10 Steps to a Healthy Productive Horse Pasture, continued...
Once horses graze the pasture down to 3’’, it is time to move them off to another pasture so that the plants can rest. Most pastures should be rested for about three weeks before they are grazed again. Strategically rotating a herd of horses through smaller, rested pastures can keep pasture plants viable for years and years (Figure 4). In rotational grazing, horses are moved onto
pastures after they have rested up to 6’’ in height, and then they are moved off that pas- ture when they have grazed it to 4’’. If another pasture is not available, horses are moved to a loafi ng lot as in step 8.
Step 8. Use a Loafi ng Lot Damage to pastures and soil occurs when
Figure 4: Strategically rotating a herd of horses through smaller, rested pastures can keep pas- ture plants viable for years and years.
Step 5. Manage Manure
Horses create bathroom areas in the pastures that are full of manure and urine spots. T ose areas quickly become weedy, overgrown, un- productive parts of the pasture. To turn those areas back into productive pasture that horses will graze, it is important to drag the manure around the pasture to break up the piles and spread the nutrients. After all, manure is a great source of organic nutrients because it contains nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. After spreading the manure, make sure to mow the entire pasture to 4-6’’ to help knock down the tall weeds and grasses that were in the bathroom areas. After a nice steady rain and a little bit of rest, those bathroom areas will be regrazed by horses. If a lot of horses are on a pasture, it is a good idea to drag each time the pasture is mowed.
Step 6. Avoid Overgrazing When horses are allowed to graze down
pasture plants to the ground or nearly so, they strip the plant of its ability to regrow. T e plant stores its energy in the bottom few inches so once the energy is gone, the plant must rely on its root systems to grow. Constant overgrazing leads to week roots and ultimately death of the plant. Once the plants die, opportunistic clover or weeds encroach into the area. A general rule of thumb is to let horses graze plants down to no less than 3’’ to avoid weaken- ing the plants.
Step 7. Rest Pastures & Rotate Horses Plants need rest just like humans. When pas-
ture plants are allowed to rest and regrow, their root systems become more dense and strong and the plant remains viable for years and years.
horses remain on pastures during inclement weather including snow, rain and drought. One way to preserve a productive pasture during those times is to build a loafi ng lot adjacent to the pasture where horses can be temporarily housed. Loafi ng lots are well-draining areas of land, at least 600 square feet per horse, that contain shelter, hay and water sources (Figure 5). Using a loafi ng lot is also helpful when pastures are being dragged, mowed or fertilized.
Step 9. Allow at Least 1.5 Acres for Each Horse
Keeping too many horses on a small plot of land will most likely result in a bare dirt lot (Figure 6). If maintaining a productive pasture is a priority, then each horse should have at least 1.5 acres of pasture during growing sea- son. If less grazing land is available, horses will not be able to remain on pasture for the entire day, or horses need to be rotated through a se-
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