Author: Jimmy Henning
Planning Unit: Plant and Soil Sciences
Major Program: Forages
Outcome: Initial Outcome
A central Kentucky thoroughbred horse farm experienced a high incidence of fescue toxicosis symptoms in pregnant and foaling mares during early 2017. The UK Plant and Soil Science Forage Group was contacted by the farm at the advice of the consulting veterinarian. After a farm visit, the farm agreed to a program of pasture evaluation. Fields were samples for species composition, endophyte infection level, and ergovaline content. After being presented results showing damaging levels of infected tall fescue, the farm began an aggressive program of fescue eradication in some fields and complete re-establishment in two others. They also changed their pasture usage for foaling mares in the 2018 season to avoid exposure to toxic tall fescue. The newly seeded pastures will be incorporated back into the field rotation for pregnant mares during the fall of 2018. Partly because of the success of re-establishment, other fields will be targeted for complete kill and re-establishment during the summer and fall of 2018.
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