Pasture management involves the strategic planning and implementation of practices to maintain and improve pastureland used for grazing horses. It encompasses various aspects such as soil health, forage selection, grazing patterns, and weed control. Effective pasture management aims to optimize forage availability and quality, support horse health, and sustain the ecological balance of the pasture environment. Key components include rotational grazing, soil testing, fertilization, and the management of stocking rates. This page aggregates peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, outcomes, and environmental impacts of pasture management practices in equine settings.
The Journal of parasitologyAugust 29, 2002
Volume 88, Issue 4 678-683 doi: 10.1645/0022-3395(2002)088[0678:OSOPEF]2.0.CO;2
Chapman MR, French DD, Taylor HW, Klei TR.The development of acquired resistance to cyathostome challenge after 1 season's exposure to a cyathostome-contaminated pasture was investigated using 17 parasite-naive ponies, which were 2-3 yr of age. These were divided into 3 groups: 1 to graze a cyathostome-contaminated pasture for 4 mo (exposed ponies), 1 to graze a "clean" pasture not previously grazed by parasitized animals (nonexposed ponies), and 1 group to remain in the barn under helminth-free conditions (parasite-free ponies). After pasture exposure all ponies were housed in stalls in the barn dewormed with ivermectin (200 microgra...
Bachmann I, Staﾬher M.Out of a representative sample of 1861 Swiss horse yards, 622 horse keepers (35.2%) with 2536 horses, ponies and donkeys sent back a questionnaire about general farm characteristics, their horse-specific training, horse stock, housing conditions, intraspecific social contacts, feeding, ability to move freely, use of the horses and management. 83.5% of horses were kept individually (thereof 18.3% tethered, 32.3% in a loose box indoors, 28.4% in a loose box outdoors, and 4.5% in a loose box with permanent access to a paddock or an individual pasture), and 16.5% lived in group housing systems. 36...
Larsen MM, Lendal S, Chriél M, Olsen SN, Bjørn H.A questionnaire survey regarding endoparasite control practices in Danish horse herds was carried out in 1995. The participating veterinarians and herd owners were sampled using convenience and purposive sampling. In the analysis of risk factors for development of a high endoparasitic burden (> 200 eggs per gram faeces) 903 horses were sampled and the analysis of the efficiency of a single anthelmintic treatment was based on 605 horses. The following factors had a significant effect on the endoparasitic burden: herd type, age of the horses, use of pasture rotation, anthelmintic treatment of ho...
van de Lest CH, Brama PA, Van Weeren PR.An overview is given of the direct and long-term effects of exercise on the biochemical characteristics of cartilage and subchondral bone, and on the metabolic activity of chondrocytes in the juvenile horse. In the experimental setup 43 foals were reared until weaning at 5 months of age under similar conditions, except for the type and amount of exercise. Fifteen foals remained at pasture (Pasture group and also control group), 14 foals were kept in box stalls (Box group), and 14 foals were kept in the same box stalls but were subjected daily to an increasing number of gallop sprints (Training...
Irby LR, Norland JE, Westfall JA, Sullivan MA.We developed a forage allocation model using a deterministic, linear optimization module in a commercially available spreadsheet package to help resource managers in Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP), North Dakota determine optimum numbers of four ungulate species, bison (Bison bison), elk (Cervus elaphus), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and feral horses, in the Park. TRNP staff actively managed bison, elk, and feral horse numbers within bounds suggested by our model from 1983 to 1996. During this period, we measured vegetation at 8 grassland and 12 wooded sites at 1-3 year intervals t...
Velázquez-Beltrán LG, Felipe-Pérez YE, Arriaga-Jordán CM.Campesino systems on hill slopes in Central Mexico rely on equids for multiple activities and have a problem in adequately feeding them. A participatory trial was conducted to evaluate the inclusion of common vetch in the traditional forage oat crop to improve its feeding value. An agronomic evaluation was undertaken by intersowing common vetch at 40 kg seed/ha with oats at 80-100 kg/ha in small plots, recording the yield and the chemical composition of the fresh forage in ten plots at harvest. The data were analysed as a completely random design, taking each farmer/plot as a treatment. A feed...
