Posted by Gary on August 13, 2003 at 15:21:01:
In Reply to: Founder Prevention posted by Erika on August 12, 2003 at 18:07:36:
: Just wanted to get some preventative information. I just bought 5 acres and have moved my horse out to our "own place". I only have a run-in shed for shelter and the entire acreage is in pasture. My mare is outside 24/7 and I'm worried that next spring I may have a founder problem. Can anyone give me any advice on how to prevent this? We live in TX, so "spring" grass shouldn't be as much of an issue as it would be somewhere the ground freezes in the winter. The barn she was at previously kept the horses outside pretty much 24/7, but it had a barn/stalls just in case they needed to come in. I plan on sectioning off the pasture this fall to start a rotation plan and reseeding atleast half of the pasture as it hasn't been improved for atleast 10 years.
: Thanks for any help you can provide.
: Erika
Spring grass in E.Tex is the culprit in most of the founders I work on every spring! It is the lust new grass that sets off these old cronic horses because owners don't pay enough attention to what they are eating ALL DAY AND NIGHT! Rotation is a good idea it keeps you involved with the horse everyday and you can monitor weight much easier that way! Good Luck! Gary