Horse Grazing & Pasture Management Info SessionSeptember 12, 2018

King Campbell, P.AgPhone: 250 804 3750

Pasture

Pasture is an area of ½ acre or more, where forage (grass and legume crops) is grown to supply nutrients to grazing animals.

Healthy, well managed pastures = healthier, happier horses and horse people!

What is the purpose of pasture?It may not be suitable as the ONLY FEED SOURCE.

Role of Pastures– Major feed source– Exercise lot

What’s Growing in Your Pasture?– Renovate– Re-establish– Maintain

Do you have ENOUGH?– Limited acreage – Turn out times– Sacrifice areas

Pasture Management

• Management Requires– Time– Equipment– Knowledge– Dollars

• Proper Pasture Management– Will save you money on feed

Grazing Habits• Horses are continuous grazers

– 15-20 hours spent grazing over a 24-hour period– Will consume approximately 2-2.5% BW in DM on a daily basis

1200 lbs @ 2.5% = 30 lbs dry matter + 10% trampling

• Selective grazers– Palatability and availability – “Spot” grazing

• Horses can be (ARE!) destructive grazers– Horse grazing requires 1,000 lbs month of feed (1/2 ton)– Productive hayfields at first cut produce 4,000 – 6,000 lbs/acre

with continuous growth (2-3 tons)– Graze half, leave half.

0.75 Ton/Acre

<0.25 Ton/Acre

3 Ton/Acre

To maintain productive pastures, 1 horse can be maintained on:

• ½ acre of pasture, if turnout time = 3 hours/day• 1 acre of pasture, if turnout time = 3-8 hours/day• 1 ½ acres of pasture, if turnout time = 8-12 hours/day 2 acres of pasture if turnout time = 24 hours / day

Pasture health and animal weight gain can both be managed!

Continuous Grazing

• Lower yields• Serious weed pressure• Erosion problems• General “poor” management

The snow is gone. Honey, turn the horses out….?It is easy and cheap at the time, but not the best practice in the long run….the pasture likely will not last.

Rotational Grazing

• Pastures are subdivided into smaller areas• A portion of the pasture is grazed while the remainder

“rests”• Paddocks are allowed to:

– Renew energy reserves– Rebuild plant vigor– Improve long-term production

The goal is productive pastures that are aesthetically pleasing because these pastures are healthy and likely meeting your goals.

• No bare ground (consistent vegetative cover), less dust, few weeds, reliable growth, resist trampling, over-winter well, produce good crops.

Easier said than done; POTENTIAL to reduce feed costs.

Decisions• Each farm must decide its own goals.• Will turnout areas be for exercise only, or to supply feed

and exercise in a pasture?• Do you have a confinement area, do you need one?

OR

Topline Stables• 18 acres• Pasture area – 8 acres• 30 horses on pasture and in confinement areas for 12 years.• Coarse soils – sandy loam over gravel• Naturally sub-irrigated over about 1/3 of the pasture• Primarily bluegrass pastures with some orchard grass, clovers• Half the horses turned-out every day – for feed and exercise and

socializing with other horses in mare and gelding groups.

Good pasture management is as much an art as science.

In the end, the farm needs to…

• Be flexible• Plan ahead• Monitor: adjust to grass condition• Adjust original plan• Keep records

Seeding required to renovate the pasture as plant density is low and bare ground is high.

The pasture is either improving or declining in condition due to your management. Where is your pasture headed?

Pastures are either improving or declining as a result of management.

Change management practices, to improve production on this pasture.

• Pastures are made up of individual plants.• Understanding how plants grow can help us understand

how to manage the pasture.

Grasses differ from one another in how they expand

• Quackgrass, smooth bromegrass and Kentucky bluegrass produce vigorous rhizomes enabling plants to spread rapidly. Bluegrass creates a dense sod resistant to grazing and hoof traffic but is shallow rooted.

• Tall bunchgrasses, orchard grass and timothy, increase the size of each plant by producing larger and more numerous tillers.

• Taller grasses with low plant density have large tillers so that even relatively thin stands can produce high yields.

• Generally taller grasses have deeper roots, and are more drought tolerant because they can reach deeper moisture.

Grasses vary significantly in their tolerance of grazing, frost, drought, flooding, etc.

