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by Lorraine Niepert Florida requires quite a different approach to healthy horse care than did Maryland. Between the climate and the actual physical living conditions, I had to be re-educated in order to give safe and proper horse care to my equine friends. ENOUGH NOURISHMENT FOR YOUR HORSE. A horse needs at least 1% of its body weight to be provided in good forage such as grass or hay. Because of the intense heat and humidity, it has been recommended that a daily ration of timothy or timothy alfalfa hay be provided in addition to any coastal hay you feed your horse. It has been found that the incidence of impaction in the gut is increased if only coastal hay is provided. In the winter here, the grass goes dormant the same as it does in northern states and a good quality hay needs to be provided for your horse. Hay is important to your horse's diet in the wintertime as it provides heat. I have been involved with horses in the state of Florida for thirty years and there are several things of which I am quite sure: One: Every horse needs to be on a strict vaccination program. This was touched on in a previous article. Two: I can't stress enough the importance of a good sanding program. Horses eat off the ground. This is the most natural position for them to feed. Unfortunately, we are not all blessed with an abundance of grass or groundcover. I have seen horses take great delight in pulling the grass up by the roots and consuming every last drop of dirt and sand that was clinging to the roots. This passes through the stomach and lodges in the intestinal tract of the horse. Bran and oil will not move it from the horse's gut. My husband's horse, P.J., has made it his mission in life to sample every type of dirt/clay/sand on the property. Bob breaks out in a cold sweat and asks when the last time was that I sanded P.J. He may not know what his horse gets to eat (I do all the manual stuff) but he does know the absolute importance of keeping sand from building up in his horse's system. There are many products on the market today. I prefer to use Equi Aid. I follow the directions on the container. The horse is given 8oz. of the product in a feeding for seven days straight. One week out of every month. If you are unsure of how much of a sand build up your horse may have, take a pair of disposable gloves i.e. like those used in the hospital and place a sample of your horse's manure inside. Put the glove on, from the top of a fresh pile taking care not to pick up any dirt or sawdust, take a large handful. Pull the glove off turning it inside out and add water to the manure. Tie the top of the glove closed and hang it up for a few hours. If your horse has sand in its system, the sand will puddle in the finger tips of the glove. I am always careful to sand and worm a strange horse when it comes on property as I am not sure how the folks cared for the animal before it came here. Another problem that is caused by sand is "stones". Most Florida horses who are not sanded faithfully, develop them by the time they are into their teens. Some are miniscule; the size of a pea. Others become quite large and in some cases, roll to a spot where they block the flow in the gut and cause a severe colic. If the stone doesn't roll away from the opening, then surgery is required or else the horse will go into shock and die. I presently care for a horse at my stabling facility that had the surgery at 12 years of age. It was quite costly and severely trying for both the horse and her owner. This mare gets one cup of sanding agent (Wal-Mart brand Equate) in her feed three times a week faithfully. Whatever sanding agent you decide to use, follow the instructions and make certain there is always fresh water available at all times. If your horse has intermittent diarrhea, this could be a sign of sand. Use your agent for a week, wait two weeks and then follow the same procedure again. If you are uncomfortable or unsure about this advice, seek that of a equine veterinarian. Three. Electrolytes. If you provide shade, a fan in the stall, access to plenty of fresh water and your horse still seems to struggle in the summer heat, give him electrolytes in his feed. Gatorade can also be used. My horses have no problem eating it in their grain. I don't place it in their water as I don't want to discourage them from drinking. Four. Worming. When a new horse is purchased, we buy a PowerPac from our vet. It is a Pancur paste double dose that is given five days straight. Then two weeks later, we give a Strongid paste wormer and then four weeks later, we give a wormer that has ivermectin in it to kill bots. This eliminates the formation of encysted strongyles in the stomach and intestinal walls. It is most important that your horse be on a dedicated worming program. Do not use any other type of wormer in this way. It will hurt or kill your horse. Safeguard and Pancur wormers are the only ones that are safe to use more than one dose at a time. Discuss this with your vet. If you elect to adopt an abused or neglected horse that has severe health problems to begin with, get with your vet and set up a specialized program to take care of these things as the horse's immune system may be too low to handle and aggressive worming/sanding program. There are many great free publications that provide knowledgeable and concise information for the safekeeping of your horse(s). These articles are written by prominent veterinarians at the major equine universities. Most feed stores and tack shops keep a stack by the check-out for your convenience. This article, its photos and all the
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