 September 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The official newsletter of Horses for Clean Water, http://www.horsesforcleanwater.com
Message from Alayne: Rocky SpencerWashington wildlife lost an important defender this past week. Last Saturday Rocky Spencer, wildlife biologist for the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, was killed. While working on a project to relocate bighorn sheep from the Yakima River canyon, Rocky accidentally walked into the rotating blades of a helicopter sitting on a slope.
Rocky was a man who dedicated his life to educating people about animals. But more than that, he had a special personality that was engaging, yet unassuming. Everyone I’ve spoken with who knew him has been devastated by the news—from conservation district staff to agency folks to horse club members, park volunteers, and private landowners. Most of us weren’t his close personal friends. We were just people who had been to his presentations, were helped by him when there was a bear or cougar sighting in the neighborhood, worked with him on a wildlife project, or maybe we just crossed paths with him at the coffee shop in his home town of Maple Valley. Rocky was the kind of person you wanted to be around, with genuine, infectious enthusiasm for the animals he worked with. I was always glad to know he was out there working for our wildlife, helping to create a world where there’s a place for cougars and bears, animals we might normally be frightened of. I will miss his presentations. I always went out of my way to attend any of his talks. They were encouraging, enlightening, sometimes scary, often humorous, but always heartfelt. I never attended one where I didn’t feel deeply touched by his message of caring for wildlife. One look around the crowded room always told me I wasn’t alone. A Seattle Times article on Monday, September 10, 2007 talked about the GPS radio collars with computer mapping programs that Rocky used in his studies. Rocky and his partner were closely watching the daily travels of about two dozen cougars in east King and south Snohomish counties, areas just outside of Seattle. Often his talks showed maps covered with dots of recorded locations of cougars. These dots were in neighborhoods such as Maple Valley, North Bend and Carnation. Rocky saw this as proof that, with proper precautions, cougars and humans can and do coexist without much trouble. According to the Times article, Rocky’s research from over150 cougar kill sites shows that pets and livestock make up less than two percent of cougar prey. A few years back, I was talking with Rocky and said how, after 20 years in Washington, I had never seen a cougar. “Alayne,” he said, “You may not have seen a cougar, but with all the trail riding you do I can guarantee that they’ve seen you.” Once again proving that, in most cases, we can all get along relatively peacefully. The last time I talked with him was a year ago. I had the opportunity to tell him, with some pride, about the mother black bear who lives in our woods. I told him about how, on the few occasions where I’ve accidentally stumbled across her, she ran as fast as she could, sending her babies up a tree, never acting aggressively to me or my dogs. “She’s a good bear, Alayne,” Rocky told me solemnly as he listened patiently to my story. “That’s the kind of bear we want out there.” When I learned that Rocky was gone, one of my first thoughts was: Who’s going to care for the cougars and bear like Rocky? With one less person defending wildlife I think we will all need to pick up a bit of the slack. Alayne One of Rocky’s great loves was his dog Mishka, a specially trained a Karelian bear dog. In lieu of flowers, his family asks that remembrances be sent to the Wind River Bear Institute, which raises and trains dogs like Mishka. Their address is P.O. Box 1299, Florence, MT 59833 For more on Rocky Spencer:An Interview with Rocky Spencer, District Wildlife Biologist State’s carnivore specialist helped people, cougars coexist September heralds the time when we begin preparing our horse properties for winter (see the HCW Tip Sheet, “Fall in Place” on the HCW web site.) Among the tasks to be accomplished include buying our winter supply of hay. Look for green, leafy, fresh-smelling hay without mold, weeds, foreign objects, dust or discoloration. Recent nutritional studies recommend an adult horse receive 2% of its body weight in hay (or forage) per day. For the “average” 1000 pound horse receiving moderate exercise that equals about 20 pounds of hay per day, approximately 600 pounds of hay per month. Hay is usually sold in bulk by the ton (2,000 pounds), so one ton of hay will last about 3 1/3 months per average-sized horse. Do the math and determine how many tons of hay you’ll need this winter. This month in TGH we again feature an article submitted to us by horse owner Gale Nelson of Sequim, WA who shares her continued adventures in buying hay. What’s In YOUR HAY? Part IIby Gale Nelson, contributing author
