by Kristin Pitzer

In human athletics, proper joint care is an important part of staying healthy and competitive. Those that play sports know that a severe injury to a joint increases the likelihood of osteoarthritis, which can be career-ending. Conversely, protecting and taking care of joints can keep one on the court or in the field for a longer time.

The same is true in performance horses. Healthy joints reduce risk for damage when a horse stops hard, spins fast or turns sharply. Plus, as horses age, a good foundation in joint care can help protect them from future injuries and pain.

Quarter Horse News spoke with Dr. Gabrielle Solum, Equine Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Resident at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, to get the lowdown on joint care for performance horses.

Start at the Beginning

While some might believe only those with horses in high-intensity training programs need to worry about joint health, it is something every horse owner should think about, Solum noted. Joint care involves a variety of elements, and while the horse’s training program is one of them, it also includes the horse’s conformation, diet and health history.

These factors are important from the very beginning. In fact, those raising young horses should consider having a veterinarian examine their stock before they reach adulthood.

“There are a lot of horses that we see for lameness that have conformational abnormalities predisposing them to lameness, which may have been helped as foals,” Solum said. “These abnormalities as foals include tendon contracture or laxity, varas and valgus conformation, and club feet.”

Solum recommended radiographing young horses before they enter training to identify any abnormalities, like osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) lesions or cysts, that can be helped with surgery. From there, routine veterinary exams can help identify any lamenesses early in the horse’s career.

Lighter Is Better

Many of today’s performance horses tend to be heavier weight-wise than recommended. This is because “fleshier” horses appeal to the eye more, Solum said. But putting heavy horses into intense training programs increases the risk of damage to their joints, along with other health concerns.

“Overfeeding [as foals] has been associated with development of physitis [inflammation of a growth plate] and OCDs,” Solum said. “Horses can be appropriately fed and maintain good nutrition without being overweight. As the horses enter training, overfeeding and obesity predisposes them to metabolic conditions.”

“Good nutrition is important so these horses have proper nutrition while they are not only maturing and growing, but also as they also enter their training program,” she added. “Typically, in Western performance horses, the majority of money-earning potential and athletic performance is completed while they are still skeletally immature. This, however, may not be the only cause of joint disease and lameness.”

A physically fit horse in “thoughtful” training may be able to extend its performance career, Solum said, noting a study in racehorses that found that the more starts a horse had as a 2-year-old, the longer its career tended to be. Therefore, she recommended more gradual increases in workload, rather than sudden, big changes, in addition to maintaining a horse at an optimal weight.

Take Care With Supplements

If you utilize a good diet, an appropriate training program and keep your horse at the proper weight, you can give it a good start on staying fit and healthy throughout its career. Supplementation with a joint care product might also give you a leg up, but if you choose to feed one, make sure to take a look at the ingredient list first.

“The use of supplements for joint health has been studied, but the results have been inconsistent and inconclusive for both symptom-modifying and disease-modifying effects,” Solum said. “If you are going to use a supplement, you should look for glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, methylsulfonylmethane [MSM] and omega-3 fatty acids.”

Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are components of normal cartilage and appear to stimulate the production of more cartilage. Omega-3s fight inflammation, and higher levels in the synovial fluid, which lubricates joints, are associated with decreased joint pain. MSM is also an anti-inflammatory and supports the body’s ability to repair connective tissue.

Don’t Skimp on the Veterinary Exams

Regular veterinarian visits are important because if caught early, some things, like early joint disease, can be treated via therapeutic injections before they become a bigger problem.

“While excessive intra-articular steroids are not recommended at any age, leaving joints in an inflammatory state at any age can ultimately lead to joint degradation,” Solum said. “Utilizing low dose, thoughtful corticosteroid treatments or orthobiologics can help to protect the joint and also help the horse as training increases with preparation for the futurity and derby years.”

Other therapeutics, like polysulfated glycosaminoglycan and hyaluronic acid, can help modify symptoms as well. Should a horse develop a lameness or injury, professional rehabilitation, under veterinary supervision, could be necessary to help it regain core strength and return to training.

Continue Support Into Senior Years

Joint care doesn’t stop with the end of a horse’s limited-age years. As your horse ages, it will become even more important to maintain him or her at a healthy weight and monitor for systemic changes. But even if your horse loses some of its mobility and can’t compete at the highest levels anymore, that doesn’t mean its riding career has to completely end.

