Page 46 - December 2015

While caring for pastures is a year-round responsibility, implementing time-tested techniques during the winter months can boost pasture productivity come spring time
by Michael Compton
with ryegrass is beneficial. “We do sometimes (over-seed), depending on the number of horses we might have that particular year,” Fisch said. “The reason being that winter rye is a good source of protein for livestock. They can graze on good winter rye for two to three hours per day and get their daily requirement of protein. Winter rye also helps prevent pasture erosion during the rainy part of the winter. The horses’ manure also tends to stay a little looser, so there is less chance of a cold winter day impaction colic.”
A year-round approach is required to maintain healthy pastures, but effective management practices are especially critical during the winter months when cold, seasonal weather is capable of wreaking havoc on a horse’s primary grazing ground.
Healthy horse pastures can produce high- quality forage in most climates from May through September. When the winter months roll around and weather starts to deteriorate, however, there are key principles horse owners and farm managers can practice in order to maintain pasture health throughout the year.
Over-Seeding
and renOvatiOn
Over-seeding in high traffic areas helps restore grass cover, thus re-establishing a healthy, nutrient- rich pasture. Cool season grasses like ryegrass allow for extended grazing from late fall to early summer and are palatable and nutritious. Heavily
grazed ryegrass pastures may need reseeding every two or three years for maximum production.
“We over-seed with ryegrass here” said Jude Robicheaux of Robicheaux Ranch in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. “We usually do that in late October or the first of November. And then we fertilize in December and again in January. The ryegrass comes up real good and all of the rain we get here helps our pastures a lot.”
Dr. Stephen Fisch of AVS Equine in Tallahassee, Floria, explained why over-seeding
Over-seeding high
traffic areas can help restore grass cover for a nutrient rich pasture
44 SPEEDHORSE, December 2015