FACT
SHEET
Department of Animal Science, University of Connecticut
Effective Horse Management - Second in
the Best Practices Series
Pasture: Planning, Seeding and Sacrifice Areas
By Dr. Jenifer Nadeau, Equine Extension Specialist
University of Connecticut
Have you ever heard the
expression “Failing to prepare, we prepare to fail?” No where is this more true than when it comes
to pasture. It is important to prepare
prior to designing a pasture by considering the use of the pasture, land
resources available, seeding including what to seed, and design and location of
sacrifice areas. A sacrifice lot will
help prevent overconditioned horses by reducing pasture intake as well as
protecting land resources.
Planning
In
New England there is often restricted land space. At high stocking density (high number of
horses kept on land), pasture supply will not meet the horse’s needs. The guidelines that follow are to provide
horses with enough pasture to provide 100% of their nutrition. Horses that weigh 1,000-2,000 lbs need a
minimum of 1.75-2 acres for a mare and foal, 1.5 –2 acres for yearlings and
mature horses, and 0.5-1 acre for weanlings.
With less acreage, pasture will be used mainly for exercise since only a
minimal amount of feed will be supplied.
In
planning your pasture consider animal needs and restrictions:
1)
the total number of horses that will utilize the
pasture
2)
proper grass height at which to begin grazing (this is
usually about 6-8 inches)
3)
the necessity of grouping horses for turnout periods
and size of each group
4)
the desired length of turnout periods
Next
consider land resources available. Are you lacking sufficient acreage, or are
there too many acres of pasture for the animals to keep it adequately grazed?
Think about the grass needs: 1) is there enough leaf area to intercept sunlight
for photosynthesis?
2) are
rest periods long enough following grazing to allow regrowth of leaves and to
maintain a healthy root system?
3) is
proper soil pH and fertility available to increase grass vigor and reduce weed
competition? 4) is grass protected from hooves when
soil is wet to prevent the development of holes and erosion?
When designing your pasture, consider
putting lanes on high, dry ground. You
will probably need to do maintenance and improvement on muddy, wet areas. Remove any organic matter (i.e. old hay or
manure) which helps to form mud. Put
south facing slopes in one paddock and north facing slopes in another
paddock. South facing pasture often will
grow first in the spring providing early spring grazing. Put slow growing areas in one paddock, fast
growing areas in another to help provide continuous grazing.
Seeding
Seed in early April or mid August, September 15 at the
latest. August seedings are usually ideal because the
soil is dry enough to prepare a firm, well-graded seedbed and seeds germinate
quickly in warm temperatures. Root
development is favored due to slower top growth due to cool weather. Weed competition is at a minimum and moisture
is ample as fall rains become more prevalent.
Additionally you receive early use of pasture or a full hay production
season next year.
One
of the better pasture mixtures recommended for Connecticut is 10lb Kentucky
bluegrass, 6 lb orchardgrass and 1 lb ladino clover per acre. Test the soil prior to planting and fertilize
according to seeding recommendations.
Fertilize before rain. Do not
graze the new seeding until grass is 6 to 8 inches high. It is best to wait 8 months to a year to let
pastures full establish. Do not graze
below 4 inches during the first year of establishment.
Kentucky
bluegrass has high animal acceptance, grows well in spring and fall, is cold
tolerant and is a low growing sod forming grass that withstands
overgrazing. However, it is a low
yielding grass species. Orchardgrass is
a desirable bunch grass. It is the highest
yielding species of grass in this area, establishes quickly in the spring, and
recovers quickly after grazing or harvest.
It produces early spring growth, and is more drought and heat tolerant
in summer than timothy. Ladino clover is
a pasture legume. Legumes enrich the
diet, improve summer pasture production during periods of midsummer heat and
drought, and provide fixed nitrogen to fertilize pasture grasses. Clover may cause horses to slobber in drought
periods, but this is not a serious problem and removing horses from the pasture
will stop the slobbers. Ladino clover
requires a soil pH of 6.0-7.0 for best production/persistence. Some people prefer to leave clover out of the
mixture since it may cause slobbering and may take over the pasture when grass
is growing poorly due to drought.
Other
grass species can be used. The grass
species of choice is dependent on soil type, slope, pH, soil texture, and
moisture levels. Consult your agronomy
guide for different seeding mixtures.
Timothy lacks drought resistance and on very wet soil has a shorter life
and does not tolerate heavy grazing. It
tolerates shade poorly, yields less than bromegrass or orchardgrass in summer
heat and can easily be overgrazed. Rhode
Island bent grass is a “native” grass to this area (it is not actually native,
it came originally from Europe, Newfoundland and the Gaspe Peninsula). It is of low quality, and has few
leaves. It is adapted to acid soils and
tolerates wet soil conditions and is also drought resistant. Reed canarygrass is a coarse, tall growing
species. It doesn’t mix well with
legumes because it grows too tall and shades them. It tolerates overgrazing and drought
conditions. Meadow and tall fescue are
more tolerant than orchardgrass or timothy.