“Working closely with your veterinarian can help identify when therapeutic injections would be indicated as horses age,” Solum said. “Furthermore, keeping in mind past injuries or specific sites of joint disease are important so that proper care can be taken, or the use of NSAIDs might be indicated. It is also possible that if joint disease has developed, a lower level of athleticism or change in sport might help to maintain soundness and longevity.”

This article originally appeared on American Quarter Horse News and is published here with permission.

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by A.L. Fowler, J.D. Pagan, V.L. Erwin with Kentucky Equine Research

Cooling exercised or overheated equines is critical to avoid heat-related illnesses. Applying water is effective for cooling horses ^1,2, and a hose is commonly used to continuously apply water. However, running water from a hose is not always accessible and a bucket of water and sponge may be a suitable alternative for applying water in these situations.

The objective of this study was to determine if there were differences in heart rates and cooling rates when horses were either sponged, hosed, or walked following exercise.

Eight Thoroughbred geldings (BW: 585±39 kg; age: 11±2 yr) with percutaneous thermal-sensing microchips (PTSM) implanted in their middle gluteal muscle (GLUT) were used in an incomplete 3 x 3 Latin square design over three week-long periods. Weekly, horses completed a 13-min SET on an inclined (3o) high-speed treadmill (max speed: 8 m/s; peak heart rate: 179±15 bpm). Three cooling treatments were applied post-exercise: 1) WALK: walking for 5 min, 2) HOSE: water applied with a hose over the entire body for 5 min, and 3) SPONGE: water applied using a large sponge over the entire body for 5 min (~28 L). Following the cooling treatments, all horses walked for 5 min and then returned to their stalls with overhead fans. Heart rate (HR), using a HorsePal HRM G2 Handle, respiratory rate (RR), and GLUT temperature were taken before exercise (baseline) and then at predetermined intervals for 60 min post-exercise. Changes from pre-exercise temperatures were fitted to an exponential one-phase decay model to determine the cooling half-life (t1/2). Data were analysed using a repeated measures ANOVA.

The treadmill exercise increased GLUT temperatures to 40.1±0.5ºC (pre-exercise: 37.0±0.6ºC). Both HOSE and SPONGE had shorter GLUT temperature half-lives (t1/2) post-exercise than WALK (WALK 33.22±11.10 min; SPONGE 14.88±6.10 min; HOSE 16.00±5.52 min; mean ± SD; P<0.01). A shorter t1/2 is indicative of a faster rate of cooling.

RR returned to baseline by 5 min post-exercise for HOSE, 10 min for SPONGE, and 20 min for WALK (P<0.05). HR of all treatments returned to baseline by 15 min post-exercise and WALK had a higher overall HR compared to both HOSE and SPONGE (P<0.05).

Both hosing and sponging were effective at cooling horses post-exercise and were better than just walking. In this study, liberal amounts of water were sponged over the horse’s entire body. Applying smaller amounts of water to just the neck and head may be less effective.

References:

1Marlin et al. 2010.Equine Veterinary Journal 30:28-34.

2Takahashi et al., 2020. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 91:103130.

Read more: The Efficacy of Sponge Baths and Hosing on Exercise Recovery in Thoroughbred Horses

There’s more to a green pasture than meets the eye, especially when horses are involved. Healthy grazing land isn’t just a scenic backdrop, it plays a vital role in a horse’s overall well-being, influencing everything from digestion to behavior. Yet despite its importance, pasture management is often handled with a shrug and a hopeful eye on the weather. Many rely on routine or guesswork, rotating fields out of habit rather than understanding. The outcome is familiar and frustrating: worn-out grass, compacted soil, and land that struggles to recover season after season.

That passive approach is starting to shift. With live satellite images and analytics, landowners can finally see their pastures with clarity and precision. These tools reveal patterns and problems that would otherwise go unnoticed, making it easier to balance grazing pressure, protect soil health, and plan ahead.

Hidden Struggles Behind Healthy Grazing

Pasture management may look straightforward in theory: move the horses, let the grass recover, repeat. But anyone working the land knows it rarely plays out that smoothly. Grass grows unevenly. Weather patterns shift without warning. Some areas flourish while others turn to bare soil under constant trampling. And when every acre needs to support both animal health and long-term land use, the pressure to get it right can be relentless.

