Back To School Savings – September

Just as back to school season can be stressful for parents and kids alike, changing seasons and many environmental factors can be very stressful to horses.  And, when horses are stressed they’re significantly more likely to develop gastric discomfort which can lead to ulcers. Some of these stressors include hard work, trailering, stall rest, inadequate forage quality and quantity, and more.  The horse’s stomach is designed to be acidic and it can withstand those pH levels. But during times of stress the pH can drop and lead to gastric discomfort. You may notice a reduced appetite or picky eating, weight loss, chronic diarrhea, behavior changes or poor performance.  Luckily for your horse’s belly (and you) Purina Animal Nutrition has developed Outlast – which is designed, and research proven, to reduce the acidity of the horse’s stomach. When fed a serving of Outlast it will buffer the contents of the stomach quickly and it will last for several hours. This buffering action helps treat gastric discomfort and can help prevent ulcers from forming.  Outlast can be fed as a top dress to any feeding program and can also be fed alone just before stressful situations (think: showing, trailering, hard work). There are also several feeds from Purina that have Outlast included in their formula.

Using pre-emergent weed control products is an effective way to stop weeds before they start.  When applied at the right time these products will keep the weed seeds from germinating. There are a couple of things to keep in mind.  One, different weeds have different growing seasons. There are some weeds that thrive in the cooler winter temperatures and then die before the heat loving weeds come up for summer.  Two, weeds can be classified as either grassy or broad-leaf. Different products are made for each type. September is the ideal time to apply pre-emergent control to keep the cool season weeds at bay.  Dimension (Hi-Yield Weed & Grass Stopper with Dimension) is the product most widely used and will control grassy weeds. Fertilome Weed Preventer with Gallery will help control the broad-leaf weeds. Both products can be applied easily with a broadcast spreader and watered in.  You’ll want to re-apply in late spring to help control the warm season weeds.