Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
• Be aware that a pasture- or grain-fed horse that is brought suddenly into work can suffer
azoturia,
or tying up. This usually afflicts a horse that is vigorously exercised after a peri-
od of inactivity (several days or more), during which the feed was not decreased. When
the idle horse is forced to exercise, excess lactic acid accumulation in the muscles results
in tenseness and soreness, often preventing the horse from moving at all. To avoid such a
situation, decrease your horse's grain ration if he will not be exercised for 2 days or more.
When you resume work, be sure the horse is given a thorough warm-up and cool-down.
And when you start him back on his regular grain ration, do so gradually.
• When turning a horse out to pasture for the first time, do so when the pasture grasses
are mature. Each horse responds to pasture differently, but follow this plan as a
guide. First, let him fill up on grass hay before you turn him out. Limit his grazing
to 30 minutes per day for the first 2 days, then 1 hour per day for 2 days, then 2
hours per day for 2 days, then 2 hours twice per day for 2 days, then turn the horse
out for half a day for 2 days, then for the full day for 2 days, and then you can turn
the horse out on pasture full time. Keep a close watch on horses that are on pasture,
as they can quickly become overweight or suffer the devastating condition
laminitis
(founder) from too much rich or young green feed. If a horse has been off pasture
for a week or more, reintroduce him to the green feed gradually.