One of the toughest challenges is preventing overuse. When horses graze too long in one spot, the grass loses its ability to rebound. What starts as a patchy field can quickly become a worn-out stretch of dirt, opening the door to soil erosion and invasive plants. Then come the seasons. Spring might offer a burst of growth, giving a false sense of abundance, but summer heat or autumn rains can flip the script overnight. Without consistent visibility into what’s happening across the pasture, many decisions come too late. By the time the damage is clear, recovery takes time, effort, and in many cases, money that could have been saved.

Tools Transforming Pasture Management

Fortunately, land management is no longer limited to pacing the fields and relying solely on experience. A new generation of tools is transforming how ranchers and horse owners care for both their pastures and their animals. These innovations are not just convenient additions to old routines. They are changing the way we understand the land, helping people make decisions that are rooted in evidence instead of habit.

Drones are becoming a common sight on modern ranches, flying overhead to capture high-resolution images that reveal grazing patterns, soil wear, and even water buildup in low-lying areas. Instead of waiting for visible damage to appear, ranchers can now detect early signs of stress and act before problems take hold. Soil sensors provide another layer of insight, quietly monitoring moisture levels, pH balance, and nutrient availability around the clock. Combined with small-scale weather stations that track hyperlocal changes in temperature, wind, and precipitation, these tools help build a clearer picture of what is really happening at ground level.

Perhaps the most revolutionary shift comes from above. With the ability to view live satellite images, landowners can now see large-scale patterns across their property that would be impossible to spot on foot. These satellite visuals show how vegetation is growing, where it's thinning, and how those trends change over days, weeks, and seasons. This kind of perspective brings a level of clarity that has never been available before. It turns guesswork into strategy, helping to protect the land from overuse while ensuring horses have access to consistent, high-quality forage.

How Satellites Guide Smarter Grazing Decisions

Satellite data is not just about seeing your pasture from above but about understanding it on a deeper level. When used for pasture mapping, this technology helps define the true boundaries and conditions of each grazing zone, identifying which areas are thriving and which ones are under stress. It takes the guesswork out of land management by turning distant pixels into clear indicators of ground-level reality.

With EOSDA LandViewer, these insights become both accessible and actionable. The platform allows users to track vegetation health across seasons, compare year-over-year changes, and flag trouble spots before they turn into larger issues. By analyzing plant vitality through vegetation indices like NDVI, LandViewer helps pinpoint where forage is strongest and where recovery is needed. This makes it easier to rotate animals strategically, reduce pressure on vulnerable areas, and make the most of every acre.

The ability to see live satellite images adds a real-time dimension to this process. Instead of waiting for signs of overuse to appear on the ground, managers can act early, adjusting grazing schedules or supplementing feed when needed. And because live satellite imagery captures the big picture, it reveals connections that might be missed in day-to-day observation: like how a dry patch in one field could be tied to drainage issues or how pasture health improves after a rest period. With these tools, grazing decisions become smarter, timing becomes sharper, and the land gets the care it needs to stay productive long term.

Greener Fields Through Smarter Strategies

By bringing together satellite technology, soil sensors, drones, and smart data platforms, pasture management becomes more precise and less reactive. These tools offer a clearer view of land conditions, helping to prevent overgrazing, support faster regrowth, and make better use of every acre. With accurate insights at their fingertips, ranchers can provide more consistent nutrition for their horses, protect soil health, and adapt to seasonal shifts before they become problems. In the end, this tech-driven approach leads to healthier animals, stronger pastures, and a more sustainable relationship between land and livestock.

You can find more interesting stories in our section on Health & Education.

Caring for horses takes more than physical strength or knowledge of basic routines. It requires emotional energy, mental clarity, and the motivation to keep showing up every day. What happens when your body feels tired but your responsibilities never slow down?

Many riders and horse owners ignore their limits until exhaustion starts affecting everything. Mood changes, lack of sleep, and even medications can shift how you feel around the barn. Is it possible to stay motivated when your energy dips and life feels unpredictable?

The pressure to keep pushing often leads to burnout without warning. This article will explore simple ways to support both your motivation and your well-being.

Establish a Daily Routine That Works for You

Creating a routine that fits your energy level can ease daily stress. Not every rider feels sharp early in the morning or late evening. Pay attention to when your mind and body feel most alert.

