Choosing a Forage Species for
Horse Pastures
Wade Hutcheson
Spalding County Agent, ANR
The University of Georgia
Dr. Dennis Hancock
UGA Extension Forage Specialist
Dr. John Andrae
Clemson University
Extension Forage Specialist
Don’t guess. Soil test.
Things to Consider When Choosing a
“Base” Forage
• Animals that will graze
• Perennials should form
foundation of grazing
system
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Dependable!
Persistent
Productive
Dependable
• Think about climate and
timing of production
Horses grazing tall fescue/bermudagrass
near Athens GA
Forage Distribution Slide
Effects of temperature on plant
growth
Degrees Fahrenheit
Warm Season Perennials
• All base forages should be
perennials!
• Warm season plants
produce in summer
months
Late April – first frost
• Very drought tolerant and
most are grazing and
treading tolerant
• Bahiagrass and
Bermudagrass
Yield and Digestibility of
Bermudagrass Hybrids
G.W. Burton, unpublished data
fertility and maturity equal
Hybrid Bermudagrass
Must be established vegetatively
Slow
Expensive
Hard to contract small acreages
Benefits:
Higher yields
Good quality
Excellent for hay production
Hybrids:Coastal, Russell,
Tifton 85, Alicia,
Tifton 44 – slow to establish
Typically sprigged in 3 or 4 ft rows
30 lbs N at emergence
P & K prior to planting
~50 lbs at lapping
$150+ per acre to sprig
Seeded Bermudagrass
• Common bermudagrass can be a good choice for pastures!
 Dense sod
 Good quality
 Yields approximately 60-70% of hybrids
• Cheyenne
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Excellent alternative to common and hybrids
Yields approach Coastal
Weed problems at establishment - limited options
Weed control after establishment - many good options
~$105 per acre seed cost at 12 lbs/ac
• Giant
 Does not survive more than one or two years!!!
• New seeded varieties come and go, mostly go.
Seeded Bermudagrass
Planting Guide
• Plant in a firm seed bed
 Use disc harrow to level & cultipack or roll to firm the
seed bed
• Plant 12-15 lbs per acre- drill or broadcast
• If broadcast- repack after spreading
• Do not plant deeper than 1/4 inch
• Can no-till into killed sod- may minimize weed concerns
• Plant in the spring after soil has warmed to 65 F.
 In most areas mid April to first of July
• No early weed control options – need to get past
seedling stage, better yet when it starts running.
• Use certified seed.
Prepared Seedbed
• “Well-prepared” seedbed
 Plow/disc/finish at least 2-4
wks prior to sprigging
 Incorporate lime,
phosphorus, and potassium.
 Allow time to settle or firm
with cultipacker/roller.
• Seedbed should be firm
 Boot tracks should be ~1/4
in. deep
 If too fluffy, the soil will dry
very quickly (sandy soils)
Establishing Hybrid
Bermudagrass
Best methods
1) Dormant sprigs (rhizomes) - 40-50 bu/A
 Dec. to early Mar.
2) Sprigs with green tops – 30-50 bu/A
 spring (after last freeze) to early Aug.
3) Tops/green stems – 50-60 bu/A
 Jun. – Aug.
 Not recommended for Tifton 44
• Best if seedbed is well-prepared
Bahiagrass
• Three options- Pensacola,
Tifton 9, Sand Mountain
• Slower to establish than
bermudagrass
• Denser sod
 Treading and grazing tolerant
• Longer grazing season
• Tolerant of low fertility and
pH
• Lower producing
• Not a great option for this
area.
What about native species?
• Native species do not
tolerate continuous
grazing
• Pure switchgrass has
recently been implicated
in some horse toxicity
problems in Midwest US
• These species are difficult
to manage- introduced
species offer more
advantages to horse
producers
Switchgrass
Cool Season Perennial Grasses
• Tall fescue is most
persistent and productive
species for this area
• Orchardgrass will persist
in this area for 2 -4 years
under grazing
 Less productive in fall than
tall fescue
• Timothy and KY
Bluegrass are NOT an
option
Tall fescue
Warm Season Annuals
• Crabgrass is probably best
warm season annual
pasture for horses
 Can be used in combination
with tall fescue
• Millets can be grazed with
horses but are difficult to
manage
• Sorghums should be
avoided due to urinary
cystitis problems, et.al.
