3, 2014, Extension's Equine related educational information &

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1 Hey Horse ers, Included is the Weekly Pile of Information for the week of August 3, 2014, Extension's Equine related educational information & announcements for Rockingham & Guilford Counties. To have something included in the Weekly Pile, please follow these simple guidelines. - Information included needs to be educational in nature &/or directly related to Rockingham or Guilford Counties. - provided information is a resource to the citizens of Rockingham/Guilford Counties. - provided information does not require extra time or effort to be listed. - Listings for Swap Shop will not list pricing details. - Please information to me by Wednesday each Week. - Please keep ads or events as short as possible with NO FORMATTING, NO unnecessary Capitalization s and NO ATTACHED DOCUMENTS. (If sent in that way, it may not be included) - Please include contact information - Phone, and alike. - PLEASE PUT WEEKLY PILE IN SUBJECT LINE when you send into me. - The Weekly Pile is not for listings for Commercial type properties or products. If I forgot to include anything in this it was probably an oversight on my part, but please let me know!

2 If you have a question or ideas that you would like covered in the Weekly Pile, please let me know and I will try to include. As Always, I would like to hear your comments about the Weekly Pile or the Extension Horse Program in Rockingham or Guilford Counties! I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK & IDEAS! Included in The Pile this Week: 1. Guilford County Jr. Livestock Show August 9 2. Understanding Low Sugar Forages 3. Dental Care for Your Horse 4. You Asked 5. Made to Graze 6. Managing the Effects of Fescue Endophyte in Broodmares 7. Piedmont Horseman's Association NIGHT show this Saturday - Hardins Farm Stokesdale! 8. August 23rd - NC Beef Field Day, Butner Beef Cattle

3 Field Laboratory 9. FRACKING: What Is It All About?? PUBLIC MEETING, August 11 th 10. Adding Clover: Can Save You Money! 11. HAY DIRECTORY 12. TIPS 13. Swap Shop 14. Take A Load Off 1. Guilford County Jr. Livestock Show August 9 YOU ARE INVITED TO COME, WATCH OR VOLUNTEER! SATURDAY, August 9th, the 2nd

4 Annual Guilford County Livestock Show will be taking place at the Guilford County Agricultural Center Livestock Arena (located at 3309 Burlington Road) in Greensboro. At this Show on August 9 Steers, Heifers, Goats & Market Sheep will be shown. We hope to see you Saturday at the Annual Guilford County Livestock Show on August 9th. Special Thanks to our Main Sponsor Farm Bureau for their Support & to Farm Credit for Sponsoring the Showmanship Circuit. SHOW BEGINS AT 8:30 2. Understanding Low Sugar Forages Adapted from: Low Sugar Forages by Ron Genrick and Stephanie Valberg, Minnesota Extension Sugars supply forages with energy required for re-growth, and are a nutritional

5 component needed by both forages and horses. However, some horses, likes some humans, are sensitive to the sugar content of hay and pasture forages, which can lead to potential health problems. These problems include: laminitis (founder), equine metabolic syndrome, Cushing's syndrome, or forms of tying-up. In general, horses with obesity, metabolic syndrome, Cushing's disease, and pasture-associated laminitis are unable to take up sugar in the form of glucose into their tissues because they have developed a diminished response to the hormone insulin ("insulin resistance"). Obese or fat horses, and horses over 15 years of age are more predisposed to insulin resistance. Because some forages can contain high sugar content, whether hay or pasture, they may be problematic for horses with these specific conditions. These sugars are in the form of fructans as well as simple sugars like glucose. When basic techniques were developed to analyze forages for "sugar", most did not distinguish between the proportions of fructan and simple sugar. The differences may be important for horses because glucose is absorbed in the small intestine and triggers an insulin response, whereas fructans are passed to the horses' hindgut and fermented without triggering insulin. Diets high in simple sugars, and the type of starch found in grain, are not good for horses with insulin resistance as they result in very persistently high blood sugar. Horses with a predisposition to laminitis should not be fed forages high in fructans. This is because fermentation of fructans in the large intestines by microbes can upset the microbial balance, and makes the gut environment more acidic which releases toxins into the bloodstream which exacerbate laminitis. Unfortunately, there is no grass that is consistently low in sugar. Most cool-season grasses, like orchardgrass and fescue, can have high sugar content. Timothy and crested wheatgrass tend to be medium in sugar content, as are most warm season (native) grasses. Alfalfa hay/pasture is not the solution for horses that are sensitive to sugar content. Alfalfa tends to be higher in digestible energy, calories, and protein content than grass. More calories can result in weight gain, and high levels of protein can lead to glucose production in the liver. Currently, it is thought that a safe sugar content for sensitive horses is 10% or less. Testing is a good starting point for determining sugar content in hay, but caution should be used to ensure that a representative sample is taken. The below analyses can be very useful in helping to select a suitable feed for horses, especially those that show sensitivity to starch and sugar. Non-fiber Carbohydrate (NFC): is a mathematical estimate of noncell wall (non-fiber)

