Let’s talk about Easy Keeper Horses And Dangers Of Lush Green Grass. Do you have an Easy Keeper Horse and know what the dangers of Lush Green Grass are? How about what to be checking for? Winter is here and in many areas, that means lush green grass, softer hooves, more thrush, shedding coats and so much more.
Easy Keeper Horses And Dangers Of Lush Green Grass
For those who own the easy keeper horses that have access to that lush greee grass, daily diligence is required. Some horses have that “thrift” gene making them much more efficient storing energy, aka fat. In the wild this would be a great genetic advantage. Especially given 24/7 predator stress, moving up to 25 miles a day in search for food and water. But to domesticated horses who do not have access to movement and have no predator stress, this is a great disadvantage.
Digital Pulse
If you have one of these “thrift” gene horses such as a Morgan, Arabian, Canadian, Paso Fino, the American Mustang, all of the pony breeds, it might be a good thing to check the digital pulse of your horse everyday. I would recommend taking the digital pulse especially on the two front feet daily. The picture provided is a good way to find the digital pulse, if you use two fingers rather than one, you will increase the chances of finding the pulse.
If your horse has a strong rebounding pulse, which is not good, it will be difficult to miss. Get in the habit of testing daily, you will be able set a great foundation for establishing what is normal for your horse and what is not normal. If you find it difficult to find the pulse
or you must really concentrate to find the pulse, your horse is probably in great shape. Waiting to check the pulse after your horse is noticeably in pain makes the recovery much slower and the horse will suffer unnecesarily.
Exercise
These easy keeper horses NEED EXERCISE everyday to burn off that extra sugar or glucose. It will make a big difference! You don’t necessarily have to ride them, the round pen or arena is great, even long walks. It is better to get the heart rate and respiration up a bit, a slow leisurely walk is better than nothing but the slow long leisurely walk is the least desireable exercise.
If your horse is already tender, the exercise will be more painful for the horse and painful to watch. The cold water soaks of the inflamed hooves in a creek or foot bath is wonderful. Most would go to Bute for pain, be mindful that Bute is quite damaging to the gut and is the leading cause of HYPO thyroid in horses.
The best prevention to this problem is not to get it, if you are already struggling with this problem, Equine Challenge™ Laminae 911 will be very helpful, without the gut stress and thyroid problems caused by BUTE. There is however, no substitution for daily exercise and changes in diet.
Far too many horse owners across the USA who try to avoid these complications by starving their horses and the market place is flooded with gadgets to help avoid the inconvience of daily stewardship of the horse. It is IMPOSSIBLE to starve your horse into a metabolically thriving horse.
When soaking forage/grass prior to feeding, know that you are washing away more than glucose or sugar and remember your horse is a carbohydrate and fat burning machine. If you are soaking forage, you MUST replace what is being soaked away short of the sugar/glucose and MUST make available what the forage was deficient in before the soaking. Equine Challenge™ Vitamins & Minerals Grass would be that answer to this metabolic challenge.
Stabilize The Micro-Flora
When your horse has access to the lush green grass and is doing seemingly OK, we strongly recommend the daily use of the Equine Challenge™ PREbiotic to help stabilize the micro-flora of your horse’s gut. Easy keeper horses should not be fed alfalfa as the primary forage source.
This is by no means exhaustive in the challenges of Spring and Summer time grasses, the horse is an individual and an individual solution goes a long way in providing the stewardship that your covenant with your horse requires.
Boost Your Horse’s Immune System
For those that vaccinate your horses in the Spring and Fall, this would be the time to boost the immune system with increased Equine Challenge™ Probiotic or Equine Challenge™ Probiotic Blast use. At Equine Challenge™ we recommend 2-3 weeks prior and 2-3 weeks after vaccinations. Whether you know it or not, vaccinations will stress your horse’s immune system and typically more than one vaccination is given at the same time. It is not uncommon to see horses go off their feed, demonstrate loose stools/diarrhea or just have that weary look.
