15/06/2023
Health Alert - short grass, high NSC levels and loose poo!
Our Nutritionist Jill Davies has been seeing a number of horses and ponies recently with loose poo, and the rainfall and season has meant that we've got a lot of very sweet, high NSC shoots out there in our paddocks at the moment. So what is going on? Jill explains more about what's going on, and how to manage those at-risk horses and ponies...
"It wasn’t until I moved to WA & kept horses here on pastures, I began to realise coming out of drought situation each year isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be. The rains are welcomed for making the lawn grow and topping up our rainwater tanks. But when it comes to the health of our horses, for me it is a time of worry, again 😉
Katy Watts the Guru of Grass states it’s a bad time of year (early autumn/winter) for those horse’s or ponies prone to laminitis & for their owners/careers to be a strict watch out for any sign a bout of laminitis.
Other issue is beware of sand colic if living in sand soil area as your horses & ponies are on the hunt for those tiny green shoots to nibble on close to the ground.
From research it is known after a period of just five days without rainfall, this can increase the NSC% in grasses.
Katy Watts states pasture grasses may have increased their total NSC% content by a whopping 250% during the drought period. If your pasture were on average for example approx. 17%-20%* NSC%.
Then after the first rains you will be looking at ~ 42.5% - 50% NSC%. There is no wonder why your horse or pony will attack the grass like I might attack a bag of salt & vinegar crisps 😉.
During the early stage of pasture regrowth, grasses use their new leaves for a rigorous period of photosynthesis which enables them to produce more sugars for further growth. They have been biding their time just sat waiting for moisture to arrive.
Over these first few days after the appearance of the new grass & w**ds growth you might also see your horse having loose manure or behaving like it’s a bit of “fruit loop” being stupid for no reason! The new pasture & w**d regrowth creates an amplified insulin concentration which after approx. two-three days in some horses & ponies can cause a bout of laminitis.
Normally our quiet, calm sensible steeds can become ‘spooky’, behave erratically, and become easily excited, show signs of muscle tenseness, soreness or twitching and in some cases may become aggressive and exhibit unusual behaviour.
For some horses it will be time to dust off the Hannibal Lecture Masks (aka the grazing muzzles) or even wise to seal up the base hole until the grass has got established. To somewhere around the 2-3 leaf per tiller regrowth stage before allowing the animals to graze on the grass. In other words, keep them off pasture until the grass is approx. 12-16cm in height. Even then it would be prudent for some horses & ponies to keep them totally away from having access to the new regrowth.
If you do turn out your horses an idea would be to feed them a high fibre hard feed prior to turn out or feed quality meadow hay out in the pasture so they are not as hungry for when they get their teeth onto some fresh tasty green tips of grass.
Place some hay in nets or hay pillows to try to get them to eat some hay instead of grazing on w**ds and small tasty green shoots. If possible, increase exercise to help with insulin removal."
Watts, Kathryn A.: (2010), Pasture Management to Minimize the Risk of Equine Laminitis. Veterinary Clinics Equine, 26, 361-369.
Watts, Kathryn A. (2004), Forage and Pasture Management for Laminitis Horses. Clinical Techniques in Equine Practices, 31(1), 88-95.
*My own southwest C3 Pasture samples 2021 South West WA.
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