Pfister JA, Stegelmeier BL, Cheney CD, Ralphs MH, Gardner DR.Locoweed (Oxytropis sericea) is a serious poisoning problem for horses grazing on infested rangelands in the western United States. Our objectives were to determine 1) whether lithium chloride or apomorphine would condition aversions to palatable foods, and at what doses, and 2) whether horses could be averted to fresh locoweed in a pen and grazing situation. Apomorphine was not an acceptable aversive agent because at the dose required to condition an aversion (> or = 0.17 mg/kg BW), apomorphine induced unacceptable behavioral effects. Lithium chloride given via stomach tube at 190 mg/kg BW...
The Journal of parasitologyJanuary 10, 2002
Volume 87, Issue 6 1371-1378 doi: 10.1645/0022-3395(2001)087[1371:STOGPO]2.0.CO;2
Chapman MR, French DD, Klei TR.Parasite-naive pony foals were used as sentinels to monitor transmission of gastrointestinal parasites of equids in Louisiana during 4 seasons of the year. Two annual periods were studied, 1988-1989 and 1992-1993. Two or 3 foals each season were turned out to graze a contaminated pasture along with resident parasitized mares and their foals. After a grazing period of 8 wk, sentinel ponies were held in a parasite-free box stall for a period of 6 wk to allow parasites to develop, thus enhancing the evaluation of hypobiotic stages. Following this holding period, necropsies were performed for comp...
Cherdchutham W, Meershoek LS, van Weeren PR, Barneveld A.To determine the effects of exercise on biomechanical properties of the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) in foals. Methods: 43 Dutch Warmblood foals. Methods: From 1 week until 5 months of age, 14 foals were housed in stalls and not exercised, 14 foals were housed in stalls and exercised daily, and 15 foals were maintained at pasture. Eight foals in each group were euthanatized at 5 months, and remaining foals were housed together in a stall and paddock until euthanatized at 11 months. After euthanasia, SDFT were isolated and fit in a material testing system. Mean cross-sectional area ...
Hudson JM, Cohen ND, Gibbs PG, Thompson JA.To determine whether specific feeding practices were associated with development of colic in horses. Methods: Prospective matched case-control study. Methods: 364 horses examined by veterinarians in private practice in Texas because of colic (cases; n = 182) or any other reason (controls; 182). Methods: Participating veterinarians were sent forms at the beginning of the study to collect information on signalment, feeding management practices, farm management practices, and preventive medical treatments. Case and control horses were compared by use of conditional logistic regression to identify...
Mellor DJ, Love S, Walker R, Gettinby G, Reid SW.Details of the management, feeding, level of activity and routine health care of horses in Scotland and the five northernmost counties in England were recorded through a stratified random sample of horse owners who had responded to a previous survey. Sixty-eight per cent of the horses were kept where their owners resided, and 32 per cent were kept away from the owner's home. More than 99 per cent were turned out to grazing for at least part of the year and 81 per cent were stabled for at least part of the time, most commonly bedded on straw (50 per cent) or shavings (34 per cent). Hay was fed ...
Brommer H, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.Forty-three Dutch Warmblood foals were divided at random into 3 rearing groups immediately after birth: a box-rest group, a box-rest with exercise group, and a pasture group. All stabled foals (box-rest and exercise groups) were fed freshly cut grass harvested from the same pastures on which the pasture group foals were grazing. Blood samples were obtained monthly for CBC and biochemical analyses. At 1-3 months of age, the foals at pasture were active but the foals in the box-rest and exercise groups were listless. Mean hemoglobin concentrations, PCVs, blood iron concentrations, and saturation...
