Worried Owner - Grazing on Fertilized Paddock?

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Judziah

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I'm looking for some advice...

My stupid two year old Cob broke through two fences last night and ended up in a paddock that had been recently fertilized.

It was fertilized a week ago...and we've had two days of steady rain...we think he's been in there a couple of hours (only one pile of poo was found)

The fertilizer was NPK 16-16-16 (if it's of any importance)

I've no idea what to do now...he seems perfectly normal but I've no idea what the potential effects may be.

Can anyone advise!?

I'm a little freaked as I can't get hold of my vet!!
 
If he wasn't in there long and there has been rain then I wouldn't be too worried.

Just keep an eye on him for the next couple of days, you probably won't get hold of your vet til Tues unless you have an emergency call out.

Might need bigger fences though
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I'm not a scientist or a vet, but if it were mine I wouldn't worry.

The rain we have had should have caused it to run off the top or break down & filter through the soil & then be absorbed by the roots.

Modern fertilizers can be grazed straight after with no adverse affects. It's a bit similar to the thought that a horse MUST stay off pasture after worming -This was true some 20yrs ago, but not with modern wormers which kill the worms.

Unless you see an adverse reaction, I really wouldn't panic. A week is a long time too.
 
Thanks...the guy who fertilized it said similar but it helps to have someone horsey to reassure you!!
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Nothing seems to stop this thing...we have 3 different types of fencing in our field (post & rail, electric, sheep wire [it was behind the electric]) he's been through the lot...he's even broken down a stable wall to get into the hay barn!!
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We had our paddock fertilised last year (no idea what with!), and were told to keep the horses off it for a week. As it has been a week, and it has rained, I'm sure he'll be fine.
 
Thanks Sooty.

It's a good job you didn't borrow him in the end (from your point of view at least!)...he's been a complete nightmare this past month!! He's like a blind Elephant when it comes to fencing...! Just carries straight on!!
 
My horse was found grazing a fertilized paddock after having his field fence broken by a little cob that just escapes from anywhere.
He was fine, I did worry a bit but there was no need to after.
He will be fine
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He'll be fine. The fertilizer will have dissolved with the rain and will be well in the ground by now, so don't worry.
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No problem from the fertiliser. Main worry would be the lush grass. The nitrogen in the fertiliser (the first number is the amount of nitrogen) is basically grass food. So even in a week it would have encouraged quick growth, especially after rain. Dont know what you normally feed or what grass your cob is currently on but i would stick to fibre for a few days and not too much grass to ensure no more excess carbohydrate.
 
The biggest worry wouldn't be the fertiliser as that will have dissolved but the quality of the grass. I would keep a close eye on him as he could get a touch of lami
 
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