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Is your hay suitable for horses? Steve Foster, extension educator with the University of Nevada-Reno, offers these guidelines for evaluating hay:

• Horse hay should be 10-17% moisture and about 10% crude protein. Crude protein is not likely to be a limiting part of the diet except in lactating mares, foals or performance horses, which require higher
  levels.

• Hay with an acid detergent fiber (ADF) value of 30-35% is good for horses. The lower the ADF value, the more digestible the nutrients in the hay. Hay at 45% or more ADF is of little nutritional value. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) levels should be 40-50%, and most horses won’t eat anything above 65%.

• Equine feed analyses provide non-fiber carbohydrate (NFC) estimates to help select feed for horses that show sensitivity to starches and sugars and measure digestible energy (DE) in the hay. For a light working horse, DE should be about 20 Mcal/day, and most hays range from 0.76 to 0.94 Mcal/lb of DE. Calcium and phosphorus ratios can vary among
  different types of hay. An adult horse in a maintenance phase should have a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of 3:1 to 1:1.

• Rained-on hay may be fine for horses in spite of the color. Green is ideal but overrated. Green is an indication of Vitamin A content and means that the hay has not been rained on prior to baling. Actually, rained-on hay (unless it received a lot of rain over several days) is only slightly lower in nutritive value than hay that was not rained on. That loss in value is usually due to more leaf loss due to more handling to dry the hay for baling. If it isn’t moldy and it tests okay, it should be fine to feed because horse owners should be supplementing for the vitamins that tend to be lost in rained-on or older hay, anyway.

Contact your local extension agents for help testing hay! It only costs about $10

Coggins Test papers must be readily available and on the person of the rider and owner of equine animals during events at Hugh MacRae Park. North Carolina state law stipulates horses are required to have a test for this deadly virus which can be transmitted between them. Show staff will be checking horse owners during this event and if papers are not presented to the staff, the owner and horse, mule or donkey will be asked to leave the park. This is a mandatory North Carolina Law as described by the State Board of Agriculture-Veterinary Division:

PART 11. ERQUINE INFECTIOUS ANEMIA

§ 106-405.15. “Equine infectious anemia” defined.
Equine infectious anemia shall mean the disease wherein an animal in infected with the virus of equine infectious anemia, irrespective of the occurrence or absence of clinical signs of the disease. An animal shall be declared infected with equine infectious anemia if it is classified as a reactor to a serological test or other test approved by the State Veterinarian.

§ 106-405.16. Animals infected with or exposed to equine infectious anemia declared subject to quarantine.
It is hereby declared that the disease of horses, ponies, mules and asses (and other equine animals) known as equine infectious anemia is of an infectious and contagious nature and that animals infected with, exposed to, or suspected of being carriers of the disease shall be subject to quarantine and identifications as required by the rules and regulations of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

§ 106-405.17. Authority to promulgate and enforce rules and regulations.
The State Board of Agriculture shall have full power to promulgate and enforce such rules and regulations, as it deems necessary for the control and eradications of equine infectious anemia. This authority shall include, but not be limited to, the power to make regulations requiring the testing of horses, ponies, mules and asses for equine infectious anemia prior to sale, exhibition or assembly at public stables or other public places, and authority to require the owner, operator or person in charge of shows, sale, public stables and other public places to require proof of freedom from equine infectious anemia before any animal is permitted to remain on the premises. The Board shall also have the authority to set fees for such tests as necessary to recover the costs to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

§ 106-405.18. Implementation of control and eradication program.
The control and eradication of equine infectious anemia in North Carolina shall be conducted as far as available funds will permit, and in accordance with the rules and regulations made by the Board of Agriculture. The Board of Agriculture is hereby authorized to cooperate with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the control and eradication of equine infectious anemia.

§ 106-405.19. Violation made misdemeanor.
Any person who shall willfully move, direct the movement, or allow to be moved, from the premises where quartered any animal or animals knows to be infected with equine infectious anemia, or under quarantine because of suspected exposure to equine infectious anemia, or who shall violate any provision of this Part or any rule or regulation promulgated by the Board of Agriculture under this Part shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Part 12. Penalties.