In September 2006 I wrote an article for The Green Horse, about finding the “barbs’ from foxtail grass in local hay I’d purchased. I titled it “What’s in YOUR Hay?” Since that time my husband and I have been careful to buy hay from known and reputable sources, and to look for debris in the hay before it is unloaded at the time of delivery. This past year we had different problems with hay, and I thought I’d share our experiences in another article. When I wrote the first article I didn’t realize it would be part of a series, but it’s turned out to be the first of at least three articles on hay. In the winter of 2005-06 we bought local grass hay from our neighbor who supplies several others in the area with hay. It was low in nutrients and inexpensive, but since it wasn’t the only hay we were feeding we were comfortable supplementing our horses’ diets with it. We like our horses to have access to hay all day long to alleviate boredom and keep their digestive systems active thereby generating body heat. The local hay seemed ideal—it had a pleasant, sweet odor and the horses were content to munch on it between their twice-daily feedings of hay with a higher nutritional quality. In the winter of 2007 we bought more hay from the same neighbor. We stacked it in our barn and that evening when I opened the first bale I noticed that the sweet smell was too sweet. I checked the bale carefully but could not find mold or debris, so I tossed it into the feed bins and stood back to see what the horses would do. They pushed it around and nosed through it, nibbling here and there, but clearly were not enthusiastic about it. Over the course of the next week when they pretty much ignored the hay I became curious about it. I talked with our neighbor and found out that the hay had been treated with a preservative during the baling process because the moisture content was high. While attending a WSU Extension workshop by Curtis Beus, Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent for Clallam County, Washington, I learned there are two main types of preservatives: those containing an acid, such as propionic, acetic and formic acids, and those containing mold inhibitors. In wet climates like the Pacific Northwest, these are sometimes used on hays with a moisture content higher than 18-20%. In these cases, hay growers spray them on the hay during the baling process. Propionic and acetic acid, naturally in the cecum and colon of horses, are potent mold inhibitors which are commonly combined. Studies have shown that the heating and molding of hay during storage is decreased with the use of these chemicals, if applied evenly. Studies also show that horses prefer untreated hay when given the choice between treated and untreated. However, if given only treated hay their daily consumption did not decrease. Other mold inhibitors are apparently routinely applied to hay in a similar manner as the propionic/acetic-acid products, but although they are commonly used in hay fed to cattle, no research for horses has been found to compare parameters, such as acceptability, daily consumption and weight gain. Reports suggest that horses readily consume hay treated with these products and that it has generally not been found harmful or caused a higher incidence of colic. While all this may be true, I let my horses be the ultimate judge, and since they didn’t like this stuff and would leave it for days without eating it, we returned it to our neighbor for a refund. Our next purchase of local hay wasn’t any more successful as we ended up with moldy bales. My husband lacks a good sense of smell so he didn’t notice anything odd when he tossed out the first several flakes. Upon further inspection we found several other moldy bales with a musty odor that I could detect but my husband couldn’t. Additionally, at least one bale had black spots on the outside of the bale that weren’t noticeable in the dim light of our loafing shed. (TIP: Good lighting is a must for chore efficiency and horse health in the winter!) I knew moldy hay wasn’t good for horses but decided to do a little research. The consensus among agricultural scientists, veterinarians and horse owners is that mold (and dust) inflames the respiratory tract and can impair a horse’s breathing, sometimes causing permanent damage to the lungs. Lung damage in horses, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), commonly referred to as “heaves”, can have a mild to severe affect on a horse’s ability to breathe during exercise. Mold can also cause slobbering and digestive problems, from a mild to sever colic, a digestive upset. Unfortunately, some horses that develop sensitivity to dust or mold in hay may also develop detrimental reactions to clean, dry hay. So keeping the mold and dust out of your horse’s hay is paramount. To ensure that the hay you buy is of good quality, if possible inspect the field before the hay is cut, talk with the hay grower or dealer, or at the very least, perform a visual inspection of bales from various locations on the delivery truck (or at the field or facility from which you’re buying). Evaluate the odor, color, leafiness and maturity of the grass or alfalfa. Look for foreign material, including dirt, debris or insects(1). Smell the hay; it should smell fresh and sweet—unpleasant odors indicate mold or weeds. Touch the hay; it should not be too warm(2) nor course—leafy hay will have a