McCarthy HE, Proudman CJ, French NP.The geographical spread of grass sickness between 1909 and 1999, particularly in England and Wales, is described, and the experimental investigations to identify a causal agent are summarised. The epidemiological techniques used to investigate grass sickness vary from clinical observations, to more advanced methods such as case-control studies using logistic regression analyses. Several risk factors for grass sickness have been reported consistently (age, time of year and recent movement to new pasture or premises) and several others have been reported for which the findings remain inconsisten...
Staniar WB, Kronfeld DS, Wilson JA, Lawrence LA, Cooper WL, Harris PA.Growth and protein status were examined in Thoroughbred foals and yearlings offered pasture supplements with different crude protein contents and amino acid compositions. Both supplements contained 3.0 Mcal/kg DM, 10% corn oil, 1.4% calcium, and three sources of fiber. The control supplement contained 14% CP and 22% soybean meal, whereas the experimental supplement contained 9% CP and 3% soybean meal and was fortified with 0.6% lysine and 0.4% threonine. Mares and foals were fed twice daily (0700 and 1400) and kept on 12.14-hectare pastures (mixed grass and ladino clover) until weaning (6 mo)....
Holcombe SJ, Jackson C, Gerber V, Jefcoat A, Berney C, Eberhardt S, Robinson NE.We examined the effect of stabling on upper and lower airway inflammation in 14 yearling Arabian horses that had been at pasture since birth. Horses were divided into 2 groups of 7. One group was stabled for 3 months and the other remained at pasture. The groups were then switched over for another 3 months. The nasopharynx, guttural pouches and trachea were examined endoscopically and bronchoalveolar lavage performed every month. An upper airway inflammation score was devised based on the magnitude of pharyngeal lymphoid hyperplasia and guttural pouch inflammation. During stabling this score r...
Labruna MB, Kerber CE, Ferreira F, Faccini JL, De Waal DT, Gennari SM.From December 1998 to March 1999, 40 stud farms were studied in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. During visits to farms, horses reared under grazing conditions were examined for the presence of ticks. On each farm visit, horse pastures were closely inspected and a questionnaire was given to the farm supervisor with the purpose of gaining information about ecological and management variables (independent variables) that could be associated with the presence and infestation levels of ticks on the farm (dependent variables). Three tick species were found during the study. Anocentor nitens, Amblyo...
Harris PA.Equine feeding and stable management practices for horses kept in the UK vary greatly and it is probable that almost any permutation of regimen could be found somewhere. Unfortunately, there is uncertainty about the number of horses in the UK and very limited data are available on the ways horses are being fed and managed. This paper reviews some of the information that is available and provides an outline of some of the factors influencing the practices used. To a certain extent, the way UK horses are fed and managed primarily reflects the purpose for which they are kept (e.g. racing Thorough...
van Dyk E, Neser S.The possible spread by horse faeces of plants that may become weeds in sensitive areas was investigated. It was found that the period 24-48 hours after ingestion of seeds included in rations was the retention time for seeds passing through the digestive system of the horse. The ability of seeds to germinate was not influenced by exposure to digestive fluids or sea-water. A feeding regime of compound feeds is suggested.
Hoffman RM, Wilson JA, Kronfeld DS, Cooper WL, Lawrence LA, Sklan D, Harris PA.Carbohydrates may be hydrolyzed or fermented in the digestive tract, and this distinction is important for the evaluation of the diet of herbivores. Both hydrolyzable and fermentable carbohydrates are included in the nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) fraction as estimated by difference using proximate analysis. Our objectives were to measure hydrolyzable carbohydrates in forages and concentrates, to compare these values with nonstructural carbohydrate, to test for prediction of hydrolyzable carbohydrate concentration in forages from its near-infrared spectrum, and to examine seasonal variation ...
