My Horse University and eXtension’s HorseQuest welcome you to this live Webcast.

Pasture Management for Horse Acreages

Dr. Dave FreemanOklahoma State University

Meet our presenter:

Dr. Dave FreemanOklahoma State University

Dr. Christine SkellyMichigan State UniversityQuestion facilitator:

Do I Have a Pasture?• Must supply growing forage• Small acreages may at best

be a ‘turnout’• Large acreages may best be

a ‘range’

‘Pastures usually are thought of as land that must be managed if it is to supply growing forage.’

Pasture Management for Horse Acreages

Objectives:• Develop a grazing strategy that fits your situation.• Develop pasture grass management routines that

promote desirable forage.• Combine grazing strategies and grass management

routines to develop a pasture management system.

‘The vast majority of situations require controlled grazing and agronomic practices for grass management; one without the

other is not enough.’

Why Bother with Pastures?• Regardless of ration scheme, energy systems for

horse diets are ‘Fiber Based’, and growing grass has large amounts of fiber.

• Horses respond well to daily access to free exercise, and when allowed access will forage and move around the available land area, regardless of it being a turn out, range or pasture.

Nutritional Value of ‘Fiber’• Fiber is one of the major ‘forms’ of carbohydrates supplied in

feeds, the other are generally categorized as ‘nonstructural’, i.e. sugars and starches.

• Fiber includes a wide range of compounds, some very usable and some not even slightly digestible by horses.

• The amount and types of fiber vary between different grasses and by stage of growth of the plant.

• We supply inputs of management and products to emphasize the quality (digestibility) of our pastures.

Problems with Pastures

• Takes extra labor, facilities and expense.

• May be undoable with limited acreages or many horses.

Horse Pasture Logic• Have to combine ‘horse sense’

and ‘farmer sense’.• Goal for horses is to supply a

safe, nutritious source of diet that can be knowledgably supplemented with grain-based feedstuffs.

‘Knowing what to expect with grazing habits and herd dynamics are key ‘horse sense’ factors’

Horse Sense and Pastures• Grazing

– Continuous grazers– ‘Roamers’ that select ‘preferred’ plants.– Supplemental feed will alter time spent

grazing– Herd dynamics will alter time spent grazing

and the minimum space needed for individual horse safety.

‘Small acreages will require controlled grazing, and the two methods most easily used with horse pastures are rotational

grazing cells and limited turnout time.’

Picture from HorseQuest.info

• Rotational grazing: dividing up usable pasture into smaller grazing cells and moving horses ‘into and out of’ cells to maximize grazing and plant growth’.

• Temporary fencing, i.e. electrified tapes, is frequently used to divide up small acreages.

• Manure management may be more of an issue.

Horse Sense and Pastures

‘Size of cells and time length per cell depends on horse numbers, herd dynamics and plant availability (growth pattern of forage and land size).’

• Limited turnout is dependent on feeding and use schedules in addition to needs for horse exercise and plant growth.

• Any recommendations will need refined based on your observation; however, minimum of 4 to 6 hours per day is a good starting point.

Horse Sense and Pastures

‘Farmer Sense’ and Pastures• Know what will grow: climate, topography

and soil type

‘Some climates are suited for 300 plus days of grazing while others 180 to 240 at best’. Some areas are suited for ‘cool season plants,

others warm season.’

• Topographical maps are available in most areas of the U.S. for farms and ranches that provide contours, elevations, etc.: NRCS offices or Cooperative Extension offices are good starting points.

• Web search is helpful, i.e. aerial views of land via google earth.

‘Farmer Sense’ and Pastures

• Soil type will vary from location to location.• Soil type and soil profile will provide productivity estimates and direct

decisions on plant types and agronomic practices, i.e. fertilization.• Soil tests are a ‘must’ and are dependent on proper sampling of soil.

‘Farmer Sense’ and Pastures

Combining ‘Horse and Farmer’ Sense

• Identify what is currently growing on pasture.• Identify forage species adapted to your area

and soil type.• Select forage species adapted for stocking rate

and palatability.

Choices for Grasses

• Growing season: cool season and warm season

• Annual and perennials• Grasses and legumes• Single species or multiple

grasses

• Manage horses for benefit of grass by regulating access, regulating stocking rate, and modifying natural grazing behavior.

• Develop facilities to assist management of horses for benefit of grass.

• Implement agronomic practices that really benefit plant growth.

Combining ‘Horse and Farmer’ Sense

• Agronomic practices that are routinely used on horse pastures include:– Mowing: overused– Herbicides: not understood– Fertilization: misaligned

Combining ‘Horse and Farmer’ Sense

‘The less able you are at controlling grazing, the more you rely on agronomic practices as means to ‘save’ your land’

So Thanks for the Presentation but: You Haven’t Answered My Question!

• What’s the best grass for horses?• Which grass will my horse ‘like’ better?• Can a horse eat too much grass?• What plants should I avoid?• How many horses can I put on my pasture?

And the Presenter Leaves You with Some ‘Points to Ponder’

• What’s the economic benefit of improving your pasture compared to other ways to feed horses?

• What are you doing to prevent erosion and water contamination?

• Do you want to really learn about pasture management?

‘There is a great self-learning course available at http://www.horsequest.info/ ’

Thank you for attending this live web presentation!

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