Windt
im Wald Farm
Geauga County, Northeast Ohio
since 1995
Fescue Pastures:
Don't Judge a Book
by the Cover
Jim Hamilton, DVM
Looking out over a lush meadow of fescue
grass, one can only assume that horses view it as a field of chocolate
ice cream. The disturbing truth is that like ice cream, fescue has some
negatives to go with the positives.
Fescue grass has long been an ideal pasture grass known for its deep
root structure and overall hardiness. In the south its use is limited
because of the high moisture requirement and sandy soil's poor water
holding capabilities. None-the-less an estimated 700,000 horses feed
on more than 35 million acres of tall fescue in the United States every
year.
The problem is that much of the grass, despite looking healthy, has
a fungal infection that can have devastating affects on the grazing
horse. The cost to the horse breeding industry is said to be in the
millions of dollars. The fungus causes pregnant mares (grazing at grass)
not to produce milk, retain the placenta and have delayed and difficult
foaling. In addition, the fungus causes a photosensitivity (propensity
to sunburn) on the fair-skinned areas such as the nose and pastern.
Even though the disease was recognized more than ten years ago, agricultural
and veterinary experts had limited success in resolving the problem.
The widespread use of the grass in much of the eastern half of the US
has made cost effective eradication impossible. Fungus-free fescue seed
is available, but according to agricultural experts it is both expensive
and inferior when compared to regular seed.
When faced with no alternative but to graze a mare on fescue, it is
recommended that she be pulled off pasture at least 3 months prior to
foaling. This by no means prevents the problem, but may lessen the severity
of symptoms. If the owner has proper breeding records and examines the
mare frequently as foaling time approaches, problems will be recognized
early. The veterinarian can prescribe medication which will help counteract
the effects of the fungus if symptoms appear. In addition, your vet
can help prepare for a possible dystopia (abnormal foaling). Prevention
and proper planning are the real keys to this problem!
