equine Medical Center in Bend, Oregon. She grew up in Western Oregon, where she participated first in 4-H and later in eventing. She graduated from Oregon State University College of Veterinary Medicine, in Corvallis, in 2002 and performed a yearlong equine internship, followed by a four-year American College of Veterinary Surgeons equine surgery residency. Her practice interests include surgery and performance horse care, as well as comprehensive preventive care. She lives on a small working ranch in Tumalo with her husband, two young children, and a bevy of animals, including nine horses. She enjoys riding her Oldenburg mare, Aria, emergency-schedule permitting.

The cost of horse ownership varies from region to region, but even basic expenses such as feed, bedding, and routine veterinary and farrier care can be very costly. Jorge Colón, DVM, MBA, of Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, in Ithaca, New York, describes common costs associated with owning a horse and why owners have seen them consistently rise over the years in this excerpt from Ask TheHorse Live. 

This podcast is an excerpt of our Ask TheHorse Live Q&A, “Budgeting and Planning for Horse Expenses.” Listen to the full recording here.

About the Expert

Jorge L. Colón, DVM, MBA

Jorge L. Colón, DVM, MBA, is an associate professor of practice in financial and organizational management at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), in Ithaca, New York, and serves as the director of business education for the Cornell Center for Veterinary Business and Entrepreneurship. He received his BS and DVM from Cornell and his MBA from the College of Business at Colorado State University, in Fort Collins. Colón spent the first 25 years of his professional veterinary career as an equine ambulatory veterinarian in Lexington, Kentucky, concentrating in the areas of equine reproduction, neonatology, radiology, and Thoroughbred sales. He transitioned into academia in 2020, where he is now tasked with the development and implementation of the veterinary business educational curriculum at the Cornell CVM and with the management and administration of the Cornell CVBE Certificate in Veterinary Business and Management.

Researchers offer advice on helping horses get quality sleep

Sleep provides horses an important rest and recovery period known to repair muscles, reinvigorate the immune system, and flush the brain of accumulated toxins.

Those are great benefits, but they come with a flip side: a significantly altered state of consciousness and physical readiness. And while horses can sleep standing up, they can only achieve rapid eye movement (REM) sleep while lying down—making these open-grasslands prey animals more vulnerable. That probably explains why horses evolved to need remarkably little sleep, says Linda Greening, PhD, senior lecturer in Hartpury University’s Equine Department, in the U.K.

Still, despite needing merely half the sleep we do—at least four hours will do—plus being able to take mini-naps throughout the day, researchers find it increasingly apparent that domestic horses lack sufficient sleep, Greening says. To better understand the problem, her team has just developed an equine sleep scoring system based on not only quantity but also quality.

What is good-quality sleep, and how much do horses need? How do you know if your horse is getting enough, and how can you improve it? In this article we’ll address those questions and more with helpful information and tips from leading equine sleep experts.

REM Sleep in Horses

A vital aspect of sleep quality is being able to achieve that dream-stage slumber known as REM sleep, says Katherine Houpt, VMD, PhD, Dipl. ACVB, professor emeritus at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, in Ithaca, New York.

REM sleep is actually similar to wakefulness and tends to occur just before animals wake up, Greening explains. It’s during REM sleep that the brain “sorts out memories from the day,” selecting those to keep and those to delete, which “kind of frees up storage space,” she says. Horses need 40-45 minutes of REM sleep per 24 hours.

Standing horses can enter non-REM sleep—including a deep form of sleep—thanks to their stay apparatus that locks the legs. But because REM sleep induces a total loss of muscle tone throughout the body, it relaxes all soft tissues, including the stay apparatus. Horses can only safely enter REM sleep when lying flat on their sides (lateral recumbency) or up on their sternum (sternal recumbency), usually with their muzzle resting against the ground, Houpt explains.

The Seriousness of Sleep Deprivation in Horses

Although horses usually get their best quality sleep between midnight and 5:00 a.m., they don’t have to fulfill their sleep requirements all at once, our sources say. They can even go several days on reduced quantities of sleep.

The physical and mental effects of such short-term deprivation are unknown, they add. Researchers have shown that sleep deprivation over the long term, however, can cause more serious issues.

