search.noResults

search.searching

note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
10 Steps to a


source of nutrition for your horse, reduce your hay and grain bill by hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, and are great for the environment because they anchor soil and prevent nutrient and soil run- off . An unproductive pasture is one that is weedy with lots of bare soil (Figure 1), where- as a productive pasture has a dense, thick stand of healthy pasture grasses (Figure 2). Keep in mind that not all


horses can be allowed unlim- ited grazing on pasture, but for those that can, pasture can meet nearly all of their nutrient requirements and provide a great place for ex- ercise and socialization. Here are a few simple steps


you can follow to make sure you get the most out of your horse pastures.


Step 1: Check Soil Fertility


One of the fi rst steps to en- hancing your horse pastures is to make sure the soil has enough nutrients in it to feed the plants, and that the soil is not too acidic. T e three main nutrients of concern are nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. T e ideal pH for pasture grasses in this area is 6.2 to 6.5. T e best way to tell if your soil nu- trients or pH need adjustment is to send a soil sample off to a certifi ed soil testing lab. To learn how to properly take a soil sample and for a list of certifi ed soil testing labs, visit https://exten- sion.umd.edu/horses. A soil test will tell you if you need to ap-


Healthy Productive Horse Pasture


by Dr. Amy Burk Healthy productive pastures can be a great


and lime if they are truly needed. You are also saving money in seed because if you apply seed to a soil that doesn’t have optimal nutrients, the seed may not germi- nate and grow.


Step 2. Assess What You Have Out There


T e next step to a


Figure 1: An unproductive pasture is one that is weedy with lots of bare soil.


productive pasture is fi guring out whether you need to com- pletely start over with a full renovation, or if you can salvage what you have and improve your pasture manage- ment. T e way to do this is to assess your vegetative cover which involves determin- ing how much grass, weeds, and soil you have out in your pas-


agement and over-seeding is recommended. If the percentage of grass is greater than 70%, it is recommended that good pasture manage- ment practices be continued to maintain it at that level. T e Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Horse Outreach Workgroup has some fantastic articles on how to re-establish a pasture from scratch and the proper grass species to use. You can visit their website or fi nd the articles on the University of Maryland’s website at: https://ex- tension.umd.edu/horses.


Step 3. Mow Regularly Regularly mowing your pastures to a height


of 4-6” is one of the most important steps of pasture management. Mowing helps to control weeds by cutting down their seed heads to pre- vent further spread. It also trims down weeds with broad leaves that are shading out grasses underneath them and competing for resources like nutrients. Avoid cutting grasses below 4” because the plants store their energy for growth in the bottom few inches of the plant.


Step 4. Control Weeds


A key to controlling weeds is to promote grass growth through maintaining good soil fertility and mowing. Also, it is a good idea to walk your pastures several times each year to try to identify what type of weeds you have. Many weeds are non- toxic and can even provide some basic nu- trients to your horse. However, there are plenty of toxic weeds out there that could cause your horse to become ill. T ere are numerous resources online


Figure 2: A productive pasture has a dense, thick stand of healthy pasture grasses.


ture. It sounds complicated, but it is relatively easy to determine, and the University of Mary- land has a video on just how to do it: https:// youtu.be/lDY7lGT6fU4. In brief, you randomly walk around your pas-


www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580


ply lime to raise the soil pH, and how much is needed. It will also tell you how much nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium should be applied to the pasture each year and when to apply it. If you don’t have the equipment to apply the lime and nutrients, there are many agricultural service providers that specialize in those ap- plications. Once the soil nutrients and pH are optimal, soil tests only need to be done once every three years. T e $20 you spend on a soil test can save you a lot of time and money be- cause you will only be putting down nutrients


tures, stopping every so often to look down to see what a pre-specifi ed area on your shoe is standing on. Using a piece of paper, you can track whether you land on a grass plant, weed, or bare soil. Count up how many times you landed on each of those items and then divide by the total number of stops you made. If the percentage of grass is less than 50%, it’s best to kill off all of the vegetation and establish a brand new pasture. If the grass percentage is 50-70% than a partial renovation using good pasture man-


to check what weeds, shrubs, and trees are toxic to horses. If you have a good bit of weeds and/or some of them are toxic, make sure you identify what you have fi rst.


For more pasture management tips, see “Pasture Management Calendar” in this issue!


You can visit your University of Maryland Extension offi ce in your county to get some assistance with weed identifi cation. Once you know what you have, you can choose an herbicide that is eff ective against the weeds that are present. If you do not have experience with herbicides, consider hiring a company that specializes in herbicide application on horse farms. Make sure to pay attention to the label and only


use herbicides approved for use on livestock pastures. Pay attention to the grazing restric- tions to fi gure out how long after application your horses can graze the pastures again.


APRIL 2018 | THE EQUIERY | 21 continued...


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76