What makes a good horse pasture

Have your soil tested, and then apply exactly what is needed. You can find a local lab by calling your agriculture extension office, or simply Google "agriculture extension soil testing" along with the name of your state. Follow the recommendations for fertilizer application and repeat yearly. While fertilization can be done at any time of the year, you will realize maximum benefit if you fertilize cool season grasses in the fall.

This is when most weeds die back, and grasses are dormant in their "above ground" growth. During this period, applied nutrients help root systems develop into more mature organs, capable of penetrating deep into the soil. A well-developed root system can extract water from greater depths, especially during the summer drought spells. In early spring, you can boost the leafy growth of your pastures by adding 50 pounds of nitrogen per acre, as long as your pasture does not consist of legumes, such as alfalfa or clovers.

Applying the correct amount of fertilizer does not guarantee a healthy pasture if the pH level is too low. In low pH acidic conditions, plant nutrients are chemically bound and unavailable for absorption by cool season grass roots. A soil pH of 6. A higher pH level than 6. The foundation of a productive pasture is good soil that can sustain the growth of the legumes, hays and forbs that horses prefer.

Unlike fertilizers, agricultural lime does not readily dissolve to become a part of the soil chemistry. This is possible if you are establishing a new pasture or replanting a deteriorated field back into pasture. Lime applications are equally effective at any time of the year.

However, no more than the total recommended amount should be applied over a three year period. After three years, you will need to re-test the soil.

Over-seeding replenishes the stand of grass within an existing pasture area. For pastures with cool season grass mix, it is best to over-seed during the late summer or early fall.

To ensure good seed-soil contact, use a drill seeder. If you don't have a drill seeder, hand-broadcast the seeds or use a seed spreader, and then spread a thin layer of composted manure one-half to one-quarter inch over the seeded area to create improved seed-soil contact. Do not allow horses to graze the field for one full year after you have achieved growth in the renovated pasture area.

Usually over-seeding requires minimal soil preparation, unless the process is combined with pasture renovation. Pasture renovation includes filling depressions and eroding areas with topsoil not composted material , and then seeding. Pasture renovation commonly includes restoring grass cover in high traffic areas, such as along fences and around gates. When acreage is very limited less than one acre per horse , exercise may be the main use of the pasture.

Pasture for this purpose will not supply more than a minimum amount of feed. However, with limited pasture acreage, rotational grazing systems are the most effective method to maximize forage production and consumption.

In this system, a group of compatible horses can graze a paddock area of divided pasture for approximately 3 to 6 days and then be moved rotated to a fresh paddock. Well-limed and fertilized ryegrass or phalaris should be the main grass for this type of area. Phalaris and cocksfoot withstands close and continuous grazing better than most other grasses and when well established and properly fertilized, it produces a reasonably dense and attractive sward.

When planning to renovate a horse pasture, the first thing you should do is to walk the pasture and determine what plant species currently exist and make an assessment of the overall condition of the pasture. Such things as fertilizer weed control and grazing management may produce big gains.

If, on the other hand, few desirable species are present, and the pasture is infested with weeds, then renovation may be the best solution. If the site was previously in some other crop, then renovation will also be required to establish the desired pasture species. The best time to take a soil sample for analysis of nutrient requirements is prior to a new seeding. This will allow you to incorporate any needed fertilizers into the seedbed, or to spread them near the seed at time of seeding.

This allows for more efficient use of fertilizers, especially phosphorous and lime which need to be in the root zone, as they do not move down readily when applied on the surface. High phosphorous levels are important for encouraging good root growth and to improve seedling vigor. Micronutrients such as boron and molybdenum may also be applied and incorporated prior to seeding.

Nitrogen and potassium may be applied after the crop has become established. High levels of nitrogen and potassium prior to seeding are not desirable as it may promote vigorous weed growth and can cause root burning and injury of seedlings. In heavy traffic areas, along fences and around gates and water troughs, phalaris, cocksfoot or tall fescue may be used. While it is generally considered less palatable than ryegrass, the aforementioned species produces one of the toughest and heavy traffic swards of any adapted grass, which is desirable for horses.

Older stands of fescue often are infested with an endophyte within the plant fungus. Toxins associated with this fungus can cause lowered reproductive rates, abortion, agalactia lack of milk and prolonged gestation with mares. Use endophyte-free tall fescue seed whenever establishing new fescue stands for horses. Brood mares should be removed from pastures containing endophyte infested tall fescue at least 90 days prior to foaling. Whether you improve your pastures by the use of lime and fertilizer or by reseeding, sound management is essential to keep the desired species persistent and productive.

Avoid over or under grazing. Horses are notorious selective grazers. They will seriously damage desired species in some areas unless they are moved into new pastures frequently. Therefore, some form of rotational grazing is desirable. The correct acreage per horse changes with the season as well as with other factors. However, a good rule is to provide at least one acre of good quality pasture per horse. Then set up 5 or 6 paddocks, letting the horses graze first in one area for about one week and then change to another.

This system helps to keep the legumes and grasses growing better and increases the feed available per acre. In addition, by rotating the horses from pasture to pasture you can break the life cycle of some parasites. Top pastures regularly during the growing season. Toping at a height of 5 to 8 cm after horses are moved to a new paddock helps to control weeds, prevent grasses from heading and in general keeps the pasture in a more desirable condition and maximises nutritional value.

