By Tony Dean

Farmers and ranchers are in a very close partnership with Mother Nature. If we really pay attention, she presents us some interesting scenarios.

For example, though they are totally different types of plants, water lilies and prickly pear have a lot in common. They both have strikingly beautiful flowers, both plants are edible, both of them are invaders into their respective habitats, and too much of either one can be an obstacle that we have to deal with.

Many north Texas ranches rely on excavated ponds for livestock water. Any time a pond contains a significant amount of shallow water so that sunlight reaches the bottom, some type of pond weed will develop.  The plant family that includes water lilies and lotuses is a common invader in our livestock water.

Water lilies and lotuses are in the same plant family but they are two separate genera. There are easy ways to tell them apart:

• A primary difference is that water lily leaves commonly float on the surface, but lotus leaves can grow above the water line.
• Water lily leaves and flowers are thick and waxy, while lotus leaves and flowers are thin and papery.
• Water lily leaves have a distinct notch in the leaf, while lotus leaves are more rounded.
• Water lily flower petals are pointed, and lotus petals are more rounded.

The photos attached to this writing are from Clay County, and this plant is common across north Texas. American lotus is adapted to a wide area, from Honduras north through Mexico and across the eastern US and into Canada.

American lotus is a perennial, and it is cold tolerant and heat tolerant. It can grow in any pond or slow moving stream that contains shallow water areas.  It prefers water with a depth of about 12 inches. Germination can occur from the large lotus seeds. Tubers, or roots, are established in the mud, and long slender stems extend upward. Leaves and flowers are both emergent in that they grow above the water line.

Lotus flowers are fragrant, and yellowish white with rich gold centers.  They open in the morning and close by late afternoon, then open again the next day.

Lotus is an edible plant and has a history as a food source. The large tuberous roots, the size of a human arm, were baked like sweet potatoes. The leaves were eaten like spinach, and the large seeds were ground into flour. Stems taste somewhat like beets and were usually peeled before being eaten.

There is a large world-wide industry of cultivating lilies and lotuses in water gardens. According to        Dr. Jerry Parsons, Professor and Extension Horticulturist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, cultivation of these plants dates back as early as ancient Egypt. Today, anyone with determination and a little money can have a water garden.

In 2011, the 82^nd Texas Legislature designated the water lily “Texas Dawn” as the official Texas State Water Lily. Texas Dawn is a hybrid developed by Texas resident Kenneth Landon, a world-renowned expert in the field of water lilies and the director of the International Water Lily collection in San Angelo.

Ducks and other wildlife utilize the large acorn like seeds of American lotus, and submerged portions of all aquatic plants provide some form of wetland habitat. Many of us have tried to pull a bass out of a group of water lilies or lotuses, and I’m sure others have had better luck than I did. Although there can certainly be benefits to lilies, lotuses, and other aquatic plants, they can also infest ponds to the extent that the pond is not functioning correctly.

So, while the rest of the world works hard to grow these plants, ranchers sometimes need to control populations in their stock ponds. Once it gets a foot hold, American lotus can spread aggressively in wetland areas.

The primary issue that encourages American lotus, and most other water weeds, is shallow water.  Look closely at a good livestock pond and you will find that the deeper water is basically free of infestation.  Any pond will have a certain amount of shallow water that encourages water weed growth, depending upon the terrain at the pond site and how the pond was constructed. Some ranchers who enjoy and utilize wetland habitat may prefer to have ponds with significant shallow water area.

Almost all livestock ponds have a certain life expectancy.  Siltation, or movement of soil into the pond bottom through rainfall runoff, is a natural occurrence.  How fast siltation occurs into each pond, and how deep the pond was to start with, determines the length of time that the pond will contain adequate depth for dependable water for livestock.

Ponds that develop infestations of water weeds over a large percent of the surface may not have adequate depth to remain a viable water source for livestock during drought periods, especially in  western north Texas where evaporation rates are higher.

Mud, or silt, from the pond bottom, can be removed to deepen the water, but this is a very expensive process.  It is often more economical to construct a new pond rather than try to remove the silt from an old one.  Most of us do not have the funds to continually construct deep water livestock ponds, so we must try to keep existing structures functioning and providing good drinking water for livestock, for as long as we can. Control of pond weeds like American lotus may be necessary, and it can be accomplished.

There is currently no feasible biological control. American lotus can be cut and removed, but this process us usually temporary because lotus can reestablish from seeds and roots.