Preferable:• Tall Fescue = warm weather tolerant, not as palatable, use

endophyte ‘free’ or ‘friendly’• Bluegrass = good with cool weather & heavy grazing, very palatable,

but low yield• Orchardgrass = responds well to N fertilization, ideal in high grazing

areas• Reed Canarygrass = good in wet conditions, matures quickly• Perennial Ryegrass = tolerates heavy grazing, easy to establish, not

drought resistant• Clover = best in small quantities, persists with heavy grazing

• In order to properly lime and fertilize pastures you first need to test the soil

– Nitrogen (N)– Phosphorous (P)– Potassium (K)– pH

• N deficient = growth and yellow colour• K deficient = winter hardiness, disease resistance, and

stalk length

• 1 ton of horse manure:– 11 lb N 2 lb P 8 lb K– Not all nutrients are available

• Spring is best time to apply manure• Apply thin layer to speed drying and discourage fly

breeding• Manure should not be spread if there is a risk for water

pollution.• Composted manure is best!

Preventing Weeds

• Preventing weeds before they grow is the best management!

– Plant clean, weed-free seed– Avoid spreading seeds with manure– Sanitize equipment prior to using them in a different field– Plant and maintain desirable plant species (don’t overgraze!)– Feeding weedy hay can introduce a different type of weed.

How can we keep horses from overgrazing pastures? What practices can we employ?

Keep them in the barn. Keep them in a barnyard.

Sacrifice Area of Heavy Use – Confined Feeding Area, Paddock

Protect the Pasture

• Manage horses on high density farms• Utilize rotational grazing• Manage turnout time• Prevent trampling when soils are too wet• Recovering from injuries and need limited space

Healthier Horses

• Mud is slippery• Cause numerous healthy problems

– Mud rot, rain scald, thrush– Parasite problems– Abscess

Why do horses need paddocks or sacrifice areas?

• Movement is critically important to equine health and well-being; therefore sacrifice area is better than a barn.

• Can’t change food rapidly – must gradually introduce to pastures.

• Strong herd hierarchy – alpha animal dominates food and shelters

• Can’t combine horses of all age groups and sexes.• Some horses just don’t get along.• They allow you to manage horses to a healthy weight

and reduce the problems with metabolic issues (founder, laminitis, insulin issues, etc)

Pasture Design – Sacrifice Area

Pasture Design

• High dry ground, away from run-off and wetlands.• Slight slope for drainage, course soils; runoff to

pastures• Convenient for cleaning and feeding and pasture access• Fresh water all the time.

Promote Healthier Pastures

• Increase grass production and overall pasture health– Remove from pasture when avg. 3 inch of stubble height and

allow back onto pasture when grass is around 6-8 inches (depends on type of horse and metabolic issue).

– Heavy use area can be used to confine animals until the pastures are ready for grazing again.

Traditional Pasture

Season long grazing, possibly winter feeding too

Rotational Grazed Paddocks

Graze at 6-8 inches, remove at 3-4 inches

Day 1-7Rest 8-28m 21 days

Day 8-14

Day 15-21 Day 22-28

Intensive Rotational Grazing

Rest 21 Days

Day 1-3 Day 4-6 Day 7-9 Day 10-12

Day 13-15 Day 16-18 Day 19-21 Day 22-24

Intensive Rotational Grazing

Involves a higher level of management:– Greater paddock numbers– Shorter grazing periods– Longer rest periods

Advantages of Rotational Grazing

• Increases amount and quality of forage obtained by grazing

• Can support more animals on a small parcel of land• Reduces or eliminates spot or selective grazing• Minimizes rejection areas where horses will not graze• Promotes growth of desired grass species and reduces

weeds • Can help control parasites• Provides better manure distribution and nutrient

recycling• Allows for frequent horse-human contact

What about fencing?

Seeding my pasture for increased production…

• Management needs to be considered to ensure desired results (timing, intensity, duration of grazing).

• Will current practices allow for rejuvenation or is seeding and re-establishment necessary? More than 50% requires seeding?

• Forage selection for the site, soils, and use. A mix of species will be most appropriate for your area, use, and climate variability.

• Timing of seeding with anticipated moisture to support germination and establishment.

• Seed with a forage drill rather than broadcast. Small seeds need to be placed very shallow in firm moist seedbed with soil contact.

• Keep animals off new seeding as long as possible

• Soil test and fertilize as recommended.

18 - 20 lbs / acre

Forage Mixes by Premiere Seeds

You can learn to ID your grasses!

Topsoil Removed

• Topsoil placed and grass seeded to renew the forage.How would you seed your site?

Forage Seed

• Forage seed is very small and must be planted shallow• ¼ to ½ inch deep into soil• Firm seedbed draws moisture to the seed.

