Page 47 - December 2015

Cool season grasses such as ryegrass, which is a good source of protein, will allow for extended grazing from late fall to early summer and will help prevent soil erosion, but may need to be reseeded every 2-3 years
Cooperative Extension Best Management Practices (BMPs). “The use of a sacrifice area can result in increased pasture productivity on remaining pastures. It should be located on well- drained soils away from waterways. Vegetation will likely be sparse to non-existent, as the area will be subjected to significant wear and tear. Consider locating your sacrifice area so that vegetated areas surround it; these will serve
as a filtration system to reduce sediment and nutrient movement.”
PASTURE ROTATION
Horses are tough on pastures and can graze forage down to the surface of the soil. When a particular pasture is overused, the root system of the grass can become damaged. Rotating pastures can prevent this predicament. If space or acreage is an issue, temporary fencing can be used to divide pastures into multiple sections, enabling the rotating of horses when the grass has been grazed down.
The Rutgers’ (BMPs) suggest resting pastures for optimum pasture health.
“Horses tend to feed on grasses in the same area and can eventually weaken and kill pasture plants in these localized feeding areas. Removing horses from pasture allows plant species to recover by storing nutrients for subsequent regrowth. The recommended rule of thumb is to let horses graze for one week, or until the short grass species (Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass) are two to three inches high and tall grass species are three to four inches high.
“Continuous and rotational grazing are the two most common grazing systems. Rotating horses in equal-sized paddocks provides the benefits of reduced grazing pressure, improved yields, and (mid-season) opportunities for fertilization. If continuous pasture must be
used, overgrazing may be minimized by leaving horses on pasture for only a few hours a day or by removing them to another area where they can be supplemented with hay for at least four hours daily.”
Dr. Fisch explained how AVS Equine handles pasture rotation.
“Our pastures are between 17 to 35 acres, so it’s not so much a sacrifice area as just a different pasture that is next to the sacrifice pasture,”
said Dr. Fisch. “The ideal situation, if a person has time to do it, is to turn them out on the rye for a few hours and then bring them back in
the pasture where they are fed hay. This keeps the rye from being eaten down too much, but
it gives the horses the amount of protein and ‘green grass factor’ that they need to stay healthy and happy.”
Dr. Fisch shared key components of pasture management that horse owners and farm managers should focus on, not just in the winter months, but year-round.
“The keys to maintaining healthy pastures include keeping it mowed so the weeds don’t have a chance to take over,” he related. “Soil sampling every year so the fertilizer and PH needs can be addressed is also very important. If the PH of the soil is not correct, you can throw all the fertilizer you want out there and a lot of it will be wasted because the soil can’t use the fertilizer unless the soil is at the correct PH. This is where ‘liming’ the pastures comes in. Aeration is another important aspect of maintenance. Horses walking over the pasture pack the soil and that makes it difficult for grass to grow. Harrowing the pasture once a year, especially
if winter rye is being planted, is a good idea. Water at the ideal times is also vital, but unless you have a sprinkler system big enough to cover a pasture with no trees, then that part is up to Mother Nature.”
Rotational grazing will allow for optimum plant regrowth
SACRIFICE AREAS
As it is important to keep horses off of saturated and rain-soaked pastures, a sacrifice area or a winter paddock can be utilized during the cold season. There is minimal nutritional value in dormant grass, so horses and pastures, alike, can benefit from a sacrifice area in the winter months.
Sacrifice areas are parcels of land used primarily for exercise and not grazing. They often prove valuable in winter months when pastures are susceptible to damage or vulnerable due to saturation. Sacrifice areas, where horses are fed, have water and shelter, can turn to dirt and are also called a dry lot or holding area. “When land area is limited, a sacrifice area can be of value because pastures cannot survive continuous grazing and trampling during this season,” according to the Rutgers University
A sacrifice area, such as dry lot or holding area where horses are kept off dormant grass, should be utilized to prevent pasture dam- age and will allow for increased productivity on the unused pasture come spring time
SPEEDHORSE, December 2015 45