Horse Grazing & Pasture Management Info Session September 12, 2018 King Campbell, P.Ag Phone: 250 804 3750
Pasture Pasture is an area of ½ acre or more, where forage (grass and legume crops) is grown to supply nutrients to grazing animals.
Healthy, well managed pastures = healthier, happier horses and horse people!
What is the purpose of pasture? It may not be suitable as the ONLY FEED SOURCE. Role of Pastures Major feed source – Exercise lot – What’s Growing in Your Pasture? Renovate – Re-establish – Maintain – Do you have ENOUGH? Limited acreage – Turn out times – Sacrifice areas –
Pasture Management Management Requires • Time – Equipment – Knowledge – Dollars – Proper Pasture Management • Will save you money on feed –
Grazing Habits Horses are continuous grazers • 15-20 hours spent grazing over a 24-hour period – Will consume approximately 2-2.5% BW in DM on a daily basis – 1200 lbs @ 2.5% = 30 lbs dry matter + 10% trampling Selective grazers • Palatability and availability – “Spot” grazing – Horses can be (ARE!) destructive grazers • Horse grazing requires 1,000 lbs month of feed (1/2 ton) – Productive hayfields at first cut produce 4,000 – 6,000 lbs/acre – with continuous growth (2-3 tons) Graze half, leave half. –
3 Ton/Acre 0.75 Ton/Acre <0.25 Ton/Acre
To maintain productive pastures, 1 horse can be maintained on: ½ acre of pasture, if turnout time = 3 hours/day • 1 acre of pasture, if turnout time = 3-8 hours/day • 1 ½ acres of pasture, if turnout time = 8-12 hours/day • 2 acres of pasture if turnout time = 24 hours / day Pasture health and animal weight gain can both be managed!
Continuous Grazing Lower yields • Serious weed pressure • Erosion problems • General “poor” management • The snow is gone. Honey, turn the horses out….? It is easy and cheap at the time, but not the best practice in the long run….the pasture likely will not last.
Rotational Grazing Pastures are subdivided into smaller areas • A portion of the pasture is grazed while the remainder • “rests” Paddocks are allowed to: • Renew energy reserves – Rebuild plant vigor – Improve long-term production –
The goal is productive pastures that are aesthetically pleasing because these pastures are healthy and likely meeting your goals. No bare ground (consistent vegetative cover), less dust, few weeds, • reliable growth, resist trampling, over-winter well, produce good crops. Easier said than done; POTENTIAL to reduce feed costs.
Decisions Each farm must decide its own goals. • Will turnout areas be for exercise only, or to supply feed • and exercise in a pasture? Do you have a confinement area, do you need one? • OR
Topline Stables 18 acres • Pasture area – 8 acres • 30 horses on pasture and in confinement areas for 12 years. • Coarse soils – sandy loam over gravel • Naturally sub-irrigated over about 1/3 of the pasture • Primarily bluegrass pastures with some orchard grass, clovers • Half the horses turned-out every day – for feed and exercise and • socializing with other horses in mare and gelding groups.
Good pasture management is as much an art as science.
In the end, the farm needs to… Be flexible • Plan ahead • Monitor: adjust to grass condition • Adjust original plan • Keep records •
The pasture is either improving or declining in condition due to your management. Where is your pasture headed? Seeding required to renovate the pasture as plant density is low and bare ground is high.
Pastures are either improving or declining as a result of management. Change management practices, to improve production on this pasture.
Pastures are made up of individual plants. • Understanding how plants grow can help us understand • how to manage the pasture.
Grasses differ from one another in how they expand Quackgrass, smooth bromegrass and Kentucky bluegrass produce • vigorous rhizomes enabling plants to spread rapidly. Bluegrass creates a dense sod resistant to grazing and hoof traffic but is shallow rooted. Tall bunchgrasses, orchard grass and timothy, increase the size of • each plant by producing larger and more numerous tillers. Taller grasses with low plant density have large tillers so that even • relatively thin stands can produce high yields. Generally taller grasses have deeper roots, and are more drought • tolerant because they can reach deeper moisture.
