Equine Management Options in an Urban/Suburban Setting

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Equine Management Options in an Urban/Suburban
Setting

• Dr. Christine Skelly, Michigan State University
• and Dr. Betsy Greene, University of Vermont
• Sponsored by the Michigan Horse Council
• And Michigan State University Extension

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Things have changed
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Introduction

• Environmental/Land Use Issues
• Turnout and Forage Requirements
• Pasture Management
• Hay Purchase
• Manure Management
• Land Access/Open Space
• Sacrifice Lots
• Facility Risk Analysis
• Current Hot Topics
• Other Resources

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Turnout/Housing Options

• Housing outdoors
• Respiratory
• Exercise
• Behavior
• Housing indoors
• Behavioral health problems
• Increased bedding and time costs

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Forage Requirement

• Base for ration
• ³1 of body weight or
• ³50 total ration
• Long stem roughage best for gut motility
• Saliva production
• Psychological need
• Adult horse at light work does fine on all forage
  diet

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Pasture Establishment

• What are your goals?
• Exercise v. Nutrition
• Land Availability
• Ideal stocking rate
• 1 horse/2 acres
• Varies with management and land/climate conditions

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Soil Testing

• Basis for pasture establishment and renovation
• Basis for manure management plan

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Weed Management

• Getting a good stand is the best weed prevention
• Keep horses off of new plants for 6 months
• Frost seed
• Spot spray established grass/legume pastures
• Pasture Management
• Mowing not manicure!
• Rotational grazing
• Dragging
• Stocking density
• Sacrifice lots

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Clovers and Fescue
Tall Fescue and Endophyte James H. Miller, USDA
Forest Service, www.forestryimages.org
Alsike White Red
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Toxic Plants
Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
Black Locust
Hoary Alyssum
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Over Consumption

• A concern with both grasses and legumes
• Occurs in pastures with lush top growth--common
  in spring time
• Causes horses to founder/colic
• A problem with easy keepers, ponies
• Limit grazing of lush pastures
• Consider grazing muzzles

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Hay Quality Criteria

• Type of forage
• Stage of maturation
• Cleanliness
• Moisture Content
• Mold/heaves
• Foreign material/pests
• Toxic plants
• Blister beetles
• Storage conditions
• Match nutritional quality with nutritional
  requirements!

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Common Hay Species for Horses

• Legume
• Alfalfa
• Clover
• Grass
• Timothy
• Orchard
• Brome
• Mixed
• Alfalfa X Grass

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Hay Nutrient Recommendations
High Mod Low
Broodmare (Late gest. lact.) a a
W YR a a
Heavy work a a
2 yr old a
Mod work a a
Geriatric a
Light work maintenance a a
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Forage Testing

• Base horses diets on forage not grain!
• Only useful if buying large loads
• Good information for high performance or growing
  horses

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Buying Hay

• Try to purchase hay by the ton
• Examine several bales prior to purchase
• Do not talk about horse hay
• Try to purchase all hay from one source

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Manure Management
Long-term manure stockpiling
Overstocking on small acreage
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Water Quality
Surface Water
Do you know whats going on around your wellhead?
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How much manure will 1 horse produce?

• Manure volume for 1 horse per month
• 1,000 lb horse 50 lbs manure/day
• 50 lbs manure X 30 d 1500 lb/month
• (1 lb manure0.3 lbs wood shavings)
• 1500 lbs manure 450 lbs shavings
• 1950 lbs feed stocks (manure shavings)
• 1 Ton dirty bedding/month

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Manure Management Top 10 List

• Feed management
• Production of manure
• Collection
• Storage
• Treatment Value added
• Transfer
• Utilization
• Record keeping
• Emergency plan
• Periodic review

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Compost Management

• Time
• Monitoring
• Production
• Equipment
• Monitoring
• Production
• Patience

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Land application means

• Short-term stockpiling
• Under roof or away from waterways, downspouts,
  and low areas
• Utilization for fertilizer
• On your land
• On someone elses land

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Land Access

• Urban Sprawl
• Unfriendly horse zoning
• Neighbor complaints
• Manure
• Decreased trail access

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Sacrifice Areas

• Protect pastures
• overgrazing
• saturated
• recuperation time
• choice of wasted ground
• High Traffic Area

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Size and Shape

• Depends on . . .
• Land available
• of horses
• lay of land
• horse activity

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Sacrifice Considerations

• Mud control
• high ground location
• compost/hog fuel, gravel base for footing
• Drain tile
• Divert runoff away from area

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Greener Pastures
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Virtual Horse Facility Analysis Goals

• A self-guided analysis to help you fix
  potentialhazards at your barn before the
  accident happens.
• To provide a proactive, educational tool for
  people that work with or house horses.
• To alert barn owners and users to dangerous
  environments or procedures in equine
  facilities.
• To provide feasible alternatives when developing
  protocols to minimize liability and risk.
• To facilitate the understanding of potential
  liability issues that exist in any equine
  facility.
• To decrease exposure of equine enthusiasts to
  accident or injury through education.

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Entrances

• Perimeter fence
• Gate

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Office

• Posted signs should direct all visitors to the
  office

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Location, location, location

• This mare and foal barn has no buffer between the
  barn entrance and the adjacent parking area.  

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Stable Area

• Horses head should not have access outside of
  stall
• Stall guards
• Windows
• Dutch doors

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Alley Ways

• Clutter can cause accidents

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Phone

• EASY Access
• Emergency Numbers
• Address and Directions posted
• You dont know WHO will be calling
• visual landmarks
• Caution emergency vehicles with sirens that
  horses will be in the vicinity.

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Hazards

• The main electrical panel box should be in a dry,
  dust free area. The panel box should be weather
  proof.

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Fire Extinguishers

• Fire extinguishers within 50 - 75' of any
  location in your barn.
• Check with your local fire department for
  specific guidelines
• Extinguishers checked on an annual basis.

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Riding Arenas

• The arena - enclosed area with fence at least 3'
  6" high.
• Surface suitable for the riding discipline and
  well maintained.
• Loose dogs should not be allowed in arena
• A startled horse is a liability problem.

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Warnings

• An electric fence sign warns people to stay away.
  
• The electric bolt is universal.
• A bilingual sign may be important.

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Hay Storage

• Hay storage can pose a fire hazard
• Hay should be kept in a separate area
• Hay stored overhead may limit barn ventilation.

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Equipment Storage

• Equipment should be stored away from horse
  activity.
• Equipment usage should be scheduled during
  non-riding times.

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Liability Signs

• Check with your state's Equine Activity Statutes.
  
• Notices and Contracts
• Notices must contain the exact words required by
  your state's statute.

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Hot Topics and Resources

• Unwanted Horse
• NAIS
• Resources
• eXtension
• Extension Bulletins
• American Horse Council and State Councils
• American Association of Equine Practitioners
• Farm Bureau