Rossano MG, Kaneene JB, Marteniuk JV, Banks BD, Schott HC, Mansfield LS.A cross-sectional study of serum antibodies to Sarcocystis neurona (the etiologic agent of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis, EPM) was performed on Michigan equids. Our objectives were to determine the seroprevalence of antibodies to S. neurona in Michigan equids and to identify specific risk factors for seropositivity. A random, weighted sample of Michigan horse farms (stratified by the state's opossum (Didelphis virginiana) population and the number of equids on each operation) was selected. Ninety-eight equine-operation owners agreed to participate, and blood collection occurred from late ...
McGorum BC, Fry SC, Wallace G, Coenen K, Robb J, Williamson G, Aruoma OI.To investigate the etiology of equine dysautonomia (ED), a degenerative polyneuropathy affecting grazing horses, the biochemical composition and antioxidant/prooxidant activities of aqueous extracts of plants collected from ED pastures were determined. Plants collected immediately after an outbreak of ED had reduced antioxidant and weak prooxidant activities when compared with control plants (plants collected from ED pastures out of ED season and control plants from ED pastures that were grown under favorable conditions). ED plants also had significantly increased concentrations of fructose an...
Larsen M.Resistance against anthelmintics is widespread, particularly in parasitic nematode populations of small ruminants. Several new techniques or supplements have been developed or are under investigation. Biological control (BC) is one of these new methods. The net-trapping predacious fungus Duddingtonia flagrans produces thick walled resting spores, chlamydospores, which are able to survive passage through the gastrointestinal tract of cattle, horses, sheep and pigs. Under Danish climatic conditions it has been shown that the number of parasite larvae on pasture and the worm burden of the grazing...
de Lanux-Van Gorder V.Bizarre behavior, apparent lameness, and colic were noticed in 1 of 3 horses on a pasture overgrown by weeds during a drought. Liver failure and hepatoencephalopathy were diagnosed, caused by pyrrolizidine alkaloid toxicosis associated with consumption of tansy ragwort. The horse made a full recovery when removed from the pasture.
Baudena MA, Chapman MR, Larsen M, Klei TR.The effectiveness of Duddingtonia flagrans in reducing the free living third stage larvae (L(3)) of equine cyathostomes on pasture when fed to horses has been demonstrated in cold temperate climates. The objective of this experiment was to assess the efficacy of D. flagrans against equine cyathostomes in the subtropical environment of southern Louisiana. Fecal pats were prepared by mixing feces obtained from a parasite-free horse fed D. flagrans at a dose of approximately 2 x 10(6) spores kg(-1), with feces containing cyathostome eggs from a parasitized horse. Control pats contained feces from...
Blanchard TL, Taylor TS, Love CL.Breeding records from a herd of mammoth asses (Equus asinus americanus) maintained on pasture in southeast Texas from 1990 to 1998 were reviewed. Jennies were pasture or hand mated, and estrus was either observed while the jennies were on pasture or when exposed to a jack after being penned. Eighty-one estrus periods and 43 diestrus intervals were recorded in 33 jennies over 4 seasons of the year (January-March, April-June, July-September, and October-December). Estrous cycle length and the duration of estrus were similar among seasons. Over all seasons, estrous cycle length was 23.3 +/- 2.6 d...
Baudena MA, Chapman MR, French DD, Klei TR.Cyathostome development and survival on pasture in subtropical climates of the US have yet to be completely defined and available data on seasonal transmission are minimal. In an attempt to study this phenomenon, a group of pony mares and their foals was maintained on a naturally contaminated pasture in southern Louisiana. Fecal egg counts (FEC) and numbers of infective third stage larvae (L3) kg(-1) dry herbage were recorded biweekly during two time periods, from January 1986 through December 1988, and September 1996 through October 1997. A FEC rise occurred during the late summer-early autum...
