The Horse:Your Guide To Equine Health Care provides monthly equine health care information to horse owners, breeders, veterinarians, barn/farm managers, trainer/riding instructors, and others involved in the hands-on care of the horse.
Issue link: https://thehorse.epubxp.com/i/714009
49 September 2016 THE HORSE TheHorse.com A I have not seen many horses die naturally, without euthanasia. I have seen some that were judged to be pretty close to death. What the horse might do when near death would, of course, depend on the cause of death— in other words, what the horse would physically be able to do. I have seen some start nibbling bedding or hay, even if they had not been interested in eating for some time. I have also seen some down horses go through periods during which they seem compelled to try to get up, but have difficulty rising. They seem more agitated about it at this stage than they had appeared in earlier stages of their deteriorating condition. It would be great to hear from read- ers that have had experiences with this. It would also be good to hear from folks with hospice experience with humans and animals to see if there are analogous behaviors and how we might interpret those behaviors. h ■ THE HORSE HEALTH This award-winning e-newsletter offers news on diseases, veterinary research, and health events, along with in-depth articles on common equine health condi- tions. Supported by Zoetis . ■ HORSE WELFARE AND INDUSTRY Get the latest news on equine welfare, industry happenings, and horse-related business news. ■ SPECIALTY WEEKLY E-NEWSLETTERS Nutrition Lameness Reader Favorites MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTERS Behavior Breeding Equinomics Older Horse Care Sports Medicine Bluegrass Equine Digest is published monthly in partnership with UK Ag Equine and the Gluck Equine Research Center and is supported by Zoetis . E - NEWSLETTERS Get Horse Health News Delivered To You! 1 F all is the ideal time to overseed cool-season pastures to thicken a stand and fi ll in bare areas. The following recommendations will improve the chances of a successful overseeding. Apply any needed lime and fertilizer amendments. An up-to-date soil test will indicate which nutrients are needed for both established and growing plants. For more informa- tion, contact your local county Extension agent or consult the University of Kentucky (UK) publication Soil Sampling and Nutrient Management in Horse Pastures at uky.edu/Ag/ Forage/agr200.pdf . Additionally, applying nitrogen in the fall can benefi t new seedings as well as most horse pastures. Spread two applica- tions of 30 to 40 pounds per acre of actual nitrogen 45 days apart to thicken stands and increase winter survival rates. Use high-quality seed of an improved variety . Use a seed variety that has proven to be a top performer under conditions in your area. The UK Forage Variety Testing Program looks at the seed- ling vigor, stand persistence, yield, and survival under horse grazing. Find this data in the Forage Variety Trials reports at uky.edu/Ag/Forage/ foragevarietytrials2.htm . High-quality seed has good germination rates and is free of contamination from weed seed. Remember, quality seed will produce a pasture that lasts for years; "cheap seed" will only lead to headaches. Purchase seed well in advance, as quality seed will be in high demand close to planting dates. Store seed in rodent-proof containers in a cool, dry area. If you plan to store seed for more than six months, keep it in a refrigerator to maintain viability. Plant enough seed at the right time. Seeding rates are determined by the grass mixture you choose to plant. See Table 1 (above right) for the recommended seeding rates for common forage plants. Also, be sure to seed as early as possible—anywhere from mid-August to mid-September is ideal for Kentucky and most northern states, while later in the year is better in the Deep South). Use the best seeding method available. No-till drill seeding is recommended for overseeding existing pastures. But with any method, place the seed ¼ to ½ of an inch into the soil and cover it to achieve good seed-to-soil contact. Drill seed in two directions across the fi eld to ensure better coverage. Control competition. Close mowing or grazing prior to overseeding in the late summer and fall will reduce weed and grass competition. Be sure to follow recommended waiting periods when applying herbicides. In addition to limiting grazing of an overseeded pasture, limit herbicide applications at critical times. It's typically recommended to seed at least six weeks after spraying and wait until the grass seedlings are at least 4 to 5 inches tall before spraying again. Always follow herbicide labels—some of the newer herbi- cides have even longer waiting periods. For more informa- tion, see Weed Management in Grass Pastures, Hayfi elds, and Other Farmstead Sites at c a.uky.edu/agc/pubs/agr/agr172/ agr172.pdf . Allow time for seedlings to establish. Returning horses to an overseeded pasture too soon can wipe out any seed- lings via grazing or trampling. Ideally, a pasture should have six months of rest after overseeding before heavy grazing resumes; however, seedlings can generally tolerate a few light grazing sessions. Harvesting the pasture once for hay after the grass has reached maturity and before returning B luegrass Equine DIGEST CA.UKY.EDU/EQUINE ❙ THEHORSE.COM ❙ JULY 2016 Tips for Overseeding Fall Horse Pastures In is Issue Estate Planning Tips for Horse Owners 02 The Grass Guide: Large Crabgrass 05 I'm Selling My Horse. What Should I Disclose? 06 UK Researcher Develops New Tall Fescue Variety 07 UKVDL Releases New Testing Fees 12 TABLE 1 COMMON SEEDING RATES AND OPTIMUM SEEDING DATES FOR HORSE PASTURES Species Rate lb/A (seeded alone) Rate lb/A (in mixtures) Optimum Seeding Dates* Novel or endophyte- free tall fescue 20 - 40 10 - 20 8/15 - 9/15 Orchardgrass 15 - 30 10 - 15 8/15 - 9/15 Kentucky bluegrass 15 - 30 10 - 15 8/15 - 9/15 Endophyte-free perennial ryegrass 20 - 40 5 - 10 8/15 - 9/15 *Seeding dates are for Kentucky and the transition zone. Using high-quality seed is essential for a successful overseeding. UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY Maintenance Behaviors Ingestion: Graze, graze recumbent, paw while foraging, browse, co- prophagy (eating manure), pica (eating nonfood items), drink Elimination: Urination, defecation Locomotion: Stand alert, walk, trot, canter, gallop, trek, jump, stam- pede, swim Rest: Rest standing, sleep standing, rest recumbent, yawn, stretch Grooming and Insect Control: Roll, shake, autogroom, mutual groom, swish tail/ swat insects, stamp Investigation: Sniff, mouth, lick, paw General Social Communication Behaviors Facial expressions, threat postures, submissive retreat, infantlike submissive posture, shying, vocalization, social facilitation, food or water guarding (not a natural behavior but, rather, the result of the way we feed domestic horses), interspecies interactions Play Behaviors Object play (nibble, sniff, lick, nuzzle, mouth, chew, pick up, shake, carry, toss, pull, paw), locomotor play (frolic, run, chase, buck, jump, leap, prance), play fighting (head/neck/chest nip and bite, neck grasp, neck wrestle, foreleg nip/bite/grasp, rump nip or bite, stamp, push, rear, hindquarter threat, kick, evasive balk, jump, or spin), play initiation gestures Play behavior Maintenance behavior (rolling)