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it ’ s worth checking in with your local veterinarian for their advice on the dressings and bandaging techniques they recommend for the different types of wounds and injuries . Zinc and castor oil mixtures can help protect the skin and promote healing .
PASTURE AND PADDOCKS :
Most tropical and subtropical grasses grow rapidly during warm , wet weather – but with excessive rain , even the grass becomes water-logged . When this happens , horses might not get enough roughage / fibre and lose weight . They can also have difficulty maintaining their body temperature and this affects the immune system and increases the risk of pneumonia . Weeds , some of which are poisonous and others can contain very high sugar levels , can take over in the paddock . When there is no grass to eat be sure to remove rotten , mouldy hay and vegetation as hungry horses can eat them and risk - botulism which can be fatal . Be ;/. bkkkkkkkv cautious too when horses are hungry as they may seek out weeds or toxic plants . Hay / straw mixes and other roughage should be provided . An excellent source of information on what plants to watch out for is available for Australian conditions .*
Oxalate levels in grass can increase when grass is growing rapidly . Oxalates bind calcium and the horse can become calcium-deficient and the skeleton osteoporotic . Horses can be managed on these grasses if you supplement their diet with calcium . The amount of calcium depends on the age of the horse , whether osteoporosis is present and the extent , the amount of oxalate in the pasture and the duration the horse has been grazing the pasture . A combination of organic and inorganic calcium is recommended and , importantly , the amount of calcium needed varies for each horse . If you ’ re not sure of your grass type – common oxalate grasses include buffel , kikuyu , panic and setaria – your local agronomist or veterinarian can provide advice .
GRASS FOUNDER , SUGAR , STARCH AND LAMINITIS :
Plant carbohydrates ie starch , sugar and fructan ( called NSC ) cause over 55 % of laminitis cases . Your local climate , weather , fertiliser , grass types and management practices all affect the amount of NSC in your pasture as you never know for certain what is happening to plant NSC levels . As a ‘ rule of thumb ’ watching your horse carefully and limiting access to pasture is the best preventative . Sugar levels rise through the day as the plant becomes a ‘ sugar factory ’ happily photosynthesizing when the sun shines . Sugar levels can triple through the day , with levels peaking at sundown , making the grass especially
AQHA JULY / AUGUST ISSUE 2022