Of course you want to do the right thing for your horse and provide him with the best possible nutrition, but you may know more about riding or grooming than you do about the nuances of hay. Don’t feel overwhelmed—the topic is less confusing than you might think. We reached out to Rachel Mottet, Ph.D., the owner of Legacy Equine Nutrition consulting business, for help in navigating this sea of dried grass.

Grass or Legume Hay?

Horse hay is generally divided into two main categories: grasses and legumes. Grasses often have long, slender stalks and perhaps a seed head on top; legumes are leafier, don’t grow as tall, and the stems are crunchier.

“The most common legumes fed to horses in the U.S. are alfalfa and clover,” says Mottet. “The most common U.S. grass hays are timothy, orchard, fescue, brome, and Bermuda.”

Mottet notes that grasses are then subdivided as cool-season or warm-season grasses, with cool-season grasses tending to be more palatable to horses than warm-season grasses.

“All are, however, acceptable choices for horses,” she says. “The main difference between grasses and legumes is that legumes tend to be higher in protein, energy, and several other micronutrients.”

So if legumes offer more energy, should you choose them over grasses? Not necessarily.

“Horses can do great on many types of forages,” says Mottet. “A good-quality grass hay can be the foundational piece of the diet for really any horse. A legume can be helpful for high-performance horses, those who are considered ‘hard keepers,’ and for mares that are gestating or lactating.”

Many horse owners use a grass hay, but may supplement with alfalfa (or an alfalfa mix) if the extra calories are needed.

“Alfalfa is usually [richer] in protein, energy, and micronutrient density, and is often not ideal as the sole source of forage in the diet,” says Mottet. “There are some situations where a large inclusion of alfalfa is a good choice, but in general, it shouldn’t be the only forage your horse is receiving if you have grass hay also available.”

Ponies, in particular, can be overly sensitive to the calorie content of alfalfa hay.

Choosing a Hay

You’ll find further options within the grass and legume categories. But you probably don’t need to worry too much about the exact hay species, since that is going to vary somewhat by your region. For example, don’t get too focused on whether to feed a cool-season timothy hay over a cool-season orchard grass mix.

“Finding what’s available in your region is a good place to start,” says Mottet. “Start by finding a quality horse hay vendor in your area that you can get a consistent source from. Check in with other local horse farms to see who grows horse hay in the area.”

She also suggests connecting with a local extension agent as a guide.

“Keep in mind that hay that’s appropriate for cattle and other livestock may not be the best match for your horses, so try to find a vendor growing hay specifically for horses,” Mottet advises.

Another major factor—probably more important than the specific type of hay you buy—is the age at which the hay was harvested. As grasses and legumes mature and the stalks become thicker, the nutritional value of the hay begins to diminish.

“There isn’t a certain species I typically avoid, as maturity when cut is the biggest influencer of nutritional quality in any hay,” says Mottet. “You can have good or bad quality in nearly any variety! However, there are a few situations that warrant specificity. In a number of horses, a low non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) hay is most appropriate [for horses with sugar and starch sensitivities or obesity]. The hay most appropriate for these horses is one that is more mature (stemmy), or a variety with known low NSC content.”

She also notes that pregnant mares can be sensitive to the endophyte fungus found in tall fescue grass, so fescue might not be the wisest choice on breeding farms.

Look for Quality

There are some basics you should look for no matter what type of hay you ultimately use. Mottet recommends finding hay that is free of debris, has minimal dust, and does not have discolored areas indicative of mold. She also advises that green hay is not necessarily the truest indicator of quality and nutrient composition.

“Sometimes you can have the most beautiful bright green hay, but your horse prefers the more brown/green option,” she says. “It’s hard to always explain why, but the point is to not get completely lost in finding the greenest hay available thinking this is the determinant of quality.”

Watch Their Weight

Mottet recommends regularly appraising your horse’s body condition, as you can gain clues about the quality of your hay and whether your horse getting too much, too little, or the correct amount.

“I suggest using the Henneke Body Condition Scoring (BCS) system to ensure your horse is getting adequate hay intake,” she says. “A good guide is to make sure your horse is receiving at least 1.5 percent of his body weight in hay per day, all the way up to free choice [about 2.5 percent of body weight in hay intake per day]. You can use your horse’s BCS to determine where to land within that range of hay intake.”

Once you have determined the hay that works best for your horse and have found a reliable supplier in your region, you should have an easier time next year, when you simply need to restock. Then your only question will be how to find enough helpers to unload the hay!

Further Reading

◆ How to Grow Your Own Hay
◆ Hay Buyer’s Guide
◆ Hay Accessories to Make Feeding Your Horse Easier
◆ Soil and Hay Tests for Horse Owners

This article about choosing the right hay type appeared in the January/February 2025 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Choosing the Right Hay Type appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

It’s also a safety benefit while working in the barn. When other people and horses are coming in and out of stalls, the wash rack, or aisle, it’s important to be able to move your horse wherever you need to—including in reverse.

The good news is you can use simple ground training to teach your horse to back up. While a young green horse will clearly benefit from this type of training, older horses may also lack solid backing skills, or they may have become lazy about the process.

