Henderson County Horse Committee
Athens, Texas

MANAGEMENT OF THE WORKING COW HORSE

The role of the horse in the beef cattle industry is one built on tradition. This important role is still obvious today by the large interest in ranch horse sales, feedlot cowboy competitions and various related activities. A good cow horse has to be ready to use on a moment's notice, and the industry requires a well broke horse that is sound, able to handle the work, easy to maintain and fee of problems that prevent the horse from being used. To effectively keep and use horses on any cattle operation, there are some important management areas that must be give attention. Horses must be 1) fed correctly, 2) conditioned to handle the work load, 3) sound and properly shod or trimmed and 4) on a good herd health program, which always includes immunizations, parasite control and equine dentistry.

Working cow horses will require between 25 percent and 100 percent more energy than a non-working horse. These energy requirements can usually be met by providing grazing or hay, along with a concentrate feed. The amount of daily feed depends on the size of the horse, the amount of work being done and the energy density of the feed. Total daily intake of forage and grain combined will usually range form 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent of horse body weight (15 to 25 pounds for 1,000-pound horse). At least 7.5 pounds of this daily feed should be grazing or top-quality hay. When the daily grain intake exceeds 0.5 percent of body weight (5 pounds for a 1,000-pound horse), horses should be fed in two separate feedings about 12 hours apart. Cow horse feeds should normally contain between 10 percent and 14 percent crude protein, and urea should not be used as a nitrogen source. Horses apparently can tolerate urea at levels comparable to cattle, but urea serves little benefit for horses and is best left out of the diet. Although some cattle feeds can be fed safely to horses, care should be taken to avoid Rumensin or Bovatec. When a particular horse is in very thin condition or when a horse is working extremely hard, the use of fat-supplemented diets may be beneficial. Adding up to 10 percent fat makes the diet more energy dense and provides a good fuel source. However, such additions should be gradual, realizing horses need a few weeks to adjust to supplemental fat as a source of energy.

Body condition and fitness are important. Cow horses that are thin will fatigue more quickly than those in moderate condition. And, horses carrying excessive body fat may have a harder time regulating body temperature. The best conditioning program is one that gets the horse in moderate condition and allows ample time and exercise for fitness prior to- actual work. Exercise should be similar to the kind of work a cow horse does, and increasing work loads should occur gradually. Bone will remodel in response to exercise, but little skeletal strength will be achieved in a horse that receives exercise only while grazing or walking around in a corral. On days when horses are not worked, free exercise can help decrease the chances of azoturia or "Monday morning sickness."

Cow horses are often ridden on a variety of terrain, and special attention should be given to hoof care. Horses that arc shod usually should be reset every four weeks to eight weeks and a knowledgeable farrier can help keep the horse's feet in shape for the work being done. Owners should keep in mind that it often takes two or more shoeings to regain a uniform, balanced hoof after a horse has been turned out without shoes for a period of time. Moisture balance is also important to prevent a dry, cracked hoof or an excessively wet, thrushy-type hoof Regular observation can detect hoof changes before a problem occurs.

General health care of the cow horse also includes consulting a veterinarian regarding the immunization schedule for specific areas of the country. Deworming is also important and depends on where horses are kept and how many are kept together. Most horses will need to be dewormed at least four times annually.

The teeth of a cow horse are important because they obviously impact how well a horse eats and wears a bit. Horses that hold their heads sideways while eating or that slobber large amounts of feed may need to have their teeth floated. And some horses will have wolf teeth located just in front of the upper first cheek, teeth that interfere with bit placement and affect the horse's response to rein pressure while being ridden.

A healthy cow horse what is fed high-quality feedstuffs, is in adequate body flesh and has been conditioned for the level of work required, will be an asset to the cattle operation. These horses will be more enjoyable to ride and more effective in serving their purpose in the cattle industry.

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