Wildflower Equestrian

Here is your reminder to check your alfalfa for the presence of blister beetle prior to feeding it to your horses—especially if you feed alfalfa hay from a new or unknown harvesting source.

"The blister beetle (Epicauta) is highly toxic to sheep and cattle, but primarily to horses," says AAEP member Dr. Benjamin Espy. "As little as four (4) to six (6) grams of blister beetles can be deadly to a 1100-pound horse. Blister beetles swarm in alfalfa fields and are drawn into bales by accident. Even small parts of these beetles are toxic to a horse, and whole insects need not be present to be dangerous. Although cantharidin can exist in the alfalfa used to make pellets and cubes, cantharidin toxicity is very rare by this route. Some people believe that it has to do with the processing, others believe that it’s because the feed companies are using alfalfa from reputable sources that have good insect control."

If you suspect your horse is showing signs of toxicity, call your veterinarian immediately. While there is no antidote for the toxin found in blister beetles, your veterinarian may still be able to save your horse by providing supportive care to combat dehydration, help evacuate toxins from the gastrointestinal tract and delay potential absorption. Since there are many representatives of the species Epicauta, contact your local agricultural agent so they can help you identify any beetle that looks suspicious.

Read Dr. Espy's article on blister beetle poisoning on our website at https://aaep.org/horsehealth/blister-beetle-poisoning

Make them think!

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TikTok · myequinediscounts 12.1K likes, 85 comments. “Worth it though 💸🫣🐴”

Hahaha so true 😂
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1st playday at Rock Ridge Riding Club was last night.
First, I was proud to hear all the compliments I got about my riders and their respect for their horses and their work ethic! Just know we are grateful and your comments will be shared!
Thank you again!
Boy oh boy did we learn a lot which is the whole goal of what we want!
We learned about nerves and how our bodies react to them, we learned about team work/encouragement, we learned that our horses have moments too, and we have also seen how hard we worked to get there…, it took a lot of unlearning to get to the place we are learning.
As an instructor this brought me to proud tears last night, not only are these guys doing an amazing job with their mindsets of how can I improve, they have the mindsets of everything going on around them and watching the reactions and asking AMAZING questions to work on what they want as a solution! Seeing them all work on their partnerships with these horses and have good horsemanship is the reason I do this. They are learning so much and building a powerful relationship with their horses and educating themselves, the horses, and leading by example. I can’t say enough good things about these kids!