In either case, teaching or reteaching the skill is straightforward.

There are different methods for teaching a horse to back up from the ground, and individual horses may benefit from different techniques; what works for one may not work as well for another.

The pressure-and-release technique for backing up your horse in hand described below is simple, safe, and easy for both horse and handler to understand.

1. Turn to Face Your Horse

Begin in the normal position that you would use to lead your horse: on his near side, next to his shoulder.

The first step to backing is to turn and face your horse so that you’re looking in the direction you want him to back. Try to visualize exactly where you want your horse’s feet to go; this can help you assist him in backing as straight as possible. It may also help to work next to an arena rail or wall to aid him in backing straight while he’s learning.

2. Add a Tiny Amount of Pressure

Next, give your horse a tiny cue that he should move backward. Start with a small amount of pressure on the front of his chest by his near shoulder. You can use your hand to gently apply a bit of pressure, but it may be easier to use the tip of a short riding crop.

At the same time, take just a half step toward your horse. This may eventually be quite beneficial, as he will begin to predict what you want when he sees you take a step.

Also, a vocal cue or clicker can be used in combination with the pressure cue to help him understand that you’d like him to do something.

3. Increase Pressure As Needed

If your horse is completely green to this process, odds are you won’t get much of a response, if any. That’s OK! Starting out slow is fine.

The next step is to incrementally add more pressure until your horse performs the desired behavior. If steady pressure isn’t working, you can always change to a light repetitive tapping.

If there’s still no response, continue to incrementally make the cue stronger, all while moving toward your horse slightly.

4. Stop and Reward

As the cue increases in strength, most horses will naturally take a step back and yield to your prompting. As soon as that happens, stop applying pressure—this is your horse’s reward for yielding. You can add vocal praise as well.

The benefit of slowly adding additional pressure and then releasing ensures that you’re never over-cueing your horse. Repeat steps 2 to 4 a couple of times, and then let your horse take a break until the next day’s lesson.

5. Use Repetition

As with any type of horse training, short sessions that repeat the same steps reinforce the concept to your horse quickly. It’s amazing how quickly a horse can learn a skill if you do it every day.

You can certainly do this type of groundwork in a formal training setting like a round pen or indoor arena, but a couple of minutes while your horse is on his way to daily turnout can work as well. It’s simply backing up, so it doesn’t need to be elaborate.

6. Watch Him Improve

Eventually, your horse will understand the very first moments of your cue. In time, he should start to back up when he feels even the slightest bit of pressure or tapping on his shoulder.

Ideally, you’ll even get to the point where you can back your horse without touching him at all—he’ll just be attuned to your movements and start to back up as soon as you turn around and begin to walk toward him.

Congratulations! You have a horse that is well-trained to back up and easy to work with.

This article about backing up your horse in hand appeared in the April 2024 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Backing Up Your Horse in Hand appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

These additional users of the trail can complicate your riding plans, but there are multiple ways to prepare your horse for these unknowns. At the same time, it’s always a good idea to study trail etiquette to help you better cope with other trail users as well.

Acclimate at Home First

Think about all the practice and training you and your horse put into preparing for a class at a show: mastering that lead change, working on collecting, nailing a jump distance. You wouldn’t dream of tackling one of these skills for the first time in front of the judge.

It’s really no different with trail riding. Even though it may seem like a simple, low-pressure environment, you really need to employ the same “training-first” mindset to ensure enjoyment and safety for you and your horse. This includes preparing for whatever you and your horse may encounter while riding on a multi-use trail.

Try Equestrian-Only Trails

See if you can get your horse out of the arena and away from the familiarity of his everyday environment while still in a horses-only situation. Maybe this involves riding in a pasture your horse doesn’t normally access, or riding on some other part of your own property where the setting is unfamiliar but where possible surprises are limited.
Finally, you could experiment with trailering your horse to equestrian-only trails in your area, if they exist.

In any case, the idea is to make sure your horse is calm on the trail in normal circumstances before adding the possibility of encountering other trail users.

Ride with another seasoned trail horse and friend (or more than one!) and let them take the lead, which will help give your horse confidence.

ATVs and UTVs

ATVs and UTVs are naturally a spooking hazard for horses. Not only are they loud, but the engines on these machines also tend to accelerate rapidly from low to high RPMs, creating a startling noise. The good news is you can work to desensitize your horse ahead of time by exposing him to these sights and sounds in a safe, controlled environment.

Once on the trail, if you hear a machine approaching, try stopping, moving as far as you safely can to the side of the trail, and then waiting for the ATV/UTV to either pass or stop and yield to you.

You may wish to forgo trails that are heavily used by ATVs or UTVs. In addition to the noise and action, these trails may become worn or muddy from heavy use, especially during spring or autumn transitional seasons.

Bicycles

At first glance, it might seem like it would be easier to share the trail with cyclists than ATVs—after all, bicycles make far less noise. But some bikers reach very high speeds on a trail, and the lack of noise prior to their arrival may give you and your horse less time to react and prepare, especially around bends in the trail. Such a situation could really trigger the predator flight response in your horse.