The most dramatic of these issues is collapse, Houpt says. Deprivation of REM sleep that lasts for more than a week or so can cause horses to drift into REM sleep even while standing. At that moment the stay apparatus releases and the horse collapses to the ground, she explains. This can cause pain and injury and interrupts that sleep cycle.

While often mislabeled narcolepsy—a sleep-related disorder with different causes—sleep deprivation leading to collapse can result in wounds on the knees and pasterns, Houpt says.

New evidence from research has led to suggestions that horses resisting collapse when drifting into REM sleep might actually get a minimal amount of such sleep, says Greening. “You get this characteristic bowing of the knees and wobbling around, and sometimes their noses might also touch the ground,” she explains.

Sleep-deprived horses could suffer other ill effects as well, such as lethargy or stumbling under saddle, says Greening. “So perhaps the horse is not being lazy,” she says. “He’s just not getting appropriate sleep.”

Houpt believes lack of sleep could also make horses irritable. “Is your horse pinning its ears back when it never did before?” she says. “Perhaps you should look for pain and/or lack of sleep.” And based on studies in humans and rodents, Houpt wonders whether gastric ulcers and other gastrointestinal issues might flare up in sleep-deprived horses. Meanwhile, in her current research Greening aims to investigate how regular, good-quality sleep affects horses’ learning skills, competition performance, and even their outlook on life—meaning how optimistic they feel.

Good Sleep: The Critical Comfort Factor

Horses seem to appreciate a soft, comfortable bed, which means either lush, dry outdoor grass or deep (4-6 inches), clean indoor bedding, says Houpt. Soft bedding cushions bones and joints and reduces pressure on muscles and skin, whereas harder surfaces make lying down and getting up painful. That is especially problematic for older horses that struggle with weakness and arthritis, she says.

Researchers have suggested horses sleep better on straw than shavings, says Houpt. But in either case, she adds, more is better especially when making old or arthritic horses comfortable.

Greening is currently discussing bedding depth recommendations with the U.K.’s National Equine Welfare Council. “Some people just use rubber mats, and they think that’s okay,” she says. “True, there’s evidence that certain horses will lie down on mats. But there’s also evidence that many horses won’t lie down on thin beds, and you’ll encourage more recumbency with thicker beds.”

Comfort also comes with a sense of security linked to an instinctive need to feel safe from wild predators. Unfamiliar noises, no neighboring horses in the barn, and unknown surroundings all mean the horse might not feel safe in the environment, Greening says.

Light plays a huge role in cueing sleep behavior in all mammals, she explains. “It is important that when the lights go out in a barn at night, they stay off,” she says. “Leaving them on or even turning them back on can interrupt biological and physiological  rhythms that have a negative impact on sleep quality.”

The Pros and Cons of Group Sleep

Some owners find that their horses sleep better when they’re near other horses, probably because of their nature as herd animals, Greening says.

In wild and feral herds there’s often one horse who stays watchfully awake while the others sleep, says Houpt. One of her students observed this behavior overnight in Przewalski herds, she says. She noted that the nighttime sentinel was often the stallion, who presumably caught up on his REM sleep in daytime bouts.

Group sleep in human-managed domestic herds, however, presents a far less idyllic image, notes Houpt. Studies show that even in well-designed, “active” stables with ample resources and resting areas, horses “walk all over each other,” she explains. “And guess who gets the longest sleep? The box-stalled horses. We’re always saying stalls are terrible nowadays. But the fact is, when you’re in a box stall, nobody’s stepping on you.”

Greening, meanwhile, has received reports that horses turned out to pasture just for the summer tend to lie down less. That might be due to hard ground, the change in routine, or the effect of the group.

Careful observation can help owners figure out which sleeping arrangements work best for each horse and herd.

Using Gadgets to Monitor Horses’ Sleep

An exciting thing about horse ownership today is the technology that allows us to monitor our horses. It lets us keep watch over them while we’re away and also “spy” on a species that often hides its weaknesses and vulnerabilities—an evolutionary adaptation to keep from looking like easy prey, our sources explain.

Today’s surveillance cameras make it simple for owners to capture their horses’ activities 24 hours a day, says Greening. Whether streamed live to their phone or stored on an SD card for later viewing—which they can watch at 2x or faster speed to save time—such video footage provides vital information about horses’ sleep quantity and quality. 

