Things to look out for now - Autumn

There are a lot of things I love about Autumn, but it also means Winter is not far away.  I start tidying, cleaning and preparing for the dark mornings and nights in plenty of time to try to make them easier.  However, there are still things to look out for at this time of year!

Top of the list is Atypical Myopathy.  Also known as Sycamore Poisoning this is usually FATAL. Sycamore seeds and leaves are a source of the toxin which causes this so prevent your horse from eating them.  Make sure your horse is not in a field with sycamore trees, especially at this time of year when the seeds are falling (these are the ones that look like helicopters).  Unfortunately the seeds can blow quite a long way so if there are trees nearby check your field!  

Look out for acorns now too.  Horses love them but they are poisonous, as are the leaves of the Oak tree, and so can cause Colic if many are eaten as well as diarrhoea.

Mud Fever - my field is just beginning to get muddy so I am starting to look out for this now.  As I have mentioned before Chesney is most susceptible because of his white legs, Basil and Tommy seem to be fine even though they are much thinner skinned!  

Rainscald is often a problem too at this time of year in the UK.  As the weather turns and it rains more, often horses don't have rugs on as it is not particularly cold and this means they are exposed and can be more susceptible. 

Tapeworm - if you haven't already then now is the time to worm for Tapeworm, or ideally carry out a tapeworm saliva test first.  I do find these a bit irritating because the horses have to stand for half an hour before I can do the test, but it is worth it to help prevent resistance building up.

Laminitis is still a concern with the final burst of growth from the grass before the winter, so keep an eye on weight and body condition score!  I do like Basil and Chesney to have a slightly higher condition score going into the winter as both tend to lose quite a bit at the end of the Winter when there is no grass left.  

Now is the time many people change their horses from being grass kept to stable kept.  I don't have to worry so much as my horses are out half the time and in half the time throughout the year but with many yards limiting winter grazing it is often not an option.  It is important to consider what affect this will have on your horse.  Have a look at a blog I wrote a while ago about this.

Have you seen last week's video 'Stables and Yawns'  on my You Tube channel?   
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Until next time!

Jo