softer texture than course stems. Maturity of seed heads will affect texture, too(3). Green hay is better than bleached out hay, but bales slightly discolored on the outside do not necessarily mean the entire bale is bad. Bear in mind that odor, texture and color do not necessarily relate to nutrient composition, but when hay smells bad, feels bad or looks bad, it probably is bad for your horse to eat regardless of its nutrient value. All these appraisals are subjective and no two people would evaluate exactly the same way, but for most of us it’s the best way to know what we’re getting. The only way to know nutrient value is to send samples to a lab for analysis, but I’ll talk more about that in my next article, “What’s In YOUR Hay? Part III.” Thanks to Curtis Beus, director and agriculture and natural resources agent for WSU Extension in Clallam County, Washington. The material available from his educational workshop “Selecting Hay for Livestock” was very useful to me in preparing this article. Footnotes:1 Although they are not common in Washington, beetles in the Coleoptera family Meloidae, commonly known as blister beetles, are pests of several crops, including alfalfa and sweet clover in the southern and eastern parts of the U.S. They produce a toxic substance called cantharidin, which causes inflammation and blistering of internal and external body tissues. When ingested by livestock, dead beetles that were present when hay was baled—and even the remains and dried juices from crushed beetles—can cause serious illness and even death. 2 Warm bales indicate excessive moisture that can lead to mold or spontaneous combustion. 3 While somewhat debatable, it is generally believed that hay should be cut before it goes to seed.
Farm Focus: Raging River FarmThe sign says “Raging River Farm.” Turn onto the peaceful driveway rimmed with native plants on one side and a small orchard on the other and immediately you are greeted by a pack of tail-waggin’ dogs. Beyond is a fenced in area of goats and there’s the deer-proof garden nearby - all this surrounding an exquisite, natural wood house. Off to the side is the horse portion—another beautiful natural wood structure, the barn, plus paddocks, turnout area, arena and some pasture. Oh yea—don’t forget the 30-plus ducks in their pen, too. In summer of 2003 David and Mary Schneidler moved from Seattle to 6.2 acres of barn and small farm on the Raging River in Fall City. “We lived on Capitol Hill in Seattle for 30 years,” reports Dave with a grin, “where the biggest animal we had was a chocolate Lab.” In a matter of a few years they’ve come a long way. Their journey to this point goes something like this: when Mary turned 50 she “decided to have a midlife crisis” (her own words!) She quit work as a bookkeeper and began exploring what she wanted to do “when she grew up”. Like many horse folk, she had been into horses in her youth and always wanted to get back to it. Now was the time—Mary turned back to the field of her undergraduate degree, recreation, and got a job as a therapeutic riding instructor at a facility in Fall City, WA. One Sunday on the way to work Mary happened by an open house sign for a lovely, small farm in Fall City. She called Dave who came over to look... and on Monday they bought their new small farm and new life. Like many places, the property needed a great deal of TLC “and m-o-n-e-y” adds Dave. But in August they moved onto the property, began to stretch out and size the place up. The property was beautiful, natural and loaded with beautiful, towering ancient cedar and fir trees. The first warm months of summer ticked by fading into winter and bringing a huge surprise: the big windstorm of December 2003. When that storm hit Dave and Mary, it hit literally. Big, friendly, old trees became dangerous enemies, falling here and there obliterating everything near them. Then worst happened—one the largest trees fell right through the middle of the house. Not being one to waste time, once the dust settled Dave set to work at cleaning, clearing, rebuilding and reshaping their dream farm. In a matter of months they rebuilt the house, naturescaped the front lawn (no grass to mow!), built new fencing... and much more. The journey progressed to 2005 when Dave met Horses for Clean Water. After attending HCW classes Dave began on a warpath to banish mud and tackle manure on the horse operation and really make things chore efficient on the small farm. He got in touch with the King Conservation District, got a farm plan and lots of great technical assistance. Next, he got in line for cost-share assistance from King County Livestock Programs to help pay for things like their “Cadillac” ecology block compost bin. Dave and Mary faced many challenges in managing their place including dealing with very small pastures filled with rocks and huge trees but little topsoil. Not having much pasture has led to creative alternatives—good use of turn out areas and mud-free paddocks. Beautiful fencing surrounds each area. “If there’s a more expensive fence then I don’t know what it is,” jokes Dave. Join HCW on this tour and hear the story of Raging River Farm—and you might even get to take home your own free duck!
