| Volume 1, Issue 2 - May 2008 |
|
|
Equine Updates is a quarterly newsletter that will showcase the people, programs, and current practices in the Maryland equine community. This issue will introduce the University of Maryland's Equine Specialists, program highlights and upcoming events.
Organizations Join Forces to Reduce Unwanted Horse Numbersby Dr. Amy Burk 'Tis the Season...for Ticks!by Elaine Long Bailey Everyone wants their horses to be healthy. To do that, we need to feed them appropriately and manage to prevent disease. We feed our horses well and vaccinate against the recommended diseases. Ticks, however, deal us a tough hand. They are carriers of Lyme Disease, and there is no currently licensed equine vaccine available. What’s more, ticks also can cause Lyme Disease in humans. So we really must pay careful attention to our horses and monitor them for ticks, and make sure to check ourselves for ticks when we’ve been outdoors in the woods or in fields. Where do ticks hide? They are pretty ubiquitous once the weather warms, but particularly populate wooded and grassy areas. While they like to attach in areas of the body with folded skin, or other “cover,” they will take just about any opportunity to hitch a ride for a blood meal. You should develop a system to regularly check for ticks. Grooming time is a logical time to do this. First, be sure to groom your ENTIRE horse, being mindful of raised, bumpy areas all over the horse. If there is a raised or bumpy area, look more closely to make sure that it is not a tick. Remember: they will hitch a ride on any body part, but ticks tend to migrate quickly to the more desirable areas. As you groom, pay special attention to the horse’s ears and face. Check inside the ears, and under the horse’s jaw. Keep in mind that any crevices on the body are potential places for ticks. The forelock, mane and tail are areas that ticks like to hide. So check them carefully. Also be sure to examine the loose skin around the front legs (armpits) and in the fetlocks. Look carefully under the horse’s belly, in the groin area, and especially under the tail head and around the anus. Ticks readily attach in these areas, so be sure to look CLOSELY. But how do I remove the tick? It is best to use tweezers and grasp the tick at its mouthpart where it attaches to the horse. Firmly remove the tick, but be sure to prevent it from being ruptured as you remove it. Once the tick is removed, either place it in a closed container for further observation, or flush it down the toilet. Can I prevent ticks from biting and attaching to my horse? There are tick repellent products available. While they may help to decrease the ticks on your horse for a period of time, it is still a good idea to continue to check for ticks, even if using one of these products. Enjoy the warm, sunny days with your horse. But be sure to keep the “tick check” in mind when grooming. You and your horse will be glad you did! 2008 4-H Horse Bowl Contest Resultsby Kristen Wilson The 2008 Maryland 4-H Horse Bowl Contest was held this past Saturday, March 8, 2008 at the Plant Sciences Building on the University of Maryland - College Park, MD campus. This year's contest brought in a record number of youth and teams participating with counties from all ends of the state participating. This event couldn't have been such a great success without the help of the great volunteers that helped run the contest. Volunteers included on-campus and off-campus educators as well as county volunteers, parents and youth and UMD Students. Results from this year's event are listed below and can also be found at http://www.4hhorse.umd.edu/activities/horsebowl.html Congratulations to all of the 4-Hers and counties that participated in this year's event. Your hard work really showed!! The Top Ten Seniors have qualified to compete for a spot on the state team that will represent Maryland at the 2008 Eastern National 4-H Horse Roundup Contest in Louisville, KY.
JUNIOR - TOP TEN INDIVIDUALS Maryland Officially Accepting Printed Copies of Electronic Cogginsby Dr. Amy Burk Finding the Perfect Horse Camp for Your Childby Karol Dyson Selecting a horse camp for your child can be as easy as completing the form that comes home from the local barn where your child takes weekly lessons, or as complicated as conducting a several month search involving visits, references and interviews.