American lotus can be safely controlled by chemicals. This must be done carefully.  If a pond containing a large amount of any pond weeds is treated to remove all of the vegetation, a fish die-off could occur.  When the dying weeds decompose, they use up the oxygen in the water and fish can suffocate. If possible, treat only a portion of the area, wait about two weeks, and treat another portion.

Most people don’t notice it all at once.

It starts with a coat that doesn’t shed like it used to. Maybe it hangs on a little longer in the spring, or comes off uneven. Then the topline doesn’t look quite as strong. A horse that always held weight well starts to look a little different, maybe carrying more in the belly and less over the back. Sometimes it’s the feet that raise the first real concern.

None of those things, on their own, seem like a big deal. But when they start to stack up, they point in a direction that’s worth paying attention to.

Cushing’s disease, more accurately called Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction, or PPID, is one of the most common conditions affecting older horses. It’s not something that shows up overnight, and it’s not something that can be cured, but it is something that can be managed if it’s recognized early and handled correctly.

At the center of it all is the pituitary gland, a small but important part of the horse’s endocrine system located at the base of the brain. Under normal conditions, it helps regulate hormones that affect everything from metabolism to immune function. In horses with PPID, a portion of that gland, called the pars intermedia, begins to lose its normal control. The result is an overproduction of hormones, including cortisol, which can have a wide-ranging impact on the body over time.

That increase in cortisol is part of what makes the disease so challenging. It doesn’t just change how a horse looks on the outside. It affects how the body functions. The immune system becomes less effective, healing slows down, and the horse becomes more vulnerable to infections and other complications.

Most cases are diagnosed in horses over the age of 15, but it’s not limited to that age group. It has been identified in younger horses as well, which is why it’s important not to write off physical changes as “just getting older” without taking a closer look.

The signs themselves can be easy to miss in the early stages. The long, shaggy, non-shedding hair coat that people commonly associate with Cushing’s is actually a later development. Before that, the changes are more subtle. A horse may shed later than normal or unevenly. Muscle tone may start to fade, especially along the topline. Some develop a pot-bellied appearance. Others begin drinking more water or seem a little quieter than usual.

Then there are the cases where the first real red flag is laminitis. A horse that suddenly struggles with its feet, or deals with repeated bouts of soreness without a clear cause, often ends up being tested for PPID. In many situations, that’s what finally brings the condition into focus.

Diagnosis itself is fairly straightforward, but it does require some attention to detail. Blood tests are used to measure hormone levels, particularly ACTH, along with glucose and insulin in some cases. Timing matters, as hormone levels naturally shift with the seasons, especially in the fall. Testing at the wrong time without accounting for those changes can lead to inaccurate results, which is why veterinarians may recommend specific testing windows or additional procedures like a TRH stimulation test to confirm what’s going on.

Once a diagnosis is made, the conversation turns to management. There isn’t a cure for PPID, but there is a reliable way to control it. The most commonly prescribed medication is Prascend, which contains pergolide. It works by helping restore balance in the hormone system that the pituitary gland has disrupted. Given daily in tablet form, it has become the standard treatment for horses with PPID.

For many horses, the response is noticeable. Coats begin to normalize, weight stabilizes, and overall condition improves. That said, PPID is a progressive disease, which means management doesn’t stay static. Dosages may need to be adjusted over time, and follow-up testing becomes part of the routine. Some horses experience a decrease in appetite when starting the medication, which may require small adjustments, but overall it remains the most effective option available.

Beyond medication, the day-to-day care of a horse with PPID becomes just as important. Good nutrition is at the top of that list, particularly when it comes to limiting sugars and starches. Horses with PPID are often more susceptible to metabolic issues, and managing diet plays a major role in reducing the risk of laminitis. Regular dental care, consistent deworming, and attentive hoof care all become even more important in maintaining overall health.

There are also the practical realities. Horses that don’t shed properly often need to be body clipped, sometimes more than once a year, just to stay comfortable in warmer weather. Some may require more frequent bathing or cooling if they sweat excessively. Others need closer monitoring for small issues that could turn into larger problems if left unchecked.

Of all the complications associated with PPID, laminitis remains the most serious. It’s also the one that most often determines long-term outcome. Chronic or repeated laminitis can lead to ongoing pain and, in severe cases, the decision to euthanize. That’s why early recognition and consistent management matter. The sooner the disease is identified, the better the chances of preventing that kind of progression.

