Horse Pasture Management
• New Era:
– Increase Feed Prices
• Corn price 100 % increase ($2.50 to $5.00)
• Wheat Price 200% increase ($3.50 to $10.00)
• Soybeans 150 % increase ($6.50 to $14.00)
– Reasons:
• World Demand-Standards of Living Increases
• Declining $ Value –makes our grain cheaper by 33%
• Bio-fuels-Ethanol and Bio-Diesel
Horse Pasture Management
• New Era Affects:
– Expect increases in Hay Prices
• Current Hay Prices for Western Dairy Hay-$265/ton
• Local Hay Supply very low-Little Carryover
• Diesel Fuel is $4 per gallon-costs more to harvest and
transport
• Competition for acres-corn, wheat, soybeans
• Winterkill of alfalfa in some areas
• Land values increasing 15-18% last 5 years-in central
Wisconsin
Horse Pasture Management
• Pastures for horses now need to provide
more of the horses annual needs
• Is it possible to graze horses on pasture
from May-December?
8 months
• Hay at $4-6 per bale in 2009 or forage
costs of $2-3 per day for a horse
Find Solutions to Feeding Horses
•
•
•
•
Use grazing
Buy hay during harvest
Reduce inventory
Feed limited amount
– Control amount fed/day
Grazing Formula
Sunlight + Rain + Green Plants = Plant Growth
Plant Growth + Grazing Animals = $$$
The Grazing formula involves:
• What’s best for the grass
• What’s best for the livestock
• What moves you toward your goals!!!
Traditional Pastures are often
“Continuously Grazed”
This usually means:
– Lower yields
– Serious weed pressure
– Erosion problems
– General “poor” management
In Rotational Grazing...
• Pastures are subdivided into smaller areas
(or paddocks)
• 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
Intensive Rotational Grazing...
Involves a higher level of management
• Greater paddock numbers
• Shorter grazing periods
• Longer rest periods
Many Pastures are Continuously Grazed
W
S
This usually means:
• Lower yields due to
selective grazing
• Greater weed problems
• Potential for erosion
problems in certain areas
• No management or poor
management of forage
resource
Rotational Grazing
1. Pastures are subdivided into
smaller areas (paddocks)
2. A portion of the pasture is grazed
Lane
while the remainder “rests”
Rest allows pasture to:
• Recover from grazing,
• Rebuild energy reserves & plant
vigor
• Increase forage production
Management Intensive Rotational Grazing
W
W
Corral
Lane
W
W
Management
Intensive Rotational
Grazing (MIRG)
involves even greater
numbers of paddocks
and/or subdivision
within paddocks to
increase amount of
rest and decrease
days grazing each
rotation
Strip Grazing
Recommened
for fall pasture
since no
regrowth occurs
Strip Grazing
Corral
S
W
Exercise Paddock
S
W
Deitz, NRCS
Deitz, NRCS
Forage
Quality
Growth
Best time to graze
Curve
Yield
Seasonal growth patterns in forages
Species
Kentucky
bluegrass
Orchardgrass
Reed
Conarygrass
Alfalfa
Red clover
White clover
April
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Monthly forage production
in 2-acre grass and grass-legume pastures
3000
Lbs. Forage
2500
2000
1500
1000
animal
need
500
0
May
June
July
Aug.
Sept.
Oct.
Grass Pasture
Good Management
Poor Management
Grass-Legume Pasture
Good Management
Poor Management
How much forage is out there?
Rule of thumb:
Figure about 400 pounds
dry matter per acre per
inch of cool season
pasture.
L. Paine
The Rest Period
• Should vary according to plant growth
• In general, must increase as growth rate
slows
• Relates closely to seasonal forage growth
• Need to rotate between paddocks every 3-6
days
Relationship of rest period to pasture mass
during periods of rapid vs. slow growth
Optimum
Lbs.
Rest
DM / acre
Period
0
5
10
15
20
Period of fast plant growth (days)
25
0
10
20
30
40
Period of slow plant growth (days)
50
Stocking Rate (animals/acre)
• Can use formulas for actual numbers
• Thumb rule; one 1000 pound horse per 2-4
acres
• Intensive Rotational Grazing = one mature,
non-producing horse to 1-1.5 acres
• Traditional “Under-managed” pastures =
one horse to 5-10 acres
Stocking Rate (animals/acre)
• Can use formulas for actual numbers
• Thumb rule; 1000 pound animal per 2-4
acres
• Intensive Rotational Grazing = 1000 pound
horse to 1-1.5 acres
• Traditional “Under-managed” pastures =
1000 pound horse to 4-6 acres
Which will cause more overgrazing?