Harrow pastures with a chain link harrow at least once per year. Harrowing helps to spread manure droppings which reduces the parasite populations by exposing them to air and sunlight. Harrowing also helps to smooth over areas dug up by horses' hoofs on wet soil. Apply fertilizer as needed. Improved horse pastures must be fertilized annually if legumes and grasses are to persist and remain productive. The fertilizer to use depends on the pasture species present.

Complete soils test every 2 or 3 years is your best guide. Prior to any tillage operations, it is important to determine what weed species are growing on the site, as some species e. Dock, Cape weed, Pattersons curse may be more effectively controlled by applying a herbicide before any cultivation is done.

Cultivation procedures such as discing or rotovating such plants as Dock and Cape weed may just spread these weeds throughout the paddock, as they can regrow from a small fragment of root material. For specific information on weed control contact your farm supply outlet or your local office of the Department of Agriculture. The decision of when to start feeding your horse and what to feed is an extremely important question. When pasture quality and quantity is limited, several adjustments to your horses ration have to be made.

These are greatly determined by the size, weight and activity of your horse. Most idle horses will be able to satisfy their nutritional requirements. Growing, Stud and Performance horses will have to be supplemented with a quality feed. The precision of a horse's lips and teeth allow horses to remove plants at ground level. Horses tend graze in the same location area repeatedly graze the same plants because of enhanced nutrition and palatability.

Repeated intense grazing can damage parts of the plant necessary for regrowth and can eliminate plants from the pasture, reducing the concentration of high quality forage. Therefore, pasture rotation is essential to good pasture management practices.

As stocking density increases, the implementation of a rotational grazing system becomes more important. Even a simple two-paddock system will produce results. To set up a two-paddock system, place one cross-fence across the pasture and rotate the horses between the two pastures. Turn animals into the pasture when the grass is 7 to 10 inches tall and allow them to graze it down to 3 to 4 inches.

A grazing system with more than two paddocks will provide additional improvements in the performance of the pasture. A rotational grazing system can be set up by using temporary tape to divide large pastures or by installing permanent smaller paddocks.

Additional steps may be required to give grasses adequate rest. During hot, dry weather, when grasses are stressed and growth is limited, pasture access should be restricted.

These areas also are known as sacrifice lots, barnyards, exercise paddocks, dry lots, or heavy use areas. A planned ACA can be a valuable component of a well-managed farm. ACAs can be used to remove animals from pastures to protect new growth and existing vegetation during periods of adverse growing conditions, or if the number of animals exceeds the ability of the desirable forage in the pastures to survive and recover from grazing.

The sacrifice area should be sited on high ground, at least feet from any wetlands, streams, or ponds. The area should have a slight slope and should not be located in a bowl or depression where water naturally collects. Clean water from upslope fields, driveways, and barn roofs should be diverted away from and around the sacrifice area. Construction of the sacrifice area should involve covering the area with a layer of stone aggregate topped with a minimum of inches of finer stone dust.

The sacrifice area should be surrounded with vegetation to filter out any organic matter and sediment that might run off. Manure should be routinely picked and moved to a manure storage area. The compacted stone dust layer is often used as the surface of the ACA. There are several materials that can be used to cushion the surface layer. Wood ships and sawdust provide cushioning, but care must be taken to ensure the material does not contain harmful wood products; such as black walnut or cherry.

Gravel and sand can also be used, but horses should not be fed on sand, since it can cause colic and impaction if the sand particles are ingested. Pasture renovation is an effective way to improve stand density or introduce new species into existing pastures. Following a few simple management strategies will ensure the establishment of new seedlings. Selecting the most appropriate time of year to seed the pasture greatly influences stand establishment. Spring and fall are ideal seasons to plant; however, fall is usually the preferred seeding time in Pennsylvania.

Spring generally generates higher weed competition and, in regions prone to drought, young seedling may succumb to the hot, dry summer conditions. Proper soil preparation promotes good establishment. Soil tests are necessary to determine pH levels and nutrient needs. There are two factors that greatly affect successful renovation: seed to soil contact and seeding depth. Planting seeds too deep is the 1 cause of forage seeding failure. Seed to soil contact is the second cause of failure.

In order to ensure seed germination, the seeds need to be in contact with and covered by soil. If there is vegetation in the pasture that can compete with new seedlings, the horses should be allowed to graze the grasses as short as possible prior to reseeding.

The pasture can also be mowed very short to suppress the existing vegetation. A third option is to use glyphosate herbicide to kill existing plants. Seed can be randomly applied using a spinner seeder. To ensure seed to soil contact, the soil should be loosened using a spike harrow or set of discs.

After broadcasting the seed, the pasture should be lightly harrowed to pull soil over the seeds. A four-wheeler and spike harrow can be successfully used to prepare the seed bed in small pastures. Another method of reseeding a pasture is to use a no-till drill. The drill cuts a slit in the soil, drops the seed and covers it with soil. Horses will need to be removed from newly seeded pastures until the new plants have at least 5 to 6 inches of growth and the root systems are strong enough to handle grazing pressure.

Remember to adopt good management practices to protect the new stand and it will provide nutrition for your horse for many years to come. Let's Stay Connected. By entering your email, you consent to receive communications from Penn State Extension.

View our privacy policy. Thank you for your submission! Basic Pasture Management for the Equine Owner. Proper pasture management leads to high quality, productive pastures that can supply excellent nutrition for horses.