Newer electric bikes are gaining in popularity, and you may start seeing them on trails. Although they have some motor noise to warn you they are coming, e-bikes move much quicker than traditional bicycles, and may surprise both you and your horse.

Again, desensitizing at home is wise, especially if the trail you are using is popular with cyclists. Communication with the cyclists can also be key (see below).

Hunters

If your trail of choice winds through rural areas or even crosses into wilderness regions, it’s quite possible you’ll find yourself sharing it with hunters of all sorts. Some of these you may never see or hear; the only indication of their presence may be a parked vehicle or ATV.

Others may have a more visible presence; you and your horse may see orange- or camo-clad hunters out enjoying nature the same way you are, moving in and out of the trail.

A good plan is to do your research. What hunting seasons are open in the area where you plan to ride? This information is easily obtained from your state’s Department of Natural Resources website and can have a meaningful impact on your plans.

Depending on the region, some hunting seasons for specific species are long and rather low-key, attracting few hunters and spreading out the action so that no one weekend is busier than another.

Other hunting seasons may be short and intense, attracting large numbers of hunters and creating plenty of trail traffic. You might wish to adjust your riding schedule to avoid the most popular hunts in a particular region. Again, it’s all about respecting other users of the trail and trying to work with everyone.

There’s also the matter of gunshots; responsible hunters won’t be using firearms when at close range to the trail, but the sound of a gunshot naturally carries a good distance. If your horse is particularly spooky about loud noises, it might be another thing to work on in training.

Dismounting if Needed

If something unusual is happening or your horse seems worried, you may want to consider dismounting until the situation has passed. It all depends on the comfort level of you and your horse, but you can certainly keep dismounting in mind as a safety option in some situations.

Communicate with Other Trail Users

Remember that other users of the trail probably aren’t horse people. Their horse-startling behaviors, such as revving an engine or suddenly moving a “scary” object, probably aren’t intended to be discourteous.

Along with putting in training time, you have a responsibility to explain what you need to other trail users when you come upon each other. The following are some examples of dialogue that help put everyone at ease:

“My horse is a little skittish about your ATV; if you could just slowly and quietly pass, or shut off your machine and I’ll pass you.”

“I think my horse is a little afraid of your hiking backpack, so if you could just talk softly as you pass it will help put him at ease.”

“Good morning, would you mind putting a leash your dog until I pass with my horse?”

Most people will be happy to comply with requests like these, and such dialogue encourages cooperation so that everyone can enjoy the trail.

Be Courteous

Also remember that people might be intimidated by your horse. It’s easy to forget that not everyone spends time around 1,200-pound animals regularly, so a passing hiker or cyclist may feel unsure.

Good communication etiquette is helpful here as well. Be courteous and friendly. Technically, other trail users must always yield to equestrians, but there may be plenty of situations where it simply makes more sense to stop your horse and let the other trail users pass.

Also, be sure to clean up after your horse; the next non-horsey hiker or cyclist will thank you. And you may want to avoid riding on soft trails after rainstorms where your horse will leave significant divots from his footprints.

Just like safe driving means being responsible and working with others on the road, sharing a multi-use trail safely just requires some planning and effort on your part, along with a little caution. There’s no reason that multiple types of recreation can’t take place simultaneously.

Happy trails!

This article about riding horses on multi-use trails appeared in the August 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Riding Horses on Multi-Use Trails appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Like horse shows in general, halter classes can range from small-scale classes at low-level shows, where multiple breeds of a certain type may show against in each other in a catch-all class like “English Type” or “Western Type,” to breed-specific classes at larger shows. So what exactly is the judge looking for in a halter class? In general, good basic conformation—overall balance, correct legs, strong hindquarters, et cetera—and movement. In breed-specific situations, the judge is comparing your horse to the breed association’s official breed type description; in some cases very minute details (size of the eyes, for example) will be considered.

Many halter classes can be broken into two phases. One is the inspection phase, in which the judge examines one horse at a time and analyzes conformation and type while checking for any disqualifications. Each horse is also judged at the walk and trot in order for the judge to evaluate movement and way of going. The second phase involves returning to the “line up,” where each horse and handler wait while the other competitors are inspected.

Different horse shows and classes will have different pattern requirements for halter classes. Some might want you to walk in for inspection and then trot away, some might require that all competitors come in trotting and then line up along the rail before inspection. Read and understand any posted patterns, watch any classes that are before yours, and listen carefully to instructions from the ringmaster or announcer.

Learn the specifics on how to show your breed or type. Some breeds, like Arabians, for instance, are shown in breed-specific tack and are positioned in a special way when standing in the ring. Some breeds are expected to be groomed differently than others (braiding, etc…) Find out what’s typical for your horse’s breed. Also, find out what you are expected to wear—it too can vary from breed to breed.

Like all horse show classes, grooming is important, but it is particularly important for halter. While the judge isn’t necessarily “judging” your horse’s grooming, if all things are equal and two horses are both excellent examples, the one with the better grooming job just might edge out the other. Give yourself enough time before the class to bathe, groom, polish hooves, braid, or whatever is required.