The stocking rate of both paddocks is identical:
100 Animal Days per Acre.
The effect on the paddocks will be much
different.
How much do my animals need?
Rule of thumb: Horses
Figure 3 to 4% of body
weight dry matter per
animal per day.
L. Paine
Pasture Needs Calculation
• 1000 horse needs-3.5% of body weight
– Pasture is 8 inches tall
– Graze to 3 inches
• 5 inches x 400 lbs/inch=2000 of DM forage
• 2000 divided by 35 lbs(needs per day)=57 days of
forage
– Pasture can supply 2 months of grazing
Forage Plots Results
Central Wisconsin
• Established in May 2000
– Twenty(20) grass and legume mix combinations
– 4 replications in Adams County (80 plots
– 2 replications in Waushara County at Hancock
Research Station
– Mix grass and legumes based on height
– Harvest mechanically and graze
White clover x Kentucky bluegrass
Short
2. White clover x Crested wheat grass
Short
3. Kura clover x Kentucky bluegrass
Short
4. Kura clover x Crested wheat grass
Short
5. Kura clover x Smooth brome grass
½ Short x ½ Tall
6. Birdsfoot treefoil x Kentucky bluegrass
Short
7. Birdsfoot treefoil x Crested wheat grass
Short
8. Red clover x Timothy
9. Red clover x Tall fescue
10.Red clover x Meadow fescue
11.Red clover x Smooth brome
12.Red clover x Orchard grass
13.Alfalfa x Orchard grass
14.Red clover x Alfalfa x Orchard grass x Smooth brome
Tall
15.White Clover x Kura clover x Kentucky blue grass
Short
16.Red colver x White clover x Kentucky blue grass x Smooth brome
Short x ½ Tall
17.Kura clover x Birdsfoot treefoil x Timothy x Orchard grass
Short x ½ Tall
18.Alfalfa x Red Clover x Kentucky blue grass
1/3 Short x 2/3 Tall
19.Red Clover x alfalfa x Kura Clover x Timothy x Smooth brome x Tall fescue
1/3 Short x 2/3 Tall
20. White clover x red clover x Birdsfoot treefoil x Kentucky bluegrass
Tall
Tall
Tall
Tall
Tall
Tall
Forage Yield
Central Wisconsin
• White Clover and Kentucky Blue grass
•Both are short-less than 16 inches
•Tendency to go dormant in hot dry weather
•Yield-average 1.47 tons/acre at 22% protein
Forage Yield
Central Wisconsin
• Red Clover and Timothy
•Both are tall
•Early growth and Greenup
•Timothy only grass to grow seed head after cutting
•Yield-average 2.58 tons/acre at 18.1% protein
Forage Yield
Central Wisconsin
• Red Clover and Tall Fescue
•Both are tall
•Early growth and Greenup, good fall regrowth
•Tall fescue is good sod former, endophyte free
•Yield-average 3.65 tons/acre at 19.5% protein
Forage Yield
Central Wisconsin
• Red Clover and Meadow Fescue
•Both are tall
•Early growth and green-up
•Meadow Fescue very winter hardy
•Horses and cattle preferred meadow fescue mix
•Yield-average 4.12 tons/acre at 20.6 % protein
Forage Yield
Central Wisconsin
• Red Clover and Smooth Brome
•Both are tall
•Early growth and green-up
•Spreads by rhizomes, sod former
•Yield-average 3.98 tons/acre at 19.5 % protein
Forage Yield
Central Wisconsin
• Red Clover and Orchard Grass
•Both are tall
•Early growth and green-up
•Excellent Fall Re-growth
•Orchard Grass is a bunch grass
•Yield-average 4.26 tons/acre at 20.1 % protein
Forage Yield
Central Wisconsin
• Alfalfa and Orchard Grass
•Both are tall
•Early growth and green-up
•Excellent Summer Growth and Fall Re-growth
•Orchard Grass is a bunch grass
•Yield-average 3.57 tons/acre at 19 % protein
Forage Yield
Central Wisconsin
• Red Clover, Alfalfa, Smooth Brome & Orchard Grass
•Tall Combination
•Early growth and green-up
•Excellent Summer Growth and Fall Re-growth
•Yield-average 3.74 tons/acre at 20.2 % protein
Forage Yield