Conventional tillage to prepare seedbed, place seed with Brillion seeder. Zero tillage into existing “sod”

May 2016

July 2016

August 2016

April 2017

May 2017

Manure accumulations need to be well harrowed/raked

September 2018

May 2018 Sept 2018

• Scientists at the College of Wales studied the effect of using a soil aerator on compacted soil layers at 4-5 inches.

• The aerator had 6 inch long tines.

• The fields were 20-year old pastures of perennial ryegrass in silty loam soil.

Control Aerated • Daily Growth 22 lbs / acre 49 lbs / acre

• The scientists found that penetrating the compacted layer of soil with the aerator could double forage production and nutrient uptake. Benefits include more pore space for air, water, biota (bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, insects, arthropods), to support processes making nutrients available to plants.

• More plant roots (300 psi) to support the plants and develop the soils as they die and regenerate annually.

Topline Management Practices

• Manage the pasture, don’t take it for granted

• Buy quality hay with few weed seeds

• Delay turnout until grass is 6 - 8 inches tall

• Horse are on pasture 4 hours a day

• Mow the pastures once or more during grazing season

• Long wet periods – do not have horses on the pasture

• Avoid feeding on small pastures – ice, compaction, winter kill can result from freezing and accumulated manure

• Harrow the pasture in the spring to spread manure

• Remove deep manure deposits

• Soil test, and fertilize as required

• Weed control (pull, mow, graze, spray)

• Aeration is beneficial too.

EFP Key Principles

• Currently Free for Producers

• Voluntary

• Confidential

• Incremental

• Compliance to Environmental Standards

• Periodic Reviews – every 5 years

• Funding Assistance – as available

OUTDOOR LIVESTOCK AREAS WORKSHEET Reference Guide Chapter 3.

* Outdoor livestock area names used below are defined in the Code → Reference Guide, Table 3.1, for the common names of these areas

Confined Livestock Areas* Does not apply to this EFP __ Yes No ? N/A

80 Waste Management Act, Code of Agricultural Practice for Waste Management, Section 28 Are livestock in confined livestock holding areas on rangeland only allowed watercourse access when: held for less than 72 hours; the watercourse is not used for domestic purposes downstream; and the area is maintained to prevent pollution?

81 Waste Management Act, Code of Agricultural Practice for Waste Management, Section 28 Are confined livestock (other than livestock in question #80 above) excluded from watercourses?

82 Waste Management Act, Code of Agricultural Practice for Waste Management, Sections 3 and 29(1) Is the confined livestock area operated in a way that does not cause pollution?

83 Waste Management Act, Code of Agricultural Practice for Waste Management, Section 29(2) Is the entire confined area located at least 30 m [100 ft] from any watercourse?

84 Waste Management Act, Code of Agricultural Practice for Waste Management, Sections 12 and 29(1) Is all manure and contaminated water containing manure or feed, collected from the area so as not to cause pollution, and stored until it can be used as a fertilizer?

85 Health Act, Sanitary Regulation, Section 42 (livestock areas with manure could be considered a “probable source of contamination”) Are probable sources of contamination stored at least 30.5 m [100 ft] from any well?

86 Are pathogens (i.e., cryptosporidium parvum in calf manure) prevented from reaching watercourses?

87 Do all yards holding livestock for more than 72 hours have impermeable surfaces (i.e. concrete) if EITHER the area provided is: • less than 2 m2 per 100 kg of livestock weight [9ft2 / 100lb] for day use only, OR • less than 6 m2 per 100 kg of livestock weight [28ft2 / 100lb] for continuous use, OR • in a high precipitation area (more than 600 mm [24 in] in the 7 months Oct. through Apr.)? (for assistance in answering this question, refer to Worksheet #1, page 59)

Step 4 – Action Plan WorksheetsACTION PLAN WORKSHEETS

Farm: Developed By: Date Developed:

Proposed Monitoring (where applicable)

Question # and comment on area or item being reviewed

(from the Review Worksheets)

Proposed Action (changes required to address concern)

What When

Prio (immediate; sh

or long

Funding Opportunities

Beneficial Management Practices (BMP)• Manure application and treatment• Farmyard runoff diversion and control• Wintering site management (corrals relocation)• Riparian area and water quality management• Erosion control measures• Shelterbelt establishment• Enhancing wildlife habitat and biodiversity • Planning assistance (irrigation, nutrient management, grazing

management)• Stock watering, fencing

Program Cost Shares & Caps

• Cost shares ranging from 15% to 60%

• Limit of $70,000 per farm

• Limits for individual BMP’s from $2 K to $70 k

• Engineering up to 100% to $5 K limit, then 80%

Riparian Fencing Projects

Composting Facilities

Join us!