West Nile virus news updatesThe following articles are reprinted by permission from the August 2007 issue of the Zoonotic Disease Newsletter, Washington State Department of Health’s bulletin on zoonoses and vector-borne diseases. West Nile virus found in Yakima County area horsesby Ron Wohrle, Environmental Health Veterinarian, WA DOH Zoonotic Disease Program West Nile virus, a potentially fatal disease in horses, has been confirmed in four locations south of Yakima. A five-year-old unvaccinated gelding from White Swan was euthanized on August 15. Two other sick horses were identified and now appear to be recovering, neither was vaccinated. The fourth horse was not up-to-date on its vaccination, but appears to be recovering. Horses ill with West Nile usually have mild to severe central nervous system symptoms. None of the horses had been out of the area recently. These are the first confirmed cases this year of West Nile virus in Washington. “Horse owners are underestimating the risk that West Nile virus presents to their horses,” said Dr. Leonard Eldridge, state veterinarian, in a Department of Agriculture new release. “The best ways to protect horses are vaccination and limiting exposure to mosquitoes.” Over $10 million dedicated to fight West Nile virus in CAby Ben Hamilton, Health Services Consultant, WA DOH Zoonotic Disease Program With the number of people infected this year with West Nile Virus three times higher than the same time last year, on August 2, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency for three counties which reported four deaths this year. “My proclamation makes financial assistance available to the local vector control districts and directs state agencies to take proactive measures to protect Californians from further spread of this deadly virus. I will continue to ensure our local agencies have whatever resources they need to fight the spread of the disease,” Schwarzenegger said in a prepared press statement. Reasons for the emergency proclamation included: a three-fold increase in the number of human infections, upturn in foreclosures increasing vacant homes with “green” swimming pools, Mosquito Vector Control Association of California’s request for increased funding for surveillance and control, and control actions that may need to cross jurisdictional boundaries and include ground and aerial applications of adulticides. Since taking office, Governor Schwarzenegger has invested more than $15 million to fight the West Nile Virus. California has one of the most comprehensive West Nile Virus surveillance and control systems in the U.S. The state deploys surveillance and detection technology to track specific areas of West Nile Virus activity and alert local agencies so they can target their mosquito control activities. WNV positives in the northwestWashington: 4 horses New WA DOH booklet available:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
Tip of the Month:
Setting Up Winter Paddocks Chore Efficiency
Chore efficiency is paramount when designing your confinement area for winter. Here are a few things to consider:
- Is the area close to your manure pile and feed storage for ease of daily chores?
- Are alleys and paths wide enough for wheelbarrows or any other equipment you expect to use?
- Is it easy to get in and out of horse areas?
- Can deliveries be made without moving horses or will people have to drive through a pasture to get to your confinement area?
- Is there access to water for your horses?
- During the grazing season, can you move horses to pasture areas or elsewhere with ease?
Educational Events
Summer is the time to prepare for winter! Learn great ways to ready your horse property so it’ll be chore efficient for you this coming winter—and healthier for your horses as well. Check out the web site for new events added regularly.