Central Wisconsin
• Alfalfa, Red Clover, and Kentucky Blue Grass
•Combination
• Excellent re-growth and persistent
•Yield-average 4.23 tons/acre at 16.8 % protein
•Highest Yielding plot in test
Forage Yield
Central Wisconsin
• Establishment-Cost of seeding only, no seed cost
–
–
–
–
–
Tillage-plow, disc, drill-cost of $40-50 per acre
Direct seed-$15
No-till drill-$12
Frost seeding-$5
Manure seeding-$0-$1
Forage Yield
Central Wisconsin
• Establishment-Seed Cost
– In most soils we need 15-20 lbs of seed per acre
– Consider cover crop of oats with drill seeding
– Frost seeding requires short grass conditions and control of
competition-grazing or mowing
– Graze cover crop in Mid-June
Forage Yield
Central Wisconsin
• Establishment-Seed Cost- From Select Catalogs 2004
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Alfalfa= $1.75-$4.00 per pound
Red Clover=$1-$2.50 per pound
Kura Clover=$4.00-$5.00 per pound
White Clover=$2.00-$4.00 per pound
Kentucky Blue Grass=$1.50-$3.00 per pound
Orchardgrass=$1.00-$3.00 per pound
Brome grass=$1.00-$2.00 per pound
Tall fescue=$1.00- $2.50 per pound
Meadow fescue=$1.75-$3.00 per pound
Timothy=$0.75-$1.50 per pound
Forage Yield
Central Wisconsin
Establishment-Seeding Rates Recommendations
Species
Seeded Alone
Mix
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Alfalfa
Kura Clover
White Clover
Kentucky Blue Grass
Orchardgrass
Bromegrass
Tall fescue
Meadow fescue
Timothy
15 lbs
8 lbs
14 lbs(not recommended)
15 lbs
10 lbs
16 lbs
10 lbs
10 lbs
8 lbs
• Do not apply more than 20 lbs of seed mix per acre
8 lbs
4 lbs
2 lbs
10 lbs
4 lbs
6 lbs
4 lbs
4 lbs
4 lbs
FROST SEEDING
Adding new seed to a pasture by broadcasting on
frozen ground in early spring, letting frost & snow
incorporate the seed.
Snow Tracks Help
Frost Seeding in Snow
Frost Seeding
Snow Tracks Help
FROST SEEDING
• Improves Pasture Quality & Yield
• Lower Cost Than Annual Nitrogen
Application ($9 vs. $42)
• Works Best On Loams & Clay Soils or
Fields With Natural Moisture
• Clovers Recommended, Birdsfoot Trefoil &
Certain Grasses Can Work
Horses & Pasture
• A grass-legume pasture can produce enough
to meet the maintenance requirements of
most adult horses
• In general, horses are more destructive to
pasture than cattle
• Horses are natural “nibblers”
Horses & Pasture
A Pennsylvania study showed horses preferred:
• Grasses over legumes
• Bluegrass over taller grasses
• Clovers over alfalfa and birdsfoot trefoil
The study also showed that horses’ made
satisfactory progress on all pasture mixtures
If at all possible
graze cattle with horses
Because:
• It reduces parasitic infestation
• Each will eat around the others’ droppings
• It assures more uniform use of the pasture
• Cattle will graze otherwise wasted feed
Diet Selection of Livestock
Type
Horses
Cattle
Sheep
Goats
---------- % of diet ----------
Forage a
90
70
60
20
Weeds
4
20
30
20
Browse b
6
10
10
60
aA
b
mixture of grass and legumes
Woody material
Grazing Management Tips
• For rotational grazing to be successful you
must be flexible
• If you don’t want to make hay during
periods of rapid forage growth, move
animals faster
• Provide free choice salt & minerals
Grazing Management Tips
• Avoid over or under grazing
• Clip pastures regularly during the growing
season
• Drag pastures with a chain link harrow at
least once per year
• Apply fertilizer as needed (take a soil test)
• Re-seed pastures if necessary
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/crops/teamforage/index.html
•Thanks for Your Attention