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Ask the Expert: Pollinator-Friendly Horse Pastures

Q: I have heard that pollinators like bees and butterflies are in danger of not having enough flowers. Are there flowering forages that I can include in my horse pastures that support both my horses and the pollinators?

A: Insect pollinators such as bumble bees and monarch butterflies have shown population decline in recent years. Pastures provide a great opportunity to support these insects while also producing forage for grazing animals like horses. When planning to incorporate flowering species into a pasture, it is important to consider three factors:

1) a little goes a long way, pastures do not need to be full of flowering plants and as little as 1 percent ground cover occupied by flowers can significantly help insect pollinators

2) depending on the pasture type and land characteristics, seeding flowering species can be throughout the pasture, or in strips such as along fences or even overgrazed areas

3) incorporating a mixture of species with different flowering seasons can provide more floral resources throughout the summer, which can support more pollinators.

There are many flowering forages already used in horse pastures, many of which are legumes. Clovers (e.g., white, red, crimson) are easy to establish and can provide flowers throughout the season, especially during rainy periods. Alfalfa will also flower throughout the summer but must be allowed to rest and grow to maturity. Therefore, alfalfa may be best for rotated pastures. Birdsfoot trefoil is another common pasture species that can produce a persistent forage source with flowers once established. When incorporating birdsfoot trefoil in horse pastures, select a variety that does not produce prussic acid. Aside from supporting pollinators, legumes (e.g. alfalfa, clover) also improve pasture yield, seasonal distribution, and adaptability to weather conditions.

When selecting flowering species, it is important to note that not all types are safe for horses. Although species such as thistles, milkweed, buttercup, and black locust trees all provide excellent floral resources for insect pollinators, all (and more) are toxic or physically harmful to horses. Research has not yet been conducted to determine if native wildflowers (e.g., goldenrods, purple coneflower, black-eyed susan) are toxic or palatable to horses and should be avoided when seeding directly into pastures at this time.

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Saratoga WarHorse Foundation: Thoroughbreds Helping Veterans To Leave Trauma Behind

There's a special charge that Steve Houghton in his position as program advisor for the Saratoga WarHorse Foundation experiences most every time he meets a fellow veteran enrolled in the organization's intensive three-day connection process.

It's not when Houghton goes to the airport to picks up the veteran or service member, many of whom are living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and struggling to transition back to civilian life. Nor it is in the midst of the sessions in which veterans work with off-track thoroughbreds (OTTBs).

What resonates with Houghton is when he delivers the veteran back to the airport for their flight home and he can sense what he calls the beginning of their “transformation.” That's when he can see the veterans starting to reestablish the trust that comes from working with horses – the kind this innovative rehabilitation organization has pioneered to help vets reclaim their lives.

One reason that Houghton can see the progress is because he's a Saratoga WarHorse graduate himself. The retired U.S. Army Sergeant First Class served 20 years, 11 of which he was stationed in Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. Surviving nine attacks and losing an eye from explosive devices during his military service, he returned to civilian life and just wanted to withdraw.

Houghton said his lingering physical and psychological wounds at times, “seemed insurmountable.” For a time, he was homeless, living out of his truck in Georgia. And though he attended treatment and support groups, nothing seemed to work. Finally, a military buddy who Houghton met in group therapy suggested that he attend the Saratoga WarHorse program.

So in March 2017, he did. Entering the round pen with the retired racehorse Party Favor was, “my miracle,” Houghton said. “I felt totally relieved right away. I literally felt I didn't have anything to worry about. It was so powerful. I overcame my PTSD and was able to pull myself out of homelessness.”

Houghton is hardly alone. Since 2013, Saratoga WarHorse has worked with nearly 1,500 veterans who suffer from nightmares, depression, anger, withdrawal and other issues caused by trauma. Saratoga WarHorse operates at a Saratoga-area farm; and at satellite locations in Aiken, South Carolina and Baltimore County Maryland.

The Saratoga WarHorse program evolves over three days with an average of five participants. The program is available to veterans and service members from all branches of the military, regardless of when or for how long they served. There is no cost for veterans to participate; travel, lodging, meals and expenses are covered.