Cohen ND, Carey VJ, Donahue JG, Seahorn JL, Donahoe JK, Williams DM, Harrison LR.To identify factors associated with abortions of mares during late gestation attributed to mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS). Methods: Case-control study. Methods: 282 broodmares from 62 farms in central Kentucky, including 137 mares that had late-term abortions (LTAs) associated with MRLS, 98 mares from the same farms that did not abort, and 48 mares that aborted from causes other than MRLS. Methods: Farm managers were interviewed to obtain data on a wide range of management practices and environmental exposures for the mares. Data for case and control horses were compared to identify ri...
Arighi M, Miller CR, Pennock PW.Scapulohumeral arthrodesis was performed successfully as treatment for severe degenerative arthritis in a 62-kg miniature horse. Using an approach similar to that used for a dog, this horse's scapulohumeral joint was opened, the cartilage was removed, and the site was stabilized, using an 11-hole narrow dynamic compression plate. Fusion was uncomplicated. The stallion became a successful pasture-breeding animal.
Grace ND, Gee EK, Firth EC, Shaw HL.To measure the nutritive value of pasture in terms of digestible energy intake (DEI) and dry matter (DM) digestibility, and to determine the effect of Ca, P, Cu, Zn, and Se supplementation on growth rate and degree of physeal swelling in Thoroughbred yearlings grazed on pasture. Methods: Fourteen yearling horses were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 groups and rotationally grazed on a ryegrass/white clover pasture for 7 months. One group was supplemented daily with a mineral mix. Liveweight changes were recorded at fortnightly intervals and pasture mineral composition determined at monthly interva...
Fenu G, Melis A, Pinna MS, Loi MC, Calderisi G, Cogoni D. (SWEs), despite their pivotal ecological role due to their participation in hydrogeological processes and their richness in biodiversity, seem to be often overlooked by the scientific community. In this study, the vascular plant diversity in some representative SWEs, that host a peculiar assemblage of plant and animal species, was investigated in relation to the disturbance effects of a wild horse population. A total of 50 plots, equally distributed in small and large SWEs, were surveyed and a level of disturbance was attributed to each plot. We found greater species richness in small and und...
Knubben-Schweizer G, Pfister K.Anthelmintic resistance of gastrointestinal nematodes in small ruminants, but also in cattle and horses, is now found worldwide. The reason for increasing anthelmintic resistance is, in particular, the extensive use of all the anthelmintic agents available on the market. A non-targeted use leads to the selection of naturally occurring resistance genes within parasite populations. The most practical method for evaluating the efficacy of an anthelmintic is the fecal egg-count reduction test. To reduce the rate of anthelmintic resistance development, the available active substances must be applie...
Holland JL, Kronfeld DS, Sklan D, Harris PA.Marker methods are needed for estimating fecal output by grazing animals in studies of nutrition and environmental impact. In addition, estimates of prefecal mass and turnover time are relevant to exercise performance and certain digestive disorders. As a first step in developing marker methods for field use, a chromic oxide model of fecal kinetics was developed and tested in the context of a digestion balance experiment with stall-fed horses. The model consists of removal of feces at a constant rate from a single compartment, the prefecal mass. Four horses were fed hay, and another four were ...
Huxtable CR, Chapman HM, Main DC, Vass D, Pearse BH, Hilbert BJ.A severe paretic syndrome accompanied by intense neuronal lipofuscinosis is described in sheep and horses exposed to Trachyandra divaricata. This is a newly recognised toxic hazard for grazing livestock in the coastal region of the south west of Western Australia. Animals appear to become affected over a period of weeks when summer conditions induce a scarcity of alternative feed. The disease is discussed in relation to its recent documentation in South Africa where the plant is indigenous.
Ordakowski-Burk AL, Quinn RW, Shellem TA, Vough LR.Thousands of hectares of timothy (Phleum pretense L.) grown in the Mid-Atlantic region are infected by cereal rust mite (Abacarus hysterix) that causes discoloration and curling of leaves, decreased nutritional quality, and substantial decreases in yield. A decline in production of timothy hay can lower income for hay producers and cause horse owners to search for alternative hays. Low alkaloid reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) hay has potential as an alternative to timothy hay because it grows well in the Mid-Atlantic region, is believed to have a similar nutrient quality to timothy,...