Remember, you and your horse are being judged during the entire halter class! Don’t stop showing just because you’re in the lineup of a very large class and other horses are being inspected.

Do you enjoy showing your horse in halter classes? Do you at compete at breed shows, or open shows? Let us know in the comments below.

This article about showing horses in halter classes originally appeared in Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post How to Show in Halter Classes appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

1. Oak

There are a lot of reasons to love oak trees: they’re tall, majestic, and they possess large leaves that offer perfect shade for any lawn or park. But one place you might not want oak trees is in or alongside your horse pastures. Oaks leaves contain tannic acid, which can cause colic and other digestive problems in horses. The buds and twigs of oak leaves also contain tannins, as do the acorns. The risk in the leaves probably decreases as the leaves decompose, so fresh spring leaves are likely more potent than old brown leaves on the ground from last year. Oak trees are common all over the U.S. and tend to leaf out a little later in the spring than some tree species.

2. Red Maple

Unlike oak leaves, in which the toxins decrease as the leaves wilt, the leaves of red maples are troublesome because they become highly toxic to horses after the leaves have separated from the tree. It’s not known what the toxin is exactly, but wilted red maple leaves can be fatal to horses who consume them. The unidentified toxin causes the destruction of red blood cells, leading to anemia. The bark of the tree is also problematic.

Other maple species may also be toxic, though not as severely as red maple. Maples in general are native to the eastern half of the U.S., but may be cultivated in other regions.

3. Walnut

Walnut trees are an oddity in that they affect horses in ways you wouldn’t suspect. There are various types of walnut trees around the U.S., but the most problematic is the black walnut. Always check with your shavings supplier to make sure that it doesn’t have black walnut in the product because horse bedding contaminated with it can cause laminitis. The branches, leaves, pollen, and nut hulls of the various walnut trees can also poisonous and can cause respiratory problems or even liver cancer in horses. The problem is thought to be a chemical produced by the walnut tree called juglone, which can also affect other plants growing in its vicinity.

4. Yew

It’s true that yew is an attractive evergreen shrub/tree, and for this reason, it’s planted for decorative purposes in landscapes around buildings. At the same time, it’s also true that yew is very poisonous and very dangerous to horses (as well as people and other types of livestock). If horses consume yew—perhaps by gaining access to clippings or a shrub near a building—the results are often quickly fatal, so it’s critical to ensure that your horses never have access to these toxic trees. Yews can grow for hundreds of years, and are poisonous all year long, but more toxic in the winter.

5, 6, 7, and 8. Cherry (and Chokecherry), Apricot, Peach, and Plum

You probably haven’t planted any orchards in your horse pastures, but there might be fruit trees incorporated into your farm’s landscaping, or orchards on other areas of the property. There are some fruit trees that are toxic to horses that you need to avoid—those of the prunus family. This group includes familiar fruit trees like cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, and others. They’re all poisonous to horses in basically the same way; leaves from prunus trees become more toxic after they’ve fallen from the tree and begun to wilt, because it’s at this stage that the leaves contain cyanide. The bark and young shoots are also poisonous, as well as the fruit pits. Horses that ingest these parts of the tree will no longer be able to extract oxygen from their blood, leading to increased respiration and bright mucus membranes. If caught quickly enough, a veterinarian can sometimes intervene successfully.

You may also find undomesticated cherry and plum trees growing wild along the edges of your pastures, particularly in the eastern half of the U.S. The problem here is that the leaves may blow into the pastures and into the reach of your horses, or summer storms might break branches off, and they land inside the fence. Periodic culling of small trees may be necessary to keep your horses safe. Also, watch out for the similar chokecherry, common throughout the northern half of the U.S. The berries have been used for hundreds of years by various Native American tribes, but the seeds and leaves are poisonous to horses.

9. Oleander

Oleander is a small evergreen tree (or it may be shaped into a shrub) that is planted for decorative purposes and found in the southern U.S. It’s an attractive tree with beautiful flowers, but it’s quite toxic to horses — the tree’s sap is even utilized in rodent poisons! Horses that consume oleander — and it only takes a handful of leaves — may show colic-like signs within a few hours, and the poison may be fatal fairly quickly after that. Summer and fall are times of greatest concern.

10. Horse Chestnut

Also known regionally as “buckeyes,” the leaves, seeds, and sprouts of horse chestnut trees are poisonous to horses and can cause multiple digestive ailments, and, if severe enough, some nervous system issues. Though horses may be able to recover with veterinarian aid, horse chestnut trees are nevertheless quite toxic; even the nectar can be poisonous to bees. You’ll find horse chestnuts growing throughout most of the U.S., except for the far southern and far northern regions.

Have you have any problematic or toxic trees that you’ve had to remove from your horse property? Let us know in the comments.

Further Reading

◆ Ten Plants Toxic to Horses
◆ Managing Buttercups in Horse Pastures
◆ Poisonous Plants to Horses from the University of Tennessee

The post Ten Trees Toxic to Horses appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

While you can often ask for help, there is some peace of mind in knowing how to confidently back the trailer on your own. Don’t just shrug helplessly in defeat—backing a trailer is challenging, but less difficult than some of the skills you’ve mastered on your horse.