6 carbohydrates consisting of starch, sugar, pectin and fermentation acids that can serve as energy sources for the animal. Although not always perfect, the NFC value is often used as an indicator of the level of starches and sugar in a forage sample. Non Structural Carbohydrates (NSC): an analysis of the non structural carbohydrates (starches and sugars) in the forage. Not to be confused with NFC, which is calculated, not actually analyzed for. Since some horses can be very sensitive to dietary starch and sugar (i.e. horses with Cushings Disease or laminitis), the NSC level can be helpful in selecting hay choices. Hay containing greater than 10% NSC should not be fed to these horses. Unfortunately, neither NFC nor NSC can give an exact measure of fructans, the complex sugar correlated with founder and other horse health issues. Just looking at a forage sample or knowing the species will not give you an estimate of sugar content. As a last resort, up to 30% of the sugar content can be flushed from most grasses by soaking in water (60 minutes in cold water and 30 minutes in hot water). Care should be taken to ensure all soaked hay is eaten, as unconsumed damp hay will eventually mold. Determining sugar levels in pastures is extremely difficult because of the many factors that must be considered. Currently, a hay feeding research project at the University of Minnesota is underway to better understand the role sugars play in sensitive horses. The feeding of insulin resistant horses can be very tricky, please consult your Vet or Extension Agent for more information. 3. Dental Care for Your Horse Written by Stefani Garbacik, Wayne County Livestock Agent The topic of equine dentistry comes up a lot and for good reason! Obvious problems, and not so obvious ones, may be causing pain, discomfort and behavioral issues in your horse. Most modern horses consume diets of grain and hay, which limits their grazing time. However, their teeth were made for grazing, so dental issues are common in the equine industry. Luckily, with a good vet and dental technician, most of these can be corrected. The health and performance of your horse may be affected by the problems going on with their

7 teeth. Some health issues may include: malnutrition, cheek and tongue ulceration, chronic colic or choke. Performance issues could be head-tossing, rearing, overflexing, and resistance to being bridled (just to name a few). Now for the dental exam itself what should you expect? 1. Questions: the dentist/vet should ask you about your horse s health and performance history. Age, breed, use, eating habits (and any changes), performance (and any changes), etc. are common questions 2. Sedative: many dentists use a mild or moderate sedative when working on horses, much like several human dentists do. This keeps the horse quiet so that a thorough job can be done and lessens the anxiety of the animal. 3. Facial exam: your dentist should exam first-time patients for any swelling, misalignment, structural issues, and check incisors for excessive length and sharp edges. 4. Mouth exam: the mouth needs to be examined before any work done to check for signs of ulceration, bruising, cuts, infection, etc. 5. Floating: rasp down canine teeth, sharp edges on incisors corrected, float molars and balance incisors, etc. This was just the tip of the iceberg for equine dentistry. Check out the following links for more information about equine dentistry and senior teeth care.

