Spring Grass!!

By Jenny Patterson B.Sc 

Not only do horses go 'doolally' when spring hits but the incidences of laminitis, mysterious bouts of 'colic', head-flicking, allergies and respiratory problems rise significantly at the same time. Many mares become shockingly 'hormonal', geldings can become aggressive, people report mysterious personality changes, muscle soreness, sweating easily, not to mention 'losing the plot' when they get to the competition. On one recent Canterbury trail ride, five riders got bucked off!

The  reading on the 'Fun-ometer' hits rock bottom when horses do scary things, people quickly lose confidence and there are even some people who don't  bother riding their horses until spring has well and truly come and gone.

This is a real shame as spring is when we get all motivated again, it's when we want to go to the shows, go out on the Trail with our friends or when we want to put our mares in foal. Yet spring, followed closely by Autumn can be a nightmare time for many horse owners.

Exactly what is it about the spring grass that causes such changes in our beautiful horses? Is it that the spring grass gets high in sugar? High in protein? Becomes riddled with mycotoxins?

At 'Provide It' we've been gathering forage tests to get right to the bottom of it. And a consistent pattern has emerged that confirms the recommendation of changing your pasture management so that your horse has zero access to grass in growth mode! Note the emphasis on the word zero, Jenny Craig paddocks mean the horse is grazing very short grass which is the worst and strip grazing doesn't work because the horse quickly gorges on the new break then spends the rest of the day eating the regrowth behind.

If there is a bit of a dry spell, then it rains, the new growth is potentially LETHAL to your horse.

A horse from South Canterbury had repeated bouts of 'colic' or abdominal pain. The grass was not even considered as a possible cause, therefore it was left on the grass and more bouts soon followed. A forage test revealed crucial mineral ratios that were excessively wide, crude protein levels thru the roof and a Dietary Cation Anion Difference that was hundreds of times higher than what it should have been. The gist of all this is that the grass was very dangerous and the horse could have died. The horse was removed from the pasture and has not had any more bouts.

The offending grass this horse had been consuming was short and much more dangerous than if it was in a more mature stage of growth.

The safest pasture management system is to provide a good 'dry lot'. Maybe this takes the form of a track along under the trees or around the perimeter of the paddock. Maybe it is your round-pen or other large yard. Basically during 'dodgy grass' times your horse lives in here with access to plenty of hay. This means you can allow the grass in his paddock to get more mature, even make your own hay. Then you can let him have a feed on it for half an hour morning and night or whatever fits your schedule.

A small feed every day with their goodies: salt and premium vitamins & minerals including selenium, keeps them in tip top condition.

"Changes in the Grass Make Changes in the Horse" - this is such an important subject, I don't believe you can get the best out of your horse or enjoy him to the utmost unless you understand exactly how grass affects their health & behaviour. When the penny drops it is like somebody gave you a new set of glasses, you will see 'grass-affected' horses everywhere, certainly at every show or event. You won't believe until you actually do it just how many problems evaporate when you eliminate vegetative grass from their diet!

Add your Comment

Name*

Email

Message*

Enter the letters above

Get a different image