1. Practice Ahead of Time

It might sound mundane to practice backing a trailer. Life is busy enough as it is—you’re lucky to carve out enough time to take your horse out on the weekends, let alone practicing backing with an empty trailer when you don’t need to.

But think of it this way—you wouldn’t expect to load your horse for the very first time on show day. Instead, you would take time and carefully train him to safely and efficiently load in the trailer long before you need to take him to a show. So why treat yourself any differently?

Learn your backup procedures in a quiet, low-pressure environment where you have plenty of time to think through the steps without a deadline, without horses in the back that need to get on the road, and without your tired family demanding fast food for the trip home.

2. Learn the “Reset” Trick

First, learn how to recover from mistakes. If your trailer starts to pivot too quickly away from the truck, do this:

◆ Stop.

◆ Straighten the wheel.

◆ Pull forward slowly.

◆ Watch what’s happening behind you and pull forward until the truck and trailer are perfectly straight again.

◆ Now you’re reset and ready to keep trying. If you have room, you can reset at any time and quickly recover from a potential jackknife.

3. Try a Simple Turn in Reverse

The key to controlling your trailer in reverse is to understand how to make turns. This is the secret:

◆ Use the reset trick to get the rig completely straight.

◆ Stop moving.

◆ Turn your truck’s steering wheel in a direction opposite of what you want the trailer to do (this is probably the biggest mental challenge to overcome). For instance, if you’d like the trailer to turn to the right, start by turning your steering wheel left. Turn the wheel about half the way to its maximum distance. If you turn too little, not much will happen. If you turn too much, you get into jackknife territory.

◆ Move the rig in reverse a short distance—say 3 or 4 feet.

◆ Stop again.

◆ Take a good look at what has happened so far. There should be a gentle bend at the hitch between your truck and trailer—and your trailer should be aimed to the right a bit.

◆ Turn the steering wheel back to the right, so that the truck now follows the trailer’s path (this is important!).

◆ Start going in reverse again and keep a careful watch on what’s happening.

◆ If all goes well, the truck and trailer should stay in a nice gentle turn for as long as you need, with the truck following behind.

◆ Make small adjustments to the steering wheel to keep the curve the way you want it (see next step).

4. Make Tiny Adjustments as You Go

Whether you’re performing a turn or just backing straight up, the trailer will want to start deviating from its path the whole time, and you have to be ready.

◆ If the trailer starts drifting too far right, turn the steering wheel harder to the right to catch it.

◆ If the trailer drifts left, turn left harder.

◆ Imagine that the trailer is balancing in the air on its hitch and you have to move the truck to stay underneath it and keep it upright.

◆ Stop and think whenever you need to.

◆ Remember to use the reset trick early—if you do it before you get into big trouble, it only takes a couple seconds to fix problems.

5. Start Off Small

Part of what makes a horse trailer so difficult to maneuver in reverse is that it’s big and you can’t see everything around it. To help you master backing, try practicing with something more manageable, like a riding lawnmower or ATV with a little garden cart.

The steering concepts are identical, but you can effortlessly see what’s happening behind you and learn faster. This is a very helpful way to master the skill of backing a trailer.

6. Use Those Mirrors

Your side mirrors are important for helping you avoid obstacles while you’re backing, so use them to your advantage. You can even purchase side mirror extenders designed specifically for towing. But you also need to look out the back window (it will help you see how the trailer is pivoting) and out the driver’s side window.

The backup process doesn’t have to be fast. You can always stop moving, look out the window, and see what’s happening. You may even want to get out of the truck to take a closer look.

7. Try a Back Up Camera

If you have a newer vehicle, it almost certainly has a backup camera pre-installed. But did you know you can easily purchase an add-on backup camera for your horse trailer?

A backup camera will aid you in making precise turns in reverse, but the real way these shine is by showing you what’s in your blind spot directly behind the trailer. It’s a good safety tool. Some of these systems allow you to add an interior camera for watching the horses, too.

8. Keep the Trailer Hitched

Maybe you need your tow vehicle as a daily driver and can’t leave it attached to the trailer for any length of time. But if it’s not, consider leaving your truck and trailer connected for a week. Go out each day and practice backing into parking spot lines in an empty parking lot. Without adding in the hookup time, you’ll be more inclined to practice.

Backing the trailer is a very important skill to learn if you haul your horse at all, and should make life a little less chaotic next time you’re on the road with your animals. Good luck!

This article about how to back a horse trailer appeared in the March 2023 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post How to Back a Horse Trailer appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Severe thunderstorms with high winds, lightning, and hail are never any fun, but they often pass by without causing any significant damage. Still, there’s always the chance that they could cause a problem. The good news is there are some simple steps you can follow to ready your farm and prepare for loss of power. Here, we’ll look at some ways to ensure your property and horses can safely weather the storm, plus some things to consider if you do experience damage.