Spruce notes that a solid daily routine uses peak hours for important tasks and low-energy times for simple ones. However, life can throw unexpected events your way, so it’s crucial to plan for them.

Scheduling flexible free time into your routine lets you shift tasks around without disrupting your flow. This flexibility ensures you never feel rushed, even with unplanned events like doctor’s appointments or social invites.

Schedule stable tasks during those times to get the most done efficiently. Horses thrive with structure, and so do their caretakers in the long run. Organize tasks into natural clusters to avoid constant mental switching throughout the day.

A loose but predictable plan can support both motivation and physical comfort. Leave room for unexpected shifts so you don’t feel boxed in or guilty. This flexible rhythm will help you sustain energy without constant burnout.

How does sleep quality influence daily productivity?

Restful sleep sharpens cognitive function and helps prevent injuries during physical barn tasks. When sleep is poor, motivation dips, and reactions become slower, increasing mistakes with horses. Prioritizing sleep means you’ll be more alert, consistent, and capable when managing both animals and routines.

Emotional fatigue often hides behind habits until it begins to affect everything. You might notice less excitement or increasing dread around normal barn tasks. Low mood or irritation is sometimes mistaken for laziness or disinterest.

Medical News Today states that emotional exhaustion often builds up gradually, leaving people feeling drained and overwhelmed. Over time, these feelings can negatively impact daily routines and relationships. Many people don't recognize the early signs of burnout, which can lead to long-term fatigue.

Pay attention to moments when you're just going through the motions alone. Emotional exhaustion drains motivation and can sneak in without much warning or notice. Make time to reflect on your mindset and track any concerning shifts.

Ask if you still feel connected to your horse or environment. Small changes in your enthusiasm often reflect deeper mental and emotional fatigue. Early recognition makes recovery and change easier before burnout fully develops.

How does decision-making ability relate to emotional fatigue?

Emotional exhaustion can cloud judgment and make once-easy decisions feel overwhelming and frustrating. This mental fog often signals that your emotional bandwidth is shrinking under pressure. Noticing decision fatigue helps you pause and reflect before the stress spirals into burnout.

Supporting Your Body Through Medication Side Effects

Verywell Mind mentions that medication side effects can sneak into your daily routine in frustrating ways. You might feel sudden shifts in mood, energy, or physical comfort without warning. These changes can interfere with your focus, especially during barn chores and riding.

It’s not always easy to link how you feel to what you’re taking. Still, your body might be working harder to adjust than you realize. Tracking symptoms across a few days can reveal useful patterns you didn’t expect. Make room in your routine for extra rest or gentler tasks on hard days.

TorHoerman Law emphasizes that hormonal medications like Depo-Provera may cause fatigue and mood changes. This birth control shot, given every three months, has been linked to serious side effects, including brain tumors. As awareness grows about the dangers of Depo-Provera, some users have taken legal action to address these risks.

The Depo-Provera lawsuit argues that manufacturers failed to properly warn consumers about the complications associated with the drug.

If you suspect your medication is causing negative effects, talk to your healthcare provider as soon as possible. Taking time to rest and adjust your routine supports your focus, energy, and connection with your horse.

How does stress management affect medication efficacy?

Chronic stress changes how your body processes medications and can reduce their intended effects. Stress hormones may interfere with absorption or amplify unwanted side effects over time. Managing stress improves both medication response and your ability to function consistently.

Don’t Underestimate the Power of Micro-Breaks

Short breaks between tasks help your mind and body reset without guilt. Take a few minutes to pause after grooming or feeding your horse. Step outside the barn and give yourself space to breathe and reset.

Healthline highlights that microbreaks, taken every 20 to 30 minutes, often last no longer than five minutes. Research shows these quick pauses can reduce muscle tension and improve mental clarity throughout the day. Studies suggest they may also lower stress and prevent burnout during repetitive or focused tasks.

Enjoy a quiet moment with your horse without any expectations or distractions. Listen to calming music or drink something warm before your next task. These pauses help lower stress and keep energy from crashing too quickly.

Micro-breaks are small but powerful tools that create more sustainable routines overall. They also allow time to appreciate the little joys of being around horses. Breaks are not laziness, they’re investments in long-term mental and physical wellness.