(johnsongrass, sorghumsudan, sudangrass)
Crabgrass
Cool Season Annual Grasses
• Best utilized as a
complimentary species
• Perform well in dormant
bermudagrass pastures
 Rye – drill 15-20 lb/ac
broadcast 20-25
 Wheat
 Oats
 Annual ryegrass\
15-25 lb/ac mixes; 25-30 alone
• Broadcasting 20 lbs/ac of
annual ryegrass on closely
grazed bermudagrass is
economical and effective
• Do not overseed annual grasses
into tall fescue
Annual ryegrass + white clover
sodseeded in dormant bermudagrass
What about Legumes?
• Clovers can be a valuable
addition to perennial
pastures
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Fix nitrogen
Improve grazing season
Improve forage production
Improve quality
Crimson
• White clover in tall fescue
• Some winter annuals in
bermudagrass
 Arrowleaf and vetch highly
unpalatable
White
Red clover and “slobbers”
• Red clover can be infected
by a fungus
 Rhizoctonia leguminicola
a.k.a. black patch
 Produces an alkaloid known
as slaframine
• Occurs normally in cool,
wet springs
• Decreases after 10 mo in
hay
• Disappears with feed
change after 48-72 hrs
• Normally a cosmetic
problem
A horse showing signs of “slobbers”
http://www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/livestock/horses/facts/info_slobbers.htm
Steven S. Nicholson, DVM , LSU
Black patch on clover
www.ss.ngri.affrc.go.jp/ disease/de38.htm
Grazing Tolerance of Various Grasses
WS Perennial
CS Perennial
Bahiagrass
Excellent
E+ Tall Fescue
Excellent
Bermudagrass
Excellent
E- Tall Fescue
Fair
Switchgrass
Poor
Orchardgrass
Good
Appendix- Southern Forages
Grazing Tolerance of
Various Grasses
WS Annual
CS Annual
Crabgrass
Excellent
Small grains
Good
(rye, wheat, oats)
Millets
Fair
Ryegrass
Sorghums
XXXXXX
Excellent
Appendix- Southern Forages
Grazing Tolerance of Various
Legumes
Annuals
Perennials
Crimson
Fair
Red
Fair
Ball
Fair
White
Excellent
Arrowleaf,
vetch
XXXXXX
Appendix- Southern Forages
Summary
• Choose perennial “base” forage carefully
 Dependability and grazing persistence are important!
 Tall fescue and bermudagrass work well in this area
 Can use BOTH- in pure or mixed stands!!!!
• Compliment this base forage with appropriate
species to minimize hay or fertilizer needs
 Cool season grasses and legumes for bermudagrass
 Crabgrass or white clover for tall fescue
• Establish paddocks for rotational grazing
• Close a gate sometimes
What is GOOD Hay?
Source: Using RFQ to Categorize Hay, Dr. Dennis Hancock, UGA Extension Forage Specialist
Good based on sellers word or
an inexpensive forage test?
The categories and RFQ ranges used in the
Southeastern Forage Quality categorization system.
Forage Quality
Category
RFQ
Supreme
> 185
Prime
160-185
Choice
140-160
Select
110-140
Standard
90-110
Utility
< 90
B/T 2004-10 More than 16,000 forage samples sent
to the UGA. Nearly 40% fell into the Utility category.
In contrast, only about 7% of the samples were in the top three
categories: Premium, Select, or Choice. Dr. Dennis Hancock, UGA Extension Forage Specialist
If weed problem exists,
do you spray or fertilize first?
• Spray first, many good herbicides available. ID
weed or weeds for timing, best control method and
product selection.
• Spray with knowledge and confidence
• Calibrate sprayer
• Control weeds then improve fertility.
• Fertilize based on soil test report.
• pH is critical.
For more information on this and other
forage related topics, visit the website
www.georgiaforages.com
Wade Hutcheson
Spalding County Agent
Agriculture & Natural Resources
232 East Broad Street
Griffin GA 30223
770.467.4225
hutch@uga.edu