Holmquist JG, Schmidt-Gengenbach J, Haultain SA.Grazing management necessarily emphasizes the most spatially extensive vegetation assemblages, but landscapes are mosaics, often with more mesic vegetation types embedded within a matrix of drier vegetation. Our primary objective was to contrast effects of equine grazing on both subalpine vegetation structure and associated arthropods in a drier reed grass (Calamagrostis muiriana) dominated habitat versus a wetter, more productive sedge habitat (Carex utriculata). A second objective was to compare reed grass and sedge as habitats for fauna, irrespective of grazing. All work was done in Sequoia...
Dwyer RM, Garber LP, Traub-Dargatz JL, Meade BJ, Powell D, Pavlick MP, Kane AJ.To identify factors associated with excessive proportions of early fetal losses associated with mare reproductive loss syndrome in central Kentucky during 2001. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: Questionnaires were used to collect information on farm-, pasture-, and individual animal-level factors purportedly associated with mare reproductive loss syndrome. Data were collected for 133 farms (97 with excessive proportions of early feta losses and 36 control farms) representing 6,576 mares. Results: Factors significantly associated with an increased risk of excessive early fetal losses were ...
Uhlinger C, Johnstone C.A survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of benzimidazole (BZ)-resistant small strongyles in horses in a southeastern Pennsylvania practice. Resistant parasites were found in 291 of 342 horses surveyed. Anthelmintic practices and pasture management factors in use for 3 to 6 years did not correlate with the presence of resistant small strongyles. Benzimidazole-resistant small strongyles were recovered in horses that had been treated alternately with BZ and non-BZ products and in horses receiving BZ products as infrequently as twice a year. However, inasmuch as the horses may have been...
Wilson SJ, Taylor J, Gibson J, McKenzie R.A dense population of Pimelea trichostachya plants (Family Thymelaeaceae) in pasture poisoned a horse herd in southern inland Queensland in October-November 2005. Plant density was 2 to 45 g wet weight/m(2) (mean 16 g/m(2)) from 5 to 69 plants/m(2) (mean 38 plants/m(2)) representing 3 to 20% (mean 9%) of the volume of pasture on offer. Ten of 35 mares, fillies and geldings were affected. Clinical signs were loss of body weight, profound lethargy, serous nasal discharge, severe watery diarrhoea and subcutaneous oedema of the intermandibular space, chest and ventral midline. Pathological finding...
Kramer KJ, Kagan IA, Lawrence LM, Smith SR.Ethanol-soluble carbohydrates (ESCs) of cool-season grasses include mono- and disaccharides and sometimes short-chain fructans, which may exacerbate the risk of pasture-associated laminitis. A calibration for prediction of ESC concentrations by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) was developed from 323 samples of four cool-season grass species (orchardgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, and perennial ryegrass) across 10 cultivars collected in central Kentucky in the morning and afternoon over two growing seasons. The calibration, which had accuracy above 95%, was used to predict ...
Rebecca PH, Linda P.Although the number of small-scale farms is increasing in North America and Europe, few studies have been conducted to better understand environmental management in this sector. We investigate this issue by examining environmental management on horse farms from both the perspective of the "expert" extension educator and horse farm operator. We conducted a Delphi survey and follow-up interviews with extension educators in Indiana and Kentucky. We also conducted interviews and farm assessments with 15 horse farm operators in the two states. Our results suggest a disconnection between the percept...
Odriozola ER, Rodríguez AM, Micheloud JF, Cantón GJ, Caffarena RD, Gimeno EJ, Bodega JJ, Gardey P, Iseas FB, Giannitti F.Solanum glaucophyllum, a toxic plant known for its calcinogenic effects, causes enzootic calcinosis in ruminant and monogastric animals. We describe an outbreak of enzootic calcinosis that occurred in a herd of 110 horses grazing pastureland heavily contaminated with S. glaucophyllum in Buenos Aires province, Argentina. Ten horses developed clinical signs, and 6 horses died. Clinical signs included abnormal gait (stiff-legged action, short strides), stiffness, thoracolumbar kyphosis, reluctance to move, wide stance, chronic weight loss, weakness, recumbency, and difficulty standing. Autopsy of...
