Page 111 - Barrel Stallion Register 2023

VETERINARY VIEWS
Exercise and play time are essential for mental and physical health. Regular turn out time is good for intestinal motility, bone density, respiratory health, and joint integrity.
Manure pickup and composting can help deal with internal parasite control, especially in horses with limited space.
Horses left in stalls for extended periods may become bored and be inclined to eat the shavings they are bedded with, leading to digestive problems.
contain vitamin E on the guaranteed analysis label. If such commercial products are fed, there may be no need to supplement further. Good quality green forage that is stored for less than a year still retains some residual vitamin E activity and sufficient vitamin A that is useful to the horse. However, once harvested, cured, and stored for long periods of time, the levels of vitamin E in hay can decrease by as much as 90%.
Vitamin E supplementation (either directly or through commercial feed) is important
when horses have no pasture access and/or
are experiencing periods of growth, breeding, lactation, or heavy exercise. If there are concerns about vitamin deficiencies, consult with your veterinarian and/or an equine nutritionist.
Provide plenty of fresh, clean water and a salt block as these are always important to good horse health in all environments.
TURN OUT AND CONFINEMENT PARAMETERS
Sufficient time to exercise and play goes
a long way toward minimizing boredom and
bad behavior in confined horses. Even though green grass isn’t available for grazing, the ability to self-exercise is good for both mental and physical health. Movement in turnout is good for intestinal motility. Regular turnout time aids in joint integrity and prolonged synovial (joint lubrication) health. Bone density of the growing horse increases with turnout with proven benefits of systemic fitness and joint metabolism.
The bigger the size of a paddock, the better. A run connected to a stall is best if at least 24 feet in length – this provides sufficient room
to feed, water, and groom. A spacious paddock encourages a horse to spend more time out of the stall in fresh air that is more beneficial for a horse’s respiratory health.
PARASITE CONTROL
Immature stages of most equine internal parasites spend some of their life cycle developing on forage plants where they are normally ingested by grazing horses. Horses kept in stalls and dry lots experience less exposure to these infective stages and therefore are likely to require less frequent deworming. Deworming protocols can be determined based on regular fecal egg counts once or twice a year along with consultation with your veterinarian for your specific dry lot environment.
At least twice weekly, manure pickup and
a tailored deworming schedule cto kill internal parasite and insect larvae provides excellent internal parasite control. A composting program deals with manure and shavings waste and reduces insect proliferation.
URINE MANAGEMENT
Once a horse creates a latrine area, he
tends to continue to use it unless his location changes, his behavior alters, or if there is some other underlying medical factor. Pelleted bedding products alone or in combination with flaked shavings help to soak up urine.
When using shavings in stalls, bored horses might be inclined to eat the shavings, which can create digestive or impaction problems. The use of slow feeders and turnout minimize this tendency. Wood chewing of paddock boards is another vice of bored horses. Edging the wood with metal helps limit this activity, but keep in mind that worn metal can cause other problems or dangers – use non-wood alternatives for wood planks when possible, such as metal pipe, channel iron, PVC rails, or composite decking materials.
INSECT CONTROL
In any environment, insects are a nuisance to horses and people alike. The best approach to insect control is good sanitation. Minimize the presence of standing water and moist organic matter (soiled bedding, wet waste and feed) where insects like to breed. At least every three days remove and compost manure to break the life cycle of fly reproduction. Apply insecticide per manufacturer’s directions.
HERD HEALTH
Confinement of horses in a dry lot environment or along stall rows amplifies possibilities for infectious disease outbreaks simply due to the “close quarters” living arrangements within these facilities. With that in mind, routine vaccination schedules should be followed for all horses on the property. Implement and follow biosecurity strategies to prevent outbreaks of infectious disease.
Confinement of horses in a dry lot environment or along stall rows amplifies possibilities for infectious disease outbreaks simply due to the “close quarters” living arrangements within these facilities.
SPEEDHORSE 109