toxic | Horse Racing Free Tips

Is There Such A Thing As Toxic Fencing For Horses?

News — Thu, 09 Sep 2021 12:15:37 +0000

Educated horse owners are aware of the toxicity of red maple leaves, but are fence posts and boards made from maple trees safe to use around horses? Dr. Anthony Knight tells EQUUS magazine that there is very little toxin in the trunk of maple trees, so lumber made from maples poses very little risk – even if the horse chews or cribs on the wood.

Wilted leaves of the red maple contain a tannin called gallic acid that damages horse's hemoglobin, the part of the red blood cells that carry oxygen. A horse that ingests three pounds or more of wilted or dried red maple leaves could have organ and tissue failure because of the lack of oxygen in his blood.

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Gallic acid has also been found in silver maples and sugar maples. All three maple species are found in the United States and are commonly used in landscaping. There are myriad hybrids and cultivars from these trees, as well. The leaves from all of them should be kept away from horses, Knight says.

The majority of the toxin is found in the tree's leaves when they become wilted, but there is some toxin in both the bark and branches of the trees. Horses do not typically ingest enough of these to cause damage to their organs.

Horse Ingests Chicken Feed, Survives With Quick Intervention

News — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 20:11:31 +0000

Chickasaw Squaw, a 5-year-old Quarter Horse mare whose stable name is Chic, visited the Virginia Tech Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in July for an emergency appointment.

Owned by junior rider Eston and his dad, Todd Alexander, Chic and her stablemates raided the Alexanders' grain storage and consumed not only horse feed, but also chicken feed, which is toxic to horses and can prove fatal.

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The following morning, Chic was visibly uncomfortable. Her primary care veterinarian, Dr. Justin Sobota of South Mountain Equine, was called to the farm, and he worked on Chic to relieve her discomfort. After a nasogastric tube was passed and water, electrolytes, and anti-inflammatory medication were administered, there was no visible improvement to Chic's comfort level, so she was referred to the Equine Medical Center for further diagnostics, treatment and care.

Upon arrival, Chic was dull and clearly uncomfortable. Thorough examination by the center's medicine team, led by resident Dr. Stephanie Hernandez, and on-site diagnostic testing confirmed that Chic was suffering from systemic inflammation and endotoxemia, secondary to grain overload.

Chic's temperature of 102.5 degrees landed her in the center's biosafety level 2 isolation building, which offers overnight supportive care in a temperature-controlled environment conducive to the recovery of critically ill horses. Aggressive medical management was started: intravenous fluids, anti-endotoxin therapy, electrolyte supplementation, vitamin supplementation, anti-inflammatories, ice boots to prevent laminitis and a stomach lavage.

By the following morning, Chic's temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate had normalized, and she was comfortable with no signs of colic or laminitis. Although she had not passed any manure overnight, she was much brighter and had a great appetite.

Chic was started on a gradual refeeding plan with small amounts of hay and she continued to maintain a great appetite.

After three days, the intravenous fluid therapy was discontinued and Chic was gradually weaned off anti-inflammatories. The following day, much to Eston's delight, the mare was able to go home for continued rest and recuperation under his care.

“We are so happy and impressed with the care that Chic received. Dr. Hernandez was so good about keeping us informed and up to date on Chic's progress,” Todd said. “It was obvious that Dr. Hernandez was truly concerned not only about her patient, but also our son Eston and how he was feeling. We can't thank Dr. Hernandez and her staff enough.”

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Bute: More Isn’t Better, It Can Be Dangerous

News — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 22:44:51 +0000

Phenylbutazone (“bute”) should have a place in every horse owner's first-aid arsenal to fight pain. However, if a traditional dose is given and the horse finds no relief, research says owners should reach for a different medication, not just administer additional doses of bute.

To test this theory, Dr. Ronald Erkert of Oklahoma State University conducted a recent study using three different pain treatment protocols on nine horses that were chronically lame in a front leg; each protocol lasted for four days. One group had injectable bute administered at two grams per 1,000 pounds. The second group had four grams per 1,000 pounds of bute injected. The third group received a saline injection to serve as a control. Before each injection and at six, 12 and 24 hours after the final dose, the horses were given a lameness exam and trotted on a force plate.

Erkert found no difference in lameness scores whether the horse was given two grams of bute or four grams of bute per 1,000 pounds. Erkert said that though his study was on injectable bute, administering additional grams of oral bute also has no significant benefit. Four grams of bute per 1,000 pounds approaches near-toxic levels. Bute toxicity can show up as diarrhea, gastric ulcers, colic, kidney failure and endotoxic shock.

Erkert recommends owners who give a horse bute and see no significant change in the horse's comfort level consult with their veterinarian to find a different pain control drug rather than administering more bute.

Study: Does Living Near An Industrial Area Place Horses At Risk?

News — Sat, 17 Oct 2020 22:09:29 +0000

Though minerals and trace elements are necessary for horses to survive, the ingestion of too many can be toxic. Researchers from The University of Messina in Italy created a study to learn about the bioaccumulation of vanadium, chromium, cobalt, copper, zinc, cadmium, lead and bismuth in horses that live in an industrial area of Sicily.

