Tips For Safe and Healthy Seasonal Feed Changes

Tips For Safe and Healthy Seasonal Feed Changes

Fall horse pasture is an economical source of equine nutrition, but the lush grass of cooler weather can cause founder and digestive upset. If your horse has trouble with early spring grasses, fall growth can also cause problems.

Your horse needs time to adjust to the changes brought on the new season. Pasture changes, supplemental hay and grain feedings and fallen leaves can play havoc with your horse's digestive tract.

1. When switching from pasture to a hay-based diet, do so gradually. Make changes in hay gradually, replacing from 10 to 25 percent of the old hay with the new variety; increase every three days.

2. If you choose to supplement with grain, introduce small amounts slowly, no more than 1 pound per feeding. Do not feed more than 4 pounds of grain at one time.

3. Be aware that cool or wet weather can change the nutritional balance of fall grasses.

4. When making any dietary changes, watch for signs of digestive upset. Be alert for gas, mild stomach distention, diarrhea or full blown colic.

5. As pasture quality and quantity decreases, your horse may begin to sample other plants. Plant poisonings increase in the fall, so watch carefully for signs of toxicity. Different plants cause different symptoms, so be familiar with common poisonous pasture plants.

6. Some plants become more toxic in the fall, including horse nettle, white snakeroot and perennial ryegrass fungus. Acorns consumed in large quantities can also cause problems.

7. Finally, don't dump large quantities of raked leaves into your horse pasture. Horses like freshly raked leaves, but the leaves are dense and can compact in the horse's digestive system and cause compaction colic. There's also the risk that the leaves may contain toxic species like Red Maple or Black Walnut.

Take advantage of the health benefits and cost savings of fall horse pasture, but be on the lookout for potential digestive upsets.