A diagnosis of PPID isn’t the end of the road for a horse. Many continue to live comfortable, useful lives for years with the right care in place. But it does require a shift in how that horse is managed. It becomes less about routine maintenance and more about paying attention to the details, watching for changes, and working closely with a veterinarian and farrier to stay ahead of potential problems.

In most cases, the first signs are easy to overlook. A coat that lingers. A body that changes. Feet that don’t quite stay right. But those small details tend to matter more than people think. Recognizing them early, and acting on them, is what allows a manageable condition to stay that way.

Few inventions altered the American landscape as quickly or as permanently as barbed wire. At first glance, it was nothing more than twisted strands of metal with sharp points. But in the 1870s and 1880s, it transformed open prairies into enclosed pastures, reshaped cattle ranching, and set the stage for modern agriculture across Oklahoma, Texas, and the Great Plains.

For generations, settlers and ranchers wrestled with the challenge of fencing the open prairie. Traditional wooden fences required lumber, which was scarce on the plains. Stone walls were impractical across vast tracts of land. Homesteaders needed a boundary that was durable, affordable, and easy to construct.

The solution arrived in 1874, when Joseph Glidden of DeKalb, Illinois, received a patent for his version of barbed wire. He twisted two wires together, anchoring sharp barbs in place so they would not slide. His design proved cheap to produce and easy to stretch across posts. Within just a few years, Glidden’s invention spread like wildfire across the West.

For farmers, barbed wire was liberation. They could protect crops from roaming livestock, keep their own animals contained, and finally bring order to what had been the open range. Small homesteads suddenly had a way to defend their fields from massive cattle herds being driven north to railheads.

But not everyone welcomed the wire. Large cattle outfits, used to driving herds across unfenced land, saw it as a threat. Cowboys called it “the devil’s rope.” Tensions boiled over in the 1880s during the so-called “fence-cutting wars,” particularly in Texas. Cattlemen and farmers clashed as hired hands cut through miles of wire to reopen blocked trails and water sources. Violence erupted in some areas, leading to new laws that punished fence cutting as a felony.

Despite the resistance, the march of barbed wire could not be stopped. Its low cost and effectiveness made it indispensable. By the end of the 19th century, millions of miles of barbed wire crisscrossed the United States, dividing prairies into ranches, farms, and towns.

Once established, barbed wire did more than mark boundaries. It changed the very nature of ranching and agriculture. No longer could cattle roam freely over open ranges; instead, ranchers had to provide feed and water within enclosed pastures. This spurred improvements in breeding, grazing management, and stewardship of land. The great cattle drives that once defined Texas and Oklahoma largely faded, replaced by fenced ranching operations closer to railroads and towns.

The wire also influenced settlement patterns. Homesteads became more secure, encouraging more families to take root on the prairie. Conflicts with Native tribes intensified, as traditional hunting grounds were fenced off. In this sense, barbed wire became a physical symbol of westward expansion—an emblem of progress to some, a barrier to freedom for others.

Culturally, barbed wire has carried layered meaning ever since. Cowboys and poets have written about its sting, while farmers praised its dependability. During World War I, it found new use on battlefields, stretched across trenches as a weapon of defense. In art and literature, it often stands for confinement, conflict, or the taming of wild places.

Even today, the sight of rusty wire strung across weathered posts remains iconic. Drive through Oklahoma or North Texas, and you’ll see it outlining pastures, sometimes still holding cattle, sometimes falling into the grass like a relic of earlier generations. Ranchers continue to rely on barbed wire alongside newer fencing materials, proof that a 150-year-old invention still holds its ground.

The story of barbed wire is not just about technology. It is about how a simple invention shifted the balance between open freedom and private control, between the frontier and settlement. It made agriculture sustainable in places where farming had once seemed impossible. It forced ranchers to rethink livestock management. It even gave rise to laws, conflicts, and a new rhythm of life on the plains.

Like the cowboy hat, barbed wire transcended its original purpose. It became a defining feature of the American West—sharp, unyielding, and practical. It reminds us of the challenges faced by those who carved out lives in Oklahoma, Texas, and across the Great Plains, and how innovation, for better or worse, can change landscapes and livelihoods forever.

References

• McCallum, Henry. The Wire That Fenced the West. University of Oklahoma Press, 1965.
• Oklahoma Historical Society. Barbed Wire. https://www.okhistory.org
• Texas State Historical Association. Barbed Wire and the Fence Cutting Wars. https://www.tshaonline.org
• Smithsonian Institution. “How Barbed Wire Changed the West.” (2018).
• Library of Congress. Joseph Glidden and the Invention of Barbed Wire.