Spring is a beautiful time of year! Everything begins to bloom and grow. Your horse's pasture is likely taking off right about now with green grass coming in and various flowers and weeds. Unfortunately, there are dangers lurking in their pasture and you must be aware of them. Some of them can make your horse really sick!

Spring Pasture Dangers

  1. Toxic plants: Field management is so important. You must know what is in your pasture. A curious or bored horse may consume something that they shouldn't. Certain plants like nightstand and buttercups can be toxic to them.
  2. Grass high in fructan: Fructan is a sugar-based carbohydrate, which serves as an energy source for plant cells. In the spring, it's abundant in grass. Unfortunately, your horse struggles to digest fructans. An overload in their system can cause laminitis, colic, and diarrhea.
  3. Wet grass: Dewy grass in the morning is very common in the springtime. Your horse is at risk for scratches and other fungal conditions due to the high level of moisture on their skin.
  4. Animal holes: Groundhogs and prairie dogs begin to emerge in February and March. Their holes can be very dangerous to your horse. If your horse were to step in one, they could break their leg!
  5. Ticks & other insects: Once warm weather arrives, ticks will begin to appear. They can transmit some nasty diseases to your horse. They're most active from March to mid-May. Some horses are also hypersensitive to insect bites. They can leave them scratching themselves raw!

Spring is a wonderful time of year with gorgeous weather, sights, and smells, but it does come with some risks. You need to monitor your horse carefully when they're out on pasture.

spring pasture COWGIRL magazine
A horse grazing. Photo by Erdenebayar Bayansan.

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