8/ JULY 2012 THE RIDER THE WAY OF HORSES
By Eleanor Blazer Copyright @ 2012
You might think feeding lawn clippings to horses makes sense. After all horses are designed to eat grass, but think again.
The sensitive equine digestive system does not tolerate change. Anytime you introduce new feed to a horse it must be added gradually to the diet over a period of 7-10 days. This gives the beneficial microbes and bacteria within the large intestine (cecum) time to adjust to the new diet. Giving your horse a “treat” of grass clippings occasionally does not give him time to adjust.
Most lawns are maintained by frequent fertilization, producing grass that is high in non-structural (soluble) carbohydrates. Feeding horses grass clippings that contain high levels of NSC’s also disrupt the balanced microbial population in the large intestine.
Having a weak moment and giving your horse a pile of grass clip- pings is asking for digestive upset - leading to diarrhea, colic or laminitis. In addition to fertilizer, many lawns are also treated with herbicides and pesticides. Any homeowner who has read the warnings on these products won’t want to feed the grass to their horse!
When your horse grazes he sorts through the plants – picking the ones
he likes, nipping them off, thorough- ly chewing and then swallowing – while leisurely moving along. A pile of grass clippings does not give him an opportunity to sort. It allows him to rapidly swallow a large bolus of short-stemmed material. This could lead to choke – a blockage of the esophagus.
Not sorting can also lead to the ingestion of toxic plants. Many ornamental shrubs, which are poi- sonous to horses, surround homes. A leaf that has blown onto the yard and mixed in lawn clippings is asking for trouble if fed to your horse. Take time to find out if your plants are toxic to horses. Get rid of them if they pose a danger. (Read about ole- anders at
http://www.thewayofhors-
es.com/oleander_0607.html) Broodmare owners have to con- sider the type of grass in the lawn. Many lawns contain fescue. Fescue is an economical hardy grass that is disease and drought resistant. But lawn fescue contains a hidden danger for broodmares in their last three months of gestation – an endophyte fungus. This fungus can cause pro- longed gestation, inhibit develop- ment of the udder and restrict milk production.
Lawn/Grass Clipping for Horses
vention is delayed when presented with a red bag delivery. Consult your veterinarian for instructions on how to deal with a red bag birth prior to the foaling date – you will not have time to call for help. (Red bag can also be caused by things other than endophyte fungus.)
“Nutrition for Performance Horses” taught by Eleanor Blazer. Earn certifica- tion or work toward a Bachelor of Science degree in equine studies. Go to
Foals may also be born dead or with the syndrome called dysmaturi- ty (dummy foal). Research has also shown the endophyte fungus can delay heat cycles and increase the chance of embryo loss during the first 30-60 days of gestation. Another problem with feeding grass clippings is the possibility of mold and botulism. Many home- owners like to rake or gather clip- pings instead of leaving them on the manicured lawn. Piling the moist residue creates heat and fermentation – leading to mold. Botulism can also develop. Botulism is a bacterium that grows in decaying vegetation or animal carcasses. Botulism kills horses. For more about botulism and horses go to:
http://www.theway-
ofhorses.com/06_10_botulism_hors- es.html
Endophyte toxicity also causes the placenta to be thick and separate prematurely – a condition called “red bag”. The foal will die if quick inter-
As delectable as those lawn clippings may look…they can be a life threatening danger. Don’t have a “weak moment.”
* For information about caring for and feeding horses take the online courses “Stable Management” and
www.horsecoursesonline.com for more information. Visit Eleanor’s web site at
www.thewayofhorses.com
US Veterinarian Proposes Law Recognizing Pets’ True Value
A veterinarian is asking anyone who will listen – legislators, judges, fellow pet owners – if the loss of a pet is akin to the loss of furniture, a computer or a car. Kenneth Newman, a 33-year veteri- narian and author of Meet Me at the Rain- bow Bridge (
www.meetmeattherainbow-
bridge.com), has proposed a law that answers his question. Gracie’s Law recog- nizes the emotional bond between pet and owner by entitling the owner of a pet killed through an act of malice or negli- gence to $25,000 in damages.
• 83 percent call themselves “Mommy” or “Daddy” in reference to their pet. • 59 percent celebrate their pet’s birthday. Cases involving pet owners’ bonds are increasingly showing up in the courts, Newman points out:
“It’s time we change the laws to more accurately reflect what pets mean to the average American,” says Newman. Gracie’s Law would not supersede current laws, he says, which entitle owners to the property value of their pet. And it would not replace criminal prosecution for acts of malice. And owners who decline a recommended veterinarian procedure to save a pet would not be held accountable under the law, he says.
Newman’s dog Gracie was killed in April 2008 when a negligent driver backed up 25 yards without looking, crushing Newman and Gracie between two vehi- cles. The vet escaped with a broken leg; Gracie saved his life, he says.
• Matrimonial law: Attorneys have experi- enced a 23 percent increase in pet cases, according to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. This includes cus- tody battles over pets, veterinarian bills and visitation rights. Harvard now has a course dedicated to pet law.
• The North Carolina Court of Appeals: While the plaintiff’s wrongful death law- suit was denied, animal activists applaud a judge’s willingness to at least hear a case involving a Jack Russell terrier that died while undergoing tube feeding at a state facility.
• Texas justice: On Nov. 3, 2011, Fort Worth’s 2nd Court of Appeals ruled that value can be attached to the love of a dog. That overruled a 120-year-old Texas Supreme Court case, which held that plaintiffs can only recoup the market value of their pets.
“An attorney looked me in the eye and said that my dog was a piece of prop- erty, that I wasn’t entitled to anything for the dog, and that this was a simple broken- leg case,” he says.
In every state, he says, laws view pets as property. Owners are entitled to no more than replacement value; no law takes into consideration the loss of companion- ship, grief, or pain and suffering. Newman says that doesn’t jibe with Americans’ attitude toward their pets. According to an American Animal Hospi- tal Association survey, 90 percent of own- ers consider their animals part of the fami- ly. Other findings:
• 52 percent of Americans would rather be stranded on a deserted island with their pet than with another person.
• Largest award: In April, a Denver judge awarded Robin Lohre $65,000 for the death of her dog, Ruthie. Lohre had accused Posh Maids cleaning service of negligence for allowing the dog to get out- side, where it was hit by a car. Newman notes this sets a new precedent for pet value, but that such uncapped awards may threaten affordable veterinary care. About Kenneth Newman DVM Kenneth Newman graduated from Purdue University with a Doctor of Vet- erinary Medicine degree in 1979, and has since been a practicing vet. He experi- enced a badly broken leg and the death of his Labrador retriever Gracie due to the negligence of a driver in April 2008. Since then, he has proposed and advocated Gra- cie’s Law, which recognizes that pets are more than common property. Newman lives with his wife and their son, as well as several pets.
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