8 4. You Asked: How to correct a horse from winging to the inside? A horse that Wings-In is generally standing toed out. Depending on the severity of the deviation or toeing out a farrier may be able to help elevate some of this gait characteristic. Other factors include the age of the horse. Younger horses are more responsive to minor changes in corrective trimming however older horses may become lame as a result. It is very difficult to change foot flight pattern and although corrective trimming may look good while standing the travel may still appear to wing-in. Please consult your farrier for a thorough evaluation and strategy to address your particular horse's needs. 5. Made to Graze Few horse owners prioritize grazing and

9 forage management. Money is wasted by feeding more supplemental feed, and the appearance of the grazing area is undesirable. Lack of expertise and prioritizing of forage management may be the most frequently occurring mismanagement practice. How can horse owners control grazing of horses so they get the best out of pastures, and keep them from tearing up a pasture? Follow the link below for the rest of this great article from Oklahoma State Cooperative Extension docushare/dsweb/get/document-2084/ansi- 3981web.pdf

10 Manage your Grass for the Horses, it will safe you Money! 6. Managing the Effects of Fescue Endophyte in Broodmares Tall Fescue is the predominant cool-season forage found in pastures across North Carolina, particularly in the counties north of Interstate 40 and in the mountains. Most of this Fescue has been established for a long time, and contains the endophyte fungus Acremonium coenephialum, sometimes referred to as toxic endophyte. Tall Fescue is a high-yielding forage that takes abuse and keeps on growing, making it a good choice as a pasture grass for livestock. However, there are also problems associated with grazing fescue that horse owners need to keep in mind. Those problems affect pregnant broodmares, foals, horses that are pastured for long periods of time on Fescue and not exercised, and to a lesser extent young, growing horses. Since the major effect of Fescue toxicosis is on pregnant mares, (and since this article focuses on broodmares) let s look at those problems. Fescue toxicity is known to cause prolonged gestation (cases up to 30 to 40 days have been documented). Prolonged gestation means that the foal is larger than usual when born, which in turn means more instances of dystocia and difficult births. Endophyte has been implicated as a potential cause of premature separation of the chorion and abortion in mares. Other problems include thickened or retained placentas, which can lead to excessive hemorrhaging in the mare, which could cause death. Uterine infections may increase, causing a delay in rebreeding. If those problems weren t enough to deal with, the mare may have aglactia (no milk), and colostrum may be reduced or nonexistent. Since colostrum carries antibodies needed by the foal to resist disease, the foal is more likely to develop an infection of some kind. While all the mechanisms that cause the reproductive problems are not known, it is known that the ergot alkaloids produced by the toxic endophyte act as dopamine. Excess dopamine suppresses the production of the reproductive hormone prolactin. Prolactin is essential to the

11 final stages of pregnancy and birth. Progesterone levels are also suppressed. The levels of progesterone should increase about two weeks before birth, but mares exposed to toxic endophyte have reduced progesterone levels. Management options to avoid these problems include: 1) Having a forage test run to determine if the toxic endophyte is actually present in pastures. If it is detected, then 2) Remove pregnant mares from fields with endophyte-infected tall fescue 45 to 90 days before foaling and feed them good quality hay and grain or put them on a pasture that is not infected with toxic endophyte. This is the most conservative way of avoiding toxicity problems. 3) Drug therapy has been used to stimulate prolactin and progesterone. Domperidone binds to the dopamine receptor and prevents the inhibition of prolactin secretion. There is an expense to this treatment. Consult with your veterinarian before taking this course of action. 4) Manage Fescue pastures to minimize the effect of endophyte. Grazing, clipping, or mowing pastures to keep Fescue in a vegetative state helps keep the level of endophyte lower. 5) Avoid the endophyte. Use other species for grazing and hay. 6) Dilute the endophyte. Use other feeds in the diet. Grow legumes in with the Fescue. This dilutes the amount if endophyte ingested, improves the quality of the forage, and reduces the amount of nitrogen fertilizer needed for forage growth. 7) Kill infected stands and replant. This is an extreme option due to the cost and time it will take to accomplish, but this can be done. Dr. Matt Poore at NC State is gathering data on doing this on his home farm as a business decision and not an experimental trial! Tall Fescue has been and likely will continue to be the most common pasture and hay forage used in many parts of North Carolina. We should remember that not every mare displays the