Lightning

Before the Storm:

◆ Disconnect the fence charger. Electric fencing is usually connected to some type of grounding poles, which turn the whole fence into a giant lightning rod. If lightning does strike your fence, the high voltage may travel through the wires and blast through your fence charger on its way toward dissipating in the ground.

We had this happen once on our farm: Lightning struck a tree on the other side of the pasture, jumped to the ground and then to the electric fence (burning a great deal in the process), and ran all the way around the pasture before destroying the charger.

To keep lightning from potentially ruining your charger, you can simply disconnect the two wires marked “fence” and “ground” (they might be marked with a “+” and “-”) well before the storm arrives. Don’t forget to reconnect them afterwards. (If horses will be in the paddock with that fence during the storm, then this probably isn’t a wise option).

◆ Consider fencing off pasture trees. You’re probably aware that lighting tends to gravitate toward the tallest objects in an area, so single shade trees standing the middle of a pasture can be targets.

If there are horses in the pasture when a storm strikes (more on this below), they may be more inclined to take shelter near the tree. For this reason, some horse owners choose to fence off pasture trees so that the horses can’t stand directly under them.

Wind

Before the Storm:

◆ Prepare trees. This is a bit more of “big picture” issue (not something you’ll be doing five minutes before the storm strikes), but you’ll want to give some thought to possible damage from trees and branches in a storm. Do you have trees near the barn with major branches hanging over the roof? What about other buildings?

◆ Put things away. If there’s a chance of significant wind, try to secure or store your machinery (tractors, UTVs, et cetera). Also, clear the barn aisles of tools and small items that can easily go flying if strong winds rush down the aisle.

After the Storm:

◆ Check fencing. Take a trip around the pastures after the storm to make sure there are no large branches or trees down on the fencing that could allow the horses to get out. Also, keep an eye out for wind damage to the fencing—it’s not impossible for a strong wind to pop boards and even topple posts in certain conditions.

◆ Look for “spookables.” Check the pastures, walking paths, and barn areas for debris and trash blown around (maybe from neighboring properties) that might cause accidents if a horse is surprised by them.

Hail

Before the Storm:

◆ Bring the horses indoors. Hail of any significant diameter can cause injury, so placing the horses in stalls ahead of time is prudent if hail is in the storm forecast.

◆ Park the machines. If you can manage it, consider moving any valuable machines and vehicles indoors to prevent hail damage. Luckily, some horse owners have a large place perfectly suited for this: the indoor riding arena.

After the Storm:

◆ You might want to wait until the hail/sleet has melted before venturing out again; during a warm-weather thunderstorm, this doesn’t take very long.

Water for Horses During Storms

Before the Storm:

◆ Save water. If you can manage it, saving water before the storm is helpful. Besides filling all of your horses’ buckets and troughs to the top, you can save additional water with simple 5-gallon camping containers. If the storm doesn’t come, so much the better—just use up the water the next day.

After the Storm:

◆ For city water: If your home or horse barn is connected to a municipal water source, a power outage from a storm might not be an immediate issue, as the town’s water system may be gravity fed (from a water tower, for example), and the water will keep working even without electricity.

◆ If your horse property is more rural and the barn is fed from a private well, this may be more challenging. People often have small generators around to power a few lights and the refrigerator, but well pumps usually take a lot of electrical amps to function and require some special wiring to be in place ahead of time.

If your home has a large generator capable of powering the well pump, you should be able to get water to your horses that way, but owners of small generators may come up a little short. This is where saving water prior to the storm can help. For long-term outages, you could also look at hauling water from a neighbor who hasn’t lost power.

Electric Fence Power

Before the Storm:

◆ Asses your horses’ needs. What happens when you have an electric fence, and there is no electricity to run it? Whether or not this is an issue depends on your horses; some never touch the fence whether it’s on or off; others test it frequently. You’ll have to make a judgement call. The good news is that solar fences aren’t effected by an outage.

After the Storm:

◆ Solar/battery-powered fence: With this system, solar panels collect sunlight during the day to run the fence and store it in batteries for nighttime and cloudy days. If you have a system like this, it’s independent from a storm power outage, so you’re good to go.

◆ AC-powered fence uses AC power from a typical power plug. If there is a prolonged power outage, you can probably plug your electric fence charger up to a small generator, as fence chargers don’t use much power. Another alternative is to have a small solar charger on hand for outage emergencies.

Horses In or Out During a Storm?

Should the horses be in or out of the barn during a thunderstorm? If the storm is forecast early enough and you have ample time, you can put the horses in the barn, but not everyone does this. However, there are some solid reasons to do so:

◆ Horses may become frightened. High winds and thunder can upset even normally calm horses, and if the storm is intense, they could potentially run into a fence. The exception might be in a case where a particular horse is much more anxious being indoors during the storm. Again, it’s case-by-case question that only you can answer.

◆ Lightning could be a threat. Horses are large, tall animals in an open area, and lightning strikes are not unheard of. Many horse owners prefer placing their animals inside a structurally sound, grounded stable.