“Anyone who can afford a horse can afford a camera,” Houpt says. “And then you can see whether your horse is sleeping or not.” Importantly, people can only presume horses get REM sleep when they see the animals in lateral recumbency or in sternal recumbency with the nose or head against the ground. Cameras can capture horses starting to lie down but getting back up, which would suggest REM sleep is not being achieved, perhaps due to discomfort such as painful joints or an issue with the bedding.

“This would even be a great project for kids at Pony Clubs, finding out how much each horse or pony sleeps,” Houpt says.

While still mostly at a research level, electroencephalograms (EEGs) allow people to understand horses’ sleep cycles in finer detail, Greening says. She’s seeking funding for a study in which she and colleagues would use EEGs to measure sleep in high-level competition horses on an international scale. The findings could reveal both how well these athletes sleep and how their sleep cycles correspond to performance.

Commercial accelerometers placed on a horse’s feet, mane, or head might also provide useful information once their safety and benefits have been scientifically validated, Greening says. Now, however, these tools’ performances are limited to registering time in recumbency without providing data about REM sleep.

“I recommend the camera, which really helps recognize horses’ individual needs,” says Greening.

How to Help Your Horse Get Better Sleep

Improving your horse’s sleep starts with ensuring he has 4-6 inches of soft bedding, Houpt says. Offer him a large (greater than 10 feet x 10 feet) individual stall next to a friendly neighbor. This will let him feel socially secure without having to give up bed space and safe enough to lie down without getting cast.

Keep sleeping areas quiet zones, Greening recommends. Alternatively, try playing different kinds of soft music, or even nature sounds or various kinds of noise-drowning sounds like white noise. Researchers have shown that classical and country music, as well as nature sounds, make horses calmer, whereas jazz has the opposite effect. Greening’s team is currently researching the effects of such “audiotherapy” on horses’ sleep.

At their university’s yard Greening’s colleagues have recently introduced a schedule of routine daily rest times during daytime hours. This gives horses a predictable routine, when “they know there is going to be a time where they can safely rest or sleep if they need to,” she says.

“Based on research at Hartpury in collaboration with Equilume, the Royal Agricultural University, University College Dublin, and funded by the Morris Animal Foundation, we highly recommend ensuring lights are off overnight and that if you do need to check horses at night, using red light,” Greening says. Its wavelength won’t disturb horses’ sleep.

People can also try alternative therapies such as massage and nonflammable aromatherapies, says Houpt. “Nobody’s quantified the effects of those alternative therapies,” she says. “Just be sure to closely observe how they’re affecting your individual horse.”

Good sleep also requires appropriate feeding, Houpt adds. Horses with gastrointestinal pain due to high-starch, low-fiber diets might have disruptions due to discomfort, especially when lying on their internal organs. And because horses evolved to graze up to 16 hours per day, those without enough hay to last late into the night could wake up due to hunger.

Importantly, horses with ongoing sleep issues need veterinary evaluations to rule out all sources of pain, says Houpt. They might recommend a trial run of anti-inflammatories or pain relievers; if the horse lies down to sleep when on these medications, pain is likely the issue. Even so, it’s important to investigate what’s causing a horse’s pain to find a long-term solution, she says, because many medications can only be given short-term or lose efficacy over time. 

Finally, antidepressant and sedative drugs such as trazodone can help horses fall into a deep sleep—which can be especially useful for patients that avoid lying down due to chronic pain or traumatic experiences such as getting cast, she explains.

Regardless of the options people choose to improve their horses’ sleep, it’s important to continue video monitoring to observe the effects of different therapies and to adjust as needed, our sources say.

Take-Home Message

Compared to humans, horses don’t require a lot of sleep—but they need at least four hours a day, including 40-45 minutes of REM sleep, our sources say. Lack of sufficient quality sleep can lead to poor health and welfare and possibly poor performance, cognitive pessimism, and irritability. Owners should ensure their horses have secure, comfortable sleeping areas, monitor their horses’ sleep behavior, and try different approaches to address those lacking sufficient sleep.