12 symptoms or problems that have been mentioned. We need to remember that mares have been grazing fescue pastures for a long time, and there have been a lot of foals born with no problems on these pastures. However, research does show that there higher instances of these problems occurring if pregnant mares are kept on endophyte infected fescue for the duration of the pregnancy. Let s be aware of the potential for problems associated with Fescue and use one or more of the recommended strategies to minimize the risk of any of these happening. Here are some good references for more information on Fescue Toxicity in Broodmares: Managing Fescue for Horses Fescue Toxicity and Horses Fescue Toxicosis in Horses 7. Piedmont Horseman's Association NIGHT show this Saturday - August 9 at Hardins Farm in Stokesdale! On August 9th we will have next PHA show at Hardins Farm in Stokesdale. The show will start at 4pm with halter. The show is open to everyone. We have something for everyone; adults, youth, novice. This year PHA is offering field hunter, stock type hunter, working western and western pleasure. High point and reserve high point awards will be awarded! You do not have to be a member to show, but there are many benefits of

13 being a member of PHA; reduced entry fee at sanctioned shows, accumulate points for year-end awards, and much more. We hope you will become part of the PHA family!! You can find all the details about all the shows as well as membership forms on the web site: Also find us on Facebook. 8. North Carolina Beef Field Day Butner Beef Cattle Field Laboratory 8800 Cassam Road, Bahama, NC Saturday, August 23rd, 2014 North Carolina Beef Field Day (in conjunction with N.C. Angus Association Field Day) Registration: 9 AM Programs: 9:30 AM Special Remarks: 3 PM Educational Programs Include: > Forages and grazing practices > Developments in Estrous Synchronization > Feed efficiency evaluations > Conversion of Marginal Land to Pasture > Fescue toxicosis > Bull Performance Testing Program > Pond ecology > Utilization of UAV Technology for forage evaluation > Pasture renovation > Feeder calf evaluation and market steer development > Women and Youth in the Cattle Industry > Beef Quality Assurance > Summer Annual Forages

14 Participants will be able to select and participate in the topics which are most relevant to their production interest. For more information, please contact Butner Beef Cattle Field Lab at or the following websites: NCDA Research Stations Homepage NCARS Field Day Website Butner Beef Website NCDA Field Day Website THIS FIELD DAY WILL BE A BIG DEAL, in fact the biggest in many Years! 9. FRACKING: What Is It All About?? PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING Monday, August 11th at 6:30pm Rockingham County Cooperative Extension Center 525 NC 65, Reidsville, NC 27320

15 DUE TO LIMITED SEATING, REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED To register, or for more information, contact the Rockingham County Extension Center at (336) Rockingham County lies on a large shale deposit that potentially holds a significant amount of natural gas. For this reason, areas of Rockingham County could be attractive to oil and gas companies looking to explore for shale gas through drilling and hydraulic fracturing. Join us to learn about hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, as well as new legislation related to fracking in North Carolina and how it pertains to citizens in Rockingham County. Topics to include: ~ Fracking in North Carolina ~ New Legislation ~ Tips for Landowners ~ Mineral Rights ~ Oil and Gas Leases ~ Compulsory Pooling ~ Landowner Protections ~ Public Comment Period 10. Adding Clover: Can save you money! Adding clover to an existing stand can help lower your Nitrogen fertilization need/requirement as well as increase the nutritional value for the grazing animal. Clover will for sure lower your Nitrogen requirement and your fertilizer bill, but one also needs to make sure that they have taken a well thought out approach to the forage management plan. Remember, your neighbor s forage management plan will probably be different than yours! There is one thing that you should have in common with your neighbor, in that the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about

16 adding clover (or legume) is the fertility of the soil, has there been soil test taken? Soil testing ensures adequate fertility for planting success. (Proper Ph). The second thing to is what is in the field or what plant competition (weeds) are present? You need to get the weeds under control first before planting clover (any legume) because the products you spray to control weeds will damage or kill your clover. The key is to try to get your weeds under control prior to adding the clover to the pasture mix for a few reasons: - to kill the weeds & not your clover ($$$) and - so that when you fertilize your grass/clover you are not fertilizing the weeds. - Decrease competition above and below the soil surface - Ladino Clover (is a White), Will Clover is also good blend if ya can find it. Most Ag dealers will have varieties of clover that have done well in this area. You can drill it or broadcast. Drilling the seed will use less seed and gets you good soil seed contact. (Just don't plant to deep) Broadcasting the seed works fine, just increases your seeding rate ($). Plant timing is everything (Moisture/Temperature) the planting dates for this area for fall planted Clover is from August 25th-October 25th. Stop by the Extension office for a soil testing kit; take the soil test first, so you can follow the fertilization recommendation to ensure stand success. If Ph is off, you are probably wasting money-adding fertilizer. So proper Ph is critical and essential for nutrient uptake! (if you have been adding lime every year without a soil test you can also run into problems with the Ph being to high, this has been seen this week). There are various weed control methods & products. Determine

