Rotating Article

for: Week of January 14, 2002

by: John D. Atkins

Extension Agronomy/Livestock Agent

Santa Rosa County

"Pastures for Horses"

Management of horse pasture is an ongoing process that takes time, equipment, knowledge and dollars. If managed wisely, a pasture will be an economical source of high-quality feed, as well as a healthy place for horses to exercise. The purpose of this article is to help horse owners with two basic pasture-planning decisions: (1) the nutritional role of your pasture acreage—whether it is to be a major feed source or just an exercise lot; and (2) the options for pasture improvement—whether to renovate, reestablish or merely maintain. The final sections review the practices that help maintain—even extend—productive pastures. Agronomic practices and recommendations vary greatly across the country depending on soil types, ambient temperatures and annual rainfalls, so these guidelines should be modified to fit your locale. This will be discussed in the next article.

Pasture Planning Decisions

Nutrition or Exercise?

The first decision is whether to use the pasture for exercise purposes only or as a major feed source. Most horses benefit from being outside regularly to exercise. This need can be met on relatively small, well-drained drylots. If your desire, however, is for the pasture to serve as a nutrient source, other factors need to be considered, including its carrying capacity and potential nutritional value.

Pasture Carrying Capacity

Horses should consume at least 1 percent of their body weight per day in forage dry matter. If the major source of nutrition is pasture, a 1000-pound horse will collectively consume and waste approximately 3-plus tons of forage dry matter during a 6 to 7 month grazing season. Thus, depending on the forage yield in your area, it will take at least 2 or 3 acres of pasture to meet the forage needs of a mature 1000-pound horse. Of course, the capacity or stocking rate depends on type of horses being grazed, soil type, soil fertility, drainage conditions, amount of rainfall, time of year and species of forage present.

Pasture Nutritional Value

Most horses can be maintained nutritionally through the growing season on well-manage pasture if provided with fresh water and trace-mineralized salt. Productive pasture during the growing season can replace hay and reduce concentrates required for all horses, and can replace all the feed of those that are laid-up, idle and mature, or in early gestation. Lactating mares, horses being worked and growing foals will usually need supplemented nutrients beyond that provided by even the best pasture.

Forage Yield

Well-managed bahiagrass or bermuda pasture will produce approximately 2 - 6 tons of dry matter per acre dependant on soil type and variety of grass selected.

Renovate, Reestablish or Leave it Alone?

A pasture’s anticipated use and its present condition together determine if it should be renovated, reestablished or left alone. If a pasture is predominantly a place for horses to exercise and the stocking rate averages more than one horse per acre, the land should be left alone. Under these conditions, forage crops will always lack vigor and never have an opportunity to attain their production potential. Improvement costs of renovating areas that will remain exercise lots and that have adequate cover will likely exceed any realized benefits.

If, on the other hand, the pasture is to be an important feed source but is currently unimproved and over stocked, then renovation or reestablishment is justified.

John Atkins is Agronomy/Livestock Agent for Santa Rosa County.

Extension Service programs are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex,

age, handicap or national origin.