Fall City, WA | |
Living Without Horse Pasture | |
|
Saturday, September 22nd
|
This 6 acre mini-farm had lots of challenges in the horse pasture department—rocks, no topsoil, lots of big trees. Not having much pasture led to creative thinking and alternatives. Tour this Fall City, WA farm to see good use of turn-out areas, mud-free paddocks, different footing choices, a large all-season riding arena, attractive wood fences—plus ducks, chickens and goats, fruit trees and garden. To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581x125 or e-mail. |
Stanwood, WA | |
Workshop on Choosing the Right Horse Property and Compost Options | |
|
Saturday, September 29th
|
In this morning workshop we will cover different options for composting manure and stall waste as well as how to pick the right horse property. Shopping for Horse Property: How to Select a Suitable Site Composting and Other Useful Manure Management Options To register and receive a map contact the Snohomish Conservation District at 425-335-5634x4 or e-mail. |
Preston, WA | |
Fall in Place: Preparing your Horse Farm for Winter | |
|
Tuesday, October 2nd
|
Tips and techniques to help you get a jump on winter. Join HCW on a pre-winter journey through a checklist and presentation on things to do to prepare your farm for those dark, cold, and blustery winter months. Learn ways to make the coming winter more chore-efficient, less stressful, and healthier for your horses and the environment! To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581x125 or e-mail. |
Olympia, WA | |
Fall in Place: Preparing Your Horse Farm for Winter | |
|
Wednesday, October 17th
|
Join Horses for Clean Water for an evening workshop on ways to prepare your farm so it will be easier to care for this winter with less runoff, mud and manure. Learn techniques you can put in place now to improve horse health, make chores and horse life easier and improve the health of the environment. Registration and directions, Sara Carter at 360-754-3588 or e-mail or Karin Strelioff at 360-427-9436 or e-mail. |
Issaquah, WA | |
Workshops for Horse and Small Farm Owners | |
|
Thursdays
|
Hands-on workshops on livestock management practices. See a variety of options and work with technicians to discover ways you can have less mud, better pastures and manage manure. To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581x122 or e-mail. |
Langley, BC, Canada | |
Natural Ways to Manage Horse Properties—Workshop and Farm Tour | |
|
Saturday, November 3rd
|
Join HCW and Langley Environmental Partners Society for a weekend on ways to manage horse properties to reduce mud and runoff, useful manure management options and how to make pastures more productive. Saturday presentation to be held at the Langley Township Main Hall, in Langley, BC. Sunday farm tour will show practices on the ground. PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED and seats are limited. Contact the LEPS at 604-532-3515 or by e-mail. Cost is CA$40 for the November 3rd workshop and CA$25 (includes bag lunch) for the November 4th farm tour. Discounted cost of CA$50 for attending both events. |
Steamboat Island (Olympia), WA | |
Winter Horse Farm Management Workshop and Farm Tour | |
|
Saturday, November 10th
|
Join Horses for Clean Water for an all-day workshop on ways to prepare your farm so it will be easier to care for this winter. Morning presentations include: Buying Horse Property and 6 Tips for Managing Mud and Manure Management for Horse Owners. Afternoon session includes a farm tour of an environmentally sensitive horse property where you can view many of the discussed techniques on the ground. Improve horse health, owner convenience, farm productivity, neighborhood esthetics and the health of the environment. Registration and directions, Sara Carter at 360-754-3588 or e-mail or Karin Strelioff at 360-427-9436 or e-mail. |
Fall City, WA | |
Farm Tour: Managing Horse Property in Winter | |
|
Saturday, November 17th
|
This large-scale reining horse breeding operation is beautifully set-up and managed. Tour this 20-horse Fall City, WA facility with the owners to hear and see how they designed and built it from the ground up. Learn what works for chore efficiency and what doesn’t. See winter pasture management techniques in place, tour a covered arena which doubles as turnout, hear about dust control, see gates designed for tractor access, and learn about green alder shavings which compost beautifully in their cement compost bins. To register and receive directions contact the King Conservation District at 425-277-5581x125 or e-mail. |
If you have any questions or would like to submit an article for publication in The Green Horse, please e-mail info@horsesforcleanwater.com.
