Chances are you already have a management plan in place for your pastures, paddocks, and arenas, and you've likely got your fly control protocol down to a science. But do you have a management plan for other pests that can damage footing surfaces and cause horse injuries? What do you do about burrowing rodents?

Gophers, voles, squirrels, and other rodents can create major hazards for horses and riders by digging holes and tunnels just below the ground's surface. Frequently the horse and rider cannot see these and, when the horse places his weight on the thin layer of sod, the ground can give way, possibly causing serious injury or even death.

Fortunately, there are ways you can manage rodent problems and prevent these accidents from occurring. Some rodent control equipment is better than others for working around horses. Common methods that are safe for use in horse pastures include carbon monoxide fumigation, trapping, and igniting propane. Regardless of the extermination method you employ, be sure to remove the horses from the pasture during the pest control process and return them only when their fields are deemed safe.

Carbon Monoxide Fumigation

Carbon monoxide fumigation is the safest method of rodent control for horses and the most humane method of controlling burrowing rodents in horse pastures; it involves injecting engine exhaust into the rodent’s tunnel using a specialized probe. If you use the proper equipment, the rodents are not burned and they do not bleed to death. Rather, they fall unconscious and then die as their blood can no longer carry oxygen to the brain