This article is from the Fall 2024 issue of The Horse: Your Guide to Equine Health Care. We at The Horse work to provide you with the latest and most reliable news and information on equine health, care, management, and welfare through our magazine and TheHorse.com. Your subscription helps The Horse continue to offer this vital resource to horse owners of all breeds, disciplines, and experience levels. To access current issues included in your subscription, please sign in to the Apple or Google apps OR click here for the desktop version.

Review some of the common plants toxic to horses and their effects

We have all seen that puddle of drool form under our horse’s mouth when he’s standing in the crossties. You might be aware this is caused by consumption of clover, but do you know a toxin called slaframine causes the hypersalivation? Slaframine commonly forms on red clover and irritates horses’ oral and gastrointestinal mucosa (the lining of these structures), causing the drool puddles we see. Although hypersalivation causes no significant threat to our horses, other common plants can have more sinister toxic effects.

Toxic Plants Horses Should Not Eat

Buttercups, for example, add a nice bit of color to the fields but contain the toxic compound ranunculin. This mild toxin generally only causes irritation to oral mucosa but, if a horse consumes it in large amounts, can affect the mucosa deeper in the intestinal tract. Horses that have eaten buttercups could exhibit clinical signs of colic or develop diarrhea. Unlike clover, buttercups are not particularly appetizing to horses and rarely cause problems despite their abundance.

Dock, a hearty weed, flourishes in harsh climates and overgrazed paddocks. It contains high levels of nitrates and oxalates, which are both toxic. When it comes to horses, our primary concern is the oxalates, which bind calcium and magnesium, affecting muscle contraction. Common clinical signs include muscle twitching and weakness, but the muscles at greatest risk are the diaphragm and heart. Oxalates will also concentrate over time in the kidneys, causing damage to renal tubules. Unlike some other toxic plants, dock maintains its toxic principles even when dried, so it is not considered safe in hay.

Horses should also avoid cherry trees, including wild cherry, chokecherry, black cherry, and fire cherry. While the fruit is safe and delicious, the pits, stems, leaves, bark, and branches contain cyanoglycoside. When consumed the cyanoglycoside converts to cyanide, which binds to iron in the red blood cells and prevents delivery of oxygen to the tissues. In cattle the rumen amplifies the conversion to cyanide, making these leaves far more dangerous. Toxicity does occur in horses and is very difficult to treat due to the rapid onset. Clinical signs range from bright red gums and rapid respiratory rate to acute and severe ataxia (incoordination) and confusion. It is worth noting the cyanoglycoside disappears once the leaves completely dry, so cherry leaves in hay are considered safe.

Black walnut trees commonly grow on horse farms in the eastern United States. These trees contain juglone, a potent toxin that alters blood flow. Consumption of bark, leaves, nuts, or the roots of these trees can lead to colic, laminitis, and even death. The juglone toxin is so potent in horses that simple contact exposure can have severe toxicity. The most common way horses come into contact with it is when fresh black walnut wood is incorporated into bedding. Exposed horses can rapidly develop laminitis, oftentimes along with significant vasculitis and limb swelling.

These are only some of the commonly seen toxic plants. While horses find clover very appealing, they generally don’t find most toxic plants appetizing or palatable. Horses typically avoid most of these if they have plenty of other forage available.

Limit Your Horse’s Exposure to Toxic Plants

The key to avoiding problems with toxic plants is responsible pasture management. Overgrazing is the primary reason for weed overgrowth in pasture and why horses consume forages outside of their normal diet. Another important part of pasture management includes removing fallen limbs. Following heavy winds or storms, check for not only branches affecting fences but also limbs down in fields that might look like a tasty snack or interesting chew toy for horses. Awareness is key to equine care in every instance, so be on the lookout for clinical signs of toxicity and call your veterinarian immediately if you suspect it. 

This article is from the Fall 2024 issue of The Horse: Your Guide to Equine Health Care. We at The Horse work to provide you with the latest and most reliable news and information on equine health, care, management, and welfare through our magazine and TheHorse.com. Your subscription helps The Horse continue to offer this vital resource to horse owners of all breeds, disciplines, and experience levels. To access current issues included in your subscription, please sign in to the Apple or Google apps OR click here for the desktop version.