Grass sickness alert - horse owners

[graceomally]

High numbers of grass sickness seem to be reported this year and several have occured in yorkshire, some in our area.

 

Advice is given on the BHS website or google - there's plenty of information out there.

 

Mainly seems best to leave 24 hour turnout till July, continue to feed some hay or haylage, avoid stress, changes of diet and moving yards if possible, including breaking young horses and other sudden stressful changes of regime.

 

If your horses have even limited grazing watch for any odd or off-colour behaviour, if they colic or stop eating waste no time in getting advice.

 

Any horse with access to grass can fall sick, especially after a week or so of cold dry weather, especially when followed by extremely heavy rainfall (like now) also if kept with wild or farmyard fowl or on ground recently disturbed by digging or dumping of soil.