Mycotoxins in grazing

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AWinter

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My head is spinning, I recently had to move the horses to a new rented property, it took me 3 months to find this and I have absolutely nowhere else to go, my horses do not stable they have lived out for over 10 years.

Basically I'm concerned my field is affected by mycotoxins. 2 weeks before we moved the farmer topped the field and left the topped grass rotting down. I have been conservatively strip grazing and raking it up as I go. The horses also have 24/7 ad-lib hay. Loads of mushrooms popped up a few weeks ago after all of the damp warm weather and then yesterday I noticed the grass is starting to rust. The whole field is going from green to patchy yellow, I have googled and I'm fairly sure this is crown rust/rust fungi.

I have since done a lot of googling and I'm finding some really scary stuff about liver damage and mycotoxin exposure. Does anyone have any advice?

The horses cannot go anywhere else and they're currently in a small section of the field that they've already grazed down. My plan was to gradually strip graze until the whole field was open but now I have no idea what to do.

The horses aren't showing any symptoms but they don't get much grass just a small new strip every day.

I cannot afford to do the mycotoxin testing and even if I did I don't have anywhere else to put the horses nor the capacity to do anything to treat the land. Feeling very overwhelmed and a bit hopeless. We have haemorrhaged so much money just to move here and make it liveable for the horses and it just feels like one thing after another.
 
I’d add mycosorb and give regular detoxes and keep a close eye. Having the vet run bloods after you’ve been there a while might help give peace of mind (or confirm an issue if there is one).
 
Crown rust is very common and seasonal, and doesn't produce mycotoxins, so any impact is respiratory, from inhaling the spores. Nitrogen can help the grass grow out of the rust. Not all fungi produce toxins - most of the bad ones are moulds, rather than ones with large fruiting bodies. If there's a lot of arisings left it would be good to get them up, as you are doing, all the same. A bit is ok, but too much will grow moulds and impact on the existing grass. I would give mycosorb as above ^^ anyway, as in the autumn moulds are everywhere.
 
Thanks so much, they are both already on mycosorb so that’s a bit of a relief. I don’t think I’m cut out for being responsible for horses anymore, I just have constant dread and anxiety that I’m going to make a decision that will harm them. I hate not being able to fully control the environment.

They both had liver damage from bad hay 2 years ago, just waiting on a call back from the vet that helped me with that and will see what he says.
 
Are you providing hay/haylage? I think that would help.
I had a few years out of horse ownership as I was struggling to find the facilities/livery services/farrier/instructor I was comfortable with - so I really relate to your feelings. I'm now back in, and juggling all the compromises again!
 
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