Australia:

Risks in a rugged landscape

Australia may be known for its koala bears and spiders the size of a man’s hand, but it’s home to plenty of horses as well. From racehorses to pleasure horses to working ranch horses, the Land Down Under supports a thriving equine industry. Feeding programs for Australian horses are similar to those in the United States but are shaped by challenges specific to the island nation’s often-difficult physical environment. “[Equine diets] are variable from owner to owner,” says Mick McCluskey, BVSc, MACVS, a veterinarian in Victoria. “Rye grass/clover or lucerne (alfalfa) are the main two hays. Oaten and lucerne chaff are commonly used as well. Hay pellets are available, but they are not very commonly used.” Increasingly, Australian horses receive commercial feed mixes. “Ease of feeding and lowering of costs have made premixed feeds more popular, especially in the racing industry,” says McCluskey. “A large and ever-expanding variety of premixed rations is available, including a number of senior feeds.”

With plenty of land available, turnout is easy to provide to the horses of Australia. “Most pleasure horses are housed in paddocks of varying size, usually with pasture,” says McCluskey. “Full-time stabling or yarding [without turnout] is uncommon.” However, grazing in Australia carries certain risks. Nearly 1,000 poisonous plants have been identified in the country, so “the main challenge in some regions is access to toxic weeds because so many horses are kept on pasture,” says McCluskey. “Other regions have issues with sand consumption and associated health problems like sand colic and diarrhea because of feeding directly off the ground.”