RED DEER Ñ In an ideal situation, pastures would provide sufficient feed and exercise space for the average horse.
Until recently, pasture forage was not considered that important, but now the pendulum is swinging back, suggesting horses can obtain adequate nutrition on a good pasture rather than relying heavily on feed mixes and supplements.
“Horses were born to eat grass so why don’t we maximize it,” Bob Coleman told a horse breeders and owners’ conference in Red Deer Jan. 9. He specializes in horse nutrition and pasture management at the University of Kentucky.
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He said horse owners need to figure out how many horses may be turned out on a given space, as well as how much time and equipment is available to mind the pastures.
Small farms with limited pasture space may not provide much grass but can offer an exercise area that horses need for better health.
Two to four acres per horse is recommended but this is related to availability, pasture management and local conditions.
“The more nutrients you want it to supply, you may need more acres.”
Coleman said continuous or rotational systems work equally well for those who can manage a grazing program.
Continuous grazing on a pasture is a low-cost technique but there is no way to control overgrazing or erosion in certain spots.
“For those larger acreages, continuous grazing is probably not a bad thing,” he said.
In rotational grazing, a pasture is divided into smaller paddocks. It takes more work, time and money to manage as well as additional equipment such as fences and waterers.
However, it can also result in good grass growth if pastures are allowed to rest and rejuvenate. Most rotation systems allow for 21 to 28 days of rest between grazing periods.
Coleman said the idea of take-half, leave-half works for horses. For example, if grass is 15 to 20 centimetres tall, horses should be removed when it is chewed down to eight to 10 cm.
“The more you leave behind, the better it will grow,” he said.
Under a rotation system, horse owners may consider setting aside or stockpiling forage for fall grazing. Grass species such as creeping red fescue seem more palatable and digestible after a freeze.
Trampling and overgrazing is an ongoing problem because weeds will move into bare spots that are created when horses beat pastures down with their hoofs.
Overgrazing is partly caused by horse behavior. Studies of grazing horses found they nibble 72 percent of the time but are selective grazers, preferring young tender plants, and are inclined to return to favourite spots in a pasture. This leads to hoof action that tears up grass and soil.
“It is a significant behaviour pattern that has an effect on the pasture,” Coleman said. “There isn’t a grass strong enough to withstand that.”
The result is what Coleman describes as “lawns and roughs:” chewed-down patches next to overgrown spots that horses ignore because they do not like the plants or are avoiding manure. These pastures could be mowed to even out the patchiness, but this doesn’t control weeds.
If producers decide to reseed pastures, get local advice on what species do best on regional soil types and are good for horses. Some species may grow well but legumes such as alsike clover may cause health problems.