Grasses vary significantly in their tolerance of grazing, frost, drought, flooding, etc. Preferable: Tall Fescue = warm weather tolerant, not as palatable, use • endophyte ‘free’ or ‘friendly’ Bluegrass = good with cool weather & heavy grazing, very palatable, • but low yield Orchardgrass = responds well to N fertilization, ideal in high grazing • areas Reed Canarygrass = good in wet conditions, matures quickly • Perennial Ryegrass = tolerates heavy grazing, easy to establish, not • drought resistant Clover = best in small quantities, persists with heavy grazing •
In order to properly lime and fertilize pastures you first • need to test the soil Nitrogen (N) – Phosphorous (P) – Potassium (K) – pH – N deficient = growth and yellow colour • K deficient = winter hardiness, disease resistance, and • stalk length
1 ton of horse manure: • 11 lb N 2 lb P 8 lb K – Not all nutrients are available – Spring is best time to apply manure • Apply thin layer to speed drying and discourage fly • breeding Manure should not be spread if there is a risk for water • pollution. Composted manure is best! •
Preventing Weeds Preventing weeds before they grow is the best • management! Plant clean, weed-free seed – Avoid spreading seeds with manure – Sanitize equipment prior to using them in a different field – Plant and maintain desirable plant species (don’t overgraze!) – Feeding weedy hay can introduce a different type of weed. –
How can we keep horses from overgrazing pastures? What practices can we employ? Keep them in the barn. Keep them in a barnyard.
Sacrifice Area of Heavy Use – Confined Feeding Area, Paddock
Protect the Pasture Manage horses on high density farms • Utilize rotational grazing • Manage turnout time • Prevent trampling when soils are too wet • Recovering from injuries and need limited space •
Healthier Horses Mud is slippery • Cause numerous healthy problems • Mud rot, rain scald, thrush – Parasite problems – Abscess –
Why do horses need paddocks or sacrifice areas? Movement is critically important to equine health and • well-being; therefore sacrifice area is better than a barn. Can’t change food rapidly – must gradually introduce to • pastures. Strong herd hierarchy – alpha animal dominates food • and shelters Can’t combine horses of all age groups and sexes. • Some horses just don’t get along. • They allow you to manage horses to a healthy weight • and reduce the problems with metabolic issues (founder, laminitis, insulin issues, etc)
Pasture Design – Sacrifice Area
Pasture Design High dry ground, away from run-off and wetlands. • Slight slope for drainage, course soils; runoff to • pastures Convenient for cleaning and feeding and pasture access • Fresh water all the time. •
Promote Healthier Pastures Increase grass production and overall pasture health • Remove from pasture when avg. 3 inch of stubble height and – allow back onto pasture when grass is around 6-8 inches (depends on type of horse and metabolic issue). Heavy use area can be used to confine animals until the – pastures are ready for grazing again.
Traditional Pasture Season long grazing, possibly winter feeding too
Rotational Grazed Paddocks Graze at 6-8 inches, remove at 3-4 inches Day 1-7 Day 8-14 Rest 8-28m 21 days Day 15-21 Day 22-28
Intensive Rotational Grazing Rest 21 Days Day 1-3 Day 4-6 Day 7-9 Day 10-12 Day 19-21 Day 22-24 Day 13-15 Day 16-18
Intensive Rotational Grazing Involves a higher level of management: Greater paddock numbers – Shorter grazing periods – Longer rest periods –
Advantages of Rotational Grazing Increases amount and quality of forage obtained by • grazing Can support more animals on a small parcel of land • Reduces or eliminates spot or selective grazing • Minimizes rejection areas where horses will not graze • Promotes growth of desired grass species and reduces • weeds Can help control parasites • Provides better manure distribution and nutrient • recycling Allows for frequent horse-human contact •
What about fencing?
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