Pasture Renovation-Planning for Successby Erin Petersen Fall-planted cool-season grasses are often more successful than spring-plantings. This is because the grasses don’t have as much competition from weeds as they do when planted in March and April. Contact your local Maryland Cooperative Extension Office for advice and guidance as to what forage species to use in your pasture. Step 1. Obtain a soil sample and correct any deficiencies in your soil such as low pH and/or nitrogen. Lime applications require time for the soil pH to actually change. One of the leading causes of failed seedings is a low pH, so fix this now before you plan to seed next year! Step 2. Control the weeds in your pastures. For common annual weeds, this means frequent mowing to prevent seedhead formation and possible use of an approved herbicide. Perennial weeds are harder to control – mowing helps, but you will probably have to use an herbicide to kill the root system so that the weed doesn’t come back next year! Read the herbicide instructions carefully – there may be a period of time required between application and seeding. Most hard-to-kill perennial weeds will be best controlled by application of an herbicide 2-4 weeks prior to the last frost. Even broad-leaf herbicides can be damaging to newly sprouted tender young grasses, so it won’t work to seed and then spray. If you’ve already got low weed populations, you can proceed to step 3. Step 3. Soil/field preparation. If you’re planning to till your soil (plowing, disking and harrowing), get this started as close to planting as possible to avoid erosion and runoff. Tilling can be useful if you have weed problems and may even be essential if your soil is heavily compacted. Otherwise, for a no-till seeding, this is the one time when you can allow your animals to overgraze the pasture. Put your horses out and allow them to graze close to the ground – this way, the sprouted seed won’t have competition for light. Step 4. Time to seed! The best time to seed in Maryland is between mid-late August and early September. Time it as close to predicted rainfall as you can – new seedlings require moisture and if you seed during a drought, you won’t have a successful establishment. If you end up seeding later than you had hoped, you may run into problems with seedlings not being able to withstand the first frost, so timing is important. Seeds need good seed to soil contact; in other words, broadcasting your seed is not going to be as effective as actually putting it into the soil. A no-till drill allows you to plant the seed at a ¼ - ½ - inch depth giving you a better shot at success. Some county Soil Conservation District offices have no till drills available for lease to use with a tractor with a PTO, or you can hire a custom operator to do it for you. If this isn’t possible and you have to broadcast your seed, follow your seeding with a good harrowing to increase the seed-to-soil contact. Step 5. Wait. This is probably the most important and most often forgotten step! Your new pasture won’t be ready for grazing until spring of 2009. A good way to know if it’s ready is if you’ve had to mow it a couple of times before putting the animals on. Use this new pasture lightly the first year or two to enhance the root growth and give the new grass it’s best shot at the pressures of grazing. Animal Sciences Department Announces New Equine Scholarshipby Dr. Amy Burk 22nd Annual Maryland Horsemen's Party Scheduledby Kristen Wilson The 22nd Annual Maryland Horsemen’s Party will be held on Sunday, September 21, 2008 from 2 to 5pm at Ten Oaks Ballroom in Clarksville, MD. This year’s event will feature great food, live entertainment, demonstrations by 4-H youth, a silent auction and a live auction. Recipients of the Maryland 4-H Youth Development Award and Maryland 4-H Horse Program Volunteer of the Year Award will also be recognized. Proceeds will benefit the Sallie Robertson Memorial 4-H Endowment Fund. The goal of the Sallie Robertson Memorial 4-H Endowment Fund is to support 4-H equine educational programs and the annual trip for 4-Hers representing Maryland at the Eastern National 4-H Horse Round Up in the areas of horse judging, hippology, horse bowl, demonstrations and public speaking. The fund may also provide scholarships for 4-H volunteers and members to attend leadership conferences and equine-related workshops. Please visit our website at www.4hhorse.umd.edu/activities/HorsemensParty.html for more information or see the attached document. Tickets are now available and should be purchased by September 2, 2008.
|
The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources? three units?Academic Programs, the Agricultural Experiment Station, and Maryland Cooperative Extension?work in concert to educate students and citizens about critical issues and to solve problems in agriculture, food systems, and the environment. The college is an equal opportunity employer and provides equal access programs.
