Feeding Before and After a Hurricane/ or Severe Weather

[Janet_Conway]

We lived in central Florida in 2004 when Charley went right over our place. Hurricanes and barometric changes certainly cause stress, which can cause colic. Biggest thing I remember is adding electrolytes and sweetening water to encourage better drinking. We used blackstrap molasses and our horses did just fine.

[findeight]

@Guilherme

I have experienced true “sudden” pressure changes during my time as a Naval Aviator. They put you in a chamber, suck out the air until you get to a 25,000 foot equivalent, and then you do such things as take off your O2 mask, and play simple games (like patty-cake) while becoming increasingly hypoxic. They video the session and in the debrief it’s like a grand session of MST3K as we laugh at ourselves and each other.

One of the things that happens is that gas in your intestines expands. Most places tell you not to eat Mexican or Cowboy (or other foods heavy in legumes). You find out why when you take off your mask and find the air truly rank. It’s a scene that pre-dates the campfire sequence in “Blazing Saddles.” I’ve seen guys get some significant abdominal pain during the training. But this happens in a very few minutes and pressure drop is really steep (sea level is 29.9; 25K is 11.1).

Then, at the end, is “rapid decompression” where they let all the air out in a few seconds so you an experience the consequences of that. A truly fun day!!!

What about the significant international traffic in horses traveling by air. Again, at sea level you 29.9; at 10,000 feet (maximum cabin altitude in a pressured aircraft) you have 20.6. That’s not the fractions of an inch you get over hours in a frontal passage; that’s a full third in matter of a few minutes. These flights can last more than 12 hours. Is colic a problem in this activity? Serious question.

I know of the anecdotal claims, but I’m deeply skeptical of the “pressure drop” argument.

G.

Those I know who imported horses regularly used experienced agents and shippers and they gradually reduced the concentrates before the flight ( no, dont know the exact interval) and either the new barn or the quarantine facility added them back in gradually after they got here. No colic issues. No different then many, self included, who cut grain for longer then a few hours trailer trips.

Think if you are unlucky enough to be close to the eye, where the pressure drop is most extreme, of a Cat 3 or over storm, that pressure drop might be problematic.

And, G, did you ever see the decompression chamber film from what must be the 1950s with the gal putting on lipstick? Some of it gets near her lips. Hilarious, think of it every time the subject of hypoxia comes up.

[Guilherme]

@findeight

Those I know who imported horses regularly used experienced agents and shippers and they gradually reduced the concentrates before the flight ( no, dont know the exact interval) and either the new barn or the quarantine facility added them back in gradually after they got here. No colic issues. No different then many, self included, who cut grain for longer then a few hours trailer trips.

Think if you are unlucky enough to be close to the eye, where the pressure drop is most extreme, of a Cat 3 or over storm, that pressure drop might be problematic.

And, G, did you ever see the decompression chamber film from what must be the 1950s with the gal putting on lipstick? Some of it gets near her lips. Hilarious, think of it every time the subject of hypoxia comes up.

Yes, I’ve seen it! She looks like the lady in “Airplane” trying to put on lipstick in turbulence. Or guy in in “Airplane 2” who tries to shave in heavy turbulence!!!

While I’m skeptical of the “pressure drop” theory I’m not skeptical about conditions being able to induce a colic. But there are lots of things that can put a horse “off its feed” (or maybe, more importantly, off its water intake). The last colic incident we faced was an incipient try by our stallion during deep, but short lived, cold snap where he didn’t want to drink really cold water. Even heating it up was insufficient for a period of time. We ended up calling the “road crew” from the UTenn Vet Hosp. and they were very good. Fortunately it didn’t go all the way (thanks to warm water that he finally started to drink and bran mashes). This cold was the result of a strong cold front that brought a significant drop in pressure, sharp rise in wind velocity, and a truly impressive short term drop in normal temps. My money is the temp. drop and/or wind rise for our experience.

G.

[Crashing_Boar]

Any weather stress on animals will be exacerbated by changing their routine, and that includes feeding. I feed my herd as usual, and leave them turned out to use their instincts to deal with the weather as nature intended, though I do close them out of any territory where debris or falling trees could be a factor.

They generally pack up in the middle of an open area, well outside the range of flying debris, turn their heads to the inside of the circle and their butts out, and hunker down. When the eye of Sandy came over, they went back to grazing like nothing happened. At the same time, the deer and wild turkeys came out of the woods and went back to feeding in a most nonchalant, businesslike manner.

Meanwhile the radio was screaming about flooded subways, half of Staten Island on fire and trees/wires/power failures that would last for days. A meditation on who’s smarter, the natural beasts or we who have complicated our existence beyond all compatibility with the natural world?

Feed as usual and turn 'em out! They know what to do–better than we do. Very matter of fact about it, too!

[ABookworm]

For this hurricane my plan is to continue to feed my horses like I normally do. I plan on soaking everything, add a little extra salt, and increase the amount of soaked beet pulp/hay pellets they receive for lunch. My ASB is very rigid on her feeding schedule and my small pony is such a hard keeper that I think it would be worse for them to be denied their grain. The large pony is too smart for her own good and would know if she was getting cheated with as smaller ration. If they have to stay inside I do increase the amount of hay they receive (2 full bags instead of 1) and give each an extra bucket of water that has molasses mixed into it.

For Matthew my large pony was fed as normal and did just fine. For Irma my small and large ponies were only given hay before, during, and after the storm. They did just fine. For me the biggest thing is making sure they have enough water and enough hay to keep things moving.

[Redemption3]

My senior is always left out. He is never stall for a hurricane or otherwise but now he is recovering from surgery so he is on stall rest. I cut back on TC Senior by one quart each feeding. He eats 3X a day.
The new horses were just introduced to grain so they don’t get much anyway. Most of their day is spent munching on coastal hay.