June 15, 2008
Hello Again!
Last time, we talked about keeping your horse off recently fertilized pastures. But are you aware of the difference between pasture fertilizer and lawn fertilizer? The difference is important.
Lawn fertilizers are frequently time-released products, slowly disbursing nitrogen into the lawn for weeks. The pelletized fertilizer can exist on the soil surface for several weeks. Nitrogen is, in large quantities, toxic to your horse. Even in lower quantities, it is very irritating to your horse's stomach and a common cause of spring colic.
Pasture fertilizers also contain nitrogen, but it is designed to disburse quickly into the soil.
For more information on fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, please read this article.
Tip Of The Day:
Do you feed your horses garlic? If you do, you should be aware of a 2005 Canadian study that found large doses of garlic caused an array of changes in the horse's blood including an increase in mean corpuscular volume (MCV), decreases in red blood cell count and blood haemoglobin concentration. These changes eventually led to a condition known as Heinz Body Anaemia. In addition, onions (a relative of garlic) are known to have toxic effects on horses, and it’s possible garlic could react the same way.
These results demonstrate that the maximum short-term, safe dose of freeze-dried garlic for horses is about four cups per day for up to four days. Beyond this dose and duration, horses may develop signs of heinz body anemia. The implication of this finding is that the typical supplementation regime of 1 cup/day will not result in adverse effects on horses, but further studies are needed to determine if these lower doses are safe for chronic consumption, and if they are associated with beneficial effects.
Many experts feel that supplemental garlic doesn't offer enough benefits to merit the potential side effects.
Happy riding!
The Practical Horsekeepers
Looking for back issues of our newsletter? They're available here.
P.S. Have a friend that might enjoy our newsletter? Sign 'em up below and they'll get the opportunity to receive our helpful horse care information with a practical twist!
Yes, sign up my friend!