How do micro-breaks affect physical health during labor-intensive tasks?

Taking breaks helps reduce repetitive strain and supports circulation during long periods of physical activity. Micro-breaks prevent overuse injuries and help you return to tasks feeling physically restored. These pauses are essential for maintaining stamina and long-term physical capability.

Caring for horses takes more than strength, it requires tuning into your full well-being. Your physical, emotional, and mental health all play a role in staying motivated long-term. A daily routine that fits your lifestyle can reduce stress and build consistency. Watch for subtle signs of burnout before they grow into overwhelming fatigue.

Medications and stress can sneakily affect your mood and energy, so stay proactive. Even short breaks during your day can reset your mind and body. Self-awareness helps you adjust before things spiral out of balance. These small strategies aren’t luxuries, they’re key to living well with your horses.

You can find more interesting stories in our section on Health & Education.

by Kristin Pitzer

If you are in the horse business for very long, the chances are good that at some point, you will have to hire a horse shipper to move your horse. This may be to buy or sell a horse out of state; to complete a cross-country move; or to visit a veterinary specialist several hours away if you don’t own a trailer. Even for a short move, though, it’s not always wise to trust the first person you find that owns a truck and trailer — there are plenty of horror stories of horses getting injured, not getting picked up, or even disappearing.

Quarter Horse News spoke with Maegan Alexander, Dispatch Assistant at Equine Express, which has been in the horse transportation business since 1986, to get some tips on what to look for when hiring a horse shipper.

Do Your Research

As you start researching horse transportation companies, there are a few things you’ll want to look for. One of the most important things to know is if the company is licensed and insured. An easy way to find out — and avoid scams — is to ask a hauler directly for their federal U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) number and then verify it online.

“If for some reason you do go with a company that is not licensed and insured, it is a huge risk,” Alexander said. “If the uninsured hauler gets pulled over by DOT, they can get shut down, and you will have to wait for a legal hauler to pick up your horse. Also, if there is an incident, the owner of the horse could be liable for using an uninsured hauler.”

Another thing you’ll want to look for is a hauler that has experience with horses. There are many companies out there that offer equine transportation, but the drivers moving the horses have no knowledge of horse care or behavior. If your horse colics or gets injured, they may not recognize the signs that something is wrong.

“When on the road, the driver needs to be able to tell if the horse is travelling comfortably, and if not, we need to find the nearest vet,” Alexander said. “When looking for drivers, we require everyone to have horse knowledge before joining our team. It is imperative to know what to look for when out on the road with horses.”

If you’re not sure where to start, the National Horse Carriers Association is a great source to find commercial haulers, as you have to meet certain requirements to be a member, Alexander said. Under the “Education” tab, you can find more information about legal versus illegal haulers, as well.

Have the Details Ready

Once you have a few companies in mind, you’ll want to start calling for quotes. Alexander recommended calling at least three weeks before you want the trip to take place, with the understanding that you might have to be flexible for less-traveled routes. Before you pick up the phone, though, you’ll need to have the details of your horse’s trip prepared. Make sure you know the starting and ending addresses, and have an idea of what kind of stall you’ll want your horse to ship in.

 “A horse that has more experience and has travelled before could go into either our tie stall, a roughly 4 x 9 space where the horse is loosely cross-tied, or a box stall, an 8 x 9 space where the horse is turned loose,” Alexander said. “When we ship young, inexperienced horses or stallions, we will always ship in a box stall, and during a long trip, we recommend the box stall for every horse as it is double the size. The horse is not tied, so they do not have to stand in the same direction during the trip and can put their head down to drain their sinuses. Other companies may offer different options depending on their trailers, but all our trailers can offer the tie or box stall options.”

Keep in mind the time of year and the weather in the locations your horse will be traveling through.

“Different companies do offer certain routes, so that is always a great question to ask when inquiring for a quote,” Alexander said. “The time of year you ship can also be a big factor, especially depending on the route you are wanting to go. We try to go to Washington state almost weekly, but during the winter months, that is always a weather-dependent route.”

Know the Plan

When you find a company that seems to check most of your boxes, ask about their process for keeping you informed during your horse’s trip. A shipper that balks at giving updates is a red flag. Before the trip, the company should communicate when the horse will be picked up, where it will be laying over, and what day and time to expect it to arrive, barring any delays due to weather, traffic or issues loading and unloading the horse. They should also provide a way to contact the driver during the trip so you can keep tabs on where your horse is.