They are also traffic tolerant due to low palatability. Fescue is best in high traffic areas because
it can tolerate heavy use. If you do
decide to get tall fescue and meadow fescue, make sure you get the endophyte
free variety of the grass if you are a breeding facility. The endophyte fungus causes a thickened
amniotic membrane around the foal, poor milk production and other problems in
foaling mares. It can also reinfect
grasses. Ryegrass is a grass that may
cause ryegrass staggers which leads to incoordination, tremors and a sawhorse
stance. Sorghum, sudangrass, sorghum sudan hybrids and Johnsongrass should not be used for horse
pasture. They can cause cystitis
characterized by paralysis and urinary disorders.
Sacrifice Area
The cutting and compacting action of hooves can easily
damage wet pastures. During a hot, dry
summer, grass growth may come to a complete halt, and horses may chew plants
right down to the soil surface. Having a
sacrifice area at your facility will allow horses to be turned out during these
sensitive times without wreaking havoc on pasture. A selected area is sacrificed from the
grazing system and is used to confine animals in order to protect pastures from
over-use at critical times like during winter months, mud season, and times of slow
pasture plant regrowth. A sacrifice area
is also a good tool for managers who must limit the amount of grass their
animals get, and for those who don’t have enough acreage to support long hours
of grazing.
The benefits of a well-planned sacrifice area include:
hoof friendly surface for better horse health, reduction of mud and ice, ease
of manure removal/management, improved aesthetics, reduction of manure- or
soil-laden runoff to water bodies and reduction of fly-breeding habitat.
·
Minimal size
is one feature of a well-planned sacrifice area. Reducing the amount of bare soil on your
equine facility will help you protect the environment and decrease distance for
manure removal. Create an area that is
no bigger than that you require after considering the space needs for your
particular herd, groups, or individual, and the amount of pasture and riding
exercise that supplements their turnout time.
Keep in mind that there are limits to a particular property’s ability to
support animals. In some cases this
challenge may be answered by drastically reducing turnout time and space,
combined with meticulous manure management and disposal.
·
A good surface
is another feature of a well-planned sacrifice area. You may need to remove as much of the
fine-textured “topsoil” as is practical, and replace with 8-12 inches of
well-draining gravel. Compacting
the gravel well with machinery will help to lock the stones in place. Gravel should have an assortment of particle
sizes from sands and fines up to stones of one inch in diameter. Larger stone size may be detrimental to
hooves, and even a base containing 1” stone may need to be covered to prevent
bruising. You may wish to top with stone
dust or sand for a hoof-friendly footing.
A good surface is a key part of any mud-reduction plan. Some areas may require subsurface drainage
where seasonal high water tables exist.
Spots that are particularly troublesome due to heavy traffic or wetness may
benefit from the use of geotextile covered with 8+ inches of gravel base and
your choice of surface material.
·
Location is
another important feature of a well-planned sacrifice area. The most convenient areas are generally near
the barn. However, it is most important
that the sacrifice area be located away from wells, wetlands and water
bodies. Strive for a minimum of 200 feet
separating distance between a sacrifice area and a water body. Slopes of 2-4% will reduce ponding of water,
and will have less erosion than steeper slopes.
A slope of 2% means that over a distance of 100 feet, the elevation will
change by 2 feet. Grade the area to
drain away from barns.
·
Daily manure removal is the final important feature of a well-planned sacrifice area. Regular removal of manure from the lot
surface will result in less polluted runoff leaving the site, and will help to
prevent the incidence of mud. Left in
place, organic matter in the form of manure or wasted feed and forage will get
churned into the surface, increasing the water holding capacity of your lot,
which means more mud!
Careful
consideration and design of your pasture will enable you to more effectively
utilize the land resources you have available.
Seeding grass species most suited to your area and having a well-planned
sacrifice area will maximize your pasture production. By following these guidelines, you should be
able to maintain healthy horses on healthy pastures.
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and Seaney R. Undated. Species
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Flack S. Undated. Pasture Management
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Orchardgrass Agronomy Facts 25. Pennsylvania
State University.
Hartwig HB. 1950. Picture
Aids to Grass Identification. Marion S. Hartwig, Ithaca NY.
Kaye J. and
Leonard N. 1997. A Guide to Selecting, Planting and Managing Forages for Profit,
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Meader, J. August 1999.
Forage Crop Establishment Fact Sheet. University of
Connecticut.
Meader, J. July 1999. Species
Selection as Applied to Pastures and Hay. University of
Connecticut.
Mitchell, J. 1982. Pasture
Production for the Small Farm. University of New Hampshire.
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WJ, Kluchinshi D. Sept 1999. Horse Pasture Management.
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