The Horse

SEP 2017

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.

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6 Transport is a huge stressor for horses, ranking right up there with weaning. Learn how to reduce your horse's stress at TheHorse.com/ 39486. Sponsored by Zylkene Equine Dr. Josie Traub-Dargatz shares lessons learned from equine disease outbreaks and tactics for avoiding infection spread. TheHorse.com/ UKLectures. TheHorse.com THE HORSE September 2017 Contrary to conventional wisdom, people who work with horses can't rely on the simple concepts of "dominance" and "leadership" to explain herd dynamics. TheHorse.com/39440. WHAT'S ONLINE Your Horse Feeding Questions Answered Slideshow: High-Tech Horse Science CURRENTLY on Send your nutrition questions to THEditorialStaff@TheHorse.com. ■ Avoiding Dehydration in Sport Horses TheHorse.com/39453 ■ Late-Cut Hay Questions TheHorse.com/39488 Sponsored by LMF Feeds Researchers are using technology to study equine locomotion, signs of stress, cognition, and more. TheHorse.com/39330. Commentary: When the Herd Moves, Who Leads and Who Follows? At A Glance: Low-Stress Horse Loading and Trailering UK Lectures: The Evolution of Equine Infection Control COURTESY EQUISENSE Surviving Natural Disasters With Your Horse Do you have a plan in place for your horses if wildfires, tornadoes, floods, or hurricanes strike in your area? Learn how to prepare for the worst-case natural disaster scenarios during our live event. Visit TheHorse.com/ AskTheHorseLive . Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017, at 8 p.m. EDT ISTOCK.COM ISTOCK.COM A At Glance S P O N S O R E D B Y MICHELLE ANDERSON pHOtOS ere's nothing natural about trailering horses. Going into a tight, closed space with no hope of a forward escape (in most designs). Moving—faster than a horse can run—while standing still. Negotiating stops, starts, curves, and turns on slippery hooves. And, especially, leaving everything that's familiar behind and heading out into the great unknown. By Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA / Reviewed by Camie Heleski, PhD and Trailering low-Stress Horse loading Transport is a huge stressor for horses, ranking right up there with weaning. Stress parameters can shoot sky-high: ➤ Heart rate ➤ Cortisol release ➤ respiratory rate But unlike weaning, Trailering is a stressor that repeats itself. That doesn't mean we shouldn't trailer our horses. We certainly can, and should, transport them as we enjoy and care for them. It is our responsibility, how- ever, to ensure that we're trailering them with their utmost health and welfare in mind. g ood training focuses on making horses feel safe when loading and once in the trailer. SoMe SuGGeStIoNS: ■ Choose a quiet, unrushed moment for training. Hurrying only causes trouble. ■ Do groundwork (step back/front/side) just behind the trailer, so the horse learns standing in the trailer means break time. ■ load a confident, familiar horse first. Horses might learn by watching other horses. ■ reward each step toward t he trailer by immediate pressure release and a reward, such as a treat, verbal praise, and/or scratching the withers. Keeping horses calm during trailer loading training sessions will help them retain the lessons and support future positive experiences. IStOC k.COM ■ 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 Soundness & Lameness Reader Favorites MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTERS Behavior Breeding Farm & Barn 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. UNIVE RSITY OF KENTUCKY ALEXANDRA BECKSTETT

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