More recent horses and mules questions and answers

Horses and mules

Grass for horse pasture

I want to establish 5 to 6 acres of horse pasture in southwest Missouri. This property has not been improved for 20 to 40 years. The pastures are mostly briars and fescue and after this summer's drought mostly bare. I regularly feed my horses prairie hay, alfalfa and small amounts of grain. I would like to try bluegrass and orchardgrass but do not know if it will survive here with the high summer humidity. What are your suggestions and a time frame to establish the grass?

Neither bluegrass nor orchardgrass will survive well in southwest Missouri. Orchardgrass may survive in pockets, mostly when clipped as hay and rested. In addition, individual orchardgrass plants may be dispersed among other species in a mixed pasture. But in general, it does not survive.

In your area, you might consider establishing bermudagrass. It can survive the local climate and withstand the close grazing of horses. Its downside is the lack of winter pasture. However, you said you were feeding some hay. In addition, you could drill annual rye (cereal) or wheat into the bermudagrass and graze it over winter.

For more information on establishment, see G4620 Bermudagrass.

Craig Roberts
State forage specialist

Replanting horse pastures after fescue endophyte

I recently had two mares that had difficulty with their pregnancies and foaling. I researched online and found out about the fescue endophyte, no one in my area had ever heard of it before. I was feeding the mares baled fescue hay as free choice. I took the hay away and it's been a long recovery, but we have two healthy foals now. My pastures and hay have been tested for the fescue fungus and have all tested positive. If I plowed under my fields and replanted, will this get rid of the problem or is it going to take years? What is the best approach to resolve this? I'm talking about several horse pastures making up hundreds of acres of grazing and cutting, and a high mortality rate with breeding.

Yes, fescue endophyte causes severe problems in equine reproduction and milk production. The problems in horses are more severe than in cattle because horses lack the four-chambered stomach, including the rumen.

If you want to replant, you should employ the process known as "spray-smother-spray." Let's assume you will plant in the fall. In Missouri, the schedule would be the following:

Spray out the tall fescue in late May (or thereabout) with Round-up.
Drill a summer annual, such as pearlmillet, as a smother crop.
Continue grazing or haying the smother crop until late August.
Spray again in late August; this kills volunteer tall fescue and escape tillers.
Plant new crop. In Missouri, the preferred crop is MaxQ, a tall fescue infected with an endophyte that does not produce the ergot toxins. (The endophyte helps the plants persist in droughts.)

If you want to manage in a way that avoids foaling problems, remove pregnant mares three months before foaling.

Craig Roberts
State forage specialist

Horses and novel endophyte fescue

Has any research been done with horses and the novel endophyte fescue?

I am not familiar with research that addresses tall fescue with novel endophytes as pastures for horses, but I would be very surprised to see any health problems.

Craig Roberts
State forage specialist

Pregnant horses and tall fescue

Should I be concerned about pregnant horses grazing on tall fescue? I heard horses can abort due to a fungus or somthing in the grass.

Nearly all cultivars of tall fescue are infected witha toxic fungus, called anendophyte (endo = inside; phyte = plant). In horses, the fungal endophyte causes serious foaling problems, including abortions, prolonged gestation, retained placentas and thickened placentas.

Craig Roberts
State forage specialist

Saddle sores

I am six foot tall, weigh 180 pounds, and have two years experience riding in western pleasure reining. I just purchased in error a 17 inch deep seated roping saddle. I developed severe 4 inch long abrasions at the top of my buttocks, I've tried 15 to 16 inch seat saddles. The problem occurs on rare occasions. I sit back in the saddle due to my sway back. Is there any rule of thumb on a saddle selection that will put me more forward?

Try a saddle with a 15.5 inch seat that is relatively flat. Stirrups hung too far forward might also cause this problem.

Wayne Loch
Department of Animal Sciences

Updated 7/24/07