“We will give out the driver’s name and number before the trip starts so if you have any questions, you can reach the drivers directly at any time,” Alexander said. “Depending on the route, we will have a layover where the horse is taken off the trailer into their own stall, but we will let everyone know that in advance. We also try to send updates and pictures when arriving to the layovers. That way, the customers know we have arrived and the horse is doing well.”

Prepare Your Horse

Depending on the state you live in, there may be certain vaccines or paperwork required for your horse to travel. If your horse is traveling out of state, you’ll want to know those regulations for every state he or she will be passing through. For instance, a horse traveling from New Mexico to Florida will require a brand inspection, current negative coggins, and a current health certificate signed by a veterinarian that lists the horse’s temperature and an accession number matching the coggins.

Requirements can and do change, so it’s always best to check on each state’s regulations before shipping. Calling the animal health commission for the states your horse will be leaving and entering should provide the most up-to-date information.

“It’s best to reach out to your vet to see what they recommend for your horse depending on the area they are travelling to,” Alexander said. “We also recommend starting electrolytes two weeks before shipping. That way your horse is drinking well before transport. You can additionally practice loading and unloading with your horse before the hauler arrives so it is familiar beforehand.”

Send the Essentials

Because shipping can be taxing on the horse itself, Alexander recommended keeping as much of his routine the same as possible to reduce stress. This includes sending some of his current hay and grain with the shipper to avoid changing his diet. Most shippers will only feed hay while in transit to reduce the chance of colic but will give grain upon arriving at a layover.

“If a horse is needing a certain medication, we want to make sure we keep them on what their vet recommends,” Alexander said. “We do carry hay on the trailer if for some reason the horse is not sent with any grain or hay for the trip. We want to make sure the horses’ stomachs are moving and that the horses stay hydrated during the trip. We will stop every few hours to refill hay nets and water buckets, and make sure all the horses are traveling comfortably.”

A shipper that takes the time to check on horses and keeps them watered and fed can mean all the difference between your horse arriving healthy and content or showing up sick. By putting a little effort into finding the right shipper, you can save your horse and yourself unnecessary stress and get back to your normal routine quickly once he’s settled in.

This article originally appeared on American Quarter Horse News and is published here with permission.

You can find resources for horse transportation in our section on Shipping.There are more informative and entertaining articles in our section on Health & Education. While you're here be sure to check out our Curated Amazon Store.

By Kentucky Equine Research Staff

It’s green; it’s grass; it’s good. This may be the approach of some horse owners when it comes to pasture forage, but savvy broodmare managers know differently.

One forage taunts broodmare managers in some parts of the United States so mercilessly that many consider it a weed, even a noxious one. In many ways, their assessment is just. Can you name the pasture plant?

Did you guess tall fescue, specifically toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue? If you did, you are correct!

Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) is a productive, persistent cool-season grass. Most existing stands of tall fescue in the United States occur in a particular region called the “Fescue Belt.” In the east, the Fescue Belt runs from mid-Georgia north to Pennsylvania, and to the west it runs from Oklahoma to Kansas.

In the case of tall fescue, a particular fungus (Neotyphodium coenophialum) called an endophyte grows within the plant between the plant cells. Because it proliferates internally, visible signs of the infection cannot be seen with the naked eye.

The endophyte concentrates in the seeds as well as plant parts closest to the ground. The predominant alkaloid, or by-product, of this endophyte, is ergovaline. Because pastures are dynamic, growing and receding with weather changes, ergovaline levels rise and fall during the year. Research has revealed that ergovaline generally peaks in May and September, but levels are high enough to cause problems in pregnant mares throughout much of the growing season.

In addition to pasture, mares consuming hay containing endophyte-infected tall fescue are susceptible to toxicity, as are mares that are bedded on similar hay.

If pregnant mares have access to endophyte-infected tall fescue, they are likely to show signs of tall fescue toxicity, characterized by prolonged gestation, difficulty foaling, thickened placenta (including premature separation of the placenta known as a “red bag” presentation), decreased or absence of milk production, weak or dead foals, and reduced breeding efficiency following parturition.