17 the weeds, to determine management control choice. Example: if Buttercup, the time to Spray is early spring. So, what are other concerns with clover: - Grazing or feeding clover assuming hay was properly baled and free of mold. Clover will provide an increased level of protein, and this should be taken in consideration when feeding any supplemental concentrate/grain. Red clover is an acceptable legume to use with horses, particularly when interseeded with other forage crops. Horses do not bloat in the technical sense, so legumes such as white clover, red clover, ladino clover, or alfalfa can be used in a successful feeding program for horses. Legumes are good for pregnant or lactating mares because they contain two to three times the amount of protein and calcium that most grass hays contain. If there is a large amount of red clover within a pasture, sometimes it can cause horses to slobber. The slobber causes no harm to the horse as long as you are providing fresh water. 11. HAY DIRECTORY A Hay Directory is maintained by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service for the Rockingham County and Guilford County area. This directory is intended as a service to both hay producers and buyers in the area. If you are in need of hay or would like to be added (or removed) from this list please call me at or and let me know your name, address & phone #, type of hay, number of bales, (square or round

18 bales) and weight per bale. MANAGE YOUR PASTURES! 12. TIPS: August -September-October *Check Animals regularly * Provide (and check) clean fresh water *To get maximum use of available grass, practice control grazing. This will stretch out your forage and decrease wastage. *Evaluate your current situation and consider overseeding or planting for fall & winter grazing with rye, ryegrass, etc. in late September. *With the high price of fertilizer it is very important to take soil samples for fall plantings. Come by and pick up your free soil sample boxes and sheets. *Fertilize and lime cool season grasses. Apply lime to pastures with ph below 5.8., if proper ph is not maintained, fertilizer may not be utilized by the plant.*plant cool season grasses (fescue, orchardgrass, clovers, etc.) as late as October 25. *Finish grazing cool season grasses before grazing warm season. *Apply nitrogen to warm-season grasses after each cutting (or 4 to 6 weeks) *Graze bermudagrass to a 2-4 inch stubble and harvest excess every 4-6 weeks. *Control weeds *Be aware of potential of Nitrate & Prussic Acid poisoning from animals if grazing stunted, highly fertilized summer annuals. *Keep good forage records. * If on fields, DRAG PASTURES TO BREAK UP/Spread MANURE PILES (This helps with fertility and flies). - Rotate/Clip pastures as needed. *Be cautious of combustion - Hay Fires - Hay in round bales should not contain no more than 18% moisture and square bales no more than 20% *Maintain Body Condition *Keep good health and forage records. *CONTROL Flies *

19 Grazing Management - Established fescue can withstand heavy grazing during its peak production. In general, grazing should be started between 6-8 inches and maintain a 3-4 inch stubble as practical to achieve the best animal performance and persistence of the plant. Continuous grazing below 2 inches will reduce animal performance, slow the growth rate of cool season grasses and may result in stand thinning. 13. Swap Shop No Listings This Week 14. Take A Load Off I need your clean Jokes, so please send em to me! - Old Age Two old men in a retirement village were sitting in the reading room and one said to the other, "How do you really feel? I mean, you're 88 years old, how do you honestly feel?" "Honestly, I feel like a new born baby. I've got no hair, no teeth, and I just wet myself."

20 I always want to know what you think of the Weekly Pile, good or bad, Especially if it has had ANY IMPACT on you. Let me hear from you! *****I NEED YOUR IDEAS FOR ARTICLES In FUTURE Newsletters!***** I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!!! Please remember our Troops who are serving our Country (and there families) those who have come home with wounds and the families that paid the ultimate sacrifice. HAVE A GREAT SAFE WEEKEND! Thanks -- Ben Chase Rockingham and Guilford County Extension Agent Agriculture & Livestock North Carolina State University North Carolina Cooperative Extension, 525 NC 65, Suite 200, Reidsville, NC 27320

21 (336) Fax: ben_chase@ncsu.edu