§ 106-405.20. Civil penalties.
The Commissioner may assess a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) against any person who violates a provision of this Article or any rule promulgated thereunder. In determining the amount of the penalty, the Commissioner shall consider the degree and extent of harm caused by the violation.

.0406 EIA TEST REQUIRED
(a) All equine more than six months of age entering North Carolina for any purpose other than for immediate slaughter shall be accompanied by a copy of the certificate of test from a laboratory approved by the USDA showing the animal to be negative to an approved test for equine infectious anemia (EIA) within the past 12 months, except as provided in 2 NCAC.52B.0410. (See 2 NCAC 52B .0206 for other important requirements.)

(b) No equine more than six months of age shall be sold, offered for sales, traded, given away, or moved for the purpose of change of ownership unless accompanied by the original official negative test for EIA administered within 12 months prior to sale or movement, except that equine which are offered for sale at auction markets or sales may have a blood sample drawn at the market by the market’s veterinarian at the seller’s expense. In such cases, the equine may be sold and transferred contingent upon receipt of an official negative EIA test.

(c) All equine brought to or kept at any public stables or other public place for exhibition, recreation or assembly shall be accompanied by either the original or a copy of an official negative test for EIA administered within the previous 12 months. The owner, operator or person in charge of any public stables or other public place where equine are brought or kept for exhibition, recreation or assembly shall not permit an equine to remain on the premises without the test required by this Rule.

History Note:
Authority G.S. 106-405.17; S.L. 1999-237, s. 13.6; Temporary Adoption Eff. October 1, 1999

Did you know that when you go to renew your horse trailer tag, or your boat tag or your construction trailer, etc ANY TRAILER in North Carolina, you have the option of purchasing the PERMANENT TAG for $75 for a lifetime.  That’s what I did.  A good bargain on a trailer you plan on keeping forever.

Dear Members, Please turn in your Nutrena Proof of Purchase labels to raise money for our saddle club.  The staff in the show trailer will accept them at the next horse show.   You turn in the Proof Of Purchase seals…we’ll do the rest.

http://www.cqha.com/pdf/NutrenaClubSupport.pdf

Horse Trailer Inspections:

A trailer whose gross weight is less than 4,000 pounds does not need to be inspected in NC (NC statute 20#8209;183.2 (a)).

Horse Trailers and Weigh Stations:

House Bill 425 states: A privately owned, non-commercial horse trailer constructed to transport four or fewer horses shall not be required to stop at any permanent weigh station in the State while transporting horses, unless the driver of the vehicle hauling the trailer is directed to stop by a law enforcement officer. A 'privately owned noncommercial horse trailer' means a trailer used solely for the occasional transportation of horses and not for compensation or in furtherance of a commercial enterprise. Approved July 2003.

North Carolina Equine Industry Economic Impact Study May 2009

- Total annual economic impact - $1.9 billion
- Federal, state and local taxes paid - $196 million
- Equine-owning households or operations - 53,095
- Acreage in equine operations - 2.1 million
- Average number equine per operation - 5.8
- Total number of equine - 306,210
- Total number of jobs - 19,183
- Expenditures on goods and services - $1.4 billion
- Expenditures within home county - 72%
- Expenditures within state - 90%

Did you know that it’s time to renew your Horse Council Membership.  They renew every January.

For $37 for adults (and there are other ages/group coverages available) you will receive a membership to the horse council as well as a One Million Dollar Personal Liability Insurance Policy covering body/property damage that could occur when it involves a horse.  Please call the Horse Council for the particulars.  I buy this policy every year!

Their number is:   910-854-1990 and their website is www.nchorsecouncil.com

This is a new ordinance at Carolina Beach allowing horseback riding on the beach between
October 1st and March 31st.    Here is the link to the ordinance:

Carolina Classic Horseman's Association
139 Country Place Road
Wilmington NC 28409
(910) 799-9257 * (910) 352-2923