◆ Damage to fencing can occur. If storm damage breaches a fence, it could offer the horses an escape route while the storm is still happening and before you have a chance to intervene.

The tips here are only meant to be a guide and to offer some suggestions, but ultimately the decisions are up to you and will come down to your specific situation. Hopefully, your thunderstorms will pass by harmlessly, but it never hurts to do some preparation and have some backup plans in place.

Here’s hoping for beautiful, sunny weather!

This article about keeping your horses and property safe during a storm appeared in the September 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Keeping Horses and Property Safe in a Storm appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Just about any region in the U.S. can experience a hot summer day, and some areas struggle with heat for much of the year. In light of that, why not consider planting your property with some trees to provide shade around the pastures, particularly positioned to provide afternoon shade for the horses? It might be just what you need.

The tricky part may be choosing the right trees for the job. Not all trees are equal for providing shade, and not all trees are healthy for horses to be around. There is also the matter of growth speed—if you’re starting absolutely from scratch, you might want to select trees that grow quickly.

There is also the possibility that you’ll need to remove trees from your horse property if they are potentially poisonous to horses. It’s definitely a regional issue, so a local extension office is an ideal place to get some advice on horse- and livestock-safe trees for your area.

To help you get started, here are a few ideas for trees that grow well across most regions of the U.S.

Trees for Excellent Shade

Hackberry/sugarberry trees: These trees grow to about 50-70 feet, so they fit well with the pastures and buildings of your property, but they have a nice, leafy crown that provides plenty of helpful shade—and they’re safe for horses to be around.

Magnolia trees: Magnolias, along with the related tulip poplars, are popular in southern regions and also don’t grow terribly tall.

Willow trees: While short, willow trees have a nice look and provide good shade while being safe for horses.

Eastern cottonwoods: These are impressive specimen trees, grow quite tall, and they’re also equine-safe.

Quick-Growing Trees

If you’d like to create a shady spot quickly, you’ll probably want to look at some sort of softwood tree. These trees tend to grow faster because they put less density into their wood (hence the name “softwood”) and this allow them to reach for the heights quickly.

These include conifers—like spruces or pines—that are native to your region. Conifers provide a nice rural evergreen appearance and can make significant height in just a decade or less. You should be able to find a pine variety that will fit just about any U.S. climate (but check their specific toxicity), though spruce trees may not thrive too far south.

It should be noted that consuming conifer needles in any great amount would not be healthy for horses, so that’s something to consider in some situations. Another downside to these trees is that their branches can be more breakable in wind.

There are some quick-growing hardwoods, too—green ash is an excellent option. It’s an attractive tree with unique compound leaves and a classically shaped crown. While prone to insect attack from the emerald ash borer, regions that don’t have this insect can grow impressive ash trees that offer great pasture shade.

Trees to Avoid Near Horses

Red maples: There are quite a few different species of maple trees, but red maples in particular are well known for the extra toxicity of their leaves, particularly when they are wilted, like from a freshly broken branch. You want to avoid red maples for shade in your pastures, and might consider removing the trees from around your pastures and horse property in general. In the early fall, red maple leaves turn a very bright hue of pure red, and the leaves are more “spiky” looking than other maples.

Walnut: Walnut trees, along with related species in the Juglandaceae family, produce juglone, which is a toxic substance that the tree uses to discourage plant growth around it. The radius of juglone is as much as 80 feet from the tree. Juglone is also harmful to horses—there are even examples of it causing laminitis—so these are definitely trees to avoid planting intentionally. Walnuts can sometimes be found on old farmsteads, so if your current horse property sits on an old farm, scout for walnut trees and consider removing them.

Oak: Sadly, as beautiful and shade-providing as a grand oak tree is, the leaves and acorns contain tannic acid, which isn’t safe for horses. Its fresher leaves are more problematic than dried ones.

Keeping Trees Safe Around Horses

It’s important to note that if you have trees directly in your pastures, you may need to fence them off with a small buffer to keep horses from chewing the bark (which, if done excessively, can kill the tree).

Horses with plenty of pasture grass typically don’t waste time with novelties like bark chewing, but a bored horse can become pretty destructive. Fencing the tree off individually is usually a better idea than trying to cover the bark.

Trees and horses can work well together; trees provide shade and erosion control. Plus, they add visual value to your land. Start planting now for beautiful shade in just a few short years!

This article about shade trees for horses is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Shade Trees for Horse Pastures appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

You know the type if you’ve ever had one. The picky eater that plays with his grain unless it’s exactly the right combination of toppers and supplements; the horse who always has a faint hint of ribs showing despite the loads of hay you shovel into his stall every day. Let’s take a look at some feeding techniques you can use to put the pounds back on a so-called hard keeper.

Note: A veterinary check is always advised first to rule out any medical or dental issues that may be causing your horse’s weight loss. For the purpose of this article, we’ll assume that the vet has declared him in perfect health and there is no underlying health problem.

1. Top Hard Keeper Hack: Feeding More Calories

If your horse needs to gain weight, an obvious first step is to add calories to the horse’s diet. Increasing concentrated feed (grain) can certainly do this, although you don’t want to overload the digestive system with starches and sugars found in grain. Keep each meal at 5 pounds or less for an average 1,100-pound horse so he can safely break down the nutrients.

