yard, stable ‘n’ paddock
Managing Midges
Managing midges can be tricky, but there are a number of ways that you can help reduce their impact on your horse. If you have a horse that suffers with sweet itch, do your best to use a field that’s away from standing water and is well drained, as these conditions are the midges’ preferred environment. Look to stable at dawn and dusk too, when midges are most active. Using a sweet itch rug can help a lot, especially if the above is not possible, as this prevents the midges from biting the horse or pony, even if they land on them. These should be close fitting, comfortable and highly breathable and provide as near to all over cover as you can - think of big tail flaps, belly cover and neck protection, as well as masks. There are also products available that repel midges, whether repellents or topical products, that are applied to the horse specifically for midges. It’s important to get the right solution for you, but keep in mind that if your horse is suffering, you should always call your vet for his or her advice.
For more practical advice, visit Z-itch, the maker of the once a week pour- on product to aid the control of sweet itch and the new Z-itch sweet itch rug, online at
www.z-itch.co.uk
Peter Hunter Paddock Maintenance
With autumn just around the corner and paddocks looking tired and worn out this is the perfect time to give your field a head start. Peter Hunter of Peter Hunter Seeds offers some experienced advice to help you make the most of your valuable grazing.....
With autumn just around the corner and paddocks looking tired and worn out this is the perfect time to give your field a head start. Peter Hunter of Peter Hunter Seeds offers some experienced advice to help you make the most of your valuable grazing.....
Autumn is both the beginning and the end of the grassland year. It is the beginning because September is the ideal time of year to reseed worn out paddocks. It is also the end because grass stops growing at the end of October and hibernates until spring. It is important to keep maintaining your paddock so that it remains in good condition. Autumn jobs such as reseeding, mowing and harrowing the paddock will help the grass grow well and keep it tidy. Paddocks also need time to recover after so much dry weather. Oversowing to poached or damaged areas stops weeds invading these areas. Grass seed can be spread by hand, drill or fertiliser spreader. Late August, early September is the ideal time to reseed. The young grass has time to establish and grow before the weather conditions begin to get worse. When reseeding and oversowing, the seed mixture should be carefully chosen. The ideal grass to provide grazing for horses and ponies is not the same grass that farmers might use for silage. The seed mixture should provide a short, dense sward that will cushion the horses’ feet, when the ground is hard. It should also be palatable and remain thick in the bottom.
Says Peter: “A horse’s grazing is important to his health and wellbeing and provides a huge amount of nutritional goodness. If the preparation is right, then the maintenance and upkeep of your paddock should be easy.” Peter Hunter Seeds now provides and even better service to customers on its website at
www.hunterseeds.com, where there is detailed information on paddock care, along with advice on ragwort management and the Newbury Paddock mixture grasses. Peter Hunter Seeds also provides an informative leaflet on paddock care, which includes advice on rescuing poached land and on choosing a seed mixture, whether you are re-seeding, oversowing or patching. For a copy of the leaflet contact Peter Hunter Seeds on 07831 442415 or visit
www.hunterseeds.com
A well maintained paddock ... Advice Line ... Q&A: Z-Itch
One of many species of the culicoides midge, a tiny biting insect with a typical 1.4mm wingspan
Q - We live in Dumfries & Galloway where midges are a real problem, but this year, because we are on the edge of an area of forestry currently being felled for logs, the problem is horrendous, particularly when there’s no breeze. Please can you advise on practical ways we can keep our two show jumping horses from becoming too
distressed, as one of them, an 8yo, 15.3hh Welsh cross gelding, does rub his tail when the midges are really bad. We keep them in until just before our ‘bedtime’ but they are out all night and the ‘dawn midge assault’ can mean they gallop about - we can hear them about 5am some mornings - which isn’t great as the ground is quite hard at present.
Equine Page 14
A - Z-itch, the maker of the once a week pour-on product to aid the control of sweet itch and the new Z-itch sweet itch rug,
www.z-itch.co.uk offers some practical management advice.
We really feel for you as this is such a tricky issue - you want your horse to enjoy the warm summer weather and good turnout, but you don’t want him to be plagued by midges and rub himself! It sounds like you’re in the perfect area for midges, so it might be worth considering stabling your horse overnight so he’s in during the ‘dawn midge assault’. However, if this isn’t an option, have a look at products designed especially for midges that help to prevent them biting the horse and repel them away- these can be very effective and last for a long time (up to a week). Also look at rugs that cover the horse and prevent the midges from getting to the skin…and make sure any rug you buy has a large tail flap if that’s a problem area for your gelding.
www.farmnequine.co.uk
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