Drs. Francesco Fazio, Enrico Gugliandolo, Vincenzo Nava, Giuseppe Piccione, Claudia Giannetto and Patrizia Licata took blood and hair samples from 20 horses to determine the distribution and concentration of mineral elements. They also analyzed hay, water and feed.

The scientists found that minerals were not distributed evenly in the horses; vanadium, copper, zinc and cadmium concentrations were higher in serum than in whole blood and higher in tail har than mane hair. Copper content was affected by season and geographic area, but in each test, copper was within “normal” range.

Zinc was higher in whole blood than in other samples. While zinc was higher than values found in 1992, the authors note that the increase could be from a variety of factors, including smoke from nearby galvanizing operations.

Cadmium was found to be higher in whole blood and cobalt was highest in tail samples. Chromium was found to be significantly higher in tail hair samples than in other samples. Lead was higher in whole blood and serum than in hair samples. The mineral concentration in hay and feed were below toxic levels.

The researchers conclude that hair samples could be used to monitor element concentrations in horses, but further investigation is needed to “body map” the bioaccumulation of different essential trace elements.

Read the study here.

Are Fallen Leaves Toxic To Horses?

News — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 18:58:05 +0000

Some horses have nearly unlimited access to fallen leaves this time of year, whether from snacking on trail rides or gorging on leaves that fall into their fields. As pasture grasses die off in colder weather, fallen leaves might seem appetizing to some horses.

While many leaves aren't harmful to horses, leaves from certain trees are toxic when ingested and can lead to death. Wilted maple leaves, as well as both fresh and wilted cherry leaves, are toxic to horses; boxelder seeds (“whirlybirds”) can case seasonal pasture myopathy when ingested. Horses that each enough of any of these can die.

Fortunately, horses will generally only consume wilted leaves when there is nothing else to eat; pulling horses from fields that are overgrazed or supplementing pastured horses with hay are two strategies to keep them from eating things they shouldn't. Leaves left on the ground in the winter are not a concern in the spring.

An additional equine health concern is green acorns, which can be toxic if ingested.

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The Tenacity Of Buttercup

News — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 20:39:23 +0000

Kentucky pastures have exploded with the signature yellow buttercup flower. Buttercup is the common name for a group of species from the genus Ranunculus. Buttercups are sometimes classified as short-lived perennials, but often grow as winter annuals.

Four species of buttercups can be found in Kentucky: bulbous buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus), creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens), tall buttercup (Ranunculus acris) and small flower buttercup (Ranunculus arbortivus). Each of these species have somewhat similar flower heads but differ in their leaf characteristics. New seeds are produced during the time petals are showy. Waiting until after flowers appear can be too late to implement control tactics. This is one reason buttercups can survive year to year.

Buttercups are more than an unsightly weed. They can also be toxic. Grazing or mowing will release a powerful vesicant, or blistering agent, which causes blistering of the skin, mouth and digestive system on contact. The blistering agent is detoxified rapidly by drying, and thus it is not generally a problem in hay.

Less is known about whether ensiling, or conversion into silage, has a similar detoxification effect. Death of horses due to buttercup is rare. A review of University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory records over the last 13 years found no cases of horse deaths attributable to buttercup ingestion. If other forage is available, grazing horses will usually avoid buttercup because the leaves, flowers and stems have a sharp, acrid taste.

Most buttercup plants emerge from seed during the fall or late winter months. Therefore, pasture management that maintains thick stands and promotes growth of more desirable plants during these months is one of the best methods to help compete against the emergence and growth of this plant. Mowing fields or clipping plants close to the ground in the early spring before buttercup plants can produce flowers may help reduce the amount of new seed produced, but mowing alone will not totally eliminate seed production.

Chemical Options

Herbicides registered for use on grass pastures will effectively control buttercup, including those that include 2,4-D. For optimum results, apply herbicide in the early spring (February-March) before flowers are observed and when buttercup plants are still small and actively growing. For best herbicide activity, wait until daytime air temperatures are greater than 50o F for two or three consecutive days. Consult the herbicide label for further information on grazing restrictions, precautions or other possible limitations.

Applying broadleaf herbicides like 2,4-D will damage clover. However, buttercup is able to germinate and grow because of insufficient ground cover of desirable forage species. In these cases, clover stands are likely not that thick or need rejuvenating.

Management Options

To prevent or inhibit buttercup germination in the fall, manage grass pastures to retain residual heights of three or four inches. Realistically speaking, pastures used for overwintering, or hay feeding will always be overgrazed and therefore will be prime spots for buttercup and other winter weed encroachment. Overseeding these pastures in early spring with forages that establish aggressively (like red clover or ryegrasses) will add some desirable forage species to the spring flush of growth even though they will not eliminate buttercup emerging at the same time. Follow up with an early spring mowing to clip the buttercup and release the desirable species.

Cover up bare ground. Fall applications of nitrogen will produce taller grass (shading the ground) and will stimulate existing grasses to thicken up or tiller out the following spring. Timely mowing in the spring followed by nitrogen application can reduce buttercup seed production and will stimulate spring forage growth that helps shade the lower growing buttercup.

No matter how you go about it, controlling buttercup is not a “once and done” project. Nor will one method work alone. Chemical control alone will leave bare ground unless there is a strategy to replant or fill in that area. However, you can manage pastures to reduce buttercup incidence and improve your pasture productivity at the same time.