How Do Horses Get Staggers?

Staggers is caused by specific mycotoxins, most commonly lolitrem B produced by the endophyte fungi within perennial rye-grass. Staggers may also result from ingestion of mycotoxins in other grasses such as Claviceps paspali in paspalum grass. The toxins are particularly abundant in the leaf sheath and flower heads.

How does rye grass affect horses?

Symptoms of ryegrass staggers include: Trembling, unsteadiness and poor muscle co-ordination. In severe cases they will stagger and can fall over. Lack of control is often worst at the horse’s rear end.

What is a grass affected horse?

A ‘Grass affected horse’ is one where one or multiple aspects of their diet are adversely affecting their health and behavior. This usually originates from the forage (grass) but can be further exacerbated by the addition of other potassium rich feeds to their diet.

What causes staggers in calves?

Grass staggers is a metabolic disease caused by magnesium deficiency. It is also called hypomagnesaemia. The cow is dependent on the amount of magnesium supplied in her diet, and from supplements.

Can horses eat rye?

Rye grain is similar in energy, fiber, and feeding value to corn, but is higher in protein. Rye can be fed to horses but should be mixed with other grain and not over one-third of the grain mix should be rye because of its low palatability. Rye should be closely inspected for ergot that is highly toxic to horses.

How do you treat staggers in horses?

Ideally the toxic feed source should be removed from the diet, by taking horses off the affected pastures or stop feeding out affected hay. It is advisable to replace the affected fibre sources with less rye grass-dominant pasture or hay.

What type of grass is not good for horses?

What kind of grass is bad for horses? Don’t let your horses eat any of the following: sorghum, sudangrass, johnsongrass, or any varieties of these types. Horses can get sick from eating this grass. That’s why horse owners must know what the grass is in their pastures.

What can I feed grass to affect horses?

GrazeEzy is the best product you can feed long term for horses that are prone to being Grass Affected. The purpose of GrazeEzy is to counteract the mineral imbalances inherent in green grass. It contains minerals which help to buffer the adverse effect of high potassium.

What are the signs of grass sickness in horses?

CLINICAL SIGNS
In acute grass sickness, the symptoms are severe, appear suddenly and the horse will die or require to be put down within two days of the onset. Severe gut paralysis leads to signs of colic including rolling, pawing at the ground and looking at the flanks, difficulty in swallowing and drooling of saliva.

What do horses get if they eat too much grass?

Laminitis. One of the most well-known problems of too much grazing is laminitis, a painful disease that affects horse’s hooves. Laminitis is the inflammation of the laminae of the foot, as explained by the RSPCA. The laminae of the foot are the soft tissues that attach the pedal bone of the foot to the wall of the hoof

What causes blind staggers in horses?

Consumption of endophyte-infected ryegrass can cause blind staggers in horses. Blind staggers manifests as trembling and stumbling in the horse. Horses improve rapidly when taken off the contaminated feed.

What are animal staggers?

Ryegrass staggers is a nervous disease affecting sheep, cattle, horses, and deer after they have grazed endophyte-affected ryegrass dominant pastures under close grazing conditions. Ryegrass staggers should not be confused with “grass staggers”- a nervous disease caused by a deficiency of magnesium.

What is rye grass staggers?

Annual ryegrass staggers occurs when stock graze Wimmera ryegrass Lolium rigidum at or after heading and the seed heads are infected with a particular type of nematode and species of bacterium. The bacteria produce a toxin that is fatal to stock.

What are 3 things horses should not eat?

Here are eight foods you should never feed your horse:

• Chocolate. ©russellstreet/Flickr CC.
• Persimmons.
• Avocado.
• Lawn clippings.
• Pitted fruits.
• Bread.
• Potatoes and other nightshades.
• Yogurt or other milk products.

Are oats poisonous to horses?

Oats contain a highly digestible form of starch that doesn’t require heat treatment or processing. Therefore oats can be fed whole and unprocessed to horses.

What hay should horses not eat?

Types of Hay for Horses—What to Avoid

• Perennial ryegrass and rye.
• Dallisgrass.
• Argentine bahiagrass.
• Johnsongrass, Sorghum grasses/Sudangrass.
• Switchgrass, which causes photosensitivity, peeling skin, mouth ulcers and liver disease.
• Foxtail Millet (aka German Millet) and Meadow foxtail.

How do you tell if a horse is a wobbler?

A horse with wobblers may stumble, wear his toes abnormally, over-reach and clip the heels of the forelimbs, ‘bunny hop’ when cantering, or show excessive knuckling of hind legs. Most horses with this condition show more pronounced signs in the hindlimbs.

How do you know if your horse is lacking in magnesium?

Magnesium plays an important role in nerve and muscle function. Horses deficient in this vital mineral often show signs of nervousness, wariness, excitability, jumpiness, tight sore backs (not related to saddle fit), muscle tremors, and hypersensitive skin – our products can help.

Is wobbler syndrome in horses painful?

A normal horse will not react but a “Wobbler” will withdraw by depressing the spine in a squatting position. This is not a sign of pain but a sign of weakness as a result of nerve damage.

Do horses prefer grass or hay?

While most horses do well and thrive on a grass hay diet, other horses with different needs and medical conditions are better suited to being fed a diet of grass/alfalfa mix, or an exclusively all alfalfa.

How long to leave horses off cut grass?

Turning out your horse into the new pasture for one hour a day at first, and then gradually building up the hours to a full day, will ensure that your horse’s digestive system can become accustomed to the high nutritional content of fresh grass.