®
Hertzler
Farm
and Feed Inc.
|
|
|
|
[Back to Field Seeds] [Back to Equine Page] Equine Pasture and Grazing Where do I start? The first thing to know is the condition of your soil. The only way to know how much lime and/or fertilizer is needed to produce high forage yields is to soil test. The soil should be retested every one to three years. How do I get a soil sample? Collect 10-15 samples of soil randomly across your field in a pail or paper bag. You may use a shovel or soil probe. Crumble the soil samples together and put approximately 1 cup in a small zip lock bag. You may test the sample with a soil sample kit (available at your local farm supply store) or send them off to a state lab for more accurate readings. We provide this service for $12.00 a sample. A single soil should not represent more than 10 acres. Soil Test Report Maintaining proper soil pH is very important to good forage production. When the ph is allowed to fall into the acidic range, your fertilizer becomes unavailable to your forages. Yearly maintenance applications of lime can be used at a rate of one ton per acre. Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potash should be applied as recommended by the soil test. Your local fertilizer dealer should be able to assist you with reading the report and recommending a proper fertilizer. What About Planting Fescue? Fescue is susceptible to the endophyte fungus that will cause problems in ruminant and nonruminant animals (horses) and cause pregnant mares to abort in the last trimester. Orchardgrass, bluegrass, timothy, alfalfa, clover, ryegrass can not become infected with endophyte -- ONLY FESCUES. Endophyte does not hurt horses, only pregnant mares. If you do not plan to have pregnant mares, you can plant a fescue pasture. However, other forage options are much better grazing options. These will be explain later. Endophyte Links
What Forages Should I Plant? This does not need to be a complicated process. We prefer a strong bluegrass mix. Bluegrass is one of the most overlooked forage options in this area. It is very hardy and has longevity. The downside to bluegrass is that it will go dormant in the hot summer, particularly if there is a lack of rain. But as soon as it rains, the bluegrass is back. Orchardgrass is a good nutritional forage but it does not hold up well with horses. It grows in clumps and the roots are shallow. The biting action of horses pulls it up by the roots. For that reason we have added some for interest and nutrition to our mix but it is not the main forage. Clover is very nutritious for horses but it will cause them to slobber excessively. Alfalfa makes good grazing and hay for horses. Alfalfa needs to be seeded with care to get a good stand. Once established it's deep root system can withstand drought better than most forages. If you live in an area that has a problem with blister beetles I would not recommend planting alfalfa as one beetle is so toxic that it can kill a horse. We have two excellent pasture mixtures we recommend...
Rate: 25 lbs. per acre and half the rate for overseeding
Rate: Coverage: 25 lbs. per acre for new seeding and half the rate for overseeding.
How Long Should I Keep My Horses Off the Pasture After I Seed? If you want a good strong stand, let the pasture get established for four to six months before grazing. Most people don't like to hear that answer! But the biggest mistake horse owners make is overgrazing and overstocking the pastures. New seedlings need time to establish a strong root system to stand the abuse of stomping hooves and constant grazers! Establish a system of paddock rotation and allow even the established pastures to rest and revitalize themselves. Other Forage Options:
For information on planting rates go to Field Seeds. With the exception of the ryegrasses or MaxQ, we don't usually recommend seeding these for horse pastures. Grasses to avoid for horses: Grazing these forages can causes paralysis and urinary disorders. Hay from these species is safe.
|