Saratoga WarHorse isn't traditional therapy. It's a therapeutic experience designed to help participants get past the physiological symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress. It begins with classroom instruction, followed by the veteran entering a pen to meet the OTTB. The goal is to connect, to touch and make contact. By utilizing the silent language of the horse, a mutual trust and profound bond is established that goes beyond verbal communication.

Allison Cherkosly, executive director and CEO of Saratoga WarHorse, who also served in Afghanistan, said that process, which can take between five and 45 minutes, creates a profound personal connection between the veteran and horse, “unlocking” a part of the veteran that has been closed off for years. Though the duration of the connection process varies, it is for the most part, predictable, sequential and repeatable, she added.

“When I first started with Saratoga WarHorse, I almost couldn't believe it,” Cherkosly said. “But the process triggers a relaxation response that happens when the horse is willing to connect with the veteran.”

Cherkosly stressed that the experience can be beneficial as well for the horses, all of whom are OTTBs. “Like the veterans we serve, these retired racehorses are going through a transition period,” she said, “and the Saratoga WarHorse program helps them successfully adjust to life off the track and find purpose in their new lives.”

“It's an authentic process,” Cherkosly said. “When they go in the round pen, the veteran is giving off nervous energy. The horses, prey animals, are intuitive and can smell the adrenaline rush. They'll stay as far away as they can. The veterans have to work their way through the reaction.”

That's what happened to Saratoga WarHorse graduate John.

“I had never handled a horse before,” he said. “It was a challenge that I was excited to take on. I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of trust and worth being trusted. My horse companion for the day, Done Done Done, was an athlete in his racing days. He and I were able to find common ground and mutual understanding. We both agreed that what we each needed during our time in the ring was each other.”

For Houghton, the benefits continue. After going through the Saratoga WarHorse program, he joined the organization to help other vets and continue to heal himself. Today, he and his girlfriend Abby, also a “WarHorse” graduate, live on a farm in Wagener, South Carolina with five OTTBs and a donkey. Houghton is also pursuing a bachelor's degree.

“Saratoga WarHorse is something that is so therapeutic,” Houghton said. “I want every veteran to experience it. It works.”

To learn more about Saratoga War Horse, click here.

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Equine Amniotic Membranes May Have Use In Human Surgery

Amniotic membranes in both horses and cattle may provide the strong scaffolding materials needed during human surgery, reports HorseTalk. The amnion is a membrane that contains trophoblasts, mesenchymal cells, and collagen; it makes up the innermost part of the placenta and is commonly called the birth sac or fetal membrane.

This strong, flexible membrane surrounds and supports the fetus during development. It also delivers nutrients and removes excretion.

Dr. Hannah Wells, of Massey University in New Zealand, assessed the strength and structure of the amnion by collecting the equine amniotic membrane once the mare had given birth. The tissue contained crimped collagen fibers that provided elasticity.

Study results showed that equine amnions were strong, thin, and elastic, with a higher tensile strength than human amniotic membrane.

The research team concludes that equine amniotic membranes may be able to be used in human surgery as an alternative to amniotic membranes from human donors.

Read the study here.

Straight Lines Vs. Circles: Training Patterns, Gaits Affect Hoof Pressure

Many horses are asked to work on a circular track during their training, whether under saddle or on the lunge line. Though it is commonly accepted that working on the same track repeatedly puts additional strain on tendons, ligaments and hooves, a study from Michigan State University has shown that the gait in which a horse is traveling also affects these structures.

Pressure-mapping sensors were placed in the front shoes of nine horses to measure how much force is applied and over what area the force is applied, reports EQUUS magazine. A computer then deciphers how much pressure is applied to the hooves.

The scientists led each horse in a straight line at the walk and trot, and worked them in a round pen on a 32- and 49-foot diameter circle. The sensors collected data for 10 steps three times, in each set of conditions. Horses were not asked to maintain a specific speed within each gait.

The researchers found that no matter the exercise type, the walk produced more hoof pressure than the trot or canter. They also discovered that a larger portion of each horse's outside front limb was loaded when they circled at the canter.

They concluded that gait impacted the hooves more than the exercise type (circles or straight lines). The team noted that the study did not determine torque or stress placed on joints higher up the leg, though it is reasonable to expect that forces placed on the hooves could impact the joints in the leg.

The researchers concluded that the study reinforces the need for moderation when it comes to training horses both in straight lines and in circles, ensuring that a horse is not working too long in the same pattern.