Ripatti T, Koskela P, Kotimaa M, Koskinen E, Mäenpää PH.Over periods of 22 and 14 months, IgG antibody concentrations in serum samples obtained monthly from 14 mares and 19 foals, respectively, were measured by use of ELISA against antigens of the following environmental microbes: Aspergillus umbrosus, Penicillium brevicompactum, Rhodotorula glutinis, Absidia corymbifera, Aspergillus fumigatus, Humicola grisea, Micropolyspora faeni, and Thermoactinomyces vulgaris. The mares and foals were on pasture from early June until early October, then were stabled during the winter season until the following June. In the mares, increased antibody concentratio...
Cox AH, Amador JA.Historically, much of the New England landscape was converted to pasture for grazing animals and harvesting hay. Both consumer demand for local sustainably produced food, and the number of small farms is increasing in RI, highlighting the importance of characterizing the effects livestock have on the quality of pasture soils. To assess how livestock affect pasture on Charlton and Canton soils series in RI, we examined soil quality in farms raising beef cattle (Bos taurus), sheep (Ovis aries), and horses (Equus ferus caballus), using hayed pastures as a control. We sampled three pastures per li...
Longland AC, Barfoot C, Harris PA.Obesity can negatively impact upon equine welfare and bodyweight (BW) of pastured equines is often difficult to manage. Objective: To compare the effects of three restricted grazing regimens on changes in pony BW and morphometric measurements. Methods: Randomised study. Methods: Twelve mature ponies were individually grazed in 10m wide, rectangular, electric fenced paddocks. The dry matter (DM) herbage yield of each paddock was determined, and paddock length adjusted on Day 1 to provide 1.5% of individual pony BW as herbage DM daily, for 28 days. There were four ponies per treatment. Treatmen...
Warm-season grasses (WSG) incorporated into traditional cool-season rotational grazing systems to increase summer yields are typically established in monoculture in separate pasture areas. Few studies have evaluated alternative interseeded establishment of WSG, despite potential benefits for improving biodiversity and land-use efficiency. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of establishment method (monoculture vs. interseeded) on crabgrass pasture forage yield, nutritive value, and preference under equine grazing. Three adult standardbred mares grazed two main plots on two ...
Nater S, Wanner M, Wichert B.For horses no special tables related to nutrients for Swiss roughage exist. For this reason samples of hay, straw, silage/haylage and green forage were taken from 46 horse keeping farms in 22 cantons. The samples were judged by sense and following the nutrient--and macromineral--content as well as the content of fructans were analysed. Regarding its quality no sample was totally inadequate for horses. The mean contents of crude protein in Swiss hay for horses were clearly lower than in hay for ruminants and in German hay for horses. The mineral contents (calcium, magnesium, phosphorus) showed ...
DeBoer ML, Martinson KL, Kuhle KJ, Sheaffer CC, Hathaway MR.The impact of forage species on plasma amino acid (AA) concentrations of grazing horses (Equus caballus L.) is unknown. The objectives of this study were to determine the impact of different forage species on plasma AA concentrations and protein synthesis. Research was conducted in July in St. Paul, MN, USA. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), mixed perennial cool-season grasses (CSGs), and teff (Eragrostis tef [Zucc.] Trotter) pastures were grazed by six horses randomly assigned to one of three forage types in a replicated Latin-square design. Horses had access to pasture each day. Jugular venous b...
