Mushrooms, Horses and the Woobles, Equine Leukoencephalomalacia

Interesting incident down the road regarding Mushrooms and Horses....

A neighbor called a bit panicked a few days ago.

One of her Young Kiger Geldings was having difficulty walking and
was acting very poorly. In a few hours two other Kiger gelding were experiencing the same Symptoms.

Shauna called the Vet and it was determined after a few Blood Sample and analysis that the behavior could have been caused by the Horses eating Mushroom from a part of the pasture where Manure had piled and mushrooms were growing. It was not absolutely conclusive but the symptoms did mimic early Equine Leukoencephalomalacia

Manure and Pasture Management are often forgotten about by even the most conscientious Horse Care Giver. It is suggested to keep Horse Pasture clipped short, either through intense feeding (creation of Smaller paddocks) and aeration and harrowing and spreading of manure clumps.

Excellent points are made in this monograph by Tri-County City Soil and Water
Management
We constantly Mow our pastures, if there are not enough horses to keep grass clipped and monthly, use a Spike harrow to break up clumps and aerate the sod. These practices keep the incidence of Mushroom Growth.

It takes about 2 acres of well managed Pasture to support one horse. We have found that by creating smaller Paddocks (1/2 to one acre with Electric Fence) and moving the herd through the paddocks, we keep the pasture short and Manure is easier to manage.

Good management may reduce the incidence as experienced by our neighbors.