Increasing calories from fiber is often a preferable method. Beet pulp or alfalfa cubes provide easily digestible, high-calorie fiber; and you can soak them right before serving to make them easy to consume. These can also be mixed with a grain concentrate if desired.

Additionally, consider the quality of your hay as well as the amount fed. Quality hay that is harvested at an earlier, leafy stage, is more nutrient-dense than mature, stemmy hay. Hay that is less than a year old, and stored properly, will also carry more nutritional value and supply the most energy. Switching from grass hay to a grass/alfalfa mixture can be beneficial, as alfalfa packs additional calories over grass hay (around 25 percent more).

Finally, getting your horse onto quality pasture for long hours of grazing in a relaxing herd setting can sometimes be a great addition. (As with increasing concentrated feed, care must be taken to increase grazing time slowly to avoid colic or founder.)

2. Fat Supplements

Sometimes a hard keeper will still need more calories, even when feeding concentrated feed and free-choice forage.

“The safest approach is to add calories with fat,” says Mike Graper, DVM, of Cornerstone Equine Services in Rhinelander, Wisc. “Most senior feeds have increased fat levels, and I’ve used them even with underweight yearlings.”

It’s also possible to supplement pure fats, such as vegetable oil top-dressed on your horse’s grain. One problem is that vegetable oil can get a little messy, and your horse may not like the taste. If this happens, you can try rice bran or a powdered (and perhaps more palatable) commercial weight-building supplement.

“Whole-roasted soybeans are high in fat as well as protein, and are a useful addition for thin horses that are still in work,” says Graper, noting that straight fat supplements should be added slowly to prevent loose stool.

Starting with 2 tablespoons twice a day and working up to 1 to 2 cups total per day may help the body adjust well.

“The type of fat doesn’t really matter, as in the case of the thin horse, we don’t care about the fatty acid distribution, we just want the calories,” Graper says. “In cases where we are concerned about which fatty acids are in the fat source (such as Culicoides hypersensitivity, aka sweet itch), you’d lean toward ground, stabilized flax seed or flax seed oil. Otherwise, feed whatever fat the horse will eat at the lowest cost.”

3. Digestive Supplements

You can also talk to your horse’s veterinarian about using probiotics or prebiotics to aid your horse’s digestive system. While these products don’t directly add calories, they can help your horse’s body put food to better use so your hard keeper can get more energy out of what you’re feeding him.

4. Take It Slow

You’re probably aware that it’s important to make slow adjustments in feed types, supplements, and amounts in order to give your horse’s digestive system a chance to adapt to the new modifications. But it’s also important to take things slowly in order to give the new supplement or feed time to work and cause a visible difference.

Depending on the horse, you may need to wait two to four weeks to see the effects. Give it time.

5. Separate the Hard Keeper From Other Horses While Feeding

Finally, be sure your underweight horse is getting the chance to consume the feed you offer! Horses in a group setting may squabble over pecking order, and older horses in particular may be pushed away from communal hay piles.

Also, a horse that eats more slowly will obtain less when fed in a group. You may need to temporarily separate your underweight horse during meals so that you can confidently control his rations until he reaches the desired weight. To ensure your hard keeper is getting his full meal, try feeding him separately from other horses.

The best place to begin is free-choice hay, water, and a salt block; the rest of these suggestions can be added from there to see which works best for your horse. Always form a plan under the guidance of your horse’s veterinarian for the best and safest results.

This article about feeding a hard keeper appeared in the June 2022 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Feeding a Hard Keeper appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Click image for larger view

In this chart, we show each face marking separately, but this doesn’t mean they are always seen alone. Many horses have combinations of face markings, such as a star and a snip, or a star and a stripe. And then there are horses who have markings that seem to defy being placed in any category—you’ll have to make your own judgement on what to call it!

Horse Face Markings

Face markings are identified according to their shape and location on the horse’s face.

• Snip:

  a small white marking on the muzzle, not connected to any other markings.

• Stripe:

  a narrow band of white running up a horse’s face from the nose to between the eyes.

• Star:

  any white marking on the forehead. It could be tiny, it could be large, or it could be an average size, like the one shown.

• Blaze:

  a white marking wider than a stripe and thinner than a bald face, not including the horse’s eyes.

• Bald Face:

  the most dramatic face marking, covering most of the face, possibly covering the eyes.

Horse Leg Markings

Click image for larger view

Leg markings are identified by how high they extend up a horse’s leg.

• Coronet:

  a thin band of white above a horse’s hoof.
  

• Pastern:

  includes the pastern but doesn’t cover the fetlock
  

• Sock (sometimes called an anklet):

  includes the fetlock joint
  

• Half-stocking (or half-cannon):

  continues partway up the horse’s cannon bone.
  

• Stocking:

  covers the entire lower leg and sometimes goes past the knee

This article about horse face and leg markings is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine, originally published November 2015. Click here to subscribe!

The post Horse Face and Leg Markings appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.