English AW.The seasonal changes in longevity on herbage of the infective larvae of strongylid nematodes of the horse were studied. During the summer months, 1% of the larvae survived on herbage for 2-3 weeks, with 0.2% still viable for a further 2-3 weeks. Equivalent survival periods in winter were 7-11 weeks and over 11 weeks respectively. During spring and autumn, larvae survived for periods varying from 3-8 weeks. On Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) growing vigorously in the summer of 1976, the majority of larvae remained in the lowest layers of the pasture, within 10 cm of the soil surface. Very few rea...
Di Filippo PA, Dias Meireles MA, Ribeiro LMF, de Lannes ST, Meireles NFT, Viana IS, Hokamura HK.In this study, the effect of early exercise, age, body weight (BW), and growth on the articular cartilage and subchondral bones of the tarsocrural joints was evaluated in 40 young Mangalarga Marchador horses allowed free choice exercise in pasture. Twenty of the horses had additional controlled exercise 3 days per week from a mean age of 30 ± 20 days until 36 months. The training program consisted of an increasing number of 15-minute gallop sprints in an oval paddock with a concrete floor covered by a thick layer of sand. BW, withers height (WH), and neck circumference were measured and bo...
McGorum BC, Anderson RA.To test the hypothesis that equine grass sickness may be associated with the ingestion of cyanogenic glycosides from white clover (Trifolium repens), the concentrations of whole blood cyanide, and plasma and urinary thiocyanate, the main metabolite of cyanide, were measured in 12 horses with acute grass sickness and 10 horses with subacute grass sickness, and in 43 control horses, of which 21 were co-grazing with cases of acute grass sickness, 12 grazed pastures where grass sickness had not been reported, and 10 were stabled horses. The healthy horses which grazed with cases of acute grass sic...
Yan J, Sun D, Jiang Z, Zhou L, Gao X.Infundibular caries (IC) affects donkeys of all ages and causes pain, difficulty in mastication and weight loss. The study aimed to determine the epidemiology of IC in donkeys and examine the potential risk factors associated with the disease development. A total of 2118 donkeys in Inner Mongolia were sampled. The first section of the survey was performed by veterinarians and included the oral health of the donkeys. A survey on the donkey's signalment, diet, and husbandry was also conducted. The risk factors associated with IC were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Uni...
Pearce SG, Firth EC, Grace ND, Fennessy PF.The effect of copper status on the evidence of bone and cartilage lesions was investigated in 21 Thoroughbred foals. The foals and their dams were grazed on pasture containing 4.4-8.6 mg Cu/kg dry matter (DM). Four treatment groups were created by randomly allocating mares and their foals to either copper supplemented (0.5 mg Cu/kg liveweight (LW)/day), or control (pasture only) groups. This experimental design allowed the effect of copper supplementation of mare and foal to be examined independently. Parameters of bone and cartilage development were assessed in the foals both in vivo, and at ...
Houpt KA.In summary, horses spend 60% or more of their time eating when grazing or when feed is available free choice. Grasses are their preferred food, but they supplement the grass with herbs and woody plants. Sweetened mixtures of oats and corn are the most preferred concentrate. Horses can increase or decrease the time spent eating and amount eaten to maintain caloric intake. Their intake is stimulated by drugs such as diazepam and by the presence of other horses. Horses stop eating when gastric osmolality increases; increases in plasma osmolality, protein, and glucose accompany digestion. Foals ea...
Boosinger TR, Brendemuehl JP, Bransby DL, Wright JC, Kemppainen RJ, Kee DD.Newborn foals of mares grazing on Acremonium coenophialum-infected fescue pasture throughout gestation or from gestation day 300 to parturition had increased gestation duration and decreased serum triiodothyronine concentration. Pregnant mares were allotted to 4 treatments: grazing continuously on endophyte-free (E-) fescue, grazing continuously on endophyte-infected (E+) fescue, grazing on E+ fescue from gestation day 300 to parturition, and grazing on E+ fescue from conception to gestation day 300. Morphometric studies indicated that foals born to mares exposed to endophyte late in gestation...
