b'Your local county extension agent canPreserving Herd Healthoffer ideas for systems that work well inIn areas such as California its common your area, as well as provide informationto find boarding facilities that dont have about local regulations that might influ- available pasture. Many of these facilities ence your manure management plan. are drylot confinement operations, which create a new scenario of health concerns Managing Urinefor owners, trainers, and veterinarians, Once horses create a latrine area,says Potts. Confinement of horses in a PAM MACKENZIE they tend to continue to use it unless youdrylot environment amplifies possibilities change your horses location, he altersfor infectious disease outbreaks, simply behavior, or there is some other underly- due to the close-quarters living arrange-ing medical factor, says Turner. It isA pelleted bedding product can help soak upments within these facilities. not all bad for a horse to use one generalurine in stalls and runs. With that in mind, caretakers should area for urination, as it often makes stalladhere to routine vaccination schedules cleaning faster and easier.Thwarting Insectsfor all horses on the property.He recommends using a pelleted bed- In any environment insects are nui-ding product alone or in combinationsances to horses and people alike. TheTake-Home Messagewith flaked shavings to soak up urine.best approach to insect control is goodTending for horses that dont have pas-Turner cautions that bored horses mightsanitation as the foundational strategy,ture access requires sound management be inclined to eat shavings, which cansays Turner. Minimize the presence ofpractices similar to those used with any create digestive problems, even impac- standing water and moist organic matterother horse. Care and chores associated tions. He suggests using slow feeders and(e.g., soiled bedding, wet waste, and feed)with drylot confinement, however, can be turnout to minimize this tendency.where insects like to breed. At least everymore labor-intensive for the owner. Pay If strong urine odors and ammoniathree days remove and compost manureattention to environmental challenges levels become an issue, you can apply ato break the life cycle of fly reproduction.and herd health to make your job easier commercial product to help neutralizeApply insecticide per manufacturersand help your horses to thrive physically them. directions.and mentally. hNo green grass in your horses diet?Ask your vet aboutElevate Horses without access to green grass are at risk for vitamin E de ciency. Meet your horses critical requirement with Elevate.Developed by:Available only through your veterinarian. KPPvet.com, 859-873-2974TH 2018-11TheHorse.com|The HorseNovember 201869'