Plant breeders successfully extracted the endophyte from tall fescue, but it left the plant less vigorous. As it turns out, the endophyte gives tall fescue some of its most admired qualities, including top-drawer pest resistance and stress tolerance (drought, heat, grazing pressure). Because of this diminished persistence, endophyte-free tall fescue has little use in real-world pasture situations.

Most recently, plant breeders introduced novel or beneficial endophyte tall fescue. While these new varieties contain endophyte, it does not produce alkaloids, so it causes no toxicosis and has many advantageous characteristics, especially excellent persistence.

To determine the endophyte status of existing stands of tall fescue, laboratory testing is necessary. Consult a pasture specialist or university extension personnel for help with this.

While pasture renovation is the ideal solution to endophyte-infected tall fescue stands, other strategies can help keep mares safe. The primary mitigation strategy is removal of mares from toxic fescue 30-90 days before foaling. If no other grazing areas are available, revamp the diet to include high-quality hay or alternative forages (hay cubes, hay pellets, etc.) as the principal forage sources.

Oral administration of domperidone 10 to 20 days before expected foaling can prevent the signs of fescue toxicosis in pregnant mares. In one study, domperidone administered to 1,423 mares in the United States under veterinarian supervision and under field conditions was 95% effective in preventing signs of tall fescue toxicosis.

Image information: The highlighted area on the United States map shows the region where tall fescue is dominant and widely used in forage stands, and to which the term “Fescue Belt” typically applies (Ball et al., 2019). Within the blue square is a microscopic view of the tall fescue endophyte within the plant. Photograph by Carolyn Young, Ph.D., North Carolina State University.

*Poore, M. 2017. Tall fescue: Wonder grass or toxic curse. North Carolina State University Extension. Accessed February 3, 2025.

Other references:
Ball, D.M., G.D. Lacefield, and C.S. Hoveland. 2019. The wonder grass: The story of tall fescue in the United States. Oregon Tall Fescue Commission.
Roberts, C., and J. Andrae. 2022. Fescue toxicosis and management, 2nd ed. American Society of Agronomy, Inc., and Crop Science Society of America.

Read more: Tall Fescue Toxicity in Mares

As a lifelong barrel racer, Kansas City's Tina Svoboda has traveled all across the Midwest with her Quarter Horse mare, Cee that Booger, whom she fondly calls Bella. With their time on the road, and years owning horses alongside her husband Jim, Tina has witnessed her fair share of joint health problems.

Joint issues can impact all horses, ages and disciplines. And the severity can range from minor to career ending.

"The horses I've known with joint problems have all retired early or were otherwise forced to change careers," Tina said. "To help prevent joint problems, we started Bella as a 4 year old on Adequan Equine. She's 12 now and is the first horse we've had that has never had joint issues."

Adequan Equine is FDA-approved and proven to diminish the destructive processes of degenerative joint disease, while reversing the loss of cartilage components and improving the overall joint health for horses. Heathy cartilage is crucial to the performance of a horse's joints. Using Adequan Equine, new cartilage is quickly produced and any inflammation is decreased.

"When you've had a number of consecutive horses and barrel horses, joint issues are a common occurrence," Tina said. "Bella is the first who hasn't, and I attribute that to introducing her to Adequan Equine early on in her life."

Help horses avoid joint problems by:

• Incorporating a joint health supplement like Cosequin to help maintain joints and cartilage
• Prioritizing hoof care and keeping horses on a regular trim schedule
• Keeping horses at optimum weight and avoiding obesity, which stresses the joints
• Offering quality nutrition for strong bones and healthy cartilage
• Riding on softer footing and limiting work on hard surfaces
• Using Adequan Equine to help prevent and repair joint problems
• Using Equioxx, which is often prescribed by veterinarians for joint pain relief, as well.
• "Adequan Equine has a really good reputation for working on horses, regardless of their discipline," Tina said.

Tina purchased Bella as a green-broke filly, and now riding together for more than eight years, the pair recently switched gears from running the barrel pattern to competing in AQHA ranch riding. "She's one in a million," Tina said, referring to her stunningly versatile grey mare. "Not many horses could have made the transition from a barrel horse to an arena horse so easily. She's willing to try whatever you can do. She's phenomenal."

All photos courtesy of Valley Vet.

